180 THE INDESTRUCTIBILITY OP MATTER. 



and before such intelligence arises, not only may there be 

 failure to apprehend the necessity of them, but there may 

 be vague beliefs in their contraries. Up to comparatively- 

 recent times, all mankind were in this state of incapacity 

 with respect to physical axioms; and the mass of mankind 

 are so still. Various popular notions betray inability to 

 form clear ideas of forces and their relations, or careless- 

 ness in thinking, or both. Effects are expected without 

 causes of fit kinds; or effects extremely disproportionate to 

 causes are looked for ; or causes are supposed to end without 

 effects.* But though many are incapable of grasping phys- 

 ical axioms, it no more follows that physical axioms are 

 not knowable d p riori by a developed intelligence, than it 

 follows that logical relations are not necessary, because un- 

 developed intellects cannot perceive their necessity. 



It is thus with the notions which have been current 

 respecting the creation and annihilation of Matter. In the 

 first place, there has been an habitual confounding of two 

 radically-different things — disappearance of Matter from 

 that place where it was lately perceived, and passage of 

 Matter from existence into non-existence. Only when 

 there is reached a power of discrimination beyond that pos- 

 sessed by the uncultured, is there an avoidance of the con- 

 fusion between vanishing from the range of perception, and 

 vanishing out of space altogether; and until this confusion 

 is avoided, the belief that Matter can be annihilated readily 



* I knew a lady who contended that a dress folded up tightly, weighed 

 more than when loosely folded up ; and who, under this belief, had her trunks 

 made large that she might diminish the charge for freight ! Another whom I 

 know, ascribes the feeling of lightness which accompanies vigour, to actual 

 decrease of weight ; believes that by stepping gently, she can press less upon 

 the ground ; and, when cross-questioned, asserts that, if placed in scales, she 

 can make herself lighter by an act of will ! Various popular notions betray 

 like states of mind — show, in the undisciplined, such inability to form ideas 

 of forces and their relations, or such randomness in thinking, or both, as in- 

 capacitates them for grasping physical axioms, and makes them harbour 

 numerous delusions respecting physical actions. 



