2 8o THE THRESHOLD OF EVOLUTION 



These are scientific subjects I have not studied sufficiently 

 to be able to express an opinion upon, but must leave to those 

 who have devoted their time to the study of such questions, 

 such as Sir Oliver Lodge, Professors Moore, Soddy and others 

 to decide. I think it well, however, before letting the work go 

 to print to add these few lines pointing out how it will be poss- 

 sible to utilise the hypothesis in future, as further knowledge 

 of its great capabilities, as developed by science, government 

 and religion, will be opened up to men's minds as it becomes 

 understood. But as too sudden and too brilliant a light will 

 blind even the strongest eyesight, I do not think it wise to take 

 the subject any further at present, and consider it best to intro- 

 duce the hypothesis, the faults of which may be condemned and 

 pardoned on account of its novelty and infancy, rather than to 

 attempt to prove or demonstrate matters so deep until after the 

 world has grasped this undeveloped infant of my brain, when 

 the varied lights by which it appeals to different minds may 

 assist me with the help of such scientists as it appeals to, to 

 evolve for it a more perfect childhood and manhood. 



But I must draw attention to another point that it is likely 

 to open up to investigation in Chemistry and in natural philo- 

 sophy, and which the advance of science during the last ten to 

 twenty years appears to substantiate in accord with my hypo- 

 thesis. Until quite lately it was supposed that Ether which 

 impregnated space was a vacuum without motive powers or any 

 form of force, but modern research has conclusively proved 

 that Ether is not inanimate space but a veritable centre of 

 electro and radial activity, ever living and ever moving and 

 ever renewing vital existence by new and fresh forms of 

 activity. If my hypothesis is correct, this coincides with what 

 it illustrates, viz., that this ether is the infinite existence of 

 God, the invisible spirit of existence of the infinite universe 

 from which portions impregnated, surrounded and controlled 

 by ether have been divided, but not separated, into a variety 

 of multitudinous visible creations out of invisible forces of 

 activity. The details of this view of creation I must leave to 

 be treated in a future sequel to this book. 



I may here point out that it is to a large extent to light that 

 we owe the visible activity of all material forms of potential 

 energy, and as I have already pointed out even the ancient 

 Persian legend attributed the three great divisions of God's 



