_For the Time of Figs was not yet_; which Expression has been the
Perplexity of _Commentators_, who with all their Wit and Sagacity
can't get well over it. I shall not mention here all or any of their
pretended Solutions of this Difficulty; but let us see whether we
can't easily and at once unlose it. St. _Mark_'s Words are [Greek: ou
gar ên kairos sykôn], which are and have been commonly translated,
_for the Time of Figs is not yet_. But if we change the _Point_ into
an _Interrogation_, and read thus, _for was it not the Time of Figs?_
the Difficulty vanishes as certainly, as that it is absurd to suppose
_Christ_ should come to his Figtree and look for Fruit, when he could
not reasonably expect any. This my Solution of this Difficulty
certainly serves the Purpose of the mystical Interpretation; and if
it does not the litteral, I answer, we are not to heed the Letter,
which seldom or never has any Sense or Truth in it. But, by the by, it
does the litteral too, since there are no Grounds from the Text to
think, what has been the common Opinion, that it was about the
_Jewish_ Passover that _Jesus_ came to the Figtree. If this my
Solution of the Difficulty don't please, I must say with[176]
_Heinsius_, that it must be left as a Knot for _Elias_ to untie, who,
according to the[177] ancient _Jews_, is first to gather Fruits off
this mystical Figtree, and present them to the intellectual Taste of
Mankind. But, that my Solution is good, will appear by what follows.
And _Jesus_ finding Leaves only says, in St. _Matthew_, to the
Figtree, _Let no Fruit grow on thee henceforward for ever_; which
(with its parallel Place in St. _Mark_) is in my Opinion a false
Translation: The Original is, [Greek: Mêketi ek sou karpos genêtai eis
ton aiôna], and ought to be englished, _not as yet_, or _not until
now_, (that I come) _against the_ (grand) _Age_ (of the Sabbath) has
Fruit grown on thee. So that the Miracle of _Jesus_ was to make the
Figtree of the Church fruitful; and if her preceding unfruitful State,
which (in St. _Mark_) _Jesus_ is said to curse, or rather to devote to
Ruin, wasted away, it was by Consequence.
But what Time of Day was it that _Jesus_ came to the Figtree? It was in
the _Morning_. And of what Day? That is uncertain as to the Letter, but
according to the mystical Extent of the _Three Years_, whether we
understand the Figtree as a Type of the Church, or of all Mankind of all
Ages, it will be on the _Morning_ of the great Sabbath, when, upon the
Appearance of the Light of Christ, like the Rising of the Sun, an
unfruitful and erroneous Church must needs wither away. And the
Disciples on the said _Morning_ will, as _Origen_[178] says, with their
intellectual Eyes behold her waste with Admiration. And then too, they
under Christ _will do what is done to the Figtree_, of the Church, and
_remove Mountains_ of Antichristian Power, that exalt themselves
against him; as the Fathers interpret, and I need not explain.
And what is meant by the Means, which St. _Luke_ speaks of, to make
the Figtree of the Church fruitful on the Sabbatical Year; _the Year
it is to be let alone to bear Fruit in_? There must be _digging about
it_, that is[179] into the Earth of the Letter of the Scriptures, and
_dunging_ of it, that is calling[180] to Remembrance her Sins and
Errors of the Time past, which rationally speaking will make the
Church to bring forth good Fruit.
After this Fashion is the rest of the Parable of the Figtree to be
allegorized out of the Fathers. St. _Gregory_[181] the _Great_ and St.
_Augustin_, make these two Stories or Parables, _viz._ of the Figtree,
and of the Woman with her _Spirit of Infirmity_, as they are blended
together in St. _Luke_, to be Figures of the same Mystery. The
_eighteen Years_ of the Woman's Infirmity and the _three Years_ of the
Figtree's Unfruitfulness, they will have to be mystically
synchronical. And the Woman's _Incurvity_ to the Earth is, they say,
significative of the same Thing with the _Unfruitfulness_ of the
Figtree. And the _Erection_ of the Woman on the Sabbath is of the same
Import with the _Reservation_ of the Tree for Fruitfulness on that
Day. And let any one see, if they don't admirally agree, as I have
interpreted these two Parables.
