Delphi Complete Works of George Eliot (Illustrated) (801 page)
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Authors: George Eliot
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NEXT to the history of the multiplication of the loaves and fishes, may be ranged the narrative in the fourth gospel (ii. 1 ff.), of Jesus at a wedding in Cana of Galilee turning water into wine. According to Olshausen, both miracles fall under the same category, since in both a substratum is present, the substance of which is modified.* But he overlooks the logical distinction, that in the miracle of the loaves and fishes, the modification is one of quantity merely, an augmentation of what was already existing, without any change of its quality (bread becomes more bread, but remains bread); whereas at the wedding in Cana the substratum is modified in quality-out of a certain substance there is made not merely more of the same kind, but something else (out of water, wine) ; in other words, a real transubstantiation takes place. It is true there
are changes in quality which are natural results, and the instantaneous effectuation of which by Jesus would be even more easy to conceive, than an equally rapid augmentation of quantity;
for example, if he had suddenly changed must into wine, or wine into vinegar, this would only have been to conduct in an accelerated manner the same vegetable siibstratum, the vinous juice, through various conditions natu-. ral to it. The miracle would be already heightened if Jesus had imparted to the juice of another fruit, the apple for instance, the-quality of that of the grape, although even in this his agency would have been within the limits of the same kingdom of nature. But here, where water is turned into wine, the.re is a transition from one kingdom of nature to another, from the elementary to the vegetable; a miracle which as far exceeds that of the multiplication of the loaves, as if Jesus had hearkened to the counsel of the tempter, and turned stones into bread.]
are changes in quality which are natural results, and the instantaneous effectuation of which by Jesus would be even more easy to conceive, than an equally rapid augmentation of quantity;
for example, if he had suddenly changed must into wine, or wine into vinegar, this would only have been to conduct in an accelerated manner the same vegetable siibstratum, the vinous juice, through various conditions natu-. ral to it. The miracle would be already heightened if Jesus had imparted to the juice of another fruit, the apple for instance, the-quality of that of the grape, although even in this his agency would have been within the limits of the same kingdom of nature. But here, where water is turned into wine, the.re is a transition from one kingdom of nature to another, from the elementary to the vegetable; a miracle which as far exceeds that of the multiplication of the loaves, as if Jesus had hearkened to the counsel of the tempter, and turned stones into bread.]
To this miracle as to the former, Olshausen, after Augustine,§ applies his definition of an accelerated natural process, by which we are to understand that we have here simply the occurrence, in an ac* Comp. Be Wette, exeg. Handbuch, 1, 1, S. 133 f. f Bibl. Comm. 2, S. 74. | Meander is of opinion that an analogy may be found for this miracle yet more easily than for that of the loaves-in the mineral springs, the water of which is rendered so poi -------:„,. *i,,,t-it-nroiluces effects which far exceed those of ordinary water, •<> - T-.., ,,;,,mn
fecit MIRACLES-’TURNING WATER INTO WINE.celerated manner, of that which is presented yearly in the vine in a slow process of development. This mode of viewing the matter would have some foundation, if the substratum on which Jesus operated had been the same out of which wine is wont to be naturally produced; if he Jiad taken a vine in his hand, and suddenly caused it to bloom, and to bear ripe grapes, this might have been called an accelerated natural process. Even then indeed we should still have no wine, and if Jesus were to produce this also from the vine which lie took into his hand, he must add an operation which would be an invisible substitute for the wine-press, that is, an accelerated artificial process ; so that on this supposition the category of the accelerated natural process would already be insufficient. In fact, however, we have no vine as a substratum for this production of wine, but water, and in this case we could only speak with propriety of an accelerated natural process, if by any means, however gradual, wine were ever produced out of water.Here it is urged, that certainly out of water, out of the moisture produced in the earth by rain and the like, the vine draws its sap, which in due order it applies to the production of the grape, and of the wine therein contained ; so that thus yearly, by means of a natural process, wine does actually come out of water.* But apart from the fact that water is only one of the elementary materials which are required for the fructification of the vine, and that to this end, soil, air, and light, must concur; it could not be said either of one, or of all these elementary materials together, that they produce the grape or the wine, nor, consequently, that Jesus, when he produced wine out of water, did the same thing, only more quickly, which is repeated every year as a gradual process : on the contrary, here again there is a confusion of essentially distinct logical categories. For we may place the relation of the product to the producing agent, which is here treated of, under the category of power and manifestation, or of cause and effect:
