cribe our inferences to those who hold and preach the dogma; but they are inferences which we could not avoid, if we admitted the principle. If it were a law of mental operation that the affections obey the volition; or which is the same thing, were under the control of physical ability, there would be no pain or mental suffering in the world. All men would be happy, no matter what objects might be presented, what disappointments might occur, or what calamities might befall them: they would only have to choose to be pleased with what is called calamity, or disappointment,and they would be happy. Again, men might always possess just such characters as they choose; be just as penitent, humble, devout and holy as they choose, without the mission or agency of the Holy Spirit. The whole plan of salvation by Jesus Christ, and the mission of the Holy Comforter, would be unnecessary. In short, we see not how, according to this law of mind, any man could be punished in a future state, though he should be cast into outer darkness; let him choose to delight in what the Scriptures call torment, and his happiness would be complete for ever. To us these seem legitimate inferences from the principle, and may be included in the reasons why we deny the statement. What then, it may well be asked, is the use of this famous distinction between natural and moral ability? Before we reply to this question, upon our own principles of philosophy, we beg leave to state some of the uses which we think it actually subserves, as employed by those to whom we alluded in the statement above. One purpose which it evidently subserves, whether so intended or not, is to make ignorant and undiscriminating hearers think the preacher very wise, while they profess not to understand the distinctions. We have seen such hearers gape with Ch. Adv.-VOL. X. astonishment, while they listened to those metaphysical distinctions; and when they left the place of preaching, we have heard them say, the preacher must be a very learned man, he seems to be familiar with things which we do not understand at all. We leave others to estimate the value of this result. Another effect is produced on many thinking minds, by the manner in which the terms natural ability are used by many preachers; they conclude there is some real contradiction in the revelation of God, to conceal which, the preacher resorts to metaphysical philosophy. But these are comparatively harmless effects, when some others are considered. It, misleads multitudes in estimating their character, danger and duty. They perceive, what is true, that they have power, which they are told is physical, to perform the common actions of social life; and that they cannot be held responsible for the exertion of power which they do not possess. This becomes a maxim of extensive application; and because it is true in its legitimate application, they think the more confidently that it bears them out, in estimating their natural ability as fully competent to perform all that God requires. An inference from this strain of argument is practically felt and acted on, to a fearful extent, which leads them to think they have little need of a Saviour, and less need of the Holy Spirit's influence. They cannot, therefore, be very criminal, and are in no danger but what it is in their power, at any time, to avoid. Men will think, under the influence of this philosophy, that their intentions are very good: they may have committed some mistakes, which they are abundantly able to correct and avoid in future. They may be told, and told truly, that it is their duty to repent and believe on the Lord Jesus Christ at once: to this they may assent, but U as they have power to perform There are some other evils con- ness to God, because he owes to (To be continued.) F. MODERN MIRACLES, AND PHRENOLO- A series of extended and very Among the rest, we find the following discussion on the subjects of modern miracles, and the science of Craniology. In regard to the former, we think it of some importance to the whole religious publick, to know the wonderful effects which excitement may produce on the human frame. This knowledge is useful and necessary, in order to judge correctly of many religious appearances, beside the pretension to miraclesIt is the source and fountain of all fanaticism. As to Craniology or Phrenology, we have always thought it was only fit to be laughed at; and this writer treats it according to its merits. "So much, at present, my dear friend, for Wintonensian cardinals and popish saints. Most of these alleged saints in Winchester, as elsewhere, were in their day great workers of miracles, if we may believe the distich which was inscribed on the Holy Hole,' where reposed their mortal relics: Corpora sanctorum sunt hic in pace sepulta, Ex meritis quorum fulgent miracula multa. "Papists have always maintained the uninterrupted succession of miracles in their church, and have urged, in proof of the unscriptural character of Protestantism, that it cannot boast of this mark of di-. vine approbation. The general, and I think the fair and scriptural, reply has been, that miracles are no test of a true church; that there is no promise of their continuance, or any necessity for their continuance, at the present moment; and that the alleged miracles of the Church of Rome are either impostures, or mere contingencies, or to be accounted for by natural causes. Recently, however, a arisen among us, the members of which assert that miracles have never ceased, that they are in visible action now, and that Protes has tantism claims her full share of mit the inference of miraculous in- losophical, and arose from not knowing the vast surface over which cures of this nature may extend; and the Roman Catholicks had just cause to be displeased, that Protestants viewed all such cases as fraudulent, and refused to listen to the most solemn attestations of their authenticity. "Now the late discussions, as I have said, have assisted to open up the truth on this interesting question. It is now generally admitted, by well-judging persons, who have not the slightest belief in modern miracles, that such extraordinary cures have again and again taken place; but they generalize the principle of them, and show that this undoubted fact is not confined to any one sect or nation; that cases of this extraordinary