Satans Temptations in Three Parts, Part 1 · Chapter 5
CHAP. V. Inſtances of Satan's Power. Of Witchcraft, what it is. Satan's Power argued from thence. Of Wonders. Whether Satan can do Miracles. An account of what he can do that way. His Power argued from Apparitions and Poſſeſſions.
I Shall add in the fifth place, ſome particular Inſtances of his Power, in which I ſhall inſiſt upon theſe four, Witchcraft, Wonders, Apparitions and Poſſeſſions.
Firſt; Witchcraft affords a very great diſcovery of Satan's Power: but becauſe ſome give ſuch Interpretations of Witchcraft, as (if true) would wholly take away the force of this Inſtance, I ſhall firſt endeavour to eſtabliſh a true Notion of Witchcraft, and ſecondly from thence argue Satan's Power.
Firſt; Though the being of Witches is not directly denyed (becauſe the Authority of Scripture, Exod. 22. 18. Deut. 18. 10. &c. hath determined beyond controverſie, that ſuch there are); yet ſome will allow no other interpretation of the word,Scot. diſcovery of Witchcraft. l. 6. c. 1. than a skill and practice in the Art of Poyſoning, becauſe the Septuagint doth interpret the Hebrew word foreign by foreign, venificam. Which apprehenſion they ſtrengthen by the Authority of Joſephus, Antiq. l. 4. c. 8.who giveth this account of the Law, Let none of the Children of Iſrael uſe any deadly Poyſon, or any Drug wherewith he may do hurt, &c. 'Tis eaſie to obſerve, that this conceit ariſeth from a great inobſervancy of the reaſon of the Application of theſe words, foreign and veneficus to Witchcraft, in Greek and Latin Authors.
Witchcrafts were ſuppoſed to be helped forward by the ſtrength of ſeveral Herbs, and theſe by Incantations and other Ceremonies at their gathering, imagined to attain a poyſonous and evil quality or efficacy for ſuch Effects, as were intended to be produced by them, as appears by*—Medeides Herbae miſta que cum magicis merſa venena ſonis. Ovid Art. Amandi. l. 2. Ovid, Virgil, and other Authors. Hence was it that the word foreign became applicable to any fort of Witchcraft. Has Herbas atque haec Ponto mihi lecta venena. Ipſa dedit Maeris—his ego ſaepe lupum fieri & ſe condere Sylvis Mae…im, ſaepe animas …imis exire Sepulchris. Virg. …ccl. 8.To this may be added, that ſuch Perſons were reſorted to, for help againſt Diſeaſes, Vid. Leigh. Crit. Sac. in Voc. As alſo that they uſed Ʋnguents for Tranſportations; Hence Godwin. foreign, Philtrum, & Magicas Actiones quae in imaginibus, & caracteribus, certis verbis, ac ſimilibus conſiſtun…, ſignificat. Unde pharmaceutria appellatur Idyllium Secund. Theo…iti. & Eccleg. …. Virgilii. & Antiquos etiam vocabulum foreign, pro omni veneficii genere, quo vel hominibus, vel jumentis, vel fr…gi…us, ſeu carmine, ſeu aliis modis nocetur, acc…yere, manifeſte patet ex Platone lib. 10. de Legibus. Et apud Ariſtot. Hiſt. Animal. cap. 25. foreign nominantur. Et Apocal. c. 18. foreign pro prae…tigii, & impoſtura ſumitur.—Dan. Sennert. Tom. 3. lib. 6. Part. 9. Cap. 2.Jew. Antiq. lib. 4. c. 10. renders foreign by Ʋnguentarios. Diaſcorides, Cap. de Rhamno, hath an Expreſſion to this purpoſe, That the Branch of that Tree, being placed before the Doors, doth drive away foreign, Witchcrafts; it were ridiculous to ſay, it drives away Poyſonings; which is a ſufficient evidence that the Graecians uſed that word to ſignifie another kind of Witchcraft, than that which this miſtake would eſtabliſh. Beſides this, the Scripture doth afford two ſtrong Arguments againſt this Interpretation of Witchcraft. (1.) That this word is ranked with others, (as being of the ſame alliance) which will carry the apprehenſions of any conſiderate Man, to Effects done by the help of Satan, in an unuſual way, as Deut. 18. 10. There ſhall not be found among you, any that maketh his Son or his Daughter to paſs through the Fire, Ful…er Piſg. Sight. lib. 4. c. 7. p. 128.