Year: 1874

Lecture Before the Xavier Union. 1T De


Gar,no. Hall, Last Night, by Cornelius


M. O'Leary, A. M, M. D., PHI. ID.


De Garmo Hall last night presented brilliant
scene the occasion being the gathering Of the
Catholic wealth and intelligence OF the city to
listen to @. N. O'Leary, A. NJ, NJ. D., Phi. D.. de-
liver lecture on the Tendencies OF Modern SCI
entlfc Thought" The lecture was given under
the auspices OF the Xavier Union, whose invitation
the Doctor accepted to address the Catholics Of
New York on what is popularity known as Tyndall
ism. Notwithstanding the predatory excuse, 81
VIII OF necessity be sketchy rather than profound,
and orderly" the lecture was model Of
construction. the brevity TO which the pregnant
subject was confined IN Lecture - added to The
would not otherwise have appreciated them.
Throughout the whole reading weil-sustained
effort TO be neither popular nor technical was
noticeable. and the very abssruseness OF the


After an interesting narrative Of the causes
winch have led TO the new las y IS Called school
DAN snd Dsrvn wnscn he M nneS
Doctor traced their modes OF reasoning to
the conclusions at which they had arrived,
o. necessity made their conclusions at best mere
ooserve in science. he said. they brought to bear
on religion and spiritual things The injustice OF
1ne means ea was o loo ev9en ne Ssougn TO aord
the yard and linen BY the galion'


THE SPIRITUALITY OF THE SOUL.


In speaking Of mental phenomena which the
progressive scientists ascrioe to the nervous sys
tenn, the lecturer said, "rhey mistake the mani
confonnd the human soul, Dy which We are iikened
to the Deity, with the gross and perishable body
IN INV wnlcm It Is mprisoned and through winch y
The lecturer secuted the idea that religion retarded
SCIENCE in these words, Sound physiology cannot
inveigh against the soul on the ground that IT
hampers Its inquiries circumscrlbeS the deld
OF its operations Tne pnysiooglst may iocanze
every known junction from mere sensation, .'up
to the suDtlest intellectual process, in complete
consistency with the admission OF spiritual sub
stance as their active principle"


THE RELIGION OF BOsH.


In speaking OF the eject OF destroying the belief
IN the spirituality of the the soul the lecturer made
religion, the dogma OF convenience, the only
religion these men deign to countenance, Will one
OF popular passions let loose from the eashes Of
moral liability; and the stronger the hold
public mind, the greater the favor they meet with.
thinner ana thinner In proportion will become the
crust on which even now we walk over seetning
mass OF maddened humanity"


THE MUTUAL BATTLE GROUND.


Orthodox people, the lecturer SAID, had become
so terrified at the nue. and cry OF materalism that
they refused to have anything to do with It. They
Stunned IT as blight, and retired into security
avoid d coz Contest in the open % Neutral neld, which
Imagination locates as somewhere In the plane
between the ctadels Of religion and science. They
challenge the man clad In the armor OF science to
come and measure lances with them IN their own
neld-the field Of theology. They ask him TO fight
with weapons with which he Is In o measure
unacquainted K this foe Is to be defeated he must
be met on the open plain, and, his late successes
having made him bold, he will not object to chal-
lenge. His defiance to religion to discuss subjects
relating to the soul on the scientinc heath Is
already published. The orthodox warrior must
equip himself with scientific weapons-all the
latest developments OF science In physiology and
psychoiogy-and, with his armor or theology
tightly buckled ON. sally tortn to meet and van
quIsh the arrogant invader.


The lecture occupied two hours In the delivery,
and at the close the lecturer was enthusiastically
applauded. Ii is said that she Doctor Will soon
again meet this audience TO discuss subjects
kindred to the one OF last evenlngsubj ects which
ne was constrained to merely aude to In the
'Tenoenctes OF Modern Scientific Thought" owing
to the brief limits to which he was confined. he
was circumscrtoed only as regards time Tor no
audience, no matter how indulgent, would care TO
cit and listen for more than two hours.