The Relations between Religion and Science: Eight Lectures Preached before the University of Oxford in the Year 1884 on the Foundation of the Late Rev. John Bampton, M.A. (Cambridge Library Collection - Religion)

Cambridge Library CoLLeCtion Books of enduring scholarly value

Religion For centuries, scripture and theology were the focus of prodigious amounts of scholarship and publishing, dominated in the English-speaking world by the work of Protestant Christians. Enlightenment philosophy and science, anthropology, ethnology and the colonial experience all brought new perspectives, lively debates and heated controversies to the study of religion and its role in the world, many of which continue to this day. This series explores the editing and interpretation of religious texts, the history of religious ideas and institutions, and not least the encounter between religion and science.

The Relations between Religion and Science In 1884 the long-running annual series of Bampton Lectures at the University of Oxford was given by Frederick Temple, at that time Bishop of Exeter. He had earlier been a prominent educational reformer, headmaster at Rugby School and chaplain to Queen Victoria, and he later rose to become Archbishop of Canterbury. This book contains his Bampton Lectures on The Relations between Religion and Science — perhaps the most passionately debated topic of that time. He discusses the apparent conflict between scientific and religious beliefs on various topics including free will, knowledge, evolution, and supernatural power, but concludes that science and religion are not foes, but counterparts, and that neither is complete without the other. His contribution in this area is of lasting importance in the history and philosophy of science.

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The Relations between Religion and Science Eight Lectures Preached before the University of Oxford in the Year 1884 on the Foundation of the Late Rev. John Bampton, M.A Fre de ri c k Te m pl e

C A m B R I D g E U n I V E R SI T y P R E S S Cambridge, new york, melbourne, madrid, Cape Town, Singapore, São Paolo, Delhi, Dubai, Tokyo Published in the United States of America by Cambridge University Press, new york www.cambridge.org Information on this title: www.cambridge.org/9781108000277 © in this compilation Cambridge University Press 2009 This edition first published 1884 This digitally printed version 2009 ISBn 978-1-108-00027-7 Paperback This book reproduces the text of the original edition. The content and language reflect the beliefs, practices and terminology of their time, and have not been updated. Cambridge University Press wishes to make clear that the book, unless originally published by Cambridge, is not being republished by, in association or collaboration with, or with the endorsement or approval of, the original publisher or its successors in title.

THE BAMPTON LECTURES FOR M.DCCC.LXXXIV.

THE RELATIONS BETWEEN

RELIGION AND SCIENCE EIGHT LECTURES. PREACHED BEFORE THE UNIVERSITY OF OXFORD IN THE YEAR 1884

ON THE FOUNDATION OF THE LATE REV. JOHN BAMPTON, M.A, CANON OP SALISBURY

BY THE EIGHT BEV.

FREDERICK, LORD BISHOP OF EXETER

MACMILLAN AND CO. 1884 [ All rights reserved ]

EXTRACT FROM THE LAST WILL AND TESTAMENT OF THE LATE

REV. JOHN BAMPTON, CANON OF SALISBURY.

" I give and bequeath my Lands and Estates to " the Chancellor, Masters, and Scholars of the Univer" sity of Oxford for ever, to have and to hold all and "singular the said Lands or Estates upon trust, and " to the intents and purposes hereinafter mentioned; "that is to say, I will and appoint that the Vice" Chancellor of the University of Oxford for the time " being shall take and receive all the rents, issues, and " profits thereof, and (after all taxes, reparations, and "necessary deductions made) that he pay all the re" mainder to the endowment of eight Divinity Lecture " Sermons, to be established for ever in the said Univer" sity, and to be performed in the manner following : " I direct and appoint, that, upon the first Tuesday "in Easter Term, a Lecturer be yearly chosen by the " Heads of Colleges only, and by no others, in the room " adjoining to the Printing-House, between the hours of "ten in the morning and two in the afternoon, to " preach eight Divinity Lecture Sermons, the year "following, at St, Mary's in Oxford, between the coma3

vi

Extract from Canon Bamp tons Will.

