love of the truth: especially since Christ himself foretold, that he should find very little faith in the earth, at his return*.”

Thus, viewing the Gospel as having been carried by the Apostles to the whole world at the beginning, once for all, and that with an effect, extensive indeed at first, but gradually becoming less and less visible as the world approached its end, it is hardly to be wondered that Musculus looked not, in his own day, for the miracles promised in aid of the work of evangelizing; inasmuch as he conceived that the work had been done at the beginning, and the time of it was now long passed.-In two short extracts more the reader must indulge me, for the further clearing of this subject. One is from the notes of this Reformer on Matt. xxviii. 20, "And, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world.” "Arduous was the office, which he was enjoining them,

* "Cum igitur ad regnum Christi pertinent omnes totius terræ nationes, sitque illis doctrina Christi allata et manifesta testimonio Pauli, Rom. 10. et Coloss. 1. quid causæ est, quod tam pauci hodie sunt, qui illam agnoscunt et profitentur, tamque multæ gentes ab illa ad doctrinam dæmoniorum et errorum defecerunt? Obtinuerat hæc doctrina Christi per Apostolos toti orbi allata, in Palæstina, Syria, Mesopotamia, Persia, India, Arabia, Africa, Asia, Græcia, non minus quam Italia, Gallia, Germania, Britannia, et Hispania. At hodie apud omnes eas nationes explosa Christi doctrina et luce, rursus obtinuerunt densæ tenebræ. Quid aliud dicemus esse in causa, quam quod in dilectione veritatis ac zelo pietatis non perseverarunt: id quod futurum Apostolus prædixit, dicens: Erit enim tempus, cum sanam doctrinam non sustinebunt sed ad sua desideria coacervabunt sibi magistros prurientibus auribus, et a veritate quidem auditum avertent, ad fabulas autem convertentur. Ergo periculum est nobis, qui adhuc sub Christi nomine et professione sumus, pars quædam, eaque certe minima, earum gentium, quibus Christi doctrina communicata est, quæ et ad Christi confessionem venerunt, et rursus prolapsæ sunt, ne et nos ad eorum exemplum a fide et professione Christi decidamus, nisi in dilectione veritatis persistamus: præsertim cum et Christus prædixerit fore, ut rarissimam sit fidem in terra, ubi redierit, reperturus."

and one to which those good men could not possibly be equal. And it may be supposed, that they were not a little dismayed at the contemplation of it. Therefore he promises them, every where, throughout the whole world, his own presence, works, and favour, even to the termination of this commission” (or embassy).

Thus he evidently considers Christ's promise of presence and miraculous help, as limited to the Apostolic work and commission of evangelizing the world in the first ages, because he regards the work itself as of so short continuance. This view may appear strange to us, who, whatever we may say as to modern miracles, are the decided and conscientious supporters of modern missions; but, in the minds of the Reformers, the two things went together. One passage more.

"And let this serve as an appropriate answer to our adversaries, who ask us for miracles at the present day, as if we brought any other preaching, than the very same, which was divinely authenticated by so many miracles of the Apostles +."

Musculus, then, like the other Reformers, was on his guard against admitting the necessity of miracles to prove his doctrines, because this would have been admitting that his doctrines were not those of the primitive church: and surely, all these things considered, when we find him saying, not, according to Mr. Noel's citation, miracles have long since ceased," but only "those miracles which

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*"Arduum erat munus, quod injungebat, cui pares esse boni viri nullo modo poterant. Et credibile est, eos haud parum illius consideratione territos. Ideo pollicetur illis suam ubique per universum orbem præsentiam, opera, et gratiam, usque ad legationis hujus consummationem."

+"Atque hic habeant responsum suum adversarii, qui hodie miracula a nobis exigunt, quasi prædicationem aliam adferamus, quam eam ipsam, quæ tot miraculis apostolorum comprobata est divinitus."-p. 264.

once went with the teaching of the Gospel have long since ceased," we are not bound to understand him as meaning to assert, in unqualified terms, an absolute cessation of all miracles; but merely a cessation of those, for which, he held, there was then no longer any need: namely, those in evidence of a doctrine, sufficiently proved at first; or those in support of a work, which he regarded as long ago accomplished.

