The Abbeville banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1847-1869, 1857-07-09
raor, nIAkrs lscruas,


We had tho pleasure, on the evening OF th,
Both uli., together with a large assenbure o
our citizens of hearing Prof BLAxss t.ectur,
before the Young Mems Christian Association. -
II was no ordinary effort, and ono that clearl,
crinccd To ull who heard il, tho genius an,
thorough mental training OF It's author. Til,
subject was tho objections 10 Science" Thes,
the lecturer divided into two classes: first il,.
urged by the unsciontiic generally, STYLED b,
him % the objections of the world :" and second
~ those felt by unreaecting religious persons
which he dcnomnated "tl,e objections of th,
church."
1t is objected by the world that Science is i'm
practical. trivial aud burren of results: that il,
votaries neglect the proper business of life. and
waste their energies i'll dreamy specuations, OF
childish experiments. The lecturer met these
charges in the first place by inquirng what !.
valuable i'll human life? This he pointed out 10
DC the investigation OF TRUTH and not the pursuit
OF wealth hence, if the study Of science reyeal
Tile secrets OF nature, and develope tho mind Of
man, 1t IS dignifed and honorable, even though
II should not contribute to our mental comfort.
but in the next place, he took the ground that
all improvements in the arts of life and all the
advance made in mans dominion over the pow.
ers OF mature are due to the discoveries of science
This he illustrated by reference to steam, cleo.
trIcity and animal magnatsm.
lie went further, and showed, with much
force, that the most minute facts are necessary to
the greatest results that the science of electric
ity duwned when TnALEs rubbed his little niece
OF amber; that falling apple gave NEWTON the
clue to gravItation; that fagk Of alcohol COIL
famed the germ of the steam engine. and that
the sickness Of Bolognese lady, was the occa
sion of the discovery of magnetism lie justi.
ned naturalists in watching for weeks the hatch.
ing of fish's egg and in studying, with ntens
enthusiasm, the homology between the tooth of
Caterpillar and the proboscis of n butterfly.
lie contended that nothing is lille in science,
i'll the sc::sc &C being contemplate, but that the
smallest fact may be the turning point of sub.
lime discovery, and held in the true spirit of the
baco"'an philosophy, that it is only by u careful
induction Of these minute particulars, that a
broad and reliable generalization can be made.
This is but an imperfect sketch of the former
and larger part of Prof BLAkE's Lecture In
TINS br'ef compass we arc unable 10 convey any
impression of The beauty of language, the eath
OF illustration the mnutencss of analysis and
the cogcncy Of reasoning with which he fortified
his positions and adorned his theme.
In considering the next objection, viz: "that
science is sceptical in its tendencies" it was
SHOWN that scepticism is not the pooduct of sci,
ence' but the offspring Of the human heart: that
science is revercnt, but that man has perverted
her teachings, rs he has all other truth. The i'm.
pregnable position was laid down that there can
he no conflict between nature and revelation
between the works Of God and the word of God
when therefore an objection is based on nm anna.
rent disagreement in their teachings it is not
science but ignorance, that frames the cayiI. lie
the Church that she has notbipc to f.or
from the Investigations of science, but everything
to hope. lie deprecated an estrangement of re.
I'gon from science, and urged the church to euter
the field of the natural sciences as she Ind en-.
tered the field of metaphysics, to meet her foes
upon this new arena, and predicted for her
triumph not less signal than that which crowned
her efforts in the last conflict.
These points were strongly presented in con-
necti"n with Geology, whose progress W as traced
from the period i'll its history when it seemed TO
be utterly nnimcal 10 scripture, to It's present
position, which, as the Lecturer thinks. not only
coinsldes with, but in many particulars, corrobo-
rates the statements Of revelation.
But we must forbear, and in conclus;on foo,
bound to do Prof. BLAKE the justice to saw. TINT
this is but a mutilated synopsys of his most .d-
elegant and instructive lecture.