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Rh which he was accountable; whereupon they suspended him from the authorized ministerial function.

And now there comes report of another case of specially remarkable features, in Scotland. A distinguished divine has been condemned by his church for heresy in contributing a valuable and important article to an influential publication. The great issue comes out here in a conspicuous and somewhat startling way. It is useless to deny that the most remarkable thing about this age is the activity of inquiry, and the progress of knowledge. More and more, people will scan their traditions, overhaul their opinions, and investigate their truth; and every subject upon which they can hold opinions is undergoing this inexorable revision. The consequence is, that errors are sifted out, beliefs that fail to stand the test are gradually corrected, and knowledge is steadily extended. These processes are so real and so rapid that great works, which represent the general state of thought at one time, in a few years require extensive readjustment. The eighth edition of the "Encyclopædia Britannica," which was published in 1857, was a comprehensive and faithful representation of the state of general thought at that time. But the numerous and important advances of knowledge made since have left it so far behind that it became necessary to reconstruct it. This is now being done, and several volumes have appeared. Among other subjects to be dealt with was the Bible; and, strange to say, there has been a great deal of progress and modification of opinion in regard to the origin, interpretation, and history, of this important work, within the last twenty years. The editors were responsible before the world for the honest and faithful treatment of the subject. There could be no flinching from the duty of a thorough statement upon the subject here, any more than in the departments of physical science. Very naturally the ablest and best-equipped student was sought to deal with so delicate and critical a subject. Prof. Robertson Smith, of the Theological Seminary at Aberdeen, was selected for the duty. It cannot for a moment be supposed that a gentleman of position and ability, such as would be chosen for this work, and writing for the thinkers of the world in so distinguished a publication as the "Encyclopædia Britannica," would fail to treat the subject with the severest care, in the genuine spirit of truth-seeking, and with all the honor of the most elevated scholarship. And such is the character of the essay. It is written with masterly ability, and is so full of interesting and important information with which everybody should be familiar, that we shall print it in full in the next number of Yet the Free Church of Scotland has been thrown into consternation by the article, and Prof. Smith has been summoned before the General Assembly and suspended, and it is reported that he is to be formally "tried." Meantime, the world will be interested, and will assiduously read the essay.

Now, we call attention to the contrasted policy of Science in the same circumstances. If we turn to the article "Chemistry," in the "Encyclopædia Britannica," we shall see that here also great advance is indicated. There has, in fact, been a revolution so radical and complete, that those familiar with the old statement may find themselves bewildered by the novelty and strangeness of the presentation. Yet nobody hears about any perturbation or alarm in the chemical world, or about Prof. Armstrong being arraigned before the Chemical Society and suspended for heretical teaching.

Obviously there are here two intellectual procedures, which are not only different, but antagonistic. On the one hand, there is recognition that truth is