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tlie work of a Divine power to attest a divine mission, I should say, that 

 it would be no conclusive reason for disbelieving it, that we could not say it 

 was wrought by some beneficent power. It is clear that there have been 

 miracles wrought by Satanic agency ; and if there is sufficient evidence to 

 authenticate a miracle, we must believe it in the same way that we believe 

 anything else w^hich is attested by suffi.cient evidence, however improbable 

 a imori it may be. Improbability is no sufficient ground for disbelieving a 

 thing. If we say it is, we must hold that the man who had lived all his 

 life in the East was right when he regarded the European as an impostor 

 because he declared that he had walked across a lake which had become 

 solid. We can easily conceive that no miracle would be more difficult of 

 reception than that, to a man living in the tropics, who had never before 

 heard of ice. Yet in that case we know that the man who disbelieved was 

 wrong. It is a familiar fact to us that water does freeze ; and therefore, 

 however improbable the thing might appear to him, we know the Oriental 

 was quite wrong in refusing belief on account of its antecedent improba- 

 bility. As, however extraordinary a thing may be, we must believe it if 

 attested by sufficient evidence ; therefore, the most malevolent miracle, 

 which could not possibly have been worked by divine power, is to be 

 credited if it be supported by sufficient evidence. The question is one of 

 evidence, and nothing else ; but before we can say that religion is to be 

 believed if it is attested by miracles, there comes in the question, " What is 

 the nature of the message which the person who worked the miracle brings ?" 

 I should by no means say that a religion attested by the most numerous and 

 remarkable miracles was to be accepted as from above, if it were one which 

 was totally unworthy of the character of the Supreme Creator. We cannot 

 pronounce it impossible that the devil might work miracles to attest a reve- 

 ^ lation, to lead man to misery and destruction. Whether miracles come from 

 above or below, they must be judged by the character of the message which 

 they are given to authenticate ; and whether they have come from below or 

 above, the fact as to whether they have taken place or not must be judged 

 by the ordinary rules of evidence which we apply to anything else. Their 

 miraculous nature shows, not that they were worked by a divine power, but 

 only that they were worked by a supernatural power, and what that power 

 is must be judged of from the nature of the message which the worker brings. 



Rev. J. W. Buckley. — I quite agree with the last speaker, that we 

 must judge these matters by the ordinary rules of evidence; but would he 

 be kind enough to point out where Satanic agency has ever wrought a 

 miracle ? Our Saviour speaks of " false Christs," who shall show great 

 signs and wonders ; inasmuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive 

 the very elect and St. Paul writes of one " whose coming is after the 

 working of Satan, with all power and signs and lying wonders." But these 

 texts seem actually to go to this very fact, that such things as Mr. Row refers 

 to are not true miracles. 



Mr. Jones. — The magicians of Pharaoh's time did the same things as 

 jMoses. 



