B.'s attempt to prove a figurative sense fails in both premises. But this reasoning is followed up by such a question as this. "I would ask how many fallings from heaven satan has had; for he fell from heaven before he tempted eve, and fell again it seems while the seventy disciples were on their tour of preaching. But how did he get to heaven to make that second fall, and while there, was he walking over the earth seeking whom he may devour ?" Mr. B. has here amused himself with one of his own mistakes. The passage does not say that he fell while they were on their tour of preaching, but evidently refers to his original apostacy and fall. As Mr. B. seems here to assume with so much assurance that his opponents must receive the interpretation of this passage which he imputes to them, I will quote from so common a book as Scott's Family Bible. A book that probably coincides with, and influences the opinions of the orthodox more extensively than any other uninspired book: "When therefore they returned to him, (doubtless at the time and place appointed) they told him with joyful surprise that not only diseases, but even devils had been subject to them through his name.. Our Lord, however, pointed out far more valuable blessings to be conferred on his disciples. He observed he beheld satan fall as lightning from heaven. Satan had thus instantaneously been cast down from heaven, on his original apostacy. And his usurped dominion on earth, with the idolatrous worship which he had devised to establish, was about to be thrown down in the same sudden and surprising manner, by means of the gospel preached to the nations, in which the seventy disciples should in a short time be employed. So that their success in casting out devils, was only an emblem of a far more decisive victory, which they and their coadjutors and successors would by his power obtain over satan, the ruler of the whole multitude of evil spirits." Does this make it appear that satan had had so many falls from heaven?

And now Mr. B. will you be so good as to tell, when it was that the adversaries of the gospel fell from the political heavens, of which you speak, before the apostles,-when it was that

"all the cunning and powerful adversaries of the gospel were so hurled from their seats of political power?" Was not political power during all the lives of the apostles, and for many centuries after, and for the most part till this day, the leading engine of opposition to the gospel? The gospel wrought its way in spite of political power, steadily arrayed against it, till the days of Constantine, and then it was received within the friendly embrace of this power, only to be palsied and crushed the sooner. Mr. B. would do well to have some care to have his interpretations tally with historical facts.

Luke 13: 16. Ought not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham, whom satan hath bound, lo these eighteen years, be loosed from her bonds on the Sabbath day? Here and in some of the succeeding passages I shall quote from the above named writer in the Christian Magazine. "In this passage Mr. B. makes the cause and the effect,the agent and the action,one and the same thing. He makes the spirit of infirmity, not only the satan who bound the woman, but the bond with which she was bound. Accordingly satan must have bound this woman with himself, for eighteen years. Now as satan who bound her, and the infirmity with which she was bound, were one and the same, the passage may read thus:-Ought not this woman being a daughter of Abraham, whom the spirit of infirmity hath bound with the spirit of infirmity, lo these eighteen years, be loosed from this spirit of infirmity on the Sabbath day? Again, Mr. B. says, this complaint, medical men have called the rigidity of the back-bone. The rigidity of the back-bone, therefore, according to Mr. B. was the satan who bound the woman, and the satan with which she was bound. The passage then, may read thus-Ought not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham, whom the rigidity of the back-bone hath bound with the rigidity of the back-bone, be loosed from this rigidity of the back-bone on the Sabbath day? But Mr. B. says, 'let us suppose that satan positively was the cause of this woman's disorder, what follows? It follows that our Lord neither on this nor any other occasion warned men against his great power and malignity; nor were the people half so much alarmed as they

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would have been if a wild beast had visited their neighborhood.' How this conclusion follows from the premises, is a matter which puzzles me much. Whether Christ did or did not warn his hearers against the power of the devil, is a question of fact to be judged of by those who read the Bible. But it does not follow that he did not warn them, from the fact that satan was the cause of this woman's disorder. The premises and conclusion never saw each other, they do not belong to the same country. Mr. B. further says, whoever contends that satan bound this woman, ought to contend that all persons so bound now, and why not all diseases, are inflicted by him.' With just as much reason might you say, that because certain effects were wrought, in the time of Christ, by a supernatural agency, therefore all effects in the material world are miracles. Because the bread was multiplied to feed five thousand by a miracle, so all bread comes into being by the touch of a miraculous hand. Because the apostles.learned Greek by a miracle, therefore Mr. Balfour's Greek came by supernatural illumination. Now it by no means follows, that because while he was upon earth, who came to destroy the works of the devil, satan was permitted to exhibit his malignant agency more visibly, by spending it upon the bodies of men, in order to afford an opportunity the more strikingly to display the Redeemer, in his whole capacity of turning men from darkness unto light, and from the power of satan unto God,-it by no means follows that the same phenomena must be exhibited at all times. The exercise of a little common sense would have saved the labor of such an argument.

