228 



SCIENCE. 



[Vol. II., No. 29. 



science we owe the thousand appliances which yield 

 comfort and even elegance to the humblest house- 

 hold. Immense as are these contributions of science 

 to material comfort anil happiness, she has still, I 

 think, performed greater services to mankind. The 

 scientific method developed in the study of nature 

 has spread to all branches of investigation. It has 

 permeated all our education: it has boldly leaped the 

 boundary between physics and metaphysics. It has 

 even penetrated into industry and business and com- 

 mon life. The modern man first collects what knowl- 

 edge he can about his enterprise or adventure, and 

 assures himself of its value. He then makes the best 

 quest he can in regard to the future. Then he as- 

 sembles new fficts, and, as the facts require, revises 

 and amends his theory, till at length it becomes a 

 working rule, maxim, and principle. He knows not 

 merely how to know, but how to guess. The pene- 

 tration of the scientific method into the operations of 

 trade in great commercial centres is very conspicuous. 

 We even endeavor to gamble scientifically. No Drew, 

 or Armour, or Gould ever forms his corner without a 

 most careful study of the situation; and his venture 

 is his bet on the correctness of his theory. The 

 farther extension of the scientific method, till it 

 shall become the guide of conduct in the every-day 

 life of all men, is now the chief problem in educa- 

 tion. 



In the next place, I think science may at length 

 fairly claim to have wrought out, under great diffi- 

 culties, a working hypothesis of our universe in the 

 nebular hypothesis and its almost necessary corollary, 

 'evolution.' It cannot be denied that we are all, 

 in some sense, evolutionists, — some of us against 

 our prepossessions, some of us by insensible but 

 progressive lapses. I am not competent to argue out 

 this great theme. I feel bound to admit that the 

 evolution doctrine, in one form or other, has quietly 

 taken possession of the modern mind. Why may we 

 not gladly accept it as a most useful working hy- 

 pothesis of the mode' of creation ? I say, of the mode 

 of creation; for the mystery of creation will forever 

 mock the powers of man. Only this we know: that 

 unless human consciousness is a juggle, and human 

 language a mockery, there can never be to man a 

 creation without a creator, nor an evolution without 

 an evolver. 



Another great service of science is the mainte- 

 nance in the world of a body of men, a lay priest- 

 hood, devoted to the search for truth for its owu 

 sake and its own value. In a mercenary age, when, 

 in the opinion of a distinguished contemporary, 

 mercantilism has become a huge disease and excres- 

 cence on society, the example of such a body of men 

 is of supreme value in the training of the new gener- 

 ations. Youth are formed, a wise Greek has taught 

 us, not so much by schools as by the example of dis- 

 tinguished men. 



A still greater benefit of science to mankind is the 

 emancipation it has wrought for us, in the last genera- 

 tion, from superstition and the dominion of imagi- 

 nary powers. It is no long time since it was generally 

 believed by civilized men, that human affairs were 



under the control of the spirits of the air, good or 

 evil. Men walked in cringing terror, by day and 

 niglit, of demons and goblins damned. The earth- 

 quake, the tornado, the lightning's stroke, they 

 looked upon as instruments of punishment for the 

 sins of rulers and peoples. Thanks to science, the 

 modern world has emerged from this cloud of gloom. 

 We have some certain knowledge. Knowledge is not 

 merely qualitative, but quantitative. Truth ever 

 makes free. Above all, we know that all things in 

 nature are governed by law, — law, " wliose seat is in 

 the bosom of God, whose voice is the harmony of tlie 

 world." The beautiful conception of the Greeks of 

 the universe as a kosmos, that is, an embodiment of 

 divine and perfect order, is pervading modern thought. 

 We now know that the phenomena of nature have no 

 relation to human conduct, the impartial rain falling 

 alike on the just and unjiist. Men walk the earth 

 erect and free, fearing no bogies, or warlocks, or 

 demons of any kind. How vast and how blessed the 

 _ relief to cliildhood ! In dispelling superstition, sci- 

 ence has incidentally wrought her greatest service to 

 mankind in the purification of religion. The time is 

 coming when grateful thanks will be rendered by the 

 minister of religion for the emancipation whicli sci- 

 ence has wrought for tl)e faith; when the conflict of 

 science and religion will only be remembered as the 

 antagonism of crude theories on the one hand, .and 

 cruder superstitions on the other. Grateful we are 

 for the knowledge which science has collected and 

 collated and perpetuated to our use. All honor to 

 the men who are consecrated to truth in her service! 

 We may not know what marvels, far surpassing all 

 the gifts of the past, the science of the future may 

 reveal. Still, we must remember that tlie human 

 mind is finite, while truth is infinite. The vast un- 

 known engirdles our little circle of light. The mys- 

 tery of lite and death, no son of earth has ever 

 penetrated. Welcome, then, the faith which points 

 to tlie continuance of life iu a land where study will 

 be no weariness to the soul, where no veil of flesh 

 will cloud the vision, where science and religion shall 

 be forever one, where men shall know even as they 

 were known. 



To welcome you as a body of scientists, lovers 

 and seekers after truth from love of it and of your 

 kind, would be well worth our while, were it our 

 only motive to improve and inspire the children and 

 youth of our city. In doing you honor, we give 

 them a lesson no books nor masters could impart. 

 For their sake we renew our welcome. 



President Young briefly responded : — 



Gentlemen, — On behalf of my fellow-members 

 of the association, I return you ray sincerest thanks 

 for the hearty welcome we have received to this mag- 

 nificent state, this young and beautiful city, this vig- 

 orous, energetic, warm-hearted comnnuiity. When 

 you first invited us here, it was not in our power to 

 come; but your second invitation we have accepted 

 most gladly, and hope and believe that our meeting 

 here will prove a benefit and pleasure to all con- 



