you to hear.'

'Whenever he shall lay aside a little of his pomp, I may be willing to
listen,' replied Fausta; 'but I could ill brook a discourse upon
immortality from one whose soul seems so wedded to time.'

'Well,' said Julia, 'but let us not be drawn away from our subject. I
admit that there are disputes among the Christians, but, like the disputes
among philosophers, they are about secondary matters. There is no dispute
concerning the great and chiefly interesting part of the religion--its
revelation of a future life Christians have never divided here, nor on
another great point, that Christ, the founder of the religion, was a true
messenger from God. The voice of Christianity on both these points is a
clear one. Thus, I think, every one will judge, who, as I have done, will
read the writings in which the religion is found. And I am persuaded it is
because it is so plain a voice here, that it is bidding fair to supersede
every other form of religion. And that it is a voice from God, is, it
seems to me, made out with as much clearness as we could look for. That
Christ, the author of this religion, was a messenger from God, was shown
by his miracles. How could it be shown otherwise? I can conceive of no
other way in which so satisfying proof could be given of the agency and
authority of God. And certainly there is evidence enough, if history is to
be believed, that he wrought many and stupendous miracles.'

'What is a miracle?' asked Longinus.

'It is that,' replied Julia, 'which being done or said, furnishes
satisfactory proof of the present interposing power of God. A man who, by
a word spoken, can heal sick persons, and raise to life dead ones, can be
no other than a messenger of God!'