The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1874-11-12
, -, Tynt,a,r mot an Atheist.

"a ~ . y
rrosessor Tynda,l NOT an Atheist
.rrro .cr FROM AN ADDRESS AT MANCHESTER
.rur1sN THE REFUGE OF MEN OF SHALLOW
,nxns--Sor ALWAYS. THOSE CHARGED WITH
srSrrlclsM AR. REALLY skEr TIC.
On the osth ultimo Professor Tyndall ue-
,;rere,i one Of a codrse OF lectures TO wSln.
;ncrnen at Free-Trade Hall, Manchester
Eng His subject was Crystalline and MOLE s,,,s.
nrisr Enrces. liz the course OF his tec.eis
no described the mental process oy Wiz VIZ
.sha present notion of force had been ac4uueo
s,,S Tho oyfension Of that notion 10 tue i'oNS
snu .,ts Of ,.,s nets and the vibrations OF atons.
o. nwh;b;fe,i by means Of the electric i'shI
.I,s, crystsIlizilion of sal-ammon'ac anu
aoetate Of lead-experiment Whlcn were
ss,nno fhe most snowy Of those presented 10
a,ner;can audiences. he referred to other
.,,ar,eIS of nature in the following words
The wav in which atoms build themselves
foee.her is to me perfectly astounding iou
have here play of power almost as Wonaer
ful as the play Of vitality itself. Perhaps
NAV have expressed myself too strongly IN
calling this beautiful experiment. astonishing.
Still, must say, although l have seen II, 10
sneak moderately, hundreds and nundreos OF
times. have never looked upon II WITHOUT
feelings of astonishment. And depend upon
IL. trust me, that the revelations OF science
are not in the least degree calculated 10 les
SEN our feelings of astonlshment. we are
surrounded by wonders and mysteries every
where. | have sometimes--not sometimes,
but often-in the spring-tide, watched the
advance of the sprouting leaves, and OF
the grass, and of the flowers, and 3D.
served the general joy OF opening
life In nature, and have asked myself the
question, Can it be that there is no being OF
thing in nature that knows more ABOUT
these matters than do! DO IN my leno.
rance represent the highest KNOWLEDGE OF
these things existing in this universe! La.
dies and gentlemen. the man VINO puts toat
question to himself, II be be not sfailo"
man. if ne be man capable Of being pene-
trated by profound thought, will never
answer the question by protesting the creed
of atheism. which has been so lightly attri-
buted to me. I will only detain you one
moment more. Everywhere throughout our
planet we notice this tendency of the utl-
mate particles of matter to run mo
symmeiIjc forms. The very molecules
anpear Inspired with desire for
union and growth, and the ques.
ton of questions Mt the present day is, and
il is one / fear which will not De
solved in our day, but will continue to agl'
tate and occupy thinking minds after we
have dcparted. This question OF queslions
Is. How far does this wopdrous display OF
molecular force extend? Does it give the
movement of the sap Of trees! ] reply
with confidence, assuredly it does. Does 1t
give lis the beating Of our own hearts, the
warmth of our own bodies, the circulation
of our own blood, and all that thereon de-
pends This is point on which | otfer no
opinion tonight. | have brought you TO
the edge of a battle. field, into which don't
intend TO enter, and from which have
barely escaped, somewhat despatched
and begrimcd, but without much loss of
heart or hope 1t now only remains Tor
me not to enter this battlefield, but TO
point out 10 you the position OF The contend
ing hosts. You can pass on by almost I'M
Dercep,ible eradations from this wonderful
DISPLAY of force that l have been able to
make manifest to your eyes here tonight to
the lowest forms of vegetable life. You
pass from them to other forms higher, and
so up to The highest. / have spoken of con.
tending hosts, and their position is this !:
One class Of thinkers suppoSes that these ac-
tions OF crystals that you have seen formed
before you, the passage from that crystalline
action to the lowest forms OF life, and from
them to higher forms upto the highest say
one class ofthinkers regards this as the grown
of single natural process. They grasp, rs 1t
were, this act of life, this development
of life, as an indissolubly connected whole
one great organic growth from the begin
ming. Others again say that it is not posi-.
BILE to pass from inorganic, rs we are pleased
to call it-for remember it is only human
language we can uSe-from the inorganic 10
the organic without distinct creative act;
and so with regard TO the forms that we oo'
serve not only in the fossil world. Ihese
forms, it is alleged, or considered, also re-
ouire for their introduction special creative
acts. Here there are two perfectly distinct
positions, and if you look abroad you will
find men of equal honesty, equal earnest
ness, equal intelligence, ranging themselves
on two opposite sides in relation to this
question. Which are right and which are
wrong is, submit, u question for grave con-
sideratiop, and not for abuse and hard
names. / am afraid that many Of
the fears That are now entertained
on these subjects really have their
roots in kind OF skepticism. 1t is not al
ways those who are charged with skepticism
that are the real skeptics; and confess it is
a matter of some grief to me to see able, use
full, and courageous men, running to and fro
upon the earth, wringing their hands over
the threatened destruction Of their ideals. l
would say, if dared, to such men-l would
eXhort them to cast out this skepticiSm, for
this fear has its root in skepticism. In the
human mind we have the substratum of all
ideals, and as surely as string responds to
string when the proper note is sounded, so
surely, when words Of truth and nobleness
are uttered by a living human sou, will those
words have resonant response in other
souls; and in this faith abide, and in this
way leave the question.