A Survey of Dialogical Discourses, Survey 10
A Suruey of the Tenth Dialogue.
The tenth Dialogue treateth of Miracles, and laboreth to ouerthrow diſpoſſeſſion of diuels in theſe times, becauſe ſuch diſpoſſeſſion is a miracle, & miracles be expired long ſince. In proſecuting of which argument, it is ſtrange to ſee how the Diſcourſers beate themſelues with their owne rod. They would prooue vntounto vsus that miracles are ceaſed, & yet afford vsus no ſmall miracle in their owne perſons. For is it not wonderfull, that men thinking themſelues to hauehave ſome ſharpneſſe of wit, to be furniſhed with ſufficient copy of wordes, to hauehave peruſed many bookes, and to hauehave gathered great variety of learning, after ſome long time ſpent in deliberation and conferēce, and then aduiſedly committing to writing what they had cōceaued. Should notwithſtanding all this, like men ſkarred out of their wits, and vtterly bereft of all power of diſcerning, take ſhadowes for bodies, buſhes for men, chalke for cheeſe, and grope in the ſun light, as in the darkneſſe. They hauehave ſhewed incredible blindenes in their former diſcourſes, but in this booke of Miracles, it is Miraculous to behould the palpable errours they runne into. It may be they did of purpoſe herein obſerue a decorum, that the ſtrange handling of the matter, might be ſutable to the title. But that I doe not ſeeme to charge them wrongfully, I will betake my ſelfe to the Suruey, firſt for more plaineſſe ſetting downe the truth in this poynt, and after rifle vp their pedlers pack of deuices.
A true miracle therefore breifly may be defined thus, That it is an hard and vn-vſuall worke, ſurpaſſing all faculty of created nature, done by the devine power to that ende, it may moue the behoulders with admiration, and confirme their faith in the word of God. Theſe true Miracles be of two ſortes, for eyther they be wrought by the Lorde himſelfe without any apparant meanes to vsus, or elſe are effected by the miniſtery of man. Of the former kinde was the buſh that burned,Exod: 3.2. Exod, 13, 21. 2 Kings 19.35: and conſumed not in the ſight of Moſes: the pyllar of a cloude by day, and the pyllar of fire by night conducting the children of Iſrael out of Aegipt: the ſlaughter in Senacheribs hoſt of an hundred fourſcore and fiue thouſand in one night: the ſtar that directed the wiſe men out of the Eaſt,Math. 2 2: to the place of our Sauiours birth, & ſuch like. Concerning miracles of this nature, if one ſhall demaund whether they be ceaſed or no, it is to be anſwered, they are not. For the Lorde hath reſerued this liberty to himſelfe, by extraordinary power to reueale his iudgments to the world, when and where it ſhall ſeeme beſt vntounto him. And therefore our Sauiour ſpeakinge of his comming ſaith, There ſhall be ſignes in the ſunne, & in the Moone, Luke, 21, 25, 26.and in the ſtars, & the power of heauen ſhall be ſhaken. Shall we think theſe are no miracles? or that they be paſt, and not to come? Experience alſo confirmes the ſame. It were infi…nite to gather what hath hapned in all ages ſince the publiſhing of the Goſpell. I wil remember onelyonly one or two for example in our owne times. Was it not the admiration of all Chriſtendome to behould that bright and cleare new ſtar which appeared in the yeare 1572, continuing almoſt ſix monethes? But to come to our owne home, was it not a greate miracle that at a place called Kynnaſtone neere Marcleech hil in the county of Heref rd certaine rookes with a peece of ground of twenty ſixe acres, remoued and went forward the ſpace of foure daies, remouing forty paces in twelue houres, & carrying great trees & ſheep coates, ſome with threeſcore ſheepe in them, ouerthrowing Kennaſtone chappel, altering two high waies nigh an hundred yardes, and where tillage ground was, leauing paſture, and where paſture, there tillage? yet all this was ſeene amongſt vsus the 17. of Feb. in the yere 1571. Therefore to ſpeake in confuſed tearmes that miracles are ceaſed without diſtinction of their nature, is the parte of ignorante men, and of ſuch as neither would finde out the truth, nor teach it: but only deceaue thēſelues & other with general words.
