206 WALKS AND TALKS. 



powerful attraction of a vast globe of matter not half a dozen 

 miles distant, and hence needing some buoyant support. These 

 fire-mist, and perhaps solid, particles were attracted only by 

 each other, and by the great common aggregation of particles. 

 For the particles in the neighborhood of the center of the 

 aggregation, the attraction would be nearly equal in all direc- 

 tions. For particles millions of miles away, an excess of 

 attraction toward the center would be felt; but the force 

 would be inconceivably small. So the mist particles were 

 practically suspended in space and required no gaseous 

 support. 



The cooling history can be traced no farther back. Such, 

 probably, was its beginning. But I do not assume that the 

 matter of our system was originated in this state. We may be 

 able to trace out some remoter antecedents ; but if that can 

 not be done, I am perfectly prepared to admit that matter 

 may have entered existence as a fire-mist. However it origi- 

 nated, the temperature implied in fire-mist is as natural and in- 

 herently probable as any lower or higher temperature. Tem- 

 peratures are merely circumstances. Whatever temperature 

 prevails anywhere, things adjust themselves to it, and that 

 is natural. 



Now, another thought is in every reader's mind. This 

 point has been reached as a beginning of a history of cooling. 



From this point a natural process of cooling brings to pass 

 all the events in our system's physical history all the events 

 in our world's history. We are proposing to show this, and 

 trace the evolution in its general outlines. Now you shrink 

 back and exclaim "Evolution? Fate! Atheism!" That, my 

 dear friend, shows your total ignorance of the nature of 

 evolution. 



Be calm. God was in the beginning, is now, and ever will 

 be. God originated; God controls; God is in the midst of 

 his works. Suppose we call the fire-mist the absolute begin- 

 ning ; there are certainly three things which are not fire-mist, 

 and require explanation infinitely more than a fire-mist condi- 

 tion of matter. Without these three things, there would 



