[76] Pensees, pp. 205 ff.

[77] [Romanes’ line of argument in this note seems to me impossible to maintain.  The emphasis which Jesus Christ lays on diabolic agency is so great that, if it is not a reality, He must be regarded either as seriously misled about realities which concern the spiritual life, or else as seriously misleading others.  And in neither case could He be even the perfect Prophet.  I think I am justified in explaining my disagreement with Romanes’ argument at this point particularly.—­ED.]

[78] [There is nothing in Darwin’s writings which seems to me to justify Romanes in attributing this difficulty to him specially.  But he knew Darwin so intimately and reverenced him so profoundly that he is not likely to have been in error on the subject.—­ED.]

+Concluding Note by the Editor:—­+

The intellectual attitude towards Christianity expressed in these notes may be described as—­(1) ‘pure agnosticism’ in the region of the scientific ‘reason,’ coupled with (2) a vivid recognition of the spiritual necessity of faith and of the legitimacy and value of its intuitions; (3) a perception of the positive strength of the historical and spiritual evidences of Christianity.

George Romanes came to recognize, as in these written notes so also in conversation, that it was ‘reasonable to be a Christian believer’ before the activity or habit of faith had been recovered.  His life was cut short very soon after this point was reached; but it will surprise no one to learn that the writer of these ‘Thoughts’ returned before his death to that full, deliberate communion with the Church of Jesus Christ which he had for so many years been conscientiously compelled to forego.  In his case the ‘pure in heart’ was after a long period of darkness allowed, in a measure before his death, to ‘see God.’

    Fecisti nos ad te, Domine; et inquietum est cor nostrum donec
    requiescat in te.

OXFORD:  HORACE HART PRINTER TO THE UNIVERSITY

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