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catenated system of acts, which becomes reality in time, and in these acts He Himself is not far off from what they effect. And this real self-communication of God to the world, in virtue of which the world embodies the divine in tangible reality, involves no confusion of the divine and human, neither loss on the part of the divine, the world only being partaker of the divine through God's will and immediately-present existence, not as it were by robbing God,-nor loss on the part of the world, seeing that, on the contrary, through communion with God its own idea is realized, and in addition the divine communication is mediated and made permanent through its willingness of reception. Even where man himself becomes the organ of revelation, there is never any question of coordinate equality between the appropriator and appropriated.

Observation. The immanent Trinity and the doctrine of creation require God to have in the world another object than Himself, not merely Himself (§§ 33, 34). Perfect revelation, because self-communication, requires God in this other-the world-also to have Himself. Both requirements meet in the statement that creation originates another object, distinguished from God by His self-existence. Through the perfecting of revelation, or self-communication to this permanent second existence, distinction gives place to unity, but to a unity not abolishing, but carrying within itself, preserving, the distinction, being the result of God's unitive action as well as of man's appropriative receptiveness or volition. And as in such revelation God's triune life has reality in the world, so by this means the world gains likeness to God and participates in life in God.

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FIRST POINT: MIRACLE.

A.-Biblical Doctrine.

§ 53.

The Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments bring miraculous events in nature into formal conjunction with the field of revelation, partly in respect of their active concurrence with internal revelation at every stage,

partly in respect, after the appearance of a new revelation, of subserving its preservation, confirmation, or diffusion in the world. The miracles of Scripture have their centre in the revelation of God in Christ.

LITERATURE.-Augustinus, De Genesi ad litteram; de Civitate Dei, xxi. 1-8, Sermo 242 c. f. (cf. also Fr. Nitzsch, Augustins Lehre vom Wunder, 1865, and August Dorner, Augustinus, Sein Theol. System u. seine religionsphilosophische Anschauung, Berlin 1873, pp. 71-88). J. Scotus Erigena, De Divisione Naturæ, iv. 9. Thomas v. Aq., Summa Theologia, P. I. Quæst. 105, Art. 6; Quæst. 6, Art. 2. Spinoza, Tractatus theologico-politicus. Modern Philosophical Investigations: Daub, Prolegomena zur Dogmatik, pp. 78-105 (miracle links together historical and dogmatic faith, God and history). Weisse, Philos. Dogmatik, I. 112, § 137 ff. Billroth, Religionsphilosophie, p. 132. Steffens, Religionsphilosophie, I. 470. Chalybäus, Wissenschaftslehre, 1846, pp. 334-340. Schelling, Philosophie der Offenbarung, II. 187 ff. Lotze, Mikrokosmus, II. 50. Strauss, Dogmatik, I. § 17. Theological Investigations: J. Gerhard, Loci Theologici, XXIII. 11. Hoepfner, Loci Theologici, 1673. Flatt, Magazin für christl. Dogmatik u. Moral, II. 3 and 4, IV. 8. Röhr, Briefe über den Rationalismus, 1813. Bockshammer, ut supra. Schleiermacher, Der christl. Glaube, § 10 ff. Twesten, Vorlesungen, I. 359. Nitzsch, System, § 34; Akad. Vorträge, p. 40 ff. Kern, Tübinger Zeitschrift, 1839 (he maintains teleological miracle). V. Drey, Apologetik, §§ 26, 27, 38. Deutinger, Renan u. das Wunder, 1864. Frohschammer, Die Philosophie u. das Wunder, Athenäum, II. 1. Schweizer, Christl. Glaubensl. I. § 71 ff. Rothe, Th. Ethik, II. 272, § 540, and Zur Dogmatik; Offenbarung, ut supra. (In opposition to him, Weisse, Prot. K.-Z. 1858, Nos. 26-29. In the second edition, p. 87 ff., Rothe has maintained and defended his theory against Weisse's objection.) Jul. Müller, De Miraculorum Jesu Christi Natura et Necessitate, Particula I. II. 1839, 1841. Koestlin, De Miraculorum Jesu Christi Natura et Necessitate, 1860. The same, Die Frage über das Wunder nach dem Stand der neueren Wissenschaft, Jahrb. f. deutsche Theol. 1864, p. 205 ff. Beyschlag, Die Bedeutung des Wunders im Christenthum, 1862. Hirzel, Ueber das Wunder, etc., 1863. Auberlen, Die göttliche Offenbarung, 1861. Steinmeyer, The Miracles of our Lord (Clark, 1875). Schweizer, Glaubenslehre, 1863, I. 250 ff. Discussions on Miracles between Ed. Zeller and A. Ritschl in Sybel's Hist. Zeitschr. 1860, 1861, 1862; and Jahrb. f. deutsche Theol. 1861, 1863. Jacoby, Die Wunder der h. Schrift u. die neuere Theologie, Zeitschrift, "Beweis des Glaubens," 1869, Feb. and Mar. W.

