our Senfes, rightly exercis'd, as to let him work true ones : But of this, I fhall have occafion to speak more hereaf ter. Thirdly, I believe that when the wickedeft of Men work Miracles, they never do it by a Power deriv'd from the Devil, but are the Inftruments which God is pleas'd to ufe, and have their Power from him alone; for if the Devil cannot himself work Miracles, he cannot commilfionate another to do them, nor communicate a Power that belongs not to him. However, I believe that Men are, through their Folly, Ignorance, and great Wickednefs, fo feduced, as to believe

the

the Devil has fuch a Power himself, which he can also communicate to them; and that whenever they do any great Matters, they think they do them by a Power deriv'd from that bad Spirit, and that they are affifted by him: And because the end thefe People aim at, is always evil, and the Effects mifchievous, the World is also inclin'd to attribute all fuch Works to the Power of the Devil: Not thinking, perhaps, that this would be, to erect a Power equal, and corrival with that of God Almighty; and forgetting, that God may have his Ends to serve, in permitting very wicked Men to be his Inftruments,

ments, and to work Miracles, tho' they know nothing of him, nor intend him any Honour, but think, at that time, of ferving another Master, and that they act by another's Authority. If my first Propofition be true, that the Devil cannot of himself work Miracles, this third will follow unavoidably, that others cannot, by any Power deriv'd from him. But this does not hinder me from believing, that God may sometimes use both wicked Spirits and wicked Men, as his Inftruments, and work Miracles by them both, if he please. Upon thefe Principles I find my felf oblig'd to believe, that these

Ægyps

Ægyptian Sorcerers turn'd their Rods into Serpents, the Water into Blood, and brought up Frogs upon the Land, by the Power of God alone, whatever they might think, or by whofe Power foever they believed they acted.

A. I am very loath to think otherwise, for the fake of Confequences that I cannot endure: But upon this, I must ask you two Questions. First, If these Sorcerers did not believe they could work fuch wondrous Changes, how came they to be call'd by the King to do them, and how came they to attempt it? One would be inclin'd to think, that

their former Succeffes in this kind, had prepar'd the King to expect it, and embolden'd them to attempt this great Work. Secondly, What Account can you give of God's working thefe Miracles, by the hands of these Ægyptians, to confront the Authority of Mofes, and in Oppofition to his own Design, which was, by Miracles, to give him Credit with the Court of Ægypt, and with his own People?

B. If I could answer these Questions fatisfactorily, all Difficulties elfe, I think, would vanish: But you must be content with the best I can, at prefent, do. In Answer therefore to your first Question,