122 VESTIGES OF THE 



is the narrowest of all views of the Deity, and charac- 

 teristic of a humble class of intellects, to suppose him 

 acting constantly in particular ways for particular 

 occasions. It, for one thinfj-, greatly detracts from his 

 foresiiiht, Ww most undeni;i,l)le of all the attributes of 

 Onniipotence. It lowers him towards the level of our 

 own humble intellects. Much more worthy of him it 

 surely is, to suppose that all things have been com- 

 missioned Ijy him from the first, though neither is he 

 absent from a particle of the current of natural affairs in 

 one sense, seeing that the whole s}'stem is continually 

 supported by his providence. Even in human affairs, if 

 I may be allowed to adopt a familiar illustration, there 

 is a constant progress from specific action for particular 

 occasions, to ai'rangements wdiich, once established, shall 

 continue to answer for a great multitude of occasions. 

 Such plans the enlightened readily form for themselves, 

 and conceive as being adopted by all who have to attend 

 to a multitude of aiiairs, while the ignorant suppose every 

 act of the greatest public functionaiy to be the result of 

 some special consideration and care on his part alone. Are 

 we to suppose the Deity adopting plans which harmonise 

 only with the modes of procedure of the less enlightened 

 of our i-ace? Those who would oliject to the hypothesis 

 of a creation by the intei-vention of law, do not perhaps 

 considei- how powerful an argument in favour of the 

 existence of (lod is lost by rejecting tliis doctrine. When 

 all is seen io be the result of law, the idea of an 

 Ahniglity Author becouies irresistible, fo]' the creation 

 of u law for an endless series of phenomeua — an act of 

 intelligence above all else tliat we can conceive — could 

 have no other imaginable source, and tells, moreover, as 

 strongly for a sustaining as for an originating power. 

 On this point a remark of Dr. Buckland seems applicable : 