Before I dismiss this Story of the Figtree, I can't but adore the
Providence of God, that the Miracle has been hitherto placed in the
withering away of the Tree. 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 sudden; this would have been such a manifestly supernatural Work,
and so agreeable to modern Notionists about Miracles, that Mens
Thoughts would have been so absorpt in the Consideration of the
Letter, as they would never have extended them to the Contemplation of
the Mystery. And our Divines would have made such a Noise, in our Ears
of the Excellency and Marvellousness of such a Miracle, as that there
would be no bearing of it. But But as the _Evangelists_ have in a
good Measure suppress'd all mention of the after Fruitfulness of the
Tree; and the Story, by Misconstruction, is clog'd with the foresaid
Difficulties and Absurdities, we are of Necessity driven to the search
after Mystery for good Sense and Truth in it.
And thus have I spoken enough to the Miracle of _Jesus_'s cursing the
Figtree, which according to the Letter is a foolish and absurd Story:
But the mystical Operation, of which the Letter is a Shadow, will be
ravishing, marvellous and stupendous; and not only a Proof of
_Christ_'s Power, and Presence in his Church, but a Demonstration of
his _Messiahship_, in as much as an infinite Number of Prophecys upon
Prophecys, will thereupon be discern'd to be accomplish'd, or the
Church can't bring forth the Fruits of the Spirit, that is Spiritual
Interpretations of the Scriptures, like ripe Figs. And so I pass to an
8. _Eighth_ Miracle of _Jesus_, and that is,[182] "of his healing a
Man of an Infirmity, of thirty eight Years Duration, at the Pool of
_Bethesda_, that had five Porches, in which lay a great Multitude of
impotent Folk, blind, halt, withered, waiting the troubling of the
Waters, upon the Descent of an Angel, who gave a Sanative Virtue to
them, to the curing of any one, be his Distemper of what kind soever,
who first stept down into them."
This whole Story is what our Saviour calls a _Camel_ of a monstrous
Size for Absurdities, Improbabilities and Incredibilities, which our
_Divines_, and their implicit Followers of these last Ages, have
swallowed without chewing; whilst they have been straining at _Knats_
in Theology, and hesitating at frivolous and indifferent Things of the
Church, of no Consequence.
As to _Jesus_'s Miracle in this Story, which consisted in his healing
a Man, of no body knows what _Infirmity_, there neither is nor can be
proved any Thing supernatural in it, or there had been an express
Description of the Disease, without which it is impossible to say,
there was a miraculous Cure wrought. As far as one may reasonably
guess, this Man's _Infirmity_ was more _Lazyness_ than _Lameness_, and
_Jesus_ only shamed him out of his pretended Illness, by bidden him to
take up his Stool and walk off, and not lie any longer, like a lazy
Lubbard and Dissembler, among the Diseased, who were real Objects of
Pity and Compassion: Or, if he was no Dissembler, he was only
fancyfully sick, and _Jesus_ by some proper and seasonable Talk
touch'd his Heart, to his Relief; and so, by the Help of his own
Imagination, he was cured, and went his Way. This is the _worst_ that
can be made of this _infirm_ Man's Case; and the _best_ that can be
said of _Jesus_'s Power in the Cure of him, as will appear, by and by,
upon Examination into it. But the other Parts of the Story of the
healing Virtue of the Waters, upon the Descent of an Angel into them,
is not only void of all good Foundation in History, but is a
Contradiction to common Sense and Reason, as will be manifest after an
Inquiry into the Particulars of it.
