540-633。AllthatJohnsaysintheseverses，inreplytotheanticipatedobjectionsurgedinvv。514-539，arefound，substantially，inseveralpassagesinBrowning’spoetry。
Seeremarksonpp。36-38beginning，”ThehumansoulisregardedinBrowning’spoetry”，etc。{ChapterII，Section1inthisetext。}
Aninfallibleguide，whichwouldrenderunnecessaryanystrugglesonman’spart，afterlightandtruth，wouldtorpifyhispowers。
Andseevv。582-633ofthepresentpoem。
552。Mantakesthattitlenow：thatis，of`First，last，andbestofthings”，if，etc。Seesections17and18of`Saul’，andstanza10of`RabbiBenEzra’。AndseethegranddyingspeechofParacelsus，whichconcludesBrowning’spoem。
554。”AlawofnaturemeansnothingtoMr。Browningifitdoesnotmeantheimmanenceofpower，andwill，andlove。HecanpasswithreadysympathyintothemysticalfeelingoftheEast，whereintheuncloudedsky，inthetorrentofnoondaylight，Godissonear`HeglowsaboveWithscarceanintervention，pressescloseAndpalpitatingly，Hissoulo’erours。’
ButthewisdomofaWestern`savant’whoinhissuperiorintellectualityreplacesthewillofGodbytheblindforceofnature，seemstoMr。Browningtobesciencefalselysocalled，anewignorancefoundeduponknowledge，`Alamp’sdeathwhen，repletewithoil，itchokes。’
TothiseffectarguestheprophetJohnin`ADeathintheDesert’，anticipatingwiththedeepprevisionofadyingmanthedoubtsandquestioningsofmoderndays。Andinthethirdofthoseremarkablepoemswhichformtheepilogueofthe`DramatisPersonae’，thewholeworldrisesinthespeaker’simaginationintoonevastspiritualtemple，inwhichvoicesofsingers，andswelloftrumpets，andcriesofpriestsareheardgoinguptoGodnolesstrulythanintheoldJewishworship，whilethefaceofChrist，instinctwithdivinewillandlove，becomesapparent，asthatofwhichallnatureisatypeoranadumbration。”——
Prof。EdwardDowdeninhisComparativeStudyofBrowningandTennyson(StudiesinLiterature，1789-1877)——”Butif，appealingthence，hecower，avouchHeismereman，andinhumilityNeithermayknowGodnormistakehimself；
IpointtotheimmediateconsequenceAndsay，bysuchconfessionstraighthefalls[575]
Intoman’splace，athingnorGodnorbeast，Madetoknowthathecanknowandnotmore：
LowerthanGodwhoknowsallandcanall，HigherthanbeastswhichknowandcansofarAseachbeast’slimit，perfecttoanend，[580]
Norconsciousthattheyknow，norcravingmore；
Whilemanknowspartlybutconceivesbeside，Creepseveronfromfanciestothefact，Andinthisstriving，thisconvertingairIntoasolidhemaygraspanduse，[585]
Findsprogress，man’sdistinctivemarkalone，NotGod’s，andnotthebeasts’：Godis，theyare，Manpartlyisandwhollyhopestobe。
SuchprogresscouldnomoreattendhissoulWereallitstrugglesafterfoundatfirst[590]
Andguesseschangedtoknowledgeabsolute，Thanmotionwaithisbody，wereallelseThanitthesolidearthoneveryside，Wherenowthroughspacehemovesfromresttorest。
Man，therefore，thusconditioned，mustexpect[595]
Hecouldnot，whatheknowsnow，knowatfirst；
Whatheconsidersthatheknowsto-day，Comebutto-morrow，hewillfindmisknown；
Gettingincreaseofknowledge，sincehelearnsBecausehelives，whichistobeaman，[600]
Settoinstructhimselfbyhispastself：
First，likethebrute，obligedbyfactstolearn，Next，asmanmay，obligedbyhisownmind，Bent，habit，nature，knowledgeturnedtolaw。
God’sgiftwasthatmanshouldconceiveoftruth，[605]
Andyearntogainit，catchingatmistake，Asmidwayhelptillhereachfactindeed。
ThestatuaryerehemouldashapeBoastsalikegift，theshape’sidea，andnextTheaspirationtoproducethesame；[610]
So，takingclay，hecallshisshapethereout，Criesever`NowIhavethethingIsee’：
Yetallthewhilegoeschangingwhatwaswrought，Fromfalsehoodlikethetruth，totruthitself。
Howwereithadhecried`Iseenoface，[615]
Nobreast，nofeeti’theineffectualclay?’
