132 PROFESSOR LIONEL BEALE, F.R.C.P., F.R.S.^ ON THE 



and most remarkable of his tissues, and particularly of the 

 arrangement and action of those bioplasts and tissues belonging 

 to man's nervous system, not to be compared with anything else 

 in nature, from which perhaps we may be able to deduce 

 what is man's true place, and his relation to his Creator. 



I regret to say that some intelligent writers of our Press, the 

 most free and in some matters, the most reliable in the world, 

 seem but too anxious not to ofiend their readers who may differ 

 in opinions according to the parties, denominations, sections, 

 divisions, or sub-divisions, to which they belong; and generally, 

 in their occasional criticisms of scientific questions there are 

 indications of a desire, not to express opinions that would be 

 likely to offend their readers' views ; and so to study the 

 tendency of the thought of the day, on questions of religion and 

 science, as to avoid the discussion or criticism of serious 

 questions bearing on the nature of life, and the relation of living 

 nature generally, to Infinite Power Wisdom and Goodness. 

 The general Press seems to take what it calls the secular view ; 

 as if even the simple question of life and death of man could be 

 secularly treated, without reference to its religious side, and 

 to the question of the creating and sustaining power of the 

 living God ; and as if a sharp distinction could be made between 

 the supposed secular and religious aspects of Life power. 



For nearly a century very arbitrary assertions by high 

 authorities of their time, erroneously supposed to be based upon 

 new discoveries, have been thoughtlessly forced into popularity, 

 and have so modified and weakened the foundations of religious 

 belief, as to have led many intelligent persons who could not 

 investigate and judge for themselves, to accept and spread 

 doctrines, incompatible with belief in God and the spiritual 

 world, — doctrines which have tended to shake or destroy religious 

 feeling in England — all this too, without serious discussion and 

 proper deliberation, on the part of those who were well 

 acquainted with the scientific facts. 



The life-power, mind, and intellect of man, have been placed 

 in one and the same category with, the life power and instincts 

 of the lowest animals, although it is certain that man is a 

 being apart, and absolutely distinct from all other organisms in 

 living nature. 



Of those who agree with the so-called Freethinkers, Agnostics, 

 Secularists, or Monists, and of those scientific men who support 

 the views advocated by that eminently representative but 

 disquieting author of " The Piddle of the Uuiverse," I beg to 

 enquire : — what results of investigation, general or microscopical, 



