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his Disciples in this Inftance, fo, as to make them believe what never was done, is manifeft from the Scripture-account of their Attendance on him, and being present at this whole Transaction; namely, at his Imprecation of the FigTree, and its fubfequent withering a

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Miracle.

Thus d St. Mark informs us, that No Fallawhen the Eventide was come, Jefus went cy in this out into Bethany with the Twelve, and that on the Morrow, when they were come from Bethany, he was hungry. Now it is plain, that when he curfed the Tree, the Disciples heard it; they came to Jerufalem with him; that with him they returned the next Evening to Bethany; and that, in the next Morning, as they paffed by, namely, in their return to Jerufalem, they faw the Fig-Tree dry'd up from the Roots, whereupon, we are told, that Peter, and (as St. Matthew adds) the other Difciples, that ftill attend Jefus, took Notice of that wonderful Event, and faid unto him, how foon is the Fig-Tree, which thou curfed' ft, wither'd away? So that, from this whole Deduction, it is evident, that the twelve Disciples did perfonally accompany Jefus from the very begin

• Mark xi. 11, 12. compared together.

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f

ning,

• Ver. 14, 15, 19, 20. Matt. xxi. 20.

ning, to the end of this marvellous Tranfaction; that they were Eye-witneffes of the whole Miracle, wherein there was no poffibility from them to be impos'd on; and, confequently, no Reafon for the blafphemous Suggestion, of his taking a fecret Opportunity beforehand, to lay his Carpenter's Ax to the Root of this Tree.

The Ob- "

jection.

SECT. XVII.

Of his Healing the Impotent Man at the Pool of Bethesda.

BUT,

whatever may be faid in Vindication of Jefus's curfing "the Fig-Tree, his Cure of the Impo"tent Man at the Pool of Bethesda, "is a Tale fo blindly, fo imper"fectly, and with fuch monftrously "incredible Circumstances, related, as "ought to be rejected with Scorn "and Indignation. For, excepting "St. John's Gofpel, where do we "find the leaft mention of this Pool of "Bethesda? Jofephus has profeffedly "written an Hiftory of the Jewish Na

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❝tion, and would doubtlefs have omit"ted nothing, that tended to the Ho

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nour of his Country, or the Mani"feftation of the Providence of God over it; it; and and yet we neither find him, nor any other Jewish Author, giving 66 any account of this miraculous Pool; "tho' it is very presumable, that, had "the Story been true, they would have "boafted not a little of this fingular "Inftance of God's diftinguishing Care

over his peculiar People. But, al"lowing the filence of other Writers to "be no Argument against St. John, yet,

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to give his Story a better air of Cre"dibility, he should have told us a lit"tle more minutely the true Occafion "of the Angel's defcent into this Pool, "how oft in the Week, the Month, or "the Year he condefcended to do it; "why one diseased Perfon only receiv'd "the Benefit of it at once; and why

no better Care was taken, by the Pro"vidence of God, or the Civil Magi"ftrates of Jerufalem, in the difpofal "of that Benefit, fo as to give the Pre"ference to thofe, that deferved it best, "and not to thofe, that could best "ftruggle for it. But, if St. John is "defective in these material Circum"ftances, he is abfurd and ridiculous "in his relation of others. For, of all

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"other impotent Folk, those whom he "fpecifies, viz. the halt, the blind, and "the wither'd, were the most improper "Perfons in the World to lie at this "Pool, expecting the troubling of the "Water. And therefore, whatever "may be faid in Commendation of this "impotent Man's Patience, his Under"Standing must be under fome Sufpi"cion, for attending fo long, in Ex"pectance of a Cure, which it was "morally impoffible for him to attain. "Nor can we fee what Care the Evan"gelift has taken of his Master's Hoσε nour, when he tells us, that he cur'd "but one Man at this Pool; and yet, at "the fame time, affures us, that there

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was a great Multitude of miferable "Objects lying in the Porches. For if "there were fo many, why did not he "cure them all? If he could not, "there's an end of his Almighty Power; " and if he would not, an Imputation "falls upon his Mercy and Compaffion; "and which way foever we confider it, "his Conduct is not only blameable; "but makes his Power of Healing dif

putable, and gives us fome Reason to queftion, whether, in curing this one "Man only, he really wrought any Miracle at all. For, tho' the Man's "Difcafe was of a long Continuance, no

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"less than eight and thirty Years; yet << many Inftances may be given of In"firmities of human Nature, which, in "time, (especially in old Age,) are "known to wear off. And, if this was "the Cafe of the Impotent Man before « us, where is the wonder, if Jefus, "obferving fuch Symptoms in him, bad "him take-up his Couch and begone, "for he would foon be made whole ? "Had he indeed healed the whole Mul

❝titude of impotent Folk, this Sufpicion " had been removed; but, fince, of fo 66 many, he chofe only to cure this one "Man, it affords Matter of Speculation, "whether it was the moft, or the leaft "diseased amongst them, and whether "a natural, or miraculous Caufe effect"ed his Cure.

the Pool

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Now, in answer to all this, it may The not be improper to premise in general, Cures of a that, tho' it should be fuppos'd, that and of there are fome Difficulties in this Ac- the Impocount of St. John, relating to the State tent Man and Circumftances of the Pool of Bethesda, which, at this distance of Time, Things. confidering the Silence of other ancient Authors, and the ufual Brevity of the Evangelift, as well as our Ignorance of many Jewish Customs, and peculiar

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