PREFACE. XXI 



commit the kingdoms of the earth. And as eyes are the great facul- 

 ties of sciences, we determined thenceforth to pray for eyes above 

 all other powers of that kind ; that we might not have to appeal 

 to either of those effete parties, authority, or criticism, but might 

 terminate some of our perplexities by sight. The more we have 

 proceeded, the more convinced we are, that this ground of science 

 is the coming earth of a new and more glorious time, and that He 

 whose feet burned like fine brass in a furnace, will pour His love 

 through it, and give to it to conquer and to heal. 



At the same time we have no faith in the present state of the 

 sciences, excepting as the ministers of some industrial arts. For 

 educational purposes they are almost worthless, because they termi- 

 nate the first plain questions with unsatisfactory replies. For spi- 

 ritual purposes they are equally negative. And hence we regard 

 them, with all their seemingly large retinue of facts and colleges, as 

 only provisional occupants of the mind. Indeed they are in so 

 rapid a flux, that it is hard to say what they are from one year to 

 another. 



But when science becomes Christian, we may have some natural 

 theology upon the face of the earth. And here again our views 

 depart from those of many good men. If Christ be the God of 

 the Christian, then natural Christology is the only theology of this 

 kind which is possible in a Christian state. In Mohammedan coun- 

 tries, natural theology, or the culmination of the science of nature 

 in Deism, or what is the same thing, Theism, must be permitted as 

 an inevitable growth j but this is plainly not the case where Christ 

 is worshiped. We feel it necessary to insist upon this, because 

 even those who accept Christ's Godhead, strangely pass Him by 

 when they are attempting to trace up all nature to their God. The 

 consequence is, that it is only the tfuths of mere development and 

 creation that occur in the sciences, and not those of love and re- 

 demption; whence moral and spiritual life is banished from the book 

 of nature. The church must look to this J and bishops and clergy 

 whose place it is to give prizes for natural theology, must consider 

 whether as at present taught, it is not an active branch of Deism. 

 We venture to express a hope, that in the distribution of laurels to 

 the successful candidates for the great Glasgow prize, this Christian 



