done; and then you might have disputed, as you do, against any
Doctrines, Miracles and Articles of Faith, without Molestation. Try, if
you can't correct that fundamental Error, you have committed. Assert
still, if you can, with Dr. _Rogers_, the Necessity of an establish'd
Priesthood, well paid, for the Service of the _King_ and the Country,
under all Changes of Religion; which may be a Means to retrieve their
Favour, and will beget in me a better Opinion of your Prudence, than at
present is entertain'd by your _Assured Friend_ N. N.
So ends the Letter of my Friend, the _Jewish Rabbi_, in which, to my
Comfort, he has conform'd himself to the Rules of _Sedateness_,
_Decency_ and _Sobriety_ of Argument, prescrib'd by the two great
_Bishops_ of _London_ and St. _David_'s. If the Weight and Solidity of
his Argument don't grieve the _Clergy_, I am in no Pain for the Levity
and Ludicrousness of it. And whether the Weight and Nature of his
Argument against _Jesus_'s Resurrection will at all startle and
surprize them, I know not; but I profess for my self, that I might
have study'd long enough for such an Argument against it, as this
_Rabbi_, with his great grey Beard, has presently hit of. He told me
beforehand, that his Thoughts on _Jesus_'s Resurrection should be out
of the common Road of thinking; and I must needs say, he has been as
good as his Word, or no Man ever kept his Promise.
There are two Things very remarkable in his Argument: The _one_ is,
the Use and Design of sealing the Stone of _Jesus_'s Sepulchre, which
he lays great Stress on, to the Proof of Fraud in his Resurrection;
and the _other_ is, his Application of these Words, _the last Error_
(or as he reads Deceit or Imposture) _will be worse than the first_
or former, in which he makes the _Chief Priests_ in their Speech to
_Pilate_, to refer to _Lazarus_'s Resurrection as the former known
Imposture. If his Application be just and true, the Consequence is,
that the Resurrections of _Jesus_ and _Lazarus_ are both Impostures.
It grieves me to the Heart to think of this Consequence, which our
_Divines_ are to see to, and evade, if they can. No sooner did I read
his Application of the foresaid Words, but I run to our _Commentators_
for another and better Exposition of them: But alas! to my Sorrow,
they made nothing of them, but a sort of a _proverbial Expression_,
which the _Chief Priests_ must have spoil'd and knock'd out of Joint.
Being then under great Trouble for the Truth of Christianity, and the
Certainty of these two grand Miracles, I refer the Matter to our
Learned _Clergy_, desiring them to be as speedy as they can in another
and more proper Interpretation of the foresaid Words, or _Jews_ and
_Infidels_ will run away with them in the _Rabbi_'s Sense, to the
Confutation of our holy Religion.
I consider'd lately, that _Easter_ drew nigh, when it was usual for
our _Divines_ in their Pulpits, to insist on the Proof of _Jesus_'s
Resurrection; and therefore I hasten'd the Publication of this
_Discourse_, that they might have these two peculiar Texts, _viz._ of
_sealing the Stone_ of the Sepulchre, and of _the last Error_ or
Imposture _will be worse than the first_, to treat on. He that
produces a Sermon or Sermons, wresting the foresaid Texts out of the
Hands of my _Rabbi_, and putting another Sense on them, to the Credit
of _Jesus_'s and _Lazarus_'s Resurrection,
_Erit mihi magnus Apollo_,
and by my Consent shall be the next _Arch-Bishop_ of _Canterbury_.
But my Heart aches a little for our _Divines_, and I almost despair of
their clean Solutions of the foresaid two Difficulties. What must they
do then? Why, they must give up their _Religion_ as well as their
_Church_, or go along with me to the Fathers for their mystical
Interpretation of the whole Story of _Jesus_'s Resurrection.
