Whileonesuccessionofstrongmenwerethusdevelopingchemistryoutofoneformofmagic，anothersuccessionweredevelopingphysicsoutofanotherform。
Firstinthislattersuccessionmaybementionedthatlineofthinkerswhodivinedandreasonedoutgreatphysicallaws——alineextendingfromGalileoandKeplerandNewtontoOhmandFaradayandJouleandHelmholtz。These，byrevealingmoreandmoreclearlythereignoflaw，steadilyunderminedtheoldertheologicalviewofarbitraryinfluenceinnature。Nextshouldbementionedthelineofprofoundobservers，fromGalileoandTorricellitoKelvin。Thesehaveasthoroughlyunderminedtheoldtheologicsubstitutionofphrasesforfacts。WhenGalileodroppedthedifferingweightsfromtheLeaningTowerofPisa，hebegantheendofAristotelianauthorityinphysics。WhenTorricellibalancedacolumnofmercuryagainstacolumnofwaterandeachoftheseagainstacolumnofair，heendedthetheologicphrasethat“natureabhorsavacuum。”WhenNewtonapproximatelydeterminedthevelocityofsound，heendedthetheologicargumentthatweseetheflashbeforeweheartheroarbecause“sightisnoblerthanhearing。”WhenFranklinshowedthatlightningiscausedbyelectricity，andOhmandFaradayprovedthatelectricityobeysascertainedlaws，theyendedthetheologicalideaofadivinityseatedabovethecloudsandcastingthunderbolts。
Resultingfromthelabourofboththesebranchesofphysicalscience，wehavetheestablishmentofthegreatlawsoftheindestructibilityofmatter，thecorrelationofforces，andchemicalaffinity。Therebyisended，withvariousothersacredtraditions，thetheologicaltheoryofavisibleuniversecreatedoutofnothing，sofirmlyimbeddedinthetheologicalthoughtoftheMiddleAgesandintheWestminsterCatechism。[283]
[283]Forareappearanceofthefundamentaldoctrinesofblackmagicamongtheologians，seeRev。Dr。Jewett，ProfessorofPastoralTheologyintheProt。Episc。Gen。Theolog。SeminaryofNewYork，Diabolology：ThePersonandtheKingdomofSatan，NewYork，1889。Fortheirappearanceamongtheosophists，seeEliphasLevi，HistoiredelaMagie，especiallythefinalchapters。ForoppositiontoBoyleandchemistrystudiesatOxfordinthelatterhalfoftheseventeenthcentury，seetheaddressofProf。Dixon，F。R。S。，beforetheBritishAssociation，1894。Fortherecentprogressofchemistry，andoppositiontoitsearlierdevelopmentatOxford，seeLordSalisbury’saddressasPresidentoftheBritishAssociation，in1894。FortheProtestantsurvivalofthemediaevalassertionthattheuniversewascreatedoutofnothing，seetheWestminsterCatechism，question15。
Inourowntimesomeattempthasbeenmadetorenewthiswaragainstthephysicalsciences。JosephdeMaistre，utteringhishatredofthem，declaringthatmankindhaspaidtoodearlyforthem，assertingthattheymustbesubjectedtotheology，likeningthemtofire——goodwhenconfinedanddangerouswhenscatteredabout——hasbeenoneofthemainleadersamongthosewhocannotrelinquishtheideathatourbodyofsacredliteratureshouldbekeptacontrollingtext-bookofscience。Theonlyeffectofsuchteachingshasbeentoweakenthelegitimateholdofreligionuponmen。