Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1875-04-14

vrstgator is generally one of irreverence. y
from this we infer that irrcverenre is
another thing which the pulpit is respect
luIly requested TO refrain from as>ailng
That is to say. the only fault in Tyndall'S
address was its irrevcrence. and religious
people Were much to blame for assailinr
1t on that score; ergo. irreverence is not :,
suitable thing for the pulpit TO attack
i'rof- rowbrligeS article would have
been more complete and more useful if h.
hti kindly gone 4 little further and drawn
up I schedule of topics concerning which
the pulpit may be permitted To speak
With the matter left as it is. our clergy
Will be in i state Of chronic nervousness
lest they should trench on f,rbi Hen
ground. We recall 4 certain old gentle.
nan who after listening TO IA sermon on
the Fall, left the church quite delighted
because the minister. aS H. sail, "h:,h
given it to old Adam" Perhaps Prof
lr"wbridca would be willing to have the
pulpit g i've it to old A,am;' bat even
here the question of the origin of the race
would BE- involved. and the scientific IN IN
who presumably monopolizes most of Il.
wisdom of the day. might he lied
neglect church-going" on account of th.
unScienttic attitude of his minister
Another thing of which the clergy are
guilty is The drawing wide and unwar
r.tnfibir lnrrrnccs and conclusions from
S entltic facts We might suppose from
tll> THAI scientific men never fall into the
same error; bat it happens thrt quite :;
cons 'i"rablc part of what passes for scrnc-
t" dly Is made up OF splendid theories
bts'.I on exceedingly wide inferences from
exceedingly slender facts. \ number o
years a.o-wc find the circumstance re
Lated in This very number of the Ppultr
Stc1l"c V0ntW9-a very curious skeleton
was dug up II Oen!ngen. The venerable
>,irtl >clruchzer discovered that it w:,>
the zig tntic skeleton of 4 man of tile.
Nolchlln times. and chri>trnei l. with
extreme satisfaction, Home diluvil te>tis" "
tile man who >tw the flood. Everything
WAS Tranquil until another prying scientist
revealed the fact the bone, were not tho-,.
of any species Of man, bIt simply a liry.-
saiamand'r. The theory that the prime
val man OF Europe was of zig lnt: siz
has since be n utterly Abandoned AMI it
i now held that he WIS of short stature
Indeed. the writer. from who's. narrative.
we quote. more than intinaIcs that We
-hpull BE- actltllv mortified if we cnli
This is only on. of score of illustrations
which might he cited to show III" readiness
with which the scientific: beliefs of on. AGE
ar abandoned in another. Men of SC "nce
them m,evc> find it rare sport To laugh 1T
the pet theories and cherished gener.,liz,-
tion> Of earlier days, while they en. tge in
the SAM process Of binding up >tnpeniou~
possibilities ont Of intiequatelv established
4
is limited that their sweeping assertions
may not be- wholly true If the pulpit err>
in this direction, a Prof Trow bridg,.
has taught ii.
Between religion and true science there
is 10 conflict The occasion for whttever
controversy exists between the pulpit and
mon uf science is uncon-cIol>lv expressed
by Prof Trow wbriiyr. when he atlirm> that
1.-THE attitude of IN investigator is generally
one of irreverrncc. 1t is because So
m1nv students OF science approach their
WORK with 4 preconceived purpose t.
make it initiate against Christianity. that
the eNprunler> of Christianity are placed
on the defensive When Il mau like
limits of scientific investig ,tion to make
the as>ertion-happilv notified afierwari
that matter contains the potency of
every form and manifestation of life and
Il man lik. IIixlcv prc-unc> on 4 slender
basis Of facts 10 sweep away the entire
doctrine of moral reSpon>ihility bv the
assertion that men are only blind lttJm ttt.
the Christian pulpit would occupy a >in.u-
lar attitude if il hal no comment or critic
ism 10 make. We are rea iv 10 admit III It
rlt.,. finds