never can it be said that water is the power or the cause, which produces grapes and wine, for the power which gives existence to them is strictly the vegetable individuality of the vine-plant, to which water, with the rest of the elementary agencies, is related only as the solicitation to the power, as the stimulus to the cause. That is, without the co-operation of water, air, &c., grapes certainly cannot be produced, any more than without the vine-plant;
but the distinction is, that in the vine the grape, in itself or in its germ, is already present, and water, air, &c., only assist in its development; whereas in these elementary substances, the grape is present neither actu nor potentia; they can in no way produce the fruit out of themselves, but only out of something else-the vine. To turn water into wine is not then to make a cause act more rapidly than it would act in a natural way, but it is to make the effect appear without a cause, out of a mere accessory , llms Augustine, ut sup, approved by Olshausen : sicut enim, quod miseru.nl ministri 18 Al/dntU. in fi’mim /•/»>.•*-•--’--------r>..•--• ..•-...-
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•THE LIFE OF JESUS.
fecit MIRACLES-’TURNING WATER INTO WINE.celerated manner, of that which is presented yearly in the vine in a slow process of development. This mode of viewing the matter would have some foundation, if the substratum on which Jesus operated had been the same out of which wine is wont to be naturally produced; if he Jiad taken a vine in his hand, and suddenly caused it to bloom, and to bear ripe grapes, this might have been called an accelerated natural process. Even then indeed we should still have no wine, and if Jesus were to produce this also from the vine which lie took into his hand, he must add an operation which would be an invisible substitute for the wine-press, that is, an accelerated artificial process ; so that on this supposition the category of the accelerated natural process would already be insufficient. In fact, however, we have no vine as a substratum for this production of wine, but water, and in this case we could only speak with propriety of an accelerated natural process, if by any means, however gradual, wine were ever produced out of water.Here it is urged, that certainly out of water, out of the moisture produced in the earth by rain and the like, the vine draws its sap, which in due order it applies to the production of the grape, and of the wine therein contained ; so that thus yearly, by means of a natural process, wine does actually come out of water.* But apart from the fact that water is only one of the elementary materials which are required for the fructification of the vine, and that to this end, soil, air, and light, must concur; it could not be said either of one, or of all these elementary materials together, that they produce the grape or the wine, nor, consequently, that Jesus, when he produced wine out of water, did the same thing, only more quickly, which is repeated every year as a gradual process : on the contrary, here again there is a confusion of essentially distinct logical categories. For we may place the relation of the product to the producing agent, which is here treated of, under the category of power and manifestation, or of cause and effect:
never can it be said that water is the power or the cause, which produces grapes and wine, for the power which gives existence to them is strictly the vegetable individuality of the vine-plant, to which water, with the rest of the elementary agencies, is related only as the solicitation to the power, as the stimulus to the cause. That is, without the co-operation of water, air, &c., grapes certainly cannot be produced, any more than without the vine-plant;
but the distinction is, that in the vine the grape, in itself or in its germ, is already present, and water, air, &c., only assist in its development; whereas in these elementary substances, the grape is present neither actu nor potentia; they can in no way produce the fruit out of themselves, but only out of something else-the vine. To turn water into wine is not then to make a cause act more rapidly than it would act in a natural way, but it is to make the effect appear without a cause, out of a mere accessory , llms Augustine, ut sup, approved by Olshausen : sicut enim, quod miseru.nl ministri 18 Al/dntU. in fi’mim /•/»>.•*-•--’--------r>..•--• ..•-...-
- --
•THE LIFE OF JESUS.
