Eusebius Gallicanus, treating on this Miracle, says[211]; "that our Saviour apparently manifests that his Miracles are of a spiritual and mystical Signification, because in the Work of them, he does somewhat or other, that literally has no Sense nor Reason in it. As for Instance, in the Cure of this blind Man, what occasion was there for Clay and Spittle to anoint his Eyes, if it was not of a mystical meaning, when with a Word of his Mouth, Jesus could have cured him? Let us then set aside the Letter of the Story, and Search for the Mystery, and consider who is meant by this Blind Man, &c."
Origen too, upon occasion of this Miracle, and its Absurdity according to the Letter, says[212]; "that whatever Jesus did in the Flesh was but a Type and Figure of what he would do in Spirit, as is apparent from the Miracle of his curing a blind Man, which nobody knows why it was so done, if it be not to be understood of a mystical Ointment to open the Eyes of the blind in Understanding."
And who then is this blind Man mystically? St. Augustin[213], St. Jerome[214], Eusebius Gallicanus[215], St. Theophilus of Antioch[216], Origen[217], St. Cyril of Alexandria[218], and St. Theophylact[219], (Four of them, Bishop Smalbroke's Greek and literal Commentators!) say, this blind Man is a Type of Mankind of all Nations, who in the Perfection of Time signified by the Sabbath[220] in the Story, is to be cured of this Blindness in Understanding.
And what is Mankind's Blindness here signified? St. Augustin[221], St. Cyril[222] and St. Theophylact[223], say, it is Ignorance, Error and Infidelity, or the want of the intellectual Sight and Knowledge of God and his Providence. Origen[224], St. John of Jerusalem[225], and St. Theophylact[226], (Still Bishop Smalbroke's literal and Greek Commentators!) tell us the Reason of this spiritual Blindness of Mankind, that is, because they adhere to the Letter of the Scriptures.
And how will Jesus, or right Reason and Truth, which are his mystical Names, cure Mankind of this his spiritual Blindness? By his mystical Spittle temper'd with mystical Dirt. And how shall we do to understand this mystical Ointment, so as to make it a proper Medicine for Mankind's spiritual Blindness? St. Theophilus of Antioch[227], has an allegorical Interpretation of this Clay and Spittle of our Lord; but as it is hard to apprehend his meaning, I shall not here insist on it. Origen says[228], that the anointing of the blind Man's Eyes with Spittle, is to be understood of the Unction of the Spirit of Christ. But this does not give us rightly to understand the Metaphor and Figure. St. John of Jerusalem says, that by the Clay and Spittle is meant[229] perfect Doctrine, which in Truth may open the Eyes of Mens Understanding: But what is perfect Doctrine? Why, to help the Fathers out here, without departing from their Opinions, by the Spittle of Jesus must be understood the Water of the Spirit instill'd into the Earth of the Letter of the Scriptures, which temper'd together, does, in the Judgment of them all, make perfect Doctrine to the opening of the Eyes of our Understanding in the Knowledge of the Providence of God of all Ages; which Knowledge, Light, Sight, or Illumination, Mankind has hitherto wanted.
St. Irenæus[230], gives an excellent and mystical Reason, by himself, for the use of this Ointment of Clay and Spittle, to the Cure of this blind Man, which I shall not stay to illustrate, but only have cited it for the Meditation of the Learned and Curious.
The Story of the blind Man, as St. John has related it, is long, and would take up more time, than I have to spare at present, to go thro' all the Parts of it. What I have done at present is enough to awaken others to the Consideration, not only of the Absurdities of the Letter, but of the mystical Interpretation of the rest.
The Miracle, which consisted literally in the Cure of a blind Man by the use of an Ointment made of Dirt and Spittle, is absurd, sensless and unaccountable; but in the Mystery, there is Wisdom and Reason. And the Cure of Mankind of the Blindness of his Understanding, by the Spirit's being temper'd with the Letter of the Scriptures, which is the mystical Eye-Salve, will not only be a most stupendous Miracle, but a Proof of Jesus's Messiahship beyond all contradiction, in as much as by such an opening of the Eyes of our Understandings, which have been hitherto dark, we shall see, how he is the Accomplishment of the Law and the Prophets. And so I pass to a
10. Tenth Miracle of Jesus, viz.[231] That of his turning Water into Wine, at a Marriage in Cana of Galilee. This is call'd the beginning of Jesus's Miracles; but whether it is to be understood of the First of his whole Life, or of the First that he wrought in Cana of Galilee, is not agreed amongst Divines. I shall not enter into the Dispute, which as it is of no Consequence to my Cause in hand; so I shall pass it by, and not urge any Arguments for or against either side of it.