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deaf, and fight to the blind, were every where talked of as the ufual effects of that holy fepulchre. But what is more extraordinary; many of the miracles were immediately proved, the fpot, before judges of unqueftioned integrity, attested by witneffes of credit and distinction, in a learned age, and on the most eminent theatre that is now in the world. Nor is this all: A relation of them was published and difperfed every where; nor were the Jefuits, though a learned body, fupported by the civil magiftrate, and determined enemies to those opinions, in whose favour the miracles were faid to have been wrought, ever able diftinctly to refute or detect them *. Where fhall

* This book was wrote by Monf.. MONTGERON, Counsellor or judge of the parliament of PARIS, a man of figure and character, who was also a martyr to the cause, and is now faid to be fomewhere in a dungeon on account of his book.

There is another book in three volumes (called Recueil des Miracles de l'Abbé PARIS) giving an account of many of these miracles, and accompanied with prefatory difcourses, which are very well wrote. There runs, however, through the whole of thefe a ridiculous comparison between the miracles of our Saviour and those of the Abbé; wherein 'tis afferted, that the evidence for the latter is equal to that for the former: As if the testimony of men could ever be put in the balance with that of God himself, who conducted the pen of the inspired writers. If these writers, indeed, were to be confidered merely as human teftimony, the FRENCH author is very moderate in his comparison; fince he might, with fome appearance of reason, pretend, that the JANSENIST miracles much furpafs the others in evidence and authority. The following circumstances are drawn from authentic papers, inserted in the abovementioned book.

Many of the miracles of Abbé PARIS were proved immediately by witneffes before the officiality or bishop's court at PARIS, under the eye of cardinal NOAILLES, whose character for integrity and capacity was never contested even by his enemies.

His fucceffor to the archbishopric was an enemy to the JANSENISTS, and for that reafon promoted to the fee by the court. Yet 22 reators or cures of PARIS, with infinite earnestnefs, prefs him to examine thofe miracles, which they affert to be known to the whole world; and indifputably certain: But he wifely forbore.

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fhall we find fuch a number of circumftances, agreeing to the corroboration of one fact? And what have we to oppose to fuch

The MOLINIST party had tried to difcredit these miracles in one inftance, that of Madamoifelle le FRANC. But, befides that their proceedings were in many respects the most irregular in the world, particularly in citing only a few of the JANSENISTS witneffes, whom they tampered with: Befides this, I fay, they foon found themselves overwhelmed by a cloud of new witneffes, one hundred and twenty in number, most of them persons of credit and substance in PARIS, who gave oath' for the miracle. This was accompanied with a folemn and earnest appeal to the parliament. But the parliament were forbid by authority to meddle in the affair. It was at last observed that where men are heated by zeal and enthusiasm, there is no degree of human testimony so strong as may not be procured for the greatest absurdity : And those who will be fo filly as to exanine the affair by that medium, and feek partiticular flaws in the testimony, are almost sure to be confounded. It must be a miferable impofture, indeed, that does not prevail in that contest.

All who have been in FRANCE about that time have heard of the great reputation of Monf. HERAUT, the lieutenant de Pelce, whofe vigilance, penetration, activity, and extenfive intelligence have been much talked of. This magiftrate, who by the nature of his office is almoft abfolute, was invefted with full powers, on purpose to suppress or difcredit these miracles; and he frequently feized immediately, and examined the witnesses and subjects of them: But never could reach any thing fatisfactory against them.

In the cafe of Madamoiselle THIBAUT he fent the famous de SYLVA to examine her; whofe evidence is very curious. The phyfician declares, that it was impoffible she should have been fo ill as was proved by witnesses; because it was impoffible she could, in fo short a time, have recovered fo perfectly as he found her. He reafoned, Jike a man of fenfe, from natural causes; but the oppofite party told him, that the whole was a miracle, and that his evidence was the very best proof of it.

The MOLINISTS were in a fad dilemma. They durft not affert the absolute infufficiency of human evidence, to prove a miracle. They were obliged to fay, that thefe miracles were wrought by witchcraft and the devil. But they were told, that this was the resource of the Jews of old.

NO JANSENIST was ever embarraffed to account for the ceffation of the miracles, when the church-yard was fhut up by the King's edict. It was the touch of the tomb, which operated thefe extraordinary effects; and when no one could approach

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fuch a cloud of witneffes, but the abfolute impoffibility or miraculous nature of the events, which they relate? And this

the tomb, no effects could be expected. God, indeed, could have thrown down the walls in a moment; but he is mafter of his own graces and works, and it belongs not to us to account for them. He did not throw down the walls of every city, like thofe of JERICHO, on the founding of the rams horns, nor break up the prison of every apostle, like that of St. PAUL.

