, 1876-05-21

ciples of Nature, but simply IS the introduc-
ton Of such new conditions, by the exercise
Of q supernatural viii, as will impress an ar
ticulate purpose and signi6ance on those
natural causes which, when left to them
selves, could only DO understood as parts OF
system, not as ambodying any individual
1esson. This view has been substantially
takan by HpMr and others who wrote before
this time, It is tantamount to the declara-
ton that in case Of miracle, 10 exist
ing condition Of things has been inter-
rupted, no law has been suspended, but some
new condition has been established setting
in operation soma new phenomena OF Nature,
which are proportionately mysterious ana
awe-inspiring as the beholder is ignorant or
credulous. The Rc0ieto draws the following
Illustration: 'sThus our Lord warned his
Disciples against supposing that the persons
killed by the fall OF the Tower OF Sloan
we're IN any sense punished by what we now
call Divine judgment. All that could prop
erly be inferred from the circumstance itself
was that all the eighteen suffered the natural
consequence Of some negligencs On ths part
of the builders or conservators OF the
tover.-not that God had any common
moral purpose-tho sa1ne for au-m
their death" This is very bold
assumption for an evangelical church organ
If this be an orthodox view, what becomes
Of the belief of many Christian people thas
when theatre takes fire and lives are lost
thereby it is manifestation OF the an
ger of the Almighty against those who were
in Attendance; that when q railroad-traln
running on Sunday meets With disaster u rs
q Divine Judgment and punishment; or that
whom q pleasure-boat sailing on the trst Gay
of the week IS blown over by sudden gust,
md some one is perhaps drowned, 1t Is d.
rect visitation Of Divine dspleasure at the
81 violation of the Sabbath = Tie rationale
of the miracle is thus concise1y put bY the
RtrscU:
AL laws operating in the lower regions Of matter
arc at work also in the higher, but their effects are
vitality altered by the laws Of the hgher chemical
laws assume the mechanical, but add new nna I'M
po1tan. principles which wholly alter the1t eHec''
vial laws assume chemical laws, but add new
princtples which transform them; the action OF
tho human will assumes physiological LAWS, Gus
adds new directing principle, anu sos too' ouP0.
natural cvents assume the laws Of all that we call
natural phenomena AS their basis, and involve only
new controlling principles which greatly modify
the Issue.
As to the application of the miracle It
says: San the energies of the physical world
are as constant quantity, even in relation
to God as they sre in relation to man, and
thnt God works miracles only by altering tue
dspoatso7s Of the forces which He himself
provides, and never by creating new force.
The most important feature OF this discus
sion of the mirncle is not 80 much its inlu-
ence upon religious philosophy, which Will
be very important, as its indication OF
gradual change in perception Of the laws OF
the universe, which progresses in proportion
to the spread of intelligence, investigation, !
and reflection. The more the human mind Is
enlightened the juster and clearer become
its conceptions Of the nature of Divine Prov
idence, and the laws by which ths Almighty
governs men Is well IS spheres.