335 



of the passage from the lifeless to the living, the inorganic to 

 the organic. But regarding the multitudinous kinds of 

 organisms that now exist and have existed as having " arisen 

 by insensible steps," each step a phase of the moving equili- 

 brium, which is the result of the modification of already 

 modified structures, and which consequently necessitates pro- 

 gression as a general result, it is impossible for evolution to 

 jDOstulate any thing like an absolute or discontinuous beginning 

 of life. The strongest claim that evolution has upon our 

 belief is based upon its universality. There can be no breach 

 in its continuity, and accumulated analogies compel us to 

 think that any supposed commencement of organic life must 

 have been as much the result of insensible gradations in some- 

 thing pre-existing as all subsequent developments. 



It is remarkable that while on the one hand INIr. Spencer 

 has been criticised for repudiating spontaneous generation, 

 arguments in defence of it based on evolution, and supported 

 by reference to his writings have been used by Dr. Bastian in 

 arecent paper in 'Nature.'-^ Thecontradictionhasbeen possible, 

 because in neither case has the fundamental principle of evolu- 

 tional continuity been properly kept in vicAv. Dr. Bastian has 

 no doubt felt that the balance of experimental evidence has 

 so often swayed from one side to the other in relation to this 

 subject, that his facts Avould have more weight in connection 

 with the a priori arguments in their favour, and hence has so 

 published them. No doubt, a mind saturated Avith the vast 

 series of facts which evolution embraces would be disposed to 

 be more strongly impressed Avith the probability of ncAv experi- 

 mental results sliOAvn to be conformable Avitli them, and it 

 AA'Ould be quite justifiable to appeal to such a disposition if 

 the conformity Avere clearly apparent. While, however. Dr. 

 Bastian's conceptions of the Avay in AAdiich life originates are 

 in reality very different from Mr. Spencer's, it would be 

 entirely erroneous to suppose that Mr. Spencer denies the 

 evolution of living from lifeless matter; though in admitting 

 this, neither he nor any real evolutionist admits the occurrence 

 of Avhat is ordinarily meant by spontaneous generation. Con- 

 tinuity as much forbids us to suppose that living matter has 

 not been evolved from lifeless matter, as to suppose that 

 lifeless matter has ever />er saltum flashed into life. 



Graham AA^th profound acuteness described the colloidal as 

 a dynamical state of matter, a condition of perpetual unstable 

 equilibrium with the environment, and therefore peculiarly 

 sensitive to incidental disturbances. He however Avent 

 further than this : " the colloid " he observed, " possesses 



1 Vol. ii, pp. 170— ] 77, 193—201, 219-228. 



