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AN 
 
 . ESSAY 
 
 ON 
 
 EVIL SPIRITS; 
 
 OR, 
 
 REASONS TO PROVE THEIR EXISTENCE : 
 
 IN 
 
 OPPOSITION TO A LECTURE, 
 
 DELIVERED 
 
 BY THE REV. N. T. HEINEKEN, 
 
 IN THE UNITARIAN CHAPEL, BRADFORD. 
 
 BY WILLIAM CARLISLE- 
 
 Second iSfcttion iSnlatgefc antr Corrected. 
 
 " God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell, and 
 delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment." 
 2 Pet. ii. 4. 
 
 " And the angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own ha- 
 bitation, he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the 
 judgment of the great day." Jude 6th ver. 
 
 " The good and evil of eternity are too ponderous for the wings of wit: 
 the mind sinks under them in passive helplessness, content with calm belief 
 and humble adoration." Johnson. 
 
 LONDON: 
 
 PRINTED FOR THE AUTHOR; 
 
 AND SOLD BY HAMILTON, ADAMS, AND CO. PATERNOSTER-ROW ; T. 
 
 INKERSLEY, BRADFORD J HARDCASTLE, AND SPINK, LEEDS ; HOL- 
 
 DEN, HALIFAX; NICHOLS, WAKEFIELD J KEMP, HUDDERSFIELD ; 
 
 WILSON, KNARESBOROUGH ; AND ALL OTHER BOOKSELLERS. 
 
 1825. 
 
 'torn 
 
C3 
 
 
 Gntmfc at stationer'* &alL 
 
THE LADIES AND GENTLEMEN 
 
 BRADFORD, 
 
 FOLLOWING WORK IS RESPECTFULLY INSCRIBED, 
 
 A SMALL EXPRESSION OF 
 
 ^ratitute, 
 
 THEIR XIND AND LIBERAL SUPPORT, 
 BY 
 
 THE AUTHOR, 
 
 O /> py c% ft 
 
PREFACE. 
 
 In these days of fanciful innovation, and bold im- 
 piety, Scriptural Doctrines are abused and perverted 
 on the one hand, by the extravagance of folly and 
 enthusiasm ; and are insulted on the other, by th e 
 scoffs of Socinians. They are ridiculed as a vague 
 and visionary scheme, which finds its origin only in 
 the wild imaginations of men. Notwithstanding the 
 contempt and ridicule which are continually poured 
 from the lips of opposers, the author avows himself 
 a believer in all the peculiar and essential doctrines 
 of the Gospel ; and his intention in publishing this 
 essay is, to defend these doctrines against the inju- 
 dicious evasions, wild reveries, bombastical asser- 
 tions, and sarcastical animadversions, of those men 
 who would rob Christianity of its glory, blast our 
 hopes, and make this world one vast scene of misery 
 and chaos. 
 
 In this controversy, the author sincerely desires 
 truth to have its full weight. He contends for no 
 human creeds or explications whatever ; they may 
 be right, or they may be wrong ; infallibility is not 
 stamped upon any human creed whatever ; conse- 
 quently none ever pretended to infallibility, but the 
 
11. 
 
 absurd system of Popery. Suffer the author to add, 
 that it is his firm opinion, that the articles, liturgy, 
 and homilies, of the established Church, approach 
 nearer to divine inspiration than any other human 
 system ever extant. 
 
 Notwithstanding the superior excellency of this 
 divine establishment, and although the author can, 
 consistent with his own conscience declare, that there 
 is not one point of Christian Doctrine inculcated by 
 it, but what is fully supported by the infallible testi- 
 mony of revelation; yet it is only human, or, in other 
 words, the compilers of this most excellent system 
 of rules and doctrines, were only fallible ; therefore, 
 no man can appeal to it or any other, and confi- 
 dently say, " Thus saith the Lord" The highest 
 that can be said of any human creed, however excel- 
 lent, is, that it is a stream from the great fountain 
 or source of all truth ; and a fountain must for ever 
 excel its streams. Therefore, the author is deter- 
 mined to make the Scripture the great fountain of 
 infallible truth, the grand standard of his faith and 
 practice, and its sacred decisions the universal au- 
 thority on which he will build every part of that 
 system unto which he gives his assent; and he would 
 have Mr. Heineken, and his Socinian brethren, to 
 recollect, that he attacks them because he believes 
 they are blinded by prejudice and plunged into er- 
 ror — because he believes that the system of Socin- 
 
111. 
 
 ianism is false, and derogatory to the Son of God; 
 injurious to Society at large ; dangerous in the ex- 
 treme to all who embrace it ; and in its nature ab- 
 surd to such a degree, as to render it disgusting to 
 every sensible man. 
 
 There is no doubt but the genuine truths of Chris- 
 tianity will ultimately prevail : God will vindicate 
 his own cause. The powers of darkness have long 
 attempted to subvert the whole system of Divine 
 truth, but they have not prevailed, nor is it to be 
 apprehended they ever will. The Great Head of the 
 Church is shaking the nations, and is about to purge 
 his floor ; the gold, silver, and precious stones, shall 
 abide the day of trial ; but the chaff will be blown 
 away ; the wood, hay, and stubble, shall be burnt 
 up ; all superstitious rites shall be subverted ; but 
 the word of the Lord shall endure for ever; his 
 counsels shall stand, and he will do all his plea- 
 sure. Here then the author rests his faith. Anti- 
 christ may fall, superstitious observances may cease, 
 religious establishments may tumble into ruins, em- 
 pires and kingdoms may be overturned, princes and 
 governors may be dethroned, the great men of the 
 earth may take part with the enemies of truth, er- 
 ror and delusion may run like wild-fire, unbelievers 
 may rage, and would-be philosophers imagine a vain 
 thing ; yea, all nature may sink into a perfect non- 
 entity; the solid rocks may be dissolved; the vast 
 
IV 
 
 mountains on our globe may disappear and be not; 
 the most invulnerable of all material substances —in 
 a word, all the stupendous orbs which garnish the 
 heavens, may vanish like shadows, die like the shrill 
 echo, and be no more ; but the Bible shall arise out 
 of its present obscurity, and being stripped of all 
 human appendages, shall universally be had in 
 honour, while the enemies of evangelical religion 
 shall be confounded world without end. Yea, 
 
 " They shall pass away like the baseless fabric of a vision, 
 *' And leave not a wreck behind. " 
 
 While all those solemn realities of the Gospel 
 shall survive 
 
 " The wreck of matter, and the crush of worlds." 
 
 The reader will be pleased to observe that though 
 the term Unitarian is generally used in this Es- 
 say, yet it is used gratuitously ; for the body so 
 designated have no more right to it than the Trini- 
 tarians. The author would not have used it but 
 for a certain friend, whom he highly esteems for his 
 piety and benevolence, who said he would use the 
 term Unitarian instead of Socinian, as they called 
 themselves by that name. The reason why the au- 
 thor would not concede to them in the term 
 Unitarian, is, because they have chosen it expressly 
 to intimate that they, among Christians exclusively, 
 bold the existence of one God, and that Trinitarians 
 
V. 
 
 hold the existence of more Gods than one; an im- 
 putation which they well know every person who 
 believes in the Divine Trinity, rejects with abhor- 
 rence. 
 
 Again, in arguing with Trinitarians, they gene- 
 rally endeavour to prove that the Scriptures, in a 
 great variety of passages, assert that there is but one 
 God ; and when they have proved this point, viz, 
 the Divine Unity, they triumph and consider the 
 dispute as ended, and their antagonist overthrown. 
 In this way they insinuate to their readers, that Tri- 
 nitarians hold the existence of more Gods than one, 
 and that all their arguments are intended to support 
 this doctrine. Whereas, every Unitarian knows 
 perfectly well, that the unity qfGod, is as entirely 
 and as avowedly holden by those who believe in the 
 ever blessed and adorable Trinity, as by himself, 
 that none of their arguments are directed against it, 
 and that this point of Christian Doctrine has never 
 been, and never can be in debate between him and 
 them, so long as the unity of God is equally holden 
 by both parties. That the doctrine of the Trinity 
 involves or infers the existence of more Gods than 
 one, every Unitarian has a right to prove, and may 
 with perfect fairness prove, if he can. But to say 
 that Trinitarians believe in the existence of more 
 Gods than one, and to treat them as if they thus be- 
 lieved, when it is perfectly well known that every 
 a 3 
 
Vi. 
 
 Trinitarian disclaims such belief with indignation, is 
 conduct, which, in my opinion, admits of no justifica- 
 tion. Every Trinitarian with the strictest propriety 
 may say, " The Lord our God is one Lord, and 
 
 HIS NAME ONE." 
 
