MIRACLES AND SPECIAL PROVIDENCES. 351 
the wind ceased. According to the canon of the Bampton 
lecturer, this, though carrying a strong appearance of an 
immediate exertion of Divine energy, lacks by a hair's 
breadth the quality of a miracle. For the wind might have 
arisen, and might have ceased, in the ordinary course of 
nature. Hence the occurrence did not "compel the in- 
ference of extraordinary Divine agency." In like manner 
Mr. Mozley considers that " the appearance of the cross to 
Constantino was a miracle, or a special providence, accord- 
ing to what account of it we adopt. As only a meteoric 
appearance in the shape of a cross it gave some token of 
preternatural agency, but not full evidence." 
In the Catholic canton of Switzerland where I now 
write, and still more among the pious Tyrolese, the moun- 
tains are dotted with shrines, containing offerings of all 
kinds, in acknowledgment of special mercies legs, feet, 
arms, and hands of gold, silver, brass, and wood, accord- 
ing as worldly possessions enabled the grateful heart to 
express its indebtedness. Most of these offerings are made 
to the Virgin Mary. They are recognitions of " special 
providences," wrought through the instrumentality of the 
Mother of God. Mr. Mozley's belief, that of the Methodist 
chronicler, and that of the Tyrolese peasant, are substan- 
tially the same. Each of them assumes that nature instead 
of flowing ever onward in the uninterrupted rhythm of 
cause and effect, is mediately ruled by the free human will. 
As regards direct action upon natural phenomena, man's 
wish and will, as expressed in prayer, are confessedly power- 
less; but prayer is the trigger which liberates the divine 
power, and to this extent, if the will be free, man, of course, 
commands nature. 
Did the existence of this belief depend solely upon the 
material benefits derived from it, it could not, in my opinion, 
last a decade. As a purely objective fact, we should soon 
see that the distribution of natural phenomena is unaffected 
by the merits or the demerits of men; that the law of 
fravitation crushes the simple worshipers of Ottery St. 
lary, while singing their hymns, just as surely as if they 
were engaged in a midnight brawl. The hold of this be- 
lief upon the human mind is not due to outward verification, 
but to the inner warmth, force, and elevation with which 
it is commonly associated. It is plain, however, that these 
feelings may exist under the most various forms. They 
