PROFESSOR OF MORAL PHILOSOPHY, UNIVERSITY OF EDINBURGH, AUTHOR OF "RELATIONS OF MIND AND BRAIN," ETC. NEW YORK: ROBERT CARTER & BROTHERS, 530 BROADWAY. 1881. Copyright, 1881, BY ROBERT CARTER & BROTHERS. CAMBRIDGE: PRESS OF JOHN WILSON AND SON. ST. JOHNLAND STEREOTYPE FOUNDRY SUFFOLK CO., N. Y. _EXTRACT FROM THE DEED OF TRUST, ESTABLISHING THE MORSE LECTURESHIP._ "The general subject of the Lectures, I desire to be: "The relation of the Bible to any of the Sciences, as Geography, Geology, History, and Ethnology, the vindication of the inspiration and authenticity of the Bible, against attacks made on scientific grounds, and the relation of the facts and truths contained in the Word of God, to the principles, methods and aims of any of the Sciences. "Upon one or more of these topics a course of ten public Lectures shall be given at least once in two or three years, by a Lecturer, ordinarily to be chosen two years in advance of the time for delivering of the Lectures. "The appointment of the Lecturer shall be by the concurrent action of the Founder of the Lectureship, during his life, the Board of Directors, and the faculty of said Seminary. "The funds shall be securely invested, and the interest of the same shall be devoted to the payment of the Lecturer, and to the publication of the Lectures within a year after the delivery of the same. "The copyright of the Lectures shall be vested in the Seminary." (_Signed_) SAMUEL F. B. MORSE. PREFACE. The aim of the present volume is to indicate the measure of harmony traceable between recent advances in science, and the fundamental characteristics of religious thought, and the extent to which harmony is possible. This attempt has been made in the hope of contributing towards a better understanding of the relative positions of scientists and theologians, thereby aiding the formation of public opinion on questions appearing to involve serious antagonism. The plan followed is to bring under review the great fields of scientific inquiry, advancing from unorganized existence to Man; to present the most recent results of research in these separate fields, without extending to minute details; as far as possible, to allow scientific observers to state results in their own words; and then to examine carefully the reasonings deduced from ascertained facts, and the bearing of facts and inferences on religious thought.