miracles of the Messiah were calculated to convince those only who did not see them. Thus it is, that these miracles are believed at present by people who would not credit those performed in their presence.

Four men who carried a paralytic on his bed, unable to penetrate through the crowd to Jesus, were advised to mount up with the burden to the roof of the house, and making an opening there, to let down the sick man in his bed, and lay him at the physician's feet.The idea appeared ingenious and new to the latter; accordingly, addressing the sick man, "My son," said he, "be of good courage, thy sins are forgiven thee."* This absolution or remission was, no doubt, pronounced so as to be heard by the emissary doctors, who were

* It is upon passages in the Bible similar to this, that the Catholic clergy have founded the practice of absolution. To main tain, says Boulanger, the abject and fanatic ideas, with which the priest has filled his pupils in their childhood, he commands them to come frequently, and deposit in his bosom their hidden faults; their most secret actions and thoughts. He obliges them to humiliate themselves at his feet, and render homage to his power; he frightens the criminals, and afterwards, if they are judged worthy, he reconciles them to God, who, on the command of his ministers, remits their sins. The Christian sects that admit this practice, boast of it as extremely useful in regulating the manners, and restraining the passions of men; but experience proves, that the countries in which this usage is most faithfully observed, are distinguished rather for their dissolute lives than the purity of their manners. By such easy expiations they are only emboldened in vice. The lives of Christians are circles of successive offences and confessions. The priesthood reap the profit of this. practice, by means of which they exercise an absolute dominion over the consciences of mankind. How great must be the power of an order of men, who possess all the secrets of families; who can kindle at pleasure the destructive flame of fanaticism; and open or shut the gates of heaven at will!

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very much offended at it. Jesus, sagaciously divining their dispositions, addressed his discourse to them

Why do you suffer wicked thoughts to enter into, your hearts? which is easier to say to this paralytic, thy sins are forgiven thee; or to say to him, Arise, take up thy bed and walk?" This question, boldly proposed, in the midst of a fanatical people, the sport of prejudice, embarrassed the doctors, who did not think proper to answer it. Jesus, profiting by their embarrassment, said to the paralytic, informed of the part he had to play, Arise, take up thy bed, and go into thine house. This prodigy impressed their minds with terror: it especially made our doctors, the spies, tremble, while the people exclaimed, "Never have we seen before, any thing so wonderful."

But if the doctors were afraid, they were not converted; and notwithstanding the cure of the paralytic, they had no faith in the absolution granted by Jesus, It may, therefore, be supposed that this miracle was attended with circumstances which rendered it suspicious; perhaps the gospel itself will enable us to discover them.

We shall first observe, that when the same fact is differently related by different historians equal in authority, we are constrained to doubt it; or, at least, are entitled to deny that it has happened in the manner supposed. This principle of criticism must apply to the narratives of our inspired writers, as well as to those of others.-Now, St. Matthew tells us merely, that a paralytic was presented to Jesus, who cured him, without relating the wonderful circumstance of the roof being perforated, and the other ornaments with which St. Mark and St. Luke have embellished their narrative. Thus, either we are in the right in suspend

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ing our belief as to this fact, or we may believe at least, that it has not occurred in the manner related by the two last evangelists.'

In the second place, Mark and Luke, who say that the sick man was elevated on his bed to the top of the house in which Christ was, having previously informed us the crowd was so great that the bearers of the diseased were unable to force their way through it, suppose, without expressing it in words, another very great miracle. This operation presupposes, that the carriers penetrated through the crowd. Arrived, we know not how, at the foot of the wall, they could not singly, and far less loaded with the sick man, clamber up to the roof of the house. Luke says, they made an opening through the tiles. In that case the people must have perceived them; and particularly those in the inside of the house. During the silent attention

they no doubt ient to the discourse of Jesus, they must of necessity have heard the noise made by the men in raising up a bed to the roof, and afterwards, uncovering this roof and making a hole in it, through which to convey the sick man. This operation became more difficult still, if the roof, instead of being covered with tiles, was flat. Now, all the houses of the Jews and orientals were, and still are, covered in this manner. All these difficulties furnish sufficient motives for doubting this grand miracle. It will become more probable, if we suppose that the sick man was already in the house with Jesus; that things were previously arranged, and that they let down, by a trap-door made on purpose, a paralytic most certain of being cured on command of the Messiah. This transaction might appear marvel

* Compare as to this history, St. Matthew ix. St. Mark v. and St. Luke v.

lous to a populace disposed to see prodigies every where, but it made less impression on the doctors, who had come on purpose closely to scrutinise. the conduct of our adventurer. They conjectured, that it was dangerous to contradict weak fanatics, but they did not, for all that, credit the miracle they had witnessed.

Some days thereafter, Jesus went and preached along the sea coast, and passing near the custom-house, perceived Matthew, one of the officers, who sat there. His mien pleased the Messiah, on whose invitation our subaltern financier quitted his post, and followed him, after having in the first place given a great entertainment to Jesus and his party. Matthew presented to him as guests, publicans, and toll-bar officers, his brethren, and others of similar repute; but the Pharisees and doctors, who watched the behaviour of Christ, came purposely to Matthew's house to be assured of the fact. Jesus, occupied no doubt with gratifying his appetite, .did not at first observe that he was watched. Some words, however, spoken rather loudly, attracted his attention; it was the doctors who reproached the disciples with drinking and eating with persons of doubtful reputation. "How," probably said they to them, "how dares your master, who constantly preaches up virtue, sobriety, and repentance, shew himself publicly in such bad company? How can he associate with knaves, monopolizers, and men whom their extortions render odious to the nation? Why does he carry in his train women of bad lives, such as Susan and Jane,

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* It appears, notwithstanding all his gravity, that the ladies were the foible of Jesus: melancholy persons are not the least susceptible of this weakness. He was very ardently loved by Mary Magdalene, who appears to have been the model of condescending devotees, or debauched females, whose tempera

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who accompany him continually ?" The disciples, stunned in this manner, knew not well how to reply; but Jesus, without being disconcerted, answered them with a proverb" It is not the whole," said he, "but the sick, who have need of a physician." After this, he cited a passage of scripture, which cannot now be foundLearn," said he to them, "the truth of this saying, I love mercy better than sacrifice." It appears, the doctors did not consider themselves defeated, and Jesus was so transported with passion as to say, that he "came not to call the righteous but sinners to repentance." In that case, why did he reject the Pharisees and doctors, whom he called whitened sepulchres ? Either the adversaries of Jesus were righteous, or they were sinners whom he was come to call to repentance, and consequently he ought not to have renounced them.

Whatever reason Jesus might employ to palliate or justify his conduct, it was very soon published abroad. John Baptist's disciples who heard it, and whom perhaps jealousy excited, came in search of him, and asked the reason of the difference in the life he and his disciples led, and that which they themselves followed. We fast (said they) continually, whilst you and your followers make very good cheer. We practise austerities, and

ment usually leads them to give themselves up to religion, with as much passion after their conversion, as they did before to the world and their lovers. The Albigenses maintained, that Magdalene had a criminal complaisance for the Saviour.-Vide La Christiade, tome i. The Faculty of Theology, at Paris, gravely decided, in 1620, that Mary Magdalene, Mary, the sister of Lazarus, and Mary the courtezan, were one and the same lady: but the Sorbonne has since then changed its opinion, and pretends, that these are three very different Marys.-See Bernard, Nouvelles de la Repub, des Lettres, tome 21. p. 200. ib. tome 32. p. 140.