No means of detection remain, but thofe which must be drawn from the very teftimony itself of the reporters: And thefe, though always fufficient with the judicious and knowing, are commonly too fine to fall under the comprehenfion of the vulgar.

Upon the whole, then, it appears, that no teftimony for any kind of miracle has ever amounted to a probability, much lefs to a proof; and that, even supposing it amounted to a proof, it would be oppofed by another proof derived from the very nature of the fact, which it would endeavour to establish. 'Tis experience only, which gives authority to human testimony; and 'tis the fame experience, which affures us of the laws of nature. When, therefore, these two kinds of experience are contrary, we have nothing to do but fubftract the one from the other, and embrace an opinion, either on one fide or the other, with that affurance which arifes from the remainder. But according to the principle here explained, this subftraction, with regard to all popular religions, amounts to an intire annihilation; and therefore we may establish it as a máxim, that no human teftimony can have fuch force as to prove a miracle, and make it a just foundation for any fuch system of religion *.

I am

I beg the limitations here made may be remarked, when I fay, that a miracle can never be proved, so as to be the foundation of a system of religion. For I own, that otherwise, there may poffibly be miracles, or violations of the ufual course of nature, of fuch a kind as to admit of proof from human teftimony; though, perhaps, it will be impoffible to find any fuch in all the records of history. Thus, fuppofe, all authors, in all languages, agree, that from the first of January, 1600, there was a total darkness over the whole earth for eight days: Suppofe that the tradition of this extraordinary event is ftill ftrong and lively among the people: That all travellers, who return from foreign countries, bring us accounts of the fame tradition, without the leaft variation or contradiction: 'Tis evident, that our present philofophers,

I am the better pleased with this method of reasoning, as I think it may serve to confound those dangerous friends or difguifed

philofophers, instead of doubting that fact, ought to receive it for certain, and ought to search for the causes whence it might be derived. The decay, corruption, and diffolution of nature, is an event rendered probable by fo many analogies, that any phænomenon, which feems to have a tendency towards that catastrophe, comes within the reach of human teftimony, if that teftimony be very extenfive and uniform.

But fuppofe, that all the historians, who treat of ENGLAND, should agree, that on the first of JANUARY, 1600, Queen ELIZABETH died; that both before and after her death she was seen by her physicians and the whole court, as is ufual with perfons of her rank; that her fucceffor was acknowleged and proclaimed by the parliament; and that, after being interred a month, she again appeared, took poffeffion of the throne, and governed ENGLAND for three years: I must confefs, I fhould be furprized at the concurrence of fo many odd circumftances, but should not have the least inclination to believe fo miraculous an event. I should not doubt of her pretended death, and of those other public circumstances that followed it: I fhould only affert it to have been pretended, and that it neither was, nor poffibly could be real. You would in vain object to me the difficulty, and almost impossibility of deceiving the world in an affair of such consequence; the wisdom and integrity of that renowned queen; with the little or no advantage which she could reap from so poor an artifice: All this might aftonish me; but I would ftill reply, that the knavery and folly of men are fuch common phænomena, that I should rather believe the most extraordinary events to arise from their concurrence, than to admit fo fignal a violation of the laws of nature.

But should this miracle be ascribed to any new fyftem of religion; men, in all ages, have been fo much imposed on by ridiculous stories of that kind, that this very circumstance would be a full proof of a cheat, and fufficient, with all men of fenfe, not only to make them reject the fact, but even reject it without farther examination. Though the Being to whom the miracle is afcribed, be, in this case, Almighty, it does not, upon that account, become a whit more probable; fince 'tis imposible for us to know the attributes or actions of fuch a Being, otherwife than from the experience which we have of his productions, in the usual course of nature. This ftill reduces us to paft obfervation, and obliges us to compare the inftances of the violations of truth in the teftimony of men with those of the violation of the laws of

