34 INTRODUCTION. 



earth, and all other masses of matter (so far as we know) towards each other ; 

 therefore, to say that a stone falls to the earth because of the law of gravitation, 

 is merely to say that two bodies are attracted together because all others are 

 which is obviously nothing else, than an extension of the statement from the 

 particular to the general fact. It cannot, indeed, be kept too constantly in view, 

 " that in science, those who speak of explaining any phenomenon mean (or should 

 mean) pointing out not some more familiar, but merely some more general phe- 

 nomenon, of which it is a partial exemplification ;" the explanation being ac- 

 counted most complete, when the conditions of such general phenomenon can 

 be expressed in the precise form of a " law," with which those of the particular 

 case can be shown to accord, and from which, therefore, its occurrence may be 

 predicted deductively. The whole problem of the scientific investigation of 

 Nature may, indeed, be thus stated : " What are the fewest assumptions, which, 

 being granted, the order of nature as it exists would be the result ? What are 

 the fewest general propositions, from which all the uniformities existing in nature 

 could be deduced F" 1 



In its scientific acceptation, therefore, a Law of Nature must be admitted to 

 possess no coercive power whatever ; and to speak of phenomena as being governed 

 by laws, is altogether incorrect. The only sense in which this form of expression 

 can be admitted to have any true meaning, is when the law is the expression of 

 a will, which is potent to produce, to direct, or to restrain the actions to which 

 it relates. Thus the laws of a State are expressions of the Will of the govern- 

 ing power, intended to regulate the conduct of the community over which it 

 rules ; and they become entirely inoperative, from the moment when that power 

 ceases to be effectual to carry out the purposes which it has thus announced. 

 So then, if we recognize in the Universe the existence of a sustaining and con- 

 trolling Power, we may regard the Laws of Nature which Man has discovered, 

 as expressions of the plan (so far as he has succeeded in unveiling it) according 

 to which that Power acts ; and we may then legitimately speak of the phenomena 

 of Nature as governed by, or rather taking place according to, Laws it being 

 always borne in mind, however, that these laws are mere human expressions of 

 the plan on which the Divine Power seems to operate, and may be not only very 

 imperfect, but also very incorrect. The moment, then, that we attribute to Laws 

 of Nature a coercive efficacy, we pass from the domain of Natural Science into 

 that of Theology; and imply, if we do not formally recognize, the existence of 

 a Power, of whose modus operandi these laws are the presumed exponents. 3 



1 See "Elements of Logic," by Mr. J. S. Mill, 3d ed. vol. i. p. 486. 



2 The neglect of this distinction has led to many fallacies ; not the least of which is, that 



