Arizona republican. [volume] (Phoenix, Ariz.) 1890-1930, 1903-03-30

derstands the true design and dignity !
of miracles will bring discrclit upon |
them by calling every circumstance |
that ignorance cannot explain q mir
acle- Modern miracles are supported |
by no more and no better proofs than
are the hundreds of patent nostrums |
daily paraded before the eyes of the |
public in the columns of the secular
and religious press. There are too many
ways in which it is possible for one to
recover from a disease or to escape
from danger for him to confidently
place his finger upon definite cause
and Dramatically affirm that to it he
owes his recovery or his escape. The
theory Of the existence of modern mir
is a convenient refuge for ignorance,
but not safe one. 1t goes down be-
fore the scriptures and human en-
lightenment.
2. In the design of miracles we find
the Nstrongest and most conclusive
proof to believers in the Bible, of the
non-existence of modern miracles. Tha
design of miracles was never philan-
thropic, but wholly evidential. They
We're for the confirmation OF a germinal
idea that was to take possession of the
world. No idea can permanently BEN
eft the world which cannot quickly
reach the point where it can stand upon
its own merits. The idea that animates
the kingdom of God on earth is one
which, in It's full development. needs
no supplemental aid. The miracles of
Jesus and his apostles were once the
proof of the kingdom of heaven; the
kingdom of heaven is now the proof of
the miracles of Jesus and his disciples,
as the living oak is the proof of the
miracle of the bursting acorn. Tho
Serminal truth preached by an obscure
and unlettered Galilean peasant and by
his equally obscure and illiterate fol-
lowers needed the support and confirm
alton of the miracles wrought for this
purpose: but the full grown gospel. re-
joicing in its own inherent powe-.
needs not such proofs of its divine orr
gin. The scriptures plainly teach that
mira les would end with the infancy of
the chuTch-that they would give way
to something better. Belief in modern
miracles rests upon a wrested passage
of scripture. See Mark 16:1T-1S. He
did not say that these signs should coll
tinue to follow believers indefinitely,
nor did he tell them that they should
cease. Some of the best things in the
world are things we have been left TO
find out for ourselves. The effort holds
z blessing of its own He who learns.
most thoroughly is the one who is left
to find out most for himself. The neces-
sary knowledge of the nature of the
kingdom of heaven involved the knowl-
edge ultimately of the relation and du-
3
when the time came for them to cease
there would be those who would under
standstand why. And so there wera
Read 1 Cor. 13:S-11. Paul expressly de-
clares that miracles belonged to the
! childhood of church and that they
would cease when it reached its man.
! hoCd-by which is meant puberty and
not middle age nor old age. 1t reached
| this stage during the lifetime of the
apostles and miracles passed away with
! them. Indeed, they had practically
ceased during Paul's lifetime. We find
! him recommending simple remedies TO
Timothy for a disordered stomach, and
on Journey leaving a sick companio Il
behind. If the gospel had needed heal
ings for evidential purposes, certainly
! the healing of these would have been
as valuable as any. If the design of
miracles had been philanthropic, surely
| Paul would have healed those he loved
so well.
The promise of Christ to his disciples:
The works that l do shall We do also,
and greater works than these shall We
do contains the suggestion of the
supersession of the miracles of the in
fancy of the church by greater works
than these. When the sun rises the
stars fade out Their light is not need
ed in the presence of the greater lu-
minary. Greater works than his mir
acles are the sermons and epistles CT
Paul. What the church needs is not
the restoration of the miracles of the
beginning, but the opening of her eyes
to see the greater works of the present
and the future. Upon this depends her
safety in tho future. In order that her
eyes might not be diverted from these
greater things. the lesser were taken
out of the way. In the light and at
mosphere of Christian civilization dis
coveries and inventions have beer
made that mean more to the human
race than all the miracles wrought fo1
the relief of individuals in all the
apostolic age. What was the opening
of the eyes of a single blind man COM
pared with the illumination Of the ma
tons? What was the cleansing of ter
: lepers compared with the purificatior
of human society? What was the res
toratfon of a withered hand in compar'
ison with the striking of the shackle:
from the hands of myriads of human
slaves? What was the casting out g
a few demons in comparison with thu
freeing of the world from the demon .
drink? What was the sitting of ;
tempest on Il little inland sea in com
: parison with the conquering of a uni
versal peace? These are the immuta
BILE proofs of the divinity of the relig
: ion of Christ. These are the things
i that make it easy to believe in TIL