The eighteenth century was a pivotal period in the continuing struggle between the secular and the spiritual.
The Protestant Reformation had lost its fury. Thanks in part to the
riches of the New World, people on both sides of the Atlantic were experiencing a commercial bonanza that was bringing to many persons a standard of living heretofore reserved only for kings and the nobility. The
"new science" was making itself felt. Many hoped to unlock the mysteries of the natural world and create a technology capable of transforming human existence. So excited were the supporters of the new sci…
