Sean. CLXXV. . Confirma±ion of Chrïlliánitÿ to him, by -more-and greater Miracles-than Mofes or any of dre.Prophets had: wrought. And to thisTeflimony bothour Saviour himfclf and the Apöfl'esappeal, as the great Evidence of the' Divinity of their Dodtrine. When `fohn the Baptift Pent his Difciples to our Saviour, to be fattsficd whether he were the X9efas, lie refers them to his Miracles, Matth. r 1. 4. g. Go and thew John again thole 'things wbirb ye do hear and fee. The blind réceisie their fight, and the larae,iwalL, the leperi are cleanfed, and the deaf hear, the dead are railed up. And john y. 3G.` _Eat I hove" greater witncfs than that of John : for the works which the Father hash given me td pnifh, the fame'works that I do, bear witnefs of me, that the Father bath feat me; And Nis 2. 7,2. Jefus tf Nazareth, á Man approved of God among you, doro Ti"; GE; d9ra&hE,y1!koor Hs úug,, a Man demorflrated by God to you, by Miracles, and Wonders, Yard Signs, which he did in the mid/' of you. And Asks 14. 3. it is Laid, that when the Apoftles preached the Gofpel, God gave Teflimony unto the word of his grace, andgranted ftgns andwonders to be done by their hands. From all which it is plain that our Religion appeals to Miracles, as the great external Confirmationof ir. 3. Efpecially if Miracles have all the Circumftances pf advantage given to them which they are capable of 5 if they, be many and great, .publick and unqueftiona- ble, and univerfal, and of long continuance. And fuck were the Miracles wrought by Mofes, and by our Saviour and his Apoftles, which for their Nature and Qirt- lity, for the number an continuance of theta, and for alt other Circumltances that may give credit to them, and argue them to be from God, arc in no degree to be equalled by thofe which any other Religion hath pretended to. And in thefe Circumances, Miracles alone are in molt Cafes a fufficient proof of the Divinity of a Dodtrinc : for there is a great deal of difference in reafon to be made between one or two ftrange miraculous Effehts, and thofe not of the higheft and molt unqueflionable rank of Miracles neither, privately wrought. and before few witneffes : and a long continued feries of Miracles of all kinds, and fuck as are univerfally acknowledged to be above the Power of Nature, and thole pub - lickly wrought in the face and view of the World; inevery City and Country, by a great many Perfons for many Years, yea for many Piges together, The former may be doubted of, but the latter carry fo fenfible a cc.nviEtion withthem,' that it is not credible, that the Divine Goodnefs fhould p rníit`fo great and overpowring a Teftimony to be given to a falihood. 4. it cannot be denied, bat that God Both fometimes permit Miracles' to be wrought for the countenancing of a falbe DoEtrine.' This the Heathens pretended to at their Temples andOracles ; and it is not incredible, that God thould permit the Devil to do feveral ftrange and extraordinary things, rho' it be certain that there was a great deal of -cheat and. impofturc mingled with them. To before the Scripture owns the working of Miracles by falle Prophets. Mofes takes notice of it in his Law, and provides againft it as a Cafe that might happen ; and our Sa- viour exprefly foretells it, Matth. 24. and fo does St. Paul, a Tkef:.a. that the Man of Sin lhould come after the working of Satan, withponter and fgia3',' and,wondere' of lies 5 that is, thould work Miracles to countenancehis Falfe and Impious'Dodtrmes. And the Scripture likewife tells us, for what reafon God doesfometimes pewit this to be done. For the tryal of the Good. Dent. 13. 3. For the Lord y`vr God pro- veth you to knew whether you love the Lordyour God with all your hearts. And for the hardningof the wicked, by the juft judgment of God. 2 The.(JJ. 2. Id, I t, I x. Becanfe they received not the love of the truth, that they might be faxed, And-for this cattle God fliall fend them ;rip) ens eryi44onc, the efcacy of imp llure that they fhould believe a Lie ; that they all mightbe damned, who believed not the truth, but bad pleafure in unrighteoufneJo. 5. And laftly, God never permits Miracles to be wrought for the Confirmation of a falfe Doftriae, but he affords fufficient marks, whereby thofe who are free and impartial Inquirers after Truth, and Gncere Lovers of it, may diftinguifh Truth from Impofture. So our Saviour tells us;' that the Elea, that is, the true and`fin- cere Chriftians, thould not be deceived by the figns and wonders of the falle Cistifls and falle Prophets. And therefore he was nor afraid of having the credit of his Do&vine weakned by foretelling that falb Prophets Ihòuld Work Miracles ecau f; S`ffz he
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