206 WAEREN UPHAM, M.A., F.G.S.A., ON THE NEBULAE AND 



There are great difficulties in the way of the acceptance of this new 

 hypothesis when compared with the older hypothesis, more or less 

 modified, of Laplace. Matter in its original condition was no doubt 

 extremely attenuated, and in this extremely attenuated condition it 

 hardly appears possible for us to believe that it was heated. The 

 temperature of cosmic space I think is said to be something like 

 460° or 470° F. below zero. When we look upon such objects as 

 comets, their tails, which consist of matter in an extremely 

 attenuated condition, certainly cannot be regarded as a fire mist or 

 anything of that kind. With regard to its motion the rotating and 

 spiral nebulae are certainly very suggestive of the original motion 

 which resulted in the formation of the central sun and planets. I 

 do not think it is necessary to the older hypothesis that we should 

 suppose that the whole mass of the original nebulae formed into one 

 compact whole with a flattened surface. We may still accept it 

 together with the suggestion made here, that various nuclei became 

 formed. But when we go right back to their origin, and to the 

 character of the original motion of the nebulas upon either 

 hypothesis, we come to that state of things when we are obliged to 

 suppose the assertion of the Infinite Will, and the Infinite Wisdom 

 of an Infinite Person. We know of no source whence force could 

 originate except in will. Force may be transformed from one 

 nature or condition to another, but force so far as we know could 

 only originate in will ; and thus in the origination of force there is 

 no correlation between the power of the will — the assertion of the 

 power of the will, and the effect produced. In the case of the 

 nebular hypothesis, as we have been accustomed to think of it, you 

 have evidence of the original gaseous condition of matter. This 

 gaseous or nebulous condition may have preceded the granular state, 

 if I may so call it, suggested by the hypothesis of Mr. Chamberlin. 

 It is only necessary to apply a few simple laws of Nature to see at 

 all events how development into subsequent conditions might have 

 taken place from matter in its original and gaseous condition. I 

 suppose in that original condition we must regard it as .having been 

 atomic. But whether these atoms were the atoms of one primitive 

 substance or atoms possessing different qualities we do not know. 

 By some means or other these atoms must have become combined 

 into molecules, but by what means we do not know. That it did 

 take place at some time or other must be taken for granted. 



