Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1886-11-27
MODEM MIRACLES.
A Few rfIlmpses OF the Night side Of
Na,mro --so.Called Supernatural
Phenomena.
Remarkable Exhibition OF cIairvoyant
Powor--The story Of nm Apparition.
spiSitHa.ism.


ter BOOKINGS" there has been steady
growth Of interest IN speculations con-
corning those phenomena which are com.
monty classified under the head OF "su.
pernaturalp Incident 10 this growth Il
tho projection OF the idea that IL might
be possible 10 solve the problems pre-
sented without attriOuting them 10 the
direct agency OF the Deity, that cause
for them might be discovered in the op.
GRAFTON OF some at present unknown natu.
raj laws. This Idea within few
years has met with great favor and been
largely instrumental In diminishing the
common prejudice against entertaining
the evidence offered by the splrituallsts
Of the truth Of the extraordinary state.
ments which they make. There are
thousands now who are willing 10 con-
slider the arguments and allegations adj
vanced where there were not ten quar-
Ter Of century ago. II il estimated that
the number Of actual believers ia the
| Unlted States Is upward OF 5000, 900.
The old hypothesis Of divine Intervention
IS discarded by majority OF them, and
| they claim for the phenomena OF clair
yOyance, spirltualiam, etc, klnship
with the phenomena Of grayltatiOn, mag
netIsm and all other natural forces.
II is obvious that this view negatives
, the presumption that there is any such
thing as the supernatural. IL places the
performances Of miracles within the
range Of those processes which account
for the whole pageant Of the Visible uni
verse. Itlmpiies the existence OF Inyls.
ibe agencies that are only invisible be.
cause our powers OF observation are in
a rudlmentary state, and sanctions the
application TO them Of law OF develop
m6nt by means OF which the whole race
VIII one day have close perception OF
that Of which they now catch only the
iaiuiest gimpses or see as through q
glass darby. Ia his "IDquiry Concerning
Human Understanding" the acute Scotch
skeptlc and philosopher, David Hume,
dellaos "miTaclen TO be ia violation Of
the laws OF nature" a oftranspresson of
n law Of nature by particular volition of
the Deity.h n he were alive to-day be
would be astoniehed 20 hear from the
lip5 OF those who are most advanced In
tho new iaith that he was rig u to the ex-
toni " denying tho practice Of miracles In
the same sense ~ which he understood
them, bul wrong 10 maintaining that the
Phenomena Themselves never occurred
Mr.. Lecky, the distinguished author
Of the "lfiatory OF Morals" states
hat the attitude OF ordinary educated
people toward miracles is not thst Of
doubt, OF hesitation, OF discomfort with
tho ext ting evidence, but rather Of abso.
luie derlslOn and even Of unexaminlng
incredulity. That is the attitude OF the
mass OF educated, Intelligent people now
But II Is yearly l0ssepIng mass, becau.e
the element Of superstition In these be-
licfs Is gradually being eliminated, and
the evidences which were refused examin-
alton when they simply poined to "su-
pernaturel" exploit are appearances we
freely investigate when they come claim
| Ing basis OF scientific truth
For this revolution In the whole theory
OF the system It's yotaries are chiefly In
debted 10 the eminent English naturalist,
DR.. Alfred Russell Wallace. He acknowl
EDGES mat when he first became acquain.-
ed with "the facts of spiTtuallsmn he
was confirmed philosophical skeptlo.
rejoicing in the works of Strauss. Carl
VOgt, Voltalre and Herbert Spencer He
could not at that time And any place An
his mind for the conception of a spiritual
existence, or for any other agencies I'm the
universe than matter and force, His curl
Oslty was first excited by some inexplica-
bic occurrence In d frlend's family. aud the
spirit OF investigation thus aroused
never slumbered until It produced the
conviction that the things which he heard
and saw were yerltable phenomena aud
not the product OF fraud and trtckery
AS he tersely says himself, "The facts
| beat me-" From that moment until now
Ills ehlrlS have been unCeasiug TO obtain
a lair hearing aud examination OF the eyi.
dencu for u belief, ilrst, In the existence
oi number OF preteruatuTa ntelljpen-
ee5 OF various grades; and second, that
! some OF these lntelligenees, although
| usually invisible and Intangible 10
u.s. can and do net on mat.
ter and Influence our minds
PHENOMENA ILLUSTRATED.
His success In making converts to those
propositions both In this country ana
Great Britain iustlhes me In offerlnc
some illustrations OF the three different
classes OF phenomena which thew en-.
brace. | select those that are substan.
tiated by evidence which, II offered I'm anv
court OF justice 70 prove an ordinary
Tact, would DO accepted without hesita.
ton. The phenomena may thus DO sum
married;
|. Miraculous cures.
2. Instances o. the exercises of clair
voyant power.
g. Apparltions.
Under the hrst head Of miraculous
Cures" I recall the case quoted In Will
lam Howitt's " History Of tho Supernat.
nral II is that OF French lady, Mdlle.
Coffin, who had suffered for twelve wears
from a cancer In the left breast. Her cir.
onmstanceA enabled her to command the
best medical advice and service which
Europe Afforded. All the physicians pro.
nounced her ailment lncurable. Al that
time the tomb OF the famous JansenIst.
AOoe Paris, was the scene OF as many
marvellous cures a. tho shrlua
OF Our Lady Of Lournes IA
to-day. Thither, after all hone OF
receiving any aid from her professional
attendants had He'd, Mdle. Coirin repalr-
cd Prior 10 her visit The cancer had so
lar progressed that tho greater part OF the
breast came away in mass, and she
seemed AZ the very verge Of death, As
the result OF her journey she returned
| completely cured. Ths breast ana uipple
were wholly restored with the skin, nnre
end fresh and free from any faint or scar
me establishment OF her friends and phys.
lGinnQ Woa frFauN huf 49,.