60 Jfag S-ermoits, (Essatrs, attfr |Ulmtes. L IV - 



profession, the clerical, of which I now speak, rests its 

 power to heal "upon its knowledge of the order of the 

 universe upon certain theories of man's relation to 

 that which lies outside him. It is not my business to 

 express any opinion about these theories. I merely 

 wish to point out that, like all other theories, they are 

 professedly based upon matter of fact. Thus the clerical 

 profession has to deal with the facts of Nature from a 

 certain point of view ; and hence it comes into contact 

 with that of the man of science, who has to treat the 

 same facts from another point of view. You know how 

 often that contact is to be described as collision, or 

 violent friction ; and how great the heat, how little 

 the light, which commonly results from it. 



In the interests of fair play, to say nothing of those 

 of mankind, I ask, Why do not the clergy as a body 

 acquire, as a part of their preliminary education, some 

 such tincture of physical science as wil] put them in 

 a position to understand the difficulties in the way 

 of accepting their theories, which are forced upon the 

 mind of every thoughtful and intelligent man, who has 

 taken the trouble to instruct himself in the elements 

 of natural knowledge? 



Some time ago I attended a large meeting of the 

 clergy, for the purpose of delivering an address which 

 I had been invited to give. I spoke of some of the 

 most elementary facts in physical science, and of the 

 manner in which they 'directly contradict certain of the 

 ordinary teachings of the clergy. The result was, that, 

 after I had finished, one section of the assembled eccle- 

 siastics attacked me with all the intemperance of pious 

 zeal, for stating facts and conclusions which no com- 

 petent judge doubts; while, after the first speakers had 

 subsided, amidst the cheers of the great majority of their 

 colleagues, the more rational minority rose to tell me 



