University of Virginia Library

TO ALL SORCERERS, ENCHAVNTERS, CHARMERS, Nigromancers, Coniurers, Magitians, Southsayers, Witches, Fortunetellers; And all the rest of the Deuils Iuglers, Whatsoeuer, and Wheresoeuer.

Monsters of men, whose soules damnation claymes,
Appeare, come forth, and answere to your names;
Like Pharao's blacke Enchaunters all assemble,
And like vnto his drowned hoast, all tremble:
What are the wonders that you vndertake?
But lying signes, amazed fooles to make,
The meere illusions, false and fained showes,
Which Sathans power vpon his sonnes bestowes;
A miracle, most truely to define,
Is a rare worke, wrought by sole power diuine.
Apparantly against th' instinct we finde
Of any course in Natures cause or kinde:
And in it selfe a true worke it must be,
Most sensible, and visible to see:
Not on Illusion to deceyue the eye;
Such as the Deuill still deludeth by;
Neither is it celerity of hand,
No Iuglers trickes with miracle will stand,
Actiuity containing what they doe;
And meere deceit the onely helpe thereto:
The miracles of God no such things need;
But are most reall true in power and deed:
Those wonders which the Lord himselfe hath done,
And miracles of Iesus Christ his Sonne,
All by the Prophets and Apostles wrought;
Doe vtterly confound, and bring to nought
The counterfeites of Sathan and his route,
Which they euen like Gods apes doe goe about,
And therefore when strange things to sence appeare,
To know the power, and bee resolued cleere,
(Whether it doe proceede from that great might,
Which onely worketh miracles aright)
Examine if in actions true esteeme,
It be a worke, or onely so do seeme;
A worke that rarely is admirde of all,
Which for distinction sake, I rare doe call,
Because of Gods great works, some vsuall bee,
Which all of vs, doe ordinary see,
As is the preseruation of mankind,
This euery one continually doth finde,
By Gods eternall counsell and decreeing;
In him we liue, and moue, and haue our being;
But since it is effected day and houre,
By his great prouident protecting power,
No Miracle this properly is found,
That with amazement doth mans sense confound;
For miracles haue in them operation,
To ouercome the mind with admiration;
As when our Sauiour Christ wrought miracle:
The holy blest Euangelists doe tell
Th' effect thereof, thus present did befall;
The people were with feare astonied all,
And said; How can he that a Sinner is,
Performe the works of such a power as this?
Thereby insinuating, there was none
Could worke true miracles, but God alone:
Vanish therefore like vapours of the night,
You that would robbe the Lord, of power and might;
Confounded be all Hell-hounds, howle and barke,
And fall as Dagon fell before the Arke,
Idolaters, that vnto senselesse things,
Will giue the honour of the King of Kings.
You Coniurers with circle and triangle,
That boast you can the fiends of hell outwrangle,
And make them come obedient at your call,
Herein old Sathan doth deceyue you all:
For is he such a friend to come at becke,
Or can you ouer-rule him with a checke?
No, you are much mistaken; by this way,
He doth misguide, and leade your soules astray:
You that depend on miracles and signes,
And will see wonders ere you be Diuines:
Know all the miracles that Iesus wrought:
Confirme that doctrine his Apostles taught:
And they which doe relie vpon the same,
Within the Booke of life shall find their name,