PART rival to flight: and the other, in fpite of his IV. pride, was conftrained to fall down before his fovereign, whose name he had ufurped, and to confefs before those whom he had deceived, that he had no power, not even even over the uncleannest beafts; that no corner of the earth was under his dominion, and that his true place was the abyss. Every poffeffed perfon* prefented to Jefus Chrift, was a fenfible proof of these effential points of religion. One, all at once, became deaf, blind and dumb by a fingle devil. Another was driven fometimes into the fire, fometimes into the water, in order to deftroy him. Another endured great pains; another was bowed together with violence, fo that he could not look up to the heavens. All these unfortunate people came to Jefus Christ with these cruel fymptoms, who cured them and fet them free, either by his word, or by the touch of his hands; and, when he had made the devils confefs his name and divinity, he afterwards deprived them of the faculty of fpeech, as lying fpirits, who in publishing the truth dishonoured it. It is thus that Jefus Chrift, according to the word of the apoftle, fignalized all his fteps by fome good offices, and by curing all those that were oppreffed of the devil. But he did not limit his compaffion to these external graces: * Matth. ix. 32. + Mark ix. 21. Luke iv. 41. + "He went about doing good, and healing all that were "oppreffed of the devil." Acts x. 38. graces: he made use of it only to point out CHAP. the difference between a lawful king and a II. tyrant, and to fhew that he came to deftroy the work of the devil, to drive him out from the heart of man, to deprive him of his weapons by eradicating concupifcence; and by diffufing light and charity on every fide, to annihilate his power founded on ignorance and felf-love. The oppofition of the two kingdoms would have been lefs evident to the generality of men, were it not for the extreme difference which the deliverance of the poffeffed demonftrated between the two kings. And this is the reafon why poffeffions continued to be frequent after the refurrection of Jefus Chrift, in order that the apostles and their disciples should publifh to the world, and efpecially to the Gentiles, how great his power was over || those fpirits, who had hitherto deluded mankind. For they were not contented to caft them out in the name of Jefus Chrift, but they very often obliged them to confefs that they were seducing fpirits; that they had to that time concealed themselves under the names of falfe divinities ; D3 For this purpose the Son of God was manifefted, that he "might destroy the works of the devil." 1 John iii. 8. Omnis hæc noftra in illos [dæmones] dominatio & poteftas de nominatione Chrifti valet, & de commemoratione eorum quæ fibi a Deo per arbitrum Chriftum imminentia expectant. Chriftum timentes in Deo, & Deum in Chrifto, fubjiciuntur fervis Dei & Chrifti. Ita de contactu deque afflatu noftro, contemplatione & reprefentatione ignis illius correpti, etiam de corporibus noftro imperio excedunt inviti & dolentes, & vobis præfentibus erubefcentes... Credite illis cum verum de fe loquuntur, qui mentientibus creditis. Nemo ad fuum dedecus mentitur. Tertull. Apolog. c. 23. PART vinities; that they were the fame, who deIV. manded divine honours to be paid them throughout the whole world. Such an acknowledgment, in prefence of the very people they had deceived, muft have been of infinite fervice to the advancement of chriftianity; as Tertullian intimates to us, who boldly affirms in a writing prefented to the emperor and fenate, that every chriftian, who fhall have preferved his integrity from his baptism, fhall constrain the devil by these exorcifms, in their presence to acknowledge, that he made himself to be worshipped by them, and notwithstanding that, is only a fpirit of darkness, condemned to eternal punishment. The fame author adds, with a thorough fecurity, that he would consent they should put fuch a chriftian to the most cruel death they could invent, if experience did not verify his affer tion. Perhaps in another place we fhall fee what teftimony the devil was compelled to give, not only of Jefus Chrift, but of his martyrs, and even Edatur hic aliquis fub tribunalibus veftris, quem dæmone agi conftet. Juffus a quolibet chriftiano loqui fpiritus ille, tam fe dæmonem confitebitur de vero, quam alibi Deum de falfo, que producatur aliquis ex iis qui de Deo pati exiftimantur, qui aris inhalantes numen de nidore concipiunt... Illa ipfa virgo cœleftis pluviarum pollicitatrix; ifte ipfe Æfculapius medicinarum demonstrator... Nifi fe dæmones confeffi fuerint, christiano mentiri non audentes, ibidem illius chriftiani procaciffimi fanguinem fundite. Quid ifto opere manifeftius? quid hâc probatione fidelius? Simplicitas veritatis in medio eft. Eod. Hæc teftimonia deorum veftrorum chriftianos facere c. 23. confueverunt, quia plurimum illis credendo, in Chrifto Domino credimus. Ipfi literarum noftrarum fidem accendunt. Ipfi spei noftræ fidentiam ædificant. Ibid. even of their afhes. But what we have above faid CHAP. is fufficient; and I imagine, after fuch an ex- I. planation, people, who have more fuperficially confidered the miracles of Jefus Christ relating to the poffeffed, than the others, will perceive the neceffity of them, and be the more ftrongly convinced of their connection with the divine miffion of Jesus Christ, and the end of his ministry. CHA P. II. Continuation of the fame matter: the miracles of Fefus Christ are certain; and invincibly prove that he is the Son of God and Saviour of the world. 1. Paralitic prefented to JeJus Chrift by uncovering the roof of an house; which by curing him, demonftrates his power of forgiving fins. 2. The man born blind restored to fight; circumstances, which afcertain the truth of the miracle. 3. The efforts of the pharifees in order to eclipfe this miracle, eftablish the truth of it. 4. One Such miracle is an evident proof of Jefus Chrift's divinity, and of his principal myfteries: depth of Jefus Chrift's defigns in a miracle, which unites in its circumftances almost all the parts of the chriftian religion. 5. Refurrection of the daughter of the ruler of the Synagogue, preceded by the cure of a woman, only by touching the hem of Jefus Chrift's garment: certainty of both miracles. PART IV. ARTICLE I. Paralytic prefented to Jefus Chrift by uncovering the roof of an houfe, who proves, by curing him, his power of forgiving fins. Na certain day * as Jefus Chrift was teaching, there were pharifees " and doctors of the law fitting by, which "were come out of every town of Galilee, "and Judea, and Jerufalem; and as the power "of the Lord was present to heal them, there +were gathered together fo great a number "of people, infomuch that they could not "come near the door. Now they brought to him one fick of the palfy, which was borne of four. And when they could "not come nigh him for the prefs, they "uncovered the roof where he was, and when they had broken it up, they let down the "bed, wherein the fick of the palfy lay, " and placed him in the midft before Jefus, "who when he faw their faith, faid unto the " fick of the palfy, Son, thy fins are forgiven thee. And the fcribes and pharifees began to reafon among themselves, Who is "this which fpeaketh blafphemies? who can forgive fins, but God alone? || But when "Jefus Luke v. + Mark ii. 2. Luke xvii. 19. Mark v. Luke xxi, |