第57章

FromthatwhichIhaveheresetdown，ofthenatureanduseofamiracle，wemaydefineitthus：amiracleisaworkofGod(besidesHisoperationbythewayofnature，ordainedintheCreation)doneforthemakingmanifesttoHiselectthemissionofanextraordinaryministerfortheirsalvation。

Andfromthisdefinition，wemayinfer：first，thatinallmiraclestheworkdoneisnottheeffectofanyvirtueintheprophet，becauseitistheeffectoftheimmediatehandofGod；thatistosay，Godhathdoneit，withoutusingtheprophetthereinasasubordinatecause。

Secondly，thatnodevil，angel，orothercreatedspiritcandoamiracle。Foritmusteitherbebyvirtueofsomenaturalscienceorbyincantation，thatis，virtueofwords。Foriftheenchantersdoitbytheirownpowerindependent，thereissomepowerthatproceedethnotfromGod，whichallmendeny；andiftheydoitbypowergiventhem，thenistheworknotfromtheimmediatehandofGod，butnatural，andconsequentlynomiracle。

TherebesometextsofScripturethatseemtoattributethepowerofworkingwonders，equaltosomeofthoseimmediatemiracleswroughtbyGodHimself，tocertainartsofmagicandincantation。As，forexample，whenwereadthataftertherodofMosesbeingcastonthegroundbecameaserpent，“themagiciansofEgyptdidthelikebytheirenchantments“；*andthatafterMoseshadturnedthewatersoftheEgyptianstreams，rivers，ponds，andpoolsofwaterintoblood，“themagiciansofEgyptdidlikewise，withtheirenchantments“；*(2)andthatafterMoseshadbythepowerofGodbroughtfrogsupontheland，“themagiciansalsodidsowiththeirenchantments，andbroughtupfrogsuponthelandofEgypt“；*(3)willnotmanbeapttoattributemiraclestoenchantments；thatistosay，totheefficacyofthesoundofwords；andthinkthesameverywellprovedoutofthisandothersuchplaces？AndyetthereisnoplaceofScripturethattellethuswhatanenchantmentis。Ifthereforeenchantmentbenot，asmanythinkit，aworkingofstrangeeffectsbyspellsandwords，butimpostureanddelusionwroughtbyordinarymeans；andsofarfromsupernatural，astheimpostorsneednotthestudysomuchofnaturalcauses，buttheordinaryignorance，stupidity，andsuperstitionofmankind，todothem；thosetextsthatseemtocountenancethepowerofmagic，witchcraft，andenchantmentmustneedshaveanothersensethanatfirstsighttheyseemtobear。

Foritisevidentenoughthatwordshavenohavenoweffectbutonthosethatunderstandthem，andthentheyhavenootherbuttosignifytheintentionsorpassionsofthemthatspeak；andtherebyproducehope，fear，orotherpassions，orconceptionsinthehearer。Thereforewhenarodseemethaserpent，orthewatersblood，oranyothermiracleseemethdonebyenchantment；ifitbenottotheedificationofGod’speople，nottherod，northewater，noranyotherthingisenchanted；thatistosay，wroughtuponbythewords，butthespectator。Sothatallthemiracleconsistethinthis，thattheenchanterhasdeceivedaman；whichisnomiracle，butaveryeasymattertodo。

Forsuchistheignoranceandaptitudetoerrorgenerallyofallmen，butespeciallyofthemthathavenotmuchknowledgeofnaturalcauses，andofthenatureandinterestsofmen，asbyinnumerableandeasytrickstobeabused。Whatopinionofmiraculouspower，beforeitwasknowntherewasascienceofthecourseofthestars，mightamanhavegainedthatshouldhavetoldthepeople，thishour，orday，thesunshouldbedarkened？Ajuggler，bythehandlingofhisgobletsandothertrinkets，ifitwerenotnowordinarilypractised，wouldbethoughttodohiswondersbythepoweratleastoftheDevil。

Amanthathathpractisedtospeakbydrawinginofhisbreath(whichkindofmeninancienttimewerecalledventriloqui)andsomaketheweaknessofhisvoiceseemtoproceed，notfromtheweakimpulsionoftheorgansofspeech，butfromdistanceofplace，isabletomakeverymanymenbelieveitisavoicefromheaven，whatsoeverhepleasetotellthem。Andforacraftymanthathathenquiredintothesecretsandfamiliarconfessionsthatonemanordinarilymakethtoanotherofhisactionsandadventurespast，totellthemhimagainisnohardmatter；andyettherebemanythatbysuchmeansasthatobtainthereputationofbeingconjurers。ButitistoolongabusinesstoreckonuptheseveralsortsofthosemenwhichtheGreekscalledthaumaturgi，thatistosay，workersofthingswonderful；andyetthesedoalltheydobytheirownsingledexterity。

Butifwelookupontheimpostureswroughtbyconfederacy，thereisnothinghowimpossiblesoevertobedonethatisimpossibletobebelieved。Fortwomenconspiring，onetoseemlame，theothertocurehimwithacharm，willdeceivemany：butmanyconspiring，onetoseemlame，anothersotocurehim，andalltheresttobearwitness，willdeceivemanymore。

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