Credit of _Jesus_ for a Worker of Miracles. _And_ V. 1, 2, 3. _Jesus
went up to Jerusalem, where there was by the Sheep-Market, a Pool,
called Bethesda, having five Porches, in which lay a great Multitude
of impotent Folk, blind, halt, withered._ Why then did not _Jesus_
heal them? Here was a rare Opportunity for the Display of his Healing
and Almighty Power; and why did he not exercise it, to the Relief of
that Multitude of impotent Folk? If he could not cure them, there's an
End of his Power of Miracles? and if he would not, it was want of
Mercy and Compassion in him. Which way soever we take this Case, it
turns to the Dishonour of the Holy _Jesus_. What then was the Reason,
that of so great a Multitude of diseased People, _Jesus_ exerted his
Power, and extended his Mercy, on only _one_ poor Paralytick? St.
_Augustin_[187] puts this Question and Objection into my Mouth; and
tho' neither He nor I start it for the Service of Infidelity, but to
make Way for the Mystery, yet I know not why _Infidels_ may not make
Use of it, till Ministers of the Letter can give a satisfactory Answer
and Solution to it.
The Evangelists, _Matthew_, _Mark_, and _Luke_, tell such Stories of
_Jesus_'s healing Power, as would incline us to think he cured all
where-ever he came. He _heal'd_, they say, _all Manner_ of Diseases
among the People, and they make mention of particular Times and
Places, where all the Diseased were healed by him, which Assertions
imply, that _Jesus_'s healing Power was most extensive and (excepting
to an hard-hearted and unbelieving _Pharisee_ now and then) universal;
so far that it might be question'd, whether any died, during the Time
of his Ministry, the Places where he came: And our _Divines_ have so
harangued on _Jesus_'s Miracles, as would confirm us in such an
Opinion: But this Story in St. _John_ confutes and confounds all. St.
_John_ in no Place of his Gospel talks of _Jesus_'s healing of many,
nor of all manner of Diseases, much less of all that were Diseased;
which, if it be not like a Contradiction to the other _Evangelists_,
is some Diminution of their Authority, and enough to make us suspect,
that they stretch'd much in praise of their Master, and said more to
his Honour than was strictly true. But this Place before us is a flat
Contradiction to them, and _Jesus_ is not to be supposed to heal many
in any Place, much less all manner of Diseases, or he had never let
such a Multitude of poor Wretches pass without the Exercise of his
Power and Pity on them. Some good Reason then must be given for
_Jesus_'s Conduct here, and such a one as will adjust it to the
Reports of the other Evangelists; or _Infidels_ will think, that
either they romanc'd for the Honour of their Master, or that St.
_John_ in Spite told this Story to the Degradation of him. I can
conceive no better of this Matter according to the Letter.
The _Bishop_ of _Litchfield_ very remarkably says,[188] _that Jesus
where-ever he went, healed all that came to him without Distinction,
the impotent, halt, withered_. He certainly had this Text of St.
_John_ in his Eye, when he said so, because _Impotent_, _Halt_,
_Withered_, are only mention'd here, where _Jesus_ cured _none_ of
them: Whereupon if his _Lordship_ had made but a marginal Reference to
this Text, it would have been the best Jest and Banter, with a Sneer,
that ever was put upon _Jesus_ and his Power of Miracles: As it is,
it's a very good one, and I desire my Readers to take Notice of it,
that his Lordship may not lose the Credit and Praise of it. It's for
such Circumspection of Thought, Exactness of Expression, and Acuteness
of Wit, that I admire that _Prelate_, and must needs say of him,
whether he ever be translated to _Canterbury_ or _York_, or not, that
he's an _arch_ Bishop.
But to return and go on. The Conduct of _Jesus_, to all Appearance, is
not only blameable, his Power of healing disputable, and his Mercy
indefensible, for that he cured but _one_ infirm Man out of a
Multitude, at _Bethesda_, but,
_Eightly_, and lastly, it may reasonably be questioned, whether he
wrought any Miracle in the healing of this _one_ Man. Miracles (to say
nothing of the ridiculous Distinction between divine and diabolical
ones) are Works done out of the Course of Nature, and beyond the
Imitation of human Art or Power. Now whether the Cure of this infirm
Man can be brought under this Definition of a Miracle, may be doubted.
