of the apostasy of the church predicted in the Epistles of St. Paul. From the same point of view he treats also the phenomena of asceticism and monas- ticism, putting them with the unchristian hatred of the creature and the ascription of nature to the devil, which characterized the Gnostics. But he thus involves not only the Nicene age, but the ante-Nicene also, up to Irenasus and Ignatius, in this apostasy, and virtually gives up the unbroken continuity of true Christianity. He is, moreover, not consistent in making the church fathers, on the one hand, the chief originators of monkish asceticism and false miracles, while, on the other hand, he sincerely reveres them and eloquently lauds them for their Christian earnestness and their immortal services. Comp. his beautiful concession in vol. i. p. 37 (cited in the 1st vol. of this Hist. § 46, note 2). 462 THEBD PERIOD. A.D. 311-590. shade in fact are mingled, tliat no flesh should exalt itself above measure. Even the most important f»eriods of church history, among which the Nicene age, with all its faults, must be numbered, have the heavenly treasure in earthen vessels, and reflect the spotless glory of the Redeemer in broken colors. The most notorious and the most striking of the miracles of the fourth century are Constantine's vision of the cross (a. d. 312), the finding of the holy cross (a. d. 326), the frustration of Julian's building of the temple (a. d. 363), the discovery of the relics of Protasius and Gervasius (a. d. 386), and subsequently (a. d. 415) of the bones of St. Stephen, with a countless multi- tude of miraculous cures in its train. Respecting the most im- portant we have already spoken at large in the proper places. We here ofi"er some general remarks on this difficult subject. The possibility of miracles in general he only can deny who does not believe in a living God and Almighty Maker of heaven and earth. The laws of nature are organs of the free will of God ; not chains by which He has bound Himself for- ever, but elastic threads which He can extend and contract at His pleasure. The actual occurrence of miracles is certain to every believer from Holy Scripture, and there is no passage in the New Testament to limit it to the apostolic age. The reasons which made miracles necessary as outward proofs of the divine mission of Christ and the apostles for the unbeliev- ing Jews of their time, may reappear from time to time in the unbelieving heathen and the skeptical Christian world ; while spiritual miracles are continually taking place in regeneration and conversion. In itself, it is by no means unworthy and incredible that God should sometimes condescend to the weak- ness of the uneducated mass, and should actually vouchsafe that which was implored through the mediation of saints and their relics. But the following weighty considerations rise against the miracles of the Nicene and post-Nicene age