第31章
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  [86]AsapendanttothisejaculationofKeplermaybecitedthewordsofLinnaeus:“Deumominpotentematergotranseuntemvidietobstupui。”

  NothingismoreunjustthantocastespecialblameforallthisresistancetoscienceupontheRomanChurch。TheProtestantChurch,thoughrarelyabletobesosevere,hasbeenmoreblameworthy。ThepersecutionofGalileoandhiscompeersbytheolderChurchwasmainlyatthebeginningoftheseventeenthcentury;thepersecutionofRobertsonSmith,andWinchell,andWoodrow,andToy,andtheyoungprofessorsatBeyrout,byvariousProtestantauthorities,wasneartheendofthenineteenthcentury。ThoseearlierpersecutionsbyCatholicismwerestrictlyinaccordancewithprinciplesheldatthattimebyallreligionists,CatholicandProtestant,throughouttheworld;

  theselaterpersecutionsbyProtestantswereindefianceofprincipleswhichallProtestantsto-dayholdorpretendtohold,andnonemakelouderclaimtoholdthemthantheverysectswhichpersecutedtheseeminentChristianmenofourday,menwhosecrimewasthattheywereintelligentenoughtoacceptthescienceoftheirtime,andhonestenoughtoacknowledgeit。

  Mostunjustly,then,wouldProtestantismtauntCatholicismforexcludingknowledgeofastronomicaltruthsfromEuropeanCatholicuniversitiesintheseventeenthandeighteenthcenturies,whilerealknowledgeofgeologicalandbiologicalandanthropologicaltruthisdeniedorpitifullydilutedinsomanyAmericanProtestantcollegesanduniversitiesinthenineteenthcentury。

  NorhasProtestantismtherighttopointwithscorntotheCatholicIndex,andtolaystressonthefactthatnearlyeveryreallyimportantbookinthelastthreecenturieshasbeenforbiddenbyit,solongasyoungmeninsomanyAmericanProtestantuniversitiesandcollegesarenursedwith“ecclesiasticalpap“ratherthanwithrealthought,anddirectedtotheworksof“solemnlyconstitutedimpostors。”ortosundry“approvedcoursesofreading。”whiletheyarestudiouslykeptalooffromsuchleadersinmodernthoughtasDarwin,Spencer,Huxley,Draper,andLecky。

  ItmayindeedbejustlyclaimedbyProtestantismthatsomeoftheformerstrongholdsofherbigotryhavebecomeliberalized;but,ontheotherhand,CatholicismcanpointtothefactthatPopeLeoXIII,nowhappilyreigning,hasmadeanoblechangeasregardsopendealingwithdocuments。ThedaysofMonsignorMarini,itmaybehoped,aregone。TheVaticanLibrary,withitsmassesofhistoricalmaterial,hasbeenthrownopentoProtestantandCatholicscholarsalike,andthisprivilegehasbeenfreelyusedbymenrepresentingallshadesofreligiousthought。

  Astotheoldererrors,thewholecivilizedworldwasatfault,ProtestantaswellasCatholic。Itwasnotthefaultofreligion;itwasthefaultofthatshort-sightedlinkingoftheologicaldogmastoscripturaltextswhich,inutterdefianceofthewordsandworksoftheBlessedFounderofChristianity,narrow-minded,loud-voicedmenareeverpronetosubstituteforreligion。JustlyisitsaidbyoneofthemosteminentamongcontemporaryAnglicandivines,that“itisbecausetheyhavemistakenthedawnforaconflagrationthattheologianshavesooftenbeenfoesoflight。”[87]

  [87]Foranexceedinglystrikingstatement,byaRomanCatholichistorianofgenius,astothePOPULARdemandforpersecutionandthepressureofthelowerstratainecclesiasticalorganizationsforcruelmeasures,seeBalmes’sLeProtestantismecompareauCatholicisme,etc。,fourthedition,Paris,1855,vol。ii。

