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THE REV. CANON E. MCCLCRE, M.A., M.R.I. A., ON 



Dei, x, 11): "Those who deny that the invisible God works 

 visible miracles are not to be listened to, since, even according 

 to them, He made the world, which they plainly cannot deny 

 to be visible. Whatever, therefore, is wonderful in the world 

 is naturally of a lesser wonder than the whole world itself, 

 which, without doubt, God created — that is, the heavens and 

 the earth and all that therein is." To exclude God from 

 interference in mundane affairs is to exclude Him also from 

 Creation. In Shakespeare's time also there were impugners of 

 miracles : 



La feu. " They say, miracles are past ; and we have our 

 philosophical persons, to make modern and familiar, things 

 supernatural and causeless. Hence is it, that we make trifles 

 of terrors ; ensconcing ourselves into seeming knowledge, when 

 we should submit ourselves to an unknown fear." — All's Well 

 that Ends Well, act ii, sc. iii. 



The Modernists are not, therefore, modern in their views 

 about miracles. Such philosophical persons as Shakespeare 

 mentions must always be forthcoming, for they will find a public 

 more or less prepared for them. It is no easy matter to 

 believe in miracles. Common everyday experience is against 

 them. The Indian prince, who dismissed as unworthy of 

 credence his informant testifying he had seen solid water, 

 has his representative everywhere. The unfamiliar will 

 always be on its trial, and requires strong evidence to sub- 

 stantiate it. 



Hume's argument, that it is more natural that testimony 

 should be false than that the uniformity of nature should be 

 disturbed, seems very natural. But then we must remember 

 that the uniformity of nature rests on testimony, and it comes 

 at length to weighing testimony with testimony. The record 

 of the first comet seen by man must have appeared very 

 incredible to those who had not witnessed it. 



The Rev. J. M. Thompson, who takes the Modernist position 

 in regard to miracles, has no qualms in setting aside all 

 evidence in their favour. He is at the same time a firm 

 believer in the Divinity of Jesus Christ. This is his position, 

 in his own words : " Though no miracles accompanied His entry 

 into, or presence on, or departure from, the world ; though He 

 did not think, or speak, or act otherwise than as a man ; though 

 He yields nothing to historical analysis but human elements ; 

 yet, in Jesus Christ, God is incarnate discovered, and 

 worshipped, as God alone can be, by the insight of faith " (Tlie 

 New Test, 1911). 