(this is not the conſuming of their Children to Moloch, but by way of Luſtration a Mock-Baptiſm, Ma…men vid. Pool in loc.a piece of Witchcraft, to preſerve from violent Death) or that uſeth Divination, an obſerver of Times, or an Inchanter, or a Witch, &c. The very Neighbourhood of the Witch, Godwin Jews Antiq. l. 4. c. 10. Pool in loc.will tell us that this Witch muſt be a Diviner, Divination being the general tearm, comprehending the ſeven Particulars following: It would be an harſh ſtraining to put in the Poyſoner (in the ſenſe of our Oppoſites) among the Diviners. Yet the ſecond Argument is more cogent, which is this; That among thoſe whom Pharaoh called together to encounter with Moſes, Exod. 7. 11. we find Witches or Sorcerers expreſſed by the ſame word foreign, which is uſed in Exodus 22. and Deut. 18. What can more certainly fix the interpretation of the Word than this place, where the end of Pharaohs calling them together, was not to poyſon Moſes and Aaron, but by Enchantment to outvy them in point of Miracles. Which will ſhew that Witchcraft is not Poyſoning, but the doing of ſtrange Acts by the aid of Satan. Neither was this the act of one Man, (who might poſſibly, together with that preſent Age, be under a miſtake concerning Witches, though it be a thing not to be ſuppoſed) but long after him, Nebuchadnezzar in Dan. 2. 4. being aſtoniſhed with his Dreams,Witchcraft reckoned as diſtinct from Murther, in Gal. 5. 20, 21. calls for the Sorcerers or Witches, and Magicians, to give him the Interpretation; which had been a matter very improper for them, if their skill had lain only in mixing Poyſons.
When we have thus ſilenced this Imagination, we have yet another to encounter with, and that is of thoſe that think theſe Witches, of which the forecited Texts do ſpeak, are but meer Cheats, and by ſome tricks of Deluſion and Legerdemain, pretend they can do things, which indeed they cannot do at all; and yet finding death threatned to ſuch, which (in a buſineſs of meer Jugling) would ſeem too great a ſeverity,Scot. Witchcraft. l. 6. c. 2. they have framed this anſwer to it, That the death is threatned, not for the jugling, but for their preſumptuous and blaſphemous undertaking to do things that belong to a Divine Power, and for taking his Name in vain. Or (as others are pleaſed to ſay) though they have no real power,Hobs Leviath. c. 2. p. 7. they are juſtly puniſhed for the belief they have, that they can do ſuch miſchief, joyned with their purpoſe to do it, if they can.
In Anſwer to this apprehenſion, I ſhall not much inſiſt upon theſe Reaſons,Teneſon. Hobs Creed. Exam. Art. 4. p. 63. which yet are ſufficiently weak, (the latter accuſing God's Laws of unreaſonable ſeverity, and the former accuſing them of unneceſſary redundancy, ſeeing enough in other places is provided againſt Blaſphemers) but ſhall offer a Conſideration or two, which I judg will be of force to rectifie the Miſtake.
Firſt; Though it cannot be denyed, but that a great many Cheats there have been in all Ages, by which Men have endeavoured to raiſe the repute and eſteem of their own Skill and Excellencies, or for other baſe ends; yet form hence to conclude, that all theſe things that have been done under the name of Witchcraft were ſuch, muſt be an unſufferable piece of inſolence; not only denying that credit which all ſober Men owe to Hiſtory, to the conſtant belief of all Ages, to the faithfulneſs and wiſdom of Judges, Jurors, Witneſſes, Laws and Sanctions, but alſo dangerouſly overthrowing all our Senſes; ſo that at this rate we may well queſtion, Whether we really Eat,Bax…er Sin againſt the Holy Ghoſt, p. 83. J. Glanvil. Conſiderations of Witchcraft, p. 6. Teneſon againſt Hobs, Art. 4. p. 59. Drink, Move, Sleep, and any thing elſe that we do; this Reaſon is urged by grave and ſerious Men.
