Comte Du Lude - Demonologia or, A Treatise of Spirits

8/12/2019 Comte Du Lude - Demonologia or, A Treatise of Spirits

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HMnBaaaai

Comte Du Ludis

TREATISEO FSPIRITS, &c.


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I AAIMONOAOriA:O R, ATREATISEO F

SPIRITS.WHEREINSeveral Places of Scrip-

ture are Expounded, againft theVulgar ERRORS concerningWITCHCRAFT, APPA-RITIONS, &:c.To waiGli is added, -An APPENDIX, coxataining fome

Reflections on Mr. Boultcns AitJCwer toDr. Hiitchinfon s Hiilorical EfTay ; entitled'The pGJfibility and Reality of Magkk, Sorceryand IVitchcraft demcnflrated, ^

By Comte D U L U D E,A Presbyter of the Church of EngUrd.LONDON:

Printed for the Author, in the Year 1723.I


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nj' X


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C iii ]

T H

PREFACEiHE Holy Ghoft tellsus, ASis xi. 47. Tha^

Lord added daily

Place of Holy Scrip-ture fuiEcient to ground that Arti-cle, whereby we conftantly profefsto believe The Holy Catholick Churchpr, as it is in the Nicene GreedyOne Catholick and Apofiolick Church.For this Text clearly teaches usthefe Three Things,[a] 1. lliat


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iv 7 he Preface.1 That there Is a Church.2. That this Church is but One,

that there is not Another. And,3. That we muft be of that

Church to be fav'd.The Difficulty is, What this

Church is ? A Difficulty found outby the Genius of evil Men, whobeing not contented with what isreveaPd in God's own Book, havefought out many Inventions, andwritten Cart-loads of Books, morecapable of diftraclipg Thoufands,than of direfling One Man in theRight Way to Heaven.

As for my Part, I think to feeplainly (and without much to do)this Churchy in God's Holy and In-fallible Wordy that Word, to tphichyvphojoe-ver dddeth any things andfromwhichy whojoever tak^th any things

is


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The Preface.^ vis curfed. For believing ftedfaftlythat Jefus Chrifly and Jefus ChrifiAlone, is the Way^ the Truths and.the Life: I fee there a Society ofMen profefling to Believe in Him,having Communion together in theUfe and Participation of all andevery one of the Ordinances whichHimfelf hath Inftituted to thatPur-pofe : And thefe Ordinances, ac-cording to the Letter of their In-ftitution, are adminiftred by Handsrightly Ordained thereunto ; Forno Man taketh upon him this Of*ficCy but he that is Called^ as Aaronwas. So that this Church is One, be-caufe the Members thereofhave Oneand the fame Faith in the Holy Je-fus, and their Communion is intht Partaking of thefame Ordinances^which are all of his Inftitution,attfl of no Body elfe This is theOne Holy Catholick and Apoftolick

[ a 2 ] Church,


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vi The Preface.I^hurch, which hath its OrthodoxMiniftry of Bifliops, Pdefts, andDeacons untainted with Schifhij,fjerefy, or Apoftacy- who minifterduly the undefiled Service of theChtirch without Superftition, or I-doHzing any Creature, whethei^Pead Men, or Men Alive, or anypther Material or Image j for ourGod is a Spirit^ that will bcWor^Jhi^p^d in Spirit and in Truth

lerefore, that God may berightly Served and truly Glorifiedupon Earth by this holy Congre-gation, let him be the fole Obje


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The Preface, viiAnd above all Things, Let us be

well fatisfied, that the God withwhom we have to do, is not onlythe Eternal God, without Begin-ning or End; not only the Al-mighty God, who doth whatfoeverpleafes him, and hath made allThings ; not only the infinitelywife God, who ordereth all thingsrightly and juftly, and hath creat-ied nothing with a Capacity to op-pofe his Will. But let us alfo con-Jider well, and never forget, thatour God is Ens perfe ExiflmSy aSpirit who hath his Being from,Himfelf, and is All-fufficient toHimfelf ; who as he hath createdAll Things of Nothing, fb he canreduce them to Nothing when hewill, and his Hand can never beIhortned j he can create Thdufandsof Worlds, and govern them with-out Help, or even the Concurrence

of


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viii The Preface.of any Creature, leaft of all of Sa-tan, or of thofe devililli Spirits,fuppofed to be fo bufy about theAffairs of this World, and fuchpowerful Inftruments in G o d'sHands to vex and punifh Menwhereas we cannot but know andacknowledge that our Sins are Pro-vocations enough, and our felvesfufficient Inftruments for all theJudgments he thinks fit to infliftupon us.

Another Thing is abfolutely ne-celiary. That our God may havebis Due, and be truly glorified byus, tho' his unworthy Servants, andthat is, that we hold faft and perfe-vere in the Profeffion of our holyChriftian Faith, and be well forti-fied againft all ArIan and. SocinianHerefies,that we may own and pub-lilh that the firft Foumlation of this

- . Chriftian


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The Preface, ixChriftian Religion is, that JefttsChrifiy the Eternal Son of God is theOnly Mediator and Redeemer promifedby the Prophets ; which is not provedby a ftronger Argument, than thatwhich is formed from the Meffagefent by St. John the Baptift to ourSaviour by two of his Difciples^and Christ's Anfwer to him,Luke vii. 19, 20, 21, 22. For nowMen do not make fufficient Reflec-tion upon that Place, as this Bookdoth ; that our Saviour takes noNotice of his calling out Dxraons,which St. John^s Difciples had feeahim do ; for by this it is evident,that this Cafting-out, was the Cur-ing one fort of thofe Difeafes,which the Prophets had faid theChrift fhould heal, as an infalli-ble JProof that he was the Mef-liah promifed. And I intreat the

Jerps


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X The Preface.Jevps toconfiderit well, fo:eitmaybe affirmed, that they are not likeever to find him, if they find himnot in this Place.

THE


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[v]

^^MOM^W^1m.

THE

CONTENTS.EVER A L Places ofScripture expounded^ a*gainfl the Vulgar Er*rors of Witchcraft,&c. Page I.

That the great Gods^ have no Com^munication with Men. p. 15

That the Demons had been Men ; andof Evil Dicmons. p. zi

1 m -**.. Of


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vi TheCoNTENTs.of the Places where thoje Daemons in-

habited who were made Gods ; andof Cot ta's Opinion. p. 44

Of the Worjhip both of the Gods andDemons. p. 55

of that Place of Scripture^ i Cor. x.20. What the Heathen offery theyoffer it to Devils. P- 59

Of the firft Commandment of theLaw. ^.61Of the Words DMHON and DE-VIL, and of the remarkable Diffe*rence betwixt thofe two Names ;

: md of Septilchres^ and RelicksP- ^5

That there is but one D E FI L, orSATAN J and of the Angels fpo-hen of Rev^. ix. 1 1* xii. 7. z Cor.xii. 7. Jude, v. 6. z Pet. ii. 4.p. 78 Of


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The Contents, viiof the Demons or Spirits ivhich our

Saviour cafi out', and of the Spiritsof Python p. 8i

Of the Word SPIRIT; of fedu-cing Spirits ; and of thofe Words^juftify'd in the Spirit j and of theAngels tbatfhaU ^^ judged by thaFaithfuL p. 1 2 q


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iiV

1. ^> ^^

JJ^VWJ.


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AAIMONOOR, ATreatife gfSpirt&^&c.Several Places of Scrip-

ture expounded, againfithe Vulgar Errors ofWitchcraft, &c,

OST Interpreters, e-fpecially of the latterDays, underftand thatPlace of Scripture, iTim. iv. I. That the

^__________ Doftrine of Daemons(tx2.n[\^ttd'15e'uils) fignifies no more thana Devilifh Doltrm, infpir'd and taughtby the Devil. This Interpretation doth

B indeed


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10 A Treat iseindeed fet forth a true Dodltrine ; for everjr/// Opiniony efpecially in Religio^j is originally from the Devil : But who can con-ceive that St. Paul fhould fo autenticallywarn Chriftianst of it, particularly in the^.Point of]yhmageB.nd Abjtmence from Meat^

'*

in this Place, rarher than in the fecondChapter of his Epiftles to the Coloffuns^and in other Placed, where lie condemnsother Doctrines, not lefs^ if not moredari^eroos than thefe/ There was no oc-cafion here, or any where elfe, to call,Doftrines of DevilSg thofe that were con-demned by him ; his condemning themwas fufficient to inform all .BeUevers,th4t they proceeded from another Prin-ciple thaa the Spirit of God. Many arethe unanfwerable Reafons for our under-flrarnding of chefe Words, as Efi^haniuslong ago expounded them, which Expo-lition is approvM by many very learnedMen. There are feveral ancient Copiesot the New Teftament, wherein aftertliefe Words, DoiHrmes of Devds^you will:fipd thefe, For .they /hall be Worjbippers of.d^0d Men


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of Spkits. II(^^;lfthefe Words are St. P^f^rsWords^he hath expounded himfcif; if they arenot, they who added them underftoodthe Place as I do^ and they are vj^ry aa-cient Interpreters^ for thefe Words werein St. Epifhanius his Copy^ who quotedthem as being St. Paul\ own words ; bifEpiphamus iiy''d about the Year 550. Iffo many other Interpreters have not hk'dthe fame ExpUcation, it is becaufe theydid not well confider the Doctrines of theHeathen^ concerning their DsemonSj anddid not make ferious Reflexions upon aPlace whereof they had given at firfl: fuchan Expofition as pleafed them, and whichis good in it felf, tho' not the properSenfe of the Text.The Heathen beleivM but one fupreme

God, tho' Plutarch ia his Treatife of 7foand Ojiris^ faith, that the Heathen held

I {ft) See the New Teftament of Oxford. ^Raovjeti -^ pen,-

t; i^) Tlutarch of the Oracles that are ceafed. Haec deD^ipmu quod fit incorporeus, is unus ait, Aperiroetros, Ge-mtor, 0>c^ B 2


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ti ^TreatiseTwo fit ft Principles, dr two Gods, brieôod, and the other evil; and the fecondwa's called Li^mdn: ybt this is a Truthtlear enough, that the Heithbn did ac-^fenbwredge one drily Sovereigh God, and'Mafter above the reft. There are indeed'many Contra3iQ:i6hs in their Writings,which we will not undertake to reconcile 5but certain it is, that riiany, yea the moft

