Againthenebularhypothesiscameforthstrongerthanever，andabout1850thebeautifulexperimentofPlateauontherotationofafluidglobecameinapparentlytoillustrateifnottoconfirmit。EvensodeterminedadefenderoforthodoxyasMr。Gladstoneatlastacknowledgedsomeformofanebularhypothesisasprobablytrue。
Here，too，wasexhibitedthatformofsurrenderingtheologicalviewstoscienceundertheclaimthatscienceconcurswiththeology，whichwehaveseeninsomanyotherfields；and，astypical，anexamplemaybegiven，which，howeverrestrictedinitsscope，throwslightontheprocessbywhichsuchsurrendersareobtained。AfewyearssinceoneofthemostnotedprofessorsofchemistryinthecityofNewYork，undertheauspicesofoneofitsmostfashionablechurches，gavealecturewhich，aswasclaimedinthepublicprintsandinplacardspostedinthestreets，wastoshowthatsciencesupportsthetheoryofcreationgiveninthesacredbooksascribedtoMoses。Alargeaudienceassembled，andabrilliantseriesofelementaryexperimentswithoxygen，hydrogen，andcarbonicacidwasconcludedbythePlateaudemonstration。Itwasbeautifullymade。Asthecolouredglobuleofoil，representingtheearth，wasrevolvedinatransparentmediumofequaldensity，asitbecameflattenedatthepoles，asringsthenbrokeforthfromitandrevolvedaboutit，and，finally，assomeoftheseringsbrokeintosatellites，whichforamomentcontinuedtocircleaboutthecentralmass，theaudience，aswelltheymight，roseandburstintorapturousapplause。
Thereuponawell-to-docitizenaroseandmovedthethanksoftheaudiencetotheeminentprofessorfor“thisperfectdemonstrationoftheexactandliteralconformityofthestatementsgiveninHolyScripturewiththelatestresultsofscience。”Themotionwascarriedunanimouslyandwithapplause，andtheaudiencedispersed，feelingthatagreatservicehadbeenrenderedtoorthodoxy。Sanctasimplicitas！
Whatthisincidentexhibitedonasmallscalehasbeenseenelsewherewithmoredistinguishedactorsandonabroaderstage。
Scoresoftheologians，chiefamongwhomoflate，inzealifnotinknowledge，hasbeenMr。Gladstone，haveendeavouredto“reconcile“thetwoaccountsinGenesiswitheachotherandwiththetruthsregardingtheoriginoftheuniversegainedbyastronomy，geology，geography，physics，andchemistry。Theresulthasbeenrecentlystatedbyaneminenttheologian，theHulseanProfessorofDivinityattheUniversityofCambridge。Hedeclares，“Noattemptatreconcilinggenesiswiththeexactingrequirementsofmodernscienceshaseverbeenknowntosucceedwithoutentailingadegreeofspecialpleadingorforcedinterpretationtowhich，insuchaquestion，weshouldbewisetohavenorecourse。”[9]