VIII.

A DISSERTATION

CONCERNING

THE CREDIBILITY OF MIRACLES,

EVEN FROM OUR EXPERIENCE

OF

PHILOSOPHICAL FACTS.

Intended as fome further Reply to Mr. Hume's Argument.

VOL. III.

THE metaphysical answer, to that fubtil

and mischievous argument of Hume, derived from the idea of Miracles being contrary to all experience, may juftly be left in the hands of Dr. Campbell, Dr. Beattie, and of those other excellent writers, who fo foon stood Q3

forth

forth to meet this dangerous adversary of the cause of Truth *, in his own fubtil manner of reasoning; and to ftop, if poffible, the fatal progrefs of his malignant efforts.

༈ །

But there is still one other light, in which the matter perhaps ought to be examined; and in which the mighty works related to have been wrought by the Prophets of God, and by The Word of The Lord, ought to be attended to, that has hitherto been nearly palled over in filence;-and yet deferves most serious confideration.

-Deferves confideration, efpecially from the natural philofopher, and the chemift,and that they both fhould jointly bear an honeft teftimony, in the caufe of truth, againft arguments founded fo very much on prefumptuous ignorance, and on perverfe mifinterpretation.

For the fact is,--that the Miracles recorded in Holy Writ, are not fo entirely contrary to all experience, as Hume has ftated; —and that, though nothing but the Divine Power, and Word of God, could have brought them to pafs, juft at the time, and in the manner, in

*

Surely a no lefs dangerous adverfary than Voltaire,

or Gibbon.