230 RAMBLES AND REVERIES. 



Nature, intelligent, supreme, directive, authoritative. 

 There may be various opinions as to the modes or 

 laws by which that Supreme Power effected the 

 origin and development of existing things, but there 

 cannot be, consistent with a doctrine of creation, 

 any doubt as to the reality of such a Power. There 

 may be equal diversity of notions concerning the 

 essence and character of the Creator, but that He 

 does exist there is no room to doubt in the case 

 of those who maintain that a Creation has taken 

 place. 



Now, having cleared out of the way much that 

 tends to obscure the question, are we in a position 

 to say what Creation is ; or, to put it in another 

 form, and one more in harmony with what we have 

 already said, can we decide how Nature, the sum 

 and constitution of all material things, came to be 

 what it is ? Have we any evidence that shall throw 

 light on the inquiry as to what processes or laws 

 the Creator adopted in producing the universe, and 

 bringing it to its present condition ? 



Such a question opens up a field of speculation 

 and investigation far too vast for anything but a 

 fragmentary treatment here. To give an adequate 

 answer to it would involve a complete exposition of 

 all physical and biological science. The principles 

 and laws which constitute the sciences bearing 

 on matter and life are in reality the methods of 

 Creation. Whether they be described as natural 

 phenomena, the Laws of Nature, physical facts, 

 or by any other equivalent expression, they are 

 nothing more nor less than the modes of Creation, 