What this Man's _Infirmity_, which is a general Name for all
Distempers, was, we know not. How then can we say he was miraculously
cured, unless we knew his Disease to be incurable by Art, which none
can affirm? The worst that we know of this Man's Case, is, that it was
of a long Continuance, no less than of _eight_ and _thirty_ Years: And
the _Bishop_ of _Litchfield_ and others in their florid Harangues of
_Jesus_'s Works, make the Cure of such Chronical Diseases to be
miraculous: But why so? Many Instances may be given of Infirmities of
human Nature, of a long Duration, which in Time, and especially in
old Age, wear off. If such Infirmities don't occur to the Memory of
our _Divines_, I could put them in Mind of them. And who knows but
this was the Case of this impotent Man, whose Infirmity _Jesus_
observing to be wearing off, bid him to be gone, and take up his
Couch, for he would soon be made whole.
The Fathers indeed call this Man's Infirmity the _Palsy_, which in
truth is generally worse than better by Time, and after _thirty_ and
_eight_ Years, must needs be very deplorable, and incurable without a
Miracle. But why do they call it the Palsy? They have no Authority for
it from the Text, without which, as our litteral _Doctors_ will not
subscribe to their Opinions in other Cases; so why should I here? In
short, the Fathers had never call'd it the _Palsy_, but for the sake
of the Mystery; and I am not bound to own _that_ to have been the
Distemper, any more than it was want of Legs; for that would be making
of Miracles for _Jesus_, without Reason and Authority.
If _Jesus_ here had healed the whole _Multitude of impotent Folk_;
without Enquiry what Numbers there might be of them, I should have
believed that he wrought there many great Miracles, in as much as in
such a great Multitude, there must needs, in all Probability, be some
incurable by Art or Nature: But since he cured only this _one_ Man, it
affords Matter of Speculation, whether he was the _most_ or the
_least_ diseased amongst them. Our _Divines_, for the sake of the
Miracle, may possibly suppose him to be the most grievously afflicted
of any; but _Infidels_, on the other hand, will say, not so: but with
their Cavils will urge that this infirm Man was either a Dissembler,
whom _Jesus_ shamed out of his pretended Disease, or that he was only
hippish, and fancyfully more than really distemper'd of a long Time,
whom _Jesus_ by suitable Exhortations and Admonitions, working upon
his Imagination, persuaded into a Belief of his Cure, and bid him to
walk off. Certain it is, that _Infidels_ will say, it was not a Power
of Miracles in _Jesus_ which heal'd him, or he had used it then and
there for the Sanation of others also.
And thus have I finish'd my Invective against the Letter of this Story;
which, if any are offended at, they enjoy, what is the most reasonable
Thing in the World, the same Liberty to write for the Letter, which I
have used against it: And so I pass to the Consideration of the
Opinions and Expositions of the Fathers on this strange Story.
The Fathers, upon whose Authority I form'd my preceding Invective
against the Letter, so universally betake themselves to the mystical
Interpretation of this Story, that it may be question'd, whether any
of them, more than myself, believ'd any Thing at all of the Letter of
it. St. _Chrysostom_, who is as much a litteral Interpreter of the
Scriptures as any of them, here intirely discards the Letter, saying
admirably thus,[189] _what a strange Way and Story of healing the
Diseased is here? but what is the Mystery of it? that we are to look
to. The Matter could not be so simply and unadvisedly transacted
litterally, as it is related. There must be somewhat future here, as
by a Type and Figure, signify'd; or the Story, it is so incredible in
itself, will give Offence to many._ St. _Chrysostom_ was certainly in
the right on't; and I wonder, for which no Reason but want of Liberty
can be given, that _Infidels_ have not before now, with their Jests
and Cavils, ridiculed this Story. St. _Augustin_, to the same Purpose,
says,[190] _Can any one believe, that these Waters of Bethesda were
wont to be troubled in this Fashion, and that there was not Mystery,
and a spiritual Signification in it?_ Yes, I could tell St.
_Augustin_, that our modern _Divines_ seem to believe it, tho' he, if
he was now alive, would laugh at them for it. But to come to the
profound Mystery signified by this Story, which to use the Words
of[191] St. _Augustin_, as God shall enable me, I will now speak to.
