The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1878-01-07
MASONIC TEMPLE.

DR. WEISS ON THE RECONCILIATION OF RE-
LEGION AND SCIENCE.
The platform in Masonic Temple, Twen,y-third
street. from which Mr. rockingham usually delivers
his attacks against revealed religion occupied by
the Rev. DR.. WeIss of Boston. He appeared, by In
vitaon, in the armor OF orthodoxy, and essaycd to
break a lance IN the defence OF theology. The hall
was only moderately well filled; but among those
present were number of recognized supporters OF
several enlightened congregations. The speaker
said, in substance, that the conditions Of modern
Intelligence changed from those Of any other
period with which the continent Of religion has
dealt, that It is obliged to take departure to
include and all the convcniences. There
nevor was such extension Of mental activity and
never SO many objcnts furnished TO keep It contnu-
ally ct i'm ulated. Cheap publications OF every Kind
spread tho work Of the period Tar wide The very
richness of material Is cause mental distraction
and subject ntinc TO resist popular
treatment People Who are afflicted with imperfect
mental nutrition gulp down ~ every railway station
the latest ideas-spectrum analysis, primcva man.
tho correlation O forces, spontaneous generation,
terialism. Darwiuiun views, Huxieys prolo-
pIasm and The test message wbicn Spirtualists
receive by pneumatic express IRON the summer
land. The scientific mind IS waking up tho whole
world to DO az once It's laboratory and lecture room,
anu among hearers there distinction Of por-
son, sex previous preparation. II ~ not wonder
fui religion finds herself III ut In this
bly, of notions especially when she is invited
the paupers gallery. She has TO cranc over those be-
tore her to motion converted into heat and back
again; the lines of Orion's atmosphere described;
chronology purchased away from under Adams fail,
ana the cerebral and nervous system hunted down
within Inch oil her life. ln such place tho
perImenter astonished to find religion at ALL but he
explains her away; she listens while no tells his
Sss Ssss ss: 'hs snS U 'S'p u .asa
and obsolete appendage Of the human mind:
wameu 10 whom tho ..,nv,s,be world" has no mean.
ing. They have learned TO CONSIDER the universe as
occupied with the functions oil eternal matter ana 10
uhnfA th0sn
be supcrnuous and fantasticaL A great many men
are disposed TO derive the moral law IRON the combs
nations OF birth and physical combina, ons, and 10
reduce accountability TO table OF statistics which
exhibits tha occurrences OF vice and virtue inde-
pendent Of tho human will: and great many cannot
conceive oil a personal continuance alter tho bodily
functions exhausted. They think that ali human
moods ana lenses are nothing Out tue plus or minus
tai action results from molecular distribution
aud arrangement, AS the nnbIe atoms Of the organism
cling together fly apart muster Ia varying ratios 10
condensc various feelings; and that whatever a
man thinks he feels nothing but the gamboiing OF
microscopic spheres; his most sangunc aspira-
tons been nothing but the lifting of his brain
as increased action OF his heart sends blood TO
make IL NJ closely TO the skull. when shrinks again
the desponds, regrets, is morunod, snirks .or
want OF circulation. When he Is lush with well as
simulated food II makes him manly. Beauty, honor,
love, duty, are only Cudorelas ut the ball
MANAGING THE MORTAL MACHINE
People who arc profoundly iuaterialist,c may have
tons with society and secures many noble action
from them. There many such whose actions
more spiritual. But nno behavior does not
paciiy tho heart when scientific facts en-
camp before great natural reiances, beslege
ana undermine them. Al the very moment when
tho erialist punges the world into the Dead Sea
OF mere sequence and holds II under waiting Till II
drown. there Is a natural rcvusion at tho decd Wo
are hungry regard ourselves not as pawns Of fate,
but as entitled to consideration by virtue OF some
moral and spiritual freedom which has at least an in
nuence in forming US Hero the speaker went meta
physically INTO origin and Influence OF the pne-
nonena which 'thrcatcn" this UNSUITABLE desire,
citing, in support OF his argument number OF cee-
braled cases IRON tho matcfia ncdica, whereby men
had lost recovered their faculties by
cdent sickness. These cases proved tho indopen-
dence oil mind and matter, tho power OF separate
identity between body and soul
Tho remainder of the discourse was devoted TO
showing that intellectual aspirations OF
been satisfied that thcy are far from being NJ
rest now and TO all appearance never VIII boz tbat
the province OF religion TO guido aright the prim-
tive instincts and expectations OF mankind The pull
Dit has its best 10 create the impression that
science religion are III war with each other, and
the attempt 10 harmonZe the two by the accomda
ton oil ola texts To new facts failed Religion need
not wait tor science 10 make advances toward tho
unties Of all real tendencies let her appropriate the
SUBSIDIES oil science; they Will show that there Is a
divine drift through all creation; and consequently
divine unity ID expressed ny means oil the whole OF
human nature. CoucIuIing ny endcavoring TO show
the unity between science and religion, tho speaker
thought, that whether the systems or owens or
Agassz 10 considered they both conduct US 70 the be-
ginning, whore God must be confessed present; and
OF ST. Paul:--"rho invisible things OF him from the
creation OF tho world clearly seen, being UNDER
stood by the things that are made"