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with a Word, that operated effectually upon the abfent, and at a diftance; when, Perfons at Death's Door, nay, actually Dead, and Dead for fome time, were commanded back to Life and Health, and himself, when flain by the Jews, and committed to the Grave, was, according to his own Prediction, raised from the Dead by the fame divine Spirit, whereby he quickeneth and enliveneth all Things.

These, and many more Actions of the like Nature, recorded in the Gospels, Proof of his Divine are plain Demonftrations of a Divine Million. Power refiding in our Bleffed Saviour:

And if they were affected by a Divine Power, we have all the certainty ima-. ginable of his being a true Prophet fent from God. For, of all the great Attributes of God, there are none that fhine brighter, and more amiably in our Eyes, than Truth and Goodness; the former cannot atteft a Lye, nor the latter feduce Men into dangerous and destructive Mistakes. And yet, if God fhould communicate any part of his Power to an Impoftor, to enable him to work Miracles, in confirmation of his Pretences, what would become of thele two Sacred Attributes? To fufpect, I fay, that Almighty God is capable of employ

Stankope's Ep. & Gofp. Vol. 2.

employing his infinite Power, and of disturbing the Course of Nature, with a defign to mislead and delude Mankind, in what relates to their Eternal Concerns, is to deftroy and fubvert his very Nature, and leave ourselves no Notion at all of fuch a Being. Nay, for him to permit the fame Evidences to be produc'd for Errors, as for Truth, is, in effect, to cancel his own Credentials, and make Miracles of no Significance at all: And therefore we may conclude, that, how artfully foever fome Impoftors may contrive their Delufions, yet, upon a ftrict Examination, there are always to be found fome Marks and Characters, whereby to diftinguish them from real

Miracles.

Paffage

concern

Deut. xiii.

Whether ever a real Miracle was Themeanwrought by any falfe and idolatrous Pro- ing of the phet, in Confirmation of his Pretenfions, is a Matter that may well admit of de- ing falfe bate. It is certain, that, from the gi- Prophets. ving of the Law, we do not meet with any, that were ever wrought under fuch Circumstances; and therefore we may reasonably suppose, that the Caution, which Mofes gives the Jews, & not to hearken to any Prophet, who should give a Sign for following other Gods, is not fo much a Prediction of what should come

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f Br. Chandler's Defence, p. 421. Deut. xii.

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to pass, as a form of vehement Debortation; that it does not fo much imply a poffibility of their working fuch Signs, as it earnestly forbids the being led away by them, upon the faireft Pretenfions; that it is, in fhort, a manner of Speech, not unlike that of St. Paul to the Galatians, Though we, or an Angel from Heaven preach any other Goffel, than that, which we have preached, let him be accurfed: Where he does not fuppose, that either the Apoftles, or good Angels, would ever be induc'd to preach a Doctrine contrary to Christianity, but only puts the moft extraordinary Cafe, and fuch a one, as would never happen, in order to fhew, that, upon no account whatever, they were to recede from the Truth of the Gospel.

But be that as it will, this is apparent from the very Paffage now under Confideration, that the holy Penman gives us a Sign, whereby we may discover the Prophet, here spoken of, to be no other than an Impostor, and that is, his tempting the People to go after other Gods: From whence we may gather, that, if Miracles have in themselves an evil End and Tendency; if they be wrought to introduce the Worship of other Gods, befides him, whom Reafon, as well as

Scripture,

Gal. i. 8.

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Scripture, affures us to be the only true God; if they be done to feduce Men to immoral Doctrines or Practices, or to contradict a Religion, already establish'd by Miracles, that are inconteftibly true; they can by no means, proceed from the Finger of God, but are the Effects, either of humane Fallacy and Delusion, or of a wicked and diabolical Interpofi

tion.

cerning

Matt.

xxiv. 24.

When therefore our bleffed Saviour And of foretels, that i falfe Chrifts, and falfe that conProphets fhould arife, and fhew great Signs falle and Wonders, he plainly intimates, at Chrifts, the fame time, that, by fome means or other, these Wonders would be detected, and found to be fallacious; fince they would not, with all their Speciousness, have efficacy enough to deceive the Elect. * For the Phrafe, if it be poffible, (tho' it fhews the greatnefs of the Artifices employ'd to deceive) very ftrongly implies an Impoffibility, that good and confiderate People should be deceived by them; and confequently evinces, that these falfe Miracles of Pretenders would be diftinguishable from fuch, as were performed by God, or any Agents commiffion'd by him. How great foever then the Power of Anti-chrift may be fuppos'd to be, yet the Apoйtle has ta

ken

Matt. xxiv. 24. Bp. Smallbroke's Vind. p. 3.

ken care to inform us, that all his Operations would be but lying Wonders, and that thofe, who fhould be deceived by them, would be fuch, as did not believe the Truth, but bad pleafure in unrighteoufnefs; and fuch, as God would fend a strong Delufion upon, that they should believe a Lye, as a Punishment for their Infidelity, and abandon'd Wickedness. But fince,

in this account of Anti-chrift, he no where intimates, that good and faithful Chriftians fhould be thus deluded by him, but rather implies the very contrary; we have fufficient reafon to conclude, that there are certain Notes of Diftinction either refpecting, if, the Works themfelves, and their manner of being done; Ways to or 2dly, the Perfons themselves, and the diftin- Ends, for which they do them; whereguish true from falfe by a Man of fober and fedate Reflection Miracles. may difcern the difference between real Miracles, and lying Wonders.

From the Works

them

First, In relation to the Works themfelves, it is required, m that they be felves. poffible, fince no Power whatever can effect that which is ftrictly impoffible; that they be probable, fince the divine Power will hardly concern itfelf in what favours of Fable and Romance; that they be not below the Majefty of God, as he is the

2 Theff. ii. 10. &c. Chandler on Miracles.

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