280 THE TERY REV. H. WAGE, ON SOME OF 



things, and final causes ; and we admire Him for His perfections ; 

 but we venerate and worship Him because of His di-minioii. 

 For we worship Him as servants ; and a God without dominion, 

 providence, and final causes, is nothing more than fate and 

 nature. From a blind metaphysical necessity, which, of course, 

 is the same everywhere and always, no variation of things can 

 arise. The whole diversity of created things in space and time 

 could only arise from the ideas and the will of a Beinu 

 necessarily existing. God, however, is said by allegory to see. 

 to hear, to speak, to laugh, to love, to hate, to desire, to give, to 

 receive, to rejoice, to be angry, to fight, to fabricate, to construct. 

 For all language respecting God is derived by some similitude 

 from human things; not indeed a perfect similitude, but some 

 similitude at all events. And so much concerning God, con- 

 cerning Whom discussion on the basis of phenomena pertains to 

 Natural Philosophy." 



Discussion. 



The Chairman : I am sure we all thank the learned speaker for 

 his most valuable paper. The historical summary leading up to the 

 so-called reconciliation between Science and Religion is very clear 

 and accurate, as are also the arguments about the Laws of Nature 

 and the credibility of Miracles. 



Our author only briefly alludes to the important subject of 

 destructive criticism, which has greatly developed during the last 

 fifty years, though it has lately received a check, beginning shortly 

 before the War and emphasized by the War itself. The majority, 

 rightly guided by our Lord's admonition, " by their fruits ye shall 

 know them," have quietly put aside destructive criticism, most of 

 which came from Germany. It seems probable that this phase of 

 thought will never regain the influence which it formerly possessefl. 

 Perhaps our author, in his reply, would kindly add a few remarks 

 on this subject. 



One efl'ect of the content of Science and Keligion is that most 

 critics, whether destructive or not, claim to be scientific. It is well 

 to have this aim, if precision of thought, and justness of deduction, 

 are meant by the expression. But surely many a critic has 

 something still to learn from the scientist ! For instance, one of 

 the elementary principles in Science is accuracy of definition and 

 care in the use of terms : yet we find, in the " Oxford Studies in 



