as to the relations op science and faith. 229 



Discussion 



The Chairman. — We have listened with great interest to this 

 paper, which covers a large ground, and the subject is full of 

 interest to all those present. Professor Macloskie has treated the 

 subject froiTi a very broad and liberal point of view, and we are 

 much obliged to Dr. Kidd for reading the paper so distinctly and 

 clearly to us. 



Dr. Kidd. — I only wish to make a few remarks in explanation 

 of the apparent inconsistency which arises on my reading the 

 paper. I suppose it is by the fitness of things that I have been 

 asked to read the paper, in which there appears to be a rather 

 strong condemnation of the attempt to set up an issue between 

 religion and evolution ; so I desire to explain that I cannot go 

 entirely with those views of Dr. Macloskie's in which he speaks of 

 evolution alternated by creation and that evolution is only creation 

 by evolution. I think that is to confuse things that differ. I do 

 not think that any service will be rendered to either science or 

 religion by evading an issue of this kind, which has been raised for 

 a generation, or more, and which will be always raised, by the 

 question whether this world came into existence, as we see it now, 

 by a process of development from nebula, or whether by the 

 direct agency and work of God. 1 desire to say that I take the 

 view of the creation which is given in Genesis i, 1 : "In the 

 beginning God created the heaven and the earth," and that word 

 " create" as used there is used only as applying to the agency of 

 God and never of man. It i^efers to bringing into existence that 

 which never existed before, and one must be prepared to stand or 

 fall, I think, by the meaning of the word "create," and not by 

 this half-hearted " creation by evolution," which is an attempt to 

 "run with the hare and hunt with the hounds." "Of course 

 creation, in this connection, refers to the secondary creation of 

 living things out of already existing matter, living or dead." But 

 that lower form of creation is too small altogether to be taken for 

 man by those who believe in his special creation. However, I 

 think the paper is a very valuable one for this Society. 



Dr. Gladstone, F.R.S. — -I can only say that I have not had the 

 time or opportunity to study this paper so as to speak to my own 

 satisfaction upon it. I never saw it until this morning when I 



