This parallelism may be said to be seen very distinctly, and yet very imperfectly; for while there can be no doubt of its existence in general, yet it cannot be followed out in any direction without encountering breaks and apparent inconsistencies. Very many more facts must be accurately known before these chasms can be filled; a much more perfect recognition of the principles of creation must enter into Science before it traces out this analogy with anything like completeness. But upon this path Science has certainly entered.

We may say there is a twofold gradation of being. By degrees of one kind, things of the same class gradually differ, like more or less, greater or smaller, from one extreme to the other; and these we may call continuous degrees. By degrees of the other kind, classes of being are separated, the one class or series being above or below another, and arranged in parallelism with that other; these may be called discrete degrees. Things separated by continuous degrees, do, as it were, run into each other; those separated by discrete degrees, do not. By continuous degrees all things are arranged within their several classes or series; by discrete degrees all classes or series are arranged, one below the other, from highest to lowest. Continuous degrees exist within these classes; discrete degrees exist among them. From the parallelism between the series which are separated by discrete degrees results an analogy, or correspondence between class and class, or between series and series, and also between individual entities of one class or series, and other entities occupying an analogous position in another class or series.

The greatest and most important of these analogies is that which connects the material and the spiritual worlds, for between these worlds there exists this parallelism. Of this analogy Science knows nothing, for the plain reason

that it knows nothing of the spiritual world: it ignores this world utterly; or it has done so; and if it is beginning to recognize the existence of a spiritual world, this is but the first step in a direction which leads to the extension of this principle of analogy to this spiritual world.

If we believe that God is One, and that the indefinite variety of creation reflects the infinite variety in himself, which is still in him conjoined in perfectly harmonious unity, we might expect to find this parallelism in his works. We might expect that, when, beginning from himself, he creates a world of spirit and a world of matter, and fills these worlds with many series of beings, we should find a similarity and correspondence running through them, due to the unity of their Creator and of his ends and purposes, and due also to his wish that his universe should be harmonious and co-operative, and that all its parts should coexist in mutual adaptation to each other.

The results of this analogy or correspondence are innumerable. One of them will be this, and has already begun to be seen in relation to the natural sciences: it is that a truth discovered in relation to one member of any series, will give instruction and illumination at the analogous points through all the series. Something, though not much of this, exists already, and is recognized. Vastly more will come hereafter. Different men, directed by genius, taste, or circumstance, will apply themselves to different departments of research. Whatever fact any one discovers will no longer be his alone, no longer be communicated to his brethren merely in repayment of what they have seen and told, but will be given to them as a light which they may use. And then any truth discovered in its relation to any one of the great series of beings, will become at once, merely by application and adaptation, a truth in relation to others.

The same thing is true of Science and Religion. Between these also there is parallelism, analogy, and correspondence. Science treats of this world; Religion of the other, and of this only in its relation to the other; and between these two worlds and the things of each there is correspondence. In the future which is now dawning upon mankind, this truth will be recognized, and become operative, and fruitful of vast good. Then, what will be the relation between Science and Religion, what the splendor of the day which will rise upon both. For then will Science labor with tenfold earnestness and tenfold success, because all its discoveries will give new confirmation, illustration, growth, and force to Religion; and Religion, in addition to the inestimable blessings for which she and she alone has ever been, and must ever be, the medium between God and man, will, at every step of her own progress and development, give back to Science new means for orderly and true progress, for sound and healthy development. Then will the moon be as the sun, and the light of the sun will be increased a thousand fold.

If we seek the final cause of creation, we shall find it in the love of God. For it is of the essential nature of love to desire to give to others of its own good; to impart to others its own happiness. For this God creates the inanimate worlds, natural and spiritual; but they, because they are inanimate, cannot receive happiness from him. Therefore they are only instrumental towards the creation, nourishment, and support of animated beings who may receive this gift. To them it is given; all the animals, even the lowest, whose life is almost death, receive being and life

from him that they may be happy; and they are constructed in such varied adaptation to inanimate nature, and this in such adaptation to them, that they live upon it and by means of it with various kinds and degrees of happiness. Here therefore the purpose of creation begins to be accomplished. Only begins, however; for it is possible that created beings of another kind should receive infinitely greater and higher happiness; and the utmost that is possible in this way is that which the love of God desires and his wisdom accomplishes.

This end of the Divine love is reached through the creation of man. For man stands in the centre of the created universe. From the whole circumference converging radii meet in him. Spirit and matter meet in him. All the forces and energies of the material world compose and preserve his material body while he has need of it. All the forces and energies of the spiritual world enter into, compose, and preserve his spirit for ever. He stands in the centre of creation that he may command it all, and possess it all; and not until this is done is his destiny fulfilled. Therefore he begins existence upon the lowest plane of being; he begins to live only a creature of sense, and in utter ignorance. But from this he may go upward, and ascend through an eternity of progress. Therefore all creation is so adjusted and arranged that it offers steps for his progress. We may call these steps, if we will, by a word we have already used, - degrees. However we call them, we mean that all forms of being are connected together by regular gradation. All are in man; at first undeveloped and unknown; each successively awaking as man by his ascent gives to each opportunity for exercise, and materials to work with, and an end to work for. And so man may go for ever upwards, towards that which will for ever remain infinitely above him; at each step of his ascent

seeing more clearly the wisdom of his Father and receiving more of that wisdom into his understanding, while at every step a new glow of love warms his heart, and a new happiness fills it. And so are the great purposes of God accomplished.

To speak of such things, or think of them, while we lie grovelling here, even to utter such a possibility, - seems to affront our degraded and humiliated nature. The very uttermost that what we call our reason, or what some at least call reason, will admit, is, that a momentary indulgence in this wild fantasy may be pardoned to enthusiasm, but on condition that, before it becomes insanity, it will awake and strive for soberness. And yet reason, if it will but shake off the incrusted slime that binds it to the earth, and begin with the acknowledgment that man and the universe are the work of one God of infinite love and infinite wisdom and infinite power, must see and say that the truth of all this is demonstrable by the severest logic. We do not mean that our argument, our process, is logically certain; very far are we from saying that. But we do say, that the general conclusion is absolutely and demonstrably certain, if only the premises we demand are given; and that where one jot of this conclusion fails or is wanting, it cannot but come from a corresponding failure or want in the recognition of such a God.

Man may begin at the lowest point, and thence ascend; and his ascent will consist of two elements: one, the acquiring a certain degree of knowledge and mastery over the plane on which he stands; the other, the passing from this as a Seeming, as an envelope; and so entering upon a new and higher plane, bearing with him all the light that he has won before. Nor will his course be always regular and uninterrupted, even if it be always upwards; nor will it be always the same. At some periods of this progress,