IX AGNOSTICISM AND CHRISTIANITY 333 



able result of Middleton's contribution to the 

 subject. But the Free Inquirer's freedom had its 

 limits ; and he draws a sharp line of demarcation 

 between the patristic and the New Testament 

 miracles on the professed ground that the 

 accounts of the latter, being inspired, are out of 

 the reach of criticism. 



A century later, the question was taken up by 

 another divine, Middleton's equal in learning and 

 acuteness, and far his superior in subtlety and 

 dialetic skill ; who, though an Anglican, scorned the 

 name of Protestant ; and, while yet a Churchman, 

 made it his business, to parade, with infinite skill, the 

 utter hollowness of the arguments of those of his 

 brother Churchmen who dreamed that they could 

 be both Anglicans and Protestants. The argument 

 of the " Essay on the Miracles recorded in the Eccle- 

 siastical History of the Early Ages" 1 by the present 

 [1889] Roman Cardinal, but then Anglican Doctor, 

 John Henry Newman, is compendiously stated by 

 himself in the following passage : 



If the miracles of Church history cannot be defended by the 

 arguments of Leslie, Lyttleton, Paley, or Douglas, how many of 

 the Scripture miracles satisfy their conditions ? (p. cvii). 



And, although the answer is not given in so many 

 words, little doubt is left on the mind of the 



1 I quote the first edition (1843). A second edition appeared 

 in 1870. Tract 85 of the Travis for the Times should be read 

 with this Essay. If I were called upon to compile a Primer of 

 "Infidelity," I think I should save myself trouble by making a 

 selection from these works, and from the Essay on Development 

 by the same author. 



