43. PHILOSOPHIC EXPLANATIONS
Their discovery is a fact of Science. But the explanation of the origin of these stone axes is a matter which belongs to Philosophy. Mr. Wallace (in "Man's Place in the Universe") quotes a seventeenth century explanation of the origin of stone axes by Andrianus Tollius (1649) which will furnish an excellent illustration of what some people esteem to be highly scientific:—
"He gives drawings of some ordinary stone axes and hammers, and tells how naturalists say that they are generated in the sky by a fulgaceous exhalation conuglobed in a cloud by the circumfixed humour, and are as it were baked by intense heat; and the weapon becomes pointed by the damp mixed with it flying from the dry part, leaving the other denser; but the exhalations press it so hard that it breaks through the cloud and makes thunder and lightning. But if this is really the way they are generated, it is odd that they are not round, and that they have holes in them. It is hardly to be believed, he thinks."
Philosophers are now able to furnish a more probable explanation of the origin of stone axes; but when we come to some of their explanations of even the physical being of man, of his nature and tendencies to evil, of the presence of sin and death in the world, we have verbal formulas which are but little more intelligible than the foregoing, and have no more foundation in fact.¹
If, then, it be true, as I have asserted, that the teachings of Science are destitute of religious significance and value, what meaning have such statements as that "upon the foundations laid by modern science a vaster, nobler fabric of faith is rising than the world has ever before known"; and that "Science is supplying the facts which the New Theology is weaving into the texture of religious experience"?
The answer must be that these statements are
¹ I have not reviewed in this volume the status and tendency of Modern Philosophy. The influence exerted by speculative philosophy upon the social and religious movements of the day is undoubtedly great, but it is unobtrusive. The author has dealt briefly with this subject in a pamphlet entitled Modern Philosophy: A Menace to the English-Speaking Nations (Morgan & Scott Ltd., London). For present purposes it will suffice to say that the Bible account of God, man, and the universe has been discarded by the leading universities of England and America, and has been supplanted by a species of Pantheism known in philosophic parlance as "Monistic Idealism." The fundamental doctrine of this philosophy is the same as that of Humanism, to wit, the identity in substance and being of God and man. Modern philosophy is, therefore, in line with the other forces which are urging mankind onward to the Great Consolidation. The effect of this philosophic scheme is indicated in the last chapter of this volume,— "Ultimate Intellectualism."
"GREAT SWELLING WORDS"
utterly void, not only of truth, but even of meaning. Science has never yet furnished, and is utterly incapable of furnishing, anything which could conceivably be a basis of faith, or which could, by any possibility whatever, be woven into the texture of religious experience. These are "great swelling words," utterly void of sense; yet in this careless age they fall upon the ears of people again and again, without even stimulating them to inquire whether they have a meaning or not.
Faith has to do (and necessarily) with unseen things; that is to say, things that are beyond the reach of investigation by man. Faith is the evidence of (or more literally the conviction concerning) "things not seen" (Heb. xi. 1). Science, on the contrary, has to do solely with seen things, that is to say, with the visible and accessible universe.
"Faith comes by hearing," or "by the report"; and the hearing or report comes "by the Word of God." (Rom. x. 17). That is to say, faith is the result of receiving and believing the testimony of Scripture. The only ground where there could possibly be any conflict between Science and the Bible is in respect to statements contained in the latter about events said to have happened in past ages on the earth. In respect to such matters, human sciences might discover facts which seem to contradict the statements of the Bible. Thus Science might afford a limited basis for unbelief; but by no possibility could it be the basis of faith. But no facts contradicting statements of Scripture have ever been discovered, and the believer knows that none exist. So much for the teachings of Science, and the impossibility that it could ever furnish a substitute for Revelation as the basis of faith. But it should also be noted that "Science," in the sense in which that name is used by the advanced theologians of our day, has no existence. As a counter-authority to the Bible in matters of spiritual truth, Science is referred to as an entity—comparable to the Bible—capable of being consulted like the latter; and indeed it is regarded as if it were a being of supernatural powers, living on from age to age, and guiding successive generations of human beings in their onward march. Surely there never was a greater delusion than this, or one practised on so large a scale.
It is, of course, entirely permissible to speak of Science as an existing entity, in a purely figurative way, so long as it is kept in mind that we are using a figure of speech. But the usage of the name "Science" is such that the figure of speech is wholly lost sight of; and people are taught that Science has an actual existence, is giving forth authoritative teachings, and is accomplishing real results for humanity. Manifestly the teachings of Scripture cannot be contradicted by a mere figure of speech.
