ing authenticated revelation. No apparent miracles can prove the truth of any doctrine, which contradicts the essential principles of a former authenticated revelation: such as JEHOVAH being the one living and true God, the heinousness of idolatry, &c. : but the excellent nature and tendency of a doctrine may be a corroborating evidence of its divine original. These thoughts, however, make way for another subject, which requires a particular consideration.

CHAP. II.

MIRACLES.

events.

MR. P. endeavours to confound miracles with monsters, absurdities, impossibilities, or natural uncommon 'No one thing,' says he, 'is a greater mira ́cle than another; an elephant not a greater miracle • than a mite, a mountain than an atom*! But whoever conceived any of these creatures to be miracles? The ascension of a balloon, electricity, magnetism, and the recovery of a drowned person, are said to have every thing in them which constitutes the idea ' of a miracle.' Whereas nothing answers the proper idea of a miracle, which well informed persons can account for, on natural principles; though it may answer the purpose of impostors in deceiving mankind. Will any man affirm that the miracles, said to have been wrought when Moses waved his rod, can be thus accounted for? What natural efficacy could fill Egypt with frogs, flies, lice, or locusts, exactly at the time when it was foretold they would come? or turn the waters into blood? or cause thick darkness for three days in the whole land, while Goshen enjoy

*P. i. p. 56, 57.

ed the light? or destroy in one night all the first-born of man and beast? or divide the sea, for the deliverance of Israel and the destruction of Pharaoh ?Could an artful man impose on the senses of two whole nations, in such matters, as a juggler can deceive a few people in a room? By what natural powers, which philosophy may explain, could Christ give immediate sight to a man born blind, cure inveterate paralytics in a moment, and give calmness and rationality to distracted persons, and soundness to withered limbs? How could he restore full health at once to such as languished in fevers, or call the dead out of their graves? Could multitudes be persuaded that they saw these effects, when they saw them not? Could not the rulers, who crucified Jesus, have disproved his pretensions to miracles, if he had not wrought them? Would they and their posterity to this day have imputed them to magic, or similar causes, if they could have denied them? Did not these miracles challenge investigation from the best informed and most inimical persons? Were not time, place, and circumstances particularly mentioned; and the appeal thus made to vast multitudes? What have magnetism, electricity, balloons, or magical deceptions, in common with such miracles? In some cases the suspended principle of life may be restored by proper means; yet such humane efforts often prove unsuccessful: but when did Christ or his apostles fail of accomplishing their purpose? If among ten thousand supposed to be dead, one should be merely in the state of a strangled man; who could certainly know that one from all the rest, as carried forth to be buried, or as laid in the grave.

And should any person now go forth, in the presence of assembled multitudes, and say, "Young man arise," "Lazarus come forth;" would not his pretensions be soon exposed?

'The lameness of the doctrine, which needs a miracle to prove it*,' means its contrariety to our false notions and corrupt affections; and it implies, that we should not have discovered it without revelation. The argument, therefore, stands thus: Every doctrine is lume, that we cannot know without revelation, or are not disposed to receive: so that revela<tion is needless and useless: miracles are only need'ful to support revelation; therefore, all miracles are imposture; and cannot authenticate revelation:" And thus our reasoner completely argues in a circle!

Miracles confirming important truth and giving authority to divine injunctions, answer far other purposes, than to make people stare and wonder.' They do not stand on the testimony of a single reporter, as if Mr. P. should tell us he wrought a miracle in his study; but on the testimony of hundreds and thousands of witnesses.-Who would have believed Lunardi, if he had told us, that he had ascended into the air in the deserts of Arabia; when no such event had ever here been witnessed? But as he ascended before ten thousand spectators, what reasonable man can doubt it? Or who in future ages will dispute the veracity of the authors who record it? The dilemma, is therefore, not, whether it be more probable that nature should go out of her course, or a man hell a lie but whether it be more probable, that

*P. i. p. 58.

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God, for wise reasons, should suspend or alter the course of nature, on some important occasions; or that ten thousands of witnesses should be deceived in the most evident facts, or combine together to deceive the world. And would not any one be ridieuled, who should gravely say, 'It is more probable ⚫ that a man should lie, than that people should mount into the air? This I think is a fair statement of the evidence concerning balloons.

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It would have approached nearer to the idea of a 'miracle, if Jonah had swallowed the whale: this C may serve for all cases of miracles*. This may indeed serve for a specimen of Mr. Po's logic and candour. If a miracle be an impossibility attested by a single witness," his arguing against all miracles is conclusive. Indeed he speaks of miracles as things naturally incrediblet: and in several places seems disposed to retail Mr. Hume's famous sophism, that mi'racles are contrary to universal experience;' which means neither more nor less than the experience of all who never saw them! The African prince, who called the Europeans liars, when they told him they had seen rivers and seas congealed by frost as hard as a stone, was of the same reasonable disposition.. This was contrary to the universal experience of all those who inhabited the torrid zone; and it was more probable men should lie, than that things naturally incredible should be true!-But in fact, miracles must be extraordinary events, to answer the end proposed by them: and if they became so common, that every body had seen or observed them; we