18 
actuality of the hypothetical atom, that the foregoing expla- 
nations, numbered (1), (2), and (3), depend wholly on the 
assumption of its spherical form. 
23. Although I cannot expect that the foregoing arguments 
will produce in others the degree of conviction which, after 
long attention to theoretical philosophy, I have myself arrived 
at as to the truth of the three hypotheses, still, as it may 
possibly be conceded that a presumption of their truth has 
been established, the course of the general argument now 
requires a statement to be made of the inferences deducible 
from these hypotheses on the supposition of their being true ; 
which accordingly I proceed to do. 
(1 .) First and chiefly, they prove the existence of two classes 
of natural facts quite distinct from each other, one primary, 
the other derivative. The first class are primary in the sense 
of not being logically ascribable to any antecedent natural 
cause, whereas the other, whether consisting of individual 
facts, or of facts related in a manner expressed by analytical 
formulas, may be logically reached by reasoning from the first 
as premisses. Such reasoning reveals the laws which govern 
the second class of facts. Laws so determined are absolutely 
unchangeable, because the process and the results of right 
reasoning from given premisses admit of no variation, being 
the products of a human faculty which in essence is identical 
with the supreme reason of the Goveimor of the Universe. But 
it by no means follows that the premisses themselves are also 
unchangeable. For want of being able to distinguish between 
the two kinds of facts, Hume fell into the great error of 
assuming that all facts are subject to immutable laws. This 
error has held its ground up to the present day, its influence 
being conspicuous in the writings of Stuart Mill, Strauss, and 
modern metaphysicians generally, who have all rightly judged 
that metaphysical inquiry should be conducted with reference 
to physics, but failed to discern the exact relation between the 
two departments of human knowledge. The late Professor 
Grote of Cambridge discerned the unsatisfactoriness of the 
prevailing views of metaphysicians on this point, but did not 
profess to clear up the difficulty. 
(2.) As the existence of the primary facts is not referable to 
any antecedent natural conditions or causes, it may be asked, 
What was their origin ? How did they begin to be ? The 
only possible answer to this question is, that they were made, 
and made to be such as they are, by the sole will and power of 
the Creator of the Universe. We ourselves can make, and we 
give to the things we make special forms and qualities to 
answer special purposes. We may draw, therefore, from our 
