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
_P. S._ To Mr. _T. Ray_, the Author of a _Discourse_, call'd _Our
Saviour's Miracles vindicated_, &c. As I, _Sir_, enter'd the _Press_,
you came forth, or I might possibly have paid more of my Respects to
you another Way. But upon mature Consideration, I found a properer
Reply could not be made to you, than is the foregoing Discourse;
which, if you are not sick of your former Performance, will find you
some more Work. And that you may write more pertinently against this
Discourse, than you did against my other, I'll give you some
Instructions, _viz._ if you think of writing to the Purpose, you must
prove these two Things; _First_, that the Fathers did not hold the
Stories of _Jesus_'s Miracles to be typical and figurative; and
_Secondly_, that _Jesus_'s Miracles neither will nor can receive a
mysterious and more wonderful Accomplishment. But you have not said
one Syllable to either of these Points; consequently have written
nothing to the Purpose against me. As for Instance; In the Miracle of
_Jesus_'s _driving the Buyers and Sellers out of the Temple_: You
should prove, _First_ that the Fathers don't hold that Miracle to be
typical of the future Ejection of _Bishops_, _Priests_, and _Deacons_
out of the Church, that make Merchandize of the Gospel: And
_Secondly_, that it was impossible that the Miracle should receive
such an Accomplishment. But you have done nothing of this. So, if you
should attempt again to write against this Discourse, as for Instance,
against my Explication of the Miracle of _Jesus_'s healing the Woman,
that _had an Issue of Blood_; you must prove that _that_ Story neither
was in the Opinion of the Fathers Typical, nor could receive a
mystical Accomplishment; or you may as well hold your Peace. And
after all, whether your Reasonings for the Letter of Christ's
Miracles, are equal to mine against it, let our Readers judge, who
will easily discern, that you jump over my choicest Invectives against
the Letter, as if you was afraid of being touch'd by them.
As to your charging me falsly in one or two Places, with
Misrepresentations of the Fathers, I'll expostulate that Matter with
you, when I hear that the _Bishop_ of _London_ gives your Performance,
the Reputation of a solid, and substantial one, by a Change of your
_Cloak_ into a _Gown_, which you seem to aim at; or you had never so
besmear'd the _Bishop_ with your Compliments, nor had been so
mealy-mouth'd as to the Point of Liberty.
But what need you, _Sir_, have told the World, that you take me for an
_Unbeliever of the Scriptures_. If the _Bishop_'s wise Prosecution of
me for an _Infidel_ had not given you the Hint, you could never of
your self have made that Discovery. And why did you not join the
Fathers with me in Unbelief? I thought I had been of the same Faith
with them. A Man of your Penetration into another's Principles, will,
I suppose, from this present going Discourse, conclude me to be a
downright _Atheist_. And what must I do then to clear my self!
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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