按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
person who speaks English are left unattempted！ And if the inquiring or the successfully inquiring class of minds is small； much smaller； of course； is the class of those possessing the scientific aptitude in an eminent degree。 During the last age this most distinguished class was to a very great extent absorbed in the study of phenomena； a study which had fallen into arrears。 For we stood possessed； in rudiment； of means of observation； means for travelling and acquisition； qualifying men for a larger knowledge than had yet been attempted。 These were now to be directed with new accuracy and ardour upon the fabric and behaviour of the world of sense。 Our debt to the great masters in physical science who overtook and almost out…stripped the task cannot be measured； and； under the honourable leadership of Ruskin； we may all well do penance if we have failed 〃in the respect due to their great powers of thought； or in the admiration due to the far scope of their discovery。〃 （〃Queen of the Air〃； Preface； page vii。 London； 1906。） With what miraculous mental energy and divine good fortuneas Romans said of their soldiersdid our men of curiosity face the apparently impenetrable mysteries of nature！ And how natural it was that immense accessions of knowledge； unrelated to the spiritual facts of life； should discredit Christian faith； by the apparent superiority of the new work to the feeble and unprogressive knowledge of Christian believers！ The day is coming when men of this mental character and rank； of this curiosity； this energy and this good fortune in investigation； will be employed in opening mysteries of a spiritual nature。 They will silence with masterful witness the over…confident denials of naturalism。 They will be in danger of the widespread recognition which thirty years ago accompanied every utterance of Huxley； Tyndall； Spencer。 They will contribute； in spite of adulation； to the advance of sober religious and moral science。
And this result will be due to Darwin； first because by raising the dignity of natural science； he encouraged the development of the scientific mind； secondly because he gave to religious students the example of patient and ardent investigation； and thirdly because by the pressure of naturalistic criticism the religious have been driven to ascertain the causes of their own convictions； a work in which they were not without the sympathy of men of science。 （The scientific rank of its writer justifies the insertion of the following letter from the late Sir John Burdon…Sanderson to me。 In the lecture referred to I had described the methods of Professor Moseley in teaching Biology as affording a suggestion of the scientific treatment of religion。
Oxford； April 30； 1902。
Dear Sir；
I feel that I must express to you my thanks for the discourse which I had the pleasure of listening to yesterday afternoon。
I do not mean to say that I was able to follow all that you said as to the identity of Method in the two fields of Science and Religion； but I recognise that the 〃mysticism〃 of which you spoke gives us the only way by which the two fields can be brought into relation。
Among much that was memorable； nothing interested me more than what you said of Moseley。
No one； I am sure； knew better than you the value of his teaching and in what that value consisted。
Yours faithfully
J。 Burdon…Sanderson。 31…2。）
In leaving the subject of scientific religious inquiry； I will only add that I do not believe it receives any important helpand certainly it suffers incidentally much damaging interruptionfrom the study of abnormal manifestations or abnormal conditions of personality。
（3） Both of the above effects seem to me of high； perhaps the very highest； importance to faith and to thought。 But； under the third head； I name two which are more directly traceable to the personal work of Darwin； and more definitely characteristic of the age in which his influence was paramount： viz。 the influence of the two conceptions of evolution and natural selection upon the doctrine of creation and of design respectively。
It is impossible here； though it is necessary for a complete sketch of the matter； to distinguish the different elements and channels of this Darwinian influence； in Darwin's own writings； in the vigorous polemic of Huxley； and strangely enough； but very actually for popular thought； in the teaching of the definitely anti…Darwinian evolutionist Spencer。
Under the head of the directly and purely Darwinian elements I should class as preeminent the work of Wallace and of Bates； for no two sets of facts have done more to fix in ordinary intelligent minds a belief in organic evolution and in natural selection as its guiding factor than the facts of geographical distribution and of protective colour and mimicry。 The facts of geology were difficult to grasp and the public and theologians heard more often of the imperfection than of the extent of the geological record。 The witness of embryology； depending to a great extent upon microscopic work； was and is beyond the appreciation of persons occupied in fields of work other than biology。
III。
From the influence in religion of scientific modes of thought we pass to the influence of particular biological conceptions。 The former effect comes by way of analogy； example； encouragement and challenge； inspiring or provoking kindred or similar modes of thought in the field of theology； the latter by a collision of opinions upon matters of fact or conjecture which seem to concern both science and religion。
In the case of Darwinism the story of this collision is familiar； and falls under the heads of evolution and natural selection； the doctrine of descent with modification； and the doctrine of its guidance or determination by the struggle for existence between related varieties。 These doctrines； though associated and interdependent； and in popular thought not only combined but confused； must be considered separately。 It is true that the ancient doctrine of Evolution； in spite of the ingenuity and ardour of Lamarck； remained a dream tantalising the intellectual ambition of naturalists； until the day when Darwin made it conceivable by suggesting the machinery of its guidance。 And； further； the idea of natural selection has so effectively opened the door of research and stimulated observation in a score of principal directions that； even if the Darwinian explanation became one day much less convincing than； in spite of recent criticism； it now is； yet its passing； supposing it to pass； would leave the doctrine of Evolution immeasurably and permanently strengthened。 For in the interests of the theory of selection； 〃Fur Darwin；〃 as Muller wrote； facts have been collected which remain in any case evidence of the reality of descent with modification。
But still； though thus united in the modern history of convictions； though united and confused in the collision of biological and traditional opinion； yet evolution and natural selection must be separated in theological no less than in biological estimation。 Evolution seemed inconsistent with Creation； natural selection with Providence and Divine design。
Discussion was maintained about these points for many years and with much dark heat。 It ranged over many particular topics and engaged minds different in tone； in quality； and in accomplishment。 There was at most times a degree of misconception。 Some naturalists attributed to theologians in general a poverty of thought which belonged really to men of a particular temper or training。 The 〃timid theism〃 discerned in Darwin by so cautious a theologian as Liddon （H。P。 Liddon； 〃The Recovery of S。 Thomas〃； a sermon preached in St Paul's； London； on April 23rd； 1882 （the Sunday after Darwin's death）。） was supposed by many biologists to be the necessary foundation of an honest Christianity。 It was really more characteristic of devout NATURALISTS like Philip Henry Gosse； than of religious believers as such。 （Dr Pusey （〃Unscience not Science adverse to Faith〃 1878） writes： 〃The questions as to 'species；' of what variations the animal world is capable； whether the species be more or fewer； whether accidental variations may become hereditary。。。and the like； naturally fall under the province of science。 In all these questions Mr Darwin's careful observations gained for him a deserved approbation and confidence。〃） The study of theologians more considerable and even more typically conservative than Liddon does not confirm the description of religious intolerance given in good faith； but in serious ignorance； by a disputant so acute； so observant and so candid as Huxley。 Something hid from each other's knowledge the devoted pilgrims in two great ways of thought。 The truth may be； that naturalists took their view of what creation was from Christian men of science who naturally looked in their own special studies for the supports and illustrations of their religious belief。 Of almost every laborious student it may be said 〃Hic ab arte sua non recessit。〃 And both the believing and the denying naturalists； confining habitual attention to a part of experience； are apt to affirm and deny with trenchant vigour and something of a narrow clearness 〃Q