Secondly; It cannot be imagined that ſuch things are meerly deluſory, where the voluntary Confeſſions of ſo many, have accuſed themſelves and others, not of Thinking or Jugling, but of really Ac…ing, and doing ſuch things; with ſuch Circumſtances as have particularized Time, Place, Thing, and Manner.
Thirdly;Vid. Epiſt. D Balthaſaris …an. M. D. in calce Tom. 3. oper. Dan. Senner…i de foemina …aſcinata in cujis cu…e, literae N. B. notae Crucis … capite ad c…lcem, cum Aſtronomicorum & Chymicorum caracteribus, Roſae figura in dextra & triſolii in ſiniſtrâ arti…icio…è picta cum Anuo Chriſti 1635. cor Servatoris telis transfixum, & imago ſtulti, cum verbo Germanico Na…r, procumbebant. [Dr. More.] Mr. Baxter ut ſupra. Dan. Sennertus Tom. 3. Lib. 6. Pars 9. Varias hiſtorias enumerat de morbis incantatione inductis. Ex Jo. Lang…o, Alex. Benedic…o, Cornel. Gemma, Foreſto, & aliis. The real Effects done by the Power of Witchcraft, ſhew it not to be Deluſion: Such are the Tranſportation of Perſons many miles from their Habitations, and leaving them there; their telling things done in remote Places; raiſing of Storms and Tempeſts; Vomiting of Pins, Needles, Stones, Cloth, Leather, and ſuch like; and theſe ſome of them atteſted by ſober and intelligent Perſons who were Eye-witneſſes. Large accounts you have of theſe in Bodinus, Sprengerius, and ſeveral others that have borrowed theſe Relations from them.
The Notion of Poyſonings, or deluſory Juglings, being below what the Scripture intends to ſet forth, as Witchcraft; it is evident that Witchcraft is a power of doing great Things by the aid of the Devil. By which our way is open to improve this Inſtance, to demonſtrate (which was the ſecond thing promiſed) that Satan's Power muſt be Great: For,
Firſt,Helmont. Magne…. …. §. 87. 'Tis acknowledged that a great part of thoſe things that are done in this Matter, as concurrent with, or helpful toward the promoting of ſuch Acts, are Satan's proper Works, as the troubling the Air, raiſing Storms, Apparitions, various Shapes and Appearances, Tranſportations from Place to Place, and a great many more things of Wonder and Amazement, all which exceed humane Power.
Secondly; Many things of Wonder done by ſuch Perſons; to which (ſome ſuppoſe) the ſecret Powers of Herbs, or Things, contribute their natural Aids or concurrance, are evidences of Satan's deep knowledg of, and inſight into Natural Cauſes. Of this nature is that Ointment with which Witches are ſaid to beſmear themſelves in order to their Tranſportation: The power and efficacy whereof,Dr. More. Death conſiſts not ſo much in an actual ſeparation of Soul and Body, as in the indiſpoſition and unfitneſs of the Body for vital union. What is the meaning elſe of that Expreſſion, [Whether in the Body or out of the Body I cannot tell] except the Soul may be ſeparated from the Body without death. J. Glanvil, Witchcraft, p. 15. 18. is by ſome imagined to conſiſt in this, That it keeps the Body Tenantable, and in a fit condition to receive the Soul by re-entry, after ſuch Separations, as (by all Circumſtances are concluded) have been really made in purſuit of thoſe Viſionary Perambulations and Tranſactions. Which things if they be ſo, (as they are not improbable) Witches have them from Satan's diſcovery, and they are to be aſcribed to his Power.