circumstance ; or, to refer more particularly to organic nature, it is to call forth the organic product without the producing organism, out of the simple inorganic materials, or rather out of one of those materials only. This is about the same thing as to make bread out of earth without the intervention of the corn plant, flesh out of bread without a previous assimilation of it by an animal body, or in the same immediate manner, blood out of wine. If the supranaturalist is not here contented with appealing to the incomprehcnsibleness of an omnipotent word of Jesus, but also endeavours, with Olshausen, to bring the process which must have been contained in the miracle in question nearer to his conception, by regarding it in the light ot a natural process; he must not, in order to render the matter more probable, suppress a part of the necessary stages in that pioccss, but exhibit them all. They would then present the following series: 1st, to the water, as one only of the elementary agents, Jesus must have added the power of the other elements above named, 2ndly, (and this is the chief point,) he must have procured, in an equally invisible manner, the organic individuality of the vine;
3rdly, he must have accelerated, to the degree of instantaneousness, the natural process resulting from the reciprocal action of
these objects upon one another, the blooming and fructification of the vine, together with the ripening of the grape; 4thly, he must have caused the artificial process of pressing, and so forth, to occur invisibly and suddenly; and lastly, he must again have accelerated the further natural process of fermentation, so as to render it momentary. Thus, here as;ain, the designation of the miracle as an accelerated natural O O
3rdly, he must have accelerated, to the degree of instantaneousness, the natural process resulting from the reciprocal action of
these objects upon one another, the blooming and fructification of the vine, together with the ripening of the grape; 4thly, he must have caused the artificial process of pressing, and so forth, to occur invisibly and suddenly; and lastly, he must again have accelerated the further natural process of fermentation, so as to render it momentary. Thus, here as;ain, the designation of the miracle as an accelerated natural O O
process, would apply to two stages only out of five, the other three being such as cannot possibly be brought under this point of view, though the two first, especially the second, are of greater importance even than belonged to the stages which were neglected in the application of this view to the history of the miraculous feeding :
so that the definition of an accelerated natural process is as inadequate here as there.* As, however, this is the only, or the extreme category, under which we can bring such operations nearer to our conception and comprehension; it follows that if this category be shown to be inapplicable, the event itself is inconceivable.
so that the definition of an accelerated natural process is as inadequate here as there.* As, however, this is the only, or the extreme category, under which we can bring such operations nearer to our conception and comprehension; it follows that if this category be shown to be inapplicable, the event itself is inconceivable.
Not only, however, has the miracle before us been impeached in relation to possibility, but also in relation to utility and fitness. It has been urged both in ancient! and modern^ times, that it was unworthy of Jesus that he should not only remain in the society of drunkards, but even further their intemperance by an exercise ot his miraculous power.But this objection should be discarded as an exaggeration, since, as expositors justly observe, from the words after men have icell’drwik o-av nedvoOuai (v. 10), which the ruler of the * Even LUcke, 1, S. 40r>, thinks the analogy with the above natural process deficient • -!.....«„ „„„„„!„ himself better than by the consideraMIRACLES----TURNING WATEB INTO WINE.
