CONSERVATION OF ENERGY 227 



supposed sufficient in themselves to govern the 

 vniverse. Now we can only assign to them the 

 tumble rank of mere descriptions, often errone- 

 ous, of similarities which we believe we have 

 observed." And again : " A law of nature 

 explains nothing it has no governing power, it 

 is but a descriptive formula which the careless 

 have sometimes personified. There may be 

 psychological and social generalizations which 

 really tell us why this or that occurs, but chemi- 

 cal and physical generalizations are wholly con- 

 cerned with the how." 



" For those who accept the theistic position," 

 as Fr. Sharpe very clearly puts it,t the rationale Sharpe 

 of the whole matter is this. The observed course 

 of Nature is due to the action of divine power, 

 wMch having certain ends in view attains them 

 in the most suitable way. So long, therefore, 

 as the ends in view remain the same, the means 

 adopted for their attainment will not vary ; and 

 a slight or infinitesimal variation in the ends 

 will bring about a precisely corresponding varia- 

 tion in the means. But the ends to be secured 

 by the course of Nature are always the same; 

 or if they vary, do so by an infinitesimal grada- 

 tion. The sensible world consequently presents, 

 so far as the general experience of mankind goes, 

 the appearance of strict regulation. 



t Op. cit., p. 133. 



