ON MIEACLES. 233 



experience, as well as what are called physical facts. Any thinker who 

 essays to systematise the facts of the universe — that is, to form a compre- 

 hensive conception of the universe— cannot omit these facts — of liistory, &c. 

 — without coming under the censure of the paper. His theory is either " not 

 true, or not sufficient." If, for example, every man, woman, and child in 

 the world were, at a certain and regularly-recurring hour, every day, simul- 

 taneously to experience a peculiar sensation of joy — that would Toe a fact of 

 the universe. And such an undoubted phenomenon would demand from 

 scientific observers an explanation. If scientific observation could not 

 account for the phenomenon by its present conception of the universe, then 

 that conception would be manifestly insufficient ; and would, if it aimed at 

 the attainment of a complete conception of the universe, have to be 

 " amended." The term " science," I would suggest, is usually used in a 

 narrower sense than " scientific observation." Science is popularly sup- 

 posed to deal only with physical facts ; " scientific observations " may be 

 applied to facts of every kind — all the facts of the universe. The remainder 

 of the Eev. J. J. Lias' paper may be read as additional to my own, in which 

 my contentions are, I trust, put philosophically, and sustained by forcible 

 arguments. I have only, again, to thank the Institute for the kind 

 reception given to my paper ; and to add that, through the indulgence of 

 the Council, I have added a paragraph setting out the character at once of 

 the testimony on which the great miracle of Christ's Eesurrection is received 

 by believers. 



The meeting was then adjourned. 



