286 REV. H. J. CLARKE 
perfect Image of the invisible God, namely, in the archetypal 
Man, a purpose recognised in the Christian verity, evidently 
presupposes that the Idea of Him in its entirety, its length, 
and breadth, and depth, and height, and of the universe as it 
was from the beginning, and will be through eternity, are 
one. In short, one comprehensive, fixed, unchangeable Idea 
suffices, as the so-called formal cause, to account for every- 
thing, although the manifold conceptions in which it is 
destined to be apprehended will continue growing and 
expanding as the ages roll for evermore. 
14. ‘Classifications,’ it is asserted by the eminent evolutionist 
whom I have already quoted, “are subjective conceptions, 
which have no absolute demarcations in Nature corresponding 
to them.”’* Now, in declining to claim for our definitions a 
complete and absolute character, we do not therefore deny 
that the objects manufactured by the Power which is at work 
in Nature exhibit real and significant varieties of type ; nor do 
we leave it to be inferred that, in evolving finite existence, the 
mysterious Artificer, in so far as, having established dis- 
tinctions in the products of His hands, He opens up to our 
view distinctive marks, has not allowed them to become for 
philosophical purposes distinguishable. Before, however, we 
hold ourselves entitled to form an opinion as to whether He 
has wholly or in part separated specific characteristics by lines 
of demarcation sharply drawn, or has connected them all by 
insensible gradations, it behoves us to supplement steady in- 
trospection with a close inspection of objective facts, to 
observe both the existing works of His hands and whatever 
traces are still visible of His operations in past times, and to 
take note of such laws and principles as may be empirically 
discovered by attending to the process of differentiation. An 
attempted exposition of Evolution, which left these facts and 
laws and principles out of view, and gave no further account 
of the genesis of the manifold and complex than is implied in 
simply setting it forth as the expression of the Hternal Idea, 
would be manifestly and inexcusably incomplete. 
15. Our next step, then, it is plain, involves the consideration 
of a much-agitated question, and one which cannot be either 
profitably, or even honestly, evaded. As it necessitates atten- 
tion both to the characteristics of Life and to the so-called 
Persistence of Force, it may be conveniently introduced by a 
few preliminary remarks in reference to these weighty matters. 
I would first of all submit that Mr. Herbert Spencer’s defini- 
tion of Life, which accurately describes, indeed, the only 
* The Principles of Biology, by Herbert Spencer, Part I. ch. iv. § 24. 
