登陆注册
5214200000419

第419章

And so of the rest, which I am weary of reciting, and in which, though there seems to be an extraordinary property contrary to nature, yet no other reason is given for them than this, that this is their nature,--a brief reason truly, and, I own, a satisfactory reply.But since God is the author of all natures, how is it that our adversaries, when they refuse to believe what we affirm, on the ground that it is impossible, are unwilling to accept from us a better explanation than their own, viz., that this is the will of Almighty God,--for certainly He is called Almighty only because He is mighty to do all He will,--He who was able to create so many marvels, not only unknown, but very well ascertained, as I have been showing, and which, were they not under our own observation, or reported by recent and credible witnesses, would certainly be pronounced impossible? For as for those marvels which have no other testimony than the writers in whose books we read them, and who wrote without being divinely instructed, and are therefore liable to human error, we cannot justly blame any one who declines to believe them.

For my own part, I do not wish all the marvels I have cited to be rashly accepted, for I do not myself believe them implicitly, save those which have either come under my own observation, or which any one can readily verify, such as the lime which is heated by water and cooled by oil; the magnet which by its mysterious and insensible suction attracts the iron, but has no affect on a straw; the peacock's flesh which triumphs over the corruption from which not the flesh of Plato is exempt; the chaff so chilling that it prevents snow from melting, so heating that it forces apples to ripen; the glowing fire, which, in accordance with its glowing appearance, whitens the stones it bakes, while; contrary to its glowing appearance, it begrimes most things it burns (just as dirty stains are made by oil, however pure it be, and as the lines drawn by white silver are black); the charcoal, too, which by the action of fire is so completely changed from its original, that a finely marked piece of wood becomes hideous, the tough becomes brittle, the decaying incorruptible.Some of these things I know in common with many other persons, some of them in common with all men; and there are many others which I have not room to insert in this book.But of those which Ihave cited, though I have not myself seen, but only read about them, I have been unable to find trustworthy witnesses from whom I could ascertain whether they are facts, except in the case of that fountain in which burning torches are extinguished and extinguished torches lit, and of the apples of Sodom, which are ripe to appearance, but are filled with dust.And indeed I have not met with any who said they had seen that fountain in Epirus, but with some who knew there was a similar fountain in Gaul not far from Grenoble.The fruit of the trees of Sodom, however, is not only spoken of in books worthy of credit, but so many persons say that they have seen it that I cannot doubt the fact.But the rest of the prodigies I receive without definitely affirming or denying them; and I have cited them because I read them in the authors of our adversaries, and that I might prove how many things many among themselves believe, because they are written in the works of their own literary men, though no rational explanation of them is given, and yet they scorn to believe us when we assert that Almighty God will do what is beyond their experience and observation; and this they do even though we assign a reason for His work.For what better and stronger reason for such things can be given than to say that the Almighty is able to bring them to pass, and will bring them to pass, having predicted them in those books in which many other marvels which have already come to pass were predicted? Those things which are regarded as impossible will be accomplished according to the word, and by the power of that God who predicted and effected that the incredulous nations should believe incredible wonders.

CHAP.8.--THAT IT IS NOT CONTRARY TO NATURE THAT, IN AN OBJECT WHOSENATURE IS

KNOWN, THERE SHOULD BE DISCOVERED AN ALTERATION OF THE PROPERTIES WHICHHAVE

BEEN KNOWN AS ITS NATURAL PROPERTIES.

But if they reply that their reason for not believing us when we say that human bodies will always burn and vet never die, is that the nature of human bodies is known to be quite otherwise constituted;if they say that for this miracle we cannot give the reason which was valid in the case of those natural miracles, viz., that this is the natural property, the nature of the thing,--for we know that this is not the nature of human flesh,--we find our answer in the sacred writings, that even this human flesh was constituted in one fashion before there was sin,--was constituted, in fact, so that it could not die,--and in another fashion after sin, being made such as we see it in this miserable state of mortality, unable to retain enduring life.And so in the resurrection of the dead shall it be constituted differently from its present well-known condition.But as they do not believe these writings of ours, in which we read what nature man had in paradise, and how remote he was from the necessity of death,--and indeed, if they did believe them, we should of course have little trouble in debating with them the future punishment of the damned,--we must produce from the writings of their own most learned authorities some instances to show that it is possible for a thing to become different from what it was formerly known characteristically to be.

