wee haue spoken before which is an vnbeceaueable miracle for it is not done to deceiue any but to magnifie the worke thereof and for the good of them for whom it is wrought and for the profit of those which behold it it is called diuine because it is wrought by the soule omnipotent power of God Besides this there is a false vaine and deceiueable miracle false I say because it is not this for whatsoeuer is not this is a false Miracle and vaine because it cannot haue any good Godly profitable and holy vse to the conscience of man and deceiueable because it deludeth men that are to discerne and iudge of it This is the miracle which the Pharisees here speake of the which is granted to bee done by the wicked Elsewhere in the scriptures wee read who are the workers of this miracle as namely Sathan himselfe doth often-times worke it So also his Ministers do often-times worke the same for the holy Ghost teacheth vs Math. 24. 24. That in the latter dayes there shall come false Christs and false Prophets and shewe great signes and wonders so that if it were possible they should deceiue the very Elect. Wée must not imagine that the false Christs shall worke true miracles but they shall worke such strange and wonderfull things that they should carry away many after them nay if the Lord had not decréed in his secret counsell to saue them that they should neuer fall away they would also deceiue them Whereby wee may bee admonished that séeing wee are in the last age of the world that fearefull times are at hand wherein false Christs shall arise and deceiue many And is not Satan now strong in the hearts of the reprobates that they will teach false doctrines Now what if Heretickes and Scismatickes should haue power to confirme their doctrine by miracles and strange wonders would not many beléeue in them Let vs therefore as Paule taught the Galathians prepare our hearts that if an Angell from Heauen teach vs any other doctrine then that which wee haue receiued in the written word of GOD let him bee accursed The Holy Ghost also foretelleth vs 2 Thes 2. 9. That before the comming of CHRIST to iudgement shall appeare Antichrist with all power with signes and lying wonders The Holy Ghost doth before admonish vs hereof That wee should not wauer at euery motion nor fall away at euery tryall but bee constant and hold fast the Doctrine which wee haue receiued from the Lord by his Prophets his Sonne and his Apostles then although wee bee tryed with Hereticks and Scismatickes and séeme to ourselues and to others to be lost yet wee shall bee reserued to eternall saluation But some man may say If Sathan can worke such miracles and the Lord would haue false Christs to arise and worke wonders how shall wee iudge of a miracle that is done whether it proceed from the Lord or from Sathan and his Ministers from a good cause and worker or from an euill and what wee are to holde and thinke of the power of Sathan how farre it reacheth and what it is able to doe I answer that this is a very necessary point to bee knowne and séeing wee haue entred into the handling of miracles wee will shew what miracles can bée wrought by Sathan what is his power where it beginneth and where it endeth The third part of this Sermon Now therfore it remaineth to speake of the power of Sathan Certaine it is and wee are to beléeue it by faith that the power of Sathan is not equall to the power of GOD it is not so strong so large and so wide it is euery way infinitly lesse there is no comparison betwéene that which is infinite and that which is finite If wée compare it with good Angels it will be lesse then some and greater then other some as afterward we shall more plainely sée but if wee compare it with the power of man it is farre greater euery way but yet wee must know that is a finite and naturall power not supernaturall for then none could bee saued it is mightie but yet not Almightie but that we may better conceiue of it let vs lée wherein it lyeth All the power that Sathan hath consisteth in two points First in his knowledge or vnderstanding Secondly in his déed action or worke For according as a mans knowledge is such is his déed so is Sathans as his knowledge is great so also his worke great For his knowledge it is to bee considered whence it ariseth and how hee commeth by it so shall wee better iudge of the greatnesse thereof Hee hath his knowledge by these meanes that follow First from his spirituall Nature for by Nature hee is a spirit and therfore by nature hath the measure of knowledge giuen by GOD to a spirit which is great Wee know that there is a greater measure of knowledge in man then is in a brute beast by reason of that nature which the Lord hath giuen to man aboue beasts So the Diuill is made of a spirituall substance and of that onely so that hee hath not a body which might hinder him to sée into the nature quality and operation of a spirite and