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
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
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