A true & faithful relation of what passed for many yeers between Dr ...

"The T "RE FACE.
cs and Sorcerers. As for that Faith whereby men did work Miracles in
the Primitive times, fpoken of in the Golpel, commonly CiiUed , The.
Faith of Miracles , that is quite another thing , which I fliall not need to
{peak of in this place. Of a flrong confidence in God, even in them that
arc not other wile very godly, whether it may not, according to Gods firft
order and appointment, produce fbmetimes iome ftrange eftecls ; we have
had a confidcration ellcwhere , where we treat of Trccatorie Emhufeajm. But
this alio is quite another thing, as may appear by what we have written
of it.
But to conclude this part 5 upon due confidcration of the premifes, and
what elfe I have inreadmefle upon the fame Subjc(it Cir God give me life
and health) I cannot fatisfie my felf how any Learned man , fober and
rational, can entertain fiich an opinion (fimply and lerioully) That there
be no Vivds nor Spirits^ &c. But upon this account which I give my felf
(leaving all men to their own judgments herein) that if there beanyiuch
truly and really, it mull: needs be becauie being at firft prepolTeffed upon
fomeplaufible ground^ and being afterwards taken up with other thoughts
and employments, they are more* willing to ftick to their former opinion
without further trouble, then to take the pains tofeek further.
dides doth very well obferve. And when we lay, A Learned nwi^ there
is much ambiguity in that word. For a man may be (not to Ipeak of
the ignorance of the common people, in thole climates efpecially, who
think all Learning concluded in ^Preaching • and now in thele times
too , them beft Preachers that in very deed have leaft Learning , but
preach by /7i/?/;i^ and Injpkation ^ as they call it) but a man, I Tay, may
DCzLear?ud Ma}ij a very Learned man in lomeone kind or profelfidn, even
to Excellency and Admiration , who neverthelefie is and may be found
ignorant enough in other kinds : but a general Learned man is a thing of
a vaft extent, and not often leen. It is a bufmeffe of an infinite labour,
befides that it requireth Natural parts anfwerablc; without which (judgment
fpecially ) the more pains fometimes the more ignorance. I aim
not by this at any particular man or men (Deum tejlor) I would much rather
fubmitto thecenfure ofothers my felf, then take upon me to ccnlureany ;
but the obfervation is of very good ule, I know it, and may give much latisfadion
in many ca(cs,and have given an inftance of it in Tertullia?ija.nd fomc
others ellcwhere.
I have done for this time; I come now to the Objections, wherein I fliall
not need to be very long, becaufethey run much upon one thmg,Impofturc,
which hath already been fpoken of andanfwered. But yet fomewhat more
particularly fhal be anfwered.
Firft, O^ Miracles. It cannot be dcnyed but the world is full of horrible
Impoftures in that particular : Yet I believe , that fom.e fijpernatural
things , as cures , &c. do happen in every age , for which no reafon
can be given , which alio for the ftrangenefl'e may be called Mi-
racles. But if we limit (with moft) the word to thofe things that
proceed immediately from God or divine power ; I fhall not be
very