THE HAMILTON ASSOCIATION. 47 



ficent ends such a stupendous and complicated system of things as 

 is here to be seen, and when all language failed to voice the depth 

 of his emotions, he could have bowed his head in speechless adora- 

 tion. Thus we see how the acceptance of that statement as to the 

 origin of life tends to dispel the doubts and perplexities surround- 

 ing man's complex and contradictory constitution, giving full scope 

 for the exercise of every faculty of his mind, whilst it is in perfect 

 harmony with every principle of his nature, and has a direct ten- 

 dency to elevate and improve him, thereby indicating its superiority. 

 Let us take an historical example of how the scientific principle 

 leads us onward and upward where the scientific method fails to 

 apply. Over eighteen hundred years ago a man appeared on the 

 earth, who claimed to have, by virtue of inheritance, supernatural 

 powers. On one ot his daily rounds, he met a man that was born 

 blind. He spat on the ground, took the moistened dust, and put it 

 on the blind eyes, and told their owner to wash in a particular place ; 

 the man obeyed and received his sight. Being fully conscious in 

 himself that the means employed were wholly inadequate to produce 

 such a result, he naturally, instinctively and unhesitatingly came to 

 the conclusion that the man who did it must have the powers vi^hich 

 he claimed, and there was but one source from whence such powers 

 could be obtained. This deed being reported to the ecclesiastical 

 rulers of the city, they set to work to investigate its truth. Having 

 obtained all the evidence procurable on the case, they turned from 

 the deed to the claims of the man, which they found to be antagon- 

 istic to their own, and announced that on these they could come to 

 no conclusion ; which gave occasion for the utterance of one of the 

 most withering sarcasms ever voiced in any language. The deed 

 they dare not deny, and it must have an efficient cause, so there was 

 but one reasonable conclusion to come to about the claims of the 

 doer, but that condemned themselves, and this men are slow to do. 

 Now this man claimed to have supernatural knowledge, as well as 

 supernatural power. He claimed t^t he was possessed of, and was 

 competent to give, information on those very subjects which had 

 harassed man during his whole history ; that he knew what was 

 beyond the visible, as he had in some sense come from there. He 

 announced, once for all time, that there is a universe of invisible 

 mind, as truly as there is one of visible matter ; that mind can and 

 does exist apart from matter ; that there is one supreme intelligent 



