urging you to bear in mind the emphatic and august mode in which Bagster treats his subject. His entire Preface breathes a similar spirit, even as though he stood in awe while touching on the heavenly truths.

I know that the gentleman whom I address possesses a copy of Mr. Wirgman's Diagram, though not his Book on the "Divarication of the New Testament;" yet, as this epistle may be seen and read by others, and a reference to it may be necessary in the perusal of the following quotation, it is introduced here.

The light in which the author views the defects of the Historical parts of Scripture has been already mentioned; but, as some of his opinions may require those imagined defects to be reflected on, I deem it necessary to recur to the subject. "The difference between 'HISTORY' and DOCTRINE,' with regard to its proofs, is perfectly distinct. The former never can reach higher than possibility and probability; while the latter affords a conviction, whose contrary is impossible."

H

It is, then, necessary to bear in mind that we are not to place implicit faith in HISTORY, let the import of the subject be whatever it may. To give a tolerably correct notion of his mode of arguing it is necessary to commence at some one of the dividing points of the subject, as thus:

MORAL CERTAINTY is effected by

REASON.

PHYSICAL CERTAINTY

is produced by

SENSE.

Upon the clear and evident distinction that exists between the moral and physical world, we establish, for ever, the principle on which the DIVARICATION of the Holy Book' into DOCTRINE and HISTORY is founded. Whatever regards DOCTRINE must partake of its purity, be permanent, and exist in ETERNITY. Whatever concerns HISTORY must have been fleeting in its nature, and have consisted of matter, and its action upon other matter; thus filling up a part of SPACE, and occupying a portion of TIME.

This distinction is rendered intuitive by a mere glance at the Diagram. So necessary, however, are these two laws of nature, that, were they annulled, the whole kingdom of nature would be annihilated, and blank nothingness left, on which human thought cannot be engaged. The laws of Time and Space are, therefore, visibly stamped on all the objects of nature, which exist only for a limited period. Yet these events are capable of being noticed, because they produce new and different sensations, by constantly gliding down the stream of TIME. But a faithful account of all the circumstances that have occurred in TIME must necessarily constitute a HISTORY of past events. This view of the subject completely exhausts every notion that we can form relative to the mutations which take place in TIME, and, as far as our records reach, constitutes HISTORY.

Among the most important of these events are those recorded in the Sacred Book,'—the history of the creation, by Moses, and of the first man, Adam, who was made a living soul, placed

in a garden, where he yielded to temptation, and thus fell. How beautifully does this allegory display the gradual enlightenment of mankind, by showing that, prior to the developement of REASON, the individual was unable to withstand the seductions of the inclinations, and that consequently SENSE obtained the predominance ! Hence the Fall of Man! The second part of this Sacred History' amply redeems this fatal overthrow. For here the second Adam, who is tempted in a wilderness, entirely vanquishes his enemy-the bad passions of the flesh-and is the quickening spirit; for, by the efforts of his reason, the Aóyos incarnate, he so purified himself from sensible gratifications that he completely vanquished the arch-enemy of mankind.38

38 The temptations to which the second Adam was exposed, according to St. Matthew, were the riches of the kingdoms of this world; would he but have resigned his integrity, they were to be his. That such things were temptations, even Christ himself admits by his reply to the tempter. “It is written,” said he, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God." Landed property and power, no doubt, were objects of desire in those early ages; and, in the present one, can we boast of having vanquished our tempting enemy-excess of lucre and power ?