the fuggeftions of fancy for the infpirations of God: in the other, to the operation of that spiritual enemy, against whom we are called upon to wrestle, the ruler of the darkness of this world; and the prince of the power of the air m.

On this laft-mentioned fource of Enthufiafm it is not our intention to infift. There are many reafons why the enquiry will be more useful, if it is confined to the confideration of that delufion which is caused by the imagination.

If we forbear however to infift on the pofitive agency of the evil Spirit in cafes of Enthusiasm, let it not be thought that this argues an inability to prove, in fome instances, his actual interference. Far from it. Express declarations of Scripture; attefted evidences of facts"; and the very existence of a fpiritual world, might all be adduced to establish the reality of dæmoniacal poffeffion. Should it then be suggested, that delufions of this

n See Bishop Bull's Sermons, vol. ii. p. 456. Dr. Hicks's Ravillac Redivivus. Leflie's Snake in the Grafs, fect. xxi. Though that controversy be closed, those parts of Mr. Leslie's writings which regard it, will for ever deferve attention.

nature

nature never did exift; or should it be urged, that if they once deceived the Heathen, they cannot now affect the Chriftian world; more, infinitely more, would be advanced than ought to be afferted, on the one hand, or can be granted on the other. We will readily allow, that repeated inftances of impofture and of credulity ought to make us cautious how we admit any account of fupernatural poffeffion: we will gratefully acknowledge also, that the power of Satan has been fenfibly restrained fince the coming of our Lord: ftill this does not prove that it has been fo abridged as to leave us nothing to fear from its operation". As a fpiritual agent, under certain circumstances furely he may be fuppofed to have still the means of affecting our minds with false im

• It is remarkable that Jamblicus defcribes it to be a sure fign of divine inspiration among the Pagans, when the body of the perfon poffeffed was feen to be raised up from the ground. Το σώμα επαιρόμενον ὁραται, η διοικεμενον, η μετεωρον εν τω αερι φεροEVOV. Sect. iii. c. 5. There is hardly a religious Enthusiast, of the present times, who is not defcribed as having been affected. in a fimilar manner. It is afferted of S. Terefa, that she was frequently feen raised off the ground in these raptures, and sufpended in the air. See Appendix to Crichton on Mental Derangement, vol. ii. p. 452. Her own words are remarkable: "When I had a mind to refift these raptures, there seemed to " me fomewhat of fo mighty force under my feet, which raised

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me up, that I knew not what to compare it to." Butler's Lives of the Saints, vol. x, p. 359.

C

preffions :

preffions and as a malicious one, if we lay ourfelves open to his affaults, unquestionably he will never ceafe from wishing to deceive us. It matters little therefore whether we be Pagan or Chriftian, fince if we receive not the love of the truth, but rather have pleasure in unrighteousness, Satan has even yet permiffion to exercise fuch power as shall make us trust to Strong delufions, and believe a lie P.

I am aware, that the propriety of attributing fuch effects as these to the agency of a fpiritual being will be queftioned by fome, who say that they altogether doubt the existence of the caufe. For as in former times, fo likewise in the prefent, there have not been wanting those who confider what is called in Scripture the Evil One, to be nothing more than the natural operation of those paffions, which are incidental to the minds of all men in confequence of which they maintain, that we cannot be tempted by any other fuggeftions, than by fuch as proceed from our own natural defires. But this notion, though it might be introduced into metaphyfical enquiries, cannot with the least propriety be admitted into those which proceed folely upon the ground of fcriptural

P 2 Theffal, ii, 10, 11, 12.

authority.

authority. For in these latter, we are not at liberty to argue from any thing but that which has been pofitively revealed; and whatever is thus revealed, becomes an axiom, upon which all our future reasoning must depend; even though it should be found a stumblingblock to the fyftem of the Philofopher; and though from the councils of the Libertine, it should be rejected as foolishness a.

Appealing therefore to Revelation, we are told, in words too plain to be refined away, that there exifts an Evil Being, the enemy of man, whose powers of delufion, like himself, are real; a being, who, though he be spiritual, and confequently not an object which human sense can apprehend, is nevertheless bu

"We are certain from Scripture, that there are now a "6 great multitude of evil angels, joined in affociation with, and "headed by, the Prince of Darkness, and therefore called his "angels, uniting their forces against God, and goodness, and "good men." Bishop Bull's Sermons, vol. ii. p. 455. "As for "thofe modern Sadducees, who will believe neither Angel, nor

Spirit, because they cannot fee them; and with whom invi"fible and incredible pass for terms equipollent; they would do "well to confider, that as the fowler would certainly spoil his

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game, fhould he not as much as poffible keep out of fight, "so the devil never plants his snares fo fuccessfully as when he "conceals his person; nor tempts men fo dangerously as when " he can perfuade them that there is no tempter." South's Sermons, vol. v. p. 100. The whole difcourfe is conceived and written with great ability.

fily employed in going to and fro upon the earth, feeking whom he may devour. Seeing then that Scripture is thus explicit; and seeing too that our Church has uniformly maintained the literal and obvious meaning of thofe paffages, in which the powers of darkness are defcribed; in defining Enthusiasm, we might adopt the very words which are employed by the Ecclefiaftical Hiftorian, Theodoret; who, fpeaking of the fchifm of the Meffaliani, ufes these remarkable expreffions: "They are called Enthufiafts," he fays, "be"cause, though they fuffer themselves to be "worked upon by the power of some evil 'Spirit, they nevertheless conceive that the "effects they experience are occafioned by "the prefence of the Holy Ghost §.”

Why thefe Spirits fhould be permitted to retain the means of deceiving us, it is not our

*Job i. 7. 1 Peter v. 8.

Έχεσι δε και έτεραν προσηγορίαν εκ τε πράγματος γενομενην. Ενθεσιαςαι γαρ καλενται δαίμονος τινος ενεργειας εισδεχομενοι, και Πνευ ματος ἅγιο παρουσιαν ταύτην ὑπολαμβάνοντες. Theodoriti Eccl. Hift. lib. iv. c. II. For further particulars of this fect fee Suiceri Thefaur. Ecclef. ad voc. Euxira; which name they affumed because they were inceffant in prayer. See alfo Mofheim Ecclef. Hift. vol. i. p. 226. 4to. ed. Their tenets bear a wonderful refemblance to thofe of many modern Fanatics: fee them detailed in Ridley's Moyer's Lect. p. 148. and more at length, Hift. Eccl. Magdeburgica, Cent. iv. c. 5. p. 387.

province