11 



iron or steel we shall find the explanation of the construction 

 of a watch ? It has been often affirmed in positive and dic- 

 tatorial language that the formation of the animal is due to 

 the properties of the particles of which its body is composed. 

 There can be no doubt that of late years there has been an 

 intense desire on the part of many people to be assured that 

 there was no absolute or essential difference between the 

 changes taking place in living things and in non-living matter, 

 and this idea is supposed to add grandeur to the conception of 

 the unity of universality. The desire has been abundantly grati- 

 fied. The assertion has been made again and again, and it is 

 being continually repeated and emphasised, but, strange to say, 

 some incredulous sceptics doubt whether, after all, the assertion 

 is literally true. They listen, they admire, they repeat ; they 

 even try to persuade themselves and others that the assertion 

 is true, but still they doubt. Many, though they are assured 

 of the analogy between hammered iron giving out heat and 

 the brain, sensation, are not quite convinced. The too frequent 

 repetition of a scientific statement seems to beget doubt in 

 sceptical minds concerning its accuracy. If, as it should do, 

 the doubt excites a determination to carefully examine the 

 foundation upon which the doctrine of the identity of physical 

 and vital phenomena rests, the conviction of the utterly un- 

 tenable character of the hypothesis will be forced upon the 

 mind of the inquirer, who will afterwards be on the side of 

 the opponents of the faith in the unity of non-living and 

 living. 



Many persons of intelligence cannot but admire materialistic 

 unity, and are anxious to be convinced that the non-living and 

 living are really one, and that the phenomena of the living 

 world are due to the properties of matter as much as are those 

 of the non-living world. The simplicity of the idea is con- 

 vincing. Persons of this persuasion do, in fact, accept 

 materialism in faith, but, above all things, they desire that 

 their doubting faith should be fortified by robust reason. The 

 desire has not been gratified, and, in fact, not a few are 

 troubled by doubt. Those who think over the matter do not 

 wholly believe, though they wish they could believe that they 

 are mere machines. They cannot call to mind any machine 

 which grows as they have grown, while all the machines they 

 know anything about have been made in pieces, which have 

 been put together afterwards. 



,When people begin to think they will soon see how absurd 

 it is to maintain that growth and the actions going on in living 

 beings are due to the properties of the particles of matter of 

 which their bodies are composed. A little reflection will make 