  ArchbishopSpauldinghassomethingofthesamesortinhisMiscellanies。L’Epinois,Galilee,p。22etseq。,stretchesthisasfaraspossibletosavethereputationoftheChurchintheGalileomatter。AstothevariousbranchesoftheProtestantChurchinEnglandandtheUnitedStates,itisamatterofnotorietythatthesmug,well-to-dolaymen,whetherelders,deacons,orvestrymen,are,asarule,farmorepronetoheresy-

  huntingthanaretheirbettereducatedpastors。AstothecasesofMessrs。Winchell,Woodrow,Toy,andalltheprofessorsatBeyrout,withdetails,seethechapterinthisseriesonTheFallofManandAnthropology。AmongProtestanthistorianswhohaverecentlybeenallowedfullandfreeexaminationofthetreasuresintheVaticanLibrary,andeventhoseinvolvingquestionsbetweenCatholicismandProtestantism,arevonSybel,ofBerlin,andPhilipSchaff,ofNewYork。ItshouldbeaddedthatthelatterwentwithcommendatorylettersfromeminentprelatesintheCatholicChurchinAmericaandEurope。Fortheclosingcitation,seeCanonFarrar,HistoryofInterpretation,p。432。

  Fewthingsintheevolutionofastronomyaremoresuggestivethanthestrugglebetweenthetheologicalandthescientificdoctrineregardingcomets——thepassagefromtheconceptionofthemasfire-ballsflungbyanangryGodforthepurposeofscaringawickedworld,toarecognitionofthemasnaturalinoriginandobedienttolawinmovement。HardlyanythingthrowsamorevividlightuponthedangerofwrestingtextsofScripturetopreserveideaswhichobservationandthoughthavesuperseded,anduponthefollyofarrayingecclesiasticalpoweragainstscientificdiscovery。[88]

  [88]Thepresentstudy,afteritsappearanceinthePopularScienceMonthlyasa“newchapterintheWarfareofScience。”wasrevisedandenlargedtonearlyitspresentform,andreadbeforetheAmericanHistoricalAssociation,amongwhosepapersitwaspublished,in1887,underthetitleofAHistoryoftheDoctrineofComets。

  Outoftheancientworldhadcomeamassofbeliefsregardingcomets,meteors,andeclipses;allthesewereheldtobesignsdisplayedfromheavenforthewarningofmankind。Starsandmeteorsweregenerallythoughttopresagehappyevents,especiallythebirthsofgods,heroes,andgreatmen。Sofirmlyrootedwasthisideathatweconstantlyfindamongtheancientnationstraditionsoflightsintheheavensprecedingthebirthofpersonsofnote。ThesacredbooksofIndiashowthatthebirthsofCrishnaandofBuddhawereannouncedbysuchheavenlylights。[89]ThesacredbooksofChinatellofsimilarappearancesatthebirthsofYu,thefounderofthefirstdynasty,andoftheinspiredsage,Lao-tse。AccordingtotheJewishlegends,astarappearedatthebirthofMoses,andwasseenbytheMagiofEgypt,whoinformedtheking;andwhenAbrahamwasbornanunusualstarappearedintheeast。TheGreeksandRomanscherishedsimilartraditions。AheavenlylightaccompaniedthebirthofAesculapius,andthebirthsofvariousCaesarswereheraldedinlikemanner。[90]

  [89]ForCrishna,seeCox,AryanMythology,vol。ii,p。133;theVishnuPuranaWilson’stranslation,bookv,chap。iv。Astolightsatthebirth,orratherattheconception,ofBuddha,seeBunsen,AngelMessiah,pp。22,23;Alabaster,WheeloftheLawillustrationsofBuddhism,p。102;EdwinArnold,LightofAsia;

  Bp。Bigandet,LifeofGaudama,theBurmeseBuddha,p。30;

