Teachings of Thomas Huxley 33 



np a consideration of miracles. "No conceiv- 

 able event, however extraordinary, is impossi- 

 ble," says Huxley, "and therefore if by the 

 term miracles we mean only 'extremely won- 

 derful events,' there can be no just ground for 

 denying the possibility of their occurrence." 

 If a man tells me he has seen a ghost on Broad- 

 way I must admit its possibility while believing 

 its utter improbability. Why do I disbelieve 

 it? Because I myself have never had such an 

 experience and insofar as I know no man whose 

 reason and integrity have been unimpeachable 

 has ever reported such an occurrence. There- 

 fore I doubt until evidence is brought to bear 

 upon the circumstance. If the man is a 

 stranger I immediately test his sanity. If that 

 seem to be undisturbed I then get from him 

 all the details as to the exact time, place, sur- 

 rounding conditions, etc., and if he cannot fur- 

 nish these I tell him he was deceived. If he 

 be a friend and I know his character I weigh 

 all these things before passing judgment. Con- 

 cerning the Biblical miracles Huxley affirms 

 that "It is not impossible that the sun and 

 moon should ever have been made to appear to 

 stand still in the valley of Ajalon; or that the 

 walls of a city should have fallen down at a 

 trumpet blast; or that water was turned into 

 wine." We must not call events impossible 

 because they violate the laws of Nature as we 

 understand them, but we should have sufficient 



