ITS METHODS AND TENDENCIES. 453 
tiently winnow out the grains of truth, and from infinites- 
imal facts build up a fabric that should have a sure foun- 
dation below, and beauty and symmetry above. What 
more natural, then, than that the process adopted in win- 
nowing this chaff-heap should be that which had given 
Success to the only true science of the period ?—that the 
mathematical touchstone should be the test by which 
every grain was tried? And such precisely was the 
course pursued ; perhaps we may even say the only one 
practicable. Provided with this test, the reformer was 
compelled to rejudge upon its merits every proposition 
submitted to him, and accepted only as true such as coul 
be demonstrated. The materials which composed the sci- 
ence to be reformed naturally fell into several categories. 
First,—That which had been demonstrated to be true. 
Second,—That which was demonstrable. Third, —That 
Which was probable. Fourth,—That which was possible, 
and Fifth,—That which was impossible. Of these he sys- 
tematically rejected all but the first and second classes. 
nd this, in few words, has been the method adopted, 
not only in the purification of old science, but in the crea- 
tion of new. 
Í- It will be seen at a glance, that in this process all that 
was contrary to the order of nature (supernatural or 
~ spiritual) was necessarily excluded; and it was taken for 
: granted that the mathematical or logical faculty of the 
human mind was capable of solving all the problems of 
the material universe. Sir William Hamilton and others 
have demonstrated the inadequacy of mathematical pro- 
S as a guide to human reason, and a moment’ 
cesse s 
thought will show us that our boasted intellect is incapa- 
le of grasping even all the material truths which are 
_ Plainly presented to it. To illustrate: as we scan the 
