142 



E. WALTER MAUNDER, F.R.A.S., ON 



his life and power and authority from Him, God " hath put all 

 things under His feet." 



Here has arisen the conflict between Eeligion and Irreligion — 

 there is none between Religion and Science. " Eeligion " means 

 " the binding of man to God " ; a binding which, if he is to 

 manifest God's image, and to rule as God's representative, is 

 essential. Irreligion means the dissolution, the denial, or at 

 least the neglect of this relation. Hence there are many who 

 are ready to admit in words that there is a " Great First Cause," 

 but in practice they ignore Him ; He is to them merely " a 

 negligible factor." 



The brute beasts know not God, and cannot hold intercourse 

 and communion with Him ; they follow their natural pro- 

 pensities and passions, for they are not capable of anything 

 higlier. 



But if man, by creation the son of God, made in the image of 

 God and to manifest His likeness, holds himself separate from and 

 independent of God, the beauty and perfection of created nature 

 is destroyed, and man, the highest of created things, becomes 

 most out of harmony with the purpose of his being. 



Every man, indeed, perceives in his neighbour and must 

 recognise in himself, that the image of God which he presents 

 is, at best, blurred, broken, imperfect and defaced ; but if, 

 instead of striving after the Divine likeness, he is content to 

 manifest only the likeness of the beast, whether it be in the 

 indulgence of its passions, or in its ignorance of God, then there 

 is seen in him, not only sin against God, but sin against his 

 own essential Manhood. For Manhood consists in this, that 

 Man show forth God's image and make manifest His likeness. 



Discussion. 



r The Chairman expressed his special satisfaction in presiding on 

 that occasion as it was the first opportunity he had had of welcoming 

 Mr. Maunder as their Secretary. He thought that in the paper that 

 had just been read, Mr. Maunder had handled a very difficult sub- 

 ject on the lines which the Victoria Institute had laid down for 

 itself in dealing with such questions. The object of the Institute 

 was the frank and full discussion of questions in relation to religion 

 and science, but in a reverent spirit. They did not ask all to 

 conform to strict orthodoxy ; they did not ask that everyone should 



