8 Natural Salvation. 



enthusiasts outside the pale. A certain regimen has come 

 to prevail ; immature publication is held to be bad form 

 as well as futile. Humility and an educated conservatism 

 characterize the truly scientific mind: the attitude of 

 Newton at the end of his grand discoveries. 



With all that biology has of late demonstrated, we 

 know too little still to say much of ultimate things. 

 The time has not yet come when the creed of science can 

 be written in full for general acceptance and signature. 



It is in the nature and constitution of the human mind, 

 however, to believe something. The history of mankind 

 shows that those tribes, nations, and races which have 

 gone forward with the greatest energy, have been actuated 

 and incited by confident beliefs as to the origin and 

 destiny of human beings. 



In like manner the scientist has often found hypothesis 

 an adjuvant ; for an hypothesis is of the nature of a belief. 

 Some of the most signal discoveries in astronomy, chem- 

 istry and biology have been elicited under guidance of 

 provisional theories. There is a use as well as abuse of 

 hypothesis; and, moreover, the theories of science are 

 often bonafide glimpses of truth. 



So at present, when the old faiths are fading out, like 

 ghosts at dawn, when venerable " soul doctrines " are 

 falling into desuetude and discredit, glimpses of the 

 truth come and will serve to light us forward in the 

 great outer darkness of the universe. 



