Nature and the Supernatural; As Together Constituting the One System of God (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos, missing text, images, or index. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. 1861. Not illustrated. Excerpt: ... CHAPTER II. CHRIST PERFORMED MIRACLES. It used to be the practice of theologians, to cite the miracles of Christ as proofs of his doctrine, and even of the gospel history; not observing that the conditions of the question are entirely changed since the days of the first witnesses. To the cotemporaries and attendants on the ministry of Jesus, he might well enough be approved of God, by miracles and signs; for, being themselves eye-witnesses, they could easily be sure of the facts. But to those who saw them not, to us who have heard of them only by the report of history, they can never be cited as proofs, because the main thing to be settled, with us, is the verity of the facts themselves. The gospel history, instead of being attested to us by the miracles, has them rather as a heavy burden resting on its own credibility. Doubtless it is true that, if such a being as Christ were to tome into the world, on such an errand as the gospel reports, we should look to see him verify his mission by miracles, and without the miracles we should suspect the authenticity of his pretensions. As far, therefore, as the miracles sort with the person of Christ and his mission, as set forth in his gospels, there is a harmony of parts in the history, that is one of the evidences of its truth. It is even a necessary evidence, yet scarcely a sufficient evidence by itself. We still require to be certified that the miracles reported are facts. This done, Christianity, as a supernatural revelation of God, is established. Until then, the miracles are, it must be admitted, a subtraction from its rational evidence; even though the subject matter of the history be incomplete, and so far wanting in rational evidence, without them. The ground taken against the Christian miracles, by Sp...