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the mind which compel ns to reject them. On the contrary, 
when an effect is produced which cannot be accounted for on 
natural principles, the mind rises naturally from the greatness 
of the work to a supernatural cause. Neither have we any 
experience to urge in behalf of the objection to miracles. We 
have discovered uniformity of working among certain agencies, 
and we have discovered diversity of operations proceeding 
from the will of man. If it is replied, God does not work 
except by His laws in the economy of material nature, we 
demand in vain from Physical Science either reason or proof 
for such an assertion. God’s will is expressed in His material 
works — whoever said it was not ? But when it is asserted 
that His will is not expressed anywhere else, we again demand 
of the physical student reason or proof, and find none. His 
will, as expressed in His worhs, cannot, it is admitted, be 
contrary to His will as expressed in His Word, or revelation; 
but neither is it so. There is no opposition; physical science 
has done nothing to prejudice faith in revelation or miracles. 
Material nature is elastic enough to admit of the play of the 
human will, and if it can and does admit of the play of the 
human will, it cannot shut out the Divine will. The chain 
of antecedents and consequents, the “ grand truth of the 
universal order and constancy of natural causes,” therefore, 
presents no argument against miracles as effects proceeding 
from special causes. 
Let the science of physics be cultivated in all its bearings to 
the utmost extent; but do not undervalue the tools of the 
workman; do not exclude mind and the higher science of 
mind. There is both room and need for the study of meta- 
physics and mental philosophy, as well as of physics. “It 
must be borne in mind (said the President of the British 
Association) that, even if we are satisfied, from a persevering 
and impartial inquiry, that organic forms have varied indefi- 
nitely in kind, still the causa causans of these changes is not 
explained by our researches ; if it be admitted that we find no 
evidence of amorphous matter suddenly changed into complex 
structures, still, ivliy matter should be endowed with the plas- 
ticity by which it slowly acquires modified structures is un- 
explained. If we assume that natural selection, or the struggle 
for existence, coupled with the tendency of like to produce like, 
gives rise to various changes, still our researches are at present 
uninstructive as to why like should produce like, ivliy acquired 
characteristics in the parent should be reproduced in the off- 
spring. Reproduction is still itself an enigma.” Without 
another science, then, the doctrine of continuity is dark — we 
lengthen out the chain backwards, it snaps asunder, and we 
