,thomas ,woolston ,,six ,,discourses ,,on ,,the ,,miracles ,,of ,,our ,,saviour and ,,defences ,,of ,,his ,,discourses #agbg-agcj ,garland ,publishing1 ,inc41 ,new ,york ,london ,illustration #aigi ,a ,,discourse ,,on ,,the ,,miracles ,,of ,,our ,,saviour1 ,in ,,view of the ,present ,controversy between ,,infidels and ,,apostates4 --,nostrum est tantus componere ,lites4 ,the ,fifth ,edition4 ,by ,,tho4 ,,woolston1 ,b4 ,d4 sometime ,fellow of ,sidney-,college in ,cambridge4 ,,london3 ,printed for the ,author1 and ,sold by him next door to the ,star1 in ,aldermanbury1 and by the ,booksellers of ,london1 and ,westminster1 #agbh4 ,price ,one ,shilling4 ,illustration ,,to ,,the ,right ,reverend ,father in ,god ,,edmund1 ,lord ,,bishop of ,london4 ,,my ,,lord1 ,upon no other ,view do ,i make a ,dedication of this ,discourse to your ,lordship1 then to submit it to your acute ,judgment1 expecting soon to hear of your ,approbation or ,dislike of it4 ,if it so happen1 that you highly approve of it1 ,i beg of you to be sparing of your ,commendations1 least ,i should be puff'd up with them4 ,in my ,moderator1 some ,expressions dropt from my ,pen about the ,miracles of our ,saviour1 which1 for want of ,illustration then1 gave your ,lordship some ,offence1 and brought upon me more ,trouble3 ,but1 having now fully and clearly explain'd my self out of the ,fathers1 ,i hope you'll be reconciled to me2 and as you are a ,lover of ,truth1 will1 against ,interest and ,prejudice1 yield to the ,force of it4 ,whether your ,prosecution of me1 for the ,moderator1 was just and reasonable1 ,i'll not dispute here1 having already expostulated that ,matter with you in several ,letters1 to which you would not condescend to give me any ,answer4 ,for what ,reason you was silent1 is best known to your self4 ,but1 in my own ,vindication1 ,i hope1 ,i may publish without ,offence1 that your taking me for an ,infidel1 was such a ,mistake as ,i thought no ,scholar could have made2 and the ,injury done to my ,reputation and low ,fortunes1 by the ,prosecution1 so considerable1 that the least ,i expected from your ,lordship1 was a courteous ,excuse1 if not an ample ,compensation1 for it4 ,as to the ,expediency of prosecuting ,infidels for their ,writings 7in whose ,cause ,i am the farthest of any ,man from being engaged7 ,i will here say nothing4 ,the ,argument1 pro and con1 has already1 by one or other1 been copiously handled4 ,and ,i don't know but ,i might be1 with your ,lordship1 on the persecuting side of the ,question2 but that it looks as if a ,man was distrustful of the ,truth of ,christianity1 and conscious of his own ,inability to defend it2 or he would leave that good ,cause to ,god himself and the ,sword of the ,spirit1 without calling upon the ,civil ,magistrate for his ,aid and ,assistance4 ,that scurvy ,writer of the ,scheme of literal ,prophecy1 c4 which your ,lordship must have heard of1 would insinuate1 that they are only atheistical ,priests1 who1 for fear of their ,interests in the ,church1 set ,persecutions on foot3 ,but after your ,lordship has publish'd a strenuous ,defence of ,christianity to the ,purpose of our present ,controversy1 ,i'll have no such ,suspicions of you4 ,your ,lordship's persecuting 7or1 if you will1 prosecuting7 ,humour1 is reputedly all pure ,zeal for ,god's ,glory2 and1 with all my ,heart1 let it be so accounted1 whether it be according to ,knowledge or not4 ,against ,popery and ,infidelity you are all ,ardency6 ,who does not commend you8 ,who can question the ,sincerity of the ,zeal of a ,protestant ,bishop1 and of a ,protestant ,clergy1 when they persecute the ,enemies of their ,church1 that considers their own ,steadiness to ,principles against ,interest1 under all ,changes1 since the ,reformation2 and their ,abhorrence of ,extortion upon the ,people1 for the ,duties of their ,function1 in and about this ,city4 ,such ,honesty and ,constancy in their ,profession1 is a ,proof of the ,integrity of their ,hearts1 or ,i know not where to find one4 ,but that your ,lordship's ,zeal for ,religion is very remarkable and successful1 ,i could prove by many ,instances2 one is1 that of your routing a turbulent ,sect of ,peripateticks out of ,st4 ,paul's ,cathedral2 and if you could as effectually clear ,christ's ,church of ,infidels1 what a glorious ,bishop would you be6 ,and what ,pity is it1 that ,infidels likewise are not to be quell'd with your ,threats and ,terrors6 which 7without the ,weapons of sharp ,reasonings1 and thumping ,arguments1 that others are for the ,use of7 would transmit your ,fame to ,posterity1 for a notable ,champion for ,christianity1 as certainly as1 that your judicious ,prosecution of the ,moderator for ,infidelity is here remember'd by1 ,sidenote3 ,london1 ,april #ag1 #agbg4 ,my ,,lord1 ,the ,admirer of ,your ,zeal ,wisdom and ,conduct1 ,thomas ,woolston4 ,illustration ,a ,,discourse ,,on ,,the ,,miracles ,,of ,,our ,,saviour1 c4 ,if ever there was an useful ,controversy started1 or revived in this ,age of the ,church1 it is this about the ,messiahship of the holy ,jesus1 which the ,discourse of the ,grounds1 c4 has of late rais'd4 ,i believe this ,controversy will end in the absolute ,demonstration of ,jesus's ,messiahship from ,prophecy1 which is the only way to prove him to be the ,messiah1 that great ,prophet expected by the ,jews1 and promised under the ,old ,testament4 ,and tho' this way of ,proof from ,prophecy seems to labour under many ,difficulties at present2 and tho' some ,writers against the ,grounds1 being distressed with those ,difficulties1 are for seeking ,refuge in the ,miracles of our ,saviour2 yet we must persist in it1 till what ,i have no doubt of1 his ,messiahship shall be clearly made out by it4 ,and the way in ,prophesy that ,i would take for the ,proof of ,jesus's ,messiahship1 should be by an allegorical ,interpretation1 and ,application of the ,law and the ,prophets to him2 the very same way1 that all the ,fathers of the ,church have gone in2 and the very same way1 in which all the ancient ,jews say their ,messiah was to fulfil the ,law and the ,prophets3 ,but this way does not please our ecclesiastical ,writers in this ,controversy1 neither will they at present give any ,ear to it4 ,the ,way in ,prophecy that they are for taking1 is by a literal ,interpretation and ,application of some ,prophecies of the ,old ,testament to our ,jesus1 but they are hitherto unsuccessful in this ,way4 ,the ,authors of the ,grounds and of the ,scheme1 grievously perplex them with their ,objections against this way of ,proof1 so far as1 being sensible1 ,i say1 of almost insuperable ,difficulties in it1 they are flying apace to the ,miracles of our ,saviour1 as to their sole and grand ,refuge4 ,but to show that there's no ,sanctuary for them in the ,miracles of our ,saviour1 ,i write this ,discourse3 ,and this ,i do1 not for the ,service of ,infidelity1 which has no ,place in my ,heart1 but for the ,honour of the ,holy ,jesus1 and to reduce the ,clergy to the good old way of interpreting ,prophecies1 which the ,church has unhappily apostatis'd from1 and which1 upon the ,testimony of the ,fathers1 will1 one ,day1 be the ,conversion of ,jews and ,gentiles4 ,for this ,opinion1 that there is no ,sanctuary in the ,miracles of our ,saviour1 ,i chanc'd to say in the ,moderator1#a ,that ,jesus's ,miracles1 as they are now-a-days understood1 make nothing for his ,authority and ,messiahship4 ,and again1#b ,that ,i believe1 upon good ,authority1 some of the ,miracles of ,jesus1 as recorded by the ,evangelists1 were never wrought1 but are only related as prophetical and parabolical ,narratives of what will be mysteriously and more wonderfully done by him3 ,which ,expressions gave ,offence to some of our ,clergy1 and brought upon me their ,indignation and ,displeasure4 ,i see no ,reason to depart from the said ,expressions1 or so much as to palliate and soften them1 much less to retract them2 but in ,maintenance of my ,opinion1 to the ,honour of our ,messiah1 and the ,defence of ,christianity1 ,i write this ,treatise on ,jesus's ,miracles1 and take this ,method following4 ,i4 ,i will show1 that the ,miracles of healing all manner of bodily ,diseases1 which ,jesus was justly famed for1 are none of the proper ,miracles of the ,messiah1 neither are they so much as a good ,proof of his ,divine ,authority to found a ,religion4 ,,ii4 ,that the literal ,history of many of the ,miracles of ,jesus1 as recorded by the ,evangelists1 does imply ,absurdities1 ,improbabilities1 and ,incredibilities1 consequently they1 either in whole or in part1 were never wrought1 as they are commonly believed now-a-days1 but are only related as prophetical and parabolical ,narratives of what would be mysteriously and more wonderfully done by him4 ,,iii4 ,i shall consider what ,jesus means1 when he appeals to his ,miracles as to a ,testimony and ,witness of his ,divine ,authority1 and show1 that he could not properly and ultimately refer to those he then wrought in the ,flesh1 but to those mystical ones1 which he would do in the ,spirit2 of which those wrought in the ,flesh are but mere ,types and ,shadows4 ,in treating on these ,heads1 ,i shall not confine my self only to ,reason1 but also to the express ,authority of the ,fathers1 those holy1 venerable1 and learned ,preachers of the ,gospel in the first ,ages of the ,church1 who took our ,religion from the ,hands of the ,apostles1 and of apostolical ,men1 who dy'd1 some of them1 and suffer'd for the ,doctrine they taught2 who professedly and confessedly were endu'd with divine and extraordinary ,gifts of the ,spirit2 who consequently can't be supposed to be ,corrupters of ,christianity1 or ,teachers of false ,notions about the ,miracles of our ,saviour1 or so much as mistaken about the apostolical and evangelical ,sense and ,nature of them4 ,i know not how it comes to pass1 but ,i am a profound ,admirer1 and an almost implicit ,believer of the ,authority of the ,fathers1 whom ,i look upon as vast ,philosophers1 very great ,scholars1 and most orthodox ,divines4 ,whatever they concurrently assert1 ,i firmly believe4 ,and tho' they are1 for the most part1 mysterious ,writers out of the ,reach of the ,capacities of many1 who slight them2 yet ,i1 who have had the ,honour and ,happiness of much of their ,acquaintance1 fancy my self well apprised of their ,meanings4 ,if at any time ,i read a ,passage in them which ,i don't presently apprehend1 ,i salute it with ,veneration for all that1 till my ,understanding is opened to receive the ,sense of it4 ,if ,i meet with but a single ,opinion in any one of them1 ,i pay my ,respects to it2 but where there is an ,harmony and ,agreement of ,opinion amongst them1 it is with me1 and ought to be with all ,christians1 of such ,weight1 as to bear down all ,prejudice1 ,opposition1 and ,contradiction before it2 or the ,authority of no ,man1 whether ancient or modern1 is to have any ,regard paid to it2 and of what ill ,consequence to ,religion such an utter ,rejection of ,authority will be1 ,i need not say4 ,this ,i thought fit to premise1 concerning the ,authority of the ,fathers1 to abate of the ,prejudice beforehand1 which some may conceive against the following ,discourse about the ,miracles of ,jesus4 ,i don't question1 but some may be startled at the foregoing ,heads1 as if1 what is the farthest of any thing from my ,heart1 the ,service of ,infidelity was in ,view2 but craving the ,temper and ,patience of such ,readers for a while1 and they shall find1 that its no other than just ,reasoning1 clear ,truth1 and primitive ,doctrine about ,jesus's ,miracles1 that ,i advance3 ,or if it should so happen1 that none besides my self should discern the ,reasoning and ,truth of the ,argument2 yet ,i hope it will not be thought a ,crime to revive primitive ,doctrine1 which none will be able to deny it to be1 whether they like it or not4 ,if ,i err1 ,i err upon ,choice with the ,fathers1 of whose ,faith ,i am4 ,and if any are offended at what follows about the ,miracles of ,christ1 let them turn their ,displeasure and ,indignation against the ,fathers1 for whose express or implicit ,opinions ,i can be deserving of no ,blame4 ,i am sorry for the ,occasion of such a ,preface against ,offence1 which the ,apostacy of the ,age1 and its ,unacquaintedness with the ,fathers1 has made necessary4 ,so ,i enter upon the particular handling of the ,heads foregoing4 ,and1 ,i4 ,i will show that the ,miracles of healing all manner of bodily ,diseases1 which ,jesus was justly famed for1 are none of the proper ,miracles of the ,messiah1 nor are they so much as a good ,proof of ,jesus's divine ,authority to found and introduce a ,religion into the ,world4 ,and to do this1 let us consider1 first1 in general1 what was the ,opinion of the ,fathers about the ,writings of the ,evangelists in which the ,life of ,christ is recorded4 ,eucherius says1#c ,that the ,scriptures of the ,new as well as ,old ,testament1 are to be interpreted in an allegorical ,sense4 ,and this his ,opinion1 is no other than the common one of the first ,ages of the ,church1 as might be proved by many the like ,expressions of other ,fathers4 ,as in such ,expressions1 they do not except the ,writings of the ,evangelists2 so they must include the ,history of ,christ's ,miracles1 which as well as other ,parts of the ,history of his ,life1 is to be allegoriz'd for the sake of its true ,meaning2 consequently the literal ,story of ,christ's ,miracles proves nothing4 ,but let's hear particularly their ,opinion of the ,actions and ,miracles of our ,saviour4 ,origen says1 that#d ,whatsoever ,jesus did in the ,flesh1 was but typical and symbolical of what he would do in the ,spirit2 and to our ,purpose1#e that the several bodily ,diseases which he healed1 were no other than ,figures of the spiritual ,infirmities of the ,soul1 that are to be cured by him4 ,st4 ,hilary is of the same ,mind with ,origen1 as any one may see by the#f ,expressions referr'd to1 and his ,commentary on ,st4 ,matthew4 ,st4 ,augustin1#g and ,st4 ,john#h of ,jerusalem1 both say1 that the ,works of ,jesus import farther ,mysteries2 and with them1 the rest of the ,fathers agree1 making the ,miracles that ,jesus did then1 no more than the ,shadow of some more powerful and mystical ,operations to be done by him1 as ,i could show by more ,citations out of them1 if it was needful4 ,but from the foregoing ,citations out of the ,fathers it is plain1 in their ,opinion1 that our modern ,divines are in the wrong of it1 to lay much ,stress on any of the ,operations of ,jesus1 which he did in the ,flesh1 for the ,proof of his divine ,authority and ,messiahship1 which is only to be proved by his more mysterious ,works1 of which those done in the ,flesh are but ,type and ,figure4 ,but to come closer to the ,purpose1 let's see how indifferently1 ,i had almost said contemptibly1 the ,fathers speak of the ,miracles of ,jesus1 and particularly of his ,power of healing all bodily ,diseases1 which by modern ,writers is so much magnified and extoll'd4 ,st4 ,irenus says1#i that if we consider only the then temporal ,use of ,jesus's ,power of ,healing1 he did nothing grand and wonderful2 consequently ,irenus could not hold1 that ,jesus's ,miracles then wrought1 were a sufficient ,proof of his divine ,authority1 much less of his ,messiahship4 ,origen says#aj that tho' many were brought to believe in ,jesus upon the ,fame of the ,miracles which he did once among the ,jews1 yet 7what implies the ,insufficiency of them for the ,conversion of ,men7 he intimates that his greater and mystical ,works do prove his ,authority4 ,st4 ,john of ,jerusalem says#aa that ,jesus's ,cures performed upon the ,blind1 c4 were indeed considerable and great1 but unless he do daily as mighty ,works in his ,church1 we ought to forbear our ,admiration of him4 ,st4 ,augustin not only says#ab that if we examine into ,jesus's ,miracles by human ,reason1 we shall find he did nothing great1 considering his ,almighty ,power1 and considering his ,goodness1 what he did was but little2 but he tells us also1 that#ac such ,works as ,jesus did1 might be imputed to1 and effected by ,magic ,art4 ,and accordingly ,moses and our ,saviour himself confess1 that false ,prophets1 and false ,christ's1 will do ,miracles2 and ,anti-,christ himself1 according to ,st4 ,paul1 will do them to the ,deception of ,mankind4 ,nay1 the ,fathers#ad say1 what ,i believe1 that ,anti-,christ will imitate and equal ,jesus in all his ,miracles which he wrought of old4 ,how then can we distinguish the true ,prophet from the false2 the true ,christ from the ,anti-,christ by ,miracles8 our ,divines will find it hard to do it1 if what the ,fathers say of ,anti-christ be found true4 ,moreover ,history affords us ,instances of ,men1 such as of ,apollonius ,tyanus1 ,vespasian1 and of the ,irish ,stroaker1 ,greatrex1 who have miraculously cured ,diseases to the ,admiration of ,mankind1 as well as our ,jesus3 ,but if any of them1 or any other greater ,worker of ,miracles than they were1 should withall assume to himself the ,title of a ,prophet1 and ,author of a new ,religion1 ,i humbly conceive1 we ought not to give heed to him4 ,neither is there the least ,reason that we should2 for the ,power of doing ,miracles is no certain1 nor rational ,seal of the ,commission and ,authority of a divine ,lawgiver4 ,st4 ,paul says#ae there is a ,diversity of the ,gifts of the ,spirit1 for to one is given by the ,spirit1 the ,word of ,wisdom2 to another the ,word of ,knowledge2 to another the ,gift of ,healing2 to another the working of ,miracles2 to another ,prophecy2 to another discerning of ,spirits2 to another divers ,kinds of ,tongues2 to another the ,interpretation of ,tongues4 ,these ,gifts may be given apart and separately4 ,one of them may be conferr'd on this ,man1 and another of them on his ,neighbour4 ,there is no ,necessity that any two or more of these ,gifts should meet in one ,man4 ,to argue then1 that a ,man1 who has one of these ,gifts1 must have the other2 that is1 that he must needs have the ,gift of ,wisdom1 or of ,prophecy1 or of discerning of ,spirits1 or of divers ,kinds of ,tongues1 because he has the ,gift of ,healing and of working ,miracles1 is very inconclusive1 and false ,reasoning3 ,and yet this is the ,reasoning of our modern ,writers who would prove ,jesus's ,authority1 to found a ,religion1 from his ,miracles4 ,i don't question but ,jesus had all the foresaid ,gifts and ,powers of the ,spirit in a most superlative ,degree2 but then it is unreasonably inferr'd1 for all that1 that a ,man1 because he of ,certainty has some of them1 must of consequence have the other4 ,st4 ,augustin#af cautions us against being deceived into a good ,opinion of a ,man's ,wisdom1 because of his ,power to do ,miracles4 ,and ,i think accordingly1 that we may as well say1 that the strongest ,man is the wisest2 or that a good ,physician must needs be a good ,casuist2 or that the best ,mathematician is the ablest ,statesman1 as that ,jesus1 because he was a ,worker of ,miracles1 such as his are1 and a ,healer of all manner of ,diseases1 ought to be received as the ,guide of our ,consciencies1 the ,director of our ,understandings1 the ,ruler of our ,hearts1 and the ,author of a ,religion4 ,what then will the ,writers against the ,grounds do to prove ,jesus's ,authority and ,messiahship from his ,miracles8 ,or how by his ,miracles will they be able to distinguish him from an ,impostor1 a false ,prophet1 and the ,anti-christ8 ,why1 they will say perhaps1 #a4 ,that besides ,greatness of ,power1 there was nothing but ,goodness1 ,kindness1 and ,love to ,mankind shewn in ,jesus's ,miracles4 ,as to the ,miracles of false ,prophets and ,impostors1 if they be1 many of them1 of a kind and benevolent ,aspect1 yet the ,devil's ,foot1 if we look well to it1 will discover it self in some ludicrous and mischievous ,pranks3 ,but ,jesus's ,miracles were all of a beneficent ,nature2 ,he went about doing good1 healing all manner of ,diseases among the ,people1 and did no ,wrong to any one2 which is a good ,argument1 they say1 of his divine ,authority1 or ,god would not have suffer'd1 nor the ,devil have work'd such a ,testimony in behalf of it4 ,on this ,head our ,divines are copious and rhetorical1 and many notable and florid ,harangues have they made on it4 ,but ,in answer to them1 they don't seem to have their ,memories at ,hand1 when they declaim at this rate4 ,the ,fathers1 upon whose ,authority ,i write1 will tell such ,orators1 that ,jesus1 if his ,miracles are to be understood in the literal ,sense1 did not only as foolish ,things as any ,impostor could do1 but very injurious ones to ,mankind4 ,i shall not here instance in the seemingly foolish and injurious ,things which ,jesus did for ,miracles1 intending under the next ,head to speak to some of them3 ,but they are such1 if literally true1 as our ,divines do believe1 as are enough to turn our ,stomachs against such a ,prophet2 and enough to make us take him for a ,conjuror1 a ,sorcerer1 and a ,wizard1 rather than the ,messiah and ,prophet of the most ,high ,god4 ,but #b4 ,to prove the ,messiahship of the ,holy ,jesus from his ,miracles1 our ,divines urge the ,prophecies of the ,old ,testament1 such as that of ,isaiah1 ,c4 xxxv4 ,v4 #e1 #f4 ,then the ,eyes of the ,blind shall be opened1 and the ,ears of the ,deaf shall be unstopp'd2 then shall the lame ,man leap as the ,hart1 and the ,tongue of the ,dumb sing2 and say that these ,prophecies were accurately fulfill'd by our ,jesus in the several specifical ,cures of ,blindness1 ,deafness1 ,lameness1 and ,dumbness1 which he often perform'd upon one or other2 and1 inasmuch as our ,saviour seems to appeal to such ,prophecies1 do conclude this his ,accomplishment of them1 to be no less than a ,demonstration1 that he was the true ,messiah1 that great ,prophet1 who was to come into the ,world4 ,to which ,i answer1 ,first1 ,that the ,accomplishment of ,prophecies that can neither be given forth by human ,foresight1 nor fulfill'd in a ,counterfeit1 are good ,proofs of ,jesus's ,messiahship3 ,but then1 what shall we say if others besides ,jesus should do the like ,cures and ,miracles8 ,it is said of ,anti-christ1 and ,i believe it1 that he will not only do all the ,miracles that ,jesus did1 but will appeal to the like ,prophecies too4 ,how then we are to distinguish the true ,christ from the false ,christ by ,miracles and ,prophecies in this ,case1 is the ,question1 which ,i leave with our ,divines to consider of an ,answer to1 against the ,time that it is proved that ,anti-christ does all those ,miracles1 which ,jesus in the ,flesh wrought4 ,but ,secondly1 ,the foresaid ,prophecies and others mentioned in ,isaiah1 neither were1 nor could be ,prophecies of the miraculous ,cures of bodily ,diseases which ,jesus then did4 ,and this may be made appear1 not only from the ,context of those ,prophecies which received then no ,accomplishment from ,jesus1 who ought to have fulfill'd one ,part of the ,prophecy as well as the other1 or is not to be taken for the ,fulfiller of either2 but from the ,opinion of both ,jews and ,fathers1 who adjourn the ,accomplishment of those ,prophecies to ,christ's spiritual ,advent4 ,but ,thirdly1 ,the ,prophet ,isaiah1 in the ,place above cited1 speaks not of bodily ,blindness1 c4 which the ,messiah is to heal1 but of the spiritual ,distempers of the ,soul1 metaphorically so called2 as may be easily proved1 not only from the ,prophecies themselves1 but from the old ,jews1 who were allegorical ,interpreters of those ,distempers1 and from the antient ,fathers1#ag who so understood them4 ,consequently our ,jesus's healing of those bodily ,diseases1 was no proper ,accomplishment of those ,prophecies4 ,it is true our ,saviour1 ,matt4 xi4 #d1 #e4 seems to appeal to those ,prophecies1 and to make his ,cure of corporal ,distempers an ,accomplishment of them3 ,but he means not in the literal ,sense1 that our ,divines take him in1 as ,i shall show hereafter1 when ,i come to consider what ,jesus means1 by appealing to his ,works and ,miracles1 as bearing ,witness of him4 ,our ,divines then may admire and adore ,jesus as much as they please for his ,miracles of healing bodily ,distempers2 but ,i am for the spiritual ,messiah that cures those ,distempers of the ,soul1 that metaphorically pass under the ,names of ,blindness1 ,lameness1 ,deafness1 c4 ,and the ,cure of these spiritual ,diseases1 is the proper and miraculous ,work of the true ,messiah2 for the sake of which1 says#ah ,st4 ,augustin1 ,jesus condescended to do those little ,miracles of healing bodily ,distempers1 which were but the ,type and ,shadow of his more stupendous ,miracles of curing spiritual ,diseases4 ,the ,cure of spiritual ,infirmities is a ,god-like#ai ,work1 above the ,imitation of ,man or of ,anti-christ1 infinitely more miraculous than the healing any bodily ,distempers can be4 ,whether our ,jesus be at this ,day such a spiritual ,messiah1 ,i leave to our ,divines to consider1 with those spiritual ,distempers of the ,church1 that seem to want his miraculous ,hand and ,touch4 ,the ,fathers of the ,church said1 that ,jesus was in part such a spiritual ,messiah in their time1 and argued#bj his ,messiahship1 not from bodily ,cures1 but from his most miraculous ,cures of the ,diseases of the ,soul3 ,but there was another and future ,time1 in which he would be such a spiritual and glorious ,messiah to the greatest ,perfection4 ,in the mean while1 no healing of corporal ,distempers can prove ,jesus to be the ,messiah1 nor any other of his miraculous ,works recorded in the ,evangelists3 ,so far from it1 that ,,ii4 ,i shall prove that the literal ,story of many of ,jesus's ,miracles1 as they are recorded in the ,evangelists1 and commonly believed by ,christians1 does imply ,improbabilities and ,incredibilities1 and the grossest ,absurdities1 very dishonourable to the ,name of ,christ2 consequently1 they1 in whole1 or in part1 were never wrought1 but are only related as prophetical and parabolical ,narratives of what would be mysteriously and more wonderfully done by him4 ,the reading of this ,head will1 ,i doubt not1 strike with ,horror some of our squeamish ,divines1 who1 notwithstanding they will sacrifice almost any ,principles to their ,interest1 will not bear that our literal evangelical ,history of such renown'd ,miracles should be thus called in ,question1 and contemptuously spoken of4 ,what does this ,author mean1 will some say1 thus to do ,service to ,atheism and ,infidelity8 ,away with him6 ,our ,indignation is moved against him6 ,no ,censure and ,punishment can be too severe for such ,impiety1 ,profaneness1 and ,blasphemy1 as is aim'd at1 and imply'd in this ,proposition4 ,to calm therefore the ,spirits1 and abate the ,prejudices of such ,accusers1 ,i must proceed with the greater ,caution and with ,reason and ,authority well fortify myself before and behind1 or ,i shall feel the ,weight of the ,displeasure of our ,divines1 who are prepossess'd of the ,belief of the literal ,story of all ,jesus's ,miracles4 ,before then ,i enter upon the particular ,examination of any of his ,miracles1 ,i will premise two or three general ,assertions of the ,fathers about them4 ,and first ,origen#ba says1 that in the historical ,part of the ,scriptures1 ,there are some ,things inserted as ,history1 which were never transacted1 and which it was impossible should be transacted2 and other ,things1 again1 that might possibly be done1 but were not4 ,this he asserts of the ,writings of the ,evangelists1 as well as of the ,old ,testament1 and gives many ,instances to this ,purpose4 ,st4 ,hilary#bb says1 ,there are many historical ,passages of the ,new ,testament1 that if they are taken literally1 are contrary to ,sense and ,reason1 and therefore there is a ,necessity of a mystical ,interpretation4 ,and ,st4 ,augustin#bc says1 that there are hidden ,mysteries in the ,works and ,miracles of our ,saviour1 which if we incautiously and literally interpret1 we shall run into ,errors1 and make grievous ,blunders4 ,of the same ,mind are the rest of the ,fathers1 as might be proved by express or implicit ,citations2 but1 studying ,brevity1 ,i think the three ,testimonies above1 enough to cool the ,rage1 and assuage the ,prejudices of my ,adversaries against the ,proposition before us1 which ,i now come to a particular ,consideration of2 that is1 to shew that the ,story of many of ,jesus's ,miracles is literally absurd1 improbable1 and incredible4 ,and #a4 ,to speak to that ,miracle of ,jesus's driving the ,buyers and ,sellers out of the ,temple1 which all the#bd four ,evangelists make mention of4 ,i have read in some modern ,author whose ,name does not occur to my ,memory1 that this was1 in his ,opinion1 the most stupendous ,miracle that ,jesus wrought4 ,and1 in truth1 it was a most astonishing one1 if literally true1 and ,jesus must appear more than a ,man1 he must put on an awful and most majestick ,countenance to effect it4 ,it is hard to conceive1 how any one in the ,form of a ,man1 and of a despised one too1 7and we don't read that ,jesus chang'd his human ,shape7 with a ,whip in his ,hand1 could execute such a ,work upon a great ,multitude of ,people1 who were none of his ,disciples1 nor had any regard for him4 ,supposing he could1 by his divine ,power1 infuse a panick ,fear into the ,people2 yet what was the ,reason that he was so eaten up with ,zeal against the ,profanation of that ,house1 which he himself came to destroy1 and which he permitted1 ,i may say commanded1 to be filthily polluted not long after4 ,but not to form by my self an ,invective against the ,letter of this ,story1 let's hear what the ,fathers say to it1 99 99 99 99 99 ,origen makes the whole but a#be ,parable4 ,his allegorical ,expositions of it1 are frequent1 and one time or other he gives us the mystical ,meaning of every ,part of it4 ,by the ,temple1 he understands the ,church3 ,by the ,sellers in the ,temple1 he means such ,preachers who make ,merchandize of the ,gospel1 whom the ,spirit of ,christ1 some time or other1 would rid his ,church of4 ,he is so far from believing any thing of the ,letter of this ,story1 that he has form'd a#bf large ,argument against it3 ,the ,substance of which is1 that if ,jesus had attempted any such thing1 the ,people would have resisted1 and executed their ,revenge on him2 if he had effected it1 the ,merchants of the ,temple might have reproach'd him with ,damage done to their ,wares2 and would have justly accused him of a ,riot against ,law and ,authority4 ,whether there is not ,reason in this ,argument of ,origen1 let any one judge4 ,st4 ,hilary is of the same ,mind with ,origen4 ,he says that this ,story is only a#bg ,prfiguration of what will be done in ,christ's ,church upon another ,occasion4 ,and he admonishes#bh us to search into the profound and mystical ,import of every ,part of it2 particularly he hints that#bi by the ,seats of those who sell ,doves1 may be understood the ,pulpits of ,preachers who make ,sale of the ,gifts of the ,spirit1 which is represented by a ,dove4 ,as to the ,letter of the ,story1 he is plain enough1 that there was no such#cj ,market kept in the ,temple of ,jerusalem3 ,and if any ,historians besides the ,evangelists had asserted it1 ,i know of none1 who would have been so foolish as to believe that ,oxen and ,sheep and ,goats were there sold4 ,st4 ,ambrose too is for the ,mystery1 and against the ,letter of this ,story1 saying#ca what should be the ,reason that ,jesus should overturn the ,seats of those that sold ,doves8 ,this must be1 says he1 a figurative ,story1 and signifies nothing less than the future ,ejection of ,priests out of his ,church1 who shall make ,gain and ,merchandize of the ,gospel4 ,st4 ,jerome1 as his manner is in other ,cases1 gives us a literal ,exposition of this ,miracle1 as far as it will bear it3 ,but then corrects himself again1 saying1 there are#cb;,absurdities in the ,letter2 but1 according to its mystical ,meaning1 ,jesus will enter his ,temple of the ,church1 and cast out of it ,bishops1 ,priests1 and ,deacons1 who make a ,trade of ,preaching4 ,and in another ,place he tells us of the mystical#cc ,whip1 that ,jesus will make use of to this ,purpose4 ,st4 ,augustin also is against the ,letter of the ,story of this ,miracle1 saying1#cd ,where could be the great ,sin of selling and buying ,things in the ,temple1 that were for the ,use of it1 and offer'd as ,sacrifice in it8 ,we must therefore1 says he1 look for the ,mystery in this#ce figurative ,story1 and enquire what is meant by the ,oxen1 and ,sheep1 and ,doves1 and who are the ,sellers of them in ,christ's ,church2 and he is very positive that ,ecclesiasticks1 who are selfish1 and make worldly ,gain of the ,gospel1 are here meant4 ,and as to the ,expression of turning the ,temple into a ,den of ,thieves1 he says it has ,respect to the#cf;,clergy in ,time to come1 who would make such a ,den of ,christ's ,church4 ,lastly1 with the foregoing ,fathers agrees ,st4 ,theophylact1 who is an ,allegorist too upon this ,miracle1 saying1 that those#cg who sell ,doves1 are the ,priests who sell spiritual ,gifts2 and that ,christ sometime or other would overturn their ,seats1 and clear his ,church of them4 ,in another ,place he intimates what are meant by ,oxen and ,sheep1 viz4 the literal ,sense of the ,scriptures4 ,and if the literal ,sense be irrational and nonsensical1 the ,metaphor we must allow to be proper1 inasmuch as now-a-days1 dull and foolish and absurd stuff we call ,bulls1 ,fatlings1 and ,blunders4 ,behold a wonderful ,harmony among the ,fathers in their ,rejection of the literal1 and ,espousal of the mystical ,sense of this ,miracle4 ,it is said of the ,church in her first ,ages1 that she was inspired2 and so she was1 or before an ,hire for the ,priesthood was established1 and pleaded for1 she could never have written in this ,fashion4 ,if the ,fathers had lived now1 and written thus1 we should have thought the ,spirit of ,quakerism was gotten amongst them1 or they would never have given such an ,exposition of this ,story to favour an ,enmity to an ,hireling ,priesthood4 ,how and when ,christ's ,power1 according to the ,figure and ,parable before us1 will enter his ,church1 and drive out of her these ecclesiastical ,merchants1 is not the ,question4 ,but when ever it does so effectually1 it will be a stupendous ,miracle1 much greater than the typical one is supposed to be2 and not only a ,proof of ,christ's divine ,power and ,presence in his ,church1 but an absolute ,demonstration of his ,messiahship from his ,accomplishment both of the foresaid ,prophecies of the ,fathers1 and of other remarkable ones of the ,old ,testament1 which will be then clearly understood1 and which it is not my ,business here to apply or mention4 99 99 99 99 99 ,against the aforesaid ,exposition of this ,miracle1 perhaps it may be objected1 that 7excepting a little ,reasoning against the ,letter of it7 this is only the chimerical and whimsical ,dream of the ,fathers1 whose ,notions are obsolete1 and who#ch have adulterated ,christianity with their ,cant and ,jargon2 and that none of our ,protestant and ,orthodox ,divines have ever given into their ,opinion4 99 99 99 99 99 ,i confess1 that none of our ,protestant ,divines1 whom ,i know do embrace the foresaid ,exposition of the ,fathers1 but it may be nothing the worse for all that3 ,and tho' their ,exposition may be very disagreeable to the ,priesthood of this ,age1 yet ,i can tell them of the greatest ,man of these last ,ages1 and that was ,erasmus1 who1 cautiously expressing himself for fear of giving ,offence to the ,clergy1 is of the same ,mind with the ,fathers2 or he would not say that#ci that ,work of ,jesus did prefigure somewhat else3 ,for ,jesus could not be zealous against the ,prophanation of that ,temple of the ,jews1 which was soon to be destroy'd1 but meant to shew his ,dislike and ,hatred of ecclesiastical ,covetousness1 which1 after the ,way of the ,type1 he would take his ,opportunity to rid the ,church of4 ,before ,i dismiss this ,miracle1 ,i must observe1 that if the ,fathers are right above1 then our ,latin and ,english ,translations of the ,place in ,st4 ,matthew err in a main ,point4 ,instead of reading1 and ,jesus cast out them that sold and bought1 it should be1 those who sold and preach'd2 that is sold what they preach'd3 ,for the ,word ,greek3 agorazein1 does more properly signify to preach than to buy2 and in this ,sense here1 according to the ,fathers1 it should be construed4 ,again1 ,i must observe1 that our ,commentators are a little perplex'd to know who1 and what those ,greek3 kollybistn1 ,money-,changers1 were4 ,the ,greek#dj ,word does import those who have a ,knack to barter away little base and ,brass ,money1 with the ,effigies of an ,ox or ,bull on it1 in exchange for good ,coin4 ,how applicable the ,word was to any ,merchants of the old ,temple at ,jerusalem1 is hard to conceive4 ,but it is very agreeable to our ecclesiastical ,collybists1 who1 as ,i may appeal to ,freethinkers1 vend their brasen-faced ,bulls and ,blunders at an extravagant and great ,price4 ,and if ,greek3 trapezas1 which is translated ,tables1 does properly signify#da ,pulpits1 who can help it8 ,so much then on the ,miracle of ,jesus's driving the ,sellers and ,buyers out of the ,temple4 ,and how ,i appeal to our ,divines1 whether it be not an absurd1 improbable1 and incredible ,story according to the ,letter1 and whether it be any other than1 as the ,fathers said of it1 a prophetical and parabolical ,narrative of what would be mysteriously and more wonderfully done by ,jesus4 ,and so ,i come to speak to a #b4 ,second ,miracle of ,jesus1 and that is1 that of his#db casting the ,devils out of the ,madman or ,madmen1 and permitting them to enter into the ,herd of ,swine1 which thereupon ran down a ,precipice1 and were all choaked in the ,sea4 ,to exorcise1 or cast ,devils out of the ,possess'd1 without considering the ,nature of such a ,possession1 or the ,nature and ,power of the ,devil1 we'll allow to be not only a kind and beneficent ,act1 but a great ,miracle4 ,but then1 be the ,miracle as great as can be imagined1 it is no more than what false ,teachers1#dc,workers of ,iniquity1 and even some ,artists amongst the ,jews1 have done before2 consequently1 such a work of ,exorcism in our ,saviour1 could be no ,proof of his divine ,authority4 ,and if there was no more to be said against this ,miracle1 this is enough to set it aside1 and to spoil the ,argument of ,jesus's divine ,power from it4 ,but there are many ,circumstances in the ,story literally consider'd1 that would induce us to call the ,truth of the whole into question4 ,how came those ,madmen to have their ,dwelling amongst the ,tombs of a ,burying-,ground8 ,where was the ,humanity of the ,people1 that did not take ,care of them1 in ,pity to them1 as well as for the ,safety of others8 ,or if no ,chains1 as the ,text says1 which is hardly credible1 could hold them1 it was possible surely1 as well as lawful1 to dispatch them1 rather than their ,neighbours and ,passengers should be in ,danger from them4 ,believe then this ,part of the ,story who can8 ,but what's worse1 its not credible there was any ,herd of ,swine in that ,country4 ,if any ,historians but the ,evangelists had said so1 none would have believed it4 ,the ,jews are forbidden to eat ,swine's ,flesh2 what then should they do with ,swine 7which are good for nothing till they are dead7 who eat neither ,pig1 ,pork1 nor ,bacon8 ,some may say that they were kept there for the ,use of ,strangers3 but this could not be2 because that after the ,time of ,antiochus1 who polluted the ,temple with the ,sacrifice of an ,hog1 the ,jews#dd forbad1 under the ,pain of an ,anathema1 the keeping of any ,swine in their ,country4 ,perhaps it may be said1 that the ,gadarens1 so call'd from the ,place of their ,abode1 were not ,jews1 but neighbouring ,gentiles1 with whom it was lawful to eat1 and keep ,swine4 ,we will suppose so1 tho' it is improbable2 but then its unlikely 7without better ,reason than at present we are apprised of7 that our ,saviour would permit the ,devils to enter into a ,herd of them to their ,destruction4 ,where was the ,goodness and ,justice of his so doing8 ,let our ,divines account for it if they can4 ,it is commonly said of our ,saviour1 and ,i believe it1 that his ,life was entirely innocent1 that his ,miracles were all useful and beneficial to ,mankind1 and that he did no ,wrong to any one4 ,but how can this be rightly said of him1 if this ,story be literally true8 ,the ,proprietors of the ,swine were great ,losers and ,sufferers2 and we don't read that ,jesus made them amends1 or that they deserv'd such ,usage from him4 ,the ,proprietors of the ,swine1 it seems upon this ,damage done them by ,jesus1 desire him to depart out of their ,coasts1 to prevent farther ,mischief2 which was gentler ,resentment1 then we can imagine any others would have made of the like ,injury4 ,i know not what our ,divines think of this ,part of the ,story1 nor wherefore ,jesus escaped so well2 but if any ,exorcist in this our ,age and ,nation1 had pretended to expel the ,devil out of one possess'd1 and permitted him to enter into a ,flock of ,sheep1 the ,people would have said that he had bewitch'd both2 and our ,laws and ,judges too of the last ,age1 would have made him to swing for it4 ,without ,offence1 ,i hope1 ,i have argued against the ,letter of this strange ,story of the holy ,jesus2 ,i should not have dared to have said so much against it1 but upon the ,encouragement of ,origen and other ,fathers1 who say1 we ought to expose the ,absurdities of the ,letter1 as much as may be1 to turn ,men's ,heads to the mystical and true ,meaning4 ,let's hear then what the ,fathers say to this ,miracle4 ,origen's ,commentaries on this ,part of ,st4 ,matthew1 and ,st4 ,luke's ,gospel1 are lost2 otherwise unquestionably he would not only have told us1 that he believed no more of the ,letter of this ,story1 than he did of the ,devil's#detaking our ,saviour to the ,top of a ,mountain1 and shewing him all the ,kingdoms of the ,world2 but1 as he is an admirable ,mystist1 would have given us curious ,light into the ,allegory and ,mystery of it4 ,but without ,origen1 we have enough in the other ,fathers against the ,letter of this ,story4 ,st4 ,hilary reckoning up all the ,parts of this ,miracle together1 says of it1 that it is#df typical and parabolical1 and written for our ,meditation of what would be done hereafter by the holy ,jesus4 ,according to him1 and other ,fathers1 the ,madman is ,mankind2 or if they were two1 they were ,jew and ,gentile at ,christ's coming1 who may be said to#dg be possess'd with ,devils1 in as much as they were under the ,rule of diabolical ,sins1 and subject to the ,worship of ,greek3 ,daimonin1 false ,deities1 which we translate ,devils4 ,they were so fierce#dh as no ,chains could hold them1 because of their most furious ,rage and ,enmity to the ,church1 whom no ,bonds of ,reason could restrain from doing ,violence to the ,christians4 ,they are said to be#di naked1 because they were destitute of the ,clothing of the ,spirit1 and of ,grace4 ,and may be said to be among the#ej ,tombs2 because they were dead in ,traspasses and ,sins4 ,after that ,jesus had exorcis'd these diabolical ,spirits out of the ,gentiles1 and brought them to their right ,senses1 which was upon their ,conversion to the ,faith2 then a good ,way off1 some ,ages after1 did the like ,devils1 by divine ,permission1 enter into a#ea ,herd of ,swine1 i4 e4 into ,hereticks of impure ,lives and furious ,natures4 ,what sort of ,hereticks are meant1 or whether they are not to be understood of ,christians ,in general1 let our ,divines consider4 ,but one would be apt to think that ,ministers of the ,letter are included1 because the ,letter of the ,scripture is mystically call'd#eb ,swines ,food4 ,i am not obliged to pursue the mystical ,interpretation of this ,parable 7for so ,i will call it7 thro' all its ,parts1 nor to say what is meant by the ,sea1 that the ,swine are to be absorp't in2 but leave our ,divines to chew upon this mystical ,construction given them in part1 and to consider1 whether there's not a ,necessity for such an ,interpretation to make the ,story credible4 ,and thus have ,i given you the ,opinion and ,exposition of the ,fathers upon this ,miracle1 which they turn all into ,mystery4 ,if our ,divines are still far adhering to the ,letter of this ,story1 let them account for the ,difficulties it is involv'd with4 ,to cure ,men violently distracted1 and possess'd with ,devils1 is1 whether it be miraculous or not1 a good and great ,work2 but to send the ,devils1 who without ,jesus's ,permission could not go into the ,herd of ,swine1 was an ,injury done to the ,proprietors1 and unbecoming of the ,goodness of the holy ,jesus4 ,neither is there any other ,way to solve the ,difficulty1 than by looking upon the whole1 with the ,fathers1 as ,type and ,figure4 ,if this miraculous ,story had been recorded of ,mahomet1 and not of ,jesus1 our ,divines1 ,i dare say1 would have work'd it up to a ,confutation of ,mahometanism4 ,mahomet should have been1 with them1 nothing less than a ,wizard1 an ,enchanter1 a ,dealer with familiar ,spirits1 a sworn ,slave to the ,devil2 and his ,mussulmen would have been hard put to it to write a good ,defence of him4 ,when our ,saviour was brought before ,pilate to be arraign'd1 try'd1 and condemned1 ,pilate put this ,question to the ,jews1 saying1 ,what ,evil hath ,jesus done8 ,if both1 or either of the ,stories above1 had been literally true of ,jesus1 there had been no need of false ,witnesses against him4 ,the ,merchants of the ,temple were at hand1 who could have sworn that he was the ,author of an ,uproar and ,riot1 the like was never seen on their ,market-,day2 that they were great ,sufferers1 and ,losers in their ,trades2 and1 whether he or his ,party had stolen any of their ,goods or not1 yet some were embezzled1 and others damaged2 and all thro' the outragious ,violence of this unruly ,fellow1 against ,law and ,authority4 ,if such ,evidence as this was not enough to convict him of a capital ,crime1 then the ,swine-,herds of the ,gadarenes might have deposed1 how they believed him to be a ,wizard1 and had lost two thousand ,swine through his ,fascinations3 ,that he bid the ,devils to go into our ,cattle1 is not to be deny'd4 ,and if he cured one or two of our ,countrymen of a violent ,possession1 yet in as much as he did us this ,injury in our ,swine1 we justly suspect him of diabolical ,practices upon both4 ,upon such ,evidence as this1 ,pilate asks the ,opinion of the ,jews1 saying1 ,what think you8 ,if they all had condemn'd him to be guilty of ,death1 it is no wonder1 since there is not a ,jury in ,england would have acquitted any one arraign'd and accused in the like ,case4 ,it is well for our literal ,doctors1 that such ,accusations were not brought against ,jesus2 or their ,heads would have been sadly puzzled to vindicate his ,innocence1 and to prove the ,injustice and ,undeservedness of his ,death and ,sufferings4 ,but for this ,reason1 if no other1 that no such ,crimes were laid to his ,charge1 ,i believe little or nothing of either of the seemingly miraculous ,stories before us1 but look upon them both as prophetical and parabolical ,narratives of what would mysteriously and more wonderfully1 and consistently with the ,wisdom and ,goodness of ,jesus1 be done by him4 ,and so ,i pass to a #c4 ,third ,miracle of ,jesus1 and that is his ,transfiguration#ec on the ,mount4 ,and this is the darkest and blindest ,story of the whole ,gospel1 which a ,man can make neither ,head nor ,foot of2 and ,i question whether the ,conceptions of any two thinking ,doctors do agree about it4 ,to say there is nothing in the ,letter of this ,story1 we ,believers must not1 because ,st4 ,peter#ed says he was an ,eye-witness of ,jesus's ,majesty1 saw his ,glory on the ,mount1 and heard the ,voice out of the ,cloud4 ,but as ,infidels will be prying into the ,conduct of ,jesus's ,life1 and forming their ,exceptions to the ,credibility or ,probability of this or that part of it1 so we ,christians should be ready at an ,answer1 that might reasonably satisfy them2 and not forcibly bear down their ,opposition1 which will make no sincere ,converts of them4 ,and ,i believe they would easily distress us with ,difficulties and ,objections to the ,letter of this ,story4 ,st4 ,augustin himself#ee owns1 that the whole of it might be perform'd by ,magic ,art2 and we know1 in these our ,days1 that some ,jugglers are strange ,artists at the ,imitation of a ,voice1 and to make it as if it came from a far off1 when it is uttered close by us1 and can cast themselves too into different ,forms and ,shapes1 without a ,miracle1 to the ,surprise and ,admiration of ,spectators4 ,but what1 ,i trow1 do our ,divines mean by ,jesus's ,transfiguration4 ,we read that his ,countenance did shine like the ,sun1 and his ,raiment was made as white as ,snow1 and that's all4 ,and is this enough can we think1 to demonstrate that ,transaction1 a miraculous ,transfiguration8 ,philosophers will tell us1 that the ,reflections of the ,light of the ,sun will change the ,appearance of ,colours1 and to none more than ,whiteness2 and ,sceptics will say1 that its no ,wonder if the ,countenance of ,jesus look'd ,rubicund1 when the ,sun might shine on it4 ,the ,word in the ,original for transfigured1 is ,greek3 metamorphth1 that is1 he was metamorphosed1 transform'd1 or1 if you will1 transfigured4 ,and what is to be understood by a ,metamorphosis1 we are to learn not only from the natural ,import of the ,word1 but from the ancient ,use of it4 ,accordingly1 it signifies nothing less than the ,change or ,transformation of a ,person into the ,forms1 ,shapes1 and ,essences of ,creatures and ,things of a quite different ,species1 ,size1 and ,figure3 ,but ,jesus1 it is conceived1 was not so transfigured4 ,our ,divines1 ,i suppose1 would not have him thought such a ,posture-,master for the whole ,world4 ,if ,i1 or anyone else1 should assert1 that ,jesus upon the ,mount transform'd himself into a ,calf1 a ,lyon1 a ,bear1 a ,ram1 a ,goat1 an ,hydra1 a ,stone1 a ,tree1 and into many other ,things of the animate and inanimate ,world1 ,i dare say there would1 among our orthodox ,divines1 be such ,exclamations against me for ,blasphemy1 as the like were never heard of4 ,they1 to be sure1 will not hear of such a ,transfiguration2 nor1 like good plain believers1 will bear any thing more than that ,jesus's ,countenance did shine like the ,sun1 and the ,colour of his ,vestments was changed2 which whether it comes up to the ,import of a ,metamorphosis or not1 they don't care4 ,but to close with our ,divines1 and acknowledge that the glorious ,change of ,jesus's ,countenance1 and of the ,colour of his ,vestments1 was a true and proper ,transfiguration1 and that it was as real and wonderful a ,miracle as could be wrought3 ,but then we may1 ,i hope1 ask them1 what was the particular ,reason and ,use of this ,miracle8 ,was it a ,miracle only for the sake of a ,miracle8 ,that's an ,absurdity in the ,opinion of#ef ,st4 ,augustin1 who says1 what is reasonable to think1 that all and every one of ,jesus's ,miracles had its particular ,end and ,use2 or he who is the ,wisdom as well as ,power of ,god1 had never wrought them4 ,and what1 ,i pray1 was the life of this ,miracle8 ,of that the evangelical ,history is silent1 and our ,divines1 with all their reasoning ,faculties1 can say nothing to it4 ,and what did ,moses and ,elias on the ,mount with ,jesus8 ,was it in their own proper ,persons that they appear'd8 or were they only some ,spectres and ,apparitions in resemblance of them8 ,it is said1 that they were talking with ,jesus2 what then did they talk about8 ,the three greatest ,prophets and ,philosophers of the ,universe could not possibly meet and confer together1 but on the most sublime1 useful1 and edifying ,subject4 ,its strange that the ,apostles1 who over-heard their ,confabulation1 did not make a ,report of it1 and transmit it to ,posterity for our ,edification and ,instruction4 ,st4 ,luke1 as our ,english ,translation has it1 seems to say that they talk'd together of ,jesus's ,decease which he should accomplish at ,jerusalem2 but this can't be the ,meaning of ,st4 ,luke's#eg ,words1 which so interpreted1 are no less than a ,barbarism1 and1 ,i appeal to our ,greek ,criticks1 an ,improper ,expression of such ,signification4 ,we must then look for a more proper ,construction of the ,phrase in ,st4 ,luke1 or we must remain in the ,dark1 as to the ,subject1 that ,moses and ,elias talked with ,jesus about4 ,but further1 ,why could not this ,miracle have been wrought in the ,valley as well as upon a ,mountain1 whither ,jesus and his three ,apostles ascended for the ,work of it8 ,naughty ,infidels will say1 it was for the ,advantage of a ,cloud1 which often moves and rests on the ,tops of ,mountains1 to display his ,pranks in4 ,and why was it not done in the ,presence of the ,multitude1 as well as of his three ,apostles8 ,the more ,witnesses of a ,miracle1 the better it is attested1 and the more reasonably credited2 and there could not surely be too many ,witnesses of this1 any more than of others of ,jesus's ,miracles1 if real ones4 ,ought not the unbelieving ,multitude1 for many ,unbelievers unquestionably were amongst them1 to have had a ,sight and ,hearing of this ,miracle1 as well as the ,apostles8 ,who should rather see the ,miracle1 than those who wanted ,conviction8 ,were they to take the ,report of the ,miracle upon the ,word of the ,apostles1 who were ,parties in the ,cause8 ,our ,divines may possibly say they ought3 ,but ,infidels and ,free-,thinkers would cry out against them1 for juggling ,tricks1 and pious ,impostures4 ,these are all ,difficulties and hard ,questions about the ,miracle of ,christ's ,transfiguration1 which our ,clergy1 who are ,admirers of the ,letter of that ,story1 are obliged to account for2 and ,i believe it will be long enough before they give a proper and satisfactory ,answer to many of them4 ,let's hear then what the ,fathers say to this miraculous ,story of ,jesus's ,transfiguration4 ,and it is agreed amongst them1 that the whole is but a ,type1#eh ,prefiguration1 and#ei nigmatical ,resemblance of a future and more glorious and real ,transfiguration4 ,and whenever they speak of any ,part of the ,story1 they never explain to us how the ,matter went upon ,mount ,tabor1 but tell us of what this or that ,part of it is figurative and emblematical2 and how it is to be understood1 and will be fulfill'd in future ,time4 ,as thus1 by the#fj six ,days1 they understood six ,ages of the ,world1 after which a real and mysterious ,transfiguration will be exhibited to our intellectual ,views4 ,by ,moses and ,elias#fa talking with ,jesus1 they mean the ,law and the ,prophets1 upon an allegorical ,interpretation1 bearing ,testimony unto ,christ as the ,fulfiller of them4 ,by the#fb ,mountain on which this future ,transfiguration will be exhibited1 they understand the sublime and anagogical ,sense of the ,law and the ,prophets4 ,by his ,transfiguration it self1 they mean his taking upon him1 and passing through the ,forms of all the ,types of him under the ,law1 as of a ,lamb1 a ,lion1 a ,serpent1 a ,calf1 a ,rock1 a ,stone1 and of many others1 which he is to fulfil1 and which will then be clearly discern'd by us4 ,by the black ,cloud#fc that at present obstructs this ,vision1 they understand the ,letter of the ,old ,testament4 ,by the white#fd ,vestments of ,jesus1 they mean the ,words of the ,scriptures1 which will then shine clear and bright4 ,by the ,voice out of the ,cloud1 they mean1 with ,st4 ,peter1 the ,word of ,prophecy1 that will sound in the ,ears of our ,apprehensions4 ,and lastly1 they tell us1 that the ,way to attain to the ,sight of this glorious ,vision1 is by ascending 7not by local ,motion1 but by ,reason7 to the ,tops of the ,mountain of the mysterious and sublime ,sense of the ,law and the ,prophets4 ,if we continue in the ,plains and ,vallies#fe of the ,letter1 like the ,multitude under the ,mountain1 we shall never see ,jesus in his shining ,vestments1 nor how he was transform'd into the ,types of the ,law2 nor ,moses and ,elias talking with him2 nor the ,law and the ,prophets agreeing harmoniously in a ,testimony to him4 ,after this fashion do the ,fathers1 one or other of them1 copiously treat on every ,part of this ,transfiguration of ,jesus4 ,i could collect an almost infinite ,number of ,passages out of their ,writings to this ,purpose3 ,but from these few it is plain1 they look'd on the ,story of ,christ's ,transfiguration1 but as a ,figure and ,parable2 and they were certainly in the right on't1 in as much as this their ,sense of the ,matter1 and no other1 will solve the ,difficulties before started against the ,letter1 as any one may discern1 if he attentively review and compare one with the other3 ,as1 for instance1 this their ,sense and ,interpretation lets us into the ,reason of ,moses and ,elias's appearing on the ,mount with ,jesus2 and gives us to understand what they talk'd about1 and that was1 not on ,jesus's ,decease which he would accomplish at ,jerusalem1 as our ,translation has it1 but on the ,prophecy of the ,old ,testament2 particularly1 as ,st4 ,luke says1 on ,moses's ,book of ,exodus1 and how he would fulfill it at the ,new ,jerusalem4 ,whether any1 besides my self1 does really apprehend1 and is willing to understand this ,story of ,christ's ,transfiguration1 as ,i do1 ,i neither know nor care4 ,i am not bound to find others ,ears1 ,eyes1 and ,capacities4 ,what ,i have said is enough to shew the ,sense of the ,fathers about this ,matter4 ,if any dislike their concurrent ,opinion of ,jesus's ,transfiguration's being an ,emblem1 an ,enigma1 and figurative ,representation of a future and most glorious ,transfiguration1 such a one as they speak of2 let him account for the ,difficulties and ,objections which ,i have before raised against the ,letter of this ,story4 ,in the mean time ,i shall think it1 literally1 an absurd1 improbable1 and incredible one1 and no other than a prophetical and parabolical ,narrative of what will be mysteriously and more wonderfully done by ,jesus4 ,and thus ,i have considered three of the ,miracles of our ,saviour1 and shewn how they are ,absurdities1 according to the ,letter1 consequently do make nothing for his ,authority and ,messiahship4 ,i can and will do as much by his other ,miracles2 for ,i would not have any one think ,i am gotten to the ,end of my ,tedder1 but for some ,reasons best known to my self1 ,i publish these ,remarks on these three first4 ,after the ,clergy have chew'd upon these a while1 ,i will take into ,examination some others of ,jesus's ,miracles1 which for their literal ,story are admired by them4 ,as for ,instance1 ,i will take to task his ,miracle#ff of changing ,water into ,wine at a ,marriage in ,cana of ,galilee2 which was the beginning of ,jesus's ,miracles1 and should by right have been first spoken to2 but ,i am almost too grave to handle the ,letter of this ,story as ,i ought2 and if ,i had treated it as ludicrously as it deserves1 ,i don't know but at setting out1 ,i should have put the ,clergy quite out of all ,temper4 ,i would not now for the ,world be so impious and profane1 as to believe1 with our ,divines1 what is contain'd and imply'd in the ,letter of this ,story4 ,if ,apollonius ,tyanus1 and not ,jesus1 had been the ,author of this ,miracle1 we should often have reproached his ,memory with it4 ,it is said of ,apollonius ,tyanus1 that a ,table was all on a sudden1 at his ,command1 miraculously spread with ,variety of nice ,dishes for the ,entertainment of himself and his ,guests2 which ,miracle1 our ,divines can tell him1 makes not at all to his ,credit1 in as much as it was done for the ,service and ,pleasure of luxurious ,appetites4 ,but if ,apollonius had done1 as our ,jesus did at this ,wedding1 they would have said much worse of him2 and that1 modestly speaking1 he delighted to make his ,friends thoroughly merry1 or he would not be at the ,pains of a ,miracle to turn so much ,water into ,wine1 after they had before well drank4 ,if the ,fathers then don't help us out at the mystical and true ,meaning of this ,miracle1 such farther ,objections may be form'd against the ,letter1 as may make our ,divines asham'd of it4 ,i will also take into ,examination ,jesus's ,miracle#fg of feeding many ,thousands in the ,wilderness with a few ,loaves and ,fishes2 which1 according to the ,letter1 are most romantick ,tales4 ,i don't in the least question ,jesus's ,power to magnify or multiply the ,loaves1 and1 if he pleass'd1 to meliorate the ,bread3 ,but that many ,thousands of ,men1 ,women1 and ,children1 should follow him into the ,wilderness1 and stay with him three ,days and ,nights too1 without eating1 is a little against ,sense and ,reason4 ,whether the ,wilderness was near to1 or far from the ,people's ,habitations1 the ,difficulties attending the ,story are equally great4 ,i wonder how ,jesus amused them all the while1 that they had the ,patience to stay with him without ,food2 but ,i much more wonder1 that no ,victuallers besides the ,lad with his ,loaves and ,fishes1 of whom1 and his ,occupation1 whether it was that of a ,baker or ,fishmonger2 and of his ,neglect of his ,master's ,business here2 and of the ,reason that he met with no hungry ,chapmen for his ,bread before1 we shall make some ,enquiry2 but particularly why he alone1 ,i say1 and no other ,victuallers1 no other ,retalers of ,cakes and ,gingerbread followed the ,camp4 ,in short1 for all the imaginary ,greatness of the ,miracle 7which there is a way to reduce and lessen7 of ,jesus's feeding his ,thousands with a few ,loaves1 there must be some ,fascination or ,enchantment 7condemn'd by the ,laws of the ,jews as well as of other ,nations7 in the ,matter2 or the ,people if they had stay'd one ,day1 would not two1 much less three to faint1 but would1 especially the ,women and ,children1 have been for returning the first ,night home4 ,we must then seek to the ,fathers 7who say the five ,books of ,moses are the five ,barley ,loaves1 c4 and the septiform'd ,spirit1 the seven ,loaves1 c47 for a good ,notion of this ,miracle1 and if they don't make it a ,parable2 do what our ,divines can1 it will turn to the ,dishonour of the holy ,jesus4 ,i will also consider the ,miracle of ,jesus's#fh curing the ,man sick of the ,palsy1 for whom the ,roof of the ,house was broken up1 to let him down into the ,room where ,jesus was1 because his ,bearers could not enter in at the ,door for the ,press of the ,people4 ,this literally is such a ,rodomontado1 that were ,men to stretch for a ,wager1 against ,reason and ,truth1 none could out-do it4 ,where was the ,humanity of the ,people1 and wherefore did they so tumultuate against the ,door of the ,house8 ,its strange they had not so much ,compassion on the ,paralytick1 as to give way to him3 ,its more strange that his ,bearers could get to the ,top of the ,house with him and his ,bed too1 when they could not get to the ,door1 nor the ,sides of it3 ,its yet stranger1 that the good ,man of the ,house would suffer his ,house to be broken up1 when it could not be long ere the ,tumult of the ,people would be appeas'd3 ,but most strange1 that ,jesus1 who could drive his thousands out at the ,temple before him1 and draw as many after him into the ,wilderness1 did not1 by ,force or ,persuasion1 make the ,people to retreat1 but that such needless ,trouble and ,pains must be taken for the miraculous ,cure of this poor ,man4 ,let's think of these ,things against the ,time1 that out of the ,fathers ,i prove this ,story to be a ,parable4 ,i will also take into ,consideration the ,miracle of ,jesus's curing the#fi blind ,man1 for whom ,eye-,salve was made of ,clay and ,spittle2 which ,eye-,salve1 whether it was balsamick or not1 does equally affect the ,credit of the ,miracle4 ,if it was naturally medicinal1 there's an ,end of the ,miracle2 and if it was not at all medicinal1 it was foolishly and impertinently apply'd1 and can be no otherwise accounted for1 than by considering it1 with the ,fathers1 as a figurative ,act in ,jesus4 ,i will also take into ,consideration the several ,stories of ,jesus's raising of the ,dead2 and1 without questioning his actual bringing of the ,dead to ,life again1 will prove from the ,circumstances of those ,stories1 that they are parabolical1 and are not literally to be apply'd to the ,proof of ,jesus's divine ,authority and ,messiahship2 or1 for ,instance1 ,jesus1 when he raised ,jairus's#gj ,daughter from the ,dead1 would never have turned the ,people out of the ,house1 who should have been his best and properest ,witnesses4 ,i will also consider the ,miracle of ,jesus's#ga cursing the ,fig-,tree1 for its not bearing ,fruit out of ,season2 which1 upon the bare mention of it1 appears to be a foolish1 absurd1 and ridiculous ,act1 if not figurative4 ,i will also consider the#gb ,journey of the ,wisemen out of the ,east1 with their 7literally7 senseless and ridiculous ,presents of ,frankincense and ,myrrhe1 to a new-born ,babe4 ,if with their ,gold1 which could be but little1 they had brought their ,dozens of ,sugar1 ,soap1 and ,candles1 which would have been of ,use to the ,child and his poor ,mother in the ,straw1 they had acted like wise as well as good ,men4 ,but what1 ,i pray1 was the ,meaning and ,reason of a ,star1 like a ,will-a-,whisp1 for their ,guide to the ,place1 where the holy ,infant lay4 ,could not ,god1 by divine ,impulse1 in a ,vision or in a ,dream1 as he ordered their ,return home1 have sent them on this important ,errand2 but that a ,star must be taken or made out of ,course to this ,purpose8 ,i wonder what ,communication passed between these ,wisemen and the ,star1 or how they came to know one anothers ,use and ,intention4 ,but the ,fathers shall speak hereafter farther to the ,senselessness of this ,story literally1 and make out the ,mystery and true ,meaning of it4 ,i will also1 by the ,leave of our ,divines1 take again into ,consideration the miraculous ,conception of the ,virgin ,mary1 and the ,resurrection of ,jesus from the ,dead4 ,i do believe1 if it may so please our ,divines1 that ,jesus was born of a pure ,virgin1 and that he arose from the ,dead3 ,but speaking too briefly1 in the ,moderator1 to these two ,miracles1 they took ,offence4 ,i will therefore give them a ,review1 and speak home to them2 particularly to ,christ's ,resurrection1 the evangelical ,story of which literally1 is such a ,complication of ,absurdities1 ,incoherences1 and ,contradictions1 that unless the ,fathers can help us to a better ,understanding of the ,evangelists than we have at present1 we must of ,necessity give up the ,belief of it4 ,these and many#gc other of the historical and miraculous ,parts of ,jesus's ,life1 will ,i take into ,examination1 and shew1 that none of them literally do prove his divine ,authority3 so far from it1 that they are full of ,absurdities1 ,improbabilities1 and ,incredibilities2 but that his whole ,life in the ,flesh1 is but#gd ,type1 ,figure1 and ,parable of his mysterious and spiritual ,life and ,operations in ,mankind4 ,in the ,end of this ,head1 it will be a curious and diverting ,subject to examine the ,miracles of ,jesus as they are literally understood1 by the ,notions which our ,divines have advanced about ,miracles2 and to shew1 that even their ,notions compared with ,christ's ,miracles1 are destructive of his ,authority1 and subversive of ,christianity4 ,this1 ,i say1 would be a most diverting ,undertaking1 and it will be strange1 if some ,free-,thinker1 that loves ,pleasure of this kind1 does not take the ,hint1 and snatch the ,work out of my ,hands4 ,if ,i do it my self1 ,i shall have especial ,regard to the ,writers against the ,grounds1 without passing by ,mr4 ,chandler's ,essay on ,miracles2 on which the more ,remarks will be made1 if it be but to pay my ,respects to the ,archbishop's ,judgment1 and to shew my ,admiration at those extravagant ,praises1 which his ,grace at ,lambeth has bestowed on that ,author4 ,among other his notable ,notions of a ,miracle 7and the ,archbishop says he has#ge set the ,notion of a ,miracle upon a clear and sure ,foundation7 one is1#gf ,that ,miracles should be ,things probable as well as possible1 that they do not carry along with them the ,appearance of ,romance and ,fable1 which would unavoidably prejudice ,men against believing them4 ,this is certainly a good and right ,notion of a divine ,miracle2 and ,i don't doubt1 but according to it1 ,mr4 ,chandler and the ,archbishop think1 they can justify the literal ,story of our ,saviour's ,miracles1 against the ,charge of ,fable and ,romance3 ,but whether they are able to do it or not1 ,i shall go on1 in some ,discourses hereafter to be publish'd1 to prove that our ,divines1 by espousing the ,letter of ,christ's ,miracles1 have deceived themselves into the ,belief of the most arrant ,quixotism that can be devis'd and palm'd upon the ,understandings of ,mankind4 ,i say1 they have deceived themselves2 for neither the ,fathers1 nor the ,apostles1 nor even ,jesus himself1 means that his ,miracles1 as recorded in the ,evangelists1 should be taken in a literal ,sense1 but in#gg a mystical1 figurative1 and parabolical one4 ,and this should bring me to the ,,iii4 ,head of my ,discourse2 that is1 to consider what ,jesus means1 when he appeals to his ,works and ,miracles1 as to a ,witness and ,testimony of his divine ,authority2 and to shew1 that he could not properly and truly refer to those supposed to be wrought by him in the ,flesh1 but to those mystical ones he would do in the ,spirit1 of which those seemingly wrought by him in the ,flesh1 are but ,types and ,shadows4 ,but this ,head can't be rightly spoken to1 till ,i have more amply discuss'd the former1 which1 by ,god's ,leave1 ,i promise to do3 ,and if my courteous ,readers will be so kind as to trust me till that ,time1 ,i assure them to prove1 that no ,ignorance and ,stupidity can be greater1 than the ,imagination that ,jesus really appeal'd to his ,miracles1 supposed to have been wrought by him in the ,flesh1 as to a ,witness and ,testimony of his divine ,authority1 and ,messiahship4 ,in the mean ,time our ,divines may go on in their own ,way1 if they think fit1 and admire ,jesus of old1 and celebrate his ,power and ,praises for healing of bodily ,diseases1 and doing other notable ,feats according to the ,letter of the evangelical ,story2 but ,i am for the spiritual ,jesus and ,messiah1 who cures the worse#gh ,distempers of the ,soul1 and does other mysterious and most miraculous ,works1 of which those recorded in the ,evangelists1 are but ,figure and ,parable4 ,this is the primitive and concurrent ,opinion about the true ,messiah1 which the ,fathers universally adher'd to4 ,whether our ,jesus1 at this ,day1 be such a spiritual ,messiah to his ,church1 or whether she does not stand in need of such a one1 is the ,question that our ,divines are to see to4 ,but ,i will add here1 what ,i believe1 and than have another ,opportunity to prove1 that ,god on purpose suffer'd or empower'd false as well as true ,prophets1 bad as well as good ,men1 such as ,apollonius1 ,vespasian1 and many others to cure ,diseases1 and to do other mighty ,works1 equal to what are literally reported of ,jesus1 not only to defeat us of all distinction between true and false ,miracles1 which are the ,object of our bodily ,senses1 but to raise and keep up our ,thoughts to the constant ,contemplation of ,jesus's spiritual1 mysterious1 and most miraculous ,works1 which are the ,object of our ,understandings1 and loudly bespeak the ,power1 ,wisdom1 and ,goodness of ,god2 and which are to be the absolute ,demonstration of ,jesus's divine ,authority and ,messiahship to the ,conversion of ,jews and ,infidels4 ,i have no more to do at present1 but1 like a ,moderator1 to conclude with a short ,address and ,exhortation to ,infidels and ,apostates1 the two contending ,parties in the present ,controversy4 ,and ,first1 ,to ,apostates1 ,i mean the ,writers against the ,grounds and ,scheme4 ,whether you1 grave ,sirs1 who account your selves orthodox ,divines1 tho' there is little but ,contradiction and ,inconsistency amongst you1 do like the ,name of ,apostates which is given you1 ,i much question3 ,but it is the properest1 ,i could think of1 for your ,desertion of primitive ,doctrine about ,prophecy and ,miracles4 ,i could1 not improperly have given you a worse ,title1 but ,i was willing to compliment you1 rather than reproach you with this4 ,but setting aside the ,title of ,apostates1 whether it be1 in your ,opinion1 opprobrious or not2 you may plainly perceive1 that ,i am1 ,sirs1 on your ,side1 as to the ,truth of ,christianity2 and if you'll accept of my ,assistance for the ,proof of ,jesus's ,messiahship from ,prophecy1 upon the ,terms of the allegorical ,scheme proposed in my ,moderator1 you shall find me your hearty ,abettor4 ,upon the allegorical ,scheme1 ,i don't doubt but we shall soundly drub and mawl ,infidels1 and beat them out of the ,field of ,battle4 ,if you1 being wedded to the literal ,scheme1 will not accept of my ,assistance1 you may go on in your own ,way1 and see the ,event of the ,controversy1 which in the ,end will turn to your ,dishonour4 ,you1 ,sirs1 can't but be sensible1 how those two great ,generals1 ,mr4 ,grounds1 and ,mr4 ,scheme1 with their potent ,armies of ,reasons and ,authorities against your literal ,prophecies1 have grievously distress'd and gall'd you2 and if you don't make an honourable ,retreat in ,time1 and seek to ,allegorists for ,help1 will gain a compleat ,victory and ,triumph over you4 ,instead of the ,help of ,allegorists1 you1 ,i find1 under the ,disappointment of your literal ,scheme1 chuse rather to have ,recourse to ,jesus's ,miracles3 ,but what little ,dependence there is upon his ,miracles1 in your ,sense1 ,i have in part proved in this ,discourse2 and this ,i have done 7give me leave repeatedly to declare it7 not for the ,service of your unbelieving ,adversaries1 but to reduce you to the good old ,way of interpreting ,oracles1 which1 upon the ,testimony of the ,fathers1 will1 one ,day1 be the ,conversion of the ,jews and ,gentiles4 ,whether you1 ,sirs1 will be pleas'd with this short ,discourse on ,christ's ,miracles1 ,i much question4 ,but before you put your selves into a ,rage against it1 ,i beg of you to read ,st4 ,theophilus of ,antioch1 ,origen1 ,st4 ,hilary1 ,st4 ,augustin1 ,st4 ,ambrose1 ,st4 ,jerome1 ,st4 ,chrysostom1 ,st4 ,john of ,jerusalem1 ,st4 ,theophylact1 and other occasional ancient ,pieces on one part or other of the ,evangelists2 and you'll find how they countenance such a ,discourse as this on ,miracles1 and will abundantly assist me in the ,prosecution of it4 ,i expect1 ,sirs1 that some of you will be ready to rave against me for this ,discourse2 but this is my ,comfort1 that if your ,passion should arise to another ,prosecution of me1 you can't possibly separate any of mine from the ,opinions of the ,fathers to ground a ,prosecution on3 ,and what ,dishonour in the ,end will redown to ,protestant and pretendedly learned ,divines of the ,church of ,england1 to persecute again the ,fathers for primitive ,doctrine1 ,i desire you to think on4 ,but1 as ,i suppose1 you'll have more ,wit1 ,sirs1 than to prosecute me again for this ,discourse2 so ,i hope you'll have more ,ingenuity1 than odiously 7after your wonted manner7 to represent me to the ,populace1 for ,profaneness1 ,blasphemy1 and ,infidelity4 ,if you dislike the whole1 or any part of this ,discourse1 appear like ,men and ,scholars1 from the ,press against it4 ,use me as roughly in ,print as you think fit1 ,i'll not take it ill4 ,veniam petimus1 dabimusq2 vicissim4 ,i desire nothing more than to be furiously attack'd from the ,press1 which1 if ,i am not much mistaken1 would give me a long'd for ,opportunity to expose your ,ignorance to more ,advantage4 ,be not longer mistaken1 good ,sirs4 ,the ,history of ,jesus's ,life1 as recorded in the ,evangelists1 is an emblematical ,representation of his spiritual ,life in the ,soul of ,man2 and his ,miracles are ,figures of his mysterious ,operations4 ,the four ,gospels are in no ,part a literal ,story1 but a ,system of mystical ,philosophy or ,theology4 ,if you are resolved not to come into this ,opinion1 ,i beg of you again1 before you break forth into a ,passion1 to try to vindicate the literal ,story of the three ,miracles spoken to in this ,discourse1 viz4 those of ,jesus's driving the ,buyers and ,sellers out of the ,temple2 of his exorcising the ,devil out of the ,madman2 and of his ,transfiguration on the ,mount2 which if you are able to defend against the ,fathers1 and my ,objections1 ,i'll give up the ,cause to you1 and own my self 7what ,i am far enough from being7 an impious ,infidel and ,blasphemer1 and deserving of the worst ,punishment4 ,in the mean time1 ,i make bold again to assert1 that the literal ,story of ,christ's ,life and ,miracles1 is an absurd and incredible ,romance1 full of ,contradictions and ,inconsistencies2 and that modern ,paraphrases are not only a consequential ,reflection on the ,intellects of the ,evangelists1 and their divine ,gifts of the ,spirit1 as if they could not write an intelligible and coherent ,piece of ,biography without your ,help at this ,distance of ,time2 but have even darken'd and obscured the seemingly native ,simplicity of the ,story of the ,life of ,jesus4 ,so leaving you to chew upon this1 ,i turn 99 99 99 99 99 ,my ,address to ,infidels1 particularly to the two most renown'd ,writers of the ,party1 ,mr4 ,grounds1 and ,mr4 ,scheme4 ,i should1 ,gentlemen1 by right1 salute you with the ,title of ,free-,thinkers1 a proper ,name for your philosophical ,sect1 who are for the free ,exercise of your ,reason about divine and speculative ,points in ,theology4 ,and ,i had distinguish'd you by this ,title from your apostatical ,adversaries1 but that ,i had a mind to oblige my old ,friends the ,clergy1 in giving you a no more honourable ,title than ,i do them4 ,and ,i trust you will not be offended at the ,title of ,infidels1 since not only your ,writings seem to have a ,tendency to ,infidelity2 but1 if there be any ,fault in your ,principles1 you know how to charge it on your ,adversaries1 the pretended ,advocates for ,christianity1 whose ,absurdities1 false ,reasonings1 ,inconsistencies1 and foolish ,glosses on the ,scriptures1 have occasioned your ,departure from the ,faith in ,christ4 ,i thank ,mr4 ,scheme for the noble ,present of his ,book1 which ,i received and read with ,pleasure4 ,but instead of one1 he should have sent me a ,dozen for the ,use of ,friends and ,borrowers1 who are very curious and importunate for the ,perusal of it4 ,for what ,reason he envies the ,booksellers the publick ,sale of his ,work1 chusing rather to give it away gratis1 than that they should reap any ,profit by it1 ,i know not4 ,surely it is not to bring an ,odium on the ,clergy for ,persecutors1 as if such an useful and philosophical ,piece might not appear publickly without ,danger from them3 ,if so1 ,i hope the ,clergy will resent the ,indignity1 and invite him to a ,publication of his ,book1 with a ,promise of ,impunity1 which would wipe off the ,reproach1 which this clandestine ,method of disposing of it has cast on them4 ,i once almost despair'd1 ,sirs1 of seeing such another ,piece from your ,quarter4 ,i was afraid the ,prosecution of the ,moderator1 would have deterr'd you from the ,press1 whereby our excellent ,controversy on ,foot must have been dropt3 ,but the sudden and unexpected ,appearance of ,mr4 ,scheme1 has revived me1 and rejoiced the ,cockles of my ,heart4 ,go on then1 great ,sirs1 in this ,controversy1 which ,mr4 ,grounds happily commenc'd2 and if you are deny'd the ,liberty of the ,press1 and publick ,sale of your ,books1 ,i hope you'll1 for all that1 as occasion offers it self1 oblige the ,learned and ,curious with some more of your bright ,lucubrations1 tho' you print them1 and dispose of them in this clancular and subtil ,method4 ,it is not that ,i wish well to your ,cause of ,infidelity1 that ,i thus encourage you4 ,you have more ,sense and ,reason than to suspect me tainted with unbelieving ,principles4 ,christianity will stand its ,ground against your battering ,armour2 and the ,church of ,christ will be the more firmly establish'd on a ,rock of ,wisdom1 for that ,opposition you make to it4 ,tho' you will entirely vanquish the literal ,schemists1 and ride in ,triumph over them1 yet other ,defenders of the ,faith1 call'd ,allegorists1 will arise to your ,confutation and final ,overthrow4 ,if ,i am not mistaken1 ,sirs1 your ,adversaries1 the literal ,schemists1 whom ,i call ,apostates1 are about making a ,retreat1 and yielding the ,field of ,battle to you4 ,the ,bishop of ,litchfield1 the greatest ,general on their ,side1 will not only find it hard to levy any more ,forces in ,defence of his twelve literal ,prophecies2 but he knows that1 if he draws his ,sword any more against you1 he must attack too the ,authority of the ,fathers for the allegorical ,interpretation of some of those ,prophecies1 already urg'd in my ,supplements to the ,moderator2 or1 if the ,fathers are neglected by him2 they and ,i1 keeping out of the ,reach of his ,bug-,bear1 will treat him with such familiar ,language1 as never was given to one of his ,order4 ,mr4 ,scheme seems to promise us a ,discourse on the ,miracles in the ,scriptures2 ,i hope he'll be as good as his ,word1 and ere long publish it4 ,this ,discourse of mine can't possibly supersede his4 ,as ,i question not but his ,thoughts and ,remarks on ,miracles will be very considerable2 so ,i shall be a little impatient till ,i see them4 ,but be his ,discourse on ,miracles of what ,kind soever1 ,i believe it will hardly be an ,obstruction to my ,undertaking in ,hand1 which ,i intend1 by ,god's ,leave1 to go on with1 to the ,honour of the holy ,jesus1 our spiritual ,messiah1 to whom be ,glory and ,praise for ever and ever4 ,amen4 ,,finis4 ,,footnotes3 #a ,page #dd4 #b ,page #ec4 #c ,universam porro ,sacram ,scripturam tam ,novi quam ,veteris ,testamenti ad allegoricum sensum esse sumendam1 admonet nos vel illud1 ,aperiam os meum in ,parabolis4 ,in ,prasat4 ad ,form4 ,spirit4 ,intell4 #d ,si quidem ,symbola qudam erant qu tunc gerebantur eorum1 qu ,jesu virtute semper perficiuntur4 ,in ,mat4 ,c4 xv4 #e ,omnis languor omnis ,infirmitas quam sanavit salvator tunc in ,populo referuntur ad ,infirmitates spirituales ,animarum1 c4 ,in ,mat4 ,c4 xvii4 #f ,christi ,gesta aliud portendunt4 ,in ,mat4 ,c4 xii4 ,evangelicis gestis est interior ,sensus1 ,c4 xiv4 ,hc licet in prsens gesta sunt1 quid tamen in futurum significent contuendum est1 ,c4 x4 ,peragunt formam futuri gesta prsentia1 ,c4 xxi4 #g ,qu a ,jesu facta sunt1 alicujus significantia erant4 ,serm4 #gg4 #h ,omne quod fecit ,jesus1 ,sacramenta sunt4 ,homil4 #ca4 in ,marc4 #i4 #i ,si enim temporalis erat ab eo ,utilitas1 nihil grande prstitit iis1 qui ab eo curati sunt1 ,l4 ,v4 ,c4 #ab4 ,s4 #f4 #aj ,contra ,celsum1 ,l4 #aa4 #aa ,coecum curavit1 magnum quidem est1 quod fecit1 sed nisi quotidie fiat1 quod olim factum1 nobis quidem magnum esse cessavit4 ,homil4 #cj4 in ,marc4 #i4 #ab ,si humano captu ingenio consideremus ,jesum facientem1 quod ad potestatem non magnum aliquid fecit1 quod ad benignitatem1 parvum fecit4 ,in ,johan4 ,cap4 v4 ,tract4 #ag4 #ac ,etsi attestabantur ,miracula1 non defuissent 7sicut nunc mussitant7 qui magic potenti cuncta illa tribuerent4 ,cont4 ,faust4 ,l4 ,,xii4 ,c4 #de4 #ad ,vid4 ,sanctum ,augustinum de ,anti-christo4 #ae #a ,cor4 ,c4 xii4 #af ,atque illud ad ,rem maxime partineat1 ne decipiamur tendentes ad ,contemplationem ,veritatis----,arbitrantes ibi esse invisibilem sapientiam1 ubi ,miraculum visibile viderimus4 ,in ,serm4 ,dom4 in monte1 ,lib4 #b4 ,sect4 #hd4 #ag ,interim completur ,isai ,prophetia non tantum in corporalibus1 verum etiam in spiritualibus1 ,origen4 ,in ,matt4 ,cap4 xv4 ,aperientur igitur ,oculi ccorum1 aures surdorum audient1 nam qui quondam divinis sermonibus rejectis mysticam ,sanctorum ,institutionem recipere non studuerunt1 libenter eam admittent4 ,st4 ,cyril in ,loc4 ,is4 ,vide ,sanctum ,hieronymum in ,loc4 ,isai4 #ah ,et nunc majores sanitates operatur1 propter quas non est dedignatus tunc exhibere illas minores4 ,in ,serm4 #hh4 #ai ,in quibus ,spiritualibus maxime ,christi ,persona eminet4 ,august4 ,quest4 #b4 in ,lucan4 #bj ,modo ,caro cca non aperit oculos miraculo ,domini1 sed cor ccum aperit oculos ,sermoni ,domini4 ,modo non resurgit mortale cadaver1 sed resurgit anima qu mortua jucebat in vivo ,cadavere1 c4 ,august4 ,serm4 #hh4 ,s4 #c4 #ba ,historia ,scriptur interdum interferit qudam vel minus gesta1 vel qu omnino geri non possunt1 interdum qu possunt geri1 nec tamen gesta sunt4 ,de ,principiis1 ,lib4 #d4 #bb ,multa sunt1 qu non sinunt nos simplici sensu dicta evangelica suscipere4 ,interpositis enim non nullis ,rebus qu ex ,natura humani sensus sibi contraria sunt2 ,rationem qurere clestis ,intelligenti admonemur4 ,in ,matt4 ,l4 xx4 ,s4 #b4 #bc ,evangelica ,sacramenta in ,christi factis signata omnibus non patent1 ea nonnulli minus diligenter interpretando asserunt plerumque pro salute ,perniciem1 pro ,cognitione ,veritatis ,errorem1 c4 ,de ,qust4 ,divers4 ,quest4 #hd4 #bd ,matt4 xxi4 ,mark xi4 ,luke xix4 ,john ii4 #be ,in ,comment4 in ,matth4 xxi4 #bf ,porro cui cur est accuratior ,inquisitio considerabit1 an juxta dignitatem prsentis ,vit erat1 ut ,jesus rem talem auderet facere1 extrudere videlicet ,mercatorum ,multitudinem1 qui ad ,diem festum ascenderant1 distributuri boves ditioribus1 tanto populo oves mactandas per domos familiarium1 qu multorum millium complerent numerum2 atque eos qui in rebus talibus gloriantes producturi erant in medio ,columbas1 quas multi emptori erant1 ceu in ,conventu celeberrimo convivaturi4 ,considerabit hic etiam1 an ,nummulariorum erat non accusare ,jesum contumeliose propter suas ipsorum effusas pecunias mensas subversas4 ,quis autem flagello e funiculis verberatus expulsus ab eo qui penes eos habebatur vilis1 hunc adortus non inclamasset totis viribus sese ulciscens8 ,cum prsertim haberet tantam multitudinem eorum1 qui sibi que contumeliam fieri credebant1 faventem sibi adversum ,jesum8 ,insuper consideremus1 ,dei filium funiculos sumentem2 sibique flagellum tenentem ad extrudendum e templo1 annon reprsentet ,prter audaciam temeritatem1 inordinatum etiam quiddam8 ,in ,johan4 ,tom4 ,,xi4 #bg ,prfiguratio futurorum dictis prsentibus continetur4 ,in ,matt4 xxi4 #bh ,admomemur altius ,verborum ,virtutes in istius modi significationibus contuendas1 ibid4 #bi ,in ,cathedra est sacerdotii sedes2 eorum qui ,spiritus sancti ,donum venale habent1 ,cathedras evertet1 ibid4 #cj ,non habebant ,judi quod venire possent1 neque erat quod emere quis posset1 ibid4 #ca ,cathedra autem ,vendentium ,columbas cur everterit8 ,secundum ,litteram non intelligo4 ,admonet ,typo ejectorum de ,templo hujusmodi ,mercatorum1 in ,ecclesia ,dei ,consortium eos habere non posse1 qui sancti ,spiritus ,gratiam nundinentur4 ,in ,loc4 ,luc4 #cb ,juxta simplicem ,intelligentiam--quod ponitus absurdum--cterum secundum ,mysticos ,in tellectus ,jesus ingreditur ,templum ,patris ejicit omnes ,episcopos1 ,presbyteros1 ,diaconos1 c4 ,in ,loc4 ,mat4 #cc ,faciet ,dominus ,flagellum de ,scripturarum ,textuum ,testimoniis4 ,in ,zechar4 ,c4 xiv4 #cd ,non magnum ,peccatum1 si hoc vendebant in ,templo1 quod emebatur1 ut offerretur in ,templo4 ,in ,loc4 ,johan4 #ce ,qui sunt tamen qui boves vendunt8 ut in figura quramus ,mysterium facti1 qui sunt qui ,oves vendunt ,columbas8 ipsi sunt qui sua qurunt in ,ecclesia1 non qu ,jesu ,christi4 ,ibid4 #cf ,vos enim fecistis ,domum meum1 ,domum ,negotiationis speluncam ,latronum1 significant futuros in ,ecclesia4 ,l4 ,,ii4 ,evang4 ,qust4 ,quast4 #dh4 #cg ,greek3 ,didaskalos n1 ou katangellei logon1 ei m kerdos echei1 kai toutou tn trapezan anatrepei o ,kyeios4 ,in ,johan4 ,c4 ii4 #ch ,chandler's ,vindication1 c4 p4 #ade4 #ci ,hoc facto longe aliud significabat ,jesus1 nec enim illum tantopere commovebat ,templum illud mercimoniis ,boum1 ,ovium1 ,hircorum ,columbarum profanatum2 sed ostendere voluit ,avaritiam ,qustum sore capitalem ,pestem ,ecclesi1 quam ,templum1 cujus ,religio mox erat abolenda1 figurabat--,in nullum ,hominum ,genus acrius sviit ,jesus1 sed hos ipse sibi servavit ejiciendos1 cum videbitur4 ,in ,loc4 ,matt4 xxi4 #dj ,vid4 ,suicerum in ,greek3 ,kollubusts4 #da ,greek3 ,trapeza1 apud ,aristophanem est ,pulpitum4 ,vid4 ,scapulam4 #db ,matt4 viii4 ,mark v4 ,luke viii4 #dc ,luke xiii4 v4 #bg4 #dd ,spencer de ,legibus ,hebr1 p4 #aag4 #de ,lib4 ,,iv4 ,de ,principiis4 #df ,hanc habeant ,causam1 ut esset in rebus gerendis futuri plena meditatio4 ,in ,loc4 ,matt4 ,in hoc ,typica ratio servata est4 ,ibid4 #dg ,significat sunt gentes qu multis dmonibus serviebant4 ,augustin in ,luc4 ,quest4 #ac4 #dh ,humanum genus ad ,adventum ,domini vexabatur furore dementi1 rumpens vincula rationis4 ,st4 ,amb4 in ,loc4 ,luc4 #di ,nudus quicunque tegumentum ,natur su ,virtutis amisit4 ,amb4 ,ibid4 #ej ,in tumulis ,sepulchrorum2 quid enim aliud sunt ,corpora perfidorum1 nisi qudam defunctorum ,sepulchra in quibus ,dei verbum non habitat4 ,ibid4 #ea ,videntes ,dmones non sibi jam locum in gentibus derelinqui1 ut patiatur habitare se in ,hreticis deprecantur4 ,hilar4 in ,loc4 ,matt4 #eb ,litera est ,palea1 frequenter evenit1 ut homines hujus soeculi mystica nescientes1 simplici ,scripturarum ,lectione pascuntur4 ,hieron4 in ,isa4 xi4 #ec ,matt4 xvii4 ,mark ix4 ,luke ix4 #ed #b ,pet4 i4 #af1 #ag1 #ah4 #ee ,possunt infideles istam ,vocem delatam de ,clo1 per conjecturas humanas illicitas ,curiositates ad magicas ,artes reserte4 ,in ,serm4 xliii4 ,sect4 #e4 #ef ,neque enim ,miracula propter ,miracula faciebat1 sed ut illa qu faciebat1 mira essent videntibus1 vera essent intelligentibus4 ,in ,serm4 xcviii4 ,sect4 #c4 #eg ,greek3 ,helegon tn exodon autou n emelle plroun1 ,c4 ix4 ,v4 #ca4 #eh ,regni coelestis ,honor prefiguratur4 ,st4 ,hilar4 in ,loc4 ,matt4 ,in ,transfiguratione futura ,regni ,prmeditatio ,gloria demonstrata est4 ,st4 ,hierom4 in ,loc4 ,matt4 #ei ,greek3 ,ainigmatds parodeixis ts ,basileias1 ,anast4 in ,transfig4 ,dom4 ,greek3 ,ypodeigma ts doxs ekeins4 ,st4 ,chrysost4 in ,loc4 ,matt4 #fj ,sex millium scilicet ,annorum ,temporibus evolutis4 ,st4 ,hilar4 in ,loc4 ,matt4 ,sic post ,sex tates ,dominus a perfectis ,famulis conspicietur4 ,dionys4 ,alex4 apud ,damascen4 in ,orat4 de ,transfig4 #fa ,et ,moses ,elias apparuerunt in ,gloria1 cum ,jesu colloquentes1 in quo ostenditur ,legem ,prophetas1 cum ,evangeliis consonare in eadem ,gloria spiritualis intelligenti refulgere4 ,origen4 in ,epist4 ad ,rom4 c4 #a4 #fb ,montem ascendit ut te doceat1 ne quras eum nisi in ,legis ,prophetarum montibus4 ,origen in ,cantic4 ,cantic4 ,hom4 #c4 #fc ,per nubem tetram intellige opacitatem ,legis4 ,damascen4 in ,orat4 de ,transfigur4 #fd ,vestimenta candida ,jesu sunt ,sermones ,scripta ,evangeliorum4 ,origen in ,loc4 ,matt4 #fe ,si quis ,litteram sequitur1 deorsum est totus1 hic non potest videre ,jesum in veste candida2 qui autem sequitur ,sermonem ,dei ad montana1 id est1 excelsa ,legis conscendit1 isti ,jesus commutatur---- ,quamdiu ,litteram sequimur occidentem1 ,moses ,elias cum ,jesu non loquuntur2 sin spiritualiter intelligimus1 statim ,moses ,elias veniunt1 id est ,lex ,prophet colloquuatur cum ,evangelio4 ,johan4 ,hieros4 ,hom4 #cb4 #ff ,john ii4 #fg ,matt4 ,c4 xiv4 and xv4 c4 #fh ,mark ii4 ,luke v4 #fi ,john ix4 #gj ,mark v4 #ga ,matt4 xxi4 ,mark xi4 #gb ,matt4 ii4 #gc ,alia quam plurima his similia in ,evangeliis inveniet1 quicunque attentius legerit4 ,origen4 de ,principiis1 lib4 iv4 #gd ,qu ,enarratio erit ,evangelii sensibilis1 nisi accommodetur ad intelligible spirituale8 ,nulla sane1 ,origen4 is ,prfat4 ad ,johan4 ,evang4 #ge ,see ,archbishop ,wake's ,manuscript ,letter to ,mr4 ,chandler1 which is handed about ,town and ,country4 #gf ,chandler's ,vindication1 c4 p4 #ha4 #gg ,dominus noster ea qu faciebat corporaliter1 etiam spiritualiter volebat intelligi1 c4 ,august4 ,serm4 xcviii4 ,sect4 #c4 #gh ,quos in corporibus morbos sanavit ,christus1 hi in animabus existunt1 supernam ejus opem requirunt4 ,johan4 ,nepos4 ,hieros4 ,hom4 ,,lxi4 ,a ,,second ,,discourse ,,on ,,the ,,miracles ,,of ,,our ,,saviour1 ,in ,,view of the present ,controversy between ,,infidels and ,,apostates4 ,audendum est1 ut illustrata ,veritas pateat1 multique ab ,errore liberentur4 ,lactant4 ,by ,,thomas ,,woolston1 sometime ,fellow of ,sidney-,college in ,cambridge4 ,,london3 ,printed for the ,author1 ,sold by him in ,bell-,alley1 ,coleman-,street1 and by the ,booksellers of ,london and ,westminster4 #agbg4 ,price ,one ,shilling4 ,illustration ,,to ,,the ,right ,reverend ,father in ,god ,,edward1 ,lord ,,bishop of ,lichfield4 ,,my ,,lord1 ,your ,fame for that celebrated ,book1 call'd the ,defence of ,christianity1 is the ,occasion of this ,dedication4 ,i need not tell you1 what vast ,reputation you