Together they should work, so long as science does not make this impossible for itself, as perhaps it sometimes may, by too rigidly adhering to methods, and by submitting only results which are of little worth until corrected," for the very existence and working of God. Together they should work, and as both under His richest blessing should they contribute to the fulfilling of the prophecy of two scriptures that "the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea. "'*

DISCUSSION.

The CHAIRMAN said that Mr. Baylis had used the word science in a broad and popular sense, as expressing the study and knowledge of natural phenomena; but he had recognized that there was also a Science of ethics and not less a Science of religion. True science in its enquiries should neglect no phenomena whether natural or supernatural which affect the subject of its research or its conclusions. Research remains unscientific if it fails in this respect. The Chairman had long felt that the argument which Mr. Baylis had used in his very temperate observations upon the limitations of some anthropologists, might be applied with equal reason to many of the conclusions of the Biblical critic. They were very much what an apostle had described long ago as "words which man's wisdom teacheth." They are the products of human reason rising no higher than the plane of human thought, inconclusive till "corrected" by the recognition of spiritual facts.

Referring to the lecturer's remarks about the influence on the mind of ignorant people produced by applied science, he could confirm what had been said from the experience of his two sons in West Africa. The native savage, attracted and impressed by a magnet, a watch, or a gramophone, is often the more willing to listen to the missionary's message. On the other hand if Missions owe something to Science, he was convinced that Science owed as much, if not more, to Missions.

Bishop THORNTON was invited from the Chair to make a few remarks. He said: I really have nothing to challenge in this paper though I have examined it most critically. It has filled me with

* Is. xi, 9; Hab. ii, 14.

admiration, and my own experience fully confirms certain curious phenomena Mr. Baylis has referred to. Science ought to take cognisance of the manifestations of spiritual power whether evil or good; they are very real, and no one sees more of them than the missionary. I am sure we are all deeply indebted to Mr. Baylis for his admirable paper.

The SECRETARY read the following communication from the Rev. Canon DODSON, Principal, S. Paul's Missionary College, Burgh R.S.O., Lincs. :-The subject is an interesting one, wide and varied, and lies along a hitherto little-trodden path. I gather, from the speaker's handling of it, that he intends the term "Science" to be treated in a pretty comprehensive sense.

1. I should like to emphasise what Mr. Baylis says (on p. 103 (c)) about the warning suggested by the forward march of Western scientific knowledge in the East, for it would be unsatisfactory work to observe effects without drawing out what is their lesson. Repeatedly I had it said to me in India by non-Christian students of the College in which I formerly worked there, "I am no Hindu, my studies of Physical Science here have made that impossible, but I have nothing in place of my old belief." As nature abhors a vacuum, we may feel sure that something will come in to fill that void; and there lies an illustration of the " menace to which Mr. Baylis refers. If we are, and cannot help being, responsible for this destructive process, we are surely no less bound to the conduct of a constructive enterprise to anticipate other constructions; and surely the only constructive undertaking worth the labour of the double work is that represented by Christian missionary effort. Hence the present "decisive hour" in this direction.

2. Whilst Science is thus dissolving ancient systematised creeds amongst the more civilised non-Christian peoples of the East, other departments of scientific research have-especially in recent years -immensely enlightened, uplifted, and strengthened our Christian knowledge. This of course, in spite of natural suspicion in earlier days, but inevitable in the long run, since both Science and the Christian system deal with the working of the same God. It seems to me, e.g., that the amount we owe to scientific research for a truer understanding of the Old Testament cannot be too gratefully acknowledged, and because "of the Old Testament," therefore also of the New; this increase of truth means increased strength; and

I

for the missionary in daily contact with rival faiths, almost more than for ministers in lands where Christianity is more or less established. I wish I had time to draw out this point into instances.

3. In another direction Science has greatly strengthened ability to represent Christianity as a continuously historical religion, which is not only founded and built up throughout on historical facts, but which alone gives one persistent unifying meaning to the whole history of mankind in every locality, type, and age. This is a contribution of almost equal value for missionary work whether amongst a people like the Chinese, with a constitutional reverence for history and continuous historical relationships, or amongst the Brahmins of India, who have so recently become keenly alive to their losses through neglect of the historical faculty hitherto.

