People's Pilot, Volume 4, Number 49, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 30 May 1895 — The Baccalaureate Sermon. [ARTICLE]

The Baccalaureate Sermon.

Dr. Swain in his baccalaureate address delivered at the M. E. church last Sunday, explained the attitude of science toward religion in such a plain, comprehensive way that it could be understood by any one of ordinary intelligence. We believe that no person could reasonably object to all or any part of his discourse. Due reference was given to the scriptures, and a true worth was assigned to science, without lessening the listeners respect for either. Although the sci-, ences have been considered hostile to religion by many people even in recent times, a careful study of Dr. Spain’s address makes tfye difference seem very insignificant indeed. Instead of t^here : being any contradiction between the two, they imreality sustain each other’s evidence. 1 The conflictithat has existed between science and religion was caused by the falsities that existed in both. The church' formerly held many absurd anc| ridiculous beliefs. The early scients perceiving some of these errors, went to the other extreme and tried to prove that the scriptures were false or without worth. The struggle between the two resulted in the betterment of both. The man of science in searching further for.

truth, had to abandon many of the formerly accepted theories; and the ‘-defenders of the faith’ at last overwhelmed by truth, gave us many of their false and absurd renderings of the Bible. True science, and true religion agree upon every essential point. What few contradictions may yet seem to exist are without doubt due either to a wrong understanding of one or the other, or both. In Genesis it is said that “in the beginning God made all things;” consequently when we study astronomy, chemistry, or biology, we are studying the works - of God." -The facts brought in these sciences are at least as comprehensive as many recorded in the scriptures, arid certainly as authentic, for we must remember that the Bible has' been handed down through many £ges, and translated from one language to another by man and not by divine power. < From what has been accomplished it is easily seen that science is the foe of ignorance and superstitution. and not of religion. In fact almost the only reliable evidence in favor of religion that can be found outside of itself is disclosed by the study of things around us. and this study is what we . call science. It is an interesting proof-of

the world’s progress, that an address of this kind should meet tne approval of almost all who heard it, when we remember that even, fifty years ago it would have been almost impossible to find such a large audience to wnom it would have been satisfactory.

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