From the book of Marcus Varro, entitled, Of the Race of the Roman People, I cite word for word the following instance:

同类推荐
  • 德宗承统私记

    德宗承统私记

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 父母恩重经

    父母恩重经

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 七臣七主

    七臣七主

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 太上灵宝净明飞仙度人经法释例

    太上灵宝净明飞仙度人经法释例

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 温室经疏

    温室经疏

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
热门推荐
  • 人性的优点(全集)

    人性的优点(全集)

    《人性的优点全集》是卡耐基一生中重要、生动的人生经验的汇集,也是一本记录如何让人摆脱心理困扰、走向成功的实例汇集。本书一经出版,改变了无数人的生活和命运,被誉为“克服忧虑、获得成功的必读书”。
  • 冥皇日记

    冥皇日记

    驱使恶鬼、祭炼鬼刀,呼风唤雨、叱诧风云。冥皇精彩一生,就在冥皇日记。
  • 小公司做大做强24招

    小公司做大做强24招

    本书重点介绍小公司做大做强之道,列举出24招制胜秘诀,近400条成功经验,其中包括:创业之道、防败之道、战略之道、执行之道、制度之道、人事之道、生产之道、采购之道、财务之道、薪酬之道、降本之道、文化之道、营销之道、产品之道、定价之道、通路之道、电商之道、品牌之道、推销之道、创新之道、情报之道、关系之道、聚焦之道、竞争之道等,内容全面系统,精简扼要,实践性强,可以说是公司管理者走向成功之路的良师益友。
  • 世界秩序

    世界秩序

    近一年多来,乌克兰乱局,卢布危机,日元欧元暴跌,美军撤出阿富汗;而同一时间中国也频繁出手——东盟自贸区的建立,中美洲运河开凿,一带一路高调推进,亚投行创建…… 世界格局迎来大洗牌。在全球事务上,各个地区和国家奉行着各自的秩序规则,结果导致了国际局势的紧张、混乱和无序。 基辛格认为,地区秩序观之间的冲突是当今最重要的国际问题。
  • 星际转移

    星际转移

    A672E92第五行星正在分崩离析,因为它的太阳正在毁灭,整个行星有被它遮蔽的危险,这会杀死行星上的每个人。其实即使太阳不把这里的人类毁灭,他们自己也快要把自己结果了。随着行星上的流血冲突不断升级,弝利斯特院和米幽院将担当重任,结束行星上影响星际逃亡的战争,把人们转移到新的行星和新的家园。然而这却是两个势不两立的家族。这是中篇小说北南星际系列《第一个国王》之一。
  • 玄镜之恋

    玄镜之恋

    传说千年中:水神和火神以及花神,到底经历了什么?从万众瞩目的上神,一步步的走向了万劫不复的深渊?一场爱与恨的交织中,我们最后到底还剩下什么?前世的因,来世的果。当她最亲的人,为她了救下她,沉睡千百年。当她最爱的人,却在她遭受天刑,惨痛无比之时,不见踪迹。她白嫩皎洁的肌肤被仙界九道神鞭狠狠地鞭打,留下血渍血印,他却还是视若无睹是吗?在她跳下仙台,就在她想着他们连最后一面都不曾相见了是吗?她却见到了,那副平静,毫无波澜的爱人。她最好的朋友,她共同受罚,却在她最痛的一击将至时,甘愿为自己抵挡最狠一击……她迷茫了……什么是爱?前世的沉沦,今世的擦肩而过,来世我愿同你再无任何瓜葛……
  • 马瑞芳说聊斋

    马瑞芳说聊斋

    蒲松龄在讲述一个个引人入胜的故事同时,用主人翁的特殊人生告诉读者,在荆天棘地的社会中,人如何生存?在举步维艰的情况下,人如何发展?怎样面对人生逆境,置于死地而后生?怎样把人生潜能发挥到最大限度?怎样飞黄腾达?怎样发财致富?怎样对待“爱情”、“财富”、“地位”三个永恒的人生难题?聊斋人物的人生阅历、喜怒哀乐,悲欢离合,对现代人仍有启发借鉴作用。
  • 清穿之十福晋她又忽悠人

    清穿之十福晋她又忽悠人

    【福晋有喜已完结】老十:乖,给爷生七个儿子。十福晋握拳:我才不要做母猪,不要给人碾压!老十阴脸冷笑:就你这智商不被人碾压已是谢天谢地!你这是肉吃少了脑子有病!爷把肉喂给你吃,多吃点包治百病!福晋含泪:唔~不要啊,好饱,好撑,爷!这已经是新老十:多子多福,乖,再吃一点,多生一个。十福晋:爷你是想我生出五十六个民族五十六朵花吗?救命啊,我不想成为母猪!言情史上生孩子最多女主角+霸道二货总裁男主角
  • 日月江湖

    日月江湖

    由破月剑和残日剑这两大神兵天器引发出江湖中沉寂已久的冤案,传说中得日月神剑者便可得天下。这两柄剑到底有多大的魔力呢?主人公陈澜驯和独孤水月无意之中得到日月神剑,并练成天下第一的日月无光剑法。从此,两人联手破解了江湖中最大的冤案——少林方丈和丐帮帮主同日而死的前因后果。原来,这一切都是魔教莫无敌的惊天大阴谋,他想一统江湖,然后兴复北元,而最终……
  • 安全责任无小事

    安全责任无小事

    从胶济铁路火车脱轨到杭州地铁一号线塌陷,从深圳舞王俱乐部的特大火灾到致74人死亡的山西矿难,残酷的现实一次又一次地向我们证明,事故的发生总是由一点一滴的不安全因素积累而成的。安全系于人人,细节确保安全。只有人人负责安全责任,做好每一个安全细节,我们的生产才能够不受威胁。