, 1877-12-08


discoveries rs untned theories, and not
good, old well established doctrines;
such tor example as those they taught as
the all sufficient truth for their day and
generation. 1t is II noteworthy fact, that
when the history OF that nge comes to be
written, it is almost always found tibet
the special doctrines they fought lost
their vitali2ing force for that society
soon after they began to he wOr,hiped,
and were formulated into rrgua. sys.
ten of religion.
1t is also usually found that those
priests of the past have too frequently
been only dead weights, staying what
might otherwise be the too rapid pro-
grcss Of society; and that those who
have been ;hr salt OF that age, have been
the prosecuted out-casts pursued by the
priesthood, or the ol established orders
OF society, as the objects of their hatred
Or contempt and not uni'rrqucntIy OF
their rage, and victims OF their mcrci
less revenge. Alter having anathema.
tlsed them, and punished them Tor their
opinions or discoveries which unsettled
the established order OF society, in II
few years, the silent progress, more
mighty than the law OF the state, or the
doctrine of thu church has caused these
vague theories OF such outcasts tc be re-
cUgnised as established doctrine, fit to he
taught from the pulpit and enforced 10y
the whole power ot the clergy. The re-
suits secured by the past are sacred now,
"but no fresh conqucsts are to be made.
Thus far shalt thou 90, but no farther"
Unfortunately here is the dividing
point between theology or religion as
taught by an established clergy and
science.
Science not only embraces all demon
strated truth, with the laws ot its rela
ton, one part with another; but it is
seeking fresh acquisitions in the broad
and varied field Ot nature.
1t fears not the future, its motto is,
Let the dead past bnry its dead
Act, act in the living present,
Heart within, and God DER head"
1t recognizes that ihe fields OF useful
attuinable knowledge are practically
boundless, and that knowledge cannot
be formulated in the hcrmets cell. That
the theories there developed are likely
to prove valueless when brought into
close comparison with nature, the great
teacher Of truth.
Although science has given us all the
arts OF civilization; has created for us all
the luxnrcs and convenicnces we now
enjoy; has replaced the wigwam of The
savage with the magnificent palace; the
cave OF the sorcercr with the awe inspr-
ing cathedral has given US the railroad
the steamboat, the telegraph, and learned
man to use the forces of nature in u
thousand different ways for his conven-
ience and his good; yet these and num-.
berless other blessings conferred by her
bountiful hand in elevating mans per.
ceptions and intuitions, and giving him
higher, truer and more noble views, in.
tellactual and moral, of his duties and
responsibilities in every sphere and rela.
tion in which he is placed in life: all
these are among the results Of established
science the theologian accepts them oil.
Yes. carmly and complaccntly accepts
them, and plously proclaim that they
teach no doctrine but what he, and
those whose principles he represents
have always taught, and this, although a
Bruno WAS led to the stake Tor his deyo-
tion to science. u Calico was compelled
10y the InquisitiOn to recant on his bend
ed knees his belief that the world moves
or that
"Whon Kcpler, with intellect piercing
afar,
Discovered the laws of each planet and
star,
And doctors, who ought to have Landed
dis name,
Deridcd his learning, and blackened bis
fame,
can wait, he replied, till the truth you
shall own;
For he felt in his heart he could go Il
alonc!"
Yes! all the established results OF sci
encc can be accepted by tile theologic
world, although Il Roger Bacon was per
snrntpd na oiypn IN witchCraft Or thOsf