therefore being a spirit he hath the knowledge of a spirit In that therefore he is a spirit hee hath a greater famili aritic with our spirites then otherwise hee could haue In regarde therefore of his Nature his knowledge is great Secondarily the measure of his knowledge may bee discerned by his creation GOD created him a good Angell and gaue him the same measure of knowledge that hee gaue to other Angels Looke therefore what knowledge is in a good Angell by creation the same knowledge is in Sathan by his creation It may bee that hee retaineth still that measure of knowledge which hee then receiued albeit as it may bee thought that as man by his fall lost a great measure of that knowledge which hee had by his creation so the Diuill lost a great measure of his knowledge by his Apostacie from the Lord. Further it is to be knowne that the diuil being now fallen is not of the consultation of the Lord as the good Angels are for they stand alwaies before his face ready to doe any thing that hee shall command them for the good of the Elect and therefore they are of the consultations of the Lord but Sathan is not so and therefore hee cannot haue so great knowledge as they haue which is a great comfort to those that be the true children of GOD that the good Angels by the measure of their knowledge are more able to saue and defend vs then the Diuill is by the measure of his knowledge to harme vs. Thirdly the Diuill since his fall hath increased his knowledge both on the things on earth and of the wayes of God by long obseruations and continuall experience who hath alwayes had experimentall knowledge of the nature of man for he is well acquainted
with the age of men he knoweth what be their affections what is their nature and what is their disposition hee knoweth what things be offensiue to men hee knoweth also what pleaseth them best in their young age what in their middle age and what in their olde age And as in these things so also hath hee experience in supernaturall things For he remembreth by whom he hath béene resisted and who will not yéeld to him This then must greatly amplifie his knowledge séeing he hath alwayes had such long experience of all things that come to passe As put the case there were one man aliue which were perfect in sense in body in minde in reason and memory and in all the faculties both of the body and the minde that had liued from the beginning of the world vnto this daye and had obserued all things that had fallen out heretofore this man would tell such wonderfull things both past and to come by naturall causes and continuall obseruation that I feare me least many would worship him as a GOD therefore the Diuill must néedes haue great knowledge séeing that he hath had all these But he knoweth more then any man could haue done for hee doth not onely know those among whom he liueth and the things that falleth out amongst them but hee goeth about into euery familie and countrie obserueth what is done and is well acquainted with their conuersation Fourthly besides this hee hath also another meanes to increase his knowledge When the Lord commandeth him to appeare before him to render accounts of all the workes that hee hath done Iob. 1. 16. When the children of GOD that is the good Angels came before the Lord Sathan stood amongst them and the Lord said vnto him Whence commest thou and hee answered From compassing the Earth too and fro and the Lord sayd Hast thou not considered my seruant Iob how there is none like him in the earth an vpright and iust man Sathan answered It is not for nothing that Iob feareth thee hast thou not made a hedge about him and his house and about euery thing which hee hath on euery side but touch all that hee hath and then see whether hee will not blaspheme thee to thy face Sathan knew well enough that man will make shew of religion in prosperitie but in aduersitie by impatience would fall away For herevpon the Lord gaue him libertie to afflict Iob in visiting his body with sicknesse in taking away his children and his goods but whence hath hee this knowledge from the reuelation of the Lord hee knew that Iob should bee visited with great sicknesse and loose his children and his goods when he heard it from the Lord and so he knoweth many other things which are to come to passe and after hee once knoweth them hee goeth to Witches or such like and tels them thereof who like wise tell others of the same before it comes to passe and so deceiue men thereby making them to thinke that they knowe it of themselues but neither they nor the Diuell know it of themselues but by reuelation of the LORD vnto Sathan Fiftly Sathan hath another excellent meanes to increase his knowledge which the Lord hath also granted vnto men for they know what is to come by the Reuelation of the Prophets for if there be any curse belonging to the people the Prophets do denounce the same make the people to know thereof by the preaching of the word whereas therefore the worde is preached there is Sathan present he obserueth the doctrine whether it be of power to bring men from the kingdome of darkenesse to the Lord from sinne vnto repentance If it bee then is he must busie either to step it from the Care or to pull it out of the heart if they haue once receiued it as Math. 13. 