48 OF MIRACLES* 



Befides, the demonflrable tefHmony ' in behalf of 

 pretended miracles, feems a cafe by no means poffibls. 

 We cannot, at any rate, afford our credit to one An- 

 gle witnefs, when he relates a miracle *.■ 



But the exifience even of a thoufand liars, or mifta- 

 ken perfons, is always infinitely more probable, infi- 

 nitely fooner to be admitted, than the exiflence of one 

 miracle ; fo long as we do not know, from experience^ 

 that there are miracles, and, on the other lide, cannot 

 doubt that men in all times have lied and been mif- 

 taken. ■ ' •• 



From hence it feems as if we could not, without 

 fuppofing an infallibility in the relator of miracles, give 

 any belief to what he relates ; becaufe, if the poflibi- 

 lity that he may miftake be allowed, then immediately 

 the furmife mufh enter that he actually is miflakeri 

 when he recounts to us facts that are deflitute of all 

 probability. 



This infallibility, however, of a relator, would itfelf 

 be a miracle, and indeed as refting on infpiration 3 

 would be an invifible miracle, which, lince it never 

 could be an object of the outward fenfes, could only 

 be terrified by one fingle perfon : namely, by him who 

 fhould pretend to be thus infpired. 



Then HifTmann's cafe, as cited in the laft note s 

 would again recur*}"/ 



The 



* Si unicum folum teftis, licet fide d'ign'jfimus y de miraculo 

 quodam perhibeat teftimonium, turn fide in hoc cafu omnl y ad 

 alia nimirum fufficiente, deftituitur. HifTmann. 

 '* + Add to this, the remarkable circumftance, that he who 

 teftifies of an immediate inworking of a fupernatural being in his 



