THE RELATION OF SCIENCE TO CHRISTIAN MISSIONS. 115 



Eeligion — the highest ideal — she has placed on a firmer throne 

 than ever." 



Commission V of the Edinburgh Conference said, " The atmo- 

 sphere of historical knowledge, of even elementary science, still 

 more of advanced metaphysics and psychology, of astronomy 

 and natural history, is fatal to any faith in the gods and modes 

 of worship of the non-Christian world." 



So far therefore as missions require to break down the power 

 of the non-Christian religions they find in science a powerful 

 ally, an irresistible force rapidly doing for them this part of 

 their work. 



This could not be a truthful statement of the case if science 

 had at all the same bearing on the best religion, on Christianity 

 itself. But there is no evidence that it has. There was at 

 the Edinburgh Conference evidence, on all hands, that the mission 

 authorities, by conviction and experience, are assured that their 

 cause is not hindered but served by giving the very best of 

 Western knowledge, science included, to all the world ; and 

 further, it is just because missions are Christian that the 

 leaders see they must undertake to give their best. 



Dr. Hawkes Pott, of Shanghai*, said, "The need of efficiency 

 (in missionary education that is) has been put before you on the 

 ground that we are faced with Government competition. . . . 

 That opinion seems to me not to place the need of efficiency upon 

 the highest ground. When the Christian Church takes up the 

 work of education, it is bound to give the very best, because the 

 Christian religion, of all religions in the world, recognises the 

 fact that all truth comes from one source . . . and it is 

 not only our privilege but our bounden duty to give all the 

 truth which the European mind has thus far been able to 

 apprehend." 



To the same point Professor Moore, of Harvard, said, " We 

 need a Christian system of education . . . held in absolute 

 respect . . . because of its educational value, because of 

 its educational integrity, and because it commands intellectual 

 respect in every regard." 



And Bishop Koots,f of Hankow, appealed " to the Universities 

 of the West to unite their forces as Universities in bringing to 

 the Chinese people the very best that we have in our Western 

 education." 



The principle, embodied in its reportj by the Edinburgh. 



t P. 436. 



* Report, vol. iii, p. 428. 



X p. 198. 



