and lives, to bring upon them innumerable other calamities, and to work miracles*, is still maintained by the greatest names in the republic of learning. On this foundation, laid for him by philosophy, the wizard easily raises his own superstructure. While the philosopher asserts the power of wicked spirits to produce the most extraordinary effects, out of the common course of nature; the wizard presumes, and not unreasonably, that they have the use of this power: for a power which they cannot use is in effect no power at all. And he advances only one step farther when he pretends to a familiar intercourse with them, or to be skilled in the manner of setting them to work. Now this difference between them is very trifling; since, if the devil can interpose in the manner supposed by bath, it matters not whether he does it with or without the instrumentality of human beings. Most melancholy. is it to reflect, how much the general principle we are here opposing, viz. the power of Satan to work miracles, and the various superstitions grounded upon it, have contributed in all ages, and in all nations, to the disquiet and corruption of the human race, and to the extinction of rational piety. This consideration alone, were there no other, should check the zeal of Christians to maintain an opinion so destructive to our virtue and happiness; and which the wisest heathens, from principles of benevolence and piety, earnestly wished and laboured. to extirpatet. * Dr. Clarke's Sermons, vol. ii. p. 7co, folio. In Superstitio fusa per gentes, oppressit omnium ferè animos, atque hominum In a word, if we entertain just and honourable sentiments of the constitution of the universe, and its all-wise and benevolent author, can we believe that he has subjected us to the pleasure and disposal of superior beings, many of whom are supposed to be as capricious and malevolent as they are powerful? Has God put our very life, and the whole happiness of it, into such hands? This some maintain he has done; and this he must have done, if he has granted them the power of working miracles at pleasure: an opinion which cannot fail to rivet Heathens in their idolatry, and Christians in the most detestable superstitions. SECTION V. If miracles were performed in favour of false doctrines, mankind would be exposed to frequent and unavoidable delusion. MIRACLES may be considered either apart by themselves, or in their relation to the mission and doctrines of a prophet. It is in the former view that they have been considered in the preceding sections of this chapter: we shall now examine them in the latter; which will furnish us with new evidence of their being works peculiar to God. What I shall attempt in this hóminum imbecillitatem occupavit.-Multum, enim & nobismet ipsis, & nostris profuturi videbamur, si eam funditus sustulissemus.. Cicero de divinat. 1. ii. c. 72. *What circumstances, are necessary to point out this relation, is particularly shewn below, ch. v. at the beginning. section section is to shew, that were evil spirits at liberty to work miracles to impose upon mankind, the error might be absolutely invincible. In proof of this assertion I appeal to the natural sense of mankind concerning miracles, and to those impressions which they always make upon the mind, when free from the bias of prejudice. It is certainly more natural to refer miracles to God than to any other invisible being: for reason informs us clearly and certainly, that God can, but does not equally inform us that any other being can, perform these works*. And inasmuch as the course of nature is a divine constitution, it must be unnatural to suppose that any being besides God is at liberty to control itt. Accordingly it appears in fact, that mankind consider miracles as the works of God, and as divine testimonials to a prophet, whenever they are performed and appealed to as such. This is evident, not only from the immediate regard which has been shewn to genuine miracles whenever they have been wrought, but also from the frequent pretensions to them in all ages and in all nations of the world. Had they not been generally considered as divine works, and authentic proofs of a divine mission, they would not have been forged in support of every false religion that pretended to come from God. Nay, so strong an impression of their own divinity do genuine miracles leave upon the human mind, that their force is *Ch. ii. sect. ii. 1 Kings xvii. 24; ch. xviii. 39. ch. ix. 8. Luke xiii, 13, 17. Acts iii. + Ch. ii, sect. iii. John iii. 2. Matt, xv. 30, 31; 10; ch. iv. 31; ch. xiv. 11. felt felt even by those whose natural sentiments concerning them are most perverted by the errors of superstition and the refinements of learning. It is strongly felt by the whole Christian world, notwithstanding their speculative opinions are calculated to defeat it*; and not less by infidels and atheists, who never think themselves safe in rejecting religion till they have persuaded themselves that every history of miracles is false. Spinoza himself, as Mr. Bayle + assures us, said to his friends," that if he could be convinced of the resurrection of Lazarus, he would break his whole system into pieces, and readily embrace the common faith of Christians." The very Pharisees, when most blinded and hardened by their malice against Christ, confessed the force of this evidence in his favour, when they said, This man does many miracles. If we' let him thus alone, all men will believe on him. And indeed the whole world would have believed on himon account of his miracles, had they not been prejudiced against his doctrine. I add, that Christians must allow, that miracles, when performed in attestation of a professed mission from God, constitute an evidence adapted to the frame of the human mind, and the genuine sentiments of nature; for both our Saviour and his apostles contented themselves with the mere exhibition of this evidence, and then left it to produce its proper effect. Now if miracles, by their own natural influence, * Preface. + General Dictionary, article Spinoza, note R. John xi. 47, 48. are are calculated to procure immediate credit to the doctrine they attest; if they constitute an evidence adapted to the common sense and feelings of mankind; if they make an impression which scarce any resistance can totally prevent or efface: it is an easy and obvious inference from hence, that, if they were performed in favour of false doctrines, the generality of mankind would be necessarily exposed to frequent delusion. And those would be the least able to resist the impression of miracles, who had the strongest sense of God upon their minds, the most honourable apprehensions of his natural and moral government, and were the most fearful of incurring his displeasure by rejecting any revelation of his will. Here it will be objected, "That if miracles were wrought to confirm falsehood, the nature of the doctrine might serve to guard us against being deceived, and direct us to ascribe the works to some evil agent, who was permitted to perform them for the trial of mankind." In answer to this objection, it might perhaps be sufficient to observe, that what some call God's permitting, would be in reality empowering and commissioning evil spirits to work miracles. For God's removal of the restraint or disability which those spirits are under at all other times, amounts to his giving them both a power and a commission to work miracles on this particulàr occasion *. And this God cannot do in confirmation of falsehood. But much stress being laid on this objection, we will offer some farther observations upon it. The *See above, ch, ii, sect. ii. P. 53. most |