New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-06-13
up THOMAS ON DARWIN AND EMERSON.

~Darwin. Emerson and the Gospel }" was the SUD
ect OF an address delvelou SrSt the Rev Dr. B.
Thomas of BROOKLYN. Darwin and Emerson"
said the speaker " were born about the same tllle
and died almost in the same week. ihey were 70
strangely alike in respects but far different IN
others Both were nvaids, both pecuiariiy
modest sincere and lovablc. And each became me
victim of his own theory. When Darwin pro-
mulgated the theory of the survival OF the ht'eSt
and Emerson spoke of the immlgrants as iuinish-
ing cuano for the Western pralrleS ana dcnled 'lat
the indiscrminate poor had any claim Oh hlill Oo'n
reached a sublime altitude OF lmpudcnce loMaiu
their fellow men utterly at variance WITH theiI III
ward and truest nature. 1t is touching 10 ouNeino
i'll one OF Darwin's latest books how he still relter-
ates his faith in God, and believes himself CnilS-
tian. Having shown the way for others 10 leaP
into the gull he fears to go himself ana GiG cott
churchman. So Emerson allows his friend Alc0tt
TO quote him as belonging to the 1aitn Oh 'ie
fathers
"By ancestry and profession Darwin was scien-
fist His grandfather had Swallowed forth some OF
the ideas atterwaTd embodied IN the Dtrwlnl;ih
theory. He was physicist, zooiogst ana eeoiof1
gist and in early life under the lniluenre OF
the works of Jeremy Bentham. of lYell and Matthias
lie came into active life at a time when his views
were sure TO he pied, becanse of the reaction Oh
tine English mind against classic literature ana tie
detail, and carefully collated oil the facts he
aScertained On the other band Emerson
was not 4 scientist III any sense OF inc
word. lie abhorred facts and logic. rockingham
has sad that EmersOns cheerfulncSs and ciaatclty
due to his PuItanic descent, as he was de-
PrediSpOsed 10 the mcdItatlve and speculative sde
OF life he visited England when young man ana
formed the ACQUAINTANCE of Carlyle, COicudge ana
Wordsworth and then came back 10 NcW-Engand,
seeking TO combine its practical HE win Tic
dreams of Brahninism and the classics OF GrceCc.
The inducuVe method was always used Dy par
win, reasoning from facts which lie nad
10 the unknown. He accepted no other
cause fora thing than the object which immediately
preceded. He never leaped 10 cOnclusioAs, Dut
paved the way with solid facts and tor that he dc
serves the highest praise. lie worked b. reason,
while Emerson was purely idealIstlc. To the poet
all things were infinite, aud lie eXLor,ed those WHO
would know anything 10 check every desire 10 go
out of themselves, but TO open their senses and
wait. and they should know by visions what reason
could never teach them. He bUrtS out Ing conclu-
sIons perfectly Indifferent 10 their reception.
Such are the me hOds of the two men, and the nat
ura result of Darwin's teaching is The German PM
losophy of materialism. Mind Is subordinate 10
matter and man becomes mere automI
atom, or mass OF rags TO De ground
UP for pulp for another generation 10
use. The conclusions of Emerson do away with
the Bible, making man part of God. Ills traps
cendcntallsm commands our attention Wnlte MS
logic il entirely at fault Darwin was right IN up
holding tic Importance of facts, aud 80 Is Emerson
When he SAYS that this world IS not our master; but
how happy is the blending OF thcso two IDEAS III the
GOSPEL. iie who will no worship the IlVlnS OOu
will worship himself. We cannot bind the con-
science of a man nor stamp out the divine nature
in hin. The old breach between broken nature ana
spiritual life shall be healed by and by, and then
shall be revealed tie Spirit Of God That dwelIeth
us'