The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1878-02-02
SCIENCE AND RELIGION.
a. .BI.E AND CLEARLY WRITTEN
ARTICLE
n, .rhe assumptions OF Science
and Of TbeoIogy,' ~ biS''"-
guishsd Clergy man.

-,,rds 10 be recognized Us such, get iEto
,o with US the instant MS eye 'slis
rr,n the first part o; the Caption OF this
,-,ic,e, We beg to assure him IN ad-
vsrc, ths. BY 1t we mean TO attach no
more disrespect or oPproerium to Science
than by ,he latter part we mean to st.
,.cb TO Theology. OF this assurance we
hone he will find full and satisfactory
c,-roborstion in the article itself. We
freely acknowledge the great assistance
,bst Assumptions have rendered in the
nrogress of knowledges OF ell kinds, and
in none more siguslly than scientific
knowledge. They have proved must
seryiceabless stepping-stones or beverages
in the ascent to scientific truth. The A.
sgmptions at first made did Lot always
proye correct-they were ottentimes
found not TO be verifsole. Still scarcely
sny advance, if any, has ever been made
in science bat by the help OF Assumptions,
and not unirequently>it has turned out
that thcse which were found by more
minute. definite and extensive observa-
ton and experimentation 10 be invalid,
vet proved after ward 10 be OF grea. prsc-
tical advantage in helping on TO others
which did meet ali the iuductive re.
ouirements. This is on the principle
that wisdom improves not only by guard
ing against but also by utilizing expert
ential mistakes.
Has Science any Assumptions to-day :?
A pseudo. Scientist, or one who, though
making great pretensioLs to be very
fond of Science has never had hl1 hands
burned or his eyes gas-belimmed IN 3
laLorstory, msy be qpite ready to answer
lhis question 10 the negative. "Sclence"
With such an one - only name, and
name Standing for absolute knowledge.
No, no. absolute either, for he has some-
how learned that that is so adjective that
S.ie, ce repudiates, and that her dlc'um
j. that "all knowledge is relatives" II Is
with him name standing for iull and
Gasl knowledge, and as such cannot be
regarded as performing the weak snd un-
dIyaltisd action OF Isgglng and hpunGer-
ing in Assumptions. Truly scientific
men. however, are not half 30 sensitive
on this point. They are quite willing 10
acknowledge not only that many o.! the
very grandest discoveries have been
reached through the avenues or Assunp.
ton. but also that we have yet nothing
b,,ter than Assumptions for the possible
p-oximste causes OF many OF the observ-
at pbenomens and well. known facts OF the
universe. In an s'ticleln the January
number OF The Contemporary Rer1SU-
bsing portion OF Lecture by Prot TAFT
% "Tne Teaching of Natural Pnilos-
oohy"-ws have this acknowledgment
clearly and candidly made. In speaking
of the much fuller knowledge that We
have of the lain bow than oi the aurora
inat distinguished Scientist says: But
do not imagine that there Is nothing
shout the rainbow which We cannot ex-
plsin, even Of that which Is seen at once
by unframed observers. All the phen-
umens connected with It which we can
explain are mathematical deductions
from observed facts which are assumed
IN the investigation. But these facts are
10 the main themselves not yet explained.
Just As there are many Exceedingly expert
calculators who haS'tuslly and Lse.u!ly
employ logsrthmic tables without hsv-
ing the least idea Of what lugarlthm
re4lly Is, or OF the manner IN which the
tables themselves were originally cslCu-
lated; so the nslura philosopher uses the
observed fsCts of retrsCtlon and reflection
without having as yet anything better
than guesses as 10 their possible proxi-
mate cause. And 1t Is 50 throughout our
whole subject; assuming our result, we
can prove that others must follow. In
this direction great advances have been
inside, snd every extension OF msthe-
MATES renders more Of such deductions
possible. But when We try 10 revert the
process, and thus to explain our hitherto
assumed results. we are met by tiiicult-
les Of very different order Every
syllable Of this quotation is worthy 10 be
treasured up IN the memory, and should
tend strongly in the warning Il implies
20 diminish much OF the presumption as
well 81 10 lead Us less 70 regard as lutsl-
lble some of the assumptions OF the pses-
ent day:
There are to-day some Assumptions Of
Science There are certain things or ideas
that are relied on BY almost all scientific
men "a satisfactory explanations OF the
physical phenomena 70 which they refer,
which hsve not yet been proved, but sre
simply :sken tor granted, snd which,
though they may hsve gone far in eslab-
iishirg their verihsbllIty, are yet &C.
kruwledged By Scientists themselves SIS
only Assumptions. One OF these A.
sImpiIons 10 Whist IL known IS the
Gtolnic theory This theory supposes sll
matter to De constituted OF particles so
exceedingly small that they cannot be
divided or reduced TO any less size.
While every molecule of ms.ter may be
divided or separated INTO number OF
particles OF less size, there Is s limit be-
yOad which the process OF division or
spsrstlon cannot be carried. We must
come ST last to purely elementary psrti-
c.es that cannot be resolved into others
ot less SIZE by either mechanical or
chemical sgency. These purely eemen-
tary particles are called atoms, s word
which means literally invisible. Tnoss
stoms are now more generally called
chemical elements, because they are the
ulumste PARTICLES 10 which Chemicsl
analysis has thus far reached; sna the
whole number Of them ihst have SIS vet
b7en discovered is siIty-three or rty-
five. That is, sll the matter OF which our
world and, IS far IS We yet know, other
worlds, with sll its multliarious trsnsfor.
nations and forms, is composed. hSs been
evolved or built up out Of these sixty
three or sixty-6ve elements or atoms.
By their powers of qusniitatiye snd
qualitative csmbIr stious they hsye pro-
daced, or there have been produced by
them or through them. every form OF
matter from the particle of dust that
rOzfs in tho sur hasm IN ma bls s,,.