MIRACLES AND SPECIAL PROVIDENCES 37 



something of it. Hence it is that, during a single life- 

 time of this era of "unintelligent impulse," the progress 

 in knowledge is all but infinite as compared with that of 

 the ages which preceded ours. 



The believers in magic and miracles of a couple of 

 centuries ago had all the strength of Mr. Mozley's present 

 logic on their side. They had done for themselves what 

 he rejoices in having so effectually done for us cleared 

 the ground of the belief in the order of nature, and de- 

 clared magic, miracles, and witchcraft to be matters for 

 "ordinary evidence" to decide. "The principle of mir- 

 acles" thus "befriended" had free scope, and we know 

 the result. Lacking that rock-barrier of natural knowl- 

 edge which we now possess, keen jurists and cultivated 

 men were hurried on to deeds, the bare recital of which 

 makes the blood run cold. Skilled in all the rules of hu- 

 man evidence, and versed in all the arts of cross-examina- 

 tion, these men, nevertheless, went systematically astray, 

 and committed the deadliest wrongs against humanity. 

 And why? Because they could not put Nature into the 

 witness-box, and question her of her voiceless "testi- 

 mony" they knew nothing. In all cases between man and 

 man, their judgment was to be relied on; but in all cases 

 between man and nature, they were blind leaders of the 



1 "In 1664 two women were hung in Suffolk, under a sentence of Sir 

 Matthew Hale, who took the opportunity of declaring that the reality of witch- 

 craft was unquestionable ; 'for first, the Scriptures had affirmed so much ; and 

 secondly, the wisdom of all nations had provided laws against such persons, 

 which is an argument of their confidence of such a crime. ' Sir Thomas Browne, 

 who was a great physician as well as a great writer, was called as a witness, 

 and swore 'that he was clearly of opinion that the persons were bewitched.' " 

 Lecky'a "History of Rationalism," vol. i. p. 120. 



