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iron or steel we shall find the explanation of the construction 
of a watch ? It has been often affirmed in positive and dic- 
tatorial language that the formation of the animal is due to 
the properties of the particles of which its body is composed. 
There can be no doubt that of late years there has been an 
intense desire on the part of many people to be assured that 
there was no absolute or essential difference between the 
changes tahing place in living things and in non-living matter_, 
and this idea is supposed to add grandeur to the conception of 
the unity of universality. The desire has been abundantly grati- 
fied. The assertion has been made again and again^ and it is 
being continually repeated and emphasised^ but_, strange to say^ 
some incredulous sceptics doubt whether^ after all_, the assertion 
is literally true. They listen, they admire, they repeat ; they 
even try to persuade themselves and others that the assertion 
is true, but still they doubt. Many, though they are assured 
of the analogy between hammered iron giving out heat and 
the brain, sensation, are not quite convinced. The too frequent 
repetition of a scientific statement seems to beget doubt in 
sceptical minds concerning its accuracy. If, as it should do, 
the doubt excites a determination to carefully examine the 
foundation upon which the doctrine of the identity of physical 
and vital phenomena rests, the conviction of the utterly un- 
tenable character of the hypothesis will be forced upon the 
mind of the inquirer, who will afterwards be on the side of 
the opponents of the faith in the unity of non-living and 
living. 
Many persons of intelligence cannot but admire materialistic 
unity, and are anxious to be convinced that the non-living and 
living are really one, and that the phenomena of the living 
world are due to the properties of matter as much as are those 
of the non-living world. The simplicity of the idea is con- 
vincing. Persons of this persuasion do, in fact, accept 
materialism in faith, but, above all things, they desire that 
their doubting faith should be fortified by robust reason. The 
desire has not been gratified, and, in fact, not a few are 
troubled by doubt. Those who think over the matter do not 
wholly believe, though they wish they could believe that they 
are mere machines. They cannot call to mind any machine 
which grows as they have grown, while all the machines they 
know anything about have been made in pieces, which have 
been put together afterwards. 
When people begin to think, they will soon see how absurd 
it is to maintain that growth and the actions going on in living 
beings are due to the properties of the particles of matter of 
which their bodies are composed. A little reflection will make 
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