Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1870-04-26
Concerning Miracles.

Concerning Miracles.
No book has ever moved the world as the
bible has done. What is the secret of its
powerY 1t is the conviction that the bible
contains Gods provisions for mans great
need-that is. redemption. What has
wrought this conviction? Conviction must
come either from knowledge or from testl-
mony. In the former case it isthe Percep-
ion Of the truth in its own light; 1t Is an
immediate beholding. In the latter case
we see it as reflected from the mind OF an
other. knowledge and belief, however,do
not differ in the strength of conviction, but
only in tbs Kind of evidence on which they
rest. Belief may be changed to knowledge,
and knowledge may become the ground
work Of growing faith. The conviction
induced by the bible comes from testimo-
ny.
What sort Of testimony is a basis for our
belief? 1t istlat which comes from one who
knows what be affirm, and is too honest to
deceive. the bible assumes such to he
Gods character. The whole question, then,
resolves itself into this: What is the evil
dence that God has spoken? He might
have communicated truth internally and
spiritually; but this would have convinced
only the persons to whom the communica-
tions were made. The other method was
by an outward and sensible disclosure of
his testimony; in other words by miracles.
Now a miracle is not simply an extraordi-
nary event, but one which nature never
could have brought forth.by its own action.
II is new force introduced into nature. 1t
is a counteraction of nature by the Author
Of nature. The question is, Has there been
any such counteraction? any such miracle?
any such interference on the part of God to
communicate truth which needed to be i'm
parted but which nature could not dis
close?
We say, then, there has been sufficient
reason for such interference. The universal
conviction Of man, mall times and every
where, and under all conditions, is that of
his sinlulness. No torture of the rack
equals what he suffers from this source
nor can this misery be removed, save by
the removal Of the cause But no effort OF
the human will can remove it; the remov-
al clearly, can come only from Him whose
law has been violated. Nature, too, adds
her testimony to the same effect. She
speaks only Of inviolable law; makes nc
intmation of deliverance gives no hint OF
mercy. There is not single false religion
that reveals an approach Of God to us be-
fore we approach him. The attempt, there
fore, on the part of some to classify the
billie with the Vedl, and the other "sacreC
scriptures of the world, isquite superficial
and does them no credit The bible stand,
alone in just this, that it reveals God a,
coming nigh to man, to draw man perma
nenty nigh to himself If this be true
what can be more important than its com
munication to US? But how can the com
municstion come and be divinely attesteC
except through a miracle? No other way
can be conceived.
But the bible processes to he a miraculou
production, and to confirm itself by mira
Giles. So N ,ses, Joshua, Elijah, Christ an,
the apostles Chrsts prime motive, what
ever his ,ubordinate one, in all bis miracles
was to convince men that he ,rake by di
vine authority 9TH. works that d.,
said he, "bear witness of me that the Faith
er hath sent me-
But the bible not only grounds its evi
dence on miracles, hut it is also pcculia
in these its miraruou, claims 1t stand
alone in this. The Koran even disclainl
miracles As ground OF faith.
The importance of the miracles of tn
bible cannot be exaggerated. Withou
them all is delusion; no incarnation too
place, and no redemption is possible; tn
resurrection did not occur aud cur faith
vain.
But does the bible give satisfactory ev
dence that its miracles occurred?
The facts which clam to be miracles re:
on the most unequivocal testimony; the
were performed openly, in many places,
many times, and by different persons; the
were witnessed by thousands, and were
such a nature that the beholders could NJ
have been mistaken. They either WEI
performed, or they who proessed to perior
them were decei,ers But thata person
Christ's lofty moral character should ha,
attempted to palm off miracles would hay
been more astounding than the miracl
themselves. Moreover, they who atiirmt
the miracles had nothing to gain by affirm
ing them but everything to lose. Furthe
the reports were believed on the spot, whe
they could have been disproved if the
had been false, and the testimony at leng
commanded the conviction of the world.
Such a fact, if no miracles were wrougl
would have been the greatest miracle of a
Again, no one, even when arguing agair
christianity, denied the miracles, nor seer
ed to think it possible to deny them; bl
on the contrary admitted them, and soug
10 account for them by magical arts.
1t is objected, however, /. That mir
Gle is a mere physical fact addressed to t
senses, and hence incapable of teachi
moral truth. We answer that moral trut
are often taught by physical facts. 2. Tn
miracle implies caprice on the part
God. But it may have entered into
original purpose to produce miracles und
the appropriate conditions. 3. That t
miracles Of christianity could have had
tie to do in bcgetting conviction, inasmu
as everybody believed in such things. TIL
were common affairs, which the crit
spirit of modern times has set aside.
reply, it is not true that there was anythi
peculiar in tins respect in the times
Christ Skepticism was as rife then as n
and Just as pretentious. But we ask, II
did christianity succeed in changing
convictions of the world? How came
ganism to die?-to die out before christii
ity, while all the while engaged in efc
to extirpate it? Is it said there was at Z
time a general disintegration of the
religions? But how came christianity
satisfy? The fact is, christianity triumph
only because it was a mightier power {
wrenched the sceptre from theirgrasp.
deed, to deny miracles as an element is
admit the overmastering internal power
christianity. T. 1t is further ELECTED t
there have been false miracles as wei
true. and that we have no means of dist
gushing between them? In the first pl
the bible speaks false. 1t is inmate
how we explain them whether we Re
them to satanic agency or to occult natl
forces. But they are mere marvels. /
had no sufficient occasion. Nothing CT