The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1909-03-04
ST. Mary's Church Was Crowded Again
Last Evening to Hear the Sec
ond of the Lenten Series
Of Lectures.
THEY STILL oc'
OCCUR
Miracles Occur in Broad Day Light in
This twentieth Century at
Our Very Own Front
Doors.


| ed last night to hear Rev. DR.. Gig
fingers lecture on Miracles" He
! said that there were many who scoffed
| at the idea of the miraculous in our
enlightened age of science and pro-
gress. These very men who make so
light of supernatural effects are per.
haps afraid to have thirteen sit at
their table, or place horseshoe over
the hoors of their house, or carry
rabbits foot in their pockets. The
further people are removed from the
true religion of God the more super
stitious they become. Pagan coun-
tries as India and China are full of
superstitious practices.
Superstition, like fortune telling, Is
forbidden by the first commandment
of God.
Among the various schools of phil
osophy the materialistic school which
admits nothing but matter and blind
force must logically deny even the pos
sibility of miracles.
The spiritualists on the other hand
admit the action of spirits on matter
and with them miracles are at least
possibility.
The Reverend speaker then referred
to the action of bad spirits even on
| human bodies in cases of possession
by the devil and said that such cases
are quite frequent in heather lands,
but occur once in awhile in great coun-
| tries and he himself at the age of six
teen wears, witnessed real case OF
possession by an evil spirit.
He said that miracle was defined
as being sensible effect produced by
Cod which transcends all the forces
of nature. The laws of evidence must
therefore be applied to it as to any
other effect that comes under sense
observation
Aside from the scriptural miracles,
no one Is asked to believe in any par
/ ticular miraculous effects, unless he
can be convinced by the evidence on
hand. The Divine Will alone can
work miracles, and can also delegate
His name
A miracle is not violation of the
natural order of things but is the eff
feet of higher cause just as a stone
in mans hand is prevented from fall
ing to the ground on account of SUI
perior natural force.
They Take Place.
Effects, such as raising the dead to
/ life. or curing instantaneously by word
or gesture, humanity incuraple dis
eases, are miraculous, for thay trans
cend not only the known powers OF
nature but all the capabilities OF ma
ture. Miracles are certainly possible
because God alone is the Infinite and
contingent. God could not produce an
other infinite effect because such an
effect would be He Himself which is
an absurdity, for nothing can give
existence to itself. He cannot ex-
haust His power; there is always a re-
serve of power left in Hira, hence He
can always deal with His creatures in
other ways than by the ordinary laws
laid down by Him Miracles are never
performed W SdlioiS. lioi oio Sui ioSiey
or for the glorification of any per-
, son but must have for their object
Gods glory. Whatever can be eX-
planned on natural grounds, should not
be considered miracle Miracles are
not only possible and probable, consid-
ering the power and infinite goodness
of God, but they actually take place in
this our own day. in broad daylight in
the twentieth century. Science and
progress cannot do away with them
because they cannot do away with the
power of God.
The Rev. speaker then designated
especially Lourdes, France, as the
place of many genuine miraculous
cures, and gave detailed description
of two persons whose cure according
to the strongest sworn evidence was
miraculous. The Lourdes water, he
said, is but common drinking water
He oncluded by saying that more
is obtained by fervent prayer than any
mortal being has any idea of, and
urged his hearers to have recourse
to prayer as prayer is always helpful
and never useless and brings all
nearer to God
The next lecture will be on
"Science and Faith