17 July 1815

Jug. True

4

Historical Sketch

4

Of the example thus set by one of enterprize—of the desperation thus prevalent in the great body of the people Jesus it is evident had long entertained the design, and at length formed a plan for the accomplishment of it.

His cousin John was privy to it. The part to be played by John was but an underpart. Preparatory to any public appearance of Jesus, it was by John that his appearance was to be announced, his character described the truth of his pretensions asserted and his whole MS alt. illegible. existence magnified.

In that country and in those days the sort of exploits now termed miraculous: working of miracles had nothing new in them. They were considered as being proofs and indispensable proofs of the reality of the divine commission which every such adventurer had asserted himself to have received. By each such adventurer miracles real miracles were by all his followers asserted to have been wrought: even, by those who did not believe in the authenticity of the commission, the verity of the miracles would MS alt. ‘was’. not infrequently be believed.