CHAP, v Error of Origen and Butler. 55 



by the same Divine Author, it appears to me not the 

 less true that although they do present many and 

 important real analogies by the tracing of which 

 Butler's great work has done imperishable service to 

 religious philosophy yet there is a fundamental un- 

 likeness between Nature and Revelation, not in 

 structure but in purpose, which totally excludes the 

 analogy here indicated by Origen and by Butler. 



If we know, or can conjecture, the purpose for 

 which the world of Nature has been created includ- 

 ing in Nature the entire mortal life of man this 

 purpose is that it may be a nidus for the develop- 

 ment of immortal life. This answer is not offered as 

 a complete one ; it seems probable that the universe 

 of Nature serves many Divine purposes, whereof the 

 greater number are undiscoverable by us. 



Lo, these are parts of His ways ; 



And how small a whisper do we hear of Him ! 



But the thunder of His power who can understand ? * 



This, however, is certain, that the world of Nature has 

 not been created for our instruction. Living in the 

 world, it is no doubt our duty and privilege to learn 

 from it ; but to say that this is the purpose for which 

 it has been created, would be as complete an inver- 

 sion of actual relations as to say that ships are built 

 for the purpose of teaching the art of navigation. 

 Now, of the Book of Revelation the opposite is true ; 

 that Book has been written for our instruction ; and 



1 Job xxvi. 14. 



