Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1878-06-28

report. Respectfully submitted,
v. Ii. BI1ELOw,l
H.0- WHEELER. Obituary
&. e. rOREEY,
Burlington. Vt, June ., 1878.
Phi Beta Kappa Celebration.
ADDRESS BY DR.. THOMAS HILL AND POEM By
PRot. W. c. WILKINSON.
The annual celebration OF tho Phi Beta
Kappa Society took place Tuesday alter
noon. Prof. Ii. A. P. Torrey, President Of
the society, presiding. The church was
well filled. with a cultivated audience.
After prayer by the Rev L. G.. Ware the
chaplain OF the occasion, the chairman in
PRODUCED the orator of the occasion, the
Rev. Thomas Hill, D. d. LII. D., ex- Presi-
dent of Harvard College, an abstract of
whose address We subjOin
DR.. HILLS ADDRESS.
Brethren Of the Phi Beta Kappa and ladies aud
Gentlemen
II the theme of my discourse seems too religious
or too obstruse, thoro are two excuses that can
urge 10 mitigation :-One, that the shortness OF the
notice compelled me TO take for my subject one on
which happened at the time to be writing; aud
the other. that my thrty-six years membership OF
this society has led me to the belief that its menu
bers are always interested 10 the hi CHEST themes.
The earliest Intellectual action OF an infant is the
perception and recognition OF forms. Young ami
mails are perceptive but there is no evidence that
an animal ever recognizes thing by its outline, a.
even very young children do A child two YEARS old.
for Instance, Will cetect house, a tree a man, in
the smallest wood cut or even IN a rude sate-draw-
Ing. child also recognizes ythm and time, as
in the mothers rocking and lullaby. The mind is
Graded in the body, and the body is Graded in
space and time. The kantian philosophy, as pop
larT in kat Ear koal-
men to say that space and time are u mantle put
upon man by himself-that they are mercy forms
OF human thought. This is a worthless philosophy.
At bottom 1t rests on the fact that cannot posi-
bly, imagine the extinction OF space and time, and
1t is maintained that they mast therefore come
from the mind; that because the mind cannot con-
ceive item non-eXistent it must believe them so.
The mind cannot help believing therefore it does
not believe The materialistic forms Of pOsitiyism
call space and time properties of NATTER and geom
etry becomes the mere art of measuring bodies.
Equally with the kantian, this philosophy does
violence to the facts OF consciousness. The mind
tells Us that endless time and boundess space are
certanties. The infant recognizes them among the
earliest objects of recognition. In all augua yes the
original roots representations OF external things
We know the facts OF external nature by the senses
OF internal, by the Consciousness. Between these
there ia great gulf No experiments or series of
experiments make you more certain OF external
facts than you OF the facts OF the consciousness
We know them, without test or proof. The princi-
ples OF things are founded not only on outward
facts, but alsO upon consciousness The outward
eye cannot see that every eject must nave cause
The Judge Is greater than the witnesses; and con-
sciousness must be above and the facts
brought to it, see the existence OF space and time
as plainly as my eye natural objects. In the
outward world (Which includes my own body see
manifestations OF form. Man not only occupies
space but his body has positive inertia.
The great facts external to space and time
and force. Matter Is subject TO our conscious
thought. it Is obedient 10 our will, by our con-
scious, spiritual action we set in notion and we
control first bodies and next external OBJ
"a ! n mt ral
the forces of Nature is strongly that
matter and its forces and all creative things
created by an Infinite Spirit This is the direct |
opposite of the Teufelsdrockh philosophy. The |
soul looks out Of its chamber in which it dwells up
on the world and upon the empyrean where God
alone IS. But when she is asked to believe that |
neither she herself nor the object she worships
lists, the vision of glorious spendOr revealed 10 her
utterly forbids her assent.
Our powers are. OF course, limited by time and |
space Reason and faith Transcend the ina ginaton.
Reason discovers the exact laws Of time and space
the imagination suggests the invention OF new laws.
Reason tnds in the Imagination the keys OF eNter-
nal nature. When reason and ina ginatiOn invent
new law and work out its operations. IL must DO |
broug ht before men; and da grams and models are |
made. II We find On blackboard single line (
making an approx ;mation to 4 peculiar curve We
are sure that the maker had a clear conception OF
that curve. Tee Mathematician has often worked
4 law with no help from Nature and atterward dis
severed that it must have existed in Nature from
he beginning OF time. Not to refer to the familiar
OF comic section and crystallography.
