58o THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



department, but it is not a department of science, for it lies outside 

 the domain of science. It is concerned with causes, wliereas science 

 knows nothing of causes ; it is concerned with supernatural phenom- 

 ena which science puts aside as either impossible or unverified. All 

 that this objection means is, that many theologies have been super- 

 naturalistic, and have been occupied with causes, and that though as 

 a matter of course they have not been exclusively supernaturalistic 

 and occupied with causes, yet they have been so sufficiently to justify 

 us in appropriating the word theology to systems that have these 

 characteristics. To say, then, that theology is a spurious science, is 

 to say that in most theological systems there is an element more or 

 less predominant which is unscientific. But, even if it were con- 

 venient to give to this element the name of theology, it would not 

 follow because theology in this sense may be a spurious science and 

 etymologically theology is the science of God that therefore the sci- 

 ence of God is a spurious one. You may use the word theology in its 

 etymological sense, or you may give it a more special technical sense 

 to suit convenience ; but you must not confound the two senses of the 

 word together. As I have said, all science beJongs properly to the 

 science of God, and might legitimately be called theology. I believe 

 also that there is a special department of knowledge which, Avith- 

 out necessarily concerning itself with the supernatural, or with final 

 causes, might both legitimately and conveniently be called theology. 

 Considered in its practical bearings upon human life, the study of 

 Nature resolves itself into the study of two things, a force within tlie 

 human being, and a necessity without him. Life, in short, is a me- 

 chanical problem, in which a power is reqiured to be so advantageous- 

 ly applied as to overcome a weight which is greater than itself. The 

 power is the human will, the weight is Xature, the motive of the 

 struggle between them is certain ideals which man instinctively puts 

 before himself an ideal of happiness, or an ideal of perfection. By 

 means of science he is enabled to apply the power in the most advan- 

 tageous manner. Every piece of knowledge he acquires helps him in 

 his undertaking. Every special science which he perfects removes a 

 new set of obstacles, procures him a new set of resources. And in 

 his conflict with natural difiiculties his energy and hope are in pro- 

 portion to his power of knowing and measuring the force he has, 

 and the resistance he will meet with. When he is able to measure 

 this precisely, his hope becomes confidence even in circumstances 

 which might seem the most alarming. We allow ourselves to be 

 hurried through the air at the rate of fifty miles an hour, with a noise 

 and impetus appalling to a by-stander, and all the while read or sleep 

 comfortably. Why ? Because the forces we have set in motion are 

 all accurately measured, the obstacles to be met fully known. When 

 the measurement is only approximate, there is not confidence, but 

 only hope predominating over fear. The experienced sailor feels 



