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altogether. There may be, however, evidence for it unknown to me. That the holy family were hospitably entertained for a night by a troop of robbers, who infested the borders of Egypt, and that one of their children (afterwards the penitent thief) was miraculously cured of leprosy on that occasion, is not improbable. For this was distinctly revealed to Sister Emerich ", a German nun, in the beginning of this century; and though sceptics may make light of such evidence altogether, no Christian can do so with any particular series of visions antecedently to examination. Sister Emerich's visions are too detailed and minute not to have betrayed their falsehood, if they were false: and too accurate and consonant with the conclusions of the learned, to have been the invention of a humble person as she was, or indeed the result of any thing but infused knowledge. They will, therefore, be occasionally referred to in this part of the work, as men of Gallio's turn of mind are not likely to trouble themselves with a work of this nature. It shall just be added, that the revelation of any amount of new facts concerning our Lord, would not constitute, in a technical sense, a new revelation; because the facts adducible in support of doctrine are in the revelation which was made originally to the Church. Any thing, whether deduced from acquired or infused science, may be used to throw light upon the teaching of the Church.

12. But it may be more in place to notice in this book things of more ancient date, because those for whom this work is written profess a reverence for what is ancient. The following words occur in Isaiah: "Behold, the Lord will ascend upon a swift

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circumstance which attracts our notice is the fact, that both in going and returning an angel of the Lord appears to Joseph and not to Mary, to inform him what to do. Doubtless Mary was already too well informed of the whole course of her Son's life, to need any further order from God what to do. Joseph, however, by being Mary's husband, had become the natural protector of the Infant and head of the household, and therefore it was in order to send the injunction to him. The superior knowledge of Mary exempted God her Son from any disrespect to her, in not sending his messenger to her, and furnished a scope for him to do homage to St. Joseph. He is addressed as if he bore rule in the family, and had the rights of a husband over Mary.

11. The journey at that time of the year could not have been else than toilsome and wearing it probably exceeded two hundred miles. The presents of the Magians might have sufficed to maintain them upon their journey, and perhaps during their residence in Egypt. But the duration of this residence is very uncertain: some assign seven months for it, and some seven years: others other periods. The highest numbers probably in part originate from the assumption, that our Saviour was born four years later than he really was; the lowest computation seems to be favoured by St. Luke, who would hardly have spoken of our Lady returning to Galilee immediately after speaking of the Purification, if so long a period as seven years intervened. Hence the reflections found, in pious books sometimes, upon the Child Jesus wearily walking back with his parents, cannot be looked upon as of much value, and probably this is a modern view of the matter

altogether. There may be, however, evidence for it unknown to me. That the holy family were hospitably entertained for a night by a troop of robbers, who infested the borders of Egypt, and that one of their children (afterwards the penitent thief) was miraculously cured of leprosy on that occasion, is not improbable. For this was distinctly revealed to Sister Emerich ", a German nun, in the beginning of this century; and though sceptics may make light of such evidence altogether, no Christian can do so with any particular series of visions antecedently to examination. Sister Emerich's visions are too detailed and minute not to have betrayed their falsehood, if they were false and too accurate and consonant with the conclusions of the learned, to have been the invention of a humble person as she was, or indeed the result of any thing but infused knowledge. They will, therefore, be occasionally referred to in this part of the work, as men of Gallio's turn of mind are not likely to trouble themselves with a work of this nature. It shall just be added, that the revelation of any amount of new facts concerning our Lord, would not constitute, in a technical sense, a new revelation; because the facts adducible in support of doctrine are in the revelation which was made originally to the Church. Any thing, whether deduced from acquired or infused science, may be used to throw light upon the teaching of the Church.

12. But it may be more in place to notice in this book things of more ancient date, because those for whom this work is written profess a reverence for what is ancient. The following words occur in Isaiah: "Behold, the Lord will ascend upon a swift Cap. xl.

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cloud, and will enter into Egypt; and the idols of Egypt shall be moved at his presence, and the heart of Egypt shall melt in the midst thereof"." Now it is certain, that many of the Fathers have understood the light cloud' here spoken of as a symbolic name for the blessed Virgin. Thus Ephrem on the place, referring evidently to a well-known opinion: "This is taken also of our Lord, who, when he appeared as man in the world, was carried, as if on a light cloud, upon the arms of the Virgin into Egypt." And on Jeremiah": "The cloud on which the Lord rode, is a type of the Mother of God, the Virgin Mary." Now supposing a number of passages of this kind occurred, the meaning of the former part of the verse would shew how the latter part was to be understood; would shew, that the idols fell then and there, when and where our Lady took our blessed Saviour. This would be a fair inference, even if nothing of a more definite kind occurred, and there were no tradition asserting the fact which Isaias prophesied to have taken place. But the words of St. Ephrem, before those last quoted, will shew the existence of such a tradition. "He shall break the statues of the house of the sun, and shall burn the houses of the Egyptian gods with fire. This Bethshamesh is that which is called Heliopolis in Egypt; in which the worship of devils was exceedingly rife, and also that of helpless idols. And in it were huge statues, as high as a pomegranate. . . . . Of these it is written, that the Lord broke them. However, it was not that he actually broke the idols and cast them down, but it was the worship of devils and idols, which the Lord Christ, when he appeared as man in the world, overthrew and destroyed and

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confounded. And this is what Isaiah especially signifies, when he says, Behold, the Lord rides upon a light cloud, and enters Egypt, and shaken are the Egyptians' idols before him "." Now as this passage is not one commonly cited, it was worth giving it at length: it agrees however with the general tradition to that effect. Athanasius in his youth composed a treatise in defence of the Incarnation against the heathen, and after citing some passages from the prophets, and this among them, to observe upon, he says, "Which of the holy prophets or ancient patriarchs died upon the cross for the salvation of all? or who was wounded and taken away for the health of all? Which of the great or the kings came down to Egypt, so that by that descent Egypt's idols fell? Abraham went thither, but idolatry prevailed over all again: Moses was born there, yet for all that the religion of those in error kept there still." This great doctor plainly regards the proof of the fulfilment of the prophecy alluded to to be as clear as that of the others. Eusebius, and Cyril of Jerusalem, mention a similar tradition'. The same seems to be alluded to by St. Austin". But the Latin Fathers generally understand it of the destruction of idols, by the coming of Christ into the world, of

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