Ill 



MIRACLES 



Miracle and natural law — Belief in miracles of savages (fetich- 

 ism), of semi-civilized (idolatry), of civilized (theism), 

 and of educated people (dualism) — Religious belief in 

 miracles — Apostles' Creed — Article relating to creation — 

 Article relating to redemption— Article relating to im- 

 mortality — Philosophic belief in miracles — ^Academic think- 

 ers and Free-thinkers — Dualism of Plato and Kant — Belief 

 in miracles in the nineteenth century, in modem meta- 

 physics, theology, and politics. 



IN ordinary parlance the word "miracle " means a num- 

 ber of different things. We say a phenomenon is 

 miraculous or wonderful ' when we cannot explain it and 

 trace its causes. But we say a natural object or a work 

 of art is wonderful when it is unusually beautiful and 

 imposing — when it passes the ordinary limits of our 

 experience. In this work I do not take the word in this 

 relative sense, but in the absolute sense in which a 

 phenomenon is said to transcend the Umits of natural 

 law and lie beyond the range of rational explanation. 

 In this sense it means the same as "supernatural" or 

 "transcendental." We can know natural phenomena 

 by our reason and bring them within our cognizance. 

 The miraculous can only be accepted on faith. 



' The German word wunder corresponds equally to the 

 English "miracle" and "wonder." It has seemed necessary to 

 translate it "wonder" in the title of the work, but frequently 

 as "miracle" in this chapter. — Trans. 



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