Scientific Sophisms. 67 



for the " great progression " from the formless ; 

 not the first thing that lived, but the " evolu- 

 tion " of "life " from "not living matter." 



But to satisfy this demand is, as we have seen, 

 impossible, since the " evolution " required is 

 not only non-existent, but is pronounced by Mr. 

 Darwin himself to be "absolutely inconceivable." 

 What then is to be done ? Nothing is more 

 simple. The demand that cannot be met must 

 be evaded ; and we are accordingly asked to 

 believe that the nucleated vesicle " is a form of 

 being which there is some reason to believe 

 electric agency will produce though not per- 

 haps usher into full life in albumen, one of 

 those component materials of animal bodies, 

 in whose combination it is believed there is no 

 chemical peculiarity forbidding their being any 

 day realized in the laboratory. Remembering 

 these things," proceeds the writer, " we are drawn 

 on to the supposition that the first step in the 

 creation of life upon this planet was a chemico- 

 electric operation, by which simple germinal 

 vesicles were produced." 



Observe here, not the reasoning, but the un- 

 reason. The premiss, " There is some reason 

 to believe." The conclusion, a " supposition." 

 There is some reason to believe that " electric 

 agency will produce " something not alive. 