have acquired by it3 ,you have been not only often applauded from the ,press1 but have met with large ,compliments and ,thanks from your ,clergy for it4 ,and tho' ,mr4 ,scheme has very untowardly written against you1 yet this is still your ,honour1 that you are an ,author1 not unworthy of his ,regard and ,notice4 ,i am1 in ,opinion with the ,fathers1 against an establish'd ,hire for the ,priesthood1 thinking it of disservice to true ,religion3 ,but when ,i consider'd the ,usefulness of your ,lordship's ,episcopal ,riches and ,honours to this ,controversy1 ,i almost chang'd my ,mind4 ,your exalted ,station in the ,church1 has given ,credit and ,authority to your ,work1 which1 if it had came from the ,hands of a poor ,priest1 had never been so much admir'd2 neither would ,mr4 ,scheme1 ,i believe1 nor my self1 have paid so many ,respects to it4 ,for this ,reason1 ,i wish some more of your ,order would appear in this ,controversy1 that the ,world might see what famous ,men are our ,bishops1 and of what ,use their ,hundreds and ,thousands a ,year are to the ,defence of ,christianity2 which1 if such able ,hands were not amply hired to its ,support1 might be in ,danger1 as certainly as1 that ,men of low ,fortunes must needs be ,men of poor ,parts1 little ,learning1 and slender ,capacities to write in ,vindication of it4 ,some have conceiv'd ,hopes that the great ,bishop of ,london1 from his last ,charge to his ,clergy1 will second you in this ,controversy2 if so1 there's no doubt on't1 but his ,performance will be commensurate to his ,state and ,revenues4 ,of his ,zeal in the ,controversy1 he has already given a notable ,instance1 when he prosecuted the ,moderator2 and ,i dare say1 he'll vouchsafe us a more remarkable ,specimen of his ,knowledge in it1 as soon as he can spare ,time for't2 and then 7,oh my ,fears67 he'll pay me off for my ,objection against ,christ's ,resurrection1 which he would have persuaded the ,civil ,magistrate to have done for him4 ,but whether the ,bishop of ,london seconds you or not1 it's ,time1 my ,lord1 to expect another ,volume from you1 in ,answer to ,mr4 ,scheme1 which1 for all the ,reports that are spread of your intended ,silence1 ,i hope soon to see publish'd4 ,what will the ,people say1 if that ,philisthin goes off1 giving you the last ,blow in the ,controversy8 ,nothing less than that he has gotten the better of the ,learned ,bishop of ,lichfield1 and has refuted ,christianity to the ,conviction of the ,bishop himself1 who would renounce it too1 but for the temporal ,advantages he enjoys by it4 ,think1 my ,lord1 on the ,dishonour of such ,reflections1 and resume ,courage against the ,adversary4 ,i look upon you as a more sturdy ,gladiator than for one ,cut on the ,pate1 to quit the ,stage of ,battle4 ,tho' ,mr4 ,scheme has unluckily hit you on a soft ,place1 and weaken'd your ,intellectuals for a while2 yet he is a generous ,combatant1 and gives you ,time to recover your wonted ,strength of ,reason4 ,at him again then1 my ,lord1 and fear not1 in your ,turn1 to give him such a ,home-,thrust1 as will pierce his unbelieving ,heart4 ,and when your ,lordship engages him again from the ,press1 ,i hope you'll be more explicite for ,liberty of ,debate4 ,through godly ,zeal for ,church1 you unhappily made a ,slip1 in your ,dedication to the ,king1 on the persecuting ,side of the ,question1 which had lik'd to have sully'd the ,glory of your whole ,work4 ,such a grand ,philosopher1 as you are1 should trust alone to the ,goodness of your ,cause1 and the ,strength of your ,reasonings1 in ,defence of it3 ,such a potent ,champion for ,christianity1 as you are1 should disdain the ,assistance of any1 but of ,god1 to fight for you4 ,the ,use of the ,civil ,sword on your ,side1 is not only a ,disparagement to your ,parts1 but a ,disgrace to our ,religion4 ,i know not what your ,lordship may think on't1 but the ,prosecution of the ,moderator was1 in the ,judgment of others1 more than of my self1 some ,reproach to you3 ,because of a few slender ,animadversions1 ,i made on your renown'd ,book1 some think ,i suffer'd a ,prosecution1 which you1 in ,honour1 should have discourag'd4 ,i am willing to acquit you as much as may be2 and would1 if ,i could1 impute it to your ,forgetfulness1 rather than your ,malice1 that you step'd not between me and ,danger4 ,whether this ,discourse will be acceptable to your ,lordship1 is somewhat uncertain2 ,i am afraid it will be a little disgustful to your nice and delicate ,taste in ,theology1 which relishes nothing better than the plain and ordinary ,food of the ,letter of ,christ's ,miracles3 ,but however1 you will readily interpret this ,dedication to your ,honour1 and if you should make me a large present of ,gold for it1 ,i sincerely assure your ,lordship1 it will be more than ,i aim'd at2 neither do ,i desire any other ,return for it1 than to be endulg'd the ,liberty and ,pleasure to pay my customary ,respects to your ,writings2 and upon proper ,occasions to testify to the ,world1 how much ,i am1 ,sidenote3 ,london1 ,october #acth #agbg4 ,,my ,,lord1 ,the ,admirer of ,your ,wit1 ,learning and ,orthodoxy1 ,thomas ,woolston4 ,illustration ,a ,,second ,,discourse ,,on ,,the ,,miracles ,,of ,,our ,,saviour1 c4 ,i here publish another ,discourse on our ,saviour's ,miracles1 which ,i am not only oblig'd to1 by the ,promise ,i made in my former2 but am encouraged to it by the ,reception which that met with4 ,if any of our ,clergy were1 and besides them1 few or none could be offended at my former ,discourse1 they should have printed their ,exceptions to it1 and1 if possible1 their ,confutation of it1 which might perhaps have prevented me the giving them any more ,trouble of this ,kind4 ,in my former ,discourse ,i fairly declar'd1 that if the ,clergy could disprove my ,arguments against the ,letter1 and for the ,spirit of the ,miracles ,i there took to task1 ,i would not only desist from the ,prosecution of my ,design1 but own my self an impious ,infidel and ,blasphemer1 and deserving of the worst ,punishment3 ,but since they are all mute and silent1 even in this ,cause1 which in ,honour and ,interest they should have spoken out to1 they ought not to be angry1 if ,i proceed in it4 ,i have given them time enough to make a ,reply1 if they had been of ,ability to do it3 ,what must ,i think then upon their ,silence8 ,nothing less than that my ,cause is impregnable1 and my ,arguments and ,authorities in ,defence of it irrefragable2 and though they don't professedly yield to the ,force of them2 yet they have nothing to say in ,abatement of their ,strength1 or it had certainly seen the ,light before now4 ,i go on then in my undertaking to write against the literal ,story of our ,saviour's ,miracles1 and against the ,use that is commonly made of them to prove his divine ,authority and ,messiahship3 ,and this ,i do1 ,i solemnly again declare it1 not for the ,service of ,infidelity1 but for the ,honour of the ,holy ,jesus1 and to reduce the ,clergy to the good old ,way1 and the only ,way of proving his ,messiahship1 and that is1 by the allegorical ,interpretation of the ,law and the ,prophets4 ,therefore1 without any more ,preamble1 ,i resume again the ,consideration of the three ,heads of ,discourse1 before proposed to be treated on to this ,purpose4 ,and they are1 ,i4 ,to shew1 ,that the ,miracles of healing all manner of ,bodily ,diseases1 which ,jesus was justly fam'd for1 are none of the proper ,miracles of the ,messiah1 neither are they so much as a good ,proof of his divine ,authority to found a ,religion4 ,,ii4 ,that the literal ,history of many of the ,miracles of ,jesus1 as recorded by the ,evangelists1 does imply ,absurdities1 ,improbabilities1 and ,incredibilities2 consequently they1 either in whole or in part1 were never wrought1 as they are commonly believed now-a-days1 but are only related as prophetical and parabolical ,narratives of what would be mysteriously1 and more wonderfully done by him4 ,,iii4 ,to consider1 what ,jesus means1 when he appeals to his ,miracles1 as to a ,testimony and ,witness of his divine ,authority2 and to shew that he could not properly and ultimately refer to those1 he then wrought in the ,flesh1 but to those mystical ones1 which he would do in the ,spirit1 of which those wrought in the ,flesh are but mere ,types and ,shadows4 ,i have already spoken1 what ,i then thought sufficient to the first of these ,heads2 and though ,i could now much enlarge my ,reasons1 and multiply ,authorities upon it to the same ,purpose2 yet ,i shall not do it2 but only1 by ,way of ,introduction to my following ,discourse1 say1 that if it had been intended by our ,saviour1 that any rational ,argument for his divine ,authority and ,messiahship should be urged from his miraculous healing ,power2 the ,diseases which he cured1 would have been accurately described1 and his ,manner of ,operation so cautiously express'd1 as that we might have been sure the ,work was supernatural1 and out of the ,power of ,art and ,nature to perform3 ,but the ,evangelists have taken no such ,care in their ,narrations of ,christ's ,miracles4 ,as for ,instance1 ,jesus is supposed often miraculously to cure ,lameness2 but there is no ,account of the nature and degree of ,lameness he cured2 nor are we certain1 whether the ,skill of a ,surgeon1 or ,nature it self1 could not have done the ,work without his ,help4 ,if the ,evangelists had told us of ,men1 that wanted one or both their ,legs1 7and such miserable ,objects of ,christ's ,power and ,compassion1 were undoubtedly in those ,days as well as in ours7 and how ,jesus commanded ,nature to extend itself to the entire ,reparation of such ,defects2 here would have been stupendous ,miracles indeed1 which no ,scepticism1 nor ,infidelity itself could have cavill'd at2 nor could ,i1 nor the ,fathers themselves have told how to allegorize1 and make ,parables of them4 ,but there is no such ,miracle recorded of ,christ1 nor any thing equal to it2 so far from it1 that the best and greatest ,miracles of ,jesus1 which must confessedly be those related at large1 7for no ,body can suppose he did greater than those more particularly specify'd7 are liable to exception1 being so blindly1 and lamely1 and imperfectly reported1 as that1 by ,reasonings upon the ,letter of the ,stories of them1 they may be dwindled away1 and reduced to no ,wonders1 which brings me to treat again on the ,,ii4 ,second ,head of my ,discourse1 and that is1 to shew1 that the literal ,history of the ,miracles of ,jesus1 as recorded in the ,evangelists1 does imply ,absurdities1 ,improbabilities and ,incredibilities2 consequently they1 in whole or in part1 were never wrought1 but are only related as parabolical ,narratives of what would be mysteriously1 and more wonderfully done by him4 ,to this ,purpose ,i1 in my former ,discourse1 took into ,examination three of the ,miracles of ,jesus1 viz4 those1 of his driving the ,buyers and ,sellers out of the ,temple2 ,of his exorcising the ,devils out of the ,madmen1 and sending them into the ,herd of ,swine2 and ,of his ,transfiguration on the ,mount4 ,how well ,i perform'd on these ,miracles which have been admired for their literal ,story1 let others judge and say4 ,i now will take into ,consideration three others of ,jesus's ,miracles1 viz4 those1 ,of his healing a ,woman that was afflicted with an ,issue of ,blood1 twelve ,years2 ,of his curing the ,woman that labour'd under a ,spirit of ,infirmity1 eighteen ,years2 and ,of his telling the ,samaritan ,woman her ,fortune of having had five husbands1 and living then in ,adultery with another ,man3 ,which are1 all three1 reputedly most miraculous and admired ,stories4 ,the two former1 they say1 are ,arguments of ,jesus's mighty ,power2 and the latter1 of his immense ,knowledge3 ,but how little of certain ,power and ,knowledge there is in any of them1 according to the ,letter1 will be seen in the sequel of this ,discourse4 ,infidels1 ,i dare say1 if they had not wanted ,liberty1 would e'er now have facetiously exposed those ,stories4 ,if ,i snatch that ,work out of their ,hands1 our ,clergy ought to be glad1 because what ,i do in it1 is to the ,honour of the ,holy ,jesus1 and to turn those pretendedly miraculous ,stories into divine ,mysteries4 ,in my former ,discourse ,i gave my ,readers some ,reason to expect1 that in this ,i would treat on some of ,jesus's ,miracles1 which ,i there mentioned1 viz4 ,on his turning ,water into ,wine at a ,marriage in ,cana of ,galilee2 and ,on his feeding of ,thousands with a few ,loaves and ,fishes in the ,wilderness2 and ,on his ,cure of the ,paralytick1 for whom the ,roof of the ,house was broken up to let him down into the ,room where ,jesus was1 c4 ,and ,i then really did design to speak to these ,miracles1 but upon ,consideration1 finding them most ludicrous ,subjects according to the ,letter1 ,i forbear it at present1 having no ,inclination to put the ,clergy quite out of all ,temper4 ,if any should say1 this is ,fear and ,cowardice in me1 ,i can't help it3 ,but1 for all that1 now ,i have the ,clergy in a tolerable good ,humour for ,liberty1 ,i'll endeavour to keep them in it1 and not disturb them by an hasty and unnecessary ,provocation of them4 ,who knows not1 that the ,clergy1 like an untamed ,colt1 that ,i have a mind to ride1 may be apt to winch and kick1 and may give me a ,fall before ,i come at the end of my ,journey1 to the ,disappointment of my ,readers8 ,they shall therefore be gently handled and stroak'd1 till they are a little more inur'd to the ,bit and ,saddle3 ,and for their ,sakes will ,i postpone such ,miracles as are most obnoxious to ,ridicule1 and at present chuse the aforesaid three1 that of almost any in the ,gospel may be most inoffensively treated on4 ,i begin then1 #a4 ,to speak to that ,miracle of ,jesus's#gi healing a ,woman diseased with an ,issue of ,blood1 twelve ,years4 ,to please our ,divines1 ,i will allow as much of the ,truth of the ,letter of this ,story1 as they can desire4 ,the ,fathers themselves1 who are for turning the whole ,history of ,jesus's ,life into ,allegory and ,mystery1 don't deny that a ,woman was cured of an ,hmorrhage1 after the ,manner that is here described by the ,evangelists4 ,st4 ,augustin says#hj of this ,miracle1 that it was done1 as it is related2 and ,i have a greater ,veneration for his ,authority1 than to gainsay it4 ,but for all that1 ,infidels may and will take into ,examination the nature of this ,miracle1 and if possible make little or nothing of it4 ,and if ,i do this for them1 it is not to do ,service to ,infidelity1 but to turn ,mens ,heads to the mystical ,use of it1 for which it is recorded4 ,as there is a particular ,narration of this ,miracle1 among the few others1 that are specified2 so ,reason should tell us1 that if the ,letter of the ,story of ,christ's ,miracles1 as our ,divines hold1 is only to be regarded1 this is one of the greatest that ,jesus wrought1 or it would not be related by itself1 but thrown into the ,lump of all manner of ,diseases1 which ,he heal'd4 ,and how then shall we come to the ,knowledge of the greatness of this ,miracle8 ,why1 there are but two ,ways to it1 and they are1 ,first1 ,by considering the nature of the ,disease1 or the lamentable ,condition of the ,patient before ,cure4 ,and ,secondly1 ,by considering the ,manner or ,means by which the ,cure was performed4 ,if one or both of these ,considerations don't manifest the ,certainty of a ,miracle1 ,infidels may conclude there was none in it4 ,first1 ,as to the nature of the ,disease of this ,woman1 we are much in the ,dark about it1 and very uncertain of what ,kind and ,degree it was4 ,st4 ,matthew writing of it1 says the ,woman was ,greek3 aimorroousa1 that is1 obnoxious to bleeding2 ,st4 ,mark and ,st4 ,luke say of her1 that ,greek3 ousa en reumate aimatos1 she was in an efflux or running of ,blood4 ,but neither one nor the other of the ,evangelists signify of what ,degree her ,hmorrhage was1 nor from what part of her ,body it proceeded1 nor how often or seldom she was addicted to it4 ,it might be1 for ought we know1 only a little bleeding at the ,nose1 that now and then she was subject to3 ,or it might be an obnoxiousness to an ,evacuation of ,blood by ,siege or ,urine3 ,or it was1 not improbably1 of the menstruous ,kind4 ,any of these might be the ,case of this ,woman for what's written2 and ,i don't find that any of our ,divines have determined of what sort it was4 ,but a great ,miracle is wrought1 they think1 in her ,cure1 without knowing the ,disease2 which ,infidels will say is asserted at ,random and without ,reason1 in as much as it is necessary to know the nature of the ,distemper1 or none truly and properly can say1 there was a great1 much less a miraculous ,cure wrought4 ,but supposing this ,hmorrhage proceeded from what ,part of the ,body our ,divines think fit2 ,how will they make a grievous ,distemper of it in order to a ,miracle8 ,the ,woman subsisted too long under her ,issue of ,blood1 and bore it too well1 for any to make her ,case very grievous4 ,beza#ha will have it1 that is was a constant and incessant ,effusion of ,blood that the ,woman labour'd with4 ,but this could not be1 nor was it possible1 as ,i suppose ,physicians will agree1 for ,nature to endure it so long1 or the ,woman to live twelve ,days1 much less twelve ,years under it4 ,no more then1 than some slight ,indisposition can reasonably and naturally be made of this ,woman's ,distemper4 ,and it would be well1 if ,infidels would rest here with their ,objections against it4 ,but what if they should say1 that this ,hmorrhage was rather of ,advantage to the ,health of the ,patient1 than of ,danger to her1 and that the ,woman was more nice than wise1 or she would never have sought so much for ,help and ,cure of it8 ,some ,hmorrhages are better kept open than stop'd and dry'd up2 and if ,infidels should say1 that this was a ,preservative of the ,life of the ,woman1 like an ,issue1 at which ,nature discharges itself of bad ,humours1 ,who can contradict them8 ,nay1 if they should say that ,jesus's ,cure of this ,woman's ,hmorrhage was a ,precipitation of her ,death1 for she died some time after it1 rather than a ,prolongation of her ,life1 for she lived twelve ,years under it1 and was of good ,strength1 when she applied to our ,saviour for ,cure1 or she could never have born the press of the ,people to come at him2 ,who can gainsay them8 ,it is true she was very sollicitous for a ,cure1 and uneasy under her ,distemper1 or she would never have spent all she had on ,physicians2 which is a ,sign1 some may say1 that her ,disease was grievous1 irksome1 and dangerous1 as well as incurable by ,art4 ,but ,infidels will say1 not so2 for there are some slight cutaneous ,distempers1 sometimes issuing with a little purulent and bloody ,matter1 that nice ,women will be at a great ,expence for ,relief1 and are always tampering1 and often advising about them1 though to no ,purpose3 ,and if they should say that this was the worth of the ,case of this ,woman1 ,who can disprove it8 ,in short then here is an uncertain ,distemper both in ,nature and ,degree2 how then can there be any ,certainty of a ,miracle in the ,cure of it8 ,mr4 ,moore1 the ,apothecary1 accurately describes the ,diseases he pretends to have cured2 and he is in the right on't so to do1 or he could not recommend his ,art1 and aggrandize his own ,fame4 ,so the ,bodily ,disease of this ,woman should have been clearly and fully represented to our ,understanding1 or we can form no ,conception of ,christ's ,power in the ,cure of it4 ,and ,i can't but think that the ,evangelists1 especially ,st4 ,luke the ,physician1 had made a better ,story of this ,woman's ,case1 if ,christ's ,authority and ,power had been to be urg'd from the ,letter of it4 ,it's enough to make us think1 ,christ cured no extraordinary and grievous ,maladies1 or the ,evangelists would never have instanced in this1 that so much ,exception is to be made to4 ,as then1 reasonably speaking1 there was no extraordinary ,disease in this ,woman cured1 and consequently no great ,miracle wrought2 so let us now1 ,secondly1 ,consider the ,manner of the ,cure1 and whether any ,miracle is to be thence proved4 ,the ,woman said within her self1#hb that if she could but touch the ,hem of ,jesus's ,garment1 she should be made whole4 ,and ,i can't but commend her1 at this distance of ,time1 for the ,power of her ,faith1 ,persuasion1 or ,imagination in the ,case1 which was a good ,preparative for ,relief1 and without which1 it's certain1 she had continued under her ,disease4 ,the ,power of ,imagination1 it's well known1 will work ,wonders1 see ,visions1 produce ,monsters1 and heal ,diseases1 as ,experience and ,history doth testify4 ,there being many ,instances to be given of ,cures performed by frivolous ,applications1 ,charms1 and ,spells1 which are unaccountable any other ,way1 than by the ,imagination of the ,patient4 ,against the ,reason and ,judgment of a ,physician1 sometimes the diseased will take his own ,medicines and ,benefit4 ,and ,i don't doubt1 but ,stories may be told of ,cures wrought1 the ,imagination of the ,patient helping1 by as mean a ,trifle1 as the ,touch of ,christ's ,garments1 and no ,miracle talk'd on for it4 ,even in the ordinary1 natural1 and rational ,use of ,physick1 it is requisite1 that the ,patient have a good ,opinion of his ,physician and of his ,medicines4 ,a good ,heart in the ,sick1 tends not only to his ,support1 but helps the ,operation of ,prescriptions4 ,as despair and dejection of ,mind sometimes kills1 where otherwise reasonably speaking1 proper ,medicines would cure2 so a good ,conceit in the ,patient at other times1 whether the ,medicines be pertinent or not1 is almost all in all4 ,and if ,infidels should say that this was the ,case of this ,woman in the ,gospel2 if they should say as ,st4 ,john of ,jerusalem#hc did1 that her own ,imagination cured herself2 and should urge the ,probability of it1 because ,jesus could do no ,cures and#hd ,miracles against ,unbelief1 ,who can help it8 ,in this ,case our ,divines must prove1 that this ,woman's ,hmorrhage was of that kind1 that no ,faith nor ,fancy in herself could help her without the ,divine ,power2 but this is impossible for them to do1 unless there had been a more certain ,description of her ,disease1 than the ,evangelists have given of it4 ,our ,divines will indeed tell us1 what ,i believe1 that it was the ,divine ,power co-operating with the ,faith and ,imagination of the ,woman that cured her2 because ,jesus says that ,virtue had gone out of him to the healing of her3 ,and ,i wish ,infidels would acquiesce here1 and not say1 that ,jesus's ,virtue hung very loose on him1 or the ,woman's ,faith1 like a ,fascination1 could never have extracted it against his ,will and ,knowledge3 ,but what if they should say1 that ,jesus1 being secretly appriz'd of the ,woman's ,faith1 and ,touch of him1 took the ,hint2 and to comfort and confirm her in her ,conceit1 and to help the ,cure forward1 said1 ,virtue was gone out of him8 ,this would be an untoward ,suggestion1 which if ,infidels should make1 our ,divines must look for a ,reply to it4 ,it is said of the ,pope1 when he was last at ,benevento1 that he wrought three ,miracles1 which our ,protestant ,clergy1 ,i dare say1 believe nothing at all of4 ,but1 for all that1 it is not improbable1 but that some diseased ,people1 considering their superstitious ,veneration for the ,pope1 and their ,opinion of the ,sanctity of the ,present1 might be persuaded of his ,gift of ,miracles1 and desirous of his ,exercise of it2 and if they fancyfully or actually received ,benefit by his ,touch1 ,i don't wonder1 without a ,miracle4 ,and what if we had been told of the ,popes curing an ,hmorrhage like this before us8 ,what would ,protestants have said to it8 ,why1 that a foolish1 credulous1 and superstitious ,woman had fancy'd herself cured of some slight ,indisposition2 and the crafty ,pope and his ,adherents1 aspiring after popular ,applause1 magnified the presumed ,cure into a ,miracle4 ,if they would have us ,protestants to believe the ,miracle1 they should have given us an exacter ,description of her ,disease1 and then we could better have judg'd of it4 ,the ,application of such a supposed ,story of a ,miracle wrought by the ,pope1 is easy2 and if ,infidels1 ,jews1 and ,mahometans who have no better ,opinion of ,jesus1 than we have of the ,pope1 should make it1 there's no ,help for it4 ,and thus have ,i made my ,descants on this supposed ,miracle before us and argued1 as much as ,i could1 against the ,miraculousness of it1 both from the ,nature of the ,disease1 and the ,manner of the ,cure of it4 ,whether any one shall think ,i have said any thing to the ,purpose or not1 is all one to me4 ,my ,design in what ,i have done1 is not to do ,service to ,infidelity1 but1 upon the ,command and ,encouragement of the ,fathers1 to turn ,mens ,thoughts to the mystical ,meaning of the said ,miracle1 which ,i come now to give an ,account of4 ,none of the ,fathers 7excepting ,st4 ,chrysostom#he1 who writes here more like an ,orator than a ,physician7 ever trouble themselves1 when they speak of this ,miracle1 about the ,nature of the ,disease1 literally1 in this ,woman1 or the greatness of the ,cure of it2 but alone bend their ,studies to the mystical ,interpretation1 for the sake of which1 this ,evangelical ,story was written1 and originally transacted4 ,accordingly1 they tell us that this ,woman is a ,type#hf of the ,church of the ,gentiles in after ,times4 ,and as to her ,hmorrhage or ,issue of ,blood1 they understand it of the#hg ,impurity and ,corruption of the ,church by ill ,principles and bad ,morals1 that the would flow with4 ,some of the ,fathers1 as#hh ,gregory ,nazianzen1 and#hi ,eusebius ,gallicanus1 will have the ,issue of ,blood to be a ,type of the scarlet ,sin of ,blood-guiltiness in the ,church3 ,if so1 we must understand it of the ,effusion of ,christian ,blood by ,war and ,persecution4 ,the twelve ,years of the ,woman's ,affliction with her ,hmorrhage is a typical ,number of the ,church's impure ,state for above twelve ,hundred ,years4 ,and whether some of the primitive ,church did not1 by the said twelve ,years of the ,woman1 understand twelve ,ages1 ,i appeal to#ij ,irenus1 to whom ,i refer my ,readers1 ,accordingly this typify'd ,woman of the ,church1 should be the same with the ,woman#ia in the ,wilderness1 that1 as ,st4 ,john says1 was twelve ,hundred and sixty ,days or ,years there sustained2 and by whom many ,protestants1 as well as the ,fathers1 understand the ,church universal4 ,when the said twelve ,hundred and sixty ,days or ,years of the ,church's being in the ,wilderness1 did commence or will end1 is none of my ,business to enquire or ascertain4 ,but as this ,woman in the ,gospel is said after twelve ,years ,affliction1 to be cured of her ,disease by ,jesus2 so it is the ,opinion of the ,fathers1 that the ,church universal1 after twelve ,hundred ,years of her ,wilderness ,state1 will be purified and sanctified by the ,gifts of the ,spirit of ,christ1 and enter upon a more holy1 peaceable1 and happy ,condition1 absolutely freed from her ,issue of ,blood1 which1 through ,persecution and ,war1 she has for many ,ages labour'd under4 ,it is not my ,concern to collect all the ,authorities of the ,fathers to this ,purpose2 but only say1 that if at the ,end of twelve ,hundred and sixty ,days or ,years1 the ,church1 like the ,woman1 be not cur'd of her ,hmorrhage and mystical ,wounds and ,sores2 if her present impure and unsound ,state be not chang'd into an holy1 healthy1 and peaceable one2 many good ,protestants1 as well as the ,fathers1 are mistaken1 and abundance of ,prophecies of the ,old and ,new ,testament1 that have been hereunto urged1 will lose their ,credit4 ,but who are meant by the ,physicians of the ,woman1 that have had the mystical ,hmorrhage and ,diseases of the ,church ,under ,cure all this while8 ,who should1 but pretended ,ministers1 of the ,gospel8 ,ministers of the ,gospel are not only by the ,fathers call'd metaphorically#ib spiritual ,physicians2 but our ,divines and ,preachers of all ,denominations like the ,metaphor1 and think themselves able ,physicians at the ,diseases of the ,church1 which they are forward to prescribe and apply ,medicines to1 whenever1 in their ,opinion1 she stands in need of them4 ,whether our ,divines like to be accounted the ,physicians of the ,text before us1 ,i much question2 but it is certain that#ic ,eusebius ,gallicanus expressly says1 that our ,divines and pretended ,philosophers are meant by them2 and venerable ,bede#id upon the ,place is of the same ,mind too4 ,the ,woman of the ,gospel is said#ie to suffer many ,things of many ,physicians1 and was nothing better'd1 but rather grew worse2 that is1 she grew worse not in time only1 but through the ,use of her ,physicians1 who were her#if ,tormentors4 ,so the ,diseases of the ,church in time have increased1 for all the ,use she has made of her spiritual ,physicians1 the ,clergy4 ,in every ,age has the ,church been degenerating in ,morals and ,principles1 as any one knows1 that is able to make an ,estimate of ,religion in times past2 and all along have her ecclesiastical ,quack ,doctors contributed to her ill ,state of ,health4 ,as many ,physicians with their different ,applications tormented the poor ,woman2 so our many ,empericks in ,theology with their different ,schemes of ,church ,government and various ,systems of ,divinity1 like so many ,prescriptions for ,cure1 have increased the ,divisions1 widen'd the ,wounds1 and inflamed the ,sores of the ,church4 ,and if the ,woman's ,issue of ,blood be1 according to the ,fathers1 a particular ,type of the ,blood of the ,church1 that is shed in ,persecution and ,war2 our ,theological ,pretenders to ,physick1 have been so far from providing and prescribing a good ,stiptic in this ,case that they have been the ,occasion of the ,effusion of much ,christian ,blood2 there having been many a ,war and ,persecution1 that these ,incision ,doctors1 who should be all ,balsam1 have been the ,cause of4 ,the ,woman spent all her ,living1 all her yearly ,income1 upon her ,physicians1 and as it seems to a bad ,purpose2 so very great and large ,revenues of the ,church1 are expended on her ecclesiastical ,doctors in spiritual ,physick3 ,and to what ,end and ,purpose8 ,why1 to open and widen the bleeding ,wounds of the ,church1 which they should heal and salve up4 ,it is now about twelve ,hundred ,years1 like the twelve ,years of the ,woman1 that the ,clergy1 our ,practitioners in ,theological ,physick1 have received of the ,church vast ,fees1 ,stipends and ,gratuities 7for before that time her ,doctors prescrib'd freely7 to take care of her ,health and ,welfare2 but unless ,god provide in due time a ,medicine of his own1 she is likely to continue in a diseased and sorrowful ,condition for all them4 ,one would think that the ,woman of the ,gospel might have had more ,wit than to lay out all she was worth upon ,physicians to no good ,purpose2 one would think that after some ,experience of their ,insufficiency to cure her1 she might have forborn seeing them1 and reserved the ,remains of her ,estate for better ,uses3 ,so the ,fees and ,revenues of the ,church1 after due ,experience of the ,inability of her spiritual ,doctors to heal her ,sores1 might have been in my ,opinion better employ'd1 and the ,church of ,christ more out of ,danger of ,wounds and ,sickness1 by ,sin and ,error4 ,certain it is1 that many an ,issue of ,blood1 through ,persecution and ,war1 had been prevented2 if such barbarous and blood thirsty ,doctors of ,ecclesiastical ,physick1 had never been so fee'd and hired to take care of the ,welfare of the ,church1 which1 for all their ,spiritual ,medicines1 will continue in a languishing ,condition1 till heal'd by the ,virtue and ,graces of the ,spirit of ,christ in his foresaid appointed ,time4 ,so much then to the mystical ,interpretation of the ,story of the ,cure of the ,issue of ,blood in this ,woman4 ,every minute ,circumstance of it is thus to be allegorized1 if need was4 ,whether the ,clergy will like this parabolical ,explication of it1 ,i neither know nor care4 ,they have their ,liberty with ,atheists and ,infidels to believe as little of it as they think fit2 and ,i hope they'll give me leave with the ,fathers of the ,church to believe as much of it as ,i please4 ,but whether they approve of this allegorical ,interpretation of this supposed ,miracle or not2 they must own1 that if the ,church1 after the foresaid twelve ,ages1 should be purified and sanctified2 if her ,errors and ,corruptions1 of which the ,woman's ,uncleanness is a ,type1 should be heal'd2 if ,war and ,persecution1 typified by her ,issue of ,blood1 should then entirely cease2 if all ,christians should then be united in ,principle1 ,heart and ,affection1 and made to walk in a peaceable and quiet ,state1 as the ,woman was#ig bid to go in ,peace2 if the ,church should then come behind ,jesus 7which#ih is a ,figure of future ,time7 and rightly touch by ,faith1 and apprehend his#ii ,garments or ,words of ,prophecy1 about which ,christians have hitherto been pressing and urgent2 and if the ,gifts of the ,spirit1 like ,virtue on the ,woman1 should then be poured forth upon the ,church to the absolute ,cure of her present ,diseases1 we must1 ,i say1 allow the ,story of this ,woman to be an admirable ,emblem and typical ,representation2 and the ,accomplishment of it most miraculous and stupendous2 and not only an indisputable ,proof of the ,power and ,presence of ,christ with his ,church1 but a ,demonstration of his ,messiahship1 in as much as an almost infinite ,number of ,prophecies of the ,old ,testament1 will thereupon receive that ,accomplishment1 which hitherto1 by no shadow of ,reason1 can be pretended to4 ,after such a mystical ,healing of the ,hmorrhage of the ,church1 there's no doubt on't1 but the ,story of this ,woman in the ,gospel will be allow'd to be typical and emblematical4 ,in the mean time1 without making a ,parable of the ,story of her1 ,i assert1 there is little or nothing of a ,miracle to be made of her ,cure1 unless we were at a greater ,certainty about the ,nature of her ,disease1 and the ,manner1 rationally speaking1 of ,jesus's healing of it4 ,and so ,i pass to the ,consideration of #b4 ,another ,story of a miraculous ,cure perform'd by ,jesus on another ,woman1 and that is on her1 who#ajj had a ,spirit of ,infirmity1 eighteen ,years1 and was bow'd together1 and could in no wise lift up herself----being bound of ,satan1 c4 ,this too1 as ,i suppose1 is with our ,divines a great ,miracle1 and one of the greatest that ,jesus wrought1 or it had not been specify'd1 but cast indiscriminately into the ,number of all manner of ,diseases1 which he heal'd4 ,and for the sake of the ,letter1 and to please our ,divines1 whom ,i would not offend wilfully1 ,i will allow1 that ,jesus might lay his ,hands on1 and speak comfortably to such a drooping1 stooping1 and vaporous ,woman1 full of ,fancies of the ,devil's ,temptation and ,power over her2 and she might thereupon recover1 and be afterwards of a more cheerful ,heart1 and erect ,countenance1 freed from the whimsical ,imagination of being ,satan-ridden3 ,and what of all that8 ,where's the ,miracle8 ,if the ,story of such a ,miracle had been related of any ,impostor in ,religion1 of an ,arch-,heretick1 or ,popish ,exorcist1 our ,divines would have flouted at it2 they would have told us1 there was nothing supernatural and uncommon in the ,event1 nor any thing at all to be wonder'd at in it4 ,taking the ,devil out of this ,story1 and there's no more in it1 than what's common for a simple1 melancholy1 and drooping ,woman1 to be chear'd and elated upon the comfortable ,advice and ,admonition of a reputedly wise and good ,man4 ,and the putting the ,devil into the ,story1 in another ,case1 our ,divines would have said was only the ,fancy of the ,woman1 or the ,device of the ,miracle-,monger1 to magnify his own ,art and ,power4 ,and if ,infidels1 ,jews1 and ,mahometans1 should say so of this ,story of ,jesus1 they would be no more unreasonable in their ,conjectures and ,solutions of this ,miracle1 than we should have been in another and parallel ,case4 ,the ,pope1 when last at ,benevento1 is said to have exorciz'd a ,dmon out of a young ,maid1 which our ,divines no more believe than ,infidels do4 ,but it is not at all impossible or improbable1 that a young ,woman might be troubled with ,vapours1 and go droopingly upon it1 whom the holy ,father1 of whose ,prayers and ,sanctity she had a good ,opinion1 might relieve with his ,talk1 and give another ,turn to her ,thoughts and ,temper3 ,and if she fancy'd herself before possess'd with a ,dmon1 or rather1 if the ,pope's ,partizans persuaded her so1 it's not unlikely to make a ,miracle on't4 ,just so may ,infidels1 with their ,descants on this ,miracle before us1 reduce and lessen it3 ,and what must we ,believers do then8 ,why1 we must find out a ,way to ascertain the ,truth and ,greatness of the ,miracle1 or give it up4 ,we must determine certainly what was the ,woman's ,distemper1 and how the ,cure of it by ordinary ,means was impossible1 or make no more ,words about it4 ,and how can we come at the ,knowledge of this ,woman's ,disease1 but by the original ,words of the ,evangelist4 ,st4 ,luke says1 she was one ,greek3 pneuma echousa astheneias1 that had a ,spirit of ,weakness1 that is1 was poor-,spirited and pusilanimous2 and if she was ,greek3 synkyptousa1 bow'd down upon't1 its no more than might be expected of a disconsolate1 melancholy and dejected ,person4 ,here then is the ,disease of the ,woman3 ,if it had been worse1 ,st4 ,luke1 the ,physician1 if he was of ,sufficiency in his ,art1 should better have express'd himself2 so as to give us another ,conception of it4 ,and if ,satan had not been brought into the ,tale1 whom it is easy1 by reasoning as above1 to exorcise out of it1 here is a no more grievous ,distemper1 than what upon the comfortable ,exhortations of a wise ,man may be cured4 ,and do what our ,divines can1 they can make literally no more of this ,story4 ,it is said1 that for eighteen ,years the ,woman labour'd under this ,disease4 ,and she might be hippish and drooping for a longer time1 and be no less easily at last cured4 ,it's pity the ,evangelist had not told us how old this ,woman was1 when the ,distemper first seiz'd her2 then we could have made better ,conjectures about the ,nature and ,cure of it4 ,if there was any room to suppose1 either from the ,words of ,scripture or extra-scriptural ,history1 that she was about fifty or sixty1 when she first began to droop and the ,devil got upon her ,back2 here had been ,scope for a most stupendous ,miracle2 and our ,divines might have asserted1 what no ,body could have contradicted1 that ,jesus had made an old ,woman1 who was bow'd down1 not only under the ,weight of ,satan1 but under the ,burthen of seventy or eighty ,years1 young again2 and had restored her to the ,health1 ,vigor1 and ,beauty of one of fifteen4 ,here would have been a mighty ,miracle indeed4 ,and ,i don't doubt1 but our ,divines would willingly get into such a ,notion of this ,miracle1 and would heartily espouse it1 but for the ,offence they must needs give to decrepid old ,women1 who may be out of ,conceit with themselves upon it1 as if they carried the ,devil on their ,shoulders1 as the ,cause of their ,decripedness and ,incurvity4 ,and such an ,offence would be of ill ,consequence4 ,reasonably then speaking1 there was not much in the ,disease and ,cure of this ,woman4 ,excepting that ,part1 which ,satan bears1 in the ,story1 there is nothing wonderful in it4 ,and supposing ,jesus might exorcise the ,devil out of this ,woman1 or dismount him from off her ,shoulders2 yet even this makes nothing for his ,divine ,power and ,authority1 in as much as many ,exorcists among the ,jews and even among ,papists1 if ,protestants had not more ,wit than to believe it1 could do as much4 ,and after all1 ,i don't believe the ,evangelist intended1 that our ,saviour should be had in ,admiration for the ,letter of this ,miracle1 or ,st4 ,luke would accurately have described the ,disease1 so as to put it out of the ,power of ,nature and ,art to heal it1 and of the ,wit of ,infidels to cavil at the miraculous ,cure of it4 ,neither do ,i find that the ,fathers of the ,church ever trouble themselves about the ,letter of this ,story1 which is some ,argument1 that no great ,heed is to be given to it2 but are only curious about the ,mystery1 for which this ,miracle was related1 and which ,i come now to give an ,account of4 ,as the ,fathers said of the ,woman with her ,issue of ,blood1 that she was a ,type of the ,church2 so they say of this ,woman with her ,spirit of ,infirmity1 that she is a#aja ,figure of the ,church too4 ,as the ,woman was bow'd together2 so the ,church1 as the ,fathers do interpret1 may be said to be#ajb bow'd down to the ,earth1 when she is prone and bent to1 and intent on the literal or earthly ,interpretations of the ,scriptures2 and can in no wise lift up her self1 like the ,woman1 that is1 can't raise her ,thoughts to the ,contemplation of the clestial1 spiritual1 and sublime ,sense of them4 ,hence we see the ,propriety of the ,name of the ,woman's ,disease1 call'd ,greek3 pneuma astheneias1 a ,spirit of ,weakness1 which is not properly significative of any bodily ,distemper1 but succinctly is very expressive of the ,church's ,weakness at the ,spirit of ,prophecy1 which at this ,day she labours under4 ,as it was eighteen ,years that the ,woman was griev'd with her ,spirit of ,infirmity1 for so long had her ,distemper been growing on her2 so it is almost eighteen 7hundred7 ,years1 or the eighteenth ,century of ,years1 that this ,infirmity of the ,church at the ,spirit of ,prophecy has been coming on her3 ,and she is now so bent to the ,earth of the ,letter1 that nothing less than the ,hand and ,power of ,jesus1 that erected the ,woman1 can raise her to mystical1 divine1 and sublime ,contemplations on the ,law and ,prophets4 ,st4 ,augustin#ajc will have these eighteen ,years of the ,woman's ,infirmity1 as she is a ,type of the ,church1 to be synchronical with the#ajd three ,years of the ,fig-,tree's ,unfruitfulness4 ,i don't rightly apprehend his mystical ,arithmetic4 ,but this is certain1 upon the ,authority of the ,fathers1 that those two ,numbers1 with the twelve ,years of the ,woman's ,issue of ,blood1 are all conterminous and will end together3 ,consequently at the same time1 that the ,woman of the ,church will be cured of her ,issue of ,blood1 she will be heal'd of her ,infirmity at the ,spirit of ,prophecy2 that is1 at the ,conclusion of certain grand ,periods of ,time she will enter upon a blessed ,state of ,peace and ,vision2 which is the concurrent ,doctrine of the ,fathers1 as any one may discern1 that has dip'd into them1 and is a good ,confirmation of our present ,exposition1 and mystical ,application of the miraculous ,story before us4 ,st4 ,luke says1 that the ,woman could not lift up herself ,greek3 eis to panteles1 v4 #aa4 which1 without animadverting on our ,english ,translation1 should be rendered1 until all was perfected1 or until the ,perfection of ,time1 which1 the ,apostle#aje and the ,fathers agree1 is the ,time for the ,church to be cured of her ,weakness1 and to be endu'd with ,power at the ,spirit of ,prophecy4 ,as the ,woman was heal'd by ,jesus on the ,sabbath-,day2 so the ,church1 upon the ample ,authorities of the ,fathers1 which ,men of ,reading will excuse me the ,production of1 is certainly to be heal'd of her spiritual ,infirmity1 at the ,understanding of ,prophecy against the mystical and#ajf grand ,sabbath1 which1 according to the ,fathers1 commences at the ,expiration of her eighteen 7hundred7 ,years ,weakness4 ,but the ,ruler of the ,synagogue is said to be moved with ,indignation1 v4 #ad4 at this charitable ,work of ,jesus1 in healing of the ,woman1 because it was done on the ,sabbath-,day2 which in my ,opinion can't be literally true3 ,though ,i am willing enough1 to please our ,divines1 to allow as much as may be of the ,letter of this ,story1 yet ,i except against this ,part of it4 ,origen says1 there are some things of the ,gospel related as ,facts1 which were not done2 and ,i believe this of the ,ruler of the ,synagogue to be one of them4 ,human ,nature1 ,i think1 is not capable of such base and unnatural ,resentment4 ,works of ,necessity1 and requisite ,offices of ,kindness and ,charity to ,man and ,beast1 were allow'd by the ,law1 and practised by the ,jews on the ,sabbath3 ,and the ,cure of this ,woman1 though on the ,sabbath-,day1 was such an ,act of ,beneficence and ,compassion in the ,holy ,jesus1 that ,i can't but think bad1 as well as good ,men1 would rather glorify ,god1 that had given such ,power unto ,man1 than find fault with it4 ,but in the ,mystery of this ,part of the ,story1 there is clear ,sense and ,truth4 ,who then is this ,archisynagogus1 or ,ruler of the ,synagogue1 that will be full of ,indignation at the healing of the ,church of her foresaid ,infirmity at the ,spirit of ,prophecy8 ,origen says that the#ajg right ,interpretation of the ,names of ,persons and ,places in ,scripture is of good ,use to the mystical ,application4 ,accordingly ,archisynagogus does signify the ,chiefs of our ,congregations3 ,and who should they be then but the ,clergy8 ,and if this ben't enough to fix this ,name and ,character upon them1 then let ,theophanes ,cerameus speak here1 who says1 that the ,archisynagogus1 is a#ajh ,type of all ,priests1 who will be against the foresaid miraculous healing of the ,church4 ,and why will the ,clergy be mov'd 'with ,indignation at the curing the ,church of her ,infirm1 and restoring her to a sound ,spirit of ,prophecy8 ,because as ,st4 ,augustin says1#aji they are not only bow'd down to the ,letter themselves2 but because this ,infirmity of the ,church will be a ,reproach to them1 in as much as it is a ,proof of their ,apostacy and ,insufficiency at ,prophecy2 and the ,cure of it will be attended with such ,consequences1 as affect their ,reputation and ,interests4 ,who can question but the ,clergy1 who are the ,archisynagogus of the ,text1 and who are for the ,church's bending and stooping to the low ,sense of the ,letter of the ,scripture1 will be averse to her being rais'd1 lifted up1 and erected to the ,contemplation of the sublime1 anagogical1 and heavenly ,sense of it8 ,such an ,healing and ,erection of the ,church will vex them at the ,heart1 as it will bring ,shame and loss of ,interest along with it2 and they will undoubtedly be ,adversaries to this good ,work of ,christ1 which1 upon the ,testimony of all ,antiquity1 is to be done on or against the ,evangelical and great ,sabbath4 ,our ,saviour is supposed to reprove the ,ruler of the ,synagogue1 for his ,indignation at the ,cure of the ,woman on the ,sabbath-,day1 saying1 v4 #ae4 ,thou ,hypocrite1 doth not each one of you on the ,sabbath loose his ,ox or his ,ass from the ,stall1 and lead him away to ,watering8 ,and ought not this ,woman to be loos'd from this ,bond on the ,sabbath-,day8 ,there is ,force in this ,argument according to the ,letter3 ,and the ,ruler of the ,synagogue1 and other ,jesus's ,adversaries hereupon1 might well be asham'd for finding ,fault with such a merciful and beneficent ,work done on the ,sabbath2 when they themselves did ,works on the ,sabbath of much less ,consequence4 ,but to#aaj the ,mystery4 ,what may be said to our ,ministers of the ,letter1 of whom the ,archisynagogus is a ,type1 for their ,averseness to the healing of the ,church in like manner8 ,why1 that they are ,hypocrites1 that is1 superficial ,criticks on the ,scriptures1 and don't consider that the ,law is spiritual1 and how against the ,evangelical ,sabbath every ,man is to be released from his ,bondage and ,servility to irrational ,principles 7for which he has been like an ,ox and an ,ass7 and to be conducted to drink of the ,waters of ,divine ,wisdom3 ,for this grand ,sabbath will be a ,day of absolute ,liberty1 perfect ,rest1 immense ,knowledge1 real ,vision and ,contemplation on ,god and his ,providence1 as the antient ,jews and ,fathers so copiously declare1 that they who are ignorant herein1 may be ashamed2 consequently they might know1 that the ,church is to be cured of her ,spirit of ,weakness at ,prophecy on that ,day4 ,but ,satan is said to have v4 #af4 bound1 and1 as is supposed1 bow'd down this ,woman2 the literal ,truth of which ,i much question3 ,but how then has ,satan bound and bow'd down the ,church8 ,this1 seemingly1 is the great ,difficulty in the mystical ,application of this ,story1 and must be the great ,curiosity of my ,readers to know how ,i will account for it4 ,if the ,fathers don't help me out at this dead ,lift1 and that clearly and intelligibly too1 ,i shall abate of my ,veneration for them4 ,if they don't tell me1 and make me to apprehend1 what this ,satan is1 that for many ,ages has bound and oppress'd the ,church after the supposed ,manner of the typical ,woman1 ,i had better have held my ,peace1 and said nothing to this parabolical ,miracle4 ,the ,writings of the ,evangelists so abound with ,stories of ,satan1 ,belzebub1 the ,devil1 and of greater and less ,number of ,devils1 and of ,dmons and of unclean ,spirits1 more than any ,histories before1 as one would think1 if these ,stories were literally to be understood1 that was the ,age in which ,christ came1 that ,hell first broke loose1 and then primarily infested ,mankind2 and that upon the ,destruction of ,juda and ,propagation of the ,gospel1 the ,devils accompanied the ,jews in their ,dispersion1 or the ,apostles in their ,travels1 and have been the ,tempters1 ,seducers1 and ,tormentors of other ,nations ever since4 ,arnobius#aaa says1 ,that before ,christ1 ,devils were things unknown to the ,world2 by which ,arnobius must mean1 either that they were hardly talk'd of before1 or that their ,nature was not understood1 till ,christ inform'd us of it4 ,in both these ,senses1 ,i believe1 ,arnobius may be taken1 viz4 that there was not only little ,talk of ,satan and the ,devil1 but less of his ,nature apprehended1 before ,christ by his ,parables and parabolical ,miracles1 rightly interpreted1 instructed us in it4 ,and if after ,ages have departed from the true and original ,doctrine of ,devils1 making a literal ,story of that1 which is only mystical and cabalistical2 and have formed to themselves ,ideas of hideous and horrible ,fiends1 ,mormos and ,hobgoblins1 it shall not disturb me4 ,as to the ,place and ,state of ,hell1 many are the ,notions of ,divines of several ,ages past1 as well as of the present4 ,i shall not recount them all here1 much less refute any of them4 ,but there is an antient1 rational1 and cabalistical ,notion of ,hell1 which ,i have learned of the ,fathers1 who signify1 that the babylonish and bewilder'd ,state of ,christ's ,church may be call'd ,hell1 because1 as the ,word ,greek3 ads does import1 it is a ,state without ,vision4 ,hence ,origen says1#aab that whoever can form to himself an ,idea of the ,church in time to come1 when she will be dignified with the ,title of the ,new ,jerusalem1 for her ,peace and ,vision may understand what is meant by ,hell1 and all that is written of it4 ,as then the ,fathers had a cabalistical ,notion of ,hell1 which modern ,divines are ,strangers to2 so they had of ,satan1 and the ,devil and his ,angels4 ,i own myself at a ,loss for an express ,testimony out of the ,fathers about ,satan in the ,text before us2 but according to their ,explications of ,satan in other ,places1 nothing more is meant by him here than1 ,that furious ,principle and ,temper in ,man that is not only averse to ,liberty in ,religion1 but for binding1 restraining1 and tying down the ,church and ,christian ,people to certain ,opinions and ,ways of ,worship4 ,in such a ,state of ,bondage has the ,woman of the ,church been kept1 by such a ,satan1 in one ,order of ,men or other1 for all ,ages past4 ,and that this is a right and primitive ,notion of ,satan1 ,i could prove by ,authorities enough4 ,origen tells us#aac of the ,names of ,kings in prophetical ,scripture1 which would be ,enemies to ,christ's ,church2 but such ,kings never did1 nor would personally exist2 their ,names1 according to ,interpretation1 standing only for so many ,sins and ,vices1 reigning in ,mankind4 ,to the same ,purpose he says#aad human ,vices are ,devils3 ,and ,satan himself1 7as the ,word signifies ,adversary7 is with him#aae and the antient ,jews too1 no other than an ,aversness in ,man to the ,will of ,god4 ,i could quote other ,fathers to this ,purpose2 but being sparing of my ,pains at present1 ,i refer my ,readers to my former#aaf ,discourse1 in which they will see the ,opinion of the ,fathers about the ,devils in the ,madman1 and afterwards in the ,herd of ,swine2 from which let them judge1 whether the ,fathers could have any other ,notion of ,satan here1 than what ,i have represented4 ,it is certain1 and may be easily prov'd1 that by ,satan1 the ,dragon and the ,devil1 mentioned in the ,revelations1 nothing more is to be understood1 than a furious1 persecuting1 satanical1 and diabolical ,temper in ,man2 and if what ,st4 ,john writes of ,satan be cabalistical and allegorical2 the other ,assertions of the ,evangelists and ,apostles about him will of ,course come under that ,denomination2 or the primitive ,rule of ,interpretation of ,scripture according to the natural ,signification of the ,names of ,persons and ,places is not good4 ,as then the ,woman of the ,gospel was1 as is supposed1 v4 #af4 bound by ,satan1 loe1 for eighteen ,years3 ,so the foresaid furious ,principle in ,man1 which is a mystical ,satan1 an ,adversary to ,liberty1 has bound the ,church1 loe1 to the eighteenth ,century of ,years3 ,but she is to be entirely released from this spiritual ,bondage1 and set at#aag perfect ,liberty against the acceptable and ,evangelical ,sabbath4 ,and here it is to be noted out of ,st4 ,augustin1 and most worthy of ,observation it is1 that at the#aah same time1 in which the ,church will be loosed from her ,bondage2 ,satan himself will#aai be bound and chain'd for a#abj thousand ,years1 the time of the evangelical ,sabbath1 that is1 says ,ephrm ,syrus#aba for ever4 ,and how will our mystical ,satan or the ,dragon be bound and chain'd8 ,not with ,chains or ,links of ,iron or other ,metal2 but ,vinculis ,rationis1 with the ,chains of ,reasons and ,arguments for ,christian ,liberty1 which will restrain the ,adversary1 ,satan1 from any more ,impositions and ,persecutions of the ,church4 ,and ,i can't here but applaud the great ,mr4 ,grounds and ,mr4 ,scheme1 for their ,work and ,labour of ,love to ,mankind1 in making ,chains of ,argumentations for ,liberty1 which ,i hope will prove of sufficient ,strength to bind ,satan and restrain him 7in ,dr4 ,rogers1 ,bishop ,g--bs--n1 and others his ,angels7 from giving any more ,molestation to ,christian ,philosophers in their ,enquiries after1 and ,lucubrations on ,divine ,truth4 ,all the ,honour that ,i aim at in that ,work is1 by the ,help of the ,fathers1 to point out that anti-,christian ,principle or ,temper in the ,clergy#abb which1 for its ,averseness to ,liberty1 is called ,satan2 for its ,calumnies1 is called the ,devil2 for its ,furiousness1 is called the ,dragon2 and for its ,unreasonableness1 is called the ,beast1 to the intellectual ,views of ,mankind1 and to direct them how to apprehend and lay hold on it4 ,our ,saviour1 according to ,origen1 had never call'd ,peter1#abc ,satan1 if ,satan had been any ,thing else than ,man-averse to the ,will of ,god4 ,and thus have ,i spoken to the ,miracle of ,jesus's healing the ,woman of her ,spirit of ,infirmity1 whom ,satan had bound and bow'd down1 which1 according to the ,letter1 is no ,miracle at all2 and some ,parts of the ,story are improbable and incredible2 but the mystical ,completion of it will be most prodigious1 and a ,demonstration not only of ,christ's ,power and ,presence in his ,church1 but of his ,messiahship1 in as much as a vast ,number of ,prophecies of the ,old ,testament1 more than can soon be collated to this ,purpose1 will thereupon receive their ,accomplishment4 ,and so ,i come to a #c4 ,third miraculous ,story of ,jesus's1 that is of his telling 7,john iv47 the ,woman of ,samaria her ,fortune1 of having had five ,husbands1 and being then an ,adulteress1 c4 in which there is a notable ,miracle display'd1 in the ,opinion of our ,divines1 that proves ,jesus's ,omniscience1 or he could not so have search'd into the ,heart of this ,woman1 and told her such ,occurrences1 that concern'd her ,life past4 ,i thought once of transcribing here entirely this ,story2 and so ,i would1 but that it is a long one1 and might have set some ,readers1 who are by this time awaken'd to pry into the ,absurdities of the ,letter1 a laughing1 before ,i had time my self regularly to animadvert on it4 ,whether there was any ,truth at all in the ,letter of this ,story1 ,i should much have questioned1 but that some ,fathers write of it1 as if they believed it literally1 tho' they make a mystical and allegorical ,explication of the whole and every part of it4 ,and ,i1 having a sincere ,veneration for the ,fathers1 will not contradict them1 7and ,i hope this ,concession will please the ,clergy7 but1 for all that1 can't like any part of this ,story literally1 but could almost wish1 that the ,fathers1 for the ,honour of ,jesus1 had made the whole no other than a ,parable4 ,it's strange that no ,jews or ,infidels have as yet ludicrously treated this ,story to the1 almost1 ,confutation of our ,religion4 ,if their ,tongues had not been ty'd by the aforesaid ,satan or ,adversary to ,liberty1 ,i can't think but they must have made some pleasant ,animadversions upon it before now4 ,if such a broken1 elliptical1 and absurd ,tale had been told of any other ,impostor in ,religion2 the ,wits of our ,clergy had been at ,work to expose it plentifully2 and indeed there's no need of much ,wit to make this ,tale nauseous and ridiculous to vulgar ,understandings4 ,i shall not myself here make all the ,remarks ,i can to the ,disadvantage of this ,story3 ,i am not as yet so disposed to make ,scoffers and ,infidels laugh at the ,clergy for their ,adherence to the ,letter of it4 ,all ,i shall do now1 is to make my ,observations on the two ,uses1 that the ,clergy very seriously put this ,story to1 and they are1 ,first1 to prove the ,expectation that there was amongst the ,samaritans1 of a ,messiah to come2 ,and ,secondly1 to prove ,jesus's ,omniscience1 or he could not have entered into the ,heart of the ,woman1 and told her1 that she had had five ,husbands1 and was then an ,adulteress4 ,to these two ,purposes1 ,i find this ,story urged by our ,divines1 and ,i must needs say1 as to the ,first of them2 it is rightly from hence asserted by the#abd ,bishop of ,lichfield and others1 that the ,samaritans had an ,expectation of a ,messiah3 ,but why then did not the ,bishop and others1 who are now in ,quest after ,arguments of ,jesus's ,messiahship1 prove him hence to be the ,messiah1 because he told the ,samaritan woman her ,fortune8 ,if this was a real and substantial ,argument to her of ,jesus's ,messiahship1 it ought to be urg'd by the ,clergy at this ,day4 ,the ,controversy about ,jesus's ,messiahship is now on foot2 ,why do the ,advocates for it overlook this ,proof of it8 ,why1 because1 as ,i suppose1 they are aware1 that ,infidels would make sport with it4 ,but if ,jesus's telling the ,woman her ,fortune was no real and conclusive ,argument of his being the ,messiah2 ,st4 ,john has told us an impertinent ,tale of a simple ,woman1 upon whose ,credulity and false ,notions ,jesus palm'd himself as the true ,messiah2 and whether he did not ill thus to banter and deceive the ,woman1 let any one judge4 ,but let us here behold the ,difference amongst the ,jews and ,samaritans1 as to the ,expectation of a ,messiah4 ,some of the old ,jews1 like the ,apostles1 expected the ,messiah would be a temporal ,prince1 a great ,warriour and ,conqueror of the ,world4 ,others#abe of them1 like the ,fathers1 expected he would be a ,prophet like ,moses in all ,things1 and deliver his ,people out of another ,egypt3 ,but here the ,samaritans expected he would be a ,conjurer and ,fortune-,teller2 or there is no ,sense in what the ,woman said to the ,men of the ,city1 v4 #bi4 ,come and see a ,man that has told me all that ,i have done1 particularly my ,fortune of having had five ,husbands1 and being now an ,adulteress1 ,is not this the ,christ8 ,what could she mean1 but that the ,messiah would be a strolling ,fortune-,teller1 to inform ,people of the ,events of their ,lives past and to come8 ,and ,jesus to humour the ,woman in her ,conception of himself and of the ,messiah1 says to her1 v4 #bf4 ,i that speak unto thee1 am ,he4 ,whether our ,divines like ,jesus the better for this ,story of him literally1 ,i can't tell2 but ,i am sure they dislike the ,fortune-telling ,trade at this ,day in others1 and believe it to be all ,fraud1 and are for punishing strolling ,gypsys for ,cheats1 who practice it2 and in the last ,age were intent on the#abf ,prosecution of judicial ,astrologers1 who pretended to it3 ,and if antient ,history had furnish'd us with an ,instance of the ,punishment of a pretended ,fortune-,teller in the ,reign of ,tiberius1 they could not have found ,fault with it4 ,whether any ,accusations were laid against ,jesus for such his ,delusions of the ,people1 we know not4 ,evangelical ,history is silent1 or the ,evangelists have prudently suppressed it4 ,but ,i much wonder1 that our ,gypsys1 from this ,story1 don't account themselves the genuine ,disciples of ,jesus1 being endu'd with the like ,gifts and exercising no worse ,arts1 than he himself practised4 ,if the ,samaritans did not expect the ,messiah would be a ,fortune-,teller2 how came the ,thought into the ,woman's ,head1 that ,jesus was the ,messiah1 because he had told her1 her ,fortune8 ,what can our ,divines say to it8 ,why1 they must either say1 that his telling the ,woman her ,fortune was a real ,proof of his ,messiahship2 or that the ,woman was foolish and credulous1 and drew a false ,conclusion2 and if she had not been an impudent and graceless ,whore1 would have gone away blushing1 and never have divulg'd1 as the ,text supposes she did1 her ,shame to the ,men of ,sychar1 who too had but little ,wit1 or they had never stir'd from their ,homes1 to see such a ,fortune-,teller upon the ,report of a poor ,whore4 ,but the ,men of the ,city had their ,fortunes too told them by ,jesus1 and they concluded him to be the ,messiah upon it2 or there is no ,sense in what they v4 #db4 said to the ,woman1 ,now we believe not because of thy ,saying1 for we have heard him ourselves1 and know that this is indeed the ,christ3 ,what could they hear1 but their ,fortunes1 as the ,woman had before8 ,and if ,jesus1 whose ,ability at all fair ,questions in the magic ,art ,i don't question1 did tell them their ,fortunes2 ,i hope he had more ,prudence than to talk to them in common of their ,fornications and ,adulteries1 which might occasion domestick ,jarrs1 and the ,breach of good ,neighbourhood amongst them2 but if he directed any of them to find their lost ,cattle1 and help'd them again to their stolen ,goods1 he did well1 and they alone did amiss1 to conclude thereupon1 that he was indeed the ,christ4 ,let our ,divines now judge whether ,i have not made a natural and excellent ,comment on this part of the ,story1 which relates to the ,expectation and ,opinion1 which the ,samaritans had of a ,messiah to come4 ,but1 ,secondly1 ,from this ,story literally our ,divines prove ,jesus's#abg ,omniscience2 and ,cardiognostick ,power to tell what was in the ,hearts and ,thoughts of ,man4 ,but how so8 ,is it because he told a ,woman1 that she was an ,adulteress1 and had had five ,husbands8 ,where's the ,consequence8 ,duncan ,campbel1 and other ,moorfields-judicial-,astrologers have done greater ,feats at ,conjuration than this1 and never were thought to be ,omniscient4 ,and for any ,thing appears in this ,story of our ,saviour1 it might be all ,cheat and ,fraud in him4 ,if ,infidels should assert it1 our ,divines could not disprove it4 ,if they should say1 it was possible for ,jesus to get ,intimations of these and other ,circumstances of the ,woman's ,life1 before he attempted to tell her1 her ,fortune2 we can't say1 that this is an impious and unreasonable ,suggestion1 since it is the common ,subtilty of delusive ,fortune-,tellers1 to get what ,intelligence they can by ,insinuations and ,informations1 before they utter their ,oracles1 and ambiguous ,responses to simple poor ,folks4 ,and there is one ,circumstance in this ,story1 that looks very ill upon ,jesus1 and is enough to make him suspected for a ,cheat in his pretended ,art1 and that is1 he seems to draw the ,woman in by a#abh ,wile to hear her ,fortune1 saying to her1 v4 #af4 ,woman go1 call thy ,husband2 upon whose denying she had any ,husband1 ,jesus was forward1 very forward to surprize her with his ,knowledge of her having had five ,husbands1 and living then in ,adultery2 which raising the silly ,woman's ,admiration of his prophetick and soothsaying ,talent1 he closes with her ,conceptions1 and what upon other ,occasions1 before wiser ,people1 he was#abi backward to own1 says to her1 that he was the ,messiah2 and so he pass'd for the ,messiah with her and the ,men of ,sychar1 who had no more ,wit than to receive him for such1 upon such ,proof1 and gave him ,entertainment for no less than v4 #dj4 two ,days4 ,i am glad we hear of no ,money1 he squeez'd out of them for the exercise of his prophetick ,art1 which our ,divines would have made an ,argument of their ,divine ,right to ,tythes1 ,fees1 and ,stipends for their ,divinations4 ,but no more of this silly ,story according to the ,letter4 ,to point at it is enough to expose it to the considerate and unprejudiced4 ,i could not help saying so much as ,i have2 because it is necessary to form some ,invective against the ,letter1 to make way for the ,reception of the mystical and allegorical ,interpretation of it1 which ,i am now to speak to4 ,tho' the ,fathers1 against whose ,authority ,i dare not write1 or ,i should be tempted to it in this ,case1 acknowledge the ,letter of this ,story1 suspecting only some#acj particular ,passages of it2 yet they look upon the whole1 for all that1 as a#aca typical ,narration1 and endeavour at the mystical ,construction of all and every part of it4 ,st4 ,augustin1 as if he was afraid some ,christians of after ,times should espouse1 as our ,divines do1 only the ,letter1 prefaces his ,exposition of this ,story with these ,words1 saying1#acb ,there are mysteries in all the ,sayings and ,actions of our ,saviour1 particularly in the ,story of the ,woman of ,samaria1 and whoever carelesly and imprudently 7meaning literally7 interprets it1 will advance erroneous and pernicious ,doctrine2 which1 if modern ,commentators had any ,regard for the ,authority of ,st4 ,augustin1 is enough to deter them from their literal ,expositions4 ,the most literal ,interpreter among the ,fathers1 whom ,i know of1 is ,st4 ,cyril1 and he says#acc there is a ,type and ,parable in this ,story4 ,but to descend to ,particulars4 ,by the ,woman of ,samaria is to be understood an#acd ,heretical and ,adulterous ,church1 which ,jesus1 being wearied with her#ace corrupt ,state1 will meet with in the sixth ,hour1 that is in#acf the sixth grand ,age of the ,world4 ,so1 by the ,by1 according to the ,fathers1 ,jesus will come to1 and meet with the ,samaritan ,church to her ,edification1 at the same time1 that he cures the ,church of her ,issue of ,blood and ,spirit of ,infirmity4 ,and where did ,jesus meet with the ,woman of ,samaria8 ,at ,jacob's ,well1 where she was for ,water to quench ,thirst3 ,so at the#acg ,well of the ,holy ,scriptures1 whose ,sense lies deep as in a ,well1 and flows with ,knowledge as with ,water1 will ,christ then find his ,church1 drawing and drinking of the#ach ,waters of the ,letter1 which could not quench the ,thirst of the ,soul hitherto3 ,but in the ,perfection of ,time1 signified by the sixth ,hour1 will ,christ1 according to the ,fathers1 enable her to draw out of this ,well of the ,profundity of the ,scriptures1 spiritual ,waters of ,divine ,knowledge1 which will daily more and more1 like the ,fountains of the ,waters of ,life1 arise and flow in upon the ,soul1 and constantly recreate and refresh her with ,wisdom1 to her ,delight and ,satisfaction2 so as she may be said never to thirst more1 after the ,manner she does now4 ,and ,jesus then told the ,woman of ,samaria1 all that she had done3 ,so will ,christ in the sixth ,hour1 that is1 towards the latter ,end of the sixth ,age of the ,world1 give the ,woman of the ,church to understand all that she has done1 according to the ,writings of ,moses and the ,prophets1 who1 upon the ,testimony of the ,fathers1 have written a prophetical ,history of her1 in ,types1 ,symbols and ,parables2 which ,understanding of the ,things that have been prophecy'd of her1 will enable her1 of ,consequence1 to prove and declare to the ,world1 with ,joy and ,pleasure1 that ,jesus is the true ,messiah1 the ,christ1 and ,fulfiller of the ,law and the ,prophets4 ,but particularly1 as ,jesus then told the ,woman that she had had five ,husbands1 and was then an ,adulteress with one who was not her true ,husband3 ,so the ,church will be made to apprehend1 according to#aci ,origen and#adj ,st4 ,augustin1 and others1 how she has had five ,husbands of the five bodily ,senses1 that is1 metaphorically speaking1 has been wedded not only to sensual ,pleasures1 but to the sensible ,things of the ,letter of the five ,books of ,moses2 and that at present1 consequently1 she lives in ,adultery#ada with ,anti-,christ1 whom the ,fathers call the ,devil1 instead of the ,spirit of ,christ1 the ,spirit of the ,law1 who should be her true ,spouse1 whom she should call for1 and believe in4 ,and not only the ,woman of ,samaria1 but the ,men of the ,city1 ,sychar1 believ'd ,jesus to be the ,messiah1 v4 #db1 upon what he said to themselves as well as to her3 ,so the ,ministers of the ,letter1 who are ,sycharites1 according to ,origen and ,theophanes ,cerameus1 will be clearly convinced1 and be able to convince others1 that ,jesus is the ,christ or ,messiah1 when they shall hear1 learn and apprehend from the ,spirit of the ,law and the ,prophets1 that the ,church and all she has been doing1 was foretold and prophecy'd of4 ,lastly1 ,jesus's ,disciples1 v4 #bg4 are said to ,marvel that he talk'd with the ,woman4 ,what in the ,name of ,wonder1 literally1 could be the ,meaning of this8 ,did they ,marvel at ,jesus's ,condescention to speak to a ,woman1 as if the ,sex was beneath his ,care8 ,or did they ,marvel that he who was very bashful1 had ,courage to speak to one8 ,or did they ,marvel at his ,conversation with a ,whore1 for fear of his being tempted by her8 ,some one or other of these must be the ,marvel of the ,disciples2 but how absurd and ridiculous they all are1 according to the ,letter1 let a reasonable ,man judge4 ,but mystically1 the true ,disciples of our ,lord1 who understand the ,mysteries of the ,kingdom of ,heaven1 will1 when they are apprized of ,jesus's spiritual ,conversation with his ,church1 and of all the ,things that she has done according to ,prophecy1 ,marvel with rapturous ,astonishment at the ,wisdom and ,power of ,god in the ,accomplishment of the ,scriptures4 ,after such a ,mystical and ,allegorical ,manner1 is every minute ,circumstance of this ,story of the ,samaritan ,woman to be apply'd4 ,st4 ,augustin#adb says there are so many great ,mysteries contain'd in it1 that they require much ,time to go through them all4 ,i find it so1 and that no less than a ,volume might be written of them1 out of the ,fathers4 ,but what ,i have briefly here touch'd on1 is enough to convince any one of the ,absurdities of the ,letter of this ,miracle1 which consisted in the telling a ,woman her ,fortune1 and such a ,fortune1 as ,jesus by ,craft might come to the ,knowledge of4 ,therefore1 for the ,honour of ,jesus1 let us look upon the whole ,story as a typical and parabolical ,representation of what would be mysteriously and more wonderfully done by him4 ,and thus ,i have spoken to the three ,miracles1 proposed to be treated on in this ,discourse4 ,before ,i enter upon my third general ,head1 which is1 to consider what ,jesus means when he appeals to his ,miracles as to a ,witness of his ,divine ,authority2 ,i must take to ,task some more of his pretended ,miracles even till ,i have not left him a good1 credible and substantial ,miracle1 according to the ,letter1 to appeal to4 ,the ,consequence of which will be1 that his mysterious ,operations are to prove his ,authority and ,messiahship1 or we must give up him and his ,religion for a ,piece of ,fraud and ,imposture4 ,what ,miracles will be the ,subject of my next ,discourse1 ,i can't certainly foretell1 but there are many ,historical as well as miraculous ,parts of ,jesus's ,life1 that according to the ,letter1 are to be call'd into ,question2 such as ,the ,history of his riding on an ,ass to ,jerusalem4 ,i have given some ,offence on this ,point already in my ,moderator1 and ought to excuse or justify my self1 by calling the ,fathers to ,account for laughing at the ,letter of that ,story4 ,it was an untoward saying of ,st4 ,jerome1 that ,i there cited1 and suffered a ,prosecution for3 ,but it is a worse ,intimation of ,st4 ,john of ,jerusalem1 who1 if there was any literal ,truth in the ,peoples pulling off their ,garments1 and ,branches of ,trees1 and strewing them in the ,way of ,jesus1 will needs have it not respectfully but mischievously done1 to make the ,colt stumble1 and so dismount his ,rider4 ,and according to him it may be questioned1 whether the ,hosannahs of the ,people were of any more ,respect to ,jesus1 than the ,huzzahs of a ,mob would be to the ,bishop of ,l----n1 if to shew his ,meekness and ,lowlyness1 he should ride upon an ,ass1 in his ,pontificalibus through this ,city4 ,but ,i have here a momentous ,controversy to decide about the ,beast ,jesus rode on4 ,st4 ,matthew seems to say1 he rode upon both ,ass and ,colt together4 ,st4 ,mark and ,st4 ,luke say1 he rode upon the ,colt1 on which ,man never before sat4 ,the ,bishop of ,lichfield says1 he rode upon the ,ass 7on which ,man had before sat7 and the ,colt ambled after4 ,st4 ,cyril and ,st4 ,chrysostom say1 he rode upon the ,colt1 and the ,she-,ass trotted after4 ,st4 ,john the ,evangelist says he rode upon a ,mule1 or an ,greek3 onarion ,ass-like ,creature of the neuter ,gender4 ,the ,jewish ,cabalists say1 their ,messiah was to ride on a great huge ,ass1 big enough to carry him and all true ,israelites1 and that the ,ministers of ,antichrist would then hang an ,a-ss4 ,so do the great ,doctors of the ,world differ6 ,to whom ,i shall decree the ,prize of ,orthodoxy1 ,i shan't foretell2 but am inclined to favour the ,opinion of the ,cabalists4 ,however1 ,i shall be very grave as well as learned on this ,head3 ,and if ,i can1 ,i will1 to oblige ,dr4 ,sherlock1 hook in a ,digression about ,shilo's binding his ,fole to the ,vine1 and his ,asses ,colt to the choice ,vine3 ,the ,accomplishment of which literal ,prophecy seems to have been drop'd in the ,providence of ,god1 or the ,dean of ,chichester#adc had never stopt at it4 ,i will endeavour to look it up1 in some ,corner of ,history1 if it be but to merit the ,praises of the ,master of the ,temple4 ,i must also sometime take into ,consideration the ,story of ,jesus's ,abode in the ,wilderness1 forty ,days1 in ,company of the ,devil1 who tempted him4 ,this literally1 as our ,divines understand it1 is a ,scandalous ,story4 ,the ,jews1 in our ,saviour's ,time1 said1 that through ,belzebub1 he cast out ,devils2 and their ,posterity have asserted1 that he learn'd the ,magick ,art of a ,dmon4 ,this ,story gives too much ,grounds for such a ,suspicion4 ,our ,divines1 who should know best1 talk of abundance of ,mischief1 the ,devil has been permitted to do in the ,world ever since2 ,i hope it was not by ,compact and ,agreement between them2 but it would have been of some ,satisfaction to the ,contrary1 if the ,evangelist had told us expresly upon what ,terms they mett and parted4 ,as ,fables go1 it is said to the ,honour of ,st4 ,dunstan1 that he took the ,devil by the ,nose1 when he tempted him2 and if ,jesus had taken him by the ,collar1 and thrust him into his ,dungeon1 and there chain'd him1 and shut ,hell-,gates upon him2 ,i appeal to honest plain ,christians1 whether such an ,herculean ,labour would not have pleased them well4 ,ever since ,i read of ,martin ,luther's ,conversation with the ,devil1 ,i have had but indifferent ,thoughts of his ,protestantism2 and unless the ,fathers turn this ,story before us into ,mystery1 ,allegory and ,cabalism1 ,i shall think ill of ,christianity4 ,i should also take into ,examination the ,story of an ,angel's appearing to the ,shepherds1 and saying to them2 ,behold ,i bring you ,tidings of great ,joy1 c4 ,if there was any ,truth literally in this ,story1 and in that of a ,star's appearing to the wise ,men1 there must be a great ,mistake in the ,report of both of them4 ,st4 ,matthew and ,st4 ,luke have both blunder'd4 ,it was the ,star that appear'd to the ,shepherds by ,night2 and the ,angel 7,i speak upon ,reason and ,authority7 that was sent to the wise ,men4 ,what then to do with these two ,stories1 and to salve the ,credit of the ,evangelists1 ,i knew not1 till the ,fathers directed me to the ,use of a mythological ,metamorphosis3 ,and then ,i presently learn'd the ,trick on't1 to transform ,stars into ,angels1 and ,shepherds too1 or ,pastors of ,christ's ,flock 7which was the ,difficulty7 into wise ,men2 and so ,i made one ,moral or ,mistery of the two ,fables4 ,i must also some ,time take to task the ,story of the many dead ,bodies of the ,saints1 that upon ,christs ,resurrection1 came out of their ,graves1 and appear'd unto many2 which is too imperfectly related to merit ,credit4 ,the ,evangelist1 if he would have a reasonable ,man believe his ,story1 should have told us1 who those ,saints were1 and what ,numbers of them2 and whether they appear'd to the converted or unconverted ,jews2 whether they were some of the ,patriarchs and ,prophets of old1 or some lately departed ,disciples1 who1 for all ,jesus's healing ,power1 died in the ,time of his ,ministry2 and whether there were any ,women among those ,saints2 and whether they appear'd naked 7as ,jesus modestly did to ,mary ,magdalen1 unless he flip'd himself by ,stealth into the ,cloths of the ,gardener1 which might be the ,reason of her ,mistake1 for she suppos'd she saw the ,gardener7 and whether they return'd again to ,corruption1 or ascended into ,heaven4 ,for want of these specifical ,circumstances1 the ,evangelist has told us a ,tale1 that has neither ,head nor ,foot to it3 and unless the ,fathers mystically answer1 to ,satisfaction1 every one of the aforesaid ,queries1 ,i'll reject this ,story for mere ,romance and ,imposture4 ,these and many other historical and seemingly miraculous ,stories of the ,gospel1 are some time to be taken into ,consideration2 for ,i will not give this ,work over1 till ,i have demonstrated beyond all ,contradiction1 that the evangelical ,writings are but the ,shadow of ,divine ,mysteries2 and that literal ,interpreters1 whom#add ,origen calls vulgar ,capacities1 are under a ,mistake1 if they think1 they understand any ,thing1 as they ought1 of the four ,gospels4 ,i should conclude now1 as it becomes a ,moderator1 with an ,address to ,infidels and ,apostates1 the great ,combatants in this ,controversy4 ,but ,i have not ,room to be as large1 as ,i would1 in my ,exhortations to them distinctly1 so ,i can only desire them to continue the ,controversy with ,zeal and ,vigour1 not doubting but it will end to the ,honour of ,jesus1 the ,good of his ,church1 and the ,happiness of ,mankind4 ,the blessed ,fruits of this ,controversy are already seen and felt in the almost ,cure of a most malignant ,distemper1 call'd ,bigottry1 which has been the ,bane of human ,society1 and in ,times past more destructive of the ,world than either ,war or ,pestilence4 ,go on then1 ,great and ,good ,sirs1 till the ,cure is perfected4 ,and as you merit ,praises and ,rewards for your several ,labours2 ,so ,i hope you'll meet with them4 ,the ,nobility and ,gentry1 of the ,kingdom1 as ,i learn1 are sensibly touch'd with the ,usefulness of this ,controversy2 whereupon it is to be hoped the ,legislative ,authority will soon give ,thanks to the great ,mr4 ,grounds and ,mr4 ,scheme for their ,pains in it2 and not forget to do ,justice to the ,bishops and ,clergy according to their ,merits4 ,but ,i can't stay here to talk more on this ,head1 being obliged to make an ,epistolary 99 99 99 99 99 ,p4 ,s4 ,to ,mr4 ,t4 ,ray1 the ,author of a ,discourse1 call'd ,our ,saviour's ,miracles vindicated1 c4 ,as ,i1 ,sir1 enter'd the ,press1 you came forth1 or ,i might possibly have paid more of my ,respects to you another ,way4 ,but upon mature ,consideration1 ,i found a properer ,reply could not be made to you1 than is the foregoing ,discourse2 which1 if you are not sick of your former ,performance1 will find you some more ,work4 ,and that you may write more pertinently against this ,discourse1 than you did against my other1 ,i'll give you some ,instructions1 viz4 if you think of writing to the ,purpose1 you must prove these two ,things2 ,first1 that the ,fathers did not hold the ,stories of ,jesus's ,miracles to be typical and figurative2 and ,secondly1 that ,jesus's ,miracles neither will nor can receive a mysterious and more wonderful ,accomplishment4 ,but you have not said one ,syllable to either of these ,points2 consequently have written nothing to the ,purpose against me4 ,as for ,instance2 ,in the ,miracle of ,jesus's driving the ,buyers and ,sellers out of the ,temple3 ,you should prove1 ,first that the ,fathers don't hold that ,miracle to be typical of the future ,ejection of ,bishops1 ,priests1 and ,deacons out of the ,church1 that make ,merchandize of the ,gospel3 ,and ,secondly1 that it was impossible that the ,miracle should receive such an ,accomplishment4 ,but you have done nothing of this4 ,so1 if you should attempt again to write against this ,discourse1 as for ,instance1 against my ,explication of the ,miracle of ,jesus's healing the ,woman1 that had an ,issue of ,blood2 you must prove that that ,story neither was in the ,opinion of the ,fathers ,typical1 nor could receive a mystical ,accomplishment2 or you may as well hold your ,peace4 ,and after all1 whether your ,reasonings for the ,letter of ,christ's ,miracles1 are equal to mine against it1 let our ,readers judge1 who will easily discern1 that you jump over my choicest ,invectives against the ,letter1 as if you was afraid of being touch'd by them4 ,as to your charging me falsly in one or two ,places1 with ,misrepresentations of the ,fathers1 ,i'll expostulate that ,matter with you1 when ,i hear that the ,bishop of ,london gives your ,performance1 the ,reputation of a solid1 and substantial one1 by a ,change of your ,cloak into a ,gown1 which you seem to aim at2 or you had never so besmear'd the ,bishop with your ,compliments1 nor had been so mealy-mouth'd as to the ,point of ,liberty4 ,but what need you1 ,sir1 have told the ,world1 that you take me for an ,unbeliever of the ,scriptures4 ,if the ,bishop's wise ,prosecution of me for an ,infidel had not given you the ,hint1 you could never of your self have made that ,discovery4 ,and why did you not join the ,fathers with me in ,unbelief8 ,i thought ,i had been of the same ,faith with them4 ,a ,man of your ,penetration into another's ,principles1 will1 ,i suppose1 from this present going ,discourse1 conclude me to be a downright ,atheist4 ,and what must ,i do then to clear my self6 ,if you write any more1 ,sir1 ,i desire you1 without making more ,haste than good ,speed1 to be as expeditious as you can2 or you will not prevent my ,publication of another ,discourse1 like these two1 to the ,honour of ,jesus1 to whom be ,glory for ever and ever4 ,amen4 ,,finis4 ,,footnotes3 #gi ,matt4 ,ch4 ix4 ,luke ,ch4 viii4 ,mark ,ch4 v4 #hj ,factum quidum est1 1 ita ut narratur1 impletum4 ,in ,serm4 lxxvii4 ,sect4 #g4 #ha ,on ,mat4 ,chap4 ix4 #hb ,matt4 ,ch4 ix4 v4 #ba4 #hc ,non autem ,fimbria ,jesu1 sed ejus ,cogitatio eam salvam fecit4 ,in ,loc4 ,marci4 #hd ,matt4 ,ch4 xiii4 v4 #eh4 #he ,in ,locum ,matt4 #hf ,illa vero ,mulier qu ,fluxum ,sanguinis patiebatur1 ,ecclesiam figurabat ex ,gentibus4 ,st4 ,august4 in ,serm4 lxxvii4 ,sect4 #h4 ,prparatur igitur ,mulier1 in cujus ,typo universalis ,ecclesia sub specie designetur4 ,paschas4 ,ratbert4 in ,loc4 ,matt4 #hg ,hc ,mulier1 i4 e4 ,sancta ,ecclesia de ,gentibus congregata qu lapsu ,criminum deperibat ,sancti ,ambrosii in ,loc4 ,luc4 ,ut ,mulier1 qu fluxum sanguinis patiebatur1 c4 ita omnis ,anima percussa incurabili ,vulnere ,peccati1 habens fontem pravarum ,cogitationum1 c4 ,macarii gypt4 in ,hom4 xx4 #hh ,greek3 ,epigazes gar tn phoinikn amartian4 ,in ,orat4 ,,xl4 #hi ,qu est enim hc ,mulier nisi ,ecclesia ,gentium--,fluxum ,sanguinis patiebatur1 quia in suorum ,peccatorum ,sanguine versabatur2 quia ,sanguinum ,rapina ,occisione nutriebatur4 ,in ,dominic4 xxiv4 #ij ,adversus ,hreses4 ,lib4 ,i4 ,cap4 iii4 #ia ,revel4 ,chap4 xii4 v4 #f4 #ib ,excellentes ,verbi ,prdicatores tanquam magni ,medici4--,sancti ,august4 in ,psal4 ,,lxxxvii4 ,sect4 #aj4 #ic ,per hos enim ,medicos1 ,ariolos ,philosophos intelligere possumus1 quorum persuasionibus cteri credentes a fidei ,veritate aberrantes ad ,anim ,sanitatem attingere non valebant4 ,in ,dominic4 xxiv4 #id ,per ,medicos intellige falsos ,theologos4 ,in ,loc4 ,marci4 #ie ,mark ,ch4 v4 v4 #bf4 #if ,medici ,molestiam potius quam ,sanitatem grotanti prbentes4 ,ephrm4 ,syri4 p4 #fc4 #ig ,mark ,ch4 v4 v4 #cd4 #ih ,dei ,posteriora sunt novissima tempora4 ,origen in ,psal4 xxxvi4 #ii ,vestimenta ,jesu sunt ,sermones ,scripta ,evangeliorum4 ,origen in ,matt4 ,ch4 xvii4 #ajj ,luke ,ch4 xiii4 #aja ,in ,muliere infirma est ,figura ,ecclesi4 ,theoph4 ,antioch4 in ,loc4 ,luc4 ,unde intelligitur illa ,mulier in ,typo ,ecclesi a ,domino sanata erecta1 quam curvaverat ,infirmitas1 alligante ,satana1 ,sancti ,august4 de ,trinit4 ,lib4 iv4 ,sect4 #g4 ,in ,typo ,ecclesi fminam salvat4 ,sancti ,ambros4 in ,loc4 ,luc4 #ajb ,totum ,genus humanum tanquam ista ,mulier curvatum est ad terram1--,diabolus ,angeli ejus ,animas hominum curvaverunt ad terras1 id est1 ut pron in ea qu terrena1 superna non qurerent4 ,sancti4 ,august4 in ,serm4 cccxcii4 ,qui occidentem sequuntur ,literam terrena sapiunt4 ,sancti ,hieron4 in ,lib4 ,amos1 ,ch4 i4 #ajc ,quid illa ,mulier octo decem ,annos habens in ,infirmitate4 ,sex ,diebus ,deus perfecit opera sua4 ,ter seni decem octo faciunt4 ,quod ergo significavit triennium in ,arbore1 hoc octo decem ,anni in illa ,muliere4 ,in4 ,serm4 cx4 #ajd ,luke ,ch4 xiii4 #g4 #aje #a ,cor4 ,ch4 xiii4 #i1 #aj4 #ajf ,ut ,deus sex ,dies in tantis ,rebus fabricandis laboravit2 ita ,religio ejus ,veritas in his sex millibus ,annorum laboret1 necesse est1 malitia dominante prevalente4 ,et rursus1 quoniam perfectis operibus requievit ,die septimo1 eumque benedixit2 necesse est1 ut in sine sexti millessimi ,anni ,malitia omnis aboleatur e terra regnet per ,annos mille justitia2 sitq2 tranquilltas requies a ,laboribus1 quos ,mundus jamdiu perpessus est4 ,in ,lanctant4 ,instit4 ,lib4 ,,vii4 ,ch4 xiv4 ,dies septimus etiam nos ipsi erimus quando 7,christi7 ,benedictione sanctificatione fuerimus pleni refecti2 ibi vacantes videbimus1 quoniam ipse est ,deus4 ,sancti ,august4 de ,civit4 ,dei4 ,lib4 ,,xxii4 ,ch4 xxx4 #ajg ,contemnenda non est accurata circa ,nomina ,diligentia ei qui volucrit prole intelligere sacras ,literas4 ,in ,johan4 ,evang4 ,tom4 #h4 #ajh ,jam ,archi-,synagogus adumbrat omnes ,sacerdotes1 c4 ,in4 ,hom4 xii4 #aji ,caluminabantur autem erigenti1 qui1 nisi curvi8 ,in ,serm4 cccxcii4 #aaj ,sed nesciebat ,archi-,synagogus vel hoc vel illud multo excellentius sacramentum1 quod ,sabbato curando ,dominus intimabat1 quia scilicet post sex hujus seculi tates perpetu ,vit immortalis erat gaudia daturus4 ,venerab4 ,bed4 in ,loc4 #aaa ,ante ,christum in cogniti a solo sciente detecti4 ,in ,lib4 ,,ii4 adv4 ,gentes4 #aab ,consequens autem est ei1 qui cognoscit qu sit ,hierusalem in divisione ver ,hreditatis filiorum ,isrl1 ut intelligat ,sermonem de ,gehenna4 ,in ,matt4 ,ch4 xxiii4 #aac ,ego puto quod nomina hc ,scriptura divina non pro ,historia narraverit sed pro ,causis ,rebus1--non enim tam ,regum quam ,vitiorum ,nomina1 qu regnant in hominibus referuntur4 ,in ,numer4 ,ch4 xxxi4 #aad ,quid ergo mirum videtur1 si per singula genera ,peccatorum singuli ,dmones ascribuntur4 ,in ,lib4 ,josu4 ,ch4 xi4 #aae ,sed in alio quodam ,libello1 qui apellatur ,testamentum duodecem ,patriarcharum1 talem quendam sensum invenimus1 quod per singulos peccantes1 singuli ,satan intelligi debeant4 ,evidentius autem ipsa ,nominis ejus interpretatio hoc idem significare videtur2 ,satanas namq2 ,adversarius dicitur4 ,omnes ergo qui adversantur dei voluntati1 ,satan possunt dici4 ,ibid4 #aaf ,on ,miracles1 p4 #cf4 #aag ,quamdiu vera ,pax veniat1 ,sabbatismus1 ,septem decadarum ,numerus4--,ecclesia non plenam recipiat ,libertatem4 ,sancti4 ,hieron4 in ,zechar4 ,ch4 i4 #aah ,illa ,mulier curvata intelligitur figurare ,ecclesiam1 quam in ,sexta ,mundi tate a ,captivitate ,diaboli ,jesus liberabit4 ,in ,qust4 #be4 ,dialog4 ,,lxv ,qust4 #aai ,vidi ,angelum habentem ,clarem ,catenam ad ligandum draconem4--,in ,sexto ,annorum ,millenario hc ,res agitur4 ,de ,civit4 ,dei4 ,l4 ,,xx4 ,ch4 vii4 #abj ,revel4 ,ch4 xx4 v4 #b4 #aba ,propter ,infinitatem ,annorum ,mille ,annos dixit4 ,in ,serm4 de ,pnitentia4 #abb ,diaboli ,forman assumimus--,leonis ,personam induimus ,draconis1--quando crudeles callidi sumus4 ,origen4 in ,luc4 ,hom4 viii4 #abc ,mark ,ch4 viii4 v4 #cc4 #abd ,defence of ,christianity1 p4 #h4 #abe ,doctioribus inter ,judos notissimum est1--quod ,moses qui primus fuit ,salvator ,isrlis etiam in omni ,vita ,operibus suis fuerit ,typus ,figura ultimi ,redemptoris4 ,christian4 ,meyer de ,gen4 ,christi1 p4 #ade4 ,judi ,veteres expectabant similem gyptiac ,liberationem1 ut scilicet ,pharaoh omnis ejus ,exercitus qui per #dcj ,annos ,populum ,dei ,captivum tenuit1 in ,mari ,rubro submersus est2 sic etiam ,romani qui eodem ,annorum ,numero ,judos possessuri1 ,ultione ,domini deleantur4 ,sancti ,hieron4 in ,joel4 ,ch4 v4 #abf ,see the ,life of ,william ,lilly4 #abg ,see ,dr4 ,hammond on the ,place4 #abh ,percontando de ,viro1 ,occasionem cepit occulta revelandi4 ,sancti ,cyril4 ,alex4 in ,loc4 #abi ,john ,ch4 x4 v4 #bd4 #acj ,fortasse verum non erat1 ,judos cum ,samaritanis ,commmercium non habere1--ac ne illud quidem verum1 neque ,haustorium habes1 ,puteus altus est1--fortasse etiam neque illud1 quod ,jacob ex ,puteo biberit1 filii ejus1 ,pecora ejus4 ,origen4 in ,loc4 #aca ,plena ,mysteriis gravida ,sacramentis4 ,sancti ,august4 in ,johan4 ,ch4 iv4 #acb ,evangelica ,sacramenta in ,domini nostri ,jesu ,christi dictis factisque signata non omnibus patent1 ea nonnulli minus diligenter1 minusque sobrie interpretando1 afferunt plerumque pro salute ,perniciem1 pro ,cognitione ,veritatis ,errorem1 inter qu illud est ,sacramentum quod ,scriptum est de hac ,samaritana1 c4 ,in ,qust4 #fc1 de ,lxxxiii4 ,quest4 #acc ,greek3 s en typ palin min kai di ainigmatos ypodeikneus4 ,in ,loc4 ,johan4 #acd ,illa ,mulier ,typum gerebat ,ecclesi1 qu ventura erat ex ,gentibus--,ecclesi non justificat1 sed justificand4 ,sancti4 ,august4 in ,loc4 ,johan4 #ace ,tunc fatigatur ,christus1 quando nullam ,virtutem in ,populo suo recognoscit4 ,sancti ,august4 in ,serm4 xciii4 ,appen4 #acf ,hora sexta id est1 sexta tate ,generis ,humani4 ,sancti ,august4 in ,qust4 #fd4 lxxxiii4 ,qust4 #acg ,puteus est ,divina ,scriptura1 scientia scatens1 ut aqua1 ,cujus putei ,profunditas sunt plena ,mysteriis ,symbola4 ,in ,theoph4 ,ceram ,homil4 xxxviii4 de ,samaritana4 #ach ,lex secundum ,literam est aqua amara4 ,hieronym4 in ,ezekiel4 ,ch4 xlvii4 ,qui bibit ex hac aqua sitiet rursus1 id est1 qui participat profunditatem human sapienti1 prudentesque ,rationes1 receptis ,intelligentiis judicio suo inventis1 tamen rursus secundo cogitans1 denuo dubitabit de his in quibus requieverat4 ,origen4 in ,loc4 ,johan4 #aci ,in ,locum ,johan4 ,evang4 #adj ,quinque enim ,viros habuisti1 nunc quem habes non est ,vir tuus4 ,sed non sunt hc carnabiter accipienda1 ne huic ipsi ,mulieri ,samaritan similes videamur1--,per quinque ,viros1 quinque ,libros ,mosis ,nonnulli accipiunt--sed quinque ,viri intelliguntur quinque ,corporis sensus4 ,et quia naturales sunt ipsi ,sensus1 qui tatem primam regunt1 recte dicuntur ,mariti4 ,in ,qust4 #fd4 de lxxxiii4 ,qust4 #ada ,et nunc quem habes non est ,vir tuus2 ,quia non est in te 7,ecclesia7 ,spiritus qui intelligat ,deum1 cum quo legitimum potes