Six Discourses on the Miracles of Our Saviour, and Defences of His DiscoursesWoolston, Thomas
Religion
Six Discourses on the Miracles of Our Saviour, and Defences of His Discourses
Woolston, Thomas
Gibson, Edmund, 1669-1748; Jesus Christ -- Miracles -- Early works to 1800; Smalbroke, Richard, 1672-1749
So ends the Letter of my good old Friend, the Jewish _Rabbi_, which
was a most seasonable and acceptable Present, in as much as the
Objection, contain'd in it, will open a fair Way for me to prove,
that the Stories of _Jesus_'s Miracles, as recorded in the
Evangelists, are and ought to be allegorically understood, and will
certainly receive such a mystical Accomplishment, as I, by the Help of
the Fathers, have conceived of them. The _Bishop_ of _St. David_'s,
and my other Adversaries, may not, in all Probability, be aware of
this Use to be made of the foresaid Objection; and I don't expect that
on a sudden they should; but if they'll favour me with, what otherwise
I'll endeavour to force them to, their Opinion and Debates about the
foresaid Objection against _Jesus_'s Messiahship, they shall soon
discern this Use and Consequence of it, that _Jesus_'s Miracles are
not _literally_ but _allegorically_ to be understood, and will
accordingly receive an Accomplishment.
I trust then, that the _Bishop_ of _St. David_'s, who is principally
concern'd, will, without more Importunity, favour me with his Opinion
on the foregoing _Jewish_ Objection, which may be done in a small
Compass of Paper, either in _Print_, or in an _Epistle_.
I expect he should tell me plainly and expressly, whether it was
really the joint Opinion of the ancient _Jews_ and Fathers of the
Church, as is affected in the Objection, that the _Messiah_ was to be
a Prophet like _Moses_ in all things, in the whole History of his
Life, and particularly with regard to the miraculous Deliverance of
the _Israelites_ out of _Egypt_. If the _Bishop_ should, what I humbly
conceive he will not, deny that it was the joint Opinion of both
_Jews_ and Fathers, as is before represented in the Objection, and
should pretend to urge Reasons and Authorities, which he will hardly
find, why such a Likeness and Agreement between the _Messiah_ and
_Moses_ ought not to be look'd for; then my _Rabbi_ and I will confirm
the joint Opinion aforesaid, with Citations, almost innumerable out of
the _Jews_ and Fathers, till the _Bishop_ shall yield to the Number
and Clearness of them.
If the _Bishop_ should own, what I am almost persuaded he will, that
it was the joint Opinion of Fathers and _Jews_, that there ought to be
such a Similitude and Harmony between the _Messiah_ and _Moses_, as is
represented above; but should say, that it was an erroneous and false
Opinion, which the old Cabalistical _Jews_, by chance, and
unfortunately took up; and which the Fathers, even the Apostle
himself, unwarily and unhappily run into, complying with an Opinion of
the _Jews_ about the _Messiah_, without Consideration of the Weakness
of it; then I, with a little of my _Rabbi_'s Help, will further prove
the Truth and Certainty of the said Opinion, and demonstrate, that He
can be no true Messiah, who in the History of himself and of his
Church does not exactly, _to a tittle_, correspond to the History of
_Moses_ and of his People.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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