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…

The first limit, is his Nature, for he is not able to do any thing then that which his natural disposition will permit and suffer. The second limit is, the will of GOD: for he can do nothing against the will of GOD. Except the Lord do either permit him or command him, he is not able to do any thing at all. As it is also in other creatures, the waters should by nature over-flow the whole earth, yet they do not because it is the will of God. So also is it with Satan, as appeareth, when the Lord gave him power of all Jobs goods, beyond the Lords will he could not go, for the Lord will not suffer him to do any ⟨image 24⟩thing to his children: but only th• which shall tend to their good. Art thou in misery, or in any dangerous distress, wherein thou art most subject to the cruelty of Satan? be of good comfort, Satan is limited, he cannot do any thing to thee, but only that which the Lord commandeth him. But may not Satan's knowledge and power be used? I answer it may. God useth it in punishing, trying, and correcting his children. Again the Apostles used his power for they have delivered men to Satan as Paul did. 1. Tim. 1. 20. Himeneus and Alexander, and as he would have done the incestuous Corinths. But may not la man use it in familiar sort, in talking, bargaining, and consulting with Satan? No. This is forbidden Deut. 18. Levit. 20. and we are commanded to resist the Divill, and to fly from him, we must not therefore consult with him. He may oftentimes tell the trueth, but we must not accept it. Christ gave us example hereof, for he ⟨image 25⟩said, that Christ was the Son of God, which was a trueth, yet Christ commanded him to be silent, to teach us, that the truth is not to be received from him, for he is the Father of lies. Here then all men are forbidden to seek unto Satan, to know any trueth whatsoever. And therefore hereby we condemn those that use witchery, by the counsel of Satan: and in the former places, the very action of consulting with Satan, though no harm come thereby, is flatly death to the party: I would this law were established in all Christian Churches, then there would not be so many witches in that kind, as now there are.