19. By this meanes therefore hee increaseth his knowledge that hee may worke more couertly and bee the lesse discerned for hee can turne him-selfe into an Angell of light Sixtly he hath yet another meanes to increase his knowledge and that is by the obseruation of naturall causes If you speake of an Astronomer he can tell that best if yée speake of an Astrologer he is most cunning there in Yea that which men gesse at and as it were groape at in the darke hee beholdeth and knoweth most certainlie and can tell any thing that is to come to passe by the course of the Starres and other naturall causes If we speake of knowledge in the Artes there is none comparable to him hee is most skilfull in all the tongues and there is no time that is hid from him So that by these meanes hee hath wonderfully increased his knowledge But some may say Hath hee knowledge in any thing in which the good Angels haue no knowledge No for they are as diligent for the saluation of the godly as he is for their destruction Psal 91. 11. GOD giueth his Angels charge to kéepe Christ and all that are his in all their wayes nay they pitche their tents about him that feareth the Lord to kéepe him on euery side that no harme befall him any way And therefore as soone as Sathan had left off tempting Christ the good Angels came and ministred vnto him all things that were requisite for him in this life But doth not Sathans knowledge serue to the working of a miracle No for it is a finite knowledge and therfore cannot produce any miracle for euery true miracle is wrought by an omnipotent power The second thing wherein Satans power doth consist in his action or his déed which as his knowledge is great so it is likewise great Let vs therefore see his actions The déede of perswading is great for hee mooued Cam contrary to his knowledge and contrary to Nature not onely to reuile his brother but to kill him hee talked not with Caine but by motions and perswasions in his heart did allure him therevnto But it appeareth more great in his first action against mankinde as when he came to our first parents in the forme of a Serpent which argueth his great power that hee can transforme himselfe into such a creature and abuse the tongue of a Serpent to that end So wee read of his actions also in Exodus when Moses wrought miracles before Pharaoh by the finger of God Satan also by his Enchanters did worke the same miracles yet not true miracles because they did them not by the finger of God but by the power of Sathan So also 1. Samuel 28. Sathan comes to a witch and would also tell the witch what successe Saule should haue in his battell that hee tooke in hand hee came in the shape of Samuel so that Saule thought he had béene Samuell So also would hee talke familiarly with men therefore the Lord gaue a law that if any one consulted with a familiar spirit he should dye which law had béene in vaine if none had consulted familiarly with him So hee was a lyer
desired the Lord not to speake to them himselfe any more but that they might haue Moses to speake vnto them and they would heare him Thirdly the Lord vseth meanes for the tryall of our faith of our religion and conscience whether wee will ascribe the worke that is wrought to the worker thereof or to the meanes or partly to the worker and partly to the meanes or as some doe all to the meanes and none to the worker The Lord tryeth whether we will be constant to ascribe the power that is in miracles vnto his Maiestie for in the miracles of Christ we sée how diuersly they were expounded albeit they were effected by the finger of God yet the Pharisees would not ascribe them to the worker but sayd that hee wrought miracles by Belzebub the Prince of Deuils This is the corruption of man and want of faith they are ready to ascribe though not all yet at the least some part of the miracle to creatures which are but the meanes and not wholy to the Lord who is the onely worker of miracles for these causes the Lord vseth meanes in working miracles to teach vs these things thereby for all miracles are wrought not for him but for our cause The meanes which the Lord vseth are of diuers sorts but especially thrée First some meanes which the Lord vseth in working of miracles are such as may séeme to men to haue some power in them for the working of the miracle As when Moses came to the red Sea he lift vp his Rod and stretched out his hand ouer the waters So when he came to the Rocke to get water for the people he strooke the Rocke with his staffe which séemed