Anniversary Address. 427 



question whicTi is of high interest to all Naturalists, but 

 specially so it would seem to ourselves ; — I mean the bearings 

 of Darwinism on Natural Religion, or the recognition of 

 Nature's God in Nature's Works. Not without significance 

 was our motto selected, " Mare et tellus, et quod tegit omnia 

 coelum. " On looking over the addresses of my predecessors, 

 from the Club's foundation to its 56th birthday, from Dr. 

 Johnston to Mr Brown, and beyond, I cannot help noticing 

 that the keynote of their utterances is the intimate, direct 

 connection between Nature and God. 



Mr Brown indeed, in his eloquent Jubilee Address, which 

 was quite -worthy of the occasion, declared that he knew of 

 no other learned or scientific society where one feature was 

 more prominent — that is the desire which everywhere ap- 

 pears of seeing the hand of God in all the works of nature, 

 and of marking the traces of His wisdom, power, and 

 goodness. 



It is often urged that science is one afiair, religion another ; 

 keep and treat them separately. I remember a German 

 botanical lecturer, objecting in my hearing to the motto — 

 " Domini est terra et plentitudo ejus, " being impressed on 

 the title page of an English Flora. " The English " said he 

 " are always trying to mix up religion and science, which 

 is a great mistake," 



Well, as regards what may be called the business, the 

 working out of natural science, it is, no doubt, quite distinct 

 from theology or any religious considerations ; but not as 

 regards its bearings ; for he who can long study nature and 

 her wonders, without having their deeper meaning brought 

 home to him, fails, as it seems to me, to get at the kernel 

 of his nut at all. 



Gentlemen — If the foregoing considerations have any 

 worth or weight — if the history of our Club appeals to our 

 sense as well as to our sentiment — you would listen with 

 impatience if you had suspicion that the tenant of this chair 

 was likely to be the exponent of any attempts to eliminate 

 Nature's God from Nature's Works, whether in her grandest 

 aspect or her minutest details. To do so, you would judgC;, 



