ars. The very nature of a miracle, in whatever
formula it may be expressed, is superhuman, and having a purpose, it
is also supernatural; in other words, it is a special manifestation
of divine power for a particular object. Whether, being so, it is a
violation, a contravention, or a suspension of the laws of nature, is a
mere question about words.

We may say that a miracle has three elements. It is first a fact,
unaccountable by science; secondly, it requires a conscious agent; and
thirdly, it results from the exercise of a power which that agent does
not naturally possess.

Let us descend to illustration. Huxley takes the following case. Suppose
the greatest physiologist in Europe alleged that he had seen a centaur,
a fabulous animal, half man and half horse. The presumption would be
that he was laboring under hallucination; but if he persisted in the
statement he would have to submit to the most rigorous criticism by his
scientific colleagues before it could be believed; and everybody
would feel sure beforehand that he would never pass through the ordeal
successfully. The common experience, and therefore the common sense, of
society would be dead against him, and probably he would be refused
the honor of examination even by the most fervid believers in ancient
miracles.

But after all the centaur, even if it existed, would not be a miracle,
but a monstrosity. It does not contain the three elements we have
indicated. Real miracles would be of a different character. Plenty may
be found in the Bible, and we may make a selection to illustrate our
argument. Jesus Christ was once at a marriage feast, when the wine ran
short, which was perhaps no uncommon occurrence. Being of a benevolent
turn of mind, and anxious that the guests should remember the occasion,
he turned a large quantity of cold water into fermented juice of the
grape. Now water contains oxygen and hydrogen in definite proportions,
and nothing else, while wine contains in addition to these, carbon and
other elements, being in fact a very complex liquid. Jesus Christ must,
therefore, in turning water into wine, have created something, and
that transcends human power. Here, then, we have a complete miracle,
according to Hume's definition and our own theory.

We do not say the miracle never occurred, although we no more believe in
it than we believe the moon is made of green cheese. We are willing to
regard it as susceptible of proof. But does the proof exi