Itisalsopleasingtoknowthat，whileaninstitutioncallingitselfauniversitythusviolatedthefundamentalprinciplesonwhichanyinstitutionworthyofthenamemustbebased，anotherinstitutionwhichhasthegloryofbeingthefirstintheentireNorthtobeginsomethinglikeauniversityorganization——theStateUniversityofMichigan——recalledDr。Winchellatoncetohisformerprofessorship，andhonoureditselfbymaintaininghiminthatposition，where，unhampered，hewasthereafterabletoutterhisviewsinthemidstofthelargestbodyofstudentsontheAmericanContinent。
DisgracefulasthishistorywastothemenwhodroveoutDr。
Winchell，theybutsucceeded，asvarioussimilarbodiesofmenmakingsimilareffortshavedone，inadvancingtheirsupposedvictimtohigherpositionandmorecommandinginfluence。[197]
[197]ForDr。Winchell’soriginalstatements，seeAdamitesandPre-Adamites，Syracuse，N。Y。，1878。Forthefirstimportantdenunciationofhisviews，seetheSt。LouisChristianAdvocate，May22，1878。FortheconversationwithBishopMcTyeire，seeDr。
Winchell’sownaccountintheNashvilleAmericanofJuly19，1878。ForthefurthercourseoftheattackinthedenominationalorganofDr。Winchell’soppressors，seetheNashvilleChristianAdvocate，April26，1879。FortheoratoricaldeclarationoftheTennesseeConferenceuponthematter，seetheNashvilleAmerican，October15，1878；andforthe“ode“regardingthe“harmonyofscienceandrevelation“assupportedattheuniversity，seethesamejournalforMay2，1880
AfewyearsafterthissuppressionofearnestChristianthoughtataninstitutionoflearninginthewesternpartofourSouthernStates，thereappearedasimilarattemptinsundryseaboardStatesoftheSouth。
Asfarbackastheyear1857thePresbyterianSynodofMississippipassedthefollowingresolution：
“WHEREAS，Weliveinanageinwhichthemostinsidiousattacksaremadeonrevealedreligionthroughthenaturalsciences，andasitbehoovestheChurchatalltimestohavemencapableofdefendingthefaithoncedeliveredtothesaints；
“RESOLVED，ThatthispresbyteryrecommendtheendowmentofaprofessorshipofNaturalScienceasconnectedwithrevealedreligioninoneormoreofourtheologicalseminaries。”
PursuanttothisresolutionsuchachairwasestablishedinthetheologicalseminaryatColumbia，S。C。，andJamesWoodrowwasappointedprofessor。Dr。Woodrowseemstohavebeenadmirablyfittedfortheposition——adevotedChristianman，acceptingthePresbyterianstandardsoffaithinwhichhehadbeenbroughtup，andatthesametimegivingeveryefforttoacquainthimselfwiththemethodsandconclusionsofscience。Togreatnaturalendowmentsheaddedconstantlabourstoarriveatthetruthinthisfield。VisitingEurope，hemadetheacquaintanceofmanyoftheforemostscientificinvestigators，becameastudentinuniversitylectureroomsandlaboratories，aninterestedhearerinscientificconventions，andacorrespondentofleadingmenofscienceathomeandabroad。Asaresult，hecametotheconclusionthatthehypothesisofevolutionistheonlyonewhichexplainsvariousleadingfactsinnaturalscience。Thishetaught，andhealsotaughtthatsuchaviewisnotincompatiblewithatrueviewofthesacredScriptures。
In1882and1883theboardofdirectorsofthetheologicalseminary，infearthat“scepticismintheworldisusingallegeddiscoveriesinsciencetoimpugntheWordofGod。”requestedProf。Woodrowtostatehisviewsinregardtoevolution。Theprofessorcompliedwiththisrequestinaverypowerfuladdress，whichwaspublishedandwidelycirculated，tosucheffectthattheboardofdirectorsshortlyafterwardpassedresolutionsdeclaringthetheoryofevolutionasdefinedbyProf。Woodrownotinconsistentwithperfectsoundnessinthefaith。
Intheyear1884alarmregardingDr。Woodrow’steachingsbegantoshowitselfinlargerproportions，andaminorityreportwasintroducedintotheSynodofSouthCarolinadeclaringthat“thesynodiscalledupontodecidenotuponthequestionwhetherthesaidviewsofDr。WoodrowcontradicttheBibleinitshighestandabsolutesense，butuponthequestionwhethertheycontradicttheinterpretationoftheBiblebythePresbyterianChurchintheUnitedStates。”
