Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1826-11-21


objects to the miracles of this saint, therefore,
as iogicians would say, he has changed his
middle term, than which more ingenious or
discreditable article could scarcely be used
His fallacy in such case would be enough 10
convict him Of deliberate dishonesty: to save
him from which, we must suppose ne meant,
that those miracles Of St. Francis XAVIER which
were published at a vast distance from the scene
of action acre not k,ao,on or received as ruths IN
India, and in Japan, where they were SAID 10
have occurred.
We are thus brought to simple enquiry re-
gardipg the fact Of their having been known ana
received as true, where they are stated TO nave
occurred ifthey were SO received the archdea-
con is erroneous; if they were not, we must
give up the miracles. Let us thefore examine:
I shall give but an outline, which shall at any
time that the cause of truth may require II, be
ready TO fill up. In the years 1912, and l543,
the miracles Of St. Francis Xavier were so well
known and received as truths at cape Cormorln,
that in consequence OF their splendid evidence,
the prince Of tina; region, on their account, gave
leave 10 his people TO change their religion and
to become members of the church, and vast
numbers amongst whom were many OF the prin-
cpal inhabitants consequently became chris
tians Of the catholic church. In the year 543,
upon the pearl coast, he procured the conversion
of vast numbers, and the respect OF others, and
the hatred Of many, by his miracles, amongst
which were the raising to life Of four dead per-
sons. In 1914 and ls45, in the kingdom OF
Travancor he received the gift of tongues, so
tina, he preached and instructed, and Familiarity
conversed in languages which he had never
previously heard spoken. The very fact Of
which was testified by the people to whom he
heI anI hv ,-opSeouenceS Of his Dre nc h.
ing, in their conversion and reformation. At
Coulon, village in Travancor, near cape Cor
NORM, when the people did not appear disposed
TO conversion by his preaching, he after a short
prayer caused them to open grave, in which a
body had been inferred by them on the previous
day and which body was now purifying & emit
ting noisome stencil, and commanding the
dead man to arise in the name of the living
God, he was restored to life, and the people
were converted, and demanded baptism; he al
so in the same kingdom raised to life young
man, a christian, whose friends were bearing
the body to interment: those facts were so no.
torous, and so far believed and received as to
produce the conversion of the great bulk Of the
people in the course Of few months, in those
years. In l549, he publicly restored 10 life
young pagan lady Of quality, who had been
dead during an entire day, by his blessing re-
stored deformed child to Beauty, in Maxuma
in Japan; the consequences of which miracles
were several conversions. In 1850, at Aman-
guchi in Japan, he bad the gift of tongues,
speaking several new languages to persons of
nations in whose tongues he had never been in
struc,ed. In $50 he restored to life, at Ma
lacca, young man named Francis Ciavos, who
afterwards became member OF the society OF
Jesuits. This fact was notorious, and received
at the place. King John III of Portugal or
dered, besides the usual examinations which
the church requires, as mentioned in my last
letter: that the dispositions should be taken, and
the examinations made, in the several places,
and process Of the whole drawn up at Goa;
the examination was made in the several places,
and the results were transmitted to Europe
Subsequent travellers and missionaries found
IN all the places the most satisfactory evidence
of the miracles amongst the people. The MI
racles themselves are known in the several pla-
ces TO have been The principal cause OF the con-
version Of vast Numbers, who became martyrs,
and Of the creation of the churches which still
in many OF those places Subsist and preserve
the testimonials / ayow to you that no effort
which ever has been made to destroy or discre-
dit evidence, appears TO me more barefaced and
desperate than that Of Paley, when he asserts
that the miracles of"Francis Xavier, the Indian
missionary" belonged to that class which were
published in one country as having passed in
distant country, scithout any proof that such
accounts acre knocon or receiUed at home" was
COMPOUNDED and shocked when read it, saw,
Of course, tina, he had desperate game to play,
but when reflected upon this passage, all my
respect fo- archdeacon Paley vanished: and
still lament that clear head should have
had recourse to so unprncipled mode Of sus-
tanning any cause. 1t is true that Paley endea-
vors to escape upon the shoulders Of Douglas,
to whose work he refers: but for man who
had TO treat Of so important subject, such
reference is no excuse. White is still less ex-
cusable, because if he had paid one particle of
attention to his own early studies, he must have
seen how hagran,ly erroneous was Psley's state
ment, and, Of course, how inconcusive his ar
gument. Did bishop Kemp ever take the trou.
Die of examining our evidence Of those facts?
Doctor Paley, in his section vii of the same
chapter has the following passage
We have laid out of the case those accounts
which require no more than simple assent;
and we now also lay out Of the case those which
come merely IN a6rmance Of opinions already
formed. This last circumstance is OF the ut
mos, importance 10 notice we'll. 1t has long