LIVING GOD OF LIVIXG NATUKE FKOM THE SCIENCE SIDE. 273 



the large proportion of very moist living matter which is well 

 known to exist in this part of the brain. This is by far the 

 most important and wonderful part of the human organism. 

 And if he had the knowledge which patient microscopical 

 enquiry into the minute structure of this part of the brain 

 alone can give, and had frequently contemplated his own think- 

 ing power and noted the wonderful precision of some of the 

 most delicate and complex of man's voluntary movements (say 

 for example, in drawing, and in playing musical instruments), 

 seated probably in several parts of the cerebral cortex, particu- 

 larly if he was in good health, and especially after rest, when his 

 mind was clear and active, would I think believe, on this ground 

 alone, in the infinite power of the living God of living nature, 

 unless he had determined under all circumstances, to refuse to 

 admit the existence of what he had seen with his own eyes and 

 was evident to his understanding, and to neglect the inferences 

 which necessarily follow the careful consideration of well 

 demonstrated facts. 



Thus at the outset of our enquiry, it appears that the con- 

 sideration of a few broad general facts connected with many 

 different organisms at various ages, and belonging to difterent 

 departments of living nature, regarded from the science side 

 only, compel the reason to infer, that all growth and the 

 process of the formation of tissue, like life itself, must be due to 

 powers which are of the living world only, and that all the 

 chemical and physical changes occurring in living nature are 

 brought about and regulated by vital action — vitality itself, a 

 power which has not been isolated or made evident by 

 scientific investigation. It seems to me therefore that this 

 power in living matter only, must be admitted to be a special 

 endowment — a power created by God, supported and sustained 

 l)y Him only. 



The life of a part and of the whole of a living body, really 

 depends upon the millions of millions of minute particles of 

 living matter or Bioplasts, in all parts of the moist tissues and 

 organs, these minute particles being generally separated from 

 one another by intervening tissue which has been formed by 

 vital changes occurring on the outer part of the living matter of 

 the bioplast. Thus each bioplast or particle of living matter, 

 becomes separated from its neighbours by tissue of gradually 

 increasing thickness which is permeable to fluid. The living 

 matter of each bioplast by the tendency of its parts to move 

 away from other parts, or from a centre, causes tiuid to move 

 slowly in the opposite direction, toicards the living matter. In 



