ty could not understand: and that was the
workings of the mind of an intelligent American juror.

Herbert Spencer says that Sir Isaac Newton was one of the six best
educated men the world has seen. He was the first man to resolve light
into its constituent elements. Voltaire says that when Newton discovered
the Law of Gravitation he excited the envy of the scientific world.

"But," adds Voltaire, "when he wrote a book on the Bible prophecies, the
men of science got even with him." Sir Isaac Newton defended the literal
inspiration of the Scriptures and was a consistent member of the Church
of England. Doctor Johnson was unhappy all day if he didn't touch every
tenth picket of the fence with his cane as he walked downtown.

Blackstone, the great legal commentator, believed in witchcraft, and
bolstered his belief by citing the Scriptural text, "Thou shalt not
suffer a witch to live"--thus proving Moses a party to the superstition.
Sir Matthew Hale, Chief Justice of England, did the same.

Gladstone was a great statesman, and yet he believed in the Mosaic
account of Creation, just as did Mary Baker Eddy.

John Adams was a rebel from political slavery, but lived and died a
worthy Churchman, subsisting on canned theology--and canned in England,
at that.

Franklin and Jefferson were rebels from both political and theological
despotism, but looked leniently on leeches and apothecaries. Herbert
Spencer had a free mind as regards religion, politics, economics and
sociology; yet he was a bachelor, lived in the city, belonged to a club,
played billiards and smoked cigars. Physical health was out of his
reach, and with all his vast knowledge, he never knew why. All through
history we find violence and gentleness, ignorance and wisdom, folly and
shrewdness side by side in the same person.

The one common thing in humanity is inconsistency. To account for it
were vain. We know only that it is.

* * * * *

The very boldness of Mrs. Eddy's claims created an impetus that carried
conviction.

The woman certainly believed in herself, and she also believed in the
Power, of which she was a necessary part, that works for righteousness.
She repudiated the supernatural, not by denying "miracles," but by
holding that the so-called miracles of the Bible really occurred and
were perfectly natural--all according to Natural Law, which is the
Divine Law.

And the explanation of this Divine Law was her parti