The native Virginian. [volume] (Orange Court House, Va.) 1867-187?, 1870-01-14
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS..
AN EXTRACT FROM FIsK'S ELEVENTH
LECTURE ON POsITIvIsM.


1t is not BY mere argumeat that man
IL LEI, 20 exchange the theological or the
metaphs steal for the positive point OF
view. rhc l.rocess 10 one. not OF con-
version. but of slow growth. 1t can be
accom- plished only by the gradual ac-
auirsment OF new iiahits o. tnoush.-
habits which are formed, day py uay
| and year by year. in the conrs2 oil > io,is
familiarity with the methods ana
is of scentifc inquiry. The t.u1er-
SUI therefore between positive thh, X
en@e', theological radical, like Dr..
er an !. far deeper than the differ
Colenst; 70 On Dr.. Colenso and theo-
ence oetM %" wa. i've, like DR.. Pusey.-
Logical psronntssss,ta,i. sonss, to Catholicism on on
the one hand, or b. T.. %e made bv the
other. the change ma,v .slvtism. or
ordinary processes Of pro. and the
bv mere sceptical argument; not be
inorained habits of thought neeu one
essrr TALLY altered. The need tCfh \
tangible system of theology or onsoio
Nv is Sill felt even by the mind OF suCn
q radical deist as Mr.. Buckle That |
such need is 10 longer felt, even IN
The slightest degree. by the mind OF the
positivist. shows how Immensely diller-
ent are his ingraned habits OF thought.
Hence the uttel indifference OF the posi-
Twist to making prosclytes. Hence IL
is that we are not radicals IN theoloSy'
| aud not unfrequently extend 40 more
srnnsthy TO tie radical than to the coll
ssrvatiye sects. Hence 1t is that we
nwn no fellowship with 'Jacobns and
IconocIasts, For we know that haoits
or thought and general conceptions OF
the universe, being the product OF en-
cumstances. are usually best adapted 10
/. tho circumstances amid which they ex-
, III AS tlie wider and wider spread OF
scientific know ledge ana the growing
: familiarity with scientific methods ana
nrocesses. slowly alter what we may
rall the mental environment, gradually
the resultant habits Of though5 VIII Dc
: changed. The dcanthropemofphlh,ns
nrocesa will continue to go on, as it Has
zone on since the dawn OF history, uil'
: der the slow but unceasing stimulus U
scientific generalization. MeanWhiie,
: violent destruction OF theoioS'es %, neP
n n,lv for society, impossible. AS ath
l. or Newman has we'll said, "False idea
70 NAV BE refuled by argument, put ON.
,e bv true ideas can they be expelled. :
le tightly or wrongly, mems theoiogis
ID are more or less implicated win tae'
principles Of action; and to rake ava
80 the thoology, by any other process Una
10 that Of supplanting it by new conc,eI
80 ton OF the world equally adapted
Of furnish general principles OF actlon,
IA to leave men trivial-minded ana ire,
"a pious, with ne rational motive put sei
interest. no clearly-conceived END say
. the pleasure of the moment, hehce
: Is that we acknowledge no rlvalry W,
- theology, and wage with 1t no parr'
lIrs I destructive warfare; but rather endea
Fe- or to prepare the way for the ultima
on supplanting of it. by carrying scientl
=, methods and scientific intcrpretatio
Eli into all departments of thought.
rsS rse "Deanthropomorphizing' is a 10
word, but the general reader can ca
- ly find out it's meaning. Readers
philosophy are familiar with 1t.