character are to be found among Papists and Protestants; nay, among Pagans and Mohammedans. They therefore trace them to some general principle, not of necessity connected with doctrinal faith, or the personal piety of the individual. The Protestant advocates for modern miracles are divided upon the subject: some are so perfectly convinced of the analogy which has been traced between the Protestant cases which have recently occurred, and similar ones in the Church of Rome, that they have admitted that the Popish cases were good miracles, wrought through faith in the common Saviour, and have embraced the Church of Rome as an auxiliary against those of their fellow Protestants who are not convinced that miracles were intended to be perpetual in the church. These advocates for modern miracles act fairly and consistently; but some of their brethren, shocked that the Church of Rome should be allowed as good miracles as our own, deny the former, while they admit the latter; and were much offended with the Christian Observer for pointing out the analogy, and placing the cure of Miss Stuart, or the cures effected by Hohenlohe, side by side with the recent cures among ourselves. But, though they have been much displeased at this juxta-position, they have not attempted to show in what way the analogy failed; or to account for the Roman Catholick cures, while they vindicated the exclusive miraculousness of the Protestant. Their only reply was, that it was impious to think for a moment that there could be any parallel between the Protestant case and the Catholick; between the healing of a pious Scotchwoman, and that of an Irish idolater. But such a reply could convince no person; and it seems to have been tacitly abandoned by all the writers on the subject, who begin to acknowledge that there is no reason why the Church of Rome should be excluded in this question; but, on the contrary, say the vouchers for the miraculous na ture of the present dispensation, the attestation of that church is a standing testimony to the truth of the doctrine. "A new chapter, I said, had been opened by these facts and discussions upon the physical and spiritual parts of our nature; for neither divines nor physicians, I am persuaded, were fully aware of the extent to which the principle of excitement might be carried. & Its efficacy generally they knew and acknowledged, but they had so little practical experience on the subject, that they were not aware of its latitude. Cases of alleged modern miraculous cures were encountered with strong symptoms of incredulity as to the actual facts: there was deception, it was said, or mistake, in the matter; and if the circumstance happened within the precincts of the Church of Rome, then there was one ready answer, Oh, it is all a Popish juggle. But recent exam ples prove that such facts may and do exist; that they are not of necessity juggles, though some of them may be so, impostors taking advantage of truth, to imitate it for interested purposes. For myself, I do not deny the facts of the Winchester case of W. White, or the late Scotch cases, or the cases attested by Mr. Irving, or the Morning Watch, or other post-apostolical cases which I could produce from the pages of history; but it appears to me most indubitable, that they may be all traced to one cause, call it excitement, or what we will; and that this cause is more powerful, and more contagious, (if I may so speak) and applicable to more diseases, than either divines or physicians have generally suspected: in a word, that our ignorance of what was within the rule of God's ordinary laws, has led persons either to deny facts because they could not account for them, or to make miracles because they saw the facts and did not understand the solution. women. "There is one remarkable circumstance, which I could respectfully wish the advocates for modern miracles impartially to consider-namely, that the only subject upon which these recent alleged miracles have been wrought, is that most sensitive and complicated fabrick, the living human frame, and chiefly in the case of I do not at least recollect an instance of any alleged miraculous cures, in the case of an individual of the less susceptible sex. Now this appears to very much to favour the doctrine of excitement. In no one of these modern cases is the alleged miraculous action carried beyond the frame of the recipient; in no one has it occurred, that a supposed miracle has been wrought, except in connexion with the operation of mind upon a living body. One miracle is as easy as another to me Omnipotence; and, accordingly, we find in the Bible narratives, not only miracles of healing (which, however, stand on totally different grounds to these alleged modern miracles), but effects produced upon dead, and irrational, and inorganick matter. An ass spake, the sun stood still, the shadow on the dial went back, the sea was quelled, the dead were raised. In none of these cases could excitement produce such an effect; for there was no mind, no basis for excitement: but in all the modern instances mind has acted upon body; there is not one case that can be taken out of this range; and though the extent to which the effect may have occurred, is perhaps greater than many persons might have conceived possible, yet every case is but a magnified illustration of the comon adage, that conceit can kill and conceit can cure.' "The whole, I say, of these cases, come under the peculiar and illunderstood phenomena of the action of mind upon the living body. I know of none of these alleged miracles which go beyond a profession of speaking unknown tongues, or bodily healing. The former is, I fear, so direct a result of mental disorder, so clear a case of over-excitement of mind, fitter for a physician than a divine, that I should feel pain to dwell upon it: I can only heartily pity the victim. The latter, in all its modifications, still involves the same principle of the effect of mind upon body. body. I am not ashamed to say, that some of these effects are more powerful than I had conceived likely, perhaps, or possible; so that I can now receive, and account for, many of the facts in the church of Rome, which before I thought incredible. I can believe Hohenlohism, just as I believe Irvingism. In order to make a distinction between the class of cases which it is supposed |