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
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
in the mouth of all the false Prophets although they themselues did not at that time perceiue it So he possessed mens bodies as in the Gospell when our Sauiour had cast him out of a man hee straight way went into a heard of Swine and euen so he is able to draw mens bodies after him Wée may also sée his power by a comparison with the good Angels 2. Kings 19. An Angel of the Lord slew an hundreth and 85000. men of Zenacheribs Host in one night Now the same power is in Sathan by his creation which hereby appeareth to be very great So when he carried Christs body vpon a Pinacle of the Temple and vp into a Mountaine to tempt him And Acts 16. 19. there were exoreistes that would cast forth Diuils in the name of Iesus but the euill spirit in the man ranne on them and ouer-came them so that they sled out of the house naked and wounded It is therefore certaine that Sathan is of a wonderfull power and that the children of God haue oftentimes tried both in themselues also in others Among many other I remember one that is worthy remembrance There was a man in Geneua who féeling some-thing to fall out contrary to his minde and for diuers causes which is not néedfull to repeate blasphemed God desired that if there were any Diuils they might come and take him away who was presently in the ayre and neuer heard of after saue only that his cap fel off his head which sheweth that Satan hath great power This teacheth vs that mē must not be carelesse but must looke to themselues For Sathan is a roaring Lion seeking whom hee may soonest deuoure watch therefore and pray least yee fall into temptation But if Satans power be so great how comes it to passe that many men doe so well in this world I answer this power is barred and limitted by the Lord and that by two especiall limits The first limite is his Nature for hee is not able to doe any thing then that which his naturall disposition will permit and suffer The second limit is the will of GOD for hee can doe nothing against the will of GOD. Except the Lord doe eyther permit him or command him hee is not able to doe any thing at all As it is also in other creatures the waters should by nature ouer-flowe the whole earth yet they doe not because it is the will of God So also is it with Sathan as appeareth when the Lord gaue him power of all Iobs goods beyond the Lords will he could not go for the Lord will not suffer him to doe any thing to his children but onely th◠which shall tend to their good Ar thou in misery or in any dangerous distresse wherein thou art most subiect to the cruelty of Sathan bee of good comfort Sathan is limited hée cannot doe any thing to thée but onely that which the Lord commandeth him But may not Sathans knowledge and power bee vsed I answere it may God vseth it in punishing trying and correcting his children Againe the Apostles vsed his power for they haue deliuered men to Sathan as Paule did 1. Tim. 1. 20. Himeneus and Alexander and as hee would haue done the incestuous Corinths But may not la man vse it in familiar sort in talking barganing and consulting with Sathan No. This is forbidden Deut. 18. Leuit. 20. and wee are commanded to resist the Diuill and to flie from him wee must not therefore consult with him He may oftentimes tell the trueth but wee must not accept it Christ gaue vs example hereof for hee sayd that Christ was the Sonne of God which was a trueth yet Christ commanded him to bee silent to teach vs that the truth is not to be receiued from him for he is the Father of lyes Héere then all men are forbidden to séeke vnto Sathan to know any trueth whatsoeuer And therefore hereby wee condemne those that vse witcherie by the counsell of Sathan and in the former places the very action of consulting with Sathan though no harme come thereby is flatly death to the partie I would this law were established in all Christian Churches then there would not be so many witches in that kinde as now there are I confesse indéed there be some which be counted witches which indéed are not as namely those which hurt Cattell as Oxen Horse Swine or such like or else children not from the counsell of Sathan but by the traditions of other women by poysoning them in dooing nothing but vsing the naturall causes thereof Those I would haue punished yet not in the name of witches but in the name of murtherers Some men thinke that they may ouerrule Sathan by coniuration in vsing this preparation which is set downe by some of late that they must make a Circle and in it make Triangles Quadrangles and Crosses and speake certaine words as saying the Pater-noster and many other such like things that they may call vp Sathan in what shape they will and hee will appeare and doe for them that which they desire But is Sathan a friend of theirs can any such things make him obedient to man Doest thou thinke that y ◠canst ouer-rule him by this means No surely but hee rather by this meanes deceiueth thée and all that are of thine opinion And thus hée deceiueth them that vse Characters So there bee Charmes vsed to get away the Head-ache and Tooth-ache But doth the Charme get it away No Sathan knoweth before that thy headache shall goe away and therefore causeth thée to vse that Charme and thereby would mooue thée to ascribe it to the Charme But when Sathan whispereth men in their eares how shall they know whether it bée hée or a good Angell that speaketh to them I answer there be diuerse manifest tokens whereby thou mayest discerne this First the Lord doth not now vse such meanes to reueale his will vnto men thou art therefore alway to suspect it to be of Sathan Secondly if it be a good Angell thou maiest know by this for if it bee a good Angell it will tell thée eyther at first or at last what it is and for what it commeth and from whence as in times past the good Angels shewed themselues to Abraham and Lot Thirdly if it bee a good Angell hee will allure thee to kéepe the written word of God if hee doe not then suspect him The vse The vse of all this doctrine is to lead vs vnto God to acknowledge him to bee our onely Lord and Sauiour and to embrace the Sonne of God as our King In all things therefore wee must goe vnto him But whereas it is said How can a man that is a sinner doe such Miracles it may bee asked whether Gods enemies can worke any miracles I answer hee that worketh is not against Christ but with him and wee sée that those which indeuoured Acts. 16. to worke a miracle could not And there was a dissension among them Herein we sée that the Lord doth so worke that Christ and his doe finde fauour among their enemies and that by their dissension among themselues Here wee sée that Schisme is neither a note of a false Church nor yet of a true Church heere it is in a false Church Schisme ariseth of the diuersitie of knowledge and iudgement of men for all men haue not one knowledge and iudgement and all sée not the trueth and if they should yet all haue not the like yéelding affection therevnto Wee are therefore to prepare our selues to méet with schismes for it is necessary that there should be Heresies 1. Cor. 11. 10. that in the Church of God that those which are approoued might be knowne FINIS