66 



SCIENCE. 



[a\. S. Vol. XX. No. 498. 



pose tlie idea here, too, is that the games 

 are played accurately ; that is, to use the 

 technical expression, without errors. 



Again, there are those who seem to think 

 that science is something that has been de- 

 vised by the Evil One for the purpose of 

 undermining religion. This idea is not so 

 common as it was a few years ago, when 

 the professors of seientifie subjects in our 

 colleges were generally objects of suspicion. 

 The change which has come over the world 

 in this respect within my own memory is 

 simply astounding. In general terms an 

 agreement has been reached between those 

 who represent religion and those who I'ep- 

 resent science. This agreement is certainly 

 not final, but it gives us a modus vivendi, 

 and the clash of arms is now rarely heard. 

 Heligion now takes into consideration the 

 claims of science, and science recognizes the 

 .great fundamental truths of religion. 

 Each should strengthen the other, and in 

 time, no doubt, each will strengthen the 

 other. 



Probably the idea most commonly held 

 in regard to science is that it is something 

 that gives us a great many useful inven- 

 tions. The steam-engine, the telegraph, the 

 telephone, the trolley car, dye stuffs, medi- 

 cines, explosives — these are the fruits of 

 science, and without these science is of no 

 avail. I propose farther on to discuss this 

 subject more fully than I can at this stage 

 -of my remarks, so that I may pass over it 

 ■lightly here. I need only say now that 

 iiseful inventions are not a necessary con- 

 sequence of scientific work, and that scien- 

 tific work does not depend upon useful 

 applications for its value. These proposi- 

 tions, which are familiar enough to scien- 

 tific men, are apt to surprise those who are 

 outside of scientific circles. I hope before 

 I get through to show you that the proposi- 

 tions are true. 



Science, then, is not simply accuracy, 

 although it would be worthless if it were 



not accurate ; it is not devised for the pur- 

 pose of undermining religion; and its ob- 

 ject is not the making of useful inventions. 

 Then what is it ? One dictionary gives this 

 definition: "Knowledge; knowledge of 

 principles and causes; ascertained truth 

 or facts. * * * Accumulated and estab- 

 lished knowledge which has been system- 

 atized and formulated with reference to 

 the discovery of general truths or the op- 

 eration of general laws, * * * especially 

 such knowledge when it relates to the phys- 

 ical world, and its phenomena, the nature, 

 constitution and forces of matter, the quali- 

 ties and function of living tissues, etc." 



One writer says: "The distinction be- 

 tween science and art is that science is a 

 body of principles and deductions to ex- 

 plain the nature of some matter. An art 

 is a body of precepts with practical skill 

 for the completion of some work. A sci- 

 ence teaches us to know ; an art, to do. In 

 art, truth is a means to an end; in science 

 it is the only end. Hence the practical 

 arts are not to be classed among the sci- 

 ences. " Another writer says: "Science 

 and art may be said to be investigations 

 of truth; but one, science, inquires for the 

 sake of knowledge; the other, art, for the 

 sake of production; and hence science is 

 more concerned with the higher truths, art 

 with the lower; and science never is en- 

 gaged, as art is, in productive application. ' ' 



Science, then has for its object the accum- 

 ulation and systematization of knowledge, 

 the discovery of truth. The astronomer 

 is trying to learn more and more about the 

 celestial bodies, their motions, their com- 

 position, their changes. Through his 

 labors, carried on for many centuries, we 

 have the science of astronomy. 



The geologist has, on the other hand, 

 confined his attention to the earth, and he 

 is trying to learn as much as possible of its 

 composition and structure, and of the pro- 

 cesses that have been operating through 



