doubt to be resolved into true faith, once he had seen or experienced himself the truth of those things which he had heard concerning the Saviour. Jesus, aware of his disposition, reproached him for it by these words: "Unless you see signs and wonders, you believe not." The father, who was entirely engrossed with his son's danger, "saith to Jesus: Come down, Lord, before that my son die. Go thy way, saith Jesus to him; thy son liveth." This efficacious expression operated simultaneously upon the son's body and the father's soul. "He believed the word which Jesus said to him, and went his way." The next day, "as he was going down, his servants met him, and they brought him word that his son lived. He asked therefore of them the hour wherein he grew better, and they said to him: Yesterday at the seventh hour the fever left him (1). The father therefore knew that it was at the same hour that Jesus said to him: Thy son liveth; and himself believed, and his whole house. This is again the second miracle (2) that Jesus did, when he was come out of Judea into Galilee."

It has been said already that (a) "Jesus, leaving the city of Naz areth, came and dwelt in Capharnaum on the sea-coast, in the borders of Zabulon and of Nephthalim." He went there after the miracle at the marriage of Cana, (b) "he and his mother, his brethren and his disciples." But as "the pasch of the Jews was at hand, they remained there not many days," during which they scarcely had time to do more than prepare their place of abode. Jesus returned thither again from Cana, (c)“ and forthwith," when he had arrived there, "upon the Sabbath-day, going into the synagogue, he taught

(a) St. Matthew, iv. 13.

(b) St. John, ii. 12, 13.

แ

(c) St. Mark, i. 21-26; St. Luke, iv. 35.

(1) One hour after mid-day.

(2) The second which he wrought in this journey from Judea to Galilee; or the second which he wrought in Galilee, counting as the first the miracle at the marriage feast of Cana, which he wrought in like manner after arriving from Judea; or perhaps the Evangelist merely remarks those which Jesus wrought under the special circumstances of his return, because they signalized his arrival in the country, and disposed the people to receive him and hearken to him. The interpreters are divided upon these different explanations, among which it is optional to choose whichever we find best, without being fearful of falling into any prejudicial error.

them. They were astonished at his doctrine; for he was teaching them as one (3) having power, and not as the Scribes. There was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit; he cried out, saying: What have we to do with thee, Jesus of Nazareth? art thou come to destroy us? I know who thou art, the Holy One of God." It is hard to say what motive made him speak thus; but, whether he hoped to soften Jesus Christ by flattery, or whether his design was to spite him in some manner by divulging his divinity, which the Saviour wished to make known by degrees only, still it is quite certain that his intention was bad. Wherefore Jesus Christ, who did not wish to be at all indebted to such evidence, imposed silence upon him (4), "and threatened him, saying: Speak no more, and go

(3) Jesus spoke as a lawgiver, and the Scribes merely as interpreters of the law. He had the power of working miracles, and they had not. In these two respects he had an advantage which they could neither contest nor assume to themselves. But there were others in which they might have imitated, if not equalled him; and failing in these, their ministry was stripped of dignity, and their word of efficacy. Jesus Christ practised what he taught, while the acts of the Scribes notoriously belied their doctrines. Jesus Christ had only in view the glory of his Father, and the salvation of men, while the Scribes sought nothing but their own glory and the spoils of the widow, whose house they devoured, after having insinuated themselves, by their hypocrisy, into esteem and respect. The zeal of Christ was authorized by example, and ennobled by that perfect devotedness which, forgetful of self, seeks only the salvation of those for whom it is exercised. What tone may not such zeal assume?-or who can resist the power which both reason and nature confer upon it? That of the Scribes being, on the contrary, inspired by pride and self-interest, could not be made to appear natural, when it was only artificial; nor dignified, since it must have been changeful as the chameleonhaving to pass incessantly from severity to indulgence, from censure to adulation. Nor could it have authority, because through all its grimaces were seen, at one time the shifts and artifices of inordinate vanity, and at another the selfish schemes of interest, these being the evident springs of action, determining and guiding its course.

He who acts not, but only talks, is a babbler. He who speaks for the love of praise is a declaimer. He who speaks only for vile profit might be called a buffoon, if his abuse of the divine word, by employing it for his own base purpose, did not aggravate his crinte into sacrilege.

(4) The disciples have imitated their Master in this point. When the demon said by the mouth of the girl having a pythonical spirit: These men are the servants of the most high God, who preach unto you the way of salvation; Paul, being grieved, turned and said to the spirit: I command thee, in the name of Jesus Christ, to go out from her (Acts, xvi.) Coming from the father of lies, every thing, even truth, should be suspected. When he speaks truth, he does so to make it subservient to lying.

Like father, like sons, Luther zealously defended the dogma of the real presence

out of the man. "The unclean spirit tearing him, had thrown him into the midst, and, crying out with a loud voice, went out of him, and hurt him not at all." This impotent rage was, for those who might have doubted the fact, proof of the possession, and of the divine strength of him before whom all the powers of hell are sheer weakness. (a) "There came fear upon all" present, at this prodigy, and all "were amazed (5), insomuch that they questioned among themselves: What thing is this? What is this new doctrine (6) ? For with authority he commandeth even the unclean spirits, and they obey him. And the fame of him was spread forthwith into all the country of Galilee."