^corifiderable among &em, believed thisône only God, and PMafch himfelf af-firms it, for he introduces C/^(:?^/?^//f//J, lay-ing, that the Stoicks were of the fame'ppiriibn with him, and that they heldj^that in fo great Muititude of Gods, therewas but one Eternal aiid Immortal, andthat all the reft have had a Being by Birthând fliall have an End by Death. It wasViators Doflrine mTmeo it Farm. Celfusiikewife nameth one God, who is above'^11. Jpuleius vtht'ihg VUto^s Opinion faysthat he believM but one God, who madeall Things, and who is the Giver of allgood Things. St. -4/^//>, takes notice ofhis ddfltrine De civit. Dei, L g.cdp. 16. andFives in his Notes quotes thofe Placesof P/^fc? where it is alterted. Trifmegifius

in


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of spirits. 13in Ajcleftus teaches every where, ^thatithere is one God : Deus ums^ faith He,'more than once, Solus & merito. Sdtus^^* The Lord of Eternity, that made the World, the Father and the Lord of all Things, by whom the celeftial Gods,* and afterwards Men, have been crea-*' ted ; the only Governors of the World,*^ whom every oiie obeyeth^ He faithJFurther, that all Things are of him, and*^epend upon his Will. Chriftotle tells us^that it is a common Opinion received of'all Men, that all Things are of God : Asfor him, he believes that there is but oneGod, who perfeveth all Things-

It fhould be noted, that tho^ Plutarch^fpeaks of two, yet it doth not appearthat his Opinion was that thefe twoGods were equally fupreme, forhimfelfcalled one D^mon^ and finds a vaft di&ference betwixt the great Gods and theD^mom ; for in the fame Treatife he af-firms, that what the Fable relates ofOJioris 2ind Typho did happen neither to theGods, nor to Men, but to fome greatDaemons whoproved ftronger than Men

and


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14 ^Treatiseand yet their Nature is not purely di^vine, but compounded of a fpiritual andcorporeal Being : whereupon he declaresthe Opinion of PUtOy who faith, thatthe Daemons are between the Gods aadMen ; and that Ifts and Ofiris had beenchanged from good Demons intoGods, becaufe of their Vertues. Plutarchdoth not admit of two Principles only,but puts a third betwixt them, and faythat they called the good one Oromazes^the evil Arma^inSyZnd tbo third MithresHe tells us farther, that this Oppofitiohbetwixt two Principles, is found only inthis lower V/orld, under the Moon ; thatthefe contrary Powers are not equal, andthe befl is the ftrongeft. : He quotes ftVmer, who c^lh Jupiter the Mafter, theGovernor, the Lord of the wholeWorld. : Laftly, in the fame Place heowns one God, that rules and governsthe whole World ; and in his Difcourfe

^:pf the Word '/?> he declares that thereis but on^ only God.

That'


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l4 A TREATISEven. See what ApiUius faith of it (a) ; hisDoQix'm, is that of ?Uto^ which St,^///?//^ relates thus, De Civit Dei, L 8.f. 8. * They place their Daemons be^* twttn Heaven and Earth, that as no.^^ God can have any Commerce with* Men, thefe Daemons do carry to the< Gods, the Prayers of Men, and from^ thence they bring unto Men that which* they have obtained ; for they that hold^ this Opinion, do believe it ah un- Môrthy thing, that the Gods fhould< hai^ê any thing to do with Men, or^ Men yf/\th the Gods f but it is con^^ yeni^^t that the Daemons fhould have* to 4o both with the Gods, and with* Men, to let the Gods know what Men* do defire, and to bring unto Men,^ what the Gods have granted. Up/ere two forts of D^rnons^ fome that hadheen Men^ and others that had never been(a) cumbered nith corforeai Bonds : It is re-

I markabkj{d) Si nubes fublime volitant, ^c^ Qî^ tandem future

cenfes Dsemonum corpora;* quae concreta rhulto .minus, 8cc, 1 :; tanto


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of spirits. 2pi/emarkable, that he afcribes to the fe-cond fort, certain Bodies formed of thepureft Air, and of a moft fubtile Com-poiition. It is the Sentiment of Plutarchwho tells us in The Oracles that are ceafedyThat they are Spirits cloathed with an airySuhfiance* Thus; Amtot hath tranflatedthe 125th Verfe of Hejiodus'^s Works,called The Works of Daysj quoted byPlutarch : But when Hefwdus namesnpA iiSUfjuim^ he fpeaks of Men of theGolden Generation^ who had been madeD^mo?is by Jupiter : From whencemay be conjeftur'd, that thofe excellentDaemons ^ according to Amleii'is^ who hadBodies formed of the pureft and moftfubtile Air, were according to Hefiodusand Plutarch that quotes him, the Soulsof dead Men. And it muft be confefs'djthat the moft comm*on Opinion was, thatthere were none other.

But fuppofe that the Notion of Apu-lieus were admitted, and Plato held the\ ____ tauto fublimiora? non enim {unt ex hac feculenta nebulatumida caliglne cdnglobata, fed ex illo purilTimo ^ris ii*^idQ Sc fereno elemento coalita. De Deo Socratis.

: ' iame


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fo A Treat isefame (which dddi not appear.) TheDiftribiition made by Aûleius olxhî^v^'-ral Employments of each fort o?D?nons^muft alfo be ownM to have been acommon Dodlrine, and Plato's Doclririetoo ; and this is manifefl:, that the Me-diatorfliip betwixt the Gods and Men,could belong (according to the commonOpinion, and that of FUto) only to theDamans that had been mentionM : andthis is the Aflfertion ; for in the firftplace Apilems faith, That the Lares^ a'/jdftich as rvere called Dei Penates, are of theISlmnber of thofe D.tmons that had been Men,And in Explication of Flato^s Principleshe faySj, That the Damons^ whom jve mayraUGcnh and Lares, are efieemed to he theMimflers of the Gods, the Guardians ofM^ny and their Interpreters \ if they reqttejf-êd any thing of the Gods. Secondly, Jpu-leius afcribes to the Damons who neverwere Men, another Office than of Me-diators betwixt the Gods and Men ; hefays. That they are alrvays near and Afftjiantto Men, fernper ad funt, ro confider alltheir Actions, and take Notice even of theirThoughts ; that after Men are departed^ they^

1^


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of spirits. 31go with their Souls to give Tejltmony oftheir Behaviour^ ivbereupo^. Judgment isgiven. Hence it appears, that the Officeof carrying the Prayers and Oblationsof Men to Heaven, and bringing fromthence Bleffings and Rewards, did be^long to the Demons that had been Men^that which Plato hath taught very clear-ly in the Places I have cited. Theythat will be more particularly informedconcerning the Diftinflion of D^monsymay read Marcillus Ficinus upon theioth Book of FUto^s Republick, at thelatter end, and in Timeoy c, 14. Butlet it be noted, that here I take no-tice only of the airy Demons Mediatorsbetwixt the celeftial Gods and Men ;^hich were alfo the ObjeQ: of the Peo-ple's WorOiip,

If it be objefted, that the Demonscannot well be called the Minifters ofthe great God, fince they believed foixiegood and fome evil Damons. I anfwer,that I have fpoken of the Damons Medi-sitors, and the common Object of theHeathen's religious Worfhip ; the Sub-

jeft


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32 A Treatise]tQi requir'd not any notice to be ta^ken of others, nor to be diftinguiHi'd^where the Heathen made no Diftinftion.If in Plutarch fome did believe wickedD^monsj others do condemn that Opini-on. According to Plato all Demons wereGods ; and that Philofopher acknow-ledged no Gods but good Ones. Wehave^ faith St. Aufiin^ De Clvit. Dei. L 8.'r. 15. PlatoV Oilmen who faith that theGods are goody that there is no evil Godswhich dejiroys their Opinion^ rvho hold^ thatthe evil Gods are to be appeased with Sacri'fceSy lejl they fljould do us Mifchief, CeP^fus ownM none but good ones. OrigefTcontra Celf, lib. S.foL icj.

It is here objeQed, that the Heatherin geneial did not believe that therewere Damons in a middle State betwixtthe great God arid the Heroes, fincethe Perapateticks believ'd no Spirits favdthofe which God had fixed to eachceleftial Globe to turn it: That theStoicks own'd no Damons^ and that So--craters Opinion was very agreeable tothat of Ghriftians. For anfwer to this

I fay/


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of spirits. 35I fay, that the particular Opinion of oneSeft is no Reafon why the moft commonihould not be attributed to the general;my Defign was to fliew what was themofi: general Objefi of the People's De-votion, and the vulger Opinion on whichit was grounded; I was not obliged totake notice of all the particular Opini-ons of Philofophers which were notfollowed by the People. The Peripa-teticks did appear but very little in theTime of St. Paul ^ and thefe Intelligen-ces which they join'd to each Sphere,were none other then the Damons^ whichthe PUtonicims affixed to them, asI^Idrdnus Fieinus witneffes ; for ail thisthey might believe the airy Daemonswe are difcourfing of; I read nothingof them for that Time upon that Sub-jet. The Opinion of Epcurus^ whofeem'd to deny all manner of Spirits,'

^ was then better approved than that ofthe Peripamuks^ and yet it put no flop tothe Devotion then in ufe among thePeople, according to the Principles ofPlaPonicians^ Pjthagorms^ and the PoetsE As


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34 1^ TreatiseAs for Arijlotle^ lib. de Mundo^ c. 6. ifhe be the Author of that Book, hefurely believM no Dsemons, eithergoodor bad ; he believed one only God,who being placed in the highell: partof the Univerfe, did govern all the Mo-tions thereof, as a Machine with feveralWheels and Springs depending one up-on another, tho' their Motions were very different ; No^e othermje^ faith hejthd^ a Puppet EngineerJ by one jirfi SpringTnakes the rejl to move^ and fo fets on workmd motion all other Machines. In hisOpinion there is not a better Sentiment,nor more worthy of God's Goodnefs andMajefly, than this, That this Sovereignfewer is feated in the highejl Part of Hea-veny communicates to all Things^ even thefarthepy of what is necejfary for their Pr^-^fervation. He cannot approve theirFancy, who hold, That this Power comesdown^ and is injerted into Things unworthyof itJ and which canmot be named withModejly : Neither doth he believe that heneeds any Servants^ or Helpy but he can doall Things by one Jingle Motiony with which

he


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tf spirits 39*he fits on work all others aftertvards. Andyet he eonfefTes, that ancient Authorshave faid, that all was full of Godsand indeed Plato hath it in his Epiff-This DoClrine of One God, who movesall Things by Hinifelf, and v^ithoutHelp, is taught alfo by AriftotWs Na-tural Philofophy. It is true, that in hisMetaphyfick he allows to each Heavena feparate Subftance, unmovcable, whichgives Motion to the Orb. But in the fe-cond Book of Heaven, A, 1 2. he affirms.That Heaven moves of it felf, as anAnimal, and attributes a Soul to it>which his ancient Greek, Arabian, andLatin Interpreters have called a reajbnable Soul ; fo that it is not eafy toknow JriJiotle*s particular Opinioa ;However, hear what he faith, lib. 2.Metaph.c.^. It hath been taught by?^ oiir Predeceffqrs, even the moft an-^' cieBt^ that the Planets are Gods, &c.^^ If any M^n, (excepting him who isf the only firft) takes up this Senti-^f inent that the Ancients believ'd tha^


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^6 ^Treatise*' fhe frji Subftmces were as Gods^ he will*' judge that this was divinely faid.

