his respect the apostolic speeches, which speeches are
given by a writer who distinctly records numerous miracles wrought by
these apostles themselves, and by the Founder of the institution in
their presence; that it is unwarrantable to contend that the omission,
or infrequency, of such recitals in the speeches of the apostles
negatives the existence of the miracles, when the speeches are given in
immediate conjunction with the history of those miracles: and that a
conclusion which cannot be inferred from the speeches without
contradicting the whole tenour of the book which contains them cannot be
inferred from letters, which in this respect are similar only to the
speeches.

To prove the similitude which we allege, it may be remarked, that
although in Saint Luke's Gospel the apostle Peter is represented to have
been present at many decisive miracles wrought by Christ; and although
the second part of the same history ascribes other decisive miracles to
Peter himself, particularly the cure of the lame man at the gate of the
temple (Acts iii. 1), the death of Ananias and Sapphira (Acts v. 1), the
cure of Aeneas (Acts ix. 34), the resurrection of Dorcas (Acts ix. 40);
yet out of six speeches of Peter, preserved in the Acts, I know but two
in which reference is made to the miracles wrought by Christ, and only
one in which he refers to miraculous powers possessed by himself. In his
speech upon the day of Pentecost, Peter addresses his audience with
great solemnity thus: "Ye men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of
Nazareth, a man approved of God among you, by miracles, and wonders, and
signs, which God did by him in the midst of you, as ye yourselves also
know:" (Acts ii. 22.) &c. In his speech upon the conversion of
Cornelius, he delivers his testimony to the miracles performed by Christ
in these words: "We are witnesses of all things which he did, both in
the land of the Jews and in Jerusalem." (Acts x. 39.) But in this latter
speech no allusion appears to the miracles wrought by himself
notwithstanding that the miracles above enumerated all preceded the time
in which it was delivered. In his speech upon the election of
Matthias, (Acts i. 15.) no distinct reference is made to any of the
miracles of Christ's history except his resurrection. The same also may
be observed of his speech upon the cure of the lame man at the of the
temple; (Acts iii. 12.) the same in his speech before the Sanhedrim;
(Acts iv. 8.) the same in hi