to labour a little for if the power and operation of Satan or Baalzebub was a groundless fancy, as our Philofophers pretend, Jefus may not unreasonably be thought to argue ad hominem; which a Meffenger from God might do without impeachment of his Character, though the conceffion on which he reafons were not ftrictly conformable to the reality of things. But when fuch a Meffenger commands the Devils, whom he pretends to have cast out, not to discover his office or character, this is going a length, if there was no Devil in the case, which a Meffenger from the God of Truth could never, furely, be authorised to engage in.

If we turn from Satan's temptation of Jefus to his cruel treatment of the Jews, we shall still find the fame strong marks of real agency.

Be it granted, that both the Jews and Gentiles of that time were grown very fanciful and fuperftitious concerning diabolic poffeffions, and, confequently, that they often mistook natural for fupernatural ma

2

ladies;

ladies; what follows, but that which we find provided against thofe falfe conclufions which weak or licentious men drew from thence?

The utmost care and attention has been given by the facred Writers to mark out thofe cafes of real poffeffion, which Jefus relieved, by some circumstance not equivocal, or what could not accompany an imaginary or natural disorder.

Thus, in the adventure recorded by three of the Evangelifts *—when Jefus had eased the Demoniac, and his tormentors had obtained leave to go into a herd of fwine; what other reason can be given, or, indeed, what better can be conceived, of their extraordinary request on the one hand, or permiffion on the other, than that this circumstance was to afford a certain MARK to distinguish a REAL from an imaginary Poffeffion?

It is true, that the wild extravagance of human fancy may be able to form chimeras that shall affright the Raifer of them

*Matt. viii.-Mark v.-Luke viii.

to distraction. Yet Brutes (we all know) have none of this dangerous faculty. Therefore, when we find great numbers of them ftimulated, at once, to an instantaneous madness, we must needs conclude, that it was caused by fome, fupernatural Agent, operating on their organs.

So admirably has our indulgent Master been pleased to guard this important Truth against the moft plaufible evafions of felfconceited men.

The ftrong impulse of a vitiated fancy, pufhed forward by fuperftition, might be fuppofed able, without other agency, to produce these very extraordinary appear

ances.

To cut off, therefore, all escape from a forced conceffion of the mighty hand of God, compelling his moft averfe Creatures to acknowledge his Sovereignty, here are two cafes obtruded on the most incredulous: The one is, SATAN's temptation of the Meffiah; the other is, his Poffeffion of brute Animals: In neither of which cafes hath the powers of imagination any place. In the first, the divine Patient was above

their delufions; in the other, the Brutal was as much below them.

If we turn from the FACTS which the Evangelifts have recorded, to the EXPRESSIONS which they have employed, we shall have further reason to reft fatisfied with the ancient interpretation.

The text fays, They brought unto him all fick people, that were taken with_divers difeafes and torments: and THOSE WHICH WERE POSSESSED WITH DEVILS, and LuNATICS; and he healed them.

Here we find, that the disorder of those who are faid to be POSSESSED WITH DEVILS, is precifely diftinguished, not only from natural difeafes and torments in general, but likewife from LUNACY in particular; that very diforder which the Antidemoniaft is so willing to confound with fupernatural agitations. Is it poffible, therefore, to believe, that a Writer of any meaning, at the very time he is diftinguishing Lunacy from diabolical Poffeffions, fhould confound these two diforders with one another? Yet, this is what these licentious Critics make him do, in compliance (they

tell us) with an accustomed mode of speech, On the contrary, is it not certain, that the facred Writer was the more intent to represent them as two very different diforders, for this very reafon, their having many fymptoms in common? a circumftance which hath made these men folicitous to confound what the Evangelift was careful to diftinguish.

In a word, they who, after all these precautions taken by St. Matthew, and the reft, can believe that Devils and Demoniacs were used only as terms of accommodation, may well believe (as fome of them profefs to do) that the terms Sacrifice, Redemption, and Satisfaction, come of no bet ter a House than one of the common figures of speech *.

III. ·

We now come to the third and last Clafs of MIRACLES, which, we fay, demand the affent of every reasonable man, when propofed to him with full evidence of the Fact.

* See note [L], at the end of this Book.

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