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Show 1.98 PURPOSE AND CONDITION OF ANIMATED CREATIOM unknowingly come '"''ith each law of the system, there i~ a system of Mercy and Grace behind the screen of nature, which is to make up for all casualties endured here, and the very largeness of which is what makes thes.e casualties a matter of indifference to God. For the existence of such a system the actual constitution of nature is itself an argument. The reasoning may procee~ thus : ~he sy~ter:n of nature assures us that benevolence IS a leading pnnclple in the .Div~ne mind. But th~t syst~m is at the same time deficient 1n a means of mak1ng th1s benevolence of invariable operation. To reconcile this to the recognized character of the Deity, it is necessary to suppose that the present system is but a part of a whole, a stage in a Great Pro<Yress, and that the Redress is in reserve. Another arcr~ment here occurs-the economy of nature, beautifully ar~anO'ed and vast in its extent as it is, does not satisfy even ~an's idea of what might be; he feels that, if this multiplicity of theatres for the exemplification of sn.eh phenomena as we see on earth were to go on forever nn~ changed, it would not be \Vorthy of the Being capable of creating it. An endless monotony of human generations, with tl1.eir humble thinkings and doings, seems an object beneath that august Being. But the mundane economy mio·ht be very well as a portion of some greater phenomengn, the rest of which was yet to be evolved. It theretore appears that our system, though it may at fi:·st ap:rear at issue with other doctrines in estee1n amongst manlnnd, tends to corr.e into harmony with them, and even to give then1 support. I would say, in: conclusion, that, even where the two above arguments may fail of effect, ther~ may yet be a faith derived from this view of nature sufficient to sustain us under all sense of the imperfect happi ness, the calamities, the woes, and pains of.this sphere of bein<Y. For let us but fully and truly cons~der what a system bis here laid open to view, and we cannot well doubt that vre are in the hands of One who is both able and willincr to do us the most entire justice. And in this f<:~.ith we m0ay wel1 rest at ease, even thou<jh life should have been to us but a protracted disease, ?r tho~1gl~ every hope \Ye had built on the secular matenals w1tht.n ?ur reach were felt to be rnelting fron1 our grasp. T~1nk.1ng of all the conti nO'encies of this world as to be 1n tune rr1elted into or l~;:;t in the greater system, to whi?h the pre5ent is only subsidiary, let u::; wait the end Wllh pa· \ience. and be of good cheet· 199 NOTE CONCLUSORY. • THus ends a book, composed in !2olitude, and almm .. t without the cognizance of a single hu1nan being, fot the sole purpose (or as nearly so as may be) of improving the knowledge of mankind, and through that medium their happiness. For reasons which need not be specified, the author's name is retained in its original obscurity, and in all probability, will never be generally known. I d~ n~t ~xpect that any word of praise which t.he work rnay ellc1t shall ever be responded to by me, or that any word of censure shall ever be parried or deprecated. It goes forth to tak~ its chance of instant oblivion, or of a lon"' and active course of usefulness in the world. Neithe~ contingency can be of any importance to me, beyond the regret or the satisfaction which may be imparted by my sense of a lost or a realized benefit to my fellow-creatures. The book, as far as I am aware, is the first attempt to connect the natural sciences into a history of creation. The idea is a bold one, and there are many circumstances of time and place to render its boldness more than usually conspicuous. But I believe my doctrines to be in the main hue; I believe all truth to be valuable, and its dissemination a blessing. At the same time, I hold ~yselJ duly sensible of the common liability to error, but am cel'tain that no error in this line has the least chance of Deing allowed to injure the public mind. Therefore I publish. My views, if correct, will most assuredly stand, and m~y sooner or later prove beneficial; if otherwise, they wlll as surely pass out of notice without doing any hal'm. My sincere desire in the composition of the book wa~ t? gi 'le. the true view of the history of nature, with as ht~le d1st~rbance as possible to existing _beliefs, whether ph1losoph1cal or religious. I have 1nade little reference to any doctrines of the latter kind which may be thought inconsistent with mine, becau;:,e to do so would have been to enter upon questions for the settlement of \Yhich our knowledge is not yet ripe. Let the reconciliation of whatever !s true in tny views with whatever is true in other systems come about in tne fulness of calm and careful inquiry. I cannot but here remind the rearler oi what Dr. Wiseman has shown so strikingly in his Lee- • |
