Six Discourses on the Miracles of Our Saviour, and Defences of His Discourses. Thomas Woolston

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СКАЧАТЬ give them a Review, and speak home to them; particularly to Christ's Resurrection, the evangelical Story of which literally, is such a Complication of Absurdities, Incoherences, and Contradictions, that unless the Fathers can help us to a better Understanding of the Evangelists than we have at present, we must of Necessity give up the Belief of it.

      These and many[73] other of the historical and miraculous Parts of Jesus's Life, will I take into Examination, and shew, that none of them literally do prove his divine Authority: so far from it, that they are full of Absurdities, Improbabilities, and Incredibilities; but that his whole Life in the Flesh, is but[74] Type, Figure, and Parable of his mysterious and spiritual Life and Operations in Mankind.

      In the End of this Head, it will be a curious and diverting Subject to examine the Miracles of Jesus as they are literally understood, by the Notions which our Divines have advanced about Miracles; and to shew, that even their Notions compared with Christ's Miracles, are destructive of his Authority, and subversive of Christianity. This, I say, would be a most diverting Undertaking, and it will be strange, if some Free-Thinker, that loves Pleasure of this kind, does not take the Hint, and snatch the Work out of my Hands. If I do it my self, I shall have especial Regard to the Writers against the Grounds, without passing by Mr. Chandler's Essay on Miracles; on which the more Remarks will be made, if it be but to pay my Respects to the Archbishop's Judgment, and to shew my Admiration at those extravagant Praises, which his Grace at Lambeth has bestowed on that Author. Among other his notable Notions of a Miracle (and the Archbishop says he has[75] set the Notion of a Miracle upon a clear and sure Foundation) one is,[76] That Miracles should be Things probable as well as possible, that they do not carry along with them the Appearance of Romance and Fable, which would unavoidably prejudice Men against believing them. This is certainly a good and right Notion of a divine Miracle; and I don't doubt, but according to it, Mr. Chandler and the Archbishop think, they can justify the literal Story of our Saviour's Miracles, against the Charge of Fable and Romance: But whether they are able to do it or not, I shall go on, in some Discourses hereafter to be publish'd, to prove that our Divines, by espousing the Letter of Christ's Miracles, have deceived themselves into the Belief of the most arrant Quixotism that can be devis'd and palm'd upon the Understandings of Mankind. I say, they have deceived themselves; for neither the Fathers, nor the Apostles, nor even Jesus himself, means that his Miracles, as recorded in the Evangelists, should be taken in a literal Sense, but in[77] a mystical, figurative, and parabolical one. And this should bring me to the

      III. Head of my Discourse; that is, to consider what Jesus means, when he appeals to his Works and Miracles, as to a Witness and Testimony of his divine Authority; and to shew, that he could not properly and truly refer to those supposed to be wrought by him in the Flesh, but to those mystical ones he would do in the Spirit, of which those seemingly wrought by him in the Flesh, are but Types and Shadows.

      But this Head can't be rightly spoken to, till I have more amply discuss'd the former, which, by God's Leave, I promise to do: And if my courteous Readers will be so kind as to trust me till that Time, I assure them to prove, that no Ignorance and Stupidity can be greater, than the Imagination that Jesus really appeal'd to his Miracles, supposed to have been wrought by him in the Flesh, as to a Witness and Testimony of his divine Authority, and Messiahship.

      In the mean Time our Divines may go on in their own Way, if they think fit, and admire Jesus of old, and celebrate his Power and Praises for healing of bodily Diseases, and doing other notable Feats according to the Letter of the evangelical Story; but I am for the spiritual Jesus and Messiah, who cures the worse[78] Distempers of the Soul, and does other mysterious and most miraculous Works, of which those recorded in the Evangelists, are but Figure and Parable. This is the primitive and concurrent Opinion about the true Messiah, which the Fathers universally adher'd to. Whether our Jesus, at this Day, be such a spiritual Messiah to his Church, or whether she does not stand in need of such a one, is the Question that our Divines are to see to. But I will add here, what I believe, and than have another Opportunity to prove, that God on purpose suffer'd or empower'd false as well as true Prophets, bad as well as good Men, such as Apollonius, Vespasian, and many others to cure Diseases, and to do other mighty Works, equal to what are literally reported of Jesus, not only to defeat us of all distinction between true and false Miracles, which are the Object of our bodily Senses, but to raise and keep up our Thoughts to the constant Contemplation of Jesus's spiritual, mysterious, and most miraculous Works, which are the Object of our Understandings, and loudly bespeak the Power, Wisdom, and Goodness of God; and which are to be the absolute Demonstration of Jesus's divine Authority and Messiahship to the Conversion of Jews and Infidels.

      I have no more to do at present, but, like a Moderator, to conclude with a short Address and Exhortation to Infidels and Apostates, the two contending Parties in the present Controversy. And

      First, To Apostates, I mean the Writers against the Grounds and Scheme. Whether you, grave Sirs, who account your selves orthodox Divines, tho' there is little but Contradiction and Inconsistency amongst you, do like the Name of Apostates which is given you, I much question: But it is the properest, I could think of, for your Desertion of primitive Doctrine about Prophecy and Miracles. I could, not improperly have given you a worse Title, but I was willing to compliment you, rather than reproach you with this.

      But setting aside the Title of Apostates, whether it be, in your Opinion, opprobrious or not; you may plainly perceive, that I am, Sirs, on your Side, as to the Truth of Christianity; and if you'll accept of my Assistance for the Proof of Jesus's Messiahship from Prophecy, upon the Terms of the allegorical Scheme proposed in my Moderator, you shall find me your hearty Abettor. Upon the allegorical Scheme, I don't doubt but we shall soundly drub and mawl Infidels, and beat them out of the Field of Battle. If you, being wedded to the literal Scheme, will not accept of my Assistance, you may go on in your own Way, and see the Event of the Controversy, which in the End will turn to your Dishonour.

      You, Sirs, can't but be sensible, how those two great Generals, Mr. Grounds, and Mr. Scheme, with their potent Armies of Reasons and Authorities against your literal Prophecies, have grievously distress'd and gall'd you; and if you don't make an honourable Retreat in Time, and seek to Allegorists for Help, will gain a compleat Victory and Triumph over you.

      Instead of the Help of Allegorists, you, I find, under the Disappointment of your literal Scheme, chuse rather to have Recourse to Jesus's Miracles: But what little Dependence there is upon his Miracles, in your Sense, I have in part proved in this Discourse; and this I have done (give me leave repeatedly to declare it) not for the Service of your unbelieving Adversaries, but to reduce you to the good old Way of interpreting Oracles, which, upon the Testimony of the Fathers, will, one Day, be the Conversion of the Jews and Gentiles.

      Whether you, Sirs, will be pleas'd with this short Discourse on Christ's Miracles, I much question. But before you put your selves into a Rage against it, I beg of you to read St. Theophilus of Antioch, Origen, St. Hilary, St. Augustin, St. Ambrose, St. Jerome, St. Chrysostom, St. John of Jerusalem, St. Theophylact, and other occasional ancient Pieces on one part or other of the Evangelists; and you'll find how they countenance such a Discourse as this on Miracles, and will abundantly assist me in the Prosecution of it.

      I expect, Sirs, that some of you will be ready to rave against me for this Discourse; but this is my Comfort, that if your Passion should arise to another Prosecution of me, you can't possibly separate any of mine from the Opinions of the Fathers to ground a Prosecution on: And what Dishonour in the End will redown to Protestant and pretendedly learned Divines of the Church of England, to persecute СКАЧАТЬ