THE ORIGIN OF LIFE. 47 



to the grand generalization that all nature is gov- 

 erned by law. The significance of the word law does 

 not particularly concern science, but is left to other 

 realms of thought. Science satisfies itself in discov- 

 ering and applying laws. A thorough study of nature 

 has made it seem probable that natural law, when 

 thoroughly comprehended, will explain all natural 

 phenomena. So many facts formerly relegated to 

 the realm of the supernatural have been explained by 

 natural law that science has determined to call in the 

 supernatural as seldom as possible, and to accept no 

 breaks in the chain of law unless absolutely forced to 

 do so. This generalization is at the foundation of the 

 terms law of continuity and evolution, as they are 

 used by science to-day. The significance which this 

 question of the origin of life has for all evolutionary 

 theories is at once evident. It is an important link 

 in the chain of continuity, for unless the spontaneous 

 generation of life be a fact, the law of continuity is 

 no law. For even if science does succeed in explain- 

 ing the development of life from the lowest to the 

 highest, but does not explain the origin of this first 

 form, it has only half accomplished that for which it 

 is striving viz. : to reduce living phenomena to the 

 same laws which govern the non-living. It is not 

 surprising, therefore, that we find biologists observ- 

 ing, experimenting, and speculating, in order to find 

 some way to help themselves out of their dilemma. 

 To any one who is inclined to believe in this law of 

 continuity, and the efficiency of natural forces, such 

 speculations as the above, which show a possible 

 avoidance of a break at the beginning of life, have a 



