Let me beg of you not to allow the mind to be diverted by 

 fanciful comparisons and asserted resemblances of the living 

 to the non-living, from the careful consideration of the real 

 differences between that which is alive and that which is not 

 alive. This question of difference or resemblance between 

 vital and physical will be found to underlie some of the most 

 important speculations of our time, and I cannot too earnestly 

 draw your attention to the very great importance of insisting 

 that the facts and arguments advanced by materialists should 

 be clearly stated so that they may be thoroughly sifted, and 

 fairly discussed, instead of vague assertions in favour of wide 

 generalisations being accepted without examination or inquiry. 

 If examined not a few of the conclusions will, I am sure, be 

 dissipated at once, for they will not stand the test of careful 

 analytical exposition. 



It is not to the credit of the science, or the philosophy, or 

 even the common-sense of our day, that broad and far-reaching 

 doctrines of the kind alluded to, and which involve inferences 

 of transcendent consequence concerning the present, past, and 

 future of all things, should be accepted without examination, 

 taught far and wide even to babes, and presented in a clever 

 and inviting guise, and made to appear as if they were actual 

 and generally received truths, to be accepted by all who wish 

 to be considered to be progressing with the times, while in 

 reality the doctrines in question are mere conjectural opinions 

 founded on vague and insufficient data, with nothing whatever 

 to recommend them save authoritative assertion. Such doc- 

 trines would have little chance were it not for love of extrava- 

 gant novelty, and the decline of thought. 



It must, I think, be admitted that in science, as well as in 

 some other departments of human endeavour, there is at this 

 time far less freedom of thought as well as of discussion than 

 is necessary for intellectual progress. Heal advance is in these 

 days too often thwarted by cliques and caucuses whose chief 

 business it seems to be to manufacture " public opinion/' to 

 create " tendencies of thought," and thus prevent, or render 

 nugatory, the intelligent examination and criticism of the 

 doctrines established and spread. Besides this, the prejudices 

 of the unlearned are sometimes flattered, and the applause and 

 indolent acquiescence of mere numbers eagerly sought for. 

 Many of those who support materialistic doctrines, are too 

 lazy to think over the principles upon which the doctrines 

 they are persuaded to accept are based, nor are they able to 

 estimate the consequences which the general adoption of such 

 speculations would involve. The exercise of a sort of terror- 

 ism has led to people being frightened into a sort of confession 



