MIRACLES. According to one definition, a miracle is " anything beyond human power, and deviating from the common action of the laws of nature" (Chambers's Etymol. Diet.). Miracles in this sense have, it is claimed, often been performed by prophets and other great re ligious leaders. Indeed, in ancient times a prophet was expected to prove his divine authority by the performance of marvellous works, and he did often prove it in this way. The marvellous works were believed at the time to be above Nature, supernatural, or contrary to Nature. Modern Science, on the other hand, will not concede that events have ever taken place in defiance of the laws of Nature. If marvellous things have taken place there must be laws of Nature which can explain them, though these laws may be new in the sense of being hitherto unknown. The matter may be illustrated by reference to what used to be called miracles of healing. Prophets by inspiring people with a faith, in them or in a divine power, of such strength as to remove instantly all fear have cured them of sickness and disease. Such healing is wonderful, but it is no longer described as miraculous, for it has been found to be In accordance with certain laws the working of which may still be tested and proved by experience. The remarkable fact in the case of the
prophets is that they should have had intuitive knowledge of these laws. Are there other laws, still not generally known, of which they had intuitive knowledge? This is quite possible, and a cautious student would hesitate now to say that other wonderful works ascribed to them could not have been performed. It has to be borne in mind, however, at the same time that in ancient times objective and subjective phenomena were not clearly distinguished. We know that in modern times phantasms of the living, for instance, are seen not infrequently, and we know that they are only mental pictures tele pathically transmitted. They will have been seen quite as frequently in ancient times, and were then no doubt taken to be real appearances. Telepathy (q.v.) explains many such phenomena. Miracles in the sense of wonder ful events have happened, are happening, and will happen. Our highest conception of the nature of God excludes the possibility of their being confined to any one age or clime. God is no respecter of persons. If one person has been healed by the divine power, all can be healed. It is not a divine license, but a divine law.
A wicked goddess in Maori mythology.