Rathercommendhimthatheclappedhishands，Andlaughed，`Itismyshapeandlivesagain！’
Enjoyedthefalsehood，toucheditontotruth，Untilyourselvesapplaudthefleshindeed[620]
Inwhatisstillflesh-imitatingclay。
Rightinyou，rightinhim，suchwaybeman’s！
Godonlymakestheliveshapeatajet。
Willyerenouncethispactofcreatureship?
ThepatternontheMountsubsistsnomore，[625]
Seemedawhile，thenreturnedtonothingness；
Butcopies，Mosesstrovetomakethereby，Servestillandarereplacedastimerequires：
Bythese，makenewestvessels，reachthetype！
Ifyedemur，thisjudgmentonyourhead，[630]
Nevertoreachtheultimate，angels’law，IndulgingeveryinstinctofthesoulTherewherelaw，life，joy，impulseareonething！”Suchistheburthenofthelatesttime。
Ihavesurvivedtohearitwithmyears，[635]
Answeritwithmylips：doesthissuffice?
Foriftherebeafurtherwoethansuch，Whereinmybrothersstrugglingneedahand，Solongasanypulseisleftinmine，MayIbeabsentevenlongeryet，[640]
Pluckingtheblindonesbackfromtheabyss，ThoughIshouldtarryanewhundredyears！”
Buthewasdead：’twasaboutnoon，thedaySomewhatdeclining：wefiveburiedhimThateve，andthen，dividing，wentfiveways，[645]
AndI，disguised，returnedtoEphesus。
Bythis，thecave’smouthmustbefilledwithsand。
Valensislost，Iknownotofhistrace；
TheBactrianwasbutawildchildishman，Andcouldnotwritenorspeak，butonlyloved：[650]
So，lestthememoryofthisgoquite，SeeingthatIto-morrowfightthebeasts，ItellthesametoPhoebas，whombelieve！
Formanylookagaintofindthatface，BelovedJohn’stowhomIministered，[655]
Somewhereinlifeabouttheworld；theyerr：
EithermistakingwhatwasdarklyspokeAtendingofhisbook，asherelates，OrmisconceivingsomewhatofthisspeechScatteredfrommouthtomouth，asIsuppose。[660]
BelieveyewillnotseehimanymoreAbouttheworldwithhisdivineregard！
ForallwasasIsay，andnowthemanLiesashelayonce，breasttobreastwithGod——
652。PamphylaxtellsthestorytoPhoebas，ontheeveofhismartyrdom。
654-660。SeeGospelofSt。John21：20-24。
662。regard：look。”TowhomthusMichael，withregardbenign：”P。L。，XI。，334。”Fromthatplacidaspectandmeekregard。”——P。R。，III。，217。
DeQuinceyremarks(Miltonvs。SoutheyandLandor)inreplytoLandor’sdemurringthat”meekregardconveysnonewideatoplacidaspect”：”ButASPECTisthecountenanceofChristwhenpassivetothegazeofothers；REGARDisthesamecountenanceinactivecontemplationofthoseotherswhomhelovesorpities。
ThePLACIDASPECTexpresses，therefore，thedivinerest；
theMEEKREGARDexpressesthedivinebenignity；
theoneistheself-absorptionofthetotalGodhead，theothertheexternalemanationoftheFilialGodhead。”
[Cerinthusreadandmused；oneaddedthis：——[665]”IfChrist，asthouaffirmest，beofmenMereman，thefirstandbestbutnothingmore，——
AccountHim，forrewardofwhatHewas，Nowandforever，wretchedestofall。
Forsee；Himselfconceivedoflifeaslove，[670]
Conceivedofloveaswhatmustenterin，Fillup，makeonewithHiseachsoulHeloved：
Thusmuchforman’sjoy，allmen’sjoyforHim。
Well，Heisgone，thousayest，tofitreward。
Butbythistimearemanysoulssetfree，[675]
Andverymanystillretainedalive：
Nay，shouldHiscomingbedelayedawhile，Say，tenyearslonger(twelveyears，somecompute)
Seeif，foreveryfingerofthyhands，Therebenotfound，thatdaytheworldshallend，[680]
Hundredsofsouls，eachholdingbyChrist’swordThatHewillgrowincorporatewithall，WithmeasPamphylax，withhimasJohn，Groomforeachbride！Canameremandothis?