Furthermore, such statements as we have quoted are
NO MOUTHPIECE FOR SCIENCE exceedingly misleading, in that they disregard the fact that, even in the figurative sense, there is not one comprehensive "Science" to which men may look for instruction. There are a number of distinct and separate sciences; and such are the limitations of human capacity that no man can be proficient in more than one. Hence there does not, and cannot, exist any mouthpiece through which Science could impart her instruction, if she had any to impart. And not only so, but it frequently happens that the deductions which might reasonably be made from the data of one science are inconsistent with conclusions deducible from the data of another science. Thus, there are such distinct departments of the field of scientific inquiry as Geology, Physiology, Biology, Astronomy, Physics, etc.; and each of them covers so much ground that no man, however diligent and capable, can be really proficient in more than one of them. It follows that, assuming a state of general scientific knowledge (which really does not exist), no human being is, or ever can be, qualified to speak for Science, so as to say what is the voice of Science at any time, on any subject extending over the whole scientific field.
There is, therefore, no depository of the teachings of Science to which one may resort when desirous of learning what that authority has to say on any matter relating to his spiritual welfare, and there exists no one who is either qualified or authorized to speak for Science on these matters. Since it is utterly impossible for the people who are taught by theologians of this sort to test the correctness of their doctrines, the former are completely at the mercy of the latter, and thus there is established a religious despotism worse than that of Rome. On the other hand, those who rest their doctrines solely upon the authority of Scripture, are always subject to a ready test of the correctness of their teaching.
But it is well worth while, in view of the use to which the name of Science is being put every day, to go even further into detail, in order that we may ascertain with certainty whether the discoveries, in any of the separate departments of scientific research, possess a spiritual value, or have any bearing upon spiritual matters. It will be sufficient, for this purpose, to interrogate three of the sciences which have been probably the most active and progressive during the past fifty years, namely, Astronomy, Chemistry, and Geology.
ASTRONOMY
What new religious conceptions have come to mankind through the medium of astronomy? This important branch of Science has to do with the heavens; and surely to it, if to any, we may hopefully look for something that will enlarge our stock of religious information.
THE SCIENCE OF THE STARS
Moreover, astronomy continues to be, up to this time, a "pure" Science; that is to say, it has not been (perhaps because it cannot well be) debased to commercial ends. Those who devote themselves to the study of astronomy must do so from a pure love of investigation, and not from sordid motives. These facts commend the results of astronomical research to our respectful consideration, and so we would earnestly inquire in what way, if any, those results have inured to the spiritual benefit of mankind.
The chief modern discoveries in the realm of astronomy have been made by the aid of the spectroscope. By means of this instrument certain interesting facts have been noted, and from observations thus made, astronomers have been led to the conclusion that the star-systems throughout the whole universe are composed of matter of the same sort as that of our solar system. From this it has been inferred (and not unreasonably) that the universe is an entity, whose parts, notwithstanding the immense distances said to separate them, are all in some manner related.
The oneness of the universe is esteemed to be the greatest discovery of modern astronomy, and we may cheerfully admit it to be a discovery of great interest and astronomical importance. We would ask then, what is its spiritual value? In what way does it touch and help in the solution of the problems of every-day life on this planet? What advantage does it give in the way of spiritual enlightenment or spiritual strength to the man of to-day, which was not enjoyed by those who lived before the spectroscope was invented? This is the practical test to which we must bring the discoveries of modern science for the purposes of our present inquiry. It is obvious that, while this greatest of all achievements of modern astronomy may give the occupants of our pulpits something about which they may discourse with a show of learning, it furnishes them with no new weapon against evil, and with no new means for comforting and helping needy and perishing humanity. One cannot go to a soul in distress with the message that the spectroscope has revealed the uniformity of nature, or comfort the sorrowing and afflicted with the assurance that the star-systems are composed of matter of the same sort as our earth.
Another achievement of modern astronomy is the alleged determination of the distances and dimensions of some of the nearer stars. At least, we are assured that the appalling figures given to us do really represent these distances and dimensions with some approach to accuracy. Conceding the correctness of these figures, what we wish to know is the effect which the knowledge of these prodigious strings of numerals has had upon the religious life of the modern man who enjoys the benefit of them. How many persons know the distance in light-years of a single one of the few