the whole Church did teach and require as points of faith. To descend to particular

knives into them, and instantly there streamed out great quantities of blood. Three of these wafers, no doubt the identical ones pierced by the Jews, are still preserved in St. Gudule's church at Brussels, where I have seen them, they being exposed with great pomp to public view, during the octave of an annual festival. For an account of this miracle, see Delices de Pais Bas, v. 1. p. 121, 122, 123; see also Description de Bruxelles, p. 74, and 75.—A miracle, similar to this, is related in the Memoirs of Brandenburgh at the year 1279, where blood is said to have boiled up through the ground, from a consecrated host buried at Belitz. "Les Vierges miraculeuses, les images secourables, et les reliques des saints avoient alors une vertu toute singuliere. Le Sang de Belitz entr'autres étoit fort renommé. Voici ce qui c'étoit. Une cabaretiere de cette ville vola une hostie consacrée et l'enterra sous un tonneau dans sa cave, pour avoir meilleur debit de sa bierre: Elle en eut des remords elle denonça son crime au curé, qui vint en procession avec tout son attirail pontifical pour deterrer l'hostie. En enfonçant la pelle en terre on vit bouilloner du sang, et tout le monde cria au miracle. L'imposture étoit trop grossiere, et l'on scait que c'étoît du sang de bœuf, que la cabaretiere avoit versé. Ces miracles ne laissoient pas que de faire impression sur l'esprit des peuples." M. de Brandenburgh, p. 265. The observation of the Royal Memoir Writer that such miracles, though they bore visible marks of imposture, failed not to make impressions on the minds of the people; is founded on this truth, that where there is a previous disposition to believe, no imposture will be too gross to be admitted, especially when the impostures are of such a kind as to be countenanced by those whose empire over the understandings of the people is boundless.

instances would in a great measure be unnecessary, because the account which I here give of these pretended miracles is, on all hands, agreed to be the true one. The few particulars mentioned at the bottom of the page, may serve by way of illus

tration.

Such then being the nature and genius of the pretended miracles of the Church of Rome, facts coinciding with the favourite opinions, and superstitious prejudices, of those to whom they were proposed; that the reports and accounts of them should undergo any strict examination, at the time of their being published, will appear highly improbable, when we consider, what certainly has always been the case, that the persons with whom such reports have gained any credit, had been trained up from their infancy in a persuasion that miraculous powers are continued in their Church.

And this leads me naturally to observe that, as the Popish 'miracles have always been proposed to those whose superstition.

and prejudices previously disposed them to believe without examination, the credibility of these boasted wonders will become still more suspicious, if we add another circumstance that they have always been set on foot, at least have always been encouraged and supported, by those who, by their influence and power, could prevent any examination which might tend to undeceive the world.

This then being the case, it would have been next to impossible to have set about an examination of these pretences to miracles. For were we even to allow, that those to whom they were proposed, had the best inclination in the world not to believe but upon proper evidence, the danger which must attend their giving any signs of this inclination, would deter every one in his senses from attempting a detection. He who would set himself up to oppose a fraud supported by the authority and influence of the rulers of the Church in a country where, in matters of religion, the civil magistrate is guided by the priest,

would soon find reason to repent of his temerity.

Can there therefore, be any hesitation in refusing to admit the truth of miraculous facts backed and supported by those who alone had the means of detecting the fraud, if there was any; and who having the sword in their own hands, would never point it against themselves, to punish their own impostures?

Having employed more attention than perhaps was necessary, on the extraordinary works, which gentlemen of your way of thinking have usually put upon the same footing of credibility with the Gospel miracles, though the manifest fabrications of imposture, I now proceed to take into consideration another class of them-Works, really performed, but which required no miraculous interposition, being brought about by the operation of causes merely natural.

You used to talk of it as a point not to be disputed, that the marks of genuine

1

miracles laid down by Mr. Leslie,* in his Short Method with the Deists, are applicable to the miracles ascribed to the Abbé Paris: that these facts had an indisputable right to his two first marks: being such as that men's senses could judge of their certainty, and, also, being performed openly in the heart of a great city, and in the presence of crowds of spectators: that with regard to his two latter marks, they were only intended as tests by which to try miracles said to be performed in a distant age; whereas the miracles ascribed to the Abbé Paris, had this peculiar advantage of being performed within our own memory: in a word, that you saw no way how a Christian could extricate himself out of this labyrinth,

* Mr. Leslie's four rules of judging of the credibility of miracles, are first, That the matter of facts be such, as that men's outward senses, their eyes and ears, may be judges of it. Secondly, That it be done publicly in the face of the world. Thirdly, That not only publie monuments be kept up in memory of it, but some outward actions be performed. Fourthly, That such monuments, and such actions or ob servances be instituted, and do commence from the time that the matter of fact was done.