i:r: [ -75 I 



Section V. 



Of Miracles. 



After the extraordinary efforts which we have feen in the pre- 

 ceding fedions made by Mr, Hume, to fubvert the rational foun- 

 dation of the belief of any paft fad, namely, its conformity to 

 general and uniform experience of fimilar fads in fimilar circum- 

 ftances, and to attribute the acknowledged influence of fuch ex- 

 perience on mankind, folely to cuftom and inflind, principles 

 which he elfewhere declares to be fallacious, (p. 371.) we fhould 

 little exped to fee fuch conformity fet up as an evidence of the 

 exiftence, or the want of it, or oppofition to it, c-onfidered as fuch 

 an evidence of the non-exiftence of any fad, as to admit of no 

 exception or modification in any poffible cafe, but, on the contrary, 

 fuch as fhould neceffarily be received as a full and entire proof of 

 either refpedively. This tergiverfation and complete abandon- 

 ment of principle we fhall clearly difcern in examining his cele- 

 brated Effay on Miracles; an effay which he valued above all 

 others, and to which he told me twenty-two anfwers had been 

 made, hinting, that if any of them had been fatisfadory any 

 other would have been judged fuperfluous. 



! ■ , : 



The number of anfwers, after perufing fome. of them, and 



1 particularly that of Dr. Campbell, and that lately given by an 



ingenious member of our Academy, fuggefted to me a con- 



clufion 



