The Creator, and what we may know of the method of creation.

[7], 83 p.; 22.5 cm. (Fernley lecture ; 1887) (Methodist union catalog D93) [First printed in 1887] `No doubt the most profound and active minds amongst men will always endeavour to correlate the access even of mind, with modifications of cerebral and neural matter. But if that be approximately done, the real problem will remain simply untouched. True, we can afford no better explanations than those which philosophy offers; but we may not blind ourselves to the true value of these. Mind is inseverably associated with neural matter; we do not know, and cannot even think of it, as emerging as a product of neural matter. We must distinguish clearly between scientific evidence and plausibilities of a philosophical kind expressed in scientific language. We shall be fascinated again and again with a brillliant intellectual arrangement of things known, with things guessed, leading to hypothetical `interpretations' of the most impenetrable mysteries. But the fact remains, that the activities of intellect are inexpressible in terms of matter and motion. Mind only can give origin to mind. Until it is congruous to think that parallel lines can enclose a space, that 2+2=7, that out of nothing something can come, it will be incongruous, in spite of subtle and ceaseless effort, to construct hypotheses by which y shall by its own act change into x, or, in other words, by which mind, with its absolute disparity to matter, shall come forth as an unaided and necessary product of matter as affected by motion.' (p. 82 f.) Fair orig. black cloth, lacks backstrip. Prior sig. on ffep.