Let every Man reflet on this Place,'that will not believe, that any amongthe Heathen was fimple enough to thinkthat the Planets were Gods i or that JW-^/Ver, Mars, Src. had their Abode aflignMthem in the JPlanets that bear theirNames;and which have it, faith he, ** only be-^' caufe they believ'd that thofe Gods hadparticular Dominion upon the Influence^^ of thofe Planets. I remember notto have read of this Notion any where 5there is fomething that comes near it,in the divers Sentiments of Philofophers,inention'd by Cicero upon this Subjed,ih his Book De Natura Deorum 5 butI have found in the firft Book, thatfeveral Philofophers beUevM that thePlanets were Gods. Flato in his Epi-nomisy teaches that they are animatedBodies, which muft be ador'd as Gods :and in Crytulus he fays, that thofe Godsare called g'o/, becaufe they run con-tinually. The Poets have declared,

' {a) that


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of spirits. 37(^.) thdt Apollo was in the Sun^ as in a Chariohwhich he guided \ Diana likewife in theMoon^ Sec. Jpuleius^ in the Bookwhich he writ of Platans Principles, andof Socrates his God, doth divide theceleftial Gods into vifible and invifible ;and faith, that the vifible ones are theLights of the World, the Sun, theMoon, and the Stars.But let us return to Jrijiotle^ and I

find that in his Time Men becameGods ; he doth not declare his own O-pinion of the Matter, but here is whathe faith, *^ IfMen become Gods, as they hold, becaufe of the Excellencies of


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A Treatiseperform'd for them, ought to be com-mitted to the oldeft Men, who haveneed of Reft. But if all this was taught,and after this Manner, by the Feripmticks in St. PmPs Time, thofe Philofo-phers did not hold an Opinion contraryto the common People, who believedthat the Damons were dead Men, whichbecame the ObjeS: of the Adoration ofthe Living.

As for the Stokhs^ I confefs that theyacknowlidgM not the Mediation of Dae-mons, fince they believ'd that the Su-preme God was the World s and thatall the Gods Worfhipp'd under feveralNames,were only the feyeralParts of theWorld, whic were all Animated by^and Partakers of the Divinity gf thewhole, Cicero de Naf. libr. i, 2. 7^. j.But you know that this Opinion was notreceived among the People that worihip'dthe Celeftial Gods, and Demons Me-diators betwixt the Gods and Men ;nor by the wife Men, who did owaone Sovereign God, Maker and Mafterof the World, and rais'd up above the

Hea-


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of spirits. 59Meavens. (a) God^ faith Trifmegijlus laAfclefioj lifted uf above the top of thehighefi HeavenJ is every jvhere^ takes Noticeof all Things : for beyond Heaven there isa place rvithout Stars^ feferated from allCorporeal Thtp.gs, Gody faith Arifiotle^ haththe frji and the highejl Seat,

As for what is faid of Socrates^ That hisNotions were conformable to thofe ofChriJlians^efpecially about Providence^ I have readwhat Xenophou relates in lib. i. and 4. ofmemorable Things, and have found theirPhilofophy intangled Mrith Pagan Errors ;but I met with no Chriftianity there.He fpeaks almoft every where of GodSjin the Plural Number, and fometimescalls them Daemons ; at the latter endof the 4th Bookj he faith, That a Dsmonrvhom he calls God^ hindred him from an-^fmring his Judges. Whereupon bothApuleius and Plutarch have written eachof them a Treatife ; the former of the

.(a) See Balzac's Antiquities of the Chriftian Religion, or

fourth Defence,God;


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[A TreatiseGod, and the latter of the D^smon ofSocrates ; or as Amiot tranflates it, Con-cerning the Familiar Spirit of Socrates 5and both do aflert, that this God of So^,crates was a Dssmon ; that is^ one ofthofe leffer Gods, which were belowand inferior to the great Gods. Andwill any Man think what Socrates fays,lib. 4. That the Gods mufi he honom'^d afterthe Manner of the Country where rve are ;doth favour niuch of Chriftianity. Ex-amine in the fame Book, his Converfa-tion with Theodora^ and v/hat Xenophonfaith of him in his Banquet; and I af-fure my felf that Erafmus himfelf wouldnot cry out, Saint Socrates^ pray for usThe wife Heathen themfelves were notpleafed with the Difcourfes of Socrates^touching the Divinity. They have ta-ken Notice, that he called the SunGodj and the Spirit of Man ; and thathe fpake fometimes as if there had beenmany (hj. His Death was honourableto him, and made him be looked upon as

(i) Cicero de Nat. D, lib. r. Amob. lib. 8.a Mar-


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&f spiriti. 41a Martyr, for having true Sentiments

' of the Divinity : But the Truth is, thathe had no fettled Notions of God, andthat he was put to Death merely fordoubting of, and oppofing the commoaOpinion the others had of the GodSjivhich were eftablifhed by Authority.The Fathers have fhew'd that they havehad no high Efteem for him.- And hethat called him the Athenian Buffoon (asindeed Irony was his beloved Figure)was not minded to propofe him as aaExample to Chriftians. What St. J^^.Jtin relates of him, De Confenfu Ev. t. iS,Th/it every God is to be ferved after thatManner that hmfelf bath ordained

; dothfliew, that even an Heathen is to keerithe Orders of the Divinity which is ten-dered to him ^ but it juftifies alfo, thatthis wife Man was never eh lightned withthe right Knov,/ledge of that One onlyGod, who hath reveaPd himfelf toMan by his Word. However, Socrate^iOpinion was not the common Opinion ofthe Heathen^' Which we are riow dif-courfing of ; for Xenophon, ULi.Rer^Mem. tells us, That this Philofifher he.F lievei


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42 ^TreatiseUeved that the Gods did take care of //-mam Affairs after another Manner thanmany did imagine.

Of the Places Tohere thofeDamons inhabited ivhonvere made Gods) andof CoTTaV Opinion.WHAT IS faid, that Merit had

raifed up (^Hercules^Liher^kc.^ toHeaven feems to contradit what is af-firm'd, that Damons dwell only in the Air :We have faid indeed, that the DaemonsMediators betwixt the God&and Mtnjiddwell in the Air* St. Aufiin tells uSy Thatit was the Opinion of the Heathens, DeCiv. /. 8. c. i8, 21, 22. & lib. 9. c. 12.for giving an Account of their Doftrine,he faith, The Gods do hold the higheft Place, Men the loweft, and Da&- mons the middle ; for the Habitati* on of the Gods is in Heaven, that of


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of Spirits. 43


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A Trea^Tisea/c Food from the Earth, there they

^^Miiake then- Reft whea they are*f weary ; and the Air which they beat*f with their Wings in flying, is only^ this loweft Air, near the Earth.*VRearon therefore will have us con-f^ ceive, that what is truly the Air,^S hath alfo its proper Animals Byall thefe Reaibns he aSrms, thar theDaemons are the Inhabitants of thisAir above Olympus. It is alfo the Sen-timent of Hermes in Jfcleph ; 1 fpeak,^} faith he, of the Dcsnions which IM believe do dwell with us, and of*f thofe airy ones, w^hich dwell in the^* pureft Part of the Air, above Ub and^^ our Earth ; where arifes no Fogjand no^^ Difturbance. As for that Part of theAir neareft to the Earth, i^r;;?^^ thial


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of spirits. 4f^^ throws it down into low Places aadff expoes it to Storms and Whirl-*


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4^ /^ TreatiseMerits, that was the Opinion of theHeathen, as it is exprefs'd in the Law^of the twelve Tables, (j) We muft faytherefore, that the Heaven whereintothefe were admitted after Death, wasthe higheft and pureft Part of the Air,which is often called fieaven, and wheredo dwell thofe Souls -w-'hich becameDmons ; or elfe we muft fay with Plutarch,that Herculesj Liber^ &c. were turnedfrom Damons into Gods, and confequent-ly alfo raifed up from the Air into Hea-ven. As indeed Heftodus his Opinion,as Plutarch witnefles, in his Treatife ofThe Oracles that are ceas^d^ was that theSouls of Virtuous Men, were changedinto Heroes, or Demi-Gods ; that after-wards they became Demons ^ that atlaft, being well purified by Vertue, theywere made Gods, except thofe that diedDamonsj and fuch as were again entang-led with mortal Bodies. This

(a) Cicero, Lib. i . Legum. Separatim nemque habeffitIDeos five novos, fed nee advenas, nice publice afTitos : Ritusfamilize, patrumque Tervanto. Divos, 8c eos qui celeftesiemper habiti funt colunto. Et illos quos in coelum meritavocaverint. Herculem, Liberum, ^ioilapium, Caftorenvpollucem, Quirinum, Deorum, Manuum jura fandh luntaHos Letho datos Divos habento. ^^


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vf spirit 47Ij'his proves that the very eeleftiai

Gods, whom the greateft part worfhip'd,had been Men as well as the Damons^and that St. JujUn was in the rightDe Civ. D, L 8. c. 26. when he faid.That the nhole Religion of the Heathenconfijled in the Worfloi^ of dead Men.That which he proves by the Autho-rity of Varro and Trifmegijlus^ I will addto what he fays, that the Genealogyof the Gods and their i4lions, fet forthby the Foets^ and particularly fay He(io^dusy as alfo written in Profe, and feri-oufly related by Jfollodorus^ as true Hi.ftories, could not beget any other Sen-timent in the People than this. Thatthe Gods, whom they ferved, had beeaMen. They could not but be confirmedin this Opinion, by the Jpotheofes^ whenthey faw that publick Authority didfrom tim.e to time canonize, and fet inthe Number of the Gods, fome Men^whom they had feen to die. The CivilMagiftrate, and both the high and or-dinary Priejls did unanimoufly labour tomaintain the Yulg^ar in the fame O-

pinion.


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8 ^Treatisepinion, their Defign being to have thehidieft Honours rendred after Deathto them, who had beft ferved the State,whether in War, or in Peace ; andkeep the People in Awe, by the Fearof that Divine Power, which thofewere raisM up to in Heaven, to whomthey had yielded Obedience upon Earth.This appears particularly by Plato'sBooks, D& Republtca. The Priejis weretaken from among the Heads of thePeople, who could bear no longer theBurden of the Civil Wars ; or whomthey thought fit to make the Heads ofReligion, for the Good of the Scace.

