L&okingunto {e(m. Book . IV. 4-l7 ·----- -·-· and his ferv;nts; but in this they agree, their miracles wtre not miranda but mir.1cul.1, not only wo.;der\ but miracles ind;ed. ' ' I I ,., ' they were unufual eYents wrougnr ;wove nature., or tbe courfe of nature. l:or the fecond, why they are? many reafons are giv:en, ' of which I hinted before, but in reference co Scripture>, (which is the r.reat contravedie) this isthelmaine, and theon!y true reafon; mir':clcs are wrought filr the grotwding, or confirm in<~ offime dipiu ' tmth or doEtrine at its firft Jet lin,(· To this pnrpofe miracles were as the Truq1pets, or Heralds, by which the Gofpel was fi! £1: com-, mended unto us.; as the law of 0VI;fcs w,1s fitfl authorized by . manifold miracles wroughr in Sinai, and :a th -;: .! · i~rt, which afterward ceafed when they carne to , and ~·· ere f..:tleJ ;n rbe p··o- . mifed land; fo: the Gofpel of .Chri£1: was f ri amborizeJ by manifold miracles, but the found tsereof having nowgone • ' . thro:1gh all the world, thefe miradesccafe: ~f n!w additions of miracles forthe confirmation ·of Scriptures, fho:Jld be expected in every age, the former miracles ofChrifl: and his A pofl:Ies wo!.!ld b'e fleighted ofall; indeed Chrifl: tells us of grrat jignes and won- Mattb. t 4 . 14. ders that fhall be in the !aft da;e.s, but with :tll he t~lls us of fal(e Chrifts, i!ndfalfe Prophets, that mufl: .work them; it may be ' difp~ted wl\ether thofe are true miracles, or meer deceptions and magtcal pretences; but becaufe they are fuch as the people cannot difcernethem from miracles really fuch, therefore It is lill one as to them; here ~hen is Chrifl:s rule, beleeve them not,·-. -be- vcr. q, :r. hold I have toldyou before; he that foretold us oftbe man, foretold us alfo of the impollure, and con:u,nanded us not to tru£1: him; in this refpeCl: it had been more likely for Antichri£1: to have prev>liled upon Cbriftians by doing no miracles; then by " 1 doi.ng any; ~or if he had done none, he might ~ave efcaped without difcovery, but by doing miracles, , or wonders, be both verified the wifdome and prefcience ofChrifl:, and he declared to the Elect that he was the very enemy of C hrifl:. As all the Prophets that fpake ofCbriH, bade us bel~eve him for hi.s miracles, fo all that foretold of Antichn£1: bade us disbeleeve him for his miracles; which occafioned Augr1jline to l:1y, Agt~infl fuch miracle- font~am~r::. ~-nongers Cod hath armed me to tak_e heed. Go not forth unto (uc·h utartot ijlos . faith Chrifr, Matt h. 24. 26. and therefore brethren ftandfafl' ;~utum ~c fecit f1ith P auf, 2 Thef 2 , I 5. the gmtt beaff tleceiveth them tha; A~; 7n ;~~~~n. HhIt dwdl mfl. 3· \ .
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