every age; and particularly in that in which the Gospel was first published. Strabo, who flourished in the time of

linguâ reperio Lemurem dictitatum. Ex his ergo Lemuribus, qui, pofteriorum fuorum curam fortitus, pacato & quieto numine domum poffidet, Lar dicitur familiaris. Qui verò, propter adversa vitæ merita, nullis bonis fedibus incertâ vagatione, ceu quodam exilio, punitur, inane terriculamentum bonis hominibus, cæterùm noxium malis, id genus plerique Larvas perhibent. Cùm vero incertum eft, quæ cuique eorum fortitio evenerit, utrùm Lar fit, an Larva; nomine Manem deum nuncupant +.-Larvatus is derived from Lars, or rather from Larva, and is generally explained by larvâ indutus, vel dæmone poffeffus. A larvis furiofi infanique vocantur larvati. I agree with a learned writer, (Crito, v. i. p. 238) that

• Mox etiam Lemures animas dixere filentum.

Ovid. Faft. 1. 5.

+ St. Austin (De Civ. Dei, lib. ix. c. 11.) gives the following account of the fentiments of the Platonists on this subject, of fuch of them especially as he fuppofed best understood Plato. Dicit quidem & animas hominum dæmones effe, & ex hominibus fieri Lares, fi meriti boni funt; Lemures feu Larva, fi mali. Manes autem deos dici, cùm incertum eft, bonorum eos, feu malorum esse meritorum.-Larvas quippe dicit effe noxios dæmones ex hominibus factos. Sed hinc alia quæftio eft. Inde autem perhibet appellari Græcè beatos siðaíμovas, quòd boni fint animi, hoc eft, boni dæmones, animos quoque hominum dæmones effe confirmans.

Au

Auguftus, calls the goddess Feronia (who was born in Italy) a demon: and fays, that those who were poffeffed by this demon walked barefoot over burning coals. Philoftratus, in his life of Apol lonius Tyanæus, who was cotemporary with Christ, relates, that a demon who poffeffed a young man, confeffed himself to be the ghost of a person flain in battle'.

II. Let us proceed to inquire what were the fentiments of the Jews, concerning thofe demons which were thought to poffefs mankind. The whole

the larvati are demoniacs: but the larvæ with which they were poffeffed, were human ghofts. Confequently fuch alfo demons were.

• Φερωνία πόλις ἐςὶν ὁμώνυμον ἐπιχωρία τινὶ δαίμου το κατεχόμενοι ὑπὸ τῆς δαίμον ταύτης. Strabo, lib. v. p. 346.

* Εξηγόρευσεν ὁ δαίμων ἑαυτὸν,κὶ δῆτα ἔλεγεν εἶναι μὲν εἴδωλον ἀνδρὸς, ὃς πολέμω ποτὲ ἀπέθανεν. Dæmon quifnam effet confeffus eft-nempe aiebat fe umbram hominis effe in bello olim interfecti. Vit. Apollonii Tyan. lib. iii. c. 38. p. 128.

hiftory of this people furnishes a melancholy proof of their great proneness to adopt the principles and practices of their fuperftitious and idolatrous neighbours. In the time of our Saviour, the Greek learning (originally built on the philofophy of the Eaft) was greatly studied and admired by the Jews, and had infected even the lowest ranks of men. It is natural therefore to suppose, that those amongst them, who, like their Heathen neighbours, believed in real poffeffions, would afcribe thefe effects to the fame fpirits as they did. What is fo highly probable in theory, will, perhaps, upon inquiry, appear to be true in fact.

In proof of this point, I would first of all produce a paffage from the evangelical hiftory, which is generally urged to establish the contrary doctrine. I refer to the language of the Pharifees, when they made the following objection

to

to Chrift's cure of demoniacs; He cafteth out demons by Beelzebub (or as it is in the Greek, Beelzebul) the prince of demons. In the late controversy concerning demoniacs, it was confidently afferted by one party, and either allowed or not difputed by the other," that "Beelzebub is the name which the Jews

gave to the prince of fallen angels; " and that it was given him by way of "derifion ; Beelzebub being the fame "with Baalzebub, and fignifying as that "doth, the lord of a fly." Now were it true, that Beelzebub is a fallen angel, demons, without doubt, are spirits of the fame order. But what hath been afferted by fome with regard to this matter, and too readily granted by others; hath never yet been proved. The point deferves to be carefully confidered.

We learn from the Old Teftament, that Ahaziah fent messengers, and faid

* Matt. x. 25. ch. xii. 24, 27. Luke xi. 15, 18, 19.

Mark iii, 22.

unto

unto them, Go, inquire of Baalzebub, the god of Ekron, whether I fhall recover of this disease. From this paffage it clearly appears, that Beelzebub was a god of the Philiftines, and had a temple and oracle at Ekron. It likewise appears, that this name was not given him by way of contempt; because it was used by Ahaziah at the very time he was acknowledging his divinity, and defirous of confulting him concerning his recovery. This is farther evident from the true meaning of this name, and the reafon of its being given. Hiftory informs us, what we may eafily credit, that those who lived in hot climates, and where the foil is moist, (which was the cafe of the Ekronites, who bordered upon the fea,) were exceedingly infefted with flies. These infects were fometimes thought to caufe contagious diftempers. Pliny makes mention of a people

2 Kings i. 2.

who