it is seen that there is no chance whatsoever about the fall of the dice.  Each time a die falls, and displays a certain number, it obeys a law as infallible as that which governs the revolution of the planets around the sun.  Back of the fall of the die are causes, or chains of causes, running back further than the mind can follow.  The position of the die in the box; the amount of muscular energy expended in the throw; the condition of the table, etc., etc., all are causes, the effect of which may be seen.  But back of these seen causes there are chains of unseen preceding causes, all of which had a bearing upon the number of the die which fell uppermost.

If a die be cast a great number of times, it will be found that the numbers shown will be about equal, that is, there will be an equal number of one-spot, two-spot, etc., coming uppermost.  Toss a penny in the air, and it may come down either “heads” or “tails”; but make a sufficient number of tosses, and the heads and tails will about even up.  This is the operation of the law of average.  But both the average and the single toss come under the Law of Cause and Effect, and if we were able to examine into the preceding causes, it would be clearly seen that it was simply impossible for the die to fall other than it did, under the same circumstances and at the same time.  Given the same causes, the same results will follow.  There is always a “cause” and a “because” to every event.  Nothing ever “happens” without a cause, or rather a chain of causes.

Some confusion has arisen in the minds of persons considering this Principle, from the fact that they were unable to explain how one thing could cause another thing—­that is, be the “creator” of the second thing.  As a matter of fact, no “thing” ever causes or “creates” another “thing.”  Cause and Effect deals merely with “events.”  An “event” is “that which comes, arrives or happens, as a result or consequent of some preceding event.”  No event “creates” another event, but is merely a preceding link in the great orderly chain of events flowing from the creative energy of the all.  There is a continuity between all events precedent, consequent and subsequent.  There is a relation existing between everything that has gone before, and everything that follows.  A stone is dislodged from a mountain side and crashes through a roof of a cottage in the valley below.  At first sight we regard this as a chance effect, but when we examine the matter we find a great chain of causes behind it.  In the first place there was the rain which softened the earth supporting the stone and which allowed it to fall; then back of that was the influence of the sun, other rains, etc., which gradually disintegrated the piece of rock from a larger piece; then there were the causes which led to the formation of the mountain, and its upheaval by convulsions of nature, and so on ad infinitum.  Then we might follow up the causes behind the rain, etc.  Then we might consider the existence of the roof In short, we would soon find ourselves involved in a mesh of cause and effect, from which we would soon strive to extricate ourselves.