Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1869-07-29
Boston Letter.
NOTICE OF REV. JOHN b. PERRY.
BosroN, July 90, 1869.

Il
To some Vermonters it may be interest |
ing to know that the State is well repre-
sented in the scientific world, by agentle-
man who was formerly resident in the
northern part of the State, who, when he
entered, by the impulses of his natural
tastes in modest manner, into the scien-
tifio field, did not expect the pleasant re-
ception that awaited him. These remarks
are occasioned by course of lectures
delivered last winter in this city, at the
request of few gentlemen, upon the
creation, as given in Genesis, by Rev. J.
B. Perry, who was then the assistant of
Prof Agassiz, in natural history, in Cam
bridge.
1t is highly complimentary to Mr.. Per-
ry, that it was by the publication, in
Canada of some of his observations upon
the geology of some locality in Northern
Vermont, that the attention of Mr.. Agas-
siz' former assistant was directed to the
place, which he visited. But it was only
upon the occasion of the reading of pa
per before the Massachusetts Historical
Society by Mr.. Perry at later date, upon
the Geology of Western Vermont" that
Mr.. Agassiz first hoard him, land upon the
merits of the paper desired and obtained
his acquaintance and his subsequent en-
gagement as an assistant in the museum
of natural history, which place Mr.. Perry
holds, in the department OF Paleontology
The lectures above alluded to were not,
from their character, what is known as
popular lectures, but for the audience in
tended highly interesting and important.
The fact that there is a great tendency to
rnaterialism and skepticism among the
so-called scientific men of the day, may
not be fully appreciated by the busy men
of the business world. How little ground
there is for religious skepticism by reason
of the revelations Of science, can be fully
understood by such scientific men as Mr..
Perry represents, who can be classed as
scientific in the truest sense. The brief
est possible statement of the character of
his lectures would be-the coincidence
in the general form of the account of the
creation as given in Genesis of the Bible,
and the most approved theories of science
of the present time. By taking the ac-
count of Moses and reasoning forward, we
most naturally come down to the we'll
known facts of material science of the
present day. So, by taking the methods
! Of and roo Sopip,, bapk find tbaSa
facts to laws more and more general, we
most naturally arrive at a state of things
as set forth in Genesis
There are few persons who have not
noticed in all their readings, in these days
of miscellaneous and multitudinous pub
locations, how much there is said about
science and scientific men-how great
importance is given to the one and infu-
ence and authority to the opinions of the
other in the world of religious thought
and speculation, especially in reference to
revelation.
There is a notion that the opinions of
these men are all sufficiently correct, that
the opinion of a scientific man upon natu-
raj and revealed religion is as exact and
true as the laws of physical nature that he
investigates. But for the credit of por-
ton of these men, it can be said that all
who bear the name of scientific men are
not so in the truest sense
There is the truly scientific man, Of
comprehensive and honest mind, who re-
copnizes all the facts in the reiIgiuu,
moral world that affect his whole soul or
mind as readily and constantly as 10 does
the facts of the material world
about him, and who accepts the first facts
those of ooneoiououess-a OF the first
scientific Importance. He never loses
sight of the facts relating to his mental
and moral nature, while his intellect Is
engaged, in the close application through
long years, to some department Of physi-
cal science. He is an humble and con-
sciencious man, and one who will believe
in the individuality of his soul as distinct
from its material connectious-in short,
the devout man.
There is the scientific man, OF great
powers of observation, and, it may be,
discoverer Of laws in nature by whom
scientific knowledge IS daily extended,
which benefits the material condition 81
the race, yet the absolute tendency OF
whose influence on the moral and relig-
ious side OF human llfe IL toward EVIL and
harm. Either though'le-@ly or ny i sign,
I, Il.
ne Wlthdra"s ms frequent attention 10
the whole heia OF human kHo"l'd@' and
experience ana viz "''5y SINKS inc moral
sac % n'S - '.'p ,'''''i'''.'''' ~ 'i' power
OF tie so"i Tor iA'lh III inc Ft"'r 81 'ie
nina 10 reason "''h '''+e men mere Il
constant tendency 70 n''sfi"i;H''' Dis
ooey'"2 ON" 81 i'''. mrs. '''''''., y 'i'e'r
profession --th4t wv mn "'Nt"'N 'dc's