Kaina kai palaia Things new and old, or, A store-house of similies, sentences, allegories, apophthegms, adagies, apologues, divine, morall, politicall, &c. : with their severall applications / collected and observed from the writings and sayings of the learned in all ages to this present by John Spencer ...

Miracles, why ceased. [ CLIV]

A Gardiner,* 1.1 when he transplanteth a Tree out of one ground into another, be∣fore the •• ree take root, he sets stayes to it, he powre••th water at the root of it dayly; but when it once taketh root, he ceaseth to water it any more, and pulleth away the staies that he set to uphold it, and suffereth it to grow with the ordinary influence of the Heavens. So the Lord in planting of Religion, he put-to the help of Miracles,* 1.2 as helps to stay it; but when it was once confirmed and fastened, and had taken deep rooting, he took away such helps; so that, as St. Augustine hath it, Qui expectat miraculum, miraculum est, He that looketh for a miracle, is a miracle himselfe; for, if the death of Christ will not work faith, all the miracles in the world will not do it.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Joh. Weems Pourtrait.
• * 1.2

  Eccl••siae autho∣ritas miraculis inchoata, vetu∣state formata. August.