Thirdly; Thoſe Actions that are moſt properly the Witches own Actions, and in which the Power of Hurting doth (as ſome ſuppoſe) reſide, are notwithſtanding, either awakened or influenced by Satan:Helmont ubi ſuprà. So though we grant (what ſome would have) that the Power of Hurting is a Natural Power,Aricenna vid. Barthol. Sybilla. Perig. quaeſt p. 401. Neſcio quis teneros oculos, &c. Glanvil Witchcraft, p. 24. and a venomous Magnetiſm of the Witch, and that her Imagination, by her Eye, darts thoſe Malignant Beams which produce real Hurts upon Men, (after the manner of the Imaginations force upon a Child in the Womb, which hath (as by daily Experience and Hiſtory is confirmed) produced Marks, Impreſſions, Deformities, and Wounds) and that Satan doth but cheat the Witch into a belief of his Aid in that Matter; that with a greater advantage he may make uſe of her Power,Helmont ut ſupra, §. 101. Satan Itaque vim magicam hanc e…cit it (ſecus dormientem & ſcientia exterioris hominis impeditam) in …uis mancipiis—Glav. Wit. p. 18. without which he could do nothing; yet even this ſpeaks his Ability, in that at leaſt he doth awaken and raiſe up that Magical Force, (which otherwiſe would lie a-ſleep) and ſo puts the Sword into their hand. Yet ſome attribute far more to him, to wit, the infuſion of a poyſonous Ferment, (by that action of …ucking the Witch in ſome part of the Body) by which not only her Imagination might be heightned, by Poyſonous Streams breathed in, which might infect Blood and Spirits with a noxious Tincture.
The Second grand Inſtance of his Power,2. Wonders. I ſhall produce from thoſe Actions of Wonder and Aſtoniſhment which he ſometime performs, which indeed have been ſo great, that they have occaſioned that Queſtion;
Whether Satan can do Miracles?Q.
To this we anſwer;A. 1. (1.) That God alone can work Miracles. A Miracle being,Polanus 1632. a real Act, done viſibly, and above the Power of Nature. Such Works ſome have ranked into three heads; (1.) Such as created Power cannot produce;Tho. Cont. Gent. lib. 3. c. 101. cited by Sclater, on 2 Theſſ. 2. 9. as to make the Sun ſtand ſtill, or go backward. (2.) Such as are in themſelves produceable by Nature, but not in ſuch an order as to make the Dead to live, and thoſe that were born Blind to ſee, which is ſtrongly argued John 9. 32. to be above humane Power; and John 10. 21. to be above the Power of Devils. (3.) Such as are the uſual Works of Nature yet produced, above the principles and helps of Nature, as to cure a Diſeaſe by a Word or Touch.
Things that are thus truly and properly Miraculous, are peculiarly Works of God; neither can it be imagined, that ſince he hath been pleaſed to juſtifie his Commands, Ways, and Meſſages, by ſuch mighty Acts, 2 Cor. 12. 12. Heb. 2. 4. John 10. 38. and alſo hath been put to it, to juſtifie himſelf and his ſole Supream Being and Godhead; from falſe Competitors, Pſal. 86. 10. & 72. 18. by his Miraculous Works: it cannot be imagined, I ſay, that he would permit any created Being, (much leſs Satan) to do ſuch things.
