the unseen world and other essays-第31章

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y；　the　carrying　out　of　the　argument　was　left　for　the　most　part　to　the　headings　and　running…titles　of　the　several　chapters；　while　in　the　text　the　author　peacefully　meandered　along　down　the　stream　of　time；　giving　us　a　succession　of　pleasant　though　somewhat　threadbare　anecdotes；　as　well　as　a　superabundance　of　detached　and　fragmentary　opinions　on　divers　historical　events；　having　apparently　quite　forgotten　that　he　had　started　with　a　thesis　to　prove。　In　the　arrangement　of　his　〃running　heads；〃　some　points　were　sufficiently　curious　to　require　a　word　of　explanation；　as；　for　example；　when　the　early　ages　of　Christianity　were　at　one　time　labelled　as　an　epoch　of　progress　and　at　another　time　as　an　epoch　of　decrepitude。　But　the　argument　and　the　contents　never　got　so　far　en　rapport　with　each　other　as　to　clear　up　such　points　as　this。　On　the　contrary；　each　kept　on　the　even　tenour　of　its　way　without　much　regard　to　the　other。　From　the　titles　of　the　chapters　one　was　led　to　expect　some　comprehensive　theory　of　European　civilization　continuously　expounded。　But　the　text　merely　showed　a　great　quantity　of　superficial　and　second…hand　information；　serving　to　illustrate　the　mental　idiosyncrasies　of　the　author。　Among　these　idiosyncrasies　might　be　noted　a　very　inadequate　understanding　of　the　part　played　by　Rome　in　the　work　of　civilization；　a　singular　lack　of　appreciation　of　the　political　and　philosophical　achievements　of　Greece　under　Athenian　leadership；　a　strong　hostility　to　the　Catholic　Church；　a　curious　disposition　to　overrate　semi…barbarous。　or　abortive　civilizations；　such　as　those　of　the　old　Asiatic　and　native　American　communities；　at　the　expense　of　Europe；　and；　above　all；　an　undiscriminating　admiration　for　everything；　great　or　small；　that　has　ever　worn　the　garb　of　Islam　or　been　associated　with　the　career　of　the　Saracens。　The　discovery　that　in　some　respects　the　Mussulmans　of　the　Middle　Ages　were　more　highly　cultivated　than　their　Christian　contemporaries；　has　made　such　an　impression　on　Dr。　Draper's　mind　that　it　seems　to　be　as　hard　for　him　to　get　rid　of　it　as　it　was　for　Mr。　Dick　to　keep　the　execution　of　Charles　I。　out　of　his　〃Memorial。〃　Even　in　an　essay　on　the　〃Civil　Policy　of　America；〃　the　turbaned　sage　figures　quite　prominently；　and　it　is　needless　to　add　that　he　reappears；　as　large　as　life；　when　the　subject　of　discussion　is　the　attitude　of　science　toward　religion。

Speaking　briefly　with　regard　to　this　matter；　we　may　freely　admit　that　the　work　done　by　the　Arabs；　in　scientific　inquiry　as　well　as　in　the　making　of　events；　was　very　considerable。　It　was　a　work；　too；　the　value　of　which　is　not　commonly　appreciated　in　the　accounts　of　European　history　written　for　the　general　reader；　and　we　have　no　disposition　to　find　fault　with　Dr。　Draper　for　describing　it　with　enthusiasm。　The　philosophers　of　Bagdad　and　Cordova　did　excellent　service　in　keeping　alive　the　traditions　of　Greek　physical　inquiry　at　a　time　when　Christian　thinkers　were　too　exclusively　occupied　with　transcendental　speculations　in　theology　and　logic。　In　some　departments；　as　in　chemistry　and　astronomy；　they　made　original　discoveries　of　considerable　value；　and　if　we　turn　from　abstract　knowledge　to　the　arts　of　life；　it　cannot　be　denied　that　the　mediaeval　Mussulmans　had　reached　a　higher　plane　of　material　comfort　than　their　Christian　contemporaries。　In　short；　the　work　of　all　kinds　done　by　these　people　would　furnish　the　judicious　advocate　of　the　claims　of　the　Semitic　race　with　materials　for　a　pleasing　and　instructive　picture。　Dr。　Draper；　however；　errs；　though　no　doubt　unintentionally；　by　so　presenting　the　case　as　to　leave　upon　the　reader's　mind　the　impression　that　all　this　scientific　and　practical　achievement　was　the　work　of　Islamism；　and　that　the　Mohammedan　civilization　was　of　a　higher　type　than　the　Christian。　It　is　with　an　apparent　feeling　of　regret　that　he　looks　upon　the　ousting　of　the　Moors　from　dominion　in　Spain；　but　this　is　a　mistaken　view。　As　regards　the　first　point；　it　is　a　patent　fact　that　scientific　inquiry　was　conducted　at　the　cost　of　as　much　theological　obloquy　in　the　Mohammedan　as　in　the　Christian　world。　It　is　true　there　was　more　actual　tolerance　of　heresy　on　the　part　of　Moslem　governments　than　was　customary　in　Europe　in　those　days；　but　this　is　a　superficial　fact；　which　does　not　indicate　any　superiority　in　Moslem　popular　sentiment。　The　caliphate　or　emirate　was　a　truly　absolute　despotism；　such　as　the　Papacy　has　never　been；　and　the　conduct　of　a　sceptical　emir　in　encouraging　scientific　inquiry　goes　but　little　way　toward　proving　anything　like　a　general　prevalence　of　tolerance　or　of　free…thinking。　And　this　brings　us　to　the　second　point；that　Mohammedan　civilization　was；　on　the　whole；　rather　a　skin…deep　affair。　It　was　superficial　because　of　that　extreme　severance　between　government　and　people　which　has　never　existed　in　European　nations　within　historic　times；　but　which　has　always　existed　among　the　principal　races　that　have　professed　Moslemism。　Nowhere　in　the　Mohammedan　world　has　there　ever　been　what　we　call　a　national　life；　and　nowhere　do　we　find　in　its　records　any　trace　of　such　an　intellectual　impulse；　thrilling　through　every　fibre　of　the　people　and　begetting　prodigious　achievements　in　art；　poetry；　and　philosophy；　as　was　awakened　in　Europe　in　the　thirteenth　century　and　again　in　the　fifteenth。　Under　the　peculiar　form　of　unlimited　material　and　spiritual　despotism　exemplified　in　the　caliphate；　a　few　men　may　discover　gases　or　comment　on　Aristotle；　but　no　general　movement　toward　political　progress　or　philosophical　inquiry　is　possible。　Such　a　society　is　rigid　and　inorganic　at　bottom；　whatever　scanty　signs　of　flexibility　and　life　it　may　show　at　the　surface。　There　is　no　better　illustration　of　this；　when　well　considered；　than　the　fact　that　Moorish　civilization　remained；　politically　and　intellectually；　a　mere　excrescence　in　Spain；　after　having　been　fastened　down　over　half　the　country　for　nearly　eight　centuries。

