easy a rate as that of keeping his eyes shut, than at the idea of practising it, in any of the shapes to which he had been accustomed:-shapes, requiring more dexterity, and some, by which he would be more or less exposed, to that detection, from which, in the mode here in question, it would be altogether secure.

But Paul-was he in a condition to render it worth the sorcerer's while to give this shape to his imposture? Who can say that he was not? Yes: if to a certain degree he had it in his power, either to benefit him or to make him suffer? And who can say but that these two means of operating, were one or other, or both of them, in his power? As to the sorcerer's betraying him, this is what he could not have done, without betraying himself.

True it is, that, by acting this under part,—this self-humiliating part,-so long as Paul staid, so long was the sorcerer, not the first, but only the second wonder-worker of the town. But no sooner did Paul's departure take place, than Elymas, from being the second, became again the first.

SECTION 3.

SUPPOSABLE MIRACLE II.-AT LYSTRA, CRIPPLE CURED. Acts xiv. 8 to 11.

SECOND of these supposed miracles,-cure of the cripple at Lystra.

This miracle makes a bad match with the beforementioned one.

Seeing a man at Lystra (neither man's name, nor place's, except in that general way, nor time, in any way mentioned)-seeing a man in the guise of a cripple, "Stand upright on thy feet," says Paul to him with a loud voice. "And" (continues the story) "he leap"ed and walked, steadfastly beholding and perceiving

that he had faith to be healed." Chorus of the people thereupon, "The Gods are come down to us in the "likeness of men."

To the production of an appearance of this sort, what was necessary? a real miracle? No, surely: so long as a vagrant was to be found, who, without any risk, could act a part of this sort for a few pence, in an age so fertile in imposture.

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True it is, that this same man, whoever he was, is represented as being "impotent in his feet, being "a cripple from his mother's womb, who never had "walked." But these words, how much more than any other words, of the same length, in the same num. ber, did the writing of them cost the author of this story? As to the correctness of his narratives,—of the self-contradictory accounts given by him of Paul's conversion, a sample has been already given. As to detection, supposing this circumstance false,-detection is what the account thus given of it renders impossible. For this same cripple, what was his name? from birth to this time, where had he been living? Of this nothing is said. That, at Lystra, or any where else, the account was ever made public, is neither affirmed, nor so much as insinuated: not but that it might have been published, and, at the same time, though as to every thing but the scene that exhibited itself to outward appearance, false,-might not have found any person, at the same time able and willing to contradict the falsity, and thus naturalize the miracle.

SECTION 4.

SUPPOSABLE MIRACLE III.—DIVINERESS SILENCEd. Acts xvi. 16-18.

WHILE Paul and his suite,-of whom, according to the author of the Acts, he himself was one,-were at Philippi,-a Roman colony, and capital of a part of Ma

X

cedonia,-among their hearers, is Lydia—a purpleseller of the city of Thyatira. Being converted, she receives the whole party into her house.

From this house, in their way to prayers,-probably in a Jewish synagogue,-they are met by a certain damsel, as nameless as the lame-born cripple, who, being possessed of a spirit of divination (or of Python), brings to her masters (for masters it seems she had more than one) much gain by soothsaying. Here then is a female, who, by being possessed by or with a spirit, a real spirit, whether devil or a spirit of any other sort,-is converted into a prophetess, and, doubtless, in the main a false prophetess.

In the present instance, however, she is a true prophetess for, following Paul and his suite, she runs after them, saying, "These men are the servants of "the Most High God, which show unto us the way of "salvation. And this did she many days."

If, instead of a demon, it had been an angel, that took her vocal organs for the instrument of his communications, it is difficult to say, in what manner he could have deserved better at the hands of these "ser"vants," real or pretended, "of the Most High God."

Yet, from some cause or other that does not appear, so it was it seems,-there was something about her with which Paul was not well pleased. "Being

grieved, he turns and says,"-not to the damsel herself, but to the spirit, which possessed her, or rather, since for the benefit of her masters, it brought her so much gain, which she possessed,-" I command thee, "in the name of Jesus Christ, to come out of her."

Amongst the superstitions of that and other ages, one was the notion of a property, possessed by such and such words-possessed, by these mere evanescent sounds-by the air of the atmosphere, when made to vibrate in a certain manner:-a property, of working effects in endless abundance and variety, and those,

too, supernatural ones. In some instances, the wonders would be wrought by the words themselves, whatsoever were the mouths by which they were uttered. In other instances, they required, for the production of the effects, a person, who being possessed of a particular and appropriate power, should, for the purpose of giving exercise to such his power, give them passage through his lips. Of this latter kind was the present case. The command issued as above, "he (for it was a he-spirit) came out of her (the dam"sel) the same hour.'

When the devil that Josephus saw expelled*, came out of the man, the channel at which he made his exit, being manifest, it was accordingly specified: it was the man's nose. This was something to know: especially, in relation to an occurrence, the time of which was at so great a distance from our own. At the same time, however, other particulars present themselves, by which curiosity is excited, and for want of which, the information thus bestowed must be confessed to be rather imperfect. What the shape of the devil was? what the substance? whence he last came? to what place, to what occupation, after being thus dislodged, he betook himself, and so forth: not to speak of many others, which howsoever instructive and satisfactory it would have been to be acquainted with, yet now that all acquaintance with them is hopeless, it would be tedious to enumerate.

In the present instance, not only as to all these particulars, has the historian,-eye-witness as it should seem he was of every thing that passed,-left us in the dark; but, neither has he vouchsafed to afford us that single article of information, scanty as it was, for which, as above, in the case mentioned by Jo

* Supra, Ch.

sephus, we are indebted to Josephus: to Josephus— that most respectable and instructive of the uninspired historians of his age.

In relation to this story, as well as to those others, the same question still presents itself:-if told of the present time, if spoken of in some newspaper, as having happened in the present year,-exists here any person, even among the most ignorant populace, with whom it would obtain any permanent credence?

But, a reported state of things-which, if reported as having had place in the present century, would, by its disconformity to the manifest state of things, and the whole course of nature, be regarded as too absurd and flagrantly incredible to deserve to be entitled to a moment's notice,-what is there that should render it more credible, when reported as having happened in this same world of ours, at any anterior point of time?

SECTION 5.

SUPPOSABLE MIRACLE IV.-AT PHILIPPI, AN EARTHQUAKE: PAUL AND SILAS FREED FROM PRISON, A° 53.

THE passage, in which these events are related, is in Acts, chap. xvi. ver. 19 to 40 inclusive.

On this occasion three principal events are narrated; -the incarceration of Paul, an earthquake, and the liberation of Paul. Between the earthquake and the liberation of this prisoner, what was in reality the connexion? In the answer there is not much difficulty: The same as that between the earthquake and any other event that took place after it. But, by an answer thus simple, the purpose of the narrator would not have been answered: the purpose was-to induce, on the part of his readers, the belief-that it was for the purpose of bringing about the libe