But, as I suppose, you'll have more Wit, _Sirs_, than to prosecute me again for this Discourse; so I hope you'll have more Ingenuity, than odiously (after your wonted manner) to represent me to the Populace, for Profaneness, Blasphemy, and Infidelity. If you dislike the whole, or any part of this Discourse, appear like Men and Scholars, from the _Press_ against it. Use me as roughly in Print as you think fit, I'll not take it ill. _Veniam petimus, dabimusq; vicissim._ I desire nothing more than to be furiously attack'd from the _Press_, which, if I am not much mistaken, would give me a long'd for Opportunity to expose your Ignorance to more Advantage. Be not longer mistaken, _good Sirs_. The History of _Jesus_'s Life, as recorded in the _Evangelists_, is an emblematical Representation of his spiritual Life in the Soul of Man; and his Miracles are Figures of his mysterious Operations. The four Gospels are in no Part a literal Story, but a System of mystical Philosophy or Theology. If you are resolved not to come into this Opinion, I beg of you again, before you break forth into a Passion, to try to vindicate the literal Story of the three Miracles spoken to in this Discourse, _viz._ those of Jesus'_s driving the Buyers and Sellers out of the Temple; of his exorcising the Devil out of the Madman; and of his Transfiguration on the Mount;_ which if you are able to defend against the Fathers, and my Objections, I'll give up the Cause to you, and own my self (what I am far enough from being) an impious Infidel and Blasphemer, and deserving of the worst Punishment. In the mean time, I make bold again to assert, that the literal Story of Christ's Life and Miracles, is an absurd and incredible Romance, full of Contradictions and Inconsistencies; and that modern Paraphrases are not only a consequential Reflection on the Intellects of the _Evangelists_, and their divine Gifts of the Spirit, as if they could not write an intelligible and coherent Piece of Biography without your Help at this Distance of Time; but have even darken'd and obscured the seemingly native Simplicity of the Story of the Life of _Jesus_. So leaving you to chew upon this, I turn * * * * *