Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1826-11-16

NOT true as lie insinuates, that those certificates
are not Contemporary history" they are cotem-
rorary history Of the best kind Thus the doc
tor taught falsehoods whistle wrote disguised
truth, and in The support or his second propo-
sition of his first part, he has all through exhi-
bited the most ingenious ability in the perver-
sion of truth TO avoid a formidable difficulty.
shall now examine few Of the special ex-
amples brought by Doctor PaIey to illustrate
his principle. He says the principle applies
also with considerable force to some of the mira
cles of the third century. To make his argu-
ment conclusive he ought to have written all
the miracles, for if any one Of them is proved,
the proof Of that one will Suffice thus his dis
proving twenty would not destroy our position,
provided we should succeed in proving the
truth Of even one, for we could argue thus, up
on the doctors own principle. The working
of miracle is evidence Of Gods commission
for the revelation or the confirmation Of truth.
But here is the plain proof that miracle has
been wrought. Therefore, here is plain proof
of Gods testimony, for revelation or conhrma-
ton. Thus, although the proof Of several
might be defective, the proof Of one will be suf-
6cient The archdeacon proceeds: especially
TO one extraordinary instance, the account OF
Gregory bishop of Neoc esarea, called THAI
ma,urgus, delivered in the writings OF Gregory
of Nyssen, who lived one hundred and thirty
years after The subject of his panegyric."
Now would merely remark, that if the ques-
ton was, whether upon the evidence which we
noD possess, Of the miracles wrought by the BIZ
shop OF Neoc9sarea, taken In a sole and lsoa-
ted way, were called upon 10 determine the
truth orfalsehood the doctrines OF our church,
perhaps that proof would not be sufficient But
| such is not the case; we do not claim that our
doctrines are true because they are supported
by the testimony Of God manifested only in the
miracles Of this holy man, and Of others having
no better proof. We will give them up, and
also those Of hundreds of others, and still we
will have hundreds not liable to this objection,
nor to any other objection Of any weight: and
upon those we will found one OF our arguments,
that if miracles prove the truth OF christianity,
they also prove the truth of our church
But it will not be loss Of time to examine the
Archdeacon's assertions somewhat more close
ly.-lst ST. Gregory Of Neoc9sarea died in
27l; Gregory of Nyssa was chosen bishop Of
his see in 49, after having assisted his brother,
ST.. Basil, who was Archbishop Of Casarea: Ba
iii was born in the year 329; between Basil and
Gregory was brother named Naucratius; pro-
badly Gregory was not less than forty years of
age when he was chosen bishop; thus between
the death Of one Gregory and the birth OF the
other, there did not intervene half the period OF
one hundred and thirty years. The latter Gre
CORY was born in Casarea Of Cappadocia, be-
tween which place and Noecasarea in Pontus
there was no extraordinary distance: and his
fathers family we're living in Pontus: Nyssa,
not Nyssen, of which he was bishop, was IN Cap
padocia thus between the time and place Of the
residence Of Thaumaturgus and his panegyrlst
there was no extraordinary distance. Gregory
ThaumaIurgus was no obscure parsonage. His
parents we're eminent for their rank and fortune
in the city Of Neoc9sarea; they were not chris
tians; their daughter being married to the asss-
tant governor Of Casara in Palestine, Gregory
and his brother Athenodorus, went to stay with
her for time; they attended famous school
Of Roman Ia i'll the neighborhood of Berytus,
and were subsequently, disciples of the famous
Origen, during his sojourn in Cssarea: Gregg
ry also studied Platonic Philosophy and Ply
sizes at Alexandria in Egypt, and upon his re-
turn to Pontus, he not only was christian; but
eminent for piety. Phedimus, Archbishop Of
Amasea and metropolitan of Pon,us, prevailed
upon him to undertake the episcopal charge of
his native city, in which there were only, as we
are informed, seventeen believers. A vast num-
Der of miracles are said to have been wrought
by him: and the public statements were, that
principal cause Of the conversion of the whole
city and its vicinity. The fact of the conversion
is not contested, nor is il contested that the pub
lie testimony was, that the conversion was the
consequence of miracles. Nor is the fact con-
tested, that ever since he has been known thro'
the christian world by the name of rhauma
turgus, or worker Of miracles. Those facts are,
and have been notorious. ST. Gregory Of Nys-
sa had very excellent opportunities ofexamina-
ton upon the spot; he describes to US some of
the documents which in his time were preserv
ed in the archives of the church Of Noecesa-
rea, and which had been left there by its foun-
der. He then spoke of public series OF Facts,
which he asserts were VIGOROUSLY true, in the
vicinity of the place where those facts occur
red, and some of the monuments of the mira
ces to which they relate being as he states in
existence; and others testify without contradic
ton, at subsequent period by two or three
centuries the monuments still existed as evil
dence Of the facts, and the generation who wit
messed the facts and testified to their successors,
having yet scarcely disappeared from the place
when Gregory of Nyssa lourished. But a
stronger circumstance remains 10 be observed
upon, which is, that although only the account
r ~ hoe hon emit cd 10