A RETROSPECTIVE GLANCE 



striking proofs of divine interference. Xiphilinus 

 gives these proofs in the following remarkable para- 

 graph: 



"Dion adds that when the rain began to fall every 

 soldier lifted his head towards heaven to receive the 

 water in his mouth; but afterwards others held out 

 their shields or their helmets to catch the water for 

 themselves and for their horses. Being set upon by 

 the barbarians . . . while occupied in drinking, they 

 would have been seriously incommoded had not heavy 

 hail and numerous thunderbolts thrown consterna- 

 tion into the ranks of the enemy. Fire and water 

 were seen to mingle as they left the heavens. The 

 fire, however, did not reach the Romans, but if it did 

 by chance touch one of them it was immediately ex- 

 tinguished, while at the same time the rain, instead 

 of comforting the barbarians, seemed merely to excite 

 like oil the fire with which they were being consumed. 

 Some barbarians inflicted wounds upon themselves as 

 though their blood had power to extinguish flames, 

 while many rushed over to the side of the Romans, 

 hoping that there water might save them." 



We cannot better complete these illustrations of 

 pagan credulity than by adding the comment of 

 Xiphilinus himself. That writer was a Christian, 

 living some generations later than Dion. He never 

 thought of questioning the facts, but he felt that 

 Dion's interpretation of these facts must not go un- 

 challenged. As he interprets the matter, it was no 

 pagan magician that wrought the miracle. He even 

 inclines to the belief that Dion himself was aware 

 that Christian interference, and not that of an Egyptian, 



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