On the credulity of the Jews in our Lord’s time, I repeat the author’s remarks:—­

“During the whole life of Christ, and the early propagation of the religion, it must be borne in mind that they took place in an age, and among a people, which superstition had made so familiar with what were supposed to be preternatural events, that wonders awakened no emotion, or were speedily superseded by some new demand on the ever-ready belief.” (Vol. i. p. 98.)

Now, if the records of our Lord’s life in the Gospels are not a tissue of falsehoods from beginning to end, this account of things is absolutely untrue.  The miracles of Jesus awakened the greatest astonishment, betokening a time as unfamiliar with the actual performance of such things as our own.

For instance, after the first casting out of a devil recorded in St. Mark, it is said.—­

“They were all amazed, insomuch that they questioned among themselves, saying, What thing is this?  What new doctrine is this?  For with authority commandeth He even the unclean spirits, and they do obey Him.” (Mark i. 29.)

In the next chapter, after the account of the healing of the sick of the palsy, it is said:—­

    “They were all amazed and glorified God, saying, We never saw it on
    this fashion.” (ii. 12.)

Again (St. Luke v. 26), after the casting out of a devil:  “They were all amazed.”  Again, Luke ix. 43 (also after the casting out of a devil), “They were all amazed at the mighty power of God.” [170:1]

From the account in St. John, the miracle of the opening of the eyes of the man born blind seems to have excited unbounded astonishment:—­

    “Since the world began was it not heard that any man opened the eyes
    of one that was born blind.”  “Can a devil open the eyes of the
    blind?” (John ix. 32, x. 21.)

But more than this.  If there be any truth whatsoever in the Gospel narrative, the disciples themselves, instead of exhibiting anything approaching to the credulity with which the author of “Supernatural Religion” taxes the contemporaries of Christ, exhibited rather a spirit of unbelief.  If they had transmitted to us “cunningly devised fables,” they never would have recorded such instances of their own slowness of belief as is evinced by their conduct respecting the feeding of the four thousand following upon the feeding of the five thousand, when they ask the same question in the face of the same difficulty respecting the supply of food.

Above all, their slowness of belief in the Resurrection of Christ after their Master’s direct assertion that He would rise again, is directly opposed to the idea suggested by the author of “Supernatural Religion,” that they were ready to believe anything which seemed to favour His pretensions.