67


68  THE  BASAL  BELIEFS   OF  CHRISTIANITY

Many  definitions  have  been  given  of  it,  but  the
general  idea  now  held  is  that  a  miracle  is  an
event  in  the  physical  world  not  explainable  by
known  physical  causes,  which  manifests  purpose
and  is  referred  to  the  divine  will.  Viewed  in
this  light  a  miracle  escapes  many  of  the  old  objec-
tions urged  against  it.  The  human  will  itself  can
cause  events  that  are  analogous  to  miracles.  It
can  combine  and  direct  physical  forces  to  its  own
ends,  and  thus  produce  events  in  the  physical
world  that  nature  itself  would  never  have  caused.
God  sustains  the  same  relation  to  physical  forces,
only  his  control  over  them  is  more  intimate  and
complete;  rather  these  forces  are  simply  his  own
will  as  directed  by  his  thought,  and  thus  immedi-
ately express  his  purpose.  He  can  therefore
combine  and  direct  these  forces  to  work  out  his
purpose  at  any  point  without  violating  any  law.
But  these  forces  themselves,  or  what  we  call  the
laws  of  nature,  are  the  habits  of  God,  and  a  habit
can  be  modified  when  there  is  a  reason  for  such
variation.  The  immanence  of  God  in  his  world
makes  it  pliant  and  plastic  at  every  point  to
express  his  purpose,  and  thus  the  supernatural  is
as  natural  to  him  as  the  natural.  This  modern
philosophic  view  of  the  world  completely  under-
mines the  old  objection  to  miracles  and  brings  them


MIRACLES  69

within  the  curve  of  unbroken  higher  law  and  love.
