Before then I enter upon the particular Examination of any of his Miracles, I will premise two or three general Assertions of the Fathers about them. And first _Origen_[21] says, that in the historical Part of the Scriptures, _There are some Things inserted as History, which were never transacted, and which it was impossible should be transacted; and other Things, again, that might possibly be done, but were not_. This he asserts of the Writings of the _Evangelists_, as well as of the Old Testament, and gives many Instances to this Purpose. St. _Hilary_[22] says, _There are many historical Passages of the New Testament, that if they are taken literally, are contrary to Sense and Reason, and therefore there is a Necessity of a mystical Interpretation_. And St. _Augustin_[23] says, that _there are hidden Mysteries in the Works and Miracles of our Saviour, which if we incautiously and literally interpret, we shall run into Errors, and make grievous Blunders._ Of the same Mind are the rest of the Fathers, as might be proved by express or implicit Citations; but, studying Brevity, I think the three Testimonies above, enough to cool the Rage, and assuage the Prejudices of my Adversaries against the Proposition before us, which I now come to a particular Consideration of; that is, to shew that the Story of many of _Jesus_'s Miracles is literally absurd, improbable, and incredible. And 1. To speak to that Miracle of _Jesus_'s _driving the Buyers and Sellers out of the Temple_, which all the[24] four Evangelists make mention of. I have read in some modern Author whose Name does not occur to my Memory, that this was, in his Opinion, the most stupendous Miracle that _Jesus_ wrought. And, in truth, it was a most astonishing one, if literally true, and _Jesus_ must appear more than a Man, he must put on an awful and most majestick Countenance to effect it. It is hard to conceive, how any one in the Form of a Man, and of a despised one too, (and we don't read that _Jesus_ chang'd his human Shape) with a Whip in his Hand, could execute such a Work upon a great Multitude of People, who were none of his Disciples, nor had any regard for him. Supposing he could, by his divine Power, infuse a _panick_ Fear into the People; yet what was the Reason that he was so _eaten up_ with Zeal against the Profanation of that House, which he himself came to destroy, and which he permitted, I may say commanded, to be filthily polluted not long after. But not to form by my self an Invective against the Letter of this Story, let's hear what the Fathers say to it, * * * * *