372 BULLETIN OF THE 



some of the theories which were in harmony with the Nebular 

 Hypothesis. He emphasized his firm persuasion that however 

 we may succeed in elucidating and confirming the Nebular Hy- 

 pothesis, we do not in any way weaken the necessity of resorting 

 to a belief and a faith in an Omnipotent First Cause, who chooses 

 his own devices and methods to create and sustain the machinery 

 of the Universe. Similar sentiments are forcibly presented in 

 his remarkable letter of the 12th of April last to a friend in Phil- 

 adelphia, printed in the appendix to the pamphlet "In memoriam 

 of the funeral services." 



He- did not often dwell in public on these topics. No one ever 

 lived more tolerant in the best meaning of the word than Joseph 

 Henry. And no one more clearly discerned the wisdom and 

 necessity of keeping science and religion in their independent 

 channels, so that neither should be obstructed. But he never 

 held that for this purpose it was necessary to lop off, or stunt, or 

 suppress the delicate tendrils, the emotions and intuitions which 

 may lead the faithful student to such thoughts. 



This association is termed the Philosophical Society. And 

 Prof. Henry was in the truest and most comprehensive sense a 

 Philosopher. "Fhilos," a lover; " sophos," wise — a wise lover; 

 or a lover of wisdom. It is true that the word is generally em- 

 ployed in reference either to pure and abstract science, or to phe- 

 nomena and the logical deductions from those phenomena. And 

 we, here in this Societj^, mainly dwell on the signal achievements 

 of Prof. Henry in those domains, and on the traits of his career 

 and character which have thus made him, emphatically, in the 

 view of the whole woi'ld, a great philosopher. But he did really 

 attain his very highest position as a philosopher; he was in the 

 widest sense a lover of wisdom, of truth, and of nature, with 

 wonderful insight of its entire economy, when he went beyond 

 the mere cultivation of his logical faculties, and also cherished a 

 contemplation of his moral and spiritual being, and of all the 

 ties and elements which environ man in the creation. 



Remarks were made by Messrs. Gill, Parker, Welling, 

 Woodward, and Elliott, chiefly with regard to Professor 

 Henry on the Darwinian hypothesis and his willingness at an 

 early period to receive it as a working hypothesis only. 



