without fuppofing the Facts lefs frequent."
For fhall we suppose, that Persons, who
'had the Dropfy, and the Palfy, and Lunatics,
were more frequent in our Saviour's Time,
than any other? No certainly: Yet the
Bible before our Saviour's Time feldom or
never mentions Lunatics, Dropfical Perfons,,
or Paralytics (though I apprehend those
Diftempers were very common) no more
than it does Dæmoniacs. The Truth is
those Distempers were not mentioned in the
Old Teftament, because they were not then
miraculously cured; and they are mentioned
in the New Teftament, only because they
then were fo. Jofephus, however, fupplies
this Omiffion, and informs us, that, from
the Time of Solomon down to his Own,

there were many Damoniacs

Jews.

;

among the

But fuppofing them more frequent about our Saviour's Time: Our Saviour could detect Evil Spirits, and make them confefs themselves to be the Inftruments in inflicting those Diseases which were commonly afcribed to, and often undoubtedly are the Refult of, natural Caufes. However that be, the Power of difpoffeffing Evil Spirits continued in the Church for three hundred Years, till the Establishment of Christianity by the Secular Power. This Fact was fo undeniable, that Tertullian, in his Apology to the Roman Emperor, puts the very

Truth

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V I.

Truth of Christianity upon this Iffue. His SER M. Words are these : "Let any One be pro"duced before your Tribunal who is pof"feffed by the Devil; being commanded "by a Christian to speak what He is, He "fhall as certainly confefs himself to be a "Devil, as elfewhere he does falfly avow "himself to be a God. Produce any other "of these who profefs to be Infpired by your Gods; if thofe pretended Gods do "not confefs themselves to be Devils, not

daring to lye to a Chriftian; let the "Blood of that audacious Chriftian be "fhed before you in that very Place. "What is more manifeft than this Expe"riment? more faithful than this Proof? "Here is plain Evidence laid before you; "here can be no Sufpicion. Even say, "that Magick, or fome Fallacy, is impofed

upon you, if your Eyes and Ears will "permit you." Thus Tertullian; and not only He: The main Current of the primitive Writers for three Centuries speak in the fame Strain. They every one atteft the Fact; they vouch themselves to be Eyewitneffes of it; They appeal to the very Senfes of their Adverfaries. Here then is a Fact attefted by Eye-witneffes, who could not be deceived themselves; who, if the Fact had been falfe, would never have expofed their Caufe to fo ready and eafy a Confutation; themfelves to Ridicule; and

SER M. their Perfons to the Rage of their AdverfaVI. ries: A Fact attefted by Men of Learning

and undiffembled Piety; which made their Testimony in Matters, that fell under the Cognizance of their Senfes, uncontestable by Men, that gave the utmost Test of their Honefty by dying for what they maintained. He, that can deny a Fact confirmed by fuch decifive Evidence, proves the Fact that He denies; proves that He is under the Influence of thofe Evil Spirits, whofe Being and Operations he difowns. We cannot imagine a Set of Men would, for three hundred Years, at the Hazard of their Lives, perfift in one uninterrupted Track of wilful unprofitable Lying, without one of them deviating into Truth.

If after the Propagation of Christianity there appear now no Traces of Poffefion among Chriftians, this is a Demonftration of the Truth of our Saviour's Prophecy: Now Shall the Prince of this World be caft out. I beheld Satan like Lightning fall from Heaven: intimating, that Evil Spirits fhould flee before the Propagators of Chriftianity as fwiftly as Lightning, that darts from Heaven to Earth in a Moment. The frong Man well armed kept his Palace, 'till a ftronger than he (our Saviour, who came to destroy the Works of the Devil) Spoiled him of his Gords; and firipped him of the Armour in which he trufted. But to argue as fome do, because

there

V I.

there are no Poffeffions now by Evil Spirits, SR M. therefore there were none formerly, is like that Monarch's Argument, who very judiciously concluded, "That Water could "not freeze in Europe, because there was "no fuch Thing as Froft in the Country "where he reigned." And no Doubt he used several Arguments, which He thought Demonftrations, to prove it impoffible, that the Particles of Water, which are loose, fluid, and in perpetual Motion, fhould ever unite into fuch Hardness and Solidity, that Men might walk upon that Element, as upon dry Ground.

This it is to make our own narrow and fcanty Compass of Observation the Measure of all Truth! It can never be proved, that there are no Invifible Evil Beings It can never be proved, that they have no Powers beyond human Abilities, or even beyond the Comprehenfion of human Faculties It can never be proved, that they may not exert those Powers, upon emergent Occafions, as God, in his infinite. Wisdom, thinks fit. Unless we could comprehend the whole Extent of Beings from him, who dwelleth in unapproachable Glory, down to the moft groveling Reptile; we cannot understand what Reafons there may be, why the Divine Administration should be carried on by the Agency of Good and Bad Spirits. When once a Thing is L proved

VI.

SER M. proved to be Fact, it follows, that whatever is, or has been, is right with Regard to God, who permits or ordains it for the Punishment of evil Doers; or for the Trial, Exercife, and Manifeftation of Virtue in others.

Though the Power of Satan is abridged by Him, who was to bruise the Serpent's Head; though he no more acts in fo open and undisguised a Manner upon our Bodies; yet ftill he may influence our Minds, by acting upon the Scene of our Imagination; by fuggefting wicked Ideas; and by offering Motives, that fuit with our predominant Complexion, by alluring the Covetous with Hopes of Gain, the Ambitious with those of Honour, and the Voluptuous with the Profpect of Pleasure. And if any one now fhould affert, that those frightful Scenes of Vifion obtruded upon our Fancies in our Dreams, in which the Soul is entirely paffive (Scenes too regular for Chance, and never to be accounted for by the Laws of Matter and Motion) were produced by the Operation of Evil Spirits; it might open a Field of Raillery and Ridicule for a Little Wit, but the greatest Genius in the World could never confute the Affertion.

'Twas thus the Devil acted upon Saul by raising diftempered, difcontented Thoughts, and difturbing the Animal Oeconomy. And when David's Mufick had difpelled 'the melancholy

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