ORIGIN OF LIFE. II 
displaying the phenomena which we have generalised 
under the word ‘Life.’ Living matter is thus sup- 
posed to have come into being by the further opera- 
tion under new conditions of the same agencies as 
had . previously led to the formation of the various 
inorganic constituents of the Earth’s crust—such 
mineral and saline substances as we see around us 
at the present day. What we ‘all ‘Life,’ then, is 
regarded as one of the natural results under actual 
conditions of the growing complexity of our primal 
nebula. So that, in accordance with this view, we 
have no more reason to postulate a miraculous inter- 
ference or exercise of Creative Power to account for 
the evolution of ‘living matter’ in any suitable por- 
tion of the Universe (whether it be on this Earth or 
elsewhere), than to explain the appearance of any 
other kind of matter—the magnetic oxide of iron, 
for instance. So far, all through Evolutionists are 
quite agreed. This is the view of Spencer, Lewes, 
Huxley, and others—possibly of Darwin. I say 
possibly of Darwin, because on this subject it so 
happens that the language of this most distinguished 
exponent of Evolution is quite unusually tinctured 
with a previous point of view. Speaking of the 
probable commencement of Life upon our globe, 
Mr. Darwin says*:—“TI believe that animals have 
* Origin of Species, 6th edit. 1872, pp. 424 and 429. 
