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sick people, and they are said to be healed,' or cured,' by the Lord Jesus, when brought to him.

Nor does it appear, from the history of these cases, that there was any thing more than bodily indispositions, and that discomposure of mind, which usually accompanies them.

Let us observe the history of the young man, first brought to the disciples, when our Lord was in the mount, and then to himself, when he was come down, and is related by the first three evangelists.

Matt. xvii. 14, 15; "And when they were come to the multitude, there came to him a certain man, kneeling down to him, and saying, Lord, have mercy on my son, for he is lunatic, and sore vexed. For oft-times he falleth into the fire, and oft into the water. And I brought him to thy disciples, and they could not cure him."

That is the whole description of the case: but undoubtedly the affliction was supposed to be owing to an evil spirit. Therefore the cure is thus related by the same evangelist: "And Jesus rebuked the dæmon, and he departed out of him, and the child was cured from that very hour," ver. 18.

In the description, then, of this distemper, which appears to have been the epilepsy, or falling sickness, the parent says, "his child was lunatic, and sore vexed:" that is, bis distemper was influenced by the changes of the moon, and the fits, or paroxysms, were very violent, and more violent at some seasons than others. And does it not use to be so in such cases? What necessity is there then for the supposition of the agency or interposition of evil spirits?

In Mark ix. 17, 18, the same case is represented in this manner: "One of the multitude answered, I have brought unto thee my son, which has a dumb spirit. And wheresoever he taketh him, he foameth, and gnasheth with his teeth, and pineth away. And I spake to thy disciples, that they should cast him out, and they could not." Ver. 20, " And they brought him to him. And when he saw him, straightway the spirit tare him, and he fell on the ground, and wallowed, foaming." It was a grievous epilepsy, a dangerous indisposition, the convulsions were sometimes extremely violent, so that the young man had begun to pine away.

In St. Luke, ch. ix. 38, 39, the parent says, "Master, I beseech thee, look upon my son, for he is my only child. And lo a spirit taketh him, and he suddenly crieth out, and it teareth him, that he foameth again, and bruising him, hardly departeth from him." Ver 42," And as he was yet

coming, the dæmon threw him down, and tare him. And Jesus rebuked the unclean spirit, and healed the child, and delivered him again to his father."

It was a sad epileptical disease. The convulsions were very violent; the fits were sometimes severe and long; insomuch that his friends feared he would never get out of them, but die away in them; a thing not uncommon still in such cases. And yet we do not now, generally, introduce evil spirits as the causes of them.

This, however, was a grievous and dangerous epilepsy. And the cure performed by our Lord was a great and gracious work.

10. There were some in ancient times, who were of opinion, that those called dæmoniacs were diseased only. Undoubtedly, the other was the more prevailing opinion, but not universal. The sadducees among the Jews must have had different apprehensions about these cases. But I choose not to take any particular notice of men, who were so unreasonable as to deny the existence of angels and separate spirits. See Acts xxiii. 8.

I shall however observe what is said by Origen, who lived about two hundred years after our Lord's ascension, in his Commentary upon St. Matthew's gospel. He is treating of the miracle wrought by our Lord upon the young man, brought to Christ by his father, after he was come down from the mount: of which we spoke just now. Origen himself believed the influence of dæmons in such cases. But he says, That physicians endeavoured to ac'count for them in a natural way; not allowing the agency of any impure spirits, but calling them bodily distempers.' So said physicians in those times; and they must be reckoned as good judges as any.

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Plotinus, a celebrated heathen philosopher, who flourished about the middle of the third century, blames some, who f ascribed to dæmons diseases, which, as he says, may be accounted for in an ordinary way, and indeed are owing to fatigue, excess, indigestion, and other causes either internal or external, and are oftentimes cured by medicines.

And Philostorgius, an ecclesiastical historian, at the be

• Ιατροι μεν ουν φυσιολογειτωσαν, άτε μηδε ακαθαρτον πνευμα ειναι νομι ζοντες κατά τόπον, αλλα σωματικον συμπτωμα, κ. λ. In Matt. Tom. xiii. vol. i. P. 311. Huet. vol. iii. p. 577. Bened.

τες μεντοι ευφρονων

* Νυν δε αποςησαμενοι, τας νόσες δαιμονια ειναι τας εκ αν πειθοιεν, ὡς εχ αἱ νόσοι τας αιτίας έχυσιν, η καμάτοις, η πλησμοναις, η ενδείαις, η σηψεσι, και όλως μεταβολαις η εξωθεν την αρχην, η ενδοθεν λαβεσαις. Δηλεσι δε και αἱ θεραπειαι αυτών, κ. λ. Plotin. Enn. 2. lib. ix. cap. 14.

ginning of the fifth century, mentions & one Posidonius, a learned physician, whom he knew, who ascribed all the bad symptoms of those called dæmoniacs to natural causes; and did not believe, that dæmons had power to torment men, though he did not deny their existence. That Posidonius

seems to have been a christian.

I might show, that this has likewise been the opinion of some judicious, and thoughtful, and pious men of late times. But as I suppose you to be rather determined by reason than authority, I forbear to insist on their judgment.

