PERCEIVING & PERCEIVED NATURES 127 



matter, amid its nerves and corpuscles. The nerve fibres 

 of the brain are in hundreds of billions, and there are 

 cross fibres by which they communicate with each other. 

 The perceiving nature connected with it receives from it 

 all its impressions. 



In sensations, therefore, motions begin in the external 

 world, are conveyed by complex organisations to the 

 brain, and by it to the perceiving nature. 



The perceiving nature has no consciousness of the 

 motions forwarded to it. It does not perceive the 

 number, distinguish number from number, and so inter- 

 pret them. It perceives not motions of any kind or 

 anywhere. To it light motions shine, harmonic motions 

 make music, those of touch press, those of taste feast, 

 those of smell regale. The natural result of moving 

 particles and an active ether is to generate motion in 

 that on which they act. Here, however, they produce 

 impressions, which differ, toto coelo, from mere motion. 



It is not necessary to our argument to affirm anything 

 as to the nature of the substratum in which the per- 

 ceiving nature inheres. Materialists maintain that it is 

 material, that the molecules of matter in certain forms of 

 excitation in the brain give birth to the consciousness of 

 perceiving colours, sounds, tastes, smells, and the sensa- 

 tions of touch. 



We have seen that the elements of matter are revealed 

 to us as accurately measured in their forces and modes 

 of action, as carefully and exquisitely adjusted to each 

 other, as a scene of brilliant order throughout their fields, 

 and therefore as clearly testifying that they are the work 

 of mind. And if conscious perceptive power be an evolu- 

 tion from certain kinds of material particles, it forms 

 a magnificent addition to the evidence for their being 

 made. It makes manifest that there must be stored in 



