46 Natural Theology. 



LECTURE II. 



PRINCIPLES OF BELIEF. ADAPTATION OF OUR BODIES 



TO OUR WANTS AND TO THE WORLD. 



Perfect provision for organic beings. No provision in m a fe- 

 rial world for marts Jiighest nature. Claims of the Bible. 

 A natural provision for man. Principles of belief. - 

 Theories of creation. First cause. Matter might be eter- 

 nal. Beginning of life. Antagonism of physical forces 

 and vitality. Apparent harmony between them. Man an 

 effect. His creation to be accounted for. 77ie genn as 

 wonderful as the developed being. Bible account of creation. 

 What we should expect to find in such a creation. Nature, 

 an unchangeable record. -Questions that would arise with" 

 out the Bible. Aid of geology. The existence of beings, 

 and not their mode of origin, proof of skill and power. 

 Adaptation of our bodies 'to our use and to the world. Re- 

 lations to the world established through the senses. Distinc- 

 tive use of each sense. Conditions necessary for sigJit. 

 Relation of light to the atmosphere. Form of objects and 

 effects of surface. Structure of the eye. Sense of hearing 

 gives knowledge of objects beyond the range of vision. Me- 

 chanism of the ear. Taste and smell. No special inechnn- 

 ism. Design shown by the use. Touch. Kinds of know- 

 ledge given by it. All the senses connected with tJie nervous 

 system. Vegetative life. Relation of the body to the world 

 considered. The atmosphere. Structure of the lung. 

 Nutrition. Sleep. Animals fitted for particular zones. 

 Man for all. No special sciences needed to show our adapta- 

 tion to the world. Personality of the Creator inferred front 

 the provision for our personality. Antagonism in nature. 



IN the last lecture we indicated something of the 

 object aimed at in this course, and the topics to be 

 introduced for proof and illustration. We shall first 

 attempt to show that provision has been made in 