St. _John_ was the beloved Disciple of our Lord, and I hope he lov'd
his Master: or he was worse than an Heathen, who loves those who love
him: But this Story, and some others, that are peculiar to his Gospel,
such as, of _Jesus's telling the Samaritan Woman her Fortune_; _of his
healing the blind Man with Eye-Salve made of Clay and Spittle_; _Of
his turning Water into Wine for the Use of Men, who had before well
drank_; and of _his raising Lazarus from the Dead_, are enough to
tempt us to think, that he wilfully design'd, either to blast the
Reputation of his Master, or to try how far the Credulity of Men who
through blind Love were running apace into Christianity, might be
imposed on; or he had never related such idle Tales, which, if the
_Priesthood_, who should be the philosophical Part of Mankind, had not
been amply hired into the Belief of them, would certainly have been
rejected with Indignation and Scorn before now.
St. _John_ wrote his Gospel many Years after the other _Evangelists_:
What then should have been his peculiar Business? Certainly nothing
more, than to add some remarkable Passages of Life, to _Jesus_'s
Honour, which they had omitted; and to confirm the Truths which they
had before reported of him. But St. _John_ is so far from doing this,
that the Stories, he has particularly added, are not only derogatory
to the Honour of _Jesus_, but spoil his Fame for a Worker of Miracles,
which the other _Evangelists_ would raise him to. By reading the other
_Evangelists_, one would think, that _Jesus_ was a Healer of all
manner of Diseases, however incurable by Art and Nature, and that
where-ever he came, all the sick and the maim'd (excepting a few
Infidels) were perfectly cured by him. But this Story before us will
be like a Demonstration, that _Jesus_ was no such Worker of Miracles
and Healer of Diseases, as he is commonly believed to have been; and
that he wrought not near the Number of Cures, he is supposed to have
done, much less any great ones. The best Conception that an impartial
Reader of the Gospel can form of _Jesus_, is, that he was a tolerable
good natural _Orator_, and could handsomely harangue the People off
hand, and was according to the Philosophy of the Times, a good
_Cabalist_; and his Admirers finding him endewed with the Gift of
Utterance, which was thought by them more than human, they fancy'd he
must have the Gift of healing too, and would have him to exercise it;
which he did with Success, upon the Fancies and Imaginations of many,
who magnified his divine Power for it. And the Apostles afterwards, to
help forward the Credulity and Delusion of the People, amplified his
Fame with extravagant Assertions and strange Stories of Miracles,
passing the Belief of considerate and wise Men. Whether this
Representation of the Case, according to the _Letter_ of the Gospels,
be false and improbable, let my _Readers_ judge by the Story before
us, which I come now to dissect, and make a particular Examination
into the several Parts of it. Accordingly it is to be observ'd
_First_, that this Story of the _Pool_ of _Bethesda_, abstractedly
considered from _Jesus_'s Cure of an infirm Man at it, has no good
Foundation in History: It merits no man's Credit, nor will any
reasonable Person give any heed to it. St. _John_ is the only Author
that has made any mention of this Story; and tho' his Authority may be
good, and better than another Man's in Relation to the Words and Actions
of _Jesus_, in as much as he was most familiar and conversant with him;
yet, for foreign Matters, that have no immediate Respect to _Jesus_'s
Life, he's no more to be regarded than another _Historian_, who, if he
palm upon his _Readers_ an improbable Tale of senseless and absurd
Circumstances, will have his Authority questioned, and his Story pry'd
into by the Rules of _Criticism_, and rejected or received as it is
found worthy of Belief and Credit. If there had been any Truth in this
Story before us, I cannot think but _Josephus_ or some other _Jewish_
Writers, it is so remarkable, peculiar and astonishing an Instance of
the Angelical Care and Love to the distressed of _Jerusalem_, would have
spoken of it: But I don't find they have; or our modern _Commentators_
would have refer'd to them, as to Testimony of the Credibility of the
Gospel-History. _Josephus_ has professedly written the History of the
_Jewish_ Nation, in which he seems to omit nothing that makes for the
Honour of his Country, or for the Manifestation of the Providence of God
