_Secondly_, From this Story literally our _Divines_ prove _Jesus_'s[127] Omniscience; and _Cardiognostick_ Power to tell what was in the Hearts and Thoughts of Man. But how so? Is it because he told a Woman, that she was an Adulteress, and had had five Husbands? Where's the Consequence? _Duncan Campbel_, and other _Moorfields_-judicial-Astrologers have done greater Feats at Conjuration than _this_, and never were thought to be Omniscient. And for any Thing appears in this Story of our Saviour, it might be all Cheat and Fraud in him. If _Infidels_ should assert it, our _Divines_ could not disprove it. If they should say, it was possible for _Jesus_ to get Intimations of these and other Circumstances of the Woman's Life, before he attempted to tell her, her Fortune; we can't say, that this is an impious and unreasonable Suggestion, since it is the common Subtilty of delusive Fortune-Tellers, to get what Intelligence they can by Insinuations and Informations, before they utter their Oracles, and ambiguous Responses to simple poor Folks. And there is one Circumstance in this Story, that looks very ill upon _Jesus_, and is enough to make him suspected for a Cheat in his pretended Art, and that is, he seems to draw the Woman in by a[128] _Wile_ to hear her Fortune, saying to her, _v._ 16. _Woman go, call thy Husband_; upon whose denying she had any Husband, Jesus was forward, very forward to surprize her with his Knowledge of her having had five Husbands, and living then in Adultery; which raising the silly Woman's Admiration of his prophetick and soothsaying Talent, he closes with her Conceptions, and what upon other Occasions, before wiser People, he was[129] backward to own, says to her, _that he was the Messiah_; and so he pass'd for the _Messiah_ with her and the Men of _Sychar_, who had no more Wit than to receive him for such, upon such Proof, and gave him Entertainment for no less than _v._ 40. _two Days_. I am glad we hear of no Money, he squeez'd out of them for the exercise of his prophetick Art, which our _Divines_ would have made an Argument of their Divine Right to Tythes, Fees, and Stipends for their Divinations. But no more of this silly Story according to the Letter. To point at it is enough to expose it to the considerate and unprejudiced. I could not help saying so much as I have; because it is necessary to form some Invective against the Letter, to make way for the Reception of the mystical and allegorical Interpretation of it, which I am now to speak to.