The Irish standard., 1898-11-12


false; therefore, miracles spoken of in
the Christian religion may also be false.
What are those so-called miracles in
pagan religion? Assertions narrated by
poets-their own fancyings. or attribut-
ed to ages away back in the darkness of
history. How different from such are
the miracles that Christ wrought in the
fullness of historical light. attcsted by
witnesses of whom history is fully con-
versant. The fact that false miracles
are quoted in the world only shows the
conviction of humanity that if God were
ever to speak to man he would work
miracles, as evidences of his power and
truthfulness. The circulation of false
money only prove the existence of good
money. The claim made by the false
religions to miracles shows simply that
miracles are the ordinary means oi COM
munication between God and His crea-
lures, when God desires 10 establish
such communication.
ut is said that in past days the ig-
IL
was miraculous. which we now know to
be simply natural. Very we'll That
was their ignorance, and we are willing
to admit that there are many forces of
nature, which We do not know of to-
day, certain natural results which to-
day we cannot trace back to definite
causes. but in the future We will but
natural energies known or unknown,
where there is and can be no play of
certain results in certain situations
existing or possible.
ut is said SO many things occur to-
day that might be called miraculous,
slch as faith cures; SO much is done by
imagination in order to cure certain
diseases; all you have to do is to work
when we speak of miracles we demand
UP the mind of the sick person to a
certain condition and the mind, react
ing on the body, produces results which
are beyond the rcacl, of medicine itself.
and which might be called miraculous:
were not the miracles of the Christian
religion something of tho kind? We
do know and confess that the mind has
certain power over tn" body and
where the mind may in amy manner be
the cause we shall not speak of mira
clcs. But arc there not s,lpposablc
cases where plainly tho mind is not in
play? Will all the faith cure imagin-
able bring man four days dead out of
the grave? When we talk of miracles
we consider only results which are man
ifcstly beyond tho reach Of all imagin-
1ngs, of all faith cure, of all power Of
impression OF one mind on another. or
such we speak when we say that the
Christian religion Is based OH miracles.
"'rhe second point which | desire to
emphasize is this: That miracles. bc-
ing the foundation and the basis of
Christ's teaching. it is evident that the
Christian religion is essentially Il special
supernatural intervention of Almighty
God in the moral and religious order.
say this In protest against tendency
showing itself III our times, to the cf-
feet that the Christian religion. noble
and beautiful. as all admit, was still
nothing but the natural ontgruwth of
previous human thought, and human
morality, historical evolution of The
past life of humanity. II l.. said that
the Hebrew religion developed under INC
touch OF successive prophets. until at
last it was ready for the greatest
prophet, the one great teacher. endowed
with special powers, capable to lift IL
to its eliminating power. In the an
cicnt philosophers of Greece and Rome,
we find beautiful moral prcccpts, high
ideals, and these ideals and prrcrpts OF
the Hebrew religion and Of pagan phil
osophy were gradually criwdine them
selves townr! one center. When Christ
master mind, bur only II master hut
man mind, spoke, and revealed to the
world what the world was already,
though nnconsciously, possessing. Now,
no doubt, providence had hcrn preparing
the world for the preaching of Christ.
No doubt providence had spoken again
and again to the Hebrew prophets and
was continuously shedding brighter and
brighter light upon humanity. True,
too, that In pagan philosophy there was
much that was beautiful and admirable
for God never left humanity without
some portion Of truth, without, some
light from his own divine countrnancc.
Reason Itself tells us much that is good
and beautiful, and when Christ came as
Il supernatural agent he did not destroy
what reason had taught; he did not set
aside what was beautiful in the prcceptB
OF human philosophy, or Of the Hebrew
religion. He took all that was beautiful
and good on earth, purified i, and added
to IT. light SO brilliant that IT plainly
came from above. But Chrlst'a work
was special, supernatural intervention
OF divine power. n special, supernatural
OutpOuring of grace.
Some time ago Gen. r.. j. Morgan,
former Indian commissioner, aud pres
n,,i