14 The Cause of Life and Motion 



What then is it that gives birth to these apparent 

 properties of matter ? It is acknowledged that 

 a body of matter is inert to all intents and pur- 

 poses unless it is actuated by a force. But if it 

 should be put in motion by a momentary force, 

 (if we accept the scientists' teaching,) it would be- 

 come endowed with eternal life, unless it should 

 be brought to rest by some obstacle or force 

 equal in effect to the initial impulse. 



Now we are anxious to know something about 

 this element of force, and also whether a body 

 of matter has even the inherent power of sus- 

 taining a principle altogether at variance with 

 its characteristic inertia. For we will find on re- 

 flection that the dogma decreeing latent forces to 

 inert matter is absolutely untenable. The ele- 

 ment if force cannot be latent; or, at least, it can 

 not be dormant ; it must ever have active exist- 

 ence. What is it then? What is this power 

 that sustains a cannon ball in its flight; that 

 exerts a tangential strain at all points of a 

 revolving body ; that maintains the particles 

 of the air in .crystalline form ; that disperses 

 in systematic order all matters of decom- 

 position; that arranges the particles of crystalliza- 

 tion in beautiful geometric order; that carries the 

 light of the sun to us; that gives action to our 

 brain, to our heart and to our whole body ; that 

 gives us our intelligence and our very soul ? 



