me power, is therefore a being دو ferent periods of the world between the conceivable and the known laws of science and evolution; and all that we can logically say that we know about it is, that it is. By the UNIVERSE (Greek, kosmos) we mean the heavens, whether visible or invisible from our earth, and its contents -viz., the sun, planets, stars, moons, etc. It is supposed to have been evolved from a kosmic nebulous matter or It Matter, the ultimate nature of which is unknown, comprises all substances occupying space and affecting the senses, and exists in a fixed and unvarying quantity. It is indestructible and eternal, is constantly changing form, and is manifest to us in three states-solid, liquid, and gaseous-and, by inference, in a fourth, the ethereal medium, invisible and imponderable, which fills the spaces between particles and masses, and in which the planetary bodies are distributed. The smallest and indivisible particles of matter are called atoms (or chemical units), two or more of which combining form the smallest compound bodies, called molecules (or mechanical units), two or more of which, again aggregating, form masses (or bodies). Motion is matter in the act of changing place through space and time. It is produced or destroyed, quickened or retarded, increased or lessened, by two indestructible powers of opposite nature, Force and Energy, both of which, in our portion of the universe, are radiated from our sun. Force, the attracting power, is inherent in, and can never be taken from, ponderable matter, every atom possessing the tendency to attract other atoms or to resist any separating power. When it attracts atoms, it is called "chemical affinity"; when molecules, "cohesion"; and when masses, "gravitation." Force is constant, and its several qualities are grouped under one doctrine, called the "Persistence of Force." Energy, the repelling, separating, or pushing power, is the existence is a being. But the first cause is only a being, existence, entity, or thing, as opposed to, or distinguished from, a non-being, a non-existence, a non-entity, or a nothing. The first cause, or supreme power, is therefore a being, entity, or existence within the universe, and inscrutable or incomprehensible to man; and has been well defined as the "first cause least understood." But mankind has, in different periods of the world's history, pretended to have an intimate knowledge of the first cause, even to identifying it, by form, shape, and attributes, as a human being, and of the male sex, and attributing to this anthropomorphous personification the iniquities recorded in the Bible. Such ignorance and superstition may be excusable in the savage, whose fears led him to attribute everything he could not understand to the action of invisible and supernatural persons, but is inexcusable and unwarrantable in persons pretending to some education and possessing ordinary intelligence. It is an attempt to encroach upon the domain of the speculative, which has been the cause of nearly all the troubles of mankind, and is responsible for the shocking acts of injustice, cruelty, and murder which crowd the pages of history, and which have been perpetrated under the name of "religion." This unwarranted conception by man concerning the inscrutable cause has for centuries led people astray from the paths of science and truth, and into the realms of the imaginary and supernatural, and to the consequent evolution of religious systems equally unwarranted, and whose conceptions of the inscrutable power are far below the dignified and noble conception of the Agnostic and of science. As no relations can exist between the conceivable and the inconceivable, the finite and the infinite-and it is assumed that the inscrutable power is infinite-no relations can exist between man and the inscrutable first cause. Anything that we do, or fail to do, cannot affect it; and we can give it nothing, nor can it receive anything from us. Therefore addresses to it are useless and illogical, and those who do so address it seriously involve themselves in an illogical belief in the personality of the first cause, and in its possession of human attributes, such as hearing, seeing, etc.-a belief which is founded, as we have seen, on conjecture only. THE UNIVERSE AND ITS PHENOMENA. 13 "that men "It seems somewhat strange," says Spencer, should suppose the highest worship to lie in assimilating the object of their worship to themselves." What we know, or can know, respecting the inscrutable power is explained by the known laws of science and evolution; and all that we can logically say that we know about it is, that it is. By the UNIVERSE (Greek, kosmos) we mean the heavens, whether visible or invisible from our earth, and its contents -viz., the sun, planets, stars, moons, etc. It is supposed to have been evolved from a kosmic nebulous matter or dust, of tremendous extent, in space, within the atoms of which existed the power to evolve all that now is—sun, stars, planets, etc., our earth, and all that is thereon—seas, mountains, animal and vegetal life, and eventually man. It is a huge manifestation of phenomena, being crowded with life and activity, and is made up of matter and motion. Matter, the ultimate nature of which is unknown, comprises all substances occupying space and affecting the senses, and exists in a fixed and unvarying quantity. It is indestructible and eternal, is constantly changing form, and is manifest to us in three states-solid, liquid, and gaseous-and, by inference, in a fourth, the ethereal medium, invisible and imponderable, which fills the spaces between particles and masses, and in which the planetary bodies are distributed. The smallest and indivisible particles of matter are called atoms (or chemical units), two or more of which combining form the smallest compound bodies, called molecules (or mechanical units), two or more of which, again aggregating, form masses (or bodies). Motion is matter in the act of changing place through space and time. It is produced or destroyed, quickened or retarded, increased or lessened, by two indestructible powers