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to nature only for the subordinate forces in the service of the vital principle, and these alone the dying man restores to nature. The special plastic power comes under laws, it propagates its kind under laws, and departs under laws but in coming, it took nothing from the physical world, and in departing, it leaves nothing to it.

§ 2 But grave objections immediately arise to this view in all minds which have drawn their ruling conceptions from physical facts. Such persons regard law as the one fixed intellectual term in the Universe, and are accustomed to refer law exclusively to the permanent character of physical forces. The moment, therefore, that the lines of physical causation are broken or transcended, law and order seem to them to give way. So strong is this sentiment, that it is constantly resulting in an effort to reduce all mental activity under physical conditions much more, therefore, does it make a determined effort to resist the introduction of any spiritual element among physical forces. This sentiment we believe to be sound in what may be called its instinctive assertion of law, but to be quite astray in its premises. Will, and that too in its willful and wayward form, is taken as the type of spirit, and the spiritual is then cut down to its lowest terms with the hope of its ultimate exclusion from assignable causes. We ought rather to recognise reason --- the very reason that leads us to take such satisfaction in law --- as the supreme power in spirit and the ultimate ground of order. We would refer matter in all its fixedness to a Divine Spirit, because