Vital magnetism : a remedy / [Thomas Pyne].

  • Pyne, Thomas, -1873
Date:
1845
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Vital magnetism : a remedy / [Thomas Pyne]. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    collect facts, to go only so far as, and no further than, the premises admit, this is essential to all the higher exercises of reason. We should scrutinize phenomena, as we would strangers coming to our door; hut, then, we would not rudely refuse hos- pitality, knowing, that some have thereby enter- tained angels unawares. To theorize is a second- ary consideration; too promptly, indeed, under- taken in the curious working of our minds, yet, after all, neither essential, nor ultimately definite, and offering only the formulae of phenomena, not the primary causes of things. But this kind of pati- ent inquiry must he carefully distinguished from the prejudices of ignorance. It is not the side on which error is usually found. It is, rather, an instructive speculation to observe how generally mankind have sought to smother and destroy the infancy of truth. Perhaps this hatred has been designed by a kind Providence to keep humble the men of ra- diant mind who have discovered it, and who are naturally enamoured of that which their genius has brought before them, and, at all events, we may learn the caution due from ourselves in reference to every unexamined statement, and to pray—Keep back Thy servant from presumptuous sins. Nor is it only respecting truths actually new that we do well to exercise a cautious judgment. Things may be new to us which are well known to the world;