198 THOMAS HENRY HUXLEY 



blunders against theological errors ; no suggestion that an honest 

 man may keep contradictory beliefs in separate pockets of his 

 brain ; no question that the method of scientific investigation is 

 valid, whatever the results to which it may lead ; and that the 

 search after truth, and truth only, ennobles the searcher and 

 leaves no doubt that his life, at any rate, is worth living. . . . 

 How often was it my fate, a quarter of a century ago, to see the 

 whole artillery of the pulpit brought to bear upon the doctrine of 

 evolution and its supporters. Any one unaccustomed to the 

 amenities of ecclesiastical controversy would have thought we 

 were too wicked to be permitted to live." 



In dealing, however, with the Bishop of Manchester's 

 sermon on the efficacy of prayer, Huxley points out 

 that, — 



" . . . It is not upon any a priori considerations that objec- 

 tions, either to the supposed efficacy of prayer in modifying the 

 course of events, or to the supposed occurrence of miracles, can 

 he scientifically based. The real objection, and, to my mind, 

 the fatal objection, to both these suppositions, is the inadequacy 

 of the evidence to prove any given case of such occurrences 

 which has been adduced." 



As to the fourth bishop (" Anonymous"), — 



" I am afraid that if he represents any great party in the 

 Church, the spirit of justice and reasonableness which animates 

 the three bishops has as slender a chance of being imitated, on a 

 large scale, as their common sense and their courtesy. For, 

 not content with misrepresenting science on its speculative side, 

 ' Anonymous ' attacks its morality." 



Another matter of general interest for 1887 is an inter- 

 view with the Premier (Lord Salisbury) in June, for the 

 purpose of considering whether or no it would be desir- 

 able to establish an English order Pour le Merite, as a 

 recognition of distinguished services in Science, Letters 

 and Art. His attitude was summarized by Salisbury in 

 the words : " "Well, it seems that you don't desire the 



