to be look'd on as Divine, er the Finger of D.

7. The Truth of it is, it would puzzle 2 Man exceedingly, to affign a good Rufin of tris, why the convertion of Dut into Lice, fhould be a higher Teft of a Divine Power, the other preceding Miracles; or why the Me gicians fhould not be able to imitate Maja this, as well as the other Signs? For is it st difficult to turn a Rod into a Serpent, Water fo to Blood, or to bring up Frogs opon all the Land of Egypt? And all this the Maglier did.

A. It looks fo, I confefs, to the Ere fon. From whence one of the two T must be admitted. If the Realon of the Mat cians, not imitating Moses, in the Conneries Duft into Lice, were a want of Power, beca it exceeded the Ability of the Leing dat fted them: It will be very plan, I f the Reason or Judgment of

capable, from the meer Nature
Miracles, wrought before the Senfes, ink
to determine, what are Divine, and what
because it looks as hard to the Judgme
and as much requires a Lidine Power, to
what the Magicians did, in
bolical Power, viz. tum a 201
Water into Blood, produce i
as to turn Duft into Lice

in the vimedia Lia

B. But you are not infen fay here, these were not re Converfions of a Rodino à

to Blood, real Frog, tet me Moquiam pro duced, but only feeming Onay bá Dr. of the Sight and Senfes,

Vertues of things, but fuch a Man, even yet, might perform Feats, that would ftrike the Wifeft Man with Surprize and Wonder.

But this is not what I principally intended. If we be ignorant of the Power and Activity of Second Caufes, and confequently this way be liable to great Miftakes; how much greater is our Ignorance, touching the Power of Evil Spirits, how far they can act, and interrupt the of our ig-Courfe of Nature? And confequently how much norance of the Power more are we capable from this quarter, of being of Evil impos'd on, as to Effects truly Miraculous and Spirits. Divine? That thefe Spirits can do things beyond the Power of Nature, and that oftentimes they have had Permiffion fo to do, must be paft all Question, to one that believes Sacred Writ. Let any Man only read attentively what pafs'd between Mofes and the Magicians, and he will need no further Argument. The firft Miracle (a) Mo fes wrought before Pharaoh and his Servants, was the Converfion of a Rod into a Serpent, and did not the Magicians the fame? They caft down every Man his Rod, and they became likewife Serpents. Mofes again turned all the Waters of the Egyptians, of their Rivers and of their Pools into Blood; as if the Magicians did not ftill the fame; we read they did fo too with their Enchantments. The Third Miracle of Mofes was, he brought up the Frogs innumerable upon the Land of Egypt. The Magicians ftill imitated him in this, they did fo with their Enchantments, brought up Frogs upon the Land of Egypt. Laftly, Mofes Converted Duft into Lice, in which indeed the Magicians fell fhort, with all their Enchantments could not convert Duft into Lice, and freely confefs'd to Pharaoh, this was an Effect beyond the Power of their Art,

(a) Exodus 7.

1

was

was to be look'd on as Divine, or the Finger of

GOD.

; B. The Truth of it is, it would puzzle a Man exceedingly, to affign a good Reafon of this, why the converfion of Duft into Lice, fhould be a higher Teft of a Divine Power, than the other preceding Miracles; or why the Magicians fhould not be able to imitate Mofes in this, as well as the other Signs? For is it not as difficult to turn a Rod into a Serpent, Water into Blood, or to bring up Frogs upon all the Land of Egypt ? And all this the Magicians did.

A. It looks fo, I confefs, to the Eye of Reafon. From whence one of thefe two Things muft be admitted. If the Reafon of the Magicians, not imitating Mofes, in the Converfion of Duft into Lice, were a want of Power, because it exceeded the Ability of the Being that affifted them: It will be very plain, I think, that the Reafon or Judgment of Man, is very uncapable, from the meer Nature of Wonders or Miracles, wrought before the Senfes, infallibly to determine, what are Divine, and what not'; because it looks as hard to the Judgment of Man, and as much requires a Divine Power, to do what the Magicians did, in the virtue of a Diabolical Power, viz. turn a Rod into a Serpent, Water into Blood, produce innumerable Frogs, as to turn Duft into Lice.

B. But you are not infenfible, what Divines fay here, thefe were not real Miracles, real Converfions of a Rod into a Serpent, Water into Blood, real Frogs, that the Magicians produced, but only feeming Ones, but Delufions of the Sight and Senfes.

A. No

A. No Divine, my good Friend, knows that However they appear'd the fame to the Senfes ; and if falfe Miracles appear the fame to the Senfes, as real Miracles, there will be no diftinction to us at leaft, between them. For a Man can judge of thofe Things, only as he fees them, as they appear to Senfe; and if Evil Spirits can fo far impofe upon the Senfes, as to make a Rod look like a real Serpent, Water like real Blood; thefe Appearances will have the felf fame Effect upon the Mind, as if they were real, and leave us in the utmoft Uncertainty, fo far forth as the Matter depends upon Miracles, which are Divine, and which not. For thefe real Miracles, real Converfions of a Rod into a Serpent, Water into Blood, did but appear real to the Senfe, and fo it feems did thefe Delufions, or falfe Miracles.

B. But here is abundant Teftimony, which are Divine. For the Rod of Aaron eat up the Rods of the Magicians: And again, by the Magicians defifting, and openly acknowledging themselves out-done.

A. True; and you may generally obferve farther; Such is the Goodness of GOD, that when he hath permitted Evil Spirits to work real Miracles, or fuch as appear'd real, he himfelf hath wrought real Miracles to oppose to them, and to difcriminate the Divine from the Diabolical, and to prevent the ill Effects they would have. Thus in the first preaching of the Gofpel, we read of great pretences to Miracles, very ftrange Things done by Hereticks, and the profeffed Enemies to Chriftianity, as you have in Tertullian, and many others of the early Fathers. But then, at the fame time, real Miracles were wrought by the Apostles, and first Orthodox Chriftians, which for Number, Great

nefs,

ness, and Variety, far exceeded the others; and this way, as well as upon other Accounts, to all unprejudiced Beholders, demonftrated, which of the Doctrines proceeded from GOD, either fuch as the Heathens, or Hereticks maintain'd, or fuch as the Followers of the Apoftles maintain'd. And accordingly in these latter Days, fince True or Divine Miracles have ceas'd, Falle or Diabolical Miracles have ceas'd too. But now fuppofing thefe Magicians, or any other Impoftor, had pretended to come from GOD, and as a Proof it, had fhewn these or the like Wonders, had turn'd Rods into Serpents, Water into Blood, had infefted a Land with Frogs, and no oppofition had been made to them, by equal or greater Miracles; what would you have thought then? Where is the difference between turning Water into Blood, and Water into Wine? And yet this latter is a true and a real Miracle, and a Proof of a Divine and Extraordinary Commiffion.

B. Sir, I can never believe Providence would permit Evil Spirits to work fuch Miracles, in order to confirm a falfe Religion, or a false Prophet.

A. I own it, without giving Men fufficient Means of Difcovering from whence, and to what end thefe Miracles proceeded. And that has been by contrary Miracles, or else from the Nature of the Doctrines or Revelations thus pretended to be Authoriz'd by Miracles. And there is no queftion as to the firft, but that GOD hath diftinguifh'd the true Religion by Miracles, as well as other Things; and there is no Ground in any other Religion of Competition or vying with it on this Score; and was this fingly the Teft, the Chriftian Caufe would eafily carry it, and triumph over all. But fee