who recommends iron. Their leaders must be pained to find that having scorned the statements of Scripture as too human-rendering the work of creation too man-like-they are reduced to the absurdity of endeavouring to find a mechanical equivalent for the world, in which the ultimate atoms turn the key of every mystery, and possess, in some incomprehensible manner, the promise and potency of all terrestrial life.

Some of our religious teachers err by another kind of onesidedness. Knowing but little of physics, they use exploded arguments, and seek to maintain untenable positions. No wonder that the Sacred Cause, which they endeavour to champion, is imperilled rather than vindicated.

Such an unnatural separation, on the one hand, of Science from Religion and holy sentiment, is a surrender, by the implicated physicists, of an honourable position; and reduces Science to an occupation of sheer curiosity and selfish utilitarianism. A separation, on the other hand, of Religion from Science, gives to our clergy the impossible task of explaining the universe without the aid of positive knowledge; and leads to a hard dogmatism, oppressive to the spirit of a true student in natural science. As a result, even the verities of Divine Revelation, true independently of belief or unbelief, are not handled with sufficient force to obtain the conviction of scientific intellect, nor so pleasingly set forth as to win the affections of a devout will. Partly owing to this, truths, which the greatest of mankind have thoroughly investigated and undoubtedly accepted, are now refused by the unspiritual; who, not being able to detect the soul by physical analysis, nor to find God by means of microscope and telescope, nor by any unbelieving efforts to obtain a view of the Eternal Spirit, assert "The existence of the Soul, the Being of God, the Divine Revelation, have no other foundation than the devout aspirations of believers."

It is true that there are, specially in the medical profession, men with keen unconquerable love for scientific study; who, not possessing special religious convictions, not having any particular expectation of pecuniary advantage, devote themselves, "heart and soul," with intense unselfish devotion, to

Those against whom we Reason.

3

the study of their own branch of science. These men save life and beautify it, their love of science is a sacred love, and it may be that with them "laborare est orare."

"The thought of their laborious years doth breed

Perpetual benedictions: not indeed

For that which is most worthy to be bless'd :

Not for this we raise

The song of thanks and praise;

But for those obstinate questionings
Of sense and outward things,

Which, be they what they may,

Are yet the dawning light of better day."

Slightly altered from Wm. Wordsworth.

For the sake of these and other truth-loving men, in danger of being beguiled by the sophisms of an imperfect science, this book is written; that, obtaining clearness of knowledge as to the ancient founts of inspiration, and gathering strength, they may say

"Wherefore should we be silent, we who know

The trance of adoration, and behold

Upon our bended knees the Throne of Heaven,
And Him who sits thereon?"

In a scientific work no apology is needed for the statement in detail of scientific facts. They are needful for instruction of the unlettered, and useful to all as exhibiting the bases of real argument; but the highest reason for their introduction is that the true discoveries of science are themselves revelations of the Divine Presence and Work-a psalmody of Wisdom and Power.

We do not deal with the controversies amongst believers, nor with Scepticism in some of its rationalistic doubts; but with those who deny supernaturalism, who refuse to believe in a personal God-our Creator, our Preserver, our Father. We undertake a conflict the momentous nature of which involves our highest interests: nothing less, on the one hand, than the loss of everything which can elevate man; and, on the other, his degradation to a brute-nature. Those who trifle. with unbelief should well understand this ultimate issue, and

draw back while there is time. It is well that the Materialist undeceive himself as to the imaginary benefits delusively hoped to result from his philosophy. Egyptian, Assyrian, Grecian, Roman experience, should enable him to see that to unfaith men takes from them everything which can preserve from evil and lead to good. It is well for him to be aware that without a sense of holiness, of devotion to a Higher Being, degradation ensues. "Deum nôsse, est vivere; Deum nescire, mori."

While employing physical and metaphysical arguments against the Materialist, we contend for a Revelation in an Inspired Record as an essential bulwark against error, and the only infallible guide to religious truth; as the corrective of scientific generalisations which would banish God from the world; and as the teacher of spiritual laws co-ordinate with those physical laws which a scientific generalisation has revealed. Indeed, physical science is the sister and handmaid of Revelation; no lasting antagonism can exist between them; nor will man lastingly receive a religion that requires antagonism. Science has not yet advanced far enough to establish perfect accord with Revelation, but is tending thither; and, when attained, the generalisations of science will no longer be doubtful but assured. Our aim is to promote that agreement by showing the correspondence between truly scientific conclusions and Holy Writ; by exposing hasty generalisations which appear contrary to Revelation; by making it plain that science is knowledge as exact as is possible to finite wisdom; and that scientific truths, like spiritual, have for ever been descending from heaven to men.

