THE HAMILTON ASSOCIATION. 153 



orized version of the old testament, theatrically exclaimed, " I 

 believe"' (is not that sufficient?) " every page from cover to cover 

 was inspired. I do believe the sun stood still, as recorded ; that 

 Lot's wife became a pillar of salt, and a whale swallowed Jonah." 



It may be time for our distinguished fellow citizen, the colored 

 professor, who occasionally lectures on astronomy also, to look to 

 his laurels. I am under the impression that his white brother in 

 the States has been appropriating some of his peculiar ideas in "the 

 astronomy of the Bible." It does not seem exactly fair for this 

 Yankee Galileo to borrow what little he knows from scientists regard- 

 ing the size and distance of the planets, etc., and then turn about 

 and denounce infidel astronomers. We hope our Hamilton pro- 

 fessor was excepted. Taking all things into account the whole pro- 

 ceedings savour strongly of what Archdeacon Wilson calls "theolo- 

 gical arrogance." Until quite recently the churches of the various 

 Christian denominations did all they could to arrest the progress of 

 science. The Lutheran church persecuted the followers of Galileo in 

 an infinitely more cruel maimer than St. Peter's successors. (Of 

 course this well establiiihed fact is carefully suppressed in the in- 

 terests of religion.) I can recall the theological arrogance of half a 

 century back in Great Britain and Ireland, and reflect on the lavish 

 abuse then poured forth on infidel geologists. Now I know that 

 Thor's hammer is wiel(3ed to-day by many a reverend gentleman 

 from Oxford or Cambridge (the English universities.) The various 

 churches have ever been slow to accept any views opposed to such 

 as were held in former times by their respective denominations ; yet 

 somehow or other they imbibe (unconsciously perhaps) a coloring 

 from their immediate surroundings. Look back to the civil war in 

 the United States, and who fought more gallantly in defence of that 

 foul blot on the Christian religion (slavery), than the Episcopalian, 

 Methodist and Presbyterian clergymen, who exchanged their pulpits 

 for the soldiers' tents, their cossacks for the grey uniform ? (That no 

 historical lies in the future can tarnish.) I can recall the time when 

 our bishops, the spiritual peers of the House of Lords, denounced 

 the abolitionists in England as a band of conspirators and fanatics 

 who wanted to overthrow the constitution. 



Now when Dr. Talmage in a truly meek and christianlike 

 spirit deals so liberally in damnation of astronomers and geologists 



