of demons therefore, how great a miracle foever it may be in itself, or how much fuperior to the cure of bodily dif orders, is no miracle at all with regard to mankind, can carry no conviction to them, because it doth not fall under the notice of their fenfes. In a word, inafmuch as there is no clear and certain proof of the reality either of poffeffions, or of difpoffeffions, Chriftianity can derive no advantage from the common doctrine concerning them ".

I omitted to take notice, in the beginning of this fection, of an advantage, which a learned perfon supposes that Chriftianity derives from the common doctrine; becaufe, it hath not hitherto, I believe, received the fanction of any other writer. It is not fit, however, that it should be quite overlooked. He pleads, that the expulfion of evil demons by Chrift, cuts off that fubterfuge against his miraculous cures, which fuppofes them to be the effect of a strong imagination, by which the devil, (according to his conception of him) could not be affected. Warburton's Serm. vol. iii. p. 238-241. I do not undertake to determine, how great the force of imagination may be in demons, in the fenfe in

7. On the contrary, this doctrine doth Christianity the greatest prejudice in many respects.

With fome, perhaps, it may weigh but little to obferve, that the common explication of the Scripture demoniacs

which this word is ufed by this writer, nor how far it may be objected against his own hypothefis, that demons had fuch a strong previous perfuafion of Chrift's power, that they scarce left room for the exertion of it in their expulfion. I would only obferve, that if any one be capable of believing, that Chrift's cures of all the various kinds of dif cases to which mankind are liable, performed in an inftant, without the ufe of any natural means, on the abfent as well as on thofe who were present, efpecially when confidered in their connection with his other miracles, fuch as his giving limbs to the maimed, and life to the dead, and his controlling the elements; if any one can believe, that all thefe things are the effects of fancy, he will hardly fail to afcribe poffeffions, (the fymptoms of which are at best so disputable) to the fame caufe. Nor, indeed, will it be an easy matter, to afford him evidence to his fatisfaction. The ancient prophets, though they performed miraculous cures, are never faid to have confirmed the divinity of thofe works by cafting out demons.

gives occafion to numberless fuperftitions; particularly to those shameless impostures, the poffeffions and exorcifms of the Roman church; and thus difcredits the wonderful cures performed by Christ upon demoniacs, and brings difgrace upon the Christian name. If you chufe to call this only an abuse of that explication; it is nevertheless fuch an abuse as every Chriftian fhould wish to fee prevented or removed; especially as it hath occafioned a vast effufion of human blood. But in truth, to reprefent the Gospel as authorizing the doctrine of poffeffions, hath a natural and necessary tendency to rivet this fuperftition in the minds of Christians, which in every age hath been productive of the greatest mischief. learned writer, of whom we have had frequent occafion to take notice, affirms,

on

A

See above, ch. i. fect. ix. p. 168. and Differt. Mir.

p. 101,

d. Mead's Preface to his Medic. Sacr. p, 4.

Dr. Warburton's Serm. vol. iii. p. 241.

that

that it is an unquestionable fact, that the evangelic history of the demoniacs hath given occafion to the moft fcandalous frauds, and fottish Superftitions, throughout almost every age of the church, the whole trade of exorcifms,accompanied with all the mummery of frantic and fanatic agitations, having arifen from hence. And this celebrated writer would willingly perfuade the world, that thefe evils are the confequence of the anti-demoniac fyftem'; felf-evident as it is, that they wholly arife from his own. But his argument proceeds on a fuppofition neither true in itself, nor admitted by thofe against whom he is difputing, that Jefus and his apostles, instead of rectifying the peoples follies and fuperftitions on this head, chose rather to inflame them, by assuring certain of the distempered that they were really poffeffed by evil spirits. After what hath been already offered on this subject, I will not fay any thing in vindication of Christ and the evangelic history from the

'p. 241.

• Page 242.

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false imputation of afferting the doctrine. of demoniacal poffeffions. Nor will I affront the reader's understanding, by proving that those who deny this doctrine, are not answerable for it's abufe. What those have to anfwer for, both to God and to mankind, who too hastily reprefent the Gospel as afferting and supporting this doctrine, when they themselves are fenfible of it's pernicious tendency and effects, I leave them to confider.

This doctrine prejudices Christianity in another view. It hath been fhewn, that all the symptoms afcribed to the Gospel demoniacs, are fuch as belong to natural disorders. And therefore, by afferting that revelation afcribes thefe diforders to a fupernatural cause, we do revelation the moft material injury; we fet it at variance with reafon and experience, and fix an indelible reproach on thofe who profeffed to be commiffioned by God to publish it to the world.

Again, the common doctrine concerning poffeffions, affects the very founda

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