NATURAL THEOLOGY, 179 



gous to it when the purpose is to transmit an or- 

 ganization from one state of being to another state : 

 and they who found thought in organization may 

 see something in this analogy applicable to their 

 difficulties ; for, whatever can transmit a similari- 

 ty of organization will answer their purpose, be- 

 caase, according even to their own theory, it may 

 be the vehicle of consciousness, and because con- 

 sciousness carries identity and individuality along 

 with it through all changes of form or of visible 

 quahties. In the most general case, that, as we 

 have said, of the derivation of plants and animals 

 from one another, the latent organization is either 

 itself similar to the old organization, or has the 

 power of communicating to new matter the old 

 organic form. But it is not restricted to this rule. 

 There are other cases, especially in the progress 

 of insect life, in which the dormant organization 

 does not much resemble that which incloses it, 

 and still less suits with the situation in which the 

 inclosing body is placed, but suits with a different 

 situation to which it is destined. In the larva of 

 the libellula, which lives constantly, and has still 

 long to live under water, are descried the wings 

 of a fly, which two years afterwards is to mount 

 into the air. Js there nothing in this analogy? It 

 serves at least to show, that, even in the observa- 

 ble course of nature, organizations are formed one 

 beneath another ; and, amongst a thousand other 

 instances, it shows completely that the Deity can 

 mould and fashion the parts of material nature, so 



