312 



MY LIFE 



[Chap. 



justify full and patient inquiry by at least several authorita- 

 tive persons, and this is what I desire to get done. The 

 leading men of science have neither time nor inclination to 

 sift the grain from the chaff of these subjects, but if once 

 the grain were placed before them we should soon have the 

 bread. I think you are too despairing on the subject of 

 prejudice. That prejudice should exist in the matter is only 

 what common sense would expect, but I am convinced that 

 it would quickly yield to adequate proof There is already 

 more than enough proof were the facts to be proved of any 

 ordinary kind ; but as they are nothing less than miracles, a 

 further weight of proof is, I think, required to justify any one 

 who has not himself witnessed the facts, accepting the latter 

 on testimony. Therefore it is that in Nature I implied that 

 in my judgment the facts were not yet proven. But pray do 

 not suppose that I am blind to the importance of the testi- 

 mony already accumulated. I should rather infer it is you 

 who are blind to that importance ; I think you underrate the 

 impression which your own publications and that of your 

 few scientific co-operators have produced. I know that this 

 impression is in many minds profound, and has already 

 prepared the way to a full acceptance by the scientific world 

 of the facts ; but before this can be, the latter must and ought 

 to be attested to by some important body of well-known 

 men. 



"You will see, then, that far from imagining that the 

 world will take my authority on the subject as final, I do not 

 think that, looking to the nature of the facts, the world ought 

 to do so ; and I similarly think that the world is not altogether 

 wrong in having weighed the amount of proof required to 

 substantiate a miracle against the weight of authoritative 

 testimony hitherto forthcoming, and in deciding to await 

 further testimony. 



" I am myself in the position of the world ; I want more 

 evidence to make me believe. If once I do believe and can 

 get any repeatable results to show, I shall insist upon the 

 best men in science and literature coming to see and telling 

 what they see. 



