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And it seems not improbable, that the reality of poffeffions was doubted by many who, through too much caution, never publicly expreffed their doubts; and that, like Dio Chryfoftom *, in difcourfing of demons, they rather propofed the fentiments of others than their own. However this may be, it is known to every one, that fince the improvements of fcience in later times, the most able and judicious phyficians have confirmed by their fuffrages the opinion of the most learned and judicious amongst the ancients upon the fubject before us. To.

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i The learned Wetstein, in his Comment on Matt. iv. 24, p. 282, 283, hath cited several eminent phyficians, who difapproved the doctrine of real poffeffions, whofe teftimonies are here omitted. See also his citations from P. Egineta and Sext. Empiricus, p. 281.

k Orat. 23. Ὅπως δὲ χρῆ δαιμόνιον τι πονηρὸν ἡγεῖ σθαι, καὶ ἄδικον, καὶ ἀνόητον, ἐκ ἔχω εἰπεῖν—ἀλλ ̓ ἐγὼ νῦν & κατὰ τὴν ἐμαυτᾶ δόξαν διείλεγμαι τὰ πολλὰ ἀλλὰ κατὰ τὴν τῶν πολλῶν ἀνθρώπων.

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us writers, the authority alone of ftrious countryman Dr. R. Mead, have more weight with us, than nion of multitudes bred up in ig-, and fuperftition. This celewriter hath proved, that the cir-t ces related of the Gofpel, demo-> e symptoms of natural disorders, i not exceed the power of phyfical

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ng all authority, let us attend to tters of fact as are obvious even whofe profeffion does not oblige: study the animal system. - Wer n, that the reality of poffeffions be demonftrated by, reafon, be! e diforders imputed to them may rom natural caufes; and it cannot I vd L y of Phyfic, part i. p. 18-21. orum hæc funt omnia.-Nihil profecto nihil, quod ex male affecta corporis ri non poffit, reperimus. Medica Sacra, 66, 67. See also his preface.

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trine of poffeffions, and clearly fhews us, that the disorders imputed to them actually do proceed from natural caufes. The temperament of the body, the texture of the brain, the motion of the blood, the excess or defect of the animal spirits, the influences of air and diet, intenseness of thought, violent paffions, and sudden frights, will disturb or destroy the regular exercise of the understanding. It is matter of common obfervation, that what renders the spirits too volatile, causes the raving species of madness; and what depreffes them, the melancholy. What is here obferved concerning maniacal, is equally true with respect to epileptical diftempers. Various confiderations are urged by Hippocrates, to fhew that the epilepfy may be accounted for without having recourse to any extraordinary in

* De Morbo facro, p. 303, 307, 308, 309, 310.

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one, both because it lies level capacity, and because it hath, I been omitted by the feveral writers upon poffeffions, who pealed to the authority of this le and judicious physician. Goats, rves, are remarkably fubject to the • and, on diffecting the head, the found to be overcharged with a a very bad fmell; a plain proof, that the animal was difeafed, not by a deity. Now, if maniacal eptical distempers owe their rife al causes; and (so far as reafon e) to these causes only; it is not bundlefs, but abfurd, to afcribe a fupernatural influence.

der to weaken the force of this t, it hath been faid by fome,

ακόψης τὴν κεφαλήν εὑρήσεις τὸν ἐγκέφαλου καὶ ἱδρῶτος περίπλέων, καὶ κακὸν ἔζοντα, δηλονότι γνώση, ὅτι ἐχ ὁ θεὸς τὸ σῶμα ἀλλ ̓ ἡ νόσος. Ρ. 307,

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could not disturb the human frame, without occafioning fome or other of the fymptoms which accompany natural diseases; and that, in order to prove the truth of the Gospel demonianifmn, we need only to urge the testimony of the Gofpel'. But this reply, instead of weakening our argument, is a plain confeffion of its force; it admits that demoniacs are difeafed; that the symptoms of demoniacal diseases are the fame as those in natural ones; and confequently that, as far as we can judge by the light of reason, what is called poffeffion is a mere natural disease. It may be objected, that what is here allowed by the advocates for the demoniac fyftem, is merely that poffeffions may be accompanied with fome of the symptoms of natural

› Nye on Natural and Revealed Religion, p. 213. 1 Bp. Warburton, p. 235.

› P. 236.

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