1 36 The Evolution Hypothesis. 



necessarily in the universe we see. Yet Mr. Spencer 

 defines it to be " indefinite." 



But granted that this homogeneity is indefinite, 

 that it has neither defined boundaries nor defined 

 qualities, Mr. Spencer begins with a concept which is 

 only thinkable as the negation of definite thought, 

 and proposes by its aid to clarify the vagueness of 

 unorganized knowledge. He posits matter void of 

 form to produce an ordered cosmos without the aid 

 of a divine intelligence. He bases his philosophy on 

 an impossible idea. 



The word <: incoherent " does not bring us nearer to 

 a precise conception. What is meant by not cohering ? 

 All matter coheres, if there be any quality essential 

 to matter, as we know it, it is this very quality of 

 coherence. The incoherence is then relative a ques- 

 tion of more or less. If so, the evolutionist must have 

 a standard of comparison. What is that standard ? 

 The particles of aqueous vapour in a cloud cohere; 

 particles of sand cohere ; particles of wax cohere : par- 

 ticles of steel cohere : what degree of coherence is 

 marked by the term " incoherent ? " The thought is 

 again found wanting in exactness. 



"Homogeneity" is also a vague term. It may 

 express the uniformity of one substance, as gold, or 

 of a compound evenly mixed, as biscuit, or particles of 

 many kinds equally distributed, as in a deposit of 

 mud. Homegeneity furnishes no distinct conception. 

 Summing up all these ambiguities, we have a total 



