The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1896-01-09
Dr.. Thompson
and the Church

Uontiuued from LIST cage
century. they forced Button to re-
cant in disgrace and publish his re-
eantation over his signature TO the
world. And even in the 10th CEN
fury, students Of geology, regardless
of the Christliness OF their lives,
have been denounced by those
speaking for the Church. both in
England and America, as "infdeis"
and "assailants of the volume of
Cod" and the science has bet n
characterized as "a dark art" dan
gerous and iisreputable," IAN awful
evasion Of the testimony Of revela-
ton" and mot a subject of lawful
inquiry" This, too, has been the
work of Protestants rather than Of
Catholics; for, while Protestants
"were filing England with shrisAs
and denunciations," & Catholic, af-
terward Cardinal Wiseman, came to
the defence Of geology in his Lee
lures on the Connection between
Science and Revealed Religion.
The science Of Medicine, likewise,
grew up under the curse of the
Church. In the 18th century, Anat-
omy, the foundation Of medicine,
was forbidden as sacrileee. 1t was
held "impious to mutilate q form
made in the image Of God" for the
increase of helpful knowledge; but
it was a pious work to torture upon
rack, to mangle upon wheel, to burn
alive at the stake, and to butcher,
with more than Turkish joy, millions
Of living men for human oppression.
Surgery was equally forbidden. No
priest might practice it or grant his
benediction in the hour of death to
any that did. The Holy Inquisi-
ton, however, burnt alive a famous
Spanish doctor for performing a
surgical operation. Physicians were
everywhere denounced as infidels,
atheists, and devils. Even after the
time of the Reformation, no epithet
was too vile for the great anatomist
Vesalius; and, lest his study of the
human body should somehow hurt
the Church and "sound learning
he was forced by conscientious men
all men are conscientious from their
point Of view, even the devil from
his-to fatal pilgrimage to the
Holy Land to atone for his anatomi.
cal sins.
In tho 18th century, Boyer in
France practised innoculation to pre-
vent the ravages of smallpox
French and English theologians, in
pulpit and out, raised a storm of op
position, charging him with "sor
Gerry" and atheism" They bitterly
denounced the practice. saying that
diseases are sent by Providence al
punishments for sin, and it is d,abol
ical to attempt to prevent them
In 1913, Jenner discovered vaccina
ton. The pulpit in England de-
nounced the discovery as "diaboli
car' and as bidding defiance t
heaven itself, even the will of God.
Tbs was the talk of Professionals.
And strangest and cruelist of all
in 1S47, Sir James Y. Simpson intro
duced the use of chloroform to miti
gate the pains of labor. From pull
pit after pulpit its use was denoun
ced as ''impious," "a diabolica
effort to avoid one part of the pri
meval curse laid upon woman!'
And this is the sad truth we gathe
from the facts like these: in it
quest of truth for the advancement
and amelioration of the race, thes,
shackles upon the human mind hav,
retarded the progress Of civilization
They were forged and constantly re
paired, as fully as the strugglin,
genius of humanity could not hinde
it, by the strong spirit of ecclesiasti
cism and superstition, and in tn
name of Christ. But it was not tn
work of Christianity; it was tn
work of the Church. Such bond
would never be broken by tn
Church in Its course of subservienc
and conservatism: they were to b
broken in spite of it. And the dam
age to individual minds and the gen
erations that are past, and the della
in beneicent advancement of thos
now living and those to come afte
them, makes an account against tn
) Church which may be shuddered al
but not calculated.
To what degree Of civilizatio
would the world long since hav
come but for these priestly II
straints7 To what degree of fres
dom, and happiness even here, woul
) the race have attained if the Churc
: had exemplified the Masters spir
as fully as it has practiced a spir
:, wholly at variance with His life an
its teaching?
CYRUS THOMPSON.