首页 >出版文学> Warfare of Science with Theology>第55章
  Itisalsopleasingtoknowthat,whileaninstitutioncallingitselfauniversitythusviolatedthefundamentalprinciplesonwhichanyinstitutionworthyofthenamemustbebased,anotherinstitutionwhichhasthegloryofbeingthefirstintheentireNorthtobeginsomethinglikeauniversityorganization——theStateUniversityofMichigan——recalledDr。Winchellatoncetohisformerprofessorship,andhonoureditselfbymaintaininghiminthatposition,where,unhampered,hewasthereafterabletoutterhisviewsinthemidstofthelargestbodyofstudentsontheAmericanContinent。
  DisgracefulasthishistorywastothemenwhodroveoutDr。
  Winchell,theybutsucceeded,asvarioussimilarbodiesofmenmakingsimilareffortshavedone,inadvancingtheirsupposedvictimtohigherpositionandmorecommandinginfluence。[197]
  [197]ForDr。Winchell’soriginalstatements,seeAdamitesandPre-Adamites,Syracuse,N。Y。,1878。Forthefirstimportantdenunciationofhisviews,seetheSt。LouisChristianAdvocate,May22,1878。FortheconversationwithBishopMcTyeire,seeDr。
  Winchell’sownaccountintheNashvilleAmericanofJuly19,1878。ForthefurthercourseoftheattackinthedenominationalorganofDr。Winchell’soppressors,seetheNashvilleChristianAdvocate,April26,1879。FortheoratoricaldeclarationoftheTennesseeConferenceuponthematter,seetheNashvilleAmerican,October15,1878;andforthe“ode“regardingthe“harmonyofscienceandrevelation“assupportedattheuniversity,seethesamejournalforMay2,1880
  AfewyearsafterthissuppressionofearnestChristianthoughtataninstitutionoflearninginthewesternpartofourSouthernStates,thereappearedasimilarattemptinsundryseaboardStatesoftheSouth。
  Asfarbackastheyear1857thePresbyterianSynodofMississippipassedthefollowingresolution:
  “WHEREAS,Weliveinanageinwhichthemostinsidiousattacksaremadeonrevealedreligionthroughthenaturalsciences,andasitbehoovestheChurchatalltimestohavemencapableofdefendingthefaithoncedeliveredtothesaints;
  “RESOLVED,ThatthispresbyteryrecommendtheendowmentofaprofessorshipofNaturalScienceasconnectedwithrevealedreligioninoneormoreofourtheologicalseminaries。”
  PursuanttothisresolutionsuchachairwasestablishedinthetheologicalseminaryatColumbia,S。C。,andJamesWoodrowwasappointedprofessor。Dr。Woodrowseemstohavebeenadmirablyfittedfortheposition——adevotedChristianman,acceptingthePresbyterianstandardsoffaithinwhichhehadbeenbroughtup,andatthesametimegivingeveryefforttoacquainthimselfwiththemethodsandconclusionsofscience。Togreatnaturalendowmentsheaddedconstantlabourstoarriveatthetruthinthisfield。VisitingEurope,hemadetheacquaintanceofmanyoftheforemostscientificinvestigators,becameastudentinuniversitylectureroomsandlaboratories,aninterestedhearerinscientificconventions,andacorrespondentofleadingmenofscienceathomeandabroad。Asaresult,hecametotheconclusionthatthehypothesisofevolutionistheonlyonewhichexplainsvariousleadingfactsinnaturalscience。Thishetaught,andhealsotaughtthatsuchaviewisnotincompatiblewithatrueviewofthesacredScriptures。
  In1882and1883theboardofdirectorsofthetheologicalseminary,infearthat“scepticismintheworldisusingallegeddiscoveriesinsciencetoimpugntheWordofGod。”requestedProf。Woodrowtostatehisviewsinregardtoevolution。Theprofessorcompliedwiththisrequestinaverypowerfuladdress,whichwaspublishedandwidelycirculated,tosucheffectthattheboardofdirectorsshortlyafterwardpassedresolutionsdeclaringthetheoryofevolutionasdefinedbyProf。Woodrownotinconsistentwithperfectsoundnessinthefaith。
  Intheyear1884alarmregardingDr。Woodrow’steachingsbegantoshowitselfinlargerproportions,andaminorityreportwasintroducedintotheSynodofSouthCarolinadeclaringthat“thesynodiscalledupontodecidenotuponthequestionwhetherthesaidviewsofDr。WoodrowcontradicttheBibleinitshighestandabsolutesense,butuponthequestionwhethertheycontradicttheinterpretationoftheBiblebythePresbyterianChurchintheUnitedStates。”
