of the same author, we meet with the old solution of
magic applied to the miracles of Christ by the adversaries of the
religion. "Celsus," saith Origen, "well knowing what great works may be
alleged to have been done by Jesus, pretends to grant that the things
related of him are true; such as healing diseases, raising the dead,
feeding multitudes with a few leaves, of which large fragments were
left." (Orig. cont. Cels. lib. ii. sect. 48.) And then Celsus gives, it
seems, an answer to these proofs of our Lord's mission, which, as Origen
understood it, resolved the phenomena into magic; for Origen begins his
reply by observing, "You see that Celsus in a manner allows that there
is such a thing as magic." (Lardner's Jewish and Heath. Test, vol. ii.
p. 294, ed. 4to.)

It appears also from the testimony of St. Jerome, that Porphyry, the
most learned and able of the heathen writers against Christianity,
resorted to the same solution: "Unless," says he, speaking to
Vigilantius, "according to the manner of the Gentiles and the profane,
of Porphyry and Eunomius, you pretend that these are the tricks of
demons." (Jerome cont. Vigil.)

This magic, these demons, this illusory appearance, this comparison with
the tricks of jugglers, by which many of that age accounted so easily
for the Christian miracles, and which answers the advocates of
Christianity often thought it necessary to refute by arguments drawn
from other topics, and particularly from prophecy (to which, it seems,
these solutions did not apply), we now perceive to be gross subterfuges.
That such reasons were ever seriously urged and seriously received, is
only a proof what a gloss and varnish fashion can give to any opinion.

It appears, therefore, that the miracles of Christ, understood as we
understand them in their literal and historical sense, were positively
and precisely asserted and appealed to by the apologists for
Christianity; which answers the allegation of the objection.

I am ready, however, to admit, that the ancient Christian advocates did
not insist upon the miracles in argument so frequently as I should have
done. It was their lot to contend with notions of magical agency,
against which the mere production of the facts was not sufficient for
the convincing of their adversaries: I do not know whether they
themselves thought it quite decisive of the controversy. But since it is
proved, I conceive with certainty, that the sparingness with which they