As for the private Notions theymight have in their Souls concerningthe Divinities they ador'd, and theirWorCnip, we may judge of them bythe Difcourfe of one of their High-Priefts,Cotta in CkerOy De INat. )* /. j. * I^ have been fenfibly touched, Bdbus^^* With your Exhortation, to remember^ that I am Cotta^ and a High-Prieft $^ I perceive that the Meaning is, that I ought to defend the Doctrine wb

* have


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of spirits. 4phave received from our Anceflors,concerning the ur mortal Gods, andmaintain the Sacrifices, Ceremoniesand Religion, that's my Defign, andI did it always ; and all the Difcoui i>,whether of the Learned, or of theIgnorant, cannot take from me thatOpinion I receivM from my Ancefl-orStouching the Worfiiip of the Celeftia^Gods ; but in the Cafe of Religion*I confuit with the High-Priefls thatwent before me, and not with theold Philofophers. I give more Creditto the Divine LÛus^ than to the nioftlearned S.^6?/V/tj in the World. All theReligion of the People of Rome con-filisinthe Sacrifices and Divinations:to which I may add the Predictions andAugures, whereof we are warned bythe Interpretîs of the Sj/hlsj and bythe Harijpcts of PrognoJlicatGrs* I lioldthat none of thefe Devotions is to bedefpifed : and I am fare that theFoundations of our State were lav'dupon the Prognoftciations of RomulMsând upon the Ceremonies inMicutedby Num^. This is what Cotta behev'dG ^ ^nd


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Treatiseat the High-Prieft ought tond now tell me yourThoughts.to learn of vou, who are as.

herjiheRcafonofour Religion,am to believe it upon the Au-rity of ourAnceftorSjtho' no Reafoa

\ of it were given me. Bdlhus having^ asked him what he would have? heanfwered him thus, * The firfl: Thing* is, that tho' all Men (except thofe that^ are altogether ungodly) do agree that^ there are Gods, and nothing can per-^ fwade ^le of the contrary ; yet I bcr' lieve it merdy upon the Authority* of the AncientSj and you give me no^ Reafon why it fhould be believM-And a little after, * Becaufe you judged^ not that this Truth was as plain as you* defirM it fhould be,^ you would proye

^ by feveral Arguhients, that there were* Gods: as for me, it is fufRcient that

the Ancients have conveyM it tous^ by Tradition ; but you defpife Authors* and will difpute by Reafon : Give leav^4 therefore to my Reafon to difpute with' yours.' After this he maintains byReafon the Atheiftic^ Part,which he fays^' '

. . . i .'. hei


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of spirits. Cihe did renounce to hold to the Habita-tion of his Anceftors, and out of RefpeflEto their Authority. And what thinkyou now ? Doth not he, who calls him-felf the High-Prieft among Chriilians,make good ufe of Fieathenifli Principels ?Do ye not think, thatthofe who wouldhave us believe the Trinity, and otherMyfteries of ourHoly Religion, and theDivinity of the Holy Scripture, uponnone other Ground than becaufe all thatwas believ'd by them that went beforeus, or upon the Authority of the Church,or of other Leaders, that they have notprofited little by Cottt^s Inftruftioris.But are you not grieved to fee the'I'ruths ofChriJlkmty treated at no bet-ter Rate than were the Fables of theHeathe'/2ijh Worfhip, Do you not Judgethen, that thefe, who fo plainly declarethat they ftand to Chrijlh Religion onlyupon Men's Authority, have not intheir Hearts better Notions of it thanCotta had of that of his falfe Gods :It is apparent enough, that theywho fo highly affert their Authority^df being the only Guides in Matters ofG 2 Religion^


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s;i ^TreatiseReHgion, have the fame Defign with theHigh-Priefl:, in Cicero's Time, This isthe only thing they aim at, to Main-tain the ignorant People in theirppinion, aricl in the Pradice of thofeCeremonies already receiv'd, but ne-ver to permit them to examine thet)o8:rinc, enquire afcer the Truth, andreform and reftify their Sentiments.Socrates was put to Death for oflFeringat ir, and the Maxim that caused itdid not die v/ith him ; Plato profitedby his Example, and taught Cotta whatwe have heard of him : for he fpeaksthus, lih. teaum ii. *' I liave faid that^^ the Souls of the Dead have forne^' Power, whereby they take care of** humane Affairs; that is trtie, and*^ nruch might be faid on that Subjeft:'' wherefore^ unlefs Men were out o^ their Senfes, they muft believe upon the Account of the Ancients and commonly receiv'd Tradition, and*^ the Authority of the Law-givers that^* have ordained it.

Of


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of spirits. 5*5

Of rheWwpip %mh of thetjods and Dtemons.

SINCE we are entred upon theSubjefl: of Damons become Gods

we mufl: not leave it without fomeRefleftions upon what Flutarch faysThat their Worfhip was a mixt Worjhip ofthat of the Gods^ and of that of Damons .-which clearly difcovers that there was aDifference, at leaft, according to the^#hilofophers Opinion, betwixt the Wor-hip peculiar to the celeftial Gods, andthat which belonged to Damons ^ asindeed Trifmegiftnsy fo often quoted by

^St. Jujiiny Mth in Jfclepio, That Heaven and the celeftial Gods were pleasM in receiving the Admirations^*' Praifes, and Obedience ofMen; where-** upon he makes a largo Gommentary,*^ and then ends with thefe Words.f* To Honour the Divinity with Sim-

*' plicity


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^4 ^ Treatise*^ plicity of Spirit, and a pure Hearf^-*^ to reverence his Works, and give


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of spirits. ^9Ibring of Sacrifices : As indeed as toTemples, Trifmegijlus faith ^* That as*^ the Supreme God, the Lord and^' Father, hath made the celeftial Gods ; fo Man hath made the Gods^^ that are in Churches. And whatfollows clearly fhews, that his Notionwas, that the Gods made by Men,were truly Gods, made up (faith he)of the Divim Nature^ and of the Matterthat was found among Men. It is trueas it is added, that Men cannot createSoulSy hut they call in the Souls of DamonSyor of Angels, Jpuleius fpeaking of Dae-mons of the fecond Order, which hadbeen Mep, faith likewife, '' That they** were called Gods, who having led a^ wife and juft Courfe of Life, were^^ honoured by Men, who confecrated*' Temples uiito them, and appointed^' Ceremonies for their Worfhip, and^' by thefe own'd them for Divinities.Wherefore it is manifeft, that Philo-fophers believed that Churches werefconfecrated only to Daemons that hadbeen Men. They had the fame No-tion pf Images, TrifTnegiftus faith, That


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^Treatisen having invemed the Art of maki^^

Godsj did cctU in Invocation the 'Soulsof D^mo^Sj to fut them into thofe holy,If}/4gi0Sj and that by this Mems the IdoL\I^doUy have Porver to do Goad or EviLMot^ that in this Place. Idol and Imageare the fame thing. As for the Sa.-. ,crifices and Ceremoniesj we have {eeathat Apuleius reckons them amongthe Honours rendred to Daemons of>the fecond Order^ that is, which hadbeen Men. He doth not tell us withwhat Form ofWorfhip the others muftbe ferved, tho' he declares that theyare religioufly to be honoured. Hearhow how he fpeaks of what is due tothe Celeftial Gods and to Doemons^;*^ All the Celeftial Gods do always en-f5 joy the fame eternal Equality, thef^ fame Temper of Spirit:, which never^^ exceeds its Bounds, either towards^* Grief or Pleafure : God cannot be fubjeflto any Commotion, eith-^-r of^VAdion or of Love; he can neither^' be tranfported with Anger, nor^^ moved with Pity ; he is freed from^^ all Pafiions, he can neither mourn

nor


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of spirits. ^7^ nor rejoyce, &c. But all tliefe, and all things of this kind belong to D^.^' mons, who are in a middle Ele. vation ; they are as we, capable of being provokM and appeased ; they*' -can be angry and compaffiooate Men may obtain their Favour by Offsrings,^' foften them by Prayers, and provoke them by Injuries, &c. And for this Reafon, we are to receive with Faith^* the divers Obfervations of Reiip;ion,^' the Devotions of facred Ceremonies^^ and Sacrifices. The Meaning is^ thatif Men had refpefl: only to the Ce-leftial Gods, who can be fenfible ofnothing, there would be no need of allthe Ceremonies of Religion ; they fliouldbe honoured, according to TrifmeoiRuisOpinion^ by pure Obedience andThankf-giving : But that by reafon of the Varie-ty, which the Demons are capable ofiall thofe Religious Ceremonies mail: beobferved, whereby Men do endeavour,either to appeafe them, or to get Fa-vours from them. Whereupon it iTiOuldbe noted, that the Celeftial Gods, whowere Da^m.ons before, having not quiteH put


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98 ^^ Treatiseput off their Nature and former Af-fecVions, were, according to PhtarcVsOpinion, to be ferved both as Gods andas Daemons, that is >^'ith a mixt Wor-fhip, honouring them with Hymn^and Praifes, as PUto teaches ; it is like^wife requifite tt) build them Temples,to offer Sacrifices to them to pleafethenij to keep clofe to the Ceremonial Ob-fervations of Religion, as it is prafti-fed in the Wordiip of Demons. Seeingthererore, that the Multitude of Godswhich the Keatben worfhip'd in theirImages, with Sacrifices and other Rehgi-ous Services, were either Dixmons Me-diators, or Demons raifed up to Hea-ven, and all fuch Gods as had been Men,as appears, by the Hiliories oftheir Lives,and of theh' Tranflations : It follov/s,that all the Religion of the Heathenconfifted in the Worfliip of Dead Men;and that St. Paul was in the rightwhen he faid, That what th.e Heathenoftered, they offered it to D^-mons ;for thus It iliould be trandatcd, andnot to Devils,

Oi


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of spirits. S'Pgsffl#

Of that Place of Scrip-ture, I Gor. X. 20.What the Heathen offer, they offer it to

i/ iy t' P 3

S place of Holy Writ, beingtranllated in pur vulgar

Tongue, fliould be here \;^ell refleciedupon J A ^jfri TO ''tip'ii) Aa.iiJ jc'y' oi^ dt/C-i is Ti^Qip, torit fbiould be rend red, to Vitmons^ not;to Devils ; for tlie Apoftle (peaks of theObject of the Heachenifli WorOiip, andaccording to the Notions ofthe Heathen,ilnce he gives it the fame Name whichthey did, this is very remarkable : If Re-flefticn be made upon the Ilebrev/ Word^Vv'hich the iUftuagimh^x'Q tranflated D.e-mons^ for the ^o^ds of St. Fatd^ in thi^Place, do allude to thofe, Detit, 52. 17.where Mofes Ipeaking of the SacrificesH 2 \^hich


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o^ ^ Treat iseÎiicli the Children of Ijrael offerM to theGods ofM?^^ and ofM^Mm^ faith (accordingto the Tranflation of the Settiâom of,,the F^lgrae^ and of Tremelius') They offeredto Dmo?7Sj mP to Gods : V/e tranflated,Thej offered to Idols that are no Gods, TheTranflution of the Seventy, which St.

