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ingredients. Indeed, the contrary course would probably have led to inconsistency. For the same miracle repeatedly occurs, attended by the most dissimilar and sometimes opposite details. If then we attach a typical value to every incidental accompaniment, we have the same operation of the Divine Spirit,—(represented, too, by our Lord as identical,)—yet varying in its causes, its operation, and its effects, in a way, which however natural in the type, must involve the antitype in doubt and confusion'.

It is at best but an ungracious task to direct attention to well-meant errors of judgment; but it is necessary to give an example of the system which we have ventured to condemn. In the case of the paralytic cured, St Austin understands by the uncovering of the roof", "the opening of the hidden things of Scripture, and unveiling the mysteries." Of the four bearers of the paralytic, Theophylact says, Theophylact says, "I am paralytic; since the powers of my soul are without motion, or operation towards any thing that is good; but if I shall be carried by the four Evangelists, and brought by them to our Lord, then shall I hear him say, 'Thy sins are forgiven thee"." And St Gregory says, "What is meant by the bed, in these words of our Lord, take up thy bed and walk', but the lust of

* See note (G). * In loc. Evang. Quest. lib. 11. cap. 4. Serm. 46.

3 In Marc.

the flesh? He is now commanded, when whole, to carry that whereon he lay when infirm." And with regard to the miracle of the loaves and fishes, we are told the lad who had them is Moses; the five loaves are the Pentateuch ;-and the two fishes, the writings of the fishermen, i.e. the Gospels:-they sat upon the grass, for they were carnal, and all flesh is grass :and because the flesh must be brought under by the Spirit—and the twelve baskets full of fragments represent the supply of spiritual food, which was left with the twelve Apostles for the benefit of the Gentiles 8.

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Such are the fantastic expositions to which an incautious use of this delusive art gives birth. To say that they either give additional light, or additional interest, to the beautifully simple narrative of Scripture, is, we apprehend, impossible. This Protean artifice can do with words, what alchemy professed to do with metals, transmute their form and substance, destroy all our confidence in their appearances, and confound the testimony of our very senses. There is no action

of history, no inspired nor human composition, from which the exercise of a fanciful ingenuity might not extract an allegorical signification. We repeat, we speak not of the illustration or practical improvement of the miracles. Such,

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resting upon the sole responsibility of the writer, can do no harm, and may do much good. But what we would especially guard against, is the giving the authority of Scripture to what is only the conjecture, well-meant perhaps and ingenious, but still uncertain, of a fallible mortal; and loading the plain text and literal intention of the Gospel history with allegorical excrescences, which they were never intended, at least, which we cannot with confidence say they were ever intended to bear.

We have written with the more anxiety, and perhaps taken a more cautious view of the subject, from a knowledge that the very system. which we have reprobated, has put a weapon into the hands of infidelity, for its attacks upon one of the most necessary and revered props of our religion. Woolston in the last century, and the German neologists of the present day, have maintained, that the spiritual import of the miracles is their only one,-that, in fact, they are nothing but allegories, with as little foundation in historical reality, as the parables which accompany them. It is worthy of remark, that Woolston's principal argument was founded on the somewhat undue predilection which the Fathers shewed for the spiritualization of our Saviour's actions'. He, as well as some of the

1 See note (I.)

modern enemies of Christianity, with a policy which the Apostle has predicted, carried on his hostility under the mask of friendship. The fulfilment of prophecy, we are told, which we see met in the person of Jesus Christ, is the only and sufficient evidence of his Messiahship; and it is but to degrade that evidence, if we appeal to works which have been equalled, if not exceeded, by necromancers, and the supporters of false religions. We need not stop to examine the falsehood of this often-refuted calumny against the character of the Christian miracles; but it is worth our while to remark the inconsistency of these advocates for the exclusive testimony of prophecy. Every page in the prophetical writings teems with allusions to these very miracles;—indeed, in the miracles they met their most singular and convincing accomplishment. Nor will it answer their purpose to say, that the prophecy as well as its fulfilment was spiritual; for we frequently find the Prophet himself deducing their spiritual import from the actions which he literally foretels. Besides, the evidence afforded by the fulfilment of such a prophecy would have been as nothing, when compared with that of a literal one; since all but the subject of the inward change must have been unconscious of its performance. It is dif ficult to understand how the natural actions See note (K).

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imputed to our Saviour can be wholly spiritual,impossible, if any credit is to be given to his historians. It is vain then for these deluded men to pretend to a general speculative belief in the doctrines of Christianity. With the literal veracity of the narrative of the miracles goes every foundation of our religious creed,— of all that we believe, all that we pray for, all that we hope.

Fallacies so extravagant, so irreconcileable with common sense, need only to be stated in order to be detected and spurned. Indeed, we should hardly have thought them worthy of mention, but for the inexplicable fact, of their being popular on the Continent at the present day. We can conceive how one bold bad man might be led, through a craving for notoriety, to shew his wit in the support of any paradox however irrational; but that such opinions should have gained a footing among any body of men, is a phenomenon only to be accounted for by that insatiable appetite for mysticism, which, with a certain sect in that country, seems to amount almost to a disease.

But we gladly leave this ungrateful subject, as our limits warn us we must now hasten to a close. We believe we have examined the principal points bearing upon the question;-we trust we shall be thought to have done so in a spirit of humility and caution. If we have

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