THE QUARTERLY 



JOURNAL OF SCIENCE. 



APEIL, 1865. 



ORICINAL ARTICLES. 



SCIENCE, POLITICS, AND RELIGION. 



As a rule, the scientific world is too much engrossed with its legiti- 

 mate occupations to bestow aught but a passing notice upon the 

 expressions of feeling in regard to its action and influence, which 

 emanate from those who are not directly interested in scientific 

 pursuits, and it is only what may be termed its civil agitations that 

 command its attention. Secure in the sense of its growing influence 

 and irresistible progress, Science can afford to smile at the little 

 squibs that are from time to time thrown on its path, and may safely 

 permit its truths to be ridiculed or perverted by persons who con- 

 ceive that such a course will conduce to their political popularity, or 

 will enable them more readily to attain religious ascendancy. 



But it is useful that scientific men should occasionally look up 

 from their labours and cast a thoughtful glance around, not alone with 

 a view to ascertain what the world thinks of their efforts, but also that 

 they may be able to form an accurate estimate of the practical fruits 

 of their occupations, correct the errors of the past, and resume their 

 work with the additional experience that must inevitably result from 

 such a survey. Keeping these objects in view, then, we feel ourselves 

 justified in taking some notice of three or four circumstances that 

 happened during the last quarter of the year 1864, all of which caused 

 no little sensation at the time of their occurrence. 



The first was the attempt, on the part of " some person or persons 

 unknown " (excepting in name), to extract from the scientific world a 

 profession of religious faith, a proceeding innocent enough in itself, 

 but which, if it had not been arrested in time, would doubtless have 

 inaugurated a period of coercion that must have militated against the 

 progress of scientific inquiry. A few sincere and well-meaning 

 scientific men signed the " declaration," which censured the attempt 

 to bring Science and Scripture into antagonism, and which, as our 

 readers are doubtless aware, was intended to be published as soon as a 



VOL. II. p 



