Performances,

dent great fhould have difpos'd the King to expect they should work Wonders now, nor have emboldned them to attempt the doing the like again, whenever call'd upon to do it. But, that thinking themselves in all points as great Men as Mofes was, they should hope to do all that he did. This I think may be fufficient to account for the Boldness of their Attempt; I would I could as eafily account for the Success of it. 'Tis no great matter for Men of a forbidden Curiofity, ignorant of the ways of God, and brought up in a dreadful Superftition, and Perfwafion of the Power of Spi

rits and Demons invisible, to believe they can do great things by their Invocation, and abominable Rites us'd towards them. But how it comes to pass that God permits them, by fuch wonderful Events, to continue in their Delusion, is a thing not casy to folve; but yet I will attempt it, in Answer to your fecond Question, which was; Why God fhould work three great Miracles by the hands of Jannes and Jambres, to confront the Authority of Mofes, which he establish'd by great Miracles; acting, as it were in Oppofition to himfelf and to his own Defign, which was, to give him Cre

dit with the Hebrews and Egyptians? I muft then premife, in the first place, that if no fufficient Reafon could be alledged, why God fhould permit these wicked Sorcerers, to work three great Miracles, it would not prejudice the Cause in hand; it would not follow from our Weaknefs, that he did not actually permit them; the matter of Fact is certain. Nor would it follow, that they wrought them by the Power of Satan, and his Affiftance; for that I take for granted, believing firmly that if God had given the Devil that Power at large, no Miracles could be of ufe to teftify the Miffion of his

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Prophets. But this would only follow certainly, that God can do himself, and permit others to do, many things, of which we can give no Account, and for which we can affign no fufficient Reason ; a Confequence we need not be afhamed of. But, fecondly, we may conjecture, that God might permit these Sorcerers to work three Miracles, the better to convince them that there was a Power fuperiour to all others, to that of Nature, or whatever Spirits or Demons they had before trusted to, or thought themfelves affifted by; for we may well believe, they had never wrought fuch Miracles be

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fore,

fore, if any at all; and this Power they might find to be the fame that affifted Mofes, and thereupon might conclude, that this Power was able to deliver the Hebrews out of Pharaoh's hand, and therefore might perfwade the King, (who advised with them, and trufted much to them) to let the People go, and facrifice, as was required. I do not find there is any thing hard or abfurd, in fuppofing thefe Magicians convinc'd, by the Miracles they wrought themselves, of a Divine Pow er, fuperior to any they had tried or known before, and that this Power was the fame by whose Affistance Mofes wrought