habere conjugium2 sed ,error ,diaboli potius dominatur1 qui te adulterina ,contaminatione corrumpit4 ,venerab4 ,bed in ,locum4 #adb ,magna quidem acta sunt ,sacramenta1 sed augustum ,tempus est1 ut omnia pertractentur4 ,in ,serm4 xci4 ,sect4 #b4 #adc ,in his ,dissertation on the ,blessing of ,judah4 #add ,ut ,lex ,umbram continet futurorum bonorum1 qu declarantur ab ea ,lege2 sic etiam ,evangelium1 quod vel a quibusque vulgaribus intelligi existimatur1 ,umbram docet ,mysteriorum ,christi4 ,in ,prfat4 ad ,johan4 ,evang4 ,a ,,third ,,discourse ,,on ,,the ,,miracles ,,of ,,our ,,saviour1 ,in ,,view of the ,present ,controversy between ,,infidels and ,,apostates4 ,litteratos gravissimo ,somno stertere convincam1 ,,hieron4 ,the ,third ,edition4 ,by ,,tho4 ,,woolston1 ,b4,d4 sometime ,fellow of ,sidney-,college in ,cambridge4 ,,london3 ,printed for the ,author1 and ,sold by him next door to the ,star1 in ,aldermanbury1 and by the ,booksellers of ,london1 and ,westminster4 #agbh4 ,price ,one ,shilling4 ,illustration ,,to ,,the ,right ,reverend ,father in ,,god ,,richard1 ,lord ,bishop of ,st4 ,,david',s4 ,,my ,,lord1 ,in your ,sermon before the ,societies for ,reformation of ,manners1 you are pleased to give a ,character of my former ,discourses on ,christ's ,miracles2 which1 tho' ,i don't at all like1 yet ,i thank you for the ,favour of taking ,notice of them2 a ,favour that ,i have long'd for from a considerable ,clergyman2 but could not flatter myself with the ,hopes of receiving it from so great a ,prelate4 ,some of the inferior ,clergy1 whom ,i despise for their ,ignorance and ,malice1 have before in their ,conversation represented me as an impious and blasphemous ,infidel2 and ,i have met with ,affronts for it3 ,but ,i never imagin'd that any1 much less your ,lordship1 would have ventur'd such a ,character of me from the ,press1 for fear of a ,resentment1 which would not be agreeable4 ,surely your ,lordship has not read my ,discourses1 but has taken a ,report of them upon ,trust1 from some ,ecclesiastical ,noodle2 or you could never have been so much mistaken about my ,design in them4 ,i took myself to be a ,christian of the same ,faith with the ,fathers of the ,church2 and1 without ,vanity1 think1 ,i have publish'd some ,tracts1 in ,defence of ,christianity1 equal1 if not superior to any ,thing this ,age has produced4 ,i repeatedly also in my ,discourses on ,miracles1 to obviate the ,prejudices of an ignorant ,clergy1 made solemn ,protestations of the ,sincerity of my ,design1 not to do ,service to ,infidelity1 but to make ,way for the ,demonstration of ,jesus's ,messiahship from ,prophecy3 ,but all these ,asseverations of the ,integrity of my ,heart1 it seems1 stand for nothing 7and ,i don't wonder at it7 with the ,clergy1 who in their ,principles1 their ,oaths1 and ,subscriptions are so accustom'd to prevaricate with ,god and ,man4 ,i shall make no more serious ,protestations of my ,faith1 but expect your ,lordship should soon publish a ,defence of your foul ,charge against me1 that ,i may see what ,skill you have in the impious and blasphemous ,writings of an ,infidel4 ,and if your railing ,accusation be not soon followed with a ,dissertation of more ,reason1 ,i shall insist on a publick ,reparation of the ,injury done to my ,reputation by your vile and slanderous ,sermon2 and appeal to the worshipful ,societies for ,reformation of ,manners1 whether it be not just and reasonable1 you should do one or the other4 ,now ,i have laid hold on your ,lordship1 than whom ,i could not have wish'd for an ,adversary1 that will do me more ,honour to overcome1 ,i will hold you fast2 and you must expect to be teaz'd and insulted from the ,press1 if you enter not the ,lists against me4 ,a clear ,stage1 my ,lord1 and no ,favour4 ,if you have the ,sword of the ,spirit in your ,hand1 cut as sharply as you can with it4 ,i had conceiv'd a great ,opinion of your ,learning1 and should have been a little apprehensive of the ,power of it2 if you had not in your ,sermon betray'd as great ,weakness and ,ignorance1 as could be in a poor ,curat2 or you had never asserted that the ,greek ,commentators adher'd more strictly1 to the litteral ,sense of the ,holy ,scriptures2 as if you knew not1 that ,st4 ,theophilus of ,antioch1 and even ,origen himself and others1 the greatest ,allegorists1 if a ,comparison may be made1 were ,commentators of the ,greek ,church4 ,the sooner your ,lordship appears from the ,press1 the better1 in as much as you may possibly prevent my ,publication of more ,discourses of this ,kind4 ,and that it may not be long first1 ,i will accept of a ,dissertation from you1 on any two or three of the ,miracles1 ,i have handled1 as sufficient for all4 ,take your ,choice of them3 but don't ,i beseech you1 touch the ,miracle of ,jesus's driving the ,buyers and ,sellers out of the ,temple1 because it is a hot one1 and may possibly burn your ,fingers4 ,the ,miracles1 that ,i have most ludicrously and1 of consequence1 most offensively handled1 are the two of this present ,discourse4 ,if you please1 my ,lord1 let them be the easy and short ,task imposed on you4 ,if you can defend the ,letter of the ,stories of these two ,miracles1 ,i'll quietly give up the ,rest to you4 ,so heartily thanking your ,lordship for the ,favour done me1 in taking ,notice of my ,discourses on ,miracles1 which shall be turn'd to good ,use and ,advantage1 ,i subscribe myself1 ,sidenote3 ,feb4 #bf4 #agbh ,my ,,lord1 ,your most obliged ,humble ,servant1 ,tho4 ,woolston4 ,illustration ,a ,,third ,,discourse ,,on ,,the ,,miracles ,,of ,,our ,,saviour1 c4 ,my two former ,discourses having met with a favourable ,reception1 ,i am encourag'd to go on and publish another2 which1 without any more ,preface1 ,i enter upon1 by a ,repetition of three general ,heads1 at first proposed to be spoken to1 and they were1 ,i4 ,to show that the ,miracles of healing all ,manner of bodily ,diseases1 which ,jesus was justly famed for1 are none of the proper ,miracles of the ,messiah1 neither are they so much as a good ,proof of his divine ,authority1 to found a ,religion4 ,,ii4 ,to prove1 that the literal ,history of many of the ,miracles of ,jesus1 as recorded by the ,evangelists1 does imply ,absurdities1 ,improbabilities1 and ,incredibilities2 consequently they1 either in whole or in part1 were never wrought1 as they are commonly believed now-a-days1 but are only related as prophetical and ,parabolical ,narratives of what would be mysteriously and more wonderfully done by him4 ,,iii4 ,to consider1 what ,jesus means1 when he appeals to his ,miracles1 as to a ,testimony and a ,witness of his divine ,authority2 and to show that he could not properly and ultimately refer to those he then wrought in the ,flesh1 but to those ,mystical ones1 that he would do in the ,spirit1 of which those wrought in the ,flesh are but mere ,types and ,shadows4 ,tho' ,i have already1 spoken what may be thought sufficient1 to the first of these ,heads2 yet ,i have several ,things still1 both from ,reason and ,authority1 to add to it2 but having not here a convenient ,place for that purpose1 ,i defer it to a better ,opportunity2 and so pass immediately to the ,resumption of my ,,ii4 ,second general ,head1 and that is1 to prove1 that the literal ,history of many of the ,miracles of ,jesus1 as recorded by the ,evangelists1 does imply ,absurdities1 ,improbabilities and ,incredibilities2 consequently they1 either in whole or in part were never wrought1 as it is commonly believed now-a-days1 but are only related1 as ,prophetical and parabolical ,narratives of what would be mysteriously and more wonderfully done by him4 ,to this ,purpose ,i have taken into ,examination six of the ,miracles of ,jesus1 viz4 those4 #a4 ,of his driving the ,buyers and ,sellers out of the ,temple4 #b4 ,of his exorcising the ,devils out of the ,mad-men1 and sending them into the ,herd of ,swine4 #c4 ,of his ,transfiguration on the ,mount4 #d4 ,of his healing a ,woman1 that had an ,issue of ,blood1 twelve ,years4 #e4 ,of his curing a ,woman that had a ,spirit of ,infirmity1 eighteen ,years1 and #f4 ,of his telling the ,samaritan ,woman her ,fortune of having had five ,husbands1 and being then an ,adulteress with another ,man4 ,whether ,i have not prov'd the ,storys of these ,miracles1 either in whole or in part1 to consist of ,absurdities1 ,improbabilities1 and incredibilities1 according to the ,proposition before us1 ,i leave my ,readers to judge2 and now will take in ,hand #g4 ,a ,seventh ,miracle of ,jesus2 viz4 that#ade of his cursing the ,figtree1 for not bearing ,fruit out of ,season2 which ,miracle1 upon the bare mention of it1 appears to be such an absurd1 foolish1 and ridiculous1 if not malicious and ill-natured ,act in ,jesus1 that ,i question1 whether1 for ,folly and ,absurdity1 it can be equalled in any ,instance of the ,life of a reputed wise ,man4 ,the ,fathers1 such as ,origen1 ,st4 ,augustin1 ,st4 ,john of ,jerusalem1 and others1 have all said as smart ,things1 as the wittiest ,infidels can1 against the ,letter of this ,story4 ,st4 ,augustin#adf very plainly says1 that this ,fact in ,jesus1 upon ,supposition that it was done1 was a foolish one4 ,if therefore ,i treat this ,story a little more ludicrously than ordinary1 and expose the ,folly of the ,fact as well as of the modern ,belief of it1 ,i hope their ,authority and ,example will plead my ,excuse for it4 ,jesus was hungry1 it seems1 and being disappointed of ,figs1 to the ,satisfaction of his ,appetite1 cursed the ,figtree4 ,why so peevish and impatient8 ,our ,divines1 when they please1 make ,jesus the most patient1 resign'd and easy under ,sufferings1 ,troubles and ,disappointments1 of any ,man4 ,if he really was so1 he could hardly have been so much out of ,humour1 for want of a few ,figs1 to the ,allay of his ,hunger4 ,but to curse the ,figtree upon it1 was as foolishly and passionately done1 as for another ,man to throw the ,chairs and ,stools about the ,house2 because his ,dinner is not ready at a critical ,time1 or before it could be got ready for him4 ,but ,jesus was hungry1 some will say1 and the ,disappointment provoked him4 ,what if he was hungry8 ,he should1 as he knew the ,return of his ,appetite1 have made a better and more certain ,provision for it4 ,where was ,judas his ,steward and ,caterer with his ,bag of ,victuals as well as ,money8 ,poor ,forecast1 and ,management amongst them1 or ,jesus had never trusted to the uncertain ,fruits of a ,figtree1 which he espy'd at a ,distance1 for his ,breakfast4 ,and if ,jesus was frustrated of a long'd-for ,meal of ,figs1 what need he have so reveng'd the ,disappointment on the#adg senseless and faultless ,tree8 ,was it1 because he was forc'd to fast longer than usual and expedient8 not so1 ,i hope neither3 ,could not ,angels1 if he was in a desert ,place1 have administered unto him8 ,or could not he miraculously have created ,bread for himself and his ,company1 as he multiplied or increased the ,loaves for his ,thousands in the ,wilderness8 ,what ,occasion then for his being out of ,humour for want of ,food8 ,if he was of ,power to provide ,bread for others on a sudden1 he might sure have supply'd his own ,necessities1 and so have kept his ,temper1 without breaking into a violent ,fit of ,passion1 upon present ,want and ,disappointment4 ,but what is yet worse1 the ,time of ,figs was not yet1 when ,jesus look'd and long'd for them4 ,did ever any one hear or read of any thing more#adh unreasonable than for a ,man to expect ,fruit out of ,season8 ,jesus could not but know this before he came to the ,tree1 and if he had had any ,consideration1 he would not have expected ,figs on it1 much less1 if he had regarded his own ,reputation1 as a wise ,man1 would he have so resented the ,want of them4 ,what1 if a ,yeoman of ,kent should go to look for ,pipins in his ,orchard at ,easter1 7the supposed ,time#adi that ,jesus sought for these ,figs7 and1 because of a ,disappointment1 cut down all his ,trees2 ,what then would his ,neighbours make of him2 ,nothing less1 than a ,laughing-stock2 and if the ,story got into our publick ,news1 he would be the ,jest and ,ridicule of ,mankind4 ,how ,jesus salv'd his ,credit upon this his wild ,prank2 and prevented the ,laughter of the ,scribes and ,pharisees upon it1 ,i know not2 but ,i cannot think of this ,part of the ,letter of this ,story1 without smiling at it at this ,day2 and wonder our ,divines are not laugh'd out of ,countenance for reading it gravely1 and having ,jesus in ,admiration for it4 ,again1 ,i would gladly know1 whose ,figtree this was1 and whether ,jesus had any legal ,right to the ,fruit1 if haply he had found any on it1 or any ,leave or ,authority to smite it with a ,curse for its ,unfruitfulness8 ,as to the ,tree's being ,jesus's ,property1 that could not be4 ,for he was so far from being either ,landlord or ,tenant1 that it's said he had not where to lay his ,head4 ,during the ,time of his ,ministry1 he was but a ,wanderer1 like a ,mendicant ,fryar1 or an itinerant ,preacher1 and before that ,time was no better than a ,journeyman ,carpenter 7of whose ,workmanship1 ,i wonder1 the ,church of ,rome has no holy ,relicks1 not so much as a ,three-footed-stool1 or a ,pair of ,nutcrackers27 consequently he had no ,house nor ,land of his own by ,law1 much less any ,figtree1 and least of all this which he espy'd at a distance in his ,travels4 ,how then had he any ,right to the ,figs1 if he had met with any8 ,i hope he ask'd ,leave beforehand of the ,proprietor1 or ,infidels will say of him1 that if he had had an ,opportunity he would have been a ,rob-,orchard4 ,and it he had no ,right to the ,fruit1 much less to smite the ,tree with a ,curse2 where was his ,honour1#aej his ,justice1 his ,goodness1 and his ,honesty in this ,act8 ,the ,evangelists1 if they would have us to think1 ,jesus did no wrong to any ,man1 should have left us somewhat upon ,record1 to ,satisfaction1 in this ,case2 or ,infidels1 who have here ,scope for it1 will think worse of ,jesus1 than possibly he may deserve4 ,whether ,jesus1 modestly speaking1 met with any ,blame or ,reprimand from the ,proprietor1 for his ,act of ,execration1 none can affirm or deny4 ,but if any one so spitefully and maliciously should destroy almost any other ,tree1 whether fruitful or not1 of another ,man's1 in this ,country1 he would have good ,luck1 if he escaped the ,house of ,correction for it4 ,and what now have our ,divines to say1 to all this ,reasoning against the ,letter of this ,story8 ,nothing more than ,that the ,act of cursing the ,figtree1 whether it be at this ,distance of ,time reconcilable to ,reason1 ,justice and ,prudence or not1 was a supernatural ,work1 above the ,power of ,nature or ,art to imitate2 consequently it was a ,miracle1 and they will admire and adore ,jesus for it4 ,and to agree with them at present1 that it was a real ,miracle1 and a supernatural ,event1 yet ,i hope1 they'll acknowledge1 that if ,jesus1 as ,st4 ,augustin#aea says1 had1 instead of cursing the ,figtree1 made a dry1 dead and withered one1 immediately to bud1 flourish and revive1 and in an ,instant to bring forth ripe ,fruits1 out of ,season1 it would have pleased them much better4 ,such an ,instance of his ,power had been an indisputable ,miracle3 ,such an ,instance of his divine ,power had carry'd ,goodness along with it1 and none of the foresaid ,exceptions could have been made to it3 ,such an ,instance of his ,almighty ,power1 had been a ,demonstration of his being ,lord of the ,creation1 and ,author of the ,fruits of the ,earth for the ,use of ,man1 in their ,season1 or he could not have produced them out of ,season3 ,in such an ,instance of ,power1 his ,divine ,care and ,providence against ,hunger and ,want would have been visible2 and it would have been an ,admonition to us1 to depend daily upon him for the ,comforts and ,necessaries of ,life3 ,such an ,instance of his ,power would have been1 as ,st4 ,augustin says above1 like his ,miracles of healing ,diseases1 of making the ,languid1 ,sound2 and the ,feeble1 ,strong2 and we might more certainly have inferr'd from one with the other1 that both were the ,operations of a good ,god4 ,but this ,instance of his cursing the ,figtree in this ,fashion spoils the ,credit1 and sullies the ,glory of his other ,miracles4 ,it is in its own ,nature of such a malevolent ,aspect1 that its enough to make us suspect the ,beneficence of ,christ in his other ,works1 and to question whether there might not be some latent ,poyson and diabolical ,design under the ,colour of his fairer ,pretences to ,almighty ,power4 ,it is so like the malignant ,practices of ,witches1 who1 as ,stories go1 upon ,envy1 ,grudge1 or ,distaste1 smite their ,neighbours ,cattle with languishing ,distempers1 till they die1 that it's hard1 if not impossible1 to distinguish one from the other1 in ,spite and ,malice4 ,if ,mahomet1 and not ,jesus1 had been the ,author of this ,miracle1 our ,divines would presently have discover'd the ,devil's ,foot in it1 and have said that ,satan drew him into a ,scrape1 in the ,execution of this mad and foolish ,frolick1 on purpose to expose him for a ,wizard and his ,musselmen of all ,ages since for ,fools in believing on him4 ,the ,spirit of ,christ1 who is all ,love and ,mercy1 should1 one would think1 breath forth nothing but ,goodness and ,kindness to ,mankind2 but that such a pestilential ,blast1 like a mortiferous ,north-,east ,wind in some ,seasons1 should proceed from his ,mouth1 to the ,destruction of another ,man's harmless and inoffensive ,tree1 is what none upon ,earth can account for4 ,our ,divines1 one or other of them1 have publish'd several notable ,notions about ,miracles1 and have laid down good ,rules to distinguish true from false ones2 but none of them1 as far as ,i perceive1 have taken any ,pains to shew the ,consistence of ,jesus's ,miracles to their own ,rules and ,notions4 ,mr4 ,chandler1 7who as the ,archbishop#aeb says1 has rightly slated the ,notion of a ,miracle7 among his ,rules of judging by whom ,miracles are perform'd1 says1#aec ,that the ,things pretended to be done1 are to be such1 as that it is consistent with the ,perfections of ,god to interest himself in2 and again1 they must be such as answer to the ,character of ,god as a good and gracious ,being2 and again1 ,it seems reasonable to believe1 that whenever the first and best of ,beings is pleased to send an extraordinary ,messenger with a ,revelation of his ,will1 he will furnish him with such ,proofs of his ,mission1 as may argue1 not only the ,power of him in whose ,name be comes1 but his ,love to ,mankind1 and his ,inclination to do them good4 ,i have no ,dislike to these ,notions of ,mr4 ,chandler2 but as it is not to be questioned1 that he 7and the ,archbishop too7 had this ,miracle of ,jesus's cursing the ,figtree1 and some others1 as of his boisterous driving the ,buyers and ,sellers out of the ,temple2 of his sending the ,devils into the ,herd of ,swine2 of his turning ,water into ,wine for the ,use of ,men1 who had before well drank1 c4 in his ,view1 when he gave forth the foresaid ,rules2 7for acute and learned ,writers in ,theology are supposed to have their ,wits about them27 so it is to be hop'd that he or the ,archbishop will soon publish somewhat to reconcile these ,miracles of ,jesus to their own ,notions2 tho' ,i don't expect it before latter ,lammas4 ,but after all1 it may be questioned1 if ,infidels should go about it1 whether this ,work of ,jesus was miraculous2 and whether there was not more of the ,craft of ,man1 than of the ,power of ,god in it2 or to use ,mr4 ,chandler's#aed ,words1 whether it don't look like the little ,tricks and cunning ,deceits of ,impostors4 ,st4 ,matthew says1 presently the ,figtree withered away2 but this presently is an indeterminate ,time1 and may be understood of a ,day1 or a ,week or two1 as well as of the ,moment in which the ,words were spoken1 ,let no ,fruit grow on thee henceforward for ever4 ,st4 ,mark says1 that in the ,morning as the ,disciples passed by2 they saw the ,figtree dry'd up from the ,roots1 which was at least the ,day#aee after the ,curse was utter'd1 so that there was certainly four and twenty ,hours for its withering2 and if it is said that the ,tree dry'd up from the ,roots1 it does not imply that the ,trunk of it perish'd1 or was reduc'd to nothing2 but only that the green ,leaves of the ,whole1 and of every ,part of it1 were in a withering ,condition3 ,and might not all this be done without a ,miracle8 ,what if ,jews and ,infidels should say1 that ,jesus1 being minded to impose on his ,disciples and ,followers1 took a secret ,opportunity beforehand to lay his ,carpenter's ,ax to the ,root of this ,tree1 and so imperceptibly circumcised it1 as that the ,leaves did1 what they will do1 wither in a ,night and a ,day's ,time4 ,god forbid1 that ,i should think1 ,jesus did so2 but as to the ,possibility of such a ,fraud in an ,impostor1 none can doubt of it4 ,i am so far from thinking there was any such ,fraud in this supposed ,miracle of ,jesus1 that ,i don't believe it was at all done by him according to the ,letter3 ,and for this ,i have not only a clear and intrinsick ,proof from the ,story itself2 but the ,authority of the ,fathers4 ,st4 ,ambrose1 treating on the ,parable of the ,figtree in#aef ,st4 ,luke1 intimates1 that what ,st4 ,matthew and ,st4 ,mark write of ,jesus's cursing the ,figtree1 is but#aeg ,part of the same ,parable4 ,and ,st4 ,john of ,jerusalem#aeh says expressly enough1 that the three ,evangelists write of one and the same ,figtree1 consequently parabolically1 and that1 what ,st4 ,matthew and ,st4 ,mark write of it1 was no more a literal ,transaction1 than the ,parable in ,st4 ,luke4 ,thanks to these holy ,fathers for their ridding us of the ,belief of the ,letter of this ,story1 which otherwise might have perplex'd us with its ,absurdities before urg'd4 ,and to their ,opinion ,i desire it may be added and considered1 whether it be not as reasonable in itself to take what the three ,evangelists write of this ,figtree as ,part of one ,story1 as well as1 what they write of the ,woman with her ,issue of ,blood1 and of ,jesus's calling the ,devils out of the ,madmen1 and of other ,miracles which are but several ,relations of the same ,story1 ,parable or ,miracle1 ,neither is it any ,argument for a literal ,transaction of this ,miracle1 that the ,evangelists speak of it1 as a ,thing done3 ,for1 as ,origen says1 there are some ,things spoken of in the ,evangelists1 as ,facts1 which were never transacted2 so it is of the ,nature of ,prophecy 7and our ,saviour in his whole ,life prophesied7 to speak of ,things to come1 as if they were already past2 because such ,prophecies are not to be understood till after their ,accomplishment1 and then the ,reason of the ,use of the prter1 instead of the future ,tense1 in ,prophecy1 will be visible4 ,but what1 in my ,opinion1 is an absolute ,demonstration1 that there's no ,truth in the ,letter of this ,story1 is1 what our ,saviour adds1 upon the ,disciples wondering at the sudden withering of the ,figtree1 saying1#aei that if they had ,faith they should not only do what was done to the ,figtree2 but should say to this ,mountain1 7that was near him1 ,i suppose7 be thou removed and cast into the ,sea1 and it shall be done4 ,but these ,things were never litterally done by them1 consequently ,jesus himself did not litterally curse the ,figtree2 or the ,disciples wanted ,faith for the doing the said ,miracles1 which is an ,absurdity to suppose2 or ,jesus talked idly of a ,promise to invest them with a ,power1 they were never to be possess'd of4 ,but of what ill ,consequence to ,religion1 either of these ,suppositions is1 let the old ,objection in ,paschasius ,rathertus#afj speak2 which ,i shall not stay here to urge and revive2 but only say at present1 that if ,jesus actually cursed a ,figtree1 his ,disciples ought to have done so too1 and to remove ,mountains4 ,if we adhere to the ,letter in one ,case1 we must in the other also2 but we are only to look to the ,mystery in both1 or ,st4 ,augustin#afa will tell us1 that ,jesus utter'd vain1 empty and insignificant ,words and ,promises4 ,st4 ,augustin1 who believes no more of the ,letter of this ,story1 than ,i do1 says1 that the ,works of ,jesus are all figurative and of a spiritual ,signification1 which is so manifest from his ,act of cursing the ,figtree1 as ,men must1#afb whether they will or not acknowledge it4 ,but he is mistaken3 ,tho' there might be none in his ,time who would question1 that this supposed ,fact of ,jesus had a mystical ,signification2 yet if he had liv'd in our ,days1 he would have met with ,divines1 who1 for all the foresaid ,absurdities and their ,cogency to drive us to ,allegory1 do adhere to the ,letter only1 whether the ,truth1 ,credibility and ,reasonableness of it be defensible or not4 ,but then to do ,justice to ,st4 ,augustin's ,assertion1 he would have met with others1 who against their ,wills1 interpret this ,miracle figuratively1 such as ,dr4 ,hammond and ,dr4 ,whitby1 who say1 ,jesus cursed the ,figtree by way of ,type of the ,destruction of the ,jewish ,state1 which declined and wasted away after the ,similitude of this withering ,tree4 ,but why then don't these ,commentators allegorically interpret and apply other ,miracles of our ,saviour8 ,because they think the ,letter will stand good and abide the ,test without an ,allegory4 ,and why do they allegorise this ,miracle only8 ,because of the ,difficulties and ,absurdities of the ,letter1 which they can't account for4 ,and are these ,reasons good8 ,no1 certainly3 ,the ,evangelists should have made the ,distinction for them4 ,they should have told us1 which ,miracles are to be allegoris'd and mystically applied1 and which are not2 or we are to allegorise all or none at all4 ,and how came these modern ,allegorists of this ,miracle to apply it as they do1 and to make it a mystical ,representation of the ,ruin of the ,jewish ,state8 ,did they take up this ,notion of their own ,heads1 or did they borrow it of the ,fathers8 ,why in all ,probability they took the ,hint from the ,fathers2 wherefore then don't they1 what none of them do1 cite and acknowledge their ,authors for it8 ,because1 like ,men of ,subtilty1 they would be thought to devise it of themselves2 for if they had quoted the ,fathers for it1 the ,fathers would have oblig'd them1 upon their ,authority1 to allegorise the rest of ,jesus's ,miracles1 in the way that ,i have interpreted some of them2 but this would not have agreed with their ,stomachs for many ,reasons4 ,no ,thanks then to the aforesaid ,commentators for their allegorical ,application of this ,miracle1 which they are again to desert1 or abide the ,consequence of allegorising others also1 which for their ,interests and ,reputations they will not do4 ,therefore let them return again to the ,letter of this ,miracle1 and say for it1 what is all that is to be said for it1 with ,victor ,antiochenus1 an ,apostatical ,writer of the fifth ,century1#afc that when we read this ,passage of ,scripture concerning the ,figtree1 ,jesus cursed1 we ought not curiously to enquire whether it was wisely or justly done of ,jesus1 or not2 but we ought to contemplate and admire this ,miracle1 as well as that of ,jesus's drowning the ,swine1 notwithstanding some think it void of the ,face of ,justice4 ,ay1 ay1 our ,divines must allegorise all ,jesus's ,miracles1 or betake themselves to this ,opinion of ,victor2 which this ,free-thinking ,age will hardly let them quietly rest in4 ,so1 supposing our ,divines to be1 what they generally are1 still ,ministers of the ,absurdity of the ,letter1 ,i pass to the ,consideration of the ,authority of the ,fathers1 and to see1 whether we can't learn of them this ,parable of the ,figtree4 ,who or what is meant by the ,figtree seems not to be agreed among the ,fathers2 or1 more properly speaking1 they are not agreed1 all of them to apply it always to one and the same ,thing4 ,some1 as#afd ,gregory the ,great1 say ,human ,nature or ,mankind is typified by the ,figtree4 ,others1 as#afe ,st4 ,hilary1 say the ,jewish ,church or ,state is meant by it4 ,others1 as#aff ,origen say1 it is a ,type of the ,church of ,christ4 ,so do the ,fathers seem to be divided in their ,opinions2 but it is without any ,difference or ,inconsistency with each other4 ,for as there is1 according to the ,fathers1 ,mystery upon ,mystery in all the ,actions of ,jesus2 so ,i believe the ,figtree here1 as a ,type1 may be properly enough apply'd to the foresaid three ,purposes4 ,and if the ,fathers had been ask'd their ,opinion in this ,case1 ,i dare say1 they would have said so too4 ,this is certain that ,origen#afg understands it as applicable to the ,jewish as well as the ,christian ,church4 ,and ,st4 ,augustin1 as ,occasion offers itself1 takes it in the foresaid three ,senses4 ,when they understand it as a ,type of all ,mankind1 they say that the three ,years of its ,unfruitfulness are to be interpreted of the#afh three grand ,periods of the ,world2 the one before the ,law of ,moses2 another under the ,law2 and the third under the ,gospel2 at the ,conclusion of which third ,period1 as it was an ancient and common ,opinion1 ,jesus in ,spirit would come to his ,figtree of ,mankind1 and animadvert on them for their ,unfruitfulness1 not by any ,destruction of human ,nature1 but by a ,cessation of its ,unfruitful ,state1 which then will wither away1 and be turn'd into a fruitful one against the grand ,sabbath1 or acceptable ,year1 which is the ,year signified in the ,parable1 that it is to be let alone to bring forth ,fruit in4 ,they that understand the ,figtree as a ,type of the ,jewish ,state1 mean by the three ,years ,jesus came to it1 the three ,years of his preaching among the ,jews2 at the ,end of which1 after ,christ's ,passion and ,resurrection1 the ,jewish ,state1 like the ,figtree1 withered away1 and1 for its ,unfruitfulness1 was rooted up4 ,they1 that understand the ,figtree as a ,figure of the ,church of ,christ1 by the three ,years1 mean the apocalyptical twelve hundred and sixty ,days 7that is1 three ,years and a half7 of the ,church's barren and unfruitful ,state in the ,wilderness1 at the ,conclusion of which1 the ,fathers say1 ,jesus will come again to his ,church or ,figtree1 seeking ,fruit on it4 ,some perhaps may be ready here to interpose with a ,question1 and say1 how will ,jesus then come to his ,church8 ,i have carefully perused the ,fathers upon this ,question1 and can't find that they mean any more by ,christ's second or spiritual ,advent1 than that clear ,truth1 right ,reason and divine ,wisdom 7which are the mystical ,names of ,jesus7 will descend upon the ,church1 on the ,clouds of the ,law and the ,prophets1 to the ,removal of her unfruitful and unprofitable ,errors1 and to enable her to bring forth the ,fruits of the ,spirit1 against the grand ,sabbath4 ,neither can any reasonable ,man conceive how otherwise#afi the ,lord should come1 7not with ten thousand of his ,saints1 as our ,translation has it1 but7 ,greek3 en myriasin agiais autou1 that is1 as ,origen interprets1 in his holy thousands of ,allegorists ,greek3 poisai krisen1 to criticise upon all the ,scripture1 and to convince ,ministers of the ,letter of their abominable ,errors1 and of their horrid ,blasphemies spoken1 preach'd and printed against the ,holy1 7,ghost or7 ,spirit of the ,law and ,prophets4 ,as to that literal and common ,pulpit-,story 7with all its ,appendages7 of ,jesus's second ,coming on therial ,clouds1 as on a ,wool-sack1 in his human1 tho' glorious and majestick ,appearance1 for the ,resurrection of ,mens ,bodies1 by the ,sound of a ,trumpet1 in the ,audience of the ,dead1 c4 it is the most absurd1 nonsensical and unphilosophical1 7such groundless and worthless ,stuff have the ,clergy sold and preach'd to ,god's ,people67 that ever was told against ,reason1 against prophetick and evangelical ,scripture1 and against other antient and good ,authority4 ,it is no ,place here to multiply ,testimonies and ,arguments to either of these ,purposes which my ,readers1 if they do but attend1 will see no ,occasion for4 ,but if our ,divines should think ,i have put a false ,gloss on the ,text of ,st4 ,jude above1 ,i have a ,bundle of ,arguments and ,testimonies to produce in ,defence of it1 at their ,service4 ,in the ,parable of ,st4 ,luke1 it is said1 ,lo1 these three ,years come ,i seeking ,fruit on this ,figtree2 as if ,jesus came annually and successively for three ,years together3 but according to the ,original1 it ought to be read1 ,lo1 it is three ,years and ,i now come1 or1 ,lo1 the three ,years are now past1 and ,i come4 ,and here it is to be noted1 that whether we understand the ,figtree1 as a ,figure of the ,church in particular1 or of ,mankind in general2 the mystical ,number of three ,years will terminate about the same ,time1 against the ,evangelical ,sabbath1 on which the ,unfruitfulness of the ,church1 or of ,mankind1 according to the ,fathers1 is to have an ,end put to it4 ,and ,jesus1 when he came to the ,figtree1 found nothing thereon but ,leaves only3 ,so ,jesus1 when he comes to his ,church1 will find nothing in her but ,leaves only4 ,and what is here meant by ,leaves8 ,let the ,fathers1 such as#agj ,st4 ,hilary1 ,st4 ,john#aga of ,jerusalem1 and#agb ,st4 ,theophylact tell us1 who by ,leaves understand a vain and empty ,appearance of ,wisdom and good ,works1 or the ,words and ,letter of the ,scriptures1 which are the ,leaves of the ,oracle1 without any ,figs of spiritual ,interpretations of them4 ,and whether this ben't the ,case of the ,church at present1 our ,divines are to consider4 ,the ,figs that ,jesus may be supposed to look for at his ,coming1 are not only the ,fruits of the ,spirit mention'd by ,st4 ,paul1 but#agc spiritual ,interpretations of the ,scriptures1 which ,st4 ,jerome#agd says are mystical ,figs2 because1 as ripe ,figs are sweet to the ,palate of our ,mouths1 so are they no less delicious to the ,soul of ,man4 ,but ,jesus is said to be hungry after ,figs3 so will ,jesus in ,spirit hunger for the mystical ,figs of his ,church1 that is1 as ,origen#age rightly interprets1 he will earnestly desire1 like a ,man that is hungry1 the ,fruits of the ,spirit in his ,church1 which will be as grateful to him as ,figs can be to a ,man naturally4 ,to understand this ,expression of ,jesus's ,hunger literally1 is such a mean ,circumstance of ,life1 that unless it be1 what's next to impossible1 necessarily introductory to some noble ,transaction1 its unfit to be remember'd of a ,saint in ,history4 ,diogenes ,laertius would have disdain'd to mention such a frivolous ,circumstance in the ,life of a ,philosopher as this of ,jesus4 ,but if we understand this ,hunger in ,jesus mystically1 and figuratively of his ,desires of the ,fruits of the ,spirit in his ,church1 it is sublime and noble2 and the ,emblem confessedly proper and instructive4 ,but ,jesus is said to come to the ,figtree at an unseasonable ,time2 ,for the ,time of ,figs was not yet2 which ,expression has been the ,perplexity of ,commentators1 who with all their ,wit and ,sagacity can't get well over it4 ,i shall not mention here all or any of their pretended ,solutions of this ,difficulty2 but let us see whether we can't easily and at once unlose it4 ,st4 ,mark's ,words are ,greek3 ou gar n kairos sykn1 which are and have been commonly translated1 for the ,time of ,figs is not yet4 ,but if we change the ,point into an ,interrogation1 and read thus1 for was it not the ,time of ,figs8 the ,difficulty vanishes as certainly1 as that it is absurd to suppose ,christ should come to his ,figtree and look for ,fruit1 when he could not reasonably expect any4 ,this my ,solution of this ,difficulty certainly serves the ,purpose of the mystical ,interpretation2 and if it does not the litteral1 ,i answer1 we are not to heed the ,letter1 which seldom or never has any ,sense or ,truth in it4 ,but1 by the by1 it does the litteral too1 since there are no ,grounds from the ,text to think1 what has been the common ,opinion1 that it was about the ,jewish ,passover that ,jesus came to the ,figtree4 ,if this my ,solution of the ,difficulty don't please1 ,i must say with#agf ,heinsius1 that it must be left as a ,knot for ,elias to untie1 who1 according to the#agg ancient ,jews1 is first to gather ,fruits off this mystical ,figtree1 and present them to the intellectual ,taste of ,mankind4 ,but1 that my ,solution is good1 will appear by what follows4 ,and ,jesus finding ,leaves only says1 in ,st4 ,matthew1 to the ,figtree1 ,let no ,fruit grow on thee henceforward for ever2 which 7with its parallel ,place in ,st4 ,mark7 is in my ,opinion a false ,translation3 ,the ,original is1 ,greek3 ,mketi ek sou karpos gentai eis ton aina1 and ought to be englished1 not as yet1 or not until now1 7that ,i come7 against the 7grand7 ,age 7of the ,sabbath7 has ,fruit grown on thee4 ,so that the ,miracle of ,jesus was to make the ,figtree of the ,church fruitful2 and if her preceding unfruitful ,state1 which 7in ,st4 ,mark7 ,jesus is said to curse1 or rather to devote to ,ruin1 wasted away1 it was by ,consequence4 ,but what ,time of ,day was it that ,jesus came to the ,figtree8 ,it was in the ,morning4 ,and of what ,day8 ,that is uncertain as to the ,letter1 but according to the mystical ,extent of the ,three ,years1 whether we understand the ,figtree as a ,type of the ,church1 or of all ,mankind of all ,ages1 it will be on the ,morning of the great ,sabbath1 when1 upon the ,appearance of the ,light of ,christ1 like the ,rising of the ,sun1 an unfruitful and erroneous ,church must needs wither away4 ,and the ,disciples on the said ,morning will1 as ,origen#agh says1 with their intellectual ,eyes behold her waste with ,admiration4 ,and then too1 they under ,christ will do what is done to the ,figtree1 of the ,church1 and remove ,mountains of ,antichristian ,power1 that exalt themselves against him2 as the ,fathers interpret1 and ,i need not explain4 ,and what is meant by the ,means1 which ,st4 ,luke speaks of1 to make the ,figtree of the ,church fruitful on the ,sabbatical ,year2 the ,year it is to be let alone to bear ,fruit in8 ,there must be digging about it1 that is#agi into the ,earth of the ,letter of the ,scriptures1 and dunging of it1 that is calling#ahj to ,remembrance her ,sins and ,errors of the ,time past1 which rationally speaking will make the ,church to bring forth good ,fruit4 ,after this ,fashion is the rest of the ,parable of the ,figtree to be allegorized out of the ,fathers4 ,st4 ,gregory#aha the ,great and ,st4 ,augustin1 make these two ,stories or ,parables1 viz4 of the ,figtree1 and of the ,woman with her ,spirit of ,infirmity1 as they are blended together in ,st4 ,luke1 to be ,figures of the same ,mystery4 ,the eighteen ,years of the ,woman's ,infirmity and the three ,years of the ,figtree's ,unfruitfulness1 they will have to be mystically synchronical4 ,and the ,woman's ,incurvity to the ,earth is1 they say1 significative of the same ,thing with the ,unfruitfulness of the ,figtree4 ,and the ,erection of the ,woman on the ,sabbath is of the same ,import with the ,reservation of the ,tree for ,fruitfulness on that ,day4 ,and let any one see1 if they don't admirally agree1 as ,i have interpreted these two ,parables4 ,before ,i dismiss this ,story of the ,figtree1 ,i can't but adore the ,providence of ,god1 that the ,miracle has been hitherto placed in the withering away of the ,tree4 ,if the ,miracle had been a plain ,story of a dead and wither'd ,tree's being made to bring forth ,leaves and ,fruit on a sudden2 this would have been such a manifestly supernatural ,work1 and so agreeable to modern ,notionists about ,miracles1 that ,mens ,thoughts would have been so absorpt in the ,consideration of the ,letter1 as they would never have extended them to the ,contemplation of the ,mystery4 ,and our ,divines would have made such a ,noise1 in our ,ears of the ,excellency and ,marvellousness of such a ,miracle1 as that there would be no bearing of it4 ,but ,but as the ,evangelists have in a good ,measure suppress'd all mention of the after ,fruitfulness of the ,tree2 and the ,story1 by ,misconstruction1 is clog'd with the foresaid ,difficulties and ,absurdities1 we are of ,necessity driven to the search after ,mystery for good ,sense and ,truth in it4 ,and thus have ,i spoken enough to the ,miracle of ,jesus's cursing the ,figtree1 which according to the ,letter is a foolish and absurd ,story3 ,but the mystical ,operation1 of which the ,letter is a ,shadow1 will be ravishing1 marvellous and stupendous2 and not only a ,proof of ,christ's ,power1 and ,presence in his ,church1 but a ,demonstration of his ,messiahship1 in as much as an infinite ,number of ,prophecys upon ,prophecys1 will thereupon be discern'd to be accomplish'd1 or the ,church can't bring forth the ,fruits of the ,spirit1 that is ,spiritual ,interpretations of the ,scriptures1 like ripe ,figs4 ,and so ,i pass to an #h4 ,eighth ,miracle of ,jesus1 and that is1#ahb of his healing a ,man of an ,infirmity1 of thirty eight ,years ,duration1 at the ,pool of ,bethesda1 that had five ,porches1 in which lay a great ,multitude of impotent ,folk1 blind1 halt1 withered1 waiting the troubling of the ,waters1 upon the ,descent of an ,angel1 who gave a ,sanative ,virtue to them1 to the curing of any one1 be his ,distemper of what kind soever1 who first stept down into them4 ,this whole ,story is what our ,saviour calls a ,camel of a monstrous ,size for ,absurdities1 ,improbabilities and ,incredibilities1 which our ,divines1 and their implicit ,followers of these last ,ages1 have swallowed without chewing2 whilst they have been straining at ,knats in ,theology1 and hesitating at frivolous and indifferent ,things of the ,church1 of no ,consequence4 ,as to ,jesus's ,miracle in this ,story1 which consisted in his healing a ,man1 of no body knows what ,infirmity1 there neither is nor can be proved any ,thing supernatural in it1 or there had been an express ,description of the ,disease1 without which it is impossible to say1 there was a miraculous ,cure wrought4 ,as far as one may reasonably guess1 this ,man's ,infirmity was more ,lazyness than ,lameness1 and ,jesus only shamed him out of his pretended ,illness1 by bidden him to take up his ,stool and walk off1 and not lie any longer1 like a lazy ,lubbard and ,dissembler1 among the ,diseased1 who were real ,objects of ,pity and ,compassion3 ,or1 if he was no ,dissembler1 he was only fancyfully sick1 and ,jesus by some proper and seasonable ,talk touch'd his ,heart1 to his ,relief2 and so1 by the ,help of his own ,imagination1 he was cured1 and went his ,way4 ,this is the worst that can be made of this infirm ,man's ,case2 and the best that can be said of ,jesus's ,power in the ,cure of him1 as will appear1 by and by1 upon ,examination into it4 ,but the other ,parts of the ,story of the healing ,virtue of the ,waters1 upon the ,descent of an ,angel into them1 is not only void of all good ,foundation in ,history1 but is a ,contradiction to common ,sense and ,reason1 as will be manifest after an ,inquiry into the ,particulars of it4 ,st4 ,john was the beloved ,disciple of our ,lord1 and ,i hope he lov'd his ,master3 or he was worse than an ,heathen1 who loves those who love him3 ,but this ,story1 and some others1 that are peculiar to his ,gospel1 such as1 of ,jesus's telling the ,samaritan ,woman her ,fortune2 of his healing the blind ,man with ,eye-,salve made of ,clay and ,spittle2 ,of his turning ,water into ,wine for the ,use of ,men1 who had before well drank2 and of his raising ,lazarus from the ,dead1 are enough to tempt us to think1 that he wilfully design'd1 either to blast the ,reputation of his ,master1 or to try how far the ,credulity of ,men who through blind ,love were running apace into ,christianity1 might be imposed on2 or he had never related such idle ,tales1 which1 if the ,priesthood1 who should be the philosophical ,part of ,mankind1 had not been amply hired into the ,belief of them1 would certainly have been rejected with ,indignation and ,scorn before now4 ,st4 ,john wrote his ,gospel many ,years after the other ,evangelists3 ,what then should have been his peculiar ,business8 ,certainly nothing more1 than to add some remarkable ,passages of ,life1 to ,jesus's ,honour1 which they had omitted2 and to confirm the ,truths which they had before reported of him4 ,but ,st4 ,john is so far from doing this1 that the ,stories1 he has particularly added1 are not only derogatory to the ,honour of ,jesus1 but spoil his ,fame for a ,worker of ,miracles1 which the other ,evangelists would raise him to4 ,by reading the other ,evangelists1 one would think1 that ,jesus was a ,healer of all manner of ,diseases1 however incurable by ,art and ,nature1 and that where-ever he came1 all the sick and the maim'd 7excepting a few ,infidels7 were perfectly cured by him4 ,but this ,story before us will be like a ,demonstration1 that ,jesus was no such ,worker of ,miracles and ,healer of ,diseases1 as he is commonly believed to have been2 and that he wrought not near the ,number of ,cures1 he is supposed to have done1 much less any great ones4 ,the best ,conception that an impartial ,reader of the ,gospel can form of ,jesus1 is1 that he was a tolerable good natural ,orator1 and could handsomely harangue the ,people off hand1 and was according to the ,philosophy of the ,times1 a good ,cabalist2 and his ,admirers finding him endewed with the ,gift of ,utterance1 which was thought by them more than human1 they fancy'd he must have the ,gift of healing too1 and would have him to exercise it2 which he did with ,success1 upon the ,fancies and ,imaginations of many1 who magnified his divine ,power for it4 ,and the ,apostles afterwards1 to help forward the ,credulity and ,delusion of the ,people1 amplified his ,fame with extravagant ,assertions and strange ,stories of ,miracles1 passing the ,belief of considerate and wise ,men4 ,whether this ,representation of the ,case1 according to the ,letter of the ,gospels1 be false and improbable1 let my ,readers judge by the ,story before us1 which ,i come now to dissect1 and make a particular ,examination into the several ,parts of it4 ,accordingly it is to be observ'd ,first1 that this ,story of the ,pool of ,bethesda1 abstractedly considered from ,jesus's ,cure of an infirm ,man at it1 has no good ,foundation in ,history3 ,it merits no man's ,credit1 nor will any reasonable ,person give any heed to it4 ,st4 ,john is the only ,author that has made any mention of this ,story2 and tho' his ,authority may be good1 and better than another ,man's in ,relation to the ,words and ,actions of ,jesus1 in as much as he was most familiar and conversant with him2 yet1 for foreign ,matters1 that have no immediate ,respect to ,jesus's ,life1 he's no more to be regarded than another ,historian1 who1 if he palm upon his ,readers an improbable ,tale of senseless and absurd ,circumstances1 will have his ,authority questioned1 and his ,story pry'd into by the ,rules of ,criticism1 and rejected or received as it is found worthy of ,belief and ,credit4 ,if there had been any ,truth in this ,story before us1 ,i cannot think but ,josephus or some other ,jewish ,writers1 it is so remarkable1 peculiar and astonishing an ,instance of the ,angelical ,care and ,love to the distressed of ,jerusalem1 would have spoken of it3 ,but ,i don't find they have2 or our modern ,commentators would have refer'd to them1 as to ,testimony of the ,credibility of the ,gospel-,history4 ,josephus has professedly written the ,history of the ,jewish ,nation1 in which he seems to omit nothing that makes for the ,honour of his ,country1 or for the ,manifestation of the ,providence of ,god over it4 ,he tells us of the ,conversation of ,angels with the ,patriarchs and ,prophets1 and intermixes ,extra-,scriptural ,traditions1 as he thought them fit to be transmitted to ,posterity4 ,how came he then and all other ,jewish ,writers to forget this ,story of the ,pool of ,bethesda8 ,i think1 we may as well suppose that a ,writer of the natural ,history of ,somersetshire would neglect to speak of the medicinal ,waters of ,bath1 as ,josephus should omit that ,story1 which1 if true1 was a singular ,proof of ,god's distinguishing ,care of his peculiar ,people1 or an ,angel had never been frequently1 as we suppose1 sent to this ,relief of the ,diseased amongst them4 ,is then ,st4 ,john's single ,authority enough to convey this ,story down to us8 ,some may say1 that there are several ,prodigies1 as well as political ,events of antient ,times1 that1 tho' they are reported but by one ,historian1 meet with ,credit2 and why may not ,st4 ,john's ,testimony be equal to another ,writer's8 ,i grant it2 and tho' it is hardly probable but that this ,story1 if true1 before us1 must have had the ,fortune to be told by others2 yet ,st4 ,john's single ,authority shall pass sooner than another ,man's1 if the ,matter be in itself credible and well circumstanc'd4 ,but where it is blindly imperfectly and with monstrously incredible ,circumstances related1 like this before us1 it ought to be rejected4 ,which brings me1 ,secondly1 ,to ask1 what was the true ,occasion of the ,angel's ,descent into this ,pool8 ,was it to wash and bath himself8 ,or1 was it to impart an healing ,quality to the ,waters for some one diseased ,person8 ,the ,reason1 that ,i ask the first of these two ,questions1 is1 because some antient ,readings of v4 #d4 say#ahc the ,angel ,greek3 eloueto was washed1 which supposes some bodily ,defilement or ,heat contracted in the ,clestial ,regions1 that wanted ,refrigeration or ,purgaton in these ,waters3 ,but how absurd such a ,thought is1 needs no ,proof4 ,to impart then compassionately an healing ,power to the ,waters for the ,benefit of the ,diseased was the sole ,design of the ,angel's ,descent into them4 ,and ,god forbid1 that any should philosophically debate the ,matter1 and enquire how naturally the ,waters deriv'd that ,virtue from the ,angel's corporal ,presence4 ,the ,thing was providential and miraculous1 our ,divines will say1 and so let it pass4 ,but ,i may fairly ask1 why one diseased ,person only at a ,time reap'd the ,benefit8 ,or why the whole ,number of impotent ,folks were not at once healed8 ,i have a notable ,answer presently to be given to these ,questions2 but ,i am afraid beforehand1 our ,divines will not approve of it3 ,therefore they are to give one of their own1 and make the ,matter consistent with the ,goodness and ,wisdom of ,god2 or the said ,questions spoil the ,credit of the ,story1 and make an idle and ridiculous ,romance of it4 ,and when their ,hands are in1 to make1 what it impossible1 a satisfactory ,answer to the said ,questions2 ,i wish1 that1 for the sake of ,orthodoxy1 they would determine1 whether the ,angel descended with his ,head or his ,heels foremost1 or whether he might not come1 swauping upon his ,breast into the ,waters1 like a ,goose into a ,horse-pond4 ,but1 ,thirdly1 ,how often in the ,week1 the ,month or the ,year did the ,angel vouchsafe his ,descent into the ,pool8 ,and for how many ,ages before ,christ's ,advent1 and why not since and even#ahd now1 was this ,gracious and ,angelical ,favour granted8 ,st4 ,john should have been ,particular as to these ,points1 which he could not but know ,philosophers would be curious to enquire about4 ,if it was but once in the ,year1 as ,st4 ,chrysostom#ahe hints1 little ,thanks are due to him for his ,courtesy4 ,one would think sometimes1 that his ,descent was frequent2 or such a ,multitude of impotent ,folk1 variously disorder'd had never attended on it4 ,and again at other ,times1 one would think that his ,descent was seldom1 or the ,diseased as fast as they came1 which could not be faster than the ,angel could dabble himself in the ,waters1 had been charitably dismissed with restor'd ,health4 ,here then is a ,defect in ,st4 ,john's ,story1 and a ,block1 at which wise and considerate ,freethinkers will stumble4 ,but1 ,fourthly1 ,how came it to pass1 that there was not better ,care taken1 either by the ,providence of ,god1 or of the ,civil ,magistrates of ,jerusalem about the ,disposal of the ,angelical ,favour to this or that poor ,man1 according to his ,necessities or ,deserts3 ,but that he1 who could fortunately catch the ,favour1 was to have it4 ,just as he who runs fastest obtains the ,prize3 ,so here the ,diseased1 who was most nimble and watchful of the ,angel's ,descent1 and could first plunge himself into the ,pool1 carried off the ,gift of ,sanation4 ,an odd and a merry ,way of conferring a divine ,mercy4 ,and one would think that the ,angels of ,god did this for their own ,diversion1 more than to do good to ,mankind4 ,just as some throw a ,bone among a ,kennel of ,hounds1 for the ,pleasure of seeing them quarrel for it2 or as others cast a ,piece of ,money among a ,company of ,boys for the ,sport of seeing them scramble for it3 ,so was the ,pastime of the ,angels here4 ,it was the ,opinion of some ,heathens1 that ,homines sunt ,lusus ,deorum1 the ,gods sport themselves with the ,miseries of ,mankind2 but ,i never thought1 before ,i considered this ,story1 that the ,angels of the ,god of the ,jews did so too4 ,but if they delighted in it1 rare sport it was to them1 as could be to a ,town-,mobb4 ,for as the poor and distressed ,wretches were not to be supposed to be of such a polite ,conversation1 as in ,complaisance to give place to their betters1 or in ,compassion to make way for the most miserable2 but upon the ,sight or ,sound of the ,angel's ,fall into the ,pool1 would without ,respect of ,persons strive who should be first3 ,so those who were behind and unlikely to be cured1 would like an unciviliz'd ,rabble1 push and press all before them into it4 ,what a ,number then1 of some hundreds perhaps1 of poor ,creatures were at once tumbled into the ,waters to the ,diversion of the ,city ,mob1 as well as of ,god's ,angels8 ,and if one arose out of it1 with the ,cure of his ,disease1 the rest came forth like drown'd ,rats1 to the ,laughter of the foresaid ,spectators2 and it was well if there was not sometimes more ,mischief done1 than the healing of one could be of ,advantage1 to those ,people4 ,believe then this ,part of the ,story1 let him that can4 ,if any ,angel was concern'd in this ,work1 it was an ,angel of ,satan who delights in ,mischief2 and if he healed one upon such an ,occasion1 he did it by way of ,bait1 to draw others into ,danger of ,life and ,limb4 ,but as our ,divines will not1 ,i suppose1 bear the ,thoughts of its being a bad ,angel2 so ,i leave them to consider upon our ,reasonings1 whether it was credible that either a good or a bad ,angel was concerned1 and desire them to remember to give me a better ,reason1 why but one at a ,time was healed4 ,if any ,pool or ,cistern of ,water about this ,city of ,london was so blessed with the ,descent of an ,angel to such an ,end1 the ,magistrates1 such is their ,wisdom1 would1 if ,god did not direct1 take care of the prudent ,disposal of the ,mercy to the best ,advantage of the ,diseased4 ,and if they sold it to an infirm ,lord or ,merchant1 who could give for it most ,money1 to be distributed among other ,poor and distressed ,people1 would it not be wisely done of them8 ,to suppose they would leave the ,angelick ,favour to the ,struggle of a ,multitude1 is absurd and incredible4 ,and why then should we think otherwise of the ,magistrates of ,jerusalem8 ,away then with the ,letter of this ,story6 ,and if this be not enough to confute it4 ,then1 ,fifthly1 ,let us consider1 to its farther ,confutation1 who and what were the impotent ,folk1 that lay in the ,porches of ,bethesda1 waiting the ,troubling of the ,waters4 ,st4 ,john says they were ,blind1 ,halt1 ,withered1 and as some ,manuscripts#ahf have it1 ,paraliticks4 ,and what did any of these there8 ,how could any of them be supposed to be nimble enough of ,foot to step down first into the ,waters1 and carry off the ,prize of ,sanation1 before many others of various ,distempers8 ,tho' the troubled ,waters might be of such medicinal ,force as to heal a ,man of whatsoever ,disease he had2 yet none of the foresaid ,persons for want of good ,feet and ,eyes could expect the ,benefit of it4 ,tho' the ,ears of the ,blind might serve him to hear1 when the ,angel plump't like a ,stone into the ,waters1 yet through want of ,sight for the guidance of his ,steps1 he would by others be jostled out of the right ,way down into them4 ,and if the ,lame had good ,eyes to discern the ,descent of the ,angel1 yet ,feet were all in all to this ,purpose3 ,consequently these impotent ,folk1 specified by ,st4 ,john1 might as well have stay'd at ,home1 as resorted to ,bethesda for ,cure4 ,i know not what ,fools the ,diseased of ,jerusalem of old might be1 but if there was such a ,prize of ,health to be strove for1 by the ,distempered of this ,city1 ,i appeal to all ,men of common ,sense1 whether the ,blind1 the ,lame1 the withered and ,paralyticks would offer to put in for it4 ,st4 ,john then forgot himself1 or else blundered egregiously1 or put the ,banter upon us1 to try how far an absurd ,tale would pass upon the ,world with ,credit4 ,there might be1 if there was any litteral ,sense in the ,story1 many of other ,distempers1 but there could be neither blind1 halt nor withered1 without such an ,absurdity1 as absolutely disparages the ,story1 blasts the ,credit of the ,relator1 or rather brings to mind the ,assertion of ,st4 ,ambrose1 that the ,letter of the ,new as well as of the ,old ,testament lies abominably4 ,if what ,i have here said does not overthrow the ,letter of this ,story2 ,then what ,i have1 ,sixthly1 ,to add1 will do it more effectually1 and that is1 of the certain ,man1 that had an ,infirmity thirty and eight ,years1 and lay at this ,pool for an ,opportunity to be cured of it4 ,tho' these thirty and eight ,years are1 in our ,english ,translation prdicated of this ,man's ,infirmity1 yet more truly1 according to the ,original1 are they spoken of the ,time he lay there8 and the ,fathers so understood ,st4 ,john's ,words4 ,what this ,man's ,infirmity was1 we are uncertain3 ,for ,greek3 astheneia ,weakness or ,infirmity is a general ,name of all ,distempers1 and may be equally apply'd to one as well as to another3 ,whereupon1 tho' we can't certainly say from this ,man's ,infirmity1 that he was a ,fool to lay there so long1 expecting that ,cure1 which it was impossible for him to obtain2 yet what he says to our ,saviour1 ,i have no ,man1 when the ,waters are troubled to put me into the ,pool1 but while ,i am coming another steppeth down before me1 does imply his ,folly sufficiently1 or rather the ,incredibility of the whole ,story4 ,what then did this infirm ,man at this ,pool1 if he had neither ,legs of his own good enough1 nor a ,friend to assist him1 in the ,attainment of ,sanation8 ,was he not a ,fool1 if it was possible for any to be so great a one1 for his ,patience8 ,would it not have been as wisely done of him to wait1 in the ,fields so long1 the ,falling of the ,sky1 that he might catch ,larks8 ,the ,fathers say1 this ,man's ,infirmity was the ,palsy2 but whether they said so for the ,sake of the ,mystery1 or to expose the ,letter1 ,i know not4 ,but that ,distemper1 after thirty and eight ,years ,duration1 and ,increase2 if it was more curable than another at first1 had in that time undoubtedly so weakened and render'd him uncapable to struggle with others for this ,relief1 that it is without ,sense and ,reason to think he should wait so long for it4 ,our ,divines1 if they so please1 may commend this ,man for his ,patience1 but after a few ,years1 or rather a few ,days ,experience1 another ,man would have been convinc'd of the ,folly and ,vanity of his ,hopes1 and returned ,home4 ,if he could not put in for this ,benefit1 with ,prospect of ,success in his more youthful ,days1 when the ,distemper was young too1 much less ,reason had he to hope for it in his old ,age1 after thirty and eight ,years ,affliction1 unless he dream'd of1 what was not to be imagin'd1 an ,opportunity1 without ,molestation and ,competition1 to go off with it4 ,whatever then our ,divines may think of this ,man and his ,patience1 ,i will not believe there ever was such a ,fool2 and for this ,reason will not suppose ,st4 ,john could literally so romance1 unless he meant to bambouzle ,mankind into the ,belief of the greatest ,absurdity4 ,a ,man that ,lies with a ,grace to deceive others1 makes his ,story so hang together1 as to carry the ,face and ,appearance of ,truth along with it2 which this of ,st4 ,john1 that for many ,ages has been swallowed1 for the ,reason before us1 has not4 ,but what is the worst of all against this ,story is1 ,seventhly1 ,that which follows1 and absolutely destroys the ,fame and ,credit of ,jesus for a ,worker of ,miracles4 ,and ,v4 #a1 #b1 #c4 ,jesus went up to ,jerusalem1 where there was by the ,sheep-,market1 a ,pool1 called ,bethesda1 having five ,porches1 in which lay a great ,multitude of impotent ,folk1 blind1 halt1 withered4 ,why then did not ,jesus heal them8 ,here was a rare ,opportunity for the ,display of his ,healing and ,almighty ,power2 and why did he not exercise it1 to the ,relief of that ,multitude of impotent ,folk8 ,if he could not cure them1 there's an ,end of his ,power of ,miracles8 and if he would not1 it was want of ,mercy and ,compassion in him4 ,which way soever we take this ,case1 it turns to the ,dishonour of the ,holy ,jesus4 ,what then was the ,reason1 that of so great a ,multitude of diseased ,people1 ,jesus exerted his ,power1 and extended his ,mercy1 on only one poor ,paralytick8 ,st4 ,augustin#ahg puts this ,question and ,objection into my ,mouth2 and tho' neither ,he nor ,i start it for the ,service of ,infidelity1 but to make ,way for the ,mystery1 yet ,i know not why ,infidels may not make ,use of it1 till ,ministers of the ,letter can give a satisfactory ,answer and ,solution to it4 ,the ,evangelists1 ,matthew1 ,mark1 and ,luke1 tell such ,stories of ,jesus's healing ,power1 as would incline us to think he cured all where-ever he came4 ,he heal'd1 they say1 all ,manner of ,diseases among the ,people1 and they make mention of particular ,times and ,places1 where all the ,diseased were healed by him1 which ,assertions imply1 that ,jesus's healing ,power was most extensive and 7excepting to an hard-hearted and unbelieving ,pharisee now and then7 universal2 so far that it might be question'd1 whether any died1 during the ,time of his ,ministry1 the ,places where he came3 ,and our ,divines have so harangued on ,jesus's ,miracles1 as would confirm us in such an ,opinion3 ,but this ,story in ,st4 ,john confutes and confounds all4 ,st4 ,john in no ,place of his ,gospel talks of ,jesus's healing of many1 nor of all manner of ,diseases1 much less of all that were ,diseased2 which1 if it be not like a ,contradiction to the other ,evangelists1 is some ,diminution of their ,authority1 and enough to make us suspect1 that they stretch'd much in praise of their ,master1 and said more to his ,honour than was strictly true4 ,but this ,place before us is a flat ,contradiction to them1 and ,jesus is not to be supposed to heal many in any ,place1 much less all manner of ,diseases1 or he had never let such a ,multitude of poor ,wretches pass without the ,exercise of his ,power and ,pity on them4 ,some good ,reason then must be given for ,jesus's ,conduct here1 and such a one as will adjust it to the ,reports of the other ,evangelists2 or ,infidels will think1 that either they romanc'd for the ,honour of their ,master1 or that ,st4 ,john in ,spite told this ,story to the ,degradation of him4 ,i can conceive no better of this ,matter according to the ,letter4 ,the ,bishop of ,litchfield very remarkably says1#ahh that ,jesus where-ever he went1 healed all that came to him without ,distinction1 the impotent1 halt1 withered4 ,he certainly had this ,text of ,st4 ,john in his ,eye1 when he said so1 because ,impotent1 ,halt1 ,withered1 are only mention'd here1 where ,jesus cured none of them3 ,whereupon if his ,lordship had made but a marginal ,reference to this ,text1 it would have been the best ,jest and ,banter1 with a ,sneer1 that ever was put upon ,jesus and his ,power of ,miracles3 ,as it is1 it's a very good one1 and ,i desire my ,readers to take ,notice of it1 that his ,lordship may not lose the ,credit and ,praise of it4 ,it's for such ,circumspection of ,thought1 ,exactness of ,expression1 and ,acuteness of ,wit1 that ,i admire that ,prelate1 and must needs say of him1 whether he ever be translated to ,canterbury or ,york1 or not1 that he's an arch ,bishop4 ,but to return and go on4 ,the ,conduct of ,jesus1 to all ,appearance1 is not only blameable1 his ,power of healing disputable1 and his ,mercy indefensible1 for that he cured but one infirm ,man out of a ,multitude1 at ,bethesda1 but1 ,eightly1 and lastly1 it may reasonably be questioned1 whether he wrought any ,miracle in the healing of this one ,man4 ,miracles 7to say nothing of the ridiculous ,distinction between divine and diabolical ones7 are ,works done out of the ,course of ,nature1 and beyond the ,imitation of human ,art or ,power4 ,now whether the ,cure of this infirm ,man can be brought under this ,definition of a ,miracle1 may be doubted4 ,what this ,man's ,infirmity1 which is a general ,name for all ,distempers1 was1 we know not4 ,how then can we say he was miraculously cured1 unless we knew his ,disease to be incurable by ,art1 which none can affirm8 ,the worst that we know of this ,man's ,case1 is1 that it was of a long ,continuance1 no less than of eight and thirty ,years3 ,and the ,bishop of ,litchfield and others in their florid ,harangues of ,jesus's ,works1 make the ,cure of such ,chronical ,diseases to be miraculous3 ,but why so8 ,many ,instances may be given of ,infirmities of human ,nature1 of a long ,duration1 which in ,time1 and especially in old ,age1 wear off4 ,if such ,infirmities don't occur to the ,memory of our ,divines1 ,i could put them in ,mind of them4 ,and who knows but this was the ,case of this impotent ,man1 whose ,infirmity ,jesus observing to be wearing off1 bid him to be gone1 and take up his ,couch1 for he would soon be made whole4 ,the ,fathers indeed call this ,man's ,infirmity the ,palsy1 which in truth is generally worse than better by ,time1 and after thirty and eight ,years1 must needs be very deplorable1 and incurable without a ,miracle4 ,but why do they call it the ,palsy8 ,they have no ,authority for it from the ,text1 without which1 as our litteral ,doctors will not subscribe to their ,opinions in other ,cases2 so why should ,i here8 ,in short1 the ,fathers had never call'd it the ,palsy1 but for the sake of the ,mystery2 and ,i am not bound to own that to have been the ,distemper1 any more than it was want of ,legs2 for that would be making of ,miracles for ,jesus1 without ,reason and ,authority4 ,if ,jesus here had healed the whole ,multitude of impotent ,folk2 without ,enquiry what ,numbers there might be of them1 ,i should have believed that he wrought there many great ,miracles1 in as much as in such a great ,multitude1 there must needs1 in all ,probability1 be some incurable by ,art or ,nature3 ,but since he cured only this one ,man1 it affords ,matter of ,speculation1 whether he was the most or the least diseased amongst them4 ,our ,divines1 for the sake of the ,miracle1 may possibly suppose him to be the most grievously afflicted of any2 but ,infidels1 on the other hand1 will say1 not so3 but with their ,cavils will urge that this infirm ,man was either a ,dissembler1 whom ,jesus shamed out of his pretended ,disease1 or that he was only hippish1 and fancyfully more than really distemper'd of a long ,time1 whom ,jesus by suitable ,exhortations and ,admonitions1 working upon his ,imagination1 persuaded into a ,belief of his ,cure1 and bid him to walk off4 ,certain it is1 that ,infidels will say1 it was not a ,power of ,miracles in ,jesus which heal'd him1 or he had used it then and there for the ,sanation of others also4 ,and thus have ,i finish'd my ,invective against the ,letter of this ,story2 which1 if any are offended at1 they enjoy1 what is the most reasonable ,thing in the ,world1 the same ,liberty to write for the ,letter1 which ,i have used against it3 ,and so ,i pass to the ,consideration of the ,opinions and ,expositions of the ,fathers on this strange ,story4 ,the ,fathers1 upon whose ,authority ,i form'd my preceding ,invective against the ,letter1 so universally betake themselves to the mystical ,interpretation of this ,story1 that it may be question'd1 whether any of them1 more than myself1 believ'd any ,thing at all of the ,letter of it4 ,st4 ,chrysostom1 who is as much a litteral ,interpreter of the ,scriptures as any of them1 here intirely discards the ,letter1 saying admirably thus1#ahi what a strange ,way and ,story of healing the ,diseased is here8 but what is the ,mystery of it8 that we are to look to4 ,the ,matter could not be so simply and unadvisedly transacted litterally1 as it is related4 ,there must be somewhat future here1 as by a ,type and ,figure1 signify'd2 or the ,story1 it is so incredible in itself1 will give ,offence to many4 ,st4 ,chrysostom was certainly in the right on't2 and ,i wonder1 for which no ,reason but want of ,liberty can be given1 that ,infidels have not before now1 with their ,jests and ,cavils1 ridiculed this ,story4 ,st4 ,augustin1 to the same ,purpose1 says1#aij ,can any one believe1 that these ,waters of ,bethesda were wont to be troubled in this ,fashion1 and that there was not ,mystery1 and a spiritual ,signification in it8 ,yes1 ,i could tell ,st4 ,augustin1 that our modern ,divines seem to believe it1 tho' he1 if he was now alive1 would laugh at them for it4 ,but to come to the profound ,mystery signified by this ,story1 which to use the ,words of#aia ,st4 ,augustin1 as ,god shall enable me1 ,i will now speak to4 ,our ,english ,version says1 ,there is at ,jerusalem by the ,sheep-,market1 a ,pool4 ,how our ,translators came by the ,notion of a ,market here1 ,i can't imagine1 since there is nothing to favour it in the ,original1 which stands thus1 ,greek3 epi t probatik kolymbthra3 ,by ,greek3 kolymbthra1 the ,fathers understand#aib ,baptism1 or the spiritual ,laver of ,regeneration2 and who is that for1 but the ,flock of ,christ1 signified by ,greek3 probatik8 ,so we have another and clearer ,interpretation of these two ,words4 ,and as to ,bethesda1 that is a mystical ,name of the ,church1 which according to the ,signification of ,bethesda1 is the ,house of ,grace4 ,and if it is said to be at ,jerusalem1 it is not to be understood of the ,old ,jerusalem1 but of the ,new and ,apocalyptical ,jerusalem1 at the ,entrance into which the ,flock of ,christ will be baptiz'd by the ,waters of the ,spirit1 as in a mystical ,laver4 ,bethesda is said to have five ,porches1 that is1 as the ,fathers#aic agree1 the five ,books of ,moses1 which are as so many ,doors of ,entrance into the ,house of ,wisdom1 or of the ,grace of ,christ4 ,at these five ,porches of the five ,books of ,moses lay a great ,multitude of impotent ,folk1 blind1 halt1 withered4 ,and who are these mystically8 ,the ignorant1 erroneous1 and unstable in ,faith and ,principle1 as the ,fathers often understand them spiritually4 ,and what is the ,reason of these their mystical ,diseases8 ,because1 as ,st4 ,augustin#aid and other ,fathers say1 they rest on the ,letter of the ,law1 which throws them into various ,errors1 like ,diseases1 of different ,kinds1 of which they can't be cured without the ,descent of the ,spirit1 like an ,angel1 to instruct them mystically to interpret4 ,with these impotent ,folk lay a certain ,man who had an ,infirmity4 ,and who is this infirm ,man8 ,mankind in general1 say ,st4 ,cyril#aie and#aif ,st4 ,augustin1 ,and what is his ,infirmity8 ,the ,fathers call it the#aig ,palsy1 because of his ,instability1 and ,unsteadiness in ,faith and ,principles1 which is now the ,case of ,mankind4 ,st4 ,john calls it ,greek3 astheneian a ,weakness1 which being a general ,name of all ,distempers1 we can't guess what might be here the specifical one4 ,but reasonably speaking1 according to the ,rule of ,interpretation1 this ,man's ,infirmity is the same with the ,woman's ,spirit of ,infirmity1 and that is a ,weakness at the ,spirit of ,prophecy1 which ,mankind1 as well as the ,woman of the ,church1 is to be cured of in the ,perfection of ,time4 ,and how long did this ,man with his ,infirmity lay in these ,porches of ,bethesda8 ,thirty eight ,years3 ,so has ,mankind with his ,weakness at the ,spirit of ,prophecy lay eight and thirty 7hundred7#aih ,years1 reckoning two thousand under the ,law1 and eighteen hundred since under the ,gospel4 ,st4 ,augustin#aii has an ingenious and more mystical way of ,computation of these thirty and eight ,years1 which pleases me too1 but possibly some ,readers may not so easily apprehend it1 unless they are well acquainted with the ,mystery of ,prophetical ,numbers4 ,and how is ,mankind to be cured of his ,infirmity at the ,spirit of ,prophecy8 ,by being instructed1 by the ,spirit of ,truth1 who is to come at the ,conclusion of the said thirty and eight mystical ,years1 to arise and take up his bed and walk1 that is1 to raise his ,thoughts to the ,contemplation of the divine ,mysteries of the ,law1 and to lift up his ,bed of the ,letter1 on which he has hitherto rested1 into a sublime ,sense1 and then he will walk uprightly and steadily in the ,faith1 without wavering like a ,paralytick4 ,and at what ,season did ,jesus come to this infirm ,man8 ,it was at a ,feast of the ,jews4 ,irenus1 ,chrysostom1 ,theophylact1 and ,cyril call it the ,feast of ,penticost4 ,and the grand ,feast of ,penticost is1 as ,st4 ,cyril#bjj says upon the ,place at the ,perfection of ,time1 the ,time of the ,evangelical ,sabbath1 and of ,jesus's spiritual ,advent1 which will be a ,time of feasting on intellectual and divine ,mysteries1 of seeing ,visions and of dreaming ,dreams2 consequently at that ,time1 as the ancient ,jews and ,fathers assert1 ,mankind will be cured of this ,infirmity at the ,spirit of ,prophecy4 ,and this too is the certain ,season1 that the ,angel will descend and trouble the ,waters4 ,by ,angel is here meant#bja the ,spirit of ,christ4 ,and by ,waters the ,fathers understand1#bjb the ,people of all ,nations4 ,but how will the ,descent of the ,spirit of ,truth1 like an ,angel1 trouble these ,waters1 that is1 give any ,molestations and ,disturbance to the ,people8 ,is there not a ,mistake in the ,oracle8 ,if the ,clergy will be but greater ,lovers of ,truth than of their ,interests2 if they1 who should be ,teachers of ,forbearance of one another in ,love1 will but keep their ,temper1 there would be found a mistake in it4 ,but alas6 ,lastly1 ,the ,jews1 as is intimated1 seem to have been mov'd with ,indignation at the ,cure of the infirm ,man1 saying to him1 ver4 #aj4 it is the ,sabbath1 it is not lawful for thee to carry thy ,bed2 which litterally could not be true4 ,the ,jews were not such precise ,observers of the ,sabbath2 nor so stupid and foolish1 as ,st4 ,cyril1#bjc says1 as to think the taking up and carrying a ,stool to be a ,breach of it4 ,but mystically1 it is to be fear'd1 this will be most true1 and that the ,clergy1 who would be ,jews inwardly1 and the ,circumcision in ,spirit1 will be bitter ,enemies to ,man's ,exaltation of his ,couch of the ,letter of the ,scriptures on or against the ,evangelical ,sabbath1 and will make it1 if possible1 an unlawful ,work2 because it will bring to them ,shame1 ,dishonour and ,loss of ,interests along with it4 ,after this ,manner is every other ,circumstance of this ,story to be allegorically apply'd out of the ,fathers4 ,the ,moral or ,mystery of the whole1 in short1 is this1 that at the ,perfection of ,time1 signified by the ,sabbath1 the ,pentecost1 the ,end of thirty eight ,years1 the ,spirit of ,truth will descend on ,mankind1 to their ,illumination in ,prophecy1 and to the healing of their ,errors1 call'd ,diseases2 which is admirably represented by the ,parable before us1 that according to the ,letter1 has neither ,reason nor common ,sense in it4 ,and thus have ,i spoken to eight of the ,miracles of ,jesus2 and whether ,i have not shew'd them1 in whole or ,part1 according to the ,proposition before us1 to consist of ,absurdities1 ,improbabilities1 and ,incredibilities2 and whether they are not prophetical and parabolical ,narratives of what will be mysteriously1 and more wonderfully done by ,jesus1 ,i appeal to my ,readers4 ,after another ,discourse of some other ,miracles1 ,i intend to take into ,examination the several ,stories of ,jesus's raising of the ,dead as of ,lazarus1 ,jairus's ,daughter1 and the ,widow's ,son of ,naim2 which reputedly are ,jesus's grand ,miracles2 but1 for all the seeming ,greatness and ,excellency of them1 ,i don't doubt but to give the ,letter of these ,stories a ,toss out of the ,creed of a considerate and wise ,man2 at least show their ,insufficiency for the ,purpose for which they have been hitherto apply'd4 ,and if ,i should afterwards1 by the ,leave and ,patience of the ,bishop of ,london1 give my ,objection against ,christ's ,resurrection a ,review1 and some more ,force1 then what will become of the ,argument of ,christ's ,power1 ,authority1 and ,messiahship from his ,miracles8 ,but1 besides ,jesus's ,miracles1 ,i am1 as ,opportunity serves1 to take into ,consideration some of the ,historical ,parts of his ,life2 and shew them to be no less sensless1 absurd and ridiculous than his ,miracles4 ,and why may ,i not sometimes treat on the ,parables of ,jesus1 and show what nonsensical and absurd ,things they are1 according to the ,expositions of our most famous ,commentators of these last ,ages4 ,jesus was certainly the absolute1 and most consummate ,perfection of a ,cabalist1 ,mystist1 ,parabolist and ,enigmatist2 but according to modern ,commentaries and ,paraphrases1 he was the merest ,ideot and ,blockhead that ever open'd his ,mouth1 in that sort of ,learning1 to the ,instruction of ,mankind4 ,and ,i am oblig'd a little to speak to the ,absurdities of ,christ's ,doctrine and ,parables1 because one ,article of the ,prosecution against me was for saying1 that any of the ,philosophers of the ,gentiles1 or any rational ,man 7meaning according to modern ,expositions7 would make a better ,teacher1 than ,jesus was4 ,what a great deal of ,work have ,i upon my ,hands1 which1 if ,god spare my ,life and ,health1 ,i intend to go on with3 ,if what ,i have already done in it be not acceptable to the ,clergy1 their ,way to prevent the ,prosecution of this great ,undertaking1 is to battle me upon what's past4 ,who knows but they may write1 if they would try their ,strength1 so acutely in ,defence of the ,letter of ,jesus's ,miracles already discuss'd1 as may effectually stop my ,mouth1 and prevent my giving them any more ,trouble of this ,kind8 ,and ,i suppose ,i have now gotten an ,adversary in the ,bishop of ,st4 ,david's1 who has already discharg'd one ,fool's ,bolt at me4 ,there has nothing been a more common ,subject of ,declamation among the ,clergy than the ,reasonableness of ,christianity1 which must be understood of the ,history of ,christ's ,life and ,doctrine1 or the ,application of the ,word ,reasonableness to the ,christian ,religion is impertinent4 ,but if ,i proceed1 as ,i have begun in this ,work1 ,i shall shew ,christianity1 as it is understood1 to be the most unreasonable and absurd ,story1 that ever was told2 and our modern ,systems of ,theology groundless and sensless in almost every ,part of them4 ,mahometanism1 without ,offence be it spoken1 is a more reasonable ,religion than the ,christian1 upon modern ,schemes and ,systems4 ,if what ,i here say is offensive to our ,divines1 the ,press is open for them as well as for myself1 and they may1 if they can1 shew their ,resentment of it4 ,thanks unto ,god and our most excellent ,civil ,government for such a ,liberty of the ,press3 ,a ,liberty that will lead and conduct us to the ,fountain of ,wisdom and ,philosophy1 which ,restraint is a down-right ,enemy to4 ,and that this ,blessing of ,liberty may be continued1 for all ,bishop ,smallbrook and ,dr4 ,roger's ,hobbism1 is1 ,i dare say1 the ,desire of the curious1 inquisitive1 and philosophical ,part of ,mankind4 ,if this ,liberty should be taken away1 what a notable ,figure will our ,divines make from the ,press and ,pulpit1 declaiming on the ,reasonableness1 ,excellency and ,perfection of the ,christian ,religion1 without an ,adversary2 and telling their ,congregations1 that all1 their bitterest and acutest ,enemies can object1 is clearly answered6 ,the ,press1 of late ,years1 has been productive of so many cogent and persuasive ,arguments for ,liberty of debate1 and the ,advocates for this ,liberty1 in the ,judgment of the impartial and considerate1 have so far gotten the better of their ,adversaries1 that ,i wonder any one can appear in behalf of ,persecution4 ,if ,i was a ,bishop or ,doctor in ,divinity1 ,i shou'd think it a ,disgrace to my ,station and ,education to ask the ,assistance of the ,civil ,authority to protect my ,religion3 ,i should judge my self unworthy of the ,wages and ,emoluments ,i enjoy'd1 for the ,preaching and ,propagation of the ,gospel1 if ,i was unable to give an ,answer to any one1 that ask'd a ,reason of my ,faith2 ,or if ,i was so ,shallow-pated1 as to think ,heresy and ,infidelity punishable by the ,civil ,magistrate1 ,i should think myself as much oblig'd to confute by ,reason1 as he is to punish by the ,sword4 ,if the ,bishop of ,london had taken this ,course with me2 if he had publish'd a ,refutation of my supposed ,errors1 as well as endeavour'd at a ,prosecution of me for them1 ,i had forgiven him the ,wrongs and ,injuries done me1 and made no repeated ,demands of ,satisfaction for them4 ,christianity is1 as ,i believe1 founded on a ,rock of ,wisdom2 and what's more1 has an omnipotent and omniscient ,god on its ,side1 who can incline the ,hearts of ,men to believe1 and open the ,eyes of their ,understanding to discern the ,truth of it2 consequently there can be no ,danger in the ,attempts of our ,adversaries1 whether1 ,jews1 ,turks or ,domestick ,infidels1 against it4 ,but ,persecution implys ,weakness and ,impotency in ,god to defend his own ,cause2 or his ,priests would not move for the ,help of the ,arm of ,flesh in ,vindication of it4 ,and if1 at this ,time of ,day1 after so many ,treatises of ,infidels1 and some of them as yet unanswered1 against our ,religion1 this good ,cause should be taken out of the ,hands of ,god1 and committed to the ,care of the ,civil ,magistrate2 if instead of ,reason the ,clergy should have ,recourse to ,force1 what will ,by-standers1 and even ,well-wishers to ,christianity say8 ,nothing less than that ,infidels had gotten the better of ,christ's ,ministers1 and beaten them at their own ,weapons of ,reason and ,argument4 ,the two great ,pleaders for ,persecution1 to the ,disgrace of themselves and ,dishonour of our ,religion1 that have lately arose are ,dr4 ,rogers and the ,bishop of ,st4 ,david's4 ,dr4 ,rogers's chief ,reason against ,liberty of ,debate1 is because1 as he says it is pernicious to the ,peace and ,welfare of the ,community1 by unsettling the ,minds of the ,people about the ,religion established3 ,but here's no consequence1 unless it could be proved1 that such as the great ,mr4 ,grounds and ,mr4 ,scheme1 have it in their ,hearts to raise ,mobbs upon the ,government1 and to beat out the ,brains of the ,clergy4 ,all the ,harm1 or rather ,good1 they aim at1 is to exercise the ,wits of the ,clergy with their ,doubts and ,objections2 and if the ,passions of our ,ecclesiasticks are not raised upon it1 to the doing of ,violence to these ,gentlemen1 the ,peace of the ,publick will never be disturb'd4 ,as to myself1 tho' ,i have a vast and numerous ,party on my ,side1 no less than all the ,fathers and primitive ,christians for some ,ages2 yet as we were peaceable and quiet ,subjects of old and passively obedient to the ,emperors of ,rome2 so we will continue to the ,civil ,authority of this ,nation4 ,we only take the ,liberty to awaken the ,clergy out of a ,lethargy of ,dulness and ,ignorance2 and hope the ,civil ,magistrate will consider the ,goodness and ,charity of our ,intentions1 and guard us against their ,insults for it4 ,the ,bishop of ,st4 ,david's#bjd says1 ,it is absurd to assert1 that the ,liberties of any ,nation will allow1 with ,impunity1 a ,set of distinguish'd ,infidels to insult and treat with the greatest ,contempt and ,scorn the most sacred and important ,truths1 that are openly professed1 by the whole ,body of the ,people1 of whatever ,denomination4 ,by a ,set of ,infidels1 ,i suppose1 he means me and the ,fathers3 ,and by treating with ,contempt and ,scorn the most sacred and important ,truths1 he means1 our burlesquing1 bantering and ridiculing the ,clergy for their ,ministry of the ,letter3 ,and for this he would1 ,i conceive1 have incensed the ,societies for ,reformation of ,manners to a ,prosecution of me4 ,and if they had not been wiser1 and more merciful than their ,preacher1 ,i must have gone to ,pot4 ,but why should the ,bishop dislike this way of ,writing8 ,don't he know1 that the ,fathers of the ,church used to jest and scoff at the ,gentiles and their ,priests for their foolish ,superititions8 ,don't he know1 that our ,reformers banter'd and ridicul'd ,popery out of ,doors1 and almost within the ,memory of ,man1 it was reckon'd but a dull ,sermon1 that was not well humm'd for its ,puns and ,jest on the ,papists8 why then should the ,bishop be against that way of writing1 which was of good ,use to the ,reformers1 and first ,christians8 ,the grand ,subject for ,burlesque and ,banter1 in my ,opinion1 is ,infidelity2 and that ,bishop1 who can't break two ,jests upon ,infidels for their one upon ,christianity1 has but a small ,share of ,wit4 ,the ,christian ,religion according to the ,bishop1 will abide the ,test of calm and sedate ,reasoning against it1 but can't bear a ,jest2 ,o strange6 ,but to leave these two ,contenders for ,persecution to the ,chastisement of acuter ,pens4 ,what ,i have here pleaded for ,liberty is not thro' any ,fears of ,danger to myself1 but for the ,love of ,truth and ,advancement of ,christianity1 which1 without it1 can't be defended1 propagated and sincerely embraced4 ,and therefore hope1 that the ,controversy before us1 between ,infidels and ,apostates will be continued by the ,indulgence of the ,government1 till ,truth arises and shines bright to the ,dissipation of the ,mists of ,error and ,ignorance2 like the ,light of the ,sun to the ,dispersion of the ,darkness of the ,night4 ,i will by ,god's ,leave1 go on to bear my part in the ,controversy2 ,and1 if it was not more against the ,interests than ,reason of the ,clergy to believe me1 would again solemnly declare that what ,i do in it is with a ,view to the ,honour of ,jesus1 our spiritual ,messiah1 to whom be ,glory for ever4 ,amen4 ,,finis4 ,illustration ,,footnotes3 #ade ,matt4 ,chap4 xxi4 ,mark1 ,chap4 xi4 #adf ,hoc factum1 nisi figuratum1 stultum invenitur4 ,in ,serm4 lxxvii4 #adg ,nulla esset ,ligni ,culpa1 quia ,lignum sine sensu non habebat ,culpam4 ,augustin in ,serm4 lxxxix4 #adh ,qurit poma2 necesciebat tempus nondum esse8 quod ,cultor ,arboris sciebat1 ,creator ,arboris nesciebat8 ,augustini in ,serm4 lxxxix4 #adi ,hoc ideo probamus1 quia ,passionis ,domini ,dies propinquabat1 et scimus quo tempore passus sit4 ,ibid4 #aej ,arbor non est just siccato4 ,johan4 ,hierosol in ,loc4 ,marci4 #aea ,si miraculum fuerat tantummodo commendandum1 et non alquid prophetice figurandum1 multo clementis dominus et sua misericordia dignis fecerat1 ,si quam aridam invenerat1 viridem redderet1 sicut languentes sanavit4 ,tunc vero e contrario1 quasi adversus ,regulam ,clementi su invenit ,arborem virentem1 prter tempus fructus nondum habentem1 non tamen fructum agricol negantem1 et aridam fecit4 ,in ,serm4 lxxxix4 ,sect4 #c4 #aeb ,see ,arch-,bishop ,wake's ,letter to ,mr4 ,chandler1 which is handed about ,town and ,country4 #aec ,vindication of the ,christian ,religion1 p4 #hb4 #aed ,ibid4 #aee ,quod sequenti die viderint exaruisse fieum4 ,theophylact4 in ,locum ,marci4 #aef ,chap4 xiii4 #aeg ,quid sibi vult1 quod in ,evangelio suo ,dominus ,fici ,parabolam frequenter inducit3 ,habes enim alibi1 quod jussu ,domini ,viriditas omnis hujus ,ligni frondentis aruerit4 ,in ,loc4 ,luc4 #aeh ,videamus1 ubi alibi scriptum de ista ficu2 in ,evangelio secundum ,lucam legimus1 c4 ,in ,loc4 ,marci4 ,hom4 xii4 #aei ,matth4 ,chap4 xxi4 #ba4 #afj ,quanquam igitur juxta ,literam ,hc facta non legantur ab ,apostolis1 sicut quidam ,paganorum calumniati sunt1 et garriunt contra nos1 etiam in suis scriptis asserentes ,apostolos non habuisse fidem1 quia monues non transtulerunt neque ,ficulneas verbo exsiccarunt4 ,in ,loc4 ,matth4 #afa ,legimus ,apostolorum miracula1 nusquam autem legimus arborem ab his arefactam1 aut montem in mare translatum2 quramus ergo in mysterio ubi factum sit1 non enim ,verba ,domini vacare potuerant4 ,in ,serm4 lxxxix4 #afb ,sed futurum aliquid ,miraculo commendasse1 multa sunt qu nos admoneant1 nobisq2 persuadeant imo ab invitis extorqueant4 ,ibid4 #afc ,porro quando in hunc locum incidimus1 nemo curiose inquirat1 aut anxie disputet1 justene an secus factum sit2 sed ,miraculum editum contempletur et admiretur4 ,nam de submersis ,porcis quoq2 nonnulli hanc qustionem moverant1 factumq2 justiti color destitutum prdicare veriti non sunt4 ,in ,loc4 ,merci4 #afd ,quid ,arbor fici1 nisi humanam naturam designet8 ,in ,homil4 xxxi4 #afe ,in ,ficu1 ,synogog positum ,exemplum est4 ,in ,loc4 ,matt4 #aff ,absit a nobis1 ut1 ,jesu veniente ad nos et volente manducare de ficu 7,ecclesi7 non inveniatur ,fructus in ea4 ,in ,matth4 ,tract4 xxx4 #afg ,potest autem ficus illa intelligi populus ,circumcisionis4 ,ibid4 #afh ,arbor ficulnea ,genus humanum est----,triennium autem tria sunt ,tempora1 unum ante ,legem1 alterum sub ,lege1 tertium sub gratia4 ,st4 ,augustin in ,serm4 cx4 #afi ,jude1 ver4 #ad4 #agj ,inveniet infcundam1 foliis tantummodo vestitam1 id est ,verbis inanibus gloriantem1 sed fructibus vacuam1 ,operibus quippe bonis sterilem4 ,in ,loc4 ,matt4 #aga ,habentem folia et non fructus2 ,verba1 non ,sensus2 ,scripturas1 non intelligentiam ,scripturarum4 ,in ,loc4 ,marci4 #agb ,folia sola habentem1 hoc est1 apparentem ,litteram1 non ,fructus ,spiritus4 ,in ,loc4 ,matt4 #agc ,qrens non ,sensiles ,fructus sed intellectilem ex ,lege et ,prophetis dulcemq1 ,fcunditatem4 ,csarii in ,dialog4 #dj4 #agd ,ficus sunt dona dulcissima ,spiritus ,sancti1 ,spiritualia dogmata et ,scientia ,scripturarum4 ,in ,agg2 ,cap4 ii4 #age ,esuriit autem ,jesus semper in justis1 volens manducare ,fructum ,spiritus ,sancti i neis4 ,in ,matt4 ,tract4 xxx4 #agf ,ad quem 7,locum7 intelligendum1 ut oportet1 expectandum esse ,eli1 ut nonnunquam loquuntur ,veteres de ,locis obscurissimis ,adventum4 ,in ,excercitat4 ,sac4 ,lib4 ii4 cap4 #f4 #agg ,fructus dulces omne genus de arbore ,vit comedendum prbebit ,elias4 ,apud ,buxtorf4 ,synag4 p4 #gch4 #agh ,oculis ,spiritalibus viderunt ,mysterium fici siccat4 ,matt4 ,tract4 xvi4 #agi ,effodientes ,literam ,legis4 ,cyril4 ,glaphyr4 ,l4 #a4 ,p4 #a4 #ahj ,mittitur ergo ,cophinus ,stercoris ad ,radicem ,arboris1 quando pravitatis su ,conscientia tangitur memoria ,cogitationis4 ,gregor4 ,m4 in ,hom4 xxxi4 #aha ,sed hoc significat ,ficulnea infructuosa1 quod ,mulier inclinata2 et hoc ,ficulnea reservata1 quod ,mulier erecta4 ,hoc autem octodecem ,annorum ,numero signatur1 quod tertio die ,dominus ,vine ,ficulneam venisse perhibetur4 ,in ,homil4 xxxi4 #ahb ,john1 ,chap4 v4 #ahc ,vid4 ,milli4 ,nov4 ,test4 ,in ,loc4 #ahd ,quare modo non movetur ,aqua8 ,st4 ,ambros de ,sacrament4 ,lib4 ,c4 #b4 #ahe ,greek3 ,eis monos tou eniautou etherapeueto4 ,in ,serm4 contra ,eberietatem4 #ahf ,vid4 ,milli4 ,nov4 ,test4 ,in ,loc4 #ahg ,tot jacebant unus curatus1 cum posset uno ,verbo omnes erigere4 ,quid ergo intelligendum est1 nisi quia ,potestas ,bonitas illa magis agebat1 c4 ,in ,loc4 ,johan4 #ahh ,defence of ,christianity1 ,p4 #dae4 #ahi ,quis hic ,curationis modus8 quid hoc nobis mysterium significatur8 non ,greek3 apls nec ,greek3 eik hc1 sed futura nobis1 tanquam imagine et figura quadam describuntur1 ne res nimium incredibilis et inexpectata1 accedente fidei ,virtute1 ,multitudinis ,animas offenderet4 ,in ,loc4 ,johan4 #aij ,aqua turbata----credas hoc ,angelica ,virtute fieri solere1 non tamen sine significante aliquo ,sacramento8 ,in ,loc4 ,johan4 #aia ,cujus ,rei cujus signi profundum mysterium1 quantum ,dominus donare dignatur1 loquar ut potero4 ,ibid4 #aib ,piscina illa ,baptismum designat4 ,theophyl4 ,in ,loc4 ,qunam igitur hc descriptio8 ,futurum erat ,baptisma plenum maxim ,potestatis ,grati purgaturum peccata4 ,chrysost4 ,in ,loc4 #aic ,per quinque ,porticus1 quinque ,libras ,mosis intelligo1 ,st4 ,theophil4 ,antioch4 in ,loc4 ,quinque ,porticus sunt quinque ,libri ,mosis4 ,st4 ,august4 in ,loc4 #aid ,mosis quinque ,libros scripsit1 sed in quinque ,porticibus ,piscinam cingentibus languidi jacebant1 et curari non poterant4 ,vide quomodo manet littera1 convincens eum non salvans iniquum4 ,illis enim quinque ,porticibus1 in figura quinque ,librorum prodebantur potius quam sanabantur groti4 ,ergo quicunque amatis litteram fine gratia1 in ,porticibus remanebitis1 gri eritis1 jacentes non convalescentes1 de littera enim prsumitis4 ,in ,psal4 lxx4 #aie ,est ,figura ,populi in ultimis temporibus sanandi4 ,in ,loc4 ,johan4 #aif ,languidus ille1 de quo in ,evangelio legimus1 quia jacebat1 ,typum ,generis humani habere videbatur4 ,in ,serm4 cclxxiv4 ,append4 #aig ,paralyticum qui juxta ,natatoriam jacebat4 ,ireni4 ,lib4 ii4 ,chap4 #bb4 #aih ,tempus et ,annus sunt centum ,anni1 ,tichonii in ,reg4 #e;a #aii ,quod autem triginta et octo ,annos in ,languoribus positut erat1 do illo ,quadraginta numero1 quem supra diximus duo minus habens2 et qu sunt ista duo1 nisi duo prcepta1 dilectio ,dei et ,proximi4 ,ista duo1 in quibus tota ,lex pendet et ,prophet1 si non habuerit1 languidus et ,paralyticus jacet4 ,in ,ps4 lxxxiii4 #bjj ,quod autem sub finem ,hebdomadum ,sanct ,pentecostes ipse revertitur ,hierosolymam1 figurat et nigmatice significat futurum nostri ,salvatoris ,reversionem ultimis prsentis vi temporibus4 ,in ,loc4 ,johan4 #bja ,turbabat ,angelus1----dictus est ,dominus magni consilii ,angelus4 ,augustin in ,serm4 cxxv4 ,sect4 #c4 #bjb ,turbavit ,aquam1 id est1 turbavit ,populum4 ,ejusdem in ,ps4 cii4 #bjc ,sabbatum est et ,grabatum non licet tollere4 ,quid stupidius aut inertius esse potest8 ,in ,loc4 ,johan4 #bjd ,sermon before the ,society for ,reformation1 c4 p4 #ab4 ,a ,,fourth ,,discourse ,,on ,,the ,,miracles ,,of ,,our ,,saviour1 ,in ,,view of the ,present ,controversy between ,,infidels and ,,apostates4 ,canes qui oblatrant contra ,inquisitionem ,veritatis4 ,clem4 ,alex4 ,the ,third ,edition4 ,by ,,tho4 ,,woolston1 ,b4,d4 sometime ,fellow of ,sidney-,college in ,cambridge4 ,,london3 ,printed for the ,author1 and ,sold by him next door to the ,star1 in ,aldermanbury1 and by the ,booksellers of ,london1 and ,westminster1 #agbh4 ,price ,one ,shilling4 ,illustration ,,to ,,the ,right ,reverend ,father in ,,god ,,francis1 ,lord ,bishop of ,st4 ,,asaph4 ,,my ,,lord1 ,if the ,convocation had been sitting1 ,i would have made this ,dedication to them1 and humbly implored of them1 what1 for their ,love to the ,fathers1 they would readily have granted1 a ,recommendation of these my ,discourses on ,miracles to the ,clergy3 ,but being unhappily disappointed of a ,session of that ,reverend and ,learned ,body1 for whose wise ,debates and orthodox ,votes ,i have such a ,veneration1 as is not to be express'd in a few ,words1 ,i presently turn'd my ,thoughts on your ,lordship1 to whom a ,dedication is due1 because of your ,respect1 often declared1 for the ,authority of the ,fathers1 which induces me to think1 you now approve of the ,use ,i have made of them4 ,but what ,i am here to applaud your ,lordship for1 is1 your ,discourse call'd ,difficulties and ,discouragements1 c4 ,that admirable ,satire against modern ,orthodoxy and ,persecution6 ,how was ,i tickled in the ,perusal of it6 ,it is plainly the ,sense of your ,soul1 or you had set your ,name to it3 ,and if the ,temptation of ,praise for it1 had not been too great to be resisted1 ,i could have wish'd you had always conceal'd your self2 and then you had not written against the ,grain1 an aukward ,piece on ,church ,power1 like a ,retraction1 to reingratiate your self with some ,ecclesiastical ,noodles1 whom you no more1 than1 ,i need to care for4 ,i have sometimes wondered1 ,my ,lord1 where and when the ,great ,mr4 ,grounds imbibed his notable ,notions about ,religion and ,liberty2 for he suck'd them not in with his ,mothers ,milk1 who1 ,i suppose1 train'd him up in the ,belief of ,christianity3 ,but when ,i consider'd1 that he was once the ,pupil of ,mr4 ,hare at ,cambridge1 my wonder ceas'd4 ,under your ,lordship's ,tuition1 it seems he laid the ,foundation of his distinguish'd ,learning and ,opinions6 ,his ,pupillage will be your immortal ,honour6 ,i wonder1 none of the ,writers against him have as yet celebrated your ,praise for it6 ,how does he imitate and resemble his ,tutor in ,principles6 ,i can't say1 he surpasses you1 since there is such a ,freedom of ,thought and ,expression in your ,difficulties1 c4 so strongly savouring of ,infid--ty1 that he has not as yet equall'd4 ,upon your ,lordship's ,advancement to a ,bishoprick1 ,difficultys and ,discouragements not withstanding1 ,i wish'd1 without prescribing to the ,wisdom of the ,government in the choice of a learned ,prelate1 that the great ,mr4 ,grounds1 for the good of the ,church too1 might be soon consecrated3 ,and ,i should not have despair'd of it1 but that he is a ,gentleman of real ,probity and ,conscience1 and might possibly boggle at ,subscriptions1 unless you and ,bishop ,hoadly could help him to some of your ,reserves and ,distinctions1 wherewith you must be both well ,stock'd1 to overcome that ,difficulty4 ,and why should not ,dean ,swift for his ,writings1 as well as some others1 be made a ,bishop8 ,i should like to see him one2 if the then ,right ,reverend ,bishop ,grounds would not think him1 for his ,tale of a ,tub1 too loose in the ,faith1 for his ,company4 ,don't1 imagine1 ,my ,lord1 that ,i am forming of ,schemes for my self to be a ,bishop4 ,tho' these my ,discourses on ,miracles are of very great ,merit1 as well as your ,lordship's ,difficulties1 c4 yet you may be assured1 ,i have no such ,view1 when ,i tell you1 that the ,honour1 the ,fathers have exalted me to1 of a ,moderator in this ,controversy1 sets me above all ,ecclesiastical ,preferment1 excepting the ,arch-,bishoprick of ,canterbury1 which ,i'm afraid will be void1 before the ,king is apprised of my singular ,worth and ,qualifications for it4 ,but however1 if such excellent ,prelates1 as ,grounds1 ,hoadly1 ,swift1 ,hare and my self were at the ,head of ,ecclesiastical ,affairs1 what would we do8 ,what should we not do8 ,what would not this free-thinking ,age expect from us8 ,nothing less1 than that1 according to our ,principles1 we should endeavour to set ,mankind at perfect ,liberty1 and to lay open the dirty ,fences of the ,church1 call'd ,subscriptions1 which are not only the ,stain of a good ,conscience1 but the ,discouragements1 your ,lordship hints at1 in the ,study of the ,scriptures3 ,and if we made a ,push for an ,act of ,p----t to turn the ,clergy to ,grass1 after ,king ,henry ,v,i,i,ith's ,monks and ,fryars2 where would be the ,harm of it8 ,nay1 the ,advantage to the ,publick1 as well as to ,religion1 would be great1 if their ,revenues were apply'd to the ,payment of ,national ,debts2 with a ,reserve to our selves 7remember1 ,my ,lord7 of large ,emoluments out of them1 according to our great ,merits2 otherwise worldly-wise ,men will repute us impolitick ,fools1 which you and ,bishop ,hoadly1 ,i humbly presume1 will never endure the ,reproach of4 ,so1 hoping your ,lordship will accept of this ,dedication to your ,praise1 in as much ,sincerity as it is written1 ,i subscribe myself1 ,sidenote3 ,london1 ,may #ad4 #agbh4 ,my ,,lord1 ,the ,admirer of your ,difficultys and ,discouragements1 ,thomas ,woolston4 ,illustration ,a ,,fourth ,,discourse ,,on ,,the ,,miracles ,,of ,,our ,,saviour1 c4 ,now for a fourth ,discourse on ,jesus's ,miracles1 which1 as before1 ,i begin with a ,repetition of the three general ,heads1 at first proposed to be treated on2 and they are1 ,i4 ,to show1 that the ,miracles of healing all manner of bodily ,diseases1 which ,jesus was famed for1 are none of the proper ,miracles of the ,messiah2 neither are they so much as a good ,proof of his divine ,authority to found a ,religion4 ,,ii4 ,to prove that the literal ,history of many of the ,miracles of ,jesus1 as recorded by the ,evangelists1 does imply ,absurdities1 ,improbabilities and ,incredibilities2 consequently they1 either in the whole or in part1 were never wrought1 as it is commonly believed now-a-days1 but are only related as prophetical and parabolical ,narratives1 of what would be mysteriously1 and more wonderfully done by him4 ,,iii4 ,to consider what ,jesus means1 when he appeals to his ,miracles1 as to a ,testimony and ,witness of his divine ,power2 and to show that he could not properly and ultimately refer to those he then wrought in the ,flesh1 but to the mystical ones1 he would do in the ,spirit2 of which those wrought in the ,flesh are but mere ,types and ,shadows4 ,i am upon the second of these ,heads1 and according to it1 have1 in my former ,discourses1 taken into examination eight of the ,miracles of ,jesus1 viz4 those3 #a4 ,of his driving the ,buyers and ,sellers out of the ,temple4 #b4 ,of his exorcising the ,devils out of the ,mad-men1 and sending them into the ,herd of ,swine4 #c4 ,of his ,transfiguration on the ,mount4 #d4 ,of his ,healing a ,woman1 that had an ,issue of ,blood1 twelve ,years4 #e4 ,of his curing a ,woman1 that had a ,spirit of ,infirmity1 eighteen ,years4 #f4 ,of his telling the ,samaritan ,woman1 her fortune of having had five ,husbands1 and being than an ,adulteress with another ,man4 #g4 ,of his cursing the ,fig-tree for not bearing ,fruit out of season4 ,and1 #h4 ,of his healing a ,man of an ,infirmity at the ,pool of ,bethesda4 ,whether it be not manifest1 that the ,literal and ,evangelical ,story of these ,miracles1 from what ,i have argu'd and reason'd upon them1 does not consist of ,absurdities1 ,improbabilities1 and ,incredibilities1 according to the ,proposition before us1 let my ,readers judge2 and so ,i come to the ,consideration of #i4 ,a ninth ,miracle of ,jesus1 viz4 that#bje of his giving sight to a ,man who was born blind1 by the means of ,eve-salve1 made of ,dirt and ,spittle4 ,blindness1 as far as one may guess by the ,evangelical ,history1 was the ,distemper that ,jesus frequently exercis'd his ,power on3 ,and there is no doubt to be made1 but he heal'd many of one ,weakness1 ,defect and ,imperfection1 or other in their ,eyes1 but whether he wrought any ,miracle upon any he is supposed to have cured1 is uncertain4 ,there are1 as it's notorious1 many kinds of ,blindness1 that are incurable by ,art or ,nature3 and there are other kinds of it1 that ,nature and ,art will relieve a ,man in4 ,but whether ,jesus used his healing ,power against the former1 as well as the latter sort of ,blindness1 is more than can be affirm'd1 or at least proved by our ,divines4 ,and unless we knew of a certainty1 that the sore or blind ,eyes1 ,jesus cured1 were absolutely out of the reach of ,art and ,nature2 ,infidels will imagine1 and suggest1 that he was only ,master of a good ,ointment for sore ,eyes1 and being successful in the use of it1 ignorant ,people would needs think1 he wrought ,miracles4 ,the ,world is often bless'd with excellent ,oculists1 who thro' ,study and ,practice have attain'd to wonderful ,skill in ,eye-,maladies1 which1 tho' they are of various sorts1 yet1 by ,custom of ,speech all pass under the general ,name of ,blindness4 ,and sometimes we hear of famous ,chance-,doctors1 like ,jesus1 who by a ,gift of ,god1 ,nature1 or ,fortune1 without any ,skill in the ,structure of the ,eyes1 have been very successful in the ,cure of one ,distemper or other incident to them3 ,such was ,sir ,william ,read1 who1 tho' no ,scholar1 nor of acquir'd ,abilities in ,physick and ,surgery1 yet cured his ,thousands of sore or blind ,eyes2 and many of them too to the surprise and astonishment of profess'd ,surgeons and ,physicians4 ,whether ,he1 or ,jesus1 cured the greater number of ,blindness may be question'd4 ,to please our ,divines1 it shall be granted that ,jesus cured the greater ,numbers2 but that he cured worse or more difficult ,distempers in the ,eyes1 can't be proved4 ,sir ,william indeed met with many ,cases of blind and sore ,eyes1 that were out of the reach of his ,power2 and so did ,jesus too1 or he had never let great ,multitudes of the blind1 and otherwise distemper'd ,people1 go unheal'd by him4 ,our ,divines will here say1 that it was never want of ,power in ,jesus1 but want of ,faith in the diseased1 if he did not heal them2 but in other ,surgeons and ,physicians1 it is confessedly their own ,insufficiency3 ,to which ,i have only this ,answer1 that our ,physicians and ,surgeons are to be commended for their ,ingenuity1 to impute it to their own ,defect of ,power1 and not to lay the ,blame upon their ,patients1 when they can't cure them3 ,and it is luckly for us ,christians1 that we have this ,salvo for the ,credit of ,jesus's miraculously healing ,power1 that it was not fit1 he should exert it against ,unbelief2 otherwise reasonably speaking1 ,he with ,sir ,william ,read1 ,greatrex1 ,vespasian1 our former ,kings of ,england1 and ,seventh-,sons1 must have pass'd but for a ,chance-,doctor4 ,but to come to the particular ,consideration of the ,miracle before us4 ,jesus restored1 it seems1 a blind ,man to his ,eye-sight1 by the use of a peculiar ,ointment1 and washing of his ,eyes1 as directed1 in the ,pool of ,siloam4 ,where lies the ,miracle8 ,i can't see it2 but hope our ,divines will take their opportunity to point it out to me4 ,our ,surgeons1 with their ,ointments and ,washings can cure sore and blind ,eyes of one sort or other2 and ,jesus did no more here2 and yet he must be reckon'd a ,worker of ,miracles2 and they but artificial ,operators3 where's the ,sense and ,reason of this difference between them8 ,if ,mr4 ,moor1 the ,apothecary1 for the notable ,cures he performs1 by the means of his ,medicines1 should write himself1 and be accounted by his ,admirers1 a ,miracle-worker2 he and they would be but laugh'd at for it3 ,and yet ,jesus for his curing the sore ,eyes of a poor ,man with an ,ointment1 must be had in veneration for a divine and miraculous ,operator1 as much as if by the breath of his ,mouth he had removed an huge ,mountain6 ,a ,miracle1 if ,i mistake not the ,notion of our ,divines about it1 is a supernatural ,event1 or a ,work out of the ,power of ,nature or ,art to effect4 ,and when it is spoken of the ,cure of a ,disease1 as of ,blindness or ,lameness1 it ought to be so represented1 as that skilful and experienced ,surgeons and ,physicians1 who can do strange and surprizing ,cures by ,art1 may give it upon their judgment1 that no ,skill of ,man could reach that ,operation2 but that it ought to pass for the ,work of a divine and almighty ,hand and ,power4 ,but there is no such care taken in the ,description of any of the ,diseases1 which ,jesus cured2 much less of this before us2 against the miraculousness of which1 consequently1 there are these two ,exceptions to be made3 ,first1 that we know nothing of the ,nature of this poor ,man's ,blindness2 nor what was the defect of his ,eyes2 nor whether it was curable by ,art or not3 ,without which ,knowledge1 it is impossible and unreasonable to assert1 that there was a ,miracle wrought in the ,cure of him4 ,if his blindness or weakness of ,eye-sight was curable by human means1 and ,jesus did use those means1 there's an end of the ,miracle4 ,if the ,evangelist had given us an accurate ,description of the ,condition of this ,man's ,eyes before ,cure1 we could have judg'd better3 ,but this is their constant neglect in all the ,distempers ,jesus heal'd1 and is enough to induce us to doubt of his miraculous ,power4 ,there are1 as ,i have said1 some sorts of sore or blind ,eyes curable by ,art1 as ,experience does testify2 and there are others incurable1 as ,physicians and ,patients do lament4 ,of which sort this ,man's was1 we know not4 ,the worst that we know of his ,case1 is1 that he was blind from his ,birth1 or ,infancy1 which might be3 and yet ,time1 ,nature and ,art1 may give relief to him4 ,as a ,man advances in ,years1 the diseases of ,childhood and ,youth wear off4 ,what we call the ,king's-,evil1 or an ,inflammation in the ,eyes1 in time will abate of its ,malignity4 ,nature will not only by degrees work the ,cure it-self1 but the seasonable help of a good ,oculist will soon expedite it1 tho' in time of ,infancy he could be of no use4 ,and who knows but this might be the ,case of this blind ,man1 whose ,cure ,jesus by his ,art did only hasten and help forward4 ,however1 there are ,grounds enough to suspect1 that it was not divine ,power which heal'd this ,man1 or ,jesus had never prepared and order'd an ,ointment and ,wash for him4 ,should our ,divines suppose or describe1 for the ,evangelist1 a state of ,blindness in this ,man1 incurable by ,art2 that would be begging the ,question1 which no ,unbeliever will grant4 ,but to please them1 ,i will yield1 without ,enquiry into the ,nature of this ,man's ,blindness1 that1 if ,jesus had used no ,medicines2 if with only a word of his ,mouth he had cured the ,man1 and he had instantaneously recover'd1 as the ,word was spoken2 here would have been a real and great ,miracle1 let the ,blindness or ,imperfection of the ,man's ,sight before1 be of what kind or degree soever4 ,but ,jesus's use of ,washings and ,ointments absolutely spoils and destroys the ,credit of the ,miracle1 and we ought by no means to ascribe that to the immediate ,hand and ,power of ,god1 which ,medicines and ,balsams are apply'd to the ,effect of4 ,and this brings me to the ,second ,exception against the miraculousness of the ,cure of this blind ,man1 which is1 that ,jesus used human means for the ,cure of him2 which means1 whether they were at all proper and effectual in themselves1 do affect the ,credit of the ,miracle1 and give occasion of suspicion1 that it was ,art and not divine ,power that heal'd him1 or ,jesus1 for his ,honour1 had never had recourse to the use of them4 ,and what were those ,means1 or that ,medicine1 which ,jesus made use of8 ,why1 ,he spit upon the ,ground1 and made a ,balsam of ,dirt and ,spittle1 and anointed the poor ,man's ,eyes with it1 and he recover'd4 ,a strange and odd sort of an ,ointment1 that ,i believe was never used before1 nor since1 for sore and blind ,eyes6 ,i am not ,student enough in ,physick and ,surgery to account for the natural and rational use of this ,balsam2 but wish that skilful ,professors of those ,sciences would help me out at this difficulty4 ,if they could rationally account for the use of this ,eye-salve1 tho' it was by supposing1 that ,jesus imperceptibly had in his ,mouth a proper unctuous and balsamick ,substance1 which he dissolv'd into ,spittle1 they would do great service to a certain ,cause2 and ,i wonder none of them1 whether well or ill affected to ,religion1 have as yet bent their ,thoughts to it4 ,in the ,practice of ,physick and ,surgery1 there are sometimes very odd and unaccountable ,medicaments made use of2 and now-and-then very whimsical and seemingly ridiculous ones1 by old ,women1 to good ,purpose3 ,but none of them are to be compared to ,jesus's ,balsam for sore ,eyes4 ,i have heard of a merry ,mountebank of ,distinction1 whose catholick ,medicine was ,hasty-,pudding1 which indeed is a notable ,remedy against the ,esuriency of the ,stomach1 that the ,poor often labour under4 ,but ,jesus's ,eye-,salve1 for absurdity1 whim1 and incongruity1 was never equall'd1 either in jest or in earnest1 by any ,quack-,doctor4 ,whether ,infidels think of this ,ointment of the ,holy ,jesus with a smile2 or reflect on it with disdain1 ,i can't guess4 ,as to myself1 ,i should think with ,st4 ,chrysostom#bjf1 that this ,eye-,salve of ,jesus would sooner put a ,man's ,eyes out1 than restore a blind one to his ,sight4 ,and ,i believe that our ,divines1 for the ,credit of the ,miracle1 and our ,surgeons1 for the ,honour of their ,science1 will agree1 that it could not be naturally operative and effective of the ,cure of the blind ,man4 ,what then was the ,reason of ,jesus's using this strange ,eye-,salve2 when1 for the sake of the ,miracle1 and for the honour of his own ,power1 he should have cured the ,man with a word speaking8 ,this is a ,question and ,objection in ,st4 ,cyril#bjg against ,ministers of the ,letter1 who are obliged to give an ,answer to it1 that will consist with the ,wisdom and ,power of ,jesus1 otherwise they must give up the ,miracle or make him a vain1 insignificant and trifling ,agent4 ,st4 ,cyril1 of whose mind ,i am1 says#bjh that the ,reason of the use of this ,balsam made of ,dirt and ,spittle is to be fetch'd from the ,mystery4 ,but1 in as much as our ,divines will never agree to that1 which would be of ill ,consequence to their ,ministry1 they must give a good ,reason of their own1 which ,i despair of seeing1 that will comport with the ,letter4 ,st4 ,irenus too1 says#bji1 that the ,clay and ,spittle was of no service to the ,cure of the blind ,man2 and yet ,jesus did not use it in vain4 ,is not this an ,inconsistency8 ,how will our ,divines adjust it8 ,with ,irenus1 ,i am sure they'll not mystically solve the ,difficulty2 therefore if they don't provide another ,solution of it to satisfaction2 either their ,ministry of the ,letter1 or the ,reputation of ,jesus1 and this ,miracle must suffer for it4 ,i am puzzled to think1 how our ,divines will extricate themselves out of this ,strait1 and account for the use of this ,eye-,salve1 without any ,diminution of the ,miracle4 ,surely1 they will not say that ,jesus used this sensless and insignificant ,ointment to put a ,slur upon the ,practice of ,physick and ,surgery1 as if other ,medicines were of no more avail than his ,dirt and ,spittle4 ,they have more wit than to say so2 least it incense a noble and most useful ,profession1 not so much against themselves1 as against ,jesus1 and provoke them to a nicer and stricter ,enquiry1 than ,i can make into his ,miracles1 the ,diseases he cured1 and his manner of ,operation2 and to infer from thence1 that he could be no miraculous ,healer of ,diseases who used ,medicines2 nor his ,evangelists orthodox at ,theology1 who were so inexpert at ,anatomy and the ,description of bodily ,distempers4 ,this might be of bad ,consequence to ,religion3 ,and yet ,i wonder that none of them1 who may be supposed a little disaffected to ,christianity1 have taken the ,hint from this pretended ,miracle before us1 and some others1 to endeavour at a ,proof of ,jesus's being little better than a ,quack-,doctor4 ,if ,i was1 what ,i am not1 an ,infidel1 ,i should think1 from the ,letter of this ,story1 that ,jesus was a juggling ,impostor1 who would pass for a miraculous ,healer of ,diseases1 tho' he used underhand1 proper ,medicines4 ,the ,clay and the ,spittle he made an open shew of1 as what1 to ,admiration1 he would cure the blind ,man with2 but in reserve he had a more sanative ,balsam1 that he subtilly slip't in the room of the ,clay1 and repeatedly to good purpose anointed the ,man's ,eyes with it4 ,but as the ,authority of the ,fathers1 and their mystical ,interpretation of this ,story is alone my safe-guard against such an ill opinion of ,jesus2 so ,i would now gladly know upon what ,bottom the ,faith of our ,divines can stand1 as to this ,miracle1 and ,jesus's divine ,power in it4 ,i have perused some of our ,commentators on the ,place1 and don't perceive that they hesitate at this strange ,eye-,salve2 nor make any ,questions about the pertinent or impertinent ,use of it4 ,whether it is1 that they sleep over the ,story1 or are aware of greater ,difficultys in it1 than can be easily surmounted1 and therefore dare not touch on't1 ,i know not4 ,but now that we enjoy ,liberty of debate1 which will make us ,philosophers1 and ,i have taken the ,freedom to make a stricter ,scrutiny than ordinary into ,jesus's ,miracles1 and to consider what ,absurditys1 their ,stories1 and this in particular1 are clog'd with2 it is incumbent on our ,divines to answer solidly these ,questions1 viz4 ,what was the ,reason of ,jesus's ,use of this ,eye-,salve made of ,clay and ,spittle8 ,whether1 if it was of service to the ,cure of the blind ,man1 it does not destroy the ,miracle8 ,and if it had no effect in the ,cure of him1 whether ,jesus was not a vain and trifling ,operator1 making use of insignificant and impertinent ,medicines to the ,diminution of his divine ,power8 ,there ,questions are not ludicrous1 but calm and sedate ,reasoning1 which ,bishop ,smalbroke#baj does not disapprove of4 ,therefore a grave1 rational1 and substantial ,answer is expected to them1 such as will be a ,vindication of the ,wisdom and ,power of ,jesus1 without any ,diminution of the ,miracle4 ,should our ,divines say1 that this ,matter was an ,act of unsearchable ,wisdom and must be left to the ,will of our ,saviour1 and not curiously pry'd into1 any more than some other ,dispensations of ,providence1 that are past finding out3 ,this ,answer1 which ,i believe to be the best1 that can be given1 will not do here4 ,the ,miracles of ,jesus are1 as our ,divines own1 ,appeals to our ,reason and ,senses for his ,authority2 and by our ,reason and ,senses they are to be try'd1 condemn'd or approved of4 ,if they will not abide the test of ,reason and ,sense1 they are to be rejected1 and ,jesus's ,authority along with them4 ,therefore a more close1 pertinent and serious ,answer is to be given to the said ,questions2 which as ,i believe to be impossible1 consistently with the ,letter2 so our ,divines must of necessity go along with me to the ,fathers for a mystical and allegorical ,interpretation of the ,story of this ,eye-,salve2 or the ,miracle will fall to the ,ground1 and ,jesus's divine ,power be in great danger with it4 ,st4 ,cyril1 7who is one of ,bishop ,smalbroke's ,greek ,commentators1 that should strictly adhere to the ,letter7 signifies1 as ,i before observ'd1 that ,jesus's ,use of this ,clay and ,spittle would be an ,absurdity1 if it was not to be accounted for1 from the ,mystery4 ,eusebius ,gallicanus1 treating on this ,miracle1 says#baa2 that our ,saviour apparently manifests that his ,miracles are of a spiritual and mystical ,signification1 because in the ,work of them1 he does somewhat or other1 that literally has no ,sense nor ,reason in it4 ,as for ,instance1 in the ,cure of this blind ,man1 what occasion was there for ,clay and ,spittle to anoint his ,eyes1 if it was not of a mystical meaning1 when with a ,word of his ,mouth1 ,jesus could have cured him8 ,let us then set aside the ,letter of the ,story1 and ,search for the ,mystery1 and consider who is meant by this ,blind ,man1 c4 ,origen too1 upon occasion of this ,miracle1 and its ,absurdity according to the ,letter1 says#bab2 that whatever ,jesus did in the ,flesh was but a ,type and ,figure of what he would do in ,spirit1 as is apparent from the ,miracle of his curing a blind ,man1 which nobody knows why it was so done1 if it be not to be understood of a mystical ,ointment to open the ,eyes of the blind in ,understanding4 ,and who then is this blind ,man mystically8 ,st4 ,augustin#bac1 ,st4 ,jerome#bad1 ,eusebius ,gallicanus#bae1 ,st4 ,theophilus of ,antioch#baf1 ,origen#bag1 ,st4 ,cyril of ,alexandria#bah1 and ,st4 ,theophylact#bai1 7,four of them1 ,bishop ,smalbroke's ,greek and literal ,commentators67 say1 this blind ,man is a ,type of ,mankind of all ,nations1 who in the ,perfection of ,time signified by the ,sabbath#bbj in the ,story1 is to be cured of this ,blindness in ,understanding4 ,and what is ,mankind's ,blindness here signified8 ,st4 ,augustin#bba1 ,st4 ,cyril#bbb and ,st4 ,theophylact#bbc1 say1 it is ,ignorance1 ,error and ,infidelity1 or the want of the intellectual ,sight and ,knowledge of ,god and his ,providence4 ,origen#bbd1 ,st4 ,john of ,jerusalem#bbe1 and ,st4 ,theophylact#bbf1 7,still ,bishop ,smalbroke's literal and ,greek ,commentators67 tell us the ,reason of this spiritual ,blindness of ,mankind1 that is1 because they adhere to the ,letter of the ,scriptures4 ,and how will ,jesus1 or right ,reason and ,truth1 which are his mystical ,names1 cure ,mankind of this his spiritual ,blindness8 ,by his mystical ,spittle temper'd with mystical ,dirt4 ,and how shall we do to understand this mystical ,ointment1 so as to make it a proper ,medicine for ,mankind's spiritual ,blindness8 ,st4 ,theophilus of ,antioch#bbg1 has an allegorical ,interpretation of this ,clay and ,spittle of our ,lord2 but as it is hard to apprehend his meaning1 ,i shall not here insist on it4 ,origen says#bbh1 that the anointing of the blind ,man's ,eyes with ,spittle1 is to be understood of the ,unction of the ,spirit of ,christ4 ,but this does not give us rightly to understand the ,metaphor and ,figure4 ,st4 ,john of ,jerusalem says1 that by the ,clay and ,spittle is meant#bbi perfect ,doctrine1 which in ,truth may open the ,eyes of ,mens ,understanding3 ,but what is perfect ,doctrine8 ,why1 to help the ,fathers out here1 without departing from their ,opinions1 by the ,spittle of ,jesus must be understood the ,water of the ,spirit instill'd into the ,earth of the ,letter of the ,scriptures1 which temper'd together1 does1 in the ,judgment of them all1 make perfect ,doctrine to the opening of the ,eyes of our ,understanding in the ,knowledge of the ,providence of ,god of all ,ages2 which ,knowledge1 ,light1 ,sight1 or ,illumination1 ,mankind has hitherto wanted4 ,st4 ,irenus#bcj1 gives an excellent and mystical ,reason1 by himself1 for the use of this ,ointment of ,clay and ,spittle1 to the ,cure of this blind ,man1 which ,i shall not stay to illustrate1 but only have cited it for the ,meditation of the ,learned and ,curious4 ,the ,story of the blind ,man1 as ,st4 ,john has related it1 is long1 and would take up more time1 than ,i have to spare at present1 to go thro' all the ,parts of it4 ,what ,i have done at present is enough to awaken others to the ,consideration1 not only of the ,absurdities of the ,letter1 but of the mystical ,interpretation of the rest4 ,the ,miracle1 which consisted literally in the ,cure of a blind ,man by the use of an ,ointment made of ,dirt and ,spittle1 is absurd1 sensless and unaccountable2 but in the ,mystery1 there is ,wisdom and ,reason4 ,and the ,cure of ,mankind of the ,blindness of his ,understanding1 by the ,spirit's being temper'd with the ,letter of the ,scriptures1 which is the mystical ,eye-,salve1 will not only be a most stupendous ,miracle1 but a ,proof of ,jesus's ,messiahship beyond all contradiction1 in as much as by such an opening of the ,eyes of our ,understandings1 which have been hitherto dark1 we shall see1 how he is the ,accomplishment of the ,law and the ,prophets4 ,and so ,i pass to a #aj4 ,tenth ,miracle of ,jesus1 viz4#bca ,that of his turning ,water into ,wine1 at a ,marriage in ,cana of ,galilee4 ,this is call'd the beginning of ,jesus's ,miracles2 but whether it is to be understood of the ,first of his whole ,life1 or of the ,first that he wrought in ,cana of ,galilee1 is not agreed amongst ,divines4 ,i shall not enter into the ,dispute1 which as it is of no ,consequence to my ,cause in hand2 so ,i shall pass it by1 and not urge any ,arguments for or against either side of it4 ,tho' ,i would not for the ,world be so impious and profane as to believe1 what is contain'd and imply'd in the ,letter of this ,story2 yet ,i am still too grave to handle it as ludicrously as ,i ought2 and it is now against the grain1 that ,i write so freely1 as ,i shall against it1 being unwilling1 not only to put the ,clergy out of all ,temper1 but1 to give ,scoffers and ,infidels so great an ,advantage against their ,ministry of the ,letter4 ,some may wonder that ,i1 who have gone so far in the ludicrous display of the gross ,absurdities of some other ,miracles1 should boggle at this4 ,but to be ingenuous1 and speak the ,truth sincerely1 ,i am still a ,christian 7for all what the ,bishop of ,st4 ,david's1#bcb ,archdeacon ,stubbs1 and others would make of me7 upon the ,principles of the ,fathers1 and have a greater ,veneration for the ,person of the ,holy ,jesus1 than to be forward to make such sport with him1 his ,mother1 and his ,disciples1 as this ,story affords ,scope for4 ,and if it was not for the necessity of turning the ,clergy's ,heads to the ,consideration of ,mysteries2 this ,miracle should have been pass'd by in silence4 ,there were some antiently1 whom ,st4 ,chrysostom#bcc writes of1 whether ,jews1 ,gentiles1 or ,hereticks1 ,i know not1 who took great offence at the ,story of this ,wedding1 accounting it1 from what is related in ,st4 ,john1 as a riotous ,feast1 and that ,jesus and his ,mother1 and his ,disciples1 not only bore a part in the ,revellings1 but were most to blame for them1 or he should not have countenanced them with his ,presence1 much less promoted them1 by the ,change of a large quantity of ,water into ,wine for the use of a ,company1 who were already drunk with it4 ,but ,i1 with ,st4 ,chrysostom1 am inclined to believe1 that1 if ,jesus did grace this ,wedding with his ,presence1 there was no ,excess encouraged1 or so much as suffer'd at it4 ,if he did accept of the ,invitation of the ,bridegroom1 it was for an ,opportunity1 not so much to turn ,water into ,wine1 as to make a proper ,discourse to the ,people of conjugal ,duties2 and1 as he was a ,searcher of the ,hearts1 secretly to admonish the ,married of the ,sin and ,mischief of ,adultery2 tho' we read not of a seasonable and good ,word spoken at it4 ,and the ,empress ,eudocia1 a nursing ,mother of the ,church1 has given us a ,poetical1 and ,i hope a fictitious ,description of this ,wedding4 ,she makes a sumptuous and voluptuous ,feast of it2 and writes#bcd of ,musick and ,dancing in abundance1 enough to make us think of such ,mirth and ,pastime here1 as was unbecoming of a ,company of ,saints to be present at4 ,whether it was1 that this ,empress1 being only accustom'd to the ,excesses of a ,court1 could form no meaner ,conceptions of a ,country ,wedding2 or whether she had any extra-scriptural ,authority for what she writ1 ,i know not3 ,but ,i believe1 that1 if ,jesus was at all at a ,marriage-,feast1 the whole was conducted with ,decency1 ,order1 and ,sobriety2 and if he there wrought any ,miracle1 it was to manifest his ,glory1 to the ,conversion of some1 and ,confirmation of the ,faith of others4 ,and our ,translators of the ,bible too have given occasion to suspect somewhat of ,excess at this ,wedding2 or they need not have made the ,waterpots to hold two or three ,firkins apiece4 ,if ,i had been the ,translator1 they should not have held above two or three ,pints apiece1 which ,measure is as agreeable to the ,original as ,firkin2 neither can ,i imagine1 that ,jesus1 if he did convert ,water into ,wine1 would do it in so large a ,measure1 for fear of an intemperate abuse of it1 but only gave the ,company a cast of his miraculous ,power1 and a little ,taste of his ,love and ,good-will to them4 ,such are the ,conceptions1 that1 to the ,honour of ,jesus1 ,i am willing to form of this ,wedding2 and wish that the ,letter of the ,story did suggest no worse ,thoughts of it to us4 ,i should be pleas'd1 if no ,infidel really could1 what ,i1 but for the sake of the ,mystery most unwillingly should1 write any ludicrous ,descants on it4 ,but if this ,story had been related of ,apollonius ,tyranus1 as it is of our ,jesus1 ,i would have ridicul'd and satiriz'd it to the utmost of my ,power1 and have render'd him and his ,disciples of all ,nations1 as contemptible as ,i could1 for the ,belief of it2 and ,i don't doubt1 but our ,christian ,priests would have given me ample ,praises and ,commendations for so doing4 ,it is said of ,apollonius1 that for the ,entertainment of his ,friends1 he commanded variety of nice ,dishes of ,meat1 together with ,bowls of choicest ,wines1 all on a sudden to descend upon his ,table and range themselves in good ,order4 ,whether there was any ,truth in this ,miracle of ,apollonius1 is not the ,question2 but ,mr4 ,chandler#bce could see a ,fault in it1 7tho' none in ,jesus's ,wine at this ,wedding7 as if it was done for the ,pleasure of luxurious ,appetites1 tho' we read of no ,intemperance at it1 which can't be said of the ,wedding-,feast before us4 ,our ,divines ,i suppose1 no more than myself1 believe any thing of the said ,miracle in ,apollonius2 but1 if it was really wrought1 ,i fancy1 ,i could have lampoon'd him for it1 and would have made it a diabolical ,work1 like that1 as ,fables go1 of the ,feastings of ,wizards and ,witches2 and our ,divines 7passing by ,jesus's ,wine here7 would readily1 as they are ,believers of the ,storys of ,witchcraft1 have struck in with me4 ,but setting aside that miraculous ,story of ,apollonius1 which has but one ,voucher2 the ,case before us is ,jesus's turning ,water into ,wine for the use of ,men1 who had before well drank4 ,how shall ,i force ,nature and ,faith to ridicule this ,story8 ,how shall ,i lay aside that profound ,veneration for the ,holy ,jesus1 which ,conversation with the ,fathers1 more than the ,prejudice of ,education has begotten in me1 and ludicrously here treat him and his ,miracle too1 as is incumbent upon me1 to make way for the ,mystery8 ,in short1 ,i can't do it1 in my own ,name2 but having met with a satirical ,invective of a supposed ,jewish ,rabbi to this purpose1 ,i here publish it1 that our ,clergy1 as well as myself1 may think of an ,answer to it1 and so prevent that ,mischief it may do by being handed about among ,jews and ,infidels1 in ,manuscript4 ,it is as follows2 ,you ,christians pay ,adoration to ,jesus1 whom you believe to be a divine ,author of ,religion1 sent of ,god for the ,instruction1 ,reformation and ,salvation of ,mankind1 and what induces you to this ,belief of him1 is1 7besides some obscure ,prophecies1 which you can't agree upon1 and which neither your selves1 nor any body else understands the ,application of7 the ,history of his ,miracles3 ,but ,i wonder1 you should have a good opinion of him for his ,miracles1 which1 if he wrought no better than what are recorded of him1 by your ,evangelists1 are1 if duly consider'd1 enough to alienate your ,hearts from him4 ,i can't spare time now to examine into all of them1 but according to the cursory ,observation ,i have made on them1 there is not one so well circumstanced1 as to merit a considerate ,man's belief1 that it was the ,work of an omnipotent1 all-wise1 just and good ,agent4 ,some of them are absurd ,tales1 others foolish ,facts1 others unjust ,actions1 others ludicrous ,pranks1 others jugling ,tricks1 others magical ,enchantments2 and if many of them had been better and greater ,operations than they are1 and of a more useful and stupendous ,nature than they seem to be2 yet the first ,miracle that he wrought1 viz4 that of his turning ,water into ,wine at an extravagant and voluptuous ,wedding at ,cana of ,galilee1 is enough to turn our ,stomachs against all the rest4 ,it is in itself enough to beget in us an ill opinion of ,jesus1 and to prepossess us with an aversion to his ,religion1 without farther ,examination into it4 ,it is enough to make us suspect his other ,miracles1 of what ,name soever1 to be of a base1 magical1 and diabolical ,extraction2 or he had never set up for a divine worker of ,miracles with so ill a grace4 ,would any sober1 grave1 serious and divine ,person1 as you ,christians suppose ,jesus to have been1 have vouchsafed his ,presence at a ,wedding2 where such ,levities1 ,diversions and ,excesses 7in our ,nation of the ,jews1 as well as in all others7 were indulg'd on such ,occasions1 as were not fit to be seen1 much less countenanc'd by the ,saint1 you would make of him4 ,if your ,jesus1 his ,mother1 and his ,disciples had not been merry ,folks in themselves1 they would have declined the ,invitation of the ,bridegroom2 nay1 it they had been at all graver and more serious ,people than ordinary1 no ,invitation had been given to such ,spoil-,sports3 ,but boon ,companions they were1 and of comical ,conversation1 or there had been at a ,wedding no ,room for them4 ,you ,christians may fancy1 what you please1 of ,jesus and his ,mother's ,saintship2 but the very ,text of the ,story implies1 they were ,lovers of good ,fellowship and ,excess too1 upon occasion2 or he had never1 upon her ,intimation1 turn'd so large a quantity of ,water into ,wine1 after all or most of the ,company were far gone with it4 ,you may suppose1 if you please1 that all were sober1 and none intoxicated1 and that the ,want of ,wine proceeded from the abundance of ,company1 rather than excess in drinking2 but why then did ,john the ,evangelist use the word ,greek3 methysthasi1 which implies1 they were more than half ,seas over8 ,and if ,jesus and his ,mother had not both a mind to top them up2 the one would not have requested1 nor the other have granted a ,miracle to that purpose4 ,whether ,jesus and his ,mother themselves were at all cut1 as were others of the ,company1 is not so certain4 ,she might be an abstemious ,dame for ought we know2 tho' if old ,stories are true of her familiarity with a ,soldier1 of whom came her chara ,dem ,soboles1 in all probability she would take a ,dram and a ,bottle too4 ,but it looks as if ,jesus himself was a little in for't1 or he had never spoke so waspishly and snappishly to his ,mother1 saying1 ,woman1 what have ,i to do with thee8 mine ,hour is not yet come3 which was very unbecoming of a dutiful ,son1 who1 excepting when he ran away from his ,parents1 and put them to#bcf ,sorrow and ,trouble to look him up1 was1 and is still in ,heaven1 say the ,roman ,catholicks a most obedient ,child4 ,you modern ,christians may put what ,construction you can upon the words above of ,jesus to his ,mother1 to salve his ,credit2 but the ,fathers of your ,church#bcg confess them to be a sharp and surly ,reply to her1 which1 if it did not proceed from the natural badness of his ,temper1 derived1 ex traduce1 from his supposed ,father yet1 was certainly the effect of ,drinking1 and that's the more likely1 because it is a broken and witless ,sentence1 such as ,fuddlecaps utter by halves1 when the ,wine's in1 and the ,wit's out4 ,your modern ,commentators are sadly puzzled to make good ,sense of this broken and abrupt ,sentence of ,jesus1 and a pertinent ,reply of it1 to what his ,mother said to him1 they have no ,wine3 ,if you will bear with me1 ,i'll help you out at this dead lift1 and give you the true meaning of it thus4 ,jesus's ,mother being apprised of a deficiency of ,wine1 and willing1 as well as the ,bridegroom1 that the ,company should be thorowly merry before they parted1 intimates to her ,son1 7whom she knew to be initiated in the ,mysterys of ,bacchus7 that they had no ,wine3 ,but before she could finish her ,request to him1 ,he1 mistaking her meaning1 imagines1 she was cautioning against drinking more ,wine1 and exhorting him to go home2 whereupon he takes her up short and quick1 saying1 ,woman1 what have you to do with me8 7for that too is the ,english of the ,greek7 ,i'll not be interrupted in my ,cups1 nor break ,company2 for mine ,hour is not yet come to depart3 ,but after he rightly apprehended her1 he goes to work1 and rather than the ,company should want their fill1 by trick of ,art1 like a ,punch-maker1 meliorates ,water into what they call'd ,wine4 ,that this is the obvious ,interpretation1 and natural ,paraphrase of the ,words before us1 shall be try'd by the ,absurd ,comments now-a-days put upon them1 that are enough to make a considerate ,man laugh1 if not hiss at them4 ,some antient ,hereticks#bch1 very gravely inferr'd from this ,expression1 ,woman1 what have ,i to do with thee1 that ,mary was neither a ,virgin1 nor ,jesus her ,son2 or he had never accosted her with such blunt ,language1 that implys1 they could not be so akin to each other4 ,this was a perplexity to ,st4 ,augustin1 and gave him some trouble to explain the ,expression1 consistently with her ,virginity 7for all she cohabited with the old ,carpenter7 and his ,filiation4 ,but this being a quibble1 that has been long since dropt1 ,i shall not revive1 nor insist on it4 ,but that the ,expression above do's suppose a little ,inebriation1 in ,jesus1 ,i may avert1 neither is there a better ,solution to be made of it4 ,the ,fathers of your ,church1 being sensible of the absurdity1 abruptness1 impertinence1 pertness1 and senslesness of the ,passage before us according to the ,letter1 had recourse to a mystical and allegorical ,interpretation1 as the only way to make it consistent with the ,wisdom1 ,sobriety and ,duty of the ,holy ,jesus4 ,but you ,moderns1 abandoning ,allegories and ,mysteries on ,miracles1 have endeavour'd1 ,i say1 to put other ,constructions upon it1 as may comport with the ,letter and ,credit of ,jesus3 ,but how insipid and sensless they are1 ,i appeal to a reasonable ,man1 who will give himself the trouble to consult them1 upon the ,place1 and save me the ,pains of a tedious and nauseous ,work to recount them for him4 ,but to ,humour the ,christian ,priesthood at this ,day1 ,i will suppose that ,jesus1 and his ,mother1 and ,disciples1 tho' ,fishermen1 to have been all sober1 grave and serious at this ,wedding1 suitably to the ,opinion that their ,followers now would have us to entertain of them4 ,but then it is hard to conceive them1 less than ,spectators and even ,encouragers of ,excess and ,intemperance in others2 or ,jesus1 after their more than sufficient drinking for the satisfaction of ,nature1 had never turn'd ,water into ,wine1 nor would his ,mother have requested him to do it1 if1 ,i say1 they had not a mind1 and took ,pleasure in it too1 to see the ,company quite stitch'd up4 ,a sober1 prudent and wise ,philosopher or ,magician1 in the place of ,jesus1 if he had an ,art or ,power to turn ,water into ,wine1 would never have exercised it upon such an occasion2 no1 not to please his best ,friends1 nor in obedience to the most indulgent ,parent4 ,what would he have said in such a ,case8 ,that the ,company had drank sufficiently already1 and there was no need of more ,wine3 ,the ,bridegroom had kindly and plentifully entertain'd his ,guests1 and he would not for the ,honour of ,god1 who had endow'd him with a divine ,power1 be at the ,expence of a ,miracle to promote the least ,intemperance4 ,whether such a ,speech and ,resolution in ,jesus1 upon this occasion1 would not have been more commendable1 than what he did1 let any one judge4 ,if ,i was a ,christian1 ,i would1 for the ,honour of ,jesus1 renounce this ,miracle1 and not magnify and extol it as a divine and good ,act1 as many now-a-days do4 ,i would give into1 and contend for the ,truth of that ,gloss1 which the ,gentiles of old#bci by way of ,objection put upon it1 viz4 ,that the ,company having exhausted the ,bridegroom's ,stock of ,wine1 and being in ,expectation of more2 ,jesus1 rather than the ,bridegroom should be put to the ,blush for deficiency1 palm'd a false ,miracle1 by the help of the ,governour of the ,feast1 upon a drunken ,crew2 that is1 having some spirituous ,liquors at hand1 mingled them with a quantity of ,water1 which the ,governour of the ,feast vouch'd to be incomparable good ,wine1 miraculously made by ,jesus3 and the ,company being1 thro' a vitiated ,palate1 uncapable of distinguishing better from worse1 and of discovering the ,fraud1 admired the ,wine and the ,miracle2 and applauded ,jesus for it1 and perhaps became his ,disciples upon it4 ,if ,i1 ,i say1 was a ,disciple of ,jesus1 ,i would give this ,story such an old turn for his ,credit4 ,and ,i appeal to indifferent ,judges1 whether such a daubing of the ,miracle1 to remove the ,offence of ,infidels at this ,day1 would not be politically and wisely done of me4 ,whether modern ,christians may be brought into such a ,notion of this supposed ,miracle1 ,i know not2 but really there is room enough to suspect such a ,fraud in it4 ,but supposing ,jesus's ,change of ,water into ,wine to have been a real ,miracle2 none commission'd of ,god for the ,reformation and ,instruction of ,mankind would ever have done it here4 ,miracles 7as ,mr4 ,chandler#bdj says excellently well7 must be such things1 as that it is consistent with the ,perfections of ,god1 to interest himself in2 and again1 they must argue not only the ,power of ,god1 but his ,love to ,mankind1 and his ,inclination to do them good2 which this of ,jesus is so far from1 that it has an evil ,aspect and ,tendency1 as is above represented2 consequently it is to be rejected1 and no longer esteem'd a divine ,miracle2 neither is ,jesus to be received as a ,revealer of ,god's ,will for it1 as ,mr4 ,chandler will bear me witness4 ,no doubt on't1 but you ,christian ,priests would have us ,jews and ,infidels1 to believe the whole ,company at this ,wedding1 for all what is intimated by ,st4 ,john to the contrary1 to consist of sober and demure ,saints4 ,i will suppose so2 but then1 what occasion had they at all for ,wine8 ,what reason could there be for ,god's ,power to interpose and make it1 especially in so large a quantity1 for them8 ,i can conceive none4 ,if any of the ,company had been taken with fainting ,fits2 and ,jesus for want of a ,cordial ,bottle1 had created a chearing ,drain or two1 ,i could not have found fault with it2 tho' even here1 if he had restored the ,patient with a word of his ,mouth1 it had been a better ,miracle1 than making of ,wine for him3 ,but that he should make for a ,company of ,sots1 a large quantity of ,wine1 of no less than twelve or eighteen ,firkins of ,english ,measure1 enough to intoxicate the whole ,town of ,cana of ,galilee1 is what can never be accounted for by a ,christian1 who should1 one would think1 wish this ,story1 for the ,reputation of ,jesus expunged out of the ,new ,testament4 ,besides1 if ,jesus had really and miraculously made ,wine1 which no ,power or ,art of ,man could do1 he should1 to prevent all suspicion of deceit in the ,miracle1 have done it without the use of ,water4 ,you ,christians say1 he is the original ,cause of all ,things out of nothing2 why then did he not#bda create this ,wine out of nothing8 why did he not order the ,pots to be emptied of their ,water1 if there was any in them1 and then with a word of his ,mouth command the filling them with ,wine instead of it8 ,here had been an unexceptionable ,miracle1 which no ,infidels could have cavil'd at1 for any thing1 but the needlessness of it4 ,but this subject ,matter of ,water spoils the ,credit of the ,miracle4 ,the ,water-,pots1 it seems1 are to be fill'd1 before ,jesus could do the notable ,feat2 is not this enough to make us think1 that ,jesus was but an artificial ,punch-maker8 ,could not he create ,wine without ,water for a ,transmutation8 ,yes1 you'll say he could3 what was the ,reason then1 that he did not8 ,this is a reasonable ,question to a learned ,priesthood3 and a rational ,answer should be given to it4 ,and a ,question too it is that heretofore has been under debate4 ,some said that the ,water might be used to abate of the#bdb immensity of the ,miracle1 which otherwise for its greatness might have surpass'd all ,belief4 ,but this ,reason will not do4 ,a ,miracle can't be too great in itself1 if well attested1 to transcend ,credit3 but it may easily be too little to conciliate the ,faith of a ,free-,thinker4 ,the ,fathers of your ,church fetch'd a ,reason1 for the use of ,water here1 from the ,mystery2 but since ,mysterys on ,miracles are set aside by the ,priesthood of this ,age1 they are to assign another and good ,reason of their own2 or this ,miracle is to be rejected1 as a ,piece of ,art and ,craft in the ,operator1 if for no other ,reason than this1 that ,jesus used ,water to make ,wine4 ,all that ,i have to say more to this ,miracle1 is1 that it is to be wish'd1 if ,jesus could turn ,water into ,wine1 that he had imparted the ,secret and ,power to his ,disciples of the ,priesthood of all ,ages since1 which would have been of greatest ,advantage to them in this ,world4 ,he has empower'd them1 they say1 to remit ,sins1 which few old ,sinners think themselves the less in danger for3 ,and he has enabled them1 some say1 to transubstantiate ,bread into ,flesh1 and ,wine into ,blood1 which none but foolish and superstitious ,folks believe they ever did3 ,and he promised to invest them with a ,power to do greater ,miracles than himself1 even to remove ,mountains1 and to curse ,trees2 but ,i thank ,god1 they never were of so strong a ,faith1 as to put it in ,practice1 or we might have heard of the natural state1 as well as we do now of the civil state of some ,countrys1 ruin'd and overturn'd by them4 ,but this ,power to transmute ,water into ,wine1 without ,labour and ,expence1 would have been of better worth to them1 than all their other ,priestly ,offices4 ,not1 that our ,conduits would thereupon run with ,wine1 instead of ,water2 or that ,wine would be cheaper and more plentiful than it is now1 excepting among themselves1 if they could withal curse ,vineyards4 ,they would make the best ,penny they a could of their divine ,power4 ,and as surely as they can now fell the ,waterdrops of their ,fingers at a ,christening1 at a good ,rate1 they would set a better ,price on their miraculously made ,wine1 and give a notable ,reason for its dearness1 viz4 that ,miracles should not be cheap1 which would bring them into ,contempt1 and lessen the ,wonder and ,admiration of them4 ,so ends the ,invective of a suppos'd ,jewish ,rabbi against this ,miracle2 which our ,divines1 as well as myself1 are to consider of an ,answer to4 ,whether they shall think themselves able to answer the rational ,parts of it1 consistently with the ,letter1 ,i know not2 but ,i own myself unable1 and believe it impossible for them1 to do it3 ,and therefore they must of necessity go along with me to the mystical ,interpretation of the ,fathers2 or this ,miracle will turn to the dishonour of ,jesus1 and disadvantage of his ,religion4 ,justin ,martyr#bdc says1 it is absurd to take the ,stories of the ,marriages and ,concubinages of the ,patriarchs of the ,old ,testament in a literal ,sense4 ,and indeed1 literally consider'd1 they are some of them too luscious ,tales to be related by divine and inspired ,penmen3 whereupon he1 as well as ,st4 ,paul and ,philo-,judus#bdd1 turn these ,stories for the ,honour of ,god and ,edification of his ,church1 into an ,allegory4 ,consequently1 if ,justin had had an occasion to speak of this ,marriage before us1 there's no doubt on't1 but he would have made ,mystery of all and every ,part of it4 ,to the same purpose ,origen#bde says1 ,that since the ,law is a shadow of good ,things to come1 and writes sometimes of ,marriages and of ,husbands and ,wives2 we are not to understand it of ,marriages according to the ,flesh1 but of the spiritual ,marriage between ,christ and his ,church4 ,as for ,instance1 ,abraham had two ,sons1 c4 here we ought not to confine our ,thoughts to carnal ,marriages1 and their ,offsprings2 but to extend them to the ,mysteries here signified4 ,and there are almost a thousand other places in ,scripture about ,marriages2 but in every place 7unusquisque ,locus castum divinum de ,nuptiis continet ,intellectum secundum ,expositionem moralem7 is to have a divine1 moral1 and mystical ,construction put on't4 ,whoever therefore reads the ,scriptures about ,marriages1 and understands no more by them1 than carnal ,marriages2 he errs1 not knowing the ,scriptures1 nor the ,power of ,god4 ,from hence may be easily concluded1 what was ,origen's opinion about this ,marriage in ,cana of ,galilee1 if there were no other ,passages in him for a ,confirmation of it4 ,but to come closer to the ,purpose4 ,st4 ,augustin#bdf says1 there is ,mystery signified in the ,story of this ,marriage1 as in all ,jesus's ,miracles1 which it becomes us to open and search for2 till1 if possible1 we are inebriated with the spiritual and invisible ,wine1 that ,jesus made at this ,feast4 ,and again#bdg says1 ,let us then consider the several ,particulars of the ,story1 and what is meant by the six ,waterpots2 and the ,water that is turn'd into ,wine2 and the ,governor of the ,feast2 and who are the ,bridegroom and the ,bride2 and who is the ,mother of ,jesus in a ,mystery2 and what is to be understood by the ,marriage4 ,and again1 says ,st4 ,augustin#bdh1 there is ,mystery in this ,marriage1 or ,jesus upon no invitation had gone to it4 ,the ,bridegroom is our ,lord himself1 to whom it is said thou hast reserv'd the good ,wine of the ,gospel until now1 that is1 until the typified ,time of the ,celebration of this mystical ,marriage1 which according to ,st4 ,augustin#bdi is to be on the sixth ,age of the ,world1 signified by the six ,water-,pots1 holding two or three ,firkins apiece1 that is1 all ,mankind1 as they are divided into the two sorts of ,jews and ,gentiles1 or into three1 as they are descended of the three ,sons of ,noah4 ,and in another ,place1 the same ,st4 ,augustin interpreting this ,story1 says#bej thus2 ,our ,saviour is invited to a ,marriage2 what can that mean but that the ,holy ,spirit is courted and invocated by the ,church1 wishing to be espoused to him8 ,jesus comes with his ,disciples1 that is1 into a holy ,place of a ,company of ,saints4 ,mary the ,mother of our ,lord signifies to him1 that they have no ,wine2 so the ,church makes known to him1 the ,deficiency of the ,spirit1 which she waits for the ,power of4 ,and if ,jesus calls ,mary1 a ,woman2 he means the ,church1 who by ,transfiguration may be a ,virgin1 the ,mother1 the ,spouse of ,christ1 and a ,whore too4 ,and again ,st4 ,augustin explaining#bea what is meant by the ,water1 and the ,wine that it wou'd be turn'd into1 at the ,time of the spiritual ,celebration of this ,marriage of ,christ with his ,spouse of the ,church1 says plainly enough1 that by ,water is meant the ,letter of the ,scriptures2 and by the best ,wine is to be understood spiritual ,interpretations1 which would transport the understandings of ,men with divine knowledge2 and warm their ,hearts and ,affections into a spiritual ,inebriation2 after the similitude of ,wine natural4 ,st4 ,theophilus of ,antioch1 a most antient ,greek ,commentator 7who according to ,bishop ,smalbroke should strictly adhere to the ,letter7 says#beb1 that by this ,marriage is meant the ,conjunction of ,christ and his ,church1 as it is the ,tradition of the ,old and ,new ,testament4 ,and that ,jesus himself is the ,bridegroom2 and ,moses the ,governor of the ,feast4 ,other ,fathers1 such as ,st4 ,cyril1 ,st4 ,theophylact and ,st4 ,jerome are of the same mind about the mystical ,interpretation of this ,marriage1 as might be prov'd by ,passages out of them1 if ,i had room here to cite them4 ,but ,i must observe here1 that according to the ,fathers1 the ,story of this ,marriage is but another ,emblem of the ,marriage of the ,lamb with the ,bride of the ,new ,jerusalem1 spoken of in the ,revelations1 to which all the ,fowls of the ,air will be invited1 that is1 spiritual and heavenly minded ,christians1 who#bec soar and fly aloft in their divine and sublime ,contemplations on the anagogical ,sense of the ,scriptures1 which will exhibit those intellectual ,dainties1 they are there to be entertain'd with4 ,what ,i have here said out of the ,fathers to the ,story of this ,marriage1 is enough to quicken our ,divines to search for the like mystical ,interpretation of the whole4 ,the ,part of it that's most difficult to be spiritually expounded1 is that saying of ,jesus to his ,mother1 ,woman1 what have ,i to do with thee8 mine ,hour is not yet come4 ,for the clear interpretation of which1 ,i own1 ,i meet with little in the ,fathers4 ,but ,st4 ,augustin#bed assures us1 there's latent ,mystery in the words4 ,how then shall we come at it8 ,why1 if we cast away the ,interrogation1 and look upon the ,sentence1 as ellyptical1 like an infinite number of prophetical ones1 the ,sense paraphrastically1 and agreeably to the rest of the ,mystery1 arises thus3 ,in answer to the ,woman of the ,church's ,expectation of the ,wine of the ,spirit2 ,jesus will tell her or make her to understand of what importance it is to her 7and himself7 to be supply'd with that mystical ,wine to her ,edification1 which it was not his time to pour forth upon the ,church1 till the ,celebration of his ,nuptials with her4 ,and thus have ,i done with the ,miracle of ,jesus's turning ,water into ,wine at a ,marriage of ,cana of ,galilee4 ,whether it be not an absurd and offensive ,story according to the ,letter1 let any one judge4 ,if the supposed ,jewish ,rabbi has forced a worse ,sense upon it1 than it will naturally bear1 our ,clergy may expostulate with him for it1 which they hardly will any otherwise than by ,exclamations against him1 without ,reason and ,authority4 ,but in the mystical ,operation of this ,miracle at the ,marriage of ,christ with his ,church1 there will be the ,wisdom and ,power and ,goodness of ,god visible4 ,and it will be a demonstration of ,jesus's ,messiahship1 in as much as the ,water of the ,letter of the ,law and the ,prophets can't be turn'd into the ,wine of spiritual ,interpretations1 but we must discern how he is the ,accomplisher and ,fulfiller of them4 ,and so ,i pass to an #aa4 ,eleventh ,miracle of ,jesus1 viz4#bee ,that of his healing a ,paralytick1 for whom the ,roof of the ,house was broken up to let him down into the ,room where ,jesus was4 ,and this ,story 7without excepting that of the ,pool of ,bethesda7 is the most monstrously absurd1 improbable and incredible of any according to the ,letter4 ,there is not one ,miracle of ,jesus specifically related1 that does not labour under more or less ,absurdities1 either in ,substance or ,circumstance3 ,but this1 for number and greatness of ,absurdities1 ,i think surpasses them all3 ,and the ,absurdities of it too are so obvious and stare a ,man in the ,face1 that ,i wonder they are hitherto overlook'd2 and that considerate and intelligent ,persons have not before now hesitated and boggled at them4 ,if ,interest had not blinded the ,eyes of our learned ,clergy1 they would easily have descry'd the ,incredibilities and ,absurdities of this ,story2 and in another ,impostor's ,case presently have pointed them out to the ridicule of his ,admirers and ,adorers4 ,if a ,man was to torture his ,brains for the ,invention of a romantick ,tale of improbable and surprizing ,circumstances1 that he might1 withal1 hope to palm for a ,truth1 if it was but for a ,week or a ,day1 upon the ,faith and ,understanding of the ,credulous2 he could never have presumed1 ,i think1 so far upon the weakness of their ,intellects1 as to imagine any thing so grossly and notoriously contradictory to ,sense and ,reason1 would have gone down with them1 as is this before us1 which has pass'd currently thro' many ,ages of the ,church1 has been read with attention by the ,learned1 and revered by the rest of ,christians1 without any exception1 hesitation1 or doubt of the ,truth of it4 ,in short1 so palpable is the falsity of the ,story of this ,miracle1 that it requires no ,sagacity to detect it2 and was it not for the sake of the ,mystery more than to expose the ,folly of the ,clergy in believing of it1 ,i had never bestow'd the following ,pains on it4 ,the ,people1 it seems1 so press'd and throng'd about the ,door of the ,house1 where ,jesus was1 that the ,paralytick and his ,bearers could not get near it4 ,what did they so throng and press for8 ,was it to see ,jesus1 who was without ,form and ,comeliness1 according to the ,prophet ,isaiah2 or1 who was one of the most graceful of the ,sons of ,men1 as ,painters and ,publius ,lentulus do describe him8 ,this could not be the ,reason of the ,croud4 ,tho' a ,person extraordinary1 either for ,beauty or ,deformity may attract the ,eyes of the ,people1 and occasion too a ,throng about him2 yet this could be no ,reason for a ,press about ,jesus1 at ,capernaum1 where he dwelt1 and was commonly seen and well known4 ,was it then to hear him preach8 ,nor this neither4 ,tho' an excellent ,preacher does sometimes1 and a very indifferent one does oftener draw multitudes after him2 yet ,jesus1 as a ,prophet1 was without ,honour at ,capernaum1 his own ,country2 consequently1 it is not to be supposed that1 for his ,doctrine1 he was so much follow'd here1 tho' we read1 that he preach'd the ,word unto them4 ,was it then to behold him working of ,miracles and curing of the diseased8 ,this is the likeliest ,reason of the ,crouds and ,throng about him4 ,and perhaps it was a ,day appointed beforehand for his healing of the diseased1 which might occasion a more than ordinary ,concourse of the ,people4 ,but then this ,reason would have induced the ,people to make way for the ,lame1 ,blind1 and ,paralyticks to come to ,jesus2 for they frustrated their own ,hopes and ,expectations of seeing ,miracles wrought2 and acted more unreasonably than ever ,mob did1 or can be supposed to do4 ,but whatever was the ,reason of this tumultuous ,crouding1 which is hard to be accounted for2 it's said1 the poor ,paralytick with his ,bearers could not get to the ,door of the ,house for the ,press1 and therefore in all haste is he haul'd to the ,top of the ,house1 and let down1 thro' a breach of the ,roof1 into the ,room where ,jesus was4 ,what need was there of such ,haste and ,pains to get to ,jesus for a ,cure8 ,it was but waiting a while1 not many ,hours1 and in all probability the ,tumult would be appeas'd1 and access easily had to him4 ,but that the ,bearers of the poor ,man should enterprise a trouble and difficulty1 that could not require less ,time1 than the ,tumult could be supposed to last1 is a little strange and somewhat incredible4 ,st4 ,chrysostom says#bef1 that the ,paralytick saw that the ,market-place or ,street was throng'd with ,people1 who had obstructed all ,passage to the ,house1 where ,jesus was2 and yet he did not so much as say to his ,friends and ,bearers1 ,what's the ,reason of this ,tumult8 ,let's stay till it is appeas'd1 and the ,house clear'd of the ,people1 who ere long will depart2 and then we shall privately and quietly get admittance to ,jesus1 ,but why did he not say so8 ,any one beside himself and his ,bearers1 if they had any ,reason and ,senses about them1 would have so argued4 ,st4 ,chrysostom says1 it was their ,faith that made them in such haste to get to ,jesus3 ,but ,i should have thought their ,faith might have work'd ,patience1 and disposed them to stay till ,jesus could come out to them1 or they get in to him3 ,and it is an ,addition to the strangeness and incredibility of this ,story1 that it did not4 ,but supposing this ,paralytick in such haste and danger of ,life1 that he could not wait the dispersion of the ,tumult1 but1 for want of a free entrance at the ,door1 is1 cost what it will1 to be rais'd to the top of the ,house1 and a breach must be there made for him4 ,the ,question is1 whether such an ,enterprize was or could be feisable and practicable8 ,i have no ,conception of the possibility of it4 ,if they could not get to the ,door of the ,house for the ,press2 of consequence they could not come at the ,sides of it4 ,how should they8 over the ,heads of the ,people8 ,that's not to be imagined2 consequently here's another difficulty in the ,story1 that renders it yet more strange and incredible4 ,but1 without questioning the possibility and easiness of getting the ,paralytick and his ,couch over the ,heads of the ,mob1 to the sides of the ,house2 thither he is brought1 where we now behold him and his ,bearers with their ,pullies1 ,ropes1 and ,ladders 7that were not at hand1 nor could suddenly be procured7 hauling and heaving him to the top of the ,house4 ,of what height the ,house was1 is not of much ,consequence4 ,some for the ,credit of the ,story may say#beg1 it was a very low one2 tho' antient and modern ,commentators are pretty well agreed1 that it was an upper-,room1 where ,jesus was2 consequently the ,house was at least two ,stories high3 ,but if it was much higher1 ,i'll allow that ,art and ,pullies 7which they wanted for the present7 would raise the ,man and his ,bed to the top of it3 ,so we will not dispute nor differ upon that matter4 ,on the top of the ,house then1 we are now to behold the ,paralytick and his ,bearers with their ,hatchets and ,hammers1 c4 7which they forgot to bring with them1 for they could not think of any use they should have of them7 uncovering the ,roof of the ,house2 breaking up ,tiles1 ,spars1 and ,rafters1 and making a ,hole1 capacious enough for the ,man and his ,bed to be let thro'4 ,an odd1 strange1 and unaccountable ,work this1 which1 if they had not been cunning ,fellows1 would hardly have enter'd into their ,heads to project4 ,but at work they are1 when it was well1 if ,jesus and his ,disciples escaped with only a broken ,pate1 by the falling of ,tiles1 c41 and if the rest were not almost smother'd with the ,dust2 for it was over their ,heads that the breach was made4 ,where was the good ,man of the ,house all this while8 ,would he suffer his ,house to be thus broken up1 and not command them to desist from their foolish and needless ,attempt1 till the ,mob was quell'd1 and there was a free entrance at the ,door of his ,house1 which could not be long first8 ,is there nothing in all this1 of difficulty and obstruction in the way of the belief of this ,story8 ,some modern ,commentators1 being aware of these difficulties in this ,story1 and willing to reconcile ,men to the earlier belief of it1 say1 as ,drusius#beh did1 that the ,houses of ,juda were flat-roof'd1 and not ridg'd3 ,and ,doctors1 ,lightfoot and ,whitby#bei say1 there was a ,door on their flat ,roofs1 by which the ,jews used to ascend to the top of their ,houses1 where they discours'd on the ,law and religious ,matters2 and that it was thro' such a ,door1 by a little widening of the sides of it1 that the ,paralytick was let down in the presence of ,jesus4 ,to which ,opinion ,i would yield1 if it was not liable to these ,objections1 viz4 that it is not reconcilable to what ,st4 ,luke says1 of their letting the ,paralytick down thro' the ,tiling with his ,couch1 in the midst1 where ,jesus was2 nor hardly consistent with what ,st4 ,mark says of their uncovering and breaking up the ,roof of the ,house3 which ,expressions the ,evangelists had never used1 if there had been a ,door for him to descend by4 ,but to indulge ,lightfoot and ,whitby in their ,notion2 ,i may ask them1 what occasion was there then of widening the doorway1 and breaking down the sides of it8 ,they'll say1 because the ,passage otherwise was too narrow1 for the ,man's ,couch to get thro'4 ,why then did not they take him out of his ,couch1 and let him down in a ,blanket1 a ,chair1 or a ,basket8 ,or rather1 why did not ,jesus1 to prevent this ,trouble and ,damage to the ,house1 ascend thro' this ,door1 to the ,top of it1 and their speak the healing ,word to this poor ,man8 ,to say1 that ,jesus could not or would not go up to the ,paralytick1 ,i would not1 for ,fear of an ,imputation of ,blasphemy against me4 ,our ,divines therefore are to look for1 what they'll hardly find1 an ,answer to the said ,question1 which will consist with the ,wisdom1 the ,goodness and ,honour of ,jesus2 or here will be another and insuperable ,bar to the ,credibility of this ,story4 ,in short1 there are more and greater ,difficultys affecting the ,credit of this ,miracle1 on the side of ,jesus1 than any before urg'd4 ,could not he1 as it was antiently#bfj objected1 have made the ,access to himself more easy8 ,could not he1 to prevent all this ,trouble and ,pains of getting to the ,top of the ,house1 and of breaking up the ,roof of it1 have desired or even forc'd the ,people to make way for this poor ,man and his ,bearers8 ,this was not impossible for him to do4 ,if it was hard for another2 it was not for him1 who was omnipotent4 ,he that could drive his ,thousands before him out of the ,temple2 and draw as many after him into the wilderness1 might surely1 by ,force or ,persuasion have made the ,people1 how unreasonably mobbish soever1 to retreat4 ,and why did he not8 ,without a good and satisfactory ,answer1 which ,i can't conceive1 to this ,question1 here is the most unaccountable and incredible part of the whole ,story1 that reflects on the ,wisdom1 the ,power and ,goodness of ,jesus4 ,if there had been no other absurd ,circumstances of it1 this is enough to spoil its ,credit1 so far as that ,i believe it impossible for ,ministers of the ,letter1 with all their ,wit1 ,penetration and ,sagacity to get over it4 ,believe then the ,story of this ,miracle1 thus taken to ,pieces1 who can8 ,it is such an ,accumulation of ,absurdities1 ,improbabilities1 and ,incredibilities1 that a ,man of the most easy ,faith1 if he at all think1 can't digest4 ,it's not credible1 ,i said1 to suppose1 the ,people of ,capernaum1 where ,jesus dwelt1 and was well known and little admired1 would at all press to see or hear him3 ,and if the occasion of their ,concourse was to behold his ,miracles2 it is less-reasonable to think they would tumultuate to their own disappointment2 but rather make way for the diseased1 for the satisfaction of their own ,curiosity1 to come to him3 ,and if they did mob it to their own disappointment1 about the ,door of the ,house2 it was next to impossible for the poor ,man and his ,couch to be heav'd over their ,heads1 and rais'd to the top of it3 ,more unreasonable yet to think1 the master of the ,house would suffer the ,roof of it to be so broken up3 ,but most of all against ,reason to suppose1 ,jesus would not give forth the healing word1 and prevent all this ,labour1 or by his divine ,power disperse the ,people1 that the ,paralytick might have present and easy access to him4 ,whether all this be not absolutely shocking of the ,credit of this ,story1 let my ,readers judge4 ,in my ,opinion1 no ,tale more monstrously romantick can be told4 ,i don't here question ,jesus's ,power to heal this ,paralytick1 nor the miraculousness of the ,cure of him3 ,the trouble of that ,question is saved me1 by the many other incredible ,circumstances of the ,story1 which are such a ,contradiction to ,sense and ,reason1 as is not to be equall'd1 in any thing1 that's commonly receiv'd and believ'd by ,mankind4 ,cicero says1 that there is nothing so absurd1 which some of the ,philosophers have not held4 ,and they might and did1 some of them1 hold gross ,absurdities4 ,but the ,letter of the ,story of this ,miracle before us1 which is the ,object of the ,faith of our learned ,priesthood at this ,day is a ,match for the worst of them4 ,but as absurd1 as this ,story is1 ,i expect that our ,clergy will be disgusted at my ludicrous display of it2 and that ,arch ,deacon ,stubbs in particular will again be ready to exclaim against me1 and say1 that this is turning a miraculous ,fact and a divine ,testimony of our ,religion into ,ridicule4 ,whereupon it is to be wish'd1 that ,arch-,deacon would write1 what would be a ,pleasure to see1 a ,vindication of this ,story4 ,if he can account for the possibility and credibility of the ,letter of it1 he shall have my leave to make another dull ,speech in ,convocation against me4 ,and it is not unlikely1 but he may say as much for it1 as another ,man3 ,for as the ,story is senseless1 so it is the better suited to his ,head and ,brains4 ,but if he don't1 ,i much question1 whether any other ,clergyman of more ,wit will1 appear in ,defence of it4 ,so absurd is the ,letter of this ,story1 that for the ,honour of ,jesus1 and ,credibility of his ,gospel1 it is absolutely necessary to turn it into ,allegory4 ,to the ,fathers then1 let us go for their help in this ,case4 ,if they did not read me a better ,lecture upon this ,miracle1 than do our modern ,commentators1 ,i should be almost tempted to renounce my ,religion upon it3 ,but as they have rationally and rightly instructed me in its true meaning1 so ,i retain my ,christian ,faith1 and admire the ,sublimity of the ,mystery1 which ,i am now to give an account of4 ,by this ,paralitick1 ,st4 ,hilary#bfa says1 is to be understood ,mankind of all ,nations1 which opinion too the ,fathers held of the ,paralitick1 who was heal'd at the ,pool of ,bethesda4 ,and by his ,palsy is not meant any bodily ,distemper1 but the spiritual ,palsy of the ,soul1 that is1 as ,st4 ,augustin#bfb and ,st4 ,jerome#bfc interpret1 a dissoluteness of ,morals1 and an unsteadiness of ,faith and ,principles1 which is the ,condition of ,mankind at present1 who want ,jesus's help for the ,cure of it4 ,eusebius ,gallicanus#bfd says1 our ,saviour's words signify1 that it is not a bodily but a spiritual ,disease here meant2 or he had never said to the ,paralytick1 ,son1 thy ,sins are forgiven thee1 which words respect the inward ,man1 and demonstrate the ,palsy here to be a disease ,of the ,soul4 ,the ,man sick of the ,palsy had four ,bearers4 ,and who are they mystically in this ,case8 ,why1 the ,fathers#bfe understand by them the four ,evangelists1 on whose ,faith and ,doctrine ,mankind is to be carry'd unto ,christ2 for no ,soul can be brought unto him1 for the ,sanation of his ,sins and ,errors1 but by these four4 ,but to the top of the ,house is ,mankind1 thus paralytically diseased1 to be carry'd by the four ,evangelists1 his ,bearers4 ,and what then is this ,house and its ,top8 ,the ,house of ,jesus is the intellectual ,edifice of the ,world1 otherwise call'd ,wisdom's ,house2 of the beautiful ,buildings of which the ,scriptures prophetically treat3 therefore to the sublime ,sense of the ,scriptures1 call'd the ,top#bff of the ,house1 is ,man to be taken3 ,he is not to abide in the low and literal ,sense#bfg of them1 where ,people press and strive in vain to come to ,jesus3 ,but if he is taken to the ,sublimity of the ,scriptures and there open#bfh the ,house of ,wisdom1 he will presently be admitted to the ,presence and ,knowledge of ,jesus4 ,venerable ,bede1 who is altogether a ,transcriber of the ,fathers1 for which ,reason ,i cite him among the ,fathers1 says#bfi1 that by the ,tiles of the ,house spoken of in ,st4 ,luke1 is meant the ,letter of the ,scriptures1 which is to be laid open for the manifestation of ,christ and of divine ,mysteries to the healing of ,man's spiritual ,palsy1 the unsteadiness and dissoluteness of his ,morals and ,principles4 ,so much1 in short1 then to the mystical ,interpretation of the ,story of this ,miracle4 ,the literal ,sense of it is so encumber'd with romantick ,circumstances1 as are enough to turn a ,man's ,heart against ,christianity it self3 ,but in the ,mystery there will be a most stupendous ,miracle1 which will be not only an ,argument of ,jesus's divine ,power1 but of his ,messiahship1 as certainly as his ,house of ,wisdom1 of which the ,scriptures write1 is open'd to the ,manifestation of his ,presence1 and to the ,cure of ,mankind of his paralytical ,disease1 call'd an instability of ,faith and ,principles4 ,and thus have ,i1 in this ,discourse1 taken into ,examination three more of ,jesus's ,miracles2 which ,i submit to the ,judgment of my ,readers1 whether the literal ,story of them does not consist of ,absurdities1 ,improbabilities and ,incredibilities according to the ,proposition before us2 and whether there is not a necessity1 for the ,honour of ,jesus1 to turn them into prophetical and parabolical ,narratives of what will be mysteriously and more wonderfully done by him4 ,my next ,discourse1 if my mind hold1 shall treat on the three ,stories of ,jesus's raising of the dead1 viz4 of the ,widow of ,naim's ,son1 of ,jairus's ,daughter1 and of ,lazarus2 after which ,i will give the literal ,history of ,christ's ,resurrection1 that sandy ,foundation of the ,church1 a ,review2 and so conclude my ,discourses on the ,miracles of our ,saviour4 ,to run thro' all the ,miracles of ,jesus1 and handle them in the manner ,i have done the foregoing1 would be a long and tedious ,work4 ,but if our ,divines shall think1 ,i have selected only those ,miracles1 which are obnoxious to ,cavil and ,ridicule2 and have omitted others1 that literally are a more unexceptionable ,testimony of ,jesus's divine ,power1 and ,authority2 ,i will1 for their ,satisfaction take more of them to ,task1 and give the ,letter of their ,stories1 the like ludicrous treatment4 ,if ,i mistake not1 the ,miracles already spoken to1 together with those of ,jesus's raising of the dead1 and of his own ,resurrection1 are the most famous and remarkable of any others3 ,and according to the ,observation ,i have made on the rest1 they are no less but rather more liable to ,ridicule and ,exception4 ,but if any are of a contrary ,opinion1 and will let me know1 which in their ,judgment are more unexceptionable ,miracles1 ,i will vouchsafe them an ,examination4 ,i am sure there is not one ,miracle1 which the ,fathers of the ,church did not turn into ,allegory2 and if we don't at this ,day make mystical ,operations of them1 they will none of them according to the ,letter1 stand their ,ground1 nor abide the ,test of a critical ,inquiry into them4 ,i don't expect1 that this ,discourse will be any more pleasing and acceptable to the ,clergy1 who are ,ministers of the ,letter of ,jesus's ,miracles1 as well as of the ,prophecies of him1 than any of my former3 ,but their ,displeasure in the ,case will give me no ,disturbance1 nor am ,i concern'd about any ,resentment1 they can make of it4 ,if they are offended at these ,discourses1 they should as they came forth1 have written solid ,confutations of them1 and so have prevented my ,publication of any more of this kind3 ,but instead of serious and potent ,reasonings against me1 ,i have met with little else but oral ,railings1 ,exclamations1 ,defamations1 and attempts for ,prosecution2 which have been so far from terrifying me1 that they give me a secret ,pleasure1 and animate me to proceed in the ,undertaking in hand4 ,i did not much question but the ,bishop of ,st4 ,davids1 whom ,i look'd upon as a ,person of ,ingenuity and ,learning1 would1 before this ,time1 have publish'd somewhat in ,confutation of one or other of my former ,discourses4 ,whether he was not obliged to it1 or to make me some publick ,reparation of the ,injury done to my ,reputation1 by his slanderous ,sermon1 ,i appeal now to the worshipful ,societys for ,reformation of ,manners2 to whom1 and to other ,civil ,magistrates1 ,i hope his ,sermon1 without ,reason1 will be a ,caution1 that no ,pulpit-,invective move them to prosecute or think the worse of any ,author4 ,liberty of thinking1 writing and judging for our selves in ,religion is a natural1 a ,christian1 and a protestant ,right3 ,it is a ,right that the ,magistrates as well as the ,subjects are interested in1 and are to see to the ,conservation of1 or their ,understandings as well as their ,purses will be ridden and oppress'd by an ignorant and tyrannical ,priesthood4 ,i urge not this for my own security against ,prosecution for ,infidelity and ,blasphemy1 declaring that if the ,bishops of ,london1 ,st4 ,davids1 or ,arch-,deacon ,stubbs1 who are zealous for ,persecution1 will but engage me on the ,stage of ,controversy1 and make good their ,accusations against me1 ,i will submit to the worst ,punishment1 that can be inflicted on the worst ,offender4 ,in the mean time ,i will go on with my ,undertaking1 to the advancement of ,truth1 and demonstration of the ,messiahship of the ,holy ,jesus1 to whom be ,glory for ever1 ,amen4 ,,finis4 ,,footnotes3 #bje ,john4 ix4 #bjf ,quid ,lutum i linere opporet8 hoc potius ecum reddere1 quis unquam hoc pacto curatus est8 ,in ,loc4 ,johan4 #bjg ,quam ob causam dicet aliquis1 cum omnia solo ,verbo prstare possit1 nulloque negotio1 ,lutum quidem sputo macerat8 ,in ,loc4 ,johan4 #bjh ,sed ,rationem quandam mysticam habet ,vis ,rei istius de sputo4 ,ibid4 #bji ,ei autem qui ccus fuerat a ,nativitate1 jam non per sermonem sed per operationem prstitit visum2 non vane1 neque prout evenit1 hoc faciens1 sed ut ostenderet manum ,dei1 eam qu ab initio plasmavit ,hominem1 c4 ,contra ,hres4 ,l4 v4 c4 #ae4 #baj ,see his ,sermons before the ,societys for ,reformation4 p4 #ab4 #baa ,ipse ,salvator noster apertissime ostendit1 quod ejus ,miracula ,aliquid significent1 dum ea faciendo1 aliquid agit1 quod ,ratione carere videatur4 ,nisi enim aliquid significaret1 quid necessarium fuit1 in hujus cci ,illuminatione1 ut ,lutum faceret1 quo oculos ejus liniret1 cui solum dicere sufficiens erat4 ,quramus igitur significationem1 videamus quid ccus iste significet4 ,in ,homil4 quarta post quartam ,dominicam4 #bab ,similitudo erat ,typus futurorum unumquodque quod fiebat in ,corpore4 ,veluti nescio quis ,nativitate ccus ,visum recuperavit4 ,vere autem ccus iste erat ,nativitate ,gentilium ,populus1 cui ,salvator reddidit ,visum1 ,saliva sua ungens oculos ejus mittens ad ,siloam1 quod interpretatur missus1 mittebat quippe illos quos spiritu unxit ad ,apostolos4 ,in ,isai4 c4 vi4 #bac ,genus humanum est iste ccus4 ,in ,loc4 ,johan4 #bad ,ccus humanum ,genus significatur4 ,in ,com4 ,johan4 #bae ,ccus iste a ,nativitate1 ,genus humanum esse videtur primo homine4----,hc enim ccitas non ,corporis sed ,anim est4 ,in ,loc4 supra laudat4 #baf ,per ccum naturaliter non videntem illuminatum significat ,genus humanum4 ,in ,loc4 ,johan4 #bag ,vere autem ccus iste erat a ,nativitate ,gentilium ,populus4 ,in ,isai4 c4 vi4 #bah ,cci hujus ,curationem in figuram typus vocationis ,gentium accepimus4 ,in ,loc4 ,johan4 #bai ,intellige hoc ,miraculum spiritualiter4 ,nam ccus quidem erat omnis homo ,nativitate1 id est1 ab ,initio ,mundi4 ,in ,loc4 ,johan4 #bbj ,in ,sabbato est figura ultimi ,temporis4 ,st4 ,cyril in ,loc4 ,johan4 #bba ,ccitas est ,infidelitas4 ,in ,loc4 #bbb ,ccus qui destituitur divino ,lumine4 ,de ,adorat4 p4 #dad4 #bbc ,ccus qui sedet in tenebris omnis ,ignoranti1 non potuit videre ,conditorem ,mundi4 ,in ,loc4 ,johan4 #bbd ,literam ,legis sequentes1 in ,errores1 ,superstitiones ,infidelitatem incurrunt4 ,in ,matt4 ,tract4 xxvi4 #bbe ,ccus iste est ccus in ,litera1 hoc statu ,sanari non potest4 ,in ,marc4 c4 viii4 #bbf ,cci qui imperiti ,scripturarum4 ,in ,loc4 ,johan4 #bbg ,lutum vero factum de ,saliva oris ,domini1 ac positum super oculos cci1 significat hic1 quod natur deerat1 opere suo implere ,figulum4 ,in ,loc4 ,johan4 #bbh ,saliva sua ungens ,oculos cci mittens ad ,siloam quod interpretatur ,missus1 mittebat quippe illos1 quos spiritu unxit4 c4 ,in ,isa4 c4 vi4 #bbi ,saliva est perfecta ,doctrina4 ,in ,marc4 c4 viii4 #bcj ,ei autem qui ccus fuerat ,nativitate1 jam non per sermonem sed per operationem prstitit ,visum2 non vane neque prout evenit hoc faciens1 sed ut ostenderet manum ,dei1 eam qu ab ,initio plasmavit hominem4 ,quapropter expuit in ,terram1 fecit ,lutum1 superlinivit illud ,oculis1 ostendens antiquam ,plasmationem1 quemadmodum facta est1 manum ,dei manifestans his qui intelligere possunt1 per quam ,limo plasmatus est homo4 ,cont4 ,hreses4 ,l4 v4 c4 #ae4 #bca ,john ii4 #bcb ,see his ,speech in ,convocation1 printed in the ,post-,boy of ,march the #cjth4 #bcc ,rursus hoc in loco calumniantur nonnulli hunc ebriosorum fuisse ,conventum1 c4 ,in ,loc4 ,johan4 #bcd ,pueri aut ,saltatores volutabantur1 in his autem ,tibi1 ,lyrque ,vocem habebant4 ,mulieres autem ,cantum accipientes1 volvebantur per medias ,qucunque optimatum erant uxores atque fili4 ,illi vero ad ,saltationem desiderabilem ,cantum ,conversi delectabantur1 c4 ,in ,homero-,centon4 #bce ,vindication of the ,christian ,religion4 p4 #hb4 #bcf ,luke ii4 #dh4 #bcg ,christus asperius respondit1 quid tibi mihi1 ,mulier8 ,st4 ,chrysost4 in ,loc4 ,johan4 ,vide ,theopolact4 in ,loc4 #bch ,vide ,sanctum ,augustinum4 ,in ,loc4 ,johan4 #bci ,apud ,st4 ,chrysostomum ,in ,loc4 ,johan4 #bdj ,vindication of the ,christian ,religion1 p4 #hb4 #bda ,sed quanam gratia1 antequam implerentur1 non fecit ,miraculum1 quod longe fuisset admirabilius8 ,siquidem aliud est subject ,materi qualitatem mutare1 aliud ipsam substantiam ex nihilo facere4 ,chrysos4 in ,loc4 #bdb ,spe obest ,magnitudo1 ne ,miracula creditu sint facilia4 ,theophylact4 in ,loc4 #bdc ,in ,dialog4 cum ,tryphone1 p4 #cfd4 #bdd ,in ,lib4 de ,abrahamo4 #bde ,in ,matt4 ,tract4 xxii4 #bdf ,aliquid enim in ipsis factis innuit nobis1 puto1 quia non sine causa venit ad ,nuptias4 ,excepto ,miraculo1 aliquid in ipso facto ,mysterii ,sacramenti latet4 ,pulsemus ut aperiet de ,vino invisibili inebriet nos4 ,in ,loc4 ,johan4 #bdg ,nihil dicemus1 quid sibi velint ,hydri1 quid ,aqua in ,vinum conversa1 quid ,architriclinius1 quid ,sponsus1 quid ,mater ,jesu in ,mysterio1 quid ips ,nupti8 ,ibid4 #bdh ,per hoc invitatus ,dominus venit ad ,nuptias1 ut ostenderetur ,sacramentam ,nuptiarum1----,illarum ,nuptiarum ,sponsus ,personam ,domini figurabat1 cui dictum est1 servasti bonum ,vinum usque adhuc1 ,bonum ,vinum id est ,evangelium servasti usque adhuc4 ,ibid4 #bdi ,sex ,hydri sunt sex tates ,temporum capientes ,prophetiam pertinentem ad omnes gentes sive in duobus generibus hominum1 id est1 ,judis ,grcis1 sive in tribus propter ,noe tres ,filios4 ,ibid4 #bej ,vocatur ,salvator ad ,nuptias1 hoc est1 ,ecclesi voto spiritus sanctus invocatur----,venit cum ,discipulis suis1 id est1 in ,loco sancto1 ,turba sanctorum4 ,mirabilia ,dei ,maria ,mater expectat1 hoc est1 ,virtutem ,christi expectat ,ecclesia4----,maria ait1 ecce ,vina deficiant1 hoc est1 ,vinum ,spiritus ,ecclesia optat excipere4----,numquid ,mulierem dicit ,jesu ,mariam1 qu ,virgo post ,pactum inventa est8 ,sed ,ecclesiam alloquitur1 qu non solum ,mulier1 sed meretrix nuncupatur4 ,in ,sermon xcii4 ,append4 #bea ,vinum multis ,locis accipimus ,scripturas ,sanctas meracissimum ,vigorem coelestis sapient continentes2 quibus incalescant sensus inebrientur ,affectus4 ,operante ,christo in ,cana ,galile ,vinum defecit ,vinum sit1 id est1 ,umbra removetur ,veritas prsentatur4 ,recedit ,lex1 ,gratia succedit4 ,carnalia spiritualibus commutantur4 ,bonum quidem ,vinum est vetus ,testamentum1 sed sine spirituali ,intellectu vanescit in ,litera4 ,in ,sermon xc4 ,append4 ,sed illud quod in ,litera ,legis aquam sapiebat1 dum spiritualiter intellgi fecit1 aquam in ,vinum convertit4 ,in ,sermon xci4 ,append4 #beb ,per ,nuptias1 ,conjunctionem ,christi ,ecclesi1 hoc est ,veteris ,novi ,testamenti ,traditionem debemus accipere4 ,sponsus est ,christus4 ,architriclinius est ,moses4 ,in ,loc4 ,johan4 #bec ,voluores ,coeli sunt ver puri ad clestis sapienti ,cognitionem evolare parati4 ,clem4 ,alex4 ,strom4 ,l4 iv4 #bed ,quid mihi tibi est1 ,mulier8 ,procul dubio1 ,fratres1 latet ibi aliquid ,mysterii4 ,in ,loc4 ,johan4 #bee ,matt4 ix4 ,mark ii4 ,luke v4 #bef ,paralyticus reppletum videret ,theatrum1 ,aditus ,interclusos1 ,portum obseptum1----,non tamen dixit ,propinquis suis1 quid hoc ,rei est8 ,expectemus quousque ,domus evacuetur1 ,theatrum dimittatur1 recedent1 qui congregati sunt1 poterimus privatim ad ilium accedere4 ,in ,homil4 de hoc ,paralyt4 #beg ,dicet aliquis valde dimissum fuisse ,locum1 quo per ,tegulas deposuerunt ,paralytici ,lectum4 ,johan4 ,nepot4 ,hieros4 in ,loc4 ,luc4 #beh ,judorum ,tecta plana erant1 non in ,coniformam lastigiata4 ,in ,loc4 ,luc4 #bei ,in ,loc4 ,marci4 #bfj ,numquid enim facilem illi potuit ,accessum redere8 ,apud ,chrysostom4 de hoc ,paralyt4 #bfa ,in ,paralytico ,gentium universitas offertur me denda4 ,in ,loc4 ,matt4 #bfb ,paralyticus potest intelligi ,anima dissoluta ,membris1 id est1 bonis operibus4 ,inter4 ,qust4 ,evang4 #bfc ,paralysis ,typus est ,torporis1 quo piger jacet in ,malitia ,carnis1 habens desiderium ,salutis1 ,torporis ,ignavia duplis ,cogitationibus1 ac si enervatus ,membris ostendit4 ,in ,loc4 ,marci4 #bfd ,in hoc enim quod ait1 remittuntur tibi ,peccata1 interiorem hominem1 id est1 spiritum paryliticum esse demonstrat4 ,hoc enim non dixisset1 si ad ,corporis ,infirmitatem respexisset4 ,non ideo ,corpus sanatur1 quia ,anima a peccatis liberatur4 ,in ,homil4 in ,dominic4 xix4 post ,pentecost4 #bfe ,sed qui sunt isti quatuor1 qui hunc ,paralyticum portant ,domino offerunt4 ,per hos enim nescio1 qui melius quam quatuor ,evangelist intelligi possunt4 ,nulla enim ,anima nisi per istos ,domino offertur1 nulla ,anima nisi per istorum fidem sanatur4 ,euseb4 ,gallican4 ibid4 ,sum ,paraliticus1 quia non operantur immobiles sunt ,vires ,anim me ad bonum1 sed si a quatuor ,evangelistis gestatus adductus fuero ad ,dominum1 tunc audiam1 remittuntur ,peccata4 ,theophylact4 in ,loc4 ,marci4 #bff ,tectum ,domus qua ,christus docet1 ascendendum1 id est1 ,sacr ,scriptur ,sublimitas est appetenda4 ,bed in ,loc4 ,luc4 #bfg ,non utique in ,infirmis exterius1 qua turb tumultuantur remanendum1 sed ,tectum ,domus1 c4 ,ibid4 #bfh ,patefacto ,tecto gerad ,jesum summittitur1 quia reseratis ,scripturarum ,mysteriis1 ad ,notitiam ,christi pervenitur4 ,bed in4 ,loc4 ,marci4 ,est ,paralysis interior1 ut pervenias ad ,christum 7forte enim latet ,medicus intus est1 hoc est1 iste verus ,intellectus in ,scriptoris occultus est7 exponendo quod occultum est aperi ,tectum1 depone ,paraliticum4 ,augustin4 ,in ,serm4 ,,xlvi4 ,sect4 #ac4 ,impediri turbis nisi ,tecta id est operta ,scripturarum aperiat1 ut per hc ad ,notitiam ,christi perveniat4 ,ejusdam in ,qust4 #dta in ,evangel4 ,luc4 #bfi ,et bene ,domus ,jesu juxta alterius ,evangelist ,narrationem tegulis esse contecta reperitur1 quia sub contemptibili ,literarum ,velamine1 si adsit1 qui reseret1 divina spiritualis ,grati ,virtus invenietur4 ,denudatio etenim ,tegularum in ,domo ,jesu1 ,apertio est1 in utilitate ,liter1 sensus spiritualis ac arcanorum coelestium4 ,in ,loc4 ,marci4 ,a ,,fifth ,,discourse ,,on ,,the ,,miracles ,,of ,,our ,,saviour1 ,in ,,view of the ,present ,controversy between ,,infidels and ,,apostates4 ----,ridiculum acri ,fortius melius magnas plerumq2 secat ,res4 ,the ,second ,edition4 ,by ,,tho4 ,,woolston1 ,b4,d4 sometime ,fellow of ,sidney-,college in ,cambridge4 ,,london3 ,printed for the ,author1 and ,sold by him next door to the ,star1 in ,aldermanbury1 and by the ,booksellers of ,london1 and ,westminster1 #agbh4 ,price ,one ,shilling4 ,illustration ,,to ,,the ,right ,reverend ,father in ,god ,,thomas1 ,lord ,,bishop of ,bangor4 ,,my ,,lord1 ,whatever we poor ,authors may sometimes pretend to1 by the ,dedication of our ,works to ,great ,men2 it's certain we aim at nothing less than ,rewards and ,preferments1 whether we deserve them or not3 ,that this is my ,design in ,dedications1 is so apparent1 that it's to no ,purpose to deny or dissemble it4 ,wherefore else have ,i made ,choice of some of our ,learned and ,wealthy ,bishops for the ,patrons of these ,discourses1 which ,i foresaw would be grateful to their nice and critical ,palates8 ,wherefore else have ,i been so profuse of such ,compliments on their ,lordships1 as ,i was sure1 they would take great ,pleasure in8 ,wherefore else1 ,my ,lord1 do ,i inscribe this to your ,right ,reverend ,name1 but that ,i expect your ,approbation of it1 and hope for a ,recompence1 equal to the ,honour1 that is here done you4 ,some1 who are envious1 ,my ,lord1 of my good ,fortune in ,episcopal ,patrons1 will not believe that ,i have receiv'd so much as one ,purse of ,gold for any of my ,dedications2 but ,i would have such ,malignants to know1 that the less ,i have receiv'd1 the more there is behind3 ,and ,i can moreover assure them1 that their ,lordships have it in their ,heads and their ,hearts too1 highly to advance me in the ,world2 and if their ,endeavours for my ,promotion fail not1 ,i shall be a very ,great ,man4 ,such primitive ,doctrine1 ,my ,lord1 as ,i have reviv'd1 must1 in the ,judgment of our ,bishops1 be deserving of their distinguish'd ,favours3 ,and if they should ,design for me such a mystical ,crown of ,glory1 as the ,gentile ,priests help'd some of the ,fathers of the ,church to2 ,i profess without ,dissimulation1 that1 for all my ,love to ,mysteries1 it will be more than ,i am ambitious of3 ,but if the ,honour is forc'd on me1 it will be my ,duty to their ,lordships1 to sound an allegorical ,trumpet of their ,fame1 that their ,names1 which1 might otherwise be soon forgotten1 may be everlastingly remember'd for their ,love and ,good-will towards me4 ,but the chief ,foundation1 ,my ,lord1 of my ,merits lies1 they say1 in my ,treatment of the ,miracles of our ,saviour1 after the ,manner you handled a ,scripture-,prophecy1 of a ,man's kicking a ,serpent on the ,pate1 for biting him by the ,heels3 ,and if your ,lordship got a ,welsh-,bishoprick upon it1 what may not ,i expect for my more meritorious ,works of the same kind8 ,the ,great ,mr4 ,scheme has celebrated your ,praise for that ,effort of your ,wit3 ,and ,i must needs say1 to your ,lordship's ,applause1 that were not your ,thoughts unhappily shackled with ,interest and ,subscriptions1 7an ,unhappiness you sadly lament67 you would endeavour to make as pleasant ,work with the ,letter of the ,old1 as ,i can do with that of the ,new ,testament4 ,i have not here ,room1 ,my ,lord1 for a sufficient and deserv'd ,encomium on your ,use and ,intent of ,prophecy2 therefore must be content to say of it1 in short1 that it is a most curious ,piece of1 what the ,fathers call1 ,engastromuthism2 or such a singular ,specimen of a ,webb1 spun out of a ,man's own ,bowels1 as one of fewer ,brains in his ,head can hardly equal4 ,it was wisely done of your ,lordship to caution your ,readers against taking your ,book for an ,answer to ,mr4 ,grounds2 otherwise it had not been impossible1 but some others as well as the ,worshipful ,benchers of the ,temple might have mistaken the ,use and ,intent of it4 ,after ,i had gone thro' your beautifully-printed ,work1 ,i wish'd1 ,my ,lord1 for another ,decoration of it1 that some ,annotations out of the ,fathers had been subjoin'd to it4 ,how would your ,notions then and ,theirs about ,prophecy have stood as a ,foil to each other6 ,how should ,i then have admired the ,difference between a ,rich ,bishop and a ,poor ,father as to ,wit and ,sense6 ,how should ,i then have contemplated the ,usefulness of ,ecclesiastical ,wealth in our ,clergy for the ,understanding of the ,inspirations of the poor old ,prophets6 ,when your ,lordship is call'd upon for another ,edition of your ,book1 vouchsafe me the ,favour of making some marginal ,remarks on it1 which shall not be without their good ,use4 ,as you know1 savoury ,sawce makes some sort of ,food go down the better2 so a little more of that ,salt1 which ,mr4 ,scheme has too sparingly sprinkled on your ,work1 will give your ,readers1 a right ,relish of it3 ,but whether ,i am indulg'd this ,favour or not2 ,i than take another opportunity1 according to ,promise elsewhere made1 of testifying to the ,world1 how much ,i am1 ,sidenote3 ,october #be4 #agbh4 ,my ,,lord1 ,the ,admirer of ,your ,use and ,intent of ,prophecy1 ,thomas ,woolston4 ,illustration ,a ,,fifth ,,discourse ,,on ,,the ,,miracles ,,of ,,our ,,saviour1 c4 ,according to ,promise in my last ,discourse1 ,i am in this to take into ,examination the three ,miracles of ,jesus's raising the dead1 viz4 ,of ,iairus's ,daughter#bgj2 of the ,widow of ,naim's ,son#bga2 and of ,lazarus#bgb3 ,the literal ,stories of which ,i shall show to consist of ,absurdities1 ,improbabilities and ,incredibilities1 in ,order to the mystical ,interpretation of them3 ,and because some of our ,bishops and ,clergy were a little disgusted at the ludicrous ,treatment of the ,letter of some foregoing ,miracles1 ,i will handle these with the more ,caution2 being as unwilling1 as any ,man of my primitive ,faith can be1 to offend weak ,brethren4 ,whether ,jesus rais'd any more from the dead1 besides the foresaid three ,persons is uncertain from the ,evangelical ,history4 ,st4 ,augustin#bgc thinks1 he rais'd many others2 and he founds his ,opinion on the modest ,hyperbole of ,st4 ,john1 who supposes#bgd the ,world it self could not contain the ,books that might be ,written of ,jesus4 ,and ,eusebius ,gallicanus1 of whose ,mind entirely ,i am1 says#bge the ,reason lies in the ,mystery1 why these three1 and no more than these three ,miracles of this ,kind are recorded by the ,evangelists4 ,but since our ,divines are averse to ,mysteries on ,miracles1 ,i would gladly know their ,opinion1 whether ,jesus rais'd any others from the dead1 or not3 ,i have made some search into modern ,writers for their ,opinion in this ,case1 but can't find it3 ,and unless ,i knew their ,opinion1 it would be lost ,labour to argue against either ,side of the ,question1 and much more against both ,sides of it3 ,but ,i can assure our ,divines1 that1 which ,side of the ,question soever they should hold1 the ,consequence upon the ,argument would be neither better nor worse1 than that they must of necessity espouse the mystical and allegorical ,interpretation of these ,miracles1 or grant that ,jesus literally rais'd none from the dead at all4 ,but waving that sort of ,argument for the present against the ,letter2 these three ,miracles are reputed the greatest that ,jesus wrought3 ,and ,i believe1 it will be granted on all hands1 that the restoring a ,person1 indisputably dead1 to ,life again1 is a stupendous ,miracle2 and that two or three such ,miracles well circumstanced1 and credibly reported1 are enough to conciliate the ,belief of ,mankind1 that the ,author of them was a divine ,agent1 and invested with the ,power of ,god1 or he could not do them4 ,but ,god knows1 7and for the sake of the ,mystery1 ,i am not sorry to say it7 this is far from being the ,case of these three ,miracles before us1 or of any one them4 ,that these three ,miracles are not equally great1 but differ in ,degree1 is visible enough to any one1 that but cursorily reads1 and compares theirs ,stories one with another4 ,the ,fathers of the ,church#bgf have taken ,notice of such a ,difference amongst them4 ,the greatest of the three1 and indeed1 the#bgg greatest ,miracle1 that ,jesus is suppos'd to have wrought1 is that of ,lazarus's ,resurrection2 which1 in ,truth1 was a most prodigious ,miracle1 if his ,corps was putrified and stank2 or if there were no just ,exceptions to be made to the ,credibility of the ,story4 ,next to that1 in magnitude1 is ,jesus's raising of the ,widow's ,son1 as they were carrying him to his ,burial3 ,and a great ,miracle it was to bring him to ,life again2 if none before or since had been mistaken for dead1 and carried to their ,graves alive2 or if no ,impostor and his ,confederates could frame such a seemingly miraculous ,scene1 as is that whole ,story1 to his own ,glory4 ,the least of the three is that of his raising ,jairus's ,daughter1 which in ,appearance is so far from a ,miracle1 that according to the ,story itself1 she was but asleep1 or by the ,shrieks of ,by-standers frighted out of her ,senses for the present4 ,but however it really might be with these three supposed dead and revived ,persons2 the ,case of none of them was well enough circumstanced to serve the ,purpose of our ,divines4 ,i am apt to believe with the ,fathers1 that ,jesus actually did raise the dead2 but then1 as these ,miracles are only recorded for the sake of the ,mystery1 ,i affirm that none of them1 as to the ,letter1 will abide the ,test of a critical ,examination1 nor stand its ,ground against such ,exceptions as may be made to them4 ,if ,jesus was to raise any dead ,bodies to ,life1 for a ,testimony of his divine ,power and ,authority1 he would and should have made ,choice of other dead ,persons1 under other ,circumstances of ,death2 and the ,history of their ,resurrection should have been more credibly and carefully transmitted to ,posterity1 so as there should have been no ,room left to make a reasonable ,doubt of the ,truth of it4 ,but this1 ,i say1 is not the ,case in the ,resuscitation of any of these ,persons1 as will appear from the following ,remarks and ,observations upon them4 ,and #a4 ,observe1 that the unnatural and preposterous ,order of ,time1 in which these ,miracles are related1 justly brings them all under suspicion of ,fable and ,forgery4 ,the greatest of the three is indisputably that of ,lazarus's ,resurrection2 but since this is only mention'd by ,st4 ,john1 who wrote his ,gospel after the other ,evangelists1 and above sixty ,years1 according to the best ,computation1 after our ,lord's ,ascension2 here is too much ,room for ,cavil and ,question1 whether this ,story be not entirely his ,invention4 ,what could be the ,reason that ,matthew1 ,mark1 and ,luke1 who all wrote their ,gospel's before ,john1 and many ,years nearer to the ,death of our ,saviour1 should omit to record this remarkable and most illustrious ,miracle of ,lazarus8 ,they could not forget it1 nor be ignorant of it1 if the ,story had been really true2 and to assign any other ,reason than ,ignorance or ,forgetfulness1 is hard and impossible4 ,to aggrandize the ,fame of their ,master1 for a ,worker of ,miracles1 was the ,design of all the ,evangelists1 especially of the three first1 who may be presumed to make a ,report of the greatest1 if not of all1 that ,jesus wrought3 ,but that there should come after them an ,evangelist with an huge and superlatively great ,miracle1 and meet with ,credit for it1 is against all ,sense and ,reason2 neither is there any ,story1 so disorderly told1 in all ,history1 that ,critics will admit of the ,belief of4 ,the first ,writer of the ,life of an ,hero1 to be sure makes mention of all the grand ,occurrences of it1 and leaves no ,room for ,biographers afterwards1 but to enlarge and paraphrase upon what he has written1 with some other ,circumstances and ,additions of less ,moment4 ,if a third or a fourth ,biographer after him shall presume to add a more illustrious ,transaction of the ,hero's ,life1 it will be rejected as ,fable and ,romance1 tho' for no other ,reason than this1 that the first ,writer must have been appris'd of it1 and would have inserted its ,story1 if there had been any ,truth in it4 ,and whether ,st4 ,john's ,story of ,lazarus's ,resurrection1 that ,miracle of ,miracles1 ought not to be subjected to the like ,criticism upon it1 ,christians may consider1 and ,infidels will judge4 ,what then was the ,reason1 ,i ask again1 that the three first ,evangelists neglected to record this renown'd ,miracle of ,lazarus8 ,and why too 7may ,i enquire here7 did not ,matthew and ,mark mention the ,story of the ,widow of ,naim's ,son1 as they could not but know of it1 if true1 more certainly than ,luke1 the ,companion of ,paul1 who alone has made a ,report of it8 ,grotius says1#bgh it may seem strange that this illustrious ,miracle of the ,widow's ,son was omitted by ,matthew and ,mark3 ,and what is the ,reason that ,grotius gives for this strange ,omission8 ,why1 he tells us#bgi that these two ,evangelists were content with one miraculous ,instance of this ,kind1 by which ,christians might judge of ,jesus's ,power in others also4 ,and is this ,reason sufficient8 ,true it is1 they were content with one ,instance2 but if they had made a ,report of two or three more of the same sort1 no body would have thought their ,history of ,christ overcharg'd with impertinent and tautological ,repetitions4 ,but one ,instance of a ,person rais'd from the dead1 they were1 says ,grotius1 content with3 ,and ,i'll grant one to be sufficient3 ,but which then should they1 as wise and considerate ,historians have made ,choice of1 the greatest or the least ,miracle8 ,the greatest1 to be sure1 and that was of ,lazarus1 or of the ,widow's ,son1 if they knew of either4 ,but instead of either of these1 they tell us the ,story of ,jairus's ,daughter1 that is#bhj an imperfect and disputable ,miracle1 in ,comparison of the other two1 which consequently they knew nothing at all of1 or they would have preferr'd the ,report of them4 ,if ,matthew1 the first ,writer1 had recorded only the ,story of ,lazarus1 whose ,resurrection was the greatest ,miracle2 and if ,luke had added that of the ,widow of ,naim's ,son2 and ,john lastly had remember'd us of ,jairus's ,daughter1 which the other ,evangelists1 not through ,ignorance or ,forgetfulness1 but studying ,brevity1 had omitted1 then all had been well2 and no ,objection had hence lain against the ,credit of any of these ,miracles1 or against the ,authority of the ,evangelists3 ,but this unnatural and preposterous ,order of ,time1 in which these ,miracles are recorded 7the greatest being postponed to the least7 administers just ,occasion of suspicion of the ,truth and ,credibility of all their ,stories4 ,and it is lucky for ,christianity1 that ,jews and ,infidels have not hitherto hit upon the ,absurdity of this preposterous ,narration1 or they might have form'd a cogent ,objection against these ,miracles thus1 saying2 ,jesus1 it is manifest1 rais'd not the dead at all4 ,the only ,person1 that ,christians can reasonably pretend1 he did raise1 was ,jairus's ,daughter1 whom ,matthew writes of2 and she1 according to the ,story was only in a ,sleep1 or an ,extacy1 when ,jesus revived her4 ,but the ,galileans1 who were after a ,time call'd ,christians1 finding their ,account in a ,resurrection-,miracle2 ,luke1 for the former ,advantage of the ,cause1 devised another ,story of better ,circumstances1 in the ,widow of ,naim's ,son3 ,but this not being so great a ,miracle1 as the ,church still wanted2 ,john1 when no body was alive to contradict and expostulate with him for it1 trumps up a long ,story of a thumping ,miracle1 in ,jesus's raising of ,lazarus1 who had been not only dead1 but buried so long that he stank again4 ,but to prove the ,story of this ,miracle to be false and fabulous1 we need say no more than that it was last recorded4 ,if there had been any ,truth in it1 the first ,evangelist would have remember'd us of it4 ,we don't suppose1 that you ,christians1 because of your ,prejudices1 will subscribe to this ,account1 that we thus give of the ,rise of these ,miracles3 ,but this is certain1 that if these three ,miracles had not been reported of ,jesus1 but of ,mahomet1 in the same disorder of ,time1 by three different ,historians1 you would presently have scented the ,forgery and ,imposture3 ,you would justly have affirm'd that the three ,stories were apparently three ,fables and ,falsehoods2 and that the three ,historians visibly strove to outstretch each other3 ,that the first was sparing and modest in his ,romance2 and the second1 being sensible of the ,insufficiency of the former's ,tale1 devises a ,miracle of a bigger ,size2 which still not proving sufficient to the ,end proposed2 the third ,writer1 rather than his ,prophet's ,honour should sink for want of a ,resurrection-,miracle1 forges a ,story of a monstrously huge one2 against which it is1 and always will be ,objection enough1 that it was not related by the first ,historian4 ,so would you ,christians argue against these three ,miracles in another ,impostor's ,case2 and there is not a judicious ,critic in the ,universe1 that would not approve of the ,argument1 and applaud the ,force of it1 tho' you will not endure the ,thoughts of it in the ,case of your ,jesus4 ,but to come nearer home to you2 supposing ,john 7who was then above a ,hundred1 and in his ,dotage7 had not reported this ,miracle of ,lazarus2 but that ,clement 7joining it with his#bha incredible ,story of the ,resurrection of a ,phoenix7 or ,ignatius1 or ,polycarp1 or the ,author of the ,apostolical ,constitutions had related it2 would not your ,christian ,critics have been at work to explode it8 ,there is not an antient extra-evangelical ,tradition of any ,note about ,jesus1 that some or other of your ,critics have not boggled at2 but such a ,story as this of ,lazarus would have been received by none4 ,i question1 whether ,mr4 ,whiston would not have rejected the ,constitutions upon such a ,story in them2 or if his ,fancy for some other ,things in them had overcome his ,reason against this2 yet ,bishop ,smallbroke1 who has written against the ,canonicalness of the ,constitutions1 with his judicious ,animadversions upon this ,story1 would absolutely have overthrown their ,authority4 ,and what would he have said here8 ,not only that the ,miracle smells rankly of ,forgery and ,fraud1 or the ,evangelists1 especially ,matthew1 had never forgotten to record it2 but he would have reminded us of intrinsic ,notes 7hereafter to be mention'd7 of ,absurdity1 and ,incredibility1 that would for ever have cashier'd the ,belief of it4 ,and whether we ,infidels ought not to take the same ,liberty to criticize on ,john's ,gospel1 which you do on your ,apostolical ,fathers1 who wrote before him1 let the impartial and unprejudiced judge3 ,if in justice we ought to take it2 we are sure we could give two or three notable ,reasons 7but that ,we will not now put ,christians out of ,temper with them7 why ,john may be suspected of a ,mistake or ,fraud in this ,miracle1 rather than any other ,christian ,writer of the first or second ,century4 ,to such an unhappy ,objection1 arising from the unnatural and preposterous ,order of ,time1 in which they are recorded1 are these three ,miracles before us obnoxious4 ,and ,i am thinking how ,ministers of the ,letter will be able to get over it4 ,as for my self1 who am for the mystical ,interpretation of these ,miracles1 ,i have a solid and substantial ,answer at hand to the foresaid ,objection1 an ,answer that curiously accounts for the ,order of ,time in which these ,miracles are related2 but my ,answer will not please our ,divines1 nor stand them in any stead2 therefore they must look up another good one of their own1 that will comport with the ,letter2 or the said ,objection1 improved with another presently against ,lazarus's ,resurrection1 will be too hard1 not for ,christianity it self1 but for their ,ministry4 ,grotius1 being aware of the foresaid ,objection1 has given us such a#bhb ,solution of it as then occurr'd to his ,thoughts4 ,dr4 ,whitby1 not being satisfied with ,grotius's ,solution1 has given us#bhc another3 ,but how weak and insufficient both their ,solutions are1 ,i will not spare ,time to consider1 till some ,writer shall appear in ,defence of the ,sufficiency and ,strength of one or other of them4 ,and so ,i pass to a #b4 ,second ,observation1 by ,way of ,objection to the ,letter of these ,miracles1 and that is1 by enquiring1 what became of these three ,persons after their ,resurrection8 ,how long did they live afterwards8 ,and of what ,use and ,advantage were their restored ,lives to the ,church or to ,mankind8 ,the ,evangelical and ,ecclesiastical ,history is entirely silent as to these ,questions1 which is enough to make us suspect their ,stories to be merely romantick or parabolical2 and that there were no such ,persons rais'd from the dead2 or we must have heard somewhat of their ,station and ,conversation in the ,world afterwards4 ,it's true1 that ,ephiphanius#bhd says1 what he found among ,traditions1 that ,lazarus lived thirty ,years after his ,resurrection3 ,but how did he spend his ,time all that while8 ,was it to the ,honour of ,jesus1 to the ,service of the ,church1 and ,propagation of the ,gospel8 ,of that we know nothing2 tho' in ,reason and ,gratitude to ,jesus1 his ,benefactor1 it ought to have been so spent2 and if it had been so employ'd1 ,history surely would have inform'd us of it4 ,according to the ,opinion of ,grotius1 in a ,citation above1 ,lazarus for the rest of his restored ,life absconded1 and skull'd about the ,country for ,fear of the ,jews1 who lay in ,wait for him2 which is a ,suggestion1 not only dishonourable to ,jesus1 as if the same ,power1 that rais'd him from the dead1 could not protect him against his ,enemies2 but reproachful to ,lazarus himself1 who should have chosen to suffer ,death again1 rather than not bear an open ,testimony to ,jesus1 the ,author of his ,resurrection4 ,however it was1 we hear no more of ,lazarus1 than that he lived thirty ,years afterwards1 which ,tradition1 without other ,memorials of his ,life1 brings the ,miracle more under suspicion of ,fable1 than if he had dy'd soon after it4 ,and of ,jairus's ,daughter1 and of the ,widow of ,naim's ,son1 which is astonishing1 we read nothing at all4 ,does not this ,silence in ,history about them1 make their ,miracles questionable1 and but like ,gulliverian ,tales of ,persons and ,things1 that out of the ,romance1 never had any ,being4 ,jesus did but#bhe call a little ,child1 and set him in the midst of his ,disciples2 and that ,act was remember'd in the ,piety and ,zeal#bhf of ,ignatius1 who made a renown'd ,bishop4 ,but the ,favour and ,blessing conferr'd on these three rais'd ,persons was exceedingly greater2 and one might have expected1 that ,lazarus and the ,widow's ,son would have been eminent ,ministers of the ,gospel4 ,but instead of that1 their ,lives afterwards were pass'd in ,obscurity1 or1 what's as bad1 ,ecclesiastical ,history has neglected a ,report of them4 ,what can any one hereupon think less1 than that the ,favour of the ,miracles was lost on undeserving ,persons1 which ,i abhor the ,thoughts of2 or that their ,stories are but ,parables1 which ,i rather incline to4 ,ministers of the ,letter may here say1 ,that the ,ecclesiastical ,history of the ,apostolical ,age is very scanty2 and that many ,memorials of other ,persons and ,transactions are lost and buried in ,oblivion3 ,which unhappy ,fate has attended the after-,lives and ,actions of these rais'd ,persons1 or undoubtedly we should have had a famous ,record of them4 ,this is not impossible2 tho' in the ,wisdom of ,providence it is hardly probable1 but that some more ,remembrance must have been left of one or other1 if not of all the three ,persons2 in as much as such a ,remembrance of them would now-a-days have no less gain'd a ,belief of the ,miracles1 than this ,historical ,silence tends to the ,discredit of them4 ,it's somewhat strange1 that we hear no more of the after-,fame and ,life of any of the diseased ,persons1 whom ,jesus miraculously cured2 excepting of the ,woman1 heal'd of an ,issue of ,blood2 who1 tho' she spent ,,all she had1 even ,,all her ,living upon ,physicians2 yet out of the ,remains of it erected1 says#bhg ,eusebius1 at ,csarea ,philippi1 two most costly ,statues of ,brass1 to the ,memory of ,jesus and of herself1 and of the ,miracle wrought by him2 which ,dr4 ,whitby#bhh as if he was tainted with ,infidelity1 endeavours to make an idle ,tale of4 ,but excepting1 ,i say this ,story of this ,woman1 we hear nothing of any other heal'd ,person2 which is ,matter of some ,speculation3 ,but that the ,persons rais'd from the dead should not at all be mention'd in ,history for their ,labours and ,lives afterwards to the ,honour of ,jesus1 is absolutely unaccountable4 ,whether such a profound ,silence in ,history about them be not shocking of the ,credit of the ,miracles1 let our ,divines consider4 ,i am of ,opinion that if ,jesus really rais'd these ,persons from the dead2 this and no other ,reason1 in the ,providence of ,god1 can be given for the ,silence of ,ecclesiastical ,history about them afterwards1 than to make dead-letter'd ,stories of their ,miracles1 in order to turn our ,heads entirely to the ,consideration of their mystical ,signification1 without which the ,letter1 for the ,argument before us1 is deserving of no ,regard nor ,credit4 ,but #c4 ,by way of ,objection to the ,letter of these three ,miracles1 let us consider the ,condition of the ,persons rais'd from the dead2 and whether they were at all proper ,persons for ,jesus to work such a ,miracle upon1 in ,testimony of his divine ,power4 ,if they were improper ,persons according to the ,letter1 it's not credible that ,he1 who was the ,wisdom of ,god1 would raise them2 or if he did1 it was because they were the properest to make mystical ,emblems of their ,stories4 ,that ,jesus ought to have rais'd all that dy'd1 where-ever he came1 during the ,time of his ,ministry1 none1 ,i presume1 can hold4 ,two or three ,instances of his almighty and miraculous ,power of this ,kind will be allow'd to be sufficient3 ,but then they must be wisely and judiciously made ,choice of1 out of a vast ,number of ,persons1 that must needs die in that ,time4 ,where then was his ,wisdom and ,prudence to chuse these three ,persons above others to that ,honour8 ,why were all of them1 or indeed any one of them preferr'd to other ,persons of a different ,age and ,condition in the ,world8 ,nay1 if the ,letter of their ,stories is only to be regarded1 were not all these three ,persons almost the improperest and most unfit of any for ,jesus to exercise that ,power on8 ,jairus's ,daughter was an insignificant ,girl of twelve ,years old3 ,and there could be no ,reason for raising her1 but to wipe sorrow from the ,hearts1 and ,tears from the ,eyes of her ,parents1 who ought to have been better ,philosophers1 than immoderately to grieve for her4 ,and was here a good ,reason for ,jesus to interpose with his ,almighty ,power8 ,no certainly2 a ,lecture of ,patience and ,resignation this ,case had been enough4 ,and tho' ,jesus could raise her from the dead2 yet for as much as that ,favour was to be conferr'd but on a few2 and his ,miracles ought to be useful as well as conspicuous1 she should have been pass'd by1 as an improper ,object of his ,power1 in ,comparison of many others1 presently to be named4 ,if therefore a better ,reason1 than what's discernible in the ,letter1 is not to be fetch'd from the ,mystery2 ,i can't suppose that ,jesus1 the ,wisdom of ,god would raise this ,girl2 but that the modern ,belief of her ,resuscitation1 exclusive of the mystical ,signification1 is1 as shall be by and by argued1 altogether groundless4 ,the ,widow of ,naim's ,son too was but a ,greek3 neaniskos ,youth1 and whether any thing older than the ,girl above is doubtful2 but his ,life certainly was of no more ,importance to the ,world after1 than before his ,resurrection4 ,and why was he then one of the three to be rais'd from the dead8 ,why had he this ,honour done him1 before others of greater ,age1 ,worth1 and ,use to ,mankind8 ,some will say1 for the ,comfort or his sorrowful ,mother4 ,and is this ,reason sufficient8 ,a ,discourse on the ,pleasures of ,abraham's ,bosom1 where she would e'er long meet her ,son1 had been enough to chear her ,heart4 ,if therefore the ,fathers don't help me to a solid mystical ,reason1 why the ,son and only ,son of a ,widow was to be rais'd by ,jesus1 as they were carrying him to his ,burial1 ,i'll not believe1 ,he would raise this dead ,boy rather than many others1 for the ,manifestation of his ,power2 but that the ,story of his ,resurrection1 as shall soon be reasonably proved1 was all ,sham and ,cheat4 ,lazarus indeed was ,jesus's ,friend1 whom he ,loved2 and as ,i will not question but ,jesus's ,affection was wisely and deservedly placed on him2 so here1 to ,appearance1 was a better ,reason for the raising of him1 than of either of the other ,two4 ,but even this ,reason1 supposing ,jesus was to raise but three ,persons1 is not sufficient against the ,cases of many others1 that may be put for the ,manifestation of his ,power1 for the ,illustration of his ,wisdom and ,goodness1 and for the ,conversion of ,unbelievers3 ,consequently1 if this ,story of ,lazarus be not parabolical1 the litteral ,fact is disputable1 and obnoxious to such ,exceptions presently to be observed against it1 as will not be easily got over4 ,jesus rais'd the dead1 and wrought other ,miracles1 say our ,divines often1 not only to manifest his own ,power and ,glory1 but his ,love to ,mankind1 and his ,inclination to do them good3 ,for which ,reason his ,miracles are useful and beneficial as well as stupendous and supernatural ,acts1 on purpose to conciliate ,men's ,affections as well as their ,faith to him4 ,on this ,topick our ,divines are copious and rhetorical1 when they write on ,jesus's ,miracles1 as if no more useful and wonderful ,works could be done1 than what he did4 ,and ,i do agree with them1 that 7what ,reason bespeaks7 the ,miracles of a pretended ,author of ,religion ought to be both as useful and great as well as could be4 ,but such were not ,jesus's ,miracles according to ,letter1 and least of all his ,acts of raising the dead4 ,for if we consider the ,persons rais'd by him1 we shall find1 he could hardly have exerted his ,power on any of less ,importance to the ,world1 both before and after their ,resurrection4 ,a young ,girl indeed is fitter to be raised than a decripid old ,woman1 who by the ,course of ,nature was to return to ,corruption again1 as soon as restored to ,life3 ,and a ,boy rather than an infirm old ,man for the same ,reason3 ,and ,lazarus the ,friend of ,jesus1 perhaps1 and but perhaps1 rather than his profess'd ,enemy4 ,but what are these three ,persons in ,comparison of many others of other ,circumstances8 ,instead of a ,boy1 and a ,girl and even of ,lazarus1 who were all of no ,consequence to the ,publick1 either before or since2 ,i should think1 ,jesus ought to have rais'd an useful ,magistrate1 whose ,life had been a common ,blessing2 an industrious ,merchant1 whose ,death was a publick ,loss2 a ,father of a numerous ,family1 which for a comfortable ,subsistance depended on him4 ,such dead ,objects of ,jesus's ,power and ,compassion could not but offer themselves1 during the ,time of his ,ministry1 and if he meant to be as useful as he could1 in his ,miracles1 he would have laid hold on them4 ,if a few ,persons only were to be rais'd from the dead1 the foresaid were the properest1 whose ,resurrection and ,return to ,life would have begotten the ,applause as well as the ,wonder of the ,world2 would most extensively have spread ,jesus's ,fame2 and would have gain'd him the ,love and ,discipleship of all that heard of his being so great a ,benefactor to ,mankind4 ,such ,instances of his ,power would have demonstrated him to be a most benign as well as a mighty ,agent2 and none in ,interest or ,prejudice could have open'd their ,mouths against him1 especially if the ,persons rais'd from the dead were selected upon the ,recommendation of the ,people of this or that ,city4 ,but that an insignificant ,boy and a ,girl1 7forsooth67 and the obscure ,lazarus1 are preferr'd by ,jesus1 to such publick and more deserving ,persons is unaccountable4 ,their ,story therefore1 upon this ,argument1 savours of ,romance and ,fraud2 and unless the ,mystery help us to1 what the ,letter can't1 a good reason for ,jesus's ,conduct here1 the ,miracles may be hence justly question'd1 and the ,credibility of their ,report disputed4 ,but now ,i am speaking of the ,fitness and ,unfitness of deceased ,persons to have this grand ,miracle wrought on them2 it comes into my ,head to ask1 why ,jesus rais'd not ,john the ,baptist to ,life again8 ,a ,person of greater ,merits1 and more ,worthy of the ,favour of ,jesus and of this ,miracle1 could not be4 ,if ,jesus could raise any from the dead he would surely have raised him2 and why did he not8 ,this is a reasonable ,question and an ,answer should be thought on for it4 ,was it a ,thing out of ,jesus's ,power8 ,not so2 ,he was ,omnipotent1 and could by ,force or ,persuasion have rescued ,john's ,head out of the ,hands of his ,enemies2 and the tacking it again to his ,body1 and the infusing new ,life into him was no more difficult to ,jesus1 than the ,resuscitation of a stinking ,carcass4 ,if ,jesus had here exerted his ,power1 and rais'd his dearest ,friend and choicest ,minister for the ,preparation1 if not ,propagation of the ,gospel1 none could question his ,ability to raise any others1 tho' he had rais'd no more4 ,but in as much as ,john the ,baptist1 one of his singular ,merits and ,services to ,christ1 was overlook'd and neglected by him2 and three useless and insignificant ,persons had this ,honour done them1 the ,facts may reasonably be called into question1 and1 if the ,mysteries don't solve the ,difficulty1 their litteral ,stories may hence be accounted foolish1 fictitious and fabulous2 especially if we consider1 #d4 ,that none of these three rais'd ,persons had been long enough dead to amputate all ,doubt of ,jesus's miraculous ,power in their ,resurrection4 ,as to ,jairus's ,daughter1 she was but newly expired1 if at all dead1 when ,jesus brought her to ,life again4 ,jesus himself says1 she was but asleep4 ,and according to ,theophanes ,cerameus#bhi1 and ,theophilact#bij there is ,room to suspect that this ,girl was only ,greek3 ,katochos beside herself4 ,and it is not impossible1 but the passionate ,skreams of the ,feminine ,by-standers might fright her into ,fits1 that bore the ,appearance of ,death2 otherwise why did ,jesus turn there inordinate ,weepers out of the ,house1 before he could bring her to her ,senses again8 ,and why did he tell her ,parents1 that she was only in a sleep1 but to ,comfort them with the ,possibility of his awakening her out of it8 ,is not this destructive of the ,miracle1 and making no more of it1 than what another ,man might do8 ,and is there not some ,probability1 that here's all of this ,story8 ,but supposing she was really dead1 yet for the sake of an indisputable ,miracle in her ,resurrection1 it must be granted1 that she ought to have been much longer1 some ,days if not ,weeks1 dead and buried4 ,as to the ,widow of ,naim's ,son1 there was somewhat more of the ,appearance of ,death in him1 than in ,jairus's ,daughter4 ,he was carried forth to his ,burial1 and so may be presumed to be really a dead ,corpse4 ,but might not here be ,fraud or ,mistake in the ,case8 ,history and common ,fame affords ,instances of the mistaken ,deaths of ,persons1 who sometimes have been unfortunately buried alive1 and at other ,times happily1 by one ,means or other1 restored to ,life3 ,and who knows but ,jesus1 upon some ,information or other1 might suspect this ,youth to be in a lethargick ,state1 and had a ,mind to try1 if by chafeing1 c4 he could not do1 what successfully he did1 bring him to his ,senses again3 ,or might not a ,piece of ,fraud be here concerted between ,jesus1 a subtil ,youth1 and his ,mother and others2 and all the ,formalities of a ,death and ,burial contrived1 that ,jesus1 whose ,fame for a ,worker of ,miracles was to be rais'd1 might here have an ,opportunity to make a shew of a grand one4 ,the ,mourning of the ,widow1 who had her ,tears at ,command and ,jesus's casual meeting of the ,corpse upon the ,road1 looks like ,contrivance to put the better ,face upon the ,matter4 ,god forbid1 that ,i should suspect1 there was any ,fraud of this ,kind here2 but of the ,possibility of it1 none can doubt4 ,and where there is a ,possibility of ,fraud1 it is ,nonsense1 and mere ,credulity to talk of a real1 certain and stupendous ,miracle1 especially where the ,juggler and pretended ,worker of ,miracles has been detected in some of his other ,tricks4 ,all that ,i have to say here to this ,matter1 is1 that if ,jesus had a ,mind to raise the ,son of this ,widow1 in ,testimony of his divine ,power1 he should have suffer'd him to have been buried two or three ,weeks first2 otherwise1 if the ,mystery don't account for ,jesus's stopping the ,bearers of the ,corpse upon the ,road1 here is too much ,room for suspicion of ,cheat in the ,letter of the ,story4 ,lazarus's ,case seems to be the less exceptionable of the three4 ,he had been buried four ,days1 and supposed to be putrified in the ,opinion of his ,sister ,mary1 and of modern ,christians3 ,and if so1 his ,resuscitation was a most grand and indisputable ,miracle4 ,and ,i could have wish'd1 if ,i had not loved the ,mystery rather than the ,letter1 that no ,cavil and ,exception could have been made to it4 ,whether ,lazarus1 who was ,jesus's ,friend and beloved ,disciple1 would not come into ,measures with his ,lord1 for the ,defence of his ,honour1 and ,propagation of his ,fame1 ,infidels1 who take ,christianity for an ,imposture1 will not question3 ,and whether he would not consent to be interr'd alive1 in a hollow ,cave1 where there was only a ,stone laid at the ,mouth of it1 as long as a ,man could fast1 none of them will doubt4 ,four ,days was almost too long for a ,man to fast without danger of ,health2 but if those four ,days are number'd according to the ,arithmetick of ,jesus's three ,days in his ,grave1 they are reducible to two ,days and three ,nights1 which ,time1 if no ,victuals were secretly convey'd with him1 a ,man might fast in ,lazarus's ,cave4 ,as to the stinking of ,lazarus's ,carcass3 that1 ,infidels will say1 was but the ,assertion of his ,sister beforehand1 like a ,prologue to a ,farce4 ,none of the ,spectators at his ,resurrection say one ,word of his stinking4 ,and as to the ,weepings and ,lamentations of ,jesus and of ,lazarus's ,sisters1 they will say that was all ,sham and ,counterfeit1 the better to carry on the ,juggle of a feign'd ,resurrection4 ,and what's worst of all1 they will say1 that tho' ,jesus did call ,lazarus forth with a loud ,voice1 as if he had been as deaf as a dead ,man2 yet his ,face was bound about with a ,napkin1 so that the ,spectators could not discern what was of the ,essence of the ,miracle1 the ,change of his ,countenance from a dead to a live one1 which is a plain ,sign1 that it was all ,fraud and ,imposture4 ,god forbid1 that ,i should have the same sense with ,infidels1 of this ,matter2 but to be just to their ,suggestions and ,imaginations here1 ,i must needs say1 there are some other unhappy ,circumstances1 presently to be consider'd1 in this ,story1 which1 if they are not emblematical1 make it the most notorious ,cheat and ,imposture that ever was put upon ,mankind4 ,in the mean ,time1 from what is here argued1 it is plain1 that ,lazarus was not so long dead and buried1 as that there is no ,room to doubt of the ,miracle of his ,resurrection4 ,now whether these ,arguments against these three ,miracles1 drawn from the ,shortness of the ,time1 in which these ,persons lay for dead1 have any ,force in them1 let our ,divines consider4 ,if nothing of all this is in their ,opinion affecting of the ,credit of the ,miracles2 yet they must allow1 that ,jesus1 if he could raise the dead1 might have made ,choice of other ,instances of ,persons1 more unquestionably dead1 who had lain longer in their ,graves1 and were in a visible ,state of ,putrefaction4 ,and if this grand ,miracle of raising the dead was to be wrought by ,jesus for the ,manifestation of his ,glory1 and in ,testimony of his ,authority2 he should have exercised his ,power on some such ,persons1 nominated by the ,magistrates of this or that ,city1 who with the ,people should be present at the miraculous ,operation1 beholding the putrified ,bodies1 7without a ,napkin before their ,faces7 and how they were suddenly enliven'd and invigorated with new ,flesh1 after the ,similitude of their pristine ,form1 when in ,health and full ,strength4 ,because that ,jesus rais'd not some such ,persons to ,life1 ,i must take the ,stories of the three ,miracles before us to be but typical of more mysterious ,works2 or believe them for the ,arguments above to be downright ,cheats and ,fables4 ,and what is enough to induce a modern ,divine to this ,opinion4 ,is #e4 ,the ,consideration1 that none of these rais'd ,persons did or could1 after the ,return of their ,souls to their ,bodies1 tell any ,tales of their separate ,existence otherwise the ,evangelists had not been silent in this main ,point1 which is of the ,essence of ,christianity4 ,are not our ,divines here reduced to an unhappy ,dilemma1 either to deny the separate ,existence of the ,soul1 or the precedent ,deaths of these rais'd ,persons8 ,as ,christians1 ,we profess to believe both1 which seemingly are incompatiable2 or the ,evangelists had made such a ,relation1 as their return'd ,souls had given of the other ,world4 ,was any ,person1 in this ,age1 to be rais'd to ,life1 that had been any time dead2 the first ,thing that his ,friends and ,acquaintance would enquire of him1 would be to know1 where his ,soul had been2 in what ,company2 and how it had fared with him2 and ,historians would certainly record his ,narrative4 ,the same ,curiosity could not but possess ,people of old1 when these ,miracles were wrought2 and if the rais'd ,persons had told any ,stories of their separate ,existance1 the ,evangelists no less unquestionally would have reported them1 in as much as such a ,report would have been1 not only a ,confirmation of that ,doctrine2 which is of the ,essence of our ,religion2 but an absolute ,confutation of the ,sadducees and ,sceptists of that ,age1 and of the ,materialists of this4 ,but this their ,silence in this ,case is of bad ,consequence1 either to the ,doctrine of the ,soul's ,existence in ,separation from the ,body1 or to these ,miracles themselves1 since we must hereupon almost necessarily hold1 that these rais'd ,persons were not at all dead1 or that their ,souls dy'd with them4 ,the ,author of a ,sermon1 ascrib'd to ,st4 ,augustin tells us#bia that ,lazarus after his ,resurrection made a large ,report of ,hell1 where he had been3 ,but as this is a mere ,fiction of that ,author1 without the least ,authority from ,scripture2 so ,i presume it will be accounted a ,blunder in him1 to suppose the ,soul of ,lazarus1 the ,friend and beloved of ,jesus1 was in ,hell4 ,the ,soul of ,jesus indeed1 for ,reasons best known to himself1 upon his ,death1 descended into ,hell1 when some think he should rather have gone1 with the penitent ,thief1 into ,paradise4 ,but the ,thoughts1 that any of ,jesus's ,friends should go to ,hell1 ,i suppose will not be born with2 or what will become of the ,preachers of this ,age1 who would be accounted ,men or that ,denomination4 ,and if ,lazarus's ,soul had been in ,paradise1 it was hardly a good ,work in ,jesus to recall it1 for thirty ,years afterwards1 to the ,miseries and ,troubles of this wicked ,world4 ,i wish therefore our ,divines could determine1 where ,lazarus's ,soul was for the four ,days of his ,burial2 because ,i can't possibly conceive any thing else1 than that he was not really dead1 or that his ,soul dy'd with him1 or went to a bad place1 otherwise after his ,resurrection he had never absconded for fear of the ,jews1 as if he was unwilling to die again1 and return to the ,place from whence he came4 ,but however it was with the ,souls of these rais'd ,persons before their ,re-union to their ,bodies1 here is another ,difficulty and ,objection against these ,miracles2 and how will our ,divines get over it8 ,perhaps they may say1 that tho' these rais'd ,persons were before really dead2 yet their ,souls were not as yet gone to their ,places prepared of ,god for them1 but continued hovering about their ,bodies1 like the ,flame about the ,snuff of a ,candle1 with desires ----iterumq2 reverti ,corpora---- to be again rejoin'd to them4 ,and withall my ,heart let this ,answer pass1 if our ,divines and ,infidels can so agree upon it4 ,as for my own ,opinion1 it is this1 that these ,miracles of ,jesus are ,parables1 and that it was beside the ,purpose of the ,parable1 and of the ,evangelists to say any thing of the ,place and ,state of the ,soul upon its ,separation from the ,body2 otherwise the ,letter of their ,stories is manifestly obnoxious to the ,objection above1 or the ,deaths of these pretended rais'd ,persons1 upon ,christian ,principles1 are questionable4 ,but #f4 ,and lastly1 ,let us consider the intrinsick ,absurdities and ,incredibilities of the several ,stories of these three ,miracles4 ,and such ,absurdities shall we find in them1 that1 if they had been intended as ,testimonies of ,jesus's divine ,power1 had never been inserted in their ,narratives4 ,as to ,jairus's ,daughter1 and her ,resurrection from the dead1 ,st4 ,hilary#bib hints1 that there was no such ,person as ,jairus whose ,name was fictitious1 and coin'd with a spiritual ,signification for the ,use of the ,parable2 and he gives this ,reason1 and a good ,reason it is1 why he thought so1 because it is elsewhere#bic intimated in the ,gospel1 that none of the ,rulers of the ,synagogues confessedly believed on ,jesus4 ,is not here then a stumbling-,block at the ,threshold of the ,letter of this ,story8 ,but why did ,jesus say1 this ,girl was but in a ,sleep8 ,if he was going to work a ,miracle in her ,resuscitation1 he should not have call'd ,death1 ,sleep2 but if others had been of a contrary ,opinion1 he should first have convinced them of the ,certainty of her ,death1 before he did the great ,work on her4 ,and why did he charge the ,parents of the ,girl not to speak of the ,miracle8 ,if he meant it as ,testimony of his divine ,power1 he should rather have exhorted them1 in justice to himself to publish it1 and make it well known4 ,and why1 as ,st4 ,ambrose#bid puts the ,question1 did he turn the ,people out of the ,house1 before he would raise her8 ,the more ,witnesses are present at a ,miracle1 the better it is attested1 and the more readily believed by others2 and who should be present at the ,miracle rather than those who were incredulous of ,jesus's divine ,power8 ,are not all these ,circumstances1 so many ,absurdities1 which1 if they are not to be accounted for in the ,mystery1 are so far destructive of the ,letter1 as that it is ,nonsense and ,folly in our ,divines to talk of a ,miracle here1 against ,jesus's express ,word and ,prohibition to the contrary4 ,as to the ,story of the ,widow of ,naim's ,son1 excepting what is before observed of the shortness of the ,time1 in which he lay dead1 and of the ,unfitness of his ,person to be rais'd before an ,husband and ,father of a ,family1 to the ,comfort of his ,wife and ,children1 7which are enough to overthrow the ,credulity of the ,miracle7 ,i have here no more ,fault to find in the ,letter of it4 ,but the long ,story of ,lazarus is so brimful of ,absurdities1 that1 if the ,letter alone is to be regarded2 ,st4 ,john1 who was then above a hundred1 when he wrote it1 had lived beyond his ,reason and ,senses1 or he could not have committed them4 ,i have not ,room here to make ,remarks on all these ,absurdities1 which would be the ,work of a ,volume2 but shall single out three or four of them at present1 reserving the rest for another ,opportunity1 when the whole ,story of this ,miracle will appear to be such a ,contexture of ,folly and ,fraud in its ,contrivance1 ,execution1 and ,relation1 as is not to be equall'd in all ,romantick ,history2 and our ,divines will find themselves so distress'd upon the ,dissection and ,display of it1 as that they must of ,necessity allow this ,story to be but a ,parable2 or1 what's most grievous to think on1 give up their ,religion upon it4 ,first then1 observe that ,jesus is said to have wept and groan'd for the ,death of ,lazarus3 ,but why so1 says#bie ,st4 ,basil8 ,was not this an ,absurdity to weep at all for the ,death of him1 whom he could1 and was about to recover to ,life again8 ,another ,man may as reasonably grieve for the ,absence of his ,friend1 whose ,company and ,presence he can retrieve in an ,instant1 as that ,jesus should shed ,tears for ,lazarus in this ,case4 ,if ,jesus could not or would not raise him from the dead1 he ought not1 as a ,philosopher1 who knows ,man is born to die1 to betray so much ,weakness as to weep for him4 ,patience and ,resignation unto ,god upon the ,death of our dearest ,friends and ,relations is what all ,philosophers have rightly taught2 and ,jesus1 one would think1 should have been the most ,heroical ,example of these ,graces2 and how came he to fail of it here8 ,a ,stoical ,apathy had better became him than such childish and effeminate ,grief1 which not only makes him a mean and poor-spirited ,mortal2 but is a gross ,absurdity and ,incredibility upon ,consideration of his ,will and ,power to fetch ,lazarus to ,life again4 ,if there be not1 according to the ,fathers1 ,mystery in these ,tears of ,jesus1 they are a foolish and unnatural ,prelude to a ,farce1 he was acting in the pretended ,resuscitation of ,lazarus4 ,some antient ,catholicks1 not being apprised of the ,mystery1 were so offended at these ,words1 ,jesus wept1 that1 as ,epiphanius#bif says1 they expung'd them out of their ,bibles2 and ,i wonder1 they have not1 before now1 disturb'd the ,faith of ,ministers of the ,letter1 to the utter ,rejection of the ,miracle4 ,secondly1 ,observe that ,john says1 it was with a loud ,voice1 that ,jesus call'd ,lazarus forth out of his ,cave4 ,and why1 ,i pray1 a louder ,voice than ordinary8 ,was dead ,lazarus deafer than ,jairus's ,daughter1 or the ,widow's ,son8 ,or was his ,soul at so great a ,distance from his ,body1 as he could not hear a still and low ,voice8 ,some such silly ,reason as this must be given for this loud ,voice here2 but how absurd it is according to the ,letter1 ,infidels will judge1 till ,christians can assign a better4 ,the dead can hear the ,whisper of the ,almighty1 if ,power go along with it1 as soon as the ,sound of a ,trumpet4 ,st4 ,john then should not have written of a loud ,voice1 unless he meant to adapt his ,story to the ,capacities and ,conceptions of the ,vulgar1 who have no ,apprehensions of ,god's ,power1 out of sensible and human ,representations of it4 ,thirdly1 ,because that a ,miracle should be well guarded against all ,suspicion of ,fraud1 ,i was thinking to make it an ,absurdity1 that the ,napkin1 before ,jesus rais'd ,lazarus1 was not taken from his ,face1 that the ,spectators might behold his mortified ,looks1 and the miraculous ,change of his ,countenance from ,death unto ,life4 ,what ,infidels think of this ,circumstance ,i know not3 ,i hope it is not with them a ,token of ,fraud and ,imposture2 tho' ,i must needs say1 that if the ,fathers did not let me in to the ,mystery of the ,napkin about ,lazarus's ,face when ,jesus call'd him forth1 ,i should not my self like it4 ,fourthly1 and lastly1 ,observe1 ,st4 ,john says1 v4 #de4 that many of the ,jews1 who had seen the ,things that ,jesus did here2 believed on him2 and some of them1 v4 #df4 who did not believe1 went their ,ways to the ,pharisees and told them what ,things ,jesus had done in this pretended ,miracle1 and how the ,business was transacted3 ,whereupon the ,chief ,priests and ,pharisees were so far incens'd as v4 #ec4 from that ,day forth they took ,council together to put him to ,death2 and ,ch4 xii4 #aj4 consulted1 that they might put ,lazarus also to ,death4 ,jesus therefore 7and his ,disciples and ,lazarus fled for it1 for they7 v4 #ed4 walk'd no more openly among the ,jews1 but went thence into a ,country near to the ,wilderness 7a convenient hiding ,place7 and there continued with his ,disciples2 otherwise in all ,probability they had been all sacrificed4 ,i dare not argue upon these ,circumstances1 neither would ,i1 for the ,honour of ,jesus have mention'd them2 but that my old ,friend1 the ,jewish ,rabbi1 who help'd me to the ,satirical ,invective against ,jesus's ,miracle of turning ,water into ,wine1 has hence form'd an ,objection against ,lazarus's ,resurrection1 and sent me a ,letter upon it1 desiring me to publish it1 and exhort the ,clergy to answer it2 otherwise he would clandestinely hand it about to the ,prejudice of our ,religion3 ,whereupon ,i1 rather than ,christianity should so suffer1 do here publish it1 and it is as follows4 ,sr4 ,when we last discours'd on ,jesus's ,miracles1 ,i promised to send you my ,thoughts on ,lazarus's ,resurrection1 which ,i look upon as a notorious ,imposture1 and for the ,proof of it1 need go no farther1 than to the ,circumstances of its ,story1 which your ,evangelist has related4 ,if there had been an indisputable ,miracle wrought in ,lazarus's ,resurrection2 why were the ,chief-,priests and ,pharisees so incens'd upon it1 as to take ,council to put both ,jesus and ,lazarus to ,death for it8 ,where was the ,provocation8 ,i can conceive none4 ,tho' the ,jews were ever so canker'd with ,malice and ,hatred to ,jesus before2 yet such a most stupendous ,miracle was enough to stop their ,mouths1 and turn their ,hearts3 ,or if their ,prejudices against ,jesus were insuperable1 and they hated him but the more for the ,number and ,greatness of his ,miracles2 yet why is poor ,lazarus1 inoffensive ,lazarus1 upon whom this good and great ,work was wrought1 an ,object of their ,hatred too8 ,your ,divines are to give a credible and probable ,account of this ,matter1 such a one as will comport with ,reason and ,sense2 or we shall conclude1 that it was ,fraud1 detected in this pretended ,miracle1 which justly provok'd the ,indignation of our ,ancestors4 ,to say1 what is all you can say1 that it was downright ,inhumanity1 ,barbarity and ,brutality in the ,jews to hate ,lazarus as well as ,jesus1 will not do here4 ,tho' this may pass with many ,christians1 who are ready to swallow1 without chewing1 any evil ,reports of our ,nation2 yet it can't go down with reasonable and unprejudic'd ,men1 who must have other ,conceptions of human ,nature in all ,ages and ,nations1 than to think it possible1 that a ,man1 in ,lazarus's ,case1 can be hated and persecuted for having had such a good and wonderful ,work done on him4 ,and why then was he hated and persecuted8 ,i say1 for this1 and no other ,reason1 than because he was a ,confederate with ,jesus in the wicked ,imposture1 he was putting upon ,mankind4 ,but supposing1 what is never to be granted1 that the ,jews of old were so inhuman1 brutish1 and barbarous as to hate and persecute ,lazarus as well as ,jesus for this ,miracle2 yet why did ,jesus and his ,disciples1 with ,lazarus1 run away and abscond upon it8 for they v4 #ed4 walk'd no more openly among the ,jews1 but went thence into a ,country near to the ,wilderness1 and there ,jesus continued with his ,disciples4 ,is not here a plain ,sign of ,guilt and of ,fraud8 ,men1 that have ,god's ,cause1 ,truth and ,power on their ,side1 never want ,courage and ,resolution to stand to it4 ,and however your ,christian ,priests may palliate the cowardly and timerous ,conduct of ,jesus and his ,confederates in this ,case2 yet with me1 it's like ,demonstration1 that there was a discover'd ,cheat in the ,miracle1 or they would undauntedly have faced their ,enemies1 without ,fears ,and ,apprehensions of ,danger from them4 ,our ,ancestors then1 who unquestionably detected the ,fraud1 were in the right on't to prosecute with ,severity1 the whole ,party concern'd in it3 ,and if they had aveng'd the ,wickedness of it upon ,lazarus as well as they did upon ,jesus1 ,i should have commended them for it4 ,whether such a monstrous ,imposture1 as was this pretended ,miracle1 happily discover'd does not call aloud for ,vengeance and most exemplary ,punishment2 and whether any ,nation of the ,world would suffer the like with ,impunity1 let any ,man judge4 ,for all the ,reports of your ,gospels1 it is unnatural to hate a miraculous ,healer of ,diseases2 and there must be somewhat supprest about the ,inveteracy of the ,jews to ,jesus1 or his healing ,power1 if it was so great as is imagined1 must have reconciled them to him3 ,but that they should hate not only ,jesus for raising the dead1 but the ,person rais'd by him1 is improbable1 incredible1 and impossible4 ,if ,historians can parallel this ,story of the ,malignity of the ,jews towards ,jesus and ,lazarus upon such a real ,miracle1 with any ,thing equally barbarous and inhuman1 in any other ,sect or ,nation2 we will acknowledge the ,truth of it against our ancient ,nation3 ,or if such ,inhumanity1 abstractedly consider'd1 be at all agreeable to the ,conceptions any one can form of ,human ,nature in the most uncivilis'd and brutish ,people1 we will allow our ,ancestors1 in this ,case1 to have been that ,people4 ,was such a real and indisputable ,miracle1 as this of ,lazarus is supposed1 to be wrought at this day in ,confirmation of ,christianity1 ,i dare say1 it would bring all us ,jews1 to a ,man1 into the ,belief of it3 ,and ,i don't think it possible1 for any ,people to be so begotten1 byass'd1 and prejudiced1 as not to be wrought on by it4 ,or if they would not part with their ,interests and ,prejudices upon it1 they would have more ,wit and ,temper1 than to break forth into a ,rage against all or any of the ,persons concern'd in it4 ,and1 for my ,life1 ,i can entertain no worse ,thoughts of our old ,nation4 ,supposing ,god should send an ,ambassador at this day1 who1 to convince ,christians of the ,mischiefs and ,inconvenience of an ,hireling ,priesthood1 should work such a ,miracle as was this of ,lazarus's ,resurrection1 in the ,presence of a multitude of ,spectators2 how would your ,bishops and ,clergy behave themselves upon it8 ,why1 they would be as mute as ,fishes2 or if they did fret and grieve inwardly for the ,loss of their ,interests2 yet they would have more ,prudence 7ask them else17 than to show their ,anger openly1 and persecute both ,agent and ,patient for it4 ,wherefore then are they so censorious and uncharitable as to preach and believe another ,notion and ,doctrine of our ,ancestors8 ,but if a false ,prophet1 for the subversion of an ,hireling ,priesthood1 should1 in spite to the ,clergy1 counterfeit such a ,miracle1 and be detected in the ,operation2 how then would ,priests and ,people1 ,magistrates and ,subjects behave upon it8 ,why1 they would be full of ,indignation1 and from that day forth would take ,council to put the ,impostor and his ,confederate to ,death1 of which they would be most deserving2 and if they did not abscond and fly for it1 like ,jesu and his ,disciples to a ,wilderness in the ,country to hide themselves1 the ,rage of the ,populace would hardly wait the ,leisure of ,justice to dispatch and make terrible ,examples of them4 ,was not this exactly the ,case of ,jesus's ,imposture in the ,resurrection of ,lazarus2 and of the ,punishment he was threaten'd with1 and afterwards most justly underwent for it8 ,mankind may be in some ,cases very obdurate1 and so hard of ,belief1 as to stand it out against ,sense1 ,reason and ,demonstration3 ,but ,i will not think worse of our ,ancestors than of the rest of ,mankind2 or that they any more than others would have withstood a clear and indisputable ,miracle in ,lazarus's ,resuscitation4 ,such a manifest ,miracle1 let it be wrought for what ,end and ,purpose1 we can possibly imagine1 would strike ,men with ,awe and ,reverence2 and none could hate and persecute the ,author of the ,miracle2 least ,he who could raise the dead1 should exert his ,power against themselves1 and either wound or smite them dead with it4 ,for which ,reason1 the ,resurrection of ,lazarus1 on the certain ,knowledge of our ,ancestors1 was all ,fraud1 or they would have reverenc'd and adored the ,power of him1 that did it4 ,it may be true1 what ,john says1 that many of the ,jews1 who had seen the ,things that ,jesus did1 believed on him1 that is1 believed that he had wrought here a great ,miracle3 ,but who were these8 the ignorant and credulous1 whom a much less juggler than ,mr4 ,fawkes could easily impos'd on4 ,but on the other hand1 it is certain1 according to ,christian ,commentators1 that some of them did not believe the ,miracle1 but went their ways to the ,pharisees and told them what ,things ,jesus had done1 that is1 told them1 after what manner the ,intrigue was managed2 and complain'd of the ,fraud in it4 ,how they came to suspect and discover the ,fraud1 was not ,john's ,business to relate2 and for want of other ancient ,memorials1 we can only guess at it4 ,perhaps they discern'd some motion in ,lazarus's ,body1 before the ,word of ,command1 to come forth1 was given2 perhaps they discover'd some ,fragments of the ,food1 that for four days in the ,cave1 he had subsisted on4 ,but however this was1 they could not but take ,notice of the ,napkin about his ,face all the while2 which ,jesus1 to prevent all suspicion of ,cheat1 should have first order'd to be taken off1 that his mortify'd ,countenance might be view'd1 before the miraculous ,change of it to ,life was wrought4 ,this neglect in ,jesus 7which ,i wonder ,john had no more ,wit than to hint at7 will be a lasting ,objection to the ,miracle4 ,jesus was wiser1 than not to be aware of the ,objection1 which he would have obviated1 if he durst1 by a ,removal of the ,napkin1 to the satisfaction of all ,spectators there present4 ,because this was not done1 we ,jews now deny1 there was any ,miracle wrought2 and1 whether our ,unbelief upon this ,circumstance be not well grounded1 we appeal to ,christian ,priests themselves1 who must own1 that if there was a ,miracle here1 the ,matter was ill conducted by ,jesus1 or foolishly related by his ,evangelist4 ,it is a sad ,misfortune1 that attends our modern enquiry after ,truth1 that there are no other ,memorials extant of the ,life and ,miracles of ,jesus1 than what are written by his own ,disciples4 ,not only old ,time has devour'd1 but ,christians themselves1 7which in the ,opinion of the impartial makes for us7 when they got ,power into their ,hands1 wilfully destroy'd many ,writings of our ,ancestors1 as well as of ,celsus and ,porphiry and others1 which they could not answer2 otherwise ,i doubt not but they would have given us clear ,light into a the ,imposture of ,lazarus's ,resurrection3 ,but if ,jesus1 according to his own ,evangelists1 was arraign'd for a ,deceiver and ,blasphemer1 in pretending to the ,sonship and ,power of ,god by his ,miracles2 in all ,probability this ,piece of ,fraud in ,lazarus was one ,article of the ,indictment against him2 and what makes it very likely1 is that the ,chief ,priests and ,pharisees1 from the ,date of this pretended ,miracle1 took ,council together to put him to ,death1 not clandestinely or tumultuously to murder him1 but judicially to punish him with ,death1 which1 if they proved their ,indictment by credible and sufficient ,witnesses1 he was most worthy of4 ,as it is plain from the ,story in ,john1 that there was a ,dispute among the ,by-standers at ,lazarus's ,resurrection1 whether it was a real ,miracle or not2 so it is the ,opinion of us ,jews1 which is of the ,nature of a ,tradition1 that the ,chief-,priests and civil ,magistrates of ,bethany1 for the better ,determination of the ,dispute and quieting of the ,minds of the ,people1 requir'd that ,jesus should re-act the ,miracle upon another ,person1 there lately dead and buried4 ,but ,jesus declining this ,test of his ,power1 the whole ,multitude of ,believers as well as of ,unbelievers before1 question'd the ,resurrection of ,lazarus2 and were highly incens'd against both him and ,jesus for the ,deceit in it4 ,and this was one ,reason among others of that vehement and ,universal ,outcry and ,demand1 at ,jesus's ,tryal1 for his ,crucifixion4 ,i'll not answer for the ,certainty of this ,tradition or ,opinion1 but as the ,expedient was obvious1 so it has the ,face of ,truth and ,credibility2 and for the ,proof of it1 ,i need only appeal to ,christian ,priests and ,magistrates2 whether1 under a ,dispute of a ,miracle of that ,consequence1 they would not require1 for full ,satisfaction1 it should be acted over again2 and1 if the ,juggler refused1 whether there would not be a general ,clamour of ,people of all ,ranks for his ,execution4 ,matthew1 ,mark and ,luke1 who knew as much of this ,sham-,miracle as ,john1 had not the ,confidence to report it2 because1 when they wrote1 many ,eye-,witnesses of the ,fraud were alive to disprove and contradict them2 therefore they confined their ,narratives to ,jesus's less juggling ,tricks1 that had pass'd more current3 ,but after the ,jewish ,state was dissolved1 their judicial ,records were destroy'd1 and every ,body dead that could confute him1 ,john ventures abroad the ,story of this ,miracle2 and if the good ,providence of ,god had not infatuated him1 in the ,insertion of the ,circumstances here observed1 it might have pass'd through all ,generations to come1 as well as it has done for many past1 for a grand ,miracle4 ,thus1 ,sir1 have you a few of my ,thoughts on the pretended ,miracle of ,lazarus's ,resurrection4 ,i have more to bestow on it1 but that ,i would not be tedious4 ,there's no need to argue against the other two ,resurrection-,stories4 ,you know omne majus includit minus1 and if the greatest of the three ,miracles be an ,imposture1 the two less ones of ,consequence are ,artifice and ,fraud4 ,and rather than the ,miracle of ,lazarus shall stand its ,ground1 ,i'll have t'other ,bout at it from some other ,circumstances2 the ,consideration of which will make it as foolish and wicked an ,imposture1 as ever was contrived and transacted in the ,world2 such a wicked ,imposture of most pernicious ,consequence to the ,welfare of the ,publick1 that it is no ,wonder1 the ,people1 by an unanimous ,voice1 call'd for the ,releasement of ,barabbas1 a ,robber and ,murderer1 before ,jesus4 ,i don't suppose these ,arguments against this ,miracle will be convincing of your ,christian ,clergy1 who are hired to the ,belief of it4 ,but however1 a ,bishop of many thousands a ,year to believe1 can't in ,conscience deny1 that the ,arguments above are a sufficient ,justification of our ,jewish ,disbelief of it4 ,if you1 ,sir1 should write a ,discourse gainst the ,letter of the ,story of ,jesus's ,resurrection1 ,i beg of you to accept of a few of my ,conceptions on that ,head1 which1 ,i promise you1 shall be out of the common ,road of thinking4 ,your ,divines think they have exhausted that ,subject1 and absolutely confuted all ,objections that can be made against it1 but are much mistaken4 ,sometimes we ,jews dip into their ,writings on this ,head1 and always smile with ,indignation at their foolish ,invectives against the ,blindness of the ,eyes1 and ,hardness of the ,hearts of our ,ancestors4 ,if they would but favour us with a ,liberty to write for our selves1 a reasonable ,liberty1 which in this ,philosophical ,age we don't despair of1 especially under so wise just and good a ,civil ,administration1 as this ,nation is happily bless'd with1 we would cut them out some more ,work1 which they are not aware of4 ,in the mean ,time ,i am your assured ,friend1 ,n4,n4 ,so ends the ,letter of my ,friend1 the ,jewish ,rabbi1 which consists of calm and sedate ,reasoning1 or ,i would not have publish'd it2 for ,i am resolv'd he shall no more impose upon me with his ludicrous and bantering ,stuff1 like his ,satirical ,invective against ,jesus's ,miracle of turning ,water into ,wine1 so offensive to our ,godly ,bishops4 ,and because it consists of calm and sedate ,reasoning1 which ,bishop ,smalbroke allows of1 ,i hope his ,lordship will take it into ,consideration1 and write an ,answer to it1 which ,i1 without the ,help of the ,mystery1 can't do4 ,if the foresaid ,letter be offensive to our ,clergy1 who don't judge it meet that the ,jews should take this ,liberty to write against the ,miracles of our ,saviour1 and in ,vindication of their own disbelief of ,christianity1 ,i beg of them1 for the ,love of ,jesus1 not to let their ,displeasure be visibly seen2 because the ,jews will then laugh in their ,sleeves1 and perhaps openly insult and triumph upon it3 ,but if they will privately acquaint me with their ,displeasure at it1 ,i'll promise them to hold no more ,correspondence with such ,jewish ,rabbies2 neither will ,i ever hereafter publish any other ,objections against ,christ's ,religion and ,miracles1 than what come from the ,hotentots and ,pawawers3 and then it will be strange1 if our dignified ,clergy1 of most grave and demure ,looks1 can't solidly confute the worst1 that such ignorant and illiterate ,people can urge against them4 ,and thus have ,i done with my ,objections against the ,letter of these three ,miracles4 ,if our ,divines shall think there is little or nothing of ,force in them2 then an ,answer1 which ,i should be glad to see1 may the more easily be made to them4 ,as for my part1 without being conceited of the ,acuteness and ,strength of any of the ,objections1 ,i think it impossible satisfactorily to reply to them1 without having ,recourse to the ,opinions of the ,fathers1 that these three ,miracles1 whether they were ever litterally transacted or not1 are now but emblematical ,representations of mysterious and more wonderful ,operations to be perform'd by ,jesus4 ,to the ,fathers then let us go for their mystical ,interpretation of these ,miracles4 ,st4 ,augustin1 in his ,introduction to a ,sermon on the ,widow of ,naim's ,son1 says#big thus1 ,there are some so silly as to stand amazed at the corporal ,miracles of ,jesus1 and have no ,consideration of his greater and spiritual ,miracles1 signified by them3 but others who are wiser can hear of the ,things that ,jesus did on ,men's ,bodys1 without being astonish'd at them1 chusing rather to contemplate with ,admiration his more wonderful ,works on ,men's ,souls2 after the similitude of bodily ,miracles4 ,and these are the ,christians that conform their ,studies to the ,will of our ,lord2 who would have his corporal ,miracles1 spiritually interpreted3 ,for ,he wrought not ,miracles in the ,flesh1 for the sake of such ,miracles abstractedly consider'd2 but that1 if they were surprising to some ,mens ,senses1 they should be more astonishing to the ,understanding of others1 who apprehend the spiritual ,meaning of them4 ,and they who by ,contemplation can attain to the mystical ,signification of ,jesus's ,miracles1 are the best ,scholars and most learn'd ,disciples in his ,church and ,school4 ,and1 7speaking of the ,absurdity of ,jesus's cursing the ,figtree according to the ,letter7 presently after says1 that this he observ'd1 that he might persuade his ,hearers to think1 that our ,lord ,jesus therefore wrought ,miracles1 that he might signify somewhat by them1 which he would have his ,disciples to learn and consider of4 ,come now1 says he1 and let us see what we are mistically and spiritually to understand by the ,stories of the three ,persons rais'd from the dead4 ,there are two ,ways1 that the ,fathers took in the moral and mystical ,interpretation of these ,miracles3 ,one was from the ,number three1 and their ,difference in ,magnitude4 ,according to which they said with ,st4 ,augustin#bih that these three sorts of dead ,persons1 so rais'd to ,life1 are ,figures of three sorts of ,sinners1 whom ,jesus raiseth from the death of ,sin to the ,life of ,righteousness4 ,they who have conceiv'd ,sin in their ,hearts1 and have not brought it forth into ,act2 are figured by ,jairus's ,daughter1 who lay dead in the ,house of her ,father1 and was not taken forth to her ,burial4 ,others1 who after ,cogitation and ,consent1 pass into actual ,sin are figured by the ,young ,man1 carried towards his ,grave4 ,but those ,sinners1 who are habituated and long accustom'd to ,sin1 are like ,lazarus bury'd1 and in a stinking ,condition under the ,corruption of it2 whom ,jesus1 for all that1 with the loud ,voice of the ,prdication of his ,gospel1 will call forth out of the ,death and ,grave of their ,sins to a new ,life4 ,so does ,st4 ,augustin make these three dead ,persons and their ,resurrections1 ,emblems of the said three ,sorts of ,sinners1 who are dead in ,trespasses and ,sins1 and by the ,power of ,jesus quicken'd to a ,life of ,righteousness4 ,and to this ,opinion of ,st4 ,augustin1 do ,st4 ,ambrose1 ,eusebius ,gallicanus1 and ,venerable ,bede agree4 ,and according to this ,notion of these ,miracles they descend to a particular ,explication of the several ,parts of their ,stories4 ,as to give you two or three ,instances4 ,the ,people who were turn'd out of the ,house1 upon the raising of ,jairus's ,daughter1 which is an ,absurdity according to the ,letter are1 says#bii ,bede1 a ,multitude of wordly and wicked ,thoughts1 which1 except they are excluded from the ,secrets of the ,heart1 are a ,hindrance of the ,resurrection of a ,sinner to a new ,life4 ,the ,bearers of the ,young ,man#cjj to his ,burial are ,vices1 evil ,spirits1 ,hreticks1 and ,seducers2 and the ,widow1 his ,mother1 to whom he was restored1 is the ,church1 who mourns for the ,death of such ,sinners1 as are typified by that ,young ,man4 ,jesus's weeping for dead ,lazarus1 which is an ,absurdity according to the ,letter1 is a ,sign#cja of the deplorable ,state1 that habitual ,sinners are in1 enough to excite the ,sorrows and ,mournings of good ,christians1 who have the ,spirit of ,christ1 for them4 ,and the ,stone that lay at the ,grave of ,lazarus1 is#cjb a figure of the ,hardness of the ,heart of such a ,sinner which must be taken away before ,jesus will call him to a new ,life4 ,so do the ,fathers moralise and allegorise every ,minute ,circumstance of these three ,miracles1 as any one1 who will consult them1 may find1 and save me the ,trouble of a tedious ,recital of their ,authorities4 ,but the other mystical ,way of interpreting these three ,miracles is by making them ,types of three great ,events at the ,time of ,christ's spiritual ,advent4 ,accordingly the raising of ,jairus's ,daughter is a ,type of the ,conversion of the ,jews at that ,day1 as ,eusebius ,gallicanus#cjc and venerable ,bede#cjd and others expound it4 ,by ,jairus1 the ,ruler of a ,synagogue2 is meant ,moses#cje2 and by his ,daughter is to be understood the ,jewish ,church1 which1 being at present in a ,state of ,spiritual ,death1 will be revived and converted in the ,perfection of ,time4 ,and to the mystical ,resurrection or ,restitution of the ,jewish ,synagogue1 call'd ,jairus's ,daughter1 will ,jesus come#cjf at the same ,time he heals the ,woman of the ,church of her ,issue of ,blood4 ,and this is the ,reason that the ,stories of these two ,miracles are blended together by the ,evangelists1 with their synchronical ,numbers of the ,age of the ,girl and of the ,disease of the ,woman2 because they are ,types of that blessed ,scene of ,affairs at the ,conversion of the ,jews1 when the ,fulness of the ,gentiles is come in4 ,concerning which blessed state of the ,church1 ,origen#cjg says1 ,jesus wrought many ,miracles1 by ,way of ,type and ,figure4 ,among all the ,miracles that ,jesus wrought1 and are recorded by the ,evangelists1 ,i think1 as far as ,i have had ,occasion to observe1 the ,fathers are most scanty in their ,interpretations of that of the ,widow of ,naim's ,son3 ,excepting what is before noted of his being a figure of a ,sinner dead in actual1 tho' not habitual ,sin1 ,i find very little4 ,but if ,origen's ,comments on this ,miracle had been extant1 ,i dare say he would have given us this following ,interpretation of it4 ,this ,widow1 he would have call'd the ,church2 and her only ,son or masculine ,offspring1 he would have call'd the ,spiritual ,sense of the ,scriptures1 which is now dead1 and that the ,ministers of the ,letter1 who are his ,bearers1 are for interring him within the ,earth of the ,letter3 ,but ,jesus1 upon his ,spiritual ,advent will put a stop to the ,intention of such ,bearers1 by reviving the ,spiritual ,sense of the ,scriptures2 and by restoring it1 like a quicken'd ,son1 to the ,comfort of his ,mother1 the ,church2 who has been in a sorrowful and lamentable ,condition upon the ,death and ,want of it3 ,this1 ,i am sure1 would be ,origen's ,interpretation of this ,miracle1 which1 if ,i had ,room here1 by a little ,circumlocution1 ,i could prove4 ,as to ,lazarus's ,resurrection1 it is in the ,opinion of the ,fathers#cjh a ,type of the general and mystical ,resurrection of ,mankind in the ,perfection of ,time4 ,but this is a most copious ,subject2 and unless ,i could here throughly handle it1 ,i had much better say nothing4 ,and thus have ,i done with the three ,resurrection ,stories4 ,if the ,convocation1 next ,session1 would determine by an ,orthodox ,vote1 whether ,jesus rais'd any more1 than the said three ,persons1 from the dead or not2 ,i would present them with a new and more entertaining ,chain of ,thoughts against these ,miracles2 such a ,chain of ,thoughts1 as1 upon the ,conclusion1 let them hold which ,side of the ,question1 they please1 will necessarily induce us to hold the mystical ,meaning of these ,miracles1 or to grant that ,jesus rais'd none from the dead at all4 ,my next and last ,discourse on ,jesus's ,miracles shall be against the ,letter of the ,story of his own ,resurrection1 in which1 if our ,bishops will keep their ,temper and ,patience1 till ,i publish it1 ,i'll cut out such a ,piece of ,work for our ,boylean ,lectures1 as shall hold them tug1 so long as the ,ministry of the ,letter and an ,hireling ,priesthood shall last4 ,if ,christ be not risen1 then1 according to the ,inference of ,st4 ,paul1 is their ,preaching vain2 and why should the ,people be any longer charg'd with the ,maintenance of an ignorant and idle ,order of ,men1 to no ,use and ,purpose8 ,if ,i had not had ,experience of it1 ,i could never have believed that1 for all the ludicrous ,nature of these ,discourses1 our dignified ,clergy could have been so foolish or malicious as to prosecute me for an ,infidel and ,blasphemer upon them4 ,how a ,man may be mistaken in himself6 ,i took my self for a real ,advocate for the ,truth of ,christianity2 and was so vain as to imagine these ,discourses tended to a ,demonstration of ,jesus's ,messiahship3 ,and tho' the ,bishop of ,london may be of a contrary ,opinion1 yet ,i am still so conceited of my ,ability to defend our ,religion1 that ,i'll stake my ,life against his ,bishoprick1 which ,i'll not be troubled with1 if ,i win it1 that he can't form an ,objection against ,christianity1 which ,i can't solidly confute1 and make our ,readers merry too1 with his ,weakness and ,impertinence in it4 ,but perhaps it may be unbecoming of his ,lordship's ,character1 and against the ,grain1 to make an ,objection to that ,religion1 which he finds much temporal1 as well as some spiritual ,comfort in the ,profession of2 ,i will therefore descend to another ,proposal1 viz4 ,if he'll but publish an ,answer to the ,jewish ,rabbi's ,letter in this ,discourse1 and vouchsafe me the pleasure of a ,reply to him2 then 7to save the ,civil ,magistrate's ,trouble7 ,i will suffer any ,punishment that in his ,clemency he shall think fit to inflict on me1 for what's past4 ,oh1 what a ,hazard do ,i here run of ,life or ,liberty6 ,some ,christians1 in my ,case1 would think it a sad ,misfortune to be odiously represented as an ,infidel and ,blasphemer2 but ,i1 in ,temper and ,principle1 despise such ,obloquies1 ,slanders and ,defamations2 and would not give a ,rush to remove them1 so long as ,i had the ,answer of a good ,conscience that ,i was undeserving of them3 ,but considering1 that it is the ,duty of a ,christian to seek the ,peace and ,friendship of all about him1 and especially of our good ,bishops1 who1 in ,compassion to the ,danger they think my ,soul is in1 have taken zealous and laudable ,pains with the ,civil ,magistrate for my ,conviction and ,conversion2 ,i do here1 for the sake of a ,reconciliation with their ,lordships and other good ,people1 make a formal and solemn ,confession of my ,christian ,faith1 which tho' ,i don't express in the ,words of the ,apostical1 ,nicene or ,athanasian ,creeds2 yet will do it in such ,terms as will be a ,demonstration that at the ,bottom ,i am found as a ,roch4 ,be it known then to all ,christian ,people1 that ,imprimis1 ,i believe upon the ,authority of the ,fathers1 that the ,ministry of the ,letter of the ,old and ,new ,testament is downright ,antichristianism4 ,item1 ,i believe upon the ,authority of the ,fathers1 that the ,miracles of ,jesus1 as they are recorded by the ,evangelists1 litterally understood1 are the lying ,wonders of ,antichrist4 ,item1 ,i believe upon the ,authority of the ,fathers1 that all opposition and ,contradiction to spiritual and allegorical ,interpretations of the ,scripture1 is the ,sin of ,blasphemy against the ,holy ,ghost4 ,item1 ,i believe upon the ,authority of the ,fathers1 that the ,ministry of the ,spirits or allegorical ,interpretations of the ,law and the ,prophets will be the ,conversion of ,jews and ,gentiles4 ,item1 ,i believe upon the ,authority of the ,fathers1 that the ,ministry of the ,letter1 and an ,hireling-,priesthood have been the ,cause of the ,infidelity and ,apostacy of these latter ,times4 ,item1 ,i believe upon the ,authority of the ,fathers1 that the ,spirit and ,power of ,jesus will soon enter the ,church and expel ,hireling-,priests1 who make ,merchandise of the ,gospel1 out of her1 after the manner he is suppos'd to have driven the ,buyers and ,sellers out of the ,temple4 ,these are a few ,articles of that ,faith1 once deliver'd to the ,saints of the primitive ,church1 which ,i firmly believe1 and will earnestly contend for4 ,now ,i appeal to the ,christian ,world1 whether a ,man of such a ,faith1 like ,heart of ,oak1 can be an ,infidel or ,blasphemer4 ,upon this ingenuous ,confession of my ,faith1 which ,i make by way of ,atonement for my past supposed ,errors and ,offences1 ,i hope the ,bishops and all good ,christian ,people will be reconciled to me4 ,st4 ,james says1 that ,faith without ,works is dead1 and how a ,man ought to show his ,faith by his ,works1 without which ,faith is an empty and airy ,nothing4 ,accordingly ,i am making what haste ,i can to show the ,sincerity of my ,faith by these my ,works and ,discourses of this ,kind4 ,and by the ,grace of ,god1 ,i hope our ,bishops will find me as unmoveable as a ,rock in the said ,faith4 ,according to the foresaid ,articles of this my ,faith1 ,i am so fully convinced1 not only of the ,error of the ,ministry of the ,letter1 but of the ,mischiefs and ,inconveniences of an ,hireling-,priesthood1 that1 having set my ,shoulders to the ,work1 ,i am resolv'd1 by the ,help of ,god1 to endeavour to give both a ,lift out of this ,world4 ,this is fair and generous ,warning to our ,clergy to sit fast1 and look to their own ,safety1 or they may find me a stronger ,man than they may be aware of4 ,and tho' ,i don't expect long to survive the ,accomplishment of so great and glorious a ,work2 yet ,i am delightfully ravish'd and transported with the ,forethought and ,contemplation of the ,happiness of ,mankind1 upon the ,extinction of ,ecclesiastical ,vermin1 out of ,god's ,house2 when the ,world will return to its ,primogenial and ,paradisaical ,state of ,nature1 ,religion and ,liberty2 in which we shall be all taught of ,god1 and have no need of a foolish and contentious ,priest1 hired to harangue us with his ,noise and ,nonsense4 ,which blessed ,state of the ,world ,god of his infinite ,mercy hasten1 for the sake of our ,spiritual ,messiah1 ,mediator and ,redeemer ,jesus ,christ4 ,to whom be ,glory for ever1 ,amen4 ,,finis4 ,illustration ,,footnotes3 #bgj ,mat4 ix4 ,mark v4 ,luke viii4 #bga ,luke vii4 #bgb ,john xi4 #bgc ,quot autem mortuos visibiliter suscitaverat quis novit8 non enim omnia qu fecit scripta sunt4 ,johannes hoc dicit1 multa alia fecit ,jesus1 qu si scripta essent1 arbitror totum ,mundum non posse ,libros capere4 ,multi ergo sunt alii sino dubio suscitati1 sed non frustra tres commemorati4 ,in ,serm4 xcviii4 #bgd ,john xxi4 #be4 #bge ,non autem vacat a ,mysterio1 quod1 cum plures ,dominus suscitaverat1 tres tantum ,evangelist eum suscitasse scripserunt4 ,in ,homil4 ,feri quint post ,dominis4 #dtam4 #bgf ,suscitaverat ,dominus filiam ,jairi ,principis ,synagog1 sed adhuc mediante morte1 adhuc viante ,spiritu1 adhuc ,anima ,claustra ,tartari nesciente4 ,suscitavit unicum ,matris filium1 sed sic ut retineret ,pheretrum1 ut anticiparet ,sepulchrum1 ut ,corruptionem suspenderet1 prveniret ftorem2 ut ante mortuo ,vitam redderet1 quam tota mortuus jura ,mortis intraret4 ,circa ,lazarum vero quod geritur totum singulare est1 quem circa ,vis tota ,mortis impleta est4 ,in ,pet4 ,chrysol4 ,serm4 lxiii4 #bgg ,inter omnia ,miracula qu fecit ,dominus noster ,jesu ,christus1 ,lazari ,resurrectio prcipue prdicatur4 ,st4 ,august4 in ,loc4 ,johan4 #bgh ,mirum videri potest ,historiam hanc tam illustrem a ,mattho ,marco omissam4 ,in ,loc4 ,luc4 #bgi ,sed videtur mihi horum uterq2 contentus fuisse uno ,exemplo reddit ,vit in ,jairi filia ex quo similia alia possunt intelligi4 ,in ,loc4 ,luc4 #bhj ,nondum perfecta ,mors est in ,puella4 ,st4 ,august4 in ,serm4 xcviii4 #bha ,in ,epist4 prima ad ,corinth4 ,cap4 xxv4 #bhb ,quri solet1 cur hanc tam nobilem ,historiam priores ,evangelii scriptores non attigerint4 ,mihi hoc succurrit1 cum illi scriberent1 vixisse resuscitatum ,lazarum1 periculum ei fuisse a judis1 si quod illi acciderat1 palam vulgaretur4 ,nam etiam mox narratur ,c4 xii4 #aj1 ob hoc ipsum structas ei insidias4 ,quare visum illis hoc ad tempus subticeri posse1 cum alia ,exempla resuscitatorum suppeterent4 ,at mortuo ,lazaro1 cum jam nemini ,periculum ex rei ,narratione fieri posset1 additum hoc a ,johanne in hac quasi prtermissorum ,collectione4 ,in ,loc4 ,johan4 #bhc ,the last of the three ,evangelists writing but fifteen ,years after our ,lord's ,ascension1 might think it needless so mention a ,miracle concerning a ,person1 living so near ,jerusalem1 where there was so great a ,fame thereof1 and so many living ,witnesses4 ,st4 ,john1 writing his ,gospel1 say the ,ancients1 above sixty ,years after our ,lord's ,ascension1 when by the ,deaths of the ,person1 and most of the ,witnesses that were present at his ,resurrection1 the ,memory and ,fame of it might be much impair'd1 had great ,reason to perpetuate the ,memory of it1 by this large ,rehearsal of it4 ,in ,loc4 ,johan4 #bhd ,quin illud inter traditiones reperimus triginta tum ,annos natum fuisse ,lazarum1 cum a mortuis excitatus est2 atq2 idem ille postea triginta aliis annis vixit4 ,in ,hres4 lxvi4 ,sect4 #cd4 #bhe ,matt4 xviii4 #b4 #bhf ,in ,nicephor4 ,callist4 ,eccl4 ,hist4 ,l4 ii4 c4 #ce4 #bhg ,in ,eccl4 ,hist4 ,l4 vii4 c4 #ah4 #bhh ,in ,loc4 ,matthi4 #bhi ,puellam ex illo ,tumultu plangentium stupore correptam esse1 non vero defunctam4 ,in ,homil4 de ,juri filia4 #bij ,in ,loc4 ,matth4 #bia ,atque ut miraculum divin ,virtutis accresceret1 dum ,convivis interrogantibus tristia ,loca pnarum1 sedesq2 alta nocte semper obscuras1 ,lazarus indicat diligenti narratione per ordinem4 ,diu qusiti longisq2 temporibus ignorati invenerunt tandem ,inferi ,proditotem4 ,in ,serm4 cxvi4 ,append4 ,st4 ,august4 #bib ,princeps hic1 ,lex esse intelligitur1 qu ,dominum orat pro ,plebe1 quam ipsa ,christo prdicata ejus ,adventos ,expectatione nutriverat1 ut ,vitam mortu reddat4 ,nam nullum ,principem credidisse legimus1 ex quo ,persona hujus principis orantis merito in ,typum aptabitur4 ,in ,loc4 ,matt4 #bic ,john vii4 #dh1 and xii4 #db4 #bid ,qu tamen tant diversitatis ,causa8 ,supra publice ,viduce filius suscitatur1 hic removentur plures arbitri4 ,in ,loc4 ,luc4 #bie ,qua igitur ,ratione1 qui tanta hc erat facturus1 id quod evenit1 judicasset merito ,lacrymis esse prosequendum8 ,in ,homil4 de ,gratiarum ,actione4 #bif ,lacrymatus est ,jesus1 quod aliquando erasum fuisse a ,catholicis quibusdam scribit ,epiphanius4 ,vid4 ,drusium in ,loc4 ,johan4 #big ,quidam corporalia ejus ,miracula stupentes1 majora intueri non norunt4 ,quidam vero ea1 qu gesta audiunt in ,corporibus nunc amplius in ,animis admirantur4----,dominus enim noster ,jesus ,christus ea qu faciebat corporaliter1 etiam spiritaliter volebat intelligi2 neque enim ,miracula propter ,miracula faciebat1 sed ut illa qu faciebat1 mira essent ,videntibus1 vera essent ,intelligentibus4----,alii facta mirati intellecta assecuti4 ,tales nos esse debemus in ,schola ,christi4----,hoc dixi 7de ficu arefacta7 ut persuaderem ,dominum ,jesum ,christum ideo ,miracula fecisse1 ut aliquid illis ,miraculis significaret2 ut excepto eo1 quod mira magna divina erant1 aliquid inde etiam disceremus4 ,videamus ergo quid nos discere voluit in tribus mortuis1 quos suscitavit4 ,in ,serm4 xcviii4 #bih ,ista tria ,genera ,mortuorum1 sunt tria ,genera ,peccatorum1 quos hodie suscitat ,christus4----,sunt ergo instar fili ,synagog ,principis1 qui peccatum intus in ,corde babent1 in facto nondum habent4 ,condemnatur ,consensus ad ,iniquitatem2 respiratur ad ,salutem atq2 ,justitiam4 ,surgit mortuus in ,domo1 reviviscit ,cor in ,cogitationis ,secreto4 ,facta est ista ,resurrectio ,anim mortu intus intra ,latebras ,conscienti1 tanquam intra ,domesticos ,parietes4----,alii post ,consensum eunt in factum1 tanquam efferentes mortuum1 ut quod latebat in ,secreto1 appareat in publico4 ,nonne illi juveni dictam est1 ,tibi dico1 surge redditus est ,matri2 sic qui jam fecerit1 si forte admonitus commotus ,verbo ,veritatis ad ,christi ,vocem resurgit1 vivus redditur ,ecclesi4----,qui autem faciendo quod malum est1 etiam mala ,consuetudine se implicant1 tales ,consuetudine maligna pressi1 tanquam sepulti1 ita sepulti ut de ,lazaro dictum est1 jam putet4 ,in ,serm4 xcviii4 #bii ,cum ejecta esset ,turba1 intravit4 ,moraliter non resurgit ,anima1 qu intrinsecus jacet mortua1 nisi prius a secretioribus ,cordis excludatur inopportuna scularium ,cogitationum ,multitudo4 ,in ,loc4 ,matt4 #cjj ,mali isti ,portitores1 qui ad sepeliendum hominem ferunt1 sunt ,vitia maligni spiritas1 ,hretici seductores4 ,hos enim nisi ,dominus sisteret1 quoscunq2 semel acciperent1 sepultur tern ,damnationi traderent4 ,suscitatus igitur ,adolescens sedet1 loquitur ,matri redditur1 quia ad ,penitentiam conversus in ,ecclesi pace quiescit1 ,dei ,magnalia loquitur1 sua peccata confitetur2 ,ecclesi reconciliatur4 ,euseb4 ,gallic4 in ,homil4 ,feri quinta post ,domin4 #dtam4 #cja ,et lacrymatus est ,jesus4 ,lacrymemur igitur nos pro omnibus illis1 quos in ,ftore ,vitiorum jacere sentimus4 ,euseb4 ,gallic4 in ,homil4 ,feri #eta post ,domin4 #dtam4 #cjb ,lapis autem revolutus a ,monumento significat ,infidelitatis ,duritiam ab ,hominum ,corde submotam4 ,theop4 ,antioch4 in ,loc4 ,johan4 #cjc ,quod enim tunc temporis factum est in una ,puella1 hoc in sine ,temporum futurum est1 ut fiat in tota ,sonagoga4 ,in ,homil4 ,feri #eta post ,domin4 #dtam4 #cjd ,synagoga circa finem sculi erit restituta saluti4 ,in ,loc4 ,matt4 #cje ,jairus illuminatus vel illuminans1 ,moses intelligitur4 ,bed4 in ,loc4 ,mat4 #cjf ,ad hanc ergo ,principis filiam dum properat ,dei ,verbum1 ut salvos faceret filios ,isrl1 sancta ,ecclesia de ,gentibus congregata1 qu inferiorum ,lapsu ,criminium deperibat1 paratam aliis fide prripuit ,sanitatem4 ,st4 ,ambros4 in ,loc4 ,luc4 ,quod vero post restitutam immund ,mulieri ,valetudinem1 defuncta ,puella a mortuis restituitur2 ne hoc quidem ab exquisita ,allegoria alienum4 ,nam ,reliqui salv fiant1 juxta ,apostolum1 cum ingressa fuerit ,gentium ,plenitudo4 ,theop4 ,ceram4 in ,homil4 de ,jairi filia4 #cjg ,quarum ,rerum ,causa multa fuere ,jesu ,miracula4 ,in ,johan4 ,cap4 ,,xi4 #cjh ,per ,lazarum ,genus humanum ostenditur4 ,theop4 ,antioch4 in ,loc4 ,johan4 ,nostra ,resurrectio figuratur per ,lazari ,resurrectionem4----,spelunca sive ,sepulchrum ,lazari ,litteram ,legis umbratilem designat4----,magna ,voce clamavit ,jesus1 id est1 ,prdicatio ,evangelii per quam humana ,natura ,peccatorum ,vinculis in ,sepulchro ,infidelitatis jacens vocatur ad ,vitam4 ,theop ,ceram4 in ,homil4 de ,lazaro4 ,,books written by ,mr4 ,,woolston1 and ,sold by him next ,door below the1 ,star in ,aldermanbury1 