of God which is nothing else but his power By this argument doth Christ prooue that his miracles were not done by the power of Belzebub If I by the finger of God cast out Diuils by whom doe your children cast them out Lastly this may also appeare by the consideration of the meanes which the Lord vseth in working of miracles As the shadow of Peter to cure diseases Can any mans shadow cure another No but the Lord would haue that this meanes should shew that the things were wrought by his power So the Handkercher of Paul did cure diseases not that there were any such vertue in it but that it came from the Lord So also did the hem of Christs garment is there any power in the hem of a mans garment to cure diseases Surely no but the Lord vseth that meanes to teach vs thereby that his power onely doth worke it Here then we must acknowledge that miracles are wrought only by the Lord and serue greatly to the aduancing of his glory Lastly we must consider that a miracle is contrary to the instinct of Nature Nature had neuer any such inclination as to bring to passe any miracle as when the water stood on two parts nature had a desire to make the waters runne when as then the waters stoode it was contrarie to nature The vse The vse that we must make hereof is to giue to God that which is his owne that wee should acknowledge him to be the sole author and worker of miracles that either haue béene or shall be in the world If thou giue them to Satan then doest thou constitute him instéed of the Lord himselfe Art thou the Lords then know that neither Sathan nor any creature is able to worke any miracle against thée If thou be his rather then his name should be dishonoured by thée hee will worke miraculously for thy good and preseruation Further this serueth to ratifie our faith in the power of God The Diuill is his seruant whether he will or not he can do nothing but that which the Lord willeth And hereby we hold that our bodies shall be raised againe at the last day For God is able to worke all miracles although there be neither bone skin nor flesh left yet hee is able to ioyne flesh to flesh sinew to sinew and raise vs vp againe with the same bodies we had before The second part of this Sermon Now remaineth some-thing to be spoken more plainely and particularly of miracles For as in all other things so also in miracles the Lord vseth diuerse and sundry wayes of working For eyther himselfe alone and of himselfe alone or else he vseth some creature in the working of the same As in the creation of the world hee vsed not any thing out of himselfe but in himselfe by himselfe and of himselfe alone he created all things of nothing So likewise in the working of some miracles it pleaseth him not to admit the vse of any creature whatsoeuer As when hée stayed the sunne in the firmament hee did it of himselfe without the helpe of any other So also he turned back the shadow of the Dyall of Azah by himselfe alone without the vse of any other But neuerthelesse in working some miracles he vseth meanes but especially man for the meanes thereof As in all the myracles wrought in Egipt the Lord did worke them indéed but by the hand of Moses and Aaron He deuided the redde Sea so that Israel passed through on drye foote but it was done by Moses So also hee wrought many miracles in the wildernesse before the Isralites but by the hands of Moses and Aaron So some miracles were done by Judges some by Elizaeus and others of the Prophets So also God wrought miracles afterward not only by his sonne but also by the hands of the Apostles So that it is a true point of religion to holde that the Lord in working of miracles doth oftentimes vse the meanes of man therin In this doctrine wee are to take héede of these two dangerous points First that we derogate nothing from the Maiestie of God although hee vse meanes in the working of many miracles Secondly that we do not magnifie the Creature which the Lord vseth aboue that which is conuenient Into which many haue fallen heretofore For the auoyding therefore of them it is necessary to hold these two points of Religion first to beléeue and know that the omnipotent power of God cannot be communicated to any creature For the Lord saith as of his wisedome iustice and mercy so also of his power I will not giue my glory to another We are therefore to hold that the power of God cannot beséeme any creature whatsoeuer no though it bee an Angell of Heauen Secondly that wee must know remember and constantly beléeue that albeit the power of GOD could be communicated to any creature either in heauen or in earth yet that there is no creature capeable thereof no creature is able to beare it This is euident in the example of Peter before whome when CHRIST had wrought a miracle and hee had séene some small sight of his glory he sayd Depart from mee Lord for I am a sinfull man If