No. XII.] APPENDIX. 211 



appertaining to particles of matter alone. The Maker of all things 

 cannot, therefore, be supposed to be subject to phenomena which exist 

 by His almighty fiat. 



We have thus seen, that whilst all the properties of matter are 

 strictly material, so the attributes of the Immaterial are purely immaterial. 

 Science, therefore, directs us to attach materiality to the material, im- 

 materiality to the Immaterial ; and by no means at any time, under any 

 circumstance, to confound the properties of matter with the attributes 

 of the Immaterial, or the attributes of the Immaterial with the properties 

 of matter. 



It is, then, the property of matter to attract, and by virtue of that 

 attraction to yield number, size, form, duration. It is the attribute of 

 the Immaterial not to yield number, to be omnipresent and eternal. 

 Matter attracts by virtue of power conferred upon it by the Immaterial. 

 Matter is matter by the volition of the Creator. 



The power which conferred attraction on matter is present not only 

 where matter is, but even where matter is not, inasmuch as position is a 

 material phenomenon. In consequence of that omnipresence, we may infer 

 that He is cognizant of every alteration of each respective particle of 

 matter, which omnicognizance is called the omniscience of the Deity. 

 Our material bodies allow certain expressions to be carried to the mind 

 through certain material organs called the senses, and therefore we only 

 appreciate those impressions which act upon those senses. His omni- 

 presence must know every single change, without respect to any material 

 conditions. His omniscience cannot be interfered with by darkness, 

 quiescence, or temperature. Darkness is no darkness with Him; the 

 stillness of an action cannot cause it to be hid from His observation. His 

 omniscience is derived from omnipresence, not from the properties of 

 matter from which man derives his knowledge. 



We, therefore, are compelled to admit and believe that matter owes 

 its properties to a power conferred upon it by the omnipresent, omni- 

 potent, omniscient, eternal Creator, who first by His Almighty fiat com- 

 manded matter to attract, and who, by the same Almighty fiat, may at 

 any instant will attraction to cease, when worlds would end, when time 

 would be no more. As far as regards all material properties, He must 

 have absolute power. At any moment He may dissolve the earth, the sun, 

 the moon, the stars, and as instantaneously summon their particles to 

 assume new shapes, to occupy new positions. This infinite power or 

 omnipotence is of a totally different character from our power, which is 

 derived from the properties of matter. Man's boasted power is derived 

 from availing himself of attraction. The Deity can control that property, 

 and from that we infer the attribute of omnipotence. 



It is useless to conceal that these great and glorious perfections are 

 quite incomprehensible to our senses : we can only appreciate material 

 impressions ; all else is quite incomprehensible to our mind. To say that 

 God has no relation to number is as unintelligible as His omnipresence, 

 His omniscience, or His eternity. We cannot conceive the nature of such 

 attributes, though we are compelled to believe them because we cannot 

 conceive that such attributes should not exist. 



What other attributes belong to the Almighty we are incapable of 

 ascertaining by physical science ; and even the contemplation of these, we 



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