478 



NA TURE 



[September 29, 1923 



and its more obvious triumphs are known to all. The 

 earth is not the centre of the universe ; its age must 

 be measured by hundreds of millions of years ; man 

 upon it is the derivative of lower forms of life. No 

 orthodox theologian, in classical or medieval times, 

 held or would have dared to assert such facts. Hence- 

 forth they must find their place in any dogmatic 

 scheme of faith. 



The indirect influence of .scientific method, its 

 patient induction, its readiness to admit divergent 

 conceptual representations of observed facts, its 

 absence of exaggeration, its hostility to evasive 

 language, and, alwve all, its abhorrence of argument 

 which pretends to be free but is pledged to reach 

 assigned conclusions — this influence has not yet made 

 itself fully felt. Theological thought, which claims 

 to be scientific and is still widely accepted, preserves 

 bad traditions. The work of the best contemporary 

 theologians is free from blame. But to any one 

 familiar with the scrupulous honesty of modem 

 scientific research the dogmatic inconsequence of 

 much current religious apologetic is painful. For 

 this reason young men and women, who have had a 

 scientific training at our universities, often complain 

 bitterly that they cannot get adequate religious teach- 

 ing. They have no more desire for undogmatic religion 

 than for hazy science. But they demand that re- 

 ligious dogmas shall be taught with the same frankness, 

 the same readiness to admit progress through change, 

 the same absence of elaborate and unnecessary com- 

 plication as they are accustomed to get in scientific 

 instruction. Especially do they resent the use of 

 archaic language, which they suspect, not always 

 unjustly, to be used as a cloak beneath which awkward 

 problems are concealed. As the influence of the 

 methods of scientific investigation increases, the 

 dissatisfaction to which I have alluded will spread. 

 There is only one way in which accredited religious 

 teachers can overcome it. They must use scientific 

 method. They must avoid, whatever the cost, the 

 snare of obscurantism. 



At the present time we suffer from what I feel forced 

 to regard as an unfortunate development in the re- 

 ligious history of England. A century ago the domin- 

 ant type of English religion was evangelical. The 

 language used had at times the over-emphasis which 

 is common in devotional literature ; but men spoke 



of realities which they had experienced. That their 

 convictions were genuine, their good work 

 showed. Their faith was a power. I 

 it was joined to a cosmology which wa;> faicd to i^ 

 destroyed by the progress of .science. The ravages 

 made in their scheme by geology were already ominous 

 in the year 1823. The faith, it was felt, was in danger. 

 Wisdom pointed to the acceptance of new scientific 

 truths. But it is given to few to " greet the unseen 

 with a cheer," So the Tractarians, the religious re- 

 formers who then arose, men of piety and ability, 

 turned to the past for safety. The system which they 

 embraced not only contained the cosmol 

 repudiated by educated men, but was also a 

 of religious ideas of pagan origin combined wiih 

 philosophic concepts now obsolete. English religion 

 is still struggling with this burden : and, as I see 

 the matter, no healthy reconciliation between science 

 and organised Christianity is possible until it is cast 

 aside. 



.Men of science can do much to help the community 

 during the period of transition through which we are 

 now passing. Their reverence for truth can l>e made 

 an inspiration of especial value to pious souls. >\mong 

 men of science there is the moral austerity without 

 which the finest intellectual work is seldom, if ever, 

 achieved. During the last generation, moreover, 

 they have shown a steadily increasing sympathy with 

 religion, an enhanced appreciation of the unique power 

 of Christianity, at its best, to serve the human race, 

 to foster spiritual progress while preserving spiritual 

 freedom. I would urge all men of science whom my 

 words may reach to take every opportunitv to set 

 forth their religious ideals, to show how, in their own 

 minds, Christianity and science interact. Personally 

 I think it unreasonable to demand that their language 

 should be orthodox. The great master to my thinking 

 is Hort, the only theologian of the nineteenth century 

 who began with a thorough scientific training ; and 

 Hort said progress in theology must come " by 

 perilous use and perilous reform." A faith worth 

 having needs no artificial protection. Individually 

 each one of us may make mistakes : in the end truth 

 will prevail through honest argument. The religiou* 

 sincerity of able men with trained minds is of value 

 in itself ; and, I am convinced, the essentials of Christi- 

 anity will survive by their own inherent strength. 



The Swiss National Park.^' 

 By Prof. C. Schroter, Federal Technical High School, Zurich. 



SELDOM has a movement of a purely idealistic 

 character spread so rapidly and victoriously 

 through the world as the movement to protect Nature 

 against the civilisation which threatens to overwhelm 

 it. Everywhere is heard the cry, " save, what may 

 yet be saved, of the original face of mother earth." 



Many are the tasks of those engaged in this movement : 

 the preservation of natural geological monuments and 

 prehistoric sites, the protection of rare plants, fine old 

 trees, interesting plant-communities {e.g. those of 



' For the translaiion oi the original manuscript the author is much 

 indebted to Prof. R. H. Yapp, University of Birmingham. 



NO. 2813, VOL. 112] 



moorland, steppes, or dunes), and the prevention of the 

 extermination of animals. But most effective and 

 profitable of all is the creation of Nature reser\es 

 where landscape, plants, and animals alike being pro- 

 tected from the encroachment of man, the sway of 

 Nature is paramount. Such areas may be called 

 " Complete Nature Reser\es " or, to borrow an 

 American term, " National Parks."' 



In 1906 a movement arose in the Schweizerische 

 Naturforschende Gesellschaft, which resulted in the 

 formation of a Commission for Nature Protection, 

 with Dr. Paul Sarasin, of Basel, as president. This 