Materialists forget all this. By mistake and misfortune, astonished by unprepared emergence from comparative ignorance of physics to wider information, they deny that there is any science or commanding intellect apart from their own; not knowing that the sublimest achievements of our nature are by spiritual scientific insight. To be great, they must not only use the microscope of observation, but the farsighted telescope of imagination, and verify the vision. Then they will be aware that former insurrections against Divine

Ancient Rebellions against Divine Truth. 5

Truth were sustained by men of brilliant parts, of dazzling wit, of refined culture, of fascinating manners; but, when the tumult had subsided, Sacred Verities were found more firmly established, having called forth in their defence the highest intellectual powers that human nature ever displays. The Greek, the Roman, the Celt, the Teuton, rebelled against the Revelation which God gave to one family of mankind; but the Divine Oracles, because they are Divine, prevailed all the more. We have now greater learning, and higher power of criticism, but the Sacred Documents will endure a far more searching test than any they have yet received. It will again be proved, that men are not happy until pure intelligence finds relief and solution for the perplexities of existence by those acts of beneficence and high morality which are only intelligible and possible through the conviction of direct relations between God and man; relations which bring into the horizon of earthly existence the lofty proportions of that celestial fane which God has built; wherein countless myriads of beings present glorious worship, and serve in splendid occupation:

"There's not the smallest orb, which thou behold'st,
But, in his motion, like an angel sings;
Still quiring to the young-eyed Cherubims."

Shakespeare.

Observation confirms this. Those acquainted with scientific progress must be struck with the fact that, of late, the more brilliant achievements have been made in dealing with the unseen. The microscopist, the chemist, questioning the ultimate particles of matter; those who occupy themselves with the mysteries of molecular vibration; bear the victorious wreaths of successful discovery, and show that every atom teems with wonders not less incomprehensible than those of the vast and bright far-off suns.

This connection of all visible things with the invisible, and of life with germs that possibly are not organised in the sense of being eggs-possibly, in themselves, dead as the inanimate matter and putrefiable substances out of which they creep as living things, is evidence, amounting to scientific proof, that there is a continual going forth from the

unseen to the seen; evermore an awakening of life from the dead; which, whether called evolution or creation, renders the universe a sort of enchanted valley; and adds a strange unlooked-for confirmation to expectation that the forms which matter assumes are not its real substance-not essentials, but accidents. Whether any piece of matter shall take the shape of solid, of liquid, or gas, seems a question of temperature and pressure.1 Who can tell the fixed and unvarying elemental form of matter? Has it any such form? Is it a mere condition of energy, or force in loco? Ought we to regard it as endowed with the faculty of assuming every variety of shape according to the mere accidents of environment? Truly, the world we live in is one of marvels; and if we regard it as a manifestation of the Divine Being, the mysteries are analogous to those of the written Revelation: profound and, as to essence, inscrutable.

Verification of the whole argument, on any extended scale, being impracticable for one man, a portion of Holy Scripture has been selected for tentative positive criticism; a portion which, as the first Divine word, and as intimately related to physical science, presents, in connection with peculiar difficulties, strange facilities for that accurate definite examination which can alone content our age. Indeed, if there is any evidence of a Divine Mind discernible in the structure of Holy Scripture, such evidence is the best possible proof that our faith has sufficient basis in reason to warrant every sensible man in accepting it as the instrument of his trial. Should the investigation give reasonable satisfaction, it will afford ground for belief that the same process may be successfully applied

1 Raoul Pictet has shown that we may hope to bring the molecules of a gas into such close contact that they will form a liquid, by fulfilling certain conditions. The gas must be pure, enormous pressure must be available, and the means of producing intense cold, and of subtracting heat at very low temperatures. Under a pressure of 270 atmospheres, at a temperature of 20° F., oxygen is still a gas; but under the influence of a sudden expansion which lowers the temperature to about 360° F., a liquid is produced, and this state of oxygen gas has a density identical with that of water. Nitrogen has been condensed, expanded, liquefied, in the same manner; hydrogen also. This latter was solidified under influence of the extreme cold produced by expansion. Atmospheric air, when freed from carbonic acid gas and treated in the same way, becomes solid. See an admirable abstract of Pictet's work by Mr. Hartley of King's College.-Popular Science.