 The author went to hear Mr. Heineken deliver a 
 Lecture, in which he endeavoured to prove the non- 
 existence of an evil spirit, called the Devil, or Satan. 
 His mind was much wounded to see so many Athe- 
 ists and Deists; and likewise a great number of 
 men and women, who, in their simplicity and igno- 
 rance, drank in his disgusting heterodoxy, not 
 knowing that it was more dangerous than a draught 
 of the essence of hemlock. The author made two 
 or three remarks, and determined to oppose him. — 
 When Mr. Heineken heard of his intention, he very 
 candidly came forward, and made him an offer of 
 his Sermon, which the author read with the utmost 
 candour ; yet he must confess that what is contained 
 in it, is contrary to every principle of philosophy, 
 and the plain language of the Scriptures. But he 
 is not warranted in commenting on his own observa- 
 tions. Such as they are, he commits them to the 
 world, and earnestly recommends them to the can- 
 dour and attention of those to whom he now appeals. 
 There perhaps is much in this essay that will be 
 grating in the ears of the hyper critic, who can de- 
 rive a sort of flimsy pleasure from labouring to pry 
 
vii 
 
 into the deepest recesses of grammatical accuracy. 
 However, he would observe, that his present circum- 
 stances forbid him being critically nice respecting 
 this in the present essay. 
 
 Should this work, through the divine blessing, 
 prove beneficial to society in general, or should any 
 of those who have fallen a victim to the powerful 
 darts of sophistry, be drawn from those labyrinths of 
 absurdity, or others be prevented from falling into 
 the same snare, his intention in writing it will be 
 realized. It is the first time that he ever attempted 
 to assume the character of an author, and without 
 dedication or patron, he abandons this essay to its 
 ultimate fate. „ 
 
 Dudley- Hill, near Bradford, ) 
 January 14, 1825. j 
 
PREFACE 
 
 SECOND EDITION.* 
 
 It is with great pleasure and gratitude to the 
 enlightened public, for their kind and liberal sup- 
 port which they have afforded the author, that he 
 sits down to write the following short preface. As 
 a Second Edition of this work is just going to make 
 its appearance in the world, so soon after the first, 
 is, to the author, a matter of astonishment, and 
 thankfulness to the religious world, as it is only 
 four months since the first edition made its appear- 
 ance; and notwithstanding the many defects which 
 were scattered through its pages, yet the author 
 has received many testimonies of approbation, which 
 have removed that suspense under which he laboured, 
 relative to its fate. As the author was unknown to 
 the departments of literature, he could not but be 
 anxious to know its destiny. He waited the issue, 
 with a mind fluctuating in doubt, whether the 
 arguments which he advanced, in order to prove the 
 
 * The reader will please to observe, that the Preface to the 
 First Edition as it now stands, is considerably altered. 
 
X. 
 
 existence of evil spirits, would have the same 
 weight, and appear with the same cogency and clear- 
 ness to the mind of every reader, as to his. He 
 was sensible, that neither he nor Me. Heineken, 
 could influence or deceive the judgment of an en- 
 lightened public. 
 
 With these views, the first edition made its 
 appearance, and its reception far exceeded his most 
 sanguine expectations. The demand for it at present, 
 is great; therefore, he judges it necessary to publish 
 another edition, under the patronage of a generous 
 public. There are many persons who have interested 
 themselves in the publication of this little work, 
 whose names would gratify his feelings to publish, 
 but it is a liberty which he dare not take ; it is to 
 these, in particular, and the religious world in 
 general, that the author is indebted for a patronage 
 so liberal and great ; and which he trusts he will 
 never forget, so long as gratitude is capable of 
 warming his heart. 
 
 Though the author has had the advantage of 
 correcting the first edition, yet, he has not the 
 vanity to suppose that the second is perfect ; there 
 are many defects and inaccuracies, which he humbly 
 hopes the candid reader will pardon and over look. 
 
 November 1th, 1825. 
 
CONTENTS. 
 
 CHAP. I. 
 
 PAGE. 
 
 Miscellaneous Observations 13 
 
 CHAP. II. 
 The Introduction of Moral Evil considered 29 
 
 CHAP. III. 
 The Names given to Satan in the Scripture, explained 49 
 
 CHAP, IV. 
 
 Demoniacal Possessions ; or, Reasons for their Credibility, 
 according to the New Testament 59 
 
 CHAP. V. 
 
 A more direct Reply to the Lecture 101 
 
o» is, ' 
 AN 
 
 ESSAY ON EVIL SPIRITS. 
 
 CHAP. I. 
 
 Miscellaneous Observations. 
 
 Notwithstanding the light of Evangel- 
 ical truth, which shines with a brilliancy not to be 
 equalled by mid-day splendour, yet, it is amaz- 
 ing to think what ignorance and superstition re- 
 main : what darkness, more intense than midnight 
 gloom ! How true are the words of the prophet, 
 that darkness covers the earth and gross darkness the 
 people ; for infidelity is stalking abroad with its ugly 
 features, spreading its contagion and infusing its poi- 
 son, exulting in the most ridiculous chimeras, and 
 carried away with the most bewildering enthusiasm. 
 Notwithstanding the blackness and darkness of infi- 
 delity, Mr. Heineken stands in a situation ten thou- 
 sand times more awful ; for when I take into con- 
 sideration the destructive consequence of his prin- 
 ciples, they appear fraught with results the most 
 
14 MISCELLANEOUS OBSERVATIONS. 
 
 alarming, and consequences the most fatal. They 
 lead the unhappy victim, who becomes fettered and 
 entangled with them, into a delusion superlatively 
 awful ; and hurry him, under a garb of the jmost 
 fantastical hypocrisy, to the verge of eternal ruin«Jr 
 As a proof of what I have asserted, I would have 
 Mr. Heineken to observe, that there are many per- 
 sons, some of whom I am acquainted with, and others 
 of whom I have been informed, who were, a little 
 while ago, strongly attached to the Christian faith ; 
 but by means of attending his lectures, their attach- 
 ment has been destroyed, and they are now wander- 
 ing in the dark regions of infidelity, and upon his 
 principles are defending that preposterous system 
 of Scepticism. This proves the assertion of Bishop 
 Warburton, where he says, that Unitarianism " is a 
 sort of infidelity in disguise ;* or, as Mr. Wilberforce 
 represents it, "a sort of half-way house from nom- 
 inal orthodoxy to absolute infidelity ;" or, as Mrs. 
 Barbauld is said to have called it, "Christianity in 
 the frigid zone.'" Now, I would ask Mr. Heineken 
 to tell me, what good has resulted from his preach- 
 ing ? I know of none : I have pointed him out an 
 evil, and one of a serious nature ; "and if he which 
 converteth a sinner from the error of his way shall 
 save a soul from death,'"* what must be the conse- 
 quences of that preacher's labour, which leads only 
 
 * James iv. 20. 
 
MISCELLANEOUS OBSERVATIONS. 15 
 
 to death. It is strikingly evident to every sound 
 reasoner, that Unitarianism leads to the grossest 
 errors, and plunges its unhappy devotees into a 
 vortex of unfounded theories. What is there in 
 the gospel to recommend it, and render it a subject 
 worthy of a Divine revelation, when all its peculiar 
 and essential doctrines are taken away ? I must 
 confess, that the arguments which the Unitarians 
 have made use of in order to support their system, 
 and the miserable subterfuges which they have 
 resorted to, have done more towards convincing me 
 that their system is a destructive jargon, than all 
 the mighty series of reasoning which has been ad- 
 vanced against them. Seldom are they at a loss 
 for a gloss, or an evasion, in aiming at the accom- 
 plishment of their object. If they meet with a 
 passage whose indubitable reading, and whose ob- 
 vious plain meaning, is such as every unbiassed 
 man would pronounce favourable to any of those 
 doctrines which they so unreasonably despise, they 
 are ready with ample stores of metaphorical, enig- 
 matical, and idiomatical forms of interpretation ; 
 and stubborn must be that text which will not yield 
 to one or other of their modes of treatment. Thus 
 they explain away the obvious import of the Bible, 
 and thereby forsake the paths of reason and 
 Scripture, and wander into the visionary regions of 
 dogmatical enthusiasm, which destroys the trans- 
 cendent grandeur and glory of the sacred pages. 
 
16 MISCELLANEOUS OBSERVATIONS. 
 
 According to the principle of Unitarianism, our 
 inquiry is not to be, what is the plain and obvious 
 meaning of the writers of the Scriptures, agreeably 
 to the ordinary and established rules of interpre- 
 tation ; but is it possible to understand their words 
 otherwise ? Men may talk of prejudice, but I can 
 conceive of few prejudices more strong or more de- 
 ceitful than that which is involved in such a prin- 
 ciple. It is surely a very suspicious circumstance 
 as to the foundation on which any system rests, when 
 its abettors feel it necessary formally to warn their 
 readers "to be on their guard against what is 
 called the natural signification of words and 
 phrases."* This is ignorance with a witness ! it 
 opens the flood-gate of error, and truth is lost in 
 the ocean of absurdity ; for if we reject the natural 
 signification of words and phrases, we must for ever 
 wander in the barren fields of speculation and un- 
 certainty. Here they slide into an error which 
 violates every sentiment of propriety, and converts 
 the plain and unadorned language of the Scriptures 
 into a useless and unnatural pleonasm ; and those 
 doctrines which the writers have inculcated with so 
 much emphasis, they unnerve and paralyze, and 
 with false glosses and wild evasions, destroy all 
 point and emphasis, evaporate all its spirit, and 
 freeze every syllable of it to very ice. It is diffi- 
 cult to maintain a Scripture controversy with the 
 
 * Read Belsham's Calm Enquiry, pages 4, 5. 
 
