which becomes a true Scholar and a serious Profeffor of the Chriftian Faith.

The first observation I fhall make, in the entrance on his argument, is general; and will ferve to confute all who have written on the Queftion. It is this-Our Antidemoniafts reafon upon the cafe, not as they find it recorded by the Evangelifis, but as they fee it defcribed only in a treatife of Medicine, by Aretæus, Fernelius, or any other of the faculty, where it ftands unconnected with all moral as well as religious inquiries. But it hath been shewn at large, that these demonaical poffeffions have a clofe relation to the Doctrine of REDEMPTION; and were therefore reasonably to be expected at the first promulgation of the GOSPEL. This fets the matter on quite another footing: and that plaufible reasoning, which attends the learned perfon's representation, entirely difappears, when we put the cafe as it was in fact.

1

1. This proper precaution, against fo defective and foreign a reprefentation of the cafe, being premised; I now proceed to the reasoning employed by our learned Phyfician to dif credit the common Opinion of a real poffef fon.

His first argument ftands on the extent of the Superftition, which gave birth to so many ima

ginary poffeffions.

It had not only infected

"the Mofaic Religion in particular, but had "over-run paganism in general." "As to the "Jews, who were wont to afcribe whatever "there was of prodigious in nature to the 66 MINISTRY OF ANGELS, they were eafily brought to believe, that thofe dire diseases, "which infected the Mind and Body equally

"and at once, and whose causes were unknown, "could be no other than the work of the "DEVIL "Let us allow all this-Let us allow that the Jews, at the time of Chrift, were very fuperftitious in this matter. But then the learned Doctor, in his turn, will allow, that the Teachers of the Gofpel, in the fulness of their infpiration, muft needs be fecure from an error, which fo dreadfully affected the Religion they

* At non Judæi tantum, fed et aliis etiam gentibus in ufu fuit infanos pro demoniacis habere, p. 76. A Chaldæis quidem ad Phoenices, poftea ad Egyptios propagata, ad Græcos deinde, hinc ad Romanos aliafque demum gentes temporis progreffu Demoniaca ifta Religio pervenit, p. 74.

- Judæi autem, fiquid faceret Natura, ad ANGE LORUM fupremi Dei Miniftrorum operam referri foliti, facile in animum fibi inducere poterant, ut diras quaf dam crederent ægritudines quæ mentem. fimul et corpus læderent, et quarum caufas cognofcere nequirent, ab angelorum malorum egyeías exoriri, p. 74.

were intrufted to propagate, as Demonianifm did, if it were an error. And if fo, they knowingly and defignedly gave it countenance and fupport. But how that will agree with their character and office, we fhall fee, as we go along.

Our Learned Doctor tells us further, "that the Jews not only gave credit to the works of the Devil, but believed in the miniftry of ANGELS likewife."-This feems to be one of those

flips of the pen, to which Truth fometimes betrays those who write moft cautiously against her; especially when they act the part of Believers; which, however, I will not fufpect was the cafe here. For the Old Testament, which the learned Doctor reverences equally with the New, bears ample teftimony to the real miniftry of Angels; and with fuch circumftances attending it, as will not permit a Believing Caviller to evade it, by having recourse to vifion, figure, or accommodation. For if the Angel who waylaid Balaam may be reduced to a dusky dream, those whom Abraham entertained in Broad daylight were more fubftantial. When, therefore, the learned Perfon puts the miniftry and malice of good and bad angels on the fame footing, he muft confefs that, if the reality of the former be proved, the reality of the latter will follow.

As

As to the abounding Superftition, in this matter, both amongst Jews and Gentiles, I do not see how that, in the leaft, alters the case. The Jews, of this time, by a more enlarged and unrestrained Commerce with their Pagan neighbours, had defiled the purity of their holy Religion by many opinions borrowed from the Gentile Philofophers. Thus they took, we may well suppose, the Doctrine of Demons from PLATo, and the pre-existence (if not a future flate) from PYTHAGORAS. Notwithstanding, it is certain, that both Demoniacal poffeffions and future rewards and punishments are equally fupported by the acts and doctrine of Jefus and his Disciples.

This too, let me obferve-The Doctrines of the FALL and of the REDEMPTION (the two principles on which our holy religion rises) are interwoven into the fubftance of the Chriftian Faith. If therefore we can fuppofe Demonianifm to be only a thread-bare fable, new-dressed, and offered, by way of accommodation, to amufe the followers of the Gospel, I cannot see what hinders our fuppofing, with SYNESIUS, a future State itself to be no more. Both Opinions had the advantage of old prejudice in their favour. Yet if only one of them were true (namely, that of a future ftate), and the other of Demonianifm, taught but by way of accommodation, Bb 3

we

we fee, it could hold its ground no otherwise than from the difficulty of erafing it from the popular belief: yet fo uncomfortable a doctrine, one should think, might be removed with very little trouble.

Nay, Jefus was even invited to help forward, as it were, its difcredit, had it been only a delufion. A Father niftook his Son's disorder to be LUNACY, when, according to the Hiftorian, it was a DIABOLIC POSSESSION. And as fuch, Jefus treats it. He rebukes the DEVIL, who departed out of the Child, and he was cured from that very hour. And to prevent all miftake in this mater, when the Father had told Jefus that his Difciples could not cure the Child, our Lord, after upbraiding his followers for their want of faith, tells them, however, that this miracle of difpoffeffion, the most difficult of all, required a more extraordinary preparation for the work, than any other, by acts of piety and humiliation. For which affertion an obvious reafon may be affigned, this victory over Satan being a certain mark, that the Redemption was compleated and accomplished, this evidence of it was fitly referved to be bestowed on the most perfect of the followers of Christ, Yet had the Satanic part been only a popular

* Matt. xvii. 15.

fancy,