202 



EXPLANATIONS 



sions which the work has drawn forth in various quarters, 

 and which, o f course, can only be a discredit to their 

 authors. 



I must start with a more explicit statement of the gen- 

 eral argument of the Vestiges, for this has been exten- 

 sively misunderstood. The book is not primarily de- 

 signed, as many have intimated in their criticisms, and as 

 the title might be thought partly to imply, to establish a 

 new theory respecting the origin of animated nature ; nor 

 are the chief arguments directed to that point. The ob- 

 ject is one to which the idea of an organic creation in the 

 manner of natural law is only subordinate and ministra- 

 tive, as likewise are the nebular hypothesis and the doc- 

 trine of a fixed natural order in mind and morals. This 

 purpose is to show that the whole revelation of the works 

 of God presented to our senses and reason is a system 

 based in what we are compelled, for want of a better term, 

 to call law ; by which, however, is not meant a system 

 independent or exclusive of Deity, but one which only 

 proposes a certain mode of his working. The nature and 

 bearing of this doctrine will be afterwards adverted to ; 

 let me, meanwhile, observe, that it has long been pointed 

 to by science, though hardly anywhere broadly and fully 

 contemplated. And this was scarcely to be wondered at, 

 since, while the whole physical arrangements of the uni- 

 verse were placed under law by the discoveries of Kepler 

 and Newton, there was still such a mysterious conception 

 of the origin of organic nature, and of the character of 

 our own fitful being, that men were almost forced to make 

 at least large exceptions from any proposed plan of uni- 

 versal order. What makes the case now somewhat dif- 

 ferent is, that of late years we have attained much addi- 

 tional knowledge of nature, pointing in the same direction 

 as the physical arrangements of the world. The time 

 seems to have come when it is proper to enter into a re- 

 examination of the whole subject, in order to ascertain 

 whether, in w r hat we actually know, there is most evi- 

 dence in favor of an entire or a partial system of fixed 

 order. When led to make this inquiry for myself, I soon 

 became convinced that the idea of any exception to the 

 plan of law stood upon a narrow, and constantly narrow- 

 ing foundation, depending, indeed, on a few difficulties 

 or obscurities, rather than objections, which were certain 

 soon to be swept aw r ay by the advancing tide of knowl 



