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The Harmony of Revelation and Science; A Series of Essays on Theological Questions of the Day
The Harmony of Revelation and Science A Series of Essays on Theological Questions of the Day Author:J. Dingle General Books publication date: 2009 Original publication date: 1863 Original Publisher: Deighton, Bell Subjects: Religion and science Notes: This is a black and white OCR reprint of the original. It has no illustrations and there may be typos or missing text. When you buy the General Books edition of this book you get free trial access to ... more »Million-Books.com where you can select from more than a million books for free. Excerpt: 12 THE EXERCISE OF GOD'S POWER IN THE WORKS OF NATURE. ERRONEOUS opinions in religion are so often connected with inadequate ideas of the exercise of God's power in the works of nature, that it may be desirable to consider what lessons philosophy is able to teach us in this important matter. It is a link between science and religion, the consideration of which may induce the student of nature to examine the works of God with more reverence, and to receive His revelations with less reluctance. I will not lead the reader into the metaphysical argument by which Berkeley shows that there cannot be anything in existence but mind, and the immediate effects of mind; upon which theory we are compelled to believe that the power of the Deity is the efficient cause of every operation that takes place in the Universe. In reasoning on His attributes with reference to physical phenomena, we may take lower ground ; and assuming on the common hypothesis that matter is something external to mind, and a material that is to serve it as an instrument in working out its purposes, we may show that even so it must be immediately and absolutely dependent upon the Supreme Mind in producing any effect whatever. Instead of showing this, indeed, by argument, it ought rather to be laid down as a fundamental principle which scarcely admits of being supported by argument, and only requires a careful consideration in order to be accepted. It necessarily follows, from the absolute inertia of matter, which makes the slightest operation on its part inconceivable, exce...« less