JOURNAL AND PROCEEDINGS. 95 
sweeping away the dark superstitions, the degrading belief in 
sorcery and witchcraft, and the cruel intolerance which 
embittered the Christian world almost from the very days of 
the apostles themselves. In this she has surely performed no 
mean service to religion itself.’’ ‘The nineteenth century will 
be known in history as the scientific one, says the London 
Graphic. It was then science shook itself free of superstition, 
prejudice and false principles and established itself as a power. 
Theology every year falling into greater disrepute (witness 
your empty churches) must adjust itself to the new conditions 
revealed by scientific research. The church is fast loosing its 
hold on the younger, more intelligent members of the com- 
munity. ‘‘It is not the scepticism which questions, but the 
scepticism which denies that 1s deadening to faith,’’ remarks 
Professor Barnes. 
We have the conception of a creed and scripture which 
came from the Middle Ages, on the other hand a conception 
of science which comes from modern life. ‘‘ The story of the 
deluge is not confined to the Bible narrative,’’ adds President 
Harper,’’ “‘it is found in the literature of twenty nations. 
There is no evidence to show that the narrative in Genesis is 
any more authentic than the others. It is likely that all the 
stories came from the same source, handed down through 
_ generations by word of mouth.”’ 
‘“There is no real ground for conflict between religion 
aud science,’’ remarks a Professor of the Chicago University. 
‘The conflict is due to the false claims for the Bibleset up by 
its adherents. Moses merely records the current tradition of 
his time.’’ Professor Goodspeed explains in the conference 
that the action of Joshua (directing the sun to stand still) was 
not to be taken literally, but only as representing Joshua in a 
fit of poetic inspiration calling upon the powers of nature to 
aid him in the contest with the enemies of the Lord’s people, 
and in reply to a question regarding the story of Jonah, the 
Professor declared that no man was constrained to believe such 
a tale as a necessary part of his Christian education. ‘‘ The 
fact that Christ mentioned the miracle does not prove its truth. 
