A handbook of Freethought : $b containing in condensed and systematized form a vast amount of evidence against the superstitious doctrines of Christianity — John Shaqi
A handbook of Freethought : $b containing in condensed and systematized form a vast amount of evidence against the superstitious doctrines of Christianity
Religion
A handbook of Freethought : $b containing in condensed and systematized form a vast amount of evidence against the superstitious doctrines of Christianity
Christianity -- Controversial literature; Free thought
"The narrative of God's hardening Pharaoh's heart in order to bring
more plagues upon the land of Egypt is in this vein. God, in fact, is
represented as exerting his almighty power to deceive a man and then
destroying him for being deceived. In the same spirit is the passage
in which Micaiah describes the Lord as putting a lying spirit into
the mouths of the prophets who incited Ahab to go to Ramoth-gilead. (1
Kings 22 : 14-23.)
"The miracles wrought by the Egyptian sorcerers in competing with
Moses were done by another power than God. We have notable instances
of the belief in signs and wonders wrought by this other power. Jesus
is represented as warning his disciples against false prophets,
who work signs and wonders.
'Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied
in thy name? and in thy name cast out devils? and in thy name done
many wonderful works? of whom he should say, I never knew you, depart
from me, ye that work iniquity.' (Mat. 7 : 22, 23.)
And again in another place:
'For false prophets shall arise, and shall work signs and wonders,
to seduce, if it were possible, the elect.' (Mark 13: 22.)
Also, when the Pharisees accuse him of casting out devils by Beelzebub,
the prince of the devils, Jesus asks: 'By whom do your children cast
them out?' a reply which would lose all its point if they were not
admitted to be able to cast out devils. In another passage John
is described as saying: 'Master, we saw one casting out devils
in thy name, who followeth not us, and we forbade him.' Without
multiplying instances, however, there can be no doubt of the fact
that the reality of false miracles and lying wonders is admitted in
the Bible. The obvious deduction from this representation of miracles
is that the source and purpose of such supernatural phenomena must
always be exceedingly uncertain. Their evidential value is, therefore,
profoundly affected, 'it being,' as Dr. Newman has said of ambiguous
miracles, 'antecedently improbable that the Almighty should rest
the credit of his Revelation upon events which but obscurely implied
his immediate presence.' As it is affirmed that other supernatural
beings exist, as well as an assumed personal God, by whose agency
miracles are performed, it is impossible to argue with reason that
such phenomena are at any time especially due to the intervention of
the Deity. Dr. Newman recognizes this, but passes over the difficulty
with masterly lightness of touch. After advancing the singular argument
that our knowledge of spirits is only derived from scripture, and
that their existence cannot be deduced from nature, whilst he asserts
that the being of a God--a personal God be it remembered--can be
so discovered, and that, therefore, miracles can only properly be
attributed to him, he proceeds: 'Still it may be necessary to show
that on our own principles we are not open to inconsistency. That is,
it has been questioned whether, in admitting the existence and power
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