MISCELLANEOUS OBSERVATIONS. 17 
 
 class of speculators I am now opposing, for two 
 reasons. First, they will say any tiling rather than 
 give up their pre-conceived opinions. That their 
 opinions are merely pre-conceived, any person may 
 easily discern, who examines their writings with any 
 degree of attention. To prove that they will say 
 any thing, I need only refer the reader to two 
 assertions made by two of their most learned advo- 
 cates, relative to the innocence and purity of our 
 Lord Jesus Christ. One of them speaks of him as 
 "fallible and peccable ;" and the other says, we have 
 " no sufficient data by which to determine whether 
 during his private, as well as public life, he was free 
 from sin or not ; and that it is to us a matter of no 
 material consequence?* But what saith the Scrip- 
 tures: — "To the law and to the testimony; if we speak 
 not according to this word, it is because there is no 
 light in us." If we examine both Testaments, we 
 shall invariably find that they represent Jesus Christ 
 as a holy and innocent character, without the least 
 iota if impurity or inherent depravity. Hence, 
 says the Apostle — " Such an high-priest became 
 us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from 
 sinners, and made higher than the heavens ; who 
 needeth not daily, as those high-priests, to offer up 
 sacrifice, first for his own sins, and then for the 
 people's."*}- " He did no sin, neither was guile 
 found in his mouth." " Ye are redeemed with the 
 
 Priestley and Belsham. f H e &- vii » 26, 27. 
 B 3 
 
18 MISCELLANEOUS OBSERVATIONS. 
 
 precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb, without 
 blemish and without spot?' 1 * " He was manifested 
 to take away our sins ; and in him is no sin.^-f 
 Are not these declarations sufficient to satisfy every 
 mind that feels itself bound by the authority of the 
 Scriptures ? If Jesus Christ contained within 
 himself the least inherent depravity, or committed 
 the slightest evil, all these Scripture designations 
 of him must be considered as the mere rhapsody of 
 admiration, or the unmeaning bombast of eulogy. 
 It perhaps is of no material consequence to the 
 frozen- hearted Unitarian, whether Christ was a 
 sinner or not ; but to every sound Christian, it is a 
 matter of the greatest importance ; for if Jesus 
 Christ was a sinner, or an unholy being, the whole 
 system of Christianity tumbles into ruins. 
 
 The second reason why it is extremely difficult 
 to maintain a process of Scriptural reasoning with 
 these men, is, that the notions which they entertain 
 respecting the inspiration of the Holy Scriptures, 
 are so very vague, futile, and undefined. 
 
 "The Scriptures," says one of their most eminent 
 writers, " were written without any particular in- 
 spiration, by men who wrote according to the best 
 of their knowledge, and who, from circumstances, 
 could not be mistaken with regard to the greater 
 facts of which they were properly witnesses ; but, 
 (like other men subject to prejudice) might be liable 
 
 * 1 Peter ii. 22. i. 19. + 1 John 3— 5. 
 
MISCELLANEOUS OBSERVATIONS. 19 
 
 to adopt a hasty and ill-grounded opinon concern- 
 ing things which did not fall within the compass of 
 their own knowledge, and which had no connection 
 with any thing that was so. We ought all of us, 
 therefore, to consider ourselves fully at liberty to 
 examine, with the greatest rigour, both the reason- 
 ings of the writers, and the facts of which we find 
 any account in their writings ; that, judging by the 
 rules of just criticism, we may distinguish what 
 may be depended on from what may not.'"* 
 
 "I like the honesty of this avowal," (says a 
 learned critic,) " but I presume you will agree with 
 me in thinking, that Deism ought to have been the 
 profession of him who makes it." Every one must 
 at once perceive, that according to this view of the 
 Scriptures, there is nothing certain in them. And 
 if we deny the infallibility of the Holy Scriptures, 
 and look upon them as the fallible productions of 
 men, all our hopes of arriving at truth must be 
 totally eclipsed, and the bright prospects of futurity 
 be overspread with blackness and darkness for ever. 
 Therefore, the reasoning of those men who deny 
 that the writers of both Testaments were constant- 
 ly under infallible guidance, is a dangerous error ; 
 the most animating doctrines of the gospel are left 
 entirely uncertain — a ground is laid for heart- 
 rending doubts and fearful anticipations, which no- 
 
 * Priestley's History of Early Opinions, vol. iy. p. 5. 
 
20 MISCELLANEOUS OBSERVATIONS. 
 
 thing «an remove, but a firm persuasion that the 
 sacred writers wrote their histories under the 
 immediate agency and superintendence of the Di- 
 vine Spirit. The same writer, in speaking of the 
 Arian opinion, that the world was formed by Jesus 
 Christ as a subordinate agent of the Father, has 
 these words : " Now, as it is not pretended that 
 there are any miracles adapted to prove that Christ 
 made and supports the world, I do not see that we 
 are under any obligation to believe it, merely be- 
 cause it was an opinion held by an apostle. 1 '* 
 
 Dr. Priestley made no scruple " to call the apostle 
 St. Paul an inconclusive reasoner."-f- " Neither I," 
 says he to Dr. Price, " nor I presume yourself, be- 
 lieve implicitly every thing which is advanced by 
 any writer in the Old or New Testament. I believe 
 them to have been men, and therefore fallible.'" 
 And again : " That the books of Scripture were 
 written by particular divine inspiration, is a thing 
 to which the writers themselves make no preten- 
 sions." But let the Apostles speak for themselves : 
 " But there be some that trouble you, and would 
 pervert the gospel of Christ. But though we, or 
 an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto 
 you, than that which we have preached unto 
 you, let him be accursed. As we said before, so 
 say I now again, If any man preach any other gos- 
 
 * Priestley's History of Early Opinions, p. 63. 
 f Priestley's Corruptions of Christianity, vol. ii. p. 370. 
 
MISCELLANEOUS OBSERVATIONS. £1 
 
 pel unto you than that ye have received, let him 
 be accursed. But I certify you, brethren, that 
 the gospel which was preached of me is not 
 after man. For I neither received it of man, nei- 
 ther was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus 
 Christ. Now the things which I write unto you, 
 behold, before God, I lie not."* And again he 
 says, " And my speech and my preaching was not 
 with enticing words of man's wisdom, but in demon- 
 stration of the Spirit and of power : that your faith 
 should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the 
 power of God."-|- Now, reader, judge for yourself. 
 Can the gospel, which was inculcated by the Apos- 
 tle, be both a revelation from God, and at the same 
 time, the fallible production of men ? Impossible ! 
 If wedeny the universal inspirationof the Scriptures, 
 we involve ourselves in a dilemma from which we 
 cannot easily extricate ourselves. But the writer to 
 whom I have all along referred, goes farther than 
 this in one of his letters to Dr. Price, relative to 
 the pre-existence of Jesus Christ, and says, " I 
 would not build an article of faith of such magni- 
 tude, on the correctness of John's recollection and 
 representation of our Lord's language; and so 
 strange and incredible does the hypothesis of a pre- 
 existent state appear, that, sooner than admit it, 
 I would suppose the whole verse to be an interpola- 
 tion^ or that the old apostle dictated one thing, and 
 
 * Gal. i. 7, 8, 9, 11, 12, 20. f 1 Cor. ii. 4, 5. 
 
 o* x urn 
 
 TTKTTTr-KT»Tl»aT 
 
%% MISCELLANEOUS OBSERVATIONS. 
 
 his amanuensis wrote another."* Hence, it ap- 
 pears, that Dr. Priestley would believe any thing, 
 however monstrous, rather than the plain and obvi- 
 ous meaning of the words of Scripture. Although 
 all the writers of this class may not reject, in terms 
 equally unqualified, the inspiration of the sacred 
 Scriptures, yet they are all characterised by the 
 same homogeneal laxity, relative to this important 
 point. Another of them says, that " Peter speaks 
 according to the conception of the Jews, when he 
 says, Prophecy came not in old time by the will of 
 man, but holy men of God spake as they were moved 
 by the Holy Ghost ;" and adds, " the prophets may 
 have delivered the offspring of their own brains as 
 divine revelation," And another says, " what have 
 we to do with the New Testament, when it contra- 
 dicts the light of nature ?" I ask, where does the 
 Scripture contradict reason ; for I suppose that is 
 what he means by the light of nature. There are 
 many doctrines contained in the Scripture, which 
 are necessarily above reason ; but it does not follow 
 that they are contrary to it Mr. Belsham says, 
 that " Paul in his Epistles, introduces many harsh 
 and uncommon figures."*! - Again, he says, " The 
 author of the Epistle to the Hebrews indulges him- 
 self in an ingenious ', but forced and fanciful an- 
 alogy."! Nay, he goes farther than this, for he 
 
 * Priestley's Letters to Dr. Price, page 58. 
 f Mr. Belsham's Calm Inquiry, p. 19. \ Ibid, p. 19. 
 
MISCELLANEOUS OBSERVATIONS. 2S 
 
 says, that " our Lord sometimes uses metaphors of 
 the most obscure and offensive kind"* 
 
 I hope these quotations are sufficient to shew how 
 vague and undefined are the opinions of this class 
 of men respecting the inspiration of the Holy Scrip- 
 tures ; for if we give up their universal inspiration, 
 we must look upon them as a mixed compound. And 
 how am I to distinguish between that which is in- 
 spired, and that which is not ? Here is a founda- 
 tion for doubting ; by this our confidence is at once 
 destroyed ; the mind is carried into the cold regions 
 of barren speculation, and is lost in the great vortex 
 of infidelity. This is a subject of importance, and 
 one wj^ch ought to be carefully studied by every 
 Christian, in order that he may render a reason for 
 the hope that is in him. 
 
