New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1876-03-07
ART AND RELIGION.
LECTURE BY DIR. W. C. PRIME.

LECTURE BY DIR. w. C. PRIME.
THE MOSAIC RECORD OF THE AGE OF THE WORLD
CONFIRMED BY THE STUDY OF ANCIENT ART
THE PROGRESS or ARCHITECTURE, POTTERY,
COINAGE AND WRITTEN LANGUAGE
The fifth lecture of the course before the
NewHOrk Association for the Advancement OF Science
and Art was delivered last evening at the Rev. DR..
Rogerss church. Fiith-ave. and Twenty rst-st, by
William C. Prime, LID, on "Ancient Art and Modern
Science" The audience was large and appreeative,
and included many Of the prominent oergymen OF
the city. The Rev. DR.. Rogers, after abiding to
the previous lectures Of the introduced Mr. Prime
an enthusa who had devoted his life to the study OF
ancient art, until he had become familiar with the
monuments, the tombs, and the ruins OF past civiza-
ton as with the streets OF his city, aud who had
brought the ripe fruits OF study and research, and had
laid them az the feet OF religion
Dr. Prime took bold stand in advocacy OF the strict
Interpretation OF the Bible history in respect to the an
tiquy Of the human race At the conclusion Of the lee
turc vote Of thanks moved by the Rev. Dr. Hitch
cock In brief speech. lie followed by Prof Char
licr and the motion was adopted. The Rev. Dr. r. 8.
sorrs, exGoy John \. Dix, the Rev. Charles A. Wash
burn, ana e1-Gov John T. Hoffman nominated as
femembers and Mcssrs. John T. Agnew, o. b. Potter,
and Thomas L. ThOnell elected members. The
next lecture announced for the first Monday in
April, by The Rev. DR. John Hall, "Ulramontanism"
The lecture, In substance, was as follows:
The wcllknow phrase OF our day which speaks OF an
existing contest between science and religion, conveys
false notion. Science has no contest with religion. But
between Christianity the religion at the Bible, and GER
tain theories Of some modern schools there B contest
and this i contest which - utterly vain 10 attempt TO
reconcile. one or the other side must yield Every
tempt at compromise weakens the position OF the de-
Tenders VI the Christian faith Either the Bible - he
tion. these theories Of modern science fctions
without support IN fact. That such contest should
exist at all isabsurd.
In the contest between modern science and the Mosaic
history the student OF art Is ON the side of the Bible
The domain Of art study includes and possesses
vast portion OF that field which u imaglnsd
10 be exclusively within the scOie of scientific
investigation. Thousands Of objects are submitted
every year TO the cNa .ination of the art student
lie concludes that each Is the work OF certain
workman. Of a certain country. factory time
In ms Investigations. he never dreams but some one
must be tho artist. aud II science should suggest to Inn
that these objects made themselves, or were eyOutlon
or developments he would consider II the suggestion or
lunacy. This l. an old line Of argument, but modern
science avoid, by theory that works, which are some
times called works OF nature, are not works of arr 1u
produced by the operations OF certain sefOperatng
laws. The tegm involve contradiction Of language Law
IN Whatever language means rue OF action n'e Dy
law making power and enforced, II AZ ALL by that power
Proceeding the affirmative evidence OF nrt the Ice
antiquity with the Greek stories Of the Heroic age, and
claimed that remains OF art exist Ia CHINA or India rs
old 10y many centuries a. le ound IL Western Asa ana
Egypt lie then proceeded to sketch the history Of GER
tam lines Of art. beginning with tomhs In cyprus alone
lr suid moro thdn 5000 tombs were opened anu many
thousand E.uscan tombs have been * lored III nay
ln Europe nave been iuunl tonh@ o every age. but III
each ana ever! country o fut"lf' We hhu ' ~ W ~
back into the ccutude these historic records become
less tull, UDtl We ma no louh- hnANhttf fAffpN
In the south OF Europe Ihr Oldest tomOs iOunu III ldy
are not 1000 year, old aud these in style which
indicates that tue art OF sculpture Ina that country was
brought rom western ASIA None are ioun1 whose u'te
can he assigned 10 period earlier than H. G. l1oo Ia
Egypt the great body ~ learned inNesgatoa are united
In placing the daie OF the H lad OF theops =, "pouI
u. &. 1850 or about 1900 years bgp MaIletl'
antiquity dates IL at i2'1 u 6 Ihls pyramid ana lhc
tumbs which have been found aud recently Opened
are the oldest works oil human arr ON Tue Srace VI %
earth. Egyptian chronology Is, however matter oi
mere thoory. Ia the Valley u the I'm ihites the oldest
ahodt the time o Tue PYRAMID OF thcops IS -'"" OF
200 years ago The evidence - scanty, but increasing
Iuphuos Valley The abundance OF tonos on ln' h'eI
periods u those two countries. the gradually diminishing
numbers both OF cemeteries and tombs In centuries az
the date roc,es. and nnaly On" total ah-het az ioDs'
indicates the birth aud increase OF the carry race OF man
The art ~ money making one Nhich L. romcWhat
Characteristic oi thc g,hrs homo, Inc EE III -
the direct defendant OF the Ronn and The itoHah az
stamped with msgrs Of bulls, and other domestic AMI
Als and hence called pvrunia from pec"S h0.k'
In Asia, the Hebrew language nad Tue "oII h,hni,
meaning piece ~ silver or lamb anu on nc EfyWHi
metals Wcro In The form OF rlnsS amt anI "o,sut,
were made ln the shape OF mihp OF
found IN the valley of the Euprtes. The lecturer held
that OF cattle were applied 60 metal coinage De
cause cattle were primarily the mediums OF exchange.
No Indication has been found he SAIL tnat Eod ana si
were used Tor money 5000 years agO. IA method
~ conveying idea. Jy permanent signs 20 the ey by
written language T. another OF the chhrtctersc Rrs of
the Of man Though the precise p"int AZ when rms
other art u l. noted that amust every tribe Of
man has used either the alphlbcts OF high civilization or
system 10 express In signs nj least lev IDEAS most
for the purposes Of -Vugc M These nphAheIs
become less humorous until We begin 20 count Len Oy
nyc and length only 1000 years ago, We ma no one
of them lett all the world except IN Egypt and western
Asil. and here only two-the hieruglyphic writing IN
EgVt and tbe CuuefOrn writing IN Baby Ion and Assyra.
Tue principal at among AL NATIONS however was the
Ceramic art. Amer explaining the difference between
porcelain aud pottery, tho former OF when ne called -
modern invention, the lecturer said England has made
pottery, ana the abundant specimens carry us
back through the various races lnhlbung the lIilsh
isles. through the Rouun period 20 the bnrDarc age
which aud then "a the absence OF all pottery,
A toerauy sure evidence of tue absence nt the
human race Tracing the art Of glazed pottery In Europe
TO Romans he said tue Romans were poor potter, IA
every way. In earlier times they made Terra cota bas
rri- an statues art which they learned from Greek
nllsis The Etrscin aud earlier Italian pottery was IN
IL hest period IoOr copy of Greek work, ana AZ date
not much over 1000 u. G.. pottery was made In Italy
he history ut Greek Ceramic art cnsyct shortly before
The Christian era; 800 before CHRIST the arr was IN
perfection ia Greece. Tue specimens booJnt fewer ana
iudcr as back To- the earlier periods. In cyprus
The first efforts good art PhWnican IN character
N Prime then traced the origin OF cnamced pottery 10
Eurlt There was earlier specimen OF tins KIND OF
rrv from the Egyptian treasure houses than the date
nf Chrnls Itself the oldest remaining example VI human
ART M architecture.