1857.] Science and the Bible. 497
chemistry
developing life ; and life, mind; to the idea of an infusion of mind or
soul through the gross material of the earth, in order to the
origination of the earth's ingredients, arranging her features,
evolving her results, and bringing out a self-made earth or nature, as
if self-creation were possible for a universe any more than for a tree;
to conceptions of ideal entities back of the material, or to thoughts
of a Creator throwing, now and then, the reins on the back of a
rampant stupid nature; the bold plunge in the dark is not to be
charged to science. It is reason's own audacity, and let her have the
credit. We may find, in nature, the cyclical law of all natures, but
not the cyclical alternation of the natural and supernatural, appealed
to in the " Six Days ; " this deterioration of nature at intervals,
because she is left to go alone, is against all analogy in a growing
individuality, and without any proof in facts.
We may here recapitulate the points which we have sought to illustrate.
1. The earth and the universe one in history.
2. A correspondence between the progress of creation and the law of germ-development.
3.
A correspondence between the same progress and the epochs of
germ-development, making three for the inorganic history of the earth,
and three for the organic, or six in all.
4. The universe or nature finite in space.
5. The universe finite in time, both as regards the past and the future.
6.
Progress involving decays or destructions throughout the earth's
history, and as frequent creations ; the destructions being consequent
upon the gradual change of climate and the movements in the earth's
crust which were carrying forward its own development.
7.
Nature's types or plans of structure, involving systems of variables
upon a basis of constants ; the characteristics of a species presented
in the characteristics of its line of serial developments from the
germ onward; conceptions of types, species, germs.
Vol. XIV. No. 55. 43
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