2 INTRODUCTION. 



idea of a Creator and Governor of the world. But 

 though this is the case, a new work on the same 

 subject may still have its use. Our views of the 

 Creator and Governor of the world, as collected 

 from or combined with our views of the world 

 itself, undergo modifications, as we are led by 

 new discoveries, new generalizations, to regard 

 nature in a new light. The conceptions concern- 

 ing the Deity, his mode of effecting his purposes, 

 the scheme of his government, which are suggested 

 by one stage of our knowledge of natural objects 

 and operations, may become manifestly imperfect 

 or incongruous, if adhered to and applied at a 

 later period, when our acquaintance with the 

 immediate causes of natural events has been 

 greatly extended. On this account it may be 

 interesting, after such an advance, to show how 

 the views of the creation, preservation, and govern- 

 ment of the universe, which natural science opens 

 to us, harmonize with our belief in a Creator, 

 Governor, and Preserver of the world. To do this 

 with respect to certain departments of Natural 

 Philosophy is the object of the following pages; 

 and the author will deem himself fortunate, if 

 he succeeds in removing any of the difficulties 

 and obscurities which prevail in men's minds, 

 from the want of a clear mutual understanding 

 between the religious and the scientific speculator. 

 It is needless here to remark the necessarily im- 

 perfect and scanty character of Natural Religion ; 



