date

10 Oct 1815 Jug True 1
10 Oct 1815

Jug True

1

Ch. Miracle

1

§. 1. Not so represented.

1. Escape at Nazareth

2. Sea walking

3. Fish tribute money catching

4.} Multitude feeding miracles - Quaere Fact converted by exaggeration into miracle

5.}

1. Transactions or Incidents since considered, but by the relators not meant to be represented as miracles—i.e. as effects in the production of which superhuman power was employed.

At present the word miracles is become a sort of technical term: a word exclusively appointed to the office of designating such extraordinary effects in the production of which power altogether superhuman has been employed.

In the distinctions thus made an assumption is contained that between such effects as are capable of man himself is capable of being produced by man alone and such as are not producible otherwise than by a special exertion of the power of God a line a clear line of separation has been or at least may be drawn.

At present in the minds of such persons as have gone through any ordinary course of instruction on the physical branch of science a line of this sort is MS alt. illegible. actually drawn or at least is upon demand capable of being drawn at any time. To them it is known what sorts of extraordinary appearances the already required of powers and treasures of art and science enable man to produce: supposing it really to have had place, any event or states of things of a kind neither as yet known to have been produced by unssisted nature nor seen to be producible by any of these known powers of man, is carried to the account of miracles.
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  • Title: [10 Oct. 1815 Jug. True 2]
    Description: 10 Oct. 1815

    Jug. True

    2

    Ch. Miracles

    2

    Nick Hallam2013-08-09T16:41:00

    §. 1. Not so represented.

    Thus stands the matter at present in these our times. But of the distinction between what was extraordinary and thence wonderful in what was and the supernatural—between the extraordinary material and the supernatural no clear ordeterminate idea was in those days perhaps in any nation and in particular not in that nation entertained.

    In that nation, even down to that time a circumstance which in a particular degree contributed to keep off and exclude the idea of any such determinate time was the supposition in which the foundations of the natural religion had been laid. viz. that of an extraordinary part taken by almighty power at first in the creation and thenceforward in the preservation of this his chosen and pre-eminently formed people: a state of things for the designation of which the single word theocracy a god government is at present employed,

    Even in those very histories various degrees gradations of wonder-working power with so many correspondent classes of wonders are represented as having or at any rate (which suffices for the present purpose, as being thought to have place. 1. Wonders performed by magic. (a) 2. Wonders performed by the assistance of evil spirits. (2) 3. Wonders performed by use made of the name of Jesus though without authority from Jesus. (3) 4. Wonders performed by his disciples by commission from him. (a) 5. Wonders not capable of being performed even with the benefit of such a commission nor by any person but himself. (5)

    [marginal note:] See whether 1 & 2 are not the same.

    Quaere whether d o be false prophets are distinct from 1 & 2?

    (1)

    (2)

    (3)

    (4)

    (5)
  • Title: [10 Oct 1815 Jug True 3]
    Description: 10 Oct 1815

    Jug True

    3

    Ch. Miracles

    3

    §. 1. Not so represented.

    Numerous according to this account was the multitude not only of individual wonderworkers but even of classes of wonderworkers: and at least between every class and every other class of these wonder-workers a sort of competition had place: and to him who in numbers and value could exhibit the most extraordinary set of wonders the pre-eminence was assigned.

    In this account as the reports made and written of the proceedings of any such wonder-worker who is such by profession, to every remarkable act stated as having been performed by him that colour and character which to the conception or imagination presented itself as most extraordinary would (in the description given of it) naturally and even without any formed intention to produce deception be employed: just as in the life of a military hero who is a warrior by profession, not only among any number of diversified accounts that by which the success is represented in the most brilliant colours is apt to be naturally employed in preference, to the rest, but every opportunity which presents itself as affording a chance of adding to the number, is readily embraced.

    On the part of all followers, and in particular, on the part of the earliest and most zealous, a property similar to that which as above would be so apt to produce relations of wonders composed of real events either altogether ordinary or more or less extraordinary, with a varnish of the marvellous put upon them by the pen of the narrators, would naturally have place disposing them in any interpretation which it might be in their way to put upon it, to embrace with eagerness any such miracle, and to give to the colour contained in it, to perpetuate fasten upon it the appearance of a real miracle. Miracles were the things of all others for which, with the utmost anxiety they could not but be continually upon the look out for and, by such a disposition under such circumstances, may the faintest opportunity for making out a miracle so found, would not be provided as to be let go unimproved
  • Title: [5 Sept 1815 B  Jug True 4]
    Description: 5 Sept 1815 B 

    Jug True

    4

    Ch Credence

    1

    (1)

    Neither of any one of the occurrences of which mention is made in the body of history in this assemblage of historians here in question nor of any other occurrence whatsoever can the abovementioned suppositions be all of them true. Several of them it will be seen are mutually incompatible. But (such as they are there) there is not one of them the truth of that to us time of day is not more probable than the existence of every thing to which the name and character of a miraculous miracle. A miracle is any occurrence which is unconformable to what is known to be the ordinary (and [...?]) course of nature. To the occurrences viewed in the point of view as represented by any one of these suppositions no unconformity to the ordinary course of nature is exhibited. From the very definition of probability it will therefore follow that so long as in any one of those suppositions any the least degree of probability is to be found, the verity of any proposition by which that supposition is said to have had place and as the occurrence is related to have been been exemplified will always possess a better title to credence than a proposition by which the existence of the fact in the character of a miraculous one is affected or affirmed.

    7.

    In the instance of no one of these reputed miracles can all the above mentioned disprobative circumstances be all of them exemplified.

    8.

    But neither is there any one of them that is not less improbable than the working of a miracle. A miracle is unconformable to the known ordinary course of nature. These are, every one of them, conformable to it. From the very definition of probability each of them is therefore less improbable than a miracle.