The Relation of Science and Religion.pdf - Online Christian Library

SCIENCE AND DIVINE INTERPOSITION. 297new doctrine threatens their standpoint ofmiracle." * From this allusion it appearsthat he regards a doctrine of descent asopposed to what he describes as an '"incomprehensibleact of creation." -j- Accordinglyhe celebrates the praises of this theoryin tl~ese terms,--"it interprets by a singleprinciple those great phenomena which withoutits aid remain a mass of unintelligiblemiracles." f In harmony with these utteranceshe speaks of gradual evolution ofthe organs of special sense, such as the organsof hearing and smell, as giving a negativeto " the sudden and incomprehensibleorigination of these organs in an immediatestate of completion."These few extracts may suffice to indicatethe mental attitude of those who show aversionto the acknowledgment of miracle. WithSchmidt the " miraculous " is another namefor the incomprehensible; to him the sug-gestion of miracle is disagreeable as implyingthe impossibility of scientific explanation. Ifthese things be kept in mind, it will be clearhow widely apart this notion is from theChristian conception of miracle. The one* p. 6. t p. 11. 3 p. 12. Q p. 151.