104 THE LIGHT OF DAT 



and an incorruptible judge, a man who could sift evi- 

 dence and expose a false witness, and yet the spell of 

 his times in regard to witchcraft was upon him, and 

 he could not escape it. The mind reasons in such 

 cases, but it reasons inside of a magical circle, the 

 bounds of which it cannot pass, cannot see. Most 

 of us reason inside of a circle, when we reason at 

 all, with reference to our religion ; we are rmder its 

 spell, its illusion. What a spell the mind of Chris- 

 tendom has been under with reference to miracles 

 — could not get or see beyond the magic circle. 

 The Catholic mind is still under this spell. What 

 a spell the mind of the world was under in the 

 third and fourth centuries with reference to magic, 

 and in later times with reference to astrology, and 

 alchemy and demoniac possessions ! The skeptic 

 sees how faith or belief tends perpetually to fulfill 

 itself. If I believed in ghosts I should doubtless 

 see ghosts. People always have. Those who be- 

 lieve in spiritism have wonderful things to relate ; 

 but to a cool, unbiased person not one scrap of evi- 

 dence is forthcoming. In a credulous age miracles 

 happen, but never in a scientific one. The evi- 

 dences of the popular religion are evidences only to 

 those who are already convinced. The man who 

 believes in prayer — his prayers are answered ; the 

 more sincere the belief the more sure the answer. 

 Sincerity of belief is of itself a blessing and makes us 

 stronger. Faith cures, of which we are now hearing 

 so much, have their root in this principle, as do also 

 the power of charms, amulets, symbols, etc. Curses, 