That the Fathers, without questioning their Belief of _Jesus_'s
corporal Resurrection universally interpreted the Story and every Part
of it mystically, is most certain. St. _Hilary_[320] enumerates many
Particulars of the Story, and intimates what they are typical and
figurative of, as any one may see by the Citation referr'd to, which I
have not Room to translate and illustrate.
St. _Augustin_[321] says, that _Jesus_'s Resurrection from the Dead at
that time, was to exhibit an Image and Resemblance of his future and
mystical Resurrection. And elsewhere says[322] that it's a holy Pleasure
to consider and search for the things signified by the Story of it.
That _Origen_ is of the same Opinion, no body need question. A
Multitude of his Testimonies might be produced to this Purpose, but I
shall mention only one[323], wherein he asserts, that by the Sepulchre
of _Jesus_ is to be understood the _Letter_ of the Scriptures, in
which, as in a Rock, he is reposited.
St. _John_ of _Jerusalem_[324] by the Crucifiers of _Jesus_
understands false Teachers, meaning _Ministers_ of the _Letter_ to be
sure, because he himself was a great Allegorist.
St. _Hilary_ says that[325] _Barabbas_ is a Type of _Antichrist_; and
by _Antichrist_, as I have elsewhere shewn out of the Fathers, is
meant the _Letter_ of the Scriptures, which modern Commentators and
Crucifiers of _Jesus_ would prefer to the Spirit. For these are the
two, _Letter_ and Spirit, the _Christ_ and _Antichrist_, that are
contrary one to another.
St. _Jerom_[326] says, that by the _Vail_ of the _Temple_ rent at
_Jesus_'s Resurrection, 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 them. And by the rending of the Rocks
according[327] to him is to be understood the Apertion of the Oracles
of God, that were before as hard as a Rock, till his spiritual
Resurrection for the Illustration of them. And by the Earthquake, He
says is meant the Shaking of the[328] Hearts of Men, and preparing
them, by a Dereliction of their old Errors, for the Susception of the
true Knowledge of God.
As to the Time that _Jesus_ was dead and bury'd, which modern
_Divines_ call _three Days_ and _three Nights_, St. _Augustin_
says[329] that according to the Scripture he was not so long dead and
buried. Many, says[330] he, have put various Constructions on the Time
of _Christ_'s Burial, endeavouring to make three Days of it: But we,
without slighting any of their Opinions, are for a mystical
Interpretation, and suppose, that by the three Days are to be
understood Three Ages of the World.
The Day would fail me to collect all the Passages out of the Fathers,
in Interpretation of one or other of the Parts of the Story of
_Jesus_'s Resurrection, but what I have here said in a few Citations,
is enough to show, that they look'd upon the whole Story, as
emblematical of his spiritual Resurrection out of the _Grave_ of the
_Letter_ of the Scriptures, in which he has been buried about _three
Days_ and _three Nights_, according to that mystical Interpretation of
prophetical Numbers which I have learn'd of them.
And thus have I done with the Miracle of _Jesus_'s Resurrection,
which, by the Help of my Friend the Jewish _Rabbi_, I have shewn,
according to the Letter, to consist of the greatest Incredibilities.
And with this I conclude my _Discourses_ on his Miracles, intending to
treat on no more of them, unless I am invited or provoked to it. I had
once an Inclination to make another _Discourse_ on _Jesus_'s
miraculous Conception, and on his feeding his Thousands, in the
Wilderness, with a few Loaves and Fishes; but upon a little
Consideration on the Letter of those two Stories, I found myself too
grave for the Work; and my _Rabbi_'s Thoughts are too gay and wanton;
therefore it must be omitted, till the _Clergy_ importune me to it,
and signify their Curiosity to see it perform'd by me.
