as
dogmatic ardour in the world, ever sharpening its wits to the utmost,
that it may spy each lurking inaccuracy and ruthlessly drag it to light.
But this useful spirit is wont to lead those who are inspired by it to
shoot beyond the mark, and after pointing out the errors of others,
to commit fresh mistakes of their own. In the skilful criticism of M.
Renan's work on the Apostles, in No. 29 of the "Fortnightly Review"
there is now and then a vulnerable spot through which a controversial
shaft may perhaps be made to pierce.

It may be true that Lord Lyttelton's tract on the Conversion of St.
Paul, as Dr. Johnson and Dr. Rogers have said, has never yet been
refuted; but if I may judge from my own recollection of the work, I
should say that this must be because no competent writer ever thought
it worth his pains to criticize it. Its argument contains about as much
solid consistency as a distended balloon, and collapses as readily at
the first puncture. It attempts to prove, first, that the conversion of
St. Paul cannot be made intelligible except on the assumption that there
was a miracle in the case; and secondly, that if Paul was converted by a
miracle, the truth of Christianity is impregnable. Now, if the first of
these points be established, the demonstration is not yet complete, for
the second point must be proved independently. But if the first point be
overthrown, the second loses its prop, and falls likewise.

Great efforts are therefore made to show that no natural influences
could have intervened to bring about a change in the feelings of
Paul. He was violent, "thorough," unaffected by pity or remorse; and
accordingly he could not have been so completely altered as he was, had
he not actually beheld the risen Christ: such is the argument which Mr.
Rogers deems so conclusive. I do not know that from any of Paul's own
assertions we are entitled to affirm that no shade of remorse had ever
crossed his mind previous to the vision near Damascus. But waiving this
point, I do maintain that, granting Paul's feelings to have been as Mr.
Rogers thinks they were, his conversion is inexplicable, even on the
hypothesis of a miracle. He that is determined not to believe, will not
believe, though one should rise from the dead. To make Paul a believer,
it was not enough that he should meet his Lord face to face he must have
been already prepared to believe. Otherwise he would have easily found
means of explaining the miracle fr