Christs miracles delivered in a sermon. By Arthur Dent, preacher of the word of…Christes miracles deliuered in a sermon. By Arthvr Dent, preacher of the word of…

A miracle is nothing else but a rare work, apparently wrought by the sole omnipotent power of God, clean contrary to the order and instinct of nature, far above nature or natural causes. I use so many words, that I may speak to the capacity of all the people, whereas otherwise I might use fewer, we are therefore first to know y• it is a work, for indeed it must be in it self a true work, deed, or fact, otherwise it cannot in it self, and of it self, make men to muse and marvel at it: at least it cannot make wise men to marvel at it. If therefore it be a miracle, it must be a sensible work, not a work in show, illusion or deceit, but a work in nature, indeed, and in trueth▪ ⟨image 4⟩If it be but an appearance of a work, it is no miracle. If it be only in illusion of the senses, it is no miracle. It is then true that the illusions of Satan, are no miracles, for he doth nothing but delude the senses of men, neither is it the celerity or agility of mens hands which are miracles, as of Jugglers, which deceive the people by an activity in continuing the thing which they do. For they do not any true work, but by their dexterity deceive mens senses. These therefore are no miracles, for every miracle must be a true work, and fact indeed. I therefore first call a miracle, a work, to separate it from those that seem to be miracles, and yet are not, as be the works of Satan, and his members, and also those that are done by agility of man, which are works in show, but not indeed. This kind of miracle which is a true work, hath been wrought by divers of Gods children, as Moses when he was sent to deliver the people of Israel out of Egypt, did work many miracles, to testify that he was ⟨image 4⟩sent of the Lord. He made Frogs, not in appearance, but indeed: he turned the water of the river into blood, not in appearance, but in deed. So also Elijah wrought miracles, not in show but in deed. So Christ wrought miracles not in show, but in deed. For Lazarus being dead indeed, he raised him up again in deed: when the wine wanted at the marriage, he turned water in deed into wine in deed, as pure wine as any issued out of the Vine, and so were all the miracles which he did, works in deed, and not only in appearance. When therefore we see any wonderful thing come to pass, we must examine it, whether it be a work in deed, or only in appearance.