MACHINE SCIENCE. . 721 



ception from its " thick wrappage of ingenious phraseology " and follow it to its 

 legitimate and logical conclusion. 



" But," say the upholders of this theistic, this Godless view of the question, 

 " there are modifications of this law ; there is a law of variability. Although this 

 strict succession or sequence of events is absolutely required by a literal render- 

 ing of the law of development, there are some few, solutions of continuity allow- 

 ed." Ah ? are there, indeed ? Then either you have no law whatever or that 

 law is controlled and guided by a superior power, the Great Law Maker Himself, 

 perhaps. Exact law knows no variability ; admit of a variation and your law is a 

 nullity ! Yield one inch to environment as a modifier of a single step in the syllogis- 

 tic process and you give up law forever, as the atheistic _ evolutionist has con- 

 structed it, and as he must hold to it, if he believes his own postulates. Law let 

 alone is a merciless and despotic autocrat. 



Where have we landed ? We know that the laws of development and de- 

 scent are most probably true and in operation all around us. The investigations 

 of scientists from the days of Aristotle to the present time point clearly to them. 

 The words of the wise man in the Scriptures unmistakably point to them when 

 he says " The works of the Lord are done in judgment from the beginning: and 

 from the time he made them he disposed the parts thereof." 



Let us turn for a few moments to the doctrine of theistic evolution. Here, 

 according to my belief, we shall find plain sailing. Law rules as before, but the 

 machine is gone. Flexibility, elasticity, variability, all are present, essential 

 corollaries to the law, and in strict harmony with the design of the Creator. He 

 could and did foresee all things from the beginning, and has provided for their 

 development in strict accordance with law, but at the same time He guides, 

 directs, and controls the phenomena of nature as the world progresses steadily to- 

 ward the ultimate and pre-arranged goal. The soulless machine is gone and hope 

 returns. Intelligent, free-willed man investigates, studies, contemplates, draws 

 closer to his Maker, comprehends more and more fully the grandeur of the cos- 

 mic scheme, reahzes the magnificence and brilliancy of the original plan ; observes 

 and appreciates the comprehensive precision, the facile power and the apparent 

 ease of its execution ; and now, in his turn, resorting to philosophy to supply the 

 "missing link," his consciousness, his reason, his faith, all. point unerringly to 

 the final disclosure of the object of the Divine plan, which, commencing with God 

 " in the beginning " has run its course with rhythmic harmony of development 

 and only awaits the fullness of time to logically, fittingly and triumphantly cul- 

 minate in the glorious after-life depicted in the apocalypse. 



The discussion of such questions is, in my judgment, as strictly within the 

 scope of university teaching as any others, and while they may not at present 

 come as fully within the range of the course of instruction in this university as 

 they will when the other departments are established, they certainly should be 

 considered, and doubtless are considered, in some of the lectures before the 

 medical classes. That eminent physiologist, Professor Martyu Paine, gives the 

 question the most careful and profound examination in his work, the " Physiolo- 



