had projected among themselves, how was it possible they should conceive the cause to be either true or holy? They must have known, that in those cardinal points, on which all depends, they were false witnesses concerning God, wilful corrupters of the religion of their country, and public, though indeed disinterested incendiaries, whithersoever they went. They could not therefore enjoy even that poor solace," that the end "will sanctify the means;" a solace with which the monk or anchoret silences the remonstrances of his conscience, when, in defence of a religion which he regards as certain, he, by some pitiful juggler-trick, imposeth on the credulity of the rabble. On the contrary, the whole scheme of the apostles must have been, and not only must have been, but must have appeared to themselves, a most audacious freedom with their Maker, a villanous imposition on the world, and I will add, a most foolish and ridiculous project of heaping ruin and disgrace upon themselves, without the prospect of any compensation in the present life, or reversion in the future.

believe the fact, or deny it. The whole difference between the essayist and us, is at length reduced to this single point, whether greater or smaller miracles are entitled to the preference, This mystery, however, vanishes on a nearer inspection. The style, we find, is figurative, and the author is all the while amusing both his readers and himself with an unusual application of a familiar term. What is called the weighing of probabilities in one sentence, is the weighing of miracles in the next. If it were asked, for what reason did not Mr Hume express his sentiment in ordinary and proper words? I could only answer, I know no reason but one, and that is, to give the appearance of novelty and depth to one of those very harmless propositions, which by philosophers are called identical, and which, to say the truth, need some disguise to make them pass upon the world with tolerable decency.

What then shall be said of the conclusion which he gives as the sum and quintessence of the first part of the essay? The best thing, for aught I know, that can be said, is, that it contains a most certain truth, though at the same time the least significant, that ever perhaps was ushered into the world with so much so

lemnity. In order, therefore, to make plainer English of his plain consequence, let us only change the word miraculous, as applied to the falsehood of human testimony, into improbable, which in this passage is entirely equivalent, and observe the effect produced by this elucidation. "The plain consequence is, and it is "a GENERAL MAXIM, worthy of our at"tention, THAT NO TESTIMONY IS SUFFICI(6 ENT TO ESTABLISH A MIRACLE, UNLESS 66 THE TESTIMONY BE OF SUCH A KIND, THAT ઃઃ ITS FALSEHOOD WOULD BE MORE IMPRO"BABLE THAN THE FACT WHICH IT ENDEAVOURS TO ESTABLISH.' If the reader thinks himself instructed by this discovery, I should be loth to envy him the pleasure he may derive from it.

* P. 182.

D 6

DISSERTATION

ON

MIRACLES.

PART II.

THE MIRACLES ON WHICH THE BELIEF OF CHRISTIANITY IS FOUNDED, ARE SUFFICIENTLY ATTESTED.

SECT. I.

There is no presumption arising from human nature, against the miracles said to have been wrought in proof of Christianity.

FROM what hath been evinced in the fourth and fifth sections of the former part, with regard to religion in general, two corollaries are clearly deducible in favour of Christianity. One is, That the presumption arising from the dignity of the end, to say the least of it, can in no religion be pleaded with greater advantage than in the Christian. The other is, that the presumption arising from the religious affection, instead of weakening, corroborates

the evidence of the gospel. The faith of Jesus was promulgated, and gained ground, not with the assistance, but in defiance of all the religious zeal and prejudices of the times.

In order to invalidate the second corollary, it will possibly be urged, that prosyletes to a new religion may be gained at first; either by address and eloquence, or by the appearances of uncommon sanctity, and rapturous fervours of devotion; that if once people have commenced prosyletes, the transition to enthusiasm is almost unavoidable? and that enthusiasm will fully account for the utmost pitch both of credulity and falseness.

Admitting that a few converts might be made by the aforesaid arts, it is subversive of all the laws of probability, to imagine, that the strongest prepossessions, fortified with that vehement abhorrence which contradiction in religious principles rarely fails to excite, should be so easily vanquished in multitudes. Besides, the very pretext of supporting the doctrine by miracles, if a false pretext, would of necessity do unspeakable hurt to the cause. The pretence of miracles will quickly attract the attention of all to whom the new doc