Portland gazette and Maine advertiser., 1817-05-13
For Tie Grssitr

Fer TIE GGssffe
Question Can il be considered an obiee;.n
against The Christian religion, that christian, :.
the present dsy possess nos the power Of work
Jog mirscles :
In discussing this question, II nav 5.
proper 10 consider the nature of miracle.
and ire reason Of the influence they hay.
on the mind When 40 effect is producrd
by means, which according to the ordins-
~ laws OF nature, are inadequate to The Dur.
pose, we commenly attribute the effecr 10
some superior aud invisible power.
The various phenomena OF nature can.
not be accounted as miracles, according 10
the general use Of the term in common
language.
A miracle according TO the mos, com.
mon acceptation Of Inc word, is an effeet
produced by human exertions, which is be.
yond the ordinary powers oil man, and con.
trary 10 the common course of nature.
THUS, the immediate restoration OF health
10 sick man, or Of sight 10 one born blind.
by the word of another, is SO contrary 10
common events, and the means employed
are SO inadequate TO the effects produced,
that the intetposition of an invisible power
cannot be reasonably doubted.
u he effect, which miracles produce On
the mind, depends not on the peculiar diff
Guilty Of explaining the cause, but on the
novelty Oft thing When heavy body.
which is raised in the air, falls towards The
earth, the fact is hardly noticed, or il is
viewed with great Indifference while the
immediate restoration of sight TO blind
man, would excite universal admiration.
But the explanation OF cause in the two cas-.
Is win be found, on examination, equally
difficult he philosopher may think he
explains the cause in The former case. by
saying, il IS produced by gravitation. But
be is as unable to explain the efficient cause
of the body's falling, as he is that Of the case
OF the blind man. And since the expana.
lion of the cause in both cases is equalIy
difficult il follows, that The great effects
which miracles produce on the mind, above
the common operations of nature, depend
entirely on the novelty of the thing
We will apply these observstions 10 the
question under consideration. IF christians
from the commencement of christianitv,
had been endued with the power of working
miracles, the frequency Of them, must have
rendered them SO familiar to eyery person.
that they would excite no greater attention
than the common operations of nature.
And II also appears, that frequent repeti-
lion OF miracles, 50 far from establishing
The truth OF christianity. would in feet have
diminished the apparent merit of those
wrought by the great founder of the chris
tan religion, is TO confirm their realty,
and TO prove that there is no deception.
This opinion is confirmed by the conduct
q Christ and BY the propagation of his re.
Iigion, who il appears, never worked the
same miracles before the same audience,
but varied them, and repea. ed them before
different assemblies that they nigh, be fair
~ examined, and well attested And when
me reality ola miracle is clearly proved,
repetition OF II does not strengthen the ar
gument IN favour Of an invisible agency:
and consequently does not have more innu-
ence on The mind
These remarks may be illustrated. by con.
sidering that some ofthe most msiestick
and sublime appearances immature, BY our
beng tamiiar with them, are beheld with
indifference
Ihe appearance Of the rising sun would
excite greater establishment on mind Or
accustomed TO the sight than that of pei
son rising from the dead And since mill
IONS Of rational beings behold the former
scene With perfect indifference, il can hard
~ De doubled, that If miracles were IS
common, they would produce no greatsreF
iect on the mind. Bat should the sun SOP
IN lis meridian course TO- The space Of 4 lev
hours. every eye would be TUNED tows-os
tins luminary, every knee would boz TO Inc
great Jehovah, and every tongue would con-
less HIM TO Dc Lord Of all And still viii
any considerate person say, that this swiul
events SHOULD il take place, would Be
stronge' proofot the existence of God, than
We constantly heholt every morning Snd .
evening" -.
H the above remarks are inst, then Il
must Eck1cw LEDGE. fhat The continuation q