Secondly;Mira non Miracula. Though Satan cannot do things Miraculous, yet he can do things wonderful and amazing. And in this point lies the danger of Deluſion, as Chriſt foretells, Matth. 24. 24. Falſe Chriſts ſhall ariſe, and ſhew great Signs and Wonders—in 2 Theſſ. 2. 4. the Apoſtle tells us, The coming of Antichriſt ſhall be with all Power, S…later in loc.and Signs, and Wonders; that is (as ſome interpret) with the power of Signs and Wonders; which however they be lying, both in reference to the deſign they drive at, (which is to propagate Errors) and alſo in their own Nature, being truly ſuch, in reſpect of their form, falſe; as Miracles, being indeed no ſuch matter, but jugling Cheats: Yet notwithſtanding there is no ſmall cunning, and working of Satan in them, inſomuch that the uncautious and injudicious, are deceived by thoſe Wonders that he hath power to do, Rev. 13. 13. In this matter, though we are not able to give a particular account of theſe under-ground Actions; yet thus much we may ſay,
Firſt, That in many Caſes, his great Acts, that paſs for Miracles, are no more but deceptions of Senſe. Naturaliſts have ſhewn ſeveral Feats and Knacks of this kind.Magia Naturalis. l. 2. c. 17. Jo. Bap. Porta hath a great many ways of ſuch deceptions, by Lamps, and the ſeveral Compoſitions of Oyls, by which not only the colours of things are changed, but Men appear without Heads, or with the Heads of Horſes, &c. The like Deceptions are wrought by Glaſſes of various Figures and Shapes. If Art can do ſuch things, much more can Satan.
Secondly; He can mightily work upon the Fancy and Imagination; by which means Men are abuſed into a belief of things that are not: as in Dreams, the Fancy preſents things which are really imagined to be done and ſaid; when-as they are Viſions of the Night, which vaniſh when the Man is awake; or as in Melancholy Perſons, the Fancy of Men doth ſo ſtrongly impoſe upon them, that they believe ſtrange abſurd things of themſelves, that they have Horns on their Head, that they are made of Glaſs, that they are dead, and what not: If Fancy, both aſleep and awake, may thus abuſe Men into an apprehenſion of impoſſible things, and that with confidence, no wonder if Satan (whoſe Power reacheth thus far, as was before proved) doth take this advantage for the amuſing of Men with ſtrange things. Nebuchadnezzar his Judgment, Dan. 4. 25. whereby he was driven from Men, and eat Graſs as Oxen, was not a Metamorphoſis, or real change into an Ox; this all Expoſitors rejects as too hard; neither ſeems it to be only his extream neceſſity, and low eſtate, whereby he ſeemed to be little better than a Beaſt,Calvin in loc. (though Calvin favour this Interpretation); but by that Expreſſion, verſ. 25. [then my Ʋnderſtanding came to me] it ſeems evident, (as moſt Commentators think) that his Underſtanding was ſo changed in that Puniſhment, that he imagined himſelf to be a Beaſt, and behaved himſelf accordingly, by eating Graſs, and lying in the open Fields. There are ſeveral Stories to this purpoſe of ſtrange Transformations,Civit. Dei. l. 18. c. 18. as the Bodies of Men into Aſſes, and other Beaſts, which Auguſtine thinks to be nothing elſe but the Devils Power upon the Fancy.
Thirdly; There are wonderful Secrets in Nature, which if cunningly uſed and applyed to fit Things and Times, muſt needs amaze vulgar Heads; and though ſome of theſe are known to Philoſophers and Scholars, yet are there many ſecret Things lock'd from the wiſeſt Men, whoſe Powers, and Natures, becauſe they know not,De Civit. Dei lib. 21. c. 5, 6. they may alſo be deluded by them. Auguſtin reckons up many Inſtances, as the Loadſtone, the Stone Pyrites, Selenites, the Fountain of Epirus that can kindle a Torch, and many more; and determines that many ſtrange 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 an unextinguiſhable Lamp,foreign. in a Temple of Venus, which allured Men to Worſhip there, as to an Unqueſtionable Deity, when in truth the thing was but an ingenious Compoſition from the Stone Asbeſton; Plin. lib. 28.of which Pliny makes mention, that being kindled, it will not be quenched with Water.Vid. L. Vives Comment. in lib. 21. c. 6. De Civit Dei. Of this nature were thoſe Lamps found in ſeveral Valuts accompanying the Aſhes of the Dead, reſerved there in Urns, both in England and elſewhere. If Men by ſuch helps find ſuch eaſy ways to delude Men, What exactneſs of Workmanſhip, and ſeeming Wonders may be expected from Satan upon ſuch Advantages?
