* Matthew pretends that Jeremiah foretold that Christ should be betrayed for thirty pieces of silver. Where is this to be found in Jeremiah? ** When the latent astronomical sense of these two testaments is made manifest, a necessary connexion between them is perceived; owing to their common foundation in Solar adoration, and that of the other physical powers of Nature. *** These prophets were in reality nothing but strolling soothsayers, fortune-tellers, psalmists or palmists; and being mob orators by education and profession, with a capability of reading and writing, they were fitted to deceive the ignorant in many ways. Dodwell, De Jure Laicorum, asserts that they prepared themselves to prophecy _by drinking wine_. They were also jugglers, musicians, etc., etc. But our church mystagogues will very easily reconcile this unfortunate failure with "_gospel truth_." As the Old Testament compilers had made up their collection chiefly of any traditionary or legendary shreds they could gather,* so did their successors, the Christians, in their new miscellany. The Therapeutæ, or Egyptian monks, had supplied a large portion, as is confessed even by Eusebius himself (see Lecture Second), but by a luckless anachronism, the spurious writings that were selected to form the new will of god, were not (according to the best authorities) finally _voted_ to be such until the Council of Laodicea;** so that the present document had no existence till _three hundred and sixty-eight years after the death of the testator_, for it is quite orthodox to say that Jesus was "God the Testator." * The Pharisees of the second temple chose the books they liked best among a multitude of forgeries. The Talmud relates that this synagogue were about to reject by far the best books of the Bible--viz., Proverbs, Job and Ecclesiastes; not owing to their not being Jewish, but Pagan writings, _but because they were contradictory to the law of god_. It was not only the opinion of Ebenezra, but even of Jerome himself, that Job is not a Hebrew book. ** The deadly animosity and quarrelling for which the Council of Nice was so famous, would prevent anything like decision; and, therefore, it is much more probable that the finishing hand in _voting_ what should form the New Testament, was put at Laodicea, and not at Nice, especially as we know that the book of Revelation was rejected at Council of Laodicea; but again admitted long afterwards.