  Oldenberg,BuddhaEnglishtranslation,parti,chap。ii。

  [90]ForChineselegendsregardingstarsatthebirthofYuandLao-tse,seeThornton,HistoryofChina,vol。i,p。137;alsoPingre,Cometographie,p。245。RegardingstarsatthebirthofMosesandAbraham,seeCalmet,Fragments,partviii;Baring-

  Gould,LegendsofOldTestamentCharacters,chap。xxiv;Farrar,LifeofChrist,chap。iii。AstotheMagi,seeHiggins,Anacalypsis;Hooykaas,Ort,andKuenen,BibleforLearners,vol。

  iii。ForGreekandRomantraditions,seeBell,Pantheon,s。v。

  AesculapiusandAtreus;Gibbon,DeclineandFall,vol。i,pp。

  151,590;Farrar,LifeofChristAmericanedition,p。52;Cox,TalesofAncientGreece,pp。41,61,62;Higgins,Anacalypsis,vol。i,p。322;alsoSuetonius,Caes。,Julius,p。88,Claud。,p。

  463;Seneca,Nat。Quaest,vol。1,p。1;Virgil,Ecl。,vol。ix,p。

  47;aswellasOvid,Pliny,andothers。

  ThesameconceptionenteredintoourChristiansacredbooks。OfallthelegendswhichgrewinsuchluxurianceandbeautyaboutthecradleofJesusofNazareth,noneappealsmoredirectlytothehighestpoeticfeelingthanthatgivenbyoneoftheevangelists,inwhichastar,risingintheeast,conductedthewisementothemangerwheretheGalileanpeasant-child——theHopeofMankind,theLightoftheWorld——waslyinginpovertyandhelplessness。

  AmongtheMohammedanswehaveacuriousexampleofthesametendencytowardakindlyinterpretationofstarsandmeteors,inthebeliefofcertainMohammedanteachersthatmeteoricshowersarecausedbygoodangelshurlingmissilestodriveevilangelsoutofthesky。

  Eclipseswereregardedinaverydifferentlight,beingsupposedtoexpressthedistressofNatureatearthlycalamities。TheGreeksbelievedthatdarknessovershadowedtheearthatthedeathsofPrometheus,Atreus,Hercules,Aesculapius,andAlexandertheGreat。TheRomanlegendsheldthatatthedeathofRomulustherewasdarknessforsixhours。InthehistoryoftheCaesarsoccurportentsofallthreekinds;foratthedeathofJuliustheearthwasshroudedindarkness,thebirthofAugustuswasheraldedbyastar,andthedownfallofNerobyacomet。So,too,inoneoftheChristianlegendsclusteringaboutthecrucifixion,darknessoverspreadtheearthfromthesixthtotheninthhour。Neitherthesilenceregardingitoftheonlyevangelistwhoclaimstohavebeenpresent,northefactthatobserverslikeSenecaandPliny,who,thoughtheycarefullydescribedmuchlessstrikingoccurrencesofthesamesortandinmoreremoteregions,failedtonoteanysuchdarknesseveninJudea,haveavailedtoshakefaithinanaccountsotruetothehighestpoeticinstinctsofhumanity。

  ThisviewoftherelationsbetweenNatureandmancontinuedamongbothJewsandChristians。AccordingtoJewishtradition,darknessoverspreadtheearthforthreedayswhenthebooksoftheLawwereprofanedbytranslationintoGreek。TertullianthoughtaneclipseanevidenceofGod’swrathagainstunbelievers。Norhasthismodeofthinkingceasedinmoderntimes。AsimilarclaimwasmadeattheexecutionofCharlesI;

  andIncreaseMatherthoughtaneclipseinMassachusettsanevidenceofthegriefofNatureatthedeathofPresidentChauncey,ofHarvardCollege。ArchbishopSandysexpectedeclipsestobethefinaltokensofwoeatthedestructionoftheworld,andtracesofthisfeelinghavecomedowntoourowntime。

