opportunity of obferving the height of his distraction, as well as for the other reason juft now mentioned, continued the conversation, and asked him, What is thy name ? He answered, like a madman, who thought himself poffeffed with a multitude of demons, or that he was one of the number, My name is legion; for we are many, more than fix thousand. He could not know that he was poffeffed by a fingle demon, much less that he was poffeffed by a vast multitude of demons; but he spoke what his disorder fuggefted; and either fancied himself to be a legion of demons, or to be actuated by a legion. He confounds himself with thofe fpirits under whofe influence he fuppofed himself to speak and act.

This question, in any other view than that here pointed out, feems liable to many other objections befides those mentioned by Rouffeau in the introduction. Would Chrift afk the devil his name? In what language did he expect an anfwer? For whofe information could that anfwer be defigned? See above, p. 260.

Juft at this inftant, as his eyes wandered, he difcerned at fome distance a herd of fwine; and, agreeably to the false apprehenfions he had of himself, said, If thou caft us out, fuffer us to go away into the herd of wine. A ftrange requeft for an immaterial being, a pure spirit, and one of celestial origin, to make! but not at all unfuitable to the character of a madman, that fancied himself to be, or that spoke in the name of, an unclean spirit, who, next to tombs defiled by the bodies of dead men, could find out no habitation more unclean, or more conformable to his ideas of himself, than the body of a swine.

Were it poffible to find out a rational meaning for every thing faid by the demoniac, even this would not prove that he spoke by the fuggeftion of the devil; for madmen fometimes fay things furpriz

"Cum putarent, fe immundos effe fpiritus, non potuerunt aptius domicilium fibi eligere post sepulchra quam porcos. Jalkut Rubeni f. 10. 2. Anima idolatrarum quæ venit a fpiritu immundo, vocatur porcus. Wetstein on Mat, viii. 31.

ingly juft, which is far from being the cafe with this demoniac, whofe whole conduct seems to me to correfpond precifely to that of a mere madman, under thofe impreffions which he had received from education, and the information he gained in the intervals of his fanity. But the truth is, that interpreters, to fupport a favourite hypothefis, ascribe to him sense and fagacity more than human, though the hiftory itself will warrant us to pronounce him difordered in his understanding; and they force a rational construction upon the very circumstances, which feem to have been mentioned by the evangelifts with no other view than to illuftrate his infanity.

1

4. It hath been alledged, that demoniacs discovered more than human ftrength. This allegation is chiefly fupported by

the cafe of the demoniac under the foregoing article, who had been often bound with chains and fetters, and had as often broke them':

[Mark v. 3, 4.

The ancients, perhaps, were lefs skilful than the moderns in the methods of confining fuch unhappy perfons; and who is ignorant that mere madmen difcover very amazing ftrength, from an extraordinary flow of animal fpirits, or from fome other cause, especially in the most violent paroxyfms of their disorder? But fo great is the force of prejudice, as to make the plainest symptoms of a natural disease, proofs of the interpofition of superior beings.

I cannot conclude this fection without taking notice of the case of the demoniac at Ephesus, who is thought to have given proofs both of power and knowledge more than human. To the Jewish exorcifts, who took upon them to call over thofe that had evil spirits the name of the Lord Jefus, the evil spirit (that is, the man who was

Caffii Problem. 61. Cur phrenetici et furiofi in paroxyfmis robuftiores funt, virefque habent auctas? Wetstein on Mat. viii. p. 355. See also p. 354, (b).

fup

fuppofed to be poffeffed by him *) faid, Jefus I know, and Paul I know; but who are ye? The hiftorian adds, And the man in whom the evil spirit was, leapt upon them, and overcame them". Before this event, St. Paul, for the space of two years, had cured all forts of difeafes, and ejected demons, in the name of Jesus, at Ephefus how then could this demoniac be ignorant either of Jefus or Paul? Moreover, the demoniac finding that certain Jewish impoftors vainly pretended to the power of expelling demons, and fancying himself to be a demon, or poffeffed by one, his indignation and rage (accelerating the motion of his blood and fpirits,) fupplied him with new ftrength, and he asfaulted and vanquished the exorcifts, who were not prepared to make a defence, and

* We have here a new proof, that the demon or evil spirit is fometimes put for the demoniac. See above, p. 250, &c.

Acts xix. 10-17.

T3

were