"Luke 22: 3. Then entered satan into Judas surnamed Iscariot, being of the number of the twelve. On this passage Mr. B. says 'Well, what satan entered into Judas? I answer the spirit of opposition to Jesus, and the secret purpose to betray him.' In order to get the true sense of the verse therefore, we must read it-Then entered the spirit of opposition to Jesus, and the secret purpose to betray him, into Judas surnamed Iscariot, being of the number of the twelve. John 13: 27. And after the

sop, satan entered into him. Here Mr. B. says, 'What satan now entered into Judas? For it is said in the preceding passage that satan entered into him. I answer, his fixed determination to execute his purpose. This purpose is called satan entering into him, Luke 22: 1–7. And the devil putting it into his heart, John 13: 2.' We may therefore read the several passages in the following manner-John 13: 27. And after the sop his fixed determination to execute his purpose entered into him. John 13: 2. And supper being ended his secret purpose to betray him having now put it into the heart of Judas Iscariot Simon's son to betray him. Luke 22: 3. Then entered his secret determination to execute his purpose into Judas surnamed Iscariot being of the number of the twelve. It seems then according to Mr. Balfour's metaphysics, that the secret purpose of Judas to betray Christ, put it into his heart to betray him. And that his fixed determination immediately to execute his purpose, entered into him, and instigated him immediately to carry his determination to execute his purpose into execution. This appears evident, because Mr. B. within one page, and in commenting on that same passage, uses determination instead of purpose, and makes it mean the same thing. Mr. B. then certainly interchanges purpose, design and determination, and makes them all mean the same thing. It seems that the determination of Judas enters into him to execute his purpose, and his purpose puts it into his heart to execute his design, and both his purpose and design instigate him to execute his determination. This must either be a tri-devil, or else one devil enters into Judas to execute another devil. In either case we think it surpasses even Ezekiel's vision of a wheel within a wheel, and outdoes every 'christian devil,' and every 'orthodox devil,' of which we ever heard or read.

"2 Cor. 11: 14. And no marvel; for satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. On this passage, Mr. B. endeavors to prove as in other places, that satan means the 'unbelieving and persecuting Jews.' In order to get the true sense of the apostle then, we must read this and the following

passage thus-And no marvel, for the unbelieving and persecuting Jews himself is transformed into an angel of light.

"Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness. Mr. B. says also that the term satan, means unbelieving and persecuting Jews, in the following passages, which I will read according to his translation. 2 Cor. 2: 7. And lest I should be exalted above measure, through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of the unbelieving and persecuting Jews, to buffet me, lest I should be exal

ted above measure. 1 Thess. 2: 18. Wherefore we would have come to you, even I, Paul, once and again, But the unbelieving and persecuting Jews hindered us. 2 Thes. 2: 9. Even him whose coming is after the workings of the unbelieving and persecuting Jews with all power and signs, and lying wonders. 1 Tim. 5: 15. For some have already turned aside after the unbelieving and persecuting Jews. Rev. 2: 9. I know thy works and tribulation and poverty, (but thou art rich) and I know the blasphemies of them which say they are Jews and are not, but are of the synagogue of the unbelieving and persecuting Jews. Rev. 3: 9. Behold I will make them of the synagogue of the unbelieving and persecuting Jews which say they are Jews, and are not, but do lie, behold I will make them come and worship before thy feet.

"1 Peter 5: 8. Be sober, be vigilant because your adversary the devil as a roaring lion walketh about seeking whom he may devour. Here Mr. B. says, 'It is confidently believed by many good people, that this devil who walketh about like a roaring lion, is a fallen angel or malignant spirit. But I ask how is such a belief to be reconciled with his having his abode in hell, with some in the air, and others his tempting men in all parts of the earth at the same time? Such a belief is contrary to all facts and experience. Did ever any person see the devil in the shape of a lion, hear him roar, or is an instance on record in the history of mankind, of one being devoured by him? Such idle, childish stories have been told of the devil,