of that whole. Who,
therefore, can say, even upon the hypothesis of Theism, that our
inferences or "idea of design" would have any meaning if applied to the
"All-Upholder," whose thoughts are not as our thoughts?'[30] And of
course, _mutatis mutandis_, the same remarks apply to all inferences
having a negative tendency.

As an outcome of the whole of this discussion, then, I think it appears
that the influence of Science upon Natural Religion has been uniformly
of a destructive character. Step by step it has driven back the apparent
evidence of direct or special design in Nature, until now this evidence
resides exclusively in the one great and general fact that Nature as a
whole is a Cosmos. Further than this it is obviously impossible that the
destructive influence of Science can extend, because Science can only
exist upon the basis of this fact. But when we allow that this great and
universal fact--which but for the effects of unremitting familiarity
could scarcely fail to be intellectually overwhelming--does betoken
mental agency in Nature, we immediately find it impossible to determine
the probable character of such a mind, even supposing that it exists. We
cannot conceive of it as presenting any one of the qualities which
essentially characterize what we know as mind in ourselves; and
therefore the word Mind, as applied to the supposed agency, stands for a
blank. Further, even if we disregard this difficulty, and assume that in
some way or other incomprehensible to us a Mind does exist as far
transcending the human mind as the human mind transcends mechanical
motion; still we are met by some very large and general facts in Nature
which seem strongly to indicate that this Mind, if it exists, is either
deficient in, or wholly destitute of, that class of feelings which in
man we term moral; while, on the other hand, the religious aspirations
of man himself may be taken to indicate the opposite conclusion. And,
lastly, with reference to the whole course of such reasonings, we have
seen that any degree of measurable probability, as attaching to the
conclusions, is unattainable. From all which it appears that Natural
Religion at the present time can only be regarded as a system full of
intellectual contradictions and moral perplexities; so that if we go to
her with these greatest of all questions: 'Is there knowledge with the
Most High?' 'Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?' the only
clear answer which we rec