Our _English_ Version says, _There is at Jerusalem by the
Sheep-Market, a Pool_. How our _Translators_ came by the Notion of a
_Market_ here, I can't imagine, since there is nothing to favour it in
the Original, which stands thus, [Greek: epi tê probatikê
kolymbêthra]: By [Greek: kolymbêthra], the Fathers understand[192]
Baptism, or the spiritual _Laver_ of Regeneration; and who is that
for, but the Flock of Christ, signified by [Greek: probatikê]? So we
have another and clearer Interpretation of these two Words. And as to
_Bethesda_, that is a mystical Name of the Church, which according to
the Signification of _Bethesda_, is the House of Grace. And if it is
said to be at _Jerusalem_, it is not to be understood of the Old
_Jerusalem_, but of the _New_ and Apocalyptical _Jerusalem_, at the
Entrance into which the Flock of Christ will be baptiz'd by the Waters
of the Spirit, as in a mystical Laver.
_Bethesda_ is said to have five _Porches_, that is, as the Fathers[193]
agree, the five Books of _Moses_, which are as so many Doors of Entrance
into the House of Wisdom, or of the Grace of _Christ_.
At these _five Porches_ of the five Books of Moses lay _a great
Multitude of impotent Folk, blind, halt, withered_. And who are these
mystically? The ignorant, erroneous, and unstable in Faith and
Principle, as the Fathers often understand them spiritually. And what
is the Reason of these their mystical Diseases? Because, as St.
_Augustin_[194] and other Fathers say, they rest on the Letter of the
Law, which throws them into various Errors, like Diseases, of
different Kinds, of which they can't be cured without the Descent of
the Spirit, like an Angel, to instruct them mystically to interpret.
With these impotent Folk lay _a certain Man who had an Infirmity_. And
who is this infirm Man? Mankind in general, say St. _Cyril_[195]
and[196] St. _Augustin_, And what is his Infirmity? The Fathers call it
the[197] _Palsy_, because of his Instability, and Unsteadiness in Faith
and Principles, which is now the Case of Mankind. St. _John_ calls it
[Greek: astheneian] _a Weakness_, which being a general Name of all
Distempers, we can't guess what might be here the specifical one. But
reasonably speaking, according to the Rule of Interpretation, this Man's
_Infirmity_ is the same with the Woman's _Spirit of Infirmity_, and that
is a Weakness at the Spirit of Prophecy, which Mankind, as well as the
Woman of the Church, is to be cured of in the Perfection of Time.
And how long did this Man with his Infirmity lay in these Porches of
_Bethesda_? _Thirty eight Years_: So has Mankind with his Weakness at
the Spirit of Prophecy lay eight and thirty (hundred)[198] Years,
reckoning two thousand under the Law, and eighteen hundred since under
the Gospel. St. _Augustin_[199] has an ingenious and more mystical way
of Computation of these _thirty and eight Years_, which pleases me
too, but possibly some Readers may not so easily apprehend it, unless
they are well acquainted with the Mystery of Prophetical Numbers.
And how is Mankind to be cured of his Infirmity at the Spirit of
Prophecy? By being instructed, by the Spirit of Truth, who is to come
at the Conclusion of the said thirty and eight mystical Years, _to
arise and take up his bed and walk_, that is, to raise his Thoughts to
the Contemplation of the divine Mysteries of the Law, and to lift up
his Bed of the Letter, on which he has hitherto _rested_, into a
sublime Sense, and then he will walk uprightly and steadily in the
Faith, without wavering like a Paralytick.
And at what Season did _Jesus_ come to this infirm Man? It was at a
Feast of the _Jews_. _Irenæus_, _Chrysostom_, _Theophylact_, and
_Cyril_ call it the Feast of Penticost. And the grand Feast of
Penticost is, as St. _Cyril_[200] says upon the Place at the
Perfection of Time, the Time of the Evangelical Sabbath, and of
_Jesus_'s spiritual Advent, which will be a Time of feasting on
intellectual and divine Mysteries, of seeing Visions and of dreaming
Dreams; consequently at that Time, as the ancient _Jews_ and Fathers
assert, Mankind will be cured of this Infirmity at the Spirit of
Prophecy. And this too is the _certain Season, that the Angel will
descend and trouble the Waters_. By Angel is here meant[201] the
Spirit of Christ. And by Waters the Fathers understand,[202] the
People of all Nations. But how will the Descent of the Spirit of
Truth, like an Angel, trouble these Waters, that is, give any
Molestations and Disturbance to the People? Is there not a Mistake in
the Oracle? If the _Clergy_ will be but greater Lovers of Truth than
of their Interests; if they, who should be Teachers of Forbearance of
one another in Love, will but keep their Temper, there would be found
a mistake in it. But alas!
