History of the Conflict Between Religion and Science

Book Excerpt: sumed was acontest respecting the standard or criterion of truth, whether itis to be found in the Church or in the Bible. The determinationof this involved a settlement of the rights of reason, orintellectual freedom. Luther, who is the conspicuous man of theepoch, carried into effect his intention with no inconsiderablesuccess; and at the close of the struggle it was found thatNorthern Europe was lost to Roman Christianity.We are now in the midst of a controversy respecting the mode ofgovernment of the world, whether it be by incessant divineintervention, or by the operation of primordial and unchangeablelaw. The intellectual movement of Christendom has reached thatpoint which Arabism had attained to in the tenth and eleventhcenturies; and doctrines which were then discussed are presentingthemselves again for review; such are those of Evolution, Creation, Development.Offered under these general titles, I think it will be found thatall the essential points of this great controversy are iRead Mor