ye;
For out of Thought's interior sphere
These wonders rose to upper air,
And nature gladly gave them place,
Adopted them into her race,
And granted them an equal date
With Andes and with Ararat.

Surely, many utterances which have been accepted as descriptions ought
to be interpreted as aspirations, or, as having their roots in
aspiration instead of in objective knowledge. Does the song of the
herald angels, 'Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace,
goodwill toward men,' express the exaltation and the yearning of a
human soul? or does it describe an optical and acoustical fact--a
visible host and an audible song? If the former, the exaltation and
the yearning are man's imperishable possession--a ferment long
confined to individuals, but which may by-and-by become the leaven of
the race. If the latter, then belief in the entire transaction is
wrecked by non-fulfilment. Look to the East at the present moment as
a comment on the promise of peace' on earth and goodwill toward men.
That promise is a dream ruined by the experience of eighteen
centuries, and in that ruin is involved the claim of the 'heavenly
host' to prophetic vision. But though the mechanical theory proves
untenable, the immortal song and the feelings it expresses are still
ours, to be incorporated, let us hope, in purer and less shadowy forms
in the poetry, philosophy, and practice of the future.

Thus, following the lead of physical science, we are brought without
solution of continuity into the presence of problems which, as usually
classified, lie entirely outside the domain of physics. To these
problems thoughtful and penetrative minds are now applying those
methods of research which in physical science have proved their truth
by their fruits. There is on all hands a growing repugnance to invoke
the supernatural in accounting for the phenomena of human life; and
the thoughtful minds just referred to, finding no trace of evidence in
favour of any other origin, are driven to seek in the interaction of
social forces the genesis and development of man's moral nature. If
they succeed in their search--and I think they are sure to
succeed--social duty will be raised to a higher level of significance
and the deepening sense of social duty will, it is to be hoped,
lessen, if not obliterate, the strifes and heartburnings which now
beset and disfigure our social life. Towards this great end it
behoves us one and all