NEW CHAPTERS IN THE WARFARE OF SCIENCE. 737 



the development of the Copernicaii ideas as the older Church had 

 enjoyed. Yet there were some things in its warfare against sci- 

 ence even more indefensible. In 1772 the famous English ex- 

 pedition for scientific discovery sailed from England under Cap- 

 tain Cook. Greatest by far of all the scientific authorities chosen 

 to accompany it was Dr. Priestley. Sir Joseph Banks had espe- 

 cially invited him. But the clergy of Oxford and Cambridge 

 interfered. Priestley was considered unsound in his views of the 

 Trinity; it was evidently suspected that this might vitiate his 

 astronomical observations; he was rejected, and the expedition 

 crippled. 



The orthodox view of astronomy lingered on in other branches 

 of the Protestant Church. In Germany even Leibnitz attacked 

 the Newtonian theory of gravitation on theological grounds, 

 though he found some little consolation in thinking that it might 

 be used to support the Lutheran doctrine of consubstantiation. 



In Holland the Calvinistic Church was at first strenuous 

 against the whole new system, but we possess a comical proof that 

 Calvinism even in its strongholds was powerless against it. For 

 in 1642 Blaer published at Amsterdam his book on the use of 

 globes, and, in order to be on the safe side, devoted one part of his 

 work to the Ptolemaic and the other to the Copernican scheme, 

 leaving the benevolent reader to take his choice.* 



Nor have efforts to renew the battle in the Protestant Church 

 been wanting in these latter days. The attempt in the Church 

 of England in 1864 to fetter science, which was brought to ridicule 

 by Herschel, Bo wring, and De Morgan; the assemblage of Lu- 

 theran clergy at Berlin in 1868 to protest against " science falsely 

 so called," are examples of these. Fortunately, to the latter came 

 Pastor Knak, and his denunciations of the Copernican theory as 

 absolutely incompatible with a belief in the Bible, dissolved the 

 whole assemblage in ridicule. 



In its recent dealings with modern astronomy the wisdom of 

 the Catholic Church in the more civilized countries has prevented 

 its yielding to some astounding errors into which one part of the 

 Protestant Church has tumbled heedlessly. 



Though sundry leaders in the older Church have committed 



* For the attitude of Leibnitz, Hutchinson, and the others named toward the New- 

 tonian theory, see Lecky, History of England in the Eighteenth Century, chap. ix. For 

 John Wesley, see also his Compendium of Natural Philosophy, being a Survey of the W' is- 

 dom of God in the Creation, London, 1784. See also Leslie Stephen, Eighteenth Century, 

 vol. ii, p. 413. For Owen, see his works, vol. xix, p. 310. For Milton, see place cited. 

 For Cotton Mather's view, see The Christian Philosopher, London, 1721, especiallv pp. 16 

 and 17. For the case of Priestley, see Weld, History of tlie Royal Society, vol. ii, p. 56, 

 for the facts and the admirable letter of Priestley upon this rejection. For Humboldt, see 

 his Life, by Bruhns and LasscU, London, 1873, vol. ii, p. 411. For Blaer's book, see his 

 L'Usage des Globes, Amsterdam, 1642. 

 VOL. XL. — 50 



