God is befide fuch natural Operation; and this we can only learn, by obferving how things have all along gone, and how other People have alfo obferv'd them to go, For as Miracles are extraordinary Operations of God, befides and out of the way of Nature, ordain'd in the Creation, and Appeal to the Senfes; fo it must needs be, that the Senfes must be the fole and proper Judges of what the way of Nature is, that was ordain'd in the Creation, which only can be known by Observation and Experience.

A. Let me take you right at the beginning, I pray, that B 3

I may give you the lefs trouble hereafter. Miracles, you fay, being fo many Appeals to our Senfes, thofe Senfes cannot otherwise judge of them, than by comparing their prefent Obfervations and Experience, with their past ones; and if they find that things are just the fame that they have always been, and that nothing new has happened, then they conclude, there is no Miracle. This fhews me plainly, that antecedent Obfervations of the Course of Nature, are neceffary to the finding out what Operations are miracu lous: And, I think, it will fol low from hence, that nothing

new,

new, ftrange, prodigious, and aftonishing, can be accounted properly miraculous, unless it thwart the common Course of Nature, and overthrow fome fetled Law of the Creation: And therefore, altho' I wonder never fo much at it, having never heard or feen the like, nor, it may be, any one else, yet I account it no Miracle, because I know of no establish'd Law of Nature that is fubverted by it. By this Distinction, I fhall fave you the trouble, in our future Difcourfe, of giving an Account of any thing, but what is properly miraculous. As for that part of your Defcription of Miracles, which B 4

fays

fays, they are Appeals to o un Senfes, I am fo well fatisfied with it, that I know not what can be objected to it; nor can imagine how 'tis poffible to judge of Miracles, but by our Senfes ; and shall therefore take it for granted, that where the Senfes are not convinced of a Miracle, there neither is nor can be any Miracle. But is it quite fo fure that all Miracles are the Operations of God? Can no created Being work a Miracle?

B. Not by its own inherent Power and Virtue, but by a delegated Power it may. The Courfe of Nature being fetled by Divine Power, can

be

be unfetled by no less: But God can yet commiffionate the meanest of created Beings, with fuch a Power, if he fo please: But then you fee they are but God's Inftruments, which he makes ufe of in his working Miracles; and therefore a Miracle wrought by the most fuperiour Angel,is no more his own Work, than a Miracle wrought by the meaneft Man living, would be his. Each is the Work of God alike, whatever Difference there may be betwixt the Inftruments.

A. How can you tell but Spiritual Beings (good or bad) may, by the Laws of their Creation, be Masters of

fuch