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formist ; 5. Wesleyan ; 6. Catholic ; 7. Bible Christian. There is much Quaker, and even some Moravian blood, but there are none who have sent me returns who still profess those creeds. The creeds of the parents are somewhat more varied than the above, and the Unitarian element is stronger.
The religious feeling of men of science is necessarily of a peculiar character. Being thoughtful men, they are probably more occupied with religious ideas than the generality of people ; but, being exacting of evidence and questioners of authority, they sturdily object to much that others accept easily. But what is " religion?" It is one of the vaguest of words. Let us try to express ourselves more clearly. I think we may assume that the general tendency of scientific men is to take a " philosophic " view of life ; that is, to show some disregard of the petty, transient events which chiefly absorb the attention of mean minds, and to feel most at peace when their thoughts are reposing on the larger and more enduring aspects of the moral and material world. Also, it would be easy to