 That the Scriptures were written by plenary in- 
 spiration, is a doctrine that has been believed 
 through successive ages, and has remained impreg- 
 nable to all the shafts of impious ridicule, and un- 
 shaken by the bolder artillery of blasphemous invec- 
 tive. " Some men,'" says a learned author, " have 
 adopted very strange and dangerous notions, respect- 
 ing the inspiration of the Scriptures. Dr. Priestley 
 denies that they were written by a particular divine 
 inspiration ; and asserts, that the writers, though 
 men of the greatest probity, were fallible, and have 
 actually committed mistakes in their narrations and 
 
 * Ibid, p, 18. 
 
24 MISCELLANEOUS OBSERVATIONS. 
 
 their reasonings. But this hian and his followers, 
 find it their interest to weaken and set aside the 
 authority of the Scriptures, as they have adopted a 
 system of religion from which all the distinguishing 
 doctrines of revelation are excluded. Others con- 
 sider the Scriptures as inspired in those places where 
 they profess to deliver the Word of God ; but in 
 other places, especially in the historical part, they 
 ascribe to them only the same authority which is 
 due to the writings of well-informed and upright 
 men. But as this distinction is perfectly arbitrary, 
 having no foundation in any thing said by the sacred 
 writers themselves , so it is liable to very material 
 objections : it represents our Lord and his Apples, 
 when they spoke of the Old Testament, as having 
 attested, without any exception or limitation, a 
 number of books as divinely inspired, while some 
 of them were partly, and some wene almost entirely 
 human compositions : it supposes the writers of both 
 Testaments to have profanely mixed their own 
 productions with the dictates of the Spirit, and to 
 have passed the unhallowed compound on the world 
 as genuine. In fact, by denying that they were 
 constantly under infallible guidance, it leaves us 
 utterly at a loss to know when we should or should 
 not believe them. If they could blend their own 
 stories with the revelations made to them, how can 
 I be certain that they have not on some occasions 
 published in the name of God, sentiments of their 
 
MISCELLANEOUS OBSERVATIONS. 25 
 
 own, to which they were desirous to gain credit and 
 authority ? Who will assure me of their perfect 
 fidelity in drawing a line of distinction between the 
 divine and the human parts of their writings ? The 
 denial of the plenary inspiration of the Scripture, 
 tends to unsettle the foundation of our faith, in- 
 volves us in doubt and perplexity, and leaves us no 
 other method of ascertaining how much we should 
 believe, but an appeal to reason. But when reason 
 is invested with the authority of a judge, not only 
 is revelation dishonoured, and its author insulted, 
 but the end for which it was given is completely 
 defeated." 
 
 Hence it is certain, that to suppose that the sa- 
 cred pages are partly divine and partly human, is 
 an exitious error, for it leaves us entirely in doubt 
 which to believe as divinely inspired. The mind 
 is carried into barren climes of confusion and uncer- 
 tainty, and instead of arriving at truth, gives up its 
 pursuit as a painful and unprofitable research. The 
 denial of the fall or complete inspiration of the 
 Scriptures, opens a door for infidelity, which all the 
 energies of those who deny the fact will never be 
 able to shut. And instead of the Scriptures being 
 a solid foundation, upon which to build our faith, 
 there can be no firm ground of trust placed in them, 
 no settled hope, no permanent consolation — timid- 
 ity and gloom must inhabit every bosom, and ren* 
 der life, in many instances, a burthen, 
 c 
 
#6 MISCELLANEOUS OBSERVATIONS. 
 
 Some, perhaps, may ask, why are the opinions of ' 
 the Unitarians so loose relative to this important 
 point ? — the answer is obvious : because the Unita- 
 rians know, if they should admit that the Scriptures 
 were written by plenary inspiration, their system 
 would be swept away with an eternal sweep. " It 
 is ever in vain that man essays to pierce the un- 
 fathomable arcana of the skies. By his limited 
 faculties, and superficial ken, the deep things of 
 eternity are not to be scanned. 1 ' The brightest 
 seraph that encircles the throne of the Invisible, or 
 the highest order of possible intelligence, could ne- 
 ver make known one single counsel or purpose of the 
 divine mind, unless it had been previously revealed. 
 Nay, sooner could finite comprehend infinite, and 
 the less incircle the greater, or a part contain the 
 whole, of which itself is but a part, than that the 
 unfathomed counsels of Deity could be known but 
 by a revelation from himself. 
 
 Reader, whoever you are, or by whatever name 
 you are called, unless you admit of the plenary in- 
 spiration of the Scriptures, you have no resting 
 place for thought, but are in danger of falling a 
 prey to the wiles of sophistry, and the imposing in- 
 fluence of high pretensions to learning and candour. 
 There are many arguments which I might advert to 
 in order to prove that the Scriptures were written 
 by plenary inspiration, not to mention the power of 
 working miracles, or the fulfilments of prophecy, 
 
MISCELLANEOUS OBSERVATIONS. %Ti 
 
 which speaks their origin divine. And be it known, 
 that they who reject the authority of the Scriptures, 
 reject a part of the purest philosophy which ever 
 occupied the pens of writers, and truth which is 
 more immutable than nature itself. I would ob- 
 serve, that if you take away the plenary inspiration 
 of the Scriptures, and look upon the writers as fal- 
 lible, and liable to err while they wrote the sacred 
 pages : — I would ask, how I am to know the truth of 
 any doctrine, or to what must I appeal ? If I ap- 
 peal to the Scriptures, how do I know but those very 
 parts unto which I make my appeal, are only falli- 
 ble productions of erring mortals ? Hence, it is 
 evident, if we deny the plenary inspiration of the 
 Scriptures, we must for ever wander in the great 
 wilderness of uncertainty, and at last end in the 
 dismal quicksand of infidelity. The Scripture, as 
 an inspired whole, is my glory ; for when I read 
 my Bible, I admire its native energy and unadorned 
 phrase : in its didactive parts, what simplicity, art- 
 lessness, candour, and sincerity ; in the prophetic, 
 what beauty and impressiveness ; and, in its sub- 
 lime, how eminently just and lovely. In a word, 
 the Scripture language is remarkable for its sub- 
 limity. Each writer is distinguished for peculiar 
 beauties ; but the general style of all may be cha- 
 racterized as strong, animated, and impressive. Its 
 ornaments are derived, not from an accumulation of 
 epithets or laboured harmony, but from the real 
 
28 MISCELLANEOUS OBSERVATIONS. 
 
 grandeur of its imagery, and the majestic force of 
 its expression. It is varied with striking propriety, 
 and enlivened vnth quick, but easy transitions. Its 
 sudden bursts of eloquence, its earnest warmth, its 
 affecting exhortations and appeals, afford very in- 
 teresting proof of that lively impression and inspired 
 conviction, under which the writers wrote and spake, 
 and which enabled them, among a people not dis- 
 tinguished for genius, to surpass, in every variety 
 of composition, the most admired productions of 
 pagan antiquity. Is there any book in the world, 
 so perfectly adapted to all capacities, that contains 
 such sublime and exalted precepts, conveyed in such 
 an artless and intelligible strain, and that can be 
 read with such pleasure and advantage, by the let- 
 tered sage, or the unlettered peasant ? 
 
CHAP. II. 
 
 The Introduction of Moral Evil considered. 
 
 XT is self-evident, that there is moral and physical 
 evil in the world. And various have been the 
 theories which men have adopted, in order to ac- 
 count for its introduction. Some have endeavoured 
 to account for its introduction by iron-handed fate 
 and destiny; consequently, they have made God the 
 author of all the evil in the world. While others, 
 not less absurd, ascribe its origin to bad example, 
 and a corrupt education. It is the last opinion 
 which I shall endeavour to confute, as it is adopted 
 by this class of men, who are falsely designated 
 " rational Christians" 
 
 I am inclined to think, that Mr. H., as an indi- 
 vidual, believes that we were created by God ; and 
 this being admitted, he cannot deny that the power 
 which created all things, must be the general Parent 
 of the universe ; and that this great, exalted, and 
 incomprehensible Being, is perfection itself, in all 
 uncreated, original, necessary, and never ceasing 
 extremes. In fine, what we conceive of God, is an 
 assemblage of all possible perfection, abstracted 
 from all possible moral evil. It is to this great 
 
 and exalted being we now turn our attention, and 
 c 3 
 
3U MORAL EVIL CONSIDERED. 
 
 ask, of what nature and essential properties did he 
 create man ? It is infallibly certain, that that Being 
 who is infinitely holy, and contains within himself 
 an unchangeable hatred to evil, could not but 
 create man in a state of moral rectitude. Accord- 
 ing to every conception we can form of the wisdom 
 and goodness of the Deity, as well as according to 
 the most express and unequivocal language of 
 Scripture — "God made man upright." For to say 
 that God created him morally evil, is to charge God 
 with the turpitude of every bad action, and to de- 
 stroy those attributes which are essential to his 
 nature and existence. Therefore, " God created 
 man in his own likeness, in the image of God created 
 he him ;" and that image, saith the apostle, consists 
 in righteousness and true holiness. 
 
