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

People would be appeas'd: But most strange, that Jesus, who could drive his thousands out at the Temple before him, and draw as many after him into the Wilderness, did not, by Force or Persuasion, make the People to retreat, but that such needless Trouble and Pains must be taken for the miraculous Cure of this poor Man. Let's think of these Things against the Time, that out of the Fathers I prove this Story to be a Parable.

      I will also take into Consideration the Miracle of Jesus's curing the[69] blind Man, for whom Eye-Salve was made of Clay and Spittle; which Eye-Salve, whether it was balsamick or not, does equally affect the Credit of the Miracle. If it was naturally medicinal, there's an End of the Miracle; and if it was not at all medicinal, it was foolishly and impertinently apply'd, and can be no otherwise accounted for, than by considering it, with the Fathers, as a figurative Act in Jesus.

      I will also take into Consideration the several Stories of Jesus's raising of the Dead; and, without questioning his actual bringing of the Dead to Life again, will prove from the Circumstances of those Stories, that they are parabolical, and are not literally to be apply'd to the Proof of Jesus's divine Authority and Messiahship; or, for Instance, Jesus, when he raised Jairus's[70] Daughter from the Dead, would never have turned the People out of the House, who should have been his best and properest Witnesses.

      I will also consider the Miracle of Jesus's[71] cursing the Fig-Tree, for its not bearing Fruit out of Season; which, upon the bare mention of it, appears to be a foolish, absurd, and ridiculous Act, if not figurative.

      I will also consider the[72] Journey of the Wisemen out of the East, with their (literally) senseless and ridiculous Presents of Frankincense and Myrrhe, to a new-born Babe. If with their Gold, which could be but little, they had brought their Dozens of Sugar, Soap, and Candles, which would have been of Use to the Child and his poor Mother in the Straw, they had acted like wise as well as good Men. But what, I pray, was the Meaning and Reason of a Star, like a Will-a-Whisp, for their Guide to the Place, where the holy Infant lay. Could not God, by divine Impulse, in a Vision or in a Dream, as he ordered their Return home, have sent them on this important Errand; but that a Star must be taken or made out of Course to this Purpose? I wonder what Communication passed between these Wisemen and the Star, or how they came to know one anothers Use and Intention. But the Fathers shall speak hereafter farther to the Senselessness of this Story literally, and make out the Mystery and true Meaning of it.

      I will also, by the Leave of our Divines, take again into Consideration the miraculous Conception of the Virgin Mary, and the Resurrection of Jesus from the Dead. I do believe, if it may so please our Divines, that Jesus was born of a pure Virgin, and that he arose from the Dead: But speaking too briefly, in the Moderator, to these two Miracles, they took Offence. I will therefore 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