22 Natural Salvation. 



from the profound depths of matter. For it is apparent 

 that the cell is but the form, the tiny thread-like channel 

 from a deep-lying stratum, through which some very eso- 

 teric or final property of matter flickers up. 



So great confusion of thought has often been exhibited 

 on this subject of cell consentience that it is important to 

 set the matter in a clear light. In the cell-of-life we have 

 presented the spectacle of a thousandth of a grain of mat- 

 ter oxygen, hydrogen, nitrogen, sulphur, phosphorus 

 which has set itself to live, set up for itself as against the 

 rest of the universe, stepped out from its former relation- 

 ship and allegiance to other matter, and started a new 

 little world of its own. For that is what a living cell 

 really is : a minute portion of universal matter which has 

 withdrawn from the rest and set up autonomy. The laws 

 of matter no longer control this thousandth of a grain of 

 matter as formerly. 



In every animal and in every cell there is always matter, 

 a large per cent, of its bulk, which is not living, and hence 

 inert ; but the really living portion of the cell carries it- 

 self in defiance of gravitation. True, it is borne on by the 

 earth on its orbit and revolves with it ; none the less it 

 is able to direct chemical action for its own behoof and 

 combine forces to overcome gravity when it wishes to 

 climb hills or trees. In a word, it fights gravitation to do 

 as it pleases, and succeeds. So long as it lives and is not 

 crushed out, it is to a degree independent and self-directive. 