" mencement of the last month in Lent Term, and the " end of the third week in Act Term. " Also I direct and appoint, that the eight Divinity " Lecture Sermons shall be preached upon either of " the following Subjects—to confirm and establish the "Christian Faith, and to confute all heretics and " schismatics—upon the divine authority of the holy " Scriptures—upon the authority of the writings of the " primitive Fathers, as to the faith and practice of the " primitive Church—upon the Divinity of our Lord and " Saviour Jesus Christ—upon the Divinity of the Holy " Ghost—upon the Articles of the Christian Faith, as " comprehended in the Apostles' and Nicene Creeds. " Also I direct, that thirty copies of the eight Divinity " Lecture Sermons shall be always printed, within two " months after they are preached ; and one copy shall be " given to the Chancellor of the University, and one " copy to the Head of every College, and one copy to " the Mayor of the city of Oxford, and one copy to be Ci put into the Bodleian Library; and the expenses of " printing them shall be paid out of the revenue of the " Land or Estates given for establishing the Divinity " Lecture Sermons; and the preacher shall not be paid, " nor be entitled to the revenue, before they are printed. " Also I direct and appoint, that no person shall be " qualified to preach the Divinity Lecture Sermons, " unless he hath taken the degree of Master of Arts " at least, in one of the two Universities of Oxford or " Cambridge ; and that the same person shall never " preach the Divinity Lecture Sermons twice."

CONTENTS. LECTURE I. THE ORIGIN AND NATURE OF SCIENTIFIC BELIEF. Psalm civ. 24.

0 Lord, how manifold are Thy works: in wisdom hast Thou made them all; the earth is full of Thy riches. PAGE

The subject introduced: Scientific belief. Mathematics and Metaphysics excluded. The Postulate of Science : the Uniformity of Nature. Hume's account of it. Kant's account of it. Insufficiency of both accounts. Science traced back to observation of the Human Will. The development of Science from this origin. The increasing generality of the Postulate: which nevertheless can never attain to universality .

LECTURE

1

II.

THE ORIGIN AND NATURE OF RELIGIOUS BELIEF.

Genesis i. 27. So God created man in His own image, in the image of God created He him. The voice within. The objection of the alleged relativity of knowledge. Absolute knowledge of our own personal identity. Failure to show this to be relative; in particular by Mr. Herbert Spencer. The Moral Law. The command to live according to that Law; Duty. The command to believe in the supremacy of that Law; the lower Faith. The Last Judgment. The hope of Immortality. The personification of the

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Contents. PAGE

Moral Law in Almighty God; the higher Faith. The spiritual faculty the recipient of Revelation, if any be made. The contrast between Religion and Science . . . . . . . . .

LECTURE

35

III.

APPARENT CONFLICT BETWEEN SCIENCE AND RELIGION ON FREE-WILL.

Genesis i. 27. So God created man in His own image, in the image of God created He him. Contradiction of Free-Will to doctrine of Uniformity. Butler's examination of the question. Hume's solution. Kant's solution. Determinism. The real result of examination of the facts. Interference of the will always possible, but comparatively rare. The need of a fixed nature for our self-discipline, and so for our spiritual life . . . . . . - 6 7

LECTURE

IV.

APPARENT CONFLICT BETWEEN RELIGION AND THE DOCTRINE OF EVOLUTION. Romans i. 20.

For the invisible things of Him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead. Foundation of the doctrine of Evolution. Great development in recent times. Objection felt by many religious men. Alleged to destroy argument from design. Paley's argument examined. Doctrine of Evolution adds force to the argument, and removes

Contents.

ix PAGE

objections to it. Argument from progress; from . beauty'; from unity. The conflict not real

97

LECTURE V. REVELATION THE MEANS OF DEVELOPING AND COMPLETING SPIRITUAL KNOWLEDGE. Hebrews i. i .

God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake In time past to the Fathers by the Prophets, hath in these last days spoken to us by His Son. The evolution of Knowledge. Does not affect the truth of Science. Nor of Religion. Special characteristic of evolution of Religious Knowledge, that it is due to Revelation. All higher Religions have claimed to be Revelations. The evolution of Religious Knowledge in the Old Testament; yet the Old Testament a Revelation. Still more the New Testament. The miraculous element in Revelation. Its place and need. Harmony of this mode of evolution with the teaching of the Spiritual Faculty i 25

LECTURE VI. APPARENT COLLISION BETWEEN RELIGION AND THE DOCTRINE OF EVOLUTION.

Psalm c. 3. Know ye that the Lord He is God : it is He that hath made vs, and not we ourselves. Evolution examined. The formation of the habitable world. The formation of the creatures which inhabit it. Transmission of characteristics. Variations perpetually introduced. Natural selection. On the other side, life not yet accounted for by Evolution.

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Contents. PAGE

Cause of variations not yet examined. Moral Law incapable of being evolved. Account given in Genesis not at variance with doctrine of Evolution. Evolution of man not inconsistent with dignity of humanity . 159

LECTURE VII. APPARENT COLLISION OF SCIENCE WITH THE CLAIM TO SUPERNATURAL POWER.

St. John xiv. 11. Believe Jfe that I am in t/te Father, and the Father in Me : or else bcli