YetChristsaith，thisHelivedanddiedtodo。[685]
CallChrist，then，theillimitableGod，Orlost！”
But’twasCerinthusthatislost。]——
665。Cerinthusreadandmused：ItmustbesupposedthatanopportunityhadbeenaffordedCerinthusofreadingtheMS。bytheonewhoaddedthepostscript，whichisaddressedtohim，andwhosoughthisconversion。
683。Thatis，`Withmeas[with]Pamphylax，withhimas[with]John’：
SeeGospelofJohn，17：11，21-23。”Inthecriticalexaminationoftheevangelicalrecords，thefourthGospelsufferedmost。Strauss——inthisinstancefollowinghisearlymasterandlaterantagonist，Baur——deniedthatSt。Johnhadanythingtodowithitscomposition。Theauthor，heheld，wasneitherSt。JohnnoranyoneelsewhohadpersonallyknownChrist：
nor，inaccordancewithawidelyacceptedtheory，didhebelieveittobetheworkofapupilofSt。John，who，afterthedeathofhismaster，related，frommemoryorfromfragmentarynotes，traditionsandsayingswhichhadbeentaughthim，andmadeoutofthemacontinuoushistory。Strausspronouncedittobeacontroversialwork，writtenlateinthesecondcenturyafterChrist，byaprofoundtheologianoftheGreekGnosticandanti-Jewishschool，whosedesignwasnottoaddanothertotheexistingbiographiesofChrist，nottorepresenthimasarealman，nortogiveanaccountofanyhumanlife，buttoproduceanelaboratetheologicalworkinwhich，undertheveilofallegory，theNeo-platonicconceptionofChristastheLogos，therealizedWordofGod，thedivineprincipleoflightandlife，shouldbedeveloped。Withthispurpose，thewritermadeafreeselectionfromthesayingsanddoingsofChristasrecordedinthethreeGospelsalreadywritten，andasfreelyinventedothers。Alltheevents，allthewords，oftheGospelthuscomposed，aresubordinatetothemaindesign，whichwasworkedoutbytheauthorwithanartisticcompletenessmostingeniouslytracedbyhisGermaninterpreters。Eachmiraclesymbolizessomeimportantdogma，anditsnarrationmustbeunderstoodtomeanthatitembodiessomedeepspiritualtruth，not，necessarily，thatiteveractuallytookplace。Theauthormanifests，throughout，hisignoranceofJewishcustoms，andhisantagonismtoJewishsentiments。””Thegeneralpurportofthepoemcanscarcelybedoubted，aswelookbackuponitasawholeandconsideritsmainconclusions。
Thetendencyoftheargumentistodiminishtheimportanceoftheoriginalevents——historicalortraditional——onwhichtheChristianreligionisbased。`Itisnotworthwhile，’
thewriterseemstosaytoStraussandhisfollowers，`tooccupyourselveswithdiscussionsaboutmiraclesandeventswhicharesaidtohavetakenplacealongtimeago，andcannowneitherbedeniedorproved。Whatweareconcernedwith，is，Christianityasitisnow：asareligionwhichthehumanmindhasthroughmanygenerationsdeveloped，purified，spiritualized；
andwhichhasreacteduponhumannatureandmadeitwiserandnobler。
Shallwegiveupthisfaithwhichhasbeensogreatapowerforgoodintheworld，andwhich，itswholepasthistoryjustifiesusinconcluding，willcontinueitsworkofimprovement，becauseourbeliefincertaineventsisshakenordestroyed?Itwouldbevain，indeed，thustobuildourreligiononafoundationsounstableasmaterialevidence。Forhumansensationsarenotinfallible；
theyveryoftendeceiveus；wethinkweseeobjects，whicharereallytheillusionsofourownbrain；othersweseeinpartonly，ordistorted；otherswefailtoperceiveatall。Ourfaith，essentialasitistothewell-beingofthedeepestpartsofournature，mustnotbedependentonsuchcontrollingpowersasthese。’”
