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who by His infinite power is able to produce all things out of nothing. 
I wish to pause a moment on this expression— “ all things out of nothing ’’ ; 
because Mr. Herbert Spencer further on in his book on First Principles dis- 
tinctly denies that anything can possibly be conceived to have been made out 
of nothing. Now, if there be an originating power at all, it is that which 
gives us something that was not before. It is folly to admit causation and 
origination, and to dispute that there is beyond this world a power that 
can make things out of nothing. We ourselves, as originators, as causes, 
are shadows of Him who has placed His image upon us. Every time 
we exercise the power of thinking we are conscious that we have thoughts 
which came out of us we know not exactly how, but certainly not from 
conscious material. We, as finite beings, are as shadows of the infinite God, 
whose likeness we bear. We are intelligences, we are makers and origina- 
tors. We, too, make things out of nothing. A great author and poet is 
a maker, an originator, a cause, and to some real extent he causes things 
to be which were not. Sometimes he makes up existing materials, but even 
then there are flashes of truth, there are pictorial and real illustrations which 
come from the man himself. As the infinite and eternal God speaks to us, 
it is done : the action of the Divine Will is not inoperative. We cannot 
conceive of God as a Great Being who has both power and will, without also 
understanding that His will does something ; that His power is effectual 
power. If you work out this thought you will find that something out of 
nothing is a logical result ; but if I am detaining you too long, I ask your 
forgiveness, and will only add a few more words. The paper before us 
seems to me, with the exception of the laudatory matter which I should 
in some degree, though not very much, be inclined to modify, to be 
quite perfect in expression. It is exact, it is logical. It adopts a way 
of putting the whole subject which Mr. Herbert Spencer is bound to 
notice : and I shall look forward also to a promised second paper from 
our lecturer with the deepest interest, because it will take us into the 
region of the ethical. When we see indeed the manner in which Mr. 
Herbert Spencer’s philosophy is bound to evade ethics, I think we should 
stint our admiration of the moral tone pervading (as the paper hints) 
Mr. Herbert Spencer’s book. But this, perhaps, is hypercriticism. I can 
quite understand that the refinement of the society in which Mr. Spencer 
moves has produced a tone and temper in him which may be called, and 
which doubtless is, moral and refined, and in that sense he displays a grace 
and sensitiveness and a reality which we may well imitate. Now and then 
he is hard on the theologian, but being a theologian myself, I can without 
effort say I forgive him. The fact is that he does not understand us, though 
he may and probably will understand us, if he will but try, and among 
our many philosophers may one day achieve a lofty and permanent place. 
Mr. W. Griffith. — It is, perhaps, unwise in criticising the opinions of 
an author to concede too much in praising him too highly, or, on the 
other hand, to treat him with injustice in order to avoid doing so. It may 
be proper to consider the position which Mr. Herbert Spencer holds in con- 
