Page:The Philosophy of Creation.djvu/223

 mence to form things successively higher. The descending forces are not visible, while the ascending scale of created forms is seen by the material eye. Evolution follows creative forces down to ultimates, and there stops with the limitation of material sight. Thus originated Evolution, and other forms of materialism.

Though it is not the purpose in this treatise to pursue principles in their application to the particulars of science, we may here consider a few illustrations that will aid in presenting the general laws.

It is now to be observed in particular what the common manifestations of natural forces are. Let us first consider what heat is; such heat as is produced by burning coal. A clear conception of this necessitates the reflection that coal is formed by the condensation of gaseous matter. The particles of gases and vapors are brought together through the agency of vegetation and various forces, and are reduced to a solid form. By the process of combustion the constituent particles are disengaged, whereupon they take the form of activity that is natural to the gases and vapors when in a high state of freedom. The activity continues until overcome by the resist-