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namely, exclusion of inconsistency,
along with miracles.
There is a mutual duty between God and men. We must pardon Him this saying:
Quid debui?207 "Accuse me, " said God in Isaiah.
"God must fulfil His promises," etc.
Men owe it to God to accept the religion which He sends. God owes it to men
not to lead them into error. Now, they would be led into error, if the
workers of miracles announced a doctrine which should not appear evidently
false to the light of common sense, and if a greater worker of miracles had
not already wamed men not to believe them.
Thus, if there were divisions in the Church, and the Arians, for example,
who declared themselves founded on Scripture just as the Catholics, had done
miracles, and not the Catholics, men should have been led into error.
For, as a man, who announces to us the secrets of God, is not worthy to be
believed on his private authority, and that is why the ungodly doubt him; so
when a man, as a token of the communion which he has with God, raises the
dead, foretells the future, removes the seas, heals the sick, there is none
so wicked as not to bow to him, and the incredulity of Pharaoh and the
Pharisees is the effect of a supernatural obduracy.
When, therefore, we see miracles and a doctrine not suspicious, both on one
side, there is no difficulty. But when we see miracles and suspicious
doctrine on the same side, we must then see which is the clearest. Jesus
Christ was suspected.
Bar-jesus blinded. The power of God surpasses that of His enemies.
The Jewish exorcists beaten by the devils, saying, "Jesus I know, and Paul I
know; but who are ye"?
Miracles are for doctrine, and not doctrine for miracles.
If the m
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