My Discourses hereafter, if God spare me Life and Liberty, which under
his Providence I don't despair of, to publish another Volume, shall
treat on some historical Passages of the New Testament, such as, "On
the Stories of _Jesus_'s Birth; and the Appearances of Angels to the
Shepherds keeping Watch over their Flocks by Night: "The Journey and
Presents of the Wise Men to _Jesus_: "The Slaughter of the Innocents
at _Bethlehem_, and of _Herod_'s Cruelty: "The Travels of _Joseph_
with the Child _Jesus_ and his Mother into _Egypt_: "The Disputation
of _Jesus_ with the _Doctors_ in the Temple, and his Elopement from
his Parents: "His riding on an Ass to _Jerusalem_; and on other such
like Passages of his Life. For I am resolv'd to give the Letter of the
Scripture no Rest, so long as God gives me Life and Abilities to
attack it. _Origen_[331] _says_, that _when we dispute against
Ministers of the Letter, we must select some historical Parts of
Scripture, which they understand literally, and shew that according to
the Letter, they can't stand their Ground, but imply Absurdities and
Nonsense_. And how then is such a Work to be perform'd to best
Advantage? Is it to be done in a grave, sedate, and serious Manner?
No, I think Ridicule should here take Place of sober Reasoning, as the
more proper and effectual Means to cure Men of their foolish Faith and
absurd Notions. As no wise Man hardly ever reprehends a Blunderbuss
for his Bull, any other way, than by laughing at him; so the Asserters
of nonsensical Notions in Theology should, if possible, be satirized
and jetted upon, or they'll never be put out of Countenance for, nor
desert their absurd Doctrines. And there never was a polemical Divine,
that, if he had an Opportunity and Advantage over the Weakness of his
Adversary, did not take such a ludicrous and merry Course with him.
But on such historical Passages of the Gospel as before mention'd, do
I trust to publish another Volume of _Discourses_, like to these on
_Jesus_'s Miracles; and at present pass to my third general Head, at
first proposed to be spoken to, and that is,
III. To consider what _Jesus_ means, when he appeals to his Works and
Miracles, as to a Testimony and Witness of his Authority; and to show
that he did not properly and ultimately refer to these done in the
_Flesh_, but to those mystical ones he would do in the _Spirit_, of
which those done in the Flesh are but mere Types and Shadows.
And on this Head I shall be short, there being no Occasion of many
Words on it. The _Bishop_ of _London_[332] has collected many Sayings
of _Jesus_, wherein he seems to appeal to the Works he then did and
had done in Flesh, as to a Witness of him. But why might not _Jesus_
then prophesy, and mean the spiritual Works which _He-in-us_ would do?
It is the known Way of the Prophets to speak of Things to come, as if
they were already past, because such Prophecies are not to be
understood, till their Accomplishment: Even so did _Jesus_ prophesy,
when he appeal'd to his Works, as I could prove from the Nature and
Manner of his Expressions, but that the Argument would be dry and
tedious: And therefore I refer the Matter entirely to the Fathers, who
asserted that _Jesus_ prophesied in his _Miracles_ as well as in his
_Parables_, and that the Works he then did in the Flesh were but Types
of his mysterious Operations, that would be the Demonstration of his
Authority and Messiahship. Hence it is that _Origen_[333] says that
_Jesus_'s first coming was but a Type and Shadow of his spiritual
Advent and that his[334] true Miracles, by which his Authority is to
be proved, are spiritual: Hence it is that St. _Hilary_ repeatedly
says[335] that _Jesus_'s Works were significative and predictive of
mysterious Operations, which we were especially to look to. And Hence
it is that all the other Fathers interpreted the Miracles of _Jesus_
in a mystical and allegorical Sense.
The Question then is, to what Miracles did _Jesus_ truly and properly
appeal, in the Opinion of the Fathers, for his Authority and
Messiahship? Was it to the Typical or Antitypal Works? was it to the
_Shadow_ or to the _Substance_ of his Operations? To his substantial
Operations, to be sure, which are and will be his spiritual ones upon
the Soul, that are greater than those once done on Men's Bodies, and
which will be a proper Proof of his divine Power. And to declare my
Opinion freely, I am only for such a spiritual _Messiah_, who will
cure the _Errors_ call'd the Diseases of Mankind, which _Jesus_ of
_Nazareth_ has not as yet done.