over it. He tells us of the Conversation of Angels with the Patriarchs
and Prophets, and intermixes Extra-Scriptural Traditions, as he thought
them fit to be transmitted to Posterity. How came he then and all other
_Jewish_ Writers to forget this Story of the Pool of _Bethesda_? I
think, we may as well suppose that a Writer of the natural History of
_Somersetshire_ would neglect to speak of the medicinal Waters of
_Bath_, as _Josephus_ should omit that Story, which, if true, was a
singular Proof of God's distinguishing Care of his peculiar People, or
an Angel had never been frequently, as we suppose, sent to this Relief
of the Diseased amongst them. Is then St. _John_'s single Authority
enough to convey this Story down to us? Some may say, that there are
several Prodigies, as well as political Events of antient Times, that,
tho' they are reported but by one Historian, meet with Credit; and why
may not St. _John_'s Testimony be equal to another Writer's? I grant it;
and tho' it is hardly probable but that this Story, if true, before us,
must have had the Fortune to be told by others; yet St. _John_'s single
Authority shall pass sooner than another Man's, if the Matter be in
itself credible and well circumstanc'd. But where it is blindly
imperfectly and with monstrously incredible Circumstances related, like
this before us, it ought to be rejected. Which brings me,
_Secondly_, To ask, what was the true Occasion of the Angel's Descent
into this Pool? Was it to wash and bath himself? Or, was it to impart
an healing Quality to the Waters for some one diseased Person? The
Reason, that I ask the first of these two Questions, is, because some
antient Readings of v. 4. say[183] the Angel [Greek: eloueto] _was
washed_, which supposes some bodily Defilement or Heat contracted in
the Cælestial Regions, that wanted Refrigeration or Purgaton in these
Waters: But how absurd such a Thought is, needs no Proof. 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 them. And
God forbid, that any should philosophically debate the Matter, and
enquire how naturally the Waters deriv'd that Virtue from the Angel's
corporal Presence. The Thing was providential and miraculous, our
_Divines_ will say, and so let it pass. But I may fairly ask, why one
diseased Person only at a Time reap'd the Benefit? Or why the whole
Number of impotent Folks were not at once healed? I have a notable
Answer presently to be given to these Questions; but I am afraid
beforehand, our _Divines_ will not approve of it: Therefore they are
to give one of their own, and make the Matter consistent with the
Goodness and Wisdom of God; or the said Questions spoil the Credit of
the Story, and make an idle and ridiculous Romance of it. And when
their Hands are in, to make, what it impossible, a satisfactory Answer
to the said Questions; I wish, that, for the sake of _Orthodoxy_, they
would determine, whether the Angel descended with his Head or his
Heels foremost, or whether he might not come, swauping upon his Breast
into the Waters, like a Goose into a Horse-pond. But,
_Thirdly_, How often in the Week, the Month or the Year did the Angel
vouchsafe his Descent into the Pool? And for how many Ages before
_Christ_'s Advent, and why not since and even[184] _now_, was this
Gracious and Angelical Favour granted? St. _John_ should have been
Particular as to these Points, which he could not but know
Philosophers would be curious to enquire about. If it was but once in
the Year, as St. _Chrysostom_[185] hints, little Thanks are due to him
for his Courtesy. One would think sometimes, that his Descent was
frequent; or such a Multitude of impotent Folk, variously disorder'd
had never attended on it. And again at other Times, one would think
that his Descent was seldom, or the Diseased as fast as they came,
which could not be faster than the Angel could dabble himself in the
Waters, had been charitably dismissed with restor'd Health. Here then
is a Defect in St. _John_'s Story, and a _Block_, at which wise and
considerate Freethinkers will stumble. But,
_Fourthly_, How came it to pass, that there was not better Care taken,
either by the Providence of God, or of the Civil Magistrates of
_Jerusalem_ about the Disposal of the Angelical Favour to this or that
poor Man, according to his Necessities or Deserts: But that he, who
could fortunately catch the Favour, was to have it. Just as he who
runs fastest obtains the Prize: So here the Diseased, who was most
nimble and watchful of the Angel's Descent, and could first plunge
