292 Proceedings of the Royal Society 
Material organs are merely the special forms built up and fashioned 
by the vital forces, whatever these may be, for the discharge of 
special functions. And it is well worthy of remark, that some of 
the most clear and striking illustrations of this truth are to be 
found in some of the lowest forms of life, revealed to us only by 
the microscope. Professor Huxley and Dr Carpenter both refer to 
the Foraminifera, in which the most beautiful and complicated 
forms of shell are evolved by the vital force working in creatures 
composed of simple jelly, without parts, without structure, without 
organs of any kind. Thus the deeper we go in science, the more 
certain it becomes that all the realities of nature are in the region 
of the Invisible ; so that the saying is literally true, that the things 
which are seen are temporal, and that it is only the things which are 
not seen that are eternal. Surely if this is materialism, it is ma- 
terialism spiritualised. These doctrines seem to me rather to bring 
into the strict domain of science, ideas which, in the earlier stages 
of human knowledge, lay wholly within the region of faith or of 
belief. For example, the writer of the Epistle to the Hebrews 
specially declares that it is by faith that we understand that 
the things which are seen were not made of things which do 
appear.”* Yet this is now one of the most assured doctrines of 
science, that invisible forces are behind and above all visible phe- 
nomena, moulding them in forms of infinite variety, of all which 
forms the only real knowledge we possess lies in our perception of 
their beauty and their fitness — in short of their being all the work 
of “ Toil CO- operant to an end.” Creation by Law means nothing 
but Creative Force directed by Creative Knowledge, worked under the 
control of Creative Power, and in fulfilment of Creative Purpose. 
During the past year there have been more deaths than usual 
among the members of the Society. Of Foreign Honorary Fel- 
lows we have lost one, Baron Plana of Turin. On our home list 
we have to lament the loss of 10 of our Ordinary Fellows, some of 
whom had attained the full term of human life, while others have 
been cut off in their prime. Their names are — Leonard Horner, 
Professor Miller, Kobert Morrieson, Dr Newbigging, Professor 
Fide intelligimus aptata esse ssecula verbo Dei ; ut ex invisibilibiis visi- 
bilia fiereut.— • Vulgate. 