  ThequaintstoryoftheConnecticutstatesmanwho,whenhisassociatesintheGeneralAssemblywerealarmedbyaneclipseofthesun,andthoughtitthebeginningoftheDayofJudgment,quietlyorderedincandles,thathemightinanycasebefounddoinghisduty,marksprobablythelastnoteworthyappearanceoftheoldbeliefinanycivilizednation。[91]

  [91]ForHindutheories,seeAlabaster,WheeloftheLaw,11。

  ForGreekandRomanlegends,SeeHiggins,Anacalypsis,vol。i,pp。616,617。;alsoSuetonius,Caes。,Julius,p。88,Claud。,p。

  46;Seneca,Quaest。Nat。,vol。i,p。1,vol。vii,p。17;Pliny,Hist。Nat。,vol。ii,p。25;Tacitus,Ann。,vol。xiv,p。22;

  Josephus,Antiq。,vol。xiv,p。12;andtheauthoritiesabovecited。ForthetraditionoftheJewsregardingthedarknessofthreedays,seecitationinRenan,HistoireduPeupleIsrael,vol。iv,chap。iv。ForTertullian’sbeliefregardingthesignificanceofaneclipse,seetheAdScapulum,chap。iii,inMigne,Patrolog。Lat。,vol。i,p。701。FortheclaimregardingCharlesI,seeasermonpreachedbeforeCharlesII,citedbyLecky,EnglandintheEighteenthCentury,vol。i,p。65。Matherthought,too,thatitmighthavesomethingtodowiththedeathofsundrycivilfunctionariesofthecolonies;seehisDiscourseconcerningcomets,1682。ForArchbishopSandy’sbelief,seehiseighteenthsermoninParkerSoc。Publications。ThestoryofAbrahamDavenporthasbeenmadefamiliarbythepoemofWhittier。

  Inthesebeliefsregardingmeteorsandeclipsestherewaslittlecalculatedtodoharmbyarousingthatsuperstitiousterrorwhichistheworstbreeding-bedofcruelty。Farotherwisewasitwiththebeliefregardingcomets。Duringmanycenturiesitgaverisetothedirestsuperstitionandfanaticism。TheChaldeansaloneamongtheancientpeoplesgenerallyregardedcometswithoutfear,andthoughtthembodieswanderingasharmlessasfishesinthesea;thePythagoreansaloneamongphilosophersseemtohavehadavagueideaofthemasbodiesreturningatfixedperiodsoftime;andinallantiquity,sofarasisknown,onemanalone,Seneca,hadthescientificinstinctandpropheticinspirationtogivethisideadefiniteshape,andtodeclarethatthetimewouldcomewhencometswouldbefoundtomoveinaccordancewithnaturallaw。Hereandthereafewstrongmenroseabovetheprevailingsuperstition。TheEmperorVespasiantriedtolaughitdown,andinsistedthatacertaincometinhistimecouldnotbetokenhisdeath,becauseitwashairy,andhebald;butsuchscoffingproducedlittlepermanenteffect,andtheprophecyofSenecawassoonforgotten。Theseandsimilarisolatedutterancescouldnotstandagainstthemassofopinionwhichupheldthedoctrinethatcometsare“signsandwonders。”[92]

  [92]ForterrorcausedinRomebycomets,seePingre,Cometographie,pp。165,166。FortheChaldeans,seeWolf,GeschichtederAstronomie,p。10etseq。,andp。181etseq。;

  alsoPingre,chap。ii。ForthePythagoreannotions,seecitationsfromPlutarchinCostard,HistoryofAstronomy,p。283。

  ForSeneca’sprediction,seeGuillemin,WorldofCometstranslatedbyGlaisher,pp。4,5;alsoWatson,OnComets,p。

  126。Forthisfeelinginantiquitygenerally,seethepreliminarychaptersofthetwoworkslastcited。

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