86 -- 



assimilated by the soil so far as to form ground for vege- 

 table life. 



The moon, on careful study appears itself to be a 

 product of volcanic agency; but no observations yet con- 

 ducted would lead us to suppose that any volcanic globes 

 could owe their own origin to volcanic energy. On the 

 contrary, this sphere like the earth is obviously a cold 

 body in repose. 



The comets we have just seen are not integral bodies 

 but grouped masses of cosmic fragments, visibly dissipa- 

 ting and not even tending towards corporate reformation. 



Thus of all these conceivable sources cosmic ether, 

 planetary atmospheres, the planets, the moons, the co- 

 mets, none could conceivably originate a ball of molten 

 matter such as the planets must have been at birth. 

 Only the sun remains the possible parent of such pro- 

 geny. 



It may be objected that the same scientific world to 

 which I have appealed so confidently, never revealed in 

 any of its researches that the sun actually produces or 

 ever did produce cosmic bodies. I would answer that 

 this is true, and that my conclusions are therefore hypo- 

 thetical; but my argument rests upon a sound foundation. 

 World life is an everlasting succession of new-births; and 

 if we see all around us these fresh existences springing 

 into being, why must we assume that this law of pro- 

 duction ceased to act, as though paralysed, in the world 

 of spheres. We see that these heavenly bodies are ever 

 moving, and as all the life of nature is a forward pro- 

 gress, a movement in advance, it seems clear that these 

 bodies are alive. We must conclude that every living 

 thing exists for definite productive aims every where 

 for the reproduction of its species, and as the aim of 

 these cosmic spheres is the reproduction of their species, 

 to be followed by their own death, so it is evident that 

 the death of the perfected heavenly orbs called suns can 

 only be expected to take place when they have discharged 

 their essential function by bringing into being new globes 