Fourthly; Many of his Wonders may challenge an higher riſe. Satan knows the ſecret ways of Natures Operations, and the ways of accelerating or retarding thoſe Works. So that he cannot only do what Nature can do,Determinata activa ad determinata paſſiva applicando. by a due application of active to paſſive Principles, and the help of thoſe Seminal Powers that are in Things, but he may be ſuppoſed to perform them in a quicker and 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?
Fifthly; The ſecret way of Satan's Movings and Actings is no ſmall matter in theſe Affairs. How many things do common Juglers by the ſwift motions of their Hands, that ſeem incredible? Thus they make the By-ſtanders believe they change the Subſtances, Natures, and Forms of Things, when they only, by a ſpeedy Conveyance, take theſe things away, and put others in their room. They that ſhall conſider Satan as a Spirit, ſubtil, imperceptible, quick of Motion, &c. will eaſily believe him to be more accompliſhed for ſuch Conveyances than all the Men in the World.
Having now ſeen the way of his Wonders, let us next conſider the advantage he hath by ſuch 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 leſs than Miraculous, as done by the mighty Power of God. If we go from hence to the Magicians of Pharaoh, Exod. 7. 11. 'tis ſaid, They did ſo with their Inchantments, which (howſoever the matter was) prevailed ſo with Pharaoh and the Court, that they ſaw no difference 'twixt the Wonders done by Moſes and them, ſave that (it may be) they thought Moſes the more skilful Magician. But beſides this, if we conſider what they did, it will argue much for his Power,Tho. Cajatan Delrio. if we can imagine (as ſome do) that they turned their Rods into real Serpents, the Power is evident: and there is this that favours that Opinion, it is ſaid, They could not make Lice, which ſeems to imply, they really did the other things, and it had been as eaſy to delude the Senſes in the matter of Lice, as in the Rods, if it had been no more than a Deluſion; neither are ſome a-wanting to give a reaſon of ſuch a Power, (viz.) Serpents, Lice, &c. being the Off-ſpring of Putrefaction, by his dextrous application of the ſeminal Principles of things,Barth. Sybilla Pereg. Quaeſt. p. 372. Rivetus. he might quickly produce them. If we go lower, and take up with the Opinion of thoſe, that think that they were neither meer Deluſions, nor yet true Serpents, but real Bodies like Serpents, though without life, this will argue a very great Power: Or if we ſuppoſe (as ſome do) that Satan took away the Rods, and ſecretly conveyed Serpents in their ſtead, or (which is the loweſt apprehenſion we can have) that Pharaoh's ſight was deceived: The matter is ſtill far from being contemptible, for as much as we ſee, the Spectators were not able to diſcern the Cheat.
Thirdly;Apparitions. The next Inſtance produceable for evidencing his Power, is that of Apparitions. It cannot be denyed, but that the Fancy of melancholick or timerous Perſons, is fruitful enough to create a thouſand Bugbears. And alſo that the villany of ſome Perſons hath been deſignedly imployed to deceive People with Mock-Apparitions; of which abundance of Inſtances might be given from the knavery of the Papiſts, diſcovered to the World beyond contradiction; but all this will not conclude, that there are no real Appearances of Spirit or Devils. Such ſad effects in all Ages there have been of theſe things, that moſt Men will take it for an undenyable Truth.
Inſtead of others, let the Apparition at Endor to Saul come to examination: Some indeed will have us believe, that all that was but a ſubtil Cheat, Scot. Witchcraft l. 7. c. 12.managed by that Old Woman; and that neither Samuel nor the Devil did appear, but that the Woman, in another Room by her ſelf, or with a Confederate, gave the anſwer to Saul. But whoſoever ſhall read that Story, and ſhall conſider Saul's Bowing and Diſcourſe, and the Anſwers given, muſt acknowledg that Saul thought, at leaſt, he ſaw and ſpake with Samuel: and indeed the whole Tranſaction is ſuch, that ſuch a Cheat cannot be ſuppoſed.