I
~ which is meant the division of line that the
shorter portion will he to the longer AS the longer
$ to the whole This ratio was used by Greek
cholars before the Cnrstian era. About = hun
ired scars ago-in ls79, it was discovered, by wind
ng 4 string around the growing branch OF peach
rec, that the angle between two leaves is nearly
CONSTANT. Tho same was found TO be true in other
rees and plants. The angie may be one hall o. the
when there two rows OF leaves,
ne on each side Of the branch one third. when
here are three; twofths when there are five; three
ighths, when there are eight, and so on. These
re the successive approximations to the law of
rene and mean ratio But il was not until seventy |
ears later-in lsiq-that Prof rerce put these frac
ions together and logically deduced the law. The |
Inevitable conclusion nom the whole matter is that
omething else than mechanical and chemical forces
rought this about; that it Is not accidental that
he thought OF this ratio must have existed from the
line OF creation; and that the vegetable world
lust therefore be tbs work OF an intelligent Crea
This ratio is found in the distances of the planets
the solar system-n one case in time and in the
Their in space. As the leaves arrsn sed around the
ak, 20 are tho planets around the sun. AS We
iscOyer these concidencies, We look beyond the
eeds Of the organic creation, AMI conclude that
ley were arranged, In order that tho human soul
light trace in these harmonies. the higher source
! whose thought they first existed that these
eometric Thoughts might give US confirmation Of
10 revelation If God They lead US to the ire
stible conclusion that these thoughts Of ours
lie echo OF His thought; and that Ills will Great
and guides the universe. n
Nature taus gives intellectual confirmation of
10 belief OF the children o; God, as drawn rom \
10 Bible. Reason confirms what iaith Airms. that
IS knYWledse IL lmitIess and His wisdom and
We Infinite. ~ he result Of all my studies. says
ROT Peirce. lis that every portion Of the material
Inverse is governed by laws implanted in the
imam mind; that there is one God. and that =
Hence Is the knowledge of Him."
In the org nc world tho vast number and virie-
Of forms precludes the possibility that they can 7
suit from atoms acting in fixed directions by
red lava. True the law Of extTeDe and mean ,
ito concerns but n small part OF the plant and
AYES many things unaccuunted for, but their
omettic and algeDraic laws will doubtless be re-
aled hereafter. I
But how do you know, it may b. asked. that
ere Is any law, How do you know that Darwin
not right and Agassiz wrong" know it by the
ldeuce of reason and faith. Herbert spencer 4 -
ief among the AgnOstics, acknow ses in effect q
when he tells US that there is no original vice
matter-that there is no maladjustment between -
universe and the humand mind an admission c.
lich does credit to his heart but detracts | IL
IN the truth of his philosophical system Tho I,
Gator OF the human Intellect cInnOt deceive us =
e earth and sky are textbooks written for our u
itructiOn. From childhood, we ask questions o. IL
ture and she gives intellisi answers. FIX c(
nal nature Is merely the clothing OF space and N,
pc. That law reigni, the geOmeter can not I,
lbt. The animal and vegetable kingdoms II
! OF symmetry and symmetry is the expression NJ
law The finer part OF the law, poet and painter in
but We may wait tn usand years Tor its 1,
icai development. The grasp Of the gcometvr -
agebraist is firm. Ills work is set for him to eA
In doing 1t he is not only serving his fellow W
n but obeying the behest .: the Great Teacher. ar
. final consummation will bs the reduction to H.
thematical form OF all animal and vegetable III
tier Chemistry having been solved, phys- W
" will be the next problem. of
n the world TO come we will. believe, find that a,
Creator has used and embodied every law VI
70 discovered here. What an enhancing, IN
rious prospect 4 noted Mathematician has tn
,ulated that in the solving OF tho possible q,
blems OF plane circles alone one could -
hd stttH hundred million bsusf
tho simplest branch OF a single science Afford
b occupation, We can see how an eternity OF In- l.
eetual occupation and pleasure may result from uu
study OF new problems and new thoughts q: the
ator. TO be contemplated with faith and adurins qr
). Aswo gsIe with dazIled eyes towards Heaven, =,
ards the glorious Empyrcan where the Creator
lis, all lhercly human words iail, and We can Al
say, with the inspired writer, Eye hath not
!, nor ear heard. neither hath entered into the
r OF man. the things which tod hath prepared .Is
them that love Him. oie
he discourse. OF which this il an imper-
abstract, was. As our readers see, one
high and profound thoug ht. Ii was "a,
encd to with the closest aud most graft +.
attention, by all who had given atten-
enough to metaphysical subjects and Pr
abstract sciences. to comprehend its
20 and force; while many who failed by
y to appreciate Its power, were yet held for
ngly BY its scholarly character and de VIII
t spirit. Ii was powerful argument
inst the theories of the CyOlutl0nsts and
twists. and Il mastery contribution to
best reasoning OF better philosophy.
no Poem, by Rev. ". q. Wilkinson, Nc
fessor of illomiletics in Rochester. N, Y ele
ologiaal Seminary, followed. This was q
owing and enthusiastic eulOgy OF Daniel
'ster. as the greatest representative of eia
: England genius and craftsmanship, alt,
are permitted to make tho following me-
acts. which will show something of the Ar
Q and character of s az,
PROF wILKlNs0N's rOEM to
bright blue heaven, yon lakes expanded ''n
heen. sug
England of New England ia the scene. nos
tered guild. TINT hcme her arhnlnrs hrau. =.