THE BISHOP OF MANCHESTER ON MATERIALISM

Waikato Times, Volume III, Issue 112, 23 January 1873, Page 2

THE BISHOP OF MANCHESTER ON MATERIALISM

Dr Fraser, Lord Bishop of Manchester, preached a sermon on October 4, at the harvest home m the F.irringdotn district m which he spoke of beliefs prevalent at present. We make a few extracts • — " A wise man in the old days, dwelling on that, said that even the king was served by the field If they had had a scanty harvest this year, there would have been short houis, Lick of employment, families pinched with hunger and crying out for fowl, and they had done right in meeting together as a pansh, as a society, as a Christian community, with common views, common sorrows, and common interests, to thank for his favouis icnewcd once more this year. Some of the expounders of modern philosophy, or science, as it called itself, would banish the idea of a God from men's minds, and almost the name of God from men's tongues. The other day he lead a book written by a German philosopher, and translated into English, on the past, piesent, and future of man. There were some singular theories in it. He supposed it contained the latest development of modern materialistic physical science. That writer recommended his readers to put the Book on one side as one that could do them no good, that only contained the name of God, unless it was for criticism or for reference. Those were the latest ideas of modern materialistic science, which would recognise matter and place as the only powers and principles which worked in the world. When one reflected upon it, he thought that that matcrialistio lnpothesn, that they lived in the world apart and independent from God was "almost inconceivable. They were taught and asked to believe that thoj themselves had been in a lons period of a<;es, which no one could calculate, evolved or developed out of somo primitive garim, and that that was how mankind panic into being. If such an hypothesis were tvuo. that evolutionary theory could not be carried on further. They must have a starting point at which the evolution must begin. Seienec could not tell them that- That groat point in the history of being at which the grand machine, if they might so call it, was put in motion and supported on its career, was only traceable to the omnipotent person of God. People had no cle.ir idea of the laws of nature. They said that the rain fell in obedience to the laws of nature ; that the sun shone, and that the wind blew, in obedience to nature's laws ; that the earth itself was kept in its course in obedience to the laws of nature. Nowt'iat was a convenient phrase to use if they understood what they meant by it. If they only meant to express by the phrase the ordinary, observable, registered sequence of phenomena, there was no harm in ming the phrase, but if they thought that the l.vw s of nature had a power and force in themsr lve<», it was misleading them, and it became an idea without any definite meaning at all. "Why the laws of this land were imperative eseept they were passed, enforced, and exacted by legislators. Tlio Queen, in theory of their constitution wa* the origin of the l.iw of the land A law implied a. law-giver, and he who gave the law* of nature he maintained was the omnipotent person of God If the philosophers when they told them about force meant the w ill and favour of the per«onnl God, then there wns no controversy between the student of theology an I the student of science. The present British asocial ion for the advancement of science this -\ ear, distinctly claimed a vcrv subordinate field for the enquiries of the man of science or the philosopher. The chairman said they did not protend to expound first causes. They knew that was a point which they could not anal r so or account for. It could only be found bv going to their Bibles, and that bore out an eloquent expressive nml rational witness to the power and wisdom of the Almighty God. The mystery hid from philosophers boHi ancion 1 " nn 1 modern was gathered from His ' hook." — V tea party subsequently look plneo in the schoolroom, which was nicely deeornted. The Bishop addressed a few word-* before he left, on religion not being meant to be a clooinv tiling but a rational enj jynient of life. The Rev. 11. Power took the chair.