THE UNITY OF NATURE. 267 



"purpose" of any single phenomenon in the whole 

 of this great field. Is any astronomer likely to inquire 

 seriously to-day into the purpose of planetary motion, 

 or a mineralogist to seek design in the structure of 

 a crystal ? Does the physicist investigate the purpose 

 of electric force, or the chemist that of atomic weight ? 

 We may confidently answer in the negative — certainly 

 not, in the sense that God, or a purposive natural 

 force, had at some time created these fundamental 

 laws of the mechanism of the universe with a definite 

 design, and causes them to work daily in accordance 

 with his rational will. The anthropomorphic notion 

 of a deliberate architect and ruler of the world has 

 gone for ever from this field ; the " eternal, iron laws 

 of nature " have taken his place. 



But the idea of design has a very great significance 

 and application in the organic world. AYe do undeni- 

 ably perceive a purpose in the structure and in the 

 life of an organism. The plant and the animal seem 

 to be controlled by a definite design in the combina- 

 tion of their several parts, just as clearly as we see in 

 the machines which man invents and constructs ; as 

 long as life continues the functions of the several 

 organs are directed to definite ends, just as is the 

 operation of the various parts of a machine. Hence 

 it was quite natural that the older naive study of 

 nature, in explaining the origin and activity of the 

 living being, should postulate a creator who had 

 " arranged all things with wisdom and under- 

 standing," and had constructed each plant and 

 animal according to the special purpose of its life. 

 The conception of this " almighty creator of heaven 

 and earth " was usually quite anthropomorphic; he 

 created " everything after its kind." As long as the 