Peter could not abide the glimmering of his glory and if it brought his sinnes to memory insomuch that hee thought himselfe vnworthy of his presence how much more vnable had hee béene to bears the weight thereof But may some say if this bee so why then doth the Lord vse meanes in working of miracles why doth hee vse men Prophets Apostles yea and those also which haue no iustifying faith and also other creatures I answer the Lord vseth them not because he stands in néed of them for he can worke all things of himselfe neither vseth he them that men should ascribe lesse to him and more to the creatures which he vseth but for to teach vs these thrée things First to teach vs how his Maiestie doth approoue the meanes whereby things are brought to passe for if the Lord vseth meanes when as they be of lesse vse much more wil he approoue when the meanes are vsed which haue some power to bring things to passe This then is the first cause why the Lord vseth meanes to shew that he would haue vs kept maintained and liue in this world but so as by vsing such meanes as his Maiestie shall appoint Therefore no man ought to neglect and contemne the meanes least hee oppose himselfe against the Lord Secondly the Lord vseth creatures in working miracles to support and vphold mans weaknesse who is not able to looke on his Maiestie when hee worketh himselfe This is plaine in the example of the Israelites Exod. 19. when they came to Mount Sinai to heare the Lord there was such thunder and lightning and the sound of a Trumpet excéeding lowd and the Mount all of a smoake because the Lord came downe by fire they were so bereft of their sences and were so afraide that afterward they
CHRISTES MIRACLES Deliuered in a Sermon By ARTHVR DENT Preacher of the word of GOD at South-Shoobery in Essex AT LONDON Printed by G E. for Iohn Wright and are to be sould at his shop at Christ-church Gate 1608. CHRISTES Miracles Iohn 9. 16. Then said some of the Pharisees This man is not of God because he keepeth not the Sabboth others sayd How can a man that is a sinner doe such miracles And there was a dissension among them IN this verse is set downe a double opinion which the Pharisees held concerning Christ and especially concerning the workes which hee had wrought among them Some of them haue peremptorilie and flatly condenmed him saying that hee was a man that was not of GOD and they render a reason or rather a shadow of a reason namely because he kéepeth not the Sabboth but their opinion was rashe and their iudgement false and erronious procéeding from the malice and hatred of the person of Christ Also that which they haue vsed for a reason we haue shewed that it is likewise false for Christ was so farre from breaking the Sabaoth or any part of the law that he did in full perfection fulfill the whole law of God Now followeth the opinion of the second sort of Pharisees which sayd How can a man that is a sinner do such miracles as if the holy Ghost should say If our Sauiour Christ were such a prophaner and breaker of the Saboth as you surmise him to be then it were impossible for him to doe such strange and wonderfull miracles as we sée he hath wrought of this wee haue spoken before shal speake more hereafter when we haue spoken generally of Miracles of the workes of them therefore of the power of God in working them also of the power of Angels of Satan of men therein Whereas it is said How can a man that is a sinner doe such miracles these men doe insinuate that sinners can do some wonderfull miracles in the sight of men but to doe such a miracle as to cure a man being blinde from his birthe was impossible for them It is impossible that any sinner should doe this or any such miracles which Christ did wee are therefore to shew first what a miracle is that euery one vnderstanding the nature thereof may make such proper and peculiar vse of the same as he ought A miracle is nothing else but a rare worke apparently wrought by the sole omnipotent power of God cleane contrary to the order and instinct of nature farre aboue nature or naturall causes I vse so many words that I may speake to the capacity of all the people wheras otherwise I might vse fewer we are therefore first to know y ◠it is a worke for indéed it must be in it selfe a true worke déed or fact otherwise it cannot in it selfe and of it selfe make men to muse and maruell at it at least it cannot make wise men to maruell at it If therefore it be a miracle it must be a sensible worke not a worke in shew illusion or deceit but a worke in nature indéed and in trueth If it be but an apparance of a worke it is no miracle If it be onely in illusion of the senses it is no miracle It is then true that the illusions of Satan are no miracles for he doth nothing but delude the senses of men neither is it the celeritie or agilitie of mens hands which are miracles