. Paul foliow'd, doth Anfwer the HebrewText, better than the other: S^k^, whichboth the Seirenty and St. Paul^ havetranflated Dmo?^Sj hath great Affinitywith the Word Scaddai^ one of theNames which the holy Language givesto God alone, to fignify that God a-lone is fufficient to Himfeif^ and to allThinc^s befides. The Scptuaoint havetranflated Suhed twenty Times by theWord Vafos^ which fignifies a Woman'sBreft that affords fuiScient NouriOimentfor young Children 5 but they have re-der'd it but twice by the word Damons^%'iz. Deut. jg. 17. and PJ\ ic6. 37. theonly Places wherein it is nted to fignifya Form of unlawful Worfhip, My Ob-fervation is this/ that the Vvôrd Schedanfvvers well to that of D^mo^?)which without doubt was an Honoura-

ble


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^ of spirits. 6lble Name given to the ObjeQ: of reli-

.. gioas WorOiip by the NeighbouringNations^ and particularly the Midi^ntasywhofe Language had much Affinity

With the Hemen'y as the Grecians gavethe Name of Dmo?2s to them^ whomthey mod conftantly ador'd. WhatI infer from it, is, that it clearly appeares, that the Apoftle doth here (ttforth the Doarine of the Heathen^ ac

. cording to their own Notions, and- the Confeffions of their wifsft Phiiofophers, viz. that what they offered^ they

offered it to Demons ; and widiai to teachChriftianSjWho were not Ignorant whatThings God had formerly condemned-and might very well be (enfible of theStrength of his AUufion, that fuchWorfliip could but be- very difpleafingto God : whence it foibv/Sj that theywere by no Means to partake of theHeathenifb Sacrifices, finceby the Confef-fion of thofe that ofrer'd them, they wereoffered to D^mons^ and were the fameThings which the Children of Jfvdelhaving facrificed unto, under fuch Nameas v/as not lefs Honourable than that

of


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6Z \^1KEATISEof D^mor^r^ had notv/ithftanding high-ly provoked God. By this St. Faulhath taught us thefe two Things ingeneral, i. That the Heathen com.mitted Sin in offering Sacrifices to anybut God. 2. That Chriilians fliould havenothing to do widi any religious Wor-Jhip, which does not direfliy and imme-diately relate to God, and to him alone,notwithftanding all the Reafons whichMen may pretend to the contrary, andthe fine Names they will give to thofeObjefts which they -worDiip after thismanner

Of the firft CommancUmerit of the Lavj.,

''I ^ H E foregoing Doftrine is taughti us by the firft Commandment of

the Law ; Thou /Jjall have nof7e other God^cr Gods befort^ cr uPon Viy Face, Twothings mould here be taken notice of i.

I'hat


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of spirits. 6^That tlio' there is no other God butone, and that an Idol is nothing inWorld ; yet whatfoever Men fee upas an Objet of rehgious Worfliip, istermed God in holy Script ure^ becaufeit is fubftituted and placed in the roomofthe true and only God, who ought tobe the foleOb jefl: ofReligion. 2. The otheris, that in this Precept God fpeaks toMen that own him as God, and pro-fefs to worfloip him: lie doth notforbid they fhould deny him, that theyiliould go and ferve other Gods ; buthe forbids particularly, they fhouldferve any other in his Prefence, or withhim ; thofe that are guilty of the for-mer do call: God behind their Backs,Ror/^. 14. 9. but they than commie thethe latter Crime, do ftill pretend toftand in God's Prefence; their Sin is,that they will have other Ob-jects of their Devotion, before, befidesand with him, Ezek. 23, Sec. The Termsof the Commandment feems to pointat thofe who place certain Objed's oftheir Devotion betwixt God and them-felves, and as before, or upon God's

Face


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A TreatiseFace, to cover the dreadful Majefiythereof, that they may approach it withleis Fear. It may be faid here^ that as un.der the Lav/ the FarCe of God was theArk towards v/hich they worfliip d, wasthe only Symbole of God's Prefence, andas a Means to draw near unto him: andthat as under the Law God would not thathis People [hould have any other Objeft oftheir Devotion, but Hiriifelf, who fpaketo them out of the Ark, nor contriveany other Way of drawing nighto him., nor fancy any other Token ofhis Pretence with them.- So under theGofpel he witl have no Chriftians to ac-knowledge none other ObjeQ: of theirrehmous Services, than the God whomanifelted himfelf in Jefus Chrij}^ theonly Mediator betwiKt God and Men,Ror feek after any other Means of ob-tainins; his Grace and Favours, than thefame ^efus Cbrift, Difobedience to thisLav/, is the Error whicii St. Vml pro-pheficd fiiould prove the great Unhap-pinefsof the Chriftian Church, when hefaith, Ihdt Jome fljall fall av^ay from theFahhf g^vi/j'g up themfelves to feducinc^Spirits anii Dccfrines of Demons, Of


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of spiritf. 6^

Of theWords Daemon andDevil^ and of the re-markahleDifference he-tm >ct thofe two Namesand of Sepulchres andRelicks.WHY IS it fayM that the Mamdof Ddmon is lefs fearful than

that of Devil^ feeing that Mr. Ddlleobferves, that it is always iifed to fig-niff an evil Thing in the Tranflatioaof the Septuagints ;and that in the Bookof the Acts it is ufed otherwife but inone Place, and that with refpeO: to thewrong Judgment which the Heathenmade of it? To this will be anfwer'djfthat the Word Damon hath always form-ed in the Mind of Chriftians the Ideaof an Evil Thing, as reprefenting tothem either the ObjeO: of abominable

I Idolatryj


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6^ ^TreatiseIdolatry, or thofe Evil Spirits that areconftantly called by this Name, as Origenobferves, Lib. 5. ag. Celfus. It fignifiesalways the oae or the other of thefeThings in the New Teftament, evenActs 17. 18. In the Tranflation of theSeventy, it is ufed fix or feven timesto the fame Purpofe : we have alreadyfeen two Places where it expounds aWord fignifying a forbidden Worfhip,P/I 96. 5. It ihews the Signification ofthe Word Elilimj which we tranflateJdols^ and Ifa.^6, 11. to expound theWord Gady which we tender the Hofl:of Heaven ; in both which Places, men-tion is made of falfe Divinities. Be-fide thefe, the Seventy likewife ufedthe Word Damon ^ to explain the HebrewWord Sehhirim, Ija. ijo 21. which wetranflate Bugbears^ and it fignifies a kindof Wild Beait or Night Bird, apt to^fright Folks, and which were to flielterthemfelves in the P^^ains of Babjlo^^after it was defl:royM ; and i/i. 54. 14.to expound the Word Tftjmy which figni-fies the Wild Beafi:s which were tolepair to iliQ. Ruins of Bofra. The

moff


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of spirits. 6ymoft conftant Ufe of the Word D


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of Spiritsl 6^diftinguifli them, and we look upon theNames of Devils and Damons to beSynonymous^ tho' the one comes out eafierthan the other : we obferve likewife inreading the Holy Scripture, that theWord Devil is always without any Ti-tle or Adjunft, which can intimate anydifference between the Things to whichthis Name is given 5 but the Name D^-mon is fometimes ufed with Diftinflion,which implies that this Name may begiven as well to good as to Evil Things^diS Luke 4. J 3. The Spirit of an uncleanD^mon^ or as it is in fome Copies, Kxximpure Damon.Two notable Differences there are h^^

twixt thefe two, firfi: that the HolyScripture applies the Word Damon bothin the Singular and in the Plural Num-ber, to the fame Things : But tho' theWord Devih is three times ufed in thePlural Number, to fignify fuch Perfonsas are given to flandeiing, yet neverbut in the Singular to fignify theEvil Spirit : This fbews that the Scrip-ture \yill not confound thefe two Names

as


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7b Â TreaTisas we do, and the Things which arereprefented by them. The firii Placewhere we meet with the Word îaô7.


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of spirits] 71of MofeSj Jude. 9. from whofe PowerMen are delivered by the Preachingof the Gofpel ; in one Word, who hadthe Empire of Death, and whom Chrijihath overcome by his Death. ThisWord Ssa^om is not found in the GreekIleafhemfh Authors to fignify a Spir^t^or any other particular Thing : And Ido not think that the Heathen kne\%Fthis great Accufer, Adverfary, and ge-neral Enemy of Mankind, which wecall the Devil : They that believ'd wickedDamonsJ never gave them this Name,neither was it given to that evil God,the Author of all Evil, whom fome, tha'

^ but few, did affirm to ftand in oppoQ*tion to the Almighty and good God^but whom they never IpokM upon as aaenvious y jealous Sfirit^ to accufe Menbefore God, and endeavouring by allmanner of Ways and Means to deftroythem. We have no Knowledge of thisSpirit called the Devil, and Satany butby the Revelation of God's Word .- itfliould be obferv'd therefore, that theHoly-Scripture fpeaking of D^^^^f?;^/, tliatwere the Objea of the Heatheniffi

Worfbip,


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% ^TreatiseWorfhip, names them often in tSePlural Number, according to the Notionsof thofe Idolatrous Nations, but neverof the Devil, or Sata^, the true Caufeof Man's Fall ; but as of one to whomis attriLjted the Seduftion of theWorld, and of the Nations, the Ori-ginal of Mens Inclinations to do Evil,and opp:{inj God's Grace and ManVHappinefs.

The ftcond Difference to be takennotice of is, that the Scripture nevergives the Name o^D^mon to any livingMan, but that of Devil, and Satan tdfeveralj as to Hddad, i KJngs i. 14.to Rezo^f Ver. 2j. 25. to St. Pefer^Matt. 16. 2 J. in the fame Senfe thatDavid called Abifcdi by the fame Name,% Sam. 19. 22. thefe Men are calledSatan, the Name of the moft fearful andcrjelEnemy and Adverfary of Mankindto exprefs the greatnefs of the Injurythey offered by their Oppofitions andContradidions. In St. John 6. 70. itis faid of Judas^ that he was a Devily

in


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of spirits. 75in the fame Senfe that this Name isgiven to H^mmonhy the Seftuagintj Hefi.ij.. 4. and chap. ^' ver* i. where wefind the Heherv Word Ifar^ which fig-nifies a violent Oppreffor: the Reafonof this is, that the Devil or Sata^ is areal and true Being, and moft wickedof all Creatures, and the Holy Scrip-ture will have us t,0 underftand thatajl tfhofe are like him to whom ic givesthis Name ; whereas the Damons^ ho-nour'd by the Heathen, have no realExiftence, and the Holy Ghoft wouldpot give the Names of Things that haveno Being but in Imagination, to thofePerfons whofe real Qualities were tobe declar'd and fet forth.

