Natural Law in the Spiritual World | Page 4

apologetic in tone. The risk of combining two objects so
very different is somewhat serious. But, for the reason named, having
taken this responsibility, the only compensation I can offer is to
indicate which of the papers incline to the one side or to the other.
"Degeneration," "Growth," "Mortification," "Conformity to Type,"
"Semi-Parasitism," and "Parasitism" belong to the more practical order;
and while one or two are intermediate, "Biogenesis," "Death," and
"Eternal Life" may be offered to those who find the atmosphere of the
former uncongenial. It will not disguise itself, however, that, owing to
the circumstances in which they were prepared, all the papers are more
or less practical in their aim; so that to the merely philosophical reader
there is little to be offered except--and that only with the greatest
diffidence--the Introductory chapter.
In the Introduction, which the general reader may do well to ignore, I
have briefly stated the case for Natural Law in the Spiritual World. The
extension of Analogy to Laws, or rather the extension of the Laws
themselves so far as known to me, is new; and I cannot hope to have
escaped the mistakes and misadventures of a first exploration in an
unsurveyed land. So general has been the survey that I have not even
paused to define specially to what departments of the Spiritual World
exclusively the principle is to be applied. The danger of making a new
principle apply too widely inculcates here the utmost caution. One

thing is certain, and I state it pointedly, the application of Natural Law
to the Spiritual World has decided and necessary limits. And if
elsewhere with undue enthusiasm I seem to magnify the principle at
stake, the exaggeration--like the extreme amplification of the moon's
disc when near the horizon--must be charged to that almost necessary
aberration of light which distorts every new idea while it is yet slowly
climbing to its zenith.
In what follows the Introduction, except in the setting there is nothing
new. I trust there is nothing new. When I began to follow out these
lines, I had no idea where they would lead me. I was prepared,
nevertheless, at least for the time, to be loyal to the method throughout,
and share with nature whatever consequences might ensue. But in
almost every case, after stating what appeared to be the truth in words
gathered directly from the lips of Nature, I was sooner or later startled
by a certain similarity in the general idea to something I had heard
before, and this often developed in a moment, and when I was least
expecting it, into recognition of some familiar article of faith. I was not
watching for this result. I did not begin by tabulating the doctrines, as I
did the Laws of Nature, and then proceed with the attempt to pair them.
The majority of them seemed at first too far removed from the natural
world even to suggest this. Still less did I begin with doctrines and
work downward to find their relations in the natural sphere. It was the
opposite process entirely. I ran up the Natural Law as far as it would go,
and the appropriate doctrine seldom even loomed in sight till I had
reached the top. Then it burst into view in a single moment.
I can scarcely now say whether in those moments I was more overcome
with thankfulness that Nature was so like Revelation, or more filled
with wonder that Revelation was so like Nature. Nature, it is true, is a
part of Revelation--a much greater part doubtless than is yet
believed--and one could have anticipated nothing but harmony here.
But that a derived Theology, in spite of the venerable verbiage which
has gathered round it, should be at bottom and in all cardinal respects
so faithful a transcript of "the truth as it is in Nature" came as a surprise
and to me at least as a rebuke. How, under the rigid necessity of
incorporating in its system much that seemed nearly unintelligible, and

much that was barely credible, Theology has succeeded so perfectly in
adhering through good report and ill to what in the main are truly the
lines of Nature, awakens a new admiration for those who constructed
and kept this faith. But however nobly it has held its ground, Theology
must feel to-day that the modern world calls for a further proof. Nor
will the best Theology resent this demand; it also demands it. Theology
is searching on every hand for another echo of the Voice of which
Revelation also is the echo, that out of the mouths of two witnesses its
truths should be established. That other echo can only come from
Nature. Hitherto its voice has been muffled. But now that Science has
made the world around articulate,