II. I have said that the agency of the devil upon the persons of the demoniacs has not been, and could not be proved. From what could the proof arise? From the confession of the demoniacs, Mat. viii. But this very circumstance is mentioned by physicians as one of the symptoms of insanity. P. Aegineta iii. 14. Concerning melancholy and madness. Some insane persons imagine they are under the influence of higher powers, and predict future events, as if they were inspired.' Sextus Empiricus. 'Phrenetic and fanatical persons think they hear dæmons, but we do not. At any rate, the testimony of a person, not in his right mind, ought to have no great credit attached to it. Could then an attentive spectator infer the agency of the devil from the symptoms and other circumstances of the case? Certainly not since the same effects may be produced by very different causes. A man, for instance, may become blind in consequence of intemperance, or of a wound, or of exposure to bad air: and he may be deprived of sight by the Supreme Being, or by an evil spirit. Now a person deprived of sight by the agency of satan, is neither more nor less blind, and his blindness can be cured with neither greater nor less difficulty than that, which preceeds from natural causes. How then could the most inquisitive spectator investigate the real but secret cause of the disorder, so as to distinguish, with certainty, blindness caused by satan from that which proceeds from other causes. If we should see such men as the demoniacs at the present day, we should call them simply blind, deaf, dumb, epileptic, or insane, without thinking of satan as having any agency in regard to these disorders.

Did, then, our Saviour descend from heaven for the purpose of revealing this secret to mankind? It certainly was a secret of no great importance, since a knowledge of it would neither contribute to the present happiness, nor the eternal salvation of men. From what source, then, can the proof arise, if not from the confession of the demoniacs, from the circumstances of the case, nor from direct revelation? But if any one rashly adopt the opinion of diabolical agency without proof, with what colour of justice can he condemn a thief or murderer, who should allege in his defence, that the deed was committed without his own knowledge or consent; that the devil by art and cunning, got possession of his body, and made use of his limbs against his will. In consequence, the greatest confusion must be produced in society; and the certainty of testimony, and the evidence of the sen ses must be set aside.

III. It may reasonably be asked of such as refer these disorders to diabolical agency, how it happened, that, at the time of

the appearance of our Saviour in the world, the devil should possess a power over the bodies of men, 'which he does not possess at the present day, nor can be shewn by respectable testimony to have exercised since that time? Will any one seriously and considerately reply, that God permitted satan to exercise such a power, in order that our Saviour might have more ample opportunities and occasions of displaying his powers of healing? Quacks and jugglers, we know, sometimes drink poison, or wound themselves, in order to shew by experiment the efficacy of their medicines. But they would not easily prevail upon others to take the poison, or wound themselves, for the mere purpose of being cured. Most men would like to be excused both from the evil and the remedy. No wise and good physician would be guilty of such a practice.

IV. The notion of an evil spirit, an emissary from the community of evil spirits, usurping the seat of the soul in the human body, and performing its functions, is so abhorrent to reason and probability, that its defenders only expose themselves to ridicule, and the religion of Christ to suspicion and contempt. Beza, I think, had this thought in his mind, when he remarks upon Luke viii. 31. 'We must judge soberly of these things, according to the divine word; lest for the truth of God we substitute old wives fables.' See Lucian. Philopseud. 16. The ancients, indeed, who, according to the doctrine of metempsychosis, believed that one soul might animate two bodies in succession, supposed that dæmons were human souls. We have already quoted a passage from Josephus, proving this point. Justin Martyr likewise entertained the same opinion. v. Apol. ii. 'Men, who are possessed and agitated by the souls of dead men, whom they commonly call demoniacs and insane.' A much more incredible doctrine is held by some modern writers, now that the doctrine of transmigration of souls is exploded, viz. that evil spirits may be so intimately united with the human body, as to command at pleasure the tongue, the hands, &c. like the human soul.

V. Those writers, who ascribe these things to the immediate agency of the devil, and the evil angels his ministers, entertain an exalted notion of his power, but seem to have a poor opinion of his cunning and policy. The limbs of the demoniacs were convulsed: their language was wild and incoherent; such as that of madmen is wont to be. But what secret fraud, what artful contrivance appears in all this? What could be more foolish, than that satan should place one of his subjects as a perpetual guard over a man, for the mere purpose of keeping his eyes shut? Or what could be more impolitic than to commit one man to the

care of a whole legion of his soldiers, and thus bind them and the man with the same chain? Would not a single individual be sufficient for a guard? Or might he not, in an instant, have inflicted such an injury on the brain, or the eye, as would cause the disorder and all the symptoms of the disorder, without the constant presence of an evil spirit? Might not his servants be employed with advantage upon other business-in extending or defending the borders of his kingdom? Why then are so many of them employed to keep guard over one poor man,

." ceu cætera ousquam

Bella forent, nulli tota morerentur in urbe?"