to haue some power in it to make the water gush out of the Rock as afterward it did The second sort of meanes which the Lord vseth are such as haue not so much as an appearance of any force or power or vse in the working of the miracle Such was the hem of Christs garment the hem of a garment hath not so much as an appearance that it should heale any that are diseased Such was the handkercher of Paule to cure diseases what are handkerchers or swadling cloutes as we may aswell say for the curing of diseases such was the shadow of Peter where vnto some comming were healed of their diseases These were wrought when the Apostles were ignorant thereof and when they were occupied about other matters But yet it pleaseth the Lord to vse such means although they haue not any appearance of any power in the working of a miracle Thirdly the Lord vseth such meanes as are not auaileable for the worke but séeme to hinder it as in curing of the blinde man the claye which was made and layde vpon his eyes this CHRIST who was God and man vsed though it séemed to containe in it a naturall hinderance to the Miracle These thrée sorts of meanes the Lord vseth to teach vs thrée notable points First he vseth the first meanes to trie the trueth of our faith to sée whether we be so firme in faith and whether we will so wholy relie vpon him as that hée will giue all glory to him for the working of the miracle though the meanes vsed doe séeme to haue some power of bringing it to passe wee must therefore learne to giue all glory to the Lord whatsoeuer Secondly the second sort of meanes that the Lord vseth is to teache vs that it is he alone that worketh miracles and not the creature which is vsed his sole omnipotent power doth worke it Let the meanes doe or bee what it will whether it be any creature what-so-euer or no creature as was the shadowe of Peter which was nothing but the absence of light Let vs acknowledge the LORD to bee the onely cause and worker of the miracle Thirdly the third sort of meanes teacheth vs to giue nothing to the creature it selfe which is vsed which is contrary to the opinion of many superstitious people and contrarie to all Coniurers Sorcerers or casters of Figures Sathan maketh them to thinke that the miracle is brought to passe by him or the meanes which hee appointeth and not by the power of GOD. But wee must acknowlegde that all Creatures what-so-euer that albeit the power of Angels be great yet if all these were ioyned together yet they were not able to worke the least miracle that could be This doctrine hath singular vse First it teacheth vs what a miracle is Secondly what a miracle is not as all manner of appearances are no miracles whether they bee illusions of Sathan or procéed from the deceipt subtilty and agilitie of man none of them are miracles So the preseruation of mankind albeit it bee a true worke wrought by God onely yet because it is a true vsuall and ordinary worke it is no miracle for euery miracle is a rare worke of God Thirdly it teacheth vs that no worke is a miracle which cannot bee felt smelled or perceiued by some of the senses when men therefore hold vs in hand that there is a myracle yet if wee cannot sée any thing feele smell or taste any thing contrary to the ordinary manner there is no miracle wrought Therefore let the malignant Church of Rome teach write and decrée in their counsels that there is a miracle wrought in the Sacrifice of their Altar yet because I can neyther sée touch smell nor taste any thing but the same that was before it cannot bee any Miracle Fourthly euery miracle is wrought by the sole omnipotent power of GOD. If any worke bee done by the power of Sathan or of any man or any thing bee done wonderfully by the power of Nature it is no miracle If Sathan hath power to doe any strange thing it is a naturall worke and therefore no miracle So also of the good Angels So likewise if we sée strange things come to passe in the Heauens by Naturall causes wee are not to thinke they are any miracles Last of all if any thing fall out according to the rare strength and power of some Waters or other creatures if it fall out by Nature or if partlye by Arte and partlye by Nature it is no miracle Whatsoeuer therefore is not brought to passe by the sole omnipotent power of God and that is not contrary to Nature it is no miracle It followeth now to sée how many sorts and kinds of miracles there be I meane not how many sorts there be in Nature for so there is but onely one true miracle but in name and as they are called for so there may be diuerse and this I gather out of the words of these Pharisees How can a man that is a sinner doe such miracles insinuating thereby that there bee some miracles which sinners may doe yet not such as CHRIST had done Out of this place then wee gather that in name there bee two sorts of miracles One is a true and diuine miracle which is that whereof