The Free lance., May 01, 1889, Image 9

though the evidence of these requires the
bringing of a moral being (man) into nature
and in relation with the system of natural
law. The problem is less simple, but the
result scarcely less positive.
Plato said “ The Laws of Nature are the
geometrical thoughts of God.” He and his
disciples spent much time in the study of
geometry, and especially investigated the
properties of the ellipse. This they did
purely from the interest of the abstract study,
and the practical Socrates was inclined to
condemn so useless an occupation. Two
thousand years later Kepler found the mag
nificent diagrams of the ellipse in the starry
heavens, and Newton proved that the prop
erties of the geometric figure Plato studied
embodied the planetary laws. The power
that set the stars in their courses geometrized,
and we necessarily ascribe such action to
nothing else than that which we know as
intelligence. The navigation, the engineering
of the nineteenth century, built on the specula
tions of Plato, answer the utilitarian Socrates.
The example just given is not solitary,
except it be so in grandeur. The properties
of the parabola, of the cycloid and other
figures are found again and again as the laws
of physical actions. Still other notable geo
metrical principles, abundantly employed in
the laws, that obtain in nature are extreme
and mean ratio, centre of inversion, etc. The
conclusion is irresistible that the principles
which mathematicians have discovered as
abstract properties, by a priori processes)
and astronomers and physicists have found
so prevalent in the methods of natural actions,
were clearly comprehended in the power that
created these methods.
AGNOSTICISM,
AN agnostic we understand to be a person
who claims to be unable to ascertain to
his mind’s satisfaction whether or not there is
THE FREE LANCE.
Prof. I. T. Osmond.
a God or an Hereafter. He is neither an
Atheist nor a Christian, but one who says
either may be right, which is right or which
is wrong I know not. Prof. Huxley gives the
following as his definition of agnosticism: ‘‘A
method the essence of which lies in the vigor
ous application of a single principle. Posi
tively the principle may be expressed, in mat
ters of the intellect, follow your reason as far
as it will take you without regard to any other
consideration. Negatively, in matters of the
intellect, do not pretend that conclusion are
certain which are not demonstrated or de
monstrable.
One is inclined after the first reading of
these definitions to think of an agnostic, as a
person who is unable to form opinions or at
least investigates but little. However, when
we consider that many of our most eminent
thinkers are agnostics, we feel that there must
be some reason for their occupying middle
ground. But since either the Christian is
right and the agnostic wrong or vice versa
thereby leaving no middle ground, it is evi
dent that the agnostic’s reason is not complete
or else it contains imperfections.
Prof. Huxley, who is the leader of agnos
ticism, says, “ That though science, does not
teach that there is no God or immortality, it
in no way informs us that there is.” Science
is that part of the book of Nature, which man
has been able to translate, and though we
consider the translation indicative of a God,
others may be unable to see it thus, yet they
must remember that they know little of
science and cannot rely on their knowledge,
and conceivings of it as conclusive of any be
lief, touching Christian doctrine. They must
take that chapter in the book of Nature—
which man cannot translate —relating to God
and man's immortality as translated and given
to us by the Supreme Being in the form of
the Bible. Since they refuse to do this then
they naturally come to the ground which they
occupy. Another instance of defective rea-