Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1872-11-10
PROF.. TYNDALL on TIE PHYS.
ECAL VALUE OF PRAVER.

VS. IN g similar manner
; win religious feeling, the separation
shen attempted by GalliieO arousing ami
mostly and ktndling persecution. Men
s.An hFing can remember the indigna-
ZION excited by the first revelations Of
geology regarding the age 81 the eertb
the association between chropoIogv ord
religion being for the first time irGisso-
iuDle- IN our day, however. the best
informed eiergymen are prepqred 10 adj
mt thaL our views Of the universe and
us author are not impaired. bur imD-ov-
Gu Dy the abandonment Of the Mosaic
account al the creation. Look fuauv
az the excitement caused by the DlHIies-
ton Of the "Ongiu Of Specie D mi
compare it with the calm attended IN
the appearance Of the farmorr out-U,teD
and, from the old point Of view uors
tmpiOus Descent Of Man,
Thu reIigOnsurvives after fleremovsI
OF what had been long considered a-an-
tlal u 70. In a days the autipodes are
accepted, the fxity Of the earth Is given
up D period Of creation and the re-
puted age Of the world are alike diesi-
pated, evolution is looked upon without
terror, u other changes have occurred
IN tne same direction too numerous 10
be dwelt upon here. In face. fr1n fbs
49, AAA@Hl ~ AAA HLNH"NN. Ea|.THln
mas been undergoing q process Of r14ri-
hcatiOn, freeing itself slowly and 1air-
fully from the physical errors which fhe
busy and uniformed intellect mingled
with the aspiration Of the soul and
which ignorance sought 30 peruefuate
some Of Us think q final act of uurifcs-
ton remains to be performed. while
Others oppose that notion with the con-
ndencS and warmth Of ancient time
The bone Of contention at present is the
physical value OF PRAYER. 1t Is not nv
wish to excite surprise, much les TO
draw forth protest by the employment
Of this phrase. 1 would simply ask auv
intelligent person to look the problem
honestly and steadily in the face. and
then say whether in the estimation Of
the great body of those who sincerely
resort TO II, prayer does not, at all events
upon special occasions, invoke a power
which checks and augments the descent
Of rain, which changes the force and di-
rectlOn OF winds, which effects the
growth OF corn and the health Of men
and caJtle-a power, in short, which,
When appealed TO under pressing cir
cumstances, produces the precise effects
caused by physical energy in the 0rdi-
nary course Of things. To any person
VINO deals sincerely with the subject.
and refuses TO blur his moral vision bv
intellectual s~ubtleties, this, Z think,
VIII appear a true statement of the case.
Ii Is under this aspect alone that the
student, so far as 7 represent
him, has any wish to NEEDLE with
prayer. Forced upon his attention as a
form OF physical energy or as the equiv
alent OF such energy, heclaims the right
of subjecting it to those methods of ex-
animation from which all our DresaDt
knowledge of the physical universe Is
derived. And if his researches lead him
to a conclusion adverse TO its claims. IL
his inquiries rlvet him still closer 10 the
philosophy EMBODIED in the words. ale
maketh MS sun TO shine ON the evil and
the good, and sendeth rain up0D the
just and upon the uuiust'-he contends
only for b displacement Of prayer. not
for ITS extinction. He simply says phys
nature IS not It's legitimate domain.
The conclusion, moreover, must be-
based on pure physical evidence. and
on any inherent unreasonabIaness
the act of prayer. The theory that
the system Of nature is underline control
Of q being who changes phenomena in
compliance with the prayer of men. is.
in my opinion, a perfectly legitimate
one. II may of Ourse be rendered futile
by being associated with c~OuceptioUs
which contradict it, but such c9nceD-
ions form a necessary part of the theory.
10 is a matter Of experience that an
father, who is at the same time
both wise and tender, listens to the re-
quests of his children, and, if they do
lOt ask amiss, takes pleasure il. grant
.ng their requests. We know also thar
his compliance extends 70 the altera-
ion, within certain limits, of the cur
'ents Of events on earth. With this sur-
offered by our experience, it is
10 departure from scientific method 10
place behind natural phenomena "a uni
-ersal father, who. in answer to the
Of his children, alters the cur
1ents of those phenomena. Thus far
heOlOgy and science 20 hand ia hand.
The conception Of an ether, for example.
rembling with the waves Of light. Is
uggested by the ordinary phenomena
T wave-mOtiOn in water and in air. and
q like manner the conception of Der-
onal vOiitiOn in nature is suggested bv
he ordinary action of man upon earth.
therefore urge no impOss.biGiie.
1Ough you constantly charge me with
DING So d not even urge iuc0nsist-
ncy, but, on n contrary, frankly adj
mt that you have as good q right to
your conception at the root Of the
henOmena as l have to place mine.
without V srihcatiOu, as theOretic
onceptiOn is mere fgInent Of the in
elect, and l am sorry to find us part
lg company at this point. The region
f theory, both in science and theology.
es behind the world of the senses, but
re v~eriicatiOn of theory occurs in the
'nsible world. To check the theory we
ave simply to compare the deductions
il with the facts of observation. If
lie deductions be in accordance with the
cts, We accept the theory; if in oppose
On, the theory Is given up. a single
pertinent Is frequently devised by
hich the theory must stand or fan. Of
rs character was the determinatiODuof
e velocity Of light in liquids as a cru
test of the emission theory. Ac-
riding to Newton, light Travelled faster
water than in air; according to an
pertinent suggested by Arago, and ex-
uted by t1Zeau and Faucault, it trav-
I'd faster in air than in water. The
pertinent was conclusive against New
MS theory.
But while science cheerfully submits
this ordeal, itseems impossible to de-
ie a mode OfvcridcatiOn Of their theO-
which does not arOu G resentment in
Biological minds. Is it that, while the
ofthes scientific man eliminates
the demonstrated harmony between
cory and fact, the highest pleasure of
2 religious man has been already test
IN the very act Of praying, prior to
ritication, any further effort in this
ec1On being a mere disturbance of
? peace? Or is it that we have be-
e US a residue Of that mysticism of
uafAAlH.a-ra MIL. ~. E
rably described by Whewell-tbat
Of referring things and events
to clear and distinct notions, not to
neral rules capable of direct verihca-
but to notions vague, distant, and
st, which we n bring into CON
{ with facts, as We connect natural
,nts with moral and historic causes.
Thus he continued. sstbe
Of the mysticism is That it re-
3 particulars, not to concentrations,
and immediate, but to
n as are Heterogeneous and remote, to
we must add that the process of
5 reference is not a calm act of the in
ect, but IS accompanied with q glow
enthusiastic feeling" Every feature
e depicted, and some more question:
e ones, has shown themselves of late:
st cO-nspicuOusly, 1 regret TO say, in
leader" Of weekly journal of con-
srabie influence, and n on many
entitled To the respect Of
ughtful men. In the correspondence,
Fever, published in the same journal,
TO be found two or three letters well
to correct the temporary
of the journal itself.
is my habit Of mind to think other
e than s0lemnly Of the feeling which
prayer. 1t isa potency which
ike TO see guided, not extin-
shed, devoted to practicable objects
cad of wasted upon air. In some
n or other not yet evident it may. as
ged, be necessary to mans highest
ure. Certain it is that while i ranj<
ny persons who employ itlow i'm the
e Of being, natural foolishness bigOf-
and Intolerance being in their case
nsified by the notion that they have
ss to the ear Of God. 1 regard others
employ it as forming part of The
7 cream of the earth. The faith that