FromthatwhichIhaveheresetdown，ofthenatureanduseofamiracle，wemaydefineitthus：amiracleisaworkofGodbesidesHisoperationbythewayofnature，ordainedintheCreationdoneforthemakingmanifesttoHiselectthemissionofanextraordinaryministerfortheirsalvation。

　　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“；*2andthatafterMoseshadbythepowerofGodbroughtfrogsupontheland，“themagiciansalsodidsowiththeirenchantments，andbroughtupfrogsuponthelandofEgypt“；*3willnotmanbeapttoattributemiraclestoenchantments；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。

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