as of Juglers which deceiue the people by an actiuitie in continuing the thing which they doe For they doe not any true worke but by their dexterity deceiue mens senses These therefore are no miracles for euery miracle must be a true worke and fact indéed I therefore first call a miracle a worke to separate it from those that séeme to be miracles and yet are not as be the workes of Satan and his members and also those that are done by agility of man which are workes in shew but not indéed This kind of miracle which is a true worke hath béene wrought by diuers of Gods children as Moses when he was sent to deliuer the people of Israell out of Egipt did worke many miracles to testifie that he was sent of the Lord. He made Frogs not in appearance but indéed he turned the water of the riuer into bloud not in appearance but in déed So also Elias wrought myracles not in shew but in déed So Christ wrought miracles not in shew but in déed For Lazarus being dead indéed he raised him vp againe in déed when the wine wanted at the mariage he turned water in déed into wine in déed as pure wine as any issued out of the Uine and so were all the miracles which he did workes in déed and not only in appearance When therefore wee sée any wonderfull thing come to passe wee must examine it whether it be a worke in déed or onely in appearance If it be not a worke in déed as be the illusions of Satan and of men which deceiue the senses and do not bring any worke to passe then is it not a true miracle For euery true miracle which the Lord hath wrought himselfe or any of the Prophets or our Sauiour Christ haue béene true workes Secondly I call it a rare worke of God for of the workes of God there be some which are vsuall common ordinary as the preseruation of mankind is an ordinary and vsuall worke of God and it is truly said of the holy Ghost that we liue mooue and haue our being in the Lord yet because this is vsuall ordinary and common yea dayly and hourely for the Lord doth ordinarily euery day and houre preserue men otherwise they could not liue I say because it is ordinary dayly and hourely we cannot properlye call it a miracle for it doth make men to maruell to muse to be amased and astonied at it séeing it is so vsuall and ordinary among them For it is the nature of miracles to make men muse and maruell at them and therefore when as in the Euangelists any miracle which our Sauiour Christ wrought is set downe there also immediatly followeth that the people were astonied therefore that which is vsuall and common cannot properly be called a miracle A miracle therefore must be a rare worke of God sildome brought to passe and for this cause we cannot say that repentance or regeneration is a miracle for although repentance be wrought in few yet is it not properly a miracle because it is ordinarily vsually at one time or another wrought in the hearts of all Gods children There be also many strange and wonderfull workes of nature yet because they are not rare but vsuall and ordinarie they be no miracles An Adamant stone wee know not by what force will drawe Iron to it selfe Iron is heauy of it selfe and of it selfe cannot possibly mooue from place to place yet an Adamant if it be aboue it will draw it to it selfe which is
very strange and admirable yet because it is vsuall and common it cannot be called a miracle So we may sée the nature and power of some water to turne that which in nature is gold into stone that is knowne to be true by experience yet no man can shew any reason why that water should rather doe it then any other Although this be strange wonderfull yet because it is vsuall and ordinary yet in those waters it is no miracle for euery miracle is a rare worke that commeth to passe not ordinarily but very sildome This worke is called rare either in regard of the thing wrought or in regard of the manner of working it First in respect of the thing wrought as when the Lord sent downe Manna from heauen to féed such a great number of people as the Israelites were this was very rare in regarde of the thing wrought So when the Lord made the Sunne to stay in the element so likewise as we may read when the Lord made the shadow of the Diall to go back Secondly a miracle is rare in regarde of the maner of working it as when the water was turned into bloud it was not a rare thing to sée blond but the manner of working it as namely with a Rod was most rare and was neuer seene before So we do sée that Christs manner of healing the blind man was very rare Therefore a miracle if it be a miracle indéed first it must be a true worke Secondly a rare worke either in regarde of the thing it selfe or in regard of the manner of dooing it Apparantly wrought c. Thirdly a miracle must haue this annexed vnto it for it must not be obscure but apparent I meane not to the reason and iudgement of man but to