New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1872-10-28
PR0E TINDALL on THE PHYSICAL TALUE
or PRAYER.


IRON TIE Fcoalu ,ieoe Hoahlh
The editor of The Contemporary RerjejC Is
liberal enough 20 grant me space ior rev 4f'd rene,
tlons ON subject, former reference 10 Wmc IN thtse
pages hl-, believe. brought down ON nm ana uie "a con
Siderable amount o. auu1dvcrs.on lt may zoe interest.
iur Co some g. GLANCE 40 fcw cases illustrative OF the
history -e luuanmind inTei1tloq % Iis ana hlgIcu
subj s. In ac fourth ccntcry the he9eI IN anup3oes
Was deemed uu.cup.urd and LeteticdL I4e po1s ~
tauUus WAS os angry win tle ptopc Wio Avil '"7
iu- u bis Ceuuuclat0ns of tier "nonsiioSues' L9c-
tsiius $685., Irrtatd because DID nus minn "! eGt',Ou
aud -al. caeilo-oa} iAd lt.l~ou were " fl'5i' ~,
sot1a.ed and therefore sml.tlucCr5ly dissolved In
te early part o the seventeenth century the nouOh ta
roIrdit o.lr was interviewer in similar manner WIN
lI.e arOr-iul luminosity and kndns persecution. Men
sui lsilc remember The indignation eAci1en D thc
'A..f ,., 30 3D. s,,I-,,io In arr dav however.
me- formed ceryucu are prepared 90 admit tlaJ
... ..,,,.,,'sJ liy t6e abardonment of the Mo-
-. ..u0uu. ihe creation. Look hallF,al tAc eA-
i ,..,'',l., m Win trc calm attendant ON tine
.rcc of the more outspoken and from the ola
l,i.t ul view, more lmpous Descent obi Nan ,
hon lone cons Tered essential Co it IN our days the
po.s ale accepted the GXity Of the earh is given up
period ut creation ana me Icpited 9se on he Woria
an. alike srtted, evolution is looked upon without
t,uor gal o,Aer changes have occurred in the same
direction TOO numerous 10 oe oGet upoh mere. I'D iae
axe cfr e,t times TO the present, religion las been
SLOWLY aud painfully rom the phls,a errors Whlch lhe
l- and uniformed Intellect mingled with the aspl1a
z II.
a;c of think tual act OF purincauOn remains
io Dee performed while others oppose this notion with
Zone OF contention at present is the physical value.o
PRAYER 40 is not my wish TO excite surprise much less
fo..aW forth protest b the employment Of this phrase.
roa.d mul, aeA any intelligent person 70 look the
problem Hoatty anu s'taaly iH lAe la,e' aI1 II'a
sincerely resort 10 IT, prayer does not 40 an events
uIun special occasions INVOKE q power which checks
ard augnent the descent OF rain which changes the
force ana direction Of winds which affects
AND Catbe-a power in short, which, when APP
pled 20 under pressing cucWnstances, produces tue
precise tL-c cdus.l uJ p sea ey I we ordinary
course OF things. To any person who deals sincerely
VISTA the subject and refuses 10 blur his moral VISION 10y
intellectual .ubtietcs, this think viii appear true
s..emcu of the case. II is under this aspect alone
that llc scientific student so far as represent him, has
ans vl t3 AtdolS WIN prayer. toIceG upon ms atten
tou form 0 physical energy, on as the equivalent OF
' ~ 49, si,al ,,Divor,e ~ derived AID III
Ils - 1cad HIM TO CONCLUSION adverse TO its
o,I.v embodied I'M the words He maketh his sun TO
fc e ana 6pon the unjust ~ contends only for tie
dl-I acemcut Of prayer not FOR its extinction He sim
Tie conclusion, moreover, must be based on pure
Physical evidence and not on any inherent nureason
abioucs u The act OF PRAYER me theory that the ss
changes phenomena ia compnauc5 win tne lIa5eIs OF
men, b., I'D ms opinion, perfectly Ieellmaic one III
mag al course De rendered futile hy being associated
with conceptions Wlth au!It ~ pu' 5cn VOliCtP
lions form necessary part OF tle theory lt Ia matter
of experience that an earthly iatAeI VINO Is al the same
children gud If they do not ask amss takes pleasure IN
h. .ce extends TO the alteration within certain limits,
al e current Of events ON earth. with this suggestion
Vacd by our experience u is no departure lIOm sclel
tnc method 60 place behind natural phenomena uni
