398 INDUCTION. 



uniformity of the course of nature, this web is com- 

 posed of separate fibres ; this collective order is made 

 up of particular sequences, obtaining invariably among 

 the separate parts. To certain facts, certain facts 

 always do, and, as we believe, always will, succeed. 

 The invariable antecedent is termed the cause ; the 

 invariable consequent, the effect. And the universality 

 of the law of causation consists in this, that every 

 consequent is connected in this manner with some 

 particular antecedent, or set of antecedents. Let the 

 fact be what it may, if it has begun to exist, it was 

 preceded by some fact or facts, with which it is inva- 

 riably connected. For every event, there exists some 

 combination of objects or events, some given concur- 

 rence of circumstances^ positive and negative, the 

 occurrence of which will always be followed by that 

 phenomenon. We may not have found out what 

 this concurrence of circumstances may be ; but we 

 never doubt that there is such a one, and that it never 

 occurs without having the phenomenon in question as 

 its effect or consequence. Upon the universality of 

 this truth depends the possibility of reducing the 

 inductive process to rules. The undoubted assurance 

 we have that there is a law to be found if we only 

 knew how to find it, will be seen presently to be the 

 source from which the canons of the Inductive Logic 

 derive their validity. 



3. It is seldom, if ever, between a consequent 

 and one single antecedent, that this invariable se- 

 quence subsists. It is usually between a consequent 

 and the sum of several antecedents ; the concurrence 

 of them all being requisite to produce, that is, to be 

 certain of being followed by, the consequent. In such 

 cases it is very common to single out one only of the 



