198 THE ORIGIN OP CREATION. 



and the earth, and caused both himself and his dog to grow 

 upon it. 



While we deny that our system favours the materialist or the 

 infidel, we maintain that it brings the most conclusive evidence- 

 to bear against them. In the science of the day mystery is 

 found on every hand, and no two observers read phenomena 

 alike. A man may in consequence be excused for holding 

 opinions of his own on science and religion, when his state- 

 ments cannot be disproved. But, as we have laid down the 

 law which regulates all nature, which originates and controls all 

 forces in it, and is therefore as infallible as nature itself the 

 possibility of any misconception or misconstruction is obviated 

 entirely. The existence of the Great God, the Designer and 

 Ruler of all, is thus seen at once to be true, for in the perfec- 

 tion of the law, is shown the perfection of Him who created it. 



While then we say that matter has inherent properties, we 

 have also said that it may exist in a position not to exhibit its 

 properties ; as in the beginning of our earth, when, as we are 

 informed, the material forming the earth, sea, and atmosphere, 

 was " chaos " or invisible matter " Without form and void." 

 Grant, therefore, that matter did exist without properties ; where 

 is the materialist who will explain how the properties were 

 imparted to it without a God 1 The fact, too, that man has a 

 divine mental faculty or mind, distinct from his animal or 

 earthly mind, is also conclusive evidence of a power beyond 

 that contained in matter. We have ourselves been told that 

 because we stated life to be magnetism, we therefore implied 

 that magnetism was God. But if magnetism is a power with 

 which matter was endowed, there must also of necessity have 

 been an endower of that power. 