 Again, man was not only created without the 
 least iota of inherent depravity, but he was furnished 
 with a clear and sagacious mind, with reason bright 
 and strong, and possessed transcendent qualifica- 
 tions for the most elevated happiness. But that he 
 might be accountable, he was necessarily created 
 free ; and that he might never forget that he was 
 under the cognizance and dominion of a moral 
 Governor, a test of obedience was set before him. 
 And in this respect, God did not deal worse with 
 man than with other creatures ; he pointed out to 
 them their respective laws by instinct ; but as man 
 was designed to be a distinguished link in the great 
 
MORAL EVIL CONSIDERED, SI 
 
 chain of being, God entered into a covenant with 
 him, and gave him a law, not only as a test of 
 obedience, but as a proof of dependence, and as an 
 incitement to gratitude. This law was easy to be 
 obeyed, because it was plain to be understood- 
 The greater the injunction, the more severity 
 would have appeared, and the more circumscribed 
 must have been human liberty ; but God, on the 
 present occasion, reduced the discharge of moral 
 obligation to a single point, promising life on obe- 
 dience, and threatening death on transgression. 
 But what were the conditions on which these great 
 events were suspended? They follow — "Of every 
 tree in the garden thou mayest freely eat ; but of 
 the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou 
 shalt not eat of it, for in the day that thou eatest 
 thereof thou shalt surely die.'"* The cavil about 
 this fruit being an object of temptation, is almost 
 too absurd to deserve a specific notice ; for surely 
 no being can be out of the reach of temptation but 
 God alone. He that is essentially, is only un- 
 changeably, good. I am well aware that not only 
 infidels, but this class of men which I am opposing, 
 cry out in the language of impious ridicule against 
 this part of Sacred History ; and, say they, " God 
 cannot be supposed to have condemned mankind 
 for the mere eating of an apple." This, however, 
 
 * Gen. ii. 17, 
 
3& MORAL EVIL CONSIDERED. 
 
 is not the language of reason and common sense, 
 but of partiality and prejudice. The phraseology 
 here adopted is absolutely false and absurd. It in- 
 timates that God was influenced in his condemna- 
 tion of our first parents, by a resentment excited 
 only by the value which he fixed on the forbidden 
 fruit. As the value of the fruit was in a sense 
 nothing, they therefore conclude that God could 
 not prize it so much, as to be angry at the trans- 
 gression, much less to inflict so dreadful a punish- 
 ment on the transgressor. Were the principle 
 just, on which they profess to argue, I would readily 
 admit it, as would every other sensible man. But 
 the principle itself has no connection with the sub- 
 ject ; the argument founded upon it is therefore 
 without the least foundation. Such views of God 
 as these, are not taught in the history, nor in any 
 part of the sacred record. The Scriptures univer- 
 sally declare that our first parents were condemned, 
 because they disobeyed their Maker, revolted from 
 his authority, and rebelled against his government. 
 The fruit, whatever it was, was plainly of no value 
 to him, at whose bidding suns lighted up their 
 fires, systems rolled to fulfil his pleasure, and 
 who could in a moment call into existence a world, 
 or a million of worlds, with all their magnificent 
 furniture. The guilt of our first parents lay solely 
 in rebelling against God, or in eating of that fruit 
 in opposition to his command, and for this they 
 were condemned and punished. 
 
MORAL EVIL CONSIDERED. 33 
 
 Again, we are informed that the Serpent, or 
 Tempter, who had fallen from his dignity and glory, 
 into a state of degradation and misery, envying the 
 happiness of our first parents, premeditated their 
 ruin ; and with all the craft and subtlety imagin- 
 able, accosted the general parents of mankind, and 
 by reason of his cunning and falsehood, he pre- 
 vailed with this happy and innocent pair to rebel 
 against their Maker, and to sin against his infinite 
 Majesty. Thus they fell from their original and 
 happy state, and, according to the constitution of 
 things, " brought death into the world, and all our 
 woe."" By this means the first man was stripped of 
 his original righteousness, and became the subject 
 of moral and physical evil. 
 
 Should it be asked, what are moral and physical 
 evil? I answer, that moral evil is not only the 
 practice of sin, but a never Jailing tendency to it, 
 which is inherent depravity, or that principle of 
 corruption which inheres in the constitution of every 
 moral being in the world. And that physical evil 
 is not only those pains and diseases which are inci- 
 dent to the human system, but all those dreadful 
 evils and calamities that follow in such rapid suc- 
 cession in this lower world, even all " the ills that 
 flesh is heir to." 
 
 But still it is asked, from whence arises this evil 
 principle, or how came it to exist ? I answer, that 
 it is a self-evident truth, that there cannot be an 
 
34 MORAL EVIL CONSIDERED. 
 
 effect without a cause, and that the cause of this 
 effect is the violation of the law of God, For the 
 very mention of moral evil pre-supposes a deviation 
 from moral rectitude, and till that took place, there 
 could never be an evil principle. It is a contradic- 
 tion in terms to suppose an evil principle to propel 
 when it was not, or to act before it had an existence. 
 The inquiry now renews itself — How can a holy 
 principle violate the law of God, or commit an un- 
 holy action ? I suppose the inquirer means by the 
 term principle, that never-failing tendency to equity 
 and uprightness, which inhered in the constitution 
 of man previously to the introduction of moral evil. 
 A holy principle could not commit an unholy ac- 
 tion, or the least evil whatever, as evil. To sup- 
 pose this, would be to suppose an impossibility, and 
 a downright contradiction. For it would be to sup- 
 pose a principle to act diametrically opposite to its 
 nature. Yet, at the same time I would observe, 
 that man, as a moral being, must he free to act, for 
 free-agency arises necessarily from the nature of 
 man. Again, man as a finite creature was not only 
 mutable, but likewise liable to be deceived. For 
 immutability and infallibility are infinite perfec- 
 tions ; therefore they could never exist in a finite 
 creature. From these premises we conclude, that 
 our first parents, though holy, were fallible, and 
 that they were deceived into the commission of an 
 act of disobedience, through the supposition of some 
 
MORAL EVIL CONSIDERED. 35 
 
 supposed good, without the least idea or apprehen- 
 sion of any evil whatever. For if there be a law of 
 nature, which there is, they could never choose evil 
 for its own sake. Wherefore, man as a holy being, 
 violated a holy law, through the supposition of some 
 supposed or fancied good, without the least idea of 
 any evil whatever, as evil. For a holy principle 
 could not propel to the commission of an unholy 
 action, neither could an evil principle act before it 
 had an existence. Therefore, the violation of the 
 law of God, is the cause of which moral evil is an 
 effect ; and physical evil follows as a just punish- 
 ment for such violation and rebellion. 
 
 This view is fully corroborated by Scripture and 
 reason ; for Satan, the arch deceiver of mankind, 
 said to our first parents, " For God doth know, that 
 as soon as you have eaten of this fruit, you will be 
 benefited by it, for your eyes shall be opened, and 
 ye shall be as gods."* As much as if Satan 
 had said, Such is the efficacy and virtue of this tree, 
 that by eating of it, your minds will be more illu- 
 minated, and you will be filled with divine know- 
 ledge like your Maker. And when the guilty cul- 
 prits were going through a process of strict exami- 
 nation before their Maker, Eve expressly said " the 
 Serpent beguiled me^f The apostle St. Paul, in 
 his second Epistle to the Corinthians, J alludes to 
 
 * Gen. iii. 5. f Ibid. iii. 13. J 2 Cor. xi. 3. 
 
36 MORAL EVIL CONSIDERED. 
 
 the same subject : " I fear, lest by any means as 
 the Serpent beguiled Eve through hi3 subtilty, so 
 your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity 
 that is in Christ ." And when writing to his son 
 Timothy, he said, " The woman being deceived, 
 was in the transgression."* Thus both Testaments 
 agree in establishing the opinion given above. And 
 again, to those who examine the nature of moral 
 beings, their secret springs of action, and the phy- 
 sical modes and operations of intellect, it will ap- 
 pear evident, that no external force can compel the 
 will to choose any thing but under the notion of 
 comparative goodness ; therefore reason and Scrip- 
 ture fully harmonize, and the Mosaic account of the 
 introduction of moral evil into this world, stands 
 upon a firm and immutable basis, which defies all 
 opposition, from whatever quarter it may come ; and 
 the hopes of every orthodox Christian are built up- 
 on an invulnerable foundation, which has stood firm 
 and secure from the commencement of time to the 
 present day, and will remain steadfast as long as 
 eternity endures. Amidst the fluctuations and 
 changes of political principle., this remains un- 
 changed. " Christianity," says Dr. Paley, " hath 
 travelled through dark and turbulent ages ; never- 
 theless, it came out of the cloud and the storm such 
 in substance as it entered in." And in spite of the 
 
 * 1 Tim. ii. 14. 
 
MOEAL EVIL CONSIDERED. 37 
 
 blasphemous invectives poured from the pens and 
 lips of Infidels, and the activity with which the anti- 
 christian dogmas, and disgustful heterodoxy of Uni- 
 tarianism are propagated, truth will rise triumphant, 
 and they will all be confounded. 
 
