8o THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



"Well! this God is also the God of Christians. That the God of 

 Christians is something more does not aifect this fact. Nature, ac- 

 cording to all systems of Christian theology, is God's ordinance. 

 Whether with science you stop short at Nature, or with theology be- 

 lieve in a God who is the author of Nature, in either case Nature is 

 divine, for it is either God or the work of God. This whole domain 

 is common to science and theology. When theology says, Let us 

 give up the wisdom of men and listen to the voice of God, and when 

 science says. Let us give up human authority and hollow a priori knowl- 

 edge and listen to Nature, they are agreed to the whole extent of the 

 narrower proposition, i. e., theology ought to admit all that science 

 says, though science admits only a part of Avhat theology says. The- 

 ology cannot say the laws of Nature are not divine ; all it can say is, 

 they are not the most important of the divine laws. Perhaps not, 

 but they gain an importance from the fact that they are laws upon 

 which all can agree. Making the largest allowance for discoveries, 

 about which science may be too confident, there remains a vast mass 

 of natural knowledge which no one questions. This to the Christian 

 is so much knowledge about God, and he ought to rejoice quite as 

 much as thei'man of science at the rigorous method by which it has 

 been separated from the human prejudice and hasty ingenuity, and de- 

 lusive rhetoric or poetry, which might have adulterated it. By this 

 means we have been enabled to hear a voice which is unmistakably 

 God's. And if it seems to be God speaking about matters not of the 

 greatest importance, still perhaps it may be as well to listen. So 

 much, at least, reverence seems to dictate; and, if it did not, the 

 ui'gent necessity for more agreement on fundamental questions would 

 dictate it imperiousl3^ 



This train of thought will be followed a little further in future 

 numbers of this magazine. Macmillaii's 3Iagazine. 



MODEEN STKEET-PAYEMENTS. 



By ADOLF CLUSS, C. E. 



THE most distinguished sanitarians of the age have established 

 the fact that our modern cities are mostly so located that pub- 

 lic health depends much less upon climate and position than upon 

 rational conditions and modes of life. Enforced cleanliness, and 

 the progress of sanitary woi'ks in cities, are followed by an en- 

 hanced vitality and elasticity of mind still more than by longevity 

 of the inhabitants. Among sanitary works, improved pavements are 

 classed along with sewerage, watei'-closets, and water-supply under 

 pressure ; since it is a prime condition of public hygiene that every 



