Experimental investigation of the spirit manifestations, [electronic ...

402 RELIGIOUS ERRORS OF MR. MAIIAN.but to admit this absurdity, or to concludo that the Bible has no betterauthority than the Book of Mormon ; tlic one being no more tlian theother the work of a designing priesthood and woukl-be rulers.1951. What credit would be given to any work having no better authorityfor divine origin than that of the allegation that some pope had foundit in a cathedral or in the Vatieanj and had sent it to some monarchicalbigot as the mislaid testament of the Almighty, given by inspirationthrough some ancient predecessor of his holiness ?1952. It may be difficult to conceive that Ililkiah and his associates, inwriting a book, as proceeding by inspiration from Jehovah, could havefabricated any facts so derogatory to an immaculate Deity as those mentionedunder the authority of Moses.IIow impious must have been theirconceptions, to represent him as authorizing them to borrow trinkets of theEgyptians, in order to purloin them ; the sanctioning the cold-bloodedmurder of three thousand people for religious error ; the slaughtering ofwhole nations, even to their suckling babes, as in the caseof the Midianites,Canaauites, and Amalekites, with the setting aside virgins for the fatefrom which the Eoman Virginius relieved his daughter by his dagger IIt is difficult to conceive that an idea, so derogatory of God, could havebeen entertained by his cJioscn people.Yet, on the other hand, inasmuchas they ivcre loritten, there must have been some mind so impious as tohave originated them ; and it may be a less wonder that such fabricatorsshould have existed in a cruel and barbarous age of the world, than that,in the present age of superior morality and civilization, they should findendorsers in the professed ministers of the Being whom they have thusmisrepresented.1953. Mr. Mahan alleges: "Every reader will agree with us in theassumption that the incorruptible God has never performed and never willperform a miracle in attestation of that which is unreal or untrue. Areligion really and truly attested by divine miracles must therefore beadmitted to be true."1954. To this very admissible truism, I add that an omnipotent andprescient God could not have any occasion to perform miracles in attestationof any thing, since, by the premises, his will must be carried outwithout miracles.That any thing should, even for an instant, be contraryto his will, is inconsistent with his foresight and omnipotency. It wouldbe a miracle that any thing counter to his loill should exist..1955. The next postulate of Mr. Mahan is : ''A^o religion attested astrue hy divine miracles can he false.''1956. Was this proposition ever impugned ? No one would resist theunquestionable dictates of God, however conveyed, whether by miraclesor any other means. The question is not whether a religion attested hydivine miracles should he accredited, hut ichcther there were ever any miracles,attesting any religion, performed ; and if so, what religion has