The Star in the West

278 THE STAR IN THE WEST expected an occurrence took place , and thereby enlarge his experience , and modify his hitherto unduly narrow conceptions of the laws of nature. This is the method of true science , the great white magic of the Black Goddess : Gape wide , 0 hideous mouth , and suck This heart's blood , drain it down , expunge This sweetening life of mire and muck ! Squeeze out my passions as a sponge , Till nought is left of terrene wine But somewhat deathless and divine ! 2 Huxley continues : “ The day - fly has better grounds for calling a thunderstorm supernatural than has man , with his experience of an infinitesimal fraction of dura tion , to say that the most astonishing event that can be imagined is beyond the scope of natural causes .” 3 And that there is no such thing as the violation of the laws of nature , but merely a violation of that under standing which falsely interprets a “ something ” which reason alone cannot grasp . 1 Huxley's Hume , p . 155. “ It will be said that these are miracles , but we reply that miracles , when they are genuine , are simply facts for science ." “ A philosopher has declared that he would discredit universal testimony rather than believe in the resurrection of a dead person , but his speech was rash , for it is on the faith of universal testimony that he believed in the impossibility of the resurrec tion . Supposing such an occurrence were proved , what would follow ? Must we deny evidence , or renounce reason ? It would be absurd to say so . We should simply infer that we were wrong in supposing resurrection to be impossible .” “ Ab actu ad posse valet consecutio ." - E. LÉVI , The Doctrine of Transcendent Magic , pp . 121 , 158 ; also vide p . 192 . 2 Gargoyles , vol . iii, p . 98 . 3 Huxley's Hume , p . 156 .