"ers."

"As if the

held in suspense. He subjoins, "testimony of men could ever be put in the "balance with that of God himself, who "conducted the pen of the inspired writAn ingenious piece of raillery withcut question. Is it possible, in a politer man ner, or in more obliging terms, to tell the Christian world, They are fools: and that all who are silly enough to believe the miracles. recorded in scripture, are not entitled to be argued with as men? How? They are so absurd as to believe the scriptures to be the word of God, on the evidence of the miracles wrought by our Lord and his apostles; and that these miracles were wrought, they could not believe on any testimony, less than that of God, reporting them in the scriptures; and thus, by making inspiration and miracles reciprocally foundations to each other, they, in effect, admit both without any foundation at all. After this handsome compliment to the friends of holy writ, he thinks himself at liberty to be very explicit on the comparative evidence of the miracles of the Abbé, and those of Jesus: "If these writers "indeed were to be considered merely as "human testimony, the French author is very moderate in his comparison, since he

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might, with some appearance of reason, pretend, that the Jansenist miracles much surpass the other, in evidence and authority." Was ever so rough an assault preceded by so smooth, but so insidious a preamble? Is it then still the fate of Jesus to be betrayed with a kiss? But notwithstanding 'this author's declaration, no Christian will have reason to dread the issue of the comparison. Mr. Hume hath not entered on particulars, neither shall I enter on them. I should not incline to tire my reader with repetitions, which, in a minute inquiry, would be inevitable. I shall therefore only desire him, if he think it needful, to peruse a second time the eight foregoing observations. Let him try the miracles of our Lord by this touch-stone; and I persuade myself, he will be satisfied, that there is no appearance of reason to pretend, that the Jansenist miracles much surpass the other, or even equal them, in evidence and authority.

The author triumphs not a little in the observation, that the reports of the prodigies performed by the deacon, were violently opposed by the civil magistrate, and by the Jesuits, the most learned society in the kingdom. He could see the importance of this

circumstance in the case of Abbé Paris, though not in the case of Jesus Christ. But that the difference of the cases, as well as their resemblance, may better appear, it ought likewise to be observed, that Jansenism, though not the ruling faction, was at that time the popular faction; that this popularity was not the effect of the miracles of the Abbé, but antecedent to these miracles; that, on the contrary, the Jesuits were extremely upopular ; and that many, who had no more faith in the miracles of S. Medard than Mr. Hume hath, were well pleased to connive at a delusion, which at once plagued and mortified a body of men, that were become almost universally odious..

I shall only add, that nothing could more effectually expose the folly of those pretensions,, than the expedient by which they were made to cease.. In consequence of an order from the king, the sepulchre, was inclosed with a wall, and the votaries were debarred from approaching, the tomb. The author says in relation to this, "No Jansenist was

66 ever embarrassed to account for the ces"sation of the miracles, when the church"yard was shut up by the king's edict."

*P. 198, in the note,

Certain it is, that "God is master of his

own graces and works." But it is equally certain, that neither reason nor the gospel leads us to think, that any human expedient will prove successful, which is calculated to frustrate the decrees of Heaven. Both, on the contrary, teach us, that men never more directly promote the designs of their Maker, than when they intend directly to oppose them. It was not thus, that either Pharisees or Sadducees, Jews or Gentiles, succeeded in their opposition to the miracles of Jesus and his apostles. The opinion of Gamaliel was undoubtedly judicious: If this counsel or this work be of men, it will come to nought; but if it be of God, ye CANNOT overthrow it; beware, therefore, lest ye be found fighting even against God. To conclude, Did the Jansenist cause derive any advantage from those pretended miracles? None at all. It even suffered by them. It is justly remarked by Voltaire, that the tomb of the deacon Paris "proved in effect, in the minds of all peo

ple of sense, the tomb of Jansenism." How unlike in all respects the miracles recorded by the Evangelists!

* Acts v, 38, 39.

+ Seicle de Louis XIV, chap. 33.

THUS I have briefly inquired into the na

ture and evidence, first of the Pagan, and

next of the Popish miracles mentioned by Mr.. Hume; and have, I hope, sufficiently evinced, that the miracles of the New Testament can suffer nothing by the comparison; that, on the contrary, as in painting, the shades serve to heighten the glow of the colours; and, in music, the discords to set off the sweetness of the harmony; so the value of these genuine miracles is enhanced by the contrast of those paltry counterfeits.

SECT. VI.

Abstracting from the evidence for particular facts, we have irrefragable evidence, that there have been miracles in former times; or such events as, when compared with the present constitution of the world, would by Mr. Hume be denominated miraculous.

I READILY concur with Mr. Hume, in maintaining, that when, merely by the force of REASON, we attempt to investigate the origin of worlds, we get beyond our sphere, and

*

Essay 12. Of the academical or sceptical philosophy, part 3.