New-York tribune., 1874-12-04
NEW PUBLICATIONS.
THE CONFLICT BETWEEN RELIGION AND
SCIENCE.

AND SCIENCE. BY JOHN NhHi>
pp. Sta ID. Appleton 4 Go.
Tho lo,.note to this volume is found in the an
faconisn between the progressive tendencies OF the
buman mind and the pretensions OF ecclesiastical
authority as developed in tho history of modern
science. No previous writer has treated the subject
from this point of view. and the present monograph
will be found to possess no less originality OF con-
renton than yigor of reasoning and wealth OF cru
dition. The character of the conflict OF when inc
history is set forth by the author receives perhaps
its most forcible illustration from the existing atu
tude of the great political powers oil Eu-
rope toward the Roman Catholic Church'
The papacv. which represents the IDEAS Vi az
least two-thrds of the European people demands
apolitcal supremacy in accordance with us cia'"s
to a divine origin. 1t insists on the restoration 'i
The medipval order. announcing that it will accept
,,o reconciliation with modern civilization. Hence.
An speakinc of the antagonism between religion and
science. Dr. Draper refers chiefly 10 the Roman
Church partly because its adherents compose the
majority Of ChrStendom, and partly because IFS de-
mands are Of the most Imperious character and
have always claimed the support of the civil power
The Protestant churches have never taken so exact
inc noSition nor exerted such q widespread polit-
iCal influence. For the most part, they have been
averse to cOnstraiut Except in very few IN
stances their opposition to science has been hmteu
to an occasional touch of theological odium' NOT
has the Greek communion verarrayed Itself against
the advancement of knowledge. On the contrary
If has ALWAYS received it with friendly welcome,
preserving q rcvcrent and cordial feeling toward
truth from whatever quarter it might come.
In the distribution of his materials DR.. Draper
first traces the origin Of modern science as founded
on the fruits of experience instead of the
fances Of speculation to the influence of the Mace
DOMAIN campaigns. which first brought Asia and
Europe into intimate intellectual contact. He then
shows the advance of Christianity to the attainment
of imperial power the cOrrup1ons it experienced by
its admixture of Paganism, aud its hostility to
science enforced by the political necessities of ITS
position. This is followed by rapid view of the
struggle with Mahometanism, resulting in the estab
lshment of the unity of God in large portion Of
what had been the Roman Empire, and the restora-
tion of learning throughout the dominOns of the
Arablans The philosophical ideas that grew out of
this movement were driven from Europe by the
Inquisition at the close Of the middle ages, and
have recently been subjected TO a anathema
by the council Of the Vatican. DR.. Draper on to
consider the relation of the Roman Church to the
sciences Of astronomy and physical geography in her
opposition TO which she has met with signal de-
feat. With the gradual spread of knowledge over
Europe, the prestige of ecclesiastical Rome was
greatly diminished by its intellectual Teverses as
well as bv its moral and political condition. We are
in the midst of a controversy respecting the
government of the world whether it be by perma-
nent laws or occasional intervention; the intellec-
tual movement of ChristendOm has reached the
point which had been attained by the Arabian
philosophers of the tenth and eleventh centuries
and doctrines which were then discussed, such as
ereat II, development evolution again pre-
seutcd for review. The method Of Dr. Draper, in his
treatment of the various questions that come up
for discussion is marked by singular impariaty as
well as by consummate ability. Throughout his work
be maintains the position of historian. not of an
advocate His tone is tranquil and serene, as
becomes the search after truth with trace of the
impaSsOned ardor of controversy. He endeavOrs so
far to identify himself with the contending parties
to gain clear comprehension of their motives
but at the same time he submits their actions to the
test of a cool and impartial examination. His aim
is the critical elucIdation of opinion, not
authoritative verdict rs to its truth error. He
usually gives the first place to the orthodox view,
and follows it with thai of it's opponents.
In the chapter devoted TO the relations Of Latin
Christianity to modern civilization the author pre-
sents a series Of general views which to a certain
extent may be considered as a summary of
the main principles of his volume. The Roman
Catholic Church, he maintains. is responsible for
the condition Of Europe FROM the fourth to the six
teenth century He introduces the discussion with
a striking picture of the contrast between Ancient
and Papa Rome at the close Of that period
Doubtless at the inception OF the Reformation there
were many persons who compared the existing social
condition With what 1t had been IN ancient times
Morals had changed ne'hg-l Ice had not advanced
iisr;; H. speudors had vanished The marble streets,
OF which Augustus bad once boasted had disappeared
Temples broken columns, and the long arcaded ylsas
of gigantic aGuedGcs bestrding the
presented a mOurufu scene From the uses 70 @ wMen
fvp
known as Goats I aud the site OF the Roman Forum
whence laws had been ISSUED 10 tHe "0,i1' as CO"5
Ft,Id Inc palace the Caesars hidden " MOUNDS
of earth crested with Towering shrubs Ihe Daths OF
Sr@cal win their pOrtcOes gardens, reservoirs, had
fo ago bec1e useless through the destruction Of their
suupying aQ0cdilcs On the runs or that Srahd edl-
ce filwery glades and thickets Of Odorerous trees
extended in ever winding lahvrntlS upon IMMENSE
platforms, anl 1ZZ arches sISpcndcl IN Tie air" OF
ine Coliseum the IaOst colossal of Roman ruins only
about Ony-thrd remained. once capable Of acconmO-
dating nearly ninety thousand spectators 1t had in
cerrI6n b, en- turned fortress IN the middle ages,
and tLcu into stOne-Qulrry 20 furnish material for tie
palaces degenerate Roman princes Some OF the Popes
had occupied 1t as ~oolen mil, some az a salpeler
factory; some had planned the conversion OF us mag
nhcent atcac,s INTO shops Tor tI2desinen; inc IRON
clamps which hound ts stones together nad been stolen
The walls were hssured aud falling Even IN our own
tmcs botanical works have heeL on the plants
which have made thls noble wreck thelL nome 'lhe
Flora Of the Coliseum" contains four hundred and
twenty species. among tht runs O Cah9ca UiIllIl7
might be broken columns, expresses, ana Iu0dY
frescoes dropping from the walls. Even the vegetable
myrtle wLici once fourshet on the Aventlne. had
nearly become extinct; the laurel which once gave it'
leaves encrce the brows OF emperoTs had been re-
placed by ,vy-:ae companion OF death.
1t may be said that the POpes were not response
bic for this fearful degeneracy. In less than 10
years the city had been successvely taken by
Alaric GenseTic, Ricmer, Nitiges, and Toila. Many
Of its great ediGces had been converted into defen-
sive works. The aqueducts were destroyed by
Vitiges, who ruined the Campagna. The palace of
the Caesars Tavaged by TotIa. The Normans
under Robert Guiscard, burned the city from the
n 1. Al a.
the Lateran to the Capitol. 1t sacked aud mutt
.toI L., IL IL Ia