twin-sister--of the Reformation. They were begotten together and
were born together. It failed to perceive that, though there is an
impossibility of bringing into coalition the many conflicting sects,
they may all find in science a point of connection; and that, not a
distrustful attitude toward it, but a cordial union with it, is their
true policy.

It remains now to offer some reflections on this "Constitution of the
Catholic Faith," as defined by the Vatican Council.

For objects to present themselves under identical relations to different
persons, they must be seen from the same point of view. In the instance
we are now considering, the religious man has his own especial station;
the scientific man another, a very different one. It is not for either
to demand that his co-observer shall admit that the panorama of facts
spread before them is actually such as it appears to him to be.

The Dogmatic Constitution insists on the admission of this postulate,
that the Roman Church acts under a divine commission, specially and
exclusively delivered to it. In virtue of that great authority, it
requires of all men the surrender of their intellectual convictions, and
of all nations the subordination of their civil power.

But a claim so imposing must be substantiated by the most decisive and
unimpeachable credentials; proofs, not only of an implied and indirect
kind, but clear, emphatic, and to the point; proofs that it would be
impossible to call in question.

The Church, however, declares, that she will not submit her claim to
the arbitrament of human reason; she demands that it shall be at once
conceded as an article of faith.

If this be admitted, all bar requirements must necessarily be assented
to, no matter how exorbitant they may be.

With strange inconsistency the Dogmatic Constitution deprecates reason,
affirming that it cannot determine the points under consideration, and
yet submits to it arguments for adjudication. In truth, it might be said
that the whole composition is a passionate plea to Reason to stultify
itself in favor of Roman Christianity.

With points of view so widely asunder, it is impossible that Religion
and Science should accord in their representation of things. Nor can
any conclusion in common be reached, except by an appeal to Reason as a
supreme and final judge.

There are many religions in the world, some of them of more venerable
antiquity, some having far more numerous adherents, tha