MIRACLES AND SPECIAL PHOVIDENCE8. 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 

 Constantiue 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. Asa 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 

 gravitation crushes the simple worshipers of Ottery St. 

 Mary, 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 



