which are most hidden from our knowledge for the indications of the Divinity; to contend that when natural causes fail us, we are, in an especial manner, driven to admit direct Divine intervention; and that when mechanical laws apparently cease to apply, then we must more peculiarly recognize the dominion of the Deity. The view which I have been here endeavouring to illustrate is precisely the reverse. The evidences of the Divine operation seem to me manifested precisely in proportion as we can trace material laws and physical laws.

A world enveloped in entire obscurity as to physical causes, would, to my apprehension, be a world without the evidence of a Deity. An universe without appreciable laws would be a chaos, not a creation. And, by parity of reason, in those regions of nature, where we are most involved in ignorance, there, is the Deity most hidden from our perceptions. And instead of groping in the darker recesses where induction has not yet penetrated to find Him, we shall more rationally go forth to behold Him in those brighter regions which are illumined by discovered causes and demonstrated laws.

Yet so powerful has been the prejudice to the contrary, that not only have the unexplained obscurities of nature been religiously venerated as the penetralia of natural worship, but it has been held dangerous to indulge in the most philosophical conjectures; and impious to speculate on causes which may be most rationally imagined to prevail when we

have no certain proofs to rely upon; as if, in so doing, we were profanely penetrating into precincts peculiarly consecrated to the Deity, and hallowed by his immediate presence.

Example: Nature of Gravitation.

WE may illustrate this remark by the instance of the essential principle of gravity which, in the present state of our knowledge, is wholly enveloped in mystery. But do we thence gain any thing in favour of final causes, or the belief in Divine agency? On the contrary, if future discoveries should disclose to us the nature of this universally mysterious agent, and bring it under the dominion of mechanical laws, we shall obtain so much the higher insight into the recondite mechanism of the world, and the more striking proofs of the skill of its Divine artificer.

Such were the sentiments of the most enlightened of Newton's followers even in his own times; and when, in the controversy to which his discoveries were at first exposed, the absurd accusation was urged by his continental opponents, that by pushing the physical explanations of phenomena beyond due bounds, the philosopher unwarrantably intruded into the region of primary causation, (according to the confused idea, so commonly prevalent, of their relative nature,) the reply of Dr. S. Clarke, (than whom no one was better able to see the theological bearing of the case,) was simply, "Si M. Leibnitz ou

quelque autre philosophe peut expliquer ces phénomènes par les loix du mécanisme, bien loin d'etre contredit tous les savans' l'en remercieront *."

Aggregation of Matter.

TO TAKE another example of those phenomena of the universe, which have not been reduced to mechanical causes, we may cite that which is dwelt upon by Newton in the following passage: "If the matter of the sun and planets was evenly disposed throughout an infinite space, it would never convene into one mass; but some of it would convene into one mass, and some into another, so as to make an infinite number of masses, scattered at great distances from one to another throughout all the infinite space. And thus might the sun and the fixed stars be formed, supposing the matter were of a lucid nature. But how the matter should divide itself into two sorts; and that part of it which is fit to compose a shining body should fall down into one mass and make a sun; and the rest, which is fit to compose an opaque body, should coalesce, not into one great body, like the shining matter, but into many little ones; or if the sun were at first an opaque body like the planets, or the planets lucid bodies like the sun, how he alone should be changed into a shining body, whilst all they continue opaque; or, all they be changed into opaque ones, whilst he remains

* Replique de M. Clarke. Leibnitz, Op. ii. 193.

unchanged; I do not think explicable by mere natural causes, but am forced to ascribe it to the counsel and contrivance of a voluntary agent*."

Such was the conjecture of Newton in accordance with the existing state of philosophical views. He considered the phenomena " not explicable by mere natural causes," and therefore had recourse to a supernatural cause. But supposing the case allowed to be thus unexplained by any known natural causes, we have still to observe that it would afford no more evidences of supernatural agency than simply that which is furnished by the observed facts of the adaptation of the masses and respective physical conditions of the sun and of the planets to each other; and this evidence is unaltered whether the observed fact can be accounted for or not. And if it could be accounted for on any known physical principle, so far from detracting from the manifestation of design, this would only the more augment our impression of widely-pervading skill and recondite adjustment throughout the planetary world. But though we should admit that no cause has been assigned, it would be manifestly contrary to every principle of the inductive philosophy to affim that none can or will be.

When, therefore, we find Laplace suggesting what is, after all, professedly but a conjecture as to the probable course, merely, which inquiry might pro

*

Letter I. to Bentley. Works, vol. iv., p. 430.

perly take on such a question, it ought neither to be regarded (as it has been,) as an unwarrantable extension of philosophical analogy, nor dreaded (as in some instances,) as in the least degree hostile to the argument for design; so far from this, if verified, it would but enhance the value of that argument. He, in fact, simply suggests, " amid these uncertainties the wisest course would be to devote ourselves to determining, by repeated experiments, the laws of affinity, in order to arrive at what would appear the simplest means of comparing these forces with that of gravitation.'

If any law of affinity should ever be developed to such an extent as in any degree to meet the object here in view, (and we can never say that discovery may not be carried so far,) the only result surely would be the most overpowering conviction of the extension of the same vast unity of design throughout the mechanism of the material system.

The Nebular Hypothesis.

CLOSELY connected with this last case is the "nebular hypothesis," as it has been called, which has in a more peculiar degree, called forth the censures and obloquy of those who were intent on allowing no secondary means as the instruments or channels of the influence of creative power.

The luminous band called the "milky way," is resolved, by powerful telescopes, into a vast multitude