294 POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



sponsible for this spiritualizing temper of the age is apparent to any 

 one familiar with the development of Greek philosophy and with 

 the history of the superstitions of the Roman Empire. Nevertheless, 

 it is also true that that temper has been increased in the past and 

 is fostered to-day by the undue emphasis which the Church has placed 

 upon the miraculous character of early Christianity. 



3. We notice in the history of the thought of this period, both 

 in the Church and in the world at large, a disposition rather to 

 examine, criticise, and comment upon the work of others, than to do 

 investigating and thinking of one's own. That such a spirit should 

 be found in the Church is not to be wondered at, for the authority 

 of Christ and his apostles would seem to leave no room for origi- 

 nality of thinking on religious subjects, and the sacred Scriptures 

 would give abundant scope for the exercise of the highest learning 

 and of intellectual penetration in interpreting. But the same tend- 

 ency is noticed outside of the Church, as the great schools of inter- 

 preters of Aristotle and of Plato, and the large volumes of abstracts 

 and compilations from preceding writers, bear witness. But when 

 vast learning and ability are expended, rather on such labors than 

 on investigation into the secrets of Nature, science does not thrive. 



4. And once again we observe the gradually increasing dogmatic 

 tendency of the Church, the claim to be the repository of all knowl- 

 edge, the stifling of thought, and of investigation into what might 

 lead men away from the truth and the " faith once delivered to the 

 saints." 



It seemed best to give in detail these four evident reasons for 

 the barrenness of science during those centuries, because, as I said, 

 the same things to-day, though with decreasing force, interfere with 

 the progress of science and the extension of scientific method. I shall 

 refer to them again a little further on. 



The great revival of four centuries ago in art, in learning, in 

 religion, reached also to science. At last the spell of ignorance, of 

 unreasoning prejudice, of offensive dogmatism, and of vague mysti- 

 cism, that had held the world for so long, was broken. The new 

 life of science was feeble at first, and remained long in its swaddling 

 clothes. It was about the middle of the sixteenth century that 

 Copernicus gave his great work to the world; then no great work 

 again for nearly one hundred years, when Kepler, Galileo, and 

 Stevinus arise. But the century has not been an idle one. Every- 

 where men have been awakening to the new light, have begun to 

 think freely and fearlessly; are no longer deterred by the cry of 

 magic or the prohibition of church dignitaries from investigating 

 into Nature for themselves. And so, when in the seventeenth cen- 

 tury those mighty ones appeared, thoughtful people in great num- 



