it may be said, if Christ confined his doctrine to the important truths and duties of religion, should not a preacher of the gospel do the same, and decline every thing not expressly taught by Christ or his apostles?

To which I answer, that in the course of this argument I have intimated over and over, that no particular sentiment concerning this point ought to be reckoned an article of religion. It is left undetermined by Christ and his apostles; and men may think of it as they find best, if they do but take care to maintain the supremacy of the divine government, and guard against undue fears and apprehensions of evil spirits. And having inculcated such observations and cautions as these, I hope no harm has been done in setting before you the different sentiments of learned, and judicious, and pious interpreters of scripture, concerning the case of those, who in the New Testament are spoken of as having evil spirits.

And having now finished the argument, I again declare, (what no one can doubt the truth of,) that it is more satisfactory to promote good works among men, than to bring them over to any particular opinion. There is more pleasure in advancing the happiness of others, than in raising a man's own reputation for skill in any branch of science. Humility is better than knowledge: a right disposition of heart is more valuable than right sentiments. At the same time it is a reasonable ambition, to promote both knowledge and piety: the character of christians then becomes complete. A love of truth, a thirst after knowledge, an inquisitive temper, seem to be inseparable concomitants of integrity. Such dispositions therefore may be fitly cherished and encouraged.

Solomon says, that "wisdom excelleth folly, as far as light excelleth darkness," Eccl. ii. 13. "That the soul be without knowledge, it is not good," Prov. xix. 2. "The heart of the prudent getteth knowledge, and the ear of the wise seeketh knowledge, xviii. 15. I therefore take the liberty to conclude with that exhortation to you, which St. Paul gave to the christians at Corinth," Brethren, be not children in understanding: how beit, in malice be ye children, but in understanding be men," 1 Cor. xiv. 20.

AN APPENDIX.

FOR FURTHER ILLUSTRATING THE SUBJECT.

I. Two passages of Josephus concerning Dæmoniacs, with Remarks. II. Divers texts of the New Testament, relating to Dæmoniacs, explained, 1. Matt. xii. 27, 28; 2. Matt. xii. 43-45; 3. Matt. xvii. 21; 4. Luke x. 17, 18. 5. Texts, where Dæmons are said to be rebuked by our Lord. III. A remarkable explication of Acts vi. 9.

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I. JOSEPHUS, having described the castle of Macharus, or Machæruns, says: On the north side of the city is a ' valley, in which is a place called Baaras. It bears a plant 6 of the same name. It is of a flaming colour, and toward ' evening it shines very bright. It is not easy to be taken by those who would gather it: for it withdraws itself, ' and does not stay, unless one pours upon it the urine of a 'woman, or menstruous blood and even then it is certain 'death to him who takes it, unless he carries the root hang'ing down upon the hand. There is another way of get'ting this plant without danger. It is this. They dig all 'round it, so that a very small bit only of the root is left in the ground; then they tie a dog to it, and he attempting to follow him that tied it, the root is easily pulled up: but 'the dog dies presently, as it were in the stead of him who 'would get the plant: afterwards there is no danger to 'those who touch it. With all these dangers the root is very desirable, for the sake of one virtue. For dæmons b as they are called, who are the spirits of wicked men, en'tering into the living, and killing those who have no help, this root presently expels, if it be only brought near to 'those who are diseased.'

It is astonishing, that any man in repute for good sense, should be able to write in this manner. Surely there never was in any part of the world a plant with all these properties.

That passage is taken from the History of the Jewish War.

a De B. Jud. 1. vii. cap. 25. [al. vi.] sect. 3.

b

Τα γαρ καλεμενα δαιμονια ταυτα δε πονηρών εσιν ανθρωπων πνεύματα, τοις ζωσιν εισδυομενα, και κτείνοντα της βοηθειας μη τυγχανοντας· αυτη ταχέως εξελαύνει, καν προσενεχθῇ μονον τοις νοσησι. Ibid.

