DARWIN AND VITAL POWER. 



291 



effected, and what renders possible the act of taking advan- 

 tage. What determines, and what is the nature of the con- 

 stitution of the matter which is the seat of the origin of the 

 differences of a favourable nature? No ordinary matter 

 known to us does such wonderful things or acts in any way 

 like the matter which is supposed to be always developing 

 variations to be instantly taken advantage of by selection 

 called natural. 



This much however is certain that the " individual diffe- 

 rences " supposed by Mr. Darwin to arise somehow, can 

 only arise in that particular matter of a living being which I 

 have distinguished as living matter or bioplasm, and that the 

 differences arise only at an early period of development. 

 But then this living matter is, as I have shown, peculiar. It 

 does not act like any non-living matter yet discovered, nor 

 is it governed by the same laws as those which influence and 

 control the inorganic. 



Hence it seems to me, notwithstanding all that has been 

 repeatedly urged to the contrary, that the labours of 

 Mr. Darwin have after all advanced our knowledge of the 

 purely vital phenomena of living beings, and it is a mistake 

 to suppose that they have in any way contributed to the 

 support of any views or doctrines of which the theory of the 

 universal application of the doctrine of physical causation, 

 constitutes an essential part. Mr. Darwin's views have added 

 much to our knowledge of the marvellous changes and fluc- 

 tuation in vital power, but as it seems to me nothing to what 

 has been discovered concerning physical forces and laws. 



Evolutionists are gradually separating into two classes 

 which differ essentially from one another, and will diverge 

 more and more as time goes on. The one believes in some 



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