EDITOR'S TABLE. 



493 



siderable surprise that we heard of the 

 recent action of Vanderbilt University 

 in repudiating the views of Dr. Deems's 

 inaugural address. It has illustrated 

 " the weak foolishness of some pro- 

 fessors of religion " with a promptness 

 and a sharaelessness that shows how 

 deep and intense is the living feeling 

 of hostility to Science that animates 

 large portions of the theological party. 

 Vanderbilt University decides not to 

 take its old traditions out of the way, 

 but to fight the progress of Science by 

 the same policy of bigotry, intolerance, 

 and proscription, that has been em- 

 ployed for centuries by the same party 

 in doing the same thing. The faculty 

 of the institution have dismissed from 

 his chair the Professor of Historical 

 Geology and Zoology, on account of the 

 opinions he holds concerning the an- 

 tiquity of the human race. 



The reader will find a notice in its 

 place of Prof. Winchell's pamphlet 

 on " Adamites and Preadamites," the 

 publication of which has been made 

 the occasion of his exclusion from the 

 university. It will be seen that Prof. 

 Winchell has simply accepted the views 

 that now prevail in the scientific world 

 regarding the time that men have in- 

 habited the earth. The old notions 

 upon the subject are now no longer en- 

 tertained by intelligent men, because 

 the scientific evidence is overwhelm- 

 ingly against them. How long the hu- 

 man race has occupied the globe is an 

 open question, but two things are set- 

 tled: 1. That man has a much higher 

 antiquity than theology has been in the 

 habit of teaching, and has been cur- 

 rently believed ; and, 2. That the in- 

 vestigation belongs entirely to science, 

 and must be pursued and determined 

 on the basis of scientific evidence. 

 Prof. Winchell argues the subject strict- 

 ly as a scientist, but in no spirit of an- 

 tagonism to religion or to the authority 

 of the Bible. His argument, indeed, is 

 rather an attempt to harmonize the 

 teachings of Scripture with the conclu- 



sions of science ; a task which he had 

 previously undertaken in a more gen- 

 eral way, by the publication of an able 

 book on " The Keconciliation of Science 

 and Religion." But he has met with 

 the not unusual treatment of peace- 

 makers, who miscalculate the temper 

 of the strife they would compose. The 

 stupid Southern Methodists that con- 

 trol the university, it seems, can learn 

 nothing. The fight over the antiquity 

 of the earth has but just closed. The 

 theologians battled long and fiercely 

 against the geologists on this question, 

 but have been so utterly routed that 

 hardly a man of them can now be found 

 who holds to the old belief. Prof. Sil- 

 liman led the scientific movement upon 

 that subject in this country, and so pro- 

 found was the theological alarm that 

 eminent doctors of divinity implored 

 him with tears to desist from the im- 

 pious crusade, because, if successful, it 

 would be certain to destroy the Chris- 

 tian college with which he was asso- 

 ciated. That institution had the good 

 sense not to disturb the distinguished 

 teacher in his work, but to abide by 

 the results of investigation ; and who 

 can now be found so foolish as to re- 

 gret its course? But half a century 

 later, when an analogous question arises, 

 Vanberbilt University adopts a differ- 

 ent policy, follows the exploded pre- 

 cedents of past centuries, and puts forth 

 its power to muzzle, repress, silence, 

 and discredit the independent teachers 

 of scientific truth. 



There are features about this case 

 that call for further strictures. The 

 action of Vanderbilt University is not 

 a little aggravating when we consider 

 how the institution originated, and this 

 consideration will throw some further 

 light on the present phase of the con- 

 flict between Religion and Science. For 

 there is a sense of honor in which it 

 may be claimed that Mr. Vanderbilt's 

 donations and endowments belong pre- 

 eminently to science. How did he come 

 by his wealth ? It was by reaping the 



