A. MIRACLES IN GENERAL A FAMOUS EIGHTEENTH CENTURY ATTACK ON MIRACLES1 ... Nothing is esteemed a miracle, if it ever happen in the common course of nature. It is no miracle that a man, seemingly in good health, should die on a sudden; because such a kind of death, though more unusual than any other, has yet been frequently observed to happen. But it is miracle, that a dead man should come to life; because that has never been observed in any age or country. There must, therefore, be a uniform experience against every miraculous event, otherwise the event would not merit that appellation. And as a uniform experience amounts to a proof, there is here a direct and full proof from the nature of the fact, against the existence of any miracle; nor can such a proof be destroyed, or the miracle be rendered credible, but by an opposite proof, which is superior. The plain consequence is (and it is a general maxim worthy of our attention) "that no testimony is sufficient to establish a miracle, unless the testimony be of such a kind, that its falsehood would be more miraculous, than the fact, which it endeavors to establish; and even in that case there is a mutual destruction of arguments, and the superior only gives us an assurance suitable to that degree of force, which remains, after deducting the inferior." When anyone tells me, that he saw a dead man restored to life, I immediately consider with myself. whether it be more probable, that this person should either deceive or be deceived, or that the fact, which he 1 By David Hume. Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding. D. 115-16. relates, should really have happened. I weigh the one miracle against the other; and according to the superiority, which I discover, I pronounce my decision, and always reject the greater miracle. If the falsehood of his testimony would be more miraculous, than the event which he relates; then, and not till then, can he pretend to command my belief or opinion. A SIMILAR MODERN CONTENTION' It seems clear that completely isolated exceptions to the laws of nature could not be adequately established by the kind of historical evidence to which the believers in such suspensions appeal, even if that evidence were far stronger than it is. MIRACLES NOT ESSENTIAL TO I conclude, therefore, that the fate of Jesus and His gospel is in no way bound up with the fate of miracle. It is evident, even if naturalism is to control men's views of all history, that the really great things in Christ and His gospel abide. His teaching abides, His character is safe, His spiritual leadership is unquestioned. He is still our Prophet, Priest, and King. His risen and glorified life in God remains attested by the witness of life. Only the fringe of His evangelical career is torn away. We lose the stilling of the storm, the walking on the sea, the feeding of the multitudes, the raising of the widow's only son and the dead Lazarus. We lose something, no doubt, and the loss, if it should become inevitable, will be painful to many. But even here there is evidence of the greatness of our Lord. That He wrought wonders 1 By Dean Rashdall, quoted in Lake, Historical Evidence for the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. p. 268-9. 2 By George A. Gordon. Religion and Miracle. p. 130-1. upon the physical life of men is beyond dispute. That He gained access to the souls of the plain people by His marvelous power as the healer of physical distress is not open to question. That he took the imagination of the people captive is attested by the tradition of wonders that came to invest His career. To all serious minds, part of the evidence of the power of Jesus Christ will always be the epic of miracle inbedded in His career. How great that epic is, it would be difficult to say, of what divine things it is the reflection, men may one day become noble enough to discover. B. THE VIRGIN BIRTH, WHY WE BELIEVE IN THE VIRGIN BIRTH OF CHRIST 2 The reason your attention is called to this subject is because at present it is the focal point of the enemy's attack against Christianity. Contemporary conditions in the world make certain subjects of defense more urgent at one time than another, and this is the particular subject for today. Therefore we say: 1. We believe in the virgin birth of Christ because we believe the Bible to be true, that is to say, credible in its statements of fact. But some one may say, is not that begging the question? How do we know the Bible to be credible in its statements of fact? The reply to this was given on another occasion, but we may here say that Christianity, which is synonymous with the Bible, is a historic religion, the only religion in the world of which that may be said in the same sense. Christianity is based on historic evidence. What the Apostle John says of its Divine Founder may be said of it, "that which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled" (I John 1:1). In other words, any one sufficiently interested may ascertain for himself how the Christian church originated, whether Jesus Christ arose from the dead and whether, such being the case, He ever authenticated the Bible which was before His day. As a matter of fact, the historic evidence of Christianity on which the faith of our fathers rested is as 1 See also "Mr. Bryan on the Five Points." p. 32-9. 2 By James M. Gray, D.D. A Bible conference address. Reprinted by permission of the author and holder of the copyright. |