I conceive, that it will be objededthat the Damons of the Heathen werereal Things, fince what was worfhip-ed under that Name, were the Soulsof dead Men, and that feme did alfounderftand by the fame Name, themth at we call Agels. To this I anfwertliat both Angels and the Souls of deadMeoj are indeed real in themfelves, butK as


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74 y^TREATlSEas to thac Median on, the Knowledgepf Human Affairs 5 the Power of com-manding, of defending, of communicateing good thins ^^c. add above all, thatadorable Divinity attributed to themby their Worfhippers, they were nothingin truth. St, Vml faith it exprefly^i.C(9r. 84. and C^^/'. 10. 19. I knowthat he fpeaks there of Idols, that is,of Images confecreated in the Hea-thens Temples^ for this is the Meaningof the Word Uol, even in Afuleius iriJfclepieo. But tliQApoJlle doth not confide rthofe Images in themfelvcis, that eitherin their Matter or Form, for that wasfomething, but with refpeft to whatthey w^ere in the Imagination of f-dclkers^ who believed that they repre-fented fo many Divinities; that they-were not fimple Statues, but Imagesfull of Sfirit^ that wrought Wonders,and knew I'hings to come, did foretellthem by Dreams or otherwlfe, andcaufed Difeafes to fall upon Men, and.cured them afterwards : Holy Images,'m%o which Men having found the.J^n of making Ggds, did introduce

thQ


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of spirits^. 7fthe Souls of Damons^ or Angels: inone Word Uols^ Idola, which alone hadthe Power of doing Good or Evil. Anddo you not find here all that is faidnow of the Images ofLauretta, and fe-Veral other Places. With refpeQ: tothis, St. Paul faith, that the Idol is no-^thing in the World ; becaufe that whatthey would have it to be, is no morothan the Vertue afcribed to it ; thatthere is no God ; but One and whatthe Gentiles did offer, they offered itto Demons, not to God ^ and Damonswhere nothing but imaginary Divi-nities.

We gather from both thefe DiflFerences,that tho' the Heathenifh Opinion con-eerning Damons^ and that which wasto be in vogue among Chriftians con-formably thereunto, had the Devil fortheir Author; yet in that Place St*VauPs Meaning is not that they wei'eDoftrines of Satan^ or of the Devil^ ofwhom he makes no mention, nor Doft-rines infpired by Devils : there beingbut one only Devil, whom the ApojlleK 2 WCuld


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A TRfATisEwould have named in the SingularNumber, fince he Is never fpoken df 6-therwife in the ^hole Bible ; lidr yetDoftrin^s fuggefted by D^mons^ whichwere nothing : But that they wereOpinions which Men would hold con-cerning the WbrChipof Dead Men, an-fwerabte to them which the Heathenhad cbnceived of their Damons* ManyChriftans, faith F/'-z/ifj Upon chap. 27. oflib.^. St.AuJi. DeCivit. D. Do Evil in a tiling that fhoiild be Good; theyf' Honour the Saints, both Men indWomen, after the fame manner that'^ they ferve God: and I perceive not what may be the Difference in many


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df Spiritfl ^Days. Plato, in UL Legum 1 1, afcribesto Vulcan and Pallas, the Protection ofthe Workmen who laboured in Thingspertaining to Life ; to Mars and Palhsthat of Smiths, who made oiFenfive anddefenfive Weapons, and fays that ope'God is over one thing, and another overanother thiiig. See Armbius, lib. j, Vof-fius de Idol. Gentium, lib., i. c. 7. TheVeneration of Sepulchre^ zvid, Relicks is^llowM in the HearheniQa Authors

53?bu will find it particularly in lik 5,ofPlato^s Refp. and inCJcen lib. a. Legum,You may read upon -ihis ' Subje


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78 A TreaTis.;

That there is hut oneDevil, or Satan; andof the Angels fpoken of,

- Jlev. ix. II. y^ii. 7-2Cor.xii.7. Jud.ud^.z Pet. iL 4.

^ I ^Hat there is hut one Devilj fecrtis JL to be both a bold and falfe AfTer-tion, fince Scripture fpeaks of feveraAngels that finned in the beginning,and of Angels of 54//t;? ; yet the Scripturethat tells us that there is a Devil, or^Atan^ never fpeaks but of one only,to whom it afcribes the Seduftion ofMan, and all the MaHgnity tending toIlls Deftruftion. I know that the con-trary Opinion is the moft common a-

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of spirits. 7pmong Chriftians, and I do not lookupon it as dangerous to condemn themthat hold it ^ but I fay, that it dothnot feem to have any F ondation iaGod's Word ; and I believe, they have itfrom fome other Place,We have feen that among the Hea-

then fome believed that there werewicked D^mom, whom they called Ca-cod^mo/iSy and mifchievous Angels : thefame Opinion w^as among the Jews^ afterthey were divided into feveral Sefts.The Sadduces believed neither Refur-reftion, nor Angels, nor Spirits : Butthe Pharifees, who had better CreditWith the People, and who did all thatthey could, to deftroy the Sadduces^ didomit nothing to eftablifh the Opinionof Spirits 5 they follow'd the Notionsof the Heathen concerning Damons^ andcalled Ddtmon and Sfirit^ every thingthat difturbed Men in any extrordi-iiary Manner : The fame Notion is creptin alfo among Chriftians ; and it is com-monly believed, ihzx. Satan was an Angelhf Ligkj the chief and head of many':-''''' others.


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^Treatiselersy whom he drew with him into

^^e fame Rebellion, and doth ftill ad^gainft Man by his Order. But whereli it faid ia Scripture, tbnt^&atan was mAnoel^ that he was the headof Angels^ anc^his Troop follorvd him in his RebellionJIt may be they will quote that Place,Ite^. 9. II. where St. John fpeaks ofthe Angel 'of the Bottomlefs Fit, Butbefides that, this Book contains Prophefies, on which no certain Principle canbe grounded. St. John fufficiently dif-covers in the firfl: Chapters, that bythe Word Angels he underftandeth Menfint ; and according to his Interpreta-tion, I believe that this Angel of theAhyfs^ called in Hebrew Ahbadon^ audin Greek JppoUyonj is a Man whomGod hath fent in his Anger to confoundand deftroy Men. If we confider wellthe Locujlsj whereof this Angel of tliQAbyfs is the King, we fhall perceivQwithout much ;to do, that it is a Manwho is the Head of Men, come fromthe Depth of Error and Confufion, toforment other Men after a cruel man.mr 5 and I know none \^ith whom this

agrees


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of spirits] 8agrees better than the Head of theFryars, and of the Inquifition. The An-gels of the Dragon who fought with bioiagainfl: Michael and his Angels^ Rev. 1 2. 7'.are aho Men ^ the Minifters of Satanthat feduce and torment the World,they fight againPc 'Jefus Chrijl the Headof the Church, and againfl: his Mini-fters, and the eternal Fire is preparedfor them, as well as for him that lentthem, Mat. 25. 4. That Angel of iVtdn who troubled St^ Paul., was a falfeTeacher, an Apoftate that ftuck clofe tohim, to keep him from reft ; I believeit Was Alexander the Copper-fmithy rvhohad done him much Evil^ i Tim* 1.20.

It will be alledged further, that Se.Jude: zfeK 6. fpeaks of thofe Angelswho kept not their Eftate, as we renderit : But you cannot find there that Mul-titude of Spirits commanded hy Sata^^and Partakers of his Rebellion; nothing-but Prejudice can there fi^^d Angels^ whonever were Angels, The Holy Ghofl:',who never gives but fit and properKarnes, doth never call A^^e//, but fuckas were fent upon fome Errand or other.L Tho


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82 A TreatiseThe Spirits fuppoled to have follow'dSatan in his Revoult from the beginning ofthe World, had not yet been fent ofGod ;and if St. '^ui.e meant it of them, he repre-fents them bound with Chains from thattime, fo that they could not never fmce beeither Angels or Meffengers. If you readthe Apoftle's Difcourfe without Preven-tion, you will find that the commonExplication doth not allow him a veryexal Way of Reafoning ; his Defignis to perfwade Chriftians to maintainconftantly the Good Fight of Faith, andnot fufFer themfelves to be carried a-way by the Examples of thofe, whoturning the Grace of God, into Wan-tonnefs, have renounced the only LordJefus Chrift our God and Saviour ; andhis Argument to this Purpofe is theFear of God's Judgments, whereof bementions here three notable Exaniples^I. That of the Children of 7/rW, whoafter their Dehverance from Egypt hclievM not, and where deftroy'd 5 thiswas known by the Hiftory. 2. TheHiftory of the Rebellion that appear'd

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of spirits. 83after the Return of them that werefent to fpy the Land of Canarf. 5. Hereis fet down for a third Example, Sodomand Gomorrah^ whereof likewife theHiftory was well known, and oftenfpoken of by the Prophets : for the fe-cond is reckoned the Panifhment ofthofe Angels that rebell'd with Satan iathe beginning of the World, and who arereferved under Darknefs, in Bonds, ofwhich no mention is made in any Part:of the Scriptures; and that Example,till then unknown, was no ftrong Ar-gument, to ftir up the Spirits, neithercould it be conveniently joiaed with thereft. Let no Body alledgehere Tradition,or fome Book that is loft ; for befidesthat, what depends upon Tradition, andmay be faid of the laft Books, is very-uncertain ; it is unlikely that St. Judewould have placed betwixt two Exam-ples, fo well known by the holy Hifto-ry, another Example, whereof no men-tion at all is made in the facred Oraclescommitted to the Jews^ and faithfullypreferved by them. Let me ask here,L 2 Whp


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84 ^TreatiseWhat obliged Interpreters to tranflatsthe Word ur/ivy by this firft E/iate^ orOriginal ? except it was the Defire offinding here, that Fall of many Angelsor Spirits, which is found no whereelfe, and whereof Men are fo ealilyperfwaded, I know not how nor where-fore. The Vulgate tranflates Frincipdiues^which doth not agree very well witha Troop of Spirits under the commandof a Head. If you mark well theContext^ and the Terms which the A-poftle makes ufe of, you will eafilydifcov^ here the Men fent to viewthe Land of O;?-^;^, Numb. ij. j. whowere the Chief of every Tribe, andheads of the Children, ^ha^vot^ and whodid not obferve on that Occafion, whatwas becoming that Rank and Dignitythey were, in among their People ;therefore they loft it with their Lives,Numb. 1^, ij. St. Jude charges them,with a double Crime, That they up-held, or maintained not their Dignitythat is they lliew'd not that Courage^nd Refolutipn which became the Heada'

.. . '.:.'

