25 
human [? sic] inhabitants attest the dreadful consequences of 
a confined atmosphere.” Now what are we to infer from this? 
And I might add much more to it; such as the atmosphere 
being the vehicle of epidemics, &c. ; but that the physical ad- 
justment of man to the atmosphere is anything but absolutely 
satisfactory. But we must remember this, — that an atheist or 
infidel might easily appeal to Dr. Kidd’s descriptions, and 
tauntingly ask, “ Is this the work of your Beneficent God ?” 
Moreover, if we consider mam’s adjustment to external condi- 
tions, or external conditions to him, everything else besides the 
atmosphere furnishes similar “ evils.” In other words, there are 
the same relatively perfect or imperfect conditions, than which 
he can conceive far better, wishes for far better, and which he 
— if he does hope at all — hopes for far better hereafter. 
We thus, then, find that man is not exempt from this inva- 
riable law of imperfect adaptations. 
The Law of Inideality. 
But, apart from infidels, many will feel disposed to ask, 
“ Is not all this very derogatory to the Deity, who is a God of 
love and mercy?” I at once, and unhesitatingly, say “No!” 
I again say that it is not for man to pronounce what may or 
may not be derogatory to God. The finite mind cannot esti- 
mate the wisdom of the Infinite. It is this unphilosophical 
way of weighing God’s actions in our own mental balance which 
has brought so much contempt upon the methods and assertions 
of the teleologist. 
I maintain that natural theology, as a science, must be studied 
objectively (and not as hitherto, subjectively ), like all other 
sciences. Theological deductions will only be sound as long as 
they are based upon a full and thoroughly impartial observation 
of the phenomena of the world. We can only discover His 
laws by a close examination of His works, their inter-actions, 
and their actions upon ourselves ; and the universal principle or 
law — applicable, as we have seen, to all cases of design, including 
the adaptation of man and animals to their sphere of existence 
I propose to call the Law of Inideality ; by which I would signify 
that nothing in nature ever reaches that ideal stage of perfection 
which is conceivable by man. It expresses what I have hitherto 
called relative perfection or imperfection. I call it a law, because 
law is expressive of an order of facts, and this law admits of 
universal application, applies to every class of “ design,” and is, 
therefore, a universal witness to the will of God. 
Under this same head of adaptation I would allude to a 
statement of Mr. Herbert Spencer, who, in his usually powerful 
reasoning in support of evolution, has made one slip (as it seems 
