De Civit. Dei lib.21. c.5,6.

amaze vulgar Heads; and though fome of thefe are known to Philofophers and Scholars, yet are there many fecret Things lock'd from the wifeft Men, whofe Powers, and Natures, because they know not, they may alfo be deluded by them. Augustin reckons up many Inftances, as the Loadstone, the Stone Pyrites, Selenites, the Fountain of Epirus that can kindle a Torch, and many more; and determines that many frange things are done" by the application of these Natural Powers, either by the Wit of Man, or Diabolical Art. To this purpose he gives an account of Avxvdobe- an unextinguishable Lamp, in a Temple of Venus, which allured So.. Men to Worship there, as to an Unqueftionable Deity, when in truth the thing was but an ingenious Compofition from the Stone Asbeftons of which Pliny makes mention, that being kindled, it will not be quenched with Water. Of this nature were those Lamps found in feveral Vaults accompanying the Ashes of the Dead, referved there in Urns, both in England and elsewhere. De Civit Dei. If Men by fuch helps find fuch eafy ways to delude Men, What exactness of Workmanship, and feeming Wonders may be expected from Satan upon fuch Advantages?

Plin.lib. 28.

Vid. L. Vives

Comment. in

lib. 21. c.6.

Fourthly Many of his Wonders may challenge an higher rife. Satan knows the fecret ways of Natures Operations, and the ways of accelerating or retarding those Works. So that he cannot only do what Nature can do, by a due application of active to passive Determinata activa ad de- Principles, and the help of thofe Seminal Powers that are in terminata paf- Things, but he may be supposed to perform them in a quicker and fiva applican- more expeditious manner: Thus Worms, Flies, and Serpents, that are bred of Putrefaction, Satan may speedily produce; And who can tell how far this help may reach in his Works of Wonders ?

do.

Fifthly The Secret way of Satan's Movings and A&tings is no fmall matter in thefe Affairs. How many things do common Juglers by the Swift motions of their Hands, that feem incredible? Thus they make the By-ftanders believe they change the Subftances, Natures, and Forms of Things, when they only, by a fpeedy Conveyance, take these things away, and put others in their room. They that fhall confider Satan as a Spirit, fubtil, imperceptible, quick of Motion, &c. will eafily believe him to be more accomplished for fuch Conveyances than all the Men in the World.

Delrio.

Having now feen the way of his Wonders, let us next confider the advantage he hath by fuch Actions. If we look upon Simon Magus, Acts 8, 10, 11, we find, that he by these ways, had a general influence upon the People; To him they all gave heed, from the least to the greatest; and that his Actions were reckoned no lefs than Miraculous, as done by the mighty Power of God. If we go from hence to the Magicians of Pharaoh, Exod. 7.11. 'tis faid, They did fo with their Inchantments, which (how foever the matter was) prevailed fo with Pharaoh and the Court, that they faw no difference 'twixt the Wonders done by Mofes and them, fave that (it may be) they thought Mofes the more skilful Magician. But befides this, if we confider what they did, it will argue much for his Power, if we can imagine (as fome do) The Cajatan that they turned their Rods into real Serpents, the Power is evident: and there is this that favours that Opinion, it is faid, They could not make Lice, which feems to imply, they really did the other things, and it had been as eafy to delude the Senfes in the matter of Lice, as in the Rods, if it had been no more than a Delufion; neither are some a-wanting to give a reafon of fuch a Power, (viz.) Serpents, Lice, &c. being the Off-fpring of Putrefaction, by his dextrous application of the feminal Princi- Barth. Sybilla ples of things, he might quickly produce them. If we go lower, Pereg. Qualt. and take up with the Opinion of those, that think that they p. 372. were neither meer Delufions, nor yet true Serpents, but real Bodies Rivets. like Serpents, though without life, this will argue a very great Power: Or if we fuppofe (as fome do) that Satan took away the Rods, and fecretly conveyed Serpents in their stead, or (which is the loweft apprehenfion we can have) that Pharaoh's fight was deceived: The matter is ftill far from being contemptible, for as much as we fee, the Spectators were not able to discern the Cheat.

Thirdly; The next Inftance produceable for evidencing his Power, is that of Apparitions. It cannot be denyed, but that the Fancy of melancholick or timerous Perfons, is fruitful enough to create a thousand Bugbears. And also that the villany of fome Perfons hath been defignedly imployed to deceive People with Mock-Apparitions of which abundance of Inftances might be given from the knavery of the Papists, difcovered to the World

beyond

Apparitions

beyond contradiction; but all this will not conclude, that there are no real Appearances of Spirit or Devils. Such fad effects in all Ages there have been of these things, that most Men will take it for an undenyable Truth.

