]20 



WALTER AUBREY KIDD, M.D., M.R.C.S., F.Z.S., ON 



ments of the chemist and physicist, or the much less exact 

 experiments of the biologist. If it were true that Eeligion can 

 conduct no experiments, any claim on the part of Religion to 

 rest on an induction would necessarily fail. But in the process 

 of theistic proof there are all the stages of an inductive inquiry, 

 Ohservatioii, Hypothesis, Deduction, Verification, including Exiperi- 

 mem in a delicate and subtle region of phenomena, the human 

 soul and human conduct. Christianity has indeed been called 



the greatest experimental Science of all." Theism claims to 

 rule the conscience of man and so his actions, and lias stood 

 the test of many ages, and has more profoundly moditied the 

 course of human history than any other force except those of 

 hunger and animal love. It has been one long course of 

 undesigned experiments to show what spiritual energy can do 

 in modifying and even transforming the life of man. The 

 higher the form of the theistic faith the more marked are the 

 effects on human life, until we come to that form of Theism 

 which all modern enlightenment allows to be its highest form, 

 viz., Christianity, and this has gone immeasurably beyond all 

 other forms in its great transforming power. What more 

 significant experiments can Science make in her line than 

 Christianity is continually making in a higher province still ? 



I would submit that the validity of Eeligion and its 

 postulates rest upon a basis as strong and sound as those of 

 Science, but that both must wait for pi^oof till some immensely 

 greater range and depth of knowledge is reached by man. The 



venture of Theistic faith " is no greater than the venture of 

 Science. Science no more than Eeligion can afford to think it 

 possible that the great order of nature in which we live and 

 move and have our being is the outcome of blind chance on the 

 one hand or of a malevolent power on the other. It is the 

 stultification of all the triumphs of modern Science to suppose 

 it possible that the apparent order around may at any moment 

 become disorder, and the seekers after truth and light be 

 suddenly put to confusion. 



Discussion. 



The Chairman. — I am sure I may thank Dr. Kidd, in all your 

 names, for the paper he has so carefully prepared and read to us. 

 ^ou observe that Dr. Kidd has taken a book for his text and I 