Perhapsamoreself-condemnatorystatementwasneverpresented，foritclearlyrecognized，asabasisforintolerance，atleastapossibledifferencebetween“theinterpretationoftheBiblebythePresbyterianChurch“andtheteachingsof“theBibleinitshighestandabsolutesense。”
Thishostilemovementbecamesostrongthat，inspiteofthefavourableactionofthedirectorsoftheseminary，andagainsttheeffortsofabroad-mindedminorityintherepresentativebodieshavingultimatechargeoftheinstitution，thedelegatesfromthevarioussynodsraisedastormoforthodoxyanddroveDr。
Woodrowfromhispost。Happily，hewasatthesametimeprofessorintheUniversityofSouthCarolinainthesamecityofColumbia，andfromhischairinthatinstitutionhecontinuedtoteachnaturalsciencewiththeapprovalofthegreatmajorityofthinkingmeninthatregion；hence，theonlyeffectoftheattempttocrushhimwas，thathispositionwasmadehigher，respectforhimdeeper，andhisreputationwider。
Inspiteofattemptsbythemoreorthodoxtopreventstudentsofthetheologicalseminaryfromattendinghislecturesattheuniversity，theypersistedinhearinghim；indeed，thereputationofheresyseemedtoenhancehisinfluence。
ItshouldbeborneinmindthattheprofessorthustreatedhadbeenoneofthemostrespectedandbeloveduniversityinstructorsintheSouthduringmorethanaquarterofacentury，andthathewasturnedoutofhispositionwithnoopportunityforcarefuldefence，and，indeed，withouteventheformalityofatrial。
WelldidaneminentbutthoughtfuldivineoftheSouthernPresbyterianChurchdeclarethat“themethodofproceduretodestroyevolutionbythemajorityintheChurchisviciousandsuicidal。”andthat“logicaldynamitehasbeenusedtoputoutasupposedfireintheupperstoriesofourhouse，andallthefamilyinthehouseatthat。”Wisely，too，didherefertothemajorityas“sowinginthefieldsoftheChurchthethornsofitserrors，andcumberingitspathwiththedebrisandruinofitsownfolly。”
TotheserecentcasesmaybeaddedtheexpulsionofProf。ToyfromteachingunderecclesiasticalcontrolatLouisville，andhiselectiontoafarmoreinfluentialchairatHarvardUniversity；
thedrivingoutfromtheAmericanCollegeatBeyroutoftheyoungprofessorswhoacceptedevolutionasprobable，andtheriseofoneofthem，Mr。Nimr，toafarmorecommandingpositionthanthatwhichheleft——thecontrolofthreeleadingjournalsatCairo；thedrivingoutofRobertsonSmithfromhispositionatEdinburgh，andhisreceptionintothefarmoreimportantandinfluentialprofessorshipattheEnglishUniversityofCambridge；
andmultitudesofsimilarcases。FromthedayswhenHenryDunster，thefirstPresidentofHarvardCollege，wasdrivenfromhispresidency，asCottonMathersaid，for“fallingintothebriersofAntipedobaptism“untilnow，thesamespiritisshowninallsuchattempts。Ineachwehavegenerally，ononeside，abodyofoldertheologians，whosincetheiryouthhavelearnednothingandforgottennothing，sundryprofessorswhodonotwishtorewritetheirlectures，andamassofunthinkingecclesiasticalpersonsoflittleornoimportancesaveinmakinguparetrogrademajorityinanecclesiasticaltribunal；ontheothersidewehaveasgenerallythethinking，open-minded，devotedmenwhohavelistenedtotherevelationoftheirowntimeaswellasoftimespast，andwhoareevidentlythinkingthefuturethoughtoftheworld。
Herewehavesurvivalsofthatsameoppressionofthoughtbytheologywhichhascostthemodernworldsodear；thesystemwhichforcedgreatnumbersofprofessors，underpenaltyofdeprivation，toteachthatthesunandplanetsrevolveabouttheearth；thatcometsarefire-ballsflungbyanangryGodatawickedworld；thatinsanityisdiabolicpossession；thatanatomicalinvestigationofthehumanframeissinagainsttheHolyGhost；thatchemistryleadstosorcery；thattakinginterestformoneyisforbiddenbyScripture；thatgeologymustconformtoancientHebrewpoetry。FromthesamesourcecameinAustriatheruleofthe“ImmaculateOath。”