Chapter LXXIV: Section 7

SUPPOSABLE MIRACLE VI.--AT EPHESUS, DISEASES AND DEVILS EXPELLED BY FOUL HANDKERCHIEFS.--_Acts_ 19:1-12.

At Ephesus, Paul makes a stay of between two and three years; for "two years" together, disputing "daily in the school of one Tyrannus," "so that all they which dwelt in Asia heard the word of the Lord Jesus, both Jews and Greeks.

"And God," continues the history, "wrought special miracles by the hands of Paul."

These "_special_ miracles," what were they? Of the whole number, is there so much as a single one particularized? No; not one. _Special_ as they are, the following is the account, and the only account given of them. "So that," continues the history, "from his body were brought unto the sick, handkerchiefs or aprons, and the diseases departed from them, and the evil spirits went out of them."

No circumstances whatever particularized, name of the person, name of the place, description of the time--nothing, by means of which, in case of falsity _in toto_, or incorrectness in circumstance, the misstatement might have been exposed,--to what degree of credence, or so much as consideration with a view to credence, vague generalities such as these, can they present so much as the slightest claim? If allusions such as these are to pass proof, where is the imposture, to which proofs--proofs sufficient in number and value--can ever be wanting?

Opposed as Paul was, wherever he went,--by gainsayers or persecutors, or both--sometimes successful, sometimes altogether unsuccessful,--sometimes in a slight degree successful--in so much as any one occasion, either in this history, or in any one of his own numerous Epistles, do we find so much as a single one of these "_special miracles_," any more than of any other miracles, brought to view by him, or so much as alluded to by him, in the character of proofs of the commission to which he pretended? Answer: No, not one.

Diseases cured, evil spirits driven out, by handkerchiefs and aprons!--by handkerchiefs and aprons brought from a man's body! Diseases cured and devils seared away by foul linen! By Jesus--by any one of his Apostles--were any such implements, any such eye-traps ever employed? No; never. As to diseases, if by such means a disease had been _propagated_, the case would have been intelligible enough. But what was wanted was a miracle: and this would have been no miracle. The price, received by the holy wearer for any of these cast-off habiliments--the price, of the precious effluvia thus conveyed--by any such little circumstance, had it been mentioned, some light might have been cast on what was done.

One thing, indeed, may be stated with some assurance: and this is--that, after a man, well or not well, had received one of these same dirty handkerchiefs, or of these same dirty aprons, no evil spirit in him was visible.

One other thing may also be stated with no less confidence:--this is that, infection out of the question, and supposing Paul free from all contagious disease, if, without handkerchief or apron, the disease would have had its exit,--by no such handkerchief or any such apron was the exit of it prevented.

Note, that all this time, according to this man, the author of the Acts, he himself was in Paul's suite. Yet, taking credit for all these miracles--taking credit thus for miracles out of number, not so much as one of them all does he take upon himself to particularize.[78]