nature

guised enemies to the Chriftian Religion, who have undertaken to defend it by the principles of human reafon. Our moft holy religion is founded on Faith, not on reason; and 'tis a fure method of expofing it to put it to fuch a trial as it is, by no means, fitted to endure. To make this more evident, let us examine thofe miracles, related in fcripture; and not to lofe ourselves in too wide a field, let us confine ourselves to fuch as we find in the Pentateuch, which we shall examine, according to the principles of thefe pretended Chriftians, not as the word or teftimony of God himself, but as the production of a mere human writer and hiftorian. Here then we are firft to confider a book, prefented to us by a barbarous and ignorant people, wrote in an age when they were still more barbarous, and in all probability long after the facts which it relates roborated by no concurring teftimony, and resembling those fabulous accounts, which every nation gives of its origin. Upon reading this book, we find it full of prodigies and miracles. It gives an account of a state of the world and of human nature entirely different from the present: Of our fall from that state: Of the age of man, extended to near a thou

; cor

nature by miracles, in order to judge which of them is most likely and probable. As the violations of truth are more common in the teftimony concerning religious miracles, than in that concerning any other matter of fact; this must diminish very much the authority of the former teftimony, and make us form a general resolution, never to lend any attention to it, with whatever fpecious pretext it may be covered.

in natura.

"Faci

My lord BACON feems to have embraced the fame principles of reafoning. "enda enim eft congeries five historia naturalis particularis omnium monftrorum & partuum naturæ prodigioforum; omnis denique novitatis & raritatis & inconfueti Hoc vero faciendum eft cum feveriffimo delectu, ut conflet fides. "Maxime autem habenda funt pro fufpectis quæ pendent quomodocunque ex religione, "ut prodigia LIVII: Nec minus que inveniuntur in fcriptoribus magiæ naturalis, aut etiam alchymix, & hujufmodi hominibus; qui tanquam proci funt & amatores fabularum.” Nov. Organ. Lib. 2. Aph. 29. fand

fand years: Of the deftruction of the world by a deluge: Of the arbitrary choice of one people, as the favourites of heaven; and that people, the countrymen of the author: Of their deliverance from bondage by prodigies the most astonishing imaginable: I defire any one to lay his hand upon his heart, and after ferious confideration declare, whether he thinks that the falfhood of fuch a book, fupported by fuch a teftimony, would be more extraordinary and miraculous than all the miracles it relates; which is, however, neceffary to make it be received, according to the measures of probability above established.

What we have faid of miracles may be applied, without any variation, to prophecies; and indeed, all prophecies are real miracles, and as fuch only, can be admitted as proofs of any revelation. If it did not exceed the capacity of human nature to foretel future events, it would be abfurd to employ any prophecy as an argument for a divine mission or authority from heaven. So that, upon the whole, we may conclude, that the Chriftian Religion not only was at firft attended with miracles, but even at this day reafonable perfon without one. convince us of its veracity: And to affent to it, is confcious of a continued miracle in his own perfon, which fubverts all the principles of his understanding, and gives him a determination to believe what is most contrary to custom and experience.

cannot be believed by any Mere reafon is infufficient to whoever is moved by Faith

SECTION_XI.

OF A PARTICULAR PROVIDENCE AND OF A FUTURE STATE.

WAS lately engaged in converfation with a friend who loves fceptical paradoxes; where, though he advanced. many principles, of which I can by no means approve, yet as they feem to be curious, and to bear fome relation to the chain of reafoning carried on through this enquiry, I fhall here copy them from my memory as accurately as I can, in order to submit them to the judgment of the reader.

Our converfation began with my admiring the fingular good fortune of philofophy, which, as it requires intire liberty, above all other privileges, and flourishes chiefly from the free oppofition of fentiments and argumentation, received its firft birth in an age and country of freedom and toleration, and was never cramped, even in its most extravagant principles, by any creeds, confeffions, or penal ftatutes. For except the banishment of PROTAGORAS, and the death of SOCRATES, which last event proceeded partly from other motives, there are fcarce any inftances to be met with, in antient hiftory, of this bigotted jealoufy, with which the prefent age is fo much infefted. EPICURUS lived at ATHENS to an advanced age, in

peace