New-York tribune., 1893-12-31

=
S.nnc r..,.n, mt,cranc~ ~ iI"r'"r' S'"n''r
finnish ,,.l, j,si,r evidence that that great
thinker 1. Il. ~. u,..,ns rri,r"l, satisfied viii
many - his ..irli"r I'll~'lA,ic r'ni'i~'"i> w
,hi. r.-,..r h. differs radically from many 81
hi. .u,r.rt.ial followers VIII" APPEAR I" '"'l'',"
,ha, ,l,.. ,n.I..rn a.l".,r >rir"l ~ i'':ch'. II
which Mr. Spencer j. II Distinguished r'Ir"
sentative has spoken IL" last w"'l "n all ia"
,r-ti..i,S pertaining T., man mn'l The un'v'r~"
Indeed II u not loo much I" >a' 'llat These
niuiuut .rIlsts have. by their d"giafi' ~
..rtI,u. done NOR. iu ,li.,r'rlu tr,i" >'irh'"
thuu uIi tl. uiticks of IA" '"h>rrNai,N" ili's'
lnginis combined
Nut while iin.,.. camp followers "f the army
~ ..j..i,., have l,n 'Nulting over III" downfall
~ .u,u.r,,nturuli>ii. tn. great masters. wh''s'
disci,,lcs they profess {" l.'. hav" b""iI WIN
drawing or u.niif,iny many ~ their n"r" raj
i.ul conclusions They have discovered 'ha'
certain hylnnlr>"S which they one" considered
~ g.srI ~ proved NJ" In SON" cases iinrr"v
ut,lr aud IN others quite I''--illy untrue. Ill"
,huuy.. nf ntiitu H. toward religion whi'h This
,,r,s.,rs ~ scientific re- obstruction implies II
,.>.,,,lIu-ly Significant n d"'s not imI'r1i
mean that III" ngin,siir In nny nearer I" i"Il"v
Ing I'm tl,. x,rall..I s,iIn'rnaturai claims ~ re-
liyinu than hr WAS l1fnrr. Perhaps u w"'il'i
III, nearer the tr,ith to SAY that III" probability
AZ n mmI,,S yiv"uli between agiinstt'ism AMI
,rruaturalixin IL becoming, NOR" r'in''t" every
y.nr I,ut in tl.. latest uitrrai,,- ~ III" men
who speak for purely mat"rialisiir philosophy
Of the universe there t. n marked ml'~r'c" at
thai tr,,,.,,lrnt tone toward religion That was
nj least s,,ygrsi.si, If not arially oppressed IN
th,.ir earlier utirrnnus. tn" truth j.. ni"l"rI
scir,ur. IN attnining tU 10 conSsiU,i,nrss ~ III"
fn,t that the limits Uf kn"wlsrlg" are iinpn>>
,i,I.. has nlsu conn. to believe that beyond
those. Limits Their. IL Su.Inthing. either u Hing
ur n Power whose rxiSt"ucr II II could l"' com
urrhcirlai. would seem grriirr marvel thnn
,b,. most cx,rivagnni claims ~ supernatural
Ism In the hui,,nin ~ pure physical science
ul,n, r.a.cn, Investigations Suggest that many
~ IN. fundamental formulas ~ the chemist
may have Il, lr r..Stntrl In the Hight ~ larger
Knowledge The theory. for instance. that ti"
differences lHtwt~ii the variOiis frnis Vt mat
fer nrr due simply 10 the different rUtary M"
lions Of their Respective atoms may thus far
IN. littl.. more than IL brilliant guess But II II
should ur,yc tu i1 true. nmd " man sh"mld tl,n
hit uuon The secret ~ changing ar controlling
the ntunc motion ~ mnttrr. III" history ~ the
wurlI would have Ia ls rewritten Not merely
would the ,lrrainH ~ the oil nrlirmisis ls' more
than rralix.d. With the result ~ destiny ing all
nrcsrpt standards ~ value. hut the hitherto
inxcruta,lr secret II life itself might M laid
lmrc. which IN tnr1l might result In mans hMi
ing n way to prolong II at will.
This II I,errly one Of the many hints fur
nIsluxl hy modern science. that II II. after nIi.
as yet only standing before the rl''~ssi d"-r ~
the temple Of knowledge. Therefore II ir. that
while a horle ~ srnalifry mntrrniists ARE Ia
borio,isly trying to measure the univrrs" iy
their crude and illsliH'~tel dslrlk'fs the men
who nrc really entitled 10 speak for science
nrr b~<OmIng HverSc 10 making sweerlng gen
crnlIzntI0nx about the nature Or causes NJ things.
They have not yet given np agnu~tIcism. I'm
the other hand. their present attitude IN more
truly agnOstic than their former attitude. which
sermssl to assume the falsliy Of the SUPER
naturul. hut they arr ready at any moment
10 abandon the nGn0~tic position II evidence
n forthcoming which will prove that man mny
know what they have declared to he unknow-
able. Doubtless scieutihc sealots-for there nre
many such-win see In this change Of attitude
Q euWasdly haek1eWn. But n reality Il am-
- ahoW ~ ~ e ootooQo 60 1xY109 y, -