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imagination alone; while Faraday and others teach that the only 
actual existence is Force ; matter, substance, and all the rest 
being the ideals. Professor Huxley crowns the whole, in the 
highest imaginative, flight, by fancying that matter is not 
matter, and force is not force, but only “ names for certain 
forms of consciousness " ! 
8. Some naturalists are never weary of sneering at philo- 
sophers and theologians, about the haziness of their theories, 
and the unscientific character of their teachings, and 
pointing to their own labours as the acme of perfection ; but 
what have we here to induce us to forsake the old paths, and 
follow their guidance? One set asking us to believe that there 
is only matter, another that there is only force, and a third 
that there is neither matter nor force, but only consciousness. 
We beg to decline all their separate invitations for the reasons 
now to be assigned. After what has been said about Dr. Tyndall's 
hypothesis, we may pass on to the next, that Force is the only 
Existence. On this subject Faraday writes, a We know nothing 
about matter but its forces — nothing in the creation but the 
effect of these forces; further our sensations and perceptions 
are not fitted to carry us ; all the rest, which we may conceive 
we know, is only imagination." He taught, also, that 
the ultimate atoms are only centres of force; or, in other 
words, that matter and force are one and the same. We must, 
however, be pardoned for saying that he seems exceedingly 
confused about the whole subject, because elsewhere he speaks 
of the “actions of particles." Now, it is an utter confusion of 
all language to speak of particles as immaterial : if we believe 
in particles we must believe in matter, for particles are particles 
of something ; but to say that the something is force, would be 
a contradiction of terms. But even the very passage I have 
quoted overturns his own hypothesis ; for if we grant, which we 
do not, that we know nothing of matter but its forces, still this 
allows that we do know the forces of matter , and so know matter 
by its forces. But we know matter by its qualities, as well as 
by its powers, especially by that of extension, which cannot be 
called a power. As Dr. Mayo wrote to Faraday, “ The objection 
that silver must vanish if its forces are abstracted, may prove 
the necessity of forces to our conception of silver, but does not 
disprove the necessity of silver to our conception of its 
forces." To this we may add, that after the distinctive forces 
were abstracted, it might cease to exist as silver, but it would 
still exist as matter, possessing the quality of extension. Mr. 
Wallace takes up the strain, and strikes a higher note, affirming 
that “ matter is essentially force, and nothing but force ; is, in 
fact, philosophically inconceivable ; and that force is will, and 
