NEW CHAPTERS IN THE WARFARE OF SCIENCE. 733 



drawn from Scripture were many facts and reasonings taken from 

 investigations by naturalists; but all were carefully permeated 

 by the theological spirit.* 



The inquiry into Nature having thus been pursued nearly two 

 thousand years theologically, we find by the middle of the six- 

 teenth century some promising beginnings of a different method 

 the method of inquiry into Nature scientifically the method 

 which seeks not plausibilities but facts. At that time Edward 

 Wotton led the way in England and Conrad Gesner on the con- 

 tinent, by observations widely extended, carefully noted, and 

 thoughtfully classified. 



This better method of interrogating Nature soon led to the 

 formation of societies for the same purpose. In 1560 was founded 

 an Academy for the study of Nature at Naples, but theologians, 

 becoming alarmed, suppressed it, and for nearly one hundred years 

 there was no new combined effort of that sort until in 1645 began 

 the meetings in London of what was afterward the Royal Society. 

 Then came the Academy of Sciences in France, and the Academia 

 del Cimento in Italy ; others followed in all parts of the world, 

 and a great new movement was begun. 



Theologians soon saw a danger in this movement. In Italy, 

 Prince Leopold dei Medici, a protector of the Florentine Academy, 

 was bribed with a cardinal's hat to neglect it, and from the days 

 of Urban VIII to Pius IX a similar spirit was there shown. In 

 France there were frequent ecclesiastical interferences, of which 

 Buffon's humiliation for stating a simple scientific truth was a 

 noted example. In England Protestantism was at first hardly 

 more favorable toward the Royal Society, and the great Dr. South 

 denounced it in his sermons as irreligious. 



Fortunately, one thing prevented an open breach between 

 theology and science ; while new investigators had mainly given 

 up the mediaeval method so dear to the Church, they had very 

 generally retained the conception of direct creation and of design 

 throughout creation a design having as its main purpose the 

 profit, enjoyment, instruction, and amusement of man. 



On this the naturally opposing tendencies of theology and 

 science were compromised. Science, while somewhat freed from 

 its old limitations, became the handmaid of theology in illustrat- 

 ing the doctrine of creative design, and always with apparent 



* For Franz and Kircher, see Perrier, La Philosophie Zoologique avant Darwin, Paris, 

 1884, p. 29 ; for Roger, see his La Terre Saincte, Paris, 1664, pp. 89-92, 139, 218, etc. ; 

 for Hottinger, see his Historic Creationis Examen theologico-philologicum, Heidelberg, 

 1659, lib. vi, Qusest. Ixxxiii ; for Kirchmaier, see his Disputationes Zoologicae (published 

 collectively after his death), Jena, 1736 ; for Dannhauer, see his Disputationes Theologicae, 

 Leipsic, 1707, p 14 ; for Bochart, see his Hierozoikon, sive De Animalibus Sacrse Scripturse, 

 Leyden, 1712. 



