CHAPTER V.

CONFLICT RESPECTING THE NATURE OF THE SOUL.-DOCTRINE OF

EMANATION AND ABSORPTION.

European ideas respecting the soul.—It resembles the form of the body.

Philosophical views of the Orientals.-The Vedic theology and Buddhism

assert the doctrine of emanation and absorption.-It is advocated by

Aristotle, who is followed by the Alexandrian school, and subsequently

by the Jews and Arabians.—It is found in the writings of Erigena.

Connection of this doctrine with the theory of conservation and corre-

lation of force.-Parallel between the origin and destiny of the body

and the soul.-The necessity of founding human on comparative

psychology.

Averroism, which is based on these facts, is brought into Christendom

through Spain and Sicily.

History of the repression of Averroism.-Revolt of Islam against it.—

Antagonism of the Jewish synagogues.· Its destruction undertaken

by the papacy.-Institution of the Inquisition in Spain.-Frightful

persecutions and their results.—Expulsion of the Jews and Moors.—

Overthrow of Averroism in Europe. Decisive action of the late

Vatican Council

PAGE 119

CHAPTER VI.

CONFLICT RESPECTING THE NATURE OF THE WORLD.

Scriptural view of the world: the earth a flat surface; location of heaven

and hell.

Scientific view: the earth a globe; its size determined; its position in and

relations to the solar system.-The three great voyages.-Columbus,

De Gama, Magellan.-Circumnavigation of the earth.-Determina-

tion of its curvature by the measurement of a degree and by the pen-

dulum.

-

The discoveries of Copernicus.-Invention of the telescope. Galileo

brought before the Inquisition.—His punishment.— Victory over the

Church.

Attempts to ascertain the dimensions of the solar system.-Determination

of the sun's parallax by the transits of Venus.-Insignificance of

the earth and man.

Ideas respecting the dimensions of the universe.-Parallax of the stars.—

The plurality of worlds asserted by Bruno.-He is seized and mur-

dered by the Inquisition

P. 152

CHAPTER VII.

CONTROVERSY RESPECTING THE AGE OF THE EARTH.

Scriptural view that the earth is only six thousand years old, and that i

was made in a week.—Patristic chronology founded on the ages of the

patriarchs.-Difficulties arising from different estimates in different

versions of the Bible.

Legend of the Deluge.-The repeopling.-The Tower of Babel; the con-

fusion of tongues.—The primitive language.

Discovery by Cassini of the oblateness of the planet Jupiter.-Discovery by

Newton of the oblateness of the Earth.-Deduction that she has been

modeled by mechanical causes.— -Confirmation of this by geological

discoveries respecting aqueous rocks; corroboration by organic re-

mains.—The necessity of admitting enormously long periods of time.

-Displacement of the doctrine of Creation by that of Evolution.-

Discoveries respecting the Antiquity of Man.

The time-scale and space-scale of the world are infinite.-Moderation

with which the discussion of the Age of the World has been con-

ducted.

PAGE 182

CHAPTER VIII.

CONFLICT RESPECTING THE CRITERION OF TRUTH.

Ancient philosophy declares that man has no means of ascertaining the

truth.

Differences of belief arise among the early Christians.—An ineffectual at-

tempt is made to remedy them by Councils.—Miracle and ordeal proof

introduced.

The papacy resorts to auricular confession and the Inquisition.—It per-

petrates frightful atrocities for the suppression of differences of

opinion.

Effect of the discovery of the Pandects of Justinian and development of the

canon law on the nature of evidence.—It becomes more scientific.

The Reformation establishes the rights of individual reason.-Catholicism

asserts that the criterion of truth is in the Church. It restrains the

reading of books by the Index Expurgatorius, and combats dissent

by such means as the massacre of St. Bartholomew's Eve.

Examination of the authenticity of the Pentateuch as the Protestant crite-

rion.-Spurious character of those books.

For Science the criterion of truth is to be found in the revelations of Na-

ture: for the Protestant, it is in the Scriptures; for the Catholic, in

an infallible Pope

P. 201

CHAPTER IX.

CONTROVERSY RESPECTING THE GOVERNMENT OF THE UNIVERSE.

There are two conceptions of the government of the world: 1. By Provi-

dence; 2. By Law.—The former maintained by the priesthood.—Sketch

of the introduction of the latter.