There is another passage in his Jewish Antiquities, in the history of Solomon.

In the former part of the paragraph is the substance of what is said of Solomon's great wisdom, in 1 Kings iv. 29 -34. After which it follows: God also gave him un⚫derstanding to attain to skill against dæmons for the benc'fit of mankind. For having composed incantations, whereby diseases are removed, he also left behind him ⚫ certain kinds of exorcisms, whereby demons may be ex• pelled, so as never to return again. And this method of • cure is effectual for prevails much] among us to this day. For I saw one Eleazar, my countryman, in the presence • of Vespasian, and his sons, and many tribunes, and other soldiers, deliver men who were seized by these dæmons. The cure was in this manner. Applying to the nostrils of the dæmoniacs a ring, having under the seal one of 4 those roots, of which Solomon taught the virtues, he drew ' out the dæmon at the nostrils of the man who smelled to • it. The man presently falling down, he mentioned - Solo4 mon, and reciting the charuus composed by him, he ad• jured the damon never to return any more. Moreover,

Eleazar being desirous to satisfy all the company that he had that power, he placed a little way off a cup full of water, or a small vessel, in which the feet are washed. Then he commanded the dæmon, as he went out of the 'man, to overthrow them, that all present might be sensible 4 he had left the man. This being done, the wisdom of So'lomon was made manifest.'

We are now to make remarks upon these two passages. 1. We hence evidently perceive, that Josephus believed there were real dæmoniacs, or persons into whom dæmons entered, and to whom they were troublesome.

C Παρεσχε δε αυτῳ μαθεῖν ὁ Θεός, και την κατα των δαιμονων τεχνην εις ωφέλειαν και θεραπειαν τοις ανθρωποις επῳδας τε συνταξάμενος, αἷς παρηγορείται τα νοσηματα, και τροπες εξορκώσεων κατέλειπεν, οἷς ενδυομενα τα δαιμονια, ως μηκετ' επανελθείν, εκδιωκέσι. Και αυτη μεχρι νυν παρ' ἡμιν ή θεραπεια πλείτον ισχυει. Ισορησα γαρ τινα Ελεαζαρον των ομοφυλων, Ουεσπασιανς παροντος —τες ύπο των δαιμονιων λαμβανόμενες απολύοντα τέτων. Ο δε της θεραπειας τροπος τοιυτός ην. Προσφέρων ταις ῥισι δαιμονιζομενε τον δακτυλιον, εχοντα ύπο τη σφραγίδι ῥιζαν εξ ὧν ὑπέδειξε Σολομων, έπειτα εξείλκεν οσφραινομενῳ δια των μυκτήρων το δαιμονιον. Και πεσοντος ευθυς τε ανθρωπε, μηκετ' εις αυτόν επανελθειν ώρκο, Σολομωνος τε μεμνημενος, και τας επίδας, ας συνεθηκεν εκείνος, επιλεγων. Βελομενος δε πεισαι και παρατησαι τοις παρατυγχανεσιν ὁ Ἐλεάζαρος, ότι ταυτην εχει ισχυν, ετίθει μικρον εμπροσθεν ητοι ποτήριον πληρες ύδατος, η ποδονιπτρον και τῳ δαιμονιῳ προσέταττεν εξιοντι τε άνθρωπε ταυτ' ανατρέψαι, και παρασχειν επιγνωναι τοις όρωσιν, ότι καταλέλοιπε τον ανθρωπον, κ. λ. Antig. I. viii. cap. ii. sect. 5.

2. Therefore this must have been a common opinion at that time, as we perceive in the gospels.

3. The dæmons, who entered into men, and took possession of them, according to his account, were the spirits or souls of wicked men. And it may be also hence concluded, that this was the opinion of many other Jews at that time.

