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substance — using the word substance in its metaphysical sense — I cannot 
agree with Professor Kirk in his assertion that mind alone is the cause of 
motion. I believe that intermediate, as it were, between mind and matter, 
there are forces which are not intelligent agents. Though in this I do agree 
with him : that all motions or changes induced in the material world by the 
action of laws regulating the motion and combinations of particles of matter, 
are ultimately resolvable into the will of that mind — (hear, hear)— namely, 
that Spiritual Being whom we acknowledge not only as the Great First 
Cause, but also the Supporter and Sustainer of all things. Just to take an 
illustration : is light a force, or is it material substance ? If it be a force dis- 
tinct from matter, then is light an intelligent existence — is it mind ] Now 
let us view light under the only two hypotheses we have as to its nature. Mr. 
Warington spoke of light passing through a vacuum. If so, what passes 
through a vacuum — that is, through space void of matter ? Is it matter or 
force ? Upon the emission theory of Newton, light is produced by the 
emission of matter called luminous matter — matter imponderable, and there- 
fore not subject to the laws of gravitation. This matter can be projected 
through a vacuum, but not by itself. Of itself it is inert ; it cannot move 
itself; or, if once in motion, it cannot change its motion. That which moves 
it is force, something essentially distinct from the luminous matter itself. 
Now take the undulatory theory. Here we can have no propagation of light 
through a vacuum. Light can only be propagated through a plenum filled 
with what is called a luminiferous ether. Light has been called a shiver or 
vibration passing through this luminiferous ether. But is not this ether, if 
such exist, matter ? Can it shiver of itself ? Something must cause it to 
vibrate which is not matter, and which is force. Is this something necessarily 
mind ? Now we cannot take this single instance into consideration without 
seeing how soon we are led up from matter to something higher than matter : 
to something capable of acting on or controlling matter, which is not matter, 
and which we call force. Who can tell how many different kinds of force 
are to be found in nature ? Matter also may have force inseparably bound 
up as it were with its existence. We can conceive every particle of gold or 
silver having many such forces inseparably united with it. The forces of 
gravitation, molecular and chemical forces ; forces which make particles of 
gold and silver combine with one another, or different particles of other 
material substances according to many laws, of the majority of which we are 
most likely still ignorant. These forces we may conceive indissolubly united 
by the Creator with the particles of gold or iron at their creation. Such 
forces, however, I cannot conceive to be intelligent existences. Nor are they 
the only forces existent in nature. There are higher forces capable of con- 
trolling these forces. I know no force existing, in gold for instance, capable 
of transferring every particle with which it comes in contact into gold. 
But if I take the tiniest living seed that ever grew, I find in it certain 
evidence for the existence of a force far different from the forces inherent 
or inseparably connected with dead matter. Whatever evidence I have for 
the existence of chemical or molecular forces in a particle of gold, an acorn 
