Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1875-06-08
this time, unperceived, except at the end

have not all been made at once, and are
not fixed, stationary, complete that life
began in the simplest organisms, if not
in heat itself, which has more recently
been proved to be mode of motion and
of life in the simplest atom of matter
which has no perceptible organic struc-
ture or function. That organic life has
for millions of ages been increasing, and
is still multiplying in compile Y and
diversity of form and funcl is
one of the common admitted fa 5 of
modern knowledge.
Prof. Tyndall, in his address, reviews
the field of modern investigation, re-
counts the facts which science has es-
tablished, and those which seem likely
to be established, and shows how the
whole combined drift of increasing light
tends not only to show the indestructi-
bility of matter, but likewise of cos
mical life force in matter and mind,
creating and correlating all things into
one, evolving both the forms of physical
nature and the acts, sensations and emo
tons of mind, that the energy which IS
the life of man and humanity, is CORE
lated with the life of the plant and the
light of the sun; that all together are
evolved, developed, differentiated by
natural causes and in small degrees, not
by any sudden leap or miraculous inter
position of a designing artifice; and
this, he maintains, is no rash form of
materialism. He does not repudiate or
| destroy religion, nor the foundations of
religion, unless it be religion resting on
an unstable, untenable anthropomOrph-
ism. He admits that there is an in
scrutable Power in the universe-"that
mysterious power which on our planet
eliminates in reason" are his words;
"cosmical life, he says, San infnitisimal
span of which only part is offered to
the investigation of man."
Religion, he admits, az ''deep set,
immovable" sentiment or passion in
mans nature, to yield which reason
able satisfaction is, in his estimation, the
problem of problems at the present day.
1t is true that Prof. Tyndalrs stand
ing ground, while not Intentionally ad-
verse to religion, broadly and generally
considered, is inimical to much which is
popularity considered as sacred and re.
vealed theological or religious truth.
But if the standing ground be that
of science and of truth, what justice can
there be in throwing muck and sticks at
Prof. Tyndall for announcing it? The
wiser way is to accept the altered rela-
tions of religion to science. ....
So far as Professor Tyndall goes in
what he states as the method, tendency,
and facts of science, it is difficult to
make any valid answer or objection, and
must be less and less easy to gainsay his
position. Such, for instance, is his
claim for the doctrine of correlation,
that physics or nervous energy goes hand
in hand with sensation aud thought;
and that the eye is a growth or develop.
ment from simple, sensitive tissue, and
not a continuance or design, as has been
maintained. .... ,..-. -...
But criticism has been made upon
Prof. Tyndalls treatment of molecules,
which, as it reaches beyond the realm
of observation and experience into that
of physiology, it is difficult to settle, and
it is even difficult 20 say what Prof.
Tyndall himself means.
He seems to treat the ultimate -'eo!hs
of matter as self-subsistent s'nd possessed
of Dre-potent polar forces su1flclent 1Or /
the nroduouon of the varied phenomena
of life, and yet he does not call the |
atoms self-subsistent, and he speaks of |
our life here as the manifestation of a |
mysterious ''cosmical life" For this he |
is charged with haziness and ambiguity |
"a charge which seems not without |
more or less of truth.
He speaks of matter as containing |
the promise and potency" of all the |
forms of life we are acquainted with; |
s'of all terrestrial life;" and yet he thinks
we can make no clear explanation of the |
connection of nervous energy with SEN |
sation and thought. He treats each |
molecule of matter as a center of force, |
as creative, structural energy; but it is |
said, in opposition, that these separate, |
independent molecules all obey one and |
the same law of polarity, ''by which or
ganic forms are conceived to be evolved"
thus pointing ''to some deep identity of |
the atoms with each other" which ''re- |
duces them to a manifestation of one |
omnipresent energy" Perhaps Prof. |
Tyndall would himself accept this wider |
generalization of the law of persistent
energy as synonymous with the "cOs- |
mical life" and the ''insoluble mystery"
of evolution! 1t would necessitate no
change in the statements of his address. |
His observations would remain no less |
true concerning the achievements of |
science and the originatiOn OF all life |
forms from the energy in matter. 1t
would only postulate force back of |
matter or make matter identical with an
all-pervading force or spirit, which |
would be to exalt and defy matter more |
If anything than Prof. Tyndall has def |
nitely done; and yet the charge has been |
made against him that he wraps up or
assumes in his premise all that he wants
in his conclusion, charge which it is |
easy to make and which lies equally |
against any other explanation which |
| NAV be made of the origin of things.
Whether the limiting and conditioning
| of matter in an outside or unifying en-
ergy helps us, is not positively certain,
since we can only know such energy as
| it is exhibited in matter. 1t is true,
moleculc action conforms to universal
| law of polarity, and the universal law
of polarity is limited, so far as we know,
| to matter and its phenomena, so that we
are little if any beyond the standing
point of Prof. Tyndall, who comedies |
that there is a mystery In the evolution
of life, which gives place to the cxer-
else of religious emotion.
He says, 81 would set forth equally |
the memorable advance of mans under |
standing in the path of knowledge, and |
the unauenchable claims of his emotional
nature which the understanding can
never satisfy"
He even goes so far as to say that If
the human mind, brooding on the mys
terry of its origin, and seeking to recon
Gle thought and faith, will do this, mot |
only without intolerance or bigotry, but
with the enlightened recognition that
ultimate fiXity of conception Is here !