THE PUliPOSE or DlVEruSITY 421 



prehending how it is possible for such infinite diversity to 

 be brought about. And now that we are led to believe that 

 the atom itself is highly complex — that it is a system of re- 

 volving electrons or coi-puscles, held together by tremon«lous 

 forces — the mystery becomes deeper still, and we find it (piite 

 hopeless to realise what is the nature of the controlling power 

 and mind, Avhich out of such unimaginable entities lias built 

 up the vast material universe of suns and systems of which 

 our earth foimis a fractional part, together w^ith that even 

 more complex world of life of which we ourselves are the out- 

 come. 



The overwhelming complexity and divei'sity of this vast 

 cosmos in its every part and detail, is the great fundamental 

 characteristic which our highest science has brought promi- 

 nently to our notice ; but neither science nor religion has given 

 us the slightest clue as to why it should be so. Science says : 

 " It is so. Ours not to reason why ; but only to find out what 

 is.'' Religion says : " God made it so " ; and sometimes adds, 

 " it was God's will ; it is impious to seek any other reason." 

 In the present work I have endeavoured to suggest a reason 

 which appeals to me as both a sufficient and an intelligible 

 one: it is that this earth with its infinitude of life and beauty 

 and mystery, and the universe in the midst of which we are 

 placed, with its overwhelming immensities of suns and nebuho, 

 of light and motion, are as they are, firstly, for the develop- 

 ment of life culminating in man ; secondly, as a vast school- 

 house for the higher education of the human race in pn^jia ra- 

 tion for the enduring spiritual life to which it is destined. 



I have endeavoured to show that some portion at least of 

 what seems a superfluity of elements in our earth-structure 

 has ser\'ed the purpose of aiding the gi'adual progress of man 

 from barbarism to material civilisation ; while another portion 

 has furnished him with materials which have alone enabled 

 him to penetrate into the two unkninvn worlds with which ho 

 was encompassed — those of the nlniost infinitely great and 

 of the almost infiuitelv little; but both alike attractive an<l 



