18 SCIENCE AND CULTURE. 



learned that all material existence was but a base and in- 

 significant blot upon the fair face of the spiritual world, 

 and that nature was, to all intents and purposes, the play- 

 ground of the devil ; they learned that the earth is the 

 centre of the visible universe, and that man is the cyno- 

 sure of things terrestrial; and more especially is it in- 

 culcated that the course of nature had no fixed order, 

 but that it could be, and constantly was, altered by the 

 agency of innumerable spiritual beings, good and bad, 

 according as they were moved by the deeds and prayers 

 of men. The sum and substance of the whole doctrine 

 was to produce the conviction that the only thing really 

 worth knowing in this world was how to secure that 

 place in a better which, under certain conditions, the 

 Church promised. 



Oar ancestors had a living belief in this theory of 

 life, and acted upon it in their dealings with education, 

 as in all other matters. Culture meant sajjt 1j '' r iep c after 

 v the fashion of the saints of those days; the education 

 that led to it was, of necessity, theological ; and the way 

 to theology lay through Latin. 



That the study of nature further than was requisite 

 for the satisfaction of everyday wants should have any 

 bearing on human life was far from the thoughts of men 

 thus trained. Indeed, as nature had been cursed for 

 man's sake, it was an obvious conclusion that those who 

 meddled with nature were likely to come into pretty 

 close contact with Satan. And, if any born scientific in- 

 vestigator followed his instincts, he might safely reckon 



