1879.] ■"-*■ |Ohase. 



" personal soul, " which represents the unity of will and sensation in the 

 "cell-association;" and that his theory brings all natural phenomena into 

 a mechanical causal connection, as parts of a great and uniform process of 

 development. But if we deny that there is any higher soul or life or 

 power or wisdom than is manifested in single organic cells or groups of 

 cells, or if we deny that every " mechanical causal connection " must have 

 a mechanic to make the causal connection, or if we deny any other theory 

 which is more satisfactory to its upholders than our own, we overstep all 

 scientific bounds and our words are as worthless as the babble of a child. 

 We may accept the alternative, "natural development or supernatural crea- 

 tion of species," and we may explain the two hypotheses in such way as 

 to present no necessary antagonism ; but if we deny the necessity of an 

 intelligent author for every established order and an intelligent origin- 

 ator for every consistent plan, we only show our own foolishness. We 

 may believe, with Cousin, in an impersonal reason which pervades 

 the universe like a spiritual sea or atmosphere, which is the mediate 

 source and endless supply of all finite knowledge and all material de- 

 velopment ; but if we deny the existence of a personal reason which is 

 still higher, our vanity leads us into arrogant blasphemy. If we open 

 our intellectual eyes to the light of the highest philosophy, we may see 

 that the truths of affirmation, in all philosophical systems, are partial 

 recognitions of this higher truth which includes them all : wisdom "was 

 set up from everlasting, from the beginning, or ever the earth was." 



Modern science is too prudent to make such denials, and none of them 

 have ever been made by men whose opinion is worthy of the slightest 

 consideration. The methods of observation and experiment only lead to 

 the discovery of what is ; they furnish no grounds for positive assertion of 

 any kind, beyond a simple statement of facts. But the natural disposition 

 to theorize, which is praiseworthy when it is employed merely as a help 

 to investigation, often leads men to attach too much importance to ingeni- 

 ous hypotheses, and to suppose that the explanation which they accept is 

 the only reasonable one. Moreover, the commendable caution, which leads 

 honest and ready investigators to publish nothing that has not been thor- 

 oughly tested by their special methods, is apt to be misunderstood. If men, 

 whose talents, education and calling give them a peculiar aptitude for re- 

 search, hesitate to affirm a mooted doctrine, their admirers often take the 

 hesitation for a denial. The supposed denial has, for them, both the fasci- 

 nation of novelty and the witchery of authority ; they therefore adopt it 

 eagerly, priding themselves on their independence of thought and their 

 superiority over the prejudices of education and tradition. 



It therefore behooves every one, whose views are likely to influence 

 others, to be very watchful lest he become instrumental in breaking down 

 any of the barriers against immorality. If his assurance of important 

 spiritual truths is not sufficient for him to speak with positive certainty, he 

 should at least guard against such misinterpretations of his teachings as he 

 is unwilling to accept, and he should claim the same rights and the same 



