The New York herald., 1879-11-25
MR.. PROCTOR AND MAN.

MR.. PROCTOR AND MAN.
AN EARNEST PLEA FOR HUMAN sELF-EsTEEM
AGAINST THE ASTRONOMERS INFERENTIAL
BELIrTLEMENT OF MAN.
NOVEMBER "a, 1879.
To TILE EDITOR TIE HERALD:-
trust you will grant me little space for q few
remarks Professor Proctor's beautiful lecture on
Sunday evening. Although not scientific man my
self. may say science is in my blood my grand
father having been professor of mathematics to
Royal Military Academy at Woolwlch, author of
strength and material discoyerer Of the means Of
connecting the local attraction OF the compass and
also learned III astronomy Ho was great personal
friend OF Faraday. Ny father is also well known
engineer of scientific tastes.
While listening to the Professors concluding re-
marks was forcibly reminded of the passage which
is read the dead. There also celestial bodies
and bodies terrestrial; but the glory celestial
is one and the glory of the terrestrial is another
There is glory Of the sun and another glory Of
the and another glory of the stars, tor one
star differs from another star in glory SO think
1 one man differs from another man in glory-there
Is the glory OF the physical the glory of the intel
lectual and the glory of the moral. Each glory will
bring its penalty. With regard to the Protes-
sor's lecture was satisfied and not satisfied
satisfied in the completeness. tho thoroughness
the mastery OF the subject the fearessness the
honesty with which it delivered. The man
seemed to to possess the patience and the con-
tnuty OF celestial operations in his character aud
mind partook of the calm. clear qualities of the
ether which it continually bathed; his voice
beautiful and sounded like the far-of tones of the
music Of the spheres. and yet it seemed as il the
man did not belong to his voice.
not satisfied with the Professors lecture in
that he allowed the impression to remain with the
audience that they were feeble and puny to be
not of much account amid the mighty pieces of the
universe. Man, thinks to myself, is here degraded
He told in many words, "You think yo u are
somebody; behold and fud out you nothing"
do not say that the Professor intentionally created
this impression, but say that he did create it.
Again, another criticism have to offer is that the
| Professor might have carried his argument his
inference his speculation further and he did
| He might have gone to point out that however
| great and however awful were these times. these
| spaces, however massive these orbs and however
terrible and great the manifestations these cosmic
forces they must Of necessity be inferior by being
subject to their aws being subject to those laws
they are necessarily inferior for subecton ia the
measure of interiority. Again. their harmonious
Interchange of forces and the laws which gov
| ern the material universe necessarily in
| ferior to their originator cause, whom
We call, the Almighty. the, Intelligence. the
| approach to which We find in man-the
image of God. The Professor should have pointed
| however vast-he the Professor himself and every
OF his audience. being able to calculate and
tion-was greater STILL for the designer will still
| override and be greater than the design and not
only is the designer GREATER but the appreciator is
Again. did not at all sxrss- With the Professors
remark. which was in the same vein, that man must
not assume the Divine purpose. l agree that he
cannot know by mathematical demonstrations but
in duty TO his Creator. BY analogy from his own
| CONSEQUENCES. say he is bound TO assume
purpose. and to put his Interpretation upon it in
accordance with the laws of his happiness and pros.
perity in this terrestrial condition; and say fur
| a
he insults his Creatcr-so far do differ from the
| Professor in this matter-and believe that had
Faraday been alive he would have agreed in my
views. Man, sir is bound to be proud aud to hold
| to his pitch of perfection by evolution from tho
lowest forms Of life. however he has managed TO
acquire his present high estate matters mott here he
| il. the prordcst and most complex triumph of
physical aud nervous force ut existing. Tho
glory or the celestial is and the glory of the
restrial is another. Professor Proctor in
treats solely OF the terrestrial spheres In the sense
that celestial means heavenly man combines in him.
self the wonders OF the terrestrial and celestial
bined
Man, sir. is not to be shown these Jumps of mat
ter these Ares, these eteors. these catastrophes,
these magnificent and terrible phenomena AS
degrade him in the presence OF them. Ho is to
straighten himself up and say. "Homo sum-" &C..
ana he is to avo self-esteem enough 10 that
the worlds were created for his domain. his being
and his ultimate enjoy ment. aud by doing so he Is
working according TO his Nights though feeble, and
according to that mind which the Lord God AL
mighty has given him. But it is always thus
man pays q penalty for his preeininence.
All trades iniurc. all special occupations
deteriorate-some the lungs with dust, others the
heart others the nervesso the special application
OF the mind through a long lite to material phe-
nomeua stamps it's mark or the man. The long
temptation OF the things which are seen units the
nina for the imag of those which are unseen,
and after all the things which unseen greater
than those which are scen Physical science itself
proves this, for these unseen forces mighticr
than their effects.
Scientific men are not authorities moral laws
any more than the Bible Is authority physi-
cal laws. The material biaso of the mind prevents
them being so.
make these remarks because the opinions deliv-
cred by Professor Proctor and of his great abil
ties have unusual weight and authority--have
weight indeed. than they ought to have any spec
uaiive subject or any matter of ath The Bible does
not profess to treat of science neither ought they to
deliver dictum on faith Far be it from to
cuse the Professor OF arrogance. for more gentle
manly demoanor of mind never beheld. and yet it
was his mind. his personal mind-the glory of
tho terrestrial all thcre--and the pomp
aud pride and triumph of the terrestrial
was there Also, though in modified form.
make these remarks bccause-although l do not
accuse Professor OF arro ancether are scientific
men whom would accuse OF arrogance and because
there is strong tendency in England ut present to
the formation OF what would torn u scientific
priesthood. All cannot occupy the splendid posi-
tiou OF titic pyestgators and the Others must
take what they iol. to great extent as trust
winch is faith. Therefore in the masses OF indi1er-
emily educated men scientific bigotry is evolved.
whole world and lose his soul?' SO
what does 1t profit man IL he attains a knowledge
of all that is above the earth beneath. or
the waters under the earth. It by doing he
his selfestecm and comes to the conclusion that he
Is OF no account? We know by old experience, by
the teachings OF history what all this results in
the corruption of the people, tho decay OF patriot
ism, the downfall of nationality This il In be
"nicn of account. This 1t is to live without
sumng that we are. after ali. the greatest phenom-
ena OF the universe. and that the purpose of our
God lies III us. For in Him We live and move aud
have our being. W. II. BARLOW.
CANADIAN SOLDIERS NOT COMING.
Colonel David Il. Austen, of the Thirtecnth regi-