Our age is, perhaps, morbidly alive to the collisions and
antitheses of Science and Beligion. On the one side,
science conceives a universe self-evolved, ruled by
necessary laws, made up of forces inexhaustible, in-
destructible, convertible into infinitely varied modes of
being and action. On the other *side, religion conceives
the world as a creation, the work of a voluntary Creator,
regards Nature as the arena of a now ordinary, now
extraordinary, but never still or ineflFective divine opera-
tion. Science charges theology with setting up unverified
and unverifiable notions, arbitrary wUl, supernatural in-
terference, the fickle and irregular action upon Nature of a
power without it. Theology reproaches science with seek-
ing either to evolve an uncaused universe, or to reduce the
divine connexion with it to the smallest possible point,
making God as good as no-god, with hardly any part in
the creation of the world, without active relation to it, or
living concern in it, ever since. Conciliation by the
division of their respective provinces is impossible, for the
point contested belongs by equal right to both. The



THEISM & SCIENTIFIC SPECULA TION. 63

highest truth of religion is the ultimate prohlem of science;
the one lives hy faith in a Creator, the other lives to seek
and discover a cause. Nor will peace be secured by
conquest. Man cannot live either by religion or by science
alone. Both are necessary to the perfection alike of the
individual and society. The realities of science are as
sacred as those of religion, ought to be as diligently
sought by the intellect, as loyally served by conscience
and heart. The truth that shall reconcile the two is to be
found, not by silence or concealed convictions on either
side, but by the frank criticism and co-operation of
physicist and metaphysician. The discussion to be here
attempted is meant simply as a humble^ contribution
towards this most desirable end.
