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studied, and who conscientiously accepts the teachings of both theology 

 and science. 



Science, of course, should be primarily an independent study. 

 Scientists have no time and little inclination usually to study theology 

 and neither have theologians, as a rule, the opportunities to become 

 masters of science. When science has demonstrated a fact there can be 

 no gainsaying it ; it will over-ride any theological dogma ; but a scientific 

 theory does nothing of the kind. For instance science has proved that 

 our world was not made in six days of 24 hours, as it used to be believed, 

 and theologians accept the fact and find it in no way inconsistent with 

 their Bible. 



Science has proved that evolution has taken place, and is taking 

 pKce, in both the animal and vegetable world, and theologians accept 

 these facts also. 



But science has not yet proved that evolution is the cause of all the 

 various forms of life we have to-day, and it has not yet proved, and I am 

 confident never can prove, that any life can originate of itself . Let it 

 prove even the former of these propositions, let it trace back every 

 animal and vegetable to one original speck of protoplasm, and even then 

 science will not do away with the necessity of a creator." 



Mr. Taylor went on to explain how Dr. Bastian's theory of abio- 

 genesis had been completely upset by the experiments of Prof. Tyndall, 

 and then said : You will see therefore that there is no necessary con- 

 flict between the theory of evolution and theology. Both parties (the 

 theologians and the scientists) are often rather unreasonable. Theolo- 

 gians have sometimes been tempted I know to dogmatise unnecessarily, 

 but on the other hand scientific men are constantly asking them to 

 swallow pounds of theory with every few grains of fact. I for one am 

 ready to accept the facts, and I believe that the principles of evolution 

 have been conclusively proved, but I do not feel called upon to accept 

 at present all the extravagant theories that the more extreme disciples 

 of Darwinism have put forward. 



In conclusion, my excuse for introducing this subject into an address 

 on conchology must be the fact that from this science evolutionists have 

 drawn some of their strongest arguments, while in it also they have 

 met with some of their greatest difficulties. 



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