Los Angeles daily herald., 1886-03-17
About MIRACLES.

EDITOR HERALD:-Your issue Of yes
terday March l6th) was eagerly waited
for with the expectation of seeing in its
columns reply to Rev. DIR. Schrieber's
lecture on the subject Of Miracles" de-
livered at the Synagogue, of which a re-
port appeared in your valuable paper Of
Saturday, the 18th.
The lecturer proved clearly from
Scripture the connection between the
Laws Of Nature and Man with the Maker
of both, "If ye will hearken to the com
mandments of God then will l send rain
in due season. but, if ye refuse to hear
then thy Heaven shall be like iron, and
thy earth like metal.
In reference TO ''so-called miracles,
viz: "The mouth with which the donkey
spoke to Balaam, the mouth Of the earth
that swallowed Korah and his band, the
mamma given to the Israelites in the
wilderness, the staff Of Moses and
Aaron, he said, "They were not at all
changes of the laws OF nature, but special
creations of God. By this we think
two things are proven-that they are
facts, and as such must be miracles, for
they are beyond human power, deviatfng
from the common action of the laws OF
nature--a supernatural event ascribed TO
God.
Again, the standing still of the sun
at the bidding Of Joshua was stated to
be figure Of speech only, because
such a cessation of planetary motion
would have brought on universal con-
| fagration. setting the whole solar sys-
tenn and even other worlds abiaze, aud
rapidly melting them and diffusing them
through space as a glowing, gaseous
mass" Compare the following; "Lift
up your eyes on high, and behold who
hath created these things. that briugeth
out their host by number. He calleth
them all by name. by the greatness OF
His might, for that He is strong in
power; not one faileth. /, even my
hand, have stretched out the Heavens,
and all their host have commanded" -
40 Isaiah. "Tbe eyes of the Lord run
to and fro throughout the whole earth
to show Himself strong in behalf of
those whose heart is perfect before
| Him. 30 Chron., l6 9.
1t was further stated that ''the Bible
does not regard the belief in miracles
necessary, OF even as a support of re-
ligion." Compare 5 Deut.: s'When ye
heard the voice out Of the midst Of the
darkness flor the mountain did burn
with fire) that ye came near unto me
even all the heads Of your tribes, and
l IL Pal a
Lord our God hath showed us his glory,
and his greatness, and we have heard
his voice out Of the midst of the fire;
we have seen this day that God doth
talk with man and he liveth. These
words that | command thee this day
shall be in thine heart, and thou
shalt teach them diligently to thy
children, and when thy son asketh
hee in time to come, what mean these
testimonies and these statutes. and
| Judgments? Thou shalt say unto thy
son we were pharaoh's bosdsmen in
Egypt, and the Lord brought us out Of
Egypt with a mighty hand, and the
Lord showed signs and wonders great
sore npon Egypt, upon Pharoah, and
upon his household before our eyes.
Truly did the lecturer say-Judaism
teaches nothing that is incompatible
with reason and science. But, what Of
this progressive development. "that
can do very well without the belief in
supernatural miraclesi" Is not its Sc
quel foretold 2 Timothy 3. I'm the
last days perilous times shall come fol
men shall be lovers Of their own selves
covetous, boosters. proud, blasphemers
disobedient to. parents, unthankful, un-
holy, without natural affection, truce
breakers, false accusers, incontinent
fierce, despisers of them that are good
traitors. heady, high minded, having a
form of eodliness but denying the pow
er thereof, from such turn away
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