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and it is important. What I would regard as the laws of nature are simply 
those great forces, such as gravitation, heat, and the laws that govern 
chemical and organic nature. Now, these I would say are the laws of nature, 
and the individual events and things in the world are produced by combina- 
tions of these laws or forces, and these combinations, I understand, Professor 
Kirk would distinguish as “ usages.” That, I think, is an important 
distinction, because it will be found, as Professor Kirk has said, that there is 
no law of nature violated by the miracles of Scripture : only the usages of 
nature are affected by them 
Rev. W. Mitchell. — Aud so they are affected by free will existing in 
beings possessing perfect will, and continually interfering with the ordinary 
course of those laws. 
Rev. David Greig. — Now, the way in which I would conceive of 
Almighty God in His relation with nature would be as of a Supreme 
Personal Being, absolutely free, who can combine according to His will and 
pleasure the laws of nature. He does not violate His own laws, but combines 
them for the attainment of His great purposes in the kingdoms of nature and 
of grace. Just as man, who is a free agent within his limited sphere, can 
combine laws of nature to attain his ends ; so God, who is absolute and over 
all, combines His laws for His supreme providential purposes. Further, man 
is a personal being, and the only relation in which he can stand to God is a 
personal relation, just as we are in personal relations with each other. Now 
it will be found, that if you once grant that there is a personal being in man, 
and that he stands in a personal relation with God, you have granted the 
principle of miracles. (Hear, hear.) On the other hand, if you deny a 
personal being to man or to God, and adopt as your theory invariable 
sequence of events, it will be found that not only miracles but everything 
else which a man believes in is absurd. (Hear, hear.) I only wish to say 
further how much I admire the paper which has been read. It is a paper 
which deserves our best consideration. 
The President.— Ladies and gentlemen, I have to announce that from 
this night we adjourn until our next session ; and that interval, it is 
hoped, will be well employed by you and other members in endeavouring 
to extend the influence of our Association, and to secure new members. You 
see what a vigorous infant the Victoria Institute is. It is, indeed, an infant 
Hercules, and it has become so because it rests upon a true basis. I hope 
the influence of this Association will continue to extend. It seems to 
combine true vital Christianity with the largest adoption of true liberal 
science ; and I think we shall be enabled to show, by the agency of our 
members, such as my talented friend, Mr. Walter Mitchell, of whom I cannot 
speak with sufficient respect, that science and religion go hand in hand, the 
truth of both coming from the same God, and leading to the same grand 
destination for the human race. (Applause.) 