Inftead of others, let the Apparition at Endor to Saul come to examination: Some indeed will have us believe, that all that Scot. Witch- was but a fubtil Cheat, managed by that Old Woman; and that craft 1.7. c.12. neither Samuel nor the Devil did appear, but that the Woman, in another Room by her felf, or with a Confederate, gave the answer to Saul. But whofoever shall read that Story, and shall confider Saul's Bowing and Difcourfe, and the Anfwers given, muft acknowledg that Saul thought, at leaft, he saw and spake with Samuel and indeed the whole Tranfaction is fuch, that fuch a Cheat cannot be fuppofed.

Satisfying our felves then, that there was an Apparition, we Vid. Pool Sy- muft next enquire whether it was true Samuel, or Satan: it cannops. in loc. not be denyed, but that many judg it was true Samuel, but their

Reasons are weak.

(1.) That Proof from Ecclefiafticus 46. 23. is not Canonical with us.

(2.) That he was called Samuel is of no force; Scripture often gives names of things according to their appearances.

(3.) That things future were foretold, was but from conjeEure; in which Satan yet (all things confidered) had good ground for his gueffing.

(4.) That the Name Jehovah is oft repeated, fignifies nothing, the Devil is not fo fcarce of words; Jefus I know, faith that Spirit in the Acts.

(5.) That he reproved Sin in Saul, is no more than what the Devil doth daily to afflicted Confciences in order to defpair.

I must go then with those that believe this was Satan in Samuel's likeness.

(1.) Because God refused to answer Saul by Prophets or Urim. And 'tis too harsh to think he would fend Samuel from the Dead, and so answer him in an extraordinary way.

(2.) This (if it had been Samuel) would have given too much countenance to Witchcraft, contrary to that check to Abaziah, 2 King. 1.3. Is it not because there is not a God in Ifrael, that ye goto enquire of Baalzebub?

(3.) The

(3.) The prediction of Sauls Death,though true for fubftance, yet failed as to the exactness of time, for the Battel was not fought the next day.

(4.) The acknowledgment of the Witches Power, [Why haft thou difquieted me?] fhews it could not be true Samuel, the Power of Witchcraft not being able to reach Souls at reft with God.

(5.) That Expreffion of Gods afcending out of the Earth, is evidently fufpicious.

The reality of Apparitions being thus established, Satan's Power will be eafily evinced from it. To fay nothing of the Bodies in which Spirits appear; the haunting of Places and Perfons, and the other Effects done by fuch Appearances, speak abundantly for it.

Fourthly; The laft Inftance is of Poffeffions, the reality of Poffeffions. which can no way be queftioned, because the New Teftament affords fo much for it; I fhall only note fome things as concerning · this Head. As,

Firft; The multitudes of Men poffeffed: fcarce was there any thing in which Chrift had more opportunities to fhew his Authority, than in cafting out of Satan; fuch Objects of Compaffion he met with in every place.

Secondly; The multitudes of Spirits in one Perfon, is a confideration not to be paffed by.

Thirdly; Thefe Perfons were often strongly acted, fometime with fiercenes and rage, Matth. 8. 28. fome living without Cloaths, and without House, Luke 8. 27. fome by an incredible ftrength breaking Chains and Fetters, Mark 5. 3.

Fourthly; Some time the Poffeffed were fadly vexed and afflicted, caft into the Fire and Water, &c.

Fifthly; Some were ftrangely influenced: we read of one, Aus 16. 16. that had a Spirit of Divination, and told many things to come, which we may suppose frequently came to pass; elfe the could have brought no gain to her Master by South-faying. Another we hear of, whofe Poffeffion was with a Lunacy, and had fits at certain times and feafons. The Poffeffed Perfon with

Lives.

whom Mr. Rothwell difcourfed, (within the memory of fome li- Vid. Clark's ving) could play the Critick, in the Hebrew Language.

Sixthly;

Sixthly; In fome the Poffeffion was fo firong, and fo firmly feated, that ordinary means and ways could not difpoffefs them: This kind comes not out but by Prayer and Fafting, Mat.27.21. which fhews that all Poffeffion was not of one kind and manner, nor alike lyable to ejection.

To all these may be added Obfeffions: where the Devil afflicts the Bodies of Men, difquiets them, haunts them, or strikes in with their 'melancholy temper, and fo annoys by hideous and black reprefentations. Thus was Saul vexed by an evil Spirit from the Lord, which (as moft conceive) was the Devil working in bis melancholy Humor. That the Devil fhould take poffeffion of the Bodies of Men, and thus act, drive, trouble and diftrefs them; fo diftort,diftend,and rack their Members; so feat himself in their Tongues and Minds, that a Man cannot command his own Faculties and Powers, but feems to be rather changed into the nature of a Devil, than to retain any thing of a Man; this fhews a Power in him to be trembled at.

Satan's Power being thus explained and proved, I shall next fpeak fomething of his Cruelty.

CHAP.