218 Transactions of the American Institute. 



Cheerful Omexs. 

 ' But, my friends, I will not weary you "witli so recent a chapter in 

 the history of the great warfare extending through the centui-ies. 

 There are cheering omens. The greatest and the best men in the 

 churches — the men standing at centers of thought — are insisting with 

 power, more and more, that religion shall no longer be tied to so 

 injurious a policy — that searchers for truth, whether in theology or 

 natural science, shall work on as friends, sure that, no matter how 

 much at variance they may at times seem to be, the trutlas they reach 

 shall finally be fused into each other. ISTo one need fear the results. 

 1^0 matter whether science shall complete her demonstration that man. 

 has been on the earth six thousand years or six hundred thousand. 

 1^0 matter whether she reveal new ideas of the Creator or startling 

 relations between his creatures — the result, when fully thought out, 

 will serve and strengthen religion not less than science. The very 

 finger of the Almighty has written on history that science must be 

 studied by means proper to itself, and in no other way. That history 

 is before us all. '^o one can gainsay it. It is decisive, for it is this : 

 There has never been a scientific theory framed from the nse of 

 Scriptural texts, which has been made to stand. This fact alone 

 shows that our wonderful volume of sacred literature was not given 

 for any such purpose as that to which so many earnest men have 

 endeavored to wrest it. The power of that volume has been mighty 

 indeed. It has inspired the best deeds our world has known. Des])ite 

 the crusts which men has formed about it — despite the fetters Avhich 

 they have placed upon it — Christianity has blessed age after age of 

 the past and will go on as a blessing through age after age of 

 the future. Let the warfare of science, then, be changed. Let it be 

 a warfare in which religion and science shall stand together as allies, 

 not against each other as enemies. Let the fight be for truth of every 

 kind against falsehood of every kind — for justice against injustice — 

 for right against wrong — for beauty against deformity — for goodness 

 against vice — and the great warfare which has brought so many sufi'er- 

 ings, shall bring to earth God's richest blessings. 