That ſecond ſort of miracles, which is done by the miniſtery of men, are all of them wrought by a miraculous faith, apprehending the extraordinary reuealed will of God concerning ſome ſtrāge worke, what, when & how it is to be performed. All which Peter Martyr diſtinguiſheth by their natures, by their effects, loc. com, claſ: 1: cap: 8, sect, 4:and by the speciall manner how they are done. By their natures, for that ſome of them are admirable for the very thing done, being ſo ſtrange and great as the like is not to be found in all nature. Such was the ſtaying of the Sunne in the time of Ioſua, and the turning back of the ſhaddow to confirme Ezekiah, and ſuch others. Some are not maruelous for the greatneſſe of the thing done, but for the manner vſed in doing, as was the cloud and rayne of Elyas, the thundering of Samuell, and of the like ſort. For ſuch things are done naturally, but at that time were miracles in regard of the manner by which they were effected, that is, not by naturall cauſes, but at the commaund and wil of the Saints. In reſpect of the effects, ſome onelyonly cauſe admiration and feare, as the burning lampes and thunders in mount Sinai &c. ſome hauehave a deeper impreſſion, partly for benefit, as the ſick that were healed by Chriſt and his Apoſtles, partly in puniſhment, as whē Annanias and Saphyra were ſtrooke dead at the wordes of Peter. In regarde of ſpeciall manner of workinge, ſome were done by praier, as the dead childe reſtored to life by Eliſha: Some by commaund, as Peter bid the lame man in the name of Ie…us Chriſt ariſe and walk. Some neither by prayer, nor commaund, but of their owne accorde, the Saints themſelues occupied in ſom other matter, as when the ſhadow of Peter as he walked by did heale the ſick: and the kerche…s & handkercheifs carried from S. Paul his body. All theſe done by the miniſtery of men are now ceaſed, for that the miraculous faith by which they were done neither is at this preſent, nor hath bene theſe many ages imparted to any. Thus then we ſee what a true miracle is, what be the diuers kindes, and which be remayning in the Church and ſhall continew to the ende of the world: & which at this time are cealed.
Now to come to the other poynt? whether caſting forth of diuels in theſe times by faſting & prayer be a miracl… or no To this I anſwer,Chryſoſt: in epiſt, 1. ad cor. cap, 2, hom: 6 Aug. de ver. relig cap. 25 it is not. Chriſ…ſtome …aith, That Miracles were not done in his time. And Auguſtine affirmeth, That Miracles were not permitted to continew to his daies, leaſt the minde ſhould alwayes l oke after vi…ble things, and mankinde ſhould gr…w cold through the cuſtome … theſe matters: by the nouelty wh reof informes time t…ey d…d bur…e. But what neede I cite authors for this, when as your ſelues mainte…ne ſtrong lie that Miracles ceaſed togither with the Apoſtles? Wel then …e… vsus …oyne heerevnto, That ca…ting forth of diuels by faſti…g & praier we…e vſed in the times of Chriſ…ſtom & Auguſt…ne, as we hauehave ſhewed before by thei… owne wordes, which hauehave taught vsus that their p…ſſ…ſſ…d were brought to the publique aſſemblies, & deliuered by the prayers of the congregation. Wherevpon it muſt needes follow, that this manner of deliuerance in Chriſoſtomes and Auguſtines iudgments, & ſo of the Church in their time, was no miracle. And the reaſ…n of this may be apparant by that deſcription of miracles already ſet down. Firſt becauſe diſpoſſeſſion of diuels was very frequent & common in their daies. But things common are no miracles. For a Miracle ſaith Auguſtine, Auguſt de vtilitate cred. …d Honorat, cap, 16is an vnwonted thing: And therefore (…aith he) they are not done in theſe daies, Becauſe they w…lde not moue, except they were maruelous, neither would they be maruelous, if they were vſuall Secondly, for that the worke it ſelfe doth not make a miracle in reſpect of mans miniſtery, but the manner of doing, as hath bene ſhewed in the ſecond diſtinction of Miracles. As for example, The cloud and the rayne ſent at Elyas prayer was a miracle, becauſe the Lord had reuealed it vntounto him, and he had embraced the ſame by faith knowing when and how it ſhould be ſent. Yet when the Church of God in the time of drought and famyne, ſhall by publique praier obtaine cloudes & rayne, this is no miracle. As when Salomon ſaith,1 Kings 8:35: when heauen ſhall be ſhut vp, and there ſhall be no rayne, becauſe they hauehave ſinned againſt thee, and ſhall pray in this place, and confeſſe thy name, & turn from their ſinne, when thou doeſt afflict them, Then heare thou in heauen, and giuegive raine vponupon the earth &c. Doth he here pray they might be releeued by miracle? Nay, but ſheweth what the ordinary courſe of the Church is in this caſe. So when the Diſciples caſt forth diuels by their myraculous faith, and the Church now a daies by faſting & prayer, the ſame worke in ſubſtance is done by both, but the manner of doing is much differing,S. Doctrine pag. 35 which makes a difference alſo in the Action, and cauſeth that theire worke was miraculous, & the ſame done by the Church in theſe times not to be miraculous. This little may ſuffice for diſtinct vnderſtanding of this doctrine: which diligently obſerued will preſerue vsus from thoſe horrible down-fals into which theſe blinde Diſcourſers tvmble themſelues. Now then to examine theirs.