58,5
feast upxi-’piKMvoc; uses with reference to the usual course of things at such feasts, nothing can with certainty be deduced with respect to the occasion in question. We must however still regard as valid an objection, which is not only pointed out by Paulus and the author of the Probabilia,* but admitted even by Lucke and Olshausen to bo at the first glance a pressing difficulty : namely, that by this miracle Jesus did not, as was usual with him, relieve any want, any real no-id, but only furnished an additional incitement to pleasure; showed himself not so much helpful as courteous ; rather, so to speak, performed a miracle of luxury, than of true beneficence. If it be here said that it was a sufficient object for the miracle to confirm the faith of the disciples,f which according to v. 11 was its actual effect; it must be remembered that, as a general rule, not only had the miracles of Jesus, considered with regard to their form, i. e. as extraordinary results, something desirable as their consequence, for instance, the faith of the spectators; but also, considered with regard to their matter, i. e. as consisting of cures, multiplications of loaves, and the like, were directed to some really beneficent end. In the present miracle this characteristic is wanting, and hence Paulus is not wrong when he points out the contradiction which would lie in the conduct of Jesus, if towards the tempter he rejected every challenge to such miracles as, without being materially beneficent, or called for by any pressing necessity, could only formally produce faith and astonishment, and yet in. this instance performed a miracle of that very nature. {
The supranaturalist was therefore driven to maintain that it was not faith in general which Jesus here intended to produce, but a conviction entirely special, and only to be wrought by this particular miracle. Proceeding on this supposition, nothing was more natural than to be reminded by the opposition of water and wine on which the miracle turns, of the opposition between him who baptized with water (Matt. iii. 11), who at the same time came neither eating nor drinking (Luke i. 15; Matt. xi. 18.), and him who, as he baptized with the iloly Ghost and with fire, so he did not deny himself the ardent, animating fruit of the vine, and was hence reproached with being a wine-bibber oivono-ris (Matt. xi. 19); especially as the fourth gospel, in which the narrative of the wedding at Cana is contained, manifests in a peculiar degree the tendency to lead over the contemplation from the Baptist to Jesus. On these grounds Hcrder,§ and after him some others,! have held the opinion, that Jesus by the above miraculous act intended to symbolize to his disciples, several of whom had been disciples of the Baptist, the relation of his spirit and office to those of John, and by this proof of his superior power, to put an end to the offence which they might take at * T. 42. | Tholuck, in loc. J Comm. 4, S. 151 f. {j Von Gottes Sohn u. s. f. nach Johannes Evaiigdium, S. 181 {. \\ C. Ch. Flatt, tiber die Verwandlung des Was-scrs in wan, in Snakind’s Jlac-azin. U. Stfink. S. Rfi f. • nki>n,,«,.r, ,,t *„„ s if. t .THE LIFE OF JESUS.
his more liberal mode of life. But here the reflection obtrudes itself, that Jesus does not avail himself of this symbolical miracle, to enlighten his disciples by explanatory discourses concerning his relation to the Baptist; an omission which even the friends of this interpretation pronounce to be surprising.*How needful such an exposition was, if the miracle were not to fail of its special object, is evident from the fact, that the narrator himself, according to v. 11, understood it not at all in this light, as a symbolization of a particular maxim of Jesus, but quite generally, as a manifestation (pavipuai^ of his glory.t Thus if that special lesson were the object of Jesus in performing the miracle before us, then the author of the fourth gospel, that is, according to the supposition of the above theologians, his most apprehensive pupil, misunderstood him, and Jesus delayed in an injudicious manner to prevent this misunderstanding; or if both these conclusions are rejected, there still subsists the difficulty, that Jesus, contrary to the prevailing tendency of his conduct, sought to attain the general object of proving his miraculous power, by an act for which apparently he might have substituted a more useful one.
Again, the disproportionate quantity of wine with which Jesus supplies the guests, must excite astonishment. Six vessels, each containing from two to three fJ-erpij-ag, supposing the Attic ^srprjTj^, corresponding to the Hebrew bat/i, to be equivalent to ll Roman amphorce, or twenty-one Wirtemburg measures,! would yield 252- 378 measures.§ What a quantity for a company who had already drunk freely! “What enormous vessels! exclaims Dr. Paulus, and leaves no effort untried to reduce the statement of measures in the text. With a total disregard of the rules of the language, he gives to the preposition dva a collective meaning, instead of its .proper distributive one, so as to make the six water pots (ySplaC) contain, not each, but altogether, from two to three fierpTj-dc;; and e^yen Ols-hausen consoles himself, after Semler, with the fact, that it is nowhere remarked that the water in all the vessels was turned into wine. But these are subterfuges; they to whom the Supply of so extravagant and dangerous a quantity of wine on the part of Jesus is incredible, must conclude that the narrative is unhistorical.
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