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

62 SCIENCE AND RELIGION,of the French Academy." The proceedingsended before they had begun. Dr. Bastian byhis re~t~rictions, surrendered the real questionat issue, and practically acknowledged that hewould not submit it to the judgment of theCommission. He sought only testimony as tohis own form of experiment, which there wasthen good reason to know was accurate, becauseM. Pasteur had stated a temperaturetoo low, and a time too short, but which wasat the same time an experiment of no scientificvalue for establishing " spontaneous generation."Thus ended a battle which hadbeen protracted long after it was to all observersmanifestly lost.The discussion thus narrated may be easilyoverestimated, but there seems even more riskthat the manifest failure should lead to anoversight of the value of the protracted investigations.These convey lessons of specialvalue to scientific inquirers on the one hand,and to theologians on the other. They are ofgreat value for illustrative purposes in such acourse of lectures as the present, and thatbecause they provide needful training for intelligentobservation of the advance of science.The promulgation of the development the-