The Universe. 35 



Section 3. Matter, or the Substance of the Tilings 

 of Existence : 



Universally and for ages the fundamental sub- 

 stratum of existence has been called matter. The 

 name is unimportant so long as it has a name. 

 Through habit and use the term matter is intelligible 

 to man, for it expresses better than any other we could 

 invent all that we wish to convey or imply by it, hence 

 there is no need to substitute one less familiar. 



No definition of matter has ever given entire satis- 

 faction to scientists and philosophers, and never shall 

 until an authoritative vocabulary of scientific and 

 philosophic terms is published and agreed to by the 

 world at large ; a hopeless consummation, for it would 

 involve an agreement among all men to think alike. 

 Still, as each age must have an intelligible definition 

 of matter, as of other things, for itself, a definition for 

 ourselves to-day is imperatively demanded and is all 

 that we actually require. 



Mr Herbert Spencer pronounces matter to be " un- 

 intelligible and incomprehensible,"* but he should 

 have added, to himself, for much depends upon the 

 nature of the inquiry as well as on the quality of the 

 intellect which inquires. The verdict of human ex- 

 perience hitherto affirms that on all subjects of know- 

 ledge, those who ask unintelligible questions neces- 

 sarily receive only unintelligible answers. Stones will 

 not yield bread nor serpents fish, though men are 

 ever trying the experiment. 



* First Principles. Appendix, p. 578. 



