160 GENERAL YIEW AND SASIS OF SCIENTIFIC KESEARCH. 



principles of electro-magnetism and magneto-electricity 

 enables us to understand, a great number and variety of 

 mechanical, astronomical, and physical phenomena. 



I. The greatest of them, and based upon the widest 

 experience, is that of universal causation, viz. that every 

 phenomenon, whether static or dynamic, of matter or 

 energy, has a cause, i.e. is indissolubly related to some 

 other phenomenon in such a way that, when the former 

 happens, the latter also is present. Universality of causa 7 

 tion, therefore, implies universality of law, and he who 

 denies the latter refuses assent to the former, and also 

 implies that some phenomena come into existence either 

 by chance or by some arbitrary supernatural agency. No 

 one possessing the least pretence to a knowledge of science 

 would deny the existence of an universal First Cause, the 

 original source of every phenomenon, whether good or evil. 1 

 It is the idea of universal causation which is sometimes 

 employed as synonymous with that of an Almighty Ruler. 

 The principle of universal causation implicitly contains 

 all those of lesser magnitude, and is the fountain of all 

 scientific truth ; and it is by a process of logical inference 

 and differentiation that all the other principles are proved 

 to flow from it. 



II. The coexistence (and indissoluble connection) of 

 matter and energy i.e., wherever matter exists, energy 

 (either potential or active) also exists (or matter is the 

 seat of energy) is another truth of the widest kind, 

 based upon universal experience, and is inferred from the 

 fact that energy has never been observed except in connec- 

 tion with matter; i.e. in connection with that which 

 possesses weight. This truth needs no illustration. 



III. Another great principle is that of persistence or 



1 By the term evil is here meant what we with our limited faculties 

 consider evil. 



