BOOK NOTICES. lYl 



BOOK NOTICES. 



Creator and Creation : By Laurens P. Hickock, D. D., LL. D, Octavo, 

 pp. 360. Ivison, Blakeman, Taylor & Co., New York. For sale by Ginn, 

 Heath & Co., Boston. 



This is an intensely philosophical treatise upon the knowledge in the reason 

 of God and his work, and is an attempt to present the physical portion of a philos- 

 ophy which shall be able, with the metaphysical portion already presented in 

 rational psychology, to harmonize the observed phenomena of nature and the 

 faith of theists so that both shall be found to be essential parts of a unified spirit- 

 ual scheme competent to silence all skeptical cavilling at theology. In the words 

 of the author, " After a critical examination of the leading theories of modern 

 philosophy, exposing the main point in which with most there is an utter, and in 

 the best a partial, deficiency, and therein opening the sure process to the knowl- 

 edge of an absolute Creator, the Creation is itself speculatively contemplated in its 

 essential forces and those determined in their necessary connections." 



The argument of the work is that these essential forces have their determined 

 connections in all the mechanism of inorganic nature, and then a life-power is 

 contemplated as superior by the Creator, which uses these essential mechanical 

 forces in spontaneously upbuilding about itself, and for its own ends, the varied 

 organic structures of the vegetable and animal kingdoms ; when a contemplated 

 endowment of animal life sentient life with reason introduces man in the image of 

 the Creator and crowns the creative work with a spiritual kingdom in humanity 

 which has dominion over all. 



The following is the author's general method : First, to determine the ex- 

 tent of knowledge within experience; to recognize reason as competent to 

 carry our knowledge beyond experience and then, by reason, to attain the sure 

 knowledge of a being who may be an Absolute Creator. 



Second, to show that no one space and one time can be determined in com- 

 mon for all, without a knowledge of fixed force in place, and passing force in 

 period, to contemplate how such distinguishable forces may be originated, and 

 by their multiplicition and interaction a material universe may be consummated, 

 and then how the superinduction of a life-power may build up all the organisms 

 of the vegetable and animal kingdoms, and the gift of reason may elevate the 

 animal to the human. 



The work is divided into two parts, I — Knowledge of a Creator, II — Knowledge 

 of Creation. The first is divided into three chapters entitled : Knowledge Re- 

 stricted to that which is Gained in Experience ; Reason Competent to Know an 

 Outer Creation; Reason Knows the Creator. The second is also divided in 

 three chapters, viz.: Space and Time; Force; Life. Force is considered under 

 three divisions; Antagonistic force; Diremptive force; Revolving force. Under 



VIII-46 