 It will perhaps be said, " That if we admit that 
 our first parents were deceived, either by the sub- 
 tilty of an agent, or by the plausibility of a certain 
 motive, their guilt shrinks to almost a nonentity, 
 and their punishment bears no proportion to their 
 crime." Although such an objection may seem 
 plausible, I conceive it to be entirely founded upon 
 an erroneous idea, relative to the speciousness of the 
 motive which induced them to act, without taking 
 into consideration the evil nature of the means. For 
 if the temptation, or the motive which induced 
 them thus to act, had been ten thousand times more 
 plausible, they ought not to have complied with 
 such inducement, so long as its tendency led to a 
 violation of a positive injunction, given to them by 
 their sovereign Benefactor. Suppose the present 
 king were to give to one of his subjects a positive 
 command, founded upon reason, and agreeable to 
 the nature and circumstances of the individual to 
 whom it was given, threatening him with the most 
 severe punishment in case of violation ; and, vice 
 versa> if he obeyed, he would confer upon him every 
 privilege and blessing which his realm would afford. 
 Now, if the individual were to suffer himself to be 
 
 D 
 
5>0 MORAL EVIL CONSIDERED. 
 
 deceived, either by the specious reasoning of an in- 
 telligent agent, or the mere inducement of a certain 
 motive, so as to violate the command of his majesty, 
 would he not be guilty of downright rebellion, and 
 would it not be just that the threatened penalty 
 should take place ? Whatever are the motives and 
 inducements by which we act and pursue our vari- 
 ous projects, we ought never to overlook the means, 
 under any pretext that may be suggested, but con- 
 nect the means and the benefit to be obtained to- 
 gether. Should an object present itself to our view, 
 the obtaining of which would be of great personal 
 advantage, yet, at the same time, if this object can- 
 not be obtained without violating either the law of 
 God, or the laws of our country, or that rule of re- 
 ciprocal justice, " whatsoever ye would that men 
 should do to you, do ye even so to them;" we ought, 
 as rational beings, to give up the pursuit of such an 
 object, however plausible and good it may appear, 
 abstracted from the means by which it is to be ob- 
 tained. Therefore, whatever were the motive, 
 whatever were the agent, which tempted our first 
 parents, they ought, with invincible firmness, to 
 have repelled the temptation, and adhered firmly to 
 the command given to them by the God of the 
 universe. 
 
 Again, the rebellion of the first man against his 
 Maker, was a sin so universal in its nature, as to in- 
 volve mankind in its guilt in all ages of the world. 
 
MOEAL EVIL CONSIDERED. 39 
 
 The account which is given in the Scripture, is 
 grounded on the relation which all men have to 
 Adam as their natural head. Adam, in his pris- 
 tine perfection, had the privilege of immortality, 
 but by him " sin entered into the world, and death 
 by sin, and so death passed upon all men, for that 
 all have sinned." An hereditary corruption is trans- 
 mitted to all that naturally descend from him. It 
 is the universal and unchangeable law of nature, 
 that every thing produces its like, not only in re- 
 gard of the same nature that is propagated from 
 one individual to another, without a change of the 
 species, but in respect of the qualities with which 
 that nature is eminently affected. As it is natural, 
 so it is universal — " Who can bring a clean thing 
 out of an unclean ?" That is, how can a righteous 
 person be born of a sinner ? The answer is peremp- 
 tory — not one. The fountain was poisoned in 
 Adam, and all the streams partake of the infection. 
 
 " Can filthy dross produce a golden beam, 
 "Or poison'd springs a salutif'rous stream ?" 
 
 But, the Unitarians say, in opposition to all this — 
 " We admit the fact of the great, though not uni- 
 versal wickedness that prevails in the world, but 
 we cannot assent to what you give as the Natural 
 History of it. We do not think it inseparable from- 
 man's present nature, but an accidental acquisition ; 
 we do not ascribe it to the influence of an heredi- 
 
40 MORAL EVIL CONSIDERED. 
 
 tary taint, but conceive it to be the effect of imita- 
 tion and custom, of acquired habit, of corrupt ex- 
 ample., of injudicious tuition." " This, by the way," 
 says Dr. Gregory, " is only saying in other words, 
 that depravity is the effect of depravity. Let us, 
 however, examine the matter a little more closely. 
 The vile passions may in some be the result of im- 
 proper tuition, or of imitation, I have no inclination 
 to deny ; but they cannot always be referred to such 
 an origin. How often do we see children in their 
 veriest infancy, exhibit strong and unquestionable 
 indications of boisterous tempers, of obstinacy, or 
 impatience. How often do children of the most 
 pious parents, who are so brought up, as during 
 the first six or seven years of their lives never to 
 witness any species of crime, any instance of ingra- 
 titude, of falsehood, or deception, or any indul- 
 gence in irascible passions, furnish painful proofs 
 that they can be deceivers, wilful liars, ungrateful, 
 passionate, malignant, and unforgiving? These 
 instances, I will venture to say, occur very fre- 
 quently, when it is impossible to ascribe them to 
 imitation. But suppose the contrary were admitted, 
 the opposers of the scriptural doctrines would gain 
 nothing by the concession ; for of whom could a 
 child acquire iniquity by imitation, but of some one 
 that was born before him ? and whom did that per- 
 son imitate but some one born before him ? and 
 where must this series terminate ? If you say any 
 
MORAL EVIL CONSIDERED. 
 
 41 
 
 where short of the first man, you have to account 
 for the remarkable phenomenon of sin making its 
 first inroad at the identical time, and fixing upon 
 the identical person you have selected, and this will 
 be found infinitely more difficult, than extending 
 the series to the great progenitors of the human 
 race. Besides, does not the very circumstance of 
 an aptitude to imitate evil, and rather to imitate 
 evil than good, indicate something like that hered- 
 itary taint which is brought forward to contravene 
 and supersede ? Can an inherent tendency to 
 imitate evil, an undeviating propensity to slide into 
 vice, (unless the strong hand of moral discipline, 
 or the suasive influence of Divine grace prevents,) 
 be fairly or rationally ascribed to any thing less than 
 such a cause as that with which the Bible makes 
 us acquainted ?" If good and evil were but mere 
 accidents of the mind, then we might rationally 
 expect to find as many morally good as morally 
 evil; but both Scripture and facts repulse this con- 
 clusion. Now, as the human heart tends universally 
 to evil, and as there are none but what are contam- 
 inated, there cannot be a more cogent proof than 
 that some evil principle predominates. Bad exam- 
 ple may influence the present generation of men, 
 but it could not influence where it was not, nor act 
 before it had a beginning, and there was a time 
 when bad example was not. As moral evil, there- 
 fore, must have been introduced, and have existed 
 d 3 
 
4$ MORAL EVIL CONSIDERED. 
 
 prior to bad example, bad example could not be 
 the primary cause of moral evil. Mr. H. can no 
 more account for the introduction of moral evil into 
 this world, than for those phenomena of nature, 
 which lie beyond the confines of human perception. 
 He denies the account which is given in the sacred 
 Scriptures, therefore he is obliged to wander upon 
 a pathless ocean of uncertainty, confined in the 
 barren precincts of speculation, and liable to fall a 
 victim to the imposing influence of anti-christian 
 dogmatism. 
 
 Again, it is maintained by some, " that evil is 
 necessary, and that we can have no knowledge of 
 good but by contrasting it with its opposite." It 
 is an unquestionable fact, that in the natural world, 
 physical reverses frequently give a colouring to 
 each other ; and it is equally true, that in the moral 
 history of our species, the splendour of virtuous 
 actions is rendered more eminent by the deepness 
 of those shades with which these actions are con- 
 trasted. " It will be readily admitted, that no 
 satisfactory reason can be drawn from pure abstract 
 principle, why such reverses should seem necessary 
 to give distinctness to each other. But the fact is 
 indisputable, and it may be traced without difficulty 
 to the present state of our mental constitution. 
 There can be no doubt whatever, that every good, 
 whether natural, moral, intellectual, or spiritual, is 
 capable in itself of shining by its own inherent 
 
MORAL EVIL CONSIDERED. 43 
 
 brilliancy. It would be nothing short of a severe 
 reflection on the infinitely wise Creator to suppose 
 that he has given being to excellencies which could 
 only be rendered distinctly visible by the physical 
 reverses of themselves. According to such a con- 
 stitution of things, even natural good would be in- 
 debted for the brightest display of its lustre, to 
 natural evil ; but how any thing can be considered 
 as a natural evil, which is essentially necessary to 
 the developement of natural good, is a problem 
 which we cannot solve, without impeaching the 
 source of Infinite Wisdom. 
 
