Six Discourses on the Miracles of our Saviour Part 12

[181] Sed hoc significat Ficulnea infructuosa, quod Mulier inclinata; et hoc Ficulnea reservata, quod Mulier erecta. Hoc autem & octodecem Annorum Numero signatur, quod tertio die Dominus Vineae Ficulneam venisse perhibetur. _In Homil._ x.x.xi.

[182] _John_, Chap. v.

[183] Vid. Milli. Nov. Test. _In Loc._

[184] Quare modo non movetur Aqua? _St. Ambros de Sacrament._ _Lib.

C._ 2.

[185] ??? ???? t?? e??a?t?? e?e?ape?et?. _In Serm. contra Eberietatem._

[186] Vid. Milli. Nov. Test. _In Loc._

[187] Tot jacebant & unus curatus, c.u.m posset uno Verbo omnes erigere.

Quid ergo intelligendum est, nisi quia Potestas & Bonitas illa magis agebat, _&c._ _In Loc. Johan._

[188] Defence of Christianity, P. 415.

[189] Quis hic Curationis modus? quid hoc n.o.bis mysterium significatur? non ap??? nec e??? haec, sed futura n.o.bis, tanquam imagine et figura quadam describuntur, ne res nimium incredibilis et inexpectata, accedente fidei Virtute, Mult.i.tudinis Animas offenderet.

_In Loc. Johan._

[190] Aqua turbata----credas hoc Angelica Virtute fieri solere, non tamen sine significante aliquo Sacramento? _In Loc. Johan._

[191] Cujus Rei & cujus signi profundum mysterium, quantum Dominus donare dignatur, loquar ut potero. _Ibid._

[192] Piscina illa Baptismum designat. _Theophyl. In Loc._ Quaenam igitur haec descriptio? Futurum erat Baptisma plenum maximae Potestatis & Gratiae purgaturum peccata. _Chrysost. In Loc._

[193] Per quinque Porticus, quinque Libras Mosis intelligo, St.

_Theophil. Antioch. in Loc._ Quinque Porticus sunt quinque Libri Mosis. St. _August. in Loc._

[194] Mosis quinque Libros scripsit, sed in quinque Porticibus Piscinam cingentibus languidi jacebant, et curari non poterant. Vide quomodo manet littera, convincens eum non salvans iniquum. Illis enim quinque Porticibus, in figura quinque Librorum prodebantur potius quam sanabantur aegroti. Ergo quicunque amatis litteram fine gratia, in Porticibus remanebitis, aegri eritis, jacentes non convalescentes, de littera enim praesumitis. _In Psal._ lxx.

[195] Est Figura Populi in ultimis temporibus sanandi. _In Loc. Johan._

[196] Languidus ille, de quo in Evangelio legimus, quia jacebat, Typum Generis humani habere videbatur. _In Serm._ cclxxiv. _Append._

[197] Paralytic.u.m qui juxta Natatoriam jacebat. _Irenaei. Lib._ ii.

Chap. 22.

[198] Tempus et Annus sunt centum Anni, _Tichonii in Reg._ 5^a

[199] Quod autem triginta et octo Annos in Languoribus positut erat, do illo Quadraginta numero, quem supra diximus duo minus habens; et quae sunt ista duo, nisi duo praecepta, dilectio Dei et Proximi. Ista duo, in quibus tota Lex pendet et Prophetae, si non habuerit, languidus et Paralyticus jacet. _In Ps._ lx.x.xiii.

[200] Quod autem sub finem Hebdomadum Sanctae Pentecostes ipse revert.i.tur Hierosolymam, figurate et aenigmatice significat futurum nostri Salvatoris Reversionem ultimis praesentis aevi temporibus. _In Loc. Johan._

[201] Turbabat Angelus,----dictus est Dominus magni consilii Angelus.

_Augustin in Serm._ cxxv. _Sect._ 3.

[202] Turbavit Aquam, id est, turbavit Populum. _Ejusdem in Ps._ cii.

[203] Sabbatum est et Grabatum non licet tollere. Quid stupidius aut inertius esse potest? _In Loc. Johan._

[204] Sermon before the Society for Reformation, _&c._ p. 12.

A FOURTH DISCOURSE ON THE MIRACLES OF OUR _SAVIOUR_,

In VIEW of the Present Controversy between INFIDELS and APOSTATES.

_Canes qui oblatrant contra Inquisitionem Veritatis._ Clem. Alex.

The Third Edition.

By THO. WOOLSTON, B.D. sometime Fellow of _Sidney-College_ in _Cambridge_.

_LONDON_:

Printed for the Author, and Sold by him next door to the _Star_, in _Aldermanbury_, and by the Booksellers of _London_, and _Westminster_, 1728.

[Price One s.h.i.+lling.]

[Ill.u.s.tration]

TO THE Right Reverend Father in G.o.d _FRANCIS_, Lord Bishop of St. ASAPH.

