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of mind as well as of matter. The laws of nature comprise 
that mental, moral, and material order, according to which all 
things are carried on. A miracle cannot be “ contrary ” to 
mental laws, if free-agency is a fact. It cannot be “ contrary ” 
to moral laws, if it is the result of divine energy, put forth for 
ends that are good. It cannot be <c contrary 33 to material 
laws, if it is found to have its place in the eternal purposes of 
God, equally with the succession of day and night, or any of 
those moral and material laws according to which the world is 
governed. There may be intersections among the mental, 
moral, and material laws of nature. There are : — mind acts upon 
matter and controls it, and the whole nature of man is held 
subject to moral law. But a miracle breaks no law when it 
neutralizes or suspends a lower — it falls in rather with the 
general workings of nature. a We have (says Archbishop 
Trench) abundant analogous examples going forward before 
our eyes. Continually we behold in the world around us lower 
laws held in restraint by higher, mechanic by dynamic, 
chemical by vital, physical by moral [ mental ? ] ; yet we do 
not say, where the lower law gives place to the higher, that 
there was any violation of law, or that anything contrary to 
nature came to pass ; rather we acknowledge the law of a 
greater freedom swallowing up the law of the lesser d* * This 
passage was said by Mr. Powell to “ evince a higher view of 
physical philosophy than we might have expected from the 
mere promptings of philology and literature.” I hope that 
we are all desirous of entertaining the very highest view of 
physical philosophy, that is consistent with truth. I was not 
myself aware that the “mere promptings of philology and 
literature 33 were at all adverse to forming a correct estimate of 
any branch of philosophy. On the contrary, I had always 
thought that precise terms, and accuracy of expression, were 
essential to all branches of philosophy. Mr. Powell was, 
perhaps, right in saying that “ physical by moral 33 in the 
passage from Archbishop Trench, is “ not very clear,” and I 
would suggest that “ physical by mental ” might remove the 
point of the objection. The question of miracles, indeed, is inse- 
parable from the question of the existence and supremacy of mind. 
This is the fundamental point, the key to the right understanding 
of the subject and the clearing up of its difficulties. Admit 
the existence and supremacy of mind, and we can account for 
miracles; deny this, and miracles are not only inexplicable 
but impossible. And I believe we become defenders or 
doubters of miracles just in proportion as we retain or lose the 
* On Miracles, ch. ii. 
