president's address. 803 



suppose the Creator to have wound up the universe like a watch, 

 and now to be standing at one side until it runs down without 

 exercising any control whatever over its movements. This im- 

 putation would, however, apply equally well to provinces of 

 nature where the reign of Law is on all hands admitted. The 

 exercise of a personal Will is not incompatible with the reign of 

 universal Law ; Law is in fact only the expression of that Will, 

 Nature only the garment of the ever-living God, or as Groethe 

 expresses it, — 



What were the God who sat outside to scan 



The spheres that 'neath his finger circling ran ? 



God dwells within, and moves the world and moulds, 



Himself and Nature in one form enfolds.* 



And again, Tennyson, — 



God is law, say the wise ; Soul, and let us rejoice, 

 For if he thunder by law the thunder is yet His voice. 



Law is God say some : no God at all, says the fool ; 



For all we have power to see is a straight staff bent in a pool ; 



And the ear of man cannot hear, and the eye of man cannot see ; 

 But if we could see and hear, this vision — were it not He ?f 



And it is impossible to deny the influence of Law in the develop- 

 ment and government either of the organic or inorganic creation. 

 Without it there would henceforth be no ground whatever for 

 scientific research : were we unable to predict unerringly the 

 occurrence of certain consequences from certain causes, there 

 would be no basis or use for experiment. 



The relation of the Creator to his works may, indeed, as to 

 mode of operation, be a subject too recondite and obscure for our 

 powers ; probably, in the present state of our knowledge, it is 

 one for the exercise of faith rather than of sight. But as regards 

 the ultimate result of scientific investigation, let us not give way 

 to an unworthy fear : we have in very truth much reason for 

 patient and even exultant hope, and we can but echo the words 

 of the Laureate : — 



Let knowledge grow from more to more, 

 But more of reverence in us dwell, 

 * Goethe: Proem, "Gott und Welt." f Tennyson, "The Higher Pantheism." 



