394 THE SCHOOL BOARDS *V 



religion ; so do I conceive it to be a most lament- 

 able and mischievous error, that the science, 

 theology, is so confounded in the minds of many 

 indeed, I might say, of the majority of men. 



I do not express any opinion as to whether 

 theology is a true science, or whether it does not 

 come under the apostolic definition of " science 

 falsely so called ; " though I may be permitted to 

 express the belief that if the Apostle to whom 

 that much misapplied phrase is due could make 

 the acquaintance of much of modern theology, he 

 would not hesitate a moment in declaring that it 

 is exactly what he meant the words to denote. 



But it is at any rate conceivable, that the 

 nature of the Deity, and his relations to the 

 universe, and more especially to mankind, are 

 capable of being ascertained, either inductively or 

 deductively, or by both processes. And, if they 

 have been ascertained, then a body of science has 

 been formed which is very properly called 

 theology. 



Further, there can be no doubt that affection 

 for the Being thus defined and described by 

 theologic science would be properly termed re- 

 ligion ; but it would not be the whole of religion. 

 The affection for the ethical ideal defined by 

 moral science would claim equal if not superior 

 rights. For suppose theology established the 

 existence of an evil deity and some theologies, 

 even Christian ones, have come very near this, 



