276 THE UNIVERSE 



thirty thousand years in order to reach us, and they 

 must be millions of miles from where they seem to 

 be. Thus the center of the universe is constantly 

 changing, and it would take omniscient wisdom to 

 tell where the center is, and then it would not re- 

 main the center many hours. This would be true 

 whether the universe is limited or unlimited. 



Mr. Wallace says, "The supreme end and purpose 

 of this vast universe is the production and devel- 

 opment of the living soul in the perishable body 

 of man." If he had said that was the supreme 

 purpose of the earth, I would have agreed with 

 him. 



But since he makes man's development the 

 supreme purpose of the universe and says all other 

 worlds are uninhabited, I am forced to disagree 

 with him. He says there are one hundred millions 

 of stars and planets in the universe, yet he depopu- 

 lates them all for man's benefit, and then fails to 

 show how man can be benefitted, or for what pur- 

 pose the almost countless orbs were created. In 

 my judgment he proves himself a million of times 

 wrong, and reaches the climax of unreasonable con- 

 jecture. I believe no astronomer will agree with 

 him. None has yet appeared, though several of 

 the most eminent have already expressed their 

 dissent and surprise at his position. His reasons, 

 to my mind, do not justify his conclusions, but prove 

 the very opposite hypothesis. 



He estimates there are one hundred millions of 

 stars and worlds, and says they "are all composed 

 of the same elements as the planets and solar sys- 

 tem. Wherever organized life may have developed, 

 it must be built up out of the same fundamental 