I therefore would recommend to your consideration the observations which have been now mentioned: which seem to me to render it very probable, that the afflictions, which those laboured under, who among the Jews were said to have a dæmon, or unclean spirit, were mere bodily distempers and indispositions. They are at least, so far as I am able to judge, cogent arguments against possessions, in the gross sense of the word, as understood by some learned men of late times.

There are however some difficulties attending this supposition, which shall be taken notice of hereafter.

For the present, we may do well to recollect some apostolical observations and admonitions. "Knowledge puffeth up, but charity edifieth," 1 Cor. viii. 1. "Speaking the truth in love, let us grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ," Eph. iv. 15.

Then are our minds rightly tempered in our inquiries after the true nature of things, when our first and greatest care is to please and glorify God; when we are humble and diffident, sensible of the weakness of our capacities, and of our liableness to err; when we are disposed to think and judge according to evidence, and to embrace that as true, which appears to be founded in reason: when still we are willing to exercise charity and forbearance toward such as differ from us, and do not see things exactly in the same light that we do.

Some are greatly delighted with simplicity in all things. They enter not into any speculations about the orders, the powers, the ranks, or economy of invisible beings. Nor do they willingly admit their agency and interposition in human affairs in this life, our time and state of trial. Others love to multiply beings; and an intricate system,

8 Θεασασθαι δε τον Ποσειδωνιον εν ιατρική διαπρέποντα. Λεγει δ' αυτον όμως εκ ορθώς εχι δαιμονων επιθέσει τις ανθρωπος εκβακχεύεσθαι, ύγρων δε τίνων κακοχυμίαν το παθος εργαζεσθαι μη δε γαρ ειναι το παράπαν ισχυν δαιμονων, ανθρωπων φυσιν επηρεαζωσαν. Philost. l. viii. cap. 10.

with a great variety of movements, pleaseth them best. They like frequent, or continual interpositions of good and bad spirits; and scarcely any thing happens in the world, but they ascribe it to their influence and causality.

Let every one be satisfied in his own mind, after serious and diligent inquiry: but let us take care, that by introducing numerous inferior and intermediate beings, and their agency, we do not derogate from the Divine empire and government, as supreme over all causes and things, visible and invisible.

And let us remain fully persuaded, that our blessed Lord's doctrine, authority, and character, were supported and attested by numerous miracles performed by him, in healing every disease and affliction to which the human frame is exposed, and in raising the dead. And that, being himself raised from the dead, and ascended to heaven, and living for ever, he is able to bestow eternal life upon all those, who sincerely obey the reasonable precepts of true holiness delivered by him.

DISCOURSE IV.

MARK V. 19.

Howbeit Jesus suffered him not, but saith unto him, Go home to thy friends, and tell them how great things the Lord hath done for thee, and hath had compassion on

thee.

I HAVE distinctly explained and improved the great cure, and miraculous work here referred to. And the last time it was observed, that some are inclined to think, that the afflictions which they laboured under who are spoken of as having evil spirits, were mere bodily diseases and indispositions though it was then the prevailing opinion, that they were under the power and influence of some evil spirit. And those persons themselves, and their friends, attributing their distempers to Satan, and dæmons under him, our Saviour sometimes adapts his expressions to that opinion, without countenancing or approving it.

:

In favour of that sentiment divers arguments and considerations were proposed, taken from the reason of things,

from the Old Testament, and from the history and description of these very persons, and their cases, as recorded in the New Testament.

IV. What now remains to be spoken to is the fourth and last head relating to this subject, the objections against the fore-mentioned opinion, or the arguments in favour of real possessions.

I shall take notice of, and consider these four.

1. There might be such cases in former times, though there are now none.

2. There are divers things said of those persons, who were called dæmoniacs, which are very difficult, or even impossible to be accounted for, but by the supposition of real possessions, or the operation and interposition of evil spirits.

3. The evangelists appear to have believed, that these persons had really one or more unclean spirits.

4. Our Lord himself does not oppose the opinion of real possessions, as he would have done, it is likely, if not true. Of these in order.

1. Obj. In the first place, it is said, that there might be such cases in former times, though there are none now.

Possibly such things may not be allowed of in the common and ordinary course of Divine Providence; but yet might be permitted at the time of our Saviour's appearance, when there was an uncommon and effectual remedy at hand. Bad angels, or other evil spirits, might be then suffered to leave their confinement, and come abroad, and inflict grievous distempers upon men, especially in the land of Judea and near it; that the power of Jesus might be rendered more conspicuous, by showing his authority over them, and removing by his word those evils which they had inflicted, and causing those malignant spirits to leave those persons of whom they had taken possession.

To which I answer, that this supposition does not suit the histories related in the gospels: for these cases do not there appear to be extraordinary, but are looked upon by every body as ordinary and usual things. No one expresseth a surprise, that such people are brought to Jesus. His enemies never mention it as a reproach and dishonour to him, that their country was then infested with evil spirits. If people had been now all on a sudden seized with disorders, never heard of among them before, and if such cases had been numerous, would it not have occasioned the utmost astonishment? Would it not have raised a loud and general clamour? Would they not have thought they had indeed good

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