pernatural. In such cases, the knowledge of the miracle is as easy and certain as that of the laws. To heal all sorts of diseases, even the most inveterate, in an instant, and without the use of natural remedies; to perform these cures in numberless instances, without ever failing in any one, and upon persons absent as well as present; all men must acknowledge that these things far surpass the bounds of human power. An uniform unvaried experience convinces us that they do not happen according to the settled constitution of nature, and that a bare volition of the human mind cannot in any degree contribute towards their accomplishment. Nor indeed did any man, in any age or country of the world, ever lay claim to a natural and inherent power of performing them. Real and incontestable miracles are easily distinguished from the artifices of imposture, and from curious experiments in natural philosophy; which, however unaccountable they may appear to the ignorant, can never be pronounced by them to be miraculous, because they do not know them to be deviations from the course of nature. Nay, from the visible natural means used in producing them, they have just reason to believe that they are the effects of the powers of nature. For these reasons, the motions of a crucifix, the pretended liquefaction of blood, cures gradually effected in the use of natural remedies, b ascribed to the intercession of saints, and the like juggles of popery, ought not to pass for miracles, even with those who cannot detect their imposture: nor should the skill of an Archimedes in raising an immense immense weight, with the assistance of a machine which himself alone understood, be judged supernatural, how surprising soever the effects of it might appear to one ignorant in mechanics: in this last case, the visible application of mechanical powers; and in the former, the strong suspicion of fraud arising from the circumstances of the facts, and the covered manner of performing them; and in both cases an absolute ignorance, at least, whether the effects might not be produced by natural causes, should prevent any from pronouncing them miraculous: a sentence which should be always founded on such a clear knowledge of nature, as enables us to determine with certainty, that the effect in question is a contradiction to its established course. II. There are many who admit that real miracles exceed the utmost power of natural causes and of mankind, who nevertheless do not ascribe them to God as their author. "There are or may be in the universe," it is alleged, "invisible agents, placed in a higher order than men, and endowed with superior abilities, such as are equal to the greatest wonders; and God may not see fit to restrain them from exercising those abilities. Miracles therefore are proofs only of the interposition of some superior beings, not of God more than any other." In this manner unbelievers argue, in order to discredit the evidence of the Jewish and Christian revelations. "Were we to allow," say they," the reality of the miracles to which those reve revelations appeal, this alone would not establish their divine original; because the works might be performed by other powers lower than the divine." Nor is this the language only of the avowed adversaries of all supernatural revelation, but even of very many of its sincere and zealous advocates, not excepting those. most distinguished by their learning and abilities, whose high reputation is sufficient to procure a general deference to all their opinions. Dr. Clarke* in particular affirms, "that it is by no means possible for us to determine what degrees of power God may reasonably be supposed to have communicated to created beings, to subordinate intelligences, to good or evil angels." And "that (unless we knew the limit of communicable and incommunicable power) we can hardly affirm with any certainty, that any particular effect, how great or miraculous soever it may seem to “ us, is beyond the power of all created beings in the universe to have produced." Without any desire to detract from the just merit of those great writers who assert the power of superior beings, both good and evil, to work miracles, we shall freely and candidly examine the doctrine they advance; than which none appears to me more groundless, or more dangerous. But before we enter on this examination it will be proper to observe, III. That those advocates of the Christian revelation who reject this account of miracles, have gene * Vol. ii. p. 697, folio edition. rally ially embraced another as hard to be maintained. They allow that spirits, both good and evil, by "the greater extent of their intellectual abilities, may discover to men a great many secrets; and that their subtlety, agility, invisibility, and mighty force, may enable them to do most astonishing things, and enable them also to assist men in performing many great and marvellous works, such as are far beyond the reach of human capacities: while at the same time they maintain that a real miracle cannot be performed by any power which is not strictly infinite, or otherwise than by the immediate exertion of divine omnipotence." Though this scheme be designed to save the credit of real miracles, yet it can never answer this end, 'till the abettors of it enable us to distinguish between the great and marvellous works which created spirits may perform, and those which are peculiar to the Almighty. What purpose can it serve to call them by different names, while we are left in ignorance concerning their respective specific natures, and are liable to mistake the one for the other? When the learned bishop Fleetwood allows that spirits may perform most strange and astonishing things, may convey men through the air, or throw a mountain two miles at a cast; because their natural powers may suffice for such purposes" in what, besides words, does he differ froin those who allow them the ability of per *See p. 99, 100, 108, 109, 113, 114, of his most ingenious Essay upon Miracles; to which the public is indebted for many excellent reflections upon this subject; notwithstanding the dangerous concessions which he has here made to his adversaries.. forming forming real miracles? If he will not call any effect a true miracle, which might be produced by the natural powers of created intelligences, we can never determine what is truly miraculous, without first knowing the extent of the abilities of all created agents*. If they can remove a mountain, who shall say that they cannot remove the earth from its orbit? And if they can go so far, why may they not remove the sun from its centre? It can never be affirmed concerning this (nor perhaps concerning any other) miraculous effect, that it necessarily argues the highest possible degrees, or a strict infinity of power, such as cannot be exceeded. Much less can it be proved, that no invisible power which is not infinite could support a human body on the water, or raise it into the air; which nevertheless are real and evident miracles, because contrary to the known and usual course of nature. "But evil spirits," it is said, " have not only the power of working the like wonders which good spirits do, but also another which good spirits will never make use of; that is, by delusion and deceit to imitate those true miracles which none but God himself can really effect." "The devil," it is said, "can deceive the senses of mankind, or place false appearances before them, so as to make them believe such works are really performed as exceed the power of all created agents." Those who hold this language do not duly consider, that such a deception of the human senses would be itself a miracle; a miracle multiplied * Contrary to what is proved, sect, i, p. 12. according |