XV111 PREFACE. 



nature which is its dependence upon Deity, colors and shapes the 

 whole of the sciences which that sect elicits. We would undertake 

 in many instances to assign to particular Christian denominations, 

 the scientific views which have been contributed by each, and to pin 

 their insights into matter, space, time and history to their prayer- 

 books and hymn-books. In short, science is always impregnated 

 with either religious, or irreligious life. By virtue of this it is, that 

 the coldest treatises end in some kind of sermons, and the nodus of 

 every theory of the world is a corresponding god. 



In presence of this necessity, it occurred to us long ago, to assume 

 openly our own creed as the supreme key of knowledge to which we 

 could arrive, and to peril our faith so far as our readers are concern- 

 ed upon the success of the experiment. And here we seemed to be 

 truly scientific according to the common rule. For after some facts 

 are found, the method of science consists in assuming a hypothesis 

 to account for them j and if that hypothesis serves the purpose, it 

 passes over to a theory, and in time is received as the truth of the 

 case. And though the hypothesis might seem unlikely, and be liable 

 to many ugly reasonings against it, yet if it answered to the facts, 

 it was justified, and all ratiocinations to the contrary died. By 

 pursuing this method, we have convinced ourselves, that our Lord is 

 written down in the pages of nature herself as the truth of her 

 whole creation. 



This is the method of tolerance. For while we work from this 

 point of view, it is our own fault if we meddle with others who are 

 trying to settle the same problem from different grounds. There 

 is a prize to be won by the religions of the earth : they are so many 

 accounts of God: the order and laws of creation and spirit are the 

 check which adopts or rejects these accounts at some certain point. 

 The book is closed, and who shall open the seals and read it ? 



The same is the method of scientific persistence and unity of aim. 

 For no one lifetime can be expected to measure the adjustments of 

 the problem. To all argumentation we can scientifically reply, that 

 we have not yet concluded our experiments. In so great a cause, 

 ages of ages are allowable times for operation. Religions are a vast 

 social matter ; no man has a right to declare the trial done, until 

 the success of creation-reading warrants him. Thus we gain in- 