_Lastly_, The _Jews_, as is intimated, seem to have been mov'd with
Indignation at the Cure of the infirm Man, saying to him, ver. 10. _it
is the Sabbath, it is not lawful for thee to carry thy Bed_; which
litterally could not be true. The _Jews_ were not such precise
Observers of the Sabbath; nor _so stupid and foolish_, as St.
_Cyril_,[203] says, as to think the taking up and carrying a Stool to
be a Breach of it. But mystically, it is to be fear'd, this will be
most true, and that the _Clergy_, who would be _Jews_ inwardly, and
the Circumcision in Spirit, will be bitter Enemies to Man's Exaltation
of his Couch of the Letter of the Scriptures on or against the
Evangelical Sabbath, and will make it, if possible, an _unlawful_
Work; because it will bring to them Shame, Dishonour and Loss of
Interests along with it.
After this Manner is every other Circumstance of this Story to be
allegorically apply'd out of the Fathers. The Moral or Mystery of the
whole, in short, is this, that at the Perfection of Time, signified by
the _Sabbath_, the _Pentecost_, the End of _thirty eight Years_, the
Spirit of Truth will descend on Mankind, to their Illumination in
Prophecy, and to the healing of their _Errors_, call'd _Diseases_;
which is admirably represented by the Parable before us, that
according to the Letter, has neither Reason nor common Sense in it.
And thus have I spoken to _eight_ of the Miracles of _Jesus_; and
whether I have not shew'd them, in whole or Part, according to the
Proposition before us, to consist of Absurdities, Improbabilities,
and Incredibilities; and whether they are not prophetical and
parabolical Narratives of what will be mysteriously, and more
wonderfully done by _Jesus_, I appeal to my _Readers_.
After another Discourse of some other Miracles, I intend to take into
Examination the several Stories of _Jesus_'s raising of the Dead as of
_Lazarus_, _Jairus_'s Daughter, and the Widow's Son of _Naim_; which
reputedly are _Jesus_'s grand Miracles; but, for all the seeming
Greatness and Excellency of them, I don't doubt but to give the Letter
of these Stories a Toss out of the Creed of a considerate and wise
Man; at least show their Insufficiency for the Purpose for which they
have been hitherto apply'd. And if I should afterwards, by the Leave
and Patience of the _Bishop_ of _London_, give my Objection against
_Christ_'s Resurrection a Review, and some more Force, then what will
become of the Argument of _Christ_'s Power, Authority, and
_Messiahship_ from his Miracles?
But, besides _Jesus_'s Miracles, I am, as Opportunity serves, to take
into Consideration some of the Historical Parts of his Life; and shew
them to be no less sensless, absurd and ridiculous than his Miracles.
And why may I not sometimes treat on the Parables of _Jesus_, and show
what nonsensical and absurd Things they are, according to the
Expositions of our most famous Commentators of these last Ages. _Jesus_
was certainly the absolute, and most consummate Perfection of a
_Cabalist_, _Mystist_, _Parabolist_ and _Enigmatist_; but according to
modern Commentaries and Paraphrases, he was the merest Ideot and
Blockhead that ever open'd his Mouth, in that sort of Learning, to the
Instruction of Mankind. And I am oblig'd a little to speak to the
Absurdities of _Christ_'s Doctrine and Parables, because one Article of
the Prosecution against me was for saying, _that any of the Philosophers
of the Gentiles_, or _any rational Man_ (meaning according to modern
Expositions) _would make a better Teacher, than Jesus was_.
What a great deal of Work have I upon my Hands, which, if God spare my
Life and Health, I intend to go on with: If what I have already done
in it be not acceptable to the _Clergy_, their Way to prevent the
Prosecution of this great Undertaking, is to battle me upon what's
past. Who knows but they may write, if they would try their Strength,
so acutely in Defence of the Letter of _Jesus_'s Miracles already
discuss'd, as may effectually stop my Mouth, and prevent my giving
them any more Trouble of this Kind? And I suppose I have now gotten an
Adversary in the _Bishop_ of St. _David_'s, who has already discharg'd
one Fool's Bolt at me.
There has nothing been a more common Subject of Declamation among the
_Clergy_ than the _Reasonableness_ of Christianity, which must be
understood of the History of _Christ_'s Life and Doctrine, or the
Application of the Word _Reasonableness_ to the Christian Religion is
impertinent. But if I proceed, as I have begun in this Work, I shall
shew Christianity, as it is understood, to be the most unreasonable
and absurd Story, that ever was told; and our modern Systems of
Theology groundless and sensless in almost every Part of them.
