people who believe are ignorant of physical science, are steeped in
superstition, or are abjectly subservient to the authority of priests or
fakirs. Scientific knowledge and freedom of thought and speech are fatal
to superstition. It is only in those times, or amongst those people,
where ignorance is rampant, or the priest is dominant, or both, that
miracles are believed.

It will be urged that many educated Englishmen still believe the Gospel
miracles. That is true; but it will be found in nearly all such cases
that the believers have been mentally marred by the baneful authority
of the Church. Let a person once admit into his system the poisonous
principle of "faith," and his judgment in religious matters will be
injured for years, and probably for life.

But let me here make clear what I mean by the poisonous principle of
"faith." I mean, then, the deadly principle that we are to believe any
statement, historical or doctrinal, without evidence.

Thus we are to believe that Christ rose from the dead because the
Gospels say so. When we ask why we are to accept the Gospels as true, we
are told because they are inspired by God. When we ask who says that the
Gospels are inspired by God, we are told that the Church says so. When
we ask how the Church knows, we are told that we must have faith. That
is what I call a poisonous principle. That is the poison which saps the
judgment and perverts the human kindness of men.

The late Dr. Carpenter wrote as follows:

It has been my business lately to inquire into the mental
condition of some of the individuals who have reported the
most remarkable occurrences. I cannot--it would not be fair--
say all I could with regard to that mental condition; but I can
only say this, that it all fits in perfectly well with the
result of my previous studies upon the subject, namely, that
there is nothing too strange to be believed by those who have
once surrendered their judgment to the extent of accepting as
credible things which common sense tells us are entirely incredible.

It is unwise and immoral to accept any important statement without
proof. HAVE THE DOCUMENTS BEEN TAMPERED WITH?

I come now to a phase of this question which I touch with regret. It
always pains me to acknowledge that any man, even an adversary, has
acted dishonourably. In this discussion I would, if I could, avoid the
imputation of dishonesty to any person concerned