The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1913-09-28


and memorable, though by wide knowledge OF
character 1t may be inferred. Nothing is in.
exorabie except the uniform progress Of time:
the cloth must be woven, but the pattern Is
not wholly fixed and mechanically calculable.
Where inorganic matter alone Is concerned.
there everything is determined. Wherever
full consciousness has entered powers
arise, and the faculties and desires of the con-
scous parts OF the scheme have effect upon
the whole. 1t Is not guided from outside but
from within; and the guiding power is imna.
nent at every instant OF this guiding power
small but not wholly insignificant
portion.
That evolutionary progress is real Is doc
trine OF profound significance. and efforts
at social betterment are justified because we
are part OF the scheme. part that has be-
come conscious, part that realizes, dimly at
any rate, what 1t Is doing and what 1t Is aim.
Ing at. Planning and aiming are therefore
not absent from the whole for we are part
OF the whole. and are conscious of them In
ourselves.
Either We are immortal beings or we are not.
We may not know our destiny. but we must
have destiny Of some sort Those who make
denials are just as likely to be wrong as those
who mako assertions In fact denias are as.
sertions thrown into negative form. Scientific
men are looked up to authorities, and should
be careful not to mislead. Science may not
be able to reveal human destiny. but 1t GER
tainy should not obscure it. Things are
they are whether we find them out or not: and
II make rash and false statements. pos.
terity will detect us-if posterity ever troubles
its head about us. am one of those who think
that the methods OF Science are not so limited
In their scope has been thought; that they
can be applied much more widely, an that the
Psychic region can be studied and brought
under lew. too. Allow US. anyhow, to make the
attempt. Give US fair field Let those who
prefer the materalstic hypothesis by all means
develop their thesis as far as they can; but Let
us try what we can do in the Psychical region
and see which wilma. Our methods are really
the as theirs--the subjectmatter differs.
Neither should abuse the other for making the
attempt
Whether such things as intuition and revela-
ton ever occur is an open question. There arc
some who have reason to say that they do.
they are, at any rate. not to be denied OIL
hand In fact, 1t is always extremely difficult
to deny anything of general character. since
evidence In It's favor may be only hidden and
not forthcoming, especially not forthcoming at
any particular age Of the worlds history, or at
any particular stage OF individual mental de.
'velopment. Mysticism must have its place.
though its relation to Science has far not
been found. They have appeared disparate
and disconnected, but there need be hostil.
lily between them. Every kind of reality must
DDS. II the voices Of Socrates and OF Joan OF
Arc represent real psychical experiences they
must belong to the ineligible universe.
Although speaking ex cathedral as one
Of the representatives of orthodox science.
will not shrink from a personal note sum.
marising the result on my own mind OF thirty
without prediiection--indeed with the usual
hostile prejudice. This Is not tho place to
enter into details or to discuss facts scorned
by orthodox science. but cannot helm remem.
bering that utterance from this chair Is no
ephemeral production. for ii remains to be crit.
iciSed by the generations yet unborn, whose
knowledge must inevitably be fuller and wider
IMAM our own. Your president. therefore.
should not be completely bound by the shackles
or presentday orthodoxy. nor limited to be-
lfefs fashionable at the time
In Justice TO myself and my co-worker.
must fisk annoying my present hearers. not
only by leaving on record our conviction that
occurrences now regarded as occult can be en-
amined and reduced to order by the methods OF
science carefully and persistently applied but
py going further and saying. with the utmost
brevity, that already the facts so examined
nave convinced me that memory and affection
are not limited to that association with mat.
ter by which alone they cnn manifest them.
selves here and now. and that personality per.
sists beyond bodily death. The evidence to my
mind. goes to prove that discarnate intell.
sence. under certain conditions. may interact
with US on the material side. thus indirectly
coming within our scientific ken; and that
gradually we may hope to attain some under
standing OF the nature OF larger perhaps
ethereal. existence. and of the conditions regu
latlns intercourse across the chasm body
OF responsible investigators has even now
landed on the treacherous but promising
shores OF continent
Yes, and there is more to say than that The
methods Of science not the only way
though they are our way, CT arriving ut truth
uno itinere non potest perveniri ad lam
by one way alone great secret)
Many scientific men still feel In pugnacious
MOOD towards Theology, because OF tile eXas
serated dogmatism which predecessor, an
countered and overcame In the past They
had to struggle for freedom to And truth in
their own way; but the struggle was mis-.
cradle necessity. and has left some evil effects
And one OF them is this lack of sympathy this
occasional hostility, to other more spiritual
forms OF truth. We cannot really and seriously
suppose that truth began 10 arrive on this
planet few centuries ago. The pre.scientifc
insight OF genius-cf Poets and Prophets and
saihts-was OF supreme value, and The access
OF those inspired seerS 10 the heart Of the uni
verse was profound. But the camp followers
the scribes and pharisees by whatever nama
they may be called had no such insight only
vicious or foolish obstnacy; and the
prophets OF new era were stoned.
Men and brethren, are trustees of the
truth OF the physical universe as scientifically
explored: let US be faithful to our trust
Genuine religion has Its roots deep down in
the heart OF humanity and In the reality OF
things 1t is not surprising that by our meth.
eds we fail to grasp it: the actions OF tina
Deity make no appeal to any special sense
only universal appeal and our methods are
as we know. incompetent to detect complete
uniformity. There is principle OF relatively
change nothing in us responds; are deaf
and blind. therefore. to the mmanent grandeur
around US. unless have insight enough to
appreciate the whole and to recognize in the
70 ~t- - a..