Firſt we hauehave a definition of a Miracle in generall, to be an extraordinary worke of God, pag. 306. &c.highly ſurmounting the whole faculty of eueryevery created nature, to worke admiration in the beholders, and to confirme their faith in the truth of Gods word. Next we hauehave it deuided into the ſeuerall kindes, whereof the one is a True miracle, the other a falſe From whence it muſt needs follow that the generall definitiō muſt alſo agree to a falſe miracle. And that therefore a falſe miracle is an extraordinary worke of God, highly ſurmounting the whole faculty of eueryevery created nature, to confirme the ſaith of the beholders in the truth of the worde. But this is a thing moſt abſurd once to dreame of. Seing then to make a Generall whoſe definition can not agree to the Specialls, is a worke aboue nature: and that M. Deacon & M. Walker hauehave created ſuch a Generall,pag. 309. etc. I doe demonſtratiuely therevpon cō clude, That miracles are not yet ceaſed.
Againe, whereas I affirme, That caſting forth of diuels in theſe times by faſting & prayer is no miracle becauſe it is done by ordinary meanes without the miraculous faith, (in which ſence onelyonly I vnderſtand meanes, the vſe whereof maketh a worke to be no miracle) you keepe a fooliſh iangling about this, in three pages togither without either head or foote.page. 311, OnelyOnly when in one place you began to conclude, according to your abſurd manner you oppoſe the ſupernatural power of God, to his appointed meanes, as if ther were deadlie feude betwene them, ſo that they muſt needes kill and deſtroy one an other. May it not be ſaid, that Moſes by his miraculous faith & his rod deuided the ſea, as by the meanes, becauſe the Lord in truth wrought the thinge by his owne mighty arme?
Moreouer to ſtop your brawling mouthes you hauehave beene tould,pag. 312. &c. that Caſting forth of diuils in this ſort, is a thing marueylous, but not miraculous. Which difference, if you were not miraculouſly depriued of common ſence, you might eaſily perceaue to be no leſſe then is betwene the Generall & the Speciall. EueryEvery Miraculous thing is marueylous, but not eueryevery Marueylous thing miraculous.geneſ: 43:36. Except it was a miracle that Ioſeph placed his brethren according to their auncyentie, becauſe the Aegiptians marueiled at it. Cato marueyled that one wyſard, when he ſaw an other, could forbeare laughing, was this forbearance of laughing in the wiſardes a miracle? If this might paſſe for currant, we ſhould hauehave as many miracles as we hauehave fooles, and ſo the world full of miracles. But you will proue it by Hebrew that Marueyles & Miracles are all one, becauſe Oth & Mopheth are the ſame. But firſt you ſhould hauehave proued that all marueyles are eyther Oth or Mopheth: which you neuer goe about: and it were but loſt labour you ſhould. So then the whole diſcourſe for nine pages togither, is an euident reaſoning from the affirmation of the Generall, to the Speciall: as if one ſhoulde ſay thus, That which is a liuing creature is M. Deacon & M. Walker: But an Oxe is a liuing creature, and diuers others his cooſen germanes beſides: Therefore an Oxe by this Logike ſhould be as wiſe as your ſelues. Surely you have found the Philoſophers ſtone which is able to turne leade into gould: you can doe more then the ſpirits can: for you hauehave proued and I alſo beleeue it, they cannot tranſforme one nature into an other, which I ſee is within the compaſſe of your Omnipotency.
You returne a freſh to Miracles wrought by meanes. Concerning which I tell you againe (for ſuch importunate beggars wil not reſt with one anſwer) that whatſoeuer is wrought by ordinary meanes onelyonly,pag: 321. &c without miraculous faith, is no miracle. Now if you cā ſhew that Moſes, Elijah, Eliſha, Peter and the reſt wrought their admirable workes in ſuch manner, then I will eſteeme you for great wiſe men.page: 322. page. 323 You affirme that Diſpoſſeſſion of diuels were alwaies reputed true miracles in the Church of God: which I hauehave manifeſted to be falſe by the teſtimonies of Chriſostome & Auguſtine, whereas you are preſſed by Exorcistes that If ſignes & wonders be true miracles indeede, then Anti-chriſt muſt alſo needes worke true miracles, to ſhift of this (which you can neuer auoyd) you diſtinguiſh clarkly of that which is not in the ſillogiſme, to wit of Miracles in generall. The ſyllogiſme mentioneth onelyonly true Miracles, & therefore your diſtinction muſt needes be, That true miracles are of two ſorts, either true or falſe, (which is your former miraculous diuiſion) or elſe you leaue the matter where it was,page, 306: pag: 324. yealding that Anti-chriſt doth worke true miracles. But forſooth you will goe ſtrictly to worke, and after ſome nipping diſiunctiues, at laſt you diſcend to this, that If I wrought a wonder at Mahgnition, then I wrought an vndoubted true miracle. muſt you needes ſtill inferre a Speciall from the affirmation of the Generall? You abound in ſuch admirable concluſions. Where you ſay, that Expelling of Spirits, is no leſſe maruelous now, then it was in the primitiue Church. If you meane the Church in the Apoſtles time, you ſay vntruly: It was done by miraculous faith then, it is not ſo now, which makes a difference in the worke, as hath bene ſhewed in Elyah his cloude, and that which is ordinarily obteyned by prayer. And this is all you can ſay to proue that Exp…lling of diuels is now a myracle: for which you hauehave not afforded the leaſt coloure of any reaſon.