2. This comes under our first head. Our second is, that the belief of Musculus in some miracles at his own time, may be established by direct evidence.

For example, he alleges the power of Satan to work miracles *.

"Those malignant spirits," he says, "lurk in statues and images, inspire soothsayers, compose oracles, influence lots, govern the flight of birds, trouble life, disquiet sleep, &c. distort the members, break down the health, harass with diseases †."

On the vision of Joseph, the husband of Mary, he argues against miraculous visions, unless they agree with Scripture; thus opposing the Papists, but not denying the reality of all visions ‡. And again, in answering a supposed objector, who argues for the worship of saints because they help by miracles those who call upon them, he says,

"If the argument, derived from miracles, can serve as a defence of prayer and worship offered to saints, by the same argument (not to mention what has been said above,)

pp. 113, 114.

"In statuis et simulacris delitescunt spiritus illi maligni, et afflatu suo vatum pectora inspirant, oracula componunt, sortes regunt, avium volatus gubernant, vitam turbant, somnos inquietant, &c. Membra detorquent, valitudinem frangunt, morbis lacessunt, &c." p. 114. I p. 9.

the idolatry of the heathen may also be defended, since very many have been miraculously cured and set free even at the invoking of the heathen deities *."

Since, then, Musculus does not object to miraculous visions, unless they are not in accordance with Scripture; since he asserts some miracles as occurring in his own time; and since (except, as we have seen, in our explained sense,) he does not absolutely deny any; we cannot consent, upon such evidence as has hitherto been adduced, to admit that his opinion was opposed to the miraculous character of the Christian dispensation. It is true that, like the other Reformers, he uses some expressions, which, viewed alone, might be thought unfavourable to miracles; but this, under all the circumstances of the case already set forth, is not sufficient proof to authorize the assertion, that he " expected them not.”

The names and authorities alleged by Mr. Noel against miracles, have now been examined in detail. "We have already seen that, among the Reformers of the sixteenth century, Calvin, Bucer, Peter Martyr, and Conrad Pellican, expected them not to these I may add Beza, Musculus, Bullinger, and Luther." But Mr. Noel goes farther, and we will go with him: "-nor do I believe that the name of a single Reformer of eminence, either in this country or on the continent, can be adduced as holding a contrary belieft." Such negative allegations as this, are very

* "Si miraculorum argumentum sanctorum invocationem et cultum defendere potest, ut quæ præmissa sunt taceam, defendi eodem potest et Gentium idololatria, quandoquidem et ad deorum gentilium implorationem miraculose curati sunt et liberati plurimi." p. 113.

+ p. 18.

sweeping; and I really could not pretend to meet them by going through the works of all the Reformers of eminence, English or continental; which would be the proper way, and, I doubt not, a very satisfactory one. But I will meet them with another allegation. I do not believe that the name of a single Reformer of eminence, either in this country or on the continent, can be adduced as holding views on the miraculous subject, materially varying from those which have now been found, on examination, to be the real sentiments of Huss, Calvin, Martyr, Bucer, Pellican, Beza, Bullinger, Luther, and Musculus: namely, that they were disposed to speak very guardedly upon the subject, and indeed had good need of caution, for reasons which we have shewn: but that none of them positively denied all miracles; and that some of them had miraculous manifestations in their own experience.

But come. We cannot go through the works of all the Reformers; but there can be no harm in referring to one or two.

KNOX. Of him Beza says,

"If I call him, as it were, a sort of Apostle of the Scots, in re-establishing the true worship of God, I shall not think that I have spoken beyond the truth *."

And, whatever signs besides of an Apostle may have been found in Knox, he certainly seems to have possessed that of prediction or prophecy. But what has been brought forward by Mr. Noel respecting the other Reformers, I am perhaps now bound, in fairness, to admit respecting Knox;

*“—quem si Scotorum, in vero Dei cultu instaurando velut apostolum quendam dixero, dixisse me quod res est existimabo."