Bender, Der Wunderbegriff des neuen Testaments, 1871. Sieffert, Andeutungen über die apologetische Fundamentirung der christl. Glaubenswissenschaft, 1871, pp. 28-42. Frank, System der christl. Gewissheit, II. 216 ff., 1873. Lic. Lommatzsch, Schleiermacher's Lehre vom Wunder u. vom Uebernatürlichen, 1872. Modern opponents of the miraculous idea in Germany: Weisse, ut supra. Lipsius, Lehrbuch der evangelisch-protestantischen Dogmatik, 1876, §§ 57-71. Biedermann, ut supra et alii. In France and French Switzerland: Pécaut, Le Christianisme libéral et le Miracle, iv. Conferences, Paris, 1869. Buisson, Le Christianisme libéral, Neufchâtel, 1869. Defenders of the miraculous idea: Edm. de Pressensé, Godet, Bovet, Barde, Fréd. de Rougemont, Christ et ses témoins. Trench, Notes on the Miracles of our Lord. Mozley, Bampton Lectures on Miracles; Christianity and Scepticism" (Boston Lectures), Lect. VI. C. Malan fils, Les Miracles, 1863 (Miracles the restoration and revelation of true Nature, not supernatural).

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1. Among external miracles we must distinguish between external divine manifestations, to which Theophanies also belong, and miraculous works done by the instrumentality of man (epya). The N. T. has three designations for miracles, τέρας, δύναμις -μεις, and σημεῖον. They correspond to the words,, Ex. xv. 11, Dan. xii. 6; or , Num. xvi. 30 (cf. 2 Cor. v. 17; Col. iii. 10; Gal. vi. 15; Eph. ii. 10, 15, iv. 25), and nis, Ex. iv. 8 ff. These three names exhibit the three different aspects of the miraculous idea. Tépas designates the negative aspect. It is an event awakening wonder, because not agreeing with the ordinary course of things, and bringing to a standstill inquiry into the natural connection of cause and effect, the impression being produced of having been touched by a higher unknown power. Aúvaμis indicates the positive aspect of such an event. It is to be regarded as an exhibition of power in the higher sense. Supposing this to be an act of man, it reveals energy and freedom of will, although in unity with the divine will. such a miracle of course God's finger is to be seen, Ex. viii. 15; they are performed πveúμаTI Oeoû, Luke iv. 18, Matt. xii. 28, or Saxтúλ Oeoû, Luke xi. 20. But the miracle-workers are represented not simply as spectators and joint-witnesses of

1 ripas, John iv. 48; Matt. xxiv. 24; Acts ii. 19, 22, 43. dúvamis, duváμsis, Matt. vii. 22, xi. 20 ff.; Rom. xv. 19. nprior, Acts ii. 22, 43; Rom. xv. 19, etc.

the divine action, but as actual workers; they have covoia, Matt. ix. 8, cf. ver. 6, x. 8, xxi. 24; Mark vi. 7; Luke iv. 36, ix. 1, x. 19. The divine power made over to man is called TVεÛμа; and thus the miraculous gift, while springing from God, is still man's own, 1 Cor. xii. 4, 28. In onμeîov, finally, is expressed the relation of the miracle to something else, or to the fact that it is not simply an end in itself. It is partly typical, e.g. bodily healing of that of the spirit, Matt. xi. 15; partly its design is to indicate the connection of the miracleworker with God, John v. 20, x. 25, or the founding of God's kingdom, Luke xi. 20; or lastly, it is a prophecy of the time of consummation, John xiv. 12.

