Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1890-11-01
FaE MIRACULOUS IN RELIGION

week ago today, it was shown In a
general way, that TIE exposition
against miracles as.snrcs various
FORMS = NOR particular state
ment OF iacss may prove interesting.
Frequently the possibility Of
miracles is simply denied. Vollaire
is credited with the following say
ing:
eli were standing al the Tuhcri tlczre,
IN Paris, together NItt ten thousand per.
sons, aad an Intispuia5lc miracle were rer-
formed, yet woal5 rather believe that ny
seeing eyes wero blind and that every ore
q the ten thousand was a fcel, than
would admit the reality g tao miracle
This is the position Of many skep-
ties. They doubt and deny because
they choose to 10 so against all evil
dence. With people Of this disposi
tied there can be no discussion.
When even ocular demonstrations
cease TO lee accepted as proofs every
rational process u -e&s1hiDg must
be giver Gp as useless and the op-
pores must be Jeff 10 themselves
% enjoy their lunatic incredulity.
Another class Of skepiics fssnd
mostly among the Frote;t-.r { ,sople,
confine then.se1vSH - a denial OF the
cnntinasree Of miracles. They
lake the ground that miracles have
ceased because they are no longer
needed. But these "Christiau';
skeptics find themselves confronted
by the unpleasant necessity II re-
jecting many plSiR passages Of the
New Testament Our Lord teaches
very clearly that miraculous Gifts
should continae. falci /. de-
scribed rs Ere rove. through which
propheying, healing, casting out
Of demons and other great works
are to be performed, and IL is un.
reasonable to suppose that faith was
TO continue but tina: these grra. ef-
fleets Of faith were 10 cease. Our
Savior states, with an assurance
that ought to remove every doubt:
''vertly. verify HAY cato you. he shat
belieycth on me, the WORKS that do shalI
he Do A'so; and greater works issn tse.e
shah he do; beoEzse I - 10 my
Father JohnIs.i u.
five rightly consider this great
promise, it will be plain that the
christian" denial c. continuous
miracles is a more serious apos.acy
than msny are aware Of. Christ
assures his followers that those who
believe in Him should have power
to perform greater works than He
had done. And He gives the rca-
son for this His influence with the
Father in behalf Of His believing
brethren, an influence which az enc
Of the results OF His accomp-
lished atOnemeus, Now, in
The light Of this assur-
ance it is terribly plain that
he denial Of the continuation of the
gifts is q denial of the
Efficacy Of the atonemsnt and OF The
acceptance Of that divine work by
'Hr heavenly Father. II strikes al
he very foundation Of Christianity
nd leaves the Protestan.s, whether
hey know it or not, and notwith- |
tanding their loud determinations 70
he contrary. in the very camp Of in
idels.
The peculiar position Q: the Pro-
is very awkward in another |
aspect. In recognizing the miracles
f the Bible and denying the con-
inuation Of them after the time
overed by the biblical records, they
re compelled not only 10 deny the
'ew Testament teachings in regard
D the subject, but they must also
eny some plain facts stated by ac-
epted ecclesiastical writers. Mir
Giles were by no means unknown TO
ne followers Of Christ in the after
postolic age.
Justinus Marty ldied les A. d.
lys in his apology,
"That the Kingdom of The demons has
zen destroyed through Christ you may
low from what you see with your own
'es. FOR many OF our people have been
.Sled and are constantly healing those ,
ho are possessed with evil spirits in tue .
hole world yea even in yoar city ;gomel: =
"a such as c0ald not De healed by any /.
her e1orcIsms sra heslei thTsaga The !
me OF Jesns Christ"
Ireneus lied eGo)'n his against /