58 PROGRESS : ITS LAW AND CAUSE. 



like every organism, was once homogeneous ; that as a 

 whole, and in every detail, it has unceasingly advanced 

 towards greater heterogeneity ; and that its heterogeneity 

 is still increasing. It will be seen that as in each event of 

 to-day, so from the beginning, the decomposition of every 

 expended force into several forces has been perj^etually 

 producing a higher complication ; that the increase oi 

 heterogeneity so brought about is still going on, and must 

 continue to go on ; and that thus Progress is not an acci- 

 dent, not a thing w^ithin human control, but a beneficent 

 necessity. 



A few words must be added on the ontological bear- 

 ings of our argument. Probably not a few will conclude 

 that here is an attem.pted solution of the great questions 

 with which Philosophy in all ages has perplexed itself 

 Let none thus deceive themselves. Only such as know not 

 the scope and the limits of Science can fall into so grave 

 an error. The foregoing generalizations apply, not to the 

 genesis of things in themselves, but to their genesis as 

 manifested to the human consciousness. After all that has 

 been said, the ultimate mystery remains just as it was. 

 The explanation of that which is explicable, does but bring 

 out into greater clearness the inexplicableness of that 

 which remains behind. However we may succeed in re- 

 ducing the equation to its lowest terms, we are not thereby 

 enabled to determine the unknown quantity : on the con- 

 trary, it only becomes more manifest that the unknown 

 quantity can never be found. 



Little as it seems to do so, fearless inquiry tends con- 

 tinually to give a firmer basis to all true Religion. The 

 timid sectarian, alarmed at the progress of knowledge, 

 obliged to abandon one by one the superstitions of his 

 ancestors, and daily finding his cherished behefs more and 

 more shaken, secretly fears that all things may some day 