versa. father whO IN answer to the prayers OF MS chi
-, @ ,i,r fr eCStnTie trembling yyIrh Inc wave,
cf light De- suggested by the ordinary phenomena OF
% ne of personal yoon in nature is sug-
ClsieC hy tine ordinary action OF man upon earth l
therefore ur-e no impOssbtes, though You constantly
charge me with doing DO not even urge incOnsis
good ght 20 place YOUR conception az the root OF
the phenomena as have 10 place mime But without
Ver.cation "a theoretic conception is ngment OF
the intellect, and sorry TO md as parting company
40 this point Tue reGou OF theIy Dom IN science ana
theology lies beuud tue world OF the senses, but tue
NeTcation OF theory occurs in tue sensible world TO
L0s from wiki the facts Of observation. II the de-
ducons De an accordance with mo FACTS We accept the
theory ~ Iva opposition, the theory rs gwen up single
experiment frequently devised by which the theory
iuauon OF Toe velocity OF light u liquids as crucial
test OF the emission theory. According 10 Newton, light
experiment suggested lv Ardg0 and executed by Fzeau
and FOucault, Travelled faster In AIR than IN water
Iue experiment conclusive against Newtou's theory
But while science chcerluly submits 10 this ordeal 10
secrs impossible TO devise mode OF vertcaton Of their
theory winch does not arouse resentment On theological
minds j. DO That while the pleasure of the scientific
eliminates in the demOnst aied harmony between
theory fact. the highest pleasure of the religious
pror 10 verHcaton any further effort this direction
being 90 disturbance of his peace Or j, 10 that
have before as residue Of that mysticism Of The middle
that, practice Of referring things aud events
not to clear and distinct notions, not to general
Jules capable Of direct yerihcaUOn, but notions
VAGUE. distant and vast which we cannot bring
into C0uac with faClr, connect natural
syeufs with moral and historic causes.
Thus DE- continues the character OF the mysticism is
fbat u reftIs particulars, not 10 cancellations homo
gCucaus anu ilueol"te, but 70 suea ,3 are hc'etO-
LCueoI- ald remote which must add that the pro-
cess Of tis reference not calm act u the intellect
but rs accompanied with glow OF enthusiastic feeling
Every feature here depicted, ana some question:
ously regret 10 say, n the leaders Of weekly jour
ua Oh considerable lnucuce, aud one on many grounds
entitled % the respect of thoughtful men. IN the
rtsplldeuee however. published ia the journal
correct thc TEMPORARY hightucss OF the journal itself
els nor my habit Of mind 20 thlnk otherwise than
s0ltmry of tlc f-cMug which prompts prayer. 10 is "a
potency which j should ike 10 see guided, not cXtu
up0l air. I other not yet evident 30 may
Do alleged. necessary to mans highest culture Ger
tain DO IT. thHt WIe rank many persons who employ u
l0W ere scale NJ being natural IOoliehuess, OigOtTy
lion that tIrY have access 10 the OF GOD, regard
Jtucs Who employ u as forming part O1 the
~ the crtL Tue RATA mat simply adds 10 the IOy and
erOclty he s. turned TO enduring sweetness holt
other thri,flauity 90 fact varies with the nature
upon which b. falls. O.teu unreasonable. If not CON
fcGFu1e iu IT, purer form prayer hints 40 dscipnes
which few OF us can negcct without moral loss. But no
good can come Of giving % decisive value iy Ginning
To- 10 power in physical nature. ltmay strengthen fe
heart ~ meet LIES losses, and thus Indirectly prnmoe
physlCa Wcl-DciDe a. tue digging 0f ds0ps orchard
bruuehf q treasure OF fertility greater than the treasure
sought such indirect issues al admit; but IN yvopId
Dc simply dishonest affirm that IN Is Issues fiaf
aTe always n view. Here for Tie present must end
ask no space o. reply 70 those faits VIM make such
free 81 The tls llsOlntc. outrage, profanity, and
Ilssphruy. They obviously lack Tie sJDrCtv of mind
lertssg 30 Give accuracy g. their statclueu.s. 0r tO
render lcir charges worthy 81 serious ieiuiatlou.