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DIVINATION & AUGURY IN A MODERN LIGHT 211
brain and experiments on bodies of animals, by the severing of nerves and the changing of conditions of light, heat, food, environment; and the less material school who admit, as facts to be considered, the introspection of trains of thought, states of feeling and even dreams and presentiments.
of
Persons of this school have thrown very little light on any part of the classes of practices specified above. To them, the possibility of deciding on a course of action by any means of augury or divination is either a delusion of superstitious barbarians or a fraud mercenary imposters-an impossibility transcending the limits they give Narure as Materialists. But some of this school are less narrow in view and hold an Agnostic position on the subject-admitting vaguelyas they would also of miracles, the possibility of divination, but maintaining that it is a waste of time in trying to explain them: that our present work should only be to collect more facts and reserve our judgment.
A third division of this fit-class may be mentioned -the Scribes and Pharisees imbued with dogmatic Church teachings. They a afraid for the Sake of their Scriptures to deny the possibility of divination entirely, but admit that the Divine Being has occasionally warned or advised by some supernatural means, but that all other records in history or private experience are imposition and delusion.
Out of this original group there have arisen two other groups now being recognized by public opinion,
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