THE BEGINNINGS OF LIFE. 157 



which is produced by it, on the other, is, I believe, 

 absolute. The pabulum does not shade by impercept- 

 ible gradations into the living matter, and this latter 

 into the formed material, but the passage from one 

 state into the other is sudden and abrupt, although 

 there may be much living matter mixed with little life- 

 less matter, or vice versa. The ultimate particles of 

 matter pass from the lifeless into the living state, and 

 from the latter into the dead state, suddenly. Matter 

 cannot be said to half -live or half -die. It is either 

 dead or Irving^ animate or inanimate , and formed matter 

 has ceased to live.' We do not wonder that any one 

 who could hold such a doctrine as this should exhibit 

 so much antagonism towards the Evolution Hypo- 

 thesis. But how such marvellously abrupt transitions 

 are brought about we are not told; and Dr. Beale, 

 moreover, forgets to mention upon what evidence he 

 feels himself entitled to make such positive and start- 

 ling assertions. 



To a certain extent, however, we find there is an 

 agreement between Dr. Beale's doctrine and that of 

 other excellent observers. He says 1 : c However 

 much organisms and tissues in their fully formed 

 state may vary as regards the character, properties, and 

 composition of the formed material, all were first in 

 the condition of clear, transparent^ structureless^ form- 

 less living matter/ Surely, however, he is uttering 

 something quite contradictory when he says, in effect 



1 Loc. cit. p. 48. 



