New-York tribune., 1878-12-20
SCIENCE, RELIGION AND THE CLAS-
SICS

Eytrae from an dddr, r,c.ntly dslrr,d al Syraeus bg
Dr. Ats1dnd" W'HchsU'
have lately discussed before the public
one OF the aspects OF education. propose ht present.
TO take broader view o. edura,oi put ony & 20 pi
sous. have considered edp alton IN It's relation 10
social progress wish 10 co.Ndfr also IN relation 10
the ndlyldual Under the subjective aspect. knowledge
is culture under the ohjeCtN' aspcc IL s tllpoE USE
oa psvrrent obedience TO the Divine Uenes uttered
through every hbre OF our msLoa constitution Ihe
else becomes transformed into strength IL reproduces
the power OF exercise The very activity which fGns
is culture. II means qulekened snseeptonly 10 al al
% reeayGn & winch seGces the Srue in man to
state subjoctiOn and fits us for more godke enjoy
faith, exercise OF all the powers which has
gifted ms In continuing TO know more OF heaven and
earth and in continuing 10 love all which pure
and beautiful and divine In giving all generous emo
tons free through every channel OF tenderness
pity and devotion Ia opening the sOu wlde Or tue en-
franco divine ideas and the entertainment oi dlvine
The classical age has bequeathed us philosophy and
mathematics, poetry oFatOry and sculpture II has
given tongues whose ana hnlsh nave peen
the just admiration cl aii suocecuIhs sg,s. nus
these gfs of antiquity which have borne US onward
10 corsummatons OF which antiquity never dreamed.
Progress began when modern .clene Drought new IDEAS
into the world. II IL sccnce-and prc6mhenty physcs
tcier hch Is the creator of modern cvillEatoh
shall not affirm that Chrisanity mas opposed the march
OF science. Christianity has furnished the conditions
world the Christian principles which conserve the moral
health society, and the body OF science Is paraz zed
ChEisian pciy nave not aid & social a oa
the arm OF the religious dcvOtee 10 strike murderous
blows Tho system VI religion, In each nge,
has by Law of the religious Instinct embodied In IL
sell all nlempOiury beliefs; nnd. the great body of
bcllcs purely secular, resting on evidence essen'
llsiOns ystcm behind hugng it's dead faiths, weeping
over wounds Of eccierlastclsin, anu cursng the
saregc OF science which robs II OF its darling rags
Does choice e between culture and progressi
Emphaiioaly We are AT liberty TO choose culture
with progress the learning Of the ancients afford
ms
which brnIgs bOtn culture aud knOwIcdse have heard
Il sOt maintained that the only mcaus OF real culture
ls the puIsuJ OF the learning OF the ancients The
sciences, IL Is said arc utlIaran, mat riustie snd
paralyzug TO truO cUtaro. o., soul OF kopleri Did
not the gates al fly open more widely 10 receive
thee than the pous preiGIe VINO slenced my earthly
The study ot the classical languages develops verbal
memory and the power -; criticism; the study vi clAs-
s, st le nsDitacs the mud 10 graceful dicton, anu
gives bent IayOr4hc to elegant conposluon. Ny,
thooD, history. ethics ap"tuesbs-these are subject
matter, the I"5sr6sinl oi HiSh uhuouoteu! cAoIshIe
nc1 inurnce upon the mind. and Possesses CULTURAL
value; but, whatever the contents OF Tie classical a-
thors may be w0ih are they not all spread Out III En-
glish editions
The technical lists Of botany and zoology better
lhaH Latin lexicon Aud II we must nave languages,
behold the Gieckkc German. ana thc BonOf0us IliIan,
in which still near the echoes OF the Ciceronan peri
ods critical acueness which seek % dcvciopt
Try your hand at studying tne delicate reactions III the
chemists tubCs, and weighing the CHEMISTS nhDiiesimal
pr,cipitaIcs. Prdcnse your eye in cOOrdnatlng the
ner Of ihe varaus spettra is II judgment which We
sened by group bIds. hsnes, or SHELLS ana dis
pose them, according 10 the weight OF the respective
characters,
Select o fossil bone from DoI OF DEBRIS ana by pure
reasoning build up the complete animal around H. ls
ina ginniion stcr Fear not the realistic innuence or
scIonOe imagination which pioneers the under
standing over uueKplorro territories
claim for form OF culture to which languages
and litcIaurcs wholly alien. The conceptions OF
scIeuce enlarge nEd bcTaze tnc SOUL and brluS II into
moving relaOnt with tho Unseen world Inc OK grl1ss
within th limits II he fenced field and IL content The
Australian ranges 20 the shores of hs continent, and
other lands and more powerful peoples he has no
thought Commerce" aud enterprise have pushed Into
every cline, and made common mo possessions Of every
land HIS Greek power thus 10 enlarge our apre-
tensions Of the ltcIal universe IN when We form
speckf -.,,,-., ,. 81.
brings he. deyoce at every boundary OF her doman.
you that science plous when she gathers up Tor
us testimonies Of Thousand nations and Tribes, pro-
claiming with voice religious constituent IN nu-
man naure DO you say that science Is atheistc when
she leads you back TO beginning OF the history Of
drops her mead aud buds you listen reyereny 70 the
voices Of yourown soul on, blndl mad reigionistl
pressing with uncarthy energy through the universe
OF material phcnomena IN search OF that golden p0und
Of spiritual beDg Oh, dead, but speaking cOipse, that
think. moonlight the suns efulgent glow, way mas the
tide OF years borne thee from the ages Of night aud
bgOty to lie an offence upon tho silver strand OF our
bessed age Oh for another glimpse OF that peace
u laud, the other side OF Jordan, bRots censo
troubling and science Ia ut rest We turn now, To
Are our schools mbued with this modern SPIRIT Are
they peryaded and actunted by generous comprchel
OF tho relation Of science 10 modern fc shall
stand by the schools. as long strike blow In
their defence but shall 10 point out their detects
and labor Tor their Improvement Our schools, through.
out all their grades are suffering IRON the disease Of
medievalism They arc in the grip Of conservatism.
which relaIcs Its hold dear life itself
We the Lineage OF modern schools 10 the bosom
OF the dark They created 10 dsseninae the
ancient rurnng which had found a new birth In the
Italian peninsula.
Permit me TO indicate specifically defects
In the curriculum OF our schools The belief TOO preva-
lent aud too controlling that high scholarship IL pos
sibe except through course OF classical study Banish
the thought from exisence have shown that all which
linguistic culture furnishes is offered by living lan-