''NATURALISM AND AGNOSTICISMS 351 



writing the later ones; and my failure to do both prompts sarcastic 

 allusions.* 



In further illustration of the feeling Professor Ward brings to 

 his task, I may quote the following passage, in which he interposes 

 comments on my mode of writing: — 



"By the persistence of Force [capital F],.we really mean the persist- 

 ence of some Power [capital P] which transcends our knowledge and con- 

 ception. The manifestations, as recurring either in ourselves or outside 

 of us, do not persist ; but that which persists is the Unknown Cause 

 [capitals again] of these manifestations." 



The matter itself is trivial enough. It is worth noticing only as 

 indicating a state of mind. Supposing even that capitals were in 

 such cases inappropriate — supposing even that small initial letters 

 would have been more appropriate ; it is clear that only one having 

 a strong animus would have gone out of his way to notice it. 



After thus enabling the reader to judge in what temper the 

 criticisms of Professor Ward are made, I may pass on. 



As implied at the outset, my intention is not to discuss Pro- 

 fessor Ward's own philosophy — the less so because I discussed a like 

 philosophy nearly a generation ago. His position is that " Once 

 materialism is abandoned and dualism found untenable, a spiritual- 

 istic monism remains the one stable position. It is only in terms of 

 mind that we can understand the unity, activity, and regularity that 

 nature presents. In so understanding we see that jSTature is Spirit." 

 {Preface.) This was the position of Dr. Martineau in 1872 (and 

 probably is now). He argued, that to account for this infinitude 

 of physical changes everywhere going on, " Mind must be con- 

 ceived as there," " under the guise of simple Dynamics." My 

 criticisms on this view, given in an essay entitled " Mr. Martineau 

 on Evolution," can not here be repeated. But I held then, as I 

 hold now, that " the Ultimate Power is no more representable in 

 terms of human consciousness than human consciousness is repre- 

 sentable in terms of a plant's functions." Briefly the result is, that 

 in saying " Nature is Spirit " (capital IST and capital S !), Professor 



* Candor often brings penalties, as witness the announcement " stereotyped edition." 

 When another thousand of a work has been ordered, the printers do not always refer to the 

 author for correction of the title-page, but, as a matter of course, put " second edition," or 

 " third edition," as the case may be. When my attention has been drawn to s>ich matters, 

 however, I have directed that the words " stereotyped edition " shall be put on the title- 

 page if the printing is from plates, and if the work is unaltered : objecting to a usage which 

 betrays readers into the false belief that new matter is forthcoming. I did not perceive 

 that an antagonist might transform the words " stereotyped edition " into an assertion that 

 the work needed no changes. Experience should have warned me that adverse interpreta- 

 tions are inevitable wherever they are possible. To the question — " Why did you stereo- 

 tvpe ? " the obvious reply is — " From motives of economy." 



