the whole
visible universe has its counterpart in the acquirement of a maximum of
life, the correlative unseen world. According to this theory, therefore,
as the psychical or spiritual phenomena of the visible world only begins
to be manifested with some complex aggregate of material phenomena,
therefore it is necessary for the continuance of mind in a future state
to have some sort of material vehicle also, which the ether is supposed
to supply. "The essential weakness of such a theory as this," says
Fiske, "lies in the fact that it is thoroughly materialistic in
character. We have reason for thinking it probable that ether and
ordinary matter are alike composed of vortex rings in a
quasi-frictionless fluid; but whatever be the fate of this subtle
hypothesis, we may be sure that no theory will ever be entertained in
which analysis of ether shall require different symbols from that of
ordinary matter. In our authors' theory, therefore, the putting on of
immortality is in nowise the passage from a material to a spiritual
state. It is the passage of one kind of materially conditioned state to
another." This theory, dealing with matter, should receive support by
actual experience, as matter is a subject of investigation. To accept
it, therefore, as being possible without any positive evidence for its
support, it remains but a weak speculation, no matter how ingenious it
may seem.

To support an after life, which is not materially conditioned, I agree
with Mr. Fiske, that although it will be unsupported by any item of
experience whatever, it may nevertheless be an impregnable assertion.

If all were to agree, what we call matter is really force, as it
certainly is, for if matter were not force it would be unthinkable,
being force it becomes thinkable; this point I have touched on before,
but it may be well to elaborate on it a little just here. The great
lesson that Berkeley taught mankind was that what we call material
phenomena are really the products of consciousness co-operating with
some unknown power (not material) existing beyond consciousness. "We do
very well to speak of matter," says Fiske, "in common parlance, but all
that the word really means is a group of qualities which have no
existence apart from our minds." The ablest modern thinkers, then,
believe that the only real things that exist are the mind and God, and
that the universe is only the infinitely varied manifestation of God in
the human conscience.