date

15 Aug 1815 Jug. True Miracles
15 Aug 1815

Jug. True

Miracles

Conditions of Credibility

Best evidence never given

2

On the occasions in question what then shall we say of an Almighty God in the character of the supposed author and prime mover of the acts in question for the purpose of their serving in character of evidence to satisfy men of the authenticity of a system of precepts delivered by himself or in persuance of orders given by himself? To which of his causes shall the inability or unwillingness be ascribed—Was he unable? where was his omnipotence. Was he unwilling? where was his wisdom his benevolence his justice?

Oh but it is not for us to attempt to penetrate into the [decree] of providence. Reasons he had most sufficient ones: and then came invectives reprobating the presumption and the like.

Oh yes if such was really his conduct no doubt need be made of its rectitude. But the question is, was it really his conduct? and from MS alt. illegible. the deficiency in respect of rectitude—from this course it is that the negative is inferred.

Such is the mode of reasoning: What in every occasion is required is that the very thing in dispute be taken for granted: and thereupon it is that the advocate of the incredible triumph rides triumphant and proves whatever it is that he has to prove.
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    Supposing the deficiency to him had inability for the immediate cause, unbelief serves very well for the immediate cause of that cause. Not so supposing it to [have] MS ‘had’. unwillingness for its immediate cause: pure unwillingness without any admixture of inability: upon this bare word he could not get them to believe. Miracles were what they called for or at least looked for. Was this a reason for the forbearance to work miracles? On the contrary it is by this reason and by this alone that the working of miracles could be justified, if they believed without any miracle, why expend upon them any such pretious article. According to Mark he found himself unable to give to these people for the belief he demanded at their hands the ground which they required, and yet at the same time when instead of the required belief he got nothing from them but disbelief, he marvelled at it. Just as if he had said of a baker that upon a strange customer coming to his shop to buy a penny roll, and that upon the baker saying down with your penny or you shall not have the roll the customer walked out of the shop without buying the roll; his doing so was matter of wonder to the baker.
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    Historical Sketch

    4

    Of the example thus set by one of enterprize—of the desperation thus prevalent in the great body of the people Jesus it is evident had long entertained the design, and at length formed a plan for the accomplishment of it.

    His cousin John was privy to it. The part to be played by John was but an underpart. Preparatory to any public appearance of Jesus, it was by John that his appearance was to be announced, his character described the truth of his pretensions asserted and his whole MS alt. illegible. existence magnified.

    In that country and in those days the sort of exploits now termed miraculous: working of miracles had nothing new in them. They were considered as being proofs and indispensable proofs of the reality of the divine commission which every such adventurer had asserted himself to have received. By each such adventurer miracles real miracles were by all his followers asserted to have been wrought: even, by those who did not believe in the authenticity of the commission, the verity of the miracles would MS alt. ‘was’. not infrequently be believed.
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    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

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    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.