In 1646, Benjamin Coxe had a pamphlet published in London that contained a transcribed and enlarged edition of a two-section work by John Spilsberie (Spilsbury)—God’s Ordinance: The Saints’ Privilege: Discovered and Proved in Two Treatises.[1] The first section of this composition focused on the privileges of grace such as baptism and the Lord’s Supper while the second section focused on the doctrine of particular redemption.
There is a specific point of interest addressed in this pamphlet pertaining to the role of the apostles and their miracles, asking:
Whether Christ hath left in his New Testament an absolute rule to know such as are sent of God to the work of the Ministry and what the same is? (2)
The pamphlet answered this question in this way:
They were to disannul and make void that typical way of worship, standing under types and shadows, instituted by God, and confirmed to the people by signs and wonders, Exod. 19:9. And to setup and establish another way of worship in the place thereof, that was never known before, and therefore to be confirmed signs and wonders, at the first founding of it, as that before was.
Which signs and wonders stand for ever together with the same truth, as witnesses for the truth, and against all that shall oppose or ⌐ condemn the same to the end of the word.[2]
The first part of this answer is relatively uncontroversial, but what is instructive comes in the warning found in the second part of the answer:
And whereas many look and expect for some to come from God, working miracles, signs, and wonders, let such take heed they be not deceived by the man of sin, who is let out by God in his Word to come that way and deceive many, Matt 24:24; Mark 13:22; 2 Thess 2:9; Rev 16:14; Rev 19:20. (emphasis added)
But where is one word in all the New Testament, that any man shall come from God in this manner, of working miracles, signs, and wonders?[3] (2-3)
The content of this answer is noteworthy, as it stressed the discontinuity between worship under the Mosaic Covenant and the New Covenant.
And to that end, the apostles had been given the power to make miracles, signs, and wonders in order to function as a “witness” to this transition point in salvation-history—yet after the apostles, these powers were not spoken of in the New Testament as indicators that any person had been sent from God into ministry.
In fact, according to this pamphlet, the appearance of such powers might be the presence of Satan’s deceitful kingdom.
[1] This work is freely available at www.openlibrary.org
[2] NB: The ⌐ symbol indicates the page break in the quote above
[3] Spelling conventions of this work have been updated in this post for modern readers. Bold added for emphasis.