SCIENCE AND RELIGION

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3161, 13 August 1917, Page 7

SCIENCE AND RELIGION

SERMON BY ARCHDEACON H. ff. WILLIAMS

DARWIN'S PROFESSION OF FAITH TEe attitude of science to religion was referred to by the Yen. H. W. Williams, Archdeacon of Waiapu, in the course of a remarkably interesting sermon preached St. Paul's pro-Cathedral yesterday morning. Tho preacher stated Ithat the historians of former days were accustomed to lay stress upon thp part played by the overruling providence of God in j wJecting tho affairs of men and nations, ' whereas modern historians said very little about the influence of God on the course of events: This changed standpoint did not necessarily involve disbelief in Providence. It was largely merely a matter of method. But there were signs that our eonse of the overruling providenco of God was weakeutng. Ono reason for this was the attitude of science, which was largely occupied with causa and effect. Scientists deliberately limited their field of inquiry to tho immediate causes of things, and this was apt to the impression that t.' ey did not believe in the things which lay outside the province they had marked out for their study. Some scientists'; seemed to .suggest, that the matters in which they were not interested were of little importance, or even non-existent. But a scientist's religious beliefs could not safely be' inferred from his field, of investigation. Sir Isaac Newton was an earnest Christian, and inquiries recently made privately by an. English scientist among other men of science showed that the great majority of them did not consider tha't their sci'entifio investigations tended to weaken 'their faith in the fundamental jloctrines of Christianity. Archdeacon vffifiauis here referred to an unpublished incident in the life of the late Charles Darwin, which occurred when his great career was drawing to a close. Darwin was the guest of an old friend, who was a clergyman. His host asked him in tlie. course of conversation what was the effect of his scientific studies upon his religious beliefs'. Tho distinguished scientist replied in words to this effect: "I hope to die as I have lived with my faith, in .lesus Christ unshaken." The incident was related to Archdeacpu Williams by a collego friend who heard the conversation. Tho Archdeacon went on to say that tlie attitude of scienco to religion had undergone a marked change in recent years. A confession of belief in God and of interest in the supernatural 1 were no longer regarded as unintellectual. The events of the past threo years had compelled people to give more serious thought to the great problems | of life and death. One of tho outstand- ! fng,facts that conwnanded attention was! the breakdown of tho calculated material- i ism of Gei-many, which had left out of I count the soul of Belgium and tho will ■ and power of God. Whatever we might; think about tho stories of angels seen at j Mons and other instances.of dircct Di-; vine- intervention, the historian might 1 well say that the failure of the Germans to reach Paris and Calais "was a thing brought about of t£a Lord." It was now easior to believe and more difficult to escape the conviction that God ruled. But people aslted why God permitted tlie war and, all tho misery it had brought. There was, of course, 110 complete and all-satisfying answer to this question, but a reasonable solution of tho difficulty was suggested by several lines of thought. Wo had. for instance, to consider tho relative' value of present suffering and happiness of;tho life beyond tho grave. The sufferings of the innocent were inevitable consequences of the corporate unity of ii nation and tho fellowship of 'ihe human race. Whether tlioro was 11 Uod, or whether there was no God, tho folly and wrongdoing of individuals or of nations must affect others. The Arelideaoon mentioned tho case of man .who, nad lost his wife and his second son Just before the war, and whose oldest, son. was killed when tho New Zealand: troops landed ; 011 Gallipoli. Referring the many expressions .of sympathy 110 had received, this man' remarked that ft was strange that the people who scornerf to have most cause to doubt tho fatherly providence of God were the very people who were as sure of it us they were of their own existence. •

As noted by advertisement in this issue, tie Mount Cook School Committee is preparing an honours board, upon which to inscribe the names of all the Mount Cook "old boys" who answered their country's call "in this time of stress. Subscriptions to tho amount of .£ll have already l>een received from friends and "old boys." Tho. total cost of making tie board and writing the names is estimated to cost about .£25. Any old boys or friends who'desire to assist may hand in donations to the headmaster.