and by the ,booksellers of ,london and ,westminster4 ,i4 ,the old ,apology reviv'd1 c4 ,,ii4 ,dissertatio de ,pontii ,pilati ,epistola ad ,tiberium circa ,res ,jesu ,christi gestas4 ,,iii4 ,origenis ,adamantii ,epistol du circa ,fidem vere orthodoxam scripturarum ,interpretationem4 ,,iv4 ,the exact ,fitness of the ,time of ,christ's ,advent4 demonstrated by ,reason1 against the ,objections of the old ,gentiles1 and modern ,unbelievers4 ,v4 ,four ,free-,gifts to the ,clergy1 or ,challenges to a ,disputation on this ,question1 ,whether the ,hireling ,priests of this ,age1 who are all ,ministers of the ,letter1 be not ,worshippers of the ,apocalyptical ,beast and ,ministers of ,anti-,christ4 ,,vi4 ,an ,answer to the said four ,free-,gifts4 ,,vii4 ,two ,letters to ,dr4 ,bennet1 on this question1 ,whether the ,people call'd ,quakers1 do not the nearest of any other ,sect in ,religion1 resemble the ,primitive ,christians in ,principle and ,practice4 ,,viii4 ,an ,answer to the said two ,letters4 ,,ix4 ,the ,moderator between an ,infidel and an ,apostate3 or the ,controversy between the ,grounds and his ecclesiastical ,opponents1 set in a clear ,light1 c4 ,x4 ,two ,supplements to the ,moderator1 c4 ,,xi4 ,a ,defence of the ,miracle of the ,thundering ,legion1 against a ,dissertation of ,walter ,moyle ,esq4 ,,xii4 ,five ,discourses on the ,miracles of our ,saviour4 ,a ,,sixth ,,discourse ,,on ,,the ,,miracles ,,of ,,our ,,saviour1 ,in ,view of the ,present ,controversy between ,,infidels and ,,apostates4 ,jamque ,opus exegi1---- ,the ,,second ,,edition4 ,by ,,tho4 ,,woolston1 ,b4,d4 sometime ,fellow of ,sidney-,college in ,cambridge4 ,,london3 ,printed for the ,,author1 and ,sold by him next ,door to the ,star1 in ,aldermanbury1 and by the ,booksellers of ,london and ,westminster4 ,,mdccxxix4 ,price ,one ,shilling4 ,illustration ,,to ,,the ,right ,reverend ,father in ,,god1 ,,john1 ,lord ,bishop of ,oxford4 ,,my ,,lord1 ,when the following ,discourse was finish'd and ready for the ,press1 ,i consider'd to what ,bishop the ,dedication of it would be most acceptable 7for ,i am resolv'd that none but ,bishops as yet shall have the ,honour of my ,dedications7 and ,i had not long ponder'd upon the ,matter1 before ,i hit upon your ,lordship1 who must needs be pleas'd with this ,discourse1 because of the ,advantage1 that you1 as well as my self1 in the ,end1 will reap by it4 ,,by ,virtue of your ,professorship at ,oxford1 you1 my ,lord1 are a ,moderator at theological ,disputations1 as ,i am here3 ,and whether the ,execution of your ,office be as troublesome as mine is1 ,i know not3 ,but if the ,design of this ,discourse takes ,place1 we shall find that modern ,controversies about ,religion are all vain2 and thereupon be both of us soon eas'd of the ,trouble of our ,moderations at them4 ,,it may be1 my ,lord1 you are not so weary of your ,moderatorship1 as ,i am3 ,besides1 that you are better paid for your ,pains1 your ,disputants are more amicable1 and1 in the midst of their ,disputes1 more tractable3 ,tho' they may warmly contend1 at the present1 for and against the ,point in ,debate2 yet like ,lawyers who are no less zealous for their ,clients in the ,day1 they commonly agree to drink a ,bottle together at ,night1 and go to ,bed1 good ,friends4 ,and this is very well done of them4 ,,but my ,disputants1 my ,lord1 call'd ,infidels and ,apostates1 at whose ,controversy ,i have the ,trouble1 by the ,appointment of the ,fathers1 to preside1 are more stubborn1 turbulent and refractory4 ,what ill ,treatment they would give each other1 if it was in their ,power1 ,i know not3 ,but my ,apostates1 since they can't be aveng'd on their ,adversaries1 are full of ,resentment against their ,moderator1 because ,i am not altogether partial to their ,side2 and how ,i shall escape their ,indignation1 ,god alone knows4 ,,whatever the ,clergy1 my ,lord1 whom ,i dignify with the ,title of ,apostates1 may think1 ,i look upon my self as a notable ,moderator of the ,controversy2 ,i have shewn them all the ,favour ,i can in it1 and would have brought them off with ,honour1 but for a little ,flaw1 here discover'd1 in the ,foundation of their ,church1 which1 for the ,determination of our ,disputes1 must be confess'd and granted4 ,,if your ,lordship1 upon reading this ,discourse1 should be of the same ,mind with me1 ,i beg of you to stroak the ,clergy into ,temper1 ,patience and ,compliance3 ,tell them1 they have been long orthodox and glorious ,victors over ,infidels1 and that it would be now an ,act of ,generosity to yield to them in a small ,point2 upon which such a ,pacification would ensue1 as nothing hereafter would be able to dissolve4 ,,but ,i have another ,favour1 my ,lord1 here to crave of you1 viz4 that you would be pleas'd to persuade my old ,friend1 the ,bishop of ,london1 to stay at ,home this ,lent1 and keep to his ,prayers and ,fasting1 for the casting out a certain ,kind of ----1 that by ,fits he's unhapily troubled with2 or upon the ,publication of this ,discourse1 ,i shall be in ,danger of being soon knapp'd for it4 ,,if your ,lordship will do me that ,favour1 then ,i will do you as good a ,turn2 and praise you for your ,doctrine of ,passive ,obedience1 preach'd at the ,coronation3 ,tho' many may laugh at your ,revival of that ,doctrine1 saying the ,clergy upon an ,occasion1 which our most excellent ,sovereign will never give them1 would again have ,recourse to their ,reserves and ,distinctions2 yet ,i say it was well done of your ,lordship to preach it1 that the ,tongues and the ,hands 7to say nothing of the ,hearts7 of the ,clergy might go together in ,subscriptions to ,articles and ,homilies2 and so avoid that ,prevarication and ,inconsistency1 which some now have no more ,wit than to charge them with4 ,,so not questioning your ,lordship's ,approbation of this ,discourse and the ,dedication2 nor doubting but you'll make me as bountiful a ,recompence for it1 as any of my other ,episcopal ,patrons have done2 ,i subscribe my self1 ,sidenote3 ,feb4 #aeth #agbh-i ,my ,lord1 ,the ,admirer of your ,passive ,obedience ,sermon1 ,thomas ,woolston4 ,illustration ,a ,,sixth ,,discourse ,,on ,,the ,,miracles ,,of ,,our ,,saviour1 c4 ,here goes my sixth and last ,discourse on ,jesus's ,miracles2 the ,subject whereof is the literal ,story of his own ,resurrection2 which1 according to the ,proposition in ,hand1 ,i am to shew to consist of ,absurdities1 ,improbabilities and ,incredibilities4 ,and ,i hope our ,bishops will quietly permit the ,publication of this ,discourse1 especially if ,i assure them that ,i mean nothing worse by it1 than to make way for the understanding what the ,fathers write of the mystical ,resurrection of ,jesus out of the ,grave of the ,letter of the ,law and the ,prophets2 of which mystical ,resurrection of our spiritual ,jesus1 the ,evangelical ,story of the ,resurrection of a carnal ,christ is but mere ,type and ,shadow4 ,i am so far from designing any ,service to ,infidelity by this ,discourse1 that ,i aim at the ,accomplishment of some of ,st4 ,john's ,apocalyptical ,visions4 ,the ,fathers say that a ,church1 built on the ,letter of the ,scriptures1 particularly on the ,letter of ,jesus's ,miracles1 is ,babylon2 and that antiliteral ,arguments and mystical ,interpretations will be the ,downfal of her4 ,whether there is any ,truth in this ,opinion of the ,fathers1 ,i am minded to make the ,experiment2 and tho' ,i should bring the old ,house of the ,church over my ,head1 and be crush'd to ,pieces in its ,ruins1 ,i can't forbear it3 ,but however1 ,i would advise the ,clergy to make ,haste and come out of ,babylon1 for ,fear of the worst2 or they1 who upon the ,authority of the ,fathers are the ,merchants of ,babylon1 will weep#cji and mourn upon her ,fall1 because none will buy their ,merchandize of the ,letter any more4 ,dear ,jesu1 that such a ,student as ,i am in the ,revelations of ,st4 ,john1 and an ,interpreter of them too1 upon the ,authority of the ,fathers1 should be charg'd with ,blasphemy and ,infidelity6 ,so to ,work ,i went2 and ,i had not been long musing by myself1 how to sap this ,foundation of the ,church1 before ,i was sensible of my own ,insufficiency for it4 ,whereupon ,i sent to my old ,friend1 the ,jewish ,rabbi1 for his ,thoughts on this grand ,miracle of ,jesus's ,resurrection1 which he gave me some ,promise of4 ,but ,i desired him to forbear all ,ludicrousness1 ,satire and ,banter1 for fear of ,offence3 ,for tho' our ,clergy liked ,volumes of ,jests and ,facetiousness1 if they were discharg'd against ,jews1 ,turks1 and ,infidels2 yet when they were levell'd at ,ministers of the ,letter1 the ,case was alter'd1 as quoth ,plowden1 and they were not to be borne with4 ,therefore he was to remember that ,decency1 ,seriousness and ,calmness of ,argument1 required by the ,bishop of ,london#caj or ,i durst not print it4 ,in ,compliance with my ,desires he sent me the following ,letter1 which1 having purg'd it of a few ,puns and ,cunundrums1 because all ,appearance of ,wit1 as of ,evil1 was to be abstain'd from1 ,i here publish1 and it runs thus4 ,,sir1 ,according to your ,request1 ,i here send you my ,thoughts on ,jesus's ,resurrection1 in which ,i shall be shorter than ,i would be1 because of the customary ,bounds of your ,discourses4 ,the ,controversy between us ,jews and you ,christians about the ,messiah has hitherto been of a diffusive ,nature3 ,but as the ,subject of this is the ,resurrection of your ,jesus2 so1 by my ,consent1 we'll now reduce the ,controversy to a narrow ,compass1 and let it turn intirely on this grand ,miracle and ,article of your ,faith4 ,if your ,divines can prove ,jesus's ,resurrection against the following ,objections1 then ,i will acknowledge him to be the ,messiah1 and will turn ,christian1 otherwise he must still pass with us for an ,impostor and false ,prophet4 ,i have often lamented the ,loss of such ,writings1 which our ,ancestors unquestionably dispers'd against ,jesus1 because of the clear ,sight they would give us1 into the ,cheat and ,imposture of his ,religion4 ,but ,i rejoice and thank ,god1 there is little or no ,want of them1 to the ,point in ,hand4 ,for ,i had not long meditated on the ,story of ,jesus's ,resurrection1 as your ,evangelists have related it1 but ,i plainly discern'd it to be the most notorious and monstrous ,imposture1 that ever was put upon ,mankind4 ,and if you please to attend to my following ,arguments1 which require no ,depth of ,judgment and ,capacity to apprehend1 ,i am persuaded that you and every one disinterested1 will be of the same ,mind too4 ,to overthrow and confute the ,story of this monstrous and incredible ,miracle1 ,i was thinking once to premise an ,argument of the ,justice of the ,sentence denounc'd against and executed upon ,jesus1 who was so far from being the innocent ,person1 you ,christians would make of him1 that1 as may easily be proved1 he was so grand a ,deceiver1 ,impostor and ,malefactor1 as no ,punishment could be too great for him4 ,but this ,argument 7which ,i reserve against a ,day of perfect ,liberty1 to publish by it self in ,defence of the ,honour and ,justice of our ,ancestors7 would be too long for the ,compass of this ,letter2 and therefore ,i pass it by1 tho' it would give ,force to my following ,objections2 it being hard and even impossible to imagine1 that ,god would vouchsafe the ,favour of a miraculous ,resurrection to one1 who for his ,crimes deservedly suffer'd and underwent ,death4 ,but waving1 ,i say1 that ,argument for the present1 which of itself would be enough to prejudice a reasonable ,man against the ,belief of ,jesus's ,resurrection2 ,i will allow ,jesus to have been a much better ,man1 than ,i believe him to have been2 or as good a one in ,morals as your ,divines do suppose him2 and will only consider the ,circumstances of the ,evangelical ,story of his ,resurrection2 from which1 if ,i don't prove it to have been the most bare-fac'd ,imposture that ever was put upon the ,world1 ,i deserve for the ,vanity of this ,attempt1 a much worse ,punishment1 than he for his ,frauds endured4 ,i have sometimes wonder'd1 considering the ,nature and ,heinousness of ,jesus's ,faults1 for which he dy'd1 that our ,chief ,priests and ,pharisees had any ,regard to his ,prediction 7which was so like a ,bambouzlement of the ,populace7 that he was to rise again the third ,day after his ,crucifixion4 ,there's no other ,nation in the ,world1 which would not have slighted such a vain ,prognostication of a known ,impostor4 ,let him foretell with ever so much ,confidence his speedy ,return to ,life1 ,i dare say1 any other ,magistrates of ordinary ,prudence would have despised him for a presumptuous ,enthusiast3 ,but1 when ,i reflected on the ,imposture of ,lazarus's ,resurrection1 and of what pernicious ,consequence it had like to have proved to the ,peace and ,welfare of our ,nation1 if it had not been happily discover'd1 my ,wonder here ceas'd2 and ,i as much admire now the ,wisdom1 ,caution and ,circumspection of our ,chief ,priests against all possible ,fraud and ,deceit in the foretold ,resurrection of ,jesus4 ,tho' ,jesus himself1 the ,head of the ,confederacy1 and prime ,projector of the design'd ,cheat in the ,case of ,lazarus was cut off1 yet his ,associates were still numerous2 and it was not impossible1 but they might concert a ,project of a counterfeited ,resurrection of him1 in ,accomplishment of his ,prophecy1 that might be of more fatal ,consequence1 and tend to such ,confusions and ,distractions among the ,people1 as would not be soon quell'd and quieted4 ,whereupon our ,chief ,priests very prudently consider of ,precautions against ,cheat here1 and wisely make ,application to ,pilate the ,governour1 that proper and effectual ,measures may be taken against a false and feign'd ,resurrection1 for ,fear of the ill ,effects of it4 ,and one of them1 as the ,spokesman of their ,company1 seems1 according to ,matthew1 ,ch4 xxviii4 to have made the ,speech following4 ,,sir1 ,we remember that this ,deceiver and ,impostor ,jesus1 who was yesterday crucified1 and justly suffer'd ,death for his ,blasphemy and many ,delusions of the ,people 7that were of bad ,consequence1 and might have been of much worse1 if he had not been timely brought to condign ,punishment7 said repeatedly before1 that notwithstanding the ,death he was to undergo he should rise again to ,life the third ,day after4 ,it is not that we are at all apprehensive of such a wonderful and miraculous ,event1 which knowing him to have been a false ,prophet as well as a deceitful ,juggler1 we have no ,fears nor ,belief of4 ,but as it is not long since1 that the ,inhabitants in and about ,bethany had like to have been fatally deluded and imposed on by him1 in the pretended ,resuscitation of ,lazarus1 one of his ,disciples and ,confederates in ,iniquity2 so it is not altogether impossible nor improbable but his ,disciples and ,accomplices1 who are many1 may project a feign'd ,resurrection of ,jesus 7in ,accomplishment of his ,prediction7 by stealing his ,body away1 and pretending he is risen from the dead4 ,should such a ,sham-,miracle be contrived amongst them1 and cunningly executed1 it would be ,greek3 plan 7not an ,error but7 an ,imposture of worse ,consequence to our ,nation and ,religion1 than the former in ,lazarus could have been1 if it had never been detected3 ,we crave therefore the ,favour of your ,excellency1 to give ,command for the making his ,sepulchre sure1 till the third ,day is past1 that neither his dead ,body may be taken away1 and a ,resurrection pretended2 nor a living one slipt into its ,place1 and a ,miracle counterfeited on that ,day1 when we will be present at the opening of the ,sepulchre1 and give ,satisfaction to the ,people of his being a false ,prophet4 ,whether ,pilate was at all intent on the ,prevention of ,fraud in this ,case1 or would not willingly have connived at it1 to increase the ,divisions and ,distractions of our then unhappy ,nation1 may be question'd3 ,but the ,request of our ,chief ,priests was so reasonable1 and their ,importunities so urgent1 that he could not resist them2 and therefore order'd them a ,watch for the ,sepulchre1 which they might make as sure1 as they could1 against ,fraud and ,imposture1 till the third ,day4 ,whereupon our ,chief ,priests deliberate1 what ,measures were fittest to be taken to this ,purpose4 ,and as ,i can't1 and don't believe any ,man else can1 devise any better for the ,security of the ,sepulchre against ,fraud1 than what they took2 so ,i admire and applaud their ,prudence1 ,circumspection1 and ,precaution in the ,case4 ,they seal'd the ,stone at the ,mouth of the ,sepulchre1 and placed a ,guard of ,soldiers about it2 which were ,two such certain ,means for the ,prevention or ,detection of ,cheat in a ,resurrection1 as are not to be equall'd by any other4 ,they seal'd the ,stone of the ,sepulchre1 which1 tho' it was no ,security at all against ,violence1 yet was an absolute one against ,fraud4 ,how the ,stone which fitted the ,mouth of the ,sepulchre1 as a ,door does the ,entrance into a ,room1 was seal'd1 ,i need not describe4 ,the ,use and ,manner of sealing the ,doors of ,closets1 of ,chests1 and of ,papers is common2 and as it is an obvious ,expedient1 for the ,satisfaction of the ,signators1 against ,deceit2 so it has been an antient as well as a modern ,practice4 ,darius1 ,king of ,babylon1#caa seal'd the ,door of the ,den of ,lions1 wherein ,daniel was cast1 with his own ,signet3 ,and wherefore did he so8 ,for the ,satisfaction of himself and of his ,courtiers1 when he came again to open and compare the ,signature with his ,signet1 that no ,art nor ,artifice had been used for the ,preservation of ,daniel4 ,so our ,chief ,priests seal'd the ,stone of ,jesus's ,sepulchre1 which they design'd to be present at the opening of1 on the third ,day1 the ,time appointed by ,jesus for his ,resurrection1 and then give ample ,satisfaction to the ,people1 that there was a real1 or could be no ,resurrection of his ,body4 ,wherefore else did they seal the ,stone of his ,sepulchre8 ,your ,grotius#cab thinks1 that ,pilate's ,seal was affix'd to the ,stone of the ,sepulchre2 but1 as ,i believe1 ,pilate little concern'd himself about the ,prevention of ,deceit here2 so ,i much question it4 ,it is more reasonable to think that the ,chief ,priests and other ,civil ,magistrates of ,jerusalem with their several ,seals1 which could not be open'd1 but by themselves1 without ,suspicion of ,fraud1 sign'd the ,stone1 and intended to be present1 on the ,day appointed1 at the opening of the ,sepulchre2 not doubting1 what no body could question1 but ,jesus would wait their coming1 and arise to ,life1 if he could1 in the ,sight of themselves1 and of a vast ,concourse of ,people1 that were sure to attend on them to behold the ,miracle4 ,such a ,resurrection would have been of ,satisfaction to the whole ,nation2 and such a ,resurrection1 reasonably speaking1 ,jesus would1 if he could1 have vouchsafed in ,accommodation to the sealing of the ,stone4 ,but1 notwithstanding this ,precaution1 in sealing of the ,stone1 the best that could be taken against ,fraud1 ,jesus's ,body was privately slipt off1 early in the ,morning of the ,day before1 and a ,resurrection pretended by his ,disciples2 and you would have us and our ,ancestors to believe1 there was no ,deceit in the ,case2 tho' confessedly none of the ,sealers of the ,sepulchre were present3 ,who can believe it8 ,was1 or can there be1 any ,imposture more against ,sense and ,reason palm'd upon the ,understandings of ,mankind8 ,if there had been a real ,resurrection1 the ,sealers of the ,stone would have been the ,openers of the ,sepulchre2 wherefore else was the ,stone seal'd8 ,a ,question1 that here arises1 is1 ,on what ,day1 and what ,time of the ,day1 did our ,chief ,priests1 the ,sealers of the ,stone1 expect1 what they could not think would ever come to pass1 ,jesus's ,resurrection8 ,or what was the ,extent of the ,time meant by ,jesus1 when he said that after three ,days1 or on the third ,day after his ,passion1 he should rise again8 ,if any ,impostor or ,prophet like ,jesus should in this ,age so predict his ,resurrection1 and be executed on ,friday1 the ,day for his ,resurrection would be presumed to be ,monday1 and not ,sunday ,morning before ,day4 ,and ,i humbly conceive former ,ages and ,nations1 and our ,nation in particular did compute after this ,fashion4 ,accordingly on ,monday our ,chief ,priests ,i don't doubt1 intended to be present at the opening of the ,seals of the ,sepulchre1 and to behold the ,miracle3 ,but ,jesus's ,body was clandestinely moved off early on ,sunday 7the ,day before that signified and predicted for his ,resurrection7 to the ,laughter more than the ,surprize of our ,ancestors1 at the ,notoriety of the ,fraud committed1 and at the ,vanity of a ,resurrection pretended upon it4 ,and ,i may appeal even to your ,chief ,priests of the ,church1 whether here's not another ,note of ,cheat and ,imposture2 and whether the ,disciples were not afraid to trust ,jesus's ,body1 its full time1 in the ,grave2 because of the greater ,difficulty to carry it off afterwards1 and pretend a ,resurrection upon it4 ,but because your ,divines 7who have singular ,knacks at making two ,nights and a full ,day1 that ,jesus was buried1 to be three ,days and three ,nights2 and whose various ,ways of ,computation ,i always smile at7 do assert that ,sunday was the third ,day1 on which1 in ,accomplishment of ,jonah's ,prophecy1 and of his ,own ,prediction1 he was to rise again2 ,i will suppose so with them1 and will1 if they please1 grant that our ,chief ,priests1 and the ,sealers of the ,sepulchre1 expected his ,resurrection on that ,day1 and intended1 for the opening of the ,seals1 to be present at it4 ,but at what ,time of the ,day were they to come or could be expected at the ,sepulchre8 ,not long before ,noon4 ,but ,jesus's ,body was gone betimes in the ,morning1 before our ,chief ,priests could be out of their ,beds2 and a barefac'd ,infringment of the ,seals of the ,sepulchre was made against the ,laws of ,honour and ,honesty1 and a ,resurrection confidently talk'd of by the ,disciples2 and yet your ,christian ,priesthood at this ,day would have us to believe1 there was no ,fraud and ,deceit in all this6 ,o most monstrous6 ,if our ,chief ,priests had trespass'd upon ,jesus's ,patience1 and would not attend at the ,sepulchre for the opening of the ,seals1 on the ,day and ,time appointed2 if they had been for confining him longer in the ,grave than was meet1 according to ,prophecy1 then his ,resurrection1 without their ,presence1 had been excusable and justifiable4 ,but this his pretended ,rising to ,life1 not only a ,day before the ,chief ,priests could imagine he would1 or earlier in the ,morning than he should1 for the ,sake of their requisite ,presence1 is1 together with the ,fracture of the ,seals against the ,law of ,security1 such a manifest and indisputable ,mark and ,indication of ,fraud1 as is not to be equall'd in all or any of the ,impostures1 that ever were attempted to be put upon the ,world4 ,in short1 by the sealing of the ,stone of the ,sepulchre1 we are to understand nothing less than a ,covenant enter'd into between our ,chief ,priests and the ,apostles1 by which ,jesus's ,veracity1 ,power and ,messiahship was to be try'd4 ,tho' we read not of the ,apostles giving their ,consent to the ,covenant1 yet it was reasonably presum'd and could not have been refus'd1 if ask'd4 ,the ,condition of the seal'd ,covenant was1 that if ,jesus arose from the dead in the ,presence of our ,chief ,priests1 upon their opening the ,seals of the ,sepulchre1 at the ,time appointed2 then was he to be acknowledg'd to be the ,messiah3 ,but if he continued in a corrupt and putrified ,state of ,mortality1 then was he to be granted to be an ,impostor3 ,very wisely and rightly agreed6 ,and if the ,apostles had stood to this ,covenant1 ,christianity had been nipt in its ,bud1 and suppress'd in its ,birth4 ,but they had other ,views1 and another ,game to play at all ,adventures4 ,the ,body was to be removed and a ,resurrection pretended1 to the ,delusion1 if possible1 of all ,mankind1 in which they have been more successful than could be imagin'd upon a ,project that had so little ,sense or ,reason1 so little ,colour of ,truth or ,artifice in the ,contrivance and ,execution of it4 ,our ,chief ,priests were apprehensive at first of their stealing the ,body away1 and pretending a ,resurrection3 ,but after the sealing of the ,stone1 those ,fears vanish'd2 because upon the stealing the ,body1 away against such ,security and ,precaution1 the ,fraud would be self-evident1 and want no ,demonstration and ,proof of it4 ,but1 for all this ,precaution1 ,i say1 the ,body was in a barefaced ,manner taken away1 a ,resurrection talk'd of1 and to the ,amazement of every one1 who can think freely1 has been believed thro' all ,ages of the ,church since4 ,upon the whole then1 ,i think1 you may as well say1 when a seal'd ,closet is broken open1 and the ,treasure gone without the ,privity of the ,signators1 that there's no ,wrong done2 as that in the ,resurrection of ,jesus1 there was no ,fraud4 ,the ,cases are equal and parallel4 ,what then can your ,christian ,priests say to this demonstrative ,argument of a manifest and bare-faced ,cheat in ,jesus's ,resurrection8 ,i have been thinking1 what they will or can say2 and upon the maturest ,consideration ,i don't find they can make any other than one or more of these shuffling ,answers to it1 viz4 #a4 ,that it was impossible for the ,disciples to steal the ,body of ,jesus away1 because of the ,watchfulness of the ,guards1 and therefore there was a real ,resurrection1 tho' the ,chief ,priests and ,sealers of the ,sepulchre were not present at it4 #b4 ,that1 tho' the ,chief ,priests and ,sealers of the ,stone of the ,sepulchre were not present1 as ,i say they ought to have been1 to behold the ,miracle2 yet his ,resurrection was afterwards made as manifest to them1 as if they had been there present4 #c4 ,that if ,jesus did not really arise from the dead1 the ,belief of his ,resurrection could never have been so propagated at first1 nor would have been retain'd in the ,world for so many ,ages since4 ,i can think of no other ,answers1 and believe it impossible for your ,christian ,priests to form any other1 to the foresaid ,argument of ,fraud in ,jesus's ,resurrection3 ,but how weak1 frivolous and insufficient they all and every one are1 will appear upon a little ,examination into them4 #a4 ,then1 against the aforesaid demonstrative ,argument of ,fraud1 it may be pretended1 ,that it was impossible for the ,disciples to steal the ,body of ,jesus away1 because of the ,watchfulness of the ,guards2 and therefore there was a real ,resurrection1 tho' the ,chief ,priests1 the ,sealers of the ,sepulchre were not present at it4 ,to which ,i reply1 and confess1 that if it was impossible to evade the ,guards of the ,sepulchre1 then there was a real ,resurrection2 but if there was but a bare ,possibility of evading them1 then this ,answer is of no ,force4 ,and ,i am of ,opinion1 that the ,thing was not only possible1 but easy1 feasible1 and practicable4 ,tho' the ,roman ,soldiers were of as much ,fidelity and ,integrity as any of their ,profession2 yet it is well known1 that such ,creatures are subject to ,bribery and ,corruption1 if the ,disciples had any ,money to tempt them with3 ,or if their ,faithfulness to their ,trust was untainted2 yet it is not improbable1 but their ,officers1 at the ,direction of ,pilate1 who found his ,account in the ,distractions of our ,nation1 might give them the ,hint to wink hard at the ,commission of such a ,fraud4 ,but not to insist on either of these ,ways to evade the ,watch2 our ,ancestors said1 what your ,evangelist has recorded1 that the ,disciples taking the ,opportunity of the ,sleep of the ,guards1 carry'd the ,body of ,jesus off2 which was a thing both possible and probable4 ,of what ,number the ,watch did consist is uncertain4 ,your ,whitby#cac says they were sixty2 but he has no ,reason nor ,authority to think1 they were so many4 ,if they had been to be a ,guard against ,violence1 ,i could easily have believed they were more2 but in as much as they were only a ,watch against ,fraud1 and against any casual defacing of the ,seals on the ,stone1 before the ,chief ,priests came to open the ,sepulchre1 three or four ,soldiers were sufficient1 and ,i don't think1 there were any more set to this ,purpose4 ,it is not then at all improbable1 that so few ,soldiers should be fast asleep at that time of ,night1 or so early in the ,morning1 when the clandestine ,work was done2 especially after keeping such a ,gaudy-day as was the ,feast of the ,passover1 which1 like the ,festivals of other ,nations1 was celebrated with ,excess4 ,foot ,soldiers then1 you may be sure1 upon the ,bounty of one or other1 did no more want1 than they would scruple to take their ,fill1 which like an ,opiat1 lock'd up their ,senses for that ,night1 when the ,disciples1 being aware of the lucky ,opportunity1 carry'd the ,body of ,jesus off safely4 ,and where's the ,absurdity to suppose1 that the ,disciples themselves might contrive the ,intoxication of the ,guards8 ,herodotus tells us a ,story of a ,deadbody's being stolen away by such an ,artifice4 ,and ,i don't think the ,disciples of ,jesus either so foolish or conscientious1 as not to take the ,hint1 and enterprize the like ,fraud4 ,peter1 who1 upon ,occasion1 could swear and curse like a ,trooper1 would hardly scruple to fuddle a few ,foot-,soldiers4 ,but which way soever it came to pass1 the ,watch were asleep1 which is neither hard to conceive nor believe2 and then the ,disciples executed that ,fraud1 which has been the ,delusion of ,nations and ,ages since4 ,your ,evangelists would hint that the ,chief ,priests gave ,money to the ,soldiers to say1 they were asleep1 when the ,disciples stole the ,body of ,jesus away1 as if they were brib'd to a false ,testimony2 but there neither was nor could be any such thing4 ,if there had been a real ,resurrection to their ,astonishment and ,amazement1 as it is represented in your ,gospels1 no ,money could so soon have corrupted them to a false ,witness1 being under such ,fears of ,god and of ,jesus4 ,i don't doubt but our ,chief ,priests might reward the ,soldiers for speaking the ,truth1 and exhort them to persist in it1 with a ,promise to secure them against the ,anger of ,pilate for their sleeping and ,neglect of their ,duty4 ,here then is no ,answer to the foresaid ,argument or ,objection against ,jesus's ,resurrection4 ,it was not at all impossible for the ,disciples1 who stole the ,body away1 to avoid the ,guards1 who were and may reasonably be supposed to be lull'd asleep1 when the ,disciples did it4 ,neither is there any more ,force in the #b4 ,second ,answer to it1 viz4 ,that tho' the ,chief ,priests1 the ,sealers of the ,stone of the ,sepulchre1 were not present1 opening the ,seals and beholding the ,miracle2 yet his ,resurrection was afterwards made as manifest to them1 as if they had been there present4 ,ay1 this is somewhat like an ,answer1 if there be any ,truth in it4 ,a ,manifestation of ,christ risen afterwards to our ,chief ,priests would have been equivalent to their ,presence at and ,sight of the ,miracle4 ,but how was his ,resurrection manifested to them8 did ,jesus ever afterwards appear personally to them1 to their ,satisfaction1 that he was the same ,person1 whom they crucified and put to ,death for a ,deceiver and false ,prophet8 ,no2 this is not once affected by your ,evangelists or ever insinuated by any antient or modern ,writer4 ,how then was ,jesus's ,resurrection made manifest to our ,chief ,priests8 ,why2 your ,divines say1 what is all that can be said here1 that the ,words of the ,disciples1 who1 being ,men of ,honesty1 ,simplicity and ,integrity1 would not lye1 are to be taken for it4 ,very fine1 indeed6 our ,chief ,priests are to take the ,words of the ,disciples for ,jesus's ,resurrection1 and look upon them as ,men of ,veracity1 when they knew and experienc'd them to be grand ,cheats1 not only in stealing the ,body of ,jesus away1 but in the known ,imposture of ,lazarus's ,resurrection1 or your ,evangelist had never implicitly called it so4 ,when therefore ,deceivers will not be ,lyars2 nor ,thieves ,dissemblers of the ,fact they are accused of1 ,i will own ,jesus's ,resurrection to have been manifest enough to our ,chief ,priests4 ,there's no need of more ,argument here3 ,he that bellows more ,words on it1 loses ,time4 ,it has been a constant ,objection of us ,jews1 against the ,resurrection of ,jesus1 that he appear'd not personally afterwards to our ,chief ,priests1 to ,pilate and to others his ,crucifiers and ,insultors1 to upbraid them with their ,infidelity and ill ,treatment of him4 ,whether ,jesus would not have done so1 if he really arose from the dead2 and whether he ought not in ,reason1 for the ,conviction and ,conversion of ,unbelievers1 to have done so1 with me is no ,question4 ,celsus of old#cad in the ,name of the ,jews made the ,objection2 and ,olibio1 a late ,rabbi#cae has repeated it4 ,but in all my ,reading and ,conversation with ,men or ,books1 ,i never met with a tolerable ,answer to it4 ,origen and ,limborch1 the ,writers against ,celsus and ,olibio1 gently slide over the ,objection1 as if it was too hot or weighty to be touch'd and handled by them4 ,to recite the poor1 short and insufficient ,answers of those two ,great ,authors1 to the ,objection1 would be the ,exposing of them1 and giving such ,strength to the ,objection1 which it don't want4 ,therefore ,i will leave the ,objection1 which ,origen#caf owns to be a considerable one1 to the ,meditation of your modern ,advocates for ,christianity2 and when they can prove1 that ,jesus1 after his ,resurrection did personally appear to his ,crucifiers1 the ,chief ,priests and ,sealers of the ,sepulchre1 to their ,confutation2 or that1 according to the ,law of ,reason1 he ought not to have appear'd to them1 then ,i will turn ,christian1 and grant1 that in the ,argument above1 which proves plain ,fraud in the ,resurrection1 there's no ,force nor ,truth4 ,in the mean time ,jesus's ,non-,appearance to the ,chief ,priests is a ,confirmation1 that he did not arise from the ,dead1 but that his ,body was stolen away1 or he would have waited in the ,grave1 the coming of the ,sealers of the ,stone1 and their regular opening of the ,sepulchre1 to the ,conviction and ,conversion of all there present1 and ,confirmation of the ,faith of all ,ages and ,nations since4 ,but1 #c4 ,a third ,answer to the foresaid ,argument of ,fraud in the ,resurrection of ,jesus1 drawn from the ,nature1 ,use and ,design of sealing the ,stone of the ,sepulchre1 is1 that tho' the ,sealers of the ,sepulchre were not present1 opening the ,seals and beholding the ,miracle2 yet ,jesus did certainly arise from the ,dead1 or the ,belief of his ,resurrection could never have been at first propagated by the ,apostles1 nor would for so many ,ages of the ,church since have stood its ,ground4 ,here's as little ,reason in this ,answer as in either of the two former4 ,who knows not1 that many ,errors in ,philosophy1 and as many ,frauds in ,religion have been sometimes accidentally1 sometimes designedly espoused and palm'd upon ,mankind1 who in ,process of ,time become so wedded to them thro' ,prejudice and ,interest1 that they will not give themselves ,leave to enquire into the ,rise and ,foundation of them4 ,false ,miracles have been common ,things among ,christians2 and as the ,resurrection of ,jesus is their grand and fundamental one1 so it is not at all difficult to account for the ,rise1 ,propagation and ,continuance of the ,belief of it4 ,why it has been believed thro' these latter ,ages of the ,church1 is no ,wonder at all4 ,the ,priests had their ,interest in it2 the ignorant and superstitious had their ,comfort in it2 and the wise and considerate1 for fear of ,persecution1 durst not enquire into the ,grounds of it4 ,the only ,difficulty here is to know1 upon what ,principle1 the ,project and ,story of ,jesus's ,resurrection was at first devised4 ,and whether it was ,ambition or ,revenge upon our ancient and ,pharisaical ,priesthood1 that prompted the ,apostles to it1 is all one to me4 ,such bad ,principles too often put ,men upon desperate ,attempts4 ,but however1 an ,imposture it was1 for the ,argument above4 ,to say the ,apostles and ,confederates in the ,fraud1 would not have stood to it1 and have dy'd for it1 if the ,resurrection had not been real ,fact1 signifies nothing4 ,many ,cheats and ,criminals1 besides them1 have asserted their ,innocencey1 and deny'd their ,guilt in the utmost ,extremity of ,death1 without the like ,views of ,honour and ,fame4 ,the only ,thing that's surprizing and astonishing in this ,sham-,miracle1 is1 that tho' it was the most manifest1 the most bare-faced1 and the most self-evident ,imposture that ever was put upon the ,world2 yet it has been the most fortunate and successful1 having past thro' many ,ages and ,nations with ,reputation and ,renown2 and might have continued for as many ,generations to come1 but for the ,argument above1 that perfectly and clearly overthrows its ,credit4 ,but some may say here1 where was the ,wisdom and ,providence of ,god1 all this while1 to suffer so many ,ages and ,nations to labour under such a ,delusion8 ,why1 ,i'll tell you2 ,the ,providence of ,god in it was1 ,to humble ,mankind1 in the ,end1 for their vain ,ostentation of ,wisdom1 ,learning and ,science falsly so call'd2 ,to shame them for their ,madness and ,wickedness to persecute one another for different ,opinions in that ,religion1 whose very ,foundation is false and groundless2 ,to caution them against a blind and implicit ,faith for the future2 against believing any thing out of the ,sight and ,reach of their ,understandings2 ,to admonish them of the ,necessity of ,liberty to think1 speak and write freely about ,religion1 for the ,correction of ,errors and ,discovery of ,truth2 and1 lastly1 ,to reduce the ,world1 when it should be ripe for it1 to the golden ,religion of ,nature1 which upon the ,testimony of our old ,cabalistical ,doctors1 and of your ,jesus himself1 is the ,end of the ,law and the ,prophets4 ,and thus have ,i spoken to the ,answers1 which your ,christian ,priesthood may be presumed to make1 to the foresaid ,argument of ,fraud in ,jesus's ,resurrection1 drawn from the ,design of our ,chief ,priests in sealing of the ,stone of his ,sepulchre4 ,i should not have concern'd my self to speak to these their supposed ,answers1 but to save them the ,trouble of making them1 and the ,imagination of there being some ,force in them4 ,as to the ,stories in your ,evangelists of ,jesus's several ,appearances after his pretended ,resurrection1 sometimes to the ,women1 and at other ,times to his ,disciples1 ,i am not at all obliged to refute them4 ,if these ,appearances had been more frequent1 better circumstanced1 and more solemnly averr'd1 they would have wanted no ,confutation4 ,there's no ,doubt on't1 but the ,disciples1 who1 for the ,argument above1 unquestionably stole ,jesus's ,body away1 in order to pretend a ,resurrection1 would talk much of his appearing to them1 and of the ,conversation afterwards1 they had with him4 ,and if they had told better and more plausible ,tales of their ,sight of and ,conversation with him1 it would be nothing to the ,purpose2 better1 ,i say1 and more plausible ,tales than those upon ,record1 which for ,absurdity1 ,nonsense and ,incoherence carry their own ,confutation along with them4 ,whoever blends together the various ,history of the four ,evangelists1 as to ,jesus's ,appearances after his ,resurrection1 will find himself1 not only perplex'd how to make an intelligible1 consistent1 and sensible ,story of it2 but must1 with ,celsus#cag needs think it1 if he closely think on't1 like some of the confused and incredible womanish ,fables of the ,apparitions of the ,ghosts of deceased ,persons1 which the ,christian ,world in particular has in former ,ages abounded with4 ,the ,ghosts of the ,dead in this present ,age1 and especially in this ,protestant ,country1 have ceas'd to appear2 and we now-a-days hardly ever hear of such an ,apparition3 ,and what is the ,reason of it8 ,why1 the ,belief of these ,stories being banish'd out of ,mens ,minds1 the crafty and vaporous forbear to trump them upon us4 ,there has been so much clear ,proof of the ,fraud in many of these ,stories1 that the wise and considerate ,part of ,mankind has rejected them all1 excepting this of ,jesus1 which1 to ,admiration1 has stood its ,ground4 ,it's no ,wonder indeed1 that the ,clergy1 who are more incredulous than other ,folks as to ,stories of ,apparitions1 do stick to this of ,jesus1 the only one excepted out of all others4 ,it is a sweet ,morsel of ,faith1 and they readily swallow and digest it1 because they live by it2 otherwise this ,story of ,jesus's ,appearances after ,death had hardly escaped the ,fate of other ,apparitions2 nay1 would have been rejected one of the first of them2 there being hardly one1 ,i dare say it1 among all the ,stories of ,apparitions1 were they to be collected together2 that's more absurd and incredible than this of ,jesus4 ,i have not ,room here to make any ,remarks on your ,evangelical ,story of ,jesus's ,apparitions after his ,death2 and if ,i had1 ,i durst not do it1 for fear of an offensive ,ludicrousness1 and of transgressing the ,rules of ,decency1 ,sobriety and ,sedateness of ,argument1 you have confined me to4 ,but however2 ,i can't read the ,story without smiling1 and there are two or three ,passages in it1 that put me in ,mind of ,robinson ,cruso's filling his ,pockets with ,biskets1 when he had neither ,coat1 ,waste-coat1 nor ,breeches on4 ,sometimes ,i think your ,evangelists wanted ,wit to adapt their ,tale to ,sense1 and to accommodate the ,transaction to ,nature2 and sometimes ,i think them crafty1 and were minded1 like ,daniel de ,foe in his aforesaid ,romance1 to put the ,banter upon the ,credulity of ,mankind1 with some disguised and latent ,absurdities1 that1 in the ,conclusion and ,discovery1 they might be heartily laugh'd at for the ,belief of them4 ,i dare not1 ,i say1 so much as hint at one of these ,absurdities1 lest ,i should be unwarily tempted to crack a ,jest on it4 ,but the ,time1 ,i hope1 is coming1 when ,i shall use more ,freedom4 ,and should your ,priesthood1 in ,proof of ,jesus's ,resurrection1 urge any of these ,stories of his corporal ,presence and ,appearance after it1 then ,i trust1 they'll permit me to make as merry ,descants on them1 as your ,bishops1 when ,academical ,jesters1 used to do on other ,men's ,bulls and ,blunders4 ,in the mean time ,i depend on the foregoing single1 sober and sedate ,argument of ,fraud in this grand ,miracle1 which ,i found on the ,nature and ,design of sealing the ,sepulchre2 and for ,confirmation of my ,opinion and ,proof of ,fraud in it1 will conclude this ,letter with a parallel ,case and ,story4 ,not many ,years since1 one ,dr4 ,emms1 of the ,society of the ,french ,prophets1 who in their ,inspirations were1 like ,jesus and his ,disciples of old1 ,declaimers against the ,pharisaical ,priesthood of this ,age1 did by himself1 or some of his ,fraternity did for him1 predict his ,resurrection on a certain ,day1 when there was a ,concourse of ,people about his ,grave in vain to behold the ,miracle1 as there would have been about ,jesus's ,sepulchre1 if he had lain in it1 his full ,time4 ,but supposing in this ,case1 that the ,magistrates and ,priesthood of this ,city1 to prevent a ,cheat and ,delusion of the ,people1 had interr'd the ,doctor in a ,church-,vault1 and seal'd the ,door of it against the ,day appointed for his ,resurrection1 commanding a ,night-,watch to look to the ,vault1 that no ,violence or ,deceit be used3 ,this would have been a wise ,precaution against ,fraud1 as was in the ,case of ,jesus4 ,but what if his ,fraternity1 having a ,mind1 like ,jesus's ,disciples1 to bambouzle the ,people and ,priesthood1 had1 some of them drawn the ,watch aside to a ,gin-shop1 whilst others carry'd the ,body off1 pretending a ,resurrection8 ,what would all reasonable ,men have said here8 ,that it was an impudent and bare-fac'd ,imposture4 ,but to carry on the ,farce2 supposing1 the ,doctor's ,fraternity had afterwards averr'd that they had seen and convers'd with him alive1 several ,times1 as before his ,death2 and had told particular ,stories of their ,conversation with him2 as first of all1 how he appear'd to some of their ,women 7who were admonish'd of the ,certainty of his ,resurrection by a ,youth or an ,angel or two1 they could not tell whether1 but they were as like to ,angels1 which they never saw before in their ,lives1 as ,youths could be7 who knew him1 not by his ,countenance1 for their ,eyes were holden1 but by his ,talk on ,scripture ,prophecy1 which was his usual ,cant before his ,death4 ,and at another ,time he appear'd to his old ,acquaintance1 who knew him1 not by the ,features of his ,face1 but by an habitual ,motion and ,action of his ,hand in breaking of ,bread4 ,and at another ,time he was corporally present1 but they thought1 they saw a ,spirit4 ,about eight ,days after that1 he appear'd among more of his old ,friends1 but for all their former ,intimacy with him1 some of them doubted whether it was the ,doctor or not4 ,at another ,time he came to them in another ,form and ,shape1 unlike to his pristine one1 but they were sure it was ,he by his ,exposition of the ,scripture4 ,at another ,time1 when they were assembled together and the ,doors were lock'd1 for fear of the ,clergy1 the ,doctor slipt unexpectedly into their ,company1 either from behind a ,curtain1 or miraculously enter'd at the ,key-hole4 ,and the last ,time he appear'd1 there was one of his intimate ,friends had not known him1 but by a ,sore in his ,breast1 which the ,power of ,god1 in his ,resurrection1 did not heal3 ,after which1 they said1 he vanish'd away1 was taken up into ,heaven1 and they saw him no more4 ,supposing1 ,i say1 the ,french ,prophets had told such like ,stories of ,doctor ,emms's ,resurrection and of his ,appearances to them2 what would your ,priests and all other wise ,men have said to it8 ,why1 that it was all idle ,tales1 manifest ,lyes1 ,sham1 and ,imposture2 and that if the ,doctor1 in ,confutation of the ,errors of our ,priests1 had risen to ,life1 ,god would have kept him in his ,sepulchre1 his full time1 and have rais'd him in the ,presence of ,priests1 ,magistrates and ,people2 and that he would have walk'd afterwards publickly in the ,streets without ,danger1 to the ,satisfaction of all1 who knew him1 that he was the same ,emms who died and was bury'd3 ,without ,danger1 ,i say1 from the ,populace1 who would have been so far from affronting him1 that they would have almost adored him for the miraculous ,favour ,god had done him1 in his ,resurrection from the ,dead2 and that he would never have skulk'd about1 and absconded himself for forty ,days together1 before he was pretendedly translated2 and therefore there was nothing but notorious ,deceit and ,imposture in all these ,pretences4 ,i need not make the ,application of this ,case and ,story1 which your ,priests know how to do for me4 ,to say here1 that there's none would be so desperate to engage in such a ,fraud1 as is the supposed ,case of ,dr4 ,emms above1 is a ,mistake4 ,many ,thousands for their ,diversion would enterprise it2 and the ,stories of the ,apparitions of ,ghosts1 which are almost all the ,frauds of the ,crafty to delude the ,ignorant1 do prove it4 ,i my self would be forward to concert such an ,intrigue1 if it were but to put the ,banter upon the ,clergy1 to ruffle their ,tempers1 and secretly to laugh at them4 ,nothing would deter me from it1 but ,fears of the ,civil ,magistrate1 which was not the ,danger of the ,disciples of ,jesus1 because ,pilate1 for the ,sake of ,rule over the ,jews1 was a ,countenancer of every ,faction amongst them2 and particularly#cah ,tiberius1 upon ,pilate's ,representation of the ,matter1 soon commanded that the ,disciples of ,jesus should not be molested1 nor call'd into ,question3 ,so the ,disciples stood to the ,fraud1 told the ,story of ,jesus risen so often1 till they believed it themselves1 and drew ,multitudes into the ,belief of it3 ,which ,belief must have continued thro' all ,generations to come1 but for my ,argument of ,fraud1 before urg'd and argued4 ,here1 ,sir1 before ,i conclude this ,letter1 ,i think it my ,duty however to give you my ,opinion of the ,religion1 that ,jesus and his ,disciples were for introducing into the ,world4 ,tho' ,i believe1 what ,i have proved1 his ,resurrection1 to be a ,piece of ,fraud1 and his other ,miracles to have been all ,artifice2 and tho' our ,chief ,priests and ancient ,nation are justifiable in the ,sentence1 that was pass'd and executed upon ,jesus2 yet ,i must do him and his ,disciples the ,justice1 to own1 that the ,doctrine they taught was1 for the most ,part of it1 good1 useful and popular1 being no other than the ,law and ,religion of ,nature1 which1 all ,nations being wearied with their own ,superstitions1 and sick of the ,burthen of their ,priests1 ran apace into4 ,accordingly one#cai of your ancient ,fathers says1 that they who lived according to the ,law of ,nature1 were true ,christians4 ,and ,i must needs say1 that if ,christians1 in ,process of ,time1 had not sophisticated this primitive ,religion of ,jesus2 if they had not built their systematical ,divinity upon him1 and brought strange ,inventions of ,men into his ,worship2 if1 lastly1 they had not again subjugated and entangled themselves with another and worse ,yoke of ,bondage1 to an intolerable and tyrannical ,priesthood of the ,church1 the ,world might have enjoy'd great ,happiness under ,jesus's ,religion1 even that ,happiness which is now only to be expected upon a ,disproof of his miraculous ,resurrection1 that has been the ,foundation of a most confused ,superstructure of wild ,doctrines and ,opinions3 ,or more truely speaking1 ,that ,happiness of the ,state of ,nature1 ,religion and ,liberty1 which may be look'd for upon the coming of our ,messiah1 the allegorical ,accomplisher of the ,law and the ,prophets2 whose ,advent1 upon the ,tradition of our ,cabalists1 will be towards the latter ,end of the ,sixth grand ,age of the ,creation1 to remove from our ,faces and our ,hearts the ,veil of the ,letter2 and in the mean while ,i adhere to the umbratical ,rites1 ,ceremonies and way of ,worship1 derived from our ,forefathers4 ,thus1 ,sir1 have ,i finish'd my ,letter on ,jesus's ,resurrection2 and whether ,i have not said enough to justify our ,jewish ,disbelief of that ,miracle1 let your ,chief ,priests judge4 ,i don't expect my ,argument against it will be convincing of any of your ,preachers4 ,they have a potent ,reason for their ,faith1 which we ,jews can't come at2 or ,i don't know but we might believe with them4 ,i trust you'll meet with no ,molestation for the ,publication of this ,letter2 neither do ,i think1 it was any thing of mine1 inserted in your ,discourses1 that at any time brought ,trouble on you4 ,it was your own ,imprudence to rave1 as you do1 against ,ecclesiasticks4 ,what need had you to talk of the ,mischiefs and ,inconveniences of an ,hireling ,priesthood8 ,what ,occasion had you to call them ,ecclesiastical ,vermin1 and to speak of the ,happiness of ,mankind upon their ,extinction8 ,these things are very provoking4 ,and here's the true ,source1 in my ,opinion1 of all your ,troubles6 ,tho' ,i have here shewn1 that ,christ is not risen1 yet ,i have more ,wit than to make the ,inference of ,st4 ,paul1 that their ,preaching is vain4 ,their ,oratory is still useful1 if it be but to tickle the ,ears and amuse the ,understandings of the ,people about ,doctrines they underhand not1 whether true or false4 ,and such an ,order of ,men1 as are your ,priesthood1 are1 by their ,habit of long ,robes1 an ,ornament to ,society2 and it is an ,honour to the ,country to have them well fed and clad4 ,had ,i ,room for it1 ,i could write a curious ,encomium in ,praise of them1 and tell the ,world of what ,use and ,advantage they have been1 in all ,ages4 ,o what ,wars and ,persecutions might have been rais'd in the ,world1 but for their pacifick ,tempers6 ,how would ,sin and ,immorality have broke in upon ,mankind1 like a ,deluge1 but for the ,goodness of their ,lives1 and the ,excellency of their ,precepts6 ,how has the ,increase and ,multitude of their warm ,sermons been the ,ruin of ,satan's hot and divided ,kingdom of ,darkness and ,error6 ,it's owing to their ,pains and ,labours1 that every ,age1 for many past1 has been improving in ,virtue1 till the present1 which for ,piety and good ,morals is that perfection of ,time1 which is not to be meliorated but by the ,restitution of the golden ,age4 ,so could ,i enlarge in ,praise of your ,clergy2 and so should you have done2 and then you might have disputed1 as you do1 against any ,doctrines1 ,miracles and ,articles of ,faith1 without ,molestation4 ,try1 if you can't correct that fundamental ,error1 you have committed4 ,assert still1 if you can1 with ,dr4 ,rogers1 the ,necessity of an establish'd ,priesthood1 well paid1 for the ,service of the ,king and the ,country1 under all ,changes of ,religion2 which may be a ,means to retrieve their ,favour1 and will beget in me a better ,opinion of your ,prudence1 than at present is entertain'd by your ,assured ,friend ,n4 ,n4 ,so ends the ,letter of my ,friend1 the ,jewish ,rabbi1 in which1 to my ,comfort1 he has conform'd himself to the ,rules of ,sedateness1 ,decency and ,sobriety of ,argument1 prescrib'd by the two great ,bishops of ,london and ,st4 ,david's4 ,if the ,weight and ,solidity of his ,argument don't grieve the ,clergy1 ,i am in no ,pain for the ,levity and ,ludicrousness of it4 ,and whether the ,weight and ,nature of his ,argument against ,jesus's ,resurrection will at all startle and surprize them1 ,i know not2 but ,i profess for my self1 that ,i might have study'd long enough for such an ,argument against it1 as this ,rabbi1 with his great grey ,beard1 has presently hit of4 ,he told me beforehand1 that his ,thoughts on ,jesus's ,resurrection should be out of the common ,road of thinking2 and ,i must needs say1 he has been as good as his ,word1 or no ,man ever kept his ,promise4 ,there are two ,things very remarkable in his ,argument3 ,the one is1 the ,use and ,design of sealing the ,stone of ,jesus's ,sepulchre1 which he lays great ,stress on1 to the ,proof of ,fraud in his ,resurrection2 and the other is1 his ,application of these ,words1 the last ,error 7or as he reads ,deceit or ,imposture7 will be worse than the first or former1 in which he makes the ,chief ,priests in their ,speech to ,pilate1 to refer to ,lazarus's ,resurrection as the former known ,imposture4 ,if his ,application be just and true1 the ,consequence is1 that the ,resurrections of ,jesus and ,lazarus are both ,impostures4 ,it grieves me to the ,heart to think of this ,consequence1 which our ,divines are to see to1 and evade1 if they can4 ,no sooner did ,i read his ,application of the foresaid ,words1 but ,i run to our ,commentators for another and better ,exposition of them3 ,but alas6 to my ,sorrow1 they made nothing of them1 but a sort of a proverbial ,expression1 which the ,chief ,priests must have spoil'd and knock'd out of ,joint4 ,being then under great ,trouble for the ,truth of ,christianity1 and the ,certainty of these two grand ,miracles1 ,i refer the ,matter to our ,learned ,clergy1 desiring them to be as speedy as they can in another and more proper ,interpretation of the foresaid ,words1 or ,jews and ,infidels will run away with them in the ,rabbi's ,sense1 to the ,confutation of our holy ,religion4 ,i consider'd lately1 that ,easter drew nigh1 when it was usual for our ,divines in their ,pulpits1 to insist on the ,proof of ,jesus's ,resurrection2 and therefore ,i hasten'd the ,publication of this ,discourse1 that they might have these two peculiar ,texts1 viz4 of sealing the ,stone of the ,sepulchre1 and of the last ,error or ,imposture will be worse than the first1 to treat on4 ,he that produces a ,sermon or ,sermons1 wresting the foresaid ,texts out of the ,hands of my ,rabbi1 and putting another ,sense on them1 to the ,credit of ,jesus's and ,lazarus's ,resurrection1 ,erit mihi magnus ,apollo1 and by my ,consent shall be the next ,arch-,bishop of ,canterbury4 ,but my ,heart aches a little for our ,divines1 and ,i almost despair of their clean ,solutions of the foresaid two ,difficulties4 ,what must they do then8 ,why1 they must give up their ,religion as well as their ,church1 or go along with me to the ,fathers for their mystical ,interpretation of the whole ,story of ,jesus's ,resurrection4 ,that the ,fathers1 without questioning their ,belief of ,jesus's corporal ,resurrection universally interpreted the ,story and every ,part of it mystically1 is most certain4 ,st4 ,hilary#cbj enumerates many ,particulars of the ,story1 and intimates what they are typical and figurative of1 as any one may see by the ,citation referr'd to1 which ,i have not ,room to translate and illustrate4 ,st4 ,augustin#cba says1 that ,jesus's ,resurrection from the ,dead at that time1 was to exhibit an ,image and ,resemblance of his future and mystical ,resurrection4 ,and elsewhere says#cbb that it's a holy ,pleasure to consider and search for the things signified by the ,story of it4 ,that ,origen is of the same ,opinion1 no body need question4 ,a ,multitude of his ,testimonies might be produced to this ,purpose1 but ,i shall mention only one#cbc1 wherein he asserts1 that by the ,sepulchre of ,jesus is to be understood the ,letter of the ,scriptures1 in which1 as in a ,rock1 he is reposited4 ,st4 ,john of ,jerusalem#cbd by the ,crucifiers of ,jesus understands false ,teachers1 meaning ,ministers of the ,letter to be sure1 because he himself was a great ,allegorist4 ,st4 ,hilary says that#cbe ,barabbas is a ,type of ,antichrist2 and by ,antichrist1 as ,i have elsewhere shewn out of the ,fathers1 is meant the ,letter of the ,scriptures1 which modern ,commentators and ,crucifiers of ,jesus would prefer to the ,spirit4 ,for these are the two1 ,letter and ,spirit1 the ,christ and ,antichrist1 that are contrary one to another4 ,st4 ,jerom#cbf says1 that by the ,vail of the ,temple rent at ,jesus's ,resurrection1 is to be understood the opening the ,vail of the ,letter of the ,law and the ,prophets for the ,manifestation of the divine ,mysteries contain'd in them4 ,and by the rending of the ,rocks according#cbg to him is to be understood the ,apertion of the ,oracles of ,god1 that were before as hard as a ,rock1 till his spiritual ,resurrection for the ,illustration of them4 ,and by the ,earthquake1 ,he says is meant the ,shaking of the#cbh ,hearts of ,men1 and preparing them1 by a ,dereliction of their old ,errors1 for the ,susception of the true ,knowledge of ,god4 ,as to the ,time that ,jesus was dead and bury'd1 which modern ,divines call three ,days and three ,nights1 ,st4 ,augustin says#cbi that according to the ,scripture he was not so long dead and buried4 ,many1 says#ccj he1 have put various ,constructions on the ,time of ,christ's ,burial1 endeavouring to make three ,days of it3 ,but we1 without slighting any of their ,opinions1 are for a mystical ,interpretation1 and suppose1 that by the three ,days are to be understood ,three ,ages of the ,world4 ,the ,day would fail me to collect all the ,passages out of the ,fathers1 in ,interpretation of one or other of the ,parts of the ,story of ,jesus's ,resurrection1 but what ,i have here said in a few ,citations1 is enough to show1 that they look'd upon the whole ,story1 as emblematical of his spiritual ,resurrection out of the ,grave of the ,letter of the ,scriptures1 in which he has been buried about three ,days and three ,nights1 according to that mystical ,interpretation of prophetical ,numbers which ,i have learn'd of them4 ,and thus have ,i done with the ,miracle of ,jesus's ,resurrection1 which1 by the ,help of my ,friend the ,jewish ,rabbi1 ,i have shewn1 according to the ,letter1 to consist of the greatest ,incredibilities4 ,and with this ,i conclude my ,discourses on his ,miracles1 intending to treat on no more of them1 unless ,i am invited or provoked to it4 ,i had once an ,inclination to make another ,discourse on ,jesus's miraculous ,conception1 and on his feeding his ,thousands1 in the ,wilderness1 with a few ,loaves and ,fishes2 but upon a little ,consideration on the ,letter of those two ,stories1 ,i found myself too grave for the ,work2 and my ,rabbi's ,thoughts are too gay and wanton2 therefore it must be omitted1 till the ,clergy importune me to it1 and signify their ,curiosity to see it perform'd by me4 ,my ,discourses hereafter1 if ,god spare me ,life and ,liberty1 which under his ,providence ,i don't despair of1 to publish another ,volume1 shall treat on some historical ,passages of the ,new ,testament1 such as1 ,on the ,stories of ,jesus's ,birth2 and the ,appearances of ,angels to the ,shepherds keeping ,watch over their ,flocks by ,night3 ,the ,journey and ,presents of the ,wise ,men to ,jesus3 ,the ,slaughter of the ,innocents at ,bethlehem1 and of ,herod's ,cruelty3 ,the ,travels of ,joseph with the ,child ,jesus and his ,mother into ,egypt3 ,the ,disputation of ,jesus with the ,doctors in the ,temple1 and his ,elopement from his ,parents3 ,his riding on an ,ass to ,jerusalem2 and on other such like ,passages of his ,life4 ,for ,i am resolv'd to give the ,letter of the ,scripture no ,rest1 so long as ,god gives me ,life and ,abilities to attack it4 ,origen#cca says1 that when we dispute against ,ministers of the ,letter1 we must select some historical ,parts of ,scripture1 which they understand literally1 and shew that according to the ,letter1 they can't stand their ,ground1 but imply ,absurdities and ,nonsense4 ,and how then is such a ,work to be perform'd to best ,advantage8 ,is it to be done in a grave1 sedate1 and serious ,manner8 ,no1 ,i think ,ridicule should here take ,place of sober ,reasoning1 as the more proper and effectual ,means to cure ,men of their foolish ,faith and absurd ,notions4 ,as no wise ,man hardly ever reprehends a ,blunderbuss for his ,bull1 any other way1 than by laughing at him2 so the ,asserters of nonsensical ,notions in ,theology should1 if possible1 be satirized and jetted upon1 or they'll never be put out of ,countenance for1 nor desert their absurd ,doctrines4 ,and there never was a polemical ,divine1 that1 if he had an ,opportunity and ,advantage over the ,weakness of his ,adversary1 did not take such a ludicrous and merry ,course with him4 ,but on such historical ,passages of the ,gospel as before mention'd1 do ,i trust to publish another ,volume of ,discourses1 like to these on ,jesus's ,miracles2 and at present pass to my third general ,head1 at first proposed to be spoken to1 and that is1 ,,iii4 ,to consider what ,jesus means1 when he appeals to his ,works and ,miracles1 as to a ,testimony and ,witness of his ,authority2 and to show that he did not properly and ultimately refer to these done in the ,flesh1 but to those mystical ones he would do in the ,spirit1 of which those done in the ,flesh are but mere ,types and ,shadows4 ,and on this ,head ,i shall be short1 there being no ,occasion of many ,words on it4 ,the ,bishop of ,london#ccb has collected many ,sayings of ,jesus1 wherein he seems to appeal to the ,works he then did and had done in ,flesh1 as to a ,witness of him4 ,but why might not ,jesus then prophesy1 and mean the spiritual ,works which ,he-in-us would do8 ,it is the known ,way of the ,prophets to speak of ,things to come1 as if they were already past1 because such ,prophecies are not to be understood1 till their ,accomplishment3 ,even so did ,jesus prophesy1 when he appeal'd to his ,works1 as ,i could prove from the ,nature and ,manner of his ,expressions1 but that the ,argument would be dry and tedious3 ,and therefore ,i refer the ,matter entirely to the ,fathers1 who asserted that ,jesus prophesied in his ,miracles as well as in his ,parables1 and that the ,works he then did in the ,flesh were but ,types of his mysterious ,operations1 that would be the ,demonstration of his ,authority and ,messiahship4 ,hence it is that ,origen#ccc says that ,jesus's first coming was but a ,type and ,shadow of his spiritual ,advent and that his#ccd true ,miracles1 by which his ,authority is to be proved1 are spiritual3 ,hence it is that ,st4 ,hilary repeatedly says#cce that ,jesus's ,works were significative and predictive of mysterious ,operations1 which we were especially to look to4 ,and ,hence it is that all the other ,fathers interpreted the ,miracles of ,jesus in a mystical and allegorical ,sense4 ,the ,question then is1 to what ,miracles did ,jesus truly and properly appeal1 in the ,opinion of the ,fathers1 for his ,authority and ,messiahship8 ,was it to the ,typical or ,antitypal ,works8 was it to the ,shadow or to the ,substance of his ,operations8 ,to his substantial ,operations1 to be sure1 which are and will be his spiritual ones upon the ,soul1 that are greater than those once done on ,men's ,bodies1 and which will be a proper ,proof of his divine ,power4 ,and to declare my ,opinion freely1 ,i am only for such a spiritual ,messiah1 who will cure the ,errors call'd the ,diseases of ,mankind1 which ,jesus of ,nazareth has not as yet done4 ,but not to dispute this ,point with ,bishop ,gibson1 ,i will leave him in the ,enjoyment of his ,opinion of his literal ,messiah1 and miraculous ,operator on ,men's ,bodies2 if he'll but indulge me in the ,belief of my spiritual ,messiah to come for the healing of modern ,distempers call'd the ,sins and ,errors of ,mankind4 ,and in the mean time let us draw the ,comparison between his literal and my spiritual ,jesus2 and let the ,world judge1 to whom the ,preference is to be given for ,power and ,authority4 ,bishop ,gibson is for ,jesus of ,nazareth's ,messiahship1 because he cured the bodily ,blindness of many miraculously2 ,and a good ,work it was3 ,but ,i am for the ,messiahship of a spiritual ,jesus to come1 who will open the blind ,eyes of our ,understandings to discern ,truth from ,error1 which will be a most glorious ,operation1 that his ,jesus of ,nazareth has not as yet done4 ,bishop ,gibson is for ,jesus's ,messiahship1 who once cured bodily ,deafness in many1 which was indeed well done of him3 ,but ,i am for the ,messiahship of a spiritual ,jesus to come1 to heal the ,deafness of our ,souls1 or their ,dulness in ,apprehension of sublime ,mysteries1 which will be a divine ,work1 that his ,jesus has not as yet done4 ,bishop ,gibson is for ,jesus's ,messiahship1 because he cured ,men's bodily ,lameness1 for which ,i do praise him3 ,but ,i am for a spiritual ,jesus's ,messiahship1 who will heal ,mankind of their ,halting between two and more ,opinions2 a more blessed ,work1 that ,jesus of ,nazareth has not as yet done for us6 ,and so1 comparing all other ,diseases of ,body and ,soul together1 ,i am for the ,jesus1 who will heal the ,diseases of the ,soul2 and have a much less ,regard for ,bishop ,gibson's ,jesus1 who cured the ,diseases of a few ,men's ,bodies2 but for all that1 am not angry with the ,bishop for his high ,veneration of his ,jesus1 neither would ,i by any ,means have him prosecuted and punish'd for not being of the same ,mind with me4 ,but1 because the ,bishop suspects me of ,infidelity1 in that ,i have ludicrously treated some of the ,miracles of his ,jesus1 which by the by he has not vindicated from the ,absurdities and ,incredibilities ,i charged them with2 ,i will humour the ,bishop1 and supposing ,jesus wrought literally those ,miracles which are allegorically interpreted by me1 will in those very ,miracles compare his literal and my spiritual ,jesus together2 and appeal to all ,men of ,consideration1 which is the most worthy of the ,title and ,honour of the true ,messiah4 ,bishop ,gibson is for his ,jesus's ,messiahship1 who miraculously drove the ,buyers and ,sellers out of the ,temple1 just as if a ,man1 was ,god to invest him with ,power1 should furiously drive the ,butchers and ,grasiers with their ,cattle1 to the ,confusion of their several ,properties1 out of ,smithfield3 ,a notable ,miracle ,that6 ,but ,i am for the spiritual ,jesus's ,messiahship1 who according to the ,form of that typical ,story1 will at his ,coming expel ,ecclesiastical ,merchants out of his ,church1 who make ,merchandise of the ,gospel1 selling their ,bulls and ,beasts1 and ,fatlings of the ,letter3 ,a most glorious and beneficial ,work to ,mankind will this be6 ,and to prepare ,mens ,souls for the ,susception of such a spiritual ,jesus1 ,i intend to publish a ,discourse of the ,mischiefs and ,inconveniencies of an ,hireling ,priesthood1 wherein it shall be proved1 that ,mankind can't be either good1 wise or happy under the ,kingdom of this ,messiah to come1 without an ,abolition and ,extirpation of them4 ,bishop ,gibson is for the ,messiahship of his ,jesus1 who cast the ,devils out of the ,madmen1 and permitted them to enter into the ,herd of ,swine1 that ran violently down a ,precipice1 and were choak'd in the ,sea3 ,how great a ,miracle it was thus to cure the ,madmen1 the ,bishop may know best1 being perhaps better acquainted with the ,devil than ,i am2 but was it not for ,pity to the ,swineherds1 for their ,losses1 ,i could even now laugh at the ,thoughts of the ,hoggs running and tumbling down-hill1 as if the ,devil drove them3 ,but leaving the ,bishop calmly1 decently1 and seriously to admire the ,wisdom and ,justice of his ,jesus in that ,act1 ,i am for the spiritual ,jesus1 who1 according to the typical ,form of that ,story1 exorcis'd the furious and diabolical ,tempers out of the ,jews and ,gentiles of old1 whom no ,chains of ,reason could hold from doing ,violence to the ,christians1 till they were converted2 and tho' ,he permitted the like persecuting and diabolical ,spirits to enter into ,ecclesiastical ,swine2 yet will they be precipitated into the ,sea of the ,knowledge of ,god1 wherein they will be absorpt with divine ,visions and ,contemplations4 ,o most glorious ,work6 that bespeaks the ,wisdom1 ,power and ,goodness of our spiritual ,jesus1 from the ,beginning to the ,end of it4 ,bishop ,gibson admires his ,jesus1 for his ,transfiguration on ,mount ,tabor1 tho' neither ,he nor any ,body else can tell1 wherein lay the ,miracle1 nor into what various ,figures and ,shapes ,jesus was transform'd3 ,but ,i am for the spiritual ,jesus1 whose glorious ,transfiguration1 after six grand ,days of the ,creation1 will be conspicuous1 when with the ,eyes of our ,understanding we shall behold him metamorphosed into the ,forms of all the ,types of him under the ,law4 ,i am now ravish'd with the intellectual ,view of this ,transfiguration2 and believe1 was ,i to set about it1 ,i could give others 7except the ,bishop7 an ,idea and ,conception or it to their ,astonishment at the ,glory of ,jesus in it4 ,bishop ,gibson is for the ,messiahship of ,jesus of ,nazareth1 because he cured a ,woman of an ,issue of ,blood1 after she had spent all she had upon ,physicians to no purpose1 which might be1 or might not be a ,miracle1 for any thing he can argue upon it3 ,but ,i am for the spiritual ,jesus's ,messiahship1 who1 at his ,coming1 will1 according to that typical ,story1 cure the ,woman of the ,church of her ,issue of ,blood1 that is shed in ,persecution and ,war1 which her ,ecclesiastical ,physicians of the ,clergy have not been able to stop1 tho' they have receiv'd large ,fees and ,stipends of the ,church to that ,purpose4 ,will not this be a desirable and beneficial ,work to all ,nations8 ,and who knows not1 7excepting the ,bishop7 that it is of the ,office of the true ,messiah1 to give abundance of ,peace to ,mankind1 to make the ,lion to lye down with the ,lamb2 and to induce ,men to break their ,swords into ,plough-shares1 and their ,spears into ,pruning-hooks2 and to make ,wars to cease in all the ,world4 ,which ,prophecies are so far from being fulfill'd by ,jesus of ,nazareth1 that there has been nothing but ,wrangling and ,jangling1 and ,scolding and ,fighting about him ever since4 ,i wonder the ,want of the ,accomplishment of the foresaid ,prophecies has not long before now occasion'd the ,rejection of ,jesus's ,messiahship1 or of the ,authority of the ,prophets4 ,bishop ,gibson is for his ,jesus's being the ,messiah1 because he cured an old ,woman of a ,spirit of1 no body knows what1 ,infirmity2 consequently little or nothing is to be laid for the ,greatness of that ,miracle4 ,but ,i am for the spiritual ,jesus's ,messiahship1 who1 according to the ,figure of that literal ,story1 is to heal the ,woman of the ,church of her ,infirmity of the ,spirit of ,prophecy1 which ,jesus of ,nazareth has not done for her1 or there would not be so many ,disputes about ,prophecies and their ,interpretations1 so far1 as there is hardly one ,prophecy that ,christians are agreed about the ,sense of4 ,it is the grand ,characteristick of the true ,messiah1 that he's to restore ,prophecy and the ,way of ,interpretation of the ,prophets1 upon the allegorical ,scheme too4 ,i speak this1 not only upon the ,authority of the ,prophets themselves1 but upon an almost infinite ,number of ,testimonies of ancient ,jews and ,fathers2 accordingly ,i expect the ,advent of a spiritual ,messiah1 who alone can do it1 to heal the ,church of her present ,infirmity1 and to restore the ,art and ,gift of ,prophecy4 ,bishop ,gibson is an ,admirer of ,jesus of ,nazareth1 because he told a poor ,whore of ,samaria1 her ,fortune of having had five ,husbands1 and being then an ,adulteress with another ,man2 which1 according to the ,letter1 is such a poor sort of a ,miracle1 that ,i can hardly think of it without blushing3 ,but ,i am an ,adorer beforehand of the spiritual ,jesus who1 according to that ,type1 will out of the ,law and the ,prophets1 allegorically interpreted1 tell the present heretical and adulterous ,woman of the ,church all that she has done1 and how she has been wedded to the sensible ,things of the five ,books of ,moses1 and is now an ,adulteress with the ,anti-,christ of the ,letter4 ,such an ,information of the ,church will be a most stupendous and miraculous ,work1 and a ,demonstration of our ,jesus's ,messiahship beyond ,contradiction1 in as much as it will be agreeable to the ,opinion1 that all ,antiquity entertain'd of the true ,messiah1 viz4 that he was to let us into the ,sight1 ,knowledge and ,understanding of the ,wisdom and ,beauty of ,providence thro' all ,ages of the ,world4 ,bishop ,gibson admires ,jesus of ,nazareth for his cursing the ,figtree2 for not bearing ,fruit out of ,season3 ,shame on that ,miracle1 according to the ,letter1 and on all ,admirers of it6 ,but ,i am for the spiritual ,jesus1 who1 at his coming to the ,figtree of his ,church1 will make its present unfruitful ,state to wither away1 and cause it to produce the ,fruits of the ,spirit1 and allegorical ,interpretations of the ,scriptures1 that are compared to sweet and ripe ,figs4 ,for such his ,advent to this miraculous and beneficial ,purpose ,i daily pray and say too1 ,blessed are all those who love his ,appearance6 ,after this ,fashion could ,i go thro' the other ,miracles1 ,i have treated on in these ,discourses2 and upon the ,comparison set plainly before the ,eyes of my ,readers the ,difference between the literal ,miracles of ,bishop ,gibson's carnal ,jesus and the allegorical ones of my spiritual ,jesus1 as to ,stupendousness1 ,use and ,excellency3 ,but what ,i have here done in the seven ,instances above1 is enough to induce us to believe1 with the ,fathers1 that ,jesus's first ,coming in the ,flesh was but a ,type and ,shadow of his second ,advent in the ,spirit2 and that ,jesus of old1 when he appeal'd to his ,works then done1 as to a ,witness of his ,authority1 did only prophesy1 and refer ultimately to his mystical ,operations1 that are alone the ,proof of his ,godlike and divine ,power4 ,bishop ,gibson says#ccf of me1 that pretending to raise the ,actions and ,miracles of our ,saviour to a more exalted and spiritual ,meaning1 ,i have labour'd to take away the ,reality of them1 and by that to destroy one of the principal ,evidences of ,christianity4 ,but ,i presume now1 he'll be sensible of the ,rashness and ,incogitancy of that ,accusation4 ,if he be not1 ,i shall say of him1 in ,case he write any more for ,jesus's literal ,miracles in ,opposition to his allegorical ones that he's like the ,dog in the ,fable 7the ,bishop will excuse the ,coarseness of the ,comparison7 that let go the ,substance of his ,mutton1 and catch'd at the ,shadow1 and so1 like a foolish ,cur as he was1 lost both4 ,and thus have ,i done with the ,three general ,heads at first proposed to be handled in these ,discourses4 ,now whether ,i am1 upon the whole1 an ,infidel1 or ,believer of ,christianity1 the ,world is to judge4 ,i'll make no more solemn ,declarations of my ,belief of it1 much less at this ,juncture of ,time1 when ,i am under ,prosecution for ,infidelity2 because it would be a sneaking1 tame1 and cowardly ,act in me1 and such an ,argument of that ,meanness of ,spirit1 as ,i abhor and detest4 ,my ,works shall speak for me1 in which1 being conscious of the ,innocency of my ,intentions1 and of the ,usefulness of my ,design1 ,i mean to proceed2 not doubting but some of our clergy1 upon two or three more ,discourses against the ,letter of the ,new ,testament1 will find me out1 what ,i am1 and whether ,i am not a true ,professor of the ,religion of the spiritual and holy ,jesus4 ,in the mean ,time ,i'll not compound the ,difference depending between ,bishop ,gibson and my self1 upon any other ,terms1 than his making me ample ,satisfaction for the ,injuries done to my ,reputation and low ,fortunes4 ,tho' he may thirst after my ,life1 or at least1 my ,liberty2 yet under the ,providence of ,god ,i fear not the ,loss of either4 ,god be prais'd1 this ,kingdom is bless'd with such a ,civil ,administration for ,wisdom1 ,justice and ,mercy1 as no ,nation of the ,world can equal4 ,our ,magistrates are all ,philosophers1 ,lovers of ,truth1 and of an ,enquiry into it2 and so tender of the religious as well as of the civil ,rights of the ,subject1 that ,i have nothing to dread from them4 ,there is somewhat popular indeed1 tho' nothing true nor rational1 in the ,clamour and ,accusations of the ,clergy against me4 ,bishop ,gibson would insinuate#ccg that my ,discourses on ,miracles strike at the ,foundation of civil ,society2 but by an unnatural ,consequence of his own making4 ,i confess1 it is an heinous ,crime to write any ,thing that tends to the ,subversion or ,prejudice of the civil ,society3 ,but how will the ,bishop make me guilty of it8 ,if the ,clergy will not be ,disturbers of the ,peace of the ,publick upon my ,discourses2 it's certain1 that the ,quiet of the ,world1 which ,i wish and aim at1 will be inviolably kept and preserv'd for all me4 ,my ,followers indeed1 when ,i walk the ,streets of this ,city1 are numerous2 and if any of them should break the ,peace1 what serves my ,lord ,mayor's ,power for1 but to chastise them for it8 ,as for my self and my ,adherents at home1 which1 as yet1 are without ,number1 we are all ,quietists and should act against our ,consciences and ,religion1 if we should injure any ,man in his ,person and ,property4 ,but ,i smile to see a ,clergyman all on a sudden1 like the ,bishop1 so tender of the ,welfare of the ,publick1 when ,ecclesiasticks1 in all ,ages past1 have been the ,bane of ,society and the ,pest of ,mankind1 as appears from the ,wars and ,persecution they have rais'd in the ,world2 and from that ,strife1 ,variance and ,discords1 they have occasion'd in ,cities and ,families4 ,and with ,submission to the ,bishop1 who ,i hope will not be angry for my saying it1 ,i am sure1 the ,clergy at this ,juncture1 are like an high-mettal'd blind ,horse1 that were they not ridden by the ,civil ,authority with a strait ,rein1 would be oppressing and trampling upon all1 that flood in the ,way of their ,interests1 to the ,disturbance of ,civil ,society4 ,profaneness too does the ,bishop charge me with4 ,but why so8 ,because ,i ridicule the ,nonsense and ,absurdities of ,jesus's ,miracles according to the ,letter1 which he venerates4 ,very fine indeed6 ,the ,bishop would worship the ,head of an ,ass1 and a wiser ,man than himself1 without the ,charge of ,profaneness1 must not laugh at his foolish ,superstition4 ,and ,blasphemy lastly does the ,bishop accuse me of3 ,and this is a sad ,bugbear ,word1 that has frighted ,abundance of ,people into dreadful ,apprehensions of my ,guilt1 even to the ,abhorrence of me4 ,but the ,bishop should first have defined1 what is meant by ,blasphemy1 and have proved me guilty of it1 before he had made his ,exclamations3 ,or the ,turks may say that a ,jest upon their ,alcoran1 in which there are no ,contradictions1 is as much a ,blasphemy1 as any ,ludicrousness upon the ,gospels1 which are full of ,inconsistencies4 ,that there is such a ,sin or ,error1 call'd ,blasphemy1 according to the ,scriptures1 is certain3 ,but our ,divines are undetermined about the ,nature of it4 ,i intend to take my ,opportunity to treat on the ,sin of ,blasphemy1 and to prove1 ,ministers of the ,letter are the only ,persons that can be guilty of it4 ,ministers of the ,letter1 upon the ,authority of the ,fathers1 are the ,worshippers of the ,apocalyptical ,beast2 and anti-allegorical ,expositions are that ,blasphemy1 ,st4 ,john writes of1 which the ,beast and his ,worshippers will open their ,mouths in1 against the most ,high4 ,this shall be proved as clear as the ,light4 ,but when ,i do it1 ,i would not have any think1 it is with an ,intention to bring the ,bishops of ,london1 ,litchfield1 and ,st4 ,david's1 or any other ,divines1 under ,prosecution for that heinous ,sin3 ,no1 my ,god is omnipotent1 omniscient and omnipresent2 and knows how and when to reckon with such ,blasphemers1 without calling upon the ,civil ,magistrate to do it for him4 ,should ,i importune the ,civil ,authority to execute ,vengeance upon them1 ,i should make a foolish ,calf or a ,senseless ,idol of my ,god1 that was unable1 or knew not how1 nor when to vindicate his own ,cause4 ,surely the ,bishop of ,london1 upon his ,prosecution of me for ,blasphemy1 must think his ,god now asleep or gone a ,journey from ,home2 or he would not be for taking ,god's own ,work out of his ,hands1 and committing it to the ,care of the ,civil ,magistrates4 ,the ,bishop moreover should consider1 that the ,words prophane and blasphemous are of no ,use and ,signification among ,philosophers1 who in ,disputation never cast them at each other1 however they may differ in ,opinion4 ,philosophers are all supposed to be such profound ,venerators of the ,deity1 as they would not be guilty of ,prophaneness and ,blasphemy for the whole ,world4 ,if any of our ,school of ,free-,thinkers should say of his ,opponent that he's prophane and blasphemous1 he would be reprimanded for want of ,wit1 ,temper and good ,manners2 and be told that he's like a ,billingsgate ,scold1 who has ,recourse to impertinent bad ,language1 when her ,reason fails her for better ,rhetorick4 ,but it may be1 for ought ,i know1 the ,bishop has some ,design in his ,accusations against me for ,profaneness and ,blasphemy2 but ,i hope it is a better than to prejudice the ,civil ,magistrate1 or to incense the ,populace4 ,according to the ,fathers ,i am so far from being a ,blasphemer1 that they say1 ,christ upon the literal ,interpretation of his ,miracles is metamorphosed into the ,false-,christ1 call'd ,anti-,christ4 ,whether there is any ,truth in this their ,opinion ,i can't be positive1 till the ,experiment is fully made4 ,but if our ,clergy will keep their ,temper1 and grant me a clear ,stage of ,battle1 ,i'll try it out2 and see whether ,i can't1 by the ,club of ,reason and primitive ,authority1 give their ,anti-,christ a fatal ,blow3 ,who knows but ,i may give ,peace to the ,church1 and reconcile all ,parties by it8 ,however this may be2 ,i am sure1 no ,man can wish for a greater ,advantage over his ,enemy1 than ,i have over the ,bishop in this ,controversy3 ,but he shall find me a generous ,adversary1 who will make no worse ,use of my ,advantage over him than now and then to put him in ,mind of his ,pastoral ,letter1 and of the ,prosecution2 unless ,i should be tempted1 ere long1 to publish my ,moderatorial ,letter1 like his ,pastoral one1 to the ,people of ,london and ,westminster1 with ,ten wholesome ,rules in it1 not only to caution them against false ,prophets and false ,teachers1 without forgetting the ,bishop of the ,diocese1 but to direct them to the ,ecclesiastical ,fountain of the growing ,sins1 ,errors and ,infidelity of the ,age1 which the ,clergy know ,i am of ,ability to lay open4 ,when ,i began the ,publication of these ,discourses1 ,i own1 ,i laid a ,trap for some considerable ,clergyman2 but little imagined1 the great ,bishop of ,london would be caught in it4 ,but now ,i have taken hold of him1 ,i'll not release him out of the ,controversy1 till he has sorely repented of his ,ignorance or ,malice in calling me a ,writer1 in ,favour of ,infidelity4 ,so much at present for the ,bishop of ,london4 ,i have been the quicker of late in the printing of this1 because ,i am given to understand1 the ,bishop of ,st4 ,david's stays for it1 intending to make but one ,work of it1 and answer all six ,discourses together4 ,i hope my ,rabbi's ,letter here will be thought by him1 a good ,payment for his ,patience4 ,and now ,i shall be in ,expectation of his ,mountainous ,production1 and where ,i shall hide myself from the terrible ,strokes of his ,pen1 ,i have not as yet consider'd4 ,i am not a little pleas'd to see a ,couple of ,dissenting ,preachers1 viz4 ,dr4 ,harris and ,mr4 ,atkinson1 lifted into the ,controversy against me4 ,if they had kept their ,necks out of the ,collar1 they might have dissembled and pretended1 that1 upon the ,conclusion of the ,battle1 when it would have appear'd1 ,i am a real ,contender for ,primitive ,christianity1 they had a better ,understanding of the ,fathers1 and a clearer ,view of my ,design1 than to suspect me of ,blasphemy and ,infidelity3 ,but now they are engag'd with equal ,spite1 ,ignorance and ,defamations against me1 they must take their ,share of the ,fate and ,shame1 with the ,clergy1 upon the ,conclusion of the ,controversy4 ,there's no ,body can think it worth my while to bestow a ,six-penny ,pamphlet upon either of these ,gentlemen1 but for all that1 they shall not be altogether slighted and neglected by me4 ,i have made a ,collection of their ,rhetorical ,flowers1 which occasionally shall be presented the ,publick1 to the ,admiration of their ,wit1 ,reason1 ,learning and ,eloquence4 ,and at present only take ,notice1 that they are both for the ,persecution of me2 but not so much for my ,opinions1 as the ,indecency1 ,irreverence1 and ,immorality of my ,stile2 forsooth6 which is just such a ,distinction1 as may be easily stretch'd to the ,justification of the ,persecution of all ,authors1 whom the ,priesthood in ,power shall not like4 ,mr4 ,atkinson's ,argument for the ,persecution of me1 is much the same with that1 which ,john ,calvin used for the ,persecution of that great ,philosopher ,servetus2 the ,injustice and ,cruelty of whose ,death and ,sufferings is a greater ,reproach to the ,name of ,calvin1 than the ,martyrdom of any ,protestant can be to the ,memory of any ,popish ,prelate4 ,to conclude1 what ,i have written1 in these ,six ,discourses1 is with a ,view to the ,glory of ,god1 the ,advancement of ,truth1 the ,happiness of ,mankind1 the ,demolition of ,babylon1 the ,edification of ,jerusalem1 and the ,demonstration of the ,messiahship of our ,spiritual ,jesus1 to whom be ,glory for ever4 ,amen4 ,,finis4 ,illustration ,,footnotes3 #cji ,revelations1 ,chap4 xviii4 #aa4 #caj ,in his ,pastoral ,letter1 ,p4 #ce4 #caa ,daniel1 ,chap4 vi4 #ag4 #cab ,adducor ut credam ,pilati ,annulo hunc ,lapidem signatum4 ,in ,loc4 ,matt4 #cac ,upon the ,place in ,matthew4 #cad ,si ,jesus volebat re vera declarare suam divinam ,potentiam1 debuerat suis ,insultatoribus1 ipsique ,prsidi qui capitalem sententiam contra se tulerat1 denique cteris omnibus se ostendere4 ,in ,orig4 ,lib4 ii4 contra ,celsum4 #cae ,in ,limborchii ,amica ,collatione cum ,judo4 #caf ,magna sane ,res miranda occurrit hoc loco1 qu non solum aliquem ex vulgo ,credentium exercere posset1 sed perfectiores etiam2 cur non ,dominus post ,resurrectionem que ac superioribus temporibus conspiciendum se prbuerit4 ,in ,lib4 ii4 cont4 ,celsum4 #cag ,quamvis ,celsus has ,jesu post ,resurrectionem ,apparitiones conferre conetur cum vulgaribus ,spectris ,visionibus4 ,in ,origen4 ,lib4 ii4 contra ,celsum4 #cah ,comminatus est periculum ,accusatoribus ,christianorum4 ,tertul4 ,apol4 ,cap4 v4 #cai ,justin ,matyr4 ,in ,apol4 ii4 #cbj ,quod autem a ,joseph1 rogato ,pilato ut ,corpus redderet1 sindone involvitur1 in ,monumento novo in ,petra excisa reponitur1 ,saxum ,ostio ,monumenti advolvitur3 ,quanquam sit ,ordo ,gestorum1 sepeliri eum erat necesse1 qui resurrecturus erat a mortuis1 tamen non sine ,rerum aliquarum ,momento expressa sunt singula4 ,joseph ,apostolorum habet speciem3 idcirco quanquam in duodecem numero ,apostolorum non fuerit1 ,discipulus ,domini nuncupatur4 ,hic munda sindone corpus involvit2 quidem in hoc eodem linteo reperimus de coelo ad ,petrum universorum ,animantium genera summissa4 ,ex quo forte non superflue intelligitur sub lintei hujus nomine consepeliri ,christo ,ecclesiam3 quia tum in eo1 ut in ,confusione ,ecclesi mundorum atque immundorum ,animalium fuerit congesta diversitas4 ,domini igitur ,corpus tanquam per ,apostolorum doctrinam in vacuam novam requiem ,lapidis excisi1 viz4 in pectus duriti ,gentilis quodam doctrin opere excisum ,christus infertur1 rude scilicet novum1 nullo antea ingressu timoris ,dei pervium4 ,et quia nihil prter cum oporteat in pectora nostra penetrare1 ,lapis ,ostio advolvitur3 ut quia nullus antea in nos divin ,cognitionis ,auctor fuerat illatus1 nullus absque eo postea inferatur4 ,metus deinde furandi ,corporis1 ,sepulchri ,custodia atque ,obsignatio1 ,stultiti atque ,infidelitatis ,testimonium est2 quod signare ,sepulchrum ejus voluerint1 cujus prcepto conspexissent de ,sepulchro mortuum suscitatum4 ,in ,loc4 ,matt4 #cba ,ad hoc enim ,dominus hodie resurrexit1 ut ,imaginem nobis futur ,resurrectionis ostenderet4 ,in ,serm4 clxviii4 ,append4 #cbb ,quid singula significent1 qurere sanct quidem ,delici sunt4 ,in ,johan4 ,evang4 ,c4 xx4 ,tract4 #abj4 #cbc ,monumentum ,christi est divina ,scriptura1 in qua ,divinitatis ,humanitatis ejus mysteria densitate ,litter veluti quadam muniuntur ,petra4 ,in ,diversos ,homil4 #b4 #cbd ,ne putes1 tunc solummodo traditus est ,christus ,principibus ,sacerdotibus ,scribis4----,quando enim vides ,scripturas ,prophetarum ,evangelii ,apostolorum traditas esse in ,manus falsorum ,sacerdotum ,scribarum2 num intelliges quia ,verbum ,veritatis traditum est ,principibus iniquis ,scribis8 ,in ,mat4 ,c4 xx4 #cbe ,interpretario autem ,nominis ,barabb est ,patris ,filius3 ,jam itaque ,arcanum ,infidelitatis futur ostenditur1 ,christo ,patris ,filium prferendo1 ,antichristum scilicet hominem ,peccari ,diaboli filium1 potiusque adhortantibus principibus suis eligunt1 ,damnationi reservatum1 quam ,salutis ,authorem4 ,in ,loc4 ,matt4 #cbf ,velum ,templi scissum est1 omnia ,legis ,sacramenta1 qu prius tegebantur1 prodita sunt atque ad ,gentium ,populum transierunt4 ,in ,loc4 ,matt4 #cbg ,petr sciss1 id est1 universa ,vaticinia ,prophetarum4 ,in ,epist4 ad ,hedibriam4 #cbh ,sed mihi videtur ,terr ,motus reliqua typum ferre credentium1 quod pristinis ,errorum vitiis derelictis1 ,cordis emollita duritia1 postea agnoverint ,creatorem4 ,in ,loc4 ,matt4 #cbi ,ipsum autem triduum1 non totum plenum fuisse ,scriptura ,testis est4 ,in ,libro #dto de ,trinitate1 ,sect4 #aj4 #ccj ,de tribus diebus1 multi sancti multa hinc senserint atque dixerint----,sed nos neutram eorum vacantes sententiam2 melius tamen1 si placet in his spiritualem requiramus ,intellectum1 tres ,dies tria ,tempora ,sculi ponentes4 ,in ,serm4 de ,symbolo4 #cca ,cum disputamus adversus eos1 cum conquirimus advicem1 tunc qurimus locum ,dogmatis illius in litera ,legis ,histori1 ostenditur secundum ,historiam stare non posse4 ,in ,psal4 xxxvi4 #ccb ,pastoral ,letter1 ,p4 #be4 #ccc ,adventus quidem ,christi unus in ,humilitate completus est1 alius vero speratur in ,gloria4 ,et hic primus ,adventus in ,carne1 mystico quodam ,sermone in ,scripturis ,sanctis ,umbra ejus appellatur4 ,in ,jesu ,novo ,homil4 viii4 #ccd ,vera ,christi ,miracula ,sanatio ,infirmorum est spiritualis4 ,in ,matt4 ,c4 xxv4 #cce ,hc licet in prsens gesta sunt1 quid tamen in futurum significent contuendum est4 ,in ,matt4 ,c4 x4 ,s4 #a4 ,christi ,gesta aliud portendunt4 ,c4 xii4 ,s4 #a4 ,peragunt formam futuri