202 REV. H. 0. M. WATSON 



character of the agent. The force that attaches to such co- 

 incidences or signs must be determined by a consideration of 

 the nature of the claim itself (that is_, its compatibility with 

 other truths), and other important circumstances. But, in 

 any case, a miracle is evidence of the exertion of a super- 

 human or supernatural power. It therefore implies the 

 existence of a supernatural Being, both able and willing, 

 on certain occasions, to suspend or quicken the operations 

 of nature. 



Another definition of a special class of miracles may be 

 given thus : — 



A miracle consists in the arrest of the action of the ante- 

 cedent in nature by the intervention of an antecedent 

 above nature, so that the first antecedent is followed, not 

 by its own orderly consequent, but by another con- 

 sequent, whose nature is determined by the supernatural 

 power operating, and follows naturally its own super- 

 natural antecedent. Thus, the natural antecedent A is, in the 

 order of nature, followed by its own consequent a, but the 

 introduction of B before a follows, arrests the action of A, 

 and changes the character of the consequent, so that A is not 

 followed by a, but by h, which is the consequent of B. The 

 introduction of B may require to be explained ; but however 

 explained, its consequent h follows naturally. Thus, Lazarus 

 dies (A) ; the natural consequent of his death is decay (a) ; 

 but Christ (B) intervenes before the action of A is completed, 

 and the consequent is not decay (a), but life (6). That is, A 

 is followed not by a, but by &, which is, however, not the 

 consequent of A, but of B. 



But these definitions are definitions which imply a theory, 

 and are thus of the nature of an explanation. The theory, or 

 the explanation, may not be true ; nevertheless, a miracle may 

 be a fact. If the testimony vouching for it is trustworthy, a 

 mira:cle is a phenomenon which calls upon scientific observers 

 for explanation ; and if scientific observation cannot account 

 for the undoubted phenomenon, by its present conception of 

 the universe, then so much the worse for that conception. It 

 is insufficient, and must be amended ; for a comprehensive 

 conception of the universe must be consistent with all the 

 authenticated facts of the universe. If it fail to embrace 

 any one fact, it is not true or not sufficient. 



