THE GENESIS OP NATURE. 



41 



minimized and multiplied, the sum of the force of causation 

 required to produce that effect, remains the same. No particle 

 of that force can be originated by the interaction of the 

 secondary causes ; it must originate altogether from the First 

 Cause ; and, therefore, if (as we have seen) the First Cause of 

 all Nature be God, evolution, assuming it as a fact, however 

 potent, and however extensive, cannot in the slightest degree 

 touch either the power or the will of God. Evolution now can 

 only mean the method (or a method) by which the Creator has 

 chosen and chooses to work. 



Thirdly, the term " Imcs of nature'' can no longer be supposed 

 to mean independent principles governing the Universe. 

 Their aspect natureward is not changed ; but their aspect 

 Godward is explained. They are laws of God, not laws on 

 God. They are laws upon nature from God. He is their law- 

 giver, their supreme controller ; and the reason of their 

 existence is His chano-eless wilL and that alone. 



o 



Thus the conception of God, w^hich we have obtained from 

 Scripture, must be, if we have rightly understood it, paramount 

 over nature, evolution, and natural laws. 



9. The kind of creation to he expected from such a God. 



We may now proceed to inquire, what, taking the conception 

 of God given to us by Holy Scripture, should we expect the 

 character of His work to be ? And he it clearly understood that 

 this inquiry has nothing to do loith the examincdion of actual 

 naturcd facts. AYe are not at present infringing upon scientific 

 research, but arguing entirely from the scriptural notion of 

 God. This no naturalist can dispute our right to do, for we are 

 moving definitely outside his domain. We have here to 

 consider, not what God's actual works were, but what 

 clmracteristics in most general outline work, if done by Him, 

 might be expected to present. If God be such as He is 

 represented to us in Scripture, what would probably be the 

 main features of a creation produced by Him ? 



(1) As the Lord our God is One God, His creation would be 

 expected to show a fundamental consistency in all its parts. 

 The action of unity would underlie the whole. However 

 varied, however elaborate might be its results, the impress of 

 one mind would appear right through. Every detail, however 

 individualized in itself, would be capable of being traced back, 

 if traceable at all, to a common origin. Consistency in the 

 work would be the sequel of the oneness of the Worker. 



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