235 FLZJE

TA

CONTENT S

HE Introduction, page i.

THE

CHA P. I.

Explaining and establishing the true

meaning of demoniacs in the New Tef-

tament, under the ten following pro-

pofitions, p. 12.

SECT. I. PROP. I. The fpirits that were thought to

take possession of men's bodies, are in the New Tef-

tament called demons, not devils, ib. An objection

anfwered, p. 14. Beelzebub, the prince of the

poffeffing demons, different from the devil, p. 16.

The term, fatan, applicable to the former, ib.

SECT. II. PROP. II. By demons, whenever the word

occurs in reference to poffeffions, either in the fcrip-

tures, or other ancient writings, we are to under-

ftand, not fallen angels, but the Pagan deities, fuch

of them as had once been men, p 21. Demons

used in this fenfe, 1. By the Heathens, particularly

the Greeks and Romans, p. 22. 2. By the Jews,

p. 29. By the Pharifees in particular, when they

objected to Chrift, that he caft out demons by Beel-

zebub, (whose name is explained at large, and who

is fhewn to be one of the Heathen demons,) p. 30;

and by Jofephus, p. 40. 3. By Chrift and his

Apostles, p. 42. 4. And by the primitive Chrif-

tians, p. 47. By Juftin Martyr, ib. How it came

to pass that the fathers, after his time, and Chry-

foftom in particular, referred poffeffions to celestial

demons, p. 49, note i. Of the spirit of Python or

Apollo, with which the damfel at Philippi was

thought to be poffeffed, p. 56.

SECT. III. PROP. III. Those demons who were

thought to take poffeffion of men's bodies, were, it

is probable, confidered by the Jews as evil beings,

p. 58. As fuch they were regarded by the Heathens,

and by Jofephus, ib. and yet not confidered as

fallen angels, p. 63. Whether the epithets of evil

and unclean, deaf and dumb, given them by the Evan-

gelifts, express their perfonal qualities, or the effects

they were fuppofed to produce, p. 61.

SECT. IV, PROP. IV. The perfons who are spoken

of as having demons, fuffered real and violent difor-

ders, from whatever caufe thofe diforders proceeded,

p. 64.

SECT. V. PROP. V. The particular disorders which

the ancients, whether Heathens or Jews, afcribed to

the poffeffion of demons, were fuch only as difturbed.

the understanding, p. 69. A distinction to be made

between diseases supernaturally inflicted, and possessions,

ib. Of being oppressed by the devil, Acts x. 38, p. 74,

and bound by fatan, Luke xiii. 11, 16, p. 76. Pos-

feffion

feffion included in it the idea of madnefs, amongst

the Latins, p. 78, the Greeks, p. 79, the Jews, p.

83, and other Eastern people, p. 86. That all the

poffeffed were mad, proved from the dramatic writ-

ings of the ancients, p. 87. All diforders of the

understanding were not afcribed to poffeffion, p. 88.

The epilepfy afcribed to this caufe, p. 89.

SECT. VI. PROP. VI. The demoniacs fpoken of in the

New Teftament, were all either madmen or epi-

leptics, p. 92. This proved from the Jews re-

proaching Chrift with having a demon, p. 93, and

Beelzebub, p. 96, from the fimilar reproach they

caft upon John the Baptift, p 97, and from the de-

fcription of the Gadarene demoniac, p. 100. Mary

Magdalene's feven demons understood by Celfus as

expreffive of her phrenzy, p. 105. The pythonefs at

Philippi was a raving prophetefs, ib. Epilepfy af-

cribed to poffeffion, and on what account, p. 107.

The general idea which the ancients had of demo-

niacs, p. 110. The account here given of the New

Teftament demoniacs cleared from the objections of

Dr. Lardner, p. 112. This account juftifies the re-

presentation before made of demoniacs, as perfons

that laboured under real diforders, p. 118. Shews

upon what grounds poffeffions are distinguished from

diseases in general, and from lunacies in particular,

ib. and for what reafon madness and epileptic fits,

rather than other disorders, are afcribed to poffeffion,

p. 124. Laftly, it is confirmed by the view given

us of the demoniacs in the Chriftian church, who

A 4

were

were all either mad, melancholy, or epileptic per-

fons, p. 126.

SECT. VII. PROP. VII. Demoniacal poffeffions (whe-

ther they are supposed to be real or imaginary,) and

the disorders imputed to them, were not peculiar to

the country of Judea, and the time of Chrift; nor

doth it appear that they abounded more in that coun-

try, or at that time, than any other, p. 128. The

reasons invented to account for their abounding in

the age of the Gofpel, p. 129. The fact difproved

by numerous testimonies, p. 134.

SECT. VIII. PROP. VIII. The demoniacs of the New

Testament are not different from those mentioned in

other ancient authors; and a like judgment is to be

formed of both, p. 142. The bifhop of Gloucefter's

attempt to make a diftinction between them, con-

fidered, p. 144.

SECT. IX. PROP. IX. There is no fufficient evidence

- from reafon for the reality of demoniacal poffeffions;

nay reafon strongly remonftrates against it, p. 150.

No natural evidence of the spirits of dead men having

power to enter the bodies of the living, ib. The dif-

orders imputed to poffeffion, may proceed from na-

tural caufes, p. 152. Who firft invented the doc-

trine of poffeffions, p. 153. By whom it hath been

rejected, p. 155. Disorders deemed [demoniacal do

proceed from natural caufes, p. 159, and are cured

Are inconfiftent with

by natural remedies, p. 163.

the order of the natural world, p. 166, and with the

wisdom and goodness of God, p. 167. The abfur-