แ

Jesus, after this miracle, might have chosen a residence in any of the principal houses in the city; for it would have been considered a high honor to receive and splendidly entertain him. He gave the preference to that house whither friendship called him, and whose poverty attracted instead of repelling him. (b)" Immediately rising up out of the synagogue they came, Jesus with James and John, into the house of Simon and Andrew." The occasion which Jesus there found for exercising his charity was a further reason for his visit. "Simon's wife's mother lay in a fit of fever. Forthwith they tell him, and they besought him for her. (c) Coming to her, he lifted her up, taking her by the hand: and immediately the fever left her, and she ministered unto them." Many other sick persons desired and hoped for the like favor. But they must be brought to him, and the repose of the Sabbath-day, which it is well known was scrupulously observed by the Jews, had hindered their

(a) St. Luke, iv. 36; St. Mark,

i. 27, 28.

(b) St. Mark, i. 29, 30; St. Luke, iv. 38.

(c) St. Mark, i. 31; St. Luke,
iv. 39.

against the Sacramentarians. This seeming zeal imposed upon the simple, and, by combating the Zuinglians, he created Lutherans.

(5) What caused this great astonishment was, that this possessed is the first whom Jesus Christ had delivered. He soon familiarized the Jews to this prodigy, one of these which he worked most frequently; and his disciples subsequently accustomed the universe to it. This power has remained in the Church, who employs it with efficacy in incontestable cases of possession. Yet they are become rare.

(6) Who is this new teacher who speaks such new and such wonderful things?

neighbors from rendering them this charitable office. This obligation ended with the light of day, in accordance with that law of Leviticus: (a) "It is a Sabbath of rest, and you shall afflict your souls beginning on the ninth day of the month: from evening until evening you shall celebrate your Sabbaths." (6) "It was," therefore, only "when it was evening, after sunset, they brought to Jesus all that were ill and that were possessed with devils. (c) All the city was gathered together at the door. Jesus, laying his hands on every one of them, healed many (7) that were troubled with divers diseases: he cast out many devils with his word, and all that were sick he healed, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken," of the evils of the body as well as those of the soul, "by the prophet Isaias: He took our infirmities and bore our diseases. (d) The devils went out of many, crying out and saying: Thou art the Son of God. Rebuking them, he suffered them not to speak, for they knew that he was Christ."

But he was not to confine his instructions or his bounties to a single city, and he foresaw the efforts that would be made here to arrest him. On which account, (e) "rising very early, going out, he went into a desert place, and there he prayed." This was apparently the spot agreed upon, whither "Simon and they that were with him followed after Jesus. And when they had found him, they said to him: All seek for thee. He said to them: Let us go into the neighboring towns and cities, that I may preach there also; for to this purpose am I come." In the mean time, the inhabitants, who became apprised of his departure, rushed out of the city, (f) "and the multitudes sought him. They came unto him; and they stayed him that he should not depart from them. To whom he said," as before to his disciples: "To other cities also I must preach the kingdom of God; for therefore am I sent." After this reply,

(a) Leviticus, xxiii. 32.

(b) St. Mark, i. 32.

(c) St. Luke, iv. 40; St. Mark, i. 34;

St. Matthew, viii. 16, 17.

(d) St. Luke, iv. 41.

(e) St. Mark, i. 35-38.
(f) St. Luke, iv. 42, 43.

(7) All were healed, as is narrated subsequently, and the word many is employed here to signify that they were a great number.

which, whilst it informed them of his resolution to leave them for a time, did not deprive them of all hope of seeing him again, they insisted no more. (a)" And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the Gospel of the kingdom of God, healing all manner of sickness and every infirmity among the people. His fame went throughout all Syria, and they presented to him all sick people that were taken with divers diseases and torments, such as were possessed by devils, and lunatics (8), and those that had the palsy, and he cured them: and much people followed him from Galilee, from Decapolis (9), from Jerusalem, from Judea, and from beyond the Jordan.

(b)"Jesus seeing great multitudes about him, gave orders to pass over the water." After he had reached the opposite side, (c) "as he walked in the way, a certain Scribe came and said to him: Master, I will follow thee whithersoever thou shalt go. Jesus," to teach him by what sacrifices he should merit the honor of being his follower, "saith to him: The foxes have holes, and the birds of the air nests, but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head (10)." It was not difficult to convince this doctor that the disciple should not expect to be better off than the master, and he must have found

(a) St. Matthew, iv. 23-25.
(b) St. Matthew, viii. 18.

(c) St. Luke, ix. 57; St. Matthew, viii. 19, 20.

(8) The epileptic and fools with lucid intervals are denominated by this term. Their fits were anciently attributed to lunar influence; and from this they derived their name. In later times the error of the conjecture was ascertained, yet the name has remained ; and because the name remains, the error is still prevalent in the minds of the multitude, who easily believe things to be what they are called.

(9) This word signifies the country of ten cities. It was situated to the north and west of the sea of Tiberias, among the tribes of Zabulon and Nephthalim. Writers are not perfectly agreed now-a-days as to its limits, nor upon the names of several of its cities.

(10) Poverty has several degrees among men. That of animals, generally speaking, surpasses that of even those men whom we reckon poorest. Among animals, those which men take no care of, and which, abandoned to themselves, have neither park whither they may retire, nor stable wherein to shelter, may be deemed poorest of all. Yet still these have, some of them their nests, others their dens; and in that respect they have more than Jesus Christ. Such is the poverty to which, for us, the Son of man has reduced himself; he who, at the same time, is the only Son of the Most High. If this comparison were not his own, should we dare to make it?