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57 
surface of the earth are the sole; or at least the chief, cause of 
the gradua 1 increase of the living world " Here, then, we come 
2SLedT„ e p Pr /- SS10n ^ alUhe beauty, order, and wisdom 
nothin^ F f l G ° d S UniV ® rS6 18 ' tS ° Wn Creator > own sustainer; 
nothing but law no wisdom, no design. Such empty notions 
nd innocent studies Dr. Buchner leaves to those who delight 
to contemplate nature rather with the eyes of the feelings than 
rl th °r of * be mtellect - Where, then, does the vfin en- 
f ® a 7°“ r i° e I ad6 r 7 Af y “ nature -for that, and that alone, 
nds to the denial of the miraculous in nature, — lead us ? To 
the acceptance of something far more unsatisfactory— to the 
proud reason of man Well might Dr. Arnold say, “Here is 
the moral fault of unbelief-that a man can bear to make so 
great a moral sacrifice as is implied in renouncing God. He 
faction tohif re t t n t f m ° A al i sacrifice t0 olt, tain partial satis- 
nerfcnh* h » intellect. A believer ensures the greatest moral 
perfection, with partial satisfaction to his intellect also • en- 
neSher!” ® “ teUect is and can be Gained by 
forids int^iJct?’ R nn0t tbe , believer obtain entire satisfaction 
infinite * 1 * ' Because the finlte cannot comprehend the 
We see, therefore, that the rationalistic principle of law 
Twavall rf l WglVer ’ T ent6d f0r ‘be purpose of explaining 
away all that is miraculous, if carried out must lead us to the 
conclusion, that there is not an intelligent author of nature 
whirl'd 1 g ° Ve r nor of the wor ld- This is the position in 
nlT/ em SC ? DCe ? S asserted fo oppose revelation. We 
“Anawt "d° n ^ reject that whi °b Bishop Butler, in his 
“ nroved f ™ nece ! sal 7 ° f P^of. For he takes it as 
proved, that there is an intelligent author of nature and 
natural governor of the world. For as there is no presump- 
So^eTwhh Prl ° r i * 1 ° i h6 Pr r f ° f i4 ’ S ° has b©en often 
proved with accumulated evidence— from this argument of 
analogy and final causes ; from abstract reasonings f from the 
or.tmas? “ d “<> 
The more intimately the laws of nature have been investigated 
the more clearly has it been demonstrated that they a?e not 
enactm T Tbey maaifes ‘ that ‘bey are the arbitrary 
enactments of a supreme will, and founded on a wisdom which 
so far as we can comprehend it,manifests its perfectness. Surely 
Newton may reasonably be a guide in natural philosophy? We 
“Latei nf T *° ^ ™ be unsclntific 
Latei philosophers, says he, m those remarkable queries 
he appends to his Optics, “banish the consideration of such a 
E 2 