The reſt of this Dialogue is ſpent in prouing that Myracles are ceaſed, wherein I might be ſilent, both conſidering Diſpoſſeſſion in theſe times is no miracle, and therefore nothinge at all impeached by this diſcourſe, and alſo for that I graunt the cealinge of miracles according to ſuch diſtinction: as hath bene before ſett downe, that is, as they be wrought by the miniſtery of man. Neither doth any thing you bring weaken this truth, but rather much confirme it. Yet in handling this poynt you hauehave diuers vnſounde poſitions. As if there were no other ende of miracles, but the teſtification of Chriſt his Deity, & the confirmation of the Goſpell, whereas Miracles doe as well confirme the Law, as the Goſpell, Iudgment, as wel as Mercy. And the Lord alwaies hath & will teſtify his wrath from heauen againſt ſinners,page 325. which will not beleeue the threatnings of his word to forſake their wicked waies. Againe, ſay you, Chriſts reſurrection was the laſt Miracle for confirmation of his Deity. Then what was his Aſcention into heauen? Is it nothing with you? It being alſo confirmed that in theſe daies of Athieſme the Lord may and doth reveale his extraordinary power, for the terrifyinge of mens ſtony hearts. You anſwer It is an irreligious inſinuation, & a gap for all knaueryes. but if you were able to weigh all things aright, you woulde ſee it were irreligious to ſew pillowes vnderunder mens elbowes. And as for the gap to knauery, what window can be opened, when the miniſtery of man is wholly excluded, & theſe wondrous workes left immediatly to the Lord himſelfe? you are mad when you ſee not the difference betwene the Papiſts dealing in this buſineſſe,pag. 327. and that of the Church of God. D. Fulke doth worthely reproue their lying miracles, but bring forth one word out of him, wherein he giues the leaſt check to this manner of work done by God his faithful people: againſt which you hauehave no leſſe ignorantly, then proudly vaunted your ſelues like two mighty Goliahs.gage. 329. As for thoſe Learned men which you challenge to mainteine this cauſe againſt you, would you hauehave them to ſtrayn themſelues with ſuch tr…elers? It is inough for them to leaue ſuch as my ſelfe,pag. 330. &c. vnworthy to carry their bookes, to laſh ſuch bayards. All your reaſons againſt Miracles conclude on lye againſt ſuch as are done by the miniſtery of man: and ſo likewiſe your teſtimonyes vntounto which I willingly ſubſcribe. OnelyOnly, good Reader, marke that D. Fulke (who is the fourteenth in order) ſpeaking againſt an ordinary function in the Church to caſt forth diuels,pag 333 meā eth a peculyar office of Exorciſts, as it is in the popiſh Church, appointed to this purpoſe. There is no ſuch office left by Chriſt: but that a faithfull congregation making ſuite to the Lord in the mediation of his Sonne, hath no promiſe to obtaine the deliuerance of their brethren from the vexation of diuels, it neuer came into his heart (for any thing I could euer ſee by his writings) to thinke. But theſe men according to their manner, alleadg one thing for an other: eueryevery clod in the fallow, is an hare with them, and they can follow it with as full cry, as if the beſt game that is were on foote before them. Well now, Chriſtian Reader, that I hauehave layd open ther dealing vntounto thee, be thou thy ſelfe Iudge, whether in the begining my ſpeach exceeded any thing or no. I doubt not, but thou thy ſelf wilt be amaſed to ſee men ſo bereft of all iudgment: and that thou wilt behould in them a manifeſt example of that bewitching, wherewith S. Paule did charge the fooliſh Galathians. gal. 3.1.I hope alſo thou wilt rather be a meanes to free theſe men from the ſnares, where-with thou ſeeſt them intangled, then ſuffer thy ſelfe to be intrapped with them. And therefore relying vponupon thy Chriſtian wiſedome in this behalfe, I proceede to the laſt Dialogue.