MY LORD,

_If the_ Convocation _had been sitting, I would have made this Dedication to them, and humbly implored of them, what, for their Love to the Fathers, they would readily have granted, a Recommendation of these my_ Discourses _on_ Miracles _to the_ Clergy: _But being unhappily disappointed of a Session of that_ Reverend _and_ Learned _Body, for whose wise Debates and orthodox Votes I have such a Veneration, as is not to be express'd in a few Words, I presently turn'd my Thoughts on your_ Lords.h.i.+p, _to whom a_ Dedication _is due, because of your Respect, often declared, for the Authority of the Fathers, which induces me to think, you now approve of the Use I have made of them_.

_But what I am here to applaud your_ Lords.h.i.+p _for, is, your_ Discourse _call'd_ Difficulties and Discouragements, _&c. That admirable Satire against modern Orthodoxy and Persecution! How was I tickled in the Perusal of it! It is plainly the Sense of your Soul, or you had set your Name to it: And if the Temptation of Praise for it, had not been too great to be resisted, I could have wish'd you had always conceal'd your self; and then you had not written against the Grain, an aukward Piece on_ Church Power, _like a Retraction, to reingratiate your self with some Ecclesiastical_ Noodles, _whom you no more, than, I need to care for_.

_I have sometimes wondered_, My Lord, _where and when the Great Mr._ Grounds _imbibed his notable Notions about Religion and Liberty; for he suck'd them not in with his Mothers Milk, who, I suppose, train'd him up in the Belief of Christianity: But when I consider'd, that he was once the_ Pupil _of Mr._ Hare _at_ Cambridge, _my wonder ceas'd.

Under your_ Lords.h.i.+p_'s Tuition, it seems he laid the Foundation of his distinguish'd Learning and Opinions! His Pupillage will be your immortal Honour! I wonder, none of the Writers against him have as yet celebrated your Praise for it! How does he imitate and resemble his_ Tutor _in Principles! I can't say, he surpa.s.ses you, since there is such a Freedom of Thought and Expression in your_ Difficulties, _&c.

so strongly savouring of Infid--ty, that he has not as yet equall'd_.

_Upon your_ Lords.h.i.+p'_s Advancement to a Bishop.r.i.c.k_, Difficultys and Discouragements _not withstanding, I wish'd, without prescribing to the Wisdom of the Government in the choice of a learned Prelate, that the great Mr._ Grounds, _for the good of the Church too, might be soon consecrated: And I should not have despair'd of it, but that he is a_ Gentleman _of real Probity and Conscience, and might possibly boggle at Subscriptions, unless you and Bishop_ Hoadly _could help him to some of your_ Reserves _and_ Distinctions, _wherewith you must be both well Stock'd, to overcome that_ Difficulty. _And why should not_ Dean Swift _for his Writings, as well as some others, be made a Bishop? I should like to see him one; if the_ then _Right Reverend Bishop_ Grounds _would not think him, for his_ Tale of a Tub, _too loose in the Faith, for his Company_.

_Don't, imagine,_ My Lord, _that I am forming of Schemes for my self to be a Bishop. Tho' these my_ Discourses _on_ Miracles _are of very great Merit, as well as your Lords.h.i.+p's_ Difficulties, _&c. yet you may be a.s.sured, I have no such View, when I tell you, that the Honour, the Fathers have exalted me to, of a_ Moderator _in this Controversy, sets me above all Ecclesiastical Preferment, excepting the_ Arch-Bishop.r.i.c.k _of_ Canterbury, _which I'm afraid will be void, before the King is apprised of my singular Worth and Qualifications for it_.

_But however, if such excellent_ Prelates, _as_ Grounds, Hoadly, Swift, Hare _and_ my self _were at the Head of Ecclesiastical Affairs, what would we do? What should we not do? What would not this free-thinking Age expect from us? Nothing less, than that, according to our Principles, we should endeavour to set Mankind at perfect Liberty, and to lay open the dirty Fences of the Church, call'd Subscriptions, which are not only the Stain of a good Conscience, but the_ Discouragements, _your_ Lords.h.i.+p _hints at, in the Study of the Scriptures: And if we made a Push for an Act of P----t to turn the_ Clergy _to Gra.s.s, after King_ Henry VIIIth's _Monks and Fryars; where would be the Harm of it?

Nay, the Advantage to the Publick, as well as to Religion, would be great, if their Revenues were apply'd to the Payment of National Debts; with a Reserve to our selves_ (_remember_, My Lord) _of large Emoluments out of them, according to our great Merits; otherwise worldly-wise Men will repute us impolitick Fools, which you and Bishop_ Hoadly, _I humbly presume, will never endure the Reproach of_.

_So, hoping your Lords.h.i.+p will accept of this Dedication to your Praise, in as much Sincerity as it is written, I subscribe myself_,