SUPREMACY OF LAW IN NATURE. 123 



to be flung on a dunghill. The ultimate hope, escape, 

 prompts the measure, which unaided instinct could not 

 have contrived.' l 



With regard to all self-flattering, ignorant, and other 

 hypotheses, science points out to us one simple course 

 viz., to treat as an hypothesis that which is an hypothesis, 

 and to believe and treat as settled truth that only which is 

 supported by reasonable evidence. It is illogical to infer 

 settled beliefs from an only conceivable purpose we may 

 infer them from nothing but sufficient evidence ; and when 

 we depart from this course we are apt to become involved 

 in error and fallacy, adopt immoral doctrines, and induced 

 to commit sinful actions ; all uncertain beliefs may be 

 false ones, and may lead to wrong conduct. Some of the 

 hypotheses, also, respecting the human mind regarded 

 by many persons as settled truths, and as affirmed by 6 the 

 indestructible instincts of the human soul,' and the ' testi- 

 mony of consciousness ' will probably require many ages 

 of advancement in knowledge in order to completely test 

 them. 2 



Errors also arise from absence or deficiency of evidence 

 or proofs, especially in cases where we are tempted to 

 draw attractive conclusions. They are also produced in 

 some cases by want of will or ability to obtain and properly 

 apply the evidence. Whilst, however, partially false hypo- 

 theses and theories are a common source of error, they 

 are at the same time often necessary steps in the advance 

 towards truth. ' Some inquirers try erroneous hypotheses, 

 and thus, exhausting the forms of error, form the prelude 

 to discovery.' 3 By showing what a thing cannot be we 

 are often led by mediate inference to conceive what it 



1 Thompson. 



2 K. W. Dale, Mutual Relations of Science and Religious Faith, p. 5. 



3 Whewell, Philosophy oftlie Inductive Sciences, vol. i. p. 43. 