  Perhapsamoreself-condemnatorystatementwasneverpresented,foritclearlyrecognized,asabasisforintolerance,atleastapossibledifferencebetween“theinterpretationoftheBiblebythePresbyterianChurch“andtheteachingsof“theBibleinitshighestandabsolutesense。”
  Thishostilemovementbecamesostrongthat,inspiteofthefavourableactionofthedirectorsoftheseminary,andagainsttheeffortsofabroad-mindedminorityintherepresentativebodieshavingultimatechargeoftheinstitution,thedelegatesfromthevarioussynodsraisedastormoforthodoxyanddroveDr。
  Woodrowfromhispost。Happily,hewasatthesametimeprofessorintheUniversityofSouthCarolinainthesamecityofColumbia,andfromhischairinthatinstitutionhecontinuedtoteachnaturalsciencewiththeapprovalofthegreatmajorityofthinkingmeninthatregion;hence,theonlyeffectoftheattempttocrushhimwas,thathispositionwasmadehigher,respectforhimdeeper,andhisreputationwider。
  Inspiteofattemptsbythemoreorthodoxtopreventstudentsofthetheologicalseminaryfromattendinghislecturesattheuniversity,theypersistedinhearinghim;indeed,thereputationofheresyseemedtoenhancehisinfluence。
  ItshouldbeborneinmindthattheprofessorthustreatedhadbeenoneofthemostrespectedandbeloveduniversityinstructorsintheSouthduringmorethanaquarterofacentury,andthathewasturnedoutofhispositionwithnoopportunityforcarefuldefence,and,indeed,withouteventheformalityofatrial。
  WelldidaneminentbutthoughtfuldivineoftheSouthernPresbyterianChurchdeclarethat“themethodofproceduretodestroyevolutionbythemajorityintheChurchisviciousandsuicidal。”andthat“logicaldynamitehasbeenusedtoputoutasupposedfireintheupperstoriesofourhouse,andallthefamilyinthehouseatthat。”Wisely,too,didherefertothemajorityas“sowinginthefieldsoftheChurchthethornsofitserrors,andcumberingitspathwiththedebrisandruinofitsownfolly。”
  TotheserecentcasesmaybeaddedtheexpulsionofProf。ToyfromteachingunderecclesiasticalcontrolatLouisville,andhiselectiontoafarmoreinfluentialchairatHarvardUniversity;
  thedrivingoutfromtheAmericanCollegeatBeyroutoftheyoungprofessorswhoacceptedevolutionasprobable,andtheriseofoneofthem,Mr。Nimr,toafarmorecommandingpositionthanthatwhichheleft——thecontrolofthreeleadingjournalsatCairo;thedrivingoutofRobertsonSmithfromhispositionatEdinburgh,andhisreceptionintothefarmoreimportantandinfluentialprofessorshipattheEnglishUniversityofCambridge;
  andmultitudesofsimilarcases。FromthedayswhenHenryDunster,thefirstPresidentofHarvardCollege,wasdrivenfromhispresidency,asCottonMathersaid,for“fallingintothebriersofAntipedobaptism“untilnow,thesamespiritisshowninallsuchattempts。Ineachwehavegenerally,ononeside,abodyofoldertheologians,whosincetheiryouthhavelearnednothingandforgottennothing,sundryprofessorswhodonotwishtorewritetheirlectures,andamassofunthinkingecclesiasticalpersonsoflittleornoimportancesaveinmakinguparetrogrademajorityinanecclesiasticaltribunal;ontheothersidewehaveasgenerallythethinking,open-minded,devotedmenwhohavelistenedtotherevelationoftheirowntimeaswellasoftimespast,andwhoareevidentlythinkingthefuturethoughtoftheworld。
  Herewehavesurvivalsofthatsameoppressionofthoughtbytheologywhichhascostthemodernworldsodear;thesystemwhichforcedgreatnumbersofprofessors,underpenaltyofdeprivation,toteachthatthesunandplanetsrevolveabouttheearth;thatcometsarefire-ballsflungbyanangryGodatawickedworld;thatinsanityisdiabolicpossession;thatanatomicalinvestigationofthehumanframeissinagainsttheHolyGhost;thatchemistryleadstosorcery;thattakinginterestformoneyisforbiddenbyScripture;thatgeologymustconformtoancientHebrewpoetry。FromthesamesourcecameinAustriatheruleofthe“ImmaculateOath。”