第85部分(第3/7 頁)

tation。　I　hasten　to　add　that　I　am　certain　this　was　not　the　case；　that　on　the　contrary　it　was　divinely　inspired；　whatever　the　actual　meaning　of　parts　of　it　may　be。　All　I　say　is　that；　in　my　view；　it　alone　of　the　books　of　the　New　Testament　might　perhaps　be　a　fruit　of　human　powers　of　creation。

With　the　remainder　of　them　it　is　different。　These；　I　am　sure；　are　records　of　things　that　were　said　or　happened　very　much　as　they　are　written　down。　Who；　for　instance；　could　have　invented　the　account　of　the　Last　Supper　in　St。　John？　A　thousand　touches；　patent　enough　to　the　eye　of　one　who　poses　romance；　show　that　this　view　is　true；　the　very　inconsistencies　or　variations　in　the　different　accounts　of　certain　incidents；　due　for　the　most　part　to　the　varying　temperaments　of　the　recorders　that　cause　them　to　dwell　upon　that　aspect　of　the　matter　in　hand　which　appealed　to　them；　rejecting　or　slurring　over　the　others；　suggest　that　it　is　true。　Any　person　who　has　been　accustomed　to　hear　evidence　knows　that　such　evidence　is　most　suspicious　when　a　number　of　witnesses　tell　exactly　the　same　story；　especially　as　to　events　that　happened　a　while　before；　and　most　credible　when　that　story　es　from　sundry　mouths　with　differences　of　detail。

So；　the　critic　will　say；　you　are　prepared　to　swallow　the　miracles　at　a　gulp？　Yes；　I　am　—　or　most　of　them。　I　do　not　see　how　they　are　to　be　explained　away；　moreover；　I　have　known　so　many　miracles　to　occur　in　my　own　time　and　experience　that　a　few　more　or　less　make　no　difference　to　me。　To　state　that　miracles；　which　after　all　may　be　but　the　partial　manifestation　of　some　secret　law　veiled　from　us　as　yet；　have　ceased　is；　in　my　opinion；　a　profound　mistake；　they　happen　often；　especially　in　the　heart　of　man。　Moreover；　the　whole　circumstances　of　life　are　a　miracle；　the　wire