2. DIVERSITY AND AFFINITY OF MIRACLES.-All miracles, recounted in the O. and N. T., have this in common, that they are done in the interest of religion or of God's kingdom, and thus mediately or immediately stand in relation to the aim of revelation, Christ. The miracles of the apostles and primitive Christianity are done in Christ's name, in faith in Him, by virtue of fellowship with Him, Acts iii. 6; Matt. xvii. 20 ff.; Luke x. 9, 19, 20; Gal. iii. 5; 1 Cor. xii. 28. It is especially the power of His resurrection (Eph. i. 19, 20) that is brought into connection with miracles. As concerns the O. T., no miraculous acts by men are found in the patriarchal age, but only Theophanies or angelic appearances.In the case of Abraham, the matter in hand is his separation from the heathen world surrounding him and from its seductive false worships, and the secure laying of the foundations of a pure Monotheism. This is especially shown in Gen. xxii. What indeed is required by God Almighty is unconditional obedience, the sacrifice even of the most ardent wishes; but withal Abraham is to be shown that God is not a God desiring human sacrifice, that His will is not to destroy but to preserve and enrich life. Similar is the meaning of the revelation to Moses, Ex. iii. 2 ff. It is accompanied by an outward sign, the bush burning, yet not consumed. This was the physical symbol of the divine holiness, which would destroy impurity, while not inflicting death. In the Theophany to Elijah likewise (1 Kings xix.), the prophet receives an impression of God's objective essence through corresponding physical symbols, of God's Omnipotence, Justice, and Holiness, and finally

in the still small voice of His Goodness.-Miraculous works through men begin first with the founding of the theocracy, in which men have to co-operate, standing as they do in intimate connection with this design. In the case of Moses they subserve the founding of a monotheistic, common religious system in the midst of an idolatrous world, in the case of Elijah and Elisha chiefly its preservation. They are distinguished from illusive and spectacular miracles, from magical arts, by their ethical aim as well as by their divine source. In days of terrible temptations from heathenism, and in presence of the overwhelming influence exercised by the forces of nature upon a consciousness of God disordered by sin, they oppose the consciousness of Jehovah as the Lord of Nature in an effectual way to the deification of Nature, and preserve it from being swallowed up in the spirit of nature, maintaining confidence in Jehovah and in His supremacy, 1 Sam. xii. 16-18; Deut. xiii. 1-3; 1 Kings xiii. 3-6; 2 Kings xx. 8-11. The words in 1 Pet. i. 11, to the effect that the Spirit of Christ dwelt in the prophets, may be explained as meaning that the prophets, while serving the theocracy, by means of miracles in God's strength prepared the way for and foreshadowed Christ's advent and work. Thus, summing up the teaching of Holy Scripture as a whole, we may say that at the centre of the miracles related in Holy Scripture stand, according to it, Christ and His kingdom, even as He Himself is the personal manifestation of a higher life. Nature and spirit, which otherwise lie separate and apart, are to be brought into unity under the leadership of spirit, which was the problem and promise from the very beginning, Gen. i. 27 ff.

3. RELIGIOUS WORTH OF MIRACLES, ESPECIALLY CHRIST'S, ACCORDING TO HOLY SCRIPTURE.- -On one side the Lord rebukes the overvaluing of miracles, unwillingness to believe without them. "Blessed are they that have not seen and yet have believed." He bestows praise when He is believed in for the sake of His entire manifestation, when His word is believed apart from miracles.1 Miracles alone, without religious susceptibility, do not produce the faith to which Jesus commits. Himself. On the contrary, faith is frequently required before and for miracles, and where it and the religious sense are 1 John iv. 48, xx. 29, cf. x. 38, xiv. 10.

2 John ii. 24.

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