mans sense that is to some of his senses or to all of them without controuersie or doubting This we shall sée in all true miracles wrought by god to be of this nature namely cleare and euident to mans senses for either men did féele them as the darknesse in Egipt or else they might touch them taste them or smell them When the Lord brought his people of Israel from Egipt all the miracles which hee by his power had wrought among them were most apparent vnto mans sense As namely when they went through the redde Sea there he made the waters to deuide themselues and to stand like mighty mountaines on each side of them in such sort that they did most mauifestly sée and behold the same So likewise they saw when Moses stroke the stony Rock so that thereout gushed water So they saw most euidently the walls of Iericho fall downe and therefore if there be any miracle which is not apparent of itselfe it is no miracle Likewise what workes so euer be done by Satan or any of his Angels if it be not euident and to bee discerned by mans sense hence wee know that it is no miracle Let vs by this property of a-true miracle examine the miracle of the Altar of the Church of Rome for in the Sacrament of the Altar after the Priest hath said a few words as these Hoc est corpus meum they teach that there a strange worke is brought to passe for the substance of the bread which was on the Altar is gone and is changed into the body of Christ if it were so then indéede it were a miracle but if it be a miracle then men may discerne it by one sense or other For let them shew me an instance where the lord wrought any miracle which he did not subiect to the senses of man but in this there is no miracle which may be discerned by the senses for the bread in the iudgment of al the senses seemeth the same that it was before to y e sight it séemeth to be the very same in substance of the same quality and colour that it was of before it hath the same taste it had before to the handling it appeareth the same that it was before and hath the same smelling that it had before there is not any sense that iudgeth now otherwise of it then it did before therfore it can be no true miracle Indéed if before I séeing it to be bread tasting smelling and touching it do iudge it to be bread should now séeing smelling tasting and féeling it perceiue it to be the body of Christ it were a true miracle But séeing to all the senses it appeareth one the same that it was before it cannot be a miracle but they say the outward forme external accident of y e bread yet remaineth but the substance of it is turned into y ◠body of Christ which though we cānot perceiue by our senses yet we are to beléeue by faith But how did Christ himselfe deale with Thomas when he doubted of his resurrection he sayd Thrust thy finger into my side and feele whether I haue not flesh bones for a spirit hath not as thou feelest me to haue he taketh away his doubt by the sence of féeling and if this true naturall body of Christ were there in the bread then might we feele it as Thomas did for Christ still retaineth that his true and naturall body although he be now glorified In-so-much therefore that in the bread there is no miracle apparent to the senses there is no miracle at all But this is the difference in Gods Church that before it was common bread ordained and sanctified by the Lord for the nourishment of our bodies but now it is the holy bread appointed and set apart and sanctified by the Lord not so much for the nourishment of our bodies but especially for the confirmation of our faith and the foode of our soules The same also is to be said of the Wine Fourthly I adde Wrought by the sole omnipotent power of God Wherin I note the workers of miracles The Lord himselfe worketh miracles but peculiarlie and properly by his power and not by his wisdom though both be infinite and that a miracle is wrought by the power of GOD I prooue by these reasons First a miracle is a worke of great power farre passing the power of all creatures therefore it must néeds be wrought by the power of the Creator Secondly it is apparent by diuers places of the word of God as Ioel. 2. 21. 30. there the holy Ghost ascribeth the working of miracles to the Lord himselfe I will shew wonders in heauen and earth saith the Lord feare not O land for I will do great things Thirdly the holy Ghost vseth this as an argument to prooue that Iehouah is the Lord and is onely to bee serued Leuit. 26. Deut. 28. Albeit the Magitians of Egipt could worke many admirable wonders by their owne Arte and by the instruction of the Diuill yet they confessed that the workes of Moses were not done by Moses power nor by any actor skill that was in Moses nor yet by naturall causes but by the finger
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
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