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Full Idea
Where such supernatural events are suitable to ends aim'd at by him who has the power to change the course of nature, they may be fitter to procure belief by how much more they are beyond or contrary to ordinary observation.
Gist of Idea
If miracles aim at producing belief, it is plausible that their events are very unusual
Source
John Locke (Essay Conc Human Understanding (2nd Ed) [1694], 4.16.13)
Book Ref
Locke,John: 'Essay Concerning Human Understanding', ed/tr. Nidditch,P.H. [OUP 1979], p.667
A Reaction
On this occasion there is flat disagreement with Hume, who produced a famous objection to the whole idea of miracles. Locke is struggling here, since he is defending events which are totally contrary to the rest of his epistemology.
| 20716 | False prophets will perform wonders to deceive even the elect [Mark] |
| 5974 | People report seeing through rocks, or over the horizon, or impossibly small works [Plutarch] |
| 7902 | The Buddha made flowers float in the air, to impress people, and make them listen [Mahavastu] |
| 4827 | Priests reject as heretics anyone who tries to understand miracles in a natural way [Spinoza] |
| 4868 | Trying to prove God's existence through miracles is proving the obscure by the more obscure [Spinoza] |
| 12571 | If miracles aim at producing belief, it is plausible that their events are very unusual [Locke] |
| 5030 | Miracles are extraordinary operations by God, but are nevertheless part of his design [Leibniz] |
| 12909 | Everything, even miracles, belongs to order [Leibniz] |
| 12784 | Allow no more miracles than are necessary [Leibniz] |
| 2227 | A miracle violates laws which have been established by continuous unchanging experience, so should be ignored [Hume] |
| 2228 | All experience must be against a supposed miracle, or it wouldn't be called 'a miracle' [Hume] |
| 2229 | To establish a miracle the falseness of the evidence must be a greater miracle than the claimed miraculous event [Hume] |
| 7636 | It can't be more rational to believe in natural laws than miracles if the laws are not rational [Ishaq on Hume] |