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vulnerable. Dr. Tyndall will admit this, because be avows that 
he carries his vision across the boundary of experimental 
evidence. Now, to speculation as such, no objection can be 
made. What I shall object to is being required to accept as 
infallible truth anything that a Tyndall may think he discerns, 
even by the scientific use of his imagination. Given equal 
knowledge, culture, and ability, the speculation of one scientist 
may be set against that of another. I w ill venture to do this. 
Not long ago Faraday was living, a fellow-labourer with 
Tyndall, and of at least equal eminence and authority as a 
scientist. Faraday was not only devoutly religious, but a 
diligent Christian preacher. Faraday, full of scientific lore, 
and a daily student of nature, ascribed the “ first beginnings ” 
of things to a Gcd, — a Being of power, wisdom, skill, 
foresight, and goodness infinite, — a Being equal to the work 
of the Universe. Tyndall, the Materialist, ascribes the “ first 
beginnings ” of tilings to things themselves, discerning in the 
particles of matter “promise and potency” equal to the work 
of the Universe.* The tw'o solutions of the awful mystery are 
thus before you; they are the speculations of two of the 
greatest of scientific men. Accept which you please. For 
myself, I do not shrink from saying that I feel compelled, 
on every rational ground, to choose the solution of the 
religious experimenter, who places a Being of absolute and 
infinite power and intelligence above and before the raw 
material of the universe. Above and before the raw 
material. And in saying this I touch a critical subject in 
debate. The “promise and potency of matter” is Dr. 
Tyndall’s scientific gospel. lie declares the sufficiency of 
matter for all physical, plant, and animal life. The absolute 
competency of matter, — that is, his cosmical faith and confes- 
sion. But to matter he gives movement. For movement he 
requires force. To get force he must postulate power. And 
in and over, above, below, around, — everywhere indeed, — he 
declares that there is law. Matter there is not, as matter 
endowed with absolute and infinite potency, but matter plus 
form, plus power, plus Jaw. Put these into it, and matter will 
do everything you w r ant without a God.f As if startled by his 
own gospel. Dr. Tyndall proceeds to confess mystery in the 
whole business. Even evolution, wonderful hypothesis as it is, 
does not get rid of mystery. Mr. Herbert Spencer, whom 
Dr. Tyndall refers to, confesses that “Evolution is the mani- 
festation of a power absolutely inscrutable to the intellect of 
* Note IV., Appendix. 
VOL. X. 
Q 
f Note V., Appendix. 
