CHAP. VI. NOT RECORDED IN SCRIPTURE. 313f

to the claim which it makes. It is easy to see
also that in all analogous cases the same princi-
ples operate ; or that, if the same claims can be
in other cases made out, the same attention
must evidently be due. It is equally plain that
the apparent absence of these claims, the ab-
sence either of all, or any of them, lessens pro-
portionably the claim to attention, though in
what proportion can only be accurately deter-
mined by a particular examination of the cir-
cumstances of each case. Thus a religion may
be established, and yet be so clearly absurd that
we may excuse a philosopher from giving any
thought to the evidence of it. There may be
very strong testimony to the truth of a miracle,
and yet the occasion may be so trifling, or the
scene so remote, that we may feel uninterested
in it; or it may only rouse our curiosity, or
even our contempt for vulgar weakness and cre-
dulity. It may even happen on the other hand
that a cause shall seem good, shall even be im-
portant, and in itself unimpeachable, and yet
the miracles which it alleges in proof of its
truth shall be so weakly evidenced that both
the cause and the miracles may justly be re-
garded as unworthy of notice. Thus in the case



314 OP CLAIMS OF MIRACLES CHAP. VI.