gesta prsentia4 ,c4 xxi4 #ccf ,pastoral ,letter1 ,p4 #c4 #ccg ,pastoral ,letter1 ,p4 #ce4 ,,books written by ,mr4 ,,woolston1 and ,sold by him next ,door below the ,star in ,aldermanbury1 and by the ,booksellers of ,london and ,westminster4 ,i4 ,the ,old ,apology reviv'd1 c4 ,,ii4 ,dissertatio de ,pontii ,pilati ,epistola ad ,tiberium circa ,res ,jesu ,christi gestas4 ,,iii4 ,origenis ,adamantii ,epistol du circa ,fidem vere orthodoxam ,scripturarum ,interpretationem4 ,,iv4 ,the exact ,fitness of the ,time of ,christ's ,advent demonstrated by ,reason against the ,objections of the old ,gentiles1 and modern ,unbelievers4 ,v4 ,four ,free-,gifts to the ,clergy1 or ,challenges to a ,disputation on this ,question1 ,whether the ,hireling ,priests of this ,age1 who are all ,ministers of the ,letter1 be not ,worshippers of the ,apocalyptical ,beast1 and ,ministers of ,anti-,christ8 ,,vi4 ,an ,answer to the said ,four ,free ,gifts4 ,,vii4 ,two ,letters to ,dr4 ,bennet on this ,question1 ,whether the ,people call'd ,quakers do not the nearest of any other ,sect in ,religion1 resemble the ,primitive ,christians1 in ,principle and ,practice8 ,,viii4 ,an ,answer to the said two ,letters4 ,,ix4 ,the ,moderator between an ,infidel and an ,apostate3 ,or the ,controversy between the ,grounds and his ,ecclesiastical ,opponents1 set in a clear ,light1 c4 ,x4 ,two ,supplements to the ,moderator1 c4 ,,xi4 ,a ,defence of the ,miracle of the ,thundering ,legion1 against a ,dissertation of ,walter ,moyle1 ,esq42 ,,xii4 ,six ,discourses on the ,miracles of our ,saviour4 ,,xiii4 ,his ,defence of those ,discourses1 against the ,bishops of ,st4 ,david's and ,london4 ,illustration ,mr4 ,,woolston',s ,,defence ,,of ,,his ,,discourses1 c4 ,illustration ,mr4 ,woolston's ,defence ,,of ,,his ,,discourses ,,on ,,the ,,miracles ,,of ,,our ,,saviour1 ,against the ,bishops of ,st4 ,,david's and ,,london1 and his other ,adversaries4 ,,part ,i4 ,res ,religionis non ,verberibus sed ,verbis est peragenda4 ,lactant4 ,london3 ,printed for the ,author1 and ,sold by him1 next ,door to the ,star in ,aldermanbury1 and by the ,booksellers of ,london and ,westminster1 #agbi4 ,price ,one ,shilling4 ,illustration ,,to ,,the ,,queen4 ,madam1 ,not long since the ,bishop of ,st4 ,david's presented to ,your ,majesty his ,vindication2 as ,i would have done this my ,defence1 if ,i had known how to get ,access to ,your ,royal ,presence4 ,your ,majesty will perceive1 that here's a sad ,war broke out between the ,bishop and my self1 about ,miracles2 which1 in all probability1 will cost a large ,effusion of ,words2 and1 unless ,your ,majesty can accommodate the ,difference1 will hardly be terminated without the ,slaughter of many ,notions and ,arguments4 ,the ,bishop is for making ,your ,majesty the ,arbitress of our ,controversy1 which ,i consent to2 and he talks of ,your singular ,qualifications to preside at it1 which ,i as certainly believe1 as that a ,bishop will not lye nor flatter4 ,had ,i known before of ,your ,majesty's ,abilities at this ,controversy1 ,i should have gone near to have applauded ,you for them2 and the ,world would readily have believed my ,praises of ,you to be just1 because ,i had no ,bishoprick nor ,translation in ,view for them4 ,if ,your ,majesty has no extraordinary ,talent at this ,controversy1 ,i trust1 ,you are wiser than to think the ,better of ,your self for the ,bishop's ,compliment4 ,you'll not be vain2 tho' he is fulsome4 ,but the ,bishop1 ,madam1 has done me wrong4 ,he would insinuate1 that ,i am disaffected to the ,king's ,title and ,government2 which is entirely false4 ,i ,love and ,honour ,your whole ,royal ,family1 and often pray for ,your ,majesty too1 without ,pay1 which is more than any ,bishop in ,england has done for ,you4 ,and what are my ,prayers for ,your ,majesty8 ,that ,god may prolong ,your ,days to the comfort of ,your ,royal ,progeny1 and the ,joy of these ,nations2 ,that the ,felicity of ,your ,life may be uninterrupted by ,enemies and ,misfortunes2 and ,that after a good old ,age1 when ,life is no longer desirable to the happyest ,princes1 ,you may be transferr'd to an heavenly and immortal ,crown of ,glory4 ,this is the hearty and voluntary ,prayer of1 ,sidenote3 ,london1 ,september #bg1 #agbi4 ,madam1 ,your ,majesty's most humble1 most obedient1 and faithful ,servant1 ,thomas ,woolston4 ,illustration ,a ,,defence ,,of ,,the ,,discourses on ,miracles4 ,at ,last1 one ,volume of ,bishop ,smalbroke's mountainous ,work1 that the ,press has been so long pregnant with1 is brought forth3 ,and ,i don't doubt1 but it answers the ,expectations of the ,clergy1 who will extol it to the ,skies1 and applaud it to the ,populace1 as an absolute ,confutation of my ,discourses2 but ,i would advise them1 if it be not too late1 not to be too profuse in their ,commendations of it1 for fear that an ,occasion should be given them to blush for their want of ,judgment4 ,we have had ,instances of ,books before now 7and one very remarkable1 in the ,case of ,boyle against ,bently7 that have met with a general ,approbation1 till they have been sifted into1 and upon ,examination found empty2 and it is not impossible1 but this of the ,bishop before us1 may meet with the same ,fate4 ,i had conceived a great ,opinion of this ,bishop's ,learning and ,abilities1 and1 if he had not sent#cch two simple ,harbingers before-hand1 should have been so apprehensive of his ,acuteness1 that nothing1 but a thorough ,persuasion of the ,goodness of my ,cause1 and of my ,power to defend it1 could have kept me from ,flight before him4 ,but ,i stand my ,ground1 and shall1 against greater ,adversaries than this ,bishop1 who has more weakly and maliciously attack'd me1 than you'd have been expected from one of his reputed ,candour and ,learning2 and given me greater ,advantages to insult and triumph over him1 than ,i could wish or desire4 ,many other little ,whifflers in ,divinity have before attack'd me with their ,squibs and ,squirts from the ,press1 but ,i despised them all1 as unworthy of my particular ,regard and ,notice1 reserving my self for ,defence against this ,bishop's grand ,assault2 when1 by the by1 ,i might have an ,opportunity to animadvert on one or other of them4 ,some of these ,whifflers1 like ,men of ,honour1 have set their ,names to their ,works2 others very prudently have concealed their ,names1 which1 upon the best ,enquiry ,i could make1 ,i have not been able to discover1 or ,i had given them a ,rebuke for their ,impudence and ,slanders4 ,it may be wonder'd1 that any polemical ,authors1 especially when they write on the orthodox and establish'd ,side of the ,question1 should conceal themselves1 and that they are not tempted with the ,hopes of ,reward and ,applause to make themselves known4 ,i will say what ,i think here1 that it's never ,modesty in such anonymous ,authors 7for we ,scribblers in ,divinity1 whatever we may pretend1 have always a good ,conceit of our selves7 but ,apprehensions of a sharp ,reply to their ,dishonour4 ,and this is the true ,reason1 why some of my ,adversaries industriously conceal themselves1 knowing that they are guilty of wilful and malicious ,lies and ,calumnies1 which ,i should chastise them for4 ,but1 as their ,names are supprest1 they know1 it's to no ,purpose for me to expose their ,malice1 because no body can be put to shame for it4 ,the ,bishop of ,st4 ,david's acts here a more glorious ,part3 ,he comes not behind me1 like other ,cowards1 to give me a secret ,knock on the ,pate1 but like a courageous ,champion1 looks me in the ,face1 and admonishes me to stand upon my ,guard4 ,this is bravely done in him6 ,and ,i have no ,fault to find1 but that he is providing himself with ,seconds in the ,controversy1 ,i mean the ,civil ,powers1 and calling upon them to destroy me1 before the ,battle is well begun1 and whether he gets the better of me or not4 ,this is not fairly nor honourably done of the ,bishop1 and ,i have ,reason to complain of it4 ,tho' ,i think my self equal1 if not superior in the ,dispute1 to any of our ,bishops1 yet ,i am not a ,match for the ,king's ,power1 neither would ,i lift up my ,hand1 or use my ,pen against him for all the ,world4 ,if the ,bishop will yield to a fair ,combat1 and desire the ,civil ,authority to stand by and see fair ,play between us1 ,i will engage with him upon any ,terms4 ,but to make the ,civil ,powers ,parties in our ,quarrel1 and to bespeak them1 right or wrong1 to favour his ,side1 is intolerable1 and what we spiritual ,gladiators ought to abhor and detest4 ,i liked the ,bishop1 when he proposed to the ,queen to be ,arbitress of our ,controversy4 ,as ,i will not here question her ,qualifications to judge in it1 so the first ,opportunity ,i have of waiting on her ,majesty1 ,i will join my ,requests to her to accept of the ,trouble and ,office4 ,after she has fix'd the ,terms of ,disputation1 and thought of a proper ,reward for the ,victor1 or a ,punishment for the ,conquer'd1 then will we proceed1 and either dispute the ,matter from the ,press1 or scold it out in the ,queen's ,presence1 as she shall think it most conducive to the ,edification of herself1 and of her ,court-,ladies4 ,but the ,bishop's ,proposal here1 and ,compliment on the ,queen1 is but the ,copy of his ,countenance4 ,he'll submit to no ,arbitration3 ,no1 no1 he's for having the ,civil ,powers to be immediate ,executioners 7without further hearing what ,i have to say for my self7 of his ,wrath and ,vengeance upon me4 ,he's for having them to take it for granted1 that he has proved me an ,infidel and ,blasphemer1 and would have them to inflict some exemplary ,punishment upon me1 so as to incapacitate me for ever writing more4 ,wherefore else does he say thus8#cci ,indeed a more proper ,occasion cannot possibly happen in a ,nation1 where ,christianity is establish'd by human ,laws1 to invigorate the ,zeal of the ,magistrate1 in putting the ,laws in ,execution against so flagrant a ,sort of ,profaneness1 that tramples with such ,indignity on the ,grounds of the ,christian ,faith2 and to convince the ,world that the ,minister of that ,god1 who is so highly affronted1 bears not the ,sword in vain4 ,and certainly the ,higher ,powers have great ,reason to exert their ,authority on this and the like ,occasions4 ,i was astonish'd at this ,passage1 with some others1 in the ,bishop's ,dedication1 and could hardly believe my ,eyes when ,i read it2 that a ,scholar1 a ,christian1 and a ,protestant ,bishop1 should breath so much ,fury and ,fire for the kindling again of ,smithfield ,faggots6 ,that any ,thing of human ,shape should so thirst after that ,destruction of another1 which would turn to the ,ruin of his own ,reputation and ,honour6 ,does the ,bishop believe that he has clearly confuted me1 or does he not8 ,if he believes1 and others know that ,i am absolutely confuted1 then there's an ,end of the ,controversy1 the ,danger of my blasphemous ,books is over2 and why should ,i undergo any ,punishment1 which would move the ,compassion of many1 and give a greater ,reputation to my ,writings than they do deserve8 ,does the ,bishop think he has confuted me8 ,this is ,honour and ,triumph enough to him2 who1 of all ,men1 should not desire me to be otherwise punish'd1 for fear of getting the ,character of a merciless and implacable ,conqueror4 ,am ,i in my own ,opinion confuted and baffled8 ,this would be ,pain and ,mortification enough1 even worse than ,death4 ,for1 however we polemical ,writers may pretend a ,readiness to part with our ,errors upon ,conviction1 as if we could easily yield to our ,adversaries1 yet it goes to the ,hearts of us to be out-done in ,reason and ,argument4 ,as it is said of ,bishop ,stillingfleet1 that1 being sensible of his ,insufficiency to contend with ,mr4 ,lock1 he grieved and pined away upon it3 ,so ,i1 upon ,supposition the ,bishop of ,st4 ,david's has confuted me1 must not only necessarily afflict my self1 but undergo the ,shame of the ,reproaches of the ,people1 for my wicked and impotent ,efforts to subvert their ,religion3 ,and what would the ,bishop have more8 ,he could desire no more1 if he had absolutely confuted me3 ,but it's plain he dares not trust to his own ,confutation of me2 it's plain he's afraid of1 what he is conscious may be made1 a smart ,reply to him1 and therefore he calls upon the ,civil ,magistrate for his ,help to prevent it4 ,after that the ,bishop of ,london had publish'd his ,pastoral ,letter1 and it was reported that the ,bishop of ,st4 ,david's was preparing a strenuous ,vindication of the litteral ,story of ,jesus's ,miracles1 ,i concluded that the ,prosecution would immediately be dropp'd1 and that the ,clergy were betaking themselves to that ,christian1 ,rational1 and ,philosophical ,course of ,confutation1 and would no longer make use of ,persecution1 which is the ,armour of hot1 furious1 and ignorant ,bigots4 ,and there is one ,passage in the ,bishop's ,pastoral ,letter1 which ,i interpreted as a ,grant of full ,liberty2 but1 whether ,i am apt to mistake the ,sense of the ,fathers of the ,primitive ,church or not1 ,i find ,i did misconstrue the ,words of a ,father of our ,english ,church1 and turn'd them to another and better ,purpose than he aim'd at4 ,his ,words are these#cdj ,and as to the blasphemous manner1 in which a late ,writer has taken the ,liberty to treat our ,saviour's ,miracles1 and the ,author of them2 tho' ,i am far from contending1 that the ,grounds of the ,christian ,religion1 and the ,doctrines of it1 may not be discuss'd at all ,times in a calm1 decent1 and serious ,way 7on the contrary1 ,i am sure that the more fully they are discuss'd1 the more firmly they will stand7 yet ,i cannot but think it the ,duty of the ,civil ,magistrate1 at all ,times1 to take ,care that ,religion be not treated in a ludicrous or reproachful ,manner1 and effectually to discourage such ,books and ,writings as strike equally at the ,foundation of all ,religion1 c4 ,what the ,bishop of ,l4 here says1 of his thinking it the ,duty of the ,civil ,magistrate at all ,times1 to take ,care that ,religion be not treated in a ludicrous manner1 ,i understood as an ,excuse for what he had done in stirring up the ,civil ,magistrate to a ,prosecution of me2 and that now1 like a ,philosopher1 he was for letting ,truth and ,religion to take its ,course1 and for leaving it to a free ,discussion1 whether in a ludicrous or in a calm1 decent or serious ,way4 ,but ,i confess1 ,i have mistaken the ,bishop's ,words1 finding by ,experience1 that 7for all the natural ,import of his ,expression1 that ,liberty should be used to discuss the ,grounds of ,religion in a serious ,manner7 he'll no more suffer it1 if he can help it1 to be contested in a serious1 than in a ludicrous ,way2 wherefore else did he move for the ,prosecution of a late ,london ,journal1 which was all calm1 decent1 and serious ,argument4 ,and the ,bishop of ,st4 ,david's his furious ,dedication now1 confirms me in this ,opinion1 that our ,clergy 7for all their preaching up ,liberty with as much ,force and ,strength of ,reason as any ,men1 and for all their ,invitations to ,infidels1 to say and print their worst against ,christianity7 will by no means1 if they can hinder it1 suffer any ,attacks to be made upon their ,religion1 nor cease their ,importunities and ,solicitations of the ,civil ,magistrate to ,persecution4 ,blessed be ,god1 the ,bishops are not my ,judges as well as my ,accusers1 or ,i know1 what would become of me4 ,mr4 ,atkinson1 a little ,writer against me1 says1#cda ,that ,i call the pretended ,divines of the ,church my ,prosecutors1 when they were not my ,prosecutors4 ,and again1 ,that there was no need of my ,supposition1 that the ,clergy would have more ,wit than to prosecute me again for this ,discourse2 for he did not know that they had been concern'd in any ,prosecution of me4 ,and again he says1 ,if the ,civil ,magistrate thinks it his ,duty to chastise me for my ,sin and ,folly1 ,i am to blame my self1 and not the ,clergy1 till ,i can prove the ,zeal of our ,christian ,government to be excited by the malign ,influence of the ,clergy4 ,mr4 ,atkinson is thus far certainly in the right on't1 that1 strictly speaking1 the ,clergy are not my ,prosecutors1 but the ,king1 who1 in all probability1 knows no more of my ,books than the ,man in the ,moon4 ,but whether ,mr4 ,atkinson could be so ignorant1 as not to know the ,clergy were the grand ,instigators to ,prosecution1 let others judge4 ,if he really was such a poor ,ignoramus1 ,i have no more to say3 ,otherwise1 his ,expressions above1 will be look'd upon as the vilest ,piece of ,hypocrisy and ,prevarication that can be1 purposely utter'd to take off the ,odium of the ,prosecution from the ,clergy1 and to cast it upon the ,civil ,government2 which1 whether ,mr4 ,atkinson believes it or not1 had never1 but for the ,solicitations of the ,bishops1 given me any ,trouble4 ,mr4 ,atkinson above1 acts the ,part of the ,popish ,clergy of ,france1 upon the ,revocation of the ,edict of ,nantes4 ,after that the ,king1 upon the urgent ,importunities of the ,clergy1 had resolv'd to revoke that ,edict2 the ,clergy were for excusing themselves to the ,protestants1 and laying the ,blame only on the ,king1 saying1 ,the ,king was bent and resolv'd on't1 and they could not help it2 which was such ,jesuitical ,prevarication in the ,popish ,clergy1 that the ,protestants could not forbear roguing them for it4 ,mr4 ,atkinson knows how to apply this ,story2 which ,i had not told1 but for the ,use of the ,bishop of ,l4 who1 upon a certain ,occasion could say1 that it was not ,he1 but the ,government that prosecuted ,mr4 ,woolston4 ,if ,mr4 ,atkinson was really so ignorant as he seems to be1 ,i suppose he is now of another ,mind1 upon reading the ,bishop of ,st4 ,david's ,dedication2 and convinced that the ,prosecution against me was began and carried on at the malign influence1 as he calls it1 of the ,clergy4 ,i will here use no ,arguments for ,liberty of ,debate1 which ,subject has already been copiously handled1 and wants nothing1 that ,i can add unto it4 ,but before ,i enter into the ,body of the ,bishop's ,book1 and upon a profess'd ,defence of my ,discourses against him1 let us consider the manifest ,lies1 ,prevarications1 and wicked ,insinuations in his ,dedication1 whereby he would move the ,secular ,powers to a severe ,punishment of me4 ,i will pass by the ,motto of his ,book1 viz4 ,but ,jesus said unto him1 ,judas1 betrayest thou the ,son of ,man with a ,kiss2 ,whereby he would signify and intimate1 not to ,scholars 7for they have more ,wit than to think the worse of me for his ,abuse of ,scripture7 but to the ignorant ,multitude1 that ,i am another ,judas1 a ,traitor and ,rebel to ,jesus4 ,commonly ,mottos of ,books are suited to their ,authors1 and the ,design of them2 whether the ,bishop will be willing to take this ,motto to himself or not1 ,i will upon another ,occasion give it a pleasant and pertinent ,turn upon him4 ,at present ,i shall only say1 what the ,learned will observe1 that this is of a wicked and malicious ,use and ,intention1 of no less1 than to create in the ,minds of the ,people an ,hatred and ,detestation of me2 of no other1 than by dressing me up1 as it were1 in a ,bear's ,skin1 to excite the ,ecclesiastical and merciless ,mob to worry and destroy me4 ,such has been the roguish ,artifice of priests of all ,ages1 to represent their ,adversaries1 whom they would destroy1 under odious and borrow'd ,names1 that their ,persecutions of them might be thought the less cruel4 ,but passing this by for the present1 the ,i4 ,first wicked and wilful ,misrepresentation that the ,bishop1 in his ,dedication1 has made of me1 is that of being an ,infidel1 and an ,apostate ,clergyman4 ,wherefore else does he say thus to the ,queen3 ,what is now presented to your ,royal ,view1 is an ,apologetical ,defence of our holy ,religion1 against one of the most virulent ,libels on it1 by an ,apostate ,clergyman1 that has appear'd in any ,christian ,country2 and in ,comparison of which1 other ,infidels have acted a modest ,part4 ,and again he calls my ,discourses1 ,a flagrant ,sort of ,profaneness1 that tramples with ,indignity on the ,grounds of the ,christian ,faith4 ,and again he signifies1 ,that ,i am warmly engaged in subverting the ,christian ,religion1 and active in propagating ,infidelity4 ,this is all wilful and downright ,calumny1 to incense the ,queen and the ,government against me4 ,the ,bishop knows in his ,heart that ,i am no ,infidel1 but a ,believer of ,christianity1 notwithstanding my ,discourses on ,miracles1 that have occasion'd such a ,clamour against me4 ,in my ,discourses1 ,i have repeatedly and most solemnly declared1 that my ,designs are not to do ,service to ,infidelity1 but to advance the ,glory of ,god1 the ,truth of ,christianity1 and to demonstrate the ,messiahship of the holy ,jesus4 ,if ,i have sometimes ridiculed the litteral ,story of our ,saviour's ,miracles1 ,i have profess'd as often that it was with ,design to turn ,men's ,hearts to the mystical ,interpretation of them1 on which alone ,jesus's ,authority and ,messiahship is founded4 ,i could collect a great ,number of ,passages out of my ,discourses to this ,purpose1 if it would not be wasting of ,time and ,paper4 ,and do all these solemn ,declarations of my ,faith1 and of the ,integrity of my ,heart1 and of the ,sincerity of my ,intentions1 stand for nothing8 ,why should not my ,word here be taken8 ,i can think of no other ,reason1 than because some other ,folks are accustom'd to dissemble and prevaricate with ,god and ,man in their ,oaths and ,subscriptions1 therefore ,i may be suspected here of ,hypocrisy1 notwithstanding my ,professions to the contrary4 ,besides1 the ,bishop knows by my other ,writings1 that ,i am certainly a ,christian1 and a true ,believer of the ,religion of ,christ1 though ,i may have some different ,conceptions from other ,men about it4 ,it has been my good ,luck before1 not only to publish more ,treatises purposely and professedly in ,defence of ,christianity1 than any ,bishop in ,england2 but some of them are of such a ,nature1 as it's impossible for a ,man to write without being a ,christian1 and impossible for him to depart from the ,principles of them4 ,this is my good ,fortune and ,happiness at this ,juncture4 ,the ,bishop has perused1 ,i see1 some of my other ,writings1 and particularly1 my ,old ,apology for the ,truth of ,christianity revived2 and to his ,praise1 as well as my ,comfort be it spoken1 he apprehends and rightly relishes it4 ,and as ,i was well pleased with his ,representation of the ,design of that ,book1 from the ,principles and allegorical ,scheme of which1 he says 7in ,twenty-four ,years since7 ,i am not departed2 so ,i would appeal to his ,conscience1 ,whether a ,man1 who wrote1 as ,i did then1 of the ,typical and ,antitupal ,deliverance of the ,jewish and ,christian ,church1 can possibly be an ,infidel1 or ever depart from the ,christian ,faith8 ,if the ,bishop has ,ingenuity equal to his ,penetration into that ,book1 he must own and confess to the ,world1 that ,i was then1 and am still a ,christian1 a ,man of fix'd and unalterable ,principles from that ,day to this4 ,the ,bishop would be thought in his ,preface to enumerate all my ,writings2 but there are three others1 whether wilfully or negligently omitted by him1 ,i know not1 that are direct ,defences of the ,truth of ,christianity2 and there is not a learned ,clergy-man in ,england 7,i humbly presume to say it7 who can read them1 and not applaud them4 ,if the ,bishop will be pleas'd to read one of them1 viz4 ,the ,defence of the ,miracle of the ,thundering ,legion1 and say it from his ,heart1 that ,i might write that ,book1 and believe the ,ecclesiastical ,story of that ,miracle1 and yet be no ,christian1 then ,i will yield to his ,accusation against me for ,infidelity4 ,but why do ,i trouble my self thus to assert and vindicate my ,belief of ,christianity8 ,the ,bishop would readily come into the ,acknowledgment of my being a sincere ,christian1 but for his ,interests and ,prejudices1 and other political ,considerations1 which influence him and the ,clergy so to decry and defame me1 that1 if possible1 ,i must be destroy'd1 or at least have my ,mouth stopp'd4 ,in short then1 it is not because ,i am an ,infidel1 that the ,clergy so exclaim against me and my ,discourses2 but because1 as a ,christian1 ,i have particular ,designs in view1 which1 if ,i can compass1 will tend to their ,dishonour1 and the ,ruin of their ,interests2 and therefore1 by ,defamations and ,prosecutions1 they will1 if they can1 in time put a stop to them4 ,the ,designs that1 for the ,truth of ,religion1 and ,good of ,mankind1 ,i have in view1 and which1 maugre all ,opposition1 ,terrors1 and ,sufferings1 ,i will pursue to the utmost of my ,power1 are these three4 #a4 ,to restore the ,allegorical ,interpretation of the ,old and ,new ,testament1 that is call'd1 say the ,fathers1 the sublime ,mountain of ,vision1 on which we shall contemplate the ,wisdom and ,beauty of the ,providence of ,god2 and behold the glorious ,transfiguration of ,jesus with ,moses and ,elias1 that is1 the ,harmony between the ,gospel and the ,law and the ,prophets1 agreeably to ,jesus's typical ,transfiguration4 ,and this is such a glorious and beatifick ,vision1 that it's enough to ravish our ,hearts with the ,hopes and ,desires of attaining to it4 ,the old ,jews say1 that the allegorical ,interpretation of the ,scriptures will lead us to the sight of ,god and convert even ,atheists4 ,the ,fathers say1 that the allegorical ,interpretation will be the ,conversion of the ,jews in the ,perfection of ,time2 and ,st4 ,augustin speaks of a great allegorical ,genius1#cdb that will be sent to that ,purpose4 ,i believe all this1 and being convinced of the ,truth of it1 ,i am much addicted to ,allegories4 ,and it is plain enough1 and wants no ,proof1 that the ,revival of the allegorical ,scheme1 which ,i am fond of1 portends ,ruin to the ,ministry of the ,letter2 and will be such an ,argument of the ,ignorance and ,apostacy of our ,clergy1 that it's no wonder they defame1 calumniate1 and persecute me for my ,attempts towards it4 ,origen says1#cdc that litteral ,interpreters will run into ,infidelity1 which is a ,saying ,i am well pleased with1 and thereupon will try if ,i can't turn the ,tables upon our ,clergy2 ,i'll try if ,i can't shift from my self the present ,load of ,reproaches for ,infidelity1 and lay it upon them4 ,what would the ,wife and the ,learned then say8 ,that the great ,bishops of ,london and ,st4 ,david's had caught a ,tartar4 ,i have indeed ludicrously treated the ,letter of the ,scriptures 7in my ,discourses7 which by the said ,bishops is falsly called ,blasphemy3 ,but should they either ludicrously or sedately write against the allegorical ,sense of them1 ,i could prove that to be real ,blasphemy4 ,however1 ,i would not complain to the ,civil ,powers against them2 no1 it's ,god's peculiar ,prerogative to punish that ,sin1 which ought not to be committed to the ,care of the ,civil ,magistrate4 ,but what need ,i ludicrously to handle the ,letter of our ,saviour's ,miracles8 ,because some ,sort of ,stories are the proper ,subjects of ,ridicule2 and because1 ,ridiculum acri fortius melius1 ,ridicule will cut the ,pate of an ,ecclesiastical ,numbskull1 which calm and sedate ,reasoning will make no ,impression on4 ,to speak then the ,truth in few ,words4 ,as ,i am resolv'd at any ,rate to run down the ,letter1 in order to make way for the ,spirit of the ,scriptures1 so certainly will our ,clergy1 for their ,interests and ,honour1 as ,ministers of the ,letter1 vilify and reproach me1 and pursue me with an implacable ,hatred3 ,but ,i should think it meet for them to use a little more ,temper in their ,revilings1 for fear the ,torrent of ,reproaches should sometime or other turn on them4 ,it is asserted and predicted by the ,fathers that1 after a certain ,time of the ,church's ,apostacy to the ,letter1 the ,spirit of ,life1 or the allegorical ,sense will re-enter the ,scriptures1 to the ,advancement of divine ,knowledge and true ,religion2 in the mean while the ,clergy will do well to see to it4 ,but1 #b4 ,the ,second ,design which1 as a ,christian1 ,i have in ,view1 and which occasionally ,i write for1 is an universal and unbounded ,toleration of ,religion1 without any ,restrictions or ,impositions on ,men's ,consciences2 for which ,design1 the ,clergy will hate and defame me1 and1 if possible1 make an ,infidel of me1 as well as for the former4 ,upon an universal ,toleration the ,world would be at quiet3 ,that ,hatred of one another1 which is now so visible among different ,sects1 would then be terminated by a ,unity of their ,interests1 when they are all upon the ,level in the ,eye of the ,civil ,magistrate1 who would choose ,men to ,places of ,trust1 not for their ,faith and ,affection to ,theological ,doctrines1 but for their ,abilities to serve the ,publick4 ,in this ,case1 ,ten thousand different ,notions in ,religion would no more obstruct the ,welfare of the ,community1 than so many different ,noses do the ,happiness of this ,city4 ,the ,variety of their ,theological ,opinions1 would be the ,diversion and ,amusement of each other2 and so long as it was out of their ,power to oppress1 they could not hate one another for them4 ,such a ,toleration1 the ,clergy would persuade us1 tends to ,confusion and ,distraction1 as if ,men would go to ,loggerheads upon it4 ,but this is one of their ,mistakes2 there would be a perfect ,calm upon it1 if such ,incendiaries as they are did not disturb the publick ,tranquillity4 ,they'll tell us again1 that such a ,toleration makes ,way for ,dissoluteness of ,morals1 and would let in ,sin like a ,deluge upon us2 but this is another of their ,errors4 ,such a ,toleration would promote ,virtue1 in as much as different ,sects of ,religion are a ,check upon each other against ,looseness of ,morals1 because every ,sect would endeavour to approve itself above others1 by the ,goodness of their ,lives1 as well as by the ,excellency of their ,doctrine4 ,but the ,clergy will never hearken to such a ,toleration1 because it would be the ,downfall of ,ecclesiastical ,power2 for which ,reason1 among many others1 ,i am #c4 ,for the ,abolition of an hired and establish'd ,priesthood4 ,and for this1 if for nothing else1 ,i am sure to be prosecuted with ,hatred and ,violence1 and loaded with the ,calumnies and ,reproaches of ,infidelity and ,blasphemy3 ,and the ,clergy1 if possible1 will have my ,mouth stopp'd1 and my ,hands tied1 before ,i proceed too far in my ,labours and ,endeavours to this ,end4 ,and why should not the ,clergy of the ,church of ,england be turn'd to ,grass1 and be made to seek their ,fortune among the ,people1 as well as ,preachers of other ,denominations8 ,where's the ,sense and ,reason of imposing ,parochial ,priests upon the ,people to take care of their ,souls1 more than ,parochial ,lawyers to look to their ,estates1 or ,parochial ,physicians to attend their ,bodies1 or ,parochial ,tinkers to mend their ,kettles8 ,in secular ,affairs every ,man chooses the ,artist and ,mechanick that he likes best2 so much more ought he in ,spirituals1 in as much as the ,welfare of the ,soul is of greater ,importance than that of the ,body or ,estate4 ,the ,church-,lands would go a good1 if not a full ,step1 towards the ,payment of the ,nation's ,debts4 ,i have promised the ,world1 what1 by the ,assistance of ,god1 and the ,leave of the ,government1 shall be publish'd1 a ,discourse on the ,mischiefs and ,inconveniencies of an ,hired and ,establish'd ,priesthood3 ,in which it shall be shewn1 ,i4 ,that the ,preachers of ,christianity in the first ,ages of the ,church 7when the ,gospel was far and near spread1 and triumph'd over all ,opposition of ,jews and ,gentiles7 neither received nor insisted on any ,wages for their ,pains1 but were against preaching for ,hire2 and1 as if they had been endew'd with the ,spirit of ,prophecy1 before an ,hireling ,priesthood was establish'd1 predicted their ,abolition and ,ejection out of ,christ's ,church4 ,,ii4 ,that since the ,establishment of an ,hire for the ,priesthood1 the ,progress of ,christianity has not only been stopt1 but lost ,ground2 the ,avarice1 ,ambition1 and ,power of the ,clergy having been of such unspeakable ,mischief to the ,world1 as is enough to make a ,man's ,heartake to think1 read1 or write of4 ,,iii4 ,that upon an ,abolition of our present establish'd ,priesthood1 and on ,god's ,call of his own ,ministers1 the ,profession of the ,gospel will again spread2 and ,virtue1 ,religion1 and ,learning1 will more than ever flourish and abound4 ,the ,clergy are forewarn'd of my ,design to publish such a ,discourse2 and this is the secret ,reason1 whatever openly they may pretend1 of their ,accusations against me for ,blasphemy and ,infidelity4 ,their ,zeal and ,industry will be never wanting to prevent the ,publication of this ,discourse2 neither need ,i doubt of ,persecution1 if they can excite the ,government to it1 to that ,end4 ,in my first ,discourse on ,miracles1 ,i happen'd to treat on that of ,jesus's driving the ,buyers and ,sellers out of the ,temple2 which1 upon the ,authority of the ,fathers1 ,i shew'd to be a ,figure of his future ,ejection of ,bishops1 ,priests1 and ,deacons out of his ,church1 for making ,merchandise of the ,gospel4 ,the ,bishop has taken me and that ,miracle to task2 and if ever any ,man smiled at another's ,impertinence1 ,i then heartily laugh'd when ,i read him4 ,i begg'd of the ,bishop before-hand#cdd not to meddle with that ,miracle1 because it was a hot one1 and would burn his ,fingers4 ,but for all my ,caution2 he has been so ,fool-hardy1 as to venture upon it2 but has really touch'd and handled it1 as if it was a burning ,coal4 ,he takes it up1 and as soon drops it again to blow his ,fingers2 then endeavours to throw a little ,water on this and that ,part of it to cool it1 but all would not do4 ,the most fiery ,part of it1 viz4 that of its being a ,type of ,jesus's future ,ejection of mercenary ,preachers out of the ,church1 he has not1 ,i may say it1 at all touch'd1 except by calling it#cde my allegorical ,invective against the ,maintenance of the ,clergy2 which is such a ,piece of ,corinthian ,effrontery in the ,bishop1 that was he not resolv'd to lye and defame at all ,rates1 for the ,support of their ,interests1 he could never have had the ,face to have utter'd4 ,if the ,bishop had proved that that ,miracle 7which litterally was such a----1 as ,i dare not now call it7 neither was nor could be a ,shadow and ,resemblance of ,jesus's ,ejection of hired ,priests out of the ,church at his second ,advent1 and that the ,fathers were not of this ,opinion1 he had knock'd me down at once4 ,as he has done nothing of this1 so he might have spared his ,pains in ,support of the ,letter of this ,story4 ,but ,i shall have a great deal of ,diversion with the ,bishop1 when ,i come1 in a proper ,place1 to defend my ,exposition of that ,miracle4 ,in the mean ,time1 as the ,bishop has publish'd one of the ,articles of my ,christian ,faith1 thinking to render me odious for it2 so here ,i will insert another1 viz4#cdf ,i believe upon the ,authority of the ,fathers1 that the ,spirit and ,power of ,jesus will soon enter the ,church1 and expel ,hireling ,priests1 who make ,merchandise of the ,gospel1 out of her1 after the manner he is supposed to have driven the ,buyers and ,sellers out of the ,temple4 ,now upon all this1 whether the ,bishop1 modestly speaking1 has not been unjust1 uncharitable1 and insincere1 to represent me as an ,infidel1 ,i appeal to all learned and ingenuous ,gentlemen4 ,i am a ,christian1 though not upon the litteral ,scheme1 which ,i nauseate1 yet upon the allegorical one4 ,and by the following easy and short ,argument it may be proved that ,i am most certainly a ,christian4 ,i heartily and zealously contend for the allegorical ,interpretation of the ,scriptures1 which the ,bishop allows to be true of me2 consequently ,i must1 and do believe the ,scriptures to be of divine ,inspiration1 or ,i could not think there were such ,mysteries and ,prophecy latent under the ,letter of them4 ,whether then a ,believer of the divine ,inspiration of the ,scriptures can be an ,infidel 7,o most monstrous ,paradox67 or any other than a ,christian1 judge ,readers4 ,nay1 if ,origen's and ,st4 ,augustin's ,testimony on my ,behalf may be admitted1 ,i am more truly a ,christian and ,disciple of the ,holy ,jesus1 than any litteral ,schemist can be4 ,origen says1#cdg ,that the ,perfection of ,christianity consists in a mystical ,interpretation of the ,old and ,new ,testament1 of the ,historical1 as well as other ,parts of it4 ,and ,st4 ,augustin says1#cdh ,that they who attain to the ,understanding of the spiritual ,signification of ,jesus's ,miracles1 are the best ,doctors in his ,school4 ,the ,bishop understands this ,argument as well as any ,man1 and therefore ,i charge it home upon him1 as a wilful and malicious ,slander1 to call and account me an ,infidel in his ,dedication1 on purpose to incense the ,government against me at this ,juncture4 ,but the ,bishop moreover calls me1 as above1 an ,apostate ,clergyman2 ,and why so8 ,because ,i have deserted the ,ministry of the ,letter1 and betaken my self to the ,ministry of the ,spirit of the ,scriptures4 ,that's like the ,wit and ,reasoning of his ,pate6 ,the ,bishop is old enough1 and has read enough to know that ,apostacy1 in the ,sense of the ,fathers1 is a ,desertion of the ,ministry of the ,spirit1 and a ,falling into the ,ministry of the ,letter of the ,scriptures2 whereupon ,i make bold to retort upon the ,bishop1 and say of him1 and his ,episcopal ,brethren1 that they are ,apostate ,bishops4 ,but to humour the ,bishop in his fond ,dedication1 ,i will suppose my self to be1 what ,i am the farthest of any ,man living from being1 an ,infidel and ,apostate2 yet ,,ii4 ,the ,bishop is a wilful ,calumniator1 or1 at best1 an unhappy ,misrepresenter of me1 and of other ,infidels1 saying in his ,dedication1 that our ,design is ,to sap the ,foundation of all ,government1 and----,that we were pursuing such ,methods1 as have a natural ,tendency to introduce ,confusion4 ,if this was true of us ,infidels 7for now ,i speak of my self as one of them7 it behoves ,civil ,governors to look about them1 and to punish and suppress us with all speed2 and we should be the most unreasonable ,men alive1 if we complain'd of ,persecution1 or call'd it hard ,usage4 ,and the ,bishop of ,london1 and other ,divines 7like this ,bishop7 do commonly declaim on the ,danger of ,infidelity to ,civil ,society1 but this is all ,ecclesiastical ,cant and ,jargon4 ,i thought ,i had given#cdi the ,bishop of ,london so much on this ,head of ,complaint against ,infidelity1 as ,i could not suppose the ,bishop of ,st4 ,david's would ever have repeated it4 ,it is true1 what the ,bishop says1 that ,religion is the firmest ,support of ,government1 and ,christianity especially lays the greatest ,obligations1 on ,men's ,consciences1 of ,obedience to the ,civil ,powers4 ,i believe all this1 and that the better ,christians ,men are1 the more quiet1 peaceable1 and useful ,subjects1 and the greater ,friends would they be to the ,civil ,authority4 ,but does it follow from hence1 that we ,infidels1 because we have rejected the ,belief of some systematical ,divinity1 as the ,clergy are fond of1 should consequently be ,enemies to the ,civil ,government1 and ,foes to the ,peace1 ,order1 and ,welfare of ,society8 ,o fie upon the ,drawers of such ,consequences6 ,we are1 ,i believe1 a numerous and growing ,sect in these ,nations1 though ,i am acquainted with none1 no1 not so much as with the ,great ,mr4 ,grounds3 ,but ,i could never perceive that any of us1 in ,principle1 were against ,civil ,government1 and the ,welfare of the ,community2 or were for ,confusion1 for setting the ,people together by the ,ears1 to the ,disturbance of the publick ,peace and ,tranquillity4 ,no1 no1 our ,interests in the ,world1 as well as other ,men's1 oblige us to consult the publick ,welfare2 and our ,consciences1 from the ,religion of ,nature1 bind us to ,obedience to ,government2 and1 was it not agreeable to our ,inclination1 the ,necessity of ,affairs would force us to be as quiet and obedient as are any ,christians3 ,and ,i thank ,god1 we have hitherto behaved our selves very peaceably1 clear of all ,suspicion of ,treason and ,rebellion to any ,prince or ,state4 ,the ,bishop hints at ,experience to the contrary1 but it will puzzle him to give an ,instance4 ,one would think1 by this common ,harangue1 of ,ecclesiasticks against us ,infidels1 that ,christians1 especially the ,priesthood1 being1 as the ,bishop says1 both under the ,penalties of human ,laws1 and the stronger ,impressions of a future ,state1 were of a ,lamb-like ,nature1 and never given to disturb the ,civil ,authority3 ,and ,i will own the ,christian ,laity might be acquitted here1 but for the ,clergy1 who have been repeatedly the ,pest and ,bane of human ,society1 the ,trumpeters of ,sedition and ,rebellion1 and mere ,make-bates in ,cities and ,families4 ,and ,i dare say1 that if the ,civil ,powers don't curb1 and keep our ,priesthood in awe1 they will upon this present ,occasion be the ,disturbers of the publick ,peace4 ,so little ,sense and ,truth is there in the ,bishop's present ,invective against us ,infidels6 ,if he had not been infatuated to a ,forgetfulness of the ,rogueries of ,priests1 in all ,ages1 against the ,civil ,powers1 he could never have insinuated such a groundless and senseless ,charge against us1 to the ,provocation of the ,civil ,magistrate to fall on us4 ,but ,,iii4 ,the ,bishop calumniates us ,infidels 7for against his ,conscience1 whether ,i will or not1 he will have me to be one of them7 not only for being ,enemies to ,government in general1 which he will have us to advance ,principles destructive of2 but insinuates and asserts that we are disaffected to the particular and present ,government of these ,kingdoms1 saying1 that as we are active in propagating ,infidelity1 we do in the last ,resort1 not only insult the ,title of ,defender of the ,faith1 but undermine the undoubted ,right of his ,majesty and his ,royal ,family to the ,crown of these ,realms1 as it is founded on the ,profession of ,christianity1 reform'd1 and now legally settled among us2 and therefore ,persons of that ,character may well be consider'd1 as equally false to the ,author of our ,faith1 and to the present ,government4----,therefore in a just ,sense of that ,allegiance which is due to the ,king1 and for the ,security of your ,majesties1 and the ,royal ,family1 and thereby of the ,publick it self1 as well as out of a deep ,concern for the ,honour and ,preservation of our most holy ,faith1 the ensuing ,treatise is now offer'd1 under your ,majesty's ,protection1 to the ,view of the ,publick4 ,this is all such foolish and manifest ,slander1 that ,i can't but think the ,bishop mad with ,rage and ,indignation at me1 when he writ it4 ,i dare say the ,queen1 who is firmly attach'd to the ,interests of the ,christian and ,protestant ,religion1 did1 when she read all this1 almost grieve for the ,bishop1 and pity him for his ,weakness and ,ignorance4 ,it is a ,maxim among all ,parties1 that ,infidels are heartily affected to the present ,establishment of the ,state2 yea1 so far a ,maxim1 that ,jacobites and ,high-,church-men are apt to accuse all the well-affected to the ,government1 of ,infidelity4 ,from none of the ,writings or ,practice of ,infidels1 much less of my self1 could the ,bishop gather any of these his childish ,surmises4 ,the ,government1 since the ,succession of the ,illustrious ,house of ,hanover1 has been twice attempted to be disturb'd1 and both times by profess'd ,christians4 ,the ,rebellion at ,preston consisted of ,papists and ,high-,church-men1 and tho' there were but few ,clergy-men in ,arms1 yet they were join'd with the ,prayers and ,wishes of many ,thousands of the ,clergy1 and even1 as it was suspected1 of some ,oxonian ,bishops4 ,bishop ,atterbury's ,plot too consisted of ,rebellious ,christians1 without the least intermixture of us ,infidels1 who are the more zealously affected to the ,government1 because of the ,danger it is sometimes in from the ,high-,church ,clergy4 ,away then with the ,bishop's ,slander1 which1 for all we may be ,unbelievers of ,christianity1 our ,civil ,magistrates will laugh at and deride him for4 ,but1 ,,iv4 ,another ,misrepresentation1 more foolish and absurd than the former1 that the ,bishop has made of us ,infidels1 is1 that we are making ,way for ,popery and ,slavery3 ,for thus he says of us1 ,nothing is more demonstrable1 than that those ,adversaries 7meaning us ,infidels7 of the ,christian ,religion1 who are now so busily employ'd in infusing ,doubts into some weak ,minds1 in giving an ,indifference and ,coldness to other well-meaning ,persons1 and in making others1 that are viciously inclin'd1 actual ,proselites to ,infidelity1 are pursuing such ,methods as have a natural ,tendency to introduce ,confusion1 and thereby betray us into ,popery4 ,and again he says of ,infidels1 ,that in ,consequence of their own ,infidelity1 and their wicked ,diligence in spreading that ,infection1 are bringing in upon us the real ,persecutions of the ,church of ,rome2 who likewise1 whilst they rail so plentifully at the most rational ,religion in the ,world as ,superstition1 give great ,advantages towards restoring the insupportable ,superstitions of that ,communion4 ,these are the ,persons indeed that appear in favour of an unbounded ,liberty1 but ,god grant it may not terminate in an absolute ,slavery4 ,risum quis tenerat8 ,who in his ,wits could write such ,stuff8 ,and who without ,impatience can read it8 ,i was going about a particular ,dissection of these two ,paragraphs1 and to lay open the ,wit1 ,sense1 and ,oratory of the ,bishop1 to the ,contemplation of his ,admirers2 but ,i find it unnecessary1 as well as tedious to do it3 ,the very transcribing of them1 and exposing them to ,view1 is enough to render him ridiculous4 ,if there be no more danger of ,popery1 ,slavery1 ,superstition1 ,tyranny1 and real ,persecution from our ,clergy1 than from us ,infidels1 the ,nation is safe4 ,infidels find too much ,inconvenience in the ,power1 ,craft1 and ,follies of a ,protestant ,clergy1 to make ,way for ,popery2 which1 as the ,bishop rightly says1 is a ,complication of ,errors4 ,there are1 what the ,bishop should have thought of1 many ,protestant ,priests for an ,accommodation with the ,church of ,rome2 and1 if ,i mistake not1 upon such easy ,terms as this1 viz4 ,if she'll but part with some of her ,superstitions that are of no ,use to her2 our ,clergy will admit of others as will be of ,advantage to them4 ,but ,infidels are irreconcilable ,enemies to the ,church of ,rome1 and so far from ,wishes and ,endeavours to restore ,popery1 that it is mere ,nonsense to charge them with either direct or consequential ,designs so to enslave ,mankind4 ,but ,v4 ,the ,bishop says1 that we ,infidels 7for ,i am one it seems7 labour industriously to root out all ,sense of ,virtue and ,religion among us4 ,this is sad indeed1 if true2 and very bad ,men should we be1 and deserving of the worst ,punishment4 ,but this wants ,proof4 ,how does he know that we are for rooting out all ,sense of ,virtue and ,religion amongst ,men8 ,does it appear so by our ,writings or our ,practices8 ,does he find in our ,books any ,exhortations to ,looseness and ,immorality8 ,nothing of this ,i am sure4 ,is he then so well acquainted with ,infidels1 as to know them to be of more depraved and debauch'd ,lives than profess'd ,christians8 ,nor this neither4 ,i have not as yet heard that any of my ,disciples have been hang'd1 lamenting his ,misfortune of reading my ,discourses1 as what encouraged him to ,sin1 and brought him to the ,gallows4 ,no1 those unhappy ,people1 hitherto1 die in the ,faith and ,communion of the ,church1 either of ,england or of ,rome1 and hope to be saved through the ,merits of their ,saviour1 ,neither do1 ,i hear of any ,gentleman1 old or young1 who has given a greater ,loose to his ,lusts and ,passions1 since he read my ,books4 ,such ,news would trouble me4 ,but because of this ,out-cry of the ,bishop1 and of other ,preachers against us1 that we labour industriously to root out all ,sense of ,virtue and ,religion amongst ,men1 ,i wish 7for ,proof7 that ,infidels were distinguishable from ,christians1 that a ,comparison might be made1 and the ,difference discern'd between them1 as to true ,religion and ,virtue4 ,tho' ,i am one of little ,acquaintance with ,infidels1 yet it is my ,opinion that1 on this ,score1 they may vie with1 and1 all things consider'd1 do surpass ,christians4 ,one would think1 by the ,bishop's ,insinuation above1 that none but good ,people were of his ,christian ,faith2 and that all ,infidels were profligate ,sinners2 but he knows better1 and what's more1 he should have been more ingenuous than to charge ,infidels with ,labours to root out all ,sense of ,virtue and ,religion amongst ,men1 if it was but in ,regard to that learned ,gentleman who is supposed to be at the ,head of ,infidelity1 and who1 they say1 is as exemplary for all social ,virtues1 as any ,bishop2 and dislikes ,vice and ,immorality as much as any ,saint can do4 ,whatever be the ,virtue and ,religion of ,infidels1 it is all genuine1 natural1 and sincere2 and consequently more ,praise-worthy than that of hired ,priests1 who may be suspected of ,hypocrisy1 because of their ,interests4 ,i heard a wild ,spark say1 that he could be as grave as the ,bishop of ,london1 if he was but as well paid for it4 ,whether he believ'd the ,bishop would have been as loose as himself1 but for his ,hire1 ,i can't tell4 ,but this is certain that1 what can't be said of ,infidels1 there are ,priests who put on the ,face and ,form of ,godliness1 and want the ,life and ,power of it2 who lift up their ,hands and ,eyes unto ,god1 when their ,hearts are far from him2 and were not their ,interests more than their ,faith1 a ,restraint to their ,lusts1 it is commonly believ'd they would be a ,company of loose ,blades4 ,what a ,pother is here of the ,danger and ,mischief of ,infidelity to ,church and ,state8 ,do but take away the ,cause of ,infidelity1 and the ,effect ceases4 ,and what is the ,cause of ,infidelity8 ,why1 what ,origen predicted1 ,i experience to be true1 that the ,ministry of the ,letter is the ,cause of it2 and ,i appeal to ,mr4 ,grounds1 ,whether litteral ,expositions on the ,scripture1 and the absurd ,doctrines which the ,clergy have built upon the ,letter1 have not been one ,cause of his calling into ,question1 the ,truth of ,christianity1 and the divine ,inspiration of the holy ,scriptures8 ,but this is not the only ,cause of ,infidelity2 there are other grand ones1 which ,dr4 ,moore writes of1 saying thus3#cej ,that ,men are exceedingly tempted to think the whole ,business of ,religion is at best but a ,plot to enrich the ,priests1 and keep the ,people in awe1 from observing that they1 who make the greatest ,noise about ,religion1 and are the most zealous therein1 do neglect the ,laws of ,honesty and common ,humanity2 that they easily invade other ,men's ,rights2 that they juggle1 dissemble1 and lye for ,advantage2 that they are proud1 conceited1 love the ,applause of the ,people1 are envious1 fierce1 and implacable1 unclean and sensual1 merciless and cruel2 care not to have ,kingdoms flow in ,blood1 for maintaining their ,tyranny over the ,consciences of poor deluded ,souls4 ,if then there is any ,danger of any kind in ,infidelity1 let the ,clergy take the ,blame and ,shame of it to themselves1 and not lay that ,fault1 which is their own1 upon other ,men4 ,but observing that ,dr4 ,moore above speaks of ,priests1 their neglecting the ,laws of ,honesty and common ,humanity1 as a ,cause of ,infidelity1 ,i must here do a piece of ,justice to ,infidels1 who place the very ,essence of all ,religion 7as ,i believe the ,essence of ,christianity consists7 in common ,honesty4 ,if they keep to their ,principles1 and act agreeably1 they will work such a ,reformation in the ,world for the better1 as the ,priests of all ,ages have not been able to do4 ,the ,clergy have made such a ,noise in the ,world about ,faith and ,doctrine1 that the ,people hardly think they need be ,honest to be good ,christians and even many ,clergy-men are conceited of their being orthodox and sound ,divines1 though by their ,dishonesty1 ,profuseness1 and ,neglect of a ,provision for their ,families1 they have1 in the ,judgment of#cea ,st4 ,paul1 deny'd the ,faith1 and are worse than ,infidels4 ,and thus have ,i consider'd the ,slanders and ,misrepresentations of my self and ,infidels1 contain'd in the ,bishop's ,dedication to the ,queen1 which entirely is such a ,piece of ,fury1 ,railing1 and ,impertinence1 as a ,man shall hardly meet with4 ,surely he was not awake when he wrote his ,dedication1 it is so like the ,dream of a disorder'd ,brain which consists of confused ,notions1 and scatter'd ,ideas1 that are never to be so compacted together1 as to make tolerable ,sense1 ,reason1 and ,truth4 ,if ,i had not met with much such flaming ,stuff in the ,body of his ,book1 ,i should have suspected that some-body1 more a ,foe than a ,friend to him1 had palm'd it upon him1 and over-persuaded him to print it1 as what would recommend him to her ,majesty's ,favour4 ,whether he'll merit a ,translation to an ,arch-,bishoprick1 for this ,dedication1 with me is no ,question4 ,for all he may take me for his ,enemy1 ,i wish him translated1 as certainly as the ,government has transported some other ,folks1 who are no more the ,bane of ,society4 ,buggs in a ,house1 and ,caterpillars in a ,garden1 are not a greater ,grievance1 than some sort of ,ecclesiastical ,vermin in ,christ's ,church and ,vineyard4 ,that the ,bishop himself admires his ,dedication1 and is pleas'd with it1 ,i don't doubt4 ,like as ,bears are fond of their ill-favour'd ,cubbs1 so the ,brats of some ,men's ,brains1 as well as those of their ,bodies1 are pleasing to than2 and however deform'd and irrational in themselves1 are hugg'd by them as so many ,wits and ,beauties4 ,but whether many1 beside the ,bishop himself1 will like his ,dedication1 is a great ,question4 ,i don't doubt1 but there may be some for ,persecution as well as the ,bishop1 and so far may approve of the ,dedication3 ,but whether there is any one that can think1 he has not greatly injured ,infidels1 and made a false ,representation of them1 for being ,enemies to our ,civil ,government1 and to our present ,establishment1 can't surely be question'd4 ,if he be not look'd upon here1 by all ,mankind1 as a wilful and malicious ,misrepresenter of them1 ,i shall much wonder at it4 ,but what's the ,dedication to the ,book it self1 will some here say8 ,tho' the ,bishop may have made some ,slips in his ,dedication which betray ,weakness and ,ignorance2 yet his following ,performance may be ,strenuous and ,nervous1 and a compleat ,confutation of my ,discourses4 ,i answer1 that such a ,dedication bodes ill to the ,book2 and a ,man may as well expect to find the inside of a ,house beautiful and richly adorn'd1 when the ,porch and ,entrance into it is mean and nasty2 as that an admirable ,treatise for ,wit1 ,reason1 and ,learning1 should follow upon such a poor1 simple1 and insipid ,dedication4 ,commonly ,authors take more care in their ,dedications1 than in their following ,treatise2 that is1 they see better to the ,accuracy of their ,expressions1 the ,exactness of their ,stile1 and ,beauty of their ,thoughts2 and if they err at all in them1 it is only in ,flattery1 and excess of ,compliments on their ,patrons4 ,such ,care too1 after the best manner he was able1 has the ,bishop taken in his ,dedication above2 and whatever his ,readers and ,admirers may think1 the ,dedication is the best ,part of the ,book4 ,the ,exceptions ,i have taken at the ,dedication are but small1 in ,comparison of the ,faults ,i shall find and expose in the ,book it self2 which is such a ,complication of ,impertinence and ,errors1 of ,rage and ,confidence1 and of ,calumnies and ,reproaches1 as is not to be equall'd2 and is so far from deserving the ,character of a ,confutation of my ,discourses1 that it has done them ,service2 and will be1 after the ,animadversions ,i shall make on it1 a ,confirmation of the ,goodness1 ,usefulness1 and ,excellency of my ,design in them4 ,i have not here room to make a compleat ,dissection of the ,bishop's ,work1 and to display its ,insufficiency1 in answer to my ,discourses2 neither was it my ,design in this first ,part of my ,defence to do it4 ,but however1 ,i will spare a ,place here for a short ,character and ,representation of his ,performance1 which take as follows4 ,the ,bishop's sole ,aim and ,design is to vindicate the litteral ,story of our ,saviour's ,miracles1 against my rational and authoritative ,objections to it4 ,and to this ,purpose he wrangles with me1 where he can1 about the ,sense of this and that ,citation out of the ,fathers2 and after he has forc'd another ,sense on it1 than the ,words do naturally bear1 then he insults me for a ,misrepresentation4 ,and where he meets with a plain ,testimony out of the ,fathers1 which he can't mangle nor strain to his ,purpose1 he fluently passes by it2 tho' he would have his ,readers to believe1 he has vindicated the litteral ,story against my ,authorities1 and shewn that the ,fathers were all on his ,side4 ,he complains of my ,mutilations of the ,fathers1 and of making too curt ,citations out of them2 which is true1 but more to my own ,disadvantage than to his4 ,but1 what is ,matter of grand ,triumph to the ,bishop1 is1 that ,i have quoted spurious ,works of the ,fathers for genuine ones4 ,and here he takes great ,pains1 and wastes ,time and ,paper1 to prove that this and that ,book does not belong to the ,author under whose ,name ,i cite it2 and then has a ,fling at me for want of ,skill in ,criticism4 ,but can the ,bishop be so weak1 as to think1 ,i did not know when ,i quoted a spurious ,work8 ,supposing the ,book ,i quoted do not belong to the reputed ,author1 but to some other ,writer1 what's that to the ,question between us8 ,the ,citation is no less the ,testimony of ,antiquity1 and it's no matter whose ,name it bears4 ,if the ,bishop had thought a little on this1 he might have spared some ,sheets of ,paper1 which he has in vain wasted1 to the ,loss of his ,readers ,time and ,money4 ,again1 where my rational ,arguments against the ,letter seem to the ,bishop to be weak and inconclusive2 there1 to do him ,justice1 he handsomly turns upon me with his ,reasoning1 and admonishes me of my ,spitefulness against the ,letter1 or ,i would never use such a slight ,argument4 ,but where ,i pinch and bear hard upon the ,letter1 and the ,jest is not to be digested1 there1 instead of ,reasoning against me1 he makes a hideous ,out-cry of ,buffoonery1 ,blasphemy1 and ,infidelity2 and calls upon the ,civil ,magistrate for his ,help1 or their ,religion1 and their ,all is in ,danger1 through the impious ,writings of untoward ,infidels4 ,the ,bishop in some ,cases gives up the ,cause1 and seems himself to be almost ashamed of the ,letter2 and for the ,maintenance of the ,honour of ,jesus1 and the ,dignity of his miraculous ,operation1 flies to ,allegory2 allowing that this and that ,miracle might be typical and figurative of somewhat else1 as his ,thoughts did suggest to him4 ,but here he discovers his poor ,talent at ,allegories1 making no more ,resemblance between the ,type and ,antitype1 than between an ,apple and an ,oyster4 ,i am repeatedly charg'd by the ,bishop with ,infidelity1 for writing against the ,letter1 tho' ,i am as grave as a ,judge at the allegorical ,interpretation2 and he can't but know that ,infidelity and ,allegorism are incompatible in the same ,person4 ,to prove me an ,infidel1 he should have shewn that ,i meant to pour ,contempt upon the allegorical1 as well as litteral ,sense of ,jesus's ,miracles2 but he has not once hinted at this4 ,a certain great ,writer1 call'd ,mr4 ,grounds1 plays a double ,game upon the ,clergy1 he laughs at the allegorical as well as litteral ,scheme1 and distresses the ,clergy with his ,objections against both4 ,but ,i have not done so2 ,i really am1 or seem to be1 a sincere ,contender for the allegorical ,sense4 ,and to make an ,infidel of an ,allegorist1 is more difficult and impossible than to make a ,monkey of a ,bishop4 ,the ,bishop1 as a ,minister of the ,letter1 has spoken too favourably of the allegorical ,scheme2 he has treated it with too much ,respect1 both as to the ,origin and ,use of it1 and done enough to sap the ,foundation of his ,church2 for which1 ,i am afraid1 he'll meet with a ,reprimand from his ,episcopal ,brethren4 ,the ,bishop of ,lichfield is the ,man for my ,money1 to write against the allegorical ,scheme2 he tells us1 that#ceb ,st4 ,paul suffer'd in the ,esteem of the ,jewish ,christians for his ,neglect of ,allegories2 and seems to be brought into the ,use of them against his own good liking4 ,and again1#cec ,it seems to have been in compliance with ,jewish ,christians1 who were affected with allegorick ,interpretations1 that ,st4 ,paul used that way4 ,which is as much as to say1 ,st4 ,paul was more a ,minister of the ,spirit1 than of ,inclination he was disposed to be1 or1 in truth1 ought to have been2 and that1 if he took upon him the ,ministry of the ,spirit for the present1 it was only craftily and politically done of him1 to catch the ,jews in their own ,snare of ,allegories4 ,he was consenting that the ,preachers of the ,gospel1 in future ,times1 should desert the ,ministry of the ,spirit1 and betake themselves to the ,letter of the ,scriptures1 as what is more agreeable to ,truth1 and conducive to the ,defence and ,propagation of ,christianity4 ,such a ,craftsman was the inspir'd ,st4 ,paul1 in the ,opinion of the ,bishop of ,lichfield6 ,however1 the ,bishop of ,st4 ,david's ought to be of the same ,mind2 he should assert1 that the ,ministry of the ,spirit was all apostolical ,craft and antient ,error2 and that the present ,generation of ,priests1 being wiser1 more learned1 and more sincere than the ,primitive and ,apostolical ones1 do adhere to the ,ministry of the ,letter4 ,because the ,bishop has not gone thus far by much1 he leaves more room1 than he should1 for the ,revival of the ,ministry of the ,spirit2 that is1 of the spiritual and allegorical ,interpretation of the ,scriptures4 ,the ,bishop often reproves me for my primitive ,interpretation of this and that ,text of ,scripture1 and then palms his own forc'd ,sense on us1 for natural and genuine1 contrary to the ,judgment of all ,antiquity4 ,he is so grave1 serious1 and sedate at some simple ,doctrines and ,arguments1 that his ,readers must of necessity laugh1 if not scoff at him4 ,was ,i ludicrously to handle the said ,doctrines1 my ,readers would hardly smile4 ,such a wide ,difference is there between the ,levity of a ,buffoon 7as he is pleased to call me7 and the ,gravity of an ,ass1 to the exposing of ,religion to the ,ridicule and ,contempt of ,mankind4 ,lastly1 ,he entirely mistakes the ,design of my ,discourses2 he knows not what ,i aim and drive at4 ,there's one ,paradox runs through his whole ,book1 viz4 ,that the litteral ,story of our ,saviour's ,miracles must of necessity be true1 or ,i should have no ,foundation to build ,allegories upon2 which is a gross ,mistake of other ,writers against me1 as well as of himself4 ,who knows not that the profest ,parables of ,jesus have nothing of ,letter in them1 yet are a good ,foundation for ,allegory8 ,and let me tell him here again1 that whatever was true1 more or less1 in the litteral ,story of ,jesus's ,miracles1 there is absolute ,necessity1 for the ,honour and ,credit of them1 to have ,recourse to the ,mystery2 or litterally they are1 and shall be farther proved such----,stories1 as ,i dare not at present call them4 ,thus have ,i given a brief ,account of the ,bishop's mighty and pompous ,performance2 like to which he has promis'd us another ,volume1 that ,i shall long for the publication of1 next ,winter4 ,this my brief ,account is but introductory to future and larger ,defences of my ,discourses on ,miracles2 which1 by the ,help of ,god1 and ,permission of the ,civil ,authority1 shall be likewise publish'd4 ,i have not1 ,i say1 room here so much as to defend my self on any one ,miracle2 and if ,i had1 ,i would not do it4 ,for as ,i can't do it without writing in the same ,stile and ,strain for which ,i am prosecuted1 so ,i will do nothing that may be interpreted as an ,act in ,defiance and ,contempt of the ,power of the ,civil ,magistrate4 ,i did indeed publish two ,discourses after the ,commencement of the ,prosecution1 because ,i imagined that our ,bishops were more in ,jest than in ,earnest2 or if their ,passions were raised for the present1 ,i thought1 that after a little ,consideration of the unreasonableness of ,persecution in general1 they would cool upon it1 and drop the ,prosecution4 ,but since they are in ,earnest1 and ,i must answer to the ,civil ,powers for some supposed ,crimes in my ,discourses1 ,i'll not repeat here the like ,acts1 but be quiescent in respect to the said ,powers1 to whom ,reverence and ,obedience is justly due4 ,for1 tho' ,i look upon the ,ecclesiastical ,power as an ,usurpation on the ,consciences of ,mankind1 yet the ,civil is ,sacred1 is ,god's ,ordinance1 and ought to be regarded as such4 ,but if ,i survive the ,prosecution1 and escape with my ,life and ,liberty1 which ,i don't despair of1 under so wise1 just1 and good a ,magistracy as this ,nation is bless'd with1 the ,bishop may expect a strenuous ,defence of my self against his weak ,assaults on me4 ,if our ,bishops were any thing ,heroical1 they would stop the ,prosecution1 and let the ,controversy take its free ,course4 ,if they had any ,sense of ,honour and ,reputation1 any ,regard for their ,learning1 they would set any ,adversary of their ,church at ,defiance1 and disdain the ,assistance of the ,civil ,magistrate to punish him1 whom they could not confute4 ,it is the ,office of the ,bishops and ,priests of the ,church1 or ,i know not what is1 to convert ,infidels1 to refute ,hereticks1 and by ,reason and ,argument to put to ,silence all ,gain-sayers4 ,wherefore have they a liberal and academical ,education1 but to qualify them for this ,work8 ,wherefore do they receive large ,revenues of the ,church1 but to oblige and encourage them to it8 ,nothing more unreasonable1 than that ,men should receive ,wages1 when they don't their ,work4 ,what will the ,people say hereupon less1 than that an ,army of at least ,twenty thousand ,blackguards of the ,church are hired to little or no ,purpose8 ,the meanest of the ,people may as well be taken to ,church ,preferments1 as our reputed learned ,divines4 ,they can discharge other ,ecclesiastical ,offices2 and when they are distress'd with an ,objection to their ,religion1 can do no worse than call upon the ,civil ,magistrate for his ,aid and ,assistance4 ,but after all1 ,i am inclin'd to think our ,bishops1 in ,honour1 would forbear ,persecution1 but for their ,interests1 call'd their ,all1 which depend on the ,issue of this ,controversy4 ,however1 not to urge the ,argument for ,liberty of ,debate any farther1 which has been already by others treated on to ,perfection1 and will be again returned1 ,i doubt not1 by some body else1 on occasion of this ,bishop's ,dedication1 ,i can't but take ,notice here how unpolitick1 as well as unchristian1 some ,dissenters are in this ,controversy1 being1 such as ,dr4 ,harris1 and ,mr4 ,atkinson1 no less for ,persecution than the ,clergy4 ,if they had a ,regard to their own ,interests and ,liberties1 they would be silent4 ,infidels 7of whom ,i am none7 should be consider'd as ,dissenting ,brethren1 whom they should not be forward to oppress1 for fear in time1 and by degrees1 it should come to their own ,turn4 ,our ,dissenters indeed1 collectively1 are vastly numerous1 and a potent ,party1 but may trust too much to their own ,strength and ,numbers4 ,taking them separately1 they may possibly be ,extinguish'd by ,ecclesiastical ,art and ,craft4 ,if ,blasphemy is a just ,pretence for the ,prosecution of me1 the ,clergy1 upon ,occasion1 can urge the same ,crime against them4 ,i'll tell them a ,story4 ,the ,calvinists and ,socinians were once equally tolerated in ,poland1 and if they had been fast ,friends to each other1 the ,papists could never have suppress'd them3 ,but the ,calvinists joining with the ,papists1 and urging them to complain against the ,socinians for ,blasphemy1 in denying the ,divinity of the ,son of ,god1 moved the ,civil ,authority to a ,banishment of them2 and the ,socinians had not been long suppress'd1 before the ,papists accus'd the ,calvinists of no less ,blasphemy1 in denying ,adoration to the ,virgin ,mary2 and so they were sent packing too2 otherwise they might both have enjoy'd their ,liberty to this ,day4 ,the ,application of the ,story is easy4 ,so if all we ,dissenters from the ,church1 whether we like one another's ,principles or not1 don't hold together for the ,preservation of our ,liberties1 it's easy for ,ecclesiasticks to feign an ,accusation of ,blasphemy against any of us4 ,we have no ,security1 but in the ,wisdom and ,goodness of an excellent ,government1 which1 if the ,clergy should ever get on the ,back of1 its hardly a ,question1 whether they would not drive1 ,jehu like1 most furiously4 ,but to return to my ,bishop4 ,i once thought he would never have been drawn into this ,controversy4 ,sometime after the ,publication of my ,third ,discourse1 which1 for a visible ,reason1 ,i dedicated to him1 and invited him to ,battle1 ,i ask'd a dignify'd ,clergy-man1 ,whether the ,bishop would write against me8 ,he answer'd1 ,no3 ,whereupon ,i concluded1 that he had a ,scent of somewhat1 not here to be mention'd4 ,but my repeated ,provocations of him afterwards1 have forc'd him1 against ,inclination1 to engage me4 ,his ,passion got the better of his ,reason1 or he had been certainly quiescent3 ,and the ,violence of his ,passion is so visible thro' his whole ,book1 that it's ,god's great ,mercy it did not throw him into a ,fever and ,convulsions1 to the ,danger of his ,life and ,health4 ,i own here again1 what ,i have done before1 that ,i did lay a ,trap for our ,clergy2 but little imagined that two such great ,bishops1 as of ,london and ,st4 ,david's1 would1 to my ,pleasure and ,satisfaction1 have been caught in it4 ,if ,i had not baited my ,trap well with ,ridicule1 ,i dare say1 they would have kept themselves clear of it4 ,but when ,i experienc'd the hard ,usage the ,bishops had given me upon my ,discourses1 and the ,fury with which they attack'd me1 it surprised me1 and brought to my ,mind ,origen's ,prediction#ced of this very ,war and ,controversy of the ,spirit against the ,letter of the ,scriptures1 and of the ,violence it would be carried on with4 ,for all my ,veneration for the ,authority of the ,fathers1 ,i did here suspect the ,truth of ,origen's ,prediction1 believing him to be mistaken1 and that the ,controversy would be manag'd in a calm1 decent1 and sedate ,manner2 and so it had been1 but for the ,interests of the ,clergy that are at ,stake in it1 which ,i was not aware of4 ,finding then the ,truth of ,origen's ,prediction contrary to my ,expectations1 ,i had the ,curiosity further to consult the ,fathers about the ,issue of this ,controversy2 and they presently1 with their mystical ,fingers1 pointed to a ,prophecy of it in the ,revelations of ,st4 ,john2 but1 to say no more at present1 assur'd me1 that the ,spirit would get the ,better of the ,letter in the ,conclusion of it4 ,tho' ,i am accounted an ,infidel1 ,i am so easy and credulous a ,christian as to believe all this2 and ,i thank ,god have so much ,courage in me1 as to try the ,truth of it4 ,but ,i must observe here1 that besides my two ,bishops1 of ,london and ,st4 ,david's1 7and some other inconsiderable ,triflers7 there are two anonymous ,authors against me1 whose ,works have acquir'd some ,fame4 ,the ,one is intitled1 ,the ,miracles of ,jesus vindicated1 in ,three ,parts4 ,if ,i could have gotten to the certain ,knowledge of the ,author1 ,i should have been tempted to have had a ,bout with him2 and to have expostulated with him1 both with ,regard to his ,arguments and good ,manners4 ,i would have taught him a better ,use1 and a more proper ,application of the ,words ,dishonesty1 and want of ,honesty1 than to reproach me with them4 ,common ,fame says1 ,dr4 ,pearse1 of ,st4 ,martin's1 is the ,author2 but ,i am apt to think1 the ,king's ,parish ,priest1 and other ,city ,divines1 have more ,wit and ,craft than to upbraid me as above1 for fear a just ,charge of ,dishonesty1 for their ,extortions and ,exactions on the ,people1 should be retorted on them4 ,upon the ,publication of the ,first ,part of the foresaid ,treatise1 my ,jewish ,rabbi comes to me in all haste1 saying to me1 ,look you here1 do you see how this ,author has new vampt the old mumpsimus ,argument of ,jesus's ,resurrection8 ,do you observe how imperfectly1 here and there1 he answers my ,objections to it2 and silently slips by some knotty ,pieces of them1 that were too hard for him to untie8 ,yes1 ,rabbi1 said ,i1 ,i do observe all this2 7and what ,i have observ'd since1 he argues1 awkwardly and backwardly1 for the ,certainty of ,jesus's other ,miracles1 from his ,resurrection47 ,my ,rabbi presently re-inforc'd his ,resurrection-,objection against this ,author1 and would have had me to print it4 ,no1 no1 ,rabbi1 said ,i2 you may print it your self1 if you dare4 ,i must wait to hear how ,causes will go in ,westminster-,hall1 next ,term1 before ,i involve my self in another ,law-,suit4 ,besides1 ,rabbi1 they say1 ,i don't really thus correspond with a ,jew1 but do only personate one2 and the ,bishop of ,st4 ,david's hints1 that ,i am answerable to publick ,justice for so doing4 ,here my ,rabbi stampt with ,indignation2 saying1 ,what if you did personate a ,jew8 ,is it not lawful1 and in ,use with your ,divines1 to write ,conferences between a ,christian and a ,jew8 ,and do you any more in this ,case8 ,yes1 ,rabbi1 said ,i1 it is lawful to write such like ,conferences1 and to make ,jewish ,objections to ,christianity1 when they are no stronger than may be easily dissipated3 ,but when ,men write from the ,heart1 as you do1 and raise a ,d----l that our ,clergy can't easily lay1 it is1 they say1 intolerable1 and punishable2 and either you or ,i1 in the ,opinion of the ,bishop1 ought to suffer for it4 ,the other considerable ,treatise against me1 is that of ,the ,trial of the ,witnesses of the ,resurrection of ,jesus2 which is an ingenious ,piece1 and ,i was well pleased with it4 ,some time after the ,publication of this ,treatise1 ,i made my ,jewish ,rabbi a ,visit1 when1 drinking a ,dish of ,tea together1 we talk'd it over2 and my ,rabbi was pleas'd to deliver his ,sentiments of it in this fashion3 ,whoever was the ,author of this ,treatise1 ,god knows1 but he's certainly a ,friend to my ,objections against ,jesus's ,resurrection1 which he has fairly stated2 but is so far from fully confuting all of them1 that he discovers a ,consciousness1 here and there1 that they are unanswerable4 ,it is commonly reported that ,bishop ,sherlock is the ,author of this ,treatise1 but this ,report ,i look upon as an ,artifice of the ,booksellers1 to make it sell well2 or rather the ,author's contrived ,banter upon the ,clergy1 and their weak ,christian ,brethren1 to try how far they may be imposed on1 and drawn into the ,approbation and ,admiration of a ,treatise1 that really makes against them4 ,there is but very little in this ,treatise1 to make it reputed a sufficient ,answer to my ,objections1 excepting the ,verdict of the ,jury1 who brought in the ,witnesses of the ,resurrection1 ,not ,guilty1 of either ,fraud or ,mistake in it4 ,bishop ,sherlock can't be the ,author of this ,treatise1 if for no other ,reason than this1 that that ,author is visibly against that ,ecclesiastical ,wealth and ,power1 which the ,bishop is possess'd of1 and does think not disagreeable to the ,mind of ,christ and his poor ,apostles4 ,if any ,bishop is the concealed ,author of this ,treatise1 he must secretly be of the ,opinion of the atheistical ,pope1 who said1 quantum nobis profuit hc de ,christo ,fabula1 what vast ,advantage has the ,story of ,christ been to us ,popes and ,bishops4 ,i readily gave into the ,opinion of my ,rabbi1 and wonder'd1 ,bishop ,sherlock did not so much as by a publick ,advertisement clear himself of being the ,author of this ,treatise1 and so put a ,stop to the ,report4 ,it may be the ,bishop is above the ,scandal of it2 but ,i was so concern'd for his ,reputation1 that ,i drew up a ,vindication of him from the ,slander of it2 which ,i had publish'd1 but for my ,rabbi's farther ,thoughts about the ,resurrection of ,jesus inserted in it1 that our ,bishops might have possibly taken ,offence at4 ,so ,i dropp'd that ,design at present1 but hope still for an ,opportunity to publish the said ,vindication of the ,bishop1 by which1 ,i don't doubt1 but to merit his ,friendship and ,favour4 ,but whoever was the real ,author of the foresaid ,treatise1 ,i humbly and heartily beg of him to publish1 what in the ,conclusion of it1 he has given us some ,hopes of1 ,the ,trial of the ,witnesses of the ,resurrection of ,,lazarus1 because my ,rabbi's ,objections to it are a ,novelty and ,curiosity1 which1 by way of such a ,reply to them1 ,i should be glad to see handled4 ,but having here by ,chance mention'd my ,rabbi's ,letter concerning ,lazarus's ,resurrection1 it brings to my ,mind a ,challenge ,i made to the ,bishop of ,london upon it1 viz4#cee ,if he would publish an ,answer to that ,letter1 and vouchsafe me the ,pleasure of a ,reply to it2 then 7to save the ,civil ,magistrates ,trouble7 ,i would suffer such ,punishment that he in his ,clemency should think fit to inflict on me1 for what's past4 ,an ingenuous ,clergy-man1 upon reading this1 said1 that the ,bishop was bound1 in ,honour1 to accept of my ,challenge1 or1 what was in his ,power1 in ,generosity1 to put a ,stop to the ,prosecution4 ,but the ,bishop is not of his ,mind4 ,and for what ,reason he does not accept of my ,challenge1 is best known to himself1 and others will conjecture4 ,if he had not condescended to write against me in his ,pastoral ,letter1 ,i should have imagined1 that he thought it beneath the ,dignity of ,one of his exalted ,station in the ,church1 to set his ,wit 7for dignified ,priests1 for the most part1 think their ,wit and ,learning proportion'd to their ,wealth and ,power7 against such a poor ,author as ,i am4 ,but this is not the ,reason4 ,it may be1 he thinks his ,reputation and ,honour secure in the ,height of his ,grandeur1 and that his ,dependents will admire his ,learning nothing the less for his ,neglect of my ,challenge4 ,however it be1 this ,i will say1 that were we upon the ,level in the ,world as to ,fortune1 as well as we are to ,age and ,education1 the ,learned would despise him for declining the reasonable ,challenge of one1 whom he has injuriously treated and persecuted4 ,it's to no ,purpose to challenge him here afresh2 he1 being purpos'd to carry the ,matter with an high ,hand1 has taken other ,measures1 and is resolv'd to make use of his ,power and ,interest to suppress him1 whom with ,reason and ,argument he can't convince4 ,however1 ,i will here make another ,proposal to the ,bishop of ,st4 ,david's4 ,because he thirsts after a very severe ,punishment of me1 or he would not be so warm in his ,exhortations of the ,government to that ,purpose1 ,i'll tell him how he may glut his ,revenge1 and inflict a greater ,punishment on me1 than1 in all probability1 the ,civil ,magistrate will humour him in4 ,if he'll but put a ,stop to the ,prosecution at present 7which is not out of the ,power of our ,bishops1 whatever they may pretend7 and let the ,controversy go on1 till ,i have finish'd my ,reply to his two ,volumes1 which shall be done with all ,expedition2 then1 if his ,passion is not allay'd1 ,i will submit to any ,punishment1 he in his ,wisdom and ,justice1 without ,mercy1 shall think fit to have laid on me1 whether it be to ,death or ,imprisonment4 ,and what would he1 or any implacable ,priest1 desire more8 ,this ,proposal makes him my ,judge as well as my ,accuser1 and if he be not the most unreasonable ,man alive1 he must accept of it4 ,all my ,hopes here are1 that his ,reason may recover its ,dominion over his ,passion1 against the ,conclusion of my ,defence1 or it will go hard with me4 ,if the ,bishop will not comply with this ,proposal1 ,i shall conclude1 he's possess'd with the only certain and allegorical ,satan1 mention'd in my ,discourses2 and ,i shall be confirm'd in the ,opinion of ,st4 ,hilary 7whose ,testimonies about ,devils1 the ,bishop has silently pass'd by1 without any ,charge upon me for ,misrepresentation7 that there are no worse ,devils in the ,world1 than the calumniating1 furious1 and persecuting ,tempers of ,mankind4 ,the ,bishop1 by the by1 has taken ,pains to prove there are other ,devils1 of an infernal1 frightful1 and independent ,nature1 and of a more certain ,existence than ,hobgoblins2 and he gravely asserts1 that three of those ,devils enter'd into each ,hog1 that ran violently down-hill2 thereby making the little ,pigs to carry as great a ,burden as the old ,boars and ,sows1 which should have been better thought of by him4 ,the ,bishop1 perhaps1 for these my ,descants1 will say ,i am an ,infidel2 but ,i assure him1 it is one of the ,articles of my ,primitive and ,christian ,faith1 that the old ,dragon1 ,satan1 the ,serpent1 or the ,devil1 mention'd in the ,revelations1 is no other than the furious1 violent1 and persecuting ,spirit in ,man2 which1 upon the ,world's getting ,liberty of ,religion1 will be bound and chain'd4 ,and it is the ,opinion of ,thousands1 as well as of my self1 that ,mankind will never be ,happy1 nor at ,rest1 till this ,devil is exorcised out of the ,priesthood1 and so of consequence chain'd up4 ,according to the primitive ,way of interpreting the ,revelations of ,st4 ,john1 the ,time is near at ,hand for the binding this ,apocalyptical old ,dragon or ,satan1 that has pester'd the ,world through all ,ages past4 ,all the ,honour that ,i desire1 is1 by my ,studies and ,endeavours to be contributing to so great a ,work1 for the ,good and ,happiness of ,mankind4 ,to conclude4 ,i have been the more expeditious in printing of this ,discourse1 not only for fear the ,bishop's ,vindication 7as it is call'd7 should have a malign ,influence upon some ,people1 ,i don't mean our ,civil ,magistrates1 who are wiser and more learned than to be guided by such outragious ,stuff2 but because he should not long triumph in a ,conceit of the ,potency and ,excellency of his ,performance1 as if no ,reply could or would be made to it4 ,if ,i had at this ,time enjoy'd free ,liberty of ,debate1 ,i should not have thought it worth my while to meddle with his ,dedication1 which with a ,scorn ,i should have pass'd by1 and left to the ,animadversions and ,chastisement of other ,enemies to ,persecution2 but would immediately have enter'd upon a ,defence of my ,discourses against him4 ,if ,i do retrieve my ,liberty1 and the free ,use of my ,pen1 and should not publish ,defences of my self1 ,i should deserve 7what one said the ,bishop of ,london1 for his declining my ,challenge1 deserv'd7 to be piss'd upon for a vain ,pretender to ,argument and ,authority4 ,in the mean time1 ,i have nothing to request of our ,clergy1 but that ,liberty of ,debate may be indulg'd us2 that ,liberty of theological ,disputation1 which would be granted1 if they did not industriously labour to obstruct it4 ,when will they cease to disgrace ,truth1 to dishonour their ,religion1 and to disparage their own ,education and ,learning2 and no longer envy ,mankind the blessed ,enjoyment of such a ,liberty6 ,but their ,religion1 they say1 would be in ,danger upon such a ,liberty4 ,how can that be8 ,how can ,christianity be in ,danger1 that has not only the ,omnipotence of ,god on his ,side1 but a numerous standing ,army of ,priests1 hired for the ,defence of it8 ,it is not then their ,concern for ,religion1 that prompts them to so much ,zeal here2 but their ,fears for their ,interests1 that depend on the ,issue of this ,controversy4 ,was ,i to write against any other honest ,trade1 that is practised in this ,city1 the ,artificers of it1 being sensible of the ,usefulness of their ,craft1 would let me go on unmolested2 and only pity and despise me for the ,vanity of my ,attempt to subvert them3 ,but the ,clergy1 being prick'd with a ,consciousness of the ,mischiefs and ,inconveniencies of their ,establishment1 do therefore thus winch and kick4 ,and who1 besides the ,clergy1 are at this time ,enemies to ,liberty8 ,none hardly1 but their immediate ,dependents1 whom they can easily infuse their fiery and furious ,notions into4 ,was it to be voted this ,day among the learned ,laity1 ,i dare say1 the ,friends of ,persecution would be found vastly short of the ,numbers of their ,adversaries4 ,and ,i hope to ,god1 the ,legislative ,authority of these ,nations will soon take the ,matter into their ,consideration2 and either limit or enlarge the ,bounds of ,liberty1 that honest and well-meaning ,men may be no longer harrass'd and molested1 for their sincere ,endeavours to serve the ,publick4 ,no ,body1 ,i trust1 can complain of any disrespectful ,usage1 ,i have here given the ,bishop of ,st4 ,david's1 that considers1 how he has treated me in his ,sermon before the ,societies for ,reformation2 and in his ,charge to the ,clergy of his ,diocese2 as well as in his ,vindication4 ,it would be sufficient1 if ,i had no other ,excuse for my self than this1 ,that ,controversy is like a ,game at ,foot ball1 in which1 if a ,lord will engage with a ,plowman1 and should meet with a ,kick on the ,shins1 he ought not to complain of the ill ,manners of it3 ,so if a ,bishop will dispute with one of lower ,degree1 he must look for a ,rub on his ,intellects1 a ,rap on his ,pate1 and if his ,adversary cuts him on a soft ,place1 he should know how to bear it with ,patience4 ,but the ,bishop1 contrary to this ,game-,rule in ,controversy1 complains#cef of my unmannerly ,treatment of him1 and cries out of the ,sufferings and ,reproaches he undergoes1 as if he was already more than half a ,martyr for ,religion4 ,i can't pretend to equal him in ,reproaches and ,sufferings1 having not so quick a ,sense of them2 and therefore ,i am willing1 that good ,christian ,people should pity my poor ,bishop1 rather than me1 in a persecuted and sorrowful ,condition4 ,how long it will be1 before ,i publish another1 and second ,part of my ,defence1 is uncertain1 for a ,reason1 that ,i need not again mention4 ,but if it please ,god1 that ,i enjoy ,life1 ,health1 and ,liberty1 ,i'll go on with my ,designs4 ,i am resolv'd to give the ,letter of the ,scriptures no ,rest1 so long as ,i am able by ,reason and ,authority to disturb it4 ,if our ,ministers of the ,letter will not ascend with me1 the sublime and allegorical ,mountain of divine ,contemplation1 they than have no ,comfort nor ,enjoyment of themselves in the low ,valley of the ,letter1 if ,i can disquiet them4 ,notwithstanding what the ,bishop has written in ,vindication of ,jesus's ,miracles1 the litteral ,story of them1 by the ,leave of ,god1 and of the ,civil ,magistrate1 shall be afresh attack'd1 and perhaps with more ,ridicule1 than ,i used before4 ,what should ,i flinch for8 ,the litteral ,story of ,jesus's ,miracles is not1 in the ,opinion of the ,fathers1 as well as of my self1 agreeable to ,sense and ,reason2 neither can ,jesus's ,authority and ,messiahship be founded on the ,letter of them4 ,i am not for the ,messiahship of a carnal ,jesus1 who cured the bodily ,diseases of ,blindness and ,lameness2 but for ,messiahship of the spiritual ,jesus1 who will cure the ,blindness and ,lameness of our ,understandings4 ,i am for the ,messiahship of the spiritual ,jesus1 who will expel the mercenary ,preachers out of his ,church1 after the manner that ,jesus in the ,flesh is supposed to have driven the ,sellers out of the ,temple1 which litterally is but a sorry ,story4 ,i am for the ,messiahship of the spiritual ,jesus1 who exorcised the furious and persecuting ,devils out of the ,mad-men of ,jews and ,gentiles2 and tho' he permitted them to enter into a ,herd of ,ecclesiastical ,swine1 yet will precipitate them into the ,sea of ,divine ,knowledge4 ,i am for the spiritual ,jesus1 who will cure the ,woman of the ,church1 of her ,issue of ,blood1 that is shed in ,persecution and ,war2 which her ,ecclesiastical ,physicians1 and ,quack-,doctors of the ,clergy1 have not been able to do1 tho' they have received large ,fees and ,revenues to that ,end4 ,i am for a spiritual ,messiah1 who will cure the ,woman of the ,church of her ,infirmity1 at the ,spirit of ,prophecy1 of whose ,infirmity this ,age is her eighteenth ,year4 ,so could ,i write of all ,jesus's ,miracles2 for the whole ,evangelical ,history is ,figure and ,shadow of the spiritual ,jesus1 whom we should know to be in us of a ,truth1 unless we be ,reprobates4 ,the ,clergy1 if they are not wilfully blind1 may hence see my ,christian ,faith and ,principles2 and be assured1 that what ,i do in this ,controversy1 is with a ,view to the ,honour of ,god1 the ,advancement of ,truth1 the ,edification of the ,church1 and ,demonstration of the ,messiahship of the ,holy ,jesus1 to whom be ,glory for ever4 ,amen4 ,,finis4 ,,footnotes3 #cch ,his ,sermon before the ,societies for ,reformation2 and his ,charge to the ,clergy4 #cci ,in his ,dedication4 #cdj ,page #ce4 #cda ,vindication of three ,miracles1 p4 #gf1 #gg4 #cdb ,cum venerit ergo ,elias exponendo ,legem ,spiritaliter1 convertit ,corda ,patrum ad filios4 ,de ,civit4 ,dei4 ,lib4 ,,xx4 c4 #bi4 #cdc ,litteram ,legis sequentes in ,infidelitatem vanas ,superstitiones incurrunt4 ,in ,matt4 ,tract4 #bf4 #cdd ,in ,dedication of ,third ,discourse4 #cde ,page #agg4 #cdf ,discourse the ,fifth1 p4 #fi4 #cdg ,inveniatur enim in ,christianismo non minor 7nequid dicam arrogantius7 fide ,ratio ,enarratio ,propheticorum nigmatum1 parabolarumque evangelicarum1 aliarumque innumerarum figurarum1 qu vel in ,gestis continentur vel ,legibus4 ,cont4 ,celsum4 ,lib4 ,i4 #cdh ,quidam corporalia ejus ,miracula stupentes1 majora intueri non norunt4 ,quidam vero ea1 qu gesta audiunt in ,corporibus1 nunc amplius in animis admirantur1----,tales nos esse debemus in ,schola ,christi4 ,in ,serm4 xcviii4 #cdi ,in ,discourse the ,sixth4 #cej ,mystery of ,godliness1 ,b4 x4 c4 #b4 #cea #a ,tim4 v4 #h4 #ceb ,defence of ,christianity1 p4 #cdg4 #cec ,ibid4 p4 #cec4 #ced ,est adhuc alia ,pugna his omnibus violentior2 quod ii1 quod ,legem secundum ,carnem intelligunt1 adversantur his1 qui secundum spiritum sentiunt1 persequuntur eos4 ,in ,genesi ,hom4 vii4 #cee ,in ,fifth ,discourse1 p4 #fg4 #cef ,in his ,preface1 p4 #ag1 #ah4 ,mr4 ,,woolston's ,,defence ,,of ,,his ,,discourses ,,on ,,the ,,miracles of our ,saviour4 ,against the ,,bishops of ,st4 ,david's and ,london1 and his other ,adversaries4 ,,part ,,ii4 ,nec ,religionis est cogere ,religionem1 qu sponte suscipi debeat1 non ,vi4 ,tertull4 ,,london3 ,printed for the ,,author1 and ,sold by him next ,door to the ,star1 in ,aldermanbury1 and by the ,booksellers of ,london and ,westminster4 ,,mdccxxx4 ,price ,one ,shilling4 ,illustration ,,to ,,the ,,right ,,honourable ,sir ,robert ,raymond1 ,kt4 ,lord ,chief ,justice of the ,court of ,king's ,bench4 ,,my ,,lord1 ,that ,i am no ,flatterer of ,patrons1 appears by my other ,dedications3 ,if therefore ,i should tell your ,lordship1 what ,i can in ,sincerity1 that ,i think you as wise and good a ,magistrate1 as any of your ,predecessors in that ,high ,court of ,justice1 you may be assured1 ,i don't dissemble4 ,tho' ,i was so unfortunate1 ,my ,lord1 as to receive a ,sentence in your ,court1 which ,i wish'd to avoid2 yet ,i have no worse ,opinion of your ,wisdom and ,justice4 ,your ,conduct towards me1 from first to last1 has rather heighten'd than lessen'd my ,esteem and ,veneration for you4 ,i observ'd in you such a ,tenderness for our religious ,liberties2 such an ,aversion to ,persecution2 and such ,moderation towards my self1 that if ,i had been absolutely acquitted1 it would have been but with somewhat more ,satisfaction4 ,and if ,i now write to clear my self of all ,suspicions of ,infidelity1 for which ,i was sentenced2 your ,lordship1 ,i humbly presume1 will not think the worse of me4 ,it is not expected that the ,innocent should confess ,guilt1 in a ,compliment to any ,court of ,justice3 ,nor does the ,condemnation of the ,guiltless1 at any time almost1 so much affect the ,justice of the ,magistrate1 as the ,honesty of the ,evidence3 ,so ,i1 ,my ,lord1 know how to lay the ,blame entirely on my ,ecclesiastical ,accusers1 and believe your ,lordship will be