Having treated the subject of miracles at some length in "The World's
Sixteen Crucified Saviors," we shall give it but a brief notice in this
work, and will comprehend the whole thing in a few points.
1. The history of miraculous achievements by Gods and men form a very
large chapter in the "inspired writings" of nearly all the ancient
religious systems which have flourished in the world; and to notice all
these cases would require volumes enough to make a library.
2. Almost the only evidence we have in any case of the actual
performance of a miracle is the report of the writer who relates it.
3. St. Chrysostom declares that "miracles are not designed for men of
sense, but only for sluggish minds." It will be understood, therefore,
that what we write here on the subject will not be designed for persons
of sense, but only for the ignorant and superstitious.
4. Many things in the past which were set down as miracles are now known
to be the result of natural causes; such as the rainbow, most cases of
sickness, and, in fact, nearly every phenomenon of nature. And, as
every age develops new light on natural causes, it has made the list of
miracles not already explained so small, that we may reasonably conclude
that they will all yet be explained and understood in this light,
excepting those fabricated without any basis of truth.
5. As God appears to have regulated every thing in the beginning by
fixed laws, if he should break one of those laws by the performance of a
miracle, it would throw every thing into chaos and confusion, and prove
that he is not a God of order and stability.
6. If God, as we are told, made every thing perfect, then the
performance of a miracle must make them imperfect, or prove that they
have always been imperfect.
7. The performance of a miracle would prove that God is an imperfect
being in not having every thing regulated by the laws of nature.
8. If the performance of miracles can authenticate the truth of one
religion, then it must prove the truth of all religions; for all report
miracles of some kind, and furnish, in most cases, the same kind of
evidence that these miracles were performed.
9. There is not a miracle related in either the Old or New Testament
that has not a parallel reported in the Bibles or sacred writings of the
Orientals; such as curing the halt and blind, raising the dead, crossing
streams in a miraculous manner, &c. Many cases are reported of the
Hindoo Savior and Son of God, Chrishna, raising dead persons who had
been drowned, murdered, or died a natural death. According to Tacitus,
Vespasian performed a number of miraculous cures; such as curing the
lame, restoring sight to the blind, &c., just as is related of Jesus.
According to Josephus, Alexander with his army passed through the Sea of
Pamphylia in the same miraculous manner that Moses did through the Red
Sea. As Alexander's army was engaged in the work of human butchery, we
may assume that, if God could have had anything to do with it, he would
have embraced the opportunity to drown them, and wash them all away.
10. _Jewish Miracles_.--The Jewish Talmud speaks of birds so large that
they darkened the sun, and shut out the light of the sun from the
earth. Probably they supposed, like Moses, that nearly all the earth
was located between Dan and Beersheba. Another kind of bird was so tall,
that, when walking in a river seventy feet deep, the water only reached
its knees. This is a tall story; but it should be remembered that it is
related by the same people who tell us about sticks being converted
into serpents, water into blood, dust into lice, &c., and a man (Samson)
overturning a house with several thousand people in it, &c. Hence all
these stones are equally reliable or unreliable.
11. _Mahomedan Miracles_.--Mahomedans bear off the palm in miraculous
prodigies. For instance, a cock is spoken of so large that the distance
between its feet and head was five hundred days' journey. What a pity
Barnum could not obtain it! Another example: an angel so large that the
distance between his eyes was seventy thousand days' journey. The head
of this tall ghost must have been among the planets. The earth would
have been too small to furnish him with a seat; and the attempt to-use
it for that purpose would probably have thrown it out of its orbit.
12. _Christian Miracles_.--The early Christians seem to have had the
whole miracle-making machinery of heaven under their control. Their
miracles were prodigious and numerous. They claimed they could cast
out devils, call the dead from their graves, and make ghosts walk about
either end up. We are told that when a Mr. Huntingdon was reduced to
great poverty and suffering, and prayed for divine assistance, fishes
came out of the water to him, and larks and leather breeches from
heaven, to serve as food and clothing. It is difficult to conceive how
leather breeches came to be stored in heaven. With these few specimens,
selected at random, we will stop. They are too large even to excite our
marvelousness. The most ignorant and superstitious nations have always
had the longest creeds and the tallest miracles.
13. We have stated that the only evidence of the performance of any
miracle in most cases is the simple narration of it by the writer who
records it. The Roman Catholics, however, claim to have the testimony
of thousands of reliable witnesses to attest to the performance of some
extraordinary miracles which they have reported the history of; such
as a picture of the Virgin Mary, hanging on the walls of the church,
opening and shutting its eyes daily for six or seven months, which
they declare was witnessed by sixty thousand people, including Pope,
cardinals, bishops, &c.,--leading men of the Church.
14. There is as much evidence that Esculapius raised Hypolitus from the
dead (as related by the Roman historian Pausanias), as that Elijah or
Christ raised the dead; as much evidence that the serpent's egg inclosed
in gold (as related by Pliny in his "Arguinum Ovum") swam up stream when
thrown into the river, as that Elisha raised an ax to the surface of the
water by casting a stick into it (2 Kings vi. 6); as much evidence that
Mahomet opened a fountain of water in the end of his little finger, as
that Samson found a spring of water in the jaw-bone of an ass; as much
evidence that Mahomet's camel talked to him, as that Balaam's ass was
endowed with human speech; and as much evidence that Esculapius cured
the blind with spittle, as that Christ performed such cures. All stand
upon a level; all lack the proof.
15. Here let it be noted that many of the miracles recorded in
the Christian Bible are susceptible of an explanation upon natural
principles; such as the shadow going back on the dial of Ahaz, as the
phenomenon has been witnessed in some of the Eastern countries of the
shadows appearing to recede, when the sun is near the solstice, once in
the forenoon and once in the afternoon. The story of the devils entering
the hogs may be explained by assuming the devils to have been frogs; for
they are described as being like frogs. (See Rev. xvi. 13.)
The resurrection of Lazarus may be explained by assuming him to have
been in a state of coma, or trance; for Christ once declared, "This
sickness is not unto death," but "he sleepeth" (John xi). The bloody
sweat of Christ, and his transfiguration, can also be explained on
natural principles; also Paul's conversion, and his miraculous cures
with a handkerchief. Dr. Newton, the great healer, has cured hundreds
of cases in a similar manner. And the time will come when all real
occurrences, now called miracles, will be accounted for, and understood
as the operation of natural causes.