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

RELIGIOUS ERRORS OF MR. MAIIAN. 403tliv prcuUar merit of luiriiig hcc.n thus attcaicd? ^Millions, who believein other religions, deritlc those miracles of rcvchition which Mr. Mahanwould adduce; and Protestants do not admit many which the RomishChurch sanctions. For one, I deny that any miracle has ever been performedwith the view of attesting any religion whatever. No miraclecould be necessary to attest the will of Omnipotence any more than toenable a man to wave his hand. But, admitting that it ever has been necessary,no miracle has ever been resorted to for the purpose in question,since none has answered the desired end. This would not have been thecase had miracles been resorted to hy 2)rcscicnt omnipotence.1957. A miracle, as defined by this author, on page 345 of his work, isan event ^'icJiose existence and characteristics can he accounted for hut hya reference totheir exclusive cause.''the direct and immediate interposition of creative poicer, as1958. I reassert that, where omnipotence and prescience are concerned,such interposition could, in no case, be requisite. The miracle would be,that there couldbe any thing so contrary to omnipotent will as to requireany miraculous interference to set it right1959. Instead of assuming, with orthodoxy, that our heavenly Father isquite omnipotent, spirits hold that his powers are only such as this magnificentand almost infinite universe involves; consequently, there is nonecessity on their part to admit that every thing must be exactly as Grodwishes it to be.They are not obliged to consider him as allowing mischievousignorance, sin, and misery to exist, while by Vifiat he could correct them ;and still less are they involved in the necessity of supposing that, whileable to make every iVmg perfect,he, from choice, makes them imperfect,and yet has had to resort to drowning his creatures by a great flood,and subjecting whole nations to degrading captivity; authorizing onenation to massacre another, even to each suckling babe, for wrongs donecenturies before.1960. By Spiritualism, the Deity is represented as operating by generallaws, from which, consistently with' his attributes, he cannot deviate, havingto perform no miracle to attain his ends ; and that through these laws heis incessantly acting for the good of mankind; and the whole universe isprogressing under his benign controlling influence.1961. Thus we have the two systems, that of progression last mentioned,and that of probation above objected to; which last, being in diametricopposition to an axiomatic truth, is, on this account alone, manifestlyabsurd.1962. But, admitting that miracles could, without inconsistency, besupposed to be resorted to by prescient omnipotence, in order to produceor prevent some consequence of a generallaw, in the making or carryingout of which an all-wise and all-powerful being inconsistently displays awant of wisdom and foresight, it must be perfectly clear that a prescient