to end, this account of things is
absolutely untrue. The miracles of Jesus awakened the greatest
astonishment, betokening a time as unfamiliar with the actual
performance of such things as our own.

For instance, after the first casting out of a devil recorded in St.
Mark, it is said.--

"They were all amazed, insomuch that they questioned among
themselves, saying, What thing is this? What new doctrine is this?
For with authority commandeth He even the unclean spirits, and they
do obey Him." (Mark i. 29.)

In the next chapter, after the account of the healing of the sick of the
palsy, it is said:--

"They were all amazed and glorified God, saying, We never saw it on
this fashion." (ii. 12.)

Again (St. Luke v. 26), after the casting out of a devil: "They were all
amazed." Again, Luke ix. 43 (also after the casting out of a devil),
"They were all amazed at the mighty power of God." [170:1]

From the account in St. John, the miracle of the opening of the eyes of
the man born blind seems to have excited unbounded astonishment:--

"Since the world began was it not heard that any man opened the eyes
of one that was born blind." "Can a devil open the eyes of the
blind?" (John ix. 32, x. 21.)

But more than this. If there be any truth whatsoever in the Gospel
narrative, the disciples themselves, instead of exhibiting anything
approaching to the credulity with which the author of "Supernatural
Religion" taxes the contemporaries of Christ, exhibited rather a spirit
of unbelief. If they had transmitted to us "cunningly devised fables,"
they never would have recorded such instances of their own slowness of
belief as is evinced by their conduct respecting the feeding of the four
thousand following upon the feeding of the five thousand, when they ask
the same question in the face of the same difficulty respecting the
supply of food.

Above all, their slowness of belief in the Resurrection of Christ after
their Master's direct assertion that He would rise again, is directly
opposed to the idea suggested by the author of "Supernatural Religion,"
that they were ready to believe anything which seemed to favour His
pretensions.

Now, it may be alleged that these instances of the slowness of belief on
the part of our Lord's immediate followers, and the conduct of the
multitudes who expressed such wonder at His miracles, are contrary to
one another, but, they are not; for the astonishment o