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

SCIENCE A N. DIYXVE INTERPOSITION. 299ence. In the same manner it appears thatthe whole series of our Lord's miracles areoutside the area of science, which, as it hasnothing of authority to advance against them,has not even a basis on which to offer anytestimony concerning their possibility.One topic more requires to be briefly consideredas constituting an essential of religiousthought, namely the acknowledgment of divineinterposition for the answer of PRAYER.Our question is, How this conception ofdivine answer to prayer stands related toscientific thought concerning the governmentof the world by fixed law? If the laws ofnature are fixed, how can the governmentof the world allow for fulfilment of human desireas expressed in supplication? The questionto be discussed has two sides, the oneconcerned with the conditions on which ananswer to prayer is expected; the other withthe exact significance of the scientific conceptionof the government of the world byfixed law. If there be a rational basis forprayer as encouraged by the teaching ofScripture, there can be no such dilemma aswould be implied in supposing that law isfixed yet not fixed, or that law is unchange-