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as the work of a Divine power to attest a divine mission, I should say, that 
it would he 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 which is attested by sufficient evidence, however improbable 
a priori 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 venders ; 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. Joses. — The magicians of Pharaoh’s time did the same things as 
Moses, 
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