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not seem perfectly clear, and on which I think that all of us might profitably 

 receive another word or two of counsel. It was partially with reference to 

 prayer being opposed to the theory of Professor Tyndall, and to a fact which 

 he is alleged to have ignored. The fact referred to was that David prayed, 

 that all men have prayed, that we pray, and that in all time prayer has been 

 an aspiration of the human heart, and it was said that these facts kicked 

 against Professor Tyndall's theory, and that he had consequently ignored 

 them. I have read the " Fragments of Science " pretty assiduously, and 

 have arrived at much the same convictions and conclusions as those 

 announced by the lecturer ; but I do not remember that in any part of those 

 " Fragments " Professor Tyndall either kicks against or ignores the facts 

 alluded to by the lecturer. It is not that Professor Tyndall has disbelieved, 

 or disallowed, or ignored the fact that men have prayed in all time ; but 

 that he disbelieves and ignores the statement of fact that those prayers have 

 been answered. As far as I have understood Professor Tyndall, he has 

 looked upon those who have prayed as persons who have prayed in vain, — 

 as having been engaged in idle effort, so far as practical results are con- 

 cerned. I should like to hear whether I am mistaken upon this point, or 

 whether it is that there are some other facts in connection with prayer which 

 Professor Tyndall may be rightly said to have ignored or disallowed. 



Eev. J. Manners. — Some time ago, when the British Association met 

 at Norwich, Professor Tyndall gave a very interesting address in his 

 section, and alluded to crystallization, showing that there must be an 

 external intelligence by which crystals were formed. I stated to him 

 at the time that I thought all true science, dealing with causes and origin, 

 had its basis in the spiritual, just as Egypt had its place in history ; and to 

 this Professor Tyndall seemed to assent most heartily. He stated that there 

 was a great deal to be said upon the subject, but there were certain phe- 

 nomena which he did not understand, but was convinced that there Avas a 

 power or a principle which must be the causa causarum of those phenomena. 

 I also gathered from the conversation I had with him that his mind was 

 open to conviction, or rather it was open to inquiry, really, truly, and 

 honestly, into the various causes of the phenomena, apart from what we 

 ordinarily term mere materialism. For instance, I said, in reference to the 

 formation of crj^stals — " These little particles do not arrange themselves of 

 their own accord : there must be an intelligence, not in themselves, per se, 

 but belonging to some superior power, which causes them to move or to be 

 brought into certain conditions." I have not read his book, and do not know 

 what he has stated with regard to prayer, and am not here as an apologist 

 for him, but^ I do feel that if we rightly understood each other, and if 

 he were here this evening, he might be able to show that his views of true 

 science, and the cause of certain manifestations, would be in harmony and not 

 in any sense discordant with the truth of the Holy Scriptures. I may just 

 say another word ; I think that if people would only be content to wait a 

 little, and deal with phenomena as such, and with facts as facts, it would be 

 much better. I once asked a gentleman of high scientific attainments and 

 VOL. VII. M 



