A. T. SCHOFIELD, M.D., ON SCIENCE AXD THE UNSEEN WORLD. 65 



such thoughts as these are real enough and potent enough to shape 

 human life through the ages are they not facts — scientific if unseen ? 

 I claim that they are. 



If we will but stop a moment to analyse our thought we find 

 evidences of the tinseen world alwa^-s round us. AVe do not know 

 why after carefully studying out a certain definite plan of action 

 for our own welfare we are absolutely imable to carry it out, 

 indeed, have to give it up and follow a course which is its direct 

 opposite, and yet in the end proves to be far better than any we 

 could have planned with our present knowledge. AVe do not know 

 what impels us to do things for doing which there is apparently no 

 reason, but which really shape the whole course of otir lives. These 

 are experiences which occur in every human life. There must be 

 a reason for them. They must mean that there is an Omniscient 

 Eye which looks on each individual life. If these facts be true they 

 mean that our whole lives are shaped by the elements of this unseen 

 world. If these elements are so powerful as to influence us in many 

 directions they are certainly demonstrable scientific facts. Religion 

 is a fact, and yet religion is only faith, and "faith is the substance 

 of things hoped for, the evidence of things unseen." Faith shapes 

 the course of human lives, yet cannot be demonstrated except by 

 its effects. Its effects, however, are so evident that no one can 

 deny them. Therefore a posteriori faith is real, although unseen. 



These facts might be eniunerated at great length, but it is not 

 necessary. It is only needful to put forward, as Dr. Schofield 

 would have done had time allowed, the truth that they do exist 

 and are scientifically demonstrable. It is possible to go further 

 than Dr. Schofield, and say that revelation is faith, and that faith is 

 material because scientifically demonstrable as any natural fact can be. 



Professor Langhorne Orchard thought that they were under 

 thankful obligation to the learned author for a thoughtful and 

 suggestive paper. It had brought before them the fact that 

 the world of spirit is as real as, and more important than, the world 

 of matter. AVe shall agree that there is no conflict between the 

 Revelation given in nature and that given in the Bible. Science, 

 miable to regard the universe as self-originated, seeks its antecedent 

 and cause in God ; and in the beautiful language of the paper, 

 attempts " to decipher the handwriting of the Almighty on the 

 Universe." 



