Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1826-12-20
rRlsrED AND ruBLIsaED,
BY sMowDEM s THORNTON,
.WEpNEsDAY. DECEMBER %, 1896.
LITTER x


formed Roman catholic, hewould have seen, as
Ihaye shewn, that archdeacon Paley was either
very grossly deceived, or wiffully en1eavoured
to delude his readers, in his accounts of our
miraculous facts; he would have seen full evi
dence for a multitude of those facts in The Ro
man catholic church, in every age. from that OF
the apostles to the present day. If, therefore,
he believed the principle with which the arch
deacon set outs viz. that miracles were proof
ofrevelation, and revelation the evidence OF
Gods testimony; Mr.. White must have seen
that Gods Testimony was in favor OF the Ro-
man catholic church: and if he followed Paley's
train Of argument, he must, soon as he dis
covered the truth of those evident facts, have
become Roman Catholic: or if he did not, he
mus, have rejected the principle which being
connected with those facts led inevitably to this
result; and thus he must have come back TO
what he testi6es to be the unaoubIed principle
OF catholicism, (Doblado p. 296.) according to
their undoubted principles on this matter, they
must have been either Catholics or In6dels .
This must be The case with every person who
reasons consistently upon the principles OF Pa
ley, and who discovers the facts which we say
are supported by irreiragable evidence Ineed
not dwell here upon the exemphhcation, but
thi, conclusion will flow inevitably from great
variety Of other arguments.
come now to examine another portion Of
Paey's production, to shew that White had In
that work, full evidence of the insincerity or
Ignorance ofthe writer. can scarcely assert
that Paley was ignorant, yet this would be an
apology which should prefer admitting, to
save him from the alternative, and indeed it is
the only plea which could save him.. In his
second chapter, supporting the second propo-
sition Of his first part, he proceeds under the
pretext Of refuting the objections of inhdels,
really to sap the foundations Of the ca holic
church, but the attemp, was made in manner
equally disc reditable as it is futile. He aGdu-
ces three instances OF alledged miracles in sup
port of error; which Mr. Hume objects to, as
being untrue intact, and yet apparently being
as we'll supported by evidence any the mi
races which attest the truth Of christianity.
With the first, viz. "rhe cure Of a blind *
of lame man at Alexandra, by the Emperor
Vespasia, as related by Tacitus," we have here
no concern. The other two are those which
having been introduced as oar best miracles by
Mr. Hume, and permitted 20 pass as such by
Paley, Call for our consideration. "rhc resto-
ration Of The limb of an attendant in Spanish
church, as told by Cardinal de Retz; and"1 he
cures said to be performed a, the tomb the
.abbe Paris, in the beginning of the present (the
lasD century
Respecting the first Of those, paley writes
'srhe story taken from the Memoirs of Car
dnal de Rctz, which is the second example al
lodged by Mr.. Hume, is this:"ln the church OF
Saragossa in Spain, the canons showed me a
man whose business IL was TO light the lamps,
telling me, that he had been several years at
the gate with one leg only. | saw him with
two.'s
SIT is stated by MIR. Hume, that the cardinal,
who relates this story, did not believe it; and i:
no where appears, that he either examined the
limb, or asked the patient, or indeed any one, a
single question aboIt the matter. An arli6-
cial leg, wrought with art, would be sufficient,
In place where no such contrivance had ever
before been heard Of, to give origin and curren-
cy TO the report. The ecclesiastics Of the place
would, it is probable, favour the story, mas
much as il advanced the honour Of ,hvir image
and church. And if they patronized ii, no 9TH
er person at Saragossa, in the middle of the
last century, would care to dispute 1t The s;o-
ry likewise conceded, not less with the wishes
and preconcep,ions of the people, than with
the interests of their ecclesiastical rulers: SO
that there was prejudice backed by authority,
and both operating upon extreme ignorance, to
account for the success OF the imposture. IL,
as have suggested, the contrivance of an ar
tihcial limb was then new, it would not occur
to the cardinal himself to suspect il; especial
Iy under the carelessness Of mind with which
he heard the tale, and the little inclination he
felt TO scrutinize or expose It's fallacy."
sLiv. iv. A. d. 1854.
Mr.. White knew that it was not upon such
evidence as this, the church 10 which he had
belonged rested her miracles; he knew, that
here, there might or there might not, have
been miracle, according as the truth was, or
was not related; but he also knew that the logic
which was laugh, in Seville, laid down the AK
ION, alb acu al posse oaet eonsecutio, sed non uice
Versa, "you may fairly conclude that what has
been done, is possible; but you cannot argue
that because thing is possible, 1t has been
DONE Fact must rest upon evidence OF SEN
ses for the witnesses; upon evidence oil testi-
mony for others. In place of using this oppor
.,uni.y Of making an unchari,able, an unbound
ed, and calumnous attack upon Ron'ish eccie-
siaslics, if Paley had been an honest man, he
would have given more direct, more logi-