Part 58

See the New York World for Sunday, 21st October 1888; and the Report of the Seybert Commission, Philadelphia, 1887.

Dr. Newman's observation that the miraculous multiplication of the pieces of the true cross (with which "the whole world is filled," according to Cyril of Jerusalem; and of which some say there are enough extant to build a man-of-war) is no more wonderful than that of the loaves and fishes is one that I do not see my way to contradict. See Essay on Miracles, 2d ed. p. 163.

An Essay on the Development of Christian Doctrine, by J. H. Newman, D.D., pp. 7 and 8. (1878.)

Dr. Newman faces this question with his customary ability. "Now, I own, I am not at all solicitous to deny that this doctrine of an apostate Angel and his hosts was gained from Babylon: it might still be Divine nevertheless. God who made the prophet's ass speak, and thereby instructed the prophet, might instruct His Church by means of heathen Babylon" (Tract 85, p. 83). There seems to be no end to the apologetic burden that Balaam's ass can carry.

Nineteenth Century, May 1889 (p. 701).

I trust it may not be supposed that I undervalue M. Renan's labours, or intended to speak slightingly of them.

To-day's Times contains a report of a remarkable speech by Prince Bismarck, in which he tells the Reichstag that he has long given up investing in foreign stock, lest so doing should mislead his judgment in his transactions with foreign states. Does this declaration prove that the Chancellor accuses himself of being "sordid" and "selfish," or does it not rather show that, even in dealing with himself, he remains the man of realities?

Bampton Lectures (1859), on "The Historical Evidences of the Truth of the Scripture Records stated anew, with Special Reference to the Doubts and Discoveries of Modern Times," by the Rev. G. Rawlinson, M.A., pp. 5-6.

The Worth of the Old Testament, a Sermon preached in St. Paul's Cathedral on the Second Sunday in Advent, 8th Dec. 1889, by H. P. Liddon, D.D., D.C.L., Canon and Chancellor of St. Paul's. Second edition, revised and with a new preface, 1890.

St. Luke xvii. 32.

Ibid. 27.

St. Matt. xii. 40.

Bampton Lectures, 1859, pp. 50-51.

Commentary on Genesis, by the Bishop of Ely, p. 77.

Die Sintflut, 1876.

Theologie und Naturwissenschaft, ii. 784-791 (1877).

It is very doubtful if this means the region of the Armenian Ararat. More probably it designates some part either of the Kurdish range or of its south-eastern continuation.

So Reclus (Nouvelle Géographie Universelle, ix. 386), but I find the statement doubted by an authority of the first rank.

So far as I know, the narrative of the Creation is not now held to be true, in the sense in which I have defined historical truth, by any of the reconcilers. As for the attempts to stretch the Pentateuchal days into periods of thousands or millions of years, the verdict of the eminent biblical scholar, Dr. Riehm (Der biblische Schöpfungsbericht, 1881, pp. 15, 16), on such pranks of "Auslegungskunst" should be final. Why do the reconcilers take Goethe's advice seriously?--

"Im Auslegen seyd frisch und munter! Legt ihr's nicht aus, so legt was unter."

Thus Josephus (lib. ix.) says that his rival, Justus, persuaded the citizens of Tiberias to "set the villages that belonged to Gadara and Hippos on fire; which villages were situated on the borders of Tiberias and of the region of Scythopolis."

It is said to have been destroyed by its captors.

"But as to the Grecian cities Gaza and Gadara and Hippos, he cut them off from the kingdom and added them to Syria."--Josephus, Wars, II. vi. 3. See also Antiquities, XVII. xi. 4.

Geschichte des jüdischen Volkes im Zeitalter Christi, 1886-90.

If William the Conqueror, after fighting the battle of Hastings had marched to capture Chichester and then returned to assault Rye, being all the while anxious to reach London, his proceedings would not have been more eccentric than Mr. Gladstone must imagine those of Vespasian were.

See Reland, Palestina (1714), t. ii. p. 771. Also Robinson, Later Biblical Researches (1856), p. 87 note.

Nineteenth Century, February 1891, pp. 339-40.

Neither is it of any consequence whether the locality of the supposed miracle was Gadara, or Gerasa, or Gergesa. But I may say that I was well acquainted with Origen's opinion respecting Gergesa. It is fully discussed and rejected in Riehm's Handwörterbuch. In Kitto's Biblical Cyclopædia (ii. p. 51) Professor Porter remarks that Origen merely "conjectures" that Gergesa was indicated; and he adds, "Now, in a question of this kind, conjectures cannot be admitted. We must implicitly follow the most ancient and creditable testimony, which clearly pronounces in favour of [Greek: Gadarênôn]. This reading is adopted by Tischendorf, Alford, and Tregelles."