No lefs a man, than the Duc de CHATILLON, a duke and peer of FRANCE of the highest rank and family, gives evidence of a miraculous cure performed upon a fervant of his, who had lived several years in his house with a visible and palpable infirmity.

I shall conclude with obferving, that no clergy are so celebrated for strictness of life and manners than the fecular clergy of FRANCE, particularly the rectors or curés of PARIS, who bear teftimony to these impostures.

The learning, genius, and probity of the gentlemen, and the aufterity of the nuns of PORT-ROYAL, have been much celebrated all over EUROPE. Yet they all give evidence for a miracle, wrought on the niece of the famous PASCAL, whose sanctity of life, as well as extraordinary capacity, is well known. The famous RACINE gives an account of this miracle in his famous history of PORT-ROYAL, and fortifies it with all the proofs, which a multitude of nuns, priefts, phyficians, and men of the world, all of them of undoubted credit, could beftow upon it. Several men of letters, particularly the Bishop of TOURNAY, thought this miracle fo certain, as to employ it in the refutation of atheists and free-thinkers. The queen-regent of FRANCE, who was extremely prejudiced against the PORT-ROYAL, fent her own phyfician to examine the miracle, who returned an absolute convert. In short, the fupernatural cure was so incontestable, that it faved, for a time, that famous monaftery from the ruin with which it was threatened by the Jefuits. Had it been a cheat, it had certainly been detected by fuch fagacious and powerful antagonists, and must have haftened the ruin of the contrivers. Our divines, who can build up a formidable castle from fuch despicable materials; what a prodigious fabric could they have reared from these and many other circumstances, which I have not mentioned! How oft would the great names of PASCAL, RACINE, ARNAUD, NICOLE, have refounded in our ears? But if they be wife, they had better adopt the miracle, as being more worth, a thousand times, than all the rest of their collection. Befides, it may serve very much to their purpose. For that miracle was really performed by the touch of an authentic koly prickle of the holy thorn, which compofed the holy crown, c.

furely, in the eyes of all reasonable people, will alone be regarded as a fufficient refutation.

Is the confequence juft, because some human teftimony has the utmost force and authority in fome cafes, when it relates. the battles of PHILIPPI or PHARSALIA for inftance; that therefore all kinds of teftimony must, in all cases, have equal force and authority? Suppofe that the CESAREAN and POMPEIAN factions had, each of them, claimed the victory in these battles, and that the hiftorians of each party had uniformly ascribed the advantage to their own fide; how could mankind, at this distance, have been able to determine between them? The contrariety is equally ftrong between the miracles related by HERODOTUS or PLUTARCH, and those delivered by MARIANA, BEDE, or any monkish historian.

The wife lend a very academic faith to every report which favours the paffions of the reporter; whether it magnifies his country, his family, or himself, or in any other way ftrikes in with his natural inclinations and propenfities. But what greater temptation than to appear a missionary, a prophet, an ambaffador from heaven? Who would not encounter many dangers and difficulties, in order to attain fo fublime a charac ter? Or if, by the help of vanity and a heated imagination, a man has first made a convert of himself, and entered seriously into the delusion; who ever fcruples to make use of pious frauds, in fupport of so holy and meritorious a cause ?

The mallest spark may here kindle into the greatest flame; because the materials are always prepared for it. The avidum genus auricularumt, the gazing populace, receive greedily,

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without examination, whatever fooths fuperftition, and promotes wonder.

How many ftories of this nature have, in all ages, been detected and exploded in their infancy? How many more have been celebrated for a time, and have afterwards funk into neglect and oblivion? Where fuch reports, therefore, fly about, the folution of the phænomenon is obvious; and we judge in conformity to regular experience and obfervation, when we account for it by the known and natural principles of credulity and delufion. And fhall we, rather than have recourse to so natural a folution, allow of a miraculous violation of the most established laws of nature?

I need not mention the difficulty of detecting a falfhood in any private, or even public history, at the time and place, where it is faid to happen; much more where the scene is removed to ever so small a distance. Even a court of judicature, with all the authority, accuracy, and judgment, which they can employ, find themselves often at a lofs to distinguish between truth and falfhood in the most recent actions. But the matter never comes to any iffue, if trusted to the common method of altercation and debate and flying rumours; especially when mens paffions have taken party on either fide.

In the infancy of new religions, the wife and learned commonly esteem the matter too inconfiderable to deserve their attention or regard. And when afterwards they would willingly detect the cheat, in order to undeceive the deluded multitude, the feason is now gone, and the records and witnesses, which might clear up the matter, have perished beyond recovery.

No