himself into the Pool, carried off the Gift of Sanation. An odd and a
merry Way of conferring a divine Mercy. And one would think that the
Angels of God did this for their own Diversion, more than to do good
to Mankind. Just as some throw a Bone among a Kennel of Hounds, for
the Pleasure of seeing them quarrel for it; or as others cast a Piece
of Money among a Company of Boys for the Sport of seeing them scramble
for it: So was the Pastime of the Angels here. It was the Opinion of
some Heathens, that _Homines sunt Lusus Deorum_, the Gods sport
themselves with the Miseries of Mankind; but I never thought, before I
considered this Story, that the Angels of the God of the _Jews_ did so
too. But if they delighted in it, rare sport it was to them, as could
be to a _Town-Mobb_. For as the poor and distressed Wretches were not
to be supposed to be of such a polite Conversation, as in Complaisance
to give place to their betters, or in Compassion to make way for the
most miserable; but upon the Sight or Sound of the Angel's Fall into
the Pool, would without Respect of Persons strive who should be first:
So those who were behind and unlikely to be cured, would like an
unciviliz'd _Rabble_, push and press all before them into it. What a
Number then, of some hundreds perhaps, of poor Creatures were at once
tumbled into the Waters to the Diversion of the City Mob, as well as
of God's Angels? And if one arose out of it, with the Cure of his
Disease, the rest came forth like drown'd _Rats_, to the Laughter of
the foresaid Spectators; and it was well if there was not sometimes
more Mischief done, than the healing of _one_ could be of Advantage,
to those People. Believe then this Part of the Story, let him that
can. If any Angel was concern'd in this Work, it was an Angel of
_Satan_ who delights in Mischief; and if he healed _one_ upon such an
Occasion, he did it by way of Bait, to draw others into Danger of Life
and Limb. But as our _Divines_ will not, I suppose, bear the Thoughts
of its being a bad Angel; so I leave them to consider upon our
Reasonings, whether it was credible that either a good or a bad Angel
was concerned, and desire them to remember to give me a better Reason,
why but _one_ at a Time was healed.
If any Pool or Cistern of Water about this City of _London_ was so
blessed with the Descent of an Angel to such an End, the Magistrates,
such is their Wisdom, would, if God did not direct, take care of the
prudent Disposal of the Mercy to the best Advantage of the Diseased.
And if they sold it to an infirm _Lord_ or _Merchant_, who could give
for it most Money, to be distributed among other Poor and distressed
People, would it not be wisely done of them? To suppose they would
leave the Angelick Favour to the Struggle of a Multitude, is absurd
and incredible. And why then should we think otherwise of the
Magistrates of _Jerusalem_? Away then with the Letter of this Story!
And if this be not enough to confute it. Then,
_Fifthly_, Let us consider, to its farther Confutation, who and what
were the impotent Folk, that lay in the Porches of _Bethesda_, waiting
the Troubling of the Waters. St. _John_ says they were _Blind_,
_Halt_, _Withered_, and as some Manuscripts[186] have it,
_Paraliticks_. And what did any of these there? How could any of them
be supposed to be nimble enough of Foot to step down first into the
Waters, and carry off the Prize of Sanation, before many others of
various Distempers? Tho' the troubled Waters might be of such
medicinal Force as to heal a Man of whatsoever Disease he had; yet
none of the foresaid Persons for want of good Feet and Eyes could
expect the Benefit of it. Tho' the Ears of the Blind might serve him
to hear, when the Angel plump't like a Stone into the Waters, yet
through want of Sight for the guidance of his Steps, he would by
others be jostled out of the right Way down into them. And if the Lame
had good Eyes to discern the Descent of the Angel, yet Feet were all
in all to this Purpose: Consequently these impotent Folk, specified by
St. _John_, might as well have stay'd at Home, as resorted to
_Bethesda_ for Cure. I know not what Fools the Diseased of _Jerusalem_
of old might be, but if there was such a Prize of Health to be strove
for, by the Distempered of this City, I appeal to all Men of common
Sense, whether the _Blind_, the _Lame_, the _withered_ and
_Paralyticks_ would offer to put in for it. St. _John_ then forgot
himself, or else blundered egregiously, or put the Banter upon us, to
try how far an absurd Tale would pass upon the World with Credit.
