Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1853-12-03
EMANCIPATION OF SCIENCE.

An address Delivered Jcjore The COium6idnd Co.
Teachers association; by j. Dolson Cor. John
Hudson, Printer
This Address, delivered before the Teachers In
stitutc, lately held in Salem, is highly crcditable.
both TO the author and the Association, which au-
thorizcd its publication. 1t sets forth ably, the va
rious obstacles which have been opposed to the ad-
vancemcnt Of science and general intelligence in
the past, especially during the middle ages. The
fearful effects Of ignorance, rendered doubly cruel
and vindictive by superstition and bigotry, in
crushing every effort at mental progress, truly
and graphically portrayed, and the true method Of
scientific investigaton-that Of resting each partic
uar science on wide deduction of facts belonging
to itself, without regard to ancient customs time
honored errors, is fully set forth.
The lecturer is evidently aware that some of the
obstacles that stood in the way Of mental progress
sion in the dark ages, not yet wholly removed
that bigotry and superstition, in some quarters,
even now would oppose the full emancipation Of
Science"
After speaking of the bitter pesecutons to which
the advocates of mental freedom were subjected by
both heather and christian Priesthoods in former
ages and the claim set up by the latter that science
is opposed to the Bible, the address says:
Pass by the ancient disputes between Theologi-
ans and Philosophers, the question Of the rotundi
ty of the EARTH its position among other worlds, its
motion, and all the topics which yexed during
the middle ages, but suppose that it was clearly de-
cided by unquestionable evidence that geology
contradictory to Scripture; could science then yeldf
Scientific men say no! They tell us that the great
" stone book" is also from the hand of God that
upon its pages there is possibility Of interpola
tOn altering, for il is it came from Jehovah's
own pen that there can be no question rs to its
inspiration for Of that there is the evidence
that there is of its existence; and that the truth
must be found by colatng its various passages,
comparing their signihcatiOn and weaving its truths
into n system, as we would with any other book
Should there be direct collision with the Bible,
they would say, Fer interpreting the book Of ma
ure we have the same facilities that you have for
the written book nay greater, for it is all from one
hand, in one dialect The question then would be
which is the truly inspired account of the worlds
history and they would again ask, What evidence
of the inspiration of Scripture have you which will
at all compare in conclusiveness with tnat which
we have from every sauroid fossil dug from the
bowels Of the earth, and every leaf print upon the
slate thrown from our coal mnesY And if we may
Judge from the present position OF mankind, wo
must confess that the judgment Of those best gudi-
fed to judge would be almost unanimous in favor Of
the Science.
We have made this extreme supposition in order
to place the position of scientific men in its true
light. They acknowledge no guide out the laws Of
evidence no authority but that of facts
There is no denying the fact that our philosphy
must modify our interpretations, and we must have
a philosophy of our own or be idiots. As soon as
we begin to think we form ideas of our being, our
nature, its capacities, hopes and fears and these
necessarily effect our understanding of the looks
we read. The very large and respectable portion
of the church who follow the teachings of Calvin.
tan uOht in hp tha of
necessitated will predestination election and man.
natural inability. Our equally good Armnan
Christians deny that these doctrines are contained
in the Scripture at ALL buttha they expressly assert
free WILL ability toobey and the power to determine
our own final state.
These are only specimens of almost numberless
differences in Interpretation. Is it not clear, then,
thatit must be by thorough investigation of phil
osophical doctrines upon their own merits, and the
demonstration, if possible, Of the truth, that con,
hicting sects will finally be brought togOthers
Mr. Cox, if we are correctly informed, is by no
means an infdel." lie is graduate of oberlin
College, and is quite evangelical in his faith Ii
is source Of encouragement that many of the
more intelligent portion of orthodox believers arc
coming upon the true ground Of investigation
There will soon, we trust be cause for dispute
between Z" "infdels" and orthodox as to the proper
method of scientific research Allwill agree to take
truth and fact as authority rather than, as in the
past to rely upon authority in opposition to reason
and experience.
While we think the publication of this excellent
address, creditable to tho Institute, we also think
the Association did itself credit by aat publishing
one other address, delivered on the occasion. We
refer to that by Rev. Mr. Dixon, Of Hanover,on tho
" Penal Sanction" .t ,ies.t
Mr. Dixon, it may be remembered, Is one of those
clergymon who leetnred before our citizens last
winter to prove that the Bible is, infAilibly the
Word of God. Having TO his own satifactioni'es.
tablishod this doctrine that Occssion he under-
took, in his recent effort enlighten the Associas