God can never be supposed often to permit miracles to be done for the confirmation of a false, or pretended mission.

And if at any time he does permit miracles to be done in confirmation of a pretended mission, we have express directions from the Old Testament (acknowledged by Christians to be of divine authority) Deut.xiii.1, 2, not to regard such miracles; but to continue firm to the antecedent revelation given by Himself, and contained in the Old Testament, notwithstanding any "signs or wonders;" which, under the circumstance of attesting something contrary to an antecedent revelation, we are forewarned of as being no test of truth.

No new revelation, however supported by miracles, ought ever to be received as coming from God, unless it confirms, or at least does not contradict, the preceding standing revelation, acknowledged to be from God.
Accordingly, we find from the New Testament, that all the recorded miracles of Jesus could not make the Jews believe him to be the Messiah when they thought that he did not answer the description of that character given by the Prophets; on the contrary, they procured him to be crucified for pretending to be what to them he appeared plainly not to be.
Nor had his miracles alone any effect on his own brethren, and kindred, who seem (Mark vi.

4; Jo.vii.

6,) to have been more incredulous in him than other Jews.