ForalongtimeIstoodonthedefensive，hopingthattheprovisionsmadeforthegrowthofreligiouslifeamongthestudentsmightshowthatwewerenotsowickedaswewererepresented;but，asallthisseemedonlytoembitterouradversaries，Ifinallydeterminedtotaketheoffensive，andhavingbeeninvitedtodeliveralectureinthegreathalloftheCooperInstituteatNewYork，tookasmysubject``TheBattle—fieldsofScience。’’
Inthismyeffortwastoshowhow，inthesupposedinterestofreligion，earnestandexcellentmen，formanyagesandinmanycountries，hadbitterlyopposedvariousadvancesinscienceandineducation，andthatsuchoppositionhadresultedinmostevilresults，notonlytoscienceandeducation，buttoreligion。Thislecturewaspublishedinfull，nextday，inthe``NewYorkTribune’’;extractsfromitwerewidelycopied;itwasaskedforbylectureassociationsinmanypartsofthecountry;grewfirstintotwomagazinearticles，thenintoalittlebookwhichwaswidelycirculatedathome，reprintedinEnglandwithaprefacebyTyndall，andcirculatedontheContinentintranslations，wasthenexpandedintoaseriesofarticlesinthe``PopularScienceMonthly，’’andfinallywroughtintomybookon``TheWarfareofSciencewithTheology。’’
Ineachoftheseformsmyargumentprovokedattack;butallthiseventuallycreatedareactioninourfavor，eveninquarterswhereitwasleastexpected。Oneevidenceofthistouchedmedeeply。IhadbeeninvitedtorepeatthelectureatNewHaven，andonarrivingtherefoundalargeaudienceofYaleprofessorsandstudents;but，mostsurprisingofall，inthechairfortheevening，nolessapersonagethanmyreveredinstructor，Dr。TheodoreDwightWoolsey，presidentoftheuniversity。Hewasofadeeplyreligiousnature;andcertainlynomanwaseverunderallcircumstances，moretruetohisconvictionsofduty。Tobewelcomedbyhimwasencouragementindeed。
Hepresentedmecordiallytotheaudience，andatthecloseofmyaddressmadeabriefspeech，inwhichhethoroughlysupportedmypositionsandbademeGodspeed。
Fewthingsinmylifehavesoencouragedme。