"If Jesus had healed the whole multitude of impotent folk, without inquiring how many there were, I should have thought that he wrought a great many miracles, for in such a multitude, there must needs be, in all probability, many incurable, by either art or nature; but since he only cured this one man, it affords matter of speculation, whether he was the most or least diseased among them. Our divines, for the sake of the miracle, may possibly suppose him to be the most grievously afflicted man of them all; but Infidels, on the other hand, will say, not so: and will, with their cavils, urge that this man was either a dissembler, whom Jesus shamed out of his pretended disease, or that he was only hippish, and fancied himself distempered so long a time; and that Jesus, by suitable exhortations and admonitions, worked upon his imagination so effectually, as to persuade him into a belief that he was cured; so bade him take up his bed and walk off. Certain it is, that Infidels will say that it was not the miraculous power of Jesus that healed him, or he had used it then and there, for the sanation of others also.

"And thus have I finished my invective against the letter of this story. If any are offended thereat, they enjoy what is the most reasonable thing in the world, the same liberty to write for the letter, which I have used against it."

Thus much, has Mr. Woolston said on the subject, which I think is quite sufficient to destroy the credibility of the whole story, without any further comment from me. I will only just observe, that if what Matthew says be true, concerning the multitudes that followed him from Galilee, Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea, and from beyond Jordan,36 it was impossible for Jesus to have gone among_such a multitude of impotent folk, in the heart of Jerusalem, without some one among them knowing him. John acknowledges himself, that prior to this miracle, Jesus was well know at Jerusalem, as a worker of miracles, even among the rulers. 3 7 And if so well known to them, is it likely that he should be unknown to the multitudes of impotent folk, who, one might be well assured, would have been the fore

most to have inquired for him? Yet it appears by this account, that none of those impotent folk knew any thing of him; even the man himself, who was so miraculously healed, wist not who it was that healed him;38 neither did he seem to think his cure as any thing miraculous, or he would certainly have recognized Jesus in it, if his fame was so noised abroad, through all the country of Judea and Jerusalem.

In my next I shall most probably examine the transfiguration of Jesus, and, at the same time, make a few observations on the soul, and future state of the existence of man. Also, if time will permit, I intend to speak of the paralytic, for whom the roof of the house was forcibly broken up, that he might be let down into the room, wherein sat Jesus. In the meantime, I trust, you will take into consideration that which I have already written. And that the word of truth may have free course, run, and be respected, is the sincere

wish of

Your humble Servant,

JOHN CLARKE.

LETTER XI.

TO DR. ADAM CLARKE.

In my last, among other things, I promised to take into consideration the transfiguration of Jesus; which our priests say was only of itself a most surprising phenomena; but, the circumstances attending it prove the immortality of the human race.

Previous to commencing this subject, it will be necessary to remind you, that there has been a time when many persons sucked in supernatural nourishment, from their superstitious and credulous mother's breast, as they did their natural aliment; and ever after considered, that all things they saw were supernatural, if the cause of them was unknown. Thus, the rainbow was attributed to a supernatural cause, until increasing knowledge, in after ages, discovered that it was nothing more than the result of causes, quite natural, which could be imitated by art at pleasure. Thunder, lightning, &c., were considered as tokens of the displeasure of some supernatural being: the whole of which, you are well convinced, from practical knowledge, proceed from natural causes. It is, therefore, not to be wondered at, if those persons credited the transfiguration of a man's clothes and countenance, and ascribed it to a supernatural agency, when they considered the elements were transfigured by supernatural means.

This story of the transfiguration of Jesus I find related in the books attributed to Matthew, Mark, and Luke only; not a syllable of it is alluded to by John; although he is represented as being present during the transfiguration, while all the others were absent. Peter, in his epistle says, that he was an eye-witness thereof; consequently, what Peter saw with his own eyes, he had

good reason for believing; though a man's eye-sight may be imposed upon by a crafty and dexterous juggler. But as neither you nor were eye-witnesses of it, I cannot think that we have such good reasons for setting our seal to the truth thereof: especially, as Paul said, every man is or may be a liar.2 Do not imagine that I am so ill-mannered as to say that Peter lied, when he said that he was an eye-witness of it, I only intend to hint, which, I trust I may do without giving any offence, that, possibly, his eye-sight deceived him; especially as I find it recorded in the story, that he, and those that were with him, were heavy with sleep.3

There are many men, even in our own days, who possess most astonishing powers and abilities, inasmuch if it were possible, they would seem to deceive the very elect. Such as they who are called Ventriloquists; men who can change their voice so as to represent one from a different person, afar off, although spoken by the same person close beside the hearer. Others there are, who can, like Grimaldi the clown, throw themselves into such forms and attitudes, that if one were not well convinced to the contrary, one would really believe that they were differently organized from the generality of the human species. Yet, none of these persons lay claim to supernatural powers, or any thing beyond their own natural abilities; knowing too well, that the present generation, are become too enlightened to swallow such a suspicious looking bait.

Luke says (ix. 27.) that after Jesus had fed the multitude he, among other things, told his disciples that there were some standing with him who should not taste of death till they saw the kingdom of God; and that about eight days after this saying he took Peter, James, and John with him up into a mountain to pray. It appears, as I said before, very strange that this Jesus should be always praying, when the priests tell us that he was 66 very God of very God." But both Matthew and Mark contradict Mr. Luke, by saying that it was only six days after this saying. These contradictions, I grant, are of no great consequence, being nothing more than we might reasonably expect to find in an

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