Typical forms and special ends in creation / by James M'Cosh and George Dickie.

  • McCosh, James, 1811-1894.
Date:
1856
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Typical forms and special ends in creation / by James M'Cosh and George Dickie. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the National Library of Medicine (U.S.), through the Medical Heritage Library. The original may be consulted at the National Library of Medicine (U.S.)

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    the construction of the universe. The Platonists of the Alexandrian School literally revelled among numbers and forms, till they lost themselves among their intrica- cies and windings. The Platonizing Jew who wrote the Book of Wisdom, caught for a moment a very clear glimpse of the full truth, when he speaks of God having arranged all things in measure, number, and weight.* Early science, like youth, is ardent, is eager, and not having as yet determined either its strength or its weak- ness, it would attempt every work, and works far beyond its capacity. Like the giants of the early world, it is ambitious, and would heap Ossa on Pelion, and mount to heaven, not by gradual and numerous steps, but by one old bold and presumptuous effort. In following this method of speculation, the sage—as he meditates on the banks of the Euphrates or Nile, along which an early civilisation had sprung up, or in the cities of Miletus, Elea, or Athens, in which the human spirit was sharpened by discussion and the love of enterprise —makes many a shrewd guess ; he anticipates not a few truths which later discovery confirms ; he awakens a spirit of inquiry which craves for a more accurate mode of procedure ; and if he does not settle, he at least starts questions which must sooner or later bo settled. But his attempt, though characterized by enlargement of vision and power of vaticination, is, in respect of scien- tific strictness and certainty of result, a failure, and the favourite dogma of one school is ever disputed by the disciples of another school. It turns out that the work which one man or one school has attempted, needs, in order to its completion, the combined industry of many investigators continued through long successive ages. * Havra nirptp koX apid/id /ecu araQjiu) Jiardfas.