There might be, if there was any litteral Sense in the Story, many of
other Distempers, but there could be neither _blind_, _halt_ nor
_withered_, without _such an Absurdity_, as absolutely disparages the
Story, blasts the Credit of the _Relator_, or rather brings to mind
the Assertion of St. _Ambrose_, that the Letter of the _New_ as well
as of the _Old Testament_ lies abominably. If what I have here said
does not overthrow the Letter of this Story; Then what I have,
_Sixthly_, To add, will do it more effectually, and that is, of the
_certain Man, that had an Infirmity thirty and eight Years_, and lay
at this Pool for an Opportunity to be cured of it. Tho' these _thirty_
and _eight_ Years are, in our _English_ Translation prædicated of this
Man's Infirmity, yet more truly, according to the Original, are they
spoken of the Time he lay there? and the Fathers so understood St.
_John_'s Words. What this Man's Infirmity was, we are uncertain: For
[Greek: astheneia] _Weakness_ or _Infirmity_ is a general Name of all
Distempers, and may be equally apply'd to one as well as to another:
Whereupon, tho' we can't certainly say from this Man's Infirmity, that
he was a Fool to lay there so long, expecting that Cure, which it was
impossible for him to obtain; yet what he says to our Saviour, _I have
no Man, when the Waters are troubled to put me into the Pool, but
while I am coming another steppeth down before me_, does imply his
Folly sufficiently, or rather the Incredibility of the whole Story.
What then did this _infirm_ Man at this Pool, if he had neither Legs
of his own good enough, nor a Friend to assist him, in the Attainment
of Sanation? Was he not a Fool, if it was possible for any to be so
great a one, for his Patience? Would it not have been as wisely done
of him to wait, in the Fields so long, the Falling of the Sky, that he
might catch Larks? The Fathers say, this Man's _Infirmity_ was the
_Palsy_; but whether they said so for the Sake of the Mystery, or to
expose the Letter, I know not. But that Distemper, after _thirty_ and
_eight_ Years Duration, and Increase; if it was more curable than
another at first, had in that time undoubtedly so weakened and
render'd him uncapable to struggle with others for this Relief, that
it is without Sense and Reason to think he should wait so long for it.
Our _Divines_, if they so please, may commend this Man for his
Patience, but after a few Years, or rather a few Days Experience,
another Man would have been convinc'd of the Folly and Vanity of his
Hopes, and returned Home. If he could not put in for this Benefit,
with Prospect of Success in his more youthful Days, when the Distemper
was young too, much less Reason had he to hope for it in his old Age,
after _thirty_ and _eight Years_ Affliction, unless he dream'd of,
what was not to be imagin'd, an Opportunity, without Molestation and
Competition, to go off with it. Whatever then our _Divines_ may think
of this Man and his Patience, I will not believe there ever was such a
Fool; and for this Reason will not suppose St. _John_ could literally
so romance, unless he meant to bambouzle Mankind into the Belief of
the greatest Absurdity. A Man that Lies with a Grace to deceive
others, makes his Story so hang together, as to carry the Face and
Appearance of Truth along with it; which this of St. _John_, that for
many Ages has been swallowed, for the Reason before us, has not. But
what is the worst of all against this Story is,