_Mahometanism_, without Offence be it spoken, is a more _reasonable_
Religion than the Christian, upon modern _Schemes_ and _Systems_.
If what I here say is offensive to our _Divines_, the _Press_ is open
for them as well as for myself, and they may, if they can, shew their
Resentment of it. Thanks unto God and our most excellent Civil
Government for such a Liberty of the _Press_: A Liberty that will lead
and conduct us to the Fountain of Wisdom and Philosophy, which
Restraint is a down-right Enemy to. And that this Blessing of Liberty
may be continued, for all _Bishop Smallbrook_ and Dr. _Roger_'s
_Hobbism_, is, I dare say, the Desire of the curious, inquisitive, and
philosophical Part of Mankind. If this Liberty should be taken away,
what a notable Figure will our _Divines_ make from the _Press_ and
_Pulpit_, declaiming on the Reasonableness, Excellency and Perfection
of the Christian Religion, without an Adversary; and telling their
Congregations, that all, their bitterest and acutest Enemies can
object, is clearly answered!
The _Press_, of late Years, has been productive of so many cogent and
persuasive Arguments for Liberty of debate, and the Advocates for this
Liberty, in the Judgment of the impartial and considerate, have so far
gotten the better of their Adversaries, that I wonder any one can
appear in behalf of Persecution. If I was a _Bishop_ or _Doctor_ in
_Divinity_, I shou'd think it a Disgrace to my Station and Education
to ask the Assistance of the Civil Authority to protect my Religion: I
should judge my self unworthy of the Wages and Emoluments I enjoy'd,
for the Preaching and Propagation of the Gospel, if I was unable to
give an Answer to any one, that ask'd a Reason of my Faith; Or if I
was so Shallow-pated, as to think Heresy and Infidelity punishable by
the Civil Magistrate, I should think myself as much oblig'd to confute
by _Reason_, as he is to punish by the _Sword_. If the _Bishop_ of
_London_ had taken this Course with me; if he had publish'd a
Refutation of my supposed Errors, as well as endeavour'd at a
Prosecution of me for them, I had forgiven him the Wrongs and Injuries
done me, and made no repeated Demands of Satisfaction for them.
Christianity is, as I believe, founded on a Rock of Wisdom; and what's
more, has an omnipotent and omniscient God on its Side, who can incline
the Hearts of Men to believe, and open the Eyes of their Understanding
to discern the Truth of it; consequently there can be no Danger in the
Attempts of our Adversaries, whether, _Jews_, _Turks_ or Domestick
_Infidels_, against it. But Persecution implys Weakness and Impotency in
God to defend his own Cause; or his Priests would not move for the Help
of the Arm of Flesh in Vindication of it. And if, at this Time of Day,
after so many Treatises of _Infidels_, and some of them as yet
unanswered, against our Religion, this good Cause should be taken out of
the Hands of God, and committed to the Care of the Civil Magistrate; if
instead of Reason the Clergy should have Recourse to Force, what will
By-standers, and even Well-wishers to Christianity say? Nothing less
than that _Infidels_ had gotten the better of _Christ_'s Ministers, and
beaten them at their own Weapons of Reason and Argument.
The two great Pleaders for Persecution, to the Disgrace of themselves
and Dishonour of our Religion, that have lately arose are Dr. _Rogers_
and the _Bishop_ of St. _David_'s. Dr. _Rogers_'s chief Reason against
Liberty of Debate, is because, as he says it is pernicious to the
Peace and Welfare of the Community, by unsettling the Minds of the
People about the Religion established: But here's no consequence,
unless it could be proved, that such as the great Mr. _Grounds_ and
Mr. _Scheme_, have it in their Hearts to raise Mobbs upon the
Government, and to beat out the Brains of the _Clergy_. All the Harm,
or rather Good, they aim at, is to exercise the Wits of the _Clergy_
with their Doubts and Objections; and if the Passions of our
_Ecclesiasticks_ are not raised upon it, to the doing of Violence to
these _Gentlemen_, the Peace of the Publick will never be disturb'd.
As to myself, tho' I have a vast and numerous Party on my Side, no
less than all the Fathers and primitive Christians for some Ages; yet
as we were peaceable and quiet Subjects of old and passively obedient
to the _Emperors_ of _Rome_; so we will continue to the Civil
Authority of this Nation. We only take the Liberty to awaken the
Clergy out of a Lethargy of Dulness and Ignorance; and hope the Civil
Magistrate will consider the Goodness and Charity of our Intentions,
and guard us against their Insults for it.