ON THE GENETIC VIEW OF NATURE. 



325 



that although they ineviLably come into frequent con- 

 tact, tlie study of their independent origin and history 

 and their different psychological method is more valuable 

 than a temporary and meiely ephemeral compromise of 

 their respective doctrines. Happily this country has 

 produced many great and a few thinkers of the first 

 order, in whom the greatest that scientific thought 

 has achieved was in harmony with a truly religious 

 spirit. Tn contemplating these illustrious examples, 

 and bowing before their greatness, the popular mind 

 will probably find its conviction of the possibility of 

 an ultimate reconciliation of both aspects more strength- 

 ened than by leaning on the doubtful support of a 

 voluminous apologetic literature, which proposes to give 

 general proofs where only individual faith can decide. 



I deemed it appropriate to offer these few remarks 

 on the whole of the voluminous literature ^ from Butler 



^ The largest and best known 

 type of publication in this class of 

 literature, which is jjractically un- 

 known on the Continent, but which 

 belongs to our jioriod, is found in 

 the Bridgewater Treatises " On the 

 Power, Wisdom, and Goodness of 

 God, as manifested in the Creation." 

 The circumstances under which 

 this series was published are .-^et 

 forth in the ])reliminai\v notice to 

 the first treatise. The Earl of 

 Bridgewater, heir to the title and 

 fortune of Francis Egerton, thii'd 

 Eai'l of Bridgewater, who con- 

 .structed from the plans of James 

 Brindley, and in accordance with the 

 idea of liis fatiior, Lord Chancelhir 

 Egerton, the tirst of the large canals 

 in England, from his coal mines at 

 Worsley to Manchester and Liver- 

 pool, left in his will to the Royal 

 Society tl»e sum of £8000, which. 



witli its accruing interest, was to 

 be paid to the person or persons 

 selected by the President and ap- 

 pointed to write and ])ublish one 

 thousand copies of a wurk with the 

 above title, — " illustrating sucli 

 work by all reasonable arguments, 

 as, for instance, the variety and 

 foi'ination of God's creatures iu 

 the animal, vegetable, and mineral 

 kingdoms ; the effect of digestion, 

 and thereby of conversion ; the 

 construction of the hand of man, 

 and an infinite variety of other 

 arguments ; as also by discoveries, 

 ancient and modern, in arts, sciences, 

 and the whole extent of literature." 

 The series contained works by such 

 foremost men of science as Sir 

 Charles Bell, AVilliam Whewell, 

 William IVout. and William Buck- 

 land. 