 If from natural good and evil, we turn our at- 
 tention to that which is moral, the atmosphere with 
 which we are encircled becomes still more dense, 
 and we find the clouds of confusion gathering round 
 us in every direction, and presenting us with dark- 
 ness which we cannot pierce. To say that moral 
 evil is necessary to unfold in all its beauty the ut- 
 most perfection of moral good, is to destroy the 
 essence of vice ; and, in an alembic of mental che- 
 mistry, to transmute it into virtue. To assert that 
 the existence of vice is necessary to that of virtue, or, 
 that the display of the former is necessary to that of 
 the latter, is a solecism in language, and is little less 
 than a contradiction in terms. If natural and moral 
 good were incapable of shining by their own intrinsic 
 lustre, reason would compel us to infer, that each is 
 defective in its own nature; and from this inference 
 
44 MORAL EVIL CONSIDERED. 
 
 we could scarcely draw any conclusion which would 
 not amount to an impeachment of the Author of 
 both. We can by no means suppose, that glorified 
 spirits in heaven, (whether we consider them as na- 
 tives of the celestial region, or as taken from our 
 terrestrial abode,) can stand in need of such an 
 unnatural aid, to make them sensible of the value 
 and importance of felicity. And if moral evil had 
 not debased the human intellect, and, in its moral 
 consequences, disorganized the system of nature, 
 we have no more reason to suppose, that evil in any 
 form, would have been either absolutely or relatively 
 necessary, to give us the instructions which we are 
 now compelled to learn from it in our present state, 
 than that it is necessary in heaven. The only 
 rational inference which we can draw from the 
 whole amounts to this, that in the same proportion 
 as we find the existence of evil in any form neces- 
 sary to make us sensible of the value of good, we 
 behold evidences of our degeneracy, both as to its 
 extent and its degree. 
 
 The soul influenced by divine grace, and raised 
 from a death of sin to a life of righteousness, will 
 be taught to rise above this chequered state of 
 things, to lay hold on the spiritual good of which 
 it is called to partake, and to behold its beauty by 
 
 its native light."* 
 
 Again, some will ask — "Why did not God pre- 
 
 * Imperial Magazine. 
 
I UNIVERSITY 
 
 MORAL EVIL CONSIDERED. 45 
 
 vent the introduction of evil ? Was it because he 
 could not ? If he could not, where is his infinite 
 power ? And if he could, seeing that he did not, 
 where is his holiness and goodness ?" To which I 
 answer, what God can do, or what he cannot do, I 
 dare not pretend to say. Yet, at the same time, I 
 may venture to affirm, without fear of contradiction, 
 that God could not prevent the introduction of evil 
 consistent with his moral government and the nature 
 of man. As for infinite power, it is out of the 
 question. Man, as a moral agent, must be free to 
 act, consequently he was capable of a law. There- 
 fore, the government that was necessary for God 
 to exercise over him, was a moral government, 
 which government consists of laws, promises, threat- 
 enings, rewards, and punishments. Infinite power 
 could have prevented the introduction of evil, by 
 depriving him of his will; or it could have interfered 
 on the occasion. But had God, in order to prevent 
 man from violating his command, taken away the 
 liberty of his will, or interfered on the occasion, he 
 would likewise have destroyed the foundation of all 
 virtue, and the very nature of man. 
 
 It was necessary that man should first be placed 
 in a state of trial, before he was confirmed in his hap- 
 piness. Had he obeyed to the end of his probation, 
 he would no doubt have been raised to an unchange- 
 able state; his innocence and obedience would 
 have been crowned with perseverance. The per- 
 
46 MORAL EVIL CONSIDERED. 
 
 mission of the fall, does not reflect on GocPs un- 
 spotted providence ; for the law which he gave to 
 direct man, the terrible threatenings annexed to 
 warn him, proves his irreconcileable hatred to evil. 
 Neither does it tarnish the Divine purity or holiness ; 
 for man was made upright, he had no inherent cor- 
 ruption to betray him, he had power to resist the 
 strongest temptation. In this situation, he was 
 removed far from death and disease, sorrow and 
 fear; he was formed for endless improvement. His 
 mind, like that of the angels, was capable of con- 
 tinual expansion, refinement, and elevation ; and 
 his life, of perpetual exaltation in usefulness and 
 honour. The tempter did only allure, he could not 
 compel ; his powers are so limited, that he cannot 
 fasten an immediate, much less an irresistible im- 
 pression on the will. Therefore, a resolute negative 
 would have made him victorious. Nor does it tar- 
 nish the rich goodness of God, because he bestowed 
 on man every qualification relative to his persever- 
 ance ; and it is unjust and unreasonable to judge 
 of the value of a benefit, by the ungrateful abuse 
 of the receiver, and not from its own nature* The 
 evil of sin man has brought upon himself, and 
 therefore it ought not to be imputed to any defect 
 in the Divine goodness. A state of trial pre-sup- 
 poses a liability to sin, and it cannot be proved that 
 it is inconsistent with the Divine goodness of God, 
 to place his rational creatures in a state of trial. 
 
MORAL EVIL CONSIDERED. 47 
 
 Though Adam wilfully forfeited the favour of God, 
 and lost his original righteousness, and incurred the 
 just displeasure of an offended God ; thus ruined 
 and helpless, God laid help on one that is mighty. 
 Here, the wisdom and goodness of the Deity shines 
 with amazing lustre, in as much, as that he hath 
 overruled the sin of Adam for good ; and wonder- 
 fully devised a plan, that man, by repentance and 
 faith in the atonement, may be emancipated from 
 this scene of trouble, and translated to the realms 
 of bliss, then — 
 
 " Blooming Eden withers in his sight, 
 Death gives him more than was in Eden lost." 
 By virtue of the redemption of Christ, the whole 
 immense and eternal kingdom of Jehovah assumes 
 a new aspect, and God is seen by his intelligent 
 creatures in new manifestations of beauty, glory, 
 and loveliness. O, goodness, truly divine ! Mighty 
 love ! Love that glowed in the bosom of God from 
 eternity ! Our salvation by Christ is the product 
 of God's eternal thoughts — " He was delivered by 
 the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God. 1 "* 
 What astonishing goodness is it, that God, who is 
 the end of all things, should become the means of 
 our salvation. What is so worthy of admiration, 
 as that the Judge of heaven and earth should be 
 condemned by the guilty — that he should leave his 
 throne in heaven to be nailed to the cross — that the 
 Prince of life should taste death ? Infinite love ! 
 
 * Acts ii. 23. 
 
48 MORAL EVIL CONSIDERED. 
 
 which is as admirable as saving ! " Love that pass- 
 eth knowledge." Well might an inspired apostle 
 cry out in an ecstasy — " O, the depths of the riches 
 both of the wisdom and knowledge of God ! How 
 unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past 
 finding out."* In our redemption by Christ, hu- 
 man nature is advanced to the highest pitch of dig- 
 nity and glory. In the person of Christ, it is risen 
 far beyond the confines of our mental perception ; 
 but, thanks be to God, this we know, that every 
 humble and pious Christian "shall be like him, for 
 they shall see him as he is," " and be with him in 
 glory." There the mercy of God, the most per- 
 fect of his attributes, and the consummation of his 
 excellence, will be made known more fully ; and 
 those things, "into which the angels desire to look," 
 will be unfolded in all their mysterious and awful 
 grandeur. Throughout never-ending ages, virtuous 
 minds will be enlarged with knowledge, exalted in 
 happiness, and improved in dignity ; and their af- 
 fections and praises become more refined and elevat- 
 ed, in a rapid and regular succession. When the 
 revolutions which now measure time shall be swal- 
 lowed up in an unchangeable eternity, the saints of 
 the Most High shall be for ever with their Lord. 
 Hence, it is evident, that the glory of the redeem- 
 ed as far exceeds the felicity of Adam in the highest 
 state of his pristine vigour and perfection, as heaven 
 is above the fading beauty of this terrestrial world. 
 
 * Rom. xi. 33. 
 
CHAP. III. 
 
 The Names given to Satan in the Scripture, explained. 
 
 BEFORE I enter on the consideration of this 
 subject, it will be proper to observe, that the Uni- 
 tarians deny the existence of angels, whether good 
 or bad. Now, if there are no angels in existence, 
 it is absolutely impossible that there can be a super- 
 natural evil being, or Devil. If the existence of 
 angels is incredible, it must be for one of the fol- 
 lowing reasons : — 
 
 1st. That the nature of things disprove their 
 existence, or contains some evidence which renders 
 it highly improbable : or, 
 
 2d That it is not sufficiently revealed in the 
 Scripture, so as to command our belief. 
 
 1st. It is not inconsistent with the nature of things, 
 but highly probable, that there are in existence pure 
 immaterial spirits, or angels. As God is a pure 
 Spirit, and delights in the contemplation of his own 
 manner of existence, it is far more reasonable to 
 suppose that he would create beings as much like 
 himself as possible, than that he should create 
 beings compounded of matter and spirit, such as we 
 
50 THE NAMES GIVEN TO SATAN 
 
 are. Suppose, for instance, that we were totally 
 unacquainted with the existence of either angels or 
 men, pure spirits would seem more likely to be a 
 part of the creation of God, than spirits united to 
 bodies, beings wholly rational, than beings partly 
 rational, and partly animal. 
 
 In creating man, a new mystery is presented to 
 our contemplation, viz. the union of soul and body, 
 so accomplished as to constitute but one precipient 
 being. Should the Unitarians object, and say — "we 
 avoid this difficulty, by denying the existence of an 
 immaterial soul in man." But this, by the bye, is 
 only introducing to our view a ten times greater and 
 more perplexing difficulty, an hypothesis so myste- 
 rious, as to be no other than a gross absurdity and 
 contradiction in terms ; viz. the doctrine of cogi- 
 tative, or thinking matter ; for we might as well 
 talk of a square circle, or apart being greater than 
 the whole, of which itself is but a part, as to sup- 
 pose, that that which is simple and indivisible, to be 
 a property of that which is compound. 
 
