and revelations which many others have alledged. But here is the difference. St. Paul's pretenfions were attefted by external miracles wrought by himself, and by miracles wrought in the cause to which these vifions relate; or, to fpeak more properly, the fame historical authority, which informs us of one, informs us of the other. This is not ordinarily true of the vifions of enthufiafts, or even of the accounts in which they are contained. Again, fome of Chrift's own miracles were momentary; as the transfiguration, the appearance and voice from heaven at his baptism, a voice from the clouds upon one occafion afterwards (John xii. 30), and some others. It is not denied, that the distinction which we have proposed concerning miracles of this fpecies, applies, in diminution of the force of the evidence, as much to these inftances as to others. But this is the case, not with all the miracles afcribed to Chrift, nor with the greatest part, nor with nor with many. Whatever force therefore there may be in the objection, we have numerous miracles which are free from from it; and even those to which it is applicable, are little affected by it in their credit, because there are few, who, admitting the reft, will reject them. If there be miracles. of the New Teftament, which come within any of the other heads into which we have diftributed the objections, the fame remark must be repeated. And this is one way in which the unexampled number and variety of the miracles afcribed to Chrift ftrengthens the credibility of Chriftianity. For it precludes any folution, or conjecture about a folution, which imagination, or even which experience might fuggeft concerning fome particular miracles, if confidered independently of others. The miracles of Chrift were of various kinds, and performed in great varieties of fituation, form and manner; at Jerusalem, the metropolis of the Jewish nation and religion; in different parts of Judea * Not only healing every fpecies of disease, but turning water into wine (John ii.); feeding multitudes with a few loaves and fifhes (Mat. xiv. 14. Mark vi. 35. Luke ix. 12. John iv. 5.); walking on the fea. (Mat. [367 Judea and Galilee; in cities, in villages; in fynagogues, in private houses; in the flreet, in highways; with preparation, as in the cafe of Lazarus; by accident, as in the case of the widow's fon at Nain; when attended by multitudes, and when alone with the patient; in the midft of his difciples, and in the prefence of his enemies; with the common people round him, and before Scribes and Pharifees, and rulers, of the fynagogues. I apprehend that, when we remove from the comparison the cafes which are fairly difpofed of by the observations that have been stated, many cafes will not remain. To thofe which do remain, we apply this final diftinction; " that there is not fatisfactory evidence, that perfons, pretending to xiv. 23.); calming a storm (Mat. viii. 26. Luke viii. 23.); a celeftial voice at his baptifm, and miraculous appearance (Mat. iii. 17. afterwards John xii. 28.); his tranffiguration (Mat. xvii. 1-8. Mark ix. 2. Luke ix. 28. 2 Ep. Peter i. 16, 17.); raifing the dead in three dif tinct inftances (Mat. ix. 18. Mark v. 22. Luke viii. 41. Luke vii. 14. John xi). be be original witneffes of the miracles, paffed their lives in labours, dangers and sufferings, voluntarily undertaken and undergone in attestation of the accounts which they delivered, and properly in confequence of their belief of the truth of those accounts.' CHAP. CHAP. II. BUT they, with whom we argue, have undoubtedly a right to select their own examples. The inftances with which Mr. Hume hath chofen to confront the miracles of the New Teftament, and which, therefore, we are entitled to regard as the strongest which the hiftory of the world could supply to the enquiries of a very acute and learned adversary, are the three following: 1. The cure of a blind and of a lame man at Alexandria, by the Emperor Vespasian, as related by Tacitus; 2. The restoration of the limb of an attendant in a Spanish church, as told by Cardinal de Retz; and 3. The cures faid to be performed at the VOL. I. Bb tomb |