But not to dispute this Point with _Bishop Gibson_, I will leave him
in the Enjoyment of his Opinion of his literal _Messiah_, and
miraculous Operator on Men's Bodies; 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 Mankind. And in the mean time
let us draw the Comparison between his _literal_ and my _spiritual_
Jesus; and let the World judge, to whom the Preference is to be given
for Power and Authority.
Bishop _Gibson_ is for _Jesus_ of _Nazareth_'s Messiahship, because he
cured the _bodily Blindness_ of many miraculously; And a good Work it
was: But I am for the Messiahship of a spiritual _Jesus_ to come, who
will open the _blind Eyes_ of our Understandings to discern Truth from
Error, which will be a most glorious Operation, that his _Jesus_ of
_Nazareth_ has not as yet done.
Bishop _Gibson_ is for _Jesus_'s Messiahship, who once cured _bodily
Deafness_ in many, which was indeed well done of him: But I am for the
Messiahship of a spiritual _Jesus_ to come, to heal the _Deafness_ of
our Souls, or their _Dulness_ in Apprehension of sublime Mysteries,
which will be a divine Work, that his _Jesus_ has not as yet done.
Bishop _Gibson_ is for _Jesus_'s Messiahship, because he cured Men's
bodily _Lameness_, for which I do praise him: But I am for a spiritual
_Jesus_'s Messiahship, who will heal Mankind of their _Halting_
between two and more Opinions; a more blessed Work, that _Jesus_ of
_Nazareth_ has not as yet done for us!
And so, comparing all other Diseases of Body and Soul together, I am for
the _Jesus_, who will heal the Diseases of the Soul; and have a much
less Regard for _Bishop Gibson's Jesus_, who cured the Diseases of a few
Men's Bodies; but for all that, am not angry with the _Bishop_ for his
high Veneration of his _Jesus_, neither would I by any Means have him
prosecuted and punish'd for not being of the same Mind with me.
But, because the _Bishop_ suspects me of Infidelity, in that I have
ludicrously treated some of the Miracles of his _Jesus_, which by the by
he has not vindicated from the Absurdities and Incredibilities I charged
them with; I will humour the _Bishop_, and supposing _Jesus_ wrought
literally those Miracles which are allegorically interpreted by me, will
in those very Miracles compare his _literal_ and my _spiritual_ Jesus
together; and appeal to all Men of Consideration, which is the most
worthy of the Title and Honour of the true _Messiah_.
Bishop _Gibson_ is for his _Jesus_'s Messiahship, who miraculously
drove the _Buyers_ and _Sellers_ out of the Temple, just as if a Man,
was God to invest him with Power, should furiously drive the
_Butchers_ and _Grasiers_ with their Cattle, to the Confusion of their
several Properties, out of _Smithfield_: A notable Miracle That! But I
am for the spiritual _Jesus_'s Messiahship, who according to the Form
of that typical Story, will at his Coming expel Ecclesiastical
Merchants out of his Church, who make Merchandise of the Gospel,
selling their _Bulls_ and _Beasts_, and _Fatlings_ of the Letter: A
most glorious and beneficial Work to Mankind will this be! And to
prepare Mens Souls for the Susception of such a spiritual _Jesus_, I
intend to publish a _Discourse_ of the Mischiefs and Inconveniencies
of an _Hireling Priesthood_, wherein it shall be proved, that Mankind
can't be either good, wise or happy under the Kingdom of this
_Messiah_ to come, without an Abolition and Extirpation of them.