Satisfying our ſelves then, that there was an Apparition, we muſt next enquire whether it was true Samuel, Vid. Pool… Synops. in l….or Satan: it cannot be denyed, but that many judg it was true Samuel, but their Reaſons are weak.
(1.) That Proof from Eccleſiaſticus 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 conjecture; in which Satan yet (all things conſidered) had good ground for his gueſſing.
(4.) That the Name Jehovah is oft repeated, ſignifies nothing, the Devil is not ſo ſcarce of words; Jeſus I know, ſaith that Spirit in the Acts.
(5.) That he reproved Sin in Saul, is no more than what the Devil doth daily to afflicted Conſciences in order to deſpair.
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 Ʋrim. And 'tis too harſh to think he would ſend 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 Ahaziah, 2 King. 1. 3. Is it not becauſe there is not a God in Iſrael, that ye go to enquire of Baalzebub?
(3.) The prediction of Sauls Death, though true for ſubſtance, 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 haſt thou diſquieted me?] ſhews it could not be true Samuel, the Power of Witchcraft not being able to reach Souls at reſt with God.
(5.) That Expreſſion of Gods aſcending out of the Earth, is evidently ſuſpicious.
The reality of Apparitions being thus eſtabliſhed, Satan's Power will be eaſily evinced from it. To ſay nothing of the Bodies in which Spirits appear; the haunting of Places and Perſons, and the other Effects done by ſuch Appearances, ſpeak abundantly for it.
Fourthly;Poſſeſſions. The laſt Inſtance is of Poſſeſſions, the reality of which can no way be queſtioned, becauſe the New Teſtament affords ſo much for it; I ſhall only note ſome things as concerning this Head. As,
Firſt; The multitudes of Men poſſeſſed: ſcarce was there any thing in which Chriſt had more opportunities to ſhew his Authority, than in caſting out of Satan; ſuch Objects of Compaſſion he met with in every place.
Secondly; The multitudes of Spirits in one Perſon, is a conſideration not to be paſſed by.
Thirdly; Theſe Perſons were often ſtrongly acted, ſometime with fierceneſs and rage, Matth. 8. 28. ſome living without Cloaths, and without Houſe, Luke 8. 27. ſome by an incredible ſtrength breaking Chains and Fetters, Mark 5. 3.
Fourthly; Some time the Poſſeſſed were ſadly vexed and afflicted, caſt into the Fire and Water, &c.
Fifthly; Some were ſtrengely influenced: we read of one, Acts 16. 16. that had a Spirit of Divination, and told many things to come, which we may ſuppoſe frequently came to paſs; elſe ſhe could have brought no gain to her Maſter by South-ſaying. Another we hear of, whoſe Poſſeſſion was with a Lunacy, and had fits at certain times and ſeaſons. The Poſſeſſed Perſon with whom Mr. Rothwell diſcourſed,Vid. Clark's Lives. (within the memory of ſome living) could play the Critick in the Hebrew Language.
Sixthly; In ſome the Poſſeſſion was ſo ſtrong, and ſo firmly ſeated, that ordinary means and ways could not diſpoſſeſs them: This kind comes not out but by Prayer and Faſting, Mat. 27. 21. which ſhews that all Poſſeſſion was not of one kind and manner, nor alike lyable to ejection.
To all theſe may be added Obſeſſions: where the Devil afflicts the Bodies of Men, diſquiets them, haunts them, or ſtrikes in with their melancholy temper, and ſo annoys by hideous and black repreſentations. Thus was Saul vexed by an evil Spirit from the Lord, which (as moſt conceive) was the Devil working in his melancholy Humor. That the Devil ſhould take poſſeſſion of the Bodies of Men, and thus act, drive, trouble and diſtreſs them; ſo diſtort, diſtend, and rack their Members; ſo ſeat himſelf in their Tongues and Minds, that a Man cannot command his own Faculties and Powers, but ſeems to be rather changed into the nature of a Devil, than to retain any thing of a Man; this ſhews a Power in him to be trembled at.
Satan's Power being thus explained and proved, I ſhall next ſpeak ſomething of his Cruelty.