MECHANISM OF NATURE 



stitutes and maintains form. Such consideration 

 ought to start with the first degree of organiza- 

 tion, the atom. For if the atom is considered as 

 built up from Ions or from Primary Spheres, if it 

 is the basis of subsequent organizations, the Atom 

 must first possess cohesion of particles, or else there 

 cannot logically be any cohesion in that which is 

 built up of atoms. 



What then is it that which keeps the particles 

 together in the organization of the Atom ? 



And that cohesion of the particles of atoms is 

 paramount to any subsequent cohesion, for in every 

 degree of organization after the first, human in- 

 genuity has found means to overcome the cohesion 

 and reduce them to the organizations of the atom. 

 If we are to concede a primary Identity of atoms 

 then we must also concede that force manifesta- 

 tions between material identities are occult demon- 

 strations. (Prop. XIX, B. 1.) 



As far as human reason goes all change and all 

 life is reproduction ; and it is the action of infinite 

 force on finite forms alone that can reproduce these 

 forms. And as far as unorganized matter partici- 

 pates in the reproduction of organized forms, the 

 void matter can only participate through a change 

 of position. (Prop. XIV, B. 2.) Since the atom 

 is the first degree of organization, it can only un- 

 dergo two changes, a change of relative and posi- 

 tive position, and dismemberment into component 

 spheres. 



146 