Bishop _Gibson_ is for the Messiahship of his _Jesus_, who _cast the
Devils out of the Madmen, and permitted them to enter into the Herd of
Swine_, that _ran violently down a Precipice, and were choak'd in the
Sea_: How great a Miracle it was thus to cure the Madmen, the _Bishop_
may know best, being perhaps better acquainted with the Devil than I
am; but was it not for Pity to the _Swineherds_, for their Losses, I
could even now laugh at the Thoughts of the Hoggs running and tumbling
down-hill, as if the _Devil_ drove them: But leaving the Bishop
_calmly_, _decently_, and _seriously_ to admire the Wisdom and Justice
of his _Jesus_ in that Act, I am for the spiritual _Jesus_, who,
according to the typical Form of that Story, exorcis'd the furious and
diabolical Tempers out of the _Jews_ and _Gentiles_ of old, whom no
Chains of Reason could hold from doing Violence to the Christians,
till they were converted; and tho' He permitted the like persecuting
and diabolical Spirits to enter into Ecclesiastical Swine; yet will
they be precipitated into the _Sea_ of the Knowledge of God, wherein
they will be absorpt with divine Visions and Contemplations. O most
glorious Work! that bespeaks the Wisdom, Power and Goodness of our
spiritual _Jesus_, from the Beginning to the End of it.
Bishop _Gibson_ admires his _Jesus_, for his Transfiguration on Mount
_Tabor_, tho' neither He nor any Body else can tell, wherein lay the
Miracle, nor into what various Figures and Shapes _Jesus_ was
transform'd: But I am for the spiritual _Jesus_, whose glorious
Transfiguration, after _six_ grand Days of the Creation, will be
conspicuous, when with the Eyes of our Understanding we shall behold
him metamorphosed into the Forms of all the Types of him under the
Law. I am now ravish'd with the intellectual View of this
Transfiguration; and believe, was I to set about it, I could give
others (except the Bishop) an Idea and Conception or it to their
Astonishment at the Glory of _Jesus_ in it.
Bishop _Gibson_ is for the Messiahship of _Jesus_ of _Nazareth_,
because he cured a _Woman of an Issue of Blood_, after she had spent
all she had upon Physicians to no purpose, which might be, or might
not be a Miracle, for any thing he can argue upon it: But I am for the
spiritual _Jesus_'s Messiahship, who, at his Coming, will, according
to that typical Story, cure the _Woman_ of the Church of her _Issue of
Blood_, that is shed in Persecution and War, which her Ecclesiastical
Physicians of the _Clergy_ have not been able to stop, tho' they have
receiv'd large Fees and Stipends of the Church to that Purpose. Will
not this be a desirable and beneficial Work to all Nations? And who
knows not, (excepting the _Bishop_) that it is of the Office of the
true Messiah, to give _abundance of Peace_ to Mankind, to _make the
Lion to lye down with the Lamb_; and to induce Men to _break their
Swords into Plough-shares_, and _their Spears into Pruning-hooks_; and
to _make Wars to cease_ in all the World. Which Prophecies are so far
from being fulfill'd by _Jesus_ of _Nazareth_, that there has been
nothing but Wrangling and Jangling, and Scolding and Fighting about
him ever since. I wonder the Want of the Accomplishment of the
foresaid Prophecies has not long before now occasion'd the Rejection
of _Jesus_'s Messiahship, or of the Authority of the Prophets.
Bishop _Gibson_ is for his _Jesus_'s being the Messiah, because he
cured an old _Woman_ of a _Spirit_ of, no body knows what,
_Infirmity_; consequently little or nothing is to be laid for the
Greatness of that Miracle. But I am for the spiritual _Jesus_'s
Messiahship, who, according to the Figure of that literal Story, is to
heal the _Woman_ of the Church of her _Infirmity of the Spirit_ of
Prophecy, which _Jesus_ of _Nazareth_ has not done for her, or there
would not be so many Disputes about Prophecies and their
Interpretations, so far, as there is hardly one Prophecy that
Christians are agreed about the Sense of. It is the grand
Characteristick of the true _Messiah_, that he's to restore Prophecy
and the Way of Interpretation of the Prophets, upon the allegorical
Scheme too. I speak this, not only upon the Authority of the Prophets
themselves, but upon an almost infinite Number of Testimonies of
ancient _Jews_ and _Fathers_; accordingly I expect the Advent of a
spiritual Messiah, who alone can do it, to heal the Church of her
present _Infirmity_, and to restore the Art and Gift of Prophecy.