' of


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of spirit/. 8^cf the People, and then to have left/*A'7roKim>vTai to '\Siov ^ctH.-niii}tAv^ their Habita-tion, or the Country that belonged todiem ; that Is they renounced it, they,gave over the Defign of entring into it :This marks exaftly the Perfons I ansrfpeaking of.

Thefe may alfo be dlfcover'd m2 Teter 2. 4. there it is faid, That GodfparM not the Angels that finned ; forthefe Words, that fimed^ do direftlypoint at thofe of St. Paul, Heb. 3. 17.Who firpnedy and, rvhoje Carcajfes fell inthe Wildernejsy and to tvhom the Lordfrvorej that they fljould not enter into hisRefi. Thefe are the very Men whorebeird, when they were upon thePoint of entring into that Land whichhad been fpied out for them imme-diatly before. It is true, that what%t, Veter faith may be applied toall thofe, who being fent by God, dorebel againfl: his Commandment; butthere is not in the Scripture any Ex*atiiple fo remarkable of a Rebellion ofMen fent of God, as of thefe that:>..... .... - ^ere


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8^ ^Treatisewere fent to fpy the Land of Cafta/fîtbis Rebellioa did highly provokeGod, fince he puniflied it with the grea-feft Severity-

^ You will ask perhaps, WhetherMen fent by Men may be called Jf^^gels ? which Title feems to belong onlyto God's MefTengers. I anfwer^ thattKole who were fent to fpy the Lai^d,'êre fent by God, fince they wereliprit by his Orders, who had markedtheir very Perfons, Numb, i j. j. I muft^dd, that befides the frequent Ufe oftjiis Word Angel in profane Authors^ttiere is nothing more ufual in the Greek'J'fanflation of the old Teftament thantlais Word, to fignify Meffengers fent hyMi^- Thus were they calPd, whomÂcoh fent to his Brother Efm^ Gen.32. 5. So were they, v^hom Mojes fentto the Y^mgoiEdom^ Numb. 20. 4. Thofeof. Jojijua in the Tent of Jchamj Jojb.jl 2I Tho^Q oiGideonto Efhriam^ J^^^g^^^.24. This Expreffion is not unknownto the New Teftanient ; you meet with


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(f Spirhsl fIt, Jfs 12. 15. Jam. 2. 25, where thetwo Men fent by 'Jofhua to (py Jerkc^are called Jf^gels. After this you willnot think it ftrange that both St. Petefand St. 3^^^^ fhould give the fame Namestpthofe whom Mofes fent to view th$the Land of Canan^

jAi


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;y4 T R E A T I S E

'Of the Damons or Spiritswhich our Sa^uiour cafiout ; and of the Spiritsof Python.

TT IS a notable Queftion how thoferSpirits may be called which pofTefTecfMen in the Days of Ch rift's Flefh,^

and the Spirit of Python : Thefe fhouldby no means be called Devils^ fincethe holy. Scripture doth not callthem fo, and that it fpeaks but of oneDevil. But we may call that whichtormented Men at that Time, Damonsor Spirits, becaufe the Scripture dothoften give them thofe Names. I knowthat fome will fay, that if they wereSprits and Damons^ they muft be evilSprits and evil Damons^ and thereforet^tey may be called Devils^ who attendedjhe* Service of Satan^ as Head of the

Evii


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of spirits. 9Evil Spirits^ and fo they may be call'dDevils: But let it be remembered, thati have not defined what they were, butI have told you how I might call them>according to the Scripture, which fpeaksMens Language, and names Things as;Men were wont to name them. God's\Vord doth readily call Demons the Ob*Jets of the Heathens Adoration, be-caufe the Nations calPd them fo, tho'thofe Objects were but imaginaryThings. The Scripture calls Bahd^ thatis, Lordmd Mafer, that Idol whofe Wor-fliip was introduced in I/r^el in theDays of King Jhabj becaufe the Wor-Ihippers of it termed it fo *, thoVit wasnothing in the World, no more thanDamom were: And fo, becaufe theNamesof Demons and Spirits were commonlygiven to thofe Things which vexed anddifturbM Men, the Holy Scripture dothwithout DiiEculty give them the fameNames ('^j. There was nothing morecommon among the Jews^ than to a-

(a) Lightfoot on MMt. 17, i j*. doth proye tliis by fcve^ral PaiTagcs of the R;i^ss,M ' fcfib^


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po ^Treatisefcribe to evil Spirits the moft: troubl^-fome Evils, efpecially thofe wherebythe Body was torturM with Violence,and the Spirit agitated with Phrenfies:^^ The Madmen, faith Vives^ and the Furious, were called Demons by the'* Gentiles ; and the Paflions wherewith we are tranfported, are called Damons^** by feveral PUtonicans. '* I may faytherefore that thofe Spirits or D.tmo^s^from which Chriji delivered Men, werePhrenfy^ EpilepJ}^ Mddnefy^ Lunacy^ MeIan-choly^ and the like; yea, perhaps but anextraordinary Fever \ for all thefe wereDd?nons and Divinities among the Hea-then ib\ They were not fuch in Truth ^but, as I have noted, the Scripturefpeaks with the Vulgar^znd doth not nameThings otherwife tlun they were wontto be named : But if we take Noticeof feveral Things to w^hich the Scripturegiveth the Name of Spirit, it will ap-pear, that they were only the Humoursand Affeclions whereby Men are proved

{a) Lib. 8. dc Civit. Dei. c 14. lib. 9. c, uto


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of spirits. pito be of futh Temper and (^) Difponcion.That other Spirit which gaided Caleb,Numb. 14. 24. was nothing elfe but hisFaith and Courage oppofed to the here-dulhj and Corvardlinejs of his Connpanions.That Spirit which made Sennacherib toretjrn into his Country, was the Fearthat feiz'd on him at the Sight of thedead Bodies that were (lain in his Campby the Angel. That new Heart and newSpirit that God commanded his Peoplefliould have, Ezek. S, ji. are certainlyf7ew Sentiments and new Jjfections, TheSpirit of Fornication^ fpoken of by theProphet, Hofea ^, 12. is the Paffion ofthat Vice. When our Saviour told thetwo Sons of Zjbedetj Lake 9. 55. Te knownot what Spirit they are of\ it was to letthem underftand that they knew not theNature of that Jjfeciion^ which made themfpeak as they did. That Spirit of SIuttj-ber fpoken of Ifaiah 29. 10. and Rom, 11^8. is nothing elfe but that natural Stu>pidity to which God abandoileth Men,

{b) Cicero de Natura Deorum, lib. 5. Arnobi.us lib. S.Vollms de Idol. gent. I a.c.19. lib. 8. c f,6 :^^araJ, Co-Kies lib, 4. r. 47. M ^ in


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of spiriti. p5^ the World, through the Knowledge*^ of the Lord and Saviour jefusChrtft, if** they be again intangled and overcome,^^ the laft State of fuch is worfe than^ the firft. For what is faid, faith theJefuit Mddonat^ that he goeth mi taketh tohimfelf[even other Spirits worfe than him-^felf; thgt fignifies nothing elfe than this,^That if the honeft Men do lofe their Ho-nefi:y,by defpifing the Divine Grace, theycommonlv become the worft of Men ;9s if inftead of one unclean Spirit thatwas. in them before^ feven more werecome in.

All this being well confiderM, none^will think it a ftrange Thing that Dif-eafes and corporal AfFeftions, fach as Inoted before, be called after the commonjNotion Damons and SpiritSj yea uncleanSpirits, evil and wicked Spirits, no morethan to fee the Name of wicked Spiritgiven to Jealoufy, Numb. 5. 14. To Infi-delity, jf//^^, 9. 25. To Fury, which tor-mented Saul from Time to Time, andwhich was quieted by the Sound of Mu-

fical


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Sf4 ^7'REATISEfical Inftruments, i S/tfn. i6. 14, gj. To.the Diftemper of the Woman that hadbeen bound eighteen Years, Luke 15. 11^This Expofition is fo much the moreprobable, that the D^monixcks are namedamong the Difeafes which our Saviourcured: They brought unto him (faith StMatthew 4. 24.) ihofe that were fick^ of di-vers Difeafes and Torments, as D^^o-macksy Lu^aticks^ and Paralit/cks^ and hecured them all. By thefe Cures our Sa-/viour juflified, that he was the Meffixhpromifed, and of whom thfefe Thingswere prophefied. Therefore St. John theBdptift being in Prifon, and having fentto him two of his Difciples to ask him,whether he was indeed he that wascome, or whether they (hould look fofanother; be cured before them feveralPerfons of divers Difeafes and Plagues,^nd of evil Spirits^ and gave Light tomany that were blind, Luke 21. 22.After this he fpake thus to them, Go^dnd tell [fo m rvhat Things ye have feen mdhs.ird ; the Blind fee^ the Lame walky theLevers xre cleanfed^ the Deaf hear^ the Deadare rarfed r//>, and the Poor have the Go/pel

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fry 1'* ^- :^spirits. ' p^preached unto them' To this End, thatjohn fhould make them underftand, bythe Conformity of what they had feenwith the Prophecies, that he was trulythe Meffiah promifed, Ifa. J5. 56. andChap. 6i.ver. i, 2. here is to be noted,and not lightly, that though the poffef-fed with Damons are mentioned amongthem that Jahnh Difciples faw cured,yet they are not named in the Prophe-cy that went before \ which fhews thatthey muft be comprehended under theNames of the Difeafes mentioned mthat Prophecy, and that Is but a newName given, according to the r^;;^;;^^/?Dfage of that Time, to fuch Diftempersas the Prophets had named otherwife.For this Ihould be carefully rememberM,that it was not the Greatnefs of the Mi-racles which proved Chrift to be theMeffiAh^ but chiefly becaufe tlie Miracleswhich he did were the fame that itwas foretold he fliould do; But we donot find that it was prophefy'd that hefhould cafl: out Damons or Spirits outof Mens Bodies, but that he ftouldcure al] Manner of Difeafes 5 which

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A Treatisemakes it plain, that thefe D^tmons orSfiriis^ from which he delivered Me%were Difeafes : And indeed Lunacy^ ofEpskpJ}ywhok Fits do follow the Courfeof the Moon ; and fuch as tormented theChild, Matt* 17. 15. are natural Diftem-pers, and yet it is faid, that when Chriftcur'd him, he rebuked xht Damon whichwent out, and he was healed, ver. 18.and was not the Damon and the Sick-nefs the fame Thing ? ' and it is faid, thathe rebuked the Damon in the fame Senfethat he rebuked the Fever that afflift-ed St. P^/^y-'s Mother-in-IaWj Luh 4. 30*We find in other Places^ thM they wereamazed- to fee how he commanded with Au^thority and Power the unclean Sprits^ andthey went forth 5 that is in the farfie Senfe,-that after having faid rebuked the Windand the Sea, he thou fi'tlli thiiy faid oneto another, Who is thatl even the Windand the Sea do obey him.