rather pleas'd than offended at any good ,defence ,i can make for my self4 ,from the ,beginning of the ,prosecution against me1 my ,lord1 ,i hardly believed1 that any ,sentence would be pass'd on me1 till the ,day ,i received it3 ,and the ,reason was1 not only because the good ,tendency of my ,discourses was so visible1 that ,i thought it could not be overlook'd by the ,wise and ,learned2 but because ,i imagin'd our ,bishops would have better consulted their ,reputation1 than to let ,matters come to this ,issue4 ,that it is a ,transgression of the ,law of the ,land to write against ,christianity1 establish'd in it1 ,i'll not question1 since ,i have your ,lordship's ,word for it3 ,but for all that1 ,i could wish1 for the ,sake of ,christianity1 that such a ,liberty was indulg'd to ,infidels4 ,whatever our zealous ,clergy may think1 one ,persecution of an ,infidel does more ,harm to ,religion1 than the ,publication of the worst ,book against it4 ,liberty is so essential1 ,my ,lord1 to the ,enquiry after ,truth1 that where ,it is wanted1 ,truth will want that ,splendor1 which it receives from ,disputation3 ,and ,christianity would be the more tryumphant over its ,enemies1 for that unbounded ,liberty1 they may enjoy to contest it from the ,press4 ,i say this1 not for the ,security of my self2 against future ,prosecutions but1 from a ,heart1 full of ,zeal for the ,religion of the ,holy ,jesus4 ,ever since the ,reformation1 which was founded on our ,natural and ,christian ,rights to ,liberty of ,conscience1 has this great ,blessing of ,liberty1 at ,times1 been interrupted by ,persecutions3 ,but whether any of them hitherto have done any ,service to ,church or ,state1 your ,lordship is a good ,judge4 ,however1 tho' the ,prosecution of my self1 which was founded on a grand ,mistake1 is attended with no ill ,consequence2 yet ,i hope our ,ecclesiasticks will grow cautious by it1 and no more sollicit the most indulgent ,civil ,magistracy of this ,kingdom to the ,persecution of any other1 much less of1 ,sidenote3 ,london ,may #be4 #agcj4 ,my ,lord1 ,your ,lordship's ,most ,obedient and ,humble ,servant1 ,tho4 ,woolston4 ,illustration ,a ,,second ,,part ,,of ,,the ,,defence1 c4 ,it's ,time now to publish another ,part of my ,defence1 which1 in my former1 ,i gave my ,readers some ,reason to expect from me4 ,if ,i should keep ,silence much longer1 my ,adversaries will be ready to charge me with ,cowardice1 or ,insufficiency2 and say1 that ,i'm either absolutely confuted by the ,writers against me1 or so terrified by the ,civil ,magistrate's ,authority1 that ,i either can't1 or dare not1 engage afresh in the same ,cause4 ,and ,i must confess1 that if ,i was not convinced of the ,goodness of my ,cause1 which is no other than ,god's1 and of my ,ability to defend it1 ,i should chuse to hold my ,peace1 and be glad that it has fared no worse with me4 ,one ,reason indeed why ,i have been so long ere ,i publish'd this1 is pure ,respect to the ,civil ,powers1 whom ,i am oblig'd1 as a ,christian1 to honour and reverence1 so far as may be1 without ,disobedience to ,god4 ,had ,i hastily1 and as soon almost as ,sentence was pass'd on me1 publish'd this1 some might have interpreted it1 as an ,act of ,defiance and ,contempt of the ,civil ,authority1 7for there are not wanting those who will put the worst ,construction they can on my ,conduct27 therefore ,i forbore for a while3 ,and now that ,i appear again from the ,press1 it is not without professing a profound ,veneration for our ,civil ,magistracy1 who1 ,i am sure1 will never think the worse of a ,man for vindicating his own ,innocency1 or for writing in a ,cause that1 in his ,conscience1 he is persuaded is most just and good4 ,another ,reason why ,i committed this no sooner to the ,press1 was to wait the ,publication of the ,bishop of ,st4 ,david's his ,second ,volume1 which he promised us last ,winter4 ,i was almost of ,opinion1 that1 in my former ,defence1 ,i gave the ,bishop such ,intimations of my sincere ,belief of ,christianity1 notwithstanding my ,discourses on ,miracles1 and of the ,falseness of his repeated ,charge against me for ,infidelity1 that ,i question'd whether he would write again in the same ,strain4 ,if the ,bishop is convinced of this his grand ,mistake about me1 then the very ,foundation of his past and future ,work is shaken1 and ,i shall hear no more of him4 ,but whether he is certainly convinc'd of his ,mistake or not1 ,i am concern'd to go on with these ,defences of my self1 and to vindicate the ,goodness and ,usefulness of the ,design of my ,discourses on ,miracles1 against what the ,bishops of ,london and ,st4 ,david's1 and other ,adversaries have written to the contrary4 ,but1 before ,i enter upon such a ,defence of my self and my ,discourses1 ,i must make1 what is proper here1 a short ,preface4 ,it is well known1 that ,i am for ,liberty of ,debate1 and against all ,persecution or ,force1 or ,impositions on the ,consciences of ,mankind4 ,but for all that1 there are some ,rules in ,controversy that we polemical ,writers should observe1 and be oblig'd to2 or1 instead of discovering and illustrating the ,truth we pretend to search for1 we shall but the more darken1 obstruct and perplex it4 ,as1 ,first1 ,we should endeavour to write as plainly and intelligibly as we can1 and never amuse our ,readers with ,expressions void of ,sense1 or with false ,reasoning against our ,adversaries1 where we want what's good and solid4 ,this ,rule none can except against3 ,whether ,i am an ,observer of this ,rule1 my ,readers are to be ,judges4 ,as ,i am to answer it to ,god and a good ,conscience1 ,i endeavour to observe it2 but much question1 whether some of my ,adversaries can say so too1 or they would never vent such dark1 impertinent and unintelligible ,stuff1 if it was not1 because they are at a ,loss for what's clear and shining4 ,there's no ,end of giving ,instances out of their ,writings to this ,purpose4 ,i shall only mention one1 that's repeated amongst them1 and that is1 of their pretended ,distinction between ,popish ,persecution and ,protestant ,prosecution for ,opinions1 wherewith they have amused weak and injudicious ,heads4 ,the ,wife1 ,i am sure1 can discern no more ,difference here1 than between a ,rope and a ,halter to hang an innocent ,man1 in which ,case too there is a nominal ,distinction without a real ,difference4 ,secondly1 ,we should be open and sincere in our ,opinions1 and not profess with our ,mouths to believe1 what we disown in our ,hearts2 nor1 like ,watermen1 that look one way and row another1 should we pretend to have one ,design in ,view1 when we are pursuing the quite contrary4 ,this is a reasonable ,rule1 and ought to be observ'd1 or we shall confound the ,understandings of our ,readers1 who will soon lose ,sight of our ,arguments1 if they apprehend not their ,aim and ,drift4 ,this ,rule1 my ,adversaries will say1 is levell'd at my self1 than whom no body has more dissembled and prevaricated in his ,opinions4 ,have not you1 will they say to me1 frequently declared1 that your ,design in your ,discourses is to make way for the ,proof of the ,truth of ,christianity1 and of the ,messiahship of the ,holy ,jesus1 when you mean and intend the ,subversion of both8 ,and is not here grand ,hypocrisy1 and a ,transgression of this ,rule8 ,yes1 if ,i intend the ,subversion of ,christ's ,religion and ,messiahship1 here is grand ,hypocrisy1 and a ,transgression of this ,rule2 and ,i can't think of such a ,piece of ,prevarication without ,horror4 ,the ,bishop of ,st4 ,david's#ceg and ,mr4 ,stackhouse1#ceh in particular1 have animadverted upon me for such ,hypocrisy2 and if ,i was guilty of it1 in much gentler ,terms than ,i deserv'd4 ,this ,hypocrisy1 which they falsely charge me with1 is as heinous a ,sin as ,i can think of2 it is as bad as wilful ,perjury1 as bad as a ,clergyman's taking the ,abjuration ,oath1 with his ,heart full of ,zeal and ,affection for the ,pretender1 and worse than his giving his solemn ,assent and ,consent to ,articles of ,religion he believes little or nothing of4 ,i should hardly have mention'd this ,rule to be observ'd in ,controversy1 if ,i had been guilty of the ,breach of it4 ,it is somewhat excusable in ,infidels a little to disguise their real ,sentiments1 for fear of the ,danger they may incur by an open ,profession of them3 ,but such a gross and foul ,mask of ,hypocrisy1 as some think ,i have here put on1 is intolerable1 and must be hateful to ,infidels as well as ,christians1 being obstructive to ,truth1 which1 in all ,inquirers after her1 loves ,sincerity and ,simplicity4 ,no doubt1 but my ,adversaries1 some of them1 will still think me a ,transgressor of this ,rule2 but my present and following ,defences will absolutely clear me4 ,and if none of my ,adversaries are more guilty of the ,transgression of it than my self1 we are all entirely innocent4 ,thirdly1 ,in ,controversy we should avoid all wilful ,misrepresentation of the ,sense of our ,adversaries1 and of the ,authors we pretend to cite4 ,mistakes and ,misapprehensions of one another will sometimes unavoidably happen1 and are then as innocent things as involuntary ,errors4 ,but wilful ,perversion and ,falsification of another ,author's ,words1 to the ,service of our selves1 or to the ,prejudice of our ,adversaries1 is most blameable1 and of that ill ,consequence to the ,search after ,truth1 that it will keep us always at a ,distance from her4 ,this then is another good ,rule to be observed in ,controversy1 which some may wonder ,i have mention'd1 because of that ,misrepresentation and ,falsification of ,authorities ,i am charg'd with4 ,and ,i must confess1 my ,adversaries have here made an hideous ,outcry against me2 which if ,i can't acquit my self of1 ,i am the foulest ,controvertist that ever appear'd in ,print4 ,the ,bishop of ,st4 ,david's#cei calls my ,falsification of ,authorities1 an ,immorality1 and speculative ,forgery2 but if ,i was so guilty as he would have me thought1 he speaks too favourably of it4 ,he should have deem'd it as great a ,crime as practical ,forgery by the ,law2 and all ,philosophers and ,lovers of ,truth should wish it might be likewise punish'd4 ,but1 good ,christian ,reader1 don't too hastily pass thy ,judgment on me4 ,suspend awhile2 it may be1 that ,i may unexpectedly vindicate my self4 ,the ,matter as yet is under ,debate1 whether my ,adversaries or ,i are the grand ,misrepresenters and ,falsifiers of ,authorities4 ,one would think1 that my ,adversaries1 who were bent on the ,accusation of me for the foresaid ,crime1 should have kept themselves clear of it3 ,but the ,bishop of ,st4 ,david's#cfj is such a resolute ,misrepresenter1 that he could not find in his ,heart faithfully to transcribe the ,three ,heads of my ,discourses2 but by a ,suppression of some ,words1 and the ,change of others1 has given them an odious and invidious ,turn to my ,disadvantage3 ,and he has studied so hard to pervert the ,sense of the ,fathers against me1 and so tortured his ,brain to make me a ,misrepresenter of them1 that ,i should not wonder1 if he had labour'd under a ,pain in his ,head ever since1 and is unable to write more4 ,tho' my ,word should not be taken for all this at present2 yet in the ,sequel of these ,defences1 it will be made manifest4 ,it is a great ,temptation to our ,bishops falsely to accuse and misrepresent their ,adversaries2 because they know their ,writings don't equally spread and go together among all their ,readers4 ,a ,bishop's ,writing going more by itself amongst the ,clergy1 and other ,friends to his ,side of the ,question1 he is tempted to misrepresent his ,adversaries1 knowing his prejudiced ,readers will take his ,report of them1 and credit it4 ,for this ,reason1 and no other1 did the ,bishop of ,litchfield#cfa falsely charge the ,author of the ,grounds with odious ,assertions1 to which there is nothing akin in the ,places seemingly referr'd to1 nor in all that ,author's ,work4 ,however1 the ,rule in ,controversy before laid down is a good1 useful and necessary one4 ,i pray ,god we may all be religious and conscientious ,observers of it1 or we shall retard the ,discovery of ,truth1 and render our ,attainment of it difficult1 if not impossible4 ,fourthly1 ,we should think our selves oblig'd to set our ,names to our ,writings in ,controversy1 especially where it is such a warm one as is ours at present4 ,the ,observation of this ,rule would not only prevent much of the ,violation of the two former2 but would hinder abundance of the ,dirt of ,scandal1 ,lies and ,defamations1 that we too often throw at each other4 ,for what ,reason some of the ,writers#cfb against me have industriously conceal'd their ,names1 ,i know full well4 ,they perhaps would have it thought ,modesty1 and that they are not ambitious of the publick ,praises they may deserve for their learned and elaborate ,performances4 ,and possibly it may be ,modesty in some ,theological ,authors to conceal themselves3 ,but where ,men have the ,impudence to defame1 it's in vain to pretend to the ,cloak of ,modesty to cover themselves under4 ,wherefore then do they sometimes who write on the establish'd ,side of the ,question1 on which ,honour and ,preferment goes1 thus conceal themselves8 ,why1 that they might belie and slander their ,adversaries the more securely1 without being expostulated with for their ,impudence4 ,it's to no ,purpose1 they know1 to upbraid an anonymous ,author with his ,scandal1 because he can't be put to the ,blush for it4 ,and a wise ,man will not lose his ,labour to expose and confute a libellous ,writing1 unless he knew whom to charge with the ,guilt of it4 ,it is my ,resolution to take no ,notice of any nameless ,authors against me1 because ,i1 being as it were blindfolded1 engage them at a ,disadvantage1 whilst they have a full ,view of me4 ,for this ,reason the ,tryal of the ,witnesses was pass'd by1 or ,i should have been tempted to have made some ,remarks on it4 ,let such ,authors come forth into the ,light1 and it may be1 they'll meet with the same ,favour ,i have done the ,bishop of ,st4 ,david's4 ,in the mean time1 ,i declare my ,abhorrence of ,authors their ,concealment of their ,names1 and ,i hope all ingenuous ,writers in ,controversy will do so too2 tho' for no other ,reason1 than to prevent ,misrepresentations1 ,defamations1 and personal ,reflections1 which nameless ,authors are too often guilty of4 ,fifthly1 and lastly1 ,others make it a common ,rule to be observ'd in ,controversy1 that the ,disputants should consider each other's ,arguments impartially1 without the ,byass of ,prejudice and ,interest4 ,and a very good ,rule this is1 if ,men would but put it into ,practice4 ,but ,i shall long despair of such ,impartiality in ,controversy4 ,such is the ,power of ,prejudice and ,interest1 that they will influence ,men to believe against the most apparent ,reason and ,truth4 ,even ,prejudice will much darken the ,eyes of ,mens ,understandings1 but ,interest will put them quite out4 ,o what a horrible ,obstacle to the free ,enquiry after ,truth1 is ,interest6 ,against ,demonstration itself will ,men contend for ,interest4 ,interest1 upon ,occasion1 will induce them to desert the best ,opinions1 and keep them tight to the worst4 ,this ,experience proves true1 and the various ,faces of the ,church1 and ,changes of the ,clergy 7all for ,interest7 is a ,witness of it4 ,god forbid that ,i should judge uncharitably of the ,corruption of human ,nature under the ,power of ,interest2 but ,i believe1 that was our ,legislature to do1 what they never will1 that is1 set up the ,figure of a ,calf in our ,churches1 there would be no want of ,priests to worship him1 if they were well paid for it2 nor of ,academical ,students to prove his divine ,power and ,godship1 if the ,road to ,preferment lay that ,way4 ,for this ,reason1 among many others1 ,i am for the ,abolition of an hired and establish'd ,priesthood1 that this grand ,bar of ,interest may be removed out of our ,way to ,truth4 ,and the ,bishop of ,london1 that excellent ,prelate1 as ,bishop ,smalbroke calls him 7for so do we1 like other ,creatures1 knab one another where it itches7 should by rights be of my ,mind1 saying1#cfc ,where there is an ,unwillingness to part with worldly ,interests1 there must of ,course be a ,desire that the ,christian ,religion should not be true2 and a ,willingness to favour and embrace any ,argument that is brought against it1 and to cherish any ,doubts and ,scruples that shall be rais'd concerning it4 ,so feelingly does this ,bishop speak of the ,power of ,interest1 by which1 as ,i would conceive1 he honestly hints to the ,inhabitants of ,london and ,westminster1 that the ,bishop of their ,diocese1 and the ,parson of their ,parish1 are most unfit ,guides in ,religion1 because of the worldly ,interests they may have to deceive them1 and keep them in ,ignorance and ,error4 ,thus by way of ,preface having spoken to the foregoing ,rules to be observed in this ,controversy1 ,i come to a close4 ,defence of myself against the ,charge of ,infidelity1 and to vindicate the ,usefulness of my ,discourses on ,miracles for the ,proof of the ,truth of ,christianity1 and of the ,messiahship of the ,holy ,jesus1 against all my ,adversaries4 ,and the ,method ,i shall take to this ,purpose1 is this following4 ,i4 ,to show the ,weakness1 ,childishness1 and ,insufficiency of the ,arguments of my ,adversaries1 for the ,letter of the ,stories of ,jesus's ,miracles2 and further to prove both ludicrously and seriously the ,absurdities1 ,incredibilities1 and ,improbabilities1 that their literal ,stories labour under4 ,,ii4 ,to prove1 that whether there be any ,sense1 ,truth and ,fact1 or not1 in the ,letter of ,jesus's ,miracles2 yet they are ,typical ,things1 and ought to be allegorically interpreted1 and will receive a mysterious and more wonderful ,accomplishment1 after the manner1 and to the same ,purpose1 that the ,fathers and ,i do apply them1 being no other 7whether actually wrought or not7 than ,figures1 ,signs and ,emblems of his future and mysterious ,operations4 ,,iii4 ,to show that the mysterious and future ,accomplishment of these supposed ,works and ,miracles of ,jesus alone can and will be the ,proof of his ,messiahship4 ,if ,i perform well upon these ,heads1 which are deserving of my ,reader's ,review1 because of their ,pertinency to the ,cause in ,hand1 ,i shall not only vindicate myself from the ,charge of ,infidelity1 but justify the ,goodness and ,usefulness of my ,discourses1 in order to the ,demonstration of ,jesus's ,messiahship4 ,and in the midst of my handling of them1 without going out of my ,way1 ,i shall1 as ,occasion offers itself1 take ,notice of particular ,misrepresentations of the ,fathers1 and false ,citations out of them1 that my ,adversaries charge me with3 ,and ,bishop ,smalbroke and others had best to look to it1 or their ,accusations against me will recoil and return home to them4 ,then ,i4 ,i should show the ,weakness1 ,childishness and ,insufficiency of the ,arguments of my ,adversaries for the ,letter of ,jesus's ,miracles2 and further argue both ludicrously and seriously the ,absurdities1 ,incredibilities and ,improbabilities1 that their literal ,stories labour under4 ,i should1 ,i say1 first treat on this ,head1 which naturally precedes the two following2 but in as much as to handle it to ,perfection1 ,i should write as ,i did before1 and shall run in ,danger of ,prosecution for ,blasphemy and ,infidelity2 ,i must of ,necessity wave and postpone it1 unless ,i could more than dispatch it in the ,compass of this ,part of my ,defence4 ,i have heretofore made solemn ,professions of my ,belief of ,christianity1 and most seriously declared in the plainest ,terms1 that my ,design was not to do ,service to ,infidelity1 but to make way for the ,proof of ,christ's ,religion and ,messiahship2 but my ,word was not taken1 being look'd upon as a ,dissembler1 an ,hypocrite1 and ,prevaricator1 for all that4 ,and should ,i now ever so gravely repeat the like ,asseverations of the ,integrity and ,sincerity of my ,heart1 that my ,objections against the ,letter of ,jesus's ,miracles are none against his ,religion1 but only intended to turn ,mens ,heads to the mystical ,interpretations of them2 ,i question much whether ,i should be believed1 and whether ,bishop ,smalbroke#cfd would not say again1 that this is too thin a ,disguise of what seems to be my great and worse ,design4 ,what then in ,prudence must ,i do in this ,case8 ,why1 ,i must let ,this ,head1 which reasonably should precede1 rest for a while2 and by treating on the ,second1 tho' out of ,place1 ,i must first effectually convince my ,adversaries1 that ,i am no ,infidel of wicked ,designs to subvert ,christianity1 but only the ,ministry of the ,letter2 and then1 ,i conceive1 ,i may safely resume the ,consideration of this ,first ,head1 and without the ,imputations of ,infidelity and ,blasphemy1 write as merrily or gravely as ,i please against the ,letter4 ,should any say1 that this pretended ,reason for waving this ,first ,head for the present1 is nothing but ,cowardice and ,inability to write more on it1 ,i can't help it4 ,ictus ,piscator sapit2 ,i have already suffer'd much for the ludicrous ,treatment of the ,letter1 and it is ,wisdom to keep1 if ,i can1 out of the like ,danger2 neither will ,i do any thing1 that in ,conscience ,i can forbear1 to incur the ,displeasure of the ,civil ,magistrate4 ,but however1 if the ,bishop of ,london would ensure me against1 what the ,bishop of ,st4 ,david's calls1 the#cfe ,nominal ,persecutions of ,protestants1 which ,i am more afraid of1 than of the real ,persecutions of ,papists1 ,i will soon enter upon this ,head2 otherwise for ,self-,preservation against the nominal ,sufferings of ,fines and ,imprisonment1 c4 ,i will forbear1 promising my ,readers1 that in due ,time1 and on a more proper ,occasion1 ,i will resume the merry ,subject of the ,letter1 and handle it to their entire ,satisfaction4 ,and when ,i resume this ,head1 ,i will begin where ,i before left off in my ,discourses on ,miracles2 that is1 with the ,resurrection of ,jesus1 which tho' ,i believe to have been a miraculous ,fact1 that happen'd1 yet it was by no means timed and circumstanced1 so as easily and readily to conciliate the ,belief of ,posterity4 ,god has given to ,man ,reason to judge of the ,credibility of ,events1 and the ,certainty of ,miracles3 ,and if the ,reason of every ,man does not disapprove of the ,management of that ,event1 7supposing it has no figurative ,meaning in it7 ,i am much mistaken1 when we come to state a ,case1 how such a ,miracle ought to be wrought and conducted1 to get and preserve the ,credit of it4 ,thus having told my ,readers1 why ,i postpone my ,first ,head1 ,i now enter upon the ,second1 which is ,,ii4 ,to shew1 that whether there be any ,sense1 ,truth and ,fact1 or not1 in the literal ,stories of ,jesus's ,miracles1 yet they are all certainly typical ,facts1 and ought to be allegorically interpreted1 and will receive a mysterious and more wonderful ,accomplishment after the ,manner1 and to the same ,purpose1 that the ,fathers and ,i do apply them1 being no other 7whether actually wrought or not7 than ,figures1 ,signs and ,emblems of his future and mysterious ,operations4 ,if the ,authority of the ,fathers would be admitted of1 as decisive on this ,head1 there would soon be an ,end of all ,controversy upon it4 ,give me ,leave to recite some of their ,testimonies to this ,purpose1 which ,i have heretofore urg'd in my ,discourses4 ,origen says#cff ,that ,jesus's ,works were ,symbols of other ,things to be done by his ,power4 ,st4 ,hilary#cfg says1 ,that ,jesus's ,actions bore a ,resemblance of what he would do hereafter4 ,st4 ,augustin#cfh says1 ,that the ,facts of ,jesus are ,signs of somewhat else to be done by him4 ,and ,eusebius ,gallicanus#cfi says1 ,that our ,saviour manifestly shews1 that his ,miracles are of a spiritual ,signification1 or in the ,work of them he would not have done somewhat or other1 that seems to want ,sense and ,reason4 ,these few1 out of a ,multitude of ,citations from the ,fathers that might be produced1 are sufficient to the ,proof of the present ,proposition1 if their ,authority might determine our ,dispute4 ,and most pertinent ,citations they are too1 tho' ,bishop ,smalbroke#cgj says1 that even the ,passages cited by me from the ,fathers1 that are not falsified1 are impertinent2 which is such an extravagant ,stretch against the most glaring ,truth1 that 7to use the ,bishop's#cga own ,words against himself7 it betrays a ,mind lost to all ,sense of ,modesty and ,religion1 or he could not have utter'd it4 ,and not only the ,miracles of ,jesus were ,signs and ,figures of future ,events2 but1 according to ,origen1#cgb every thing else that he did3 ,from whence we may gather what was ,origen's ,meaning1 when he said#cgc ,christ's first ,advent in the ,flesh is all ,type and ,shadow of his second1 spiritual1 and glorious ,coming2 which being an ,opinion that our ,clergy are ,strangers to1 ,i desire them to consider of it1 and whether there is any ,possibility of ,truth in it1 because it is contrary to modern ,conceptions about ,christ's second ,advent4 ,nay further1 according to the ,fathers1#cgd the very ,life and ,ministry of ,john the ,baptist1 so far as it is recorded by the ,evangelists1 is ,type and ,figure of another's ,ministry before ,christ's spiritual ,advent2 and ,i am almost1 if not altogether of the same ,mind with them4 ,it is beside my present ,business1 to insert here many of their ,testimonies to this ,purpose3 ,but if the ,bishop of ,st4 ,david's would spare a little ,time1 which can't be better employ'd1 and make a ,collection of the ,opinions of the ,fathers about the ,baptist's ,ministry1 and print it1 ,i dare say he'll thereupon present the learned ,world with the most surprizing ,curiosity they ever were entertain'd with4 ,tho' it is improper for me to do such a ,work2 yet ,i will here tell my ,readers what will be the true ,meaning of ,john's ,preaching ,repentance1 for the ,kingdom of ,heaven is at ,hand1 when his ,ministry revives1 viz4 ,it will be an ,exhortation to ,ministers of the ,letter1 ,greek3 metanoein1 to reconsider the ,matter and ,error of their literal ,expositions1 and to betake themselves to spiritual and allegorical ,interpretations of the ,scriptures1 in which allegorical and spiritual ,senses of them consists the ,kingdom of ,heaven4 ,this ,i assert upon the ,authority of ,origen1#cge and if the ,clergy please to consult ,st4 ,austin and others1 they'll find them of the same ,mind4 ,but1 this by the by1 having no more to say to the ,typicalness of ,john's ,ministry1 than whenever his foresaid mystical ,preaching of ,repentance shall revive1 it can hardly be to a more viperous ,generation of ,ecclesiastical ,scribes and ,pharisees1 than are the ,ministers of the ,letter at this present4 ,but against all these1 and ,ten ,thousand more ,testimonies of the ,fathers for the allegorical ,interpretation of the ,writings of the ,evangelists1 and of ,jesus's ,miracles in particular1 the ,bishop of ,st4 ,david's says1 the ,fathers are not of good ,authority in this ,case1 but1 for all them1 who were ,men of whimsical and volatile ,fancies1 we ought to adhere to the ,letter of the ,story of ,christ's ,life and ,miracles4 ,this the ,bishop asserts roundly and frequently in express or implicit ,terms1 as his ,readers may observe2 and ,i dare say1 the ,bishop himself will not here charge me with a ,misrepresentation of his ,opinion1 tho'1 to spare ,time and ,paper1 ,i quote not his own ,words and large ,passages4 ,what ,reason does the ,bishop give1 why the ,authority of the ,fathers for the allegorical ,interpretation of the ,evangelical ,writings1 and of ,jesus's ,miracles1 in particular1 is not to be allow'd of8 ,none at all4 ,does he quote so much as a ,canon of the ,church1 or a ,vote in ,convocation1 or an ,act of ,parliament1 or the consentient ,opinion of all ,protestant ,writers 7which are the extrascriptural ,standards of modern ,orthodoxy7 for his ,opinion8 ,no4 ,does he then reject the ,authority of the ,fathers in all other ,cases1 as well as in this before us8 ,nor this neither4 ,he allows their ,authority1#cgf as they were good ,persons and credible ,witnesses1 ,in ,testimony of ,facts2 ,and about the ,observation of the ,lord's ,day2 ,and concerning the three ,orders of the ,clergy2 ,and about the ,government of the ,church by ,bishops2 ,and about the ,books received into the ,canon of the ,scripture2 ,but as for allegorical ,interpretations of the ,scriptures1 they are of little1 and 7elsewhere7 of no ,authority4 ,who can forbear smiling1 unless the ,bishop had better evinced the ,reason of this ,difference in their ,authority8 ,if he had rejected their ,authority in all ,cases1 he would have judged more equally and impartially of it4 ,in my ,opinion1 and ,i appeal to my ,readers1 whether it ben't their ,opinion1 that the ,bishop had been an ingenuous and plain ,dealer1 if he had express'd himself about the ,authority of the ,fathers in this following ,manner1 saying1 ,that the ,authority of the ,fathers is good in such and such ,cases as aforesaid2 because their ,authority is agreeable enough to the present ,doctrine1 ,practice and ,discipline of the ,church3 ,but the ,authority of the ,fathers is not good for the allegorical ,interpretation of the ,new ,testament1 because it is disagreeable to our ,prejudices1 and because their allegorical ,expositions of some ,miracles1 if they should receive such a ,sense1 will bring ,shame and ,reproach to our ,ministry4 ,neither is the ,authority of the ,fathers for ,toleration1 and against ,persecution1 good2 because it is destructive of ,ecclesiastical ,power4 ,nor is the copious ,authority of the ,fathers against ,preaching for ,hire1 good2 because it is averse to our ,interests4 ,where the ,authority of the ,fathers is agreeable to our ,interests1 ,power1 and ,prejudices1 there will we be for the ,authority of the ,fathers3 ,but where the ,fathers are against us1 there will we be against them2 and why should we not8 ,this is the true ,sense of the ,bishop1 tho' he is so unhappy as to want the ,talent clearly and plainly to express his ,mind4 ,but1 like many others1 who can't write ,coherence1 nor consistently with themselves2 so the ,bishop1 for all his saying that the allegorical ,interpretations of ,scripture by the ,fathers are of little or no ,authority1 yet almost1 if not altogether1 contradicts himself1 and grants as much as ,i desire1 saying#cgg thus1 ,with relation to any ,expositions of ,scripture made by the ,fathers in early ,times1 they must be allow'd to have had some ,advantage in being near to the ,fountain itself4 ,i ask for nothing more from the ,bishop4 ,why do ,i contend for the ,authority of the ,fathers as ,interpreters and ,expositors8 ,only because they lived nearer to the ,days of ,christ and his ,apostles1 whose ,mind and ,will consequently they must needs know better1 than we at this ,distance3 ,and because 7what the ,bishop elsewhere grants7 those primitive ,ages1 as well as the ,apostolical one1 were in some measure inspired1 upon the credible ,testimonies of ,origen1 ,irenus1 and ,eusebius1 whose ,words ,i shall not stay here to produce4 ,hence then1 in the ,authority of the ,fathers1 ,i should think1 there is ,foundation enough to build allegorical ,interpretations on1 and particularly to prove the literal ,stories of ,christ's ,miracles to be ,emblems of future and mysterious ,operations2 but all this will not do to pacify and stop the ,mouths of my ,gainsayers4 ,this ,controversy is pro ,aris ,focis1 for the ,,all of the ,clergy that is dear to them2 and therefore they will shuffle and trifle for and against any ,argument1 rather than yield4 ,tho' the ,bishop of ,st4 ,david's above speaks favourably of ,expositions made by the ,fathers in early ,times1 and may grant that the ,church1 in her first ,ages was inspired1 yet he will still wrangle against allegorical ,interpretations1 especially such as ,i have made on some ,miracles2 as for ,instance1 ,on ,jesus's driving the ,buyers and ,sellers out of the ,temple2 ,on his precipitating the ,swine with the ,devils into the ,sea2 ,on his healing the ,woman of an ,issue of ,blood2 and the ,woman of a ,spirit of ,infirmity1 c4 because the ,interests and ,reputations of the ,clergy1 as ,ministers of the ,letter1 are touch'd to the quick by them4 ,so true is that ,saying of the ,bishop of ,london1 which deserves to be repeated1 ,that where there is an ,unwillingness to part with ,prejudices and worldly ,interests1 there must of ,course be a ,desire that the ,christian ,religion 7which consists in the ,ministry of the ,spirit7 should not be true2 and a ,willingness to favour and embrace any ,argument that is brought against it1 and to cherish any ,doubts and ,scruples that shall be rais'd concerning it4 ,what must ,i do here then1 since no ,authority1 no1 not the most primitive1 will suffice in this ,case8 ,why1 ,i have nothing left to do1 but absolutely to demonstrate1 and make the ,matter as plain as a ,pike-,staff1 that the ,miracles of ,jesus will certainly receive such a mysterious ,accomplishment1 as the ,fathers and ,i have before-hand interpreted them in4 ,upon such a ,demonstration1 if the ,mouths of my ,adversaries are not stopt1 yet the ,eyes of all impartial ,readers will be open'd to behold what a ,heap of ,impertinence the ,bishop of ,st4 ,david's and others1 have hitherto urg'd against me4 ,now to demonstrate absolutely1 that the ,stories of ,jesus's ,miracles will receive such a mysterious ,accomplishment1 as ,i1 by the ,help of the ,fathers1 have understood them in1 ,i must do these two things4 ,first1 show1 that the ,old ,testament is to be allegorically interpreted1 and is already in ,part1 and will be entirely fulfilled by ,jesus1 the true ,messiah1 in an allegorical ,sense4 ,and thence ,secondly1 ,infer by a natural1 obvious1 and necessary ,consequence1 that1 what we vulgarly call the ,new ,testament is to be allegorically interpreted also1 even in the ,manner as ,i have understood some ,parts of it4 ,the ,bishop of ,st4 ,david's allows1 that there is better ,authority1 tho' not sufficient1 for the ,interpretation of the ,old ,testament allegorically2 but supposing it was better than it is1 yet there is no ,consequence that the ,new should be also allegorically interpreted4 ,behold his ,words1 for fear of a ,charge of ,misrepresentation#cgh4 ,but besides this ill-founded ,imitation of ,st4 ,paul 7in allegorical ,interpretations of the ,old ,testament7 will his mystical ,expositions of any ,passages of the ,old ,testament support their ,pretensions 7meaning the ,fathers and mine7 to interpret the ,new in a like mystical manner8 ,no1 it will not4----,and therefore 7after a little more ,reasoning against this ,consequence1 he concludes1 that7 this ,practice of ,origen and other ,fathers1 that were mystical ,expositors of the ,new ,testament1 was very precarious1 and without ,authority4 ,from which ,words of the ,bishop1 it is plain1 that his ,opinion is1 that whatever ,authority there may be for the allegorical ,interpretation of the ,old ,testament1 there is no ,consequence to be thence drawn1 that the ,new is to be interpreted in a like mystical manner4 ,but in ,answer to the ,bishop1 and in ,confutation of his wild and inconsiderate ,assertion1 ,i chuse to treat on the two foregoing ,particulars2 and the ,first is to show1 that the ,old ,testament is to be allegorically interpreted1 and is already in ,part1 and will be entirely fulfilled by ,jesus in an allegorical ,sense4 ,that the ,old ,testament is to be allegorically interpreted1 ,i have ,authority1 even ancient ,authority enough1 if that would be allow'd to be sufficient to prove my ,point4 ,we have ,apostolical ,authority and ,example for it4 ,the ,passages in the ,epistles of ,st4 ,paul and ,barnabas to this ,purpose are numerous1 and so well known1 that ,i need not recite all1 or any of them4 ,and from the ,passages in ,st4 ,paul1 that might be here produced1 the ,fathers asserted and concluded from his ,authority1 that the whole ,old ,testament was to be allegorized4 ,this ,i believe the ,bishop will grant1 and spare me the ,pains of ,citations out of them4 ,and if the ,bishop1 and my other ,adversaries1 were of the same ,mind with the ,fathers1 on ,st4 ,paul's ,expressions in relation to allegorical ,interpretations of the ,old ,testament1 my present ,dispute with them would be half over4 ,and what is the ,reason that the ,bishop and others will not give into the ,opinion of the ,fathers on the ,apostolical ,passages to this ,purpose8 ,because of their ,prejudices to the ,letter of the ,old ,testament1 otherwise they would urge ,st4 ,paul's ,authority for the ,spirit of it1 as much as the ,fathers or ,i can do4 ,but being1 ,i say1 prepossess'd of literal ,interpretations1 and not discerning any ,force and ,truth in spiritual ones1 they will not allow the mystical ,expositions of ,scripture by ,origen and other ,fathers1 tho' made in ,imitation of ,st4 ,paul1 to be of good ,authority4 ,and therefore ,i must demonstrate to ,sense and ,reason1 or ,primitive and ,apostolical ,authority will stand me in no stead4 ,again1 ,if ,authority for allegorical ,interpretations of the ,old ,testament would avail any thing1 there is ancienter1 and ,i had like to have said better1 ,authority for them1 than that of the ,fathers and ,apostles1 viz4 the ,authority of the more ancient ,jews4 ,the ,bishop of ,st4 ,david's#cgi says1 ,the ,christian ,fathers 7and why did he not say the ,apostles too87 derived this allegorical ,practice from the ,jewish ,interpreters4 ,he owns#chj that ,philo ,judus was a great mystical ,writer as his ,works which are extant testify2 and#cha confesses that there is ,reason to believe1 that this mystical ,way of expounding ,scripture was of greater ,antiquity than ,philo himself1 even amongst the ,essens and ,therapeuts1 whom ,philo writes of1 and who had amongst them several ancient ,books of their ,predecessors or ,founders1 full of allegorical ,interpretations4 ,thus far the ,bishop says well and truly4 ,and what ,observation should he1 as a ,lover of ,antiquity1 have made hereupon8 ,should he not have said1 ,id verius1 quod prius2 the older any ,doctrine was1 the more likely to be true1 in as much as ,truth precedes ,error8 ,but could not the ,bishop have carry'd his ,story of the allegorical ,interpretation of the ,old ,testament much higher8 ,yes1 he might1 and have told us what ,i do him now1 that the ,,lxx ,interpreters were ,allegorists1 as appears from the ,translation itself1 and from the ,opinion of the ancient ,jews and ,fathers of the ,church concerning them4 ,and what's more still1 he might1 as a ,christian1 upon the ,authority of ,st4 ,hilary#chb have derived the allegorical ,art of ,interpretation from ,moses himself1 who received it from ,god2 and instructed the ,seventy ,elders in it1 from whom it continued thro' all ,ages of the ,jewish and ,christian ,churches1 without ,interruption1 excepting that ,opposition which the later ,caraites of the ,jews1 and ,ministers of the ,letter among ,christians1 have made to it4 ,if this be true1 as ,i firmly believe it1 then the allegorical ,method of ,interpretation is of original and divine ,right4 ,and it is reasonable to think accordingly1 that it is of ,mosaic and divine ,extraction1 or the ,apostles ,paul and ,barnabas1 and the ,fathers afterwards1 had never been permitted of ,god to countenance a ,practice1 in ,imitation of the ,jews1 if it was of a base1 or of any other than divine ,original4 ,the ,consequence is1 that we at this ,day ought to be allegorical ,interpreters of the ,old ,testament1 or we set ourselves against all ,antiquity1 and oppose a ,tradition that's like a ,command1 derived from ,moses and ,god himself4 ,and what can the ,bishop of ,st4 ,david's say to this ,consequence8 ,why1 he'll tell us1 tho' the allegorical ,method of ,interpretation be as ancient as the ,therapeuts and some of their ,predecessors1 yet1 whatever the ,jews and ,fathers may say of its ,antiquity1 it came not from ,god and ,moses1 or he would subscribe to it2 but took its ,rise1 some ,ages after the ,giving of the ,law of ,moses1 tho' he knows not how nor when4 ,and ,i am willing the ,bishop should please himself with such an ,answer and ,opinion1 till ,i have absolutely demonstrated the ,certainty of the allegorical ,method1 and thence made it manifest1 that it is of ,mosaick and divine ,original4 ,as to that other ,account#chc of the ,original of mystical ,interpretation of ,scripture1 or at least of the greater ,progress and ,improvement of it1 which the ,bishop out of ,porphyry gives1 by saying the ,fathers learned it of the gentile ,philosophers1 it is the most senseless and unscholarlike ,opinion that a ,christian can hold1 and ,i was surprised to see it come from him4 ,it is true that ,st4 ,clement of ,alexandria1 ,origen1 and others1 were very conversant in the ,writings of the ,greek ,philosophers3 ,and wherefore were they so8 ,was it to learn mystical ,theology of them8 ,no1 but1 as ,st4 ,jerom#chd says1 to confirm the ,doctrines of our ,religion1 and to confute the ,gentiles out of their own ,books4 ,for it was asserted by the ,fathers1 and confess'd by the ,gentile ,philosophers1 that the ,mythology of the ,greeks1 the hieroglyphical ,learning of the ,egyptians and the ,oneirocritism of the ,chaldans1 was all borrowed from the ,hebrews1 and had their ,rise from the mystical and allegorical ,interpretation of the ,scriptures1 as shall be made manifest1 if the ,bishop and ,i go on in this ,controversy3 ,and therefore the ,fathers studied the ,writings of the ,greeks1 and made the foresaid ,use of them in the ,conversion of the ,gentiles2 which the ,bishop can't but know1 if he remembers at all1 what he has read in ,st4 ,clement of ,alexandria1 and other ,fathers4 ,but this1 by the by1 with a ,hint to the ,bishop to consider1 whether he1 who holds here with ,porphyry1 or ,i who hold with the ,fathers1 writes the most like an ,infidel4 ,so much then to the ,accounts1 which the ,bishop of ,st4 ,david's has given1 of the ,origine of the mystical ,interpretation of ,scripture4 ,the ,bishop of ,litchfield1 who is to be looked on as a ,writer in this ,controversy1 has a large ,chapter against the allegorical ,way of ,interpretation4 ,i shall comprise his ,opinion in a few ,words out of him4 ,he says1#che he is not concerned to vindicate the ,antiquity1 ascribed by ,philo1 to the allegoric ,way of writing1 much less the ,abuse it was carry'd to in ,after-,ages2 no1 nor to defend1 at all1 this ,manner of writing4 ,and as to ,st4 ,paul's allegorizing the ,scriptures1 he says1#chf ,it seems to be in compliance with the ,demand of the ,jewish ,christians1 who were affected with allegoric ,interpretations1 that ,st4 ,paul 7who appears to have been no ,fool7 above all the other ,apostles used that ,way1 which he was brought into against his own good liking4 ,and in another ,place he says1#chg ,the ,laws and ,facts recorded by ,moses1 are commonly interpreted to natural1 moral1 theological and even anagogick ,senses1 which no one supposed to have been ever in ,moses's ,thoughts1 or to be other than the ,exercise of a subtle ,wit1 for the ,instruction and ,entertainment of the ,hearers4 ,whether this ,bishop had his ,wits about him1 when he said1 ,no one supposed the anagogick ,senses of the ,law to have been ever in ,moses's ,thoughts1 ,i can't tell2 but if he had rubb'd up his ,memory a little1 he might have consider'd1 what he says in another ,place1#chh that the ,anagogical was the accustomed ,way of the whole ,nation of the ,jews from ,moses's ,time2 and he might have known what ,st4 ,hilary1 whom ,i cited before1 says1 that ,moses taught the ,children of ,isrl the anagogical and allegorical ,way2 and whatever he may think1 ,origen says1#chi that ,moses by the ,acuteness of his ,understanding1 penetrated into the mystical and anagogical ,meaning of his own ,law4 ,and tho' this ,bishop says above1 that he is not concern'd to vindicate the ,antiquity of the allegorick ,way of writing2 yet ,i am oblig'd to vindicate its ,antiquity and ,truth1 or ,i can't write a good ,defence of ,christianity1 which should now bring me 7to what ,i have undertaken7 to make an absolute ,demonstration of the ,certainty of the allegorical ,method of ,interpretation1 and of ,jesus's ,messiahship upon it4 ,but before ,i enter upon a close ,proof of this grand ,undertaking1 ,i must beg leave to tell my ,readers a ,story1 which tho' it will for while defer my undertaken ,demonstration1 yet it is properly introductory to it4 ,i had not long drawn up my foregoing ,thoughts1 7against the two ,bishops1 of ,litchfield and ,st4 ,david's7 of the ,jewish and ,christian ,antiquity of the allegorical ,method of ,interpretation of ,scripture1 before ,i imparted them to my old ,friend the ,jewish ,rabbi1 who is a ,cabalist and ,allegorist1 and desired his ,sentiments upon them4 ,whereupon he was so kind as to send me the following ,letter1 with a pertinent ,objection in it1 against the ,messiahship of the ,jesus of our ,ministers of the ,letter2 with a pertinent1 ,i say1 and lucky ,objection1 which paves the ,way for my ,demonstration of the ,certainty of the allegorical ,way of ,interpretation1 and of the ,messiahship of the ,jesus of us ,ministers of the ,spirit2 and if ,i can but prevail upon the two forenamed ,bishops1 to give me their ,assistance in answering the said ,objection1 by humouring my ,rabbi in it2 we shall go a better ,step1 than has been hitherto taken1 for the ,conversion of the ,jews3 ,and this is ,encouragement enough to such hearty ,friends to ,christianity as we are1 to set about so great and glorious a ,work4 ,the ,letter is as follows4 ,,sir1 ,after condoling with you for the extraordinary ,penalty that was laid on you for my ,invective against ,jesus's ,miracle of turning ,water into ,wine1 which1 in my ,opinion1 you should not have been so heavily charg'd with1 because it was purely ,cabalistical1 and contains in it nothing better or worse than the ,conceptions that we ,jews entertain of ,jesus and his ,miracles2 ,i here send you my ,thoughts on the short ,account you have given of the ,antiquity of the allegorical ,method of the ,interpretation of ,scripture4 ,you and the ,fathers of your ,church are certainly in the right on't1 to make it as old as ,moses1 agreeably to the ,opinion1 that we cabalistical ,jews#cij at this ,day entertain of it4 ,if it was of later ,date and original1 your ,adversaries are oblig'd to assign the ,time when1 and the ,occasion how1 such a surprising and extraordinary ,method of ,interpretation was introduced into the ,jewish ,nation4 ,if our ,ancestors in the ,days of ,god's inspired ,prophet1 ,moses1 heard of none but literal ,senses of the ,law1 and if neither he nor ,god himself ever intended they should run into the allegorical ,strain1 ,i ask when and what was that ,incident which turn'd the ,heads of our ancient ,nation so religiously and devoutly to it8 ,i can easily conceive how it came to pass1 that the ,sect of the ,caraites amongst us ,jews1 who now adhere to the ,letter1 deserted mystical ,interpretations2 and why your ,ministers of the ,letter have forsaken them2 and that was because they don't relish nor apprehend those divine ,mysteries1 which your and our ancient ,allegorists so much talk'd of1 as veil'd and latent under the ,law of ,moses4 ,but if this be a good ,reason1 why they have forsaken the allegorical ,method1 it is a much better ,reason1 why our ,ancestors1 of themselves should never have taken it up4 ,and therefore it is plain to me1 that ,god and ,moses upon the ,institution of the ,law1 at the same ,time imparted the allegorical ,method2 or it could never afterwards1 by chance1 have enter'd into the ,heads of ,men1 who have hitherto discern'd so little ,use and ,fruits of it4 ,the ,reason why ,god by ,moses communicated to the ,israelites1 and by his ,providence since has kept up the allegorical ,way of ,interpretation of the ,scriptures1 was to prepare the ,world for the ,reception of the ,messiah1 who was to be the ,accomplisher of them in an allegorical ,sense2 and our ,ancestors accordingly so much excercised their ,thoughts in divine and mystical ,contemplations on the ,law2 because1 they fancied1 they could thereby1 as through a ,glass darkly1 attain to some glimmering ,foresight of the ,kingdom of the ,messiah3 ,for you must know1 that our old ,cabalists#cia held 7what your ,jesus undertook to fulfil7 that all ,things that were written in the ,law and the ,prophets1 were1 to a ,tittle1 ,type and ,prophecy of the ,messiah1 who would be so far the clear ,fulfiller and ,illustrater of them1 as that ,men would then see ,god ,face to ,face3 ,and1 to be particular1 they expected1 in the first ,place1 that the ,messiah would work the ,redemption of his ,church after the same manner1 and by the like ,signs and ,wonders that ,moses wrought the ,deliverance of the ,israelites out of ,egypt4 ,agreeable to these our old ,opinions of the ,scripture1 and to our ,expectations of a ,messiah1 did the ,fathers of your ,church endeavour to prove ,jesus's ,messiahship1 by an allegorical ,explication and ,application of the ,law and the ,prophets to him3 ,but in as much as they labour'd in vain1 proving little or nothing1 this ,way1 to the ,satisfaction of our old ,jews2 and in as much as your ,priesthood have altogether given over this ,way of ,proof2 we persist in our ,disbelief of ,jesus's ,messiahship1 and expect another for the foresaid grand ,purposes4 ,give me ,leave here to make an ,objection1 founded on the concurrent and consentient ,opinions of your ,fathers and our ,ancestors1 against the ,messiahship of ,jesus1 which if your ,priests can answer1 agreeably to their united ,opinions1 they will not only make a ,convert of me1 but open a ,door for the ,conversion of our whole ,nation4 ,it is agreed between us ,jews1 and you ,christians 7excepting two or three modern ,commentators7 that the ,words of ,deuteronomy1 xviii4 #ah4 ,i will raise them up a ,prophet from among their ,brethren like unto thee1 are a ,prophecy of the ,messiah4 ,from which ,prophecy our ,ancestors#cib look'd upon ,moses as a ,type of the ,messiah1 in all ,things1 and expected that the ,messiah at his coming would by way of ,antitype1 imitate and resemble ,moses in all the ,history of his ,life1 just as ,face answereth to ,face in a ,glass1 or as a ,substance agrees to its ,shadow4 ,and ,i am well assured that the ,fathers of your ,church accordingly held and believed1 what they endeavoured to prove1 that there was an exact ,similitude between ,jesus in the ,christian ,church1 and ,moses in the ,jewish4 ,now if your ,priesthood can perfect that ,proof1 and show me1 either in a literal or allegorical ,sense1 an exact ,resemblance1 ,correspondence1 and ,likeness between them1 ,i must of ,necessity turn ,christian4 ,it may be perhaps a ,work of too large an ,extent for them to shew this ,agreement between ,jesus and ,moses in all and every ,particular2 ,i will be content therefore1 if they can shew me a ,similitude between them in a small ,part of ,moses's ,life2 as for ,instance1 in the ,history of ,moses's delivering the ,israelites out of ,egypt4 ,it was most expressly the ,opinion of our ,ancestors1 that the ,messiah would deliver his ,people from ,bondage1 and1 if ,i forget not1 from ,roman ,bondage1 after the ,manner1 and by the like ,wonders1 that ,moses delivered his ,people from ,egyptian4 ,jerom1#cic a ,father of your ,church has recorded this as the universal ,opinion of our ,ancestors1 and therefore you have the less ,reason to question it4 ,and agreeably to this ,opinion of our ,ancestors1 the ,fathers of your ,church asserted1 that ,christ was such a ,messiah1 and did deliver his ,church from ,roman ,servitude1 after the same ,manner 7in a ,figure7 that ,moses delivered his ,israelites out of ,egypt4 ,nay1 your ,apostle ,paul#cid seems to assert it1 saying1 ,brethren1 ,i would not1 that ye should be ignorant1 how that all our ,fathers were under the ,cloud1 and all passed through the ,sea1 and were all baptized unto ,moses in the ,cloud and in the ,sea4 ,now these things were our ,examples or ,types4 ,in which ,words ,paul apparently alludes to1 and confirms the ,opinion of our ,ancestors1 which he had imbibed before his ,conversion2 and intimates that ,jesus1 whom he took for the ,messiah1 was working a ,redemption of his ,church after the ,manner of the ,deliverance of the ,israelites out of ,egypt4 ,and so did your ,fathers understand these ,words of ,paul1 and accordingly many of them labour'd to shew the ,similitude between the ,israelitish and ,christian ,redemption1 in order to the ,conversion of the ,jews4 ,but they1 it seems1 labour'd in vain1 shewing no tolerable nor visible ,likeness of this sort between ,jesus and ,moses2 and therefore our ,nation to this ,day continues in ,disbelief of ,jesus's ,messiahship4 ,however1 we have not so pertinaciously rejected ,jesus's ,messiahship1 as not to give you ,leave to resume the old ,argument of it1 from his ,likeness to ,moses in all things4 ,if your ,priests can now show a ,likeness between them2 if they can at this ,day prove that ,jesus wrought the like ,miracles and ,wonders 7tho' in a figurative and allegorical ,sense7 for the ,redemption of his ,church from ,roman ,servitude1 as ,moses did for the ,deliverance of ,israelites out of ,egypt1 we will grant him to be the ,messiah1 and will believe in him4 ,but as we despair of such a ,proof1 so we reasonably persist in our ,disbelief of his ,messiahship4 ,your ,divines indeed1 because of the foresaid ,prophecy in ,deuteronomy1 do talk of a ,likeness between ,moses and ,jesus2 but it is not at all agreeable to the ,sentiments of your ,fathers1 or the ,expectations of our ,ancestors concerning the ,messiah's ,similitude to ,moses4 ,they tell us1 that ,jesus and ,moses were alike1 because both wrought ,miracles2 but this will not do1 till they prove a ,likeness between their ,miracles1 as to ,number1 ,nature1 ,use and ,circumstance4 ,the ,miracles that the ,messiah is to work1 and which are to prove his ,messiahship1 must be of a similar ,nature1 and to the like ,purpose that ,moses's were in ,egypt1 as our ,ancestors asserted1 and your ,fathers granted3 ,but since no such ,similitude is shown to be between them1 we disown ,jesus's ,messiahship1 and appeal to the ,reason and ,understanding of all indifferent ,judges in the ,controversy1 whether we are not in the right on't for so doing4 ,thus1 ,sir1 for the ,use of your ,clergy1 have ,i form'd an ,objection against ,jesus's ,messiahship1 an ,objection that is founded on the concurrent ,opinions of our ,ancestors and of your ,fathers3 ,and ,i shall with some ,longings and ,impatience wait till ,i hear what they have to say to it4 ,the ,objection1 in my ,opinion1 absolutely destroys ,jesus's ,pretences to the ,messiahship1 unless his ,priests1 by way of ,answer to it1 can prove the foresaid ,similitude between him and ,moses2 between the ,miracles of the ,one and the ,miracles of the ,other2 between the ,deliverance of the ,jewish and the ,redemption of the ,christian ,church1 out of an ,egypt4 ,i am thinking what your ,clergy can say to the ,objection4 ,will they deny1 that it was the ,opinion of both your ,fathers and of our ,ancestors1 that there ought to be such a ,similitude between the ,messiah and ,moses1 as is before describ'd8 ,that they can't do1 because of the innumerable ,testimonies to be produced out of them to confirm it4 ,will they then say1 that it was a false and erroneous ,opinion1 which both ancient ,jews and ,fathers entertain'd concerning the ,messiah8 ,this surely they will not do2 because of the ,consequence1 which charges the ,apostle ,paul himself 7in the above-cited ,place7 and the primitive ,christians1 with the grossest ,error and ,mistake concerning ,jesus and his ,messiahship2 and yet ,i can't think they will ever give into the joint ,opinion aforesaid of both ,jews and ,fathers2 because of the ,impossibility of proving ,jesus to be like ,moses in all ,things1 according to the literal ,sense of the ,law1 which they adhere to2 and because of the ,improbability of doing it1 in an allegorical ,sense1 after the ,way of their ,fathers1 or1 in all this ,time surely1 the ,matter must have been made out1 to the ,satisfaction and ,conversion of our ,nation4 ,i long1 ,i tell you1 to hear what your ,christian ,priesthood will say to the ,objection1 which surely they will not let slip1 without their ,remarks and ,observations upon it1 any more than my ,objections against the literal ,story of some of ,jesus's ,miracles4 ,and this is your and my ,comfort1 that if you publish this present ,objection against ,jesus's ,messiahship1 the ,clergy can't account it a ludicrous1 profane1 and blasphemous one 7as they did my others7 and so bring you again under ,prosecution for it3 ,no1 it is a plain1 serious1 and reasonable ,objection1 founded on ancient ,jewish and ,ecclesiastical ,authority2 and a pertinent1 solid1 and rational ,answer is expected to it4 ,now the ,controversy about ,jesus's ,messiahship is thus far revived and commenced1 let us1 in ,god's ,name1 go on with it1 till we come to a final ,determination1 either in the ,demonstration1 or ,confutation of it4 ,your ,clergy1 can't1 ,i think1 for ,shame1 any more interrupt the free ,course of the ,controversy1 which will make us ,jews secretly insult and triumph over them2 and not only confirm us in our ,unbelief of ,jesus's ,messiahship1 but will occasion others to desert their ,faith in him4 ,it's a strange thing to consider how your ,priesthood have1 in these latter ,ages1 managed the ,controversy between ,jews and ,christians1 all by themselves1 furiously disputing against ,adversaries1 whom they will not allow with ,impunity to speak in their own ,cause3 ,so do they make ,god1 who is to decide the ,controversy1 like an unjust and partial ,judge1 that will hear only the ,pleadings and ,evidence on one ,side of the ,question4 ,but your ,clergy will say1 that in their ,writings against the ,jews1 they make ,objections for us as well as ,answers for themselves1 and that's sufficient4 ,not so1 say ,i1 unless their ,objections were as good and strong as we can make for our selves4 ,but however1 if your ,divines so please1 ,i will thus agree the ,matter with them1 viz4 ,that they alone shall make ,objections for us1 if they'll let us alone to make ,answers for them1 which is most just and equal2 and then the ,world shall behold the most pleasant and comical ,farce of a ,controversy1 they ever were entertain'd with4 ,i remember1 that in my ,letter1 you published1 against ,jesus's ,resurrection1 ,i promised the ,controversy between the ,jews and ,christians1 by my ,consent1 should turn on that ,miracle4 ,your ,clergy1 one or other of them1 have answer'd that ,letter2 and so might expect to hear of my ,conversion1 if ,i had nothing to reply to them4 ,my ,reply you durst not publish1 for fear of worldly ,tribulation1 and so ,i am free from that ,promise4 ,but now that you have fortunately given me an ,occasion to make the more proper and substantial ,objection against ,jesus's ,messiahship1 herein contain'd1 ,i hope it will be freely and fully debated and consider'd to the ,determination of the ,controversy between us4 ,so wishing you ,health and ,happiness1 ,i am ,yours1 ,n4 ,n4 ,so ends the ,letter of my good old ,friend1 the ,jewish ,rabbi1 which was a most seasonable and acceptable ,present1 in as much as the ,objection1 contain'd in it1 will open a fair ,way for me to prove1 that the ,stories of ,jesus's ,miracles1 as recorded in the ,evangelists1 are and ought to be allegorically understood1 and will certainly receive such a mystical ,accomplishment1 as ,i1 by the ,help of the ,fathers1 have conceived of them4 ,the ,bishop of ,st4 ,david's1 and my other ,adversaries1 may not1 in all ,probability1 be aware of this ,use to be made of the foresaid ,objection2 and ,i don't expect that on a sudden they should2 but if they'll favour me with1 what otherwise ,i'll endeavour to force them to1 their ,opinion and ,debates about the foresaid ,objection against ,jesus's ,messiahship1 they shall soon discern this ,use and ,consequence of it1 that ,jesus's ,miracles are not literally but allegorically to be understood1 and will accordingly receive an ,accomplishment4 ,i trust then1 that the ,bishop of ,st4 ,david's1 who is principally concern'd1 will1 without more ,importunity1 favour me with his ,opinion on the foregoing ,jewish ,objection1 which may be done in a small ,compass of ,paper1 either in ,print1 or in an ,epistle4 ,i expect he should tell me plainly and expressly1 whether it was really the joint ,opinion of the ancient ,jews and ,fathers of the ,church1 as is affected in the ,objection1 that the ,messiah was to be a ,prophet like ,moses in all things1 in the whole ,history of his ,life1 and particularly with regard to the miraculous ,deliverance of the ,israelites out of ,egypt4 ,if the ,bishop should1 what ,i humbly conceive he will not1 deny that it was the joint ,opinion of both ,jews and ,fathers1 as is before represented in the ,objection1 and should pretend to urge ,reasons and ,authorities1 which he will hardly find1 why such a ,likeness and ,agreement between the ,messiah and ,moses ought not to be look'd for2 then my ,rabbi and ,i will confirm the joint ,opinion aforesaid1 with ,citations1 almost innumerable out of the ,jews and ,fathers1 till the ,bishop shall yield to the ,number and ,clearness of them4 ,if the ,bishop should own1 what ,i am almost persuaded he will1 that it was the joint ,opinion of ,fathers and ,jews1 that there ought to be such a ,similitude and ,harmony between the ,messiah and ,moses1 as is represented above2 but should say1 that it was an erroneous and false ,opinion1 which the old ,cabalistical ,jews1 by chance1 and unfortunately took up2 and which the ,fathers1 even the ,apostle himself1 unwarily and unhappily run into1 complying with an ,opinion of the ,jews about the ,messiah1 without ,consideration of the ,weakness of it2 then ,i1 with a little of my ,rabbi's ,help1 will further prove the ,truth and ,certainty of the said ,opinion1 and demonstrate1 that ,he can be no true ,messiah1 who in the ,history of himself and of his ,church does not exactly1 to a tittle1 correspond to the ,history of ,moses and of his ,people4 ,but if the ,bishop should1 what ,i am willing to hope he will1 ingenuously confess1 there ought to be such an ,agreement and ,likeness between ,moses and the ,messiah as is signified in the ,objection1 then he and ,i will go heartily to ,work1 and for the ,honour of ,jesus1 whom we believe to be the ,messiah1 will absolutely demonstrate the ,similitude1 there is between him and ,moses in all ,things4 ,and this1 by the by1 in the ,opinion of our ,fathers1 is the ,,only ,way to prove ,jesus's ,messiahship1 viz4 by his ,resemblance to ,moses1 and by his ,accomplishment of the ,mosaick ,types and ,prophecy concerning him1 who1 upon his own ,word1 came to fulfil the ,law and the ,prophets to a ,tittle4 ,if the ,bishop and ,i should be so fortunate1 and ,i trust in ,god we shall1 as to prove a most apparent and manifest ,likeness between ,jesus and ,moses1 even such a ,likeness as my ,rabbi above demands1 then shall we stop his ,mouth1 and soon pave a certain ,way 7which will be vast ,honour to the ,bishop7 for the ,conversion of the ,jews4 ,i don't despair of the ,bishop's joint ,labours and ,endeavours with mine to so great and good a ,work 7for ,i can't think in my ,heart1 that he'll otherwise wrangle about the ,objection above7 so 7if the ,bishop pleases7 we'll begin this ,work with a ,demonstration of the ,likeness there is between the ,redemption of the ,christian ,church1 and the ,deliverance of the ,israelitish out of ,egypt4 ,not only ,st4 ,augustin#cie hints that they who would show a ,likeness between ,jesus and ,moses ought to begin here2 but thereby we shall humour my ,rabbi in his ,objection1 who calls for 7upon the concurrent ,testimonies of ,jews and ,fathers7 a ,proof of such a ,likeness between the ,redemptions of the two ,churches1 or he shall think it reasonable still to persist in his ,disbelief of ,jesus's ,messiahship4 ,and if the ,bishop and ,i should be so happy as to shew in an apparent ,manner1 this ,similitude between the ,redemption of the ,jewish and ,christian ,church out of ,egypt1 then meeting with ,success in our ,studies1 will we proceed further1 and illustrate other ,prophecies of succeeding ,times of the ,church2 for ,i will not part with the ,bishop1 till he is able to travel by himself1 in his ,contemplations on the ,law and the ,prophets1 and to behold1 what with an ordinary ,telescope at the ,eyes of his ,understanding he may discern1 and show to his ,episcopal ,brethren1 ,christ spiritually sitting and coming on the ,clouds of the ,letter to the same ,purposes that the old ,jews1 ,fathers and ,apostles say he is to come1 viz4 ,to open and illustrate the ,parables and nigma's of the ,scriptures1 to restore ,prophecy1 to shew us ,god ,face to ,face2 and to raise ,all from a spiritual ,death to ,life again4 ,and blessed are all those1 who love and desire such his ,appearance4 ,in my ,third ,discourse on ,miracles1 ,i happen'd to speak of ,christ's second and spiritual ,advent on the ,clouds of the ,law and ,prophets2 and to say that the common ,notion of his ,coming on rial ,clouds for the ,resurrection of dead ,bodies1 c4 is the most senseless and unphilosophical1 that ever was taught to ,mankind2 which gave ,offence to my ,bishop1 who animadverted upon me for it2 but if he ever get ,sight1 which ,i don't question1 of ,christ's ,coming on the metaphorical ,clouds of ,prophecy1 he'll not only be of my ,mind here1 but will be sensible with me1 that all or most of our systematical ,divinity1 that is built on the ,letter of the ,scriptures1 is false and groundless2 and of that ill ,tendency to the ,corruption of ,mens ,morals1 that it is not so much a ,wonder1 that wise1 good1 and thinking ,gentlemen are betaking themselves to ,natural ,religion1 as it is1 that there are any ,believers of ,christianity1 upon the ,literal ,scheme1 left among us4 ,if it had not been ,force1 more than ,reason1 that has hitherto kept ,mankind in their ,christian ,faith2 or if ,liberty had been indulg'd them to consider the ,absurdities of the ,letter of the ,scriptures1 they would have run ere now1 by ,shoals1 into ,infidelity3 ,but the allegorical ,interpretation 7which the ,cabalistical ,jews#cif say1 will convert ,atheists7 will reduce ,mankind to the ,belief of the inspired ,authority of the ,scriptures1 by shewing them the perfect ,reason1 the divine ,wisdom1 and resplendent ,truth of them2 otherwise call'd the ,messiah1 the ,greek3 chrisma1 the ,spirit1 or the ,christ of them1 than whom1 or than which nothing can be more desired by ,philosophers1 to come for the spiritual ,renovation1 ,restoration1 ,resurrection and ,illumination of ,man2 consequently and implicitly for the ,work of those mystical ,miracles1 of which those wrought by ,christ in the ,flesh are but ,types and ,figures4 ,whether the ,bishop of ,st4 ,david's be already apprised of this ,consequence1 ,i can't tell2 but if he rub his ,intellects but a little1 he must needs apprehend the ,consequence of the foresaid spiritual ,advent of ,christ thus far ,that ,ministers of the ,letter then are certainly to be turn'd out of the ,church3 ,that the ,woman of the ,church then will be cured of her ,infirmity at the ,spirit of ,prophesy3 ,that the ,eyes of ,mankind1 like the blind ,man's1 will be then open'd to see1 what he has hitherto been dark about1 the ,mystery of the ,providence of ,god in all ,ages4 ,and so of the mystical ,accomplishment of the other ,miracles1 with a little ,application of ,thought1 may he discern the ,consequence4 ,and when he does so1 then he will see too1 what sort of a ,christian ,i am1 whom our ,ecclesiasticks have falsely accused1 and unjustly persecuted for ,impiety1 ,profaneness1 ,blasphemy and ,infidelity1 only because ,i have written against the ,letter of ,jesus's ,miracles1 in order to turn ,mens ,heads to the ,consideration of their mystical ,accomplishment at ,christ's second spiritual and glorious ,advent on the ,clouds of the ,law and the ,prophets4 ,i have indeed written against the literal ,stories of ,jesus's ,miracles1 which ,i still nauseate and abominate the ,confinement of ,mens ,thoughts to it2 but if our ,clergy would but a little bear with me1 they shall see1 ,i alone do ,honour to their literal ,stories1 by making them beautiful ,emblems of future and more wonderful ,operations4 ,i have indeed call'd ,jesus an ,impostor1 ,juggler1 ,fortune teller 7and what not87 by way of ,objection against the ,letter of his ,miracles2 but ,i alone shall do him ,honour1 in those very ,miracles1 which he wrought in the ,flesh1 by proving him to be the ,wisdom1 as well as ,power of ,god1 and that ,god was in him of a ,truth1 and endued him with a divine ,prescience of ,futurities1 or he could not then have wrought such curious and admirable ,models and ,prefigurations of his mysterious ,works at his second ,advent4 ,whether the ,bishop of ,st4 ,david's1 and others1 can as yet certainly discern the foresaid ,consequence of ,christ's mystical ,accomplishment of his ,miracles upon his spiritual ,advent1 ,i can't guess2 but if they'll favour me with their ,opinion on my ,rabbi's ,objection above1 which will lead us to the allegorical ,interpretation of the ,law1 they shall soon clearly see it4 ,and now ,i would have the ,bishop of ,st4 ,david's to compare this ,part of my ,defence with the ,third ,chapter of his ,vindication1 which treats on the ,practice of the ,fathers in interpreting the ,scriptures in a mystical and allegorical ,method1 and consider whether ,he or ,i write the most like a ,christian of an orthodox and primitive ,faith and ,practice4 ,the ,bishop says#cig ,that it is certain1 that without such ,assistance 7of the ,spirit7 as ,st4 ,paul enjoy'd1 the mystical ,expositions of the ,scripture by ,origen and other ,fathers1 tho' made in ,imitation of ,st4 ,paul1 have no such ,authority as that of ,st4 ,paul stampt on them4 ,what1 in the ,name of ,wonder1 does the ,bishop here mean8 ,tho' ,st4 ,paul has not allegoriz'd the whole ,law1 but only some few ,parts2 yet he expressly says1 often enough1 that the whole is a ,figure and ,shadow of ,things to come under ,christ2 and our ,saviour himself1 as the ,fathers understood him1 intimates often1 that all ,things that were written in the ,law and the ,prophets1 are ,types and ,prophecy of him1 and that he came to fulfil them to a ,tittle4 ,is not here ,authority enough for the ,fathers to allegorize the whole ,law and the ,prophets1 in order to shew the ,agreement between the ,type and ,antitype2 between the ,shadow and the ,substance2 between the ,figure and the ,thing figured2 and between the ,prophecy and its ,accomplishment4 ,and whether the ,fathers1 in their allegorical ,expositions1 rightly or not1 hit off the ,sense of the ,prophecy2 7for it must be confess'd they variously allegorized this and that ,passage of ,scripture7 yet it was their and our ,duty and ,office1 from the ,words of ,christ1 and the ,practice of the ,apostle1 to keep on in the allegorical ,method1 till an ,harmony between the ,prophecy and its ,accomplishment was made most clear4 ,the ,bishop says in this his ,third ,chapter of his ,vindication1 ,that the ,fathers and ,i have abusively cited this ,passage of ,st4 ,paul1 ,the ,letter killeth1 but the ,spirit giveth ,life1 in ,justification of our mystical ,expositions2 whereupon the ,bishop gave us a large ,explication out of his own ,head1 on that whole ,verse2 which 7because of the ,shallowness of my own ,pate1 or the ,confusion of the ,bishop's7 ,i don't understand1 and much question1 whether the ,bishop understands himself4 ,however1 ,i will here paraphrastically give my ,readers the easy1 plain1 and intelligible ,sense of the ,fathers and my self on that whole ,verse#cih thus1 ,who hath made us able ,ministers of the ,new ,testament1 not of the ,letter that is1 not of the literal ,sense of the ,law and the ,prophets1 which is the ,old ,testament but of the ,spirit1 that is1 of the spiritual ,sense of the ,law and the ,prophets1 which is the ,new ,testament for as the ,testimony of ,jesus1 according to ,st4 ,john1 is the ,spirit of ,prophecy1 so the ,letter that is1 the literal ,sense of the ,law and ,prophets killeth that is1 nulls the ,testimony of ,jesus which is in them but the ,spirit that is1 the spiritual ,sense of the ,law and ,prophets giveth ,life to their prophetical ,testimony4 ,this is most certainly the ,sense of the ,fathers on this ,text2 and ,i believe the ,bishop will not gainsay it1 tho' he may dislike it4 ,hence the ,fathers1 when they spoke properly and not vulgarly1 call'd the spiritual ,sense of the ,law and the ,prophets1 the#cii ,new ,testament1 and asserted that there was or would be such an ,agreement between the ,old and ,new ,testament2 that is1 between the ,testament of the ,letter1 and the ,testament of the ,spirit of the ,scriptures1 as that there would not be#djj one ,tittle in the one1 that would not be consonantly fulfilled in the other2 and so far as ,i already apprehend this ,harmony between these two ,testaments1 of the ,letter1 and of the ,spirit1 ,i must needs say with ,origen#dja that it's pleasant and ravishing to behold and contemplate it1 and hope in a short time to make the ,bishop of ,st4 ,david's a ,partaker of the same ,pleasure4 ,the same right ,notion had the ,fathers of the ,gospel of ,christ1 which they have of the ,new ,testament4 ,vulgarly speaking1 the ,writings of the ,evangelists1 and of the ,apostles1 were call'd the ,gospel of ,christ3 ,but properly speaking1 ,christ's spiritual ,accomplishment of the ,law was the ,gospel3 ,hence is the ,meaning of their frequent saying1 ,that under the ,law the ,gospel was vail'd1 and under the ,gospel the ,law was reveal'd4 ,hence they said1 ,that those ,men had nothing of the ,gospel1 who understood not the ,spirit of the ,law4 ,hence they said1 ,the ,gospel was hid to those1 who had the ,veil of the ,letter upon their ,hearts in reading of the ,old ,testament4 ,hence it was too1 that they said1 ,that the ,gospel was but in ,part1 and that too in a very little ,part1 reveal'd at ,christ's first ,coming2 the full ,revelation of it being reserv'd for his second and more glorious ,advent1 which the ,world is now in great ,want of1 for the curing of their spiritual ,blindness1 ,deafness1 and ,lameness2 that is1 for the ,correction of their gross ,ignorance and ,errors in ,religion2 for the ,healing of their ,divisions2 for the ,manifestation of ,truth2 for the ,conversion of ,jews and ,gentiles2 and for the ,reformation of the ,manners of ,mankind4 ,dear ,jesu1 to what a sad ,purpose have our ,hired ,priesthood and ,ministers of the ,letter1 of all ,denominations1 hitherto studied and preach'd1 even till they have lost the true1 primitive1 and ,apostolical ,notion of the ,gospel2 of ,revelation2 and of the ,new ,testament6 ,the ,bishop of ,london has of late publish'd two ,pastoral ,letters on the ,certainty1 ,necessity1 and ,use of ,revelation1 against ,infidels1 particularly against my self1 whom he 7,god help his ,understanding67 takes for a ,favourer of ,infidelity3 ,and to do the ,man ,justice1 ,i believe he's sincere1 and laments at his ,heart the ,unbelief of this ,age3 ,but however1 when the true ,gospel1 otherwise call'd the ,revelation of the ,law and the ,prophets1 or the ,new ,testament 7which will be fatal to the ,ministry of the ,letter1 and an hired ,priesthood7 shall be republished1 restored1 and repreach'd1 ,i dare say1 without ,censoriousness1 or pretending to a prophetick ,spirit1 that ,he1 of all the ,inhabitants of ,london and ,westminster1 will be the greatest ,enemy to it2 and for no other ,reason than his own1 because of his ,unwillingness to part with his worldly ,interests1 which will induce him to embrace any ,arguments against it1 and to cherish any ,doubts and ,scruples concerning it4 ,whether the ,bishop of ,st4 ,david's intends to proceed in this ,controversy against me1 as he has begun1 ,i know not4 ,he promised us his ,second ,volume last ,winter1 but has adjourn'd the ,publication of it to the next1 and ,i am apt to think he'll defer it to latter ,lammas3 ,for being1 ,i suppose1 sensible1 that his ,first ,volume is built on the false ,bottom of my supposed ,infidelity1 he'll hardly trouble the ,world with another of that kind4 ,but however1 ,i'll not release him out of the ,controversy4 ,i shall insist upon his letting me know his ,opinion on my ,rabbi's ,objection against ,jesus's ,messiahship1 herein contain'd1 which if he'll favour me with1 ,i'll forgive him all the ,virulence1 and pass by all the ,impertinence 7to say no worse7 of his ,vindication3 ,otherwise ,i shall be tempted to do an unpleasant ,work to myself1 as well as an ungrateful one to him2 that is1 further to expostulate with him for his false ,accusations1 ,misrepresentations1 and other ill ,usage of me4 ,when ,i review my ,discourses on ,miracles1 and consider not only their visible ,tendency to the ,proof of ,jesus's ,messiahship1 but my solemn ,declarations of the ,belief of ,christianity2 ,i wonder that such a ,number of ,writers against me should all of them 7excepting ,mr4 ,laurence#djb whom ,i here thank and praise for his ,ingenuity7 take me for an ,infidel4 ,i don't indeed much wonder1 that the inferior ,tribe of ,levi 7such is their egregious ,ignorance67 should take me for one2 but that such presumed great ,scholars1 as are the ,bishops of ,london and ,st4 ,david's1 should so mistake me1 is astonishing4 ,and ,i am not as yet fully satisfied1 whether it be their ,ignorance or their ,malice1 thus to accuse me of ,infidelity3 ,if it was really ,ignorance in them1 they'll soon be convinced of their ,error2 and then1 like good ,christians1 they'll make me ,satisfaction for the ,injuries done me4 ,but if it was ,malice1 and in ,revenge on me for writing so much against an ,hired-,priesthood1 then they'll go on1 and die hard1 without any ,remorse for the ,troubles1 ,sufferings and ,expences they have put me to4 ,as ,i am really a ,christian1 and shall1 by ,god's ,help1 demonstrate the ,messiahship of ,jesus1 to which my ,discourses on his ,miracles were subservient2 so ,i will make bold to tell the ,bishops concern'd1 that ,i am as certainly persecuted1 as ever any ,christian was since the ,days of the ,apostles3 ,and they will do well to consider1 whether they have not everlastingly disgraced themselves1 and done some ,dishonour to the best ,civil ,administration1 that ever ,nation was bless'd with1 by engaging them in the ,persecution of the most sincere ,advocate for the ,truth of ,christianity1 that ever set ,pen to ,paper4 ,i am so far from being an ,infidel1 that1 notwithstanding my ,discourses on ,miracles1 ,i am an implicit ,believer1 and most devout ,admirer of ,doctrines1 ,historical ,facts1 and ,traditions of the primitive ,church1 adhering to many ,notions of the ,fathers1 besides their allegorical ,scheme 7as will be seen in the ,sequel of this ,controversy7 which the ,divines of these last ,ages have rejected1 as so many ,weaknesses and ,mistakes in them4 ,and when ,i come more fully to open my ,mind1 it will be well if the ,clergy don't change their ,note about me2 and instead of accusing me of ,infidelity1 ridicule me for too much ,credulity1 and even ,superstition2 or ,i would not espouse such and such ,doctrines and ,traditions1 which all learned and ,protestant ,criticks have discarded4 ,some of these old ,notions ,i'll keep to myself1 for fear of being over-much laught at by the ,clergy for them1 but others upon ,occasion ,i will divulge2 and don't care if ,i tell my ,readers here one of them1 thus3 ,the ,fathers intimate that ,ministers of the ,letter are ,worshippers of the ,apocalyptical ,beast1 or ,anti-,christ2 and that that ,beast of a ,god1 old ,baal1 was a ,type of ,anti ,christ4 ,this their ,opinion ,i found hard to digest2 but if there be any ,truth in it1 it can't be unlawful to jest a little with his ,priests1 or to ridicule their nonsensical1 foolish and absurd ,doctrines1 founded on the ,letter4 ,but let my ,theological ,notions and ,speculations be of what kind soever2 what ,harm can my ,arguings for them do to the ,community8 ,none at all4 ,if they are not of ,god1 they will come to nought sooner and better than by a ,persecution of me for them4 ,but if they are of ,god1 they will stand and prevail against all ,opposition of the ,clergy1 who will lose their ,reputation1 if they take any other ,measures1 than what ,reason and ,religion do allow of1 to suppress them4 ,my earnest ,request then to the ,clergy is1 that under the ,debate ,i am like to have with them1 they would be pleased to keep their ,temper2 or wise and impartial ,by-standers will say1 that it's more for their ,interests than the ,truth1 that they are zealous and furious4 ,i am not afraid of another ,prosecution at ,law1 because ,i already have1 or soon shall cut off all ,pretences to it1 by clearing myself of all ,suspicions of ,infidelity2 but1 for all that1 ,i am more apprehensive of the ,rage and ,indignation of the ,clergy1 than if ,i had been a downright ,atheist4 ,no ,atheist or ,deist is or can be of that dangerous ,consequence to the modern ,priesthood1 as the ,christian ,allegorist4 ,against the ,growth of ,deism and ,atheism1 the ,clergy may be able for some time to maintain their ,ground2 but upon the ,revival of the ,ministry of the ,spirit of the ,law and the ,prophets1 they can't stand long4 ,and if ,i should demonstrate1 what ,i have undertaken1 the ,certainty of the allegorical ,scheme1 and ,jesus's ,messiahship upon it2 tho' ,jews and ,infidels then will be ready to rejoice1 yet ,ministers of the ,letter1 notwithstanding their pretended ,love to1 and ,faith in ,jesus1 will be enraged2 and it will be well1 if ,i don't feel the ,weight of their ,displeasure and ,resentment4 ,if that foolish old ,dotard1 ,mr4 ,ayscough#djc the ,rector of ,st4 ,olave's1 ,southwark1 could find in his ,heart to instigate the ,mob to drag me through the ,streets1 and throw me into some ,repository of ,filth and ,nastiness1 what may ,i not dread from young hot-headed ,priests1 upon the ,performance of what is here undertaken8 ,but ,i hope our pious and good ,bishops1 notwithstanding the ,danger of their ,thousands a ,year1 will be my ,safeguard4 ,after all1 it is a sad and melancholick ,consideration1 that the ,understandings of ,mankind1 especially of the ,wise1 ,thinking and ,philosophical ,part of them1 should be enslaved to the ,interests of ,ecclesiastical ,clodpates1 who for the sake of ,mammon more than ,truth1 are furious and turbulent2 otherwise any ,opinions in ,religion might be profess'd1 consistently with the ,peace of the ,publick2 and any ,speculations publish'd without ,animosities and ,molestations4 ,what ,course can be taken with the ,clergy1 to persuade them to ,patience and ,forbearance1 whilst ,i prove them to be the most stupid ,sect of ,philosophers1 who have amongst them the fewest ,rudiments of true ,philosophy1 and even of the ,gospel1 of any ,sect the ,world ever knew8 ,it's said1 there is nothing so absurd1 which some of the old ,philosophers have not held2 but there is nothing1 for ,absurdity1 equal to this ,belief1 that the ,bible1 for its literal ,story1 is the ,word of ,god1 and given by ,inspiration of him4 ,the ,bishop of ,st4 ,david's complains#djd of my unmannerly ,behaviour towards my ,ecclesiastical ,superiors2 and ,i must confess1 ,i am no body at that low and ,right ,reverend ,bow1 that he is fam'd for1 or ,i might have put in for a ,bishoprick before now3 ,but if our ,bishops and ,clergy will be pleased to keep their ,temper1 till ,i get to the ,end of this ,controversy1 ,i'll pass such ,compliments upon them for their good ,humour and ,learning too1 if they deserve it1 as they hardly ever met with4 ,to conclude1 ,i have written as plainly and intelligibly as ,i can1 in this ,part of my ,defence4 ,if any one shall complain of ,obscurity any where1 ,i will1 upon ,intimation1 endeavour to illustrate it4 ,i have1 in some ,places1 asserted ,things upon the ,authority of the ,fathers1 without producing their ,testimonies1 in ,proof of them2 but if any question1 whether their ,testimonies can be here or there urg'd1 they shall1 upon a proper ,occasion1 have ,satisfaction given them4 ,the ,reason why ,i have sometimes omitted the ,testimonies of the ,fathers1 where they might be look'd for1 is because ,i study ,brevity1 intending never to publish at once a larger ,volume than this present4 ,and no body need question my ,testimonies to be ready at ,hand2 because ,i have neither the ,courage nor ,confidence 7like many others7 to vent any new ,doctrines out of my own ,head4 ,my ,talent is only to illustrate what the ,fathers have asserted2 and tho' some would account me a ,falsifier and ,misrepresenter of primitive ,authorities1 my honest ,endeavours shall be to turn the ,hearts of our ,clergy1 who are like ,children in ,understanding1 to the ,fathers4 ,i shall end all seriously1 gravely1 calmly and sedately1 with the same ,words that ,i began my ,first ,discourse on ,miracles with1 saying1 ,if ever there was a useful ,controversy started or revived in this ,age of the ,church1 it is this about the ,messiahship of the ,holy ,jesus1 which the ,discourse of the ,grounds1 c4 has of late rais'd4 ,i believe this ,controversy will end in the absolute ,demonstration of ,jesus's ,messiahship from ,prophecy1 which is the only ,way to prove him to be the ,messiah1 that great ,prophet expected by the ,jews1 and promised under the old ,testament4 ,and whether ,bishop ,smalbroke or ,mr4 ,stackhouse will believe me1 or not1 ,i do now solemnly declare1 that what ,i have written in my ,discourses1 or shall write in these ,defences1 is with a ,view to1 what ,i am persuaded ,i shall effect1 the absolute ,demonstration of the ,messiahship of the ,holy ,jesus1 to whom be ,glory for ever and ever4 ,amen4 ,,finis4 ,,footnotes3 #ceg ,vindication in ,preface1 p4 ix4 x4 #ceh ,fair ,state of the ,controversy1 p4 #bic1 #bid4 #cei ,in his ,preface1 p4 xi4 #cfj ,vindication1 p4 #b4 #cfa ,defence of ,christianity1 p4 #bie1 #caj4 #cfb ,some ,observations of a ,layman4 #b4 ,tom of ,bedlam's ,letter to his ,cousin ,t4 ,woolston4 #c4 ,for ,god or the ,devil3 ,or1 ,just ,chastisement no ,persecution4 #d4 ,a ,defence of the ,scripture-,history1 c4 #cfc ,in his ,first ,pastoral ,letter1 p4 #e4 #cfd ,in his ,preface1 p4 ix4 #cfe ,in his ,dedication to the ,queen4 #cff ,siquidem ,symbola qudam erant1 qu tunc gerebantur1 eorum qu ,jesu virtute semper perficiuntur4 ,in ,matt4 ,c4 xv4 #cfg ,peragunt ,formam futuri ,gesta prsentia4 ,in ,matt4 ,c4 xxi4 #cfh ,qu a ,jesu facta alicujus significantia erant4 ,in ,serm4 lxxvii4 #cfi ,ipse ,salvator noster apertissim ostendit1 qud ejus miracula aliquid significent1 dum ea faciendo aliquid agit1 quod ratione carere videatur4 ,in ,hom4 quarta post ,dominic4 quartam4 #cgj ,in his ,preface1 p4 xi4 #cga ,ibid4 p4 x4 #cgb ,similitudo erat ,typus futurorum unumquodque1 quod ,jesus faciebat in ,corpore4 ,in ,isai4 ,c4 vi4 #cgc ,adventus ,christi unus quidem in ,humilitate completus est1 alius ver speratur in ,gloria3 ,et hic primus ,adventus in ,carne1 mystico quodam ,sermone1 in ,scripturis sanctis umbra ejus appellatur4 ,in ,jesu ,nave1 ,c4 viii4 #cgd ,pertingit ad usque secundum diviniorem ,christi ,adventum ,johannis ,testimonium4 ,origen4 in ,lucam4 ,tom4 ,v4 #cge ,appropinquat enim ,regnum ,coelorum1 ut ,scrib qui in simplici ,littera acquiescunt1 resipiscentes ab ejusmodi ,intellectu1 erudiantur spirituali ,doctrina1 qu est per ,jesum ,christum1 vivum ,verbum1 qu vocatur ,regnum ,coelorum4 ,in ,matt4 ,c4 xiii4 #cgf ,p4 #abc1 #abd4 #cgg ,p4 #abd4 #cgh ,p4 #ajh4 #cgi ,p4 #ic4 #chj ,p4 #id4 #cha ,ibid4 #chb ,nam idem ,moses quamvis ,veteris ,testamenti verba in literis condidisset1 tamen separatim qudam ex occultis ,legis secretiora mysteria septuaginta senioribus1 qui ,doctores deinceps manerent1 intimaverat4 ,in ,psal4 ii4 ,sect4 #b4 #chc ,p4 #if4 #chd ,origenes decem scripsit ,stromateas1 omnia nostr religionis dogmata de ,platone1 ,aristotele1 ,numenio1 ,cornutoque confirmans4 ,in ,epist4 ad ,magnum4 #che ,defence of ,christianity1 p4 #cde4 #chf ,p4 #cdg1 #cec1 #ceh4 #chg ,p4 #cda4 #chh ,p4 #cdd4 #chi ,perspicuum est ,mosem mentis acie ,legis ,veritatem ,historiarumque apud ,scripturam ,allegorias juxta ,anagogen vidisse4 ,in ,johan4 ,tom4 ,,vi4 #cij ,asseverant ,judi1 deum ,mosi primm ,legem scriptam tradidisse1 arque hanc postea in longo illo ,dierum #dj spatio1 quo in monte apud se agebat ,moses1 exposuisse1 ita ut singulorum prceptorum genuinum ,sensum1 ,causas1 ,fines tum ,rationem quoque eadem adimplendi illi accurate declararet4 ,apud ,wagens4 ,tel4 ignea4 p4 #ehj4 #cia ,see ,basnage's ,history of the ,jews1 p4 #ahi4 #cib ,doctioribus inter ,judos notissimum est1 quod ,moses qui primus fuit ,salvator ,israelis1 etiam in omni ,vita ,operibus suis fuerit ,typus ,figura ultimi ,redemptoris4 ,christiani ,meyer de ,gen4 ,christi1 p4 #ade4 #cic ,judi veteres expectabant similem gyptiac ,liberationem1 ut scilicet ,pharoah omnis ejus ,exercitus qui per #dcj ,annos ,populum ,dei captivum tenuit1 in mari rubro submersus est2 sic etiam ,romani qui eodem ,annorum numero ,judos possessuri1 ultione ,domini deleantur4 ,in ,joelis ,c4 iii4 #cid #a ,cor4 ,c4 x1 #a1 #b1 #f4 #cie ,eloquar ,propositiones sive nigmata ab ,initio1 id est1 ex quo ,populi ,congregatio adducta est ex gypto4 ,in ,ps4 lxxvii4 ,sect4 #d4 #cif ,see ,basnage's ,history of the ,jews1 p4 #ahi4 #cig ,p4 #ajh4 #cih #b ,cor4 iii4 #f4 #cii ,et non ,litera ,legis1 sed ejus ,spiritus1 hoc est1 ,novitas ,testamenti4 ,tertull4 contra ,marcion1 ,lib4 ,v4 ,c4 #aa4 #djj ,veteris ,testamenti ad ,novum tanta ,congruentia1 ut ,apex nullus1 qui non consonet1 relinquetur4 ,sti4 ,augustini de ,utilit4 ,credendi1 ,sect4 #i4 #dja ,jucundum est istum ,consensum intelligere circa convenientia duorum ,testamentorum4 ,in ,matt4 ,tract4 #f4 #djb ,in his ,expostulatory ,letter to ,mr4 ,woolston4 #djc ,in his ,lent ,sermon at ,st4 ,saviour's1 ,anno #agbi4 #djd ,in his ,preface1 p4 xvii4 ,,books written by ,mr4 ,,woolston1 and sold by him next ,door to the ,star in ,aldermanbury1 and by the ,booksellers of ,london and ,westminster4 ,i4 ,the old ,apology reviv'd1 c4 ,,ii4 ,dissertatio de ,pontii ,pilati ,epistola ad ,tiberium circa ,res ,jesu ,christi gestas4 ,,iii4 ,origenis ,adamantii ,epistol du circa ,fidem vere orthodoxam ,scripturarum ,interpretationem4 ,,iv4 ,the exact ,fitness of the ,time of ,christ's ,advent1 demonstrated by ,reason1 against the ,objections of the old ,gentiles1 and modern ,unbelievers4 ,v4 ,four ,free-,gifts to the ,clergy1 or ,challenges to a ,dispute on this ,question1 whether the ,hireling ,priests of this ,age1 who are all ,ministers of the ,letter1 be not ,worshippers of the ,apocalyptical ,beast1 and ,ministers of ,anti-,christ4 ,,vi4 ,an ,answer to the said ,four ,free-,gifts4 ,,vii4 ,two ,letters to ,dr4 ,bennet1 on this ,question1 ,whether the ,people call'd ,quakers1 do not the nearest of any other ,sect in ,religion1 resemble the primitive ,christians in ,principle and ,practice4 ,,viii4 ,an ,answer to the said two ,letters4 ,,ix4 ,the ,moderator between an ,infidel and an ,apostate3 ,or1 the ,controversy between the ,grounds and his ecclesiastical ,opponents1 set in a clear ,light1 c4 ,x4 ,two ,supplements to the ,moderator1 c4 ,,xi4 ,a ,defence of the ,miracle of the ,thundering ,legion1 against a ,dissertation of ,walter ,moyle ,esq4 ,,xii4 ,six ,discourses on the ,miracles of our ,saviour4 ,,xiii4 ,two ,defences of the said ,discourses4 ,transcriber's ,notes3 ,non-,latin characters have been replaced with the nearest ,latin equivalent for example oe 7the oe ligature71 was replaced with oe4 ,inconsistent hyphenation has been left as in the original text4 ,inconsistent use of contractions are left as in the original text4 ,the long s has been replaced with the modern s in order to improve readability4 ,in some cases the footnotes refer to the text prior to the footnote anchor and in some cases they refer to the text after4 ,all anchors have been attached to the word before the anchor4 ,bishop ,smalbroke and ,smallbroke are used interchangeably throughout as are ,lichfield and ,litchfield1 left as in the original text4 ,inconsistent italicising appears throughout1 left as in the original text4 ,there are several words that are consistently misspelled and also correctly spelled in the text 7i4e4 litteral1 sensless1 antient1 ideot71 these were left as in the original text4 ,there are several places where closing quotes are not present1 left as in the original text4