12 RELIGION AND SCIENCE. 



ligion and Science. It commenced when the recognition of 

 the simplest uniformities in surrounding things, set a limit 

 to the once universal superstition. It shows itself every- 

 where throughout the domain of human knowledge : affect- 

 ing men's interpretations alike of the simplest mechanical 

 accidents and of the most complicated events in the histories 

 of nations. It has its roots deep down in the diverse habits 

 of thought of different orders of minds. And the conflicting 

 conceptions of nature and life which these diverse habits of 

 thought severally generate, influence for good or ill the tone 

 of feeling and the daily conduct. 



An unceasing battle of opinion like this which has been 

 carried on .throughout all ages under the banners of Relig- 

 ion and Science, has of course generated an animosity fatal 

 to a just estimate of either party by the other. On a larger 

 scale, and more intensely than any other controversy, has it 

 illustrated that perennially significant fable concerning the 

 knights who fought about the colour of a shield of which 

 neither looked at more than one face. Each combatant see- 

 ing clearly his own aspect of the question, has charged his 

 opponent with stupidity or dishonesty in not seeing the same 

 aspect of it; while each has wanted the candour to go over 

 to his opponent's side and find out how it was that he saw 

 everything so differently. 



Happily the times display an increasing catholicity of 

 feeling, which we shall do well in carrying as far as our na- 

 tures permit. In proportion as we love truth more and vic- 

 tory less, we shall become anxious to know what it is which 

 leads our opponents to think as they do. We shall begin 

 to suspect that the pertinacity of belief exhibited by them 

 must result from a perception of something we have not per- 

 ceived. And we shall aim to supplement the portion of 

 truth we have found with the portion found by them. Mak- 

 ing a more rational estimate of human authority, we shall 

 avoid alike the extremes of undue submission and undue re- 

 bellion shall not regard some men's judgments as wholly 