But　we　are　in　danger　of　forgetting　our　main　theme；　as　Dr。　Draper　seems　to　do；　while　we　linger　with　him　over　these　interesting　wayside　topics。　We　may　perhaps　be　excused；　however；　if　we　have　not　yet　made　any　very　explicit　allusion　to　the　〃Conflict　between　Religion　and　Science；〃　because　this　work　seems　to　be　in　the　main　a　repetition　en　petit　of　the　〃Intellectual　Development　of　Europe；〃　and　what　we　have　said　will　apply　as　well　to　one　as　to　the　other。　In　the　little　book；　as　in　the　big　one；　we　hear　a　great　deal　about　the　Arabs；　and　something　about　Columbus　and　Galileo；　who　made　men　accept　sundry　truths　in　the　teeth　of　clerical　opposition；　and；　as　before；　we　float　gently　down　the　current　of　history　without　being　over　well…informed　as　to　the　precise　didactic　purpose　of　our　voyage。　Here；　indeed；　even　our　headings　and　running…titles　do　not　materially　help　us；　for　though　we　are　supposed　to　be　witnessing；　or　mayhap　assisting　in；　a　perennial　conflict　between　〃science〃　and　〃religion；〃　we　are　nowhere　enlightened　as　to　what　the　cause　or　character　of　this　conflict　is；　nor　are　we　enabled　to　get　a　good　look　at　either　of　the　parties　to　the　strife。　With　regard　to　it　〃religion〃　especially　are　we　left　in　the　dark。　What　this　dreadful　thing　is　towards　which　〃science〃　is　always　playing　the　part　of　Herakles　towards　the　Lernaean　Hydra；　we　are　left　to　gather　from　the　course　of　the　narrative。　Yet；　in　a　book　with　any　valid　claim　to　clearsightedness；　one　would　think　such　a　point　as　this　ought　to　receive　very　explicit　preliminary　treatment。

The　course　of　the　narrative；　however；　leaves　us　in　little　doubt　as　to　what　Dr。　Draper　means　by　a　conflict　between　science　and　religion。　When　he　enlarges　on　the　trite　story　of　Galileo；　and　alludes　to　the　more　modern　quarrel　between　the　Church　and　the　geologists；　and　does　this　in　the　belief　that　he　is　thereby　illustrating　an　antagonism　between　religion　and　science；　it　is　obvious　that　he　identifies　the　cause　of　the　anti…geologists　and　the　persecutors　of　Galileo　with　the　cause　of　religion。　The　word　〃religion〃　is　to　him　a　symbol　which　stands　for　unenlightened　bigotry　or　narrow…minded　unwillingness　to　look　facts　in　the　face。　Such　a　conception　of　religion　is　common　enough；　and　unhappily　a　great　deal　has　been　done　to　strengthen　it　by　the　very　persons　to　whom　the　interests　of　religion　are　presumed　to　be　a　professi