Onereservation，indeed，mustbemade。Thebooksandtraditionsofasectmaycontain，mingledwithpropositionsstrictlytheological，otherpropositions，purportingtorestonthesameauthority，whichrelatetophysics。Ifnewdiscoveriesshouldthrowdiscreditonthephysicalpropositions，thetheologicalpropositions，unlesstheycanbeseparatedfromthephysicalpropositions，willshareinthatdiscredit。Inthisway，undoubtedly，theprogressofsciencemayindirectlyservethecauseofreligioustruth。TheHindoomythology，forexample，isboundupwithamostabsurdgeography。EveryyoungBrahmin，therefore，wholearnsgeographyinourcollegeslearnstosmileattheHindoomythology。IfCatholicismhasnotsufferedtoanequaldegreefromthePapaldecisionthatthesungoesroundtheearth，thisisbecauseallintelligentCatholicsnowhold，withPascal，that，indecidingthepointatall，theChurchexceededherpowers，andwas，therefore，justlyleftdestituteofthatsupernaturalassistancewhich，intheexerciseofherlegitimatefunctions，thepromiseofherFounderauthorisedhertoexpect。
Thisreservationaffectsnotatallthetruthofourproposition，thatdivinity，properlysocalled，isnotaprogressivescience。
Averycommonknowledgeofhistory，averylittleobservationoflife，willsufficetoprovethatnolearning，nosagacity，affordsasecurityagainstthegreatesterrorsonsubjectsrelatingtotheinvisibleworld。BayleandChillingworth，twoofthemostscepticalofmankind，turnedCatholicsfromsincereconviction。Johnson，incredulousonallotherpoints，wasareadybelieverinmiraclesandapparitions。HewouldnotbelieveinOssian;buthewaswillingtobelieveinthesecondsight。HewouldnotbelieveintheearthquakeofLisbon;buthewaswillingtobelieveintheCockLaneghost。
Forthesereasonswehaveceasedtowonderatanyvagariesofsuperstition。Wehaveseenmen，notofmeanintellectorneglectededucation，butqualifiedbytheirtalentsandacquirementstoattaineminenceeitherinactiveorspeculativepursuits，well—readscholars，expertlogicians，keenobserversoflifeandmanners，prophesying，interpreting，talkingunknowntongues，workingmiraculouscures，comingdownwithmessagesfromGodtotheHouseofCommons。Wehaveseenanoldwoman，withnotalentsbeyondthecunningofafortune—teller，andwiththeeducationofascullion，exaltedintoaprophetess，andsurroundedbytensofthousandsofdevotedfollowers，manyofwhomwere，instationandknowledge，immeasurablyhersuperiors;
andallthisinthenineteenthcentury;andallthisinLondon。