his belief, where was the piety, what place was there for
anything which could bear the name or colour of piety, in publishing and
attesting miracles in its behalf? If it be said that many promote the
belief of revelation, and of any accounts which favour that belief,
because they think them, whether well or ill founded, of public and
political utility; I answer, that if a character exist which can with
less justice than another be ascribed to the founders of the Christian
religion, it is that of politicians, or of men capable of entertaining
political views. The truth is, that there is no assignable character
which will account for the conduct of the apostles, supposing their
story to be false. If bad men, what could have induced them to take such
pains to promote virtue? If good men, they would not have gone about the
country with a string of lies in their mouths.

In appreciating the credit of any miraculous story, these are
distinctions which relate to the evidence. There are other distinctions,
of great moment in the question, which relate to the miracles
themselves. Of which latter kind the following ought carefully to be
retained.

I. It is not necessary to admit as a miracle what can be resolved into a
false perception. Of this nature was the demon of Socrates; the visions
of Saint Anthony, and of many others; the vision which Lord Herbert of
Cherbury describes himself to have seen; Colonel Gardiner's vision, as
related in his life, written by Dr. Doddridge. All these may be
accounted for by a momentary insanity; for the characteristic symptom of
human madness is the rising up in the mind of images not distinguishable
by the patient from impressions upon the senses. (Batty on Lunacy.) The
cases, however, in which the possibility of this delusion exists are
divided from the cases in which it does not exist by many, and those not
obscure marks. They are, for the most part, cases of visions or voices.
The object is hardly ever touched. The vision submits not to be handled.
One sense does not confirm another. They are likewise almost always
cases of a solitary witness. It is in the highest degree improbable, and
I know not, indeed, whether it hath ever been the fact, that the same
derangement of the mental organs should seize different persons at the
same time; a derangement, I mean, so much the same, as to represent to
their imagination the same objects. Lastly, these are always cases of
momentary miracles; by whi