The Persistence of Force. 103 



SECTION v. 

 COROLLARIES OF THE PERSISTENCE OF FORCE. 



There are three truths coming immediately under 

 the principle of the persistence of force which are 

 indispensable to evolutionism and which we shall 

 briefly examine the indestructibility of matter, the 

 continuity of motion, and the persistence of relations 

 among forces. Without these the evolutionist cannot 

 build up his system : they must be granted him as 

 necessary and universal. 



1. The indestructibility of matter. 



"Our conception of matter reduced to its simplest 

 shape is that of co-existent positions that offer re- 

 sistance." * It has two essential attributes. We are 

 under necessity of " representing to ourselves the ulti- 

 mate elements of matter as being at once extended 



and resistent Of these two inseparable elements, 



the resistance, is primary and the extension secon- 

 dary." -f Mr. Spencer holds the " indestructibility of 

 matter " to be a derivative truth, the persistence of 

 force being the ultimate from which it is derived. 

 Does the persistence of force necessitate the persistence 

 of matter ? Clearly not. The persistence of force 

 only warrants us in affirming the persistence of force. 

 Matter is a manifestation, and manifestations are 



* First Principles, 48. t Ibid. 



