T

СНАР. .V.

HIS MIRACULOUS appearance of the HOLY SPIRIT, on his firft DeScent, naturally and happily leads us forward in this our general view; by bringing us to the confideration of the extraordinary manner in which it hath pleased Providence to promulge and propagate the Chriftian Faith.

Now, as it is apparent to common sense, that an immediate Revelation from Heaven can be firmly established no otherwise than by the intervention of MIRACLES; and, as we have found, by the fad experience of human corruption, that THIS SUPREME EVIDENCE of our holy Religion hath been fatally difcredited by the contagion of lying wonders, deforming almost every age of the Church, it will be of the utmost importance to discover and fix the bounds of this extraordinary interpofition *.

* Difcourfe on the Refurrection.

But

But a MIRACLE, even when best fupported by human teftimony, needeth to be ftill further qualified, ere it can deferve credit of a rational Believer: namely, that it be fo connected with the system to which it claims relation, as that it be seen to make a part of it, or to be neceffary to its completion.

It is otherwife, in Facts, acknowledged to be within the verge of nature and human agency. Here all that is wanted to recommend them to our belief, is the teftimony of knowing and honeft Witneffes.

While in pretended Facts beyond the verge of nature and human agency, fuch as those we call MIRACULOUS, much more is required when offered to our belief. The controul and arreft of the established' Laws of Nature, by the God and Author of Nature, either mediately or immediately, is a thing which cOMMON EXPERIENCE hath rendered fo extremely improbable, that it will at least balance the very best human testimony, standing unfupported and alone. And why? Becaufe ordinary Facts carry their CAUSES openly and manifeftly along with

with them: Or if not fo, yet none are required, as we are convinced their causes must be INTRINSECALLY there, But in Facts pretended to be miraculous, the immediate efficient caufe is extrinfecal; and therefore leaves room for doubt and uncertainty or rather, when, in this case, men perceive no cause, they are apt to conclude there is none; or, in other words, that the report is falfe and groundless. So that when the whole evidence of the Fact, deemed miraculous, is folely comprised in human testimony, and is, in its nature, contrary to UNIFORM EXPERIENCE, the Philofopher will, at least, suspend his belief.

But though in all MIRACLES, that is, in Facts deemed miraculous, the EFFICIENT CAUSE Continues unknown; yet, in those which our holy Religion feems to recommend to our belief, the FINAL CAUSE always ftands apparent. And if that cause be fo important as to make the Miracle neceffary to the ends of the DISPENSATION, this is all that can be reasonably required to entitle it to our belief; when proposed to us with the fame fulness of human tefti

mony,

mony, which is fufficient to establish a common fact: fince, in this cafe, we have the MORAL ATTRIBUTES OF THE DEITY to fecure us from an error, fo fatal to our welfare *.

And the confining our belief of Miracles within thefe bounds, wipes away (as I conceive) all the miserable sophistry of our modern pretenders to Philofophy, both at home and abroad, against MIRACLES, on pretence of their being contrary to GENERAL EXPERIENCE, in the ordinary course of things. At leaft, the TRUE PHILOSOPHER fo thought, when he made that ftrict enquiry into Truth, towards the conclufion of his immortal Work-"Though "COMMON EXPERIENCE (fays he) AND "THE ORDINARY COURSE OF THINGS have

* Here, by the way, let me observe, that what is now faid gives that CRITERION, which Dr. Middleton and his Opponents, in a late controverfy concerning MIRACLES, demanded of one another; and which yet, both Parties, for fome reafons or other, declined to give; namely, fome certain mark to enable men to distinguish (for all the purposes of Religion) between true and cer tain Miracles, and thofe which were falfe or doubtful.

"juftly

"justly a mighty influence on the minds "of men to make them give or refuse cre"dit to any thing propofed to their belief;

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yet there is ONE CASE wherein the "STRANGENESS of the facts LESSENS NOT "THE ASSENT to a fair teftimony given of "it. For where SUPERNATURAL events 66 are SUITABLE TO THE ENDS AIMED AT

"BY HIM who hath power to change the "course of nature, then, under fuch cir"cumftances, they may be FITTER to pro"cure belief, by how much the more they

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are BEYOND OR CONTRARY TO ORDINARY OBSERVATION.

This is the proper

"cafe of MIRACLES, which, well attefted, "do not only find credit themselves, but "give it alfo to other truths which need such "confirmation"

Locke's Effay concerning Human Understanding, Vol. II. Chap. Of the Degrees of Affent, Sect. xiii. p. 2 6.This great man, we find, understood it to be apparent to common fenfe, that the belief of an immediate Revelation from Heaven could be firmly establifhed no otherwife than by the aid of Miracles.-But fee this Truth proved more at large as we go along,

Now