underwhichuniversityprofessors,longbeforethedogmaoftheImmaculateConceptionwasdefinedbytheChurch,wereobligedtosweartotheirbeliefinthatdogmabeforetheywerepermittedtoteachevenarithmeticorgeometry;inEngland,thedenunciationofinoculationagainstsmallpox;inScotland,theprotestsagainstusingchloroforminchildbirthas“vitiatingtheprimalcurseagainstwoman“;inFrance,theuseinclericalschoolsofahistoricaltext-bookfromwhichNapoleonwasleftout;and,inAmerica,theuseofCatholicmanualsinwhichtheInquisitionisdeclaredtohavebeenapurelyciviltribunal,orProtestantmanualsinwhichthePuritansareshowntohavebeenallthatwecouldnowwishtheyhadbeen。
  So,too,amongmultitudesofsimilareffortsabroad,wehaveduringcenturiesthefetteringofprofessorsatEnglishandScotchuniversitiesbytestoaths,subscriptionstoarticles,andcatechismswithoutnumber。Inourowncountrywehavehadinavastmultitudeofdenominationalcolleges,asthefirstqualificationforaprofessorship,notabilityinthesubjecttobetaught,butfidelitytotheparticularshibbolethofthedenominationcontrollingthecollegeoruniversity。
  Happily,inthesedayssuchattemptsgenerallydefeatthemselves。
  Thesupposedvictimisgenerallymadeamanofmarkbypersecution,andadvancedtoahigherandwidersphereofusefulness。Inwithstandingthemarchofscientifictruth,anyConference,Synod,BoardofCommissioners,BoardofTrustees,orFaculty,isbutasanestoffield-miceinthepathofasteamplough。
  Theharmdonetoreligionintheseattemptsisfargreaterthanthatdonetoscience;fortherebysuspicionsarewidelyspread,especiallyamongopen-mindedyoungmen,thattheacceptedChristiansystemdemandsaconcealmentoftruth,withthepersecutionofhonestinvestigators,andthereforemustbefalse。
  WellwasitsaidinsubstancebyPresidentMcCosh,ofPrinceton,thatnomoresurewayofmakingunbelieversinChristianityamongyoungmencouldbedevisedthanpreachingtothemthatthedoctrinesarrivedatbythegreatscientificthinkersofthisperiodareopposedtoreligion。
  Yetitisbutjusticeheretosaythatmoreandmorethereisevolvingoutofthispasthistoryofoppressionabetterspirit,whichismakingitselfmanifestwithpowerintheleadingreligiousbodiesoftheworld。IntheChurchofRomewehaveto-daysuchutterancesasthoseofSt。GeorgeMivart,declaringthattheChurchmustnotattempttointerferewithscience;thattheAlmightyintheGalileocasegaveheradistinctwarningthatthepriesthoodofsciencemustremainwiththemenofscience。
  IntheAnglicanChurchanditsAmericandaughterwehavetheactsandutterancesofsuchmenasArchbishopTait,BishopTemple,DeanStanley,DeanFarrar,andmanyothers,provingthatthedeepestreligiousthoughtismoreandmoretendingtopeaceratherthanwarfarewithscience;andintheotherchurches,especiallyinAmerica,whilethereisyetmuchtobedesired,thewelcomeextendedinmanyofthemtoAlexanderWinchell,andthefreedomgiventoviewslikehis,augurwellforabetterstateofthingsinthefuture。
  FromthescienceofAnthropology,whenrightlyviewedasawhole,hascomethegreatestaidtothosewhoworktoadvancereligionratherthantopromoteanyparticularsystemoftheology;forAnthropologyanditssubsidiarysciencesshowmoreandmorethatman,sincecomingupontheearth,hasrisen,fromtheperiodwhenhehadlittle,ifany,ideaofagreatpowerabovehim,throughsuccessivestagesoffetichism,shamanism,andidolatry,towardbetterformsofbelief,makinghimmoreandmoreaccessibletonoblerformsofreligion。Thesamesciencesshow,too,withinthehistoricperiod,thesametendency,andespeciallywithintheeventscoveredbyoursacredbooks,aprogressfromfetichism,ofwhichsomanyevidencescropoutintheearlyJewishworshipasshownintheOldTestamentScriptures,throughpolytheism,whenJehovahwasbut“agodaboveallgods。”throughtheperiodwhenhewas“ajealousGod。”capriciousandcruel,untilheisrevealedinsuchinspiredutterancesasthoseofthenoblerPsalms,thegreatpassagesinIsaiah,thesublimepreachingofMicah,and,aboveall,throughtheidealgiventotheworldbyJesusofNazareth。