Vermont telegraph. [volume] (Brandon [Vt.]) 1828-1843, 1840-02-12

| a falshood had he for example, upon the
strength of his propheticaI endowments,
pronounced upon the secret of persons
age, and told US that he was thirty, when
we knew him to be forty. would not this
have made as stumble at all his preten.
sions, and, in spite of every other argu-
ment and appearance, would we not have
Withdrawn our confidence from him as a
teacher from Code This we allow
would have been a most serious dilemma.
1t would have been that state of neutrality
which admits of nothing positive or sat-
lstylng on either side of the question; or
rather, what is still more distressing.
which gives me the most positive and sat-
isfactory appearances on both sides. We
could not abandon the truth of the mira.
cles, because we saw them. Could we
glve>them up, We should determine on a
positive rejection, and our minds would
lind repose In absolute in6delity. But as
the case stands it is scepticism. There is
nothing like it in any other department OF
inquiry. Wecan appeal TO no actual ex-
ample; buta student of natural science
Imay be made to understand the nuzzIe,
when we ask him, how he would act, if
the experiment, which he conducts under
the most perfect sameness of circumstan
ces, were to land him in opposite results
He would vary and repeat his expert
ments. He wouldtry to detect the incon-
sistency, and would rejoice, if he at last
found that the difficulty lay IN the errors
OF his own observation. and not in the in
expllcable nature of the subject All
this he would do in anxious and repeated
endeayors before he inferred that nature
persevered in no law, and that that con-
stancy, which is the foundation of all
science, was perpttuaIIy broke in upon
by the most capricious and unlocked fol
Iappearnces, before he would abandon him.
sell to scepticism, and pronounce phiIoso.
ply to be an impossible attainment
( Il is our part to initiate this example.
1t Jesus Christ has, on the one hand, per.
formed miracles, and sustained ia the
whole tenor of his history the character
LOT prophet, and, on the other hand, as
serted to be true what we undeniabl,
know to be falsehood, this is dIe.nns
which we are called upon to resolve b,
every principle, tha: can urge the human
mind in the pursuit of liberal inquiry
II is not enough 10 say, that the phenom
ena in question do not fall within the do
minion of philosophy; and we therefor,
leave them as fair exercise and amuse
ment to Commentators. The methema
tician may say, and has said the SIM,
thing of the moralist, yet there are NOR
alisls in the world who will prosecute
their speculations in spite of him; ant
, what is more, there are men who take
wider survey than either. who rise abov,
. these professional prpjudices. and will al
|, low that, In each department Of inquiry
! the subjects which offer are entitled 10
/ candid and respectful consideration Th
j. naturalist may pronounce the same rapi
Q Iiudgmen: upon the difficulties of the the
5 pIogian; yet there ever will be theolc
: gians who feel a peculiar interest in thei
5 subject; and we trust that there ever wi
be men. with higher grasp of mind tina
It either the mere theologian, or the mer
:, naturalist, who are ready TO acknow
= edge the claims of truth in every qua
n ter,--who are superior 10 that narrow COZ
e tempt, which has made such an unhdpn
e and malignant separation among the dl
i. ferent orders of scientific men,-who wi
,e examine the evidences of the Gospel hi
r tory, and, ii they are found 10 be sufficiet
ID will view the miracles of our Savior wi
n the same liberal and philosophic curio 81
a. with which they would contemplate al
IS grand phenomenon in the moral histo
u of the species. If there really appeal
re on the face of this investigation, to
ne sach difficulty as the one in question,
= philosopher of the order we are now de
Il. crbing will make many an anxious eff,
cd 10 exlricate himself; he will not soon
or qu;esce in scepticism, of which there
ali no other example in the wide field of h
nd man speculation he will ether ma
los out the insufficiency of the historical e
II. ldence, or prove that the falsehood ascrit
nd to Jesus Christ has no existence.
n viii try to dispose of one of The terms
nf. the alleged contradiction, before he c
III. tprevail upon bimselfto admit 10th and
nee liver his mind to state of uncertain
eel most painful to those who respect truth
ich all her departments.
as We offer the above observations, moi
of much for the purpose of doing away
ich difficulty which we conscientiously
inc lieve to have no existence, as for the I
pose Of exposing the rapid, careless.
nee nnphiosophical procedure of some e
be mics TO the Christian argument. TT
les in the first instance. take up the rapid
die sumption, that Jesus Christ has, eli
ject through himself or his immediate di
/ it? PIES, made an assertion as to the antiq
our of the globe. which, upon the faith of I
ne Iranl 4 rricn snnc I1lafinrs they lrnn,r IL