Kepler discovers the laws that preside over the solar system.—His works are

denounced by papal authority. The foundations of mechanical phi-

losophy are laid by Da Vinci.—Galileo discovers the fundamental laws

of Dynamics.-Newton applies them to the movements of the celestial

bodies, and shows that the solar system is governed by mathematical

necessity.-Herschel extends that conclusion to the universe. - The

nebular hypothesis.—Theological exceptions to it.

Evidences of the control of law in the construction of the earth, and in the

development of the animal and plant series.—They arose by Evolu-

tion, not by Creation.

The reign of law is exhibited by the historic career of human societies, and

in the case of individual man.

Partial adoption of this view by some of the Reformed Churches

P. 228

CHAPTER X.

LATIN CHRISTIANITY IN RELATION TO MODERN CIVILIZATION.

For more than a thousand years Latin Christianity controlled the intelli-

gence of Europe, and is responsible for the result.

That result is manifested by the condition of the city of Rome at the Ref-

ormation, and by the condition of the Continent of Europe in domes-

tic and social life.-European nations suffered under the coexistence

of a dual government, a spiritual and a temporal.—They were im-

mersed in ignorance, superstition, discomfort.-Explanation of the

failure of Catholicism.-Political history of the papacy: it was

transmuted from a spiritual confederacy into an absolute monarchy.

-Action of the College of Cardinals and the Curia.-Demoraliza-

tion that ensued from the necessity of raising large revenues.

The advantages accruing to Europe during the Catholic rule arose not from

direct intention, but were incidental.

The general result is, that the political influence of Catholicism was preju-

dicial to modern civilization

P. 245

CHAPTER XI.

SCIENCE IN RELATION TO MODERN CIVILIZATION.

Illustration of the general influences of Science from the history of America.

THE INTRODUCTION OF SCIENCE INTO EUROPE.-It passed from Moorish Spain

to Upper Italy, and was favored by the absence of the popes at Avignon.

-The effects of printing, of maritime adventure, and of the Refor.

mation.—Establishment of the Italian scientific societies.

THE INTELLECTUAL INFLUENCE OF SCIENCE.-It changed the mode and the

direction of thought in Europe.—The transactions of the Royal So-

ciety of London, and other scientific societies, furnish an illustration

of this.

THE ECONOMICAL INFLUENCE OF SCIENCE is illustrated by the numerous me-

chanical and physical inventions, made since the fourteenth century.—

Their influence on health and domestic life, on the arts of peace and

of war.

Answer to the question, What has Science done for humanity?

PAGE 286

CHAPTER XII.

THE IMPENDING CRISIS.

-

Indications of the approach of a religious crisis.—The predominating

Christian Church, the Roman, perceives this, and makes preparation

for it.-Pius IX. convokes an Ecumenical Council.—Relations of the

different European governments to the papacy. Relations of the

Church to Science, as indicated by the Encyclical Letter and the Syl-

labus.

Acts of the Vatican Council in relation to the infallibility of the pope, and

to Science.-Abstract of decisions arrived at.

Controversy between the Prussian Government and the papacy.—It is a con-

-

test between the State and the Church for supremacy.-Effect of dual

government in Europe.—Declaration by the Vatican Council of its

position as to Science.—The dogmatic constitution of the Catholic faith.

-Its definitions respecting God, Revelation, Faith, Reason. The

anathemas it pronounces.—Its denunciation of modern civilization.

The Protestant Evangelical Alliance and its acts.

General review of the foregoing definitions and acts.-Present condition of

the controversy, and its future prospects

P. 327

HISTORY OF THE CONFLICT

BETWEEN

RELIGION AND SCIENCE.

CHAPTER I.

THE ORIGIN OF SCIENCE.

Religious condition of the Greeks in the fourth century before Christ.— Their invasion of the Persian Empire brings them in contact with new aspects of Nature, and familiarizes them with new religious systems.—The military, engineering, and scientific activity, stimulated by the Macedonian campaigns, leads to the establishment in Alexandria of an institute, the Museum, for the cultivation of knowledge by experiment, observation, and mathematical discussion.—It is the origin of Science.

No spectacle can be presented to the thoughtful mind more solemn, more mournful, than that of the dying of an ancient religion, which in its day has given consolation to many generations of men.

Four centuries before the birth of Christ, Greece was fast outgrowing her ancient faith. Her philosophers, in their studies of the world, had been profoundly impressed with the contrast between the majesty of the operations of Nature and the worthlessness of the divinities of Olympus. Her historians, considering the orderly course of political affairs, the manifest