of opposite nature, Force and Energy, both of which, in our portion of the universe, are radiated from our sun. Force, the attracting power, is inherent in, and can never be taken from, ponderable matter, every atom possessing the tendency to attract other atoms or to resist any separating power. When it attracts atoms, it is called "chemical affinity"; when molecules, "cohesion"; and when masses, "gravitation." Force is constant, and its several qualities are grouped under one doctrine, called the "Persistence of Force." Energy, the repelling, separating, or pushing power, is the up. It may be passive or potential, like that existing in gunpowder when quiescent; or active or kinetic, like that existing in the same during the act of explosion. The qualities of convertibility and indestructibility constitute what is called the doctrine of "Conservation of Energy." The force inherent in each atom of this nebulous dust combined the atoms together, during which process rotatory and orbital motion was produced, and a vibratory motion converted into the radiant energy of heat and light. As the mass which formed our sun went on contracting, a bulging took place at the equatorial portion, from which masses flew off into space. These formed again, by the attraction of force, separate compact bodies-our earth and the other planetary bodies of our system, which, by the force of gravitation, revolved in certain orbits round their centre of gravitythe sun. A similar state of things probably occurred with other fixed stars, each being the centre of its own system, as our sun is the centre of ours. The moons are supposed to have been detached from their several planets in a similar manner. Sir W. Herschell has discovered, by the telescope, worlds and systems in the course of formation as described above. It is estimated that it is a hundred million years since our planet sufficiently cooled and solidified to support life. The STARS are white-hot, luminous bodies; the nearest one is more than 19 thousand million miles away, and the more distant ones are so far off that light, which travels at the rate of 186,000 miles in a second of time, requires 50,000 years to dart from them to the eyes of man. The MOONs are supposed to be burnt-out and cold planets, and act as satellites to other planets, accompanying them in their revolutions round the sun. Our moon, or satellite, has no atmosphere; and, for every revolution in its orbit, it rotates once on its axis-so that the same half of its surface is always presented to terrestrial observers. An apparent oscillatory motion, called "libration," enables us to see four-sevenths of its surface instead of one-half. It makes one-half of its journey round the earth above the plane of the ecliptic, and the other below, the whole occupying 291⁄2 days. Its distance from us is estimated at about 240,000 miles. Jupiter, 476 million; Saturn, 872 million; Uranus, 1,754 million; and Neptune, 2,746 million miles from the sun. Also ninety-seven smaller or minor planets revolving round the sun between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter, called asteroids. Also meteors, shooting stars, comets, and moons or satellites to some of the larger planets, Jupiter having five, Saturn eight, Uranus four, Neptune one, and our Earth one. These constituents of the Solar System float at various velocities in the ethereal medium called "the heavens." The SUN, like all other stars, as far as we know, consists of a nucleus of burning gaseous matter, surrounded by envelopes called the Photosphere and the Chromosphere, outside which is the mysterious corona "whose delicate silver radiance forms the glorious nimbus of a total eclipse." Being the nearest star to the earth, it radiates light, heat, energy, and therefore life, to our planet. Without this radiant energy neither animal nor vegetal life could exist for a single moment. The sun revolves on its own axis in space, which axis inclines towards the point of the zodiac occupied by the earth in September. It does not occupy the centre of the ellipse described by the earth, but one of the foci, being nearer to the earth in winter than in summer, the Northern Hemisphere at the winter season inclining away from the sun. Its diameter is estimated as being one hundred times larger than the earth, though it is by no means the largest of the stars, and its distance from our earth is estimated at 91 million miles. potential, like that existing. ; or active or kinetic, like the he act of explosion. The qua estructibility constitute what ▪nservation of Energy." T of this nebulous dust combine I which process rotatory and d, and a vibratory motion co gy of heat and light. As went on contracting, a bulgi 1 portion, from which mass rmed again, by the attraction ies-our earth and the othe n, which, by the force of gravit s round their centre of gravitygs probably occurred with othe ntre of its own system, as he moons are supposed to har ral planets in a similar manne ered, by the telescope, wor formation as described abort ndred million years since solidified to support life. luminous bodies; the neares | million miles away, and th off that light, which travels 1 a second of time, require n to the eyes of man. be burnt-out and cold planets lanets, accompanying them n. Our moon, or satellite, b revolution in its orbit, it rotate e same half of its surface al observers. An appare ibration,” enables us to s stead of one-half. It make e earth above the plane of th e whole occupying 291⁄2 days ed at about 240,000 miles. The PLANETS are more or less cooled-down bodies revolving round the sun in nearly circular orbits. Some, like our Earth and Mars, have cooled down sufficiently to be covered by a hard crust, and to be fit abodes for living creatures. Others, like Jupiter, are still in a more or less heated and partly self-luminous condition. But the majority of the planets are cold and non-luminous, like our airless, silent, barren moon; and what light they give is reflected. It is necessary to know something about our earth, and to have a clear understanding concerning some of the more |
