s he will say that the argument is that
of the Papists: if so, tell him that there is no Christian sect but bears
true witness against some one or more absurdities in other sects.

An anonyme suggests that [Greek: en tachei] may not be "soon," it may be
"quickly, without reference to time when:" he continues thus, "May not time
be 'at hand' when it is ready to come, no matter how long delayed?" I now
understand what *** and *** meant when they borrowed my books and promised
to return them quickly, it was "without {223} reference to time when." As
to time at _hand_--provided you make a long _arm_--I admire the quirk, but
cannot receive it: the word is [Greek: engus], which is a word of
_closeness_ in time, in place, in reckoning, in kindred, etc.

Another gentleman is not surprised that Apocalyptic reading leads to a
doubt of the "canonicity" of the book: it ought not to rest on church
testimony, but on visible miracle. He offers me, or any reader of the
_Athenaeum_, the "sight of a miracle to that effect, and within forty-eight
hours' journey (fare paid)." I seldom travel, and my first thought was
whether my carpet-bag would be found without a regular hunt: but, on
reading further, I found that it was only a concordance that would be
wanted. Forty hours' collection and numerical calculation of Greek nouns
would make it--should I happen to agree with the writer--many hundred
millions to one that Revelation xiii is superhuman. There is but one verse
(the fifth) which the writer does not see verified. I looked at this verse,
and was much startled. The Budget began in October 1863: should it last
until March 1867--it is now August 1866--it is clear that I am the first
Beast, and my paradoxers are the saints whom I persecute.

[The Budget _did_ terminate in March 1867: I hope the gentleman will be
satisfied with the resulting interpretation.]

The same opponent is surprised that I should suppose a thing which "comes
to pass" must be completed, and cannot contain what is to happen 1800 years
after. All who have any knowledge of English idiom know that a thing
_comes_ to pass when it happens, and _came_ to pass afterwards. But as the
original is Greek, we must look at the Greek: it is [Greek: dei genesthai]
for "must come to pass," and we know that [Greek: egeneto] is what is
usually translated "came to pass." No word of more finished completion
exists in Greek.

And now for a last round of biter-bit with the Thor-hammerer,