And by the way I would observe, that we have here full proof that the pharisees, of which sect Josephus was, believed the separate existence of souls after death. This was shown formerly from several passages in his works, where he speaks of the souls of good and bad men, and says, That according to the doctrine of the sadducees souls 'perish with the bodies.' But he and the rest of the pharisees believed the continuance or subsistence of souls after death. I think we are hereby led to the true and certain interpretation of Acts xxiii. 8, "For the sadducees say, that there is no resurrection, neither angel nor spirit: but the pharisees confess both." Where by spirit' must be meant the human soul, subsisting separate from the body.

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4. We farther learn from Josephus, that incantations and exorcisins were practised by Jews in his time, for expelling dæmons out of the bodies of men, of which they were supposed to have taken possession.

5. The story told by Josephus of Eleazar lies open to many exceptions, and appears ridiculous. For what reason can there be to think, that dæmons, whether they be bad angels, or the souls of bad men, should be affected by the smell of a root? It is likely, that Eleazar was an impostor, and the whole affair related by Josephus, as transacted before Vespasian and his court, was artifice and delusion. There was a compact between Eleazar and the pretended dæmoniac. Josephus has not mentioned the symptoms of any distemper under which the man laboured. If the man had been afflicted with some grievous disorder, the removal of it would have been sufficient proof of the power of Eleazar, and of the virtues of Solomon's incantations, without overturning a small vessel of water, placed near the exorcist or his dæmoniac. How that was done I do not know; but I suppose our slight-of-hand gentlemen can easily ac

d See p. 125-127.

Σαδδεκαίοις δε τας ψυχας ὁ λόγος

συναφανίζει τοις σώμασι. Ant. lib. xviii. cap. 1. sect. 4.

Deum esse credebant, sed præter eum nihil quod non sensibus perciperetur, non angelos iarbai, non superesse corporibus animos, ideoque nec fore αναςασιν. Grot. in Act. xxiii. 8. Vid. et Wolf. in eundem locum.

count for such a feat, and gratify spectators with others more surprising.

6. It may be hence argued, that the Jewish exorcists, with all their incantations, were of very little service to mankind, for relieving them under any indisposition. How ineffectual the exorcisms of the sous of Sceva, a Jewish priest, were at Ephesus, we have seen in the history related in Acts xix. 13-17. Nor does it appear that Eleazar, of whom Josephus writes, performed any cure, or expelled any dæmon; but it was mere artifice, as just shown.

7. From these two passages we may be fully satisfied, that Josephus was not a christian. And it may be also argued with great probability, that the passage concerning Jesus, in the xviiith book of his Antiquities, is not genuine, but is an interpolation.

8. Must it not appear very remarkable, that Josephus, shunning the affairs of christians, and omitting the great works of our Lord and his apostles, has not been able to relate one credible story of a miracle, excepting those of the Old Testament? Josephus is willing enough to relate miracles and extraordinary things, or such things as have an appearance of being so. But they will not bear examination. How came this to pass, that Josephus, a pharisee, a learned man, of the race of the priests, should fall so far below our honest artless evangelists? In their histories we see simplicity and dignity. The reason is, because they are truth: they copy a real original. They write the history of the great prophet that was to come, the Messiah; who cures diseases of all kinds, and raises the dead with his word, without parade and ostentation. But the learned Josephus, the priest, the statesman; Josephus, when he attempts to relate a miracle for the honour of his country, even the dispossessing a dæmon, produceth nothing extraordinary, but the overturning a small tottering vessel full of water, and says, that the dæmon came out at the man's nose!

And can any man who reads the above-cited passages, think it any disparagement to the christian religion, that it was not embraced by Josephus, who has given such proofs of want of judgment, and had no just notions in things of religion? For he could not conceive, that intentions, without the act, were liable to punishment.

II. 1. Matt. xii. 27, " And if I by Beelzebub cast out dæmons, by whom do your children cast them out? Therefore they shall be your judges." 28, "But if I cast out

6 Το γαρ μηκετι ποιήσαι το εργον βελευσαμενον, εκ επι τιμωρίας αξιον. Antiq. 1. xii. cap. 9. sect. 1.