various circumstances, the efficacy of which in giving a particular bent to the understandings of men, we can neither comprehend, nor eftimate. For the fake of fuch men, if fuch fhould ever be induced to throw an hour away in the perufal of these letters, fuffer me to step for a moment out of my way, whilft I hazard an obfervation, or two upon the subject.

Knowledge is rightly divided by Mr. Locke into intuitive, fenfitive, and demonftrative; it is clear, that a paft miracle can neither be the object of sense, nor of intuition, nor confequently of demonstration; we cannot then, philofophically speaking, be faid to know, that a miracle has ever been performed. But in all the great concerns of

.

life,

life, we are influenced by probability, rather than knowledge: and of probability, the fame great author establishes two foundations; a conformity to our own experience, and the teftimony of others. Now it is contended, that by the oppofition of these two principles, probability is destroyed; or, in other terms, that human teftimony can never influence the mind to affent to a propofition repugnant to uniform experience. rience do mean? you

you

Whose expe

will not

fay, your own; for the experience of an individual reaches but a little way; and no doubt, you daily af fent to a thousand truths in politicks, in phyficks, and in the bufinefs of common life, which you

have never seen verified by experience. -You will not produce the experience of your friends; for that can extend itself but a little way, beyond your own. - But by uniform experience, I conceive, you are defirous of understanding the experience of all ages and nations fince the foundation of the world. I answer, first; how is it, that you become acquainted with the experience of all ages and nations? You will reply, from hiftory.-Be it fo:

peruse then, by far the most antient records of antiquity; and if you find no mention of miracles in them, I give up the point. Yes;but every thing related therein respecting miracles, is to be reckoned fabulous.

Why? Because

miracles contradict the experience of all ages and nations. Do you not perceive, Sir, that you beg the very question in debate? for we affirm, that the great and learned nation of Egypt, that the Heathen inhabiting the land of Canaan, that the numerous people of the Jews, and the nations, which, for ages, furrounded them, have all had great experience of miracles. You cannot otherways obviate this conclufion, than by questioning the authenticity of that book; concerning which, Newton, when he was writing his Commentary on Daniel, expreffed himself to the perfon,* from whom I had the

anec

Dr. Smith, late Mafter of Trinity

College.

anecdote, and which deferves not to be loft; " I find more fure marks of authenticity in the Bible, than in any profane history whatfoever."

However, I mean not to press you with the argument ad verecundiam; it is needless to folicit your modefty, when it may be poffible, perhaps, to make an impreffion upon your judgment: I answer therefore, in the second place, that the admiffion of the principle, by which you reject miracles, will lead us into abfurdity. The laws of gravitation, are the most obvious of all the laws of nature; every person in every part of the globe, muft of neceffity have had experience of them: There was a time,

when