declares ’the wisdom of Solomon and the poetry of Isaiah the fruit of the same inspiration which is popularly attributed to Milton or Shakspeare, or even to the homely wisdom of Benjamin Franklin’ (P. 72.) in the same pleasant confusion of mind, he thinks that the ’pens of Plato, of Paul and of Dante, the pencils of Raphael and of Claude, the Chisels of Canova and of Chantrey, no less than the voices of Knox of Wickliffe, and of Luther are ministering instruments, in different degrees, of the same spirit.’ (P. 77.) He thinks that ’we find, both in the writers and the records of Scripture, every evidence of human infirmity that can possibly be conceived; and yet we are to believe that God himself specially inspired them with false philosophy, vicious logic, and bad grammar.’(P. 74.) He denies the originality both of the Christian ethic (which he says are a gross plagiarism from Plato) as also in great part of the system of Christian doctrine.* Nevertheless, it would be quite a mistake, it seems, to suppose that Mr. Foxton is no Christian!  He is, on the contrary, of the very few who can tell us what Christianity really is; and who can separate the falsehoods and the myths which have so long disguised it.  He even talks most spiritually and with an edifying onction.  He tells us “God was,” indeed, “in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself.”  And but little deduction need be made from the rapturous language of Paul, who tells us that “in him dwelt all the fullness of the Godhead bodily” (P. 65); I concede to Christ’ (generous admission!) ’the highest inspiration hitherto granted to the prophets of God’ (P. 143),—­Mahomet, it appears, and Zoroaster and Confucius, having also statues in his truly Catholic Pantheon.  ‘The position of Christ,’ he tells us in another place, is ‘simply that of the foremost man in all the world,’ though he ’soars far above “all principalities and powers”—­above all philosophies hitherto known—­above all creeds hitherto propagated in his name’—­the true Christian doctrine, after having been hid from ages and generations, being reserved to be disclosed, we presume, by Mr. Foxton.  His spiritualism, as usual with the whole school of our new Christian infidels, is, of course, exquisitely refined,—­but, unhappily, very vague.  He is full of talk of ’a deeep insight,’—­of a ’faith not in dead histories, but living realities—­a revelation to our innermost nature.’  ‘The true seer,’ he says, ’looking deep into causes, carries in his heart the simple wisdom of God.  The secret harmonies of Nature vibrate on his ear, and her fair proportions reveal themselves to his eye.  He has a deep faith in the truth of God.’ (P. 146.) ’The inspired man is one whose outward life derives all its radiance from the light within him.  He walks through stony places by the light of his own soul, and stumbles not.  No human motive is present to such a mind in its highest exultation—­no love of praise—­no desire of fame—­no affection, no passion mingles with the divine afflatus, which passes over without ruffling the soul.’ (P. 44.) And a great many fine phrases of the same kind, equally innocent of all meaning. ____