Show communicated christianity and miracles the prevailing opinion among of iho present day la that the age of miracles is pst they believe that came aiuto tho corli and entered on its career of conquest amidst the rno t displays of power bol the for these interruptions cf the ordinary coneta of having iho maraon ions ceased also clero bro of lii story and they have that the early history of is invariably mixed up wilh myth and fable abo early of greece anil and even of india havo been brought to ahn att of historical criticism and at alio llio touch of the huge unwieldy mass has resolved itself into ata prin iBry clementa of loro and bistor iral fact why iho new testament abat 0 o ditc ao account of alio ruo anil carla conquest of christianity not is to the fmc why tho bowly canon of ghittori oil t miracle is imps eible not be to ano chriatian Chri etian ricorda 1 would it not lo 10 a real to to rid it of with which its early history hag been hitherto associated have not many of lie finest minds placed themselves in direct antagonism to christianity on account ol 01 the element that pervades it la a word would not christianity obtain a new lease of life nd inter on a grander career of victory acro it freed forever from choso galling bond of en that leold it captive and threaten its life 7 now we would be tie last to claim for exemption from the laws of historical criticism if there be anything in abo gospels that can bo shown to lie fictitious let it go ko ono circa to retain what has been conclusively proved to bo false bat benoro consigning til the miracles that crowd the pages of the historic to tho region of myth and fable we ought to examine tho grounds on which wo ara acied to do so and look at tho results that are likely to follow christianity originated among the jews not at tho commencement of their national history but at its dote the history of tho jewe as a race back to tho days of abraham aad their history a a nation to the days of closes A period of many centuries intervened between their first appe arauco on abo stage cf history and tho coming of christ in tho course of which they bad ample time to have pissed through the theological and metaphysical stages of their religious development and to have entered on the positive blaga and wo are not without that this stage had lean readied by a large section of the community the acro no email and insignificant sect in abo time of christ they etro the representatives of the advanced of times and had progressed far enough to feel themselves in a position ta deny the doc trino 0 the resurrection and tho existence of angel and spirit at abia stage in the history ot abo development of religious thought villi all its miracles arose what wire the advanced thinkers doing why did they allow a pernicious superstition to steal a march on them if they in conjunction with natural enemies the were unable to ebush christianity in its cradle choir descendants ants we fear cannot hope for successful issue in grappling with it after the lapse of eighteen centuries As to tho principle that a miracle is impossible which ia now so confidently put forward ai n canon of historical hitt orical criticism we havo no objection to apply it to tho ew testament history when it has been birtt proved to bo true and when its discoverers have themselves shown a little more confidence in il in reading life of jesu many years ago we were astonished to that after in the way that a is impossible he then entered on what adar all proved to bo his real work viz to provo that miracle had never happened surely if bis principle ia true it was quite unnecessary for him to on himself abc task of together all the alleged discrepancies of tho gospel in order to that what 18 in impossible had never lakan place the truth is it has never proved that a is impossible per ie and until that has been done wo arc content to believe with tho that a il a very possible thing but it is sometimes alleged that though a miracle be possible ier se it ia impossible abo of an infinitely biao god it is inserted that the all biao aull sever allow any irregularity to ake under HIB government and that arc therefore impassible bat a miracle ia not an irregularity it il a fion of known lawa at ibo bidding of higher live that do not come within the ringo fl f common experience agu n it 16 said that all that ia ri tally valuable in the gospels would Kirn alil though tho away and that it ia very desira tie in theto days if religious conflict I 1 COD and weak n the came ol 01 iou by retaining what ia not essential all that u valuable can or under boch conditions bo regained we cannot ray because opinion ia divided as to what ia y tillable but thi wo do that whatever itta ains at ie lit mut i cribb bouce admit that luira cloa aro mohib aej ilo dark of doubt falls on the whole mcora the gob acl history u oot piece of a stuck in hero and there by way of irn aLvut tut like 10 lo own Vt stute without acin woven froia tho top iho aro a of the general history and tor ather acy cr 11 it u eliat the aion aej arc to nudity they are the pillars on which tho chriatian 1 dinoto ahcin and nothing cai 1 ame tho hoary rile from acor the ironi acine atod in hi coir what 13 aba denial or ano mimics li tj nay bortalo cor talo to avo on choso to ia raaf ot too bubl bo abo d the Us tn 1 won acil II 11 ia abtin 1 roia tc dead arc miracles of iho moet aini and can it lie bolier cd that any loan will accept nd ihira olei that play the ra humble their central arbs orbs if thing could ba it would only that men have after all DO objection to miracle provided only they are fiig enough and il bo that tho very diio of tbt christain Christi in church depends on a continued miracle tho spirit hat was poured out at pentecost abides in the church and will abide wilh her to tho end it ia he that has her alive through all theao centuries and ia now giving her fresh life aej vigor in nil parts of ilia worlie aho destinies of the church are by too spirit that dwells in her and were ho to take his departure eho would instantly nothing behind her but a name in bictory biB tory dot the spirit that with the church now whom the world cannot receive it ecith him not is hat the earnest of our the pledge in hand of glories yet to be the ago of mira clab is to return tho charch wall for the son from heaven according t hia promise that promise is the kocat hope ot now thoy look with joyous expectation for ho timo when the jorj him bolf irilli a elout wilh the f abo and with abo trump of god and tha dead in fieo airet then ley who are alive and remain shall IB caught up together with in tho clouds to meet the lord in the air and EO edall they ever be with the lord fry is founded on lives on miracles and encircled with tho halo of miracles will pass away from E silt laic city reby reb y 24 1878 |