Topic - Miracles Essays on Miracles
John Henry Newman

Contents
Dedication
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Title Page

Revised July, 2002—NR.

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Contents

{ix} Title Page

Essay I. 

The Miracles of Scripture

Introduction      3.
1. On the Idea and Scope of a Miracle      4.
2. On the Antecedent Credibility of a Miracle    13.
3. On the Criterion of a Miracle    49.
4. On the Evidence for the Christian Miracles    79.
{x}
Essay II. 

The Miracles of early Ecclesiastical History

1. Introduction    97.
2. On the Antecedent Probability of the Ecclesiastical
Miracles
 101.
3. On the Internal Character of the Ecclesiastical
Miracles
 115.
4. On the State of the Argument in behalf of the
Ecclesiastical Miracles
 175.
5. On the Evidence for particular alleged Miracles  228.
§ 1. The Thundering Legion  241.
§ 2. Change of Water into Oil by St. Narcissus  255.
§ 3. Change of the Course of the Lycus by St.
Gregory
 261.
§ 4. Appearance of the Cross to Constantine   271.
{xi} § 5. Discovery of the Holy Cross by St. Helena  287.
§ 6. The Sudden Death of Arius  327.
§ 7. Fiery Eruption on Julian's attempt to Rebuild
the Temple
 334.
§ 8. Recovery of the Blind Man by the Relics of
the Martyrs
 348.
§ 9. Speech without Tongues in the instance of
the African Confessors
  
 369.
Conclusion  383.
Note on page 383  391.
Index  395.

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Dedication

TO THE RIGHT HONOURABLE

LORD BLACHFORD, K.C.M.G., P.C.,

IN LOVING REMEMBRANCE

OF OLD DAYS

OF PLEASANT INTIMATE COMPANIONSHIP,

FROM HIS AFFECTIONATE FRIEND,

JOHN H. NEWMAN.

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{vii} BOTH these Essays were written when the author was Fellow of Oriel College, Oxford.

The former of them, on the Miracles of Scripture, was written in 1825-26 for the "Encyclopædia Metropolitana," being the sequel to a Life of Apollonius Tyanæus.

The latter, on the Miracles of the first age of Christianity, was written in 1842-43, as a Preface to a Translation of a portion of Fleury's Ecclesiastical History.

In the first of the two, the Miracles of Scripture are regarded as mainly addressed to religious inquirers, of an evidential nature, the instruments of conversion, and the subjects of an inspired record. In the second, the Ecclesiastical Miracles are regarded as addressed to Christians, the rewards of faith, and the matter of devotion, varying in their character from simple providences to distinct innovations upon physical order, and coming to us by tradition or in legend, trustworthy or not, as it may happen in the particular case. {viii}

These distinct views of miraculous agency, thus contrasted, involve no inconsistency with each other; but it must be owned that, in the Essay upon the Scripture Miracles, the Author goes beyond both the needs and the claims of his argument, when, in order to show their special dignity and beauty, he depreciates the purpose and value of the Miracles of Church History. To meet this undue disparagement, in his first Essay, of facts which have their definite place in the Divine Dispensation, he points out, in his second, the essential resemblance which exists between many of the Miracles of Scripture and those of later times; and it is with the same drift that, in this Edition, a few remarks at the foot of the page have been added in brackets.

With the exception of these bracketed additions in both Essays, and of a Memorandum at the end of the volume, the alterations made, whether in text or notes, are simply of a literary character. As to the latter, no verification has been made of the references which they contain, much pains having been bestowed on them, as it is believed, in the original Edition.

June 29, 1870.

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Title Page

TWO ESSAYS

ON

BIBLICAL AND ECCLESIASTICAL
MIRACLES

 

BY

JOHN HENRY CARDINAL NEWMAN

 

NEW IMPRESSION

 

LONGMANS, GREEN, AND CO.
39 PATERNOSTER ROW, LONDON
NEW YORK, BOMBAY, AND CALCUTTA

1907

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