Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1893-09-14

elected to high Office Now let some man
Wishing high position in the state proclaim
himself the foe of Christianity and an inf
del how many states of the Union will he
larry; how many counties; how many wards
in Brooklyn Not one.
FROM CHRISTIANITY TO INF1DELITY.
All my friends, infdelity in this day is
not half as bold as it used to be. If it comes
now, it is apt to come under the disguise of
rhetoric or fantastic sentimentality. know
if a man with great intelligence does be-
come an infidel and begins an attack on
Christianity it makes gref% excitement--of
course it does, and people come to the con
cluson, weak minded Christians come to
the conclusion, that everything is going
overheard because some man of strong in
tellect assails Christianity.
fla man jumps overheard from n Cunard
steamer, he makes more excitement than
all the 500 sane passengers who continue in
the berths or on the decks, but does that
stop the ship? Does that wreck all the 500
passengers? 1t makes great excitement
when man leaps from II platform or "
pulpit into in1delity, but does that hinder
our glorious Bible from taking its millions
into the skies? l tell you in1delityis not
halfas bold now rs it used to be-
Do you suppose such things could be en-
acted now as were enacted in the days of
Robespierre, when a shameless woman was
elected to be goddess, and she was carried
on golden chair to cathedral, and the
people bowed down to her as u divine being
and burned incense before her-she TO take
the place of the Bible, and Of Christianity,
Ind of the Lord Almighty? And while
that ceremony was going on the cathedral,
in the chapels and in the corridors adjoin-
ing the cathedral. scenes of drunkenness
and debauchery and obscenity were enacted
such as the world had never seen. Could
such a thing as that transpire now1 No,
sir. The police would swoop on it whether
in Paris or New York. lnfdelity is not
half as bold now as it used to be-
But" say our antagonists, Christi
auity is falling back because science, it's
chief enemy is triumphing over it, Now,
| deny that there is any war between
science and revelation. There is not Il fact
in science that may not be made to har-
monte with the statements of the Bible.
so said Hugh Miller 50 said Joseph Her
50 said Professor Hitchcock; so said Pro
fessor Silliman; 50 said Professor Mitchell.
Joseph Henry the leading scientist of
/ America, better known and honored in the
royal societies transatlantic than any other
American, lived and died a believer in the
religion of Jesus Christ Joseph Henry
/ knew all the facts of geology and yet be
lcved the book OF Genesis. He knew all
the facts of astronomy and yet believed the
/ book of Joshua, the sun and moon stand
ing still. Joseph Henry knew all the anat-
omy of man and fish and yet believed the
book of Jonah.
If the scientists of the day were all
agreed, and they came up with solid front
to attack our Christianity, perhaps they
might make some impression upon it, but
they are not agreed. 1t is often said that
we religionists are failing in our advoca-
cy of Christianity because we differ in our
theology l tell you we do not differ in
side the church in theology half rs much
as they differ outside the church in sci
ence. If they reject our religion because
we differ on some minor points we might
just as well reject science because the sci
entists differ. But as far as ! can tell the
war Of itfidel science against Christianity
is not 50 severe as it used to be, because
these men are antagonistic to each other
and as far rs | can tell it is going to be 9
war between telescope and telescope
Leyden jar and Leyden jar, chemical ap
paratus and chemical apparatus. They dc
not agree on anything.
)
about the origin Of life is going to be over
thrown by men who have different theorie,
30 different theories-about the origin OF
life? And when AGassiz comes out anc
puts both feet on the doctrine Of evolution
and says in regard to many scientists, ."
notice that these young naturalists ar,
adopting as theories in science things which
have not passed under observation" Agas
siz saw what we all see-that there are mel
who talk very wisely who know but very
little, and that just as soon as young
scientist finds out the difference between
the feelers of wasp and the horns of
beetle lie begins to patronize the Almight,
and 20 about talking about culture a
though it were spelled c-u-l-c-h-a-r-cul
chart
so EXACT SCIENCES.
1t makes ne sick to see these literar,
tops going do,gn the street with a copy o
Darwin urG one arm and a case of trans
fixed gras, 1ppers and butterflies uude
the other q, IN, talking about the "Surviva
of the Fitto7t' and Huxley "Protoplasm,
and the 'Ncbular Hypothesis and talkiny
to us common men as though we Wer
fools! If they agreed in their theories ant
came up with solid front against Christian
ity, say perhaps they might make som
impression, Dul lney 90 nOU agree, JarWll
charges upon Lamarck, Wallace upo
Cope. Herschel even charged upon Fergu
son. They do not agree upon the graduation
Of the species; they do not agree about EN-
bryology. What do they agree about?
Herschel wrote whole chapter on wha
he calls Errors In Astronomy" La Plac
says that the moon was not put IN the RICH
place; that if it had been put four time
the distance from our world there woul
have been more harmony in the universe
But Lionville comes up just in time t
prove that the Lord was wise and put tn
moon in the right place, How many color
woven into the lightf Seven. says Newtor
Three, sa David Brewster. How high
the aurora borealis? Two and IA half mile
high, says Lias. One hundred and sixty
five miles, says Twinig. How far is the su
from the earthl Seventy-six million mile.
says Lacaillc; $4,000, 600 miles, says Hun
boldt; 90, 900, 600 miles, says Henderson, l04
100000 miles, says Mayer Only a littl
difference of $4,000, 600 miles, These me
say we do not agree in religion. Do the
agree in science? Have they come up wit