1 Kings xvii.  The widow to Elijah, who had restored her son, “By this I know that thy words are true.”

1 Kings xviii.  Elijah with the prophets of Baal.

In the dispute concerning the true God and the truth of religion, there has never happened any miracle on the side of error, and not of truth.

827

Opposition.—­Abel, Cain; Moses, the Magicians; Elijah, the false prophets:  Jeremiah, Hananiah; Micaiah, the false prophets; Jesus Christ, the Pharisees; St. Paul, Bar-jesus; the Apostles, the Exorcists; Christians, unbelievers; Catholics, heretics; Elijah, Enoch, Antichrist.

828

Jesus Christ says that the Scriptures testify of Him.  But He does not point out in what respect.

Even the prophecies could not prove Jesus Christ during His life; and so, men would not have been culpable for not believing in Him before His death, had the miracles not sufficed without doctrine.  Now those who did not believe in Him, when He was still alive, were sinners, as He said Himself, and without excuse.  Therefore they must have had proof beyond doubt, which they resisted.  Now, they had not the prophecies, but only the miracles.  Therefore the latter suffice, when the doctrine is not inconsistent with them; and they ought to be believed.

John vii, 40. Dispute among the Jews as among the Christians of to-day. Some believed in Jesus Christ; others believed Him not, because of the prophecies which said that He should be born in Bethlehem.  They should have considered more carefully whether He was not.  For His miracles being convincing, they should have been quite sure of these supposed contradictions of His teaching to Scripture; and this obscurity did not excuse, but blinded them.  Thus those who refuse to believe in the miracles in the present day on account of a supposed contradiction, which is unreal, are not excused.

The Pharisees said to the people, who believed in Him, because of His miracles:  “This people who knoweth not the law are cursed.  But have any of the rulers or of the Pharisees believed on him?  For we know that out of Galilee ariseth no prophet.”  Nicodemus answered:  “Doth our law judge any man before it hear him, [and specially, such a man who works such miracles]?”

829

The prophecies were ambiguous; they are no longer so.

830

The five propositions were ambiguous; they are no longer so.

831

Miracles are no longer necessary, because we have had them already.  But when tradition is no longer minded; when the Pope alone is offered to us; when he has been imposed upon; and when the true source of truth, which is tradition, is thus excluded; and the Pope, who is its guardian, is biased; the truth is no longer free to appear.  Then, as men speak no longer of truth, truth itself must speak to men.  This is what happened in the time of Arius. (Miracles under Diocletian and under Arius.)