follow, either that Christianity is false, or that the Scriptures have been corrupted. But, the far greater part of the passages pointed out, are not irreconcileable. The daughter of Jaïrus, for instance, is said in one place to have been in the agonies of death, and in another to be dead ;* and, in either case we are informed, that she certainly was dead before our Lord came to her father's house. It is true, our Lord said that she slept, but this is nothing more than a common expression among the Jews, which seems to have originated from their belief in the resurrection. Our Lord also said that Lazarus slept, when it is certain that his disciples misunderstood him, by supposing that he meant the taking of rest in sleep. The discrepancy, therefore, remarked on this occasion, vanishes upon a little consideration : and, there can be no doubt, that others, on the differences observable in the genealogies as given of our Lord by Matthew and Luke, on the different accounts of the calling of Peter,-of his denying Christ, and the like, had we all the particulars of each case before us, would also vanish. Such apparent discrepancies, therefore, affect neither the veracity nor the inspiration of the Evangelists; and are nothing more than would

Mark v. 23. εσχατως εχει. Luke viii. 42. απεθνησκεν.

be found in the accounts of any two or more persons, recording the same events in any age or country. It should be remembered too, that neither veracity nor inspiration consists in the adoption of an identity of words. Neither the Prophets nor Apostles contend for words. Their object is to present to our consideration things of mighty import, which they do in the simplest and plainest manner, sometimes adding additional circumstances, and sometimes forbearing to do

So.

The objection grounded on the consideration of the Apostles having been weak in the faith,having denied or forsaken Christ previous to their mission, amounts to nothing. We are told that they were to be endued with power from on high for their undertaking; and we are also told that they received it.*

The objections taken to the doctrine of the Holy Trinity, from the circumstance of its being inexplicable, or from the consideration of the disputes of the Jacobites, Nestorians and others, must fall to the ground when we remember, that what God reveals it is our duty to believe, however inexplicable the thing revealed may be. There are things in nature, of the existence of

* Acts, chap. i. 2, &c.

which none doubt, but which all are unable to explain. The same may be true of the Trinity. In the Scripture, we know, God is represented as the Creator of mankind, and of all things visible and invisible: Christ as God, the word of God, the express image of his person, and as the Redeemer of mankind: and the Holy Ghost as the comforter and sanctifier of believers. This has been revealed for our instruction and encouragement, and it is quite sufficient for us. We have nothing to do with the disputes of Christians, whether Nestorians, Jacobites, or the like; it is our duty to search the Scripture for ourselves, and to obey its commands.

Nearly the same may be said, with respect to the gift of the Holy Ghost. With metaphysics and the doctrines about a first Cause we have but little to do in religion. It must rest on Revelation alone. And Revelation has declared, that God will give his Holy Spirit to them that ask him. The authenticity of such declarations as these, can never be made to depend on our knowledge or ignorance, as to the manner of their fulfilment. This we must leave to him, who is all-wise, and at the same time all-powerful.

The

It will not be necessary, I believe, to enter more particularly into these questions. reader, who wishes to do so, may consult the

work of Guadagnoli, of which we shall now give a short notice.

NOTICE OF THE WORK OF GUADAGNOLI.

The title is, "Apologia pro Christiana Religione qua A. R. P. Philippo Guadagnolo Malleanensi, Clericorum Regul. Minorum S. Theologiæ et Arabicæ linguæ Professore, respondetur ad objectiones Ahmed filii Zin Alabadin, Persæ Asphanensis, contentas in Libro inscripto Politor Speculi. Romæ, Typis Sac. Congreg. de Prop. Fide. MDCXXXI. Superiorum Permissu." On the following page we have the approbation and imprimatur, and in the next a dedication to Pope Urban the eighth. The preface which follows the dedication fills nearly four pages. The body of the work contains 557 small quarto pages, to which are added two indexes, one of titles, &c. the other of things. The following is taken from the preface "Scripserat devotus Christianæ Religionis Professor, ex venerabili Jesuitarum Societate, ejusdem Christianæ fidei documenta, libroque sacra mysteria continenti præfixerat titulum Speculum verum ostendens. Libri titulum, et doctrinam pariter, admiratus Nobilis quidam Persa, nomine Ahmed, filius Zin Alabadin, cùm Mahometo fidem præstaret, nequiens inter antiquas, in

quibus jacuerat, tenebras improvisi luminis radios sustinere, videbatur sibi, speculum illud, non de Sole Divinitatis reflexam veritatis lucem in ejus mentem ingerere, sed potius de tenebris falsitatis ementitas umbras: unde plura objecit speculo, et, quasi illud expoliturus, suarum objectionum congeriem, Palitorem Speculi, nominavit: in quo universa Catholicæ fidei documenta evertere conatur, præcipue Divinæ Trinitatis, et Divinitatis Christi mysteria, eorum loco substituens Mahometi mendacia. Nos autem pro modulo nostro in præsenti libro nostræ fidei rationem reddentes, Apostolorum Principis nitimur obsequi præcepto, Epistola prima mandantis: ut simus parati semper ad satisfactionem omni poscenti nos rationem de ea, quæ in nobis est spe.

Et quoniam a Persis in contrarium allata in quatuor partes divisa objiciuntur, nempe: Primò circa Sacrosanctum Trinitatis Mysterium. Secundò circa Ineffabile Incarnationis Sacramentum. Tertiò circa Sacrarum Scripturarum auctoritatem. Quartò circa Alchoranum, ejusque Legislatorem Mahometum. Propterea in quatuor etiam tractatus Responsio disposita est; diverso tamen ordine: Sacrosanctæ enim Trinitatis, et Divinæ Incarnationis, mysteria nequeunt principiis naturalibus comprobari, sed eorum probatio altiùs petenda est, et ex divinis sacrarum Scripturarum testimoniis,