p. 1 | SCIENCE VS. RELIGION by Talmage

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Nov 7, 1878

SCIENCE VS. RELIGION.

By Talmage

There is not a fact in science that may not be reconciled with Bible statement. So said Hugh Miller, so said Joseph Henry, so said Professor Hitchcock and Professor Mitchell, and so have said scores of the best scientists of the world. Besides that, have you not noticed that infidel scientists, instead of waging so hot a war against Christianity, are now beginning to fight among themselves? If infidel science came up with solid front, perhaps it might do some damage; but so far as I can read the signs of the times, it is going to be telescope against telescope, Leyden jar against Leyden jar, chemical apparatus against chemical apparatus. Do you think there is any danger that the Bible account of the origin of life will ever be overthrown so long as the scientists differ about the origin of life, some adopting the theory of Biogenesis, and others the theory of Abiogenesis (I use that phrase because it sounds learned!), and while Agassiz comes out and puts both feet on the doctrine of evolution, and rebukes the young scientists of the day by saying: “I have noticed that many of the young naturalists are falling into the mistake of adopting for theories of science that which has never passed under observation.”

These scientists are disagreeing. They do not agree in regard to the gradation of the species. They do not agree in regard to embryology. Darwin charging against Lamarck, Wallace spearing Cope, and Herschel denouncing Ferguson. How many colors woven into the light? Seven, says Newton. Three, says David Brewster. How high the aurora borealis? Two miles and a half, says Lias. One hundred and sixty-five miles, says Twining. Herschel devotes one whole chapter to what he calls “Errors of Astronomy.” Laplace says the moon was not put in the right place. He says that if it had been put four times farther off from our world, there would have been more harmony in the universe; while Lionville comes up just in time, and very fortunately, to show that the Lord was wise, and put the moon in the right place. How far is the sun from the earth? Lacaille says seventy-six million miles. Humboldt says eighty-two million miles. Henderson says ninety million miles; and Mayer says one hundred and four million miles. Only a little difference of twenty-eight million miles. The French metric system, which employed the most learned mathematicians of the day, is found to have wrong calculations. Geologists differ. Zoologists differ. Anatomists differ. Astronomers differ. Mathematicians differ. Talk about exact sciences! They are inexact. I have looked all over for something worthy of the complimentary adjective, and I tell you the only exact science is Christianity

. There is nothing under which you may with so much propriety write quod erat demonstrandum.

Now, there has been a great trial going on in the world—a very great trial. It is skepticism, the plaintiff, versus Christianity, the defendant. All the scientists have been out on the jury; they have been out for centuries. They are coming in. I rap the court room to order. Gentlemen of the jury, have you agreed on your verdict? “No,” they say, “we haven’t agreed.” Then I say, “Go back to your room and stay another century, and then we’ll discharge you if you don’t agree.” Now would the meanest man in a police court room be condemned by a jury that could not agree? And yet you ask us to reject our glorious Christianity when this jury of scientists come in, and they are all differing. I move a non-suit.—Talmage.