felves as under obligations to receive him as a divine meffenger and in this fenfe, that will be a miracle to one, which is not fo to another; * i. e. one person may think that to be a miracle, which another knows to be none at all. But doth it therefore follow that there are no certain criteria, by which to distinguish real miracles from fuppofed Or that every fuch action, supposed by some persons to be divine, is really a divine atteftation? If the miracle lies in the opinion of the fpectator, 'tis poffible that the action he accounts miraculous, may be done without any divine interpofition, and therefore can never be in it felf any teftimony or witness from God. Weak and credulous perfons may think the furprifing tricks of juglers to be miraculous, as fome thought concerning the works of Simon Magus, and as was really the case with many of Mahomet's disciples. But muft it therefore be faid that God bare witness to Simon and Mahomet, and fupported the pretenfions of those two impoftors by his own teftimony? No. The fpectator's perfuafion, whether right or wrong,

* Page 451.

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must be the rule of his own actions; but can never make that miraculous, which in its own nature is not fo, nor change the frauds of wicked men into a divine teftimony.

If indeed fuch an account of miracles was true; there feems to be an obligation laid upon mankind, at least, I am afraid, upon the generality of men, to submit to every artful deceiver, that hath cunning enough to do things, they may not be able to account for, and wickednefs enough to vend them for miracles, in order to establish a falfe Character, and ufurped authority. I hope I have not in this matter misunderstood, or misrepresented Mr. Lock. If I can be convinced I have, I fhall be willing to do publick justice to so great a man, by freely owning my mistake.

Others define a miracle to be an extraordinary operation, above the power of all created beings, and performable by God alone. But this alfo is liable to just exceptions. For in the firft place, 'tis not neceffary, that the thing performed should be above the power of every creature to do, in order to its being truly miraculous.

πάσῃ

Nor, fecondly, will it be easy to prove, that many of those things, which the fcriptures call, and account miracles, are above the power of every creature to do, and peformable by God only because it will be difficult to afcertain and fix how far the abilities of created natures, fuperior to us, may reach, and no farther; befides that the fcriptures do exprefly attribute miracles to created beings, inferior in power and wisdom to God. Thus we read, that the wicked one, fpoken of by the apostle, 2 Theff. ii. 9. fhould come v do διωάμει και σημείοις και τέρασι, with all mis racles figns and wonders, according as these very words are tranflated, Heb. ii. 4. where the apoftle tells us, that God bare witness to the truth of chriftianity σημείοις, τέρασι και ποικίλας δινάμεσι, with figns and wonders, and divers miracles. And yet 'tis exprefly faid, in the former place, of the man of fin, that his coming with these miracles, figns and wonders, fhould be a vegyélav 18 Zalava, after the working of Satan, or in the power, and with the affistance of the Devil. And whereas 'tis faid he fhould come with lying wonders; the meaning is not that his miracles

racles fhould be fham and counterfeit, but that they should be wrought in oppofition to christianity, and of confequence in confirmation of a lye; as it exprefly follows, V. II. For this caufe God shall fend them ftrong delufions, that they should believe a lie. And our bleffed Lord himself told his difciples, that after his being taken from them, falfe prophets and falfe chrifts should arife, and fhew great figns and wonders, infomuch that, if it were possible, they Should deceive the very elect, Matth. xxiv. 24. or almost prevail with his very apostles to believe them. And, in the Old Testament, God himself supposes, that a false prophet might arife, and give figns and wonders, in confirmation of his pretenfions to a prophetick miffion and authority; and warns the Ifraelites not to regard or follow their inftructions ; Deut. xiii. I. 3. So that the fcriptures fuppofe that miracles may be done by Satan and his inftruments, in confirmation of falfe pretenfions to a prophetick miffion and authority; and accordingly caution us against being deceived thereby.

In order to think diftinctly and juftly on this subject, I apprehend it will be necef

neceffary to confider, that as there are dif ferent orders and ranks of beings in the creation, fo they are endowed with as different powers and faculties; fome fitted for more extraordinary operations than others, capable of exerting themselves with greater force and efficacy, and of performing things which, to beings of an inferior station and ability, would be abfolutely impoffible. Now whilst any beings act only in a manner suited to their proper capacities and powers, and perform things for which they really have a natural ability; in fuch actions, tho' never fo uncommon and extraordinary, there can be nothing more of wonder or miracle, than in any other inftance, where the effect is but adequate, or anfwerable to its cause. For inftance; that men should reason, diftinguish between good and evil, apprehend the relations and differences of things, measure the distances, compute the magnitudes, understand the motions of the heavenly bodies, and foretell the confequences of fuch particular motions, is nothing ftrange or furprising; because they have natural powers and faculties that do enable them for fuch operations; and there is nothing more neceffa

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