4. However antagonistic Science may at one time and in certain minds have thought herself towards many of the Christian doctrines, it is not so now the leaders of Science in the present day recognise the limits to scientific research, and largely acknowledge that those limits bring us to a line where they find Christian truths to be probable and possible-which is wellnigh all that the Christian apologist claims to show. Here, then, again we find a sisterly relationship between Science and Christianity-and therefore a valuable assistance from the former to the work of the missionary among the more literate non-Christian races. Indeed it is for work among the more intellectual peoples that the relationship of Science comes in more especially, rather than for that among the more barbarous. At the same time, as Mr. Baylis' paper points out, amongst the latter-no less than the former-the contribution of Science enters with full force into the work of Medical Missions; and I would add, in many branches of what are called Industrial Missions also.

5. For his own personal equipment, apart from his presentation of the Christian system to others, Science has brought much aid to the missionary: e.g.

(a) One of his occasional temptations amidst specially backward

races lies in the opinion so often hastily adopted by the globe-trotter or the worldly-minded employer of native labour, that the barbarous peoples may, after all, be of a different species from ourselves. But here Science-now well-nigh unanimous on the subject-comes in with steady

finger to point him once more to his Bible-doctrine of the unity of the whole human family. And, similarly, from its insistence upon the unity in the Universe it supports his faith in a single Creator with a single mind for all His creatures. It is not all missionaries who are attacked in this particular way-each has his own personal difficulties in the mission-field-but some are.

(b) Science has largely helped to develop the scientific mind in the practical principles of missionary organisations and workers. The widespread idea in the minds of many business people-which, even though probably out of date, lingers on because it often requires time for impressions (as sometimes for persons) to realise that there is no longer reason for them to usurp the whole field-that much missionary work has been planned, financed, and conducted on unscientific lines has not been without justification in the past. But Science, or its anthropological side, has— though it did not create it-so enormously developed the study of comparative religions as to have practically shifted the standpoint of missionary policy on to a new, and much surer, foothold.

(c) In the same personal connection with regard to the missionary, must be noted the priceless contributions of Science towards the physical health of the missionary as a man. Thus the change brought about in the health-record of the Universities' Mission to Central Africa during recent years, though the enforcement by its Medical Board of the suggestions of modern Science as to the sanitation of dwellings and their surroundings, the frequency of furlough, the standard of health to be reached before return from furlough, etc., can be described as nothing short of a revolution. In the same way tells the value of inoculation against plague amongst Indian missionaries. And I understand that the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel has so strongly realised the value of inoculation against typhoid as to have considered the possibility of enforcing, and to have decided upon the advisability of urging, it upon all its missionaries. Owing to the extreme brevity (only two days) of the notice that

I might possibly make any contribution to the discussion of Mr. Baylis' interesting paper, and owing to heavy pressure of immediate engagements at the moment, I am conscious that the above are but disconnected remarks, possibly of little or no service, and certainly poorly expressed; and it is therefore a duty to add that, if in my haste I have so worded any of them as to suggest anywhere an impression of inconsistency with any principle of the full Christian position, such impression does not represent my mind, and I would wish to cancel any wording or reasoning which may have seemed to warrant it.

The SECRETARY also read the following from Dr. C. F. HARFORD :—

I am very much obliged to you for sending me the interesting particulars about the Victoria Institute. I have the greatest possible sympathy with the aims and objects of the Institute which I think was never more needed than at the present time.

It seems to me that a great aim of a large number of theologians of the day seems to be to accentuate the possible divergencies between scientific and philosophical thought and revelation. I consider that this is wholly unscientific on their part and needs to be met by co-operation on the part of scientific men.

I hope that in the discussion at the meeting it may not be forgotten that in medical matters Missions have done a great deal for science. Our Medical Missionaries all over the world are contributing to science, and in a Society of which I have the honour of being one of the Secretaries, the Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, we particularly value the co-operation of Medical Missionaries and have had many papers from them. Perhaps too the fact of Livingstone College training ordinary Missionaries to go out and help to spread the effects of science concerning health all over the world may be regarded as in some sense a contribution of Christian Missions to science.

Mr. SCHWARTZ said: I congratulate the lecturer on the broad, tolerant, and moderate paper which he has written. Such extracts as "Science and Christianity are in our view revealed by the same Lord." "Man is just as truly linked with God the Super-human as he is with physical nature." "Before all else he (the missionary) looks for tokens of the presence, the working, the grace, of the living God, in the morals and religion of all the races of mankind," are all