The San Francisco call., 1905-06-05
Very Rev. G. .Searle
Eloquent in a
Sermon.
ANAL YSIS OF
THE SPIRITUAL
Miracles Are Given
a Scientific
Study.

on visit 10 San Francisco, delivered a
sermon yesterday morning at ST. Mary's
tEaulist Church. The edifice was filed
with vcrshipers, and the words of the
learned priest were. listened TO with the
greatest interest
The Rev. Father NJ. ]. Carey, Z. S. p,
was celebrant Of the mass, and the Rev.
Father H. II. wyman. local superior of
the Paulist order, was present in the
sanctuary during the service.
The Rev. Father Searle took for mis-
text, When he had said these things, he
WsS raised up. and cloud received Tim
ont OF their sight Acts, i:s, and said
Last Thursday We celebrated the Feast Of the
Ascension q our Lord; Il is the fortieth day
and the Scripture itself tells US that this Pc
ricd elapsed between the resurrection and the
ascension. For forty days" ST. Luke tells
us, he vas appearing 70 them, and speaking
of the Kingdom or God"
This Feast Of the Ascension is in one way the
most glorious Of ull those which We celebrate
For tho ascension was the most open and pub
lie manifestation Of the glcry Of our Lord The
actual resurrection itself was without human
Witnesses; but al the ascension the disciples
were il would seem. gathered together. And
he did rot et this time simply vanish from their
sight as from that Of the two az Emmsns
No. ST. Luke tells us that while they looked
On he was raised Up, and cloud received him
oat of their sight He did not disappear, as
ghost might but was hidden from view by a
cloud. any ordinary ascending object might
b: there is nothing 10 indicate that the cloid
anything but mercy natural one. The
ascension was the plainest proof they had had,
ever surprising that given 10 St Thomas that
II vas his real tangible, material body which
shey had seen during the last forty days but
which was triumphant. net only over
oeath. but over the ordinary conditions of life
And 10 emphasize Ibis. ID were, st. Gregory
remarks that ne had taken food with them
shortly befcre as is stated in the Acts he
ate. and sEcended." says St Gregory that by
the fact Of eating the realty OF his body might
Be manifest.
rifed-body OF Lord actually left this
ezrth. remaining only in its sacramental form
This is the fndubita bic fact OF the ascension 10
al Catholics. and indeed We may say 70 All
those VINO not, II seems picus fable or
legend perhaps originating in some ocular
ton. ss il might now be called. Or some may
60 far TO say that the story is simply
fabrication. or. IN plain words, 4 lie
The reason for such doubts is, we may say
t-yo-foId With some it is hatred or dislike for
Christianity at any rate o.. ot any aoe
cne Christian miracle. particularly q con-
elusive one like this. is admitted. the whole
religion will have TO follow: that IL YOU say
Other miracles may be conceded. but not those
which 20 70 prove the truth o. Christ ana OF
ing Is Of course. impossible. and We need not
waste time on Il.
THE DOUBT OF MIRACLES.
But the main reason for doubt OF Christian
miracles that We have generally nao 10 cen
tend With is a doubt o. the possibility Of mira
cies al all. A miracle. it Is said is against
the Laws OF nature, and We are assured by
some people, in the name Of science tnat the
Laws Of nature more be broken than
those Of mathematics: that 10 expect mi acle
is ss absurd as ID would be 70 expect to wake
up some fine morning and find that two and
tVo make i've. that the different straight
lines can be drawn from one point 10 another
This assertion may seem plausible, but il
amounts 10 this that the laws Of nature are
inherent IN ii and inseparable from Il and that
Snt from the actual one which we observe
This means that nature is uncrested: for II
Ne allow that there is a creator OF the natu-
raj world its laws and Its forces must be
merely implanted in IL by him. and h could
not possibly be beyond his power TO change
them, either temporarily or permanently. He
must be able 10 simply suspend them; that is.
70 cause their operation to cease for time,
or TO substitute others for them. II would be
impossible for the creature 10 get beyond the
control Of the creator or 10 become independent
OF him
But IL nature were uncrested. it would be
eternal in the past as well in the future,
Tor IL is impossible for what does not exist TO
produce itself. There would then be God
ether than nature Itself. for Gcd simply CO
existing with nature would be no God at all
The idea Of God requires that he should be
the and only being existing from eternity.
and independent Of all else. To put nature
n the place OF God Is Hrhat is known pan
rhssm. really form Of atheism. for nature
cannot have the attributes essential 10 God
OF course our objectors may. adopt psnthe-
ism or any other system that they choose.
have. no right TO take il for granted. They
must prove H. which they never hsve done
suo never can 90 But II they could, they
Would destroy natural religion by it, as has
lust been shoUn. well as the Christianity.
the miracles OF which they wish to dscredit.
II We with then TO retain even natural re-
nRio1 We must allow that a suspension Of the
laws Of nature is possible
Let US see now jasJ what is meant by. sus-
-.<,ssr- lsu-s Of C,,--r,zr
stone 20 be thrcHn into the air and that Just
when 81 reaches its highest point il should re-
-fr ~ke~a -raT .71-ffF af flrfTf arfe
see IN sunbeam practically does II the
law of gravity were suspended in the case Of
this stone this is just shat would happen But
ought Ve 20 immed stelv conclude. II such
phenomcnon we're observed. that such sus-
pension ot this natural Jaw had occurred No
Not because Il would be impossible. but be-
cause 2 more reasons bic and probable explana-
rion would be that some other force de-
tsininc the ston, as n would be detained n /,
~ prey We should say, Gravity is stir
acting on n, but some other force is overcom-
ing gravity. And we should, II without pref
udice not deny the fact. but try 10 find out
what this force
Now n We examine the matter 7 think
shall ind that the miracles recorded in Scrip
fure or in the records Of the church do not
suspension of the laws of nature any more
than would be needed In the example just Civ
en-. 50. though We are not obliged to. we
may waive for arguments cake. any question
of such suspension. and thus still more effect
ualfy- renneve the objections made. As In the
case given. 50 in that Of the healing of the
sased or corrupted flesh. OF even in that OF
the restoring 70 life of the dead. the natural
laws and forces need not be suspended No
cne imagines that the natural laws which
weuld bring sbout death in a dangerous dis
~sse are suspended by the OF medicine. but
that others are brought in 10 counteract them
UNFAMILIAR FORCES.
The onlv d'@fers-cs>is that in the case Of
miracles of the kind 5ust named the forces
brought IA fhose which familiar
With and have in control. and that they
operate more quickly. Even the absolute crea-
tion of new matter would not interfere with
the laws governing that existing nor
would the destruction OF Vhst now exists
change the laws governing Il up 70 the mo-
merit Of it's humiliation
or let US take the case OF one OF the great
est and to the infidei scientist perhaps the
most incredible. Of the miracles recorded in
nrrfpture that Of the sun standing still for
Joshua We may even suppose this to imply
ne sudden stoppage Of the earth's rotation
Our objector Will say that every object not
rfr1diy fixed 20 the esrth's surface and not
near the poles would by the laws OF nature
Az on al a tangent. the water and the afr in
eiuded. But suppose some other force comes
= 10 restrain them. In this superstition there
VouId be no suspension OF natural law, only
ocalnteractfon-
Now what are the forces which can con,e
IN to counteract the laws OF nature? In the
first place, the creator OF nature. Almighty
Gcd himself can evidently counteract the