Bishop _Gibson_ is an Admirer of _Jesus_ of _Nazareth_, because he
told a poor Whore of _Samaria_, her Fortune of _having had five
Husbands_, and being then an Adulteress with another Man; which,
according to the Letter, is such a poor sort of a Miracle, that I can
hardly think of it without blushing: But I am an Adorer beforehand of
the spiritual _Jesus_ who, according to that Type, will out of the Law
and the Prophets, allegorically interpreted, tell the present
heretical and adulterous Woman of the Church _all that she has done_,
and how she has been wedded to the sensible Things of the _five_ Books
of _Moses_, and is now an Adulteress with the _Anti-Christ_ of the
Letter. Such an Information of the Church will be a most stupendous
and miraculous Work, and a Demonstration of our _Jesus_'s Messiahship
beyond Contradiction, in as much as it will be agreeable to the
Opinion, that all Antiquity entertain'd of the true _Messiah_, _viz._
that he was to let us into the Sight, Knowledge and Understanding of
the Wisdom and Beauty of Providence thro' all Ages of the World.
Bishop _Gibson_ admires _Jesus_ of _Nazareth_ for _his cursing the
Figtree; for not bearing Fruit out of Season_: Shame on that Miracle,
according to the Letter, and on all Admirers of it! But I am for the
spiritual _Jesus_, who, at his coming to the Figtree of his Church,
will make its present unfruitful State to _wither away_, and cause it
to produce the Fruits of the Spirit, and allegorical Interpretations
of the Scriptures, that are compared to sweet and ripe Figs. For such
his Advent to this miraculous and beneficial Purpose I daily pray and
say too, Blessed are all those who love his Appearance!
After this Fashion could I go thro' the other Miracles, I have treated
on in these _Discourses_; 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_ Jesus, as to Stupendousness, Use and Excellency: But what
I have here done in the seven Instances above, is enough to induce us
to believe, with the Fathers, that _Jesus_'s first Coming in the
_Flesh_ was but a Type and Shadow of his second Advent in the
_Spirit_; and that _Jesus_ of old, when he appeal'd to his Works then
done, as to a Witness of his Authority, did only prophesy, and refer
ultimately to his mystical Operations, that are alone the Proof of his
Godlike and divine Power. Bishop _Gibson_ says[336] of me, that
_pretending to raise the Actions and Miracles of our Saviour to a more
exalted and spiritual Meaning, I have labour'd to take away the
Reality of them, and by that to destroy one of the principal Evidences
of Christianity_. But I presume now, he'll be sensible of the Rashness
and Incogitancy of that Accusation. If he be not, I shall say of him,
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 (the
Bishop will excuse the Coarseness of the Comparison) that let go the
_Substance_ of his Mutton, and catch'd at the Shadow, and so, like a
foolish _Cur_ as he was, lost both.
And thus have I done with the _Three_ general Heads at first proposed
to be handled in these _Discourses_. Now whether I am, upon the whole,
an _Infidel_, or _Believer_ of Christianity, the World is to judge.
I'll make no more solemn Declarations of my Belief of it, much less at
this Juncture of Time, when I am under Prosecution for Infidelity;
because it would be a sneaking, tame, and cowardly Act in me, and such
an Argument of that Meanness of Spirit, as I abhor and detest. My
_Works_ shall speak for me, in which, being conscious of the Innocency
of my Intentions, and of the Usefulness of my Design, I mean to
proceed; not doubting but some of our _clergy_, upon two or three
more _Discourses_ against the Letter of the _New Testament_, will find
me out, what I am, and whether I am not a true Professor of the
Religion of the spiritual and holy _Jesus_.