if the objection is pressed that the spiritual man has
nothing further to effect in the direction of morality, seeing that the
natural man can successfully compete with him, the questions thus raised
become of serious significance. That objection would certainly be fatal
which could show that the spiritual world was not as high in its demand
for a lofty morality as the natural; and that biology would be equally
false and dangerous which should in the least encourage the view that
"without holiness" a man could "see the Lord." These questions
accordingly we must briefly consider. It is necessary to premise,
however, that the difficulty is not peculiar to the present position.
This is simply the old difficulty of distinguishing spirituality and
morality.

In seeking whatever light Science may have to offer as to the difference
between the natural and the spiritual man, we first submit the question
to Embryology. And if its actual contribution is small, we shall at
least be indebted to it for an important reason why the difficulty
should exist at all. That there is grave difficulty in deciding between
two given characters, the one natural, the other spiritual, is conceded.
But if we can find a sufficient justification for so perplexing a
circumstance, the fact loses weight as an objection, and the whole
problem is placed on a different footing.

The difference on the score of beauty between the crystal and the shell,
let us say once more, is imperceptible. But fix attention for a moment,
not upon their appearance, but upon their possibilities, upon their
relation to the future, and upon their place in evolution. The crystal
has reached its ultimate stage of development. It can never be more
beautiful than it is now. Take it to pieces and give it the opportunity
to beautify itself afresh, and it will just do the same thing over
again. It will form itself into a six-sided pyramid, and go on repeating
this same form _ad infinitum_ as often as it is dissolved and without
ever improving by a hair's breadth. Its law of crystallization allows it
to reach this limit, and nothing else within its kingdom can do any more
for it. In dealing with the crystal, in short, we are dealing with the
maximum beauty of the inorganic world. But in dealing with the shell, we
are not dealing with the maximum achievement of the organic world. In
itself it is one of the humblest forms of the invertebrate sub-kingdom
of the organic world; and there