It was comforting to suppose that the stream of life would flow on through time in whatever course God had given it - without interference by one of the drops in that stream -man.
1、whatever course God （which）had given it这个which不在从句中作宾语，为何省略？
2、by用什么工具的意思还是被动的意思？
It was comforting to suppose that the stream of life would flow on through time in whatever course God had given it - without interference by one of the drops in that stream -man.
1 这个句子中并没传统语法中的定语从句。in whatever course God had given it是个介词短语，介词in后接whatever引导的名词从句作宾语。在这个名词从句中，God为主语，had given为双宾语及物动词，it为间接宾语，whatever couse为直接宾语。由于引导从句，关联词至于从句之首，whatever为限定词，故其限定的名词也同时前置。在传统语法的剖析中，这里没定语从句。God had given it是名词从句的主谓宾结构，直接宾语由于引导名词性从句而前置了。在讲解这个名词从句时，大家可以说，whatever+名词=any +名词+that. 即这个介词短语可以改写为in any course that God had given it. 即这个名词从句事实上等于一个名词词组后接限制性定语从句。注意是等于，而不是实质是。
现代语法将这种名词性从句称为名词性关系分句，whatever为融合型关系限定词，等于限定词any + 关系代词that。即whatever本身隐含了关系代词在内，这就是为何从句不可以再加关系代词。只有将whatever用any替换时，才能用关系代词that引导定语从句（现代语法叫关系分句）。
2 by在这里表示施事者，interferance为被动意义。interferance by man：受人类的干扰。