f late, cannot be cavalierly dismissed in this way; for, as
Dugald Stewart has well said, "every combination of means to an end
implies intelligence." But the direct or immediate action of the great
Intelligence behind nature is manifest in the marvellous behavior of
the cells; which, instead of behaving in a way to indicate that their
life processes are due to properties inherent in the atoms and molecules
composing them, show every appearance of being _mere automata_ under the
direct control of an intelligent, purpose-filled Mind,--a Mind external
to themselves, it is true, and gloriously transcending them, but
constantly, ceaselessly exercised by an immediate action which we may
well call "immanent," in the original and proper sense of this term. Yet
vital action is capable of exact correlation with the other forces of
nature; and thus the modern law of the correlation of forces teaches us
that the energy behind life must be the same as the energy pervading all
nature, the various manifestations of which we know as light, heat,
gravity, electricity, etc. Thus while the study of the behavior of life
or the doctrine of "vitalism" might encourage us to think that in the
cells and in the behavior of protoplasm we are witnessing the direct
action of an intelligent Creator; yet we find that by the correlation of
forces we must _say the same about all the physical and chemical
phenomena of nature_. In other words, while the study of mere physical
and chemical action might easily lead us to a strong belief in second
causes, or to the belief that in this department of nature at least
certain "properties" had been imparted to matter and it had then been
left to act largely by itself; yet, since the vital processes of living
organisms are capable of exact correlation with all other forces, such
as light, heat, and electricity, the direct action of this universal
all-controlling Mind in all the phenomena of nature seems demonstrated
beyond a doubt, leaving apparently little or no room for any action of
second causes.

But this view of the matter, as is very evident, is liable to lead to a
pantheistic view of the universe, than which nothing could be more
horrible.

How then shall we reconcile these conflicting views?

In this case, as in so many others, the Bible comes in to show us the
rational _via media_, the straight path of reason and sound philosophy
which avoids the absurdities of both extremes.

The plain and unambig