The last truly says, 'Strauss came
to the study of the Evangelical history with the forgone conclusion that
"miracles are impossible;" and where an investigator brings with him an
absolute conviction of the guilt of the accused to the examination
of his case, we know how even the most innocent may be implicated and
condemned out of his own mouth.' In fact, so strong and various are the
proofs of truth and reality in the history of the New Testament, that
none would ever have suspected the veracity of the writers, or tried to
disprove it, except for the above forgone conclusion--'that miracles
are impossible.' We also recommend to the reader an ingenious brochure
included in the 'Voices of the Church, in reply to Strauss,' constructed
on the same principle with Whately's admirable 'Historic Doubts,'
namely; 'The Fallacy of the Mythical Theory of Dr. Strauss, illustrated
from the History of Martin Luther, and from the actual Mohammedan Myths
of the Life of Jesus.' What a subject for the same play of ingenuity
would be Dean Swift! The date, and place of his birth disputed--whether
he was an Englishman or an Irishman--his incomprehensible relations to
Stella and Vanessa, utterly incomprehensible on any hypothesis--his
alleged seduction of one of one, of both, of neither--his marriage with
Stella affirmed, disputed, and still wholly unsettled--the numberless
other incidents in his life full of contradiction and mystery--and, not
least, the eccentricities and inconsistencies of his whole character and
conduct! Why, with a thousandth part of Dr.
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