The Supernatural in the New Testament, Possible, Credible, and Historical Or, An Examination of the Validity of Some Recent Objections Against Christianity as a Divine — Reading Notes

Miracles and the Moral Universe

Row draws a sharp distinction between Jesus' physical miracles and his handling of moral and spiritual conditions. He notes that the Evangelists record no miracle wrought on the human mind, even though Jesus encountered every form of moral weakness. Physical diseases are cured instantaneously; moral ones are addressed slowly and with effort. Row argues this pattern shows Jesus acting in conformity with the laws of the moral universe. He poses a pointed question: if the Gospels were fictions, why would the Great Physician of Souls never be shown performing a sudden moral cure? The consistency of this restraint, Row contends, supports the historical reliability of the accounts.

Possession: Mania or Objective Reality?

Row devotes multiple chapters to demoniacal possession, weighing two competing explanations: that possession was simple mania, or that it was an actual objective fact involving demonic agency. He argues that on either supposition, the Gospel narratives remain coherent. If possession was mania, Jesus' use of moral and spiritual means—rather than mere exorcism—is entirely appropriate. If it was objective demonic control, the same moral approach fits. Row concludes that the facts as recorded are not inconsistent with either view, and that neither undermines the historical value of the Gospels or the truthfulness of Jesus. He promises to examine the objective-fact hypothesis in the next chapter.

The Structure of Row's Argument

The book's table of contents reveals a methodical progression: from definitions and the nature of the supernatural, through objections to miracles (improbability, contradiction to reason, insufficiency of testimony), to specific topics like demoniacal miracles and the resurrection. Row engages with contemporary skeptical positions, such as the claim that defenders of Christianity assume facts that can only be known by revelation. The final chapters focus on historical evidence, including the testimony of the early church and Paul's epistles, and the internal structure of the Gospels. The excerpt shows Row's style: careful, logical, and responsive to specific objections rather than offering a general apology.

Readers approaching Row's text should note that it is a work of philosophical and historical apologetics, not a devotional or exegetical commentary. The book assumes familiarity with the New Testament text and with 19th-century skeptical arguments. Row's value lies in his close attention to the details of Gospel narratives and his willingness to test both skeptical and orthodox positions against the evidence he selects. The excerpts give a fair sample of his method: precise, measured, and focused on the coherence of the biblical accounts.

Row’s patient defense of miracles reminds me of the old shelves where doubt whispers beside wonder. There is a quiet kinship between his careful logic and Bible Romances, First Series — Background and Themes, where the same stories are handled like well-worn velvet—each crease holding a different light, neither book shouting, both simply keeping vigil over what cannot be proven yet refuses to fade.