Most fruitful [and] learned co[m]mentaries of Doctor Peter Martyr Vermil Florentine, professor of divinity,…Most fruitfull [and] learned co[m]mentaries of Doctor Peter Martir Vermil Florentine, professor of deuinitie,…

¹Lastly, Augustine (as it is written in his .83. book of questions, question 79.) divideth miracles, that some are done by public justice, that is, by the stable and firm will of God, which in the world is counted as a public law. By it, God would that his ministers, that is, Apostles and Prophets, should in preaching work miracles. And there are other some which by the signs of this justice are wrought, as when the ungodly in the name of God or of Jesus Christ do work any miracle, which is not given but by the honour and reverence which they use towards the name of God: not that God, or nature, or any things created desire to gratify them. As, when a man stealeth away a public seal or handwriting, he may wrest many things, either from the men of the country, or from the Citizens which are not given unto him, but unto the seal which they know doth belong to the Magistrate and Prince: So he, which followed not Christ, did yet in his name cast out devils. Thirdly, are those miracles reckoned, which by some certain private bargain are wrought, whereby the Sorcerers do bind them selves unto the Devil, and the devil likewise to them. But those at done neither by public justice, nor yet by the signs thereof, but come only of a certain private convention. Howbeit we must know, that miracles of the second and third sort are not firm, neither do they assuredly happen. Forasmuch as we read in the .xix. chap. of the Acts of the Apostles, that the sons of Sceva would have driven out Devils in the name of Jesus, whom Paul preached, to whom the Devil said: Jesus in deed & Paul I know, but not you. Which when he had spoken,² he invaded them. And the same thing doth the act of Cyprian testify of the third kind, before he was converted unto Christ. For by magical arts he assayed to persuade a godly virgin to his filthy pleasure: which thing at the last the Devil confessed that he could not perform unto him.

¹Lastly, Augustine (as it is written in his .83. booke of questions, question 79.) deuideth miracles, that some are done by publik iustice, that is, by the stable and firme will of God, which in the world is counted as a publike lawe. By it, God would that his ministers, that is, Apostles and Prophetes, shoulde in preaching woorke miracles. And there are other some which by the signes of this iustice are wrought, as when the vngodly in the name of God or of Iesus Christ do work any miracle, which is not geuen but by the honour and reuerence which thei vse towardes the name of God: not that God, or nature, or any thinges created desire to gratefy them. As, when a man stealeth away a publike seale or handwriting, he may wrest many thinges, either from the men of the countrey, or from the Citizens which are not geuen vnto him, but vnto the seale which they know doth belong to the Magistrate and Prince: So he, which followed not Christe, did yet in his name cast out deuils. Thirdly, are those miracles reckoned, which by some certaine priuate bargaine are wrought, wherby the Sorcerers do binde them selues vnto the Deuyl, and the deuil likewise to them. But those at done neither by publike iustice, nor yet by the signes therof, but come onelye of a certayne priuate conuention. Howbeit wee must knowe, that miracles of the second and third sort are not firme, neither do they assuredly happen. For asmuch as we reade in the .xix. chap. of the Actes of the Apostles, that the sonnes of Sceua would haue driuen out Deuils in the name of Iesus, whom Paul preached, to whom the Deuil said: Iesus in deede & Paul I know, but not you. Which when he had spoken,