Volume 5. And lastly, God never permits XII. Miracles to be wrought for the Confirmation of a falfe Doctrine, but he affords fufficient marks, whereby those who are free and impartial inquirers after Truth, and fincere lovers of it, may diftinguish Truth from Impofture. So our Saviour tells us, that the elect, that is, the true and fincere Chriftians, fhould not be deceived by the Signs and wonders of the falfe Chrifts and falfe Prophets. And therefore he was not afraid of having the credit of his Doctrine weakned, by foretelling that falfe Prophets fhould work Miracles; `because he knew, when the Devil had done his utmoft, the difference would be apparent enough between the Confirmation which he had given to the Chriftian Doctrine, and what the Devil fhould be able to give to his Inftru ments. As,

1. Either the Doctrine would be abfurd in it self, and fuch as no Miracles can confirm. As in the cafe which Mofes inftanceth in, of a Miracle wrought to feduce them from the Worship of the one true God, who is

naturally

naturally known, to the Worfhip of IIdols. Or elfe,

2. It would be contrary to that Doctrine which had already had a far greater, and more Divine Confirmation. And this likewife is another reason intimated by Mofes, why the people fhould not hearken to a Prophet that would feduce them to Idolatry, tho' he should work a Miracle; because he hath spoken to turn you away from the Lord your God, which brought you out of the land of Egypt, that is, from that God who had demonstrated himself to them by fuch a series of great and unqueftionable Miracles, as ought in all reafon to bear down any fingle Sign and Wonder,

And the cafe is the fame, if Miracles fhould now be pretended for the confirmation of any thing plainly contrary to the Chriftian Doctrine, which being establish'd by fuch Miracles as never were wrought inthe World upon any other occafion, it cannot be thought reasonable, that any Evidence inferiour to this, fhould be able to

controul

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XI,

controul it, or to give credit to any Volume thing that contradicted it. And in this XII. cafe the Apostle hath exprefly forbidden Christians to hearken to a contrary Doctrine, tho' they themselves, or an Angel from heaven fhould preach it, Gal. 1. 8. Therefore St. Paul exprefly lays down this Rule, whereby we may judge what miraculous Powers are from the Spirit of God, and what not, I Cor. 12. 1. Now concerning. Spiritual gifts, brethren, I would not have you ignorant, that is, what miraculous gifts are from the Spirit of God, and what not; and then, ver. 3. he gives this Rule, Wherefore I give you to understand, that no man fpeaking by the Spirit of God, calleth Jefus accurfed and that no man can say, that Jefus is the Lord, but by the holy Ghoft; that is, if any Man pretend to be infpired, and to be endowed with a Miraculous Power, and yet blafphemeth Chrift, this Spirit is not from God: but if any Man be endowed with this Power, and acknowledge Christ, we may fafely conclude this Power to be from the Holy Ghoft. The very fame Rule St: John lays down yet more plainly, 1 John 4. 1, 2, 3. Be

lieve not every Spirit, that is, not every one that pretends to the Gifts and Infpirations of the Spirit; but try the Spirits, whether they are of God: becaufe many falfe prophets are gone out into the world. Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: every Spirit that confeffeth that Jefus Chrift is come in the flesh, is of God: and every spirit that confeffeth not that Jefus Chrift is come in the flesh, is not of God. And, ver. 6, We are of God; he that knoweth God, heareth us: he that is not of God, heareth not us: hereby know we the Spirit of truth, and the Spirit of errour. This feems at firft fight to be a very odd Rule,and what every falfe teacher, and every fect may lay down in favour of themselves, he that knoweth God, heareth us: he that knoweth not God, heareth not us; and nothing can make it reasonable, but the confideration that the Christian Religion being already fo abundantly confirmed beyond contradiction, is it felf become a Rule to try Spirits or Miracles by. Or,

3. The Miracles which falfe Prophets work, are prefently confuted and

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XI,

and upon the fpot. Thus Mofes con futed and conquered Pharaoh's MagiXII. cians, by working Miracles which

Volume

they could not work, which forced them to yield the cause, and acknowledge that it was the finger of God. And fo likewife Simon Magus, who had gained fo great a Reputation among the people by his Sorceries, as to be call'd the mighty power of God, was confuted by the Apostles, who by the laying on of hands, conferr’d a miraculous Power on men, which he not being able to do, would have purchased it with Mony. And fo Elymas the Sorcerer was ftruck blind by St. Paul. And the Miracles of the Heathen Temples and Oracles, upon the Preaching of the Gofpel, ceafed, as being afhamed of themselves; as Porphyry, one of the bittereft Enemies of Chriftianity, does exprefly acknowledge. Or elfe,

Laftly, The Miracles wrought, or pretended to be wrought to confirm falfe Doctrines, are fuch, as do fome way or other confute themselves; or if they be real, are fufficiently detected to be the pranks of the Devil, and

not