Thofe Diftempers^ that Were calledDamons and Spirits, were fuch as di-.ftrafited Mens Minds^ and obftrufledtheir Senfes, and by Confequence dif-

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-r of Sprits. p7coverM another Spirit, than that theyhad, or fhould have, or a quite contra- 'ry Difpofition. As I know at this Timea Gentleman very exemplary for his Pie-ty, Modellry, and an unblameable Be-haviour with all Men ^ yet in the Fitsof a:' Dlftemper which has feiz*d uporlhim but fince three or four Yearsâmong other Extravagancies, he feldoinutters one Word but you vvôuld thinkthat the unclean Soirits of the World

.

have all taken Poffeflion of this Man.Therefore the Jens exprefled that Ex-travagancy wherewith they charged o#b'lelTed Saviour, and wêre not conten-ted to fay that he was out of hisSenfes, but that he was^ or were poffefs'dwith &Dmo^^JohiT2^2o. and thusthey ex_plain them. felves afterwards, faying tha\-he was befides himfelf. s,uuimr ''ix^^'i f**^-vilcfj. In this Sence the Dicmoniack^ Mark5. I. and Luke %, 28. agitated withfo many Extravagancies, might well an-fwer, that their Name was LegiG?^^ fincethe Variety of their foolifh Aclionsmade them believe that they werepofTeffed with feveral D.czmons. St. Mj>tkew gives this Man a Companion, andfaith that they wêre two tliat metN our


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p8 .^Treatisebur Sayi, OUR, Mauhew 8. 28. aadthat liQ'Or^.tllQy could not be hound-,this is r.atural, when a ftrong Man isJrailfported v/ith Funy ^ /^^ went na^kedj arid divsit in no Houfe \ but whenhe he hud broken his Bonds, faith St. Luke,he was carried by the D.tmon into thQWrldernefs^that is, by hisFoUy and Mad.nefs ; fince he muft fifft be loofed ofliis Bonds before h^ could be carried.He 7vas continualljf Night and Day, in theMountains^ and in the Tombs, (z. furiousFellow,') jo- that none durfi pajs that wayhe cryedj and cut himfelf with Stones ; e-jiough to fliew that he wa5 in Tor-menting Pains, for that's the Meaningof the Word A^/^ort^tey^, or that he hadDamons^ as St. Ltk? faith, or many EvilSpirits, according to the Peoples Notion 5yea, according to the Stile of the Scrip-ture, as I have noted. But with thisdifference, that by Spirits, the Scriptureunderixandeth nothing elfe but the fe-veral AffeSlrons and Dilpofitions of theSoul, whetlier good or bad ; whereasthe Heathen did believe, that Virtueand Vice, yea and Sicknefs too, wereforeign Spa*its which difl'urbed th?

Spi-


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of spirits. ppSpirits of Men, and they look'd uponthem as Divinities; for as Cicero wit-neffeth, De Nat. deorum. lib. j. therewere none but Tertian and QuartanAgues, that were not Honoured asGods.

Gulielmus'Adar (^)a learned Phyfician,iEmar, 5.) hath obferved, that all theSymptoms of Madnefs markM by theEz/a^gelijis^ were exaftly the lame withthem of the ].j/caf9lrophiay which makesa Man think himfelf poffefs'd witha Devilj or turned into fomething thathe is not. Among the Heathen fomethought themfelves poffefs'd with D^-mo^^Sy and this Man faniied that hehad many. He was in the Country ofthe Geroefc?2eSy {d.kh St.Matthen\ or Gada-renesy faith St. Mark^ and St. Luke hathGadaray and the Gergefcenes being uponthe fame Coaft, not far the one from the

(^) Gulielmus Ader. 9. Doiignamus ergo Gerafenos iflosaoreptitios \T.ilgari mania rrtelancolica atfici, quam Grscimeciici Lycanthropiain, Lupinam, Infaniam vocicant : GalliLougs Garous. Non arit abfonum, aut a Divinis licteris, &evangeliflarum mente alienum fi eas etiam a morbiiica cau-fa laboraflfe^ morbo intsiligamus. Morbo equidem, qui je-grorum temperamento & loco_, & tempori ita confentiet, utriegari non poilit iis intellaclis o t; xgrot-os Icriptura narrst..N 2 Other


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loo A Treatiseother. There were êws in thofe Parts,fince our Sdvicur went thither, who wasnot feat but to the laft Houfe of Ifrnel\but there was fonie Heathen alfo, finc^they had Herds of Swine, whichhad been a Crime in the Jews^ asLigkfoQt proves at large (a). This Lycmtrope then might be either an Hedthenor a 'Jetv^ he had thofe Heathenifli Noti-ons of Damons and Evil Spirits. I havealready obferv'd, that thefe Opinionsdid pafs from the Hemhen to the êwsjand might be common in a place moftinhabited by Heathens. It was alfoan Opinion commonly receiv'd andgrounded upon their Oracles (b)^ andon the Authority of fome Philofophers,(c) That the Damons were fubjeti to theChaftiremênts of the great Gods ; whichChaftifement, in all likelihood, was tobe at the end of the World : And thisthe Heathen were not Ignorant of, whichmade David to fing, That the Lord isoreat and terrible to the Gods : for his

((t) Lightfoot in Mat. 19. ^.{b) Idem. Decad. chor. ante Marc. c. 7. . 5.(c) La


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of spirits. 10Meaning is that the Lord, who is thefbpreme God, who(e Chaftiiements theDemons (who are the Gods ofPeople) areafraid of, PJ, 96. The Lord is dreadfulabove all Gods of ^ the (a) Nations^ asElilim^ vain Things. The Seventy havetranflated it D^mons^ in Ff. 6. 9 . andIdcls^ I Chrcn, 16, 25. But v/hen hefaith that Demons do believt and tremble^he fpeaks to the Heathen conver-ted to the Truth of One only God

;and yet fancied that to be favedj itwas not neceifary to renounce theirvicious Affeftions, provided they v^or-fhipped but one only God The Apoftletells them. That this was not fufficientto make them Happy, becaufe thataccording to the Pagan Dolrine, whichthey had lately parted with ; and Davidd-d take Notice of the Damons Worfbipped by them, who believed and con-feffed by their Oracles, that there is butOne fovereign God, which,notwithftand*ing, doth not make them Happy, fince

{d) I Chron. i6. 25-. Tfd. ^5. 4, 5'. ^am. 2 9.that


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ioz A Treat isethat according to the fame Opinion, theDênions do tremble, knowing theni-felves to be fubjefl: to the Correftionof this Supreme God. This Place ofSt. âmes doth certainly allude to thatof Daviif who never meant that thePg^mons were a real Thing, but thatthey were fomething in others Opinion.This furious Man, now in quefiion, be-ing poffefs'd with this Notion, thoughthe muft not fpeak, but in the Perfonsof thofe Damons^ which he fancyM tobe in him ; and having heard th^tjefuswas the Son of God, and that he didcait DdmG/7s out of Mens Bodies, dothlook upon him v/ith Fear, as the SonofGod come to punilli him ; w^hereforehe prays him not to punifli him beforethe Tirne; that is, before the End ofthe World, or before the Time appoint-ed for the general PuniQiment of D^-t5mons.

Some Difficulties may be thought tobe in this : as, i. That it may be ask'd,How thefe Dam ms knew, that Je[u$ wssthe Son of Gcî? We may anfwer, that

they


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of spirits. 10^they knew it by the common Report^which taught it the blind Man in theWay, Man. 9. 27. It may be objeftedjin the fecond Place, that the D^smoristhemfelves did cry out, that Jefus iv^sthe Chrijl the Son cf God^ and that our Sa-viour forbad rhem to publiih. it : But I(ay, that the Demons are named for t iafflifted Perfons- for St. Mark tells us^Chap. J. 11,12. that when the unclean.Spirits faw him, they fell down andcry'd ; for it was not the Spirits, but dieMen tormented with them, did feeândcried, and fell down, if Cfc'/^/? forbadthofe Men to tell who he was, it is be-caufe he would, not have it publickljknown as yet ; by the fame Pêafon thathe commanded the Leprous that he liadcleanfed, the blind Man he had madeto fee, yea, his very Difciples, viz. St.Mark hath it. Chap, 3. ver. 12. Thatthey fliouid not make it known.

But the great Difficulty lies in this,that the D^momack called himklf Lezt'o^ând pray'd, that they might enter intothe Herd of Swine, which bein^ 2;rant-

ed,


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^04 A Treatiseed, the Hogs cafl themfefves headlong into thee^ ; all -v^rhicji cannot. be- fuppofed to feellie mere EfFeS: of a bodily Difeafe, or ofa diftemperM Mind. Yet whatfoever theDifficulty may be, it cannot oblige usto acknowledge feveral e\ril Spirits that;come from without to torment Men^sBodies; or to fay wkh JofephuSy lib, %'Belli Jud'/W'i 5: That thefe 'vexatious Sfk:tits were the Souls of wicked Men that diedunconverted : A Notion which JuJlinMar^tjr liked fo well, that he made it an Ar-gument of Subliftence of the Soul afterD^ztb^ Jpol. 2. And truly wer6 wttofind a Troop of Spiritual Guards for S^tdj2^ znd ificdrporeal Angels, I woutSnotfeek further than the Damned SbuW^wlio.hate God and eviery Thing that isacceptable to him: But my Opinion is?that the Departed Souls of wicked Men,are all like the rebellious Meflengers fpo-ken of by St. Jude, referred under Darkfiefsin Chains ; or, as St. Peter hath, it, funk\vith Chains of Obfcurity and kept in Prifon^iintil the Judgment of the great Day^ 2 Pet:2. 4. and fo they can do no Harm toany Man living ; for certain it is, time

thofe

8/12/2019 Comte Du Lude - Demonologia or, A Treatise o

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Comte Du Lude - Demonologia or, A Treatise of Spirits