i v. j SCIENTIFIC ED V CATION. 6 1 



that I had taken wholly superfluous pains, that they 

 already knew all about what I had told them, and 

 perfectly agreed with me. A hard-headed friend ot 

 mine, who was present, put the not unnatural question, 

 " Then why don't you say so in your pulpits ? " to 

 which inquiry I heard no reply. 



In fact the clergy are at present divisible into three 

 sections : an immense body who are ignorant and speak 

 out ; a small proportion who know and are silent ; 

 and a minute minority who know and speak according 

 to their knowledge. By the clergy, I mean especially 

 the Protestant clergy. Our great antagonist — I speak 

 as a man of science — the Eoman Catholic Church, the 

 one great spiritual organization which is able to resist, 

 and must, as a matter of life and death, resist, the 

 progress of science and modern civilization, manages 

 her affairs much better. 



It was my fortune some time ago to pay a visit to 

 one of the most important of the institutions in which 

 the clergy of the Eoman Catholic Church in these islands 

 are trained ; and it seemed to me that the difference 

 between these men and the comfortable champions of 

 Anglicanism and of Dissent, was comparable to the 

 difference between our gallant Volunteers and the 

 trained veterans of Napoleon's Old Guard. 



The Catholic priest is trained to know his business, 

 and do it effectually. The professors of the college in 

 question, learned, zealous, and determined men, per- 

 mitted me to speak frankly with them. We talked like 

 outposts of opposed armies during a truce — as friendly 

 enemies ; and when I ventured to point out the diffi- 

 culties their students would have to encounter from 

 scientific thought, they replied : " Our Church has lasted 

 many ages, and has passed safely through many storms. 



The present is but a new gust of the old tempest, and 

 4 