underwhichuniversityprofessors，longbeforethedogmaoftheImmaculateConceptionwasdefinedbytheChurch，wereobligedtosweartotheirbeliefinthatdogmabeforetheywerepermittedtoteachevenarithmeticorgeometry；inEngland，thedenunciationofinoculationagainstsmallpox；inScotland，theprotestsagainstusingchloroforminchildbirthas“vitiatingtheprimalcurseagainstwoman“；inFrance，theuseinclericalschoolsofahistoricaltext-bookfromwhichNapoleonwasleftout；and，inAmerica，theuseofCatholicmanualsinwhichtheInquisitionisdeclaredtohavebeenapurelyciviltribunal，orProtestantmanualsinwhichthePuritansareshowntohavebeenallthatwecouldnowwishtheyhadbeen。
So，too，amongmultitudesofsimilareffortsabroad，wehaveduringcenturiesthefetteringofprofessorsatEnglishandScotchuniversitiesbytestoaths，subscriptionstoarticles，andcatechismswithoutnumber。Inourowncountrywehavehadinavastmultitudeofdenominationalcolleges，asthefirstqualificationforaprofessorship，notabilityinthesubjecttobetaught，butfidelitytotheparticularshibbolethofthedenominationcontrollingthecollegeoruniversity。
Happily，inthesedayssuchattemptsgenerallydefeatthemselves。
Thesupposedvictimisgenerallymadeamanofmarkbypersecution，andadvancedtoahigherandwidersphereofusefulness。Inwithstandingthemarchofscientifictruth，anyConference，Synod，BoardofCommissioners，BoardofTrustees，orFaculty，isbutasanestoffield-miceinthepathofasteamplough。
Theharmdonetoreligionintheseattemptsisfargreaterthanthatdonetoscience；fortherebysuspicionsarewidelyspread，especiallyamongopen-mindedyoungmen，thattheacceptedChristiansystemdemandsaconcealmentoftruth，withthepersecutionofhonestinvestigators，andthereforemustbefalse。
WellwasitsaidinsubstancebyPresidentMcCosh，ofPrinceton，thatnomoresurewayofmakingunbelieversinChristianityamongyoungmencouldbedevisedthanpreachingtothemthatthedoctrinesarrivedatbythegreatscientificthinkersofthisperiodareopposedtoreligion。
Yetitisbutjusticeheretosaythatmoreandmorethereisevolvingoutofthispasthistoryofoppressionabetterspirit，whichismakingitselfmanifestwithpowerintheleadingreligiousbodiesoftheworld。IntheChurchofRomewehaveto-daysuchutterancesasthoseofSt。GeorgeMivart，declaringthattheChurchmustnotattempttointerferewithscience；thattheAlmightyintheGalileocasegaveheradistinctwarningthatthepriesthoodofsciencemustremainwiththemenofscience。
IntheAnglicanChurchanditsAmericandaughterwehavetheactsandutterancesofsuchmenasArchbishopTait，BishopTemple，DeanStanley，DeanFarrar，andmanyothers，provingthatthedeepestreligiousthoughtismoreandmoretendingtopeaceratherthanwarfarewithscience；andintheotherchurches，especiallyinAmerica，whilethereisyetmuchtobedesired，thewelcomeextendedinmanyofthemtoAlexanderWinchell，andthefreedomgiventoviewslikehis，augurwellforabetterstateofthingsinthefuture。
FromthescienceofAnthropology，whenrightlyviewedasawhole，hascomethegreatestaidtothosewhoworktoadvancereligionratherthantopromoteanyparticularsystemoftheology；forAnthropologyanditssubsidiarysciencesshowmoreandmorethatman，sincecomingupontheearth，hasrisen，fromtheperiodwhenhehadlittle，ifany，ideaofagreatpowerabovehim，throughsuccessivestagesoffetichism，shamanism，andidolatry，towardbetterformsofbelief，makinghimmoreandmoreaccessibletonoblerformsofreligion。Thesamesciencesshow，too，withinthehistoricperiod，thesametendency，andespeciallywithintheeventscoveredbyoursacredbooks，aprogressfromfetichism，ofwhichsomanyevidencescropoutintheearlyJewishworshipasshownintheOldTestamentScriptures，throughpolytheism，whenJehovahwasbut“agodaboveallgods。”throughtheperiodwhenhewas“ajealousGod。”capriciousandcruel，untilheisrevealedinsuchinspiredutterancesasthoseofthenoblerPsalms，thegreatpassagesinIsaiah，thesublimepreachingofMicah，and，aboveall，throughtheidealgiventotheworldbyJesusofNazareth。