IMPLICATIONS AT LARGE 113 



disturb the mental perspectives of sincere seekers after 

 truth, and we may not treat particular instances of 

 theistic doubt as proofs of unrighteousness. But it is 

 clear that St. Paul truly describes a very general cause 

 of unbelief when he says that men "hold down the 

 truth in unrighteousness; because that which may be 

 known of God is manifest in them," ^ As the Psalmist 

 says, "The heavens declare the glory of God; And 

 the firmament sheweth His handiwork. Day unto 

 day uttereth speech. And night unto night sheweth 

 knowledge." Of the intelHgible nature of this self- 

 manifestation of God, he further says, and general 

 experience confirms his assertion, that, although "There 

 is no speech nor language," and "Their voice cannot 

 be heard," yet "Their line is gone out through all the 

 earth, And their words to the end of the world." ^ As 

 has often been noticed, the whole order of nature is 

 hieroglyphic, for all its elements, arrangements, and 

 movements signify something; and if men were not 

 convinced of their abiHty to decipher to some extent 

 the meaning of nature, there would be no science and 

 no evolutionary hypothesis. That nature conveys a 

 meaning for minds to consider is the fundamental 

 postulate of scientific inquiry. But meanings have no 

 existence except as proceeding from mind to mind. 

 To speak of meaning when there is no intelligent 

 source of what is signified is to utter nonsense.^ Tliis 



1 Rom. i. 18, 19. Cf. verses 21, 22. 2 Psa. xix. 1-4. 



3 See Fairbairn, Philos. of the Christ. Relig., pp. 27-38; S. Harris, 

 Self-Revelation of God, pp. 256-266. 



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