MR. TAYLOR' S SECOND REPLY. 159 



Å contrasted " Apologue." 



Apeithos seems to have been essentially a mischief-maker ; for, 

 wMle the blooming Eleuthera was still quite young, he so wrought 

 on her sensitive nature that he half convinced her that the antique 

 necklace (together vrith other jewelry preseuted with it), was, in right, 

 as much hers as her sister's, and that it should at least be held in 

 common. In tliis harassing uncertainty, she, by the advice of her 

 friends, appealed to Prince Christos, to -whom she was, indeed, be- 

 trothed. (2 Cor. xi. 2.) The Prince, thongh absent, sent her a co'm- 

 munication, deciding that the disputed jewelry was solely her sister's 

 (Acts xxi. 25) ; and reminding her that he himself had akeady 

 given her a necklace of far greater value and more perfect beauty 

 (2 Cor. iii. 7—11 ; Ileb. vii. 19 ; viii. 6, 7 ; xii. 18—24; 1 John. iii. 22 

 — 24) ; and hefurther dispatched a shrewd and trustymesscnger [Rom. 

 i. 1 ; xi. 13) to explain the matter fully, and to thwart the counsels of 

 Apeithos. This had the desired eflFect of restoring, for a "vvhile, a 

 degree of harmony. Eleuthera, in submissive confidence, no longer 

 even coveted the necklace ; although it contained one ''pearl" that hers 

 did not! (Matt. v. vi. vii.) 



For a very long time after the recall of the Prince's skilful ambassa- 

 dor, the representations of Apeithos were unheeded by Eleuthera ; 

 but, expert in all the arts of rhetoric, the zealous adviser would exer- 

 cise his ingenuity — at one time, in showing that the original epistle 

 meant differently from its apparent meaning — at another, in extenuat- 

 ing or "limiting" the recorded instructions left by the faithful ambas- 

 sador — until he well-nigh counteracted the Prince' s teachings, even 

 while making the rmhappy bride's love for her betrothed the main 

 element of his injurious influence ! He would so obscure her vision by 

 his sophistry, that she often thought her oAvn name was engraven on 

 the contested necklace ; — nay, so "lawyer-like was his subtlety," 

 that he sometimes made her doubt her own identity ! — almost per- 

 suading her that she was indeed the veritable — literal Paidiska ! 



Her most learned and venerable counsellors have, in all ages, 

 labored to give her more enlarged views : but still is Eleuthera 

 troubled with uneasy doubts (Luke x. 41) ; still does she sometimes 

 claim her sister's necklace, while her otvn lies neglected — ^in its un- 

 opened casket ! 



-£'5^0 sapientior ! 



Apeithos, we may not judge ; his motives we may not question. 

 His benevolence doubtless far exceeded his judgment. [Rom. x. 2 ; 

 Gal. iv. 17—22.) 



