Either therefore it must be said, that there are, or may be miracles, which cannot be the effects of evil spirits; or else nothing that is ordinary and common can be a proof of the operation of God. For if nothing miraculous can be an undeniable proof of God’s action, nothing created can be a proof of it. The matter therefore stands thus: There are, and may be miracles, that cannot be ascribed to evil spirits, without ascribing the creation to them; and which can no more be doubted to come from God, than we can doubt of his being the Creator of the world. There may be miracles therefore, which, are as full a proof of the _truth_ of that which they attest, as the creation is of the _fitness_ of that which is created. And though the _matter_ of a revelation is to be attended to, that we may fully understand it, and be rightly affected with it; yet the reason of our receiving it, must rest upon that _external authority_, which shews it to be of God. And the authority of miracles, sufficiently plain and apparent, are of themselves a full reason for receiving a revelation, which both as to its _matter_ and _manner_, would not be approved by us without them. The history of magical wonders, and extraordinary things done by evil spirits, is no objection against the sufficiency of that proof, that arises from miracles. For the question is not, whether nothing that is extraordinary can be done by evil spirits, but whether nothing that is miraculous can, be a proof of its being done by God. For these two cases are very consistent. It may be very possible for evil spirits, to do things extraordinary in _some circumstances_, as ♦where people enter into contracts with them, and resign themselves up to their power, and yet that miracle may in _other circumstances_, be a sufficient proof of their being done by God. ♦ “were” replaced with “where” And as miracles are the highest and most undeniable evidence of the truth and divinity of any external revelation; so Christianity stands fully distinguished from all other religions, by the highest and most undeniable evidences; since it has all the proof that the _highest state_ of miracles can give, and every other religion is without any support from them. And though this writer, with a boldness worthy of himself, often puts all _traditional religion_ upon a level; yet he might have shewn himself as much a friend to truth as sobriety, by asserting, that all _arguments_ are equally conclusive, all _tempers_ equally virtuous, all _designs_ equally honest, and all _histories_ and _fables_ equally supported by evidences of fact. To give you one instance more of this writer’s extravagant and inconsistent notions.