nor pretended to come from God? What muft I do with all the Miracles that were wrought by Gentiles before the Coming of Chrift, and by Gentiles fince his Coming?

B. Whatever God is plea fed to do, he does for wife Ends and Purposes, but he does not always discover them to Men. When he works Miracles without declaring his Purpose, his Purpofe is 3 effected tho' we know it not; and when he works them, and declares the end for which he works them, they also attain their End, and we know it. God works fome Miracles, we know not why, but be

does ;

does; and fome he works, 1 and tells us it is to give credit to them by whom he works them, and for those Works fake, we do give credit to thofe Meffengers.

A. If I fhould therefore fee a Man work many Miracles, without knowing or hearing from him, that God gives him that Power, in order to gain him Credit, and that he may be believed, in what he fays, I need not regard him, or believe him, notwithstanding his working Miracles.

B. You must and would regard a Man, that should work Miracles; and whether he said much or little, you would ftrongly incline to be

lieve him ; because, believing that none can work Miracles, excepting God be with him, you would be ready to believe him favour'd by God, with whom he entrusted that great Power, and confequently, think that Perfon worthy Credit; but I agree with you, that you are under no obligation of Neceffity, to believe all that a Man fhall fay, who works Miracles, without de claring he is fent of God, and telling you, that God has gi ven him that miraculous Pow er, in order to obtain Credit with you.

A. You think it then neceffary, that a Prophet should declare he is Commiffioned

from

from God, for such and fuch Purposes, and that this Pow is the Seal of that Commiffion?

B. I do; and that for this plain Reason, that we hear of a world of Miracles, that have been done in all Ages, by Men that have pretended to no Commiffion from God, nor to be sent at all by him. And also to prevent all Abufes that might be made of accidental Miracles, which it pleases God to work now and then, we know not why, and by Agents or Inftruments that knew nothing of the matter, before the Miracle. And therefore, I pray, observe and remember continu

ally,

ally, that Moses and Jefus Chrift, delivered the Sum, and general purpose of their Meffages, before they wrought a ny Miracles, and afterwards wrought their Miracles to atteft that they were fent of God, and were to be believed. Thus Mofes told the King and Court of Egypt, Exod. iv. Thus faith the Lord,

22, 23.

Ifrael is my Son, even my firstborn, and I fay unto Thee, let my Son go, that he may ferve me, and if thou refuse to let him go, behold I will flay_thy Son even thy firft-born. This was his Errand, this his end: Upon delivering this Meffage,

God told Mofes and Aaron, vii. 9. that Pharaoh fhould fay

to