George Leo Haydock, on 2Kgs 6:6

“And the man of God said: Where did it fall? and he shewed him the place. Then he cut off a piece of wood, and cast it in thither: and the iron swam.”

“Swam. So; Demersam fluvio relevavit virga securim. (Tertullian, contra Marc.) The Fathers here remark a figure of the cross of Jesus Christ; the virtue of which, in baptism, reclaims the hardened sinner from the ways of vanity. (Tertullian, contra Judæos xiii.) (Calmet) — Those who would explain the reason of every miracle, may here inform the infidel why recourse was had to a supernatural interference, in a matter apparently of such a trifling nature. They ask why God should cause the eyes of various pictures in Italy to move on a late occasion; and because they cannot assign a satisfactory reason, they boldly assert that all was an imposture. But this mode of argumentation is very delusive, if not impious. “ Who hath been his ( God’s ) counsellor? ” (Romans xi. 34.) All that we have to do is to believe, when the proofs are of such a nature as to require our rational assent.”

Imported from an open dataset — not yet checked against the printed edition.