The Chief Principles of Science. 15^ 



and Energy ; that out of nothing, nothing comes ; 

 and out of everything, everything proceeds ; that all 

 the future states of the Universe are implicitly con- 

 tained in and will be evolved out of the present state 

 of the Universe ; that we have no experience and 

 possess no verified knowledge either of creation or 

 annihilation of Matter or Energy; that we cannot 

 absolutely create or destroy even an idea ; * and that 

 Matter and Energy appear to be eternal : ^th. the 

 Principle of Convertibility and Equivalency of the 

 different forms of Energy, according to which the 

 various forces known as mechanical power, heat, 

 light, electricity, magnetism, chemical action, &c., 

 being modes of motion, are convertible into each 

 other in equivalent quantities and without addition or 

 loss. These and other great principles constitute the 

 basis of physical and chemical science, by obeying 

 which, we have been enabled to evolve all the wonder- 

 ful practical realities of science of the present day.f 

 To these great principles may be added the more 

 concrete truth called the " Law of Progress," the 

 essential idea of which is time, a time-rate ; which 

 regulates the speed of increase of civilization, and is 

 evidently connected with the great truth that every 

 phenomenon occupies time. 



The Principle of Gravitation, demonstrated by 

 Newton, explains a vast number of facts relating to 

 the motions of the Heavenly bodies : the Undu- 



* See p. 165, et seq. 



t It would I consider be an improvement in our educational arrangements, if 

 a Professorial chair, solely devoted to teaching those laws and principles, existed 

 in each Scientific College. 