VI. It is a consideration of great importance in relation to this subject, that physicians with great unanimity, and almost with one voice, not only consider demoniacs as discased, and prescribe remedies for them, but expressly maintain the opinion, that the disease was not inflicted by a spirit, or dæmon, and that the name was borrowed not from the reality of the thing, but from the popular opinion respecting the origin of the disorder. Hippocrates, the prince of physicians, has discoursed at large on the subject, in his treatise gigs oo. [The authorities which Wetstein has quoted under this head, are too numerous to be inserted. They abundantly prove his assertion, that the physicians with one voice considered the cases of demoniacs as natural diseases.] Origen in a note upon Mat. xvii. 15, acknowledges that the physicians differ from him in opinion. Psellus also, 'de operat. dæm.' observes, The sons of the physicians would persuade us to think that these disorders are not caused by dæmons.' We shall take the liberty of dissenting from Origen, who was a Platonick philosopher, and form our opinion concerning the nature and cause of the disorder from the testimony of the physicians. We shall also believe and maintain, that St. Luke, who was a physician, Col. iv. 14, agreed in opinion with his professional brethren, though he adopted the popular language of the times. As St. John 1 epistle iv. 1. gives the appellation of spirits to persons not inspired, but who were only supposed to be, so St. Luke speaks of dæmons in accommodation to the popular belief and language.

VII. In the last place, the most learned of the Jews and Christians in ancient times, have every where spoken of demoniacs in a manner which shews that they acknowledged no agency of the devil upon them. In modern times, they express themselves with more reserve and caution, through fear of offending the prejudices of the powerful. Bava Mebia f. 107. 2. Thirteen things are said concerning morning breakfast. It is a remedy against cold, heat, accidents, and demons, &c.' Maimonides in Sabbat. New Series-vol. V.

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All the kinds of diseases, which are called melancholy, they call an evil spirit. For there is a species of the diseases above described, which causes the subject of it to avoid society, and to be alienated, as it were, from human nature, when he sees the light, or when he falls into the company of men. On the other hand, during the paroxysms of the disorder, they delight in darkness and solitude; and this disorder is frequent in illustrious men. Erubin. i 4. 6 They call every injury which does not proceed from the hand of man, an evil spirit.'

[Numerous quotations from Jewish writers may be found in Wetstein, which it is unnecessary to insert.]

MISCELLANEOUS COLLECTIONS.

DR. OSGOOD.

[WE E are gratified with the permission to extract the following passages from an interesting manuscript of the late venerable Dr. Osgood. They strongly mark his sense of the presumption and inconsistency of all encroachments of human authority in matters of faith and of the entire sufficiency of the scriptures. They exhibit also the devotional spirit, which eminently distinguished him. Those, who knew him, knew his attachment to religious liberty, and with what grief and indignation he regarded every attempt to restrain it. It will be remembered, that his professional intercourse corresponded with these enlarged and catholic views. He maintained to the fullest extent the independent rights of churches and private christians; and while attached to some of the opinions, which are usually denominated orthodox, he never thought himself required to refuse interchanges with those of his brethren, who differed from him. His sentiments and example in this respect are entitled to our highest veneration; and we wish they may be followed for the order and barmony of our churches.]

'With regard to theological creeds, whether Presbyterian or Epis copalian, though I embrace their principal doctrines, yet my mind is always in a state of insurgency against their imposition ;-against all subscription to articles of faith enjoined by human authority. To me they appear as the primary habiliments of the Roman harlot, among her first acts of wantonness. The inspired teachers of the gospel were qualified, and of course authorized, to prescribe. But I feel indignant at seeing men without any pretensions to inspiration, assuming and exercising its powers and pre

rogatives. The whole mass of church-establishments, hierarchies, canons, creeds, confessions, &c. &c.-are, in my view, human inventions, wood, hay and stubble; nay, worse, so many vile shackles wickedly imposed upon the understandings and the consciences of men. The fabrication of these shrines, if not to Diana, yet to human pride and ambition, seems to have been the earliest employment of churchmen from the earliest times. The apostles were hardly dead, when these began to display their aspiring temper; and the probability is, that they will never cease their usurpation, till the great head of the church shall appear in person to put them down: Their influence in this country is less perhaps than in any other of christendom; but even here, something of the spirit of Lord Peter' appears.-It sickens one's very heart to hear every sectarian boasting, in the face of the world, from the pulpit and the press, of the perfect system of .OUR CHURCH.'

'Whatever difficulties and obscurities may attend some parts and passages of the scriptures, still I am fully persuaded, that they are amply sufficient to make wise unto salvation all and every one, who studies them under the impression of so great and awful a concern. Proficiency in the knowledge of them will be greatly facilitated by a spirit of lively and fervent devotion. To candidates for the ministry nothing can be more important that such a spirit. It should form their habitual temper, daily warm their hearts, and animate their studies.'

THE WILL OF GOD A COMMANDING MOTIVE TO ACTION.

HERE let me beg the reader to pause a while, and to consider particularly what is meant by the will of God, and how important and awful a motive to action it implies.

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What can have a tendency to impress an attentive mind so deeply, or strike it with so much force, as to think in any stances, God wills me to do, or to bear this?"

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One such reflex

ion should be enough at all times to disarm the strongest temptations, to silence every complaint, to defeat all opposition and to inspire us with the most inflexible courage and resolution. Did we take more leisure to attend to this, we could not possibly behave as we often do. He, that when solicited to any thing unlawful, will but stop, till he has duly attended to the sense, and felt the weight of this truth, The Deity disapproves, and forbids my compliance,' must tremble at the thoughts of complying, and lose all inclination to it. When we think, who God is, and what his dominion and character are; nothing can appear so shocking to us, as that helpless, indigent beings, his own offspring, the effects of his power, the objects of his constant care and bounty,