THEORY OF THE CELLS. 189 
framed with the matter, cannot be rejected as impossible. 
Reason certainly requires some ground for such adaptation, but 
for her it is sufficient to assume that matter with the powers 
inherent in it owes its existence to a rational Being. Once esta- 
blished and preserved in their integrity, these powers may, in 
accordance with their immutable laws of blind necessity, very 
well produce combinations, which manifest, even in a high degree, 
individual adaptation to a purpose. If, however, rational power 
interpose after creation merely to sustain, and not as an imme- 
ciately active agent, it may, so far as natural science is concerned, 
be entirely excluded from the consideration of the creation. 
But the teleological view leads to further difficulties in the 
explanation, and especially with respect to generation. If we 
assume each organism to be formed by a power which acts 
according to a certain predominant idea, a portion of this power 
may certainly reside in the ovum during generation ; but then 
we must ascribe to this subdivision of the original power, at 
the separation of the ovum from the body of the mother, the 
capability of producing an organism similar to that which the 
power, of which it is but a portion, produced: that is, we must 
assume that this power is infinitely divisible, and yet that each 
part may perform the same actions as the whole power. If, 
on the other hand, the power of organized bodies reside, like 
the physical powers, in matter as such, and be set free only 
by a certain combination of the molecules, as, for instance, 
electricity is set free by the combination of a zine and copper 
plate, then also by the conjunction of molecules to form an 
ovum the power may be set free, by which the ovum is capable 
of appropriating to itself fresh molecules, and these newly- 
conjoined molecules again by this very mode of combination 
acquire the same power to assimilate fresh molecules. The 
first development of the many forms of organized bodies—the 
progressive formation of organic nature indicated by geology— 
is also much more difficult to understand according to the 
teleological than the physical view. 
Another objection to the teleological view may be drawn 
from the foregoing investigation. The molecules, as we have 
seen, are not immediately combined in various ways, as the 
purpose of the organism requires, but the formation of the 
elementary parts of organic bodies is regulated by laws which 
