228 RAMBLES AND REVERIES. 



I can explain the whole matter without vexing my 

 mind with the transcendental inquiry as to whether 

 this garden has a gardener, these flowers a horti- 

 culturalist, these pastures, lawns, and conservatories 

 a proprietor." Such a man would be laughed at or 

 pitied. But if he should go further, and assert that 

 all who did see in the beauty and symmetry around 

 him the traces of originating and presiding intelli- 

 gence were superstitious or imbecile, then he would 

 become contemptible. He alone is truly scientific 

 who goes beyond the material and seeks to rise 

 through Nature up to Nature's great Original. The 

 search for a new planet suggested by Bode's Law, 

 or by the perturbations of Uranus, was no more 

 rational or scientific than is the belief in a Creator 

 based on Nature's teachings and facts. It is a 

 sober, rational argument, the force of which can 

 be resisted only by the most obstinate prejudice : 

 " Every house is builded by some man ; but He that 

 built all things is God " (Heb. iii. 4). 



We have endeavoured to argue this question of 

 the existence of a Creator without any detailed 

 reference to what may be regarded as exclusively 

 theological or Biblical. With the intention of using 

 only such evidences as would appeal to those who 

 would not tolerate the importation of Scriptural 

 statement into the discussion, we have passed 

 over many considerations familiar enough to the 

 Christian. It is a distinct gain to us to demonstrate 

 that we have not to rely solely on Revelation for 

 testimony to the existence of Deity, and that such 

 a belief is in line with the strictest philosophy and 



