5. The cures were many of them incomplete.

6. Others were temporary

*

So that all the wonder we are called upon to account for is, that out of an almoft innumerable mul titude which reforted to the tomb for the cure of their complaints, and many of whom were there agitated by strong convulfions, a very fmall proportion experienced a beneficial change in their conftitution, efpecially in the action of the nerves and glands.

Some of the cafes alleged do not require that we fhould have recourfe to this folution. The firft cafe in the catalogue is fcarcely diftinguishable from the progrefs of a natural recovery. It was that of a young man, who laboured under an inflammation of one eye, and had loft the fight of the other. The inflamed eye was relieved, but the blindness of the other remained. The inflammation had before been abated by medicine; and the youn man, at the time of his attendance at the tomb, was using a lotion of laudanum. And, what is a ftill more material part of the cafe, the inflammation after fome interval returned. Another cafe was that of a young man who had loft his fight by the puncture of an awl, and the difcharge of the aqueous humour through the wound. The fight, which had been gradually returning, was much improved during his vifit to the tomb, that is, probably in the fame degree in which the discharged humour was replaced by fresh fecretions. And it is obfervable, that these two are the only cafes, which, from their nature, fhould feem unlikely to be affected by convulfions.

In one material refpect I allow, that the Parifian miracles were different from thofe related by Tacitus, and from the Spanish miracle of the Cardinal

* The reader will find these particulars verified in the de tail, by the accurate enquiries of the prefent Bishop of Sarum in his criterion of miracles, p. 132. et feq.

de

de Retz. They had not, like them, all the power, and all the prejudice of the country on their fide to contend with. They were alleged by one party against another, by the Janfenifts against the Jefuits. These were of courfe oppofed and examined by their adverfaries. The confequence of which examination was, that many falfehoods were detected, that, with something really extraordinary much fraud appeared to be mixed. And if fome of the cafes, upon which defigned mifreprefentation could not be charged, were not at the time fatisfactorily accounted for, it was becaufe the efficacy of strong fpafmodic affections were not then fufficiently known. Finally, the cause of Janfenifm did not rife by the miracles, but fank, although the miracles had the anterior perfuafion of all the numerous adherents of that caufe to fet out with.

Thefe, let us remember, are the ftrongeft examples which the hiftory of ages fupplies. In none of them was the miracle unequivocal; by none of them were established prejudices and perfuafions overthrown; of none of them did the credit make its way, in oppofition to authority and power; by none of them were many induced to commit themfelves, and that in contradiction to prior opinions, to a life of mortification, danger, and fufferings: none were called upon to atteft them, at the expence of their fortunes and fafety*.

It may be thought that the hiftorian of the Parifian miracles, M. Montgeron, forms an exception to this laft affertion. He prefented his book (with a fufpicion, as it fhould feem, of the danger of what he was doing) to the king; and was shortly afterwards committed to prifon, from which he never came out. Had the miracles been unequivocal, and had M. Montgeron been originally convinced by them, I fhould have allowed this exception. It would have itood, I think, alone in the argument of our adverfaries. But, befide what has been obferved of the dubious nature of the miracles, the account, which M. Montgeron

P 3

Montgeron has himself left of his converfion, fhows both the ftate of his mind, and that his perfuafion was not built upon external miracles. Scarcely had he entered the church-yard, when he was ftruck,' he tells us, with awe and reverence, having "never before heard prayers pronounced with fo much ardour "and tranfport, as he obferved amongst the fupplicants at the tomb. Upon this, throwing himself on his knees, refting his elbows on the tombstone, and covering his face with his hands, he fpoke the following prayer: 0 thou, by whofe interceffion fo many miracles are faid to be performed, if it be true that a part of thee furviveth the grave, and that thou hast influence with the Al mighty, have pity on the darkness of my understanding, and through his mercy obtain the removal of it. Having prayed thus, many thughts, as he fayeth, began to open themselves to his mind; and fo profound was his attention, that he continued on his knees four hours, not in the least disturbed by the vast croud of furrounding fupplicants. During this time all the argu⚫ments which he ever heard or read in favour of Christianity, occurred to him with fo much force, and feemed fo ftrong and convincing, that he went home fully fatisfied of the truth of religion in general, and of the holiness and power of that per fon, who, as he fuppofed, had engaged the divine goodness to enlighten his understanding fo fuddenly. Douglas Crit. of Mir. p. 214.

C

J

PART

If. lii. 13. liii.BEHOLD, my fervant thall deal prudently, he fhall be exalted, and extolled; and be very high. As many were astonished at thee; (his vifage was fo marred more than any man, and his form more than the fons of men :) fo fhall he fprinkle many nations; the kings fhall fhut their mouths at him: for that which had not 'been told them fhall they fee; and that which they have not heard fhall they confider. Who hath believed our report? and to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed? For he fhall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: he hath no form nor comelinefs; and 'when we fhall fee him, there is no beauty that we 'fhould defire him. He is defpifed and rejected of men, a man of forrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid, as it were, our faces from him; he

7

P 4

"was

.

was defpifed, and we esteemed him not. Surely ' he hath borne our griefs, and carried our forrows: yet we did efteem him ftricken, fmitten of God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our tranfgreffions, he was bruifed for our iniquities: the chaftifement of our peace was upon him; and with his ftripes we are healed. All we like theep have gone aftray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all. He was oppreffed and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the flaughter; and as a sheep before her fhcarers is dumb, fo he apeneth not his mouth. He was taken from prifon and from judgment; and who fhall declare his generation? for he was cut off out of the land of the living: for the tranfgreffion of my people was he ftricken. And he made his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death; because he had done no violence, neither was there any deceit in his mouth. Yet it pleafed the Lord to bruife him; he hath pur him to grief. When thou fhalt make his foul an offering for fin, he fhall fee his feed, he fhall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the Lord fhall profper in his hand. He fhall fee of the travail of his foul, and fhall be fatisfied: by his knowledge, fhall my righteous fervant juftify many; for he fhall bear their iniquities. Therefore will I

divide him a portion with the great, and he fhall divide the fpoil with the ftrong; because he hath poured out his foul unto death: and he was numbered with the tranfgreffors; and he bare the fin of many, and made interceffion for the tranfgreffors.'

Thefe words are extant in a book, purporting to contain the predictions of a writer, who lived feven centuries before the Chriftian æra.

That