 Hence, it is highly probable, from reason and 
 analogy, that there are pure immaterial spirits, or 
 angels, in existence. For, as in the visible material 
 world, we see no chasms, but a continued series of 
 things descending in the scale of being from man by 
 easy gradations ; so we have reason to think it 
 suitable to the magnificent design of the great Ar- 
 chitect of the universe, that the species of creatures 
 
IN THE SCRIPTURE, EXPLAINED. 51 
 
 should ascend by the same gentle gradations above 
 us. And as we are much more remote from God, 
 than we are from the lowest state of corporeal exist- 
 tence ; so it is not improbable that there are far 
 more kinds of spiritual existences than of embodied 
 beings beneath us. Hence, we may conceive that 
 there are in existence various orders of angelic 
 natures. 
 
 The declarations of the Bible, relative to the ex- 
 istence of angels, are as numerous and express as 
 language will admit. And it is truly astonishing, 
 that any person should profess to receive the Scrip- 
 tures as a Divine revelation, and yet at the same 
 time deny their existence. A few passages I hope 
 will be sufficient to settle this point beyond contra- 
 diction. Jesus Christ said unto Peter — " Thinkest 
 thou that I cannot now pray to my Father, and he 
 shall presently give me more than twelve legions 
 of angels ?"* that is, more than seventy-two thou- 
 sand; and the Psalmist declares, that " the chariots 
 of God are twenty thousand, even thousands of an- 
 gels ,-"-(• these are indefinite numbers, used to ex- 
 press a very large one. Again he exclaims — " Bless 
 the Lord, ye his angels, who excel in strength."! 
 When the Saviour of mankind became incarnate, 
 Gabriel announced his birth to Zacharias and to 
 Mary. An angel also proclaimed "glad tidings of 
 great joy" to the shepherds of Bethlehem ; and a 
 
 * Matt. xxvi. 53. f Psalm lxviii. 17. % ciii, 20. 
 
52 THE NAMES GIVEN TO SATAN * 
 
 u multitude of the heavenly host praised God" on 
 the same occasion, in the noblest anthem ever heard 
 in this lower world, and sang — " Glory to God in 
 the highest ! and on earth, peace, good-will towards 
 men.'"* An angel rolled away the stone from the 
 sepulchre of Christ — " His countenance was like 
 lightning, and his raiment white as snow ; and for 
 fear of him, the keepers became as dead men. ,, *f* 
 "I saw, 1 ' says St. John, "another mighty angel come 
 down from heaven, clothed with a cloud, and a rain- 
 bow was upon his head, and his face was as it were 
 the sun, and his feet as pillars of fire/'J From 
 hence, it is evident, that there are pure spirits or 
 angels, in existence. " And before any one is so 
 arrogant as to conclude that no Devil exists, he 
 should first ascertain the improbability, and im- 
 possibility of his existence ; but in order to this, 
 it is absolutely necessary for him to comprehend 
 the various links in the ascending chain of possible 
 existences, to develope the realities of the unknown 
 world, to prove that angels were not free agents ; 
 or, if they were free agents, (which we have reason 
 to believe,) in order to support the baseless hypothe- 
 sis of no Devil, it must be proved, that they never, 
 in a single instance, violated that compact, which, 
 considering them as free agents, must necessarily 
 
 * See Second Chapter of Luke, f Matt, xxviii. 2, 3, 4. 
 J Rev.x. 1. 
 
IN THE SCRIPTURE, EXPLAINED. 53 
 
 exist between them and the Father of all spirits. 
 But who are capable of fathoming this infinite, 
 this bottomless abyss? Where shall we begin? 
 The moment we attempt it we are lost ! We enter 
 a region in which an impenetrable cloud every where 
 encircles us ! we gaze and grope ! but all is dark ! all 
 is unknown, and enveloped in the deepest mystery. 
 Now, consonant with these remarks, is it reason- 
 able to conclude, that no Devil exists? Certainly not. 
 Ignorance, and our inability to comprehend a fact, 
 can never form a just, a philosophical basis, on 
 which to build our conclusions, and rest the fabric 
 of our faith. No, the only rational inference, under 
 such circumstances, would be, that not being able 
 to demonstrate the existence of the Devil, we have 
 no right to conclude that he does exist; but this 
 would not at all sanction the conclusion that he does 
 not exist ; because, this would be building the edi- 
 fice of our knowledge on the very basis of ignorance, 
 which is replete with absurdity. But, if we take 
 the Scripture for our guide, and build the fabric of 
 our speculations on the sure basis of eternal truth, we 
 may, without involving ourselves in the painful 
 drudgery of unprofitable research, easily discover the 
 important doctrine of lapsed intelligences, or existing 
 Devils ; a doctrine, which, if disbelieved, will open 
 a door to infidelity, which all the energies of those 
 who deny the fact, will never be able to shut. The 
 
 term, Devil, is used in the Bible in almost innumer- 
 e 3 
 
54 THE NAMES GIVEN TO SATAN 
 
 able instances, and it is to the Bible alone that we 
 must trace the true origin of the doctrine of De- 
 vils ; for how, or where, or when, should any one 
 dream of such a doctrine as this, a doctrine so uni- 
 versally received, unless it were of Divine inspira- 
 tion ? The Bible makes known to us, that which 
 philosophy could never develope ; and I feel no 
 hesitation in saying, that unless we admit infernal 
 agency to be a Scripture doctrine, we can make no 
 manner of sense of many of its parts ; but it must 
 be a complication of absurdities, a jumble of con- 
 tradictions."" 
 
 And I may further add, that as philosophers by 
 means of microscopes, have discovered to us vast 
 tribes of insects in various parts of nature, which 
 before were totally unknown to us ; so, Revelation 
 may discover to us myriads of spirits, which, with- 
 out such aid, would have escaped our notice. And 
 it is as reasonable to suppose Revelation to be as 
 proper a mean of discovering invisible spiritual 
 beings in one case, as optical instruments are for the 
 discovery of minute corporeal ones in the other. 
 
 The names given to the arch-enemy of the human 
 race in the Sacred Scriptures, are taken from the 
 part he acts, and the different characters he assumes 
 in the work of injuring the souls of men. It must 
 not, however, be denied, that the names given to 
 the Arch-deceiver, have sometimes ambiguous mean- 
 ings* Satan, for instance, signifies an adversary 
 
IN THE SCRIPTURE, EXPLAINED. 55 
 
 among men and good angels, as well as among evil 
 spirits. Peter was a Satan, (that is, an adversary,) to 
 our Lord.* And the unbelieving Jews, the Satan or 
 adversary, who hindered St. Paul's return to Thes- 
 salonica.-f But though we find an ambiguity in the 
 terms that are given to the enemy of mankind ; yet, 
 it would be an absurd and unwarranted conclusion, 
 from such premises, to deny the existence of evil 
 spirits. When he opposes the people of God as far 
 as he can, he is called Satan, which signifies an 
 adversary ; one who stands in the way, or stops the 
 progress of another. When he works all the evil 
 that he can by himself, or by his servants, in the 
 church, or in the world, he is called Belial ; which 
 signifies one without yoke, or one who is not profit- 
 able to any, or without the Most High. When 
 he endeavours to devour, he is called a roaring 
 lion, in consequence of his fury and desperation. 
 When he is represented as standing in the presence 
 of God, accusing and condemning the best of men 
 as far as he can, he is called the accuser of the bre- 
 thren, or the Devil, which signifies a slanderer, or 
 calumniator ; and when he acts as the destroyer, 
 executing just vengeance upon the souls and bodies 
 of the wicked, he is called Abaddon, that is, the 
 destroyer ; and when he acts as the deceiver of men 
 in general, he is called the old Serpent which de- 
 
 * Matt. xvi. 23. f 1 Thess. ii. 18. 
 
56 THE NAMES GIVEN TO SATAN 
 
 ceiveth the world. And as he acted the subtle 
 part of the cunning deceiver at first, he is called the 
 Serpent He is called a great and red Dragon, not 
 only in respect of his great strength, and bloody 
 cruelty against the saints ; but because of the 
 poisonous nature of those principles which he is 
 endeavouring to propagate, either by his own imme- 
 diate agency, or that of his servants. He is called 
 the old Serpent, meaning that serpent which of old 
 at the beginning deceived our first parents, and is 
 still deceiving the world. He is styled the Tempter, 
 which is his constant practice. He bribes some 
 with profit, and allures others with pleasure. He 
 is surprisingly subtle, his strength is great, but not 
 omnipotent ; his malice is deadly, his activity and 
 perseverance are equal to his enmity, and he has a 
 great number of demons at his command. 
 
 Again, the Apostle St. Paul, in his Second Epis- 
 tle to the Corinthians, calls Satan " the God of this 
 world r because he sways his sceptre in the hearts 
 of the children of disobedience. And our Saviour 
 styles him, " a prince" in the 12th chapter of St. 
 John's Gospel — " Now shall the Prince of this 
 world be cast out." That is, Satan, the ruler and 
 god of this world, shall be dethroned from that em- 
 pire which he has so long usurped over the minds of 
 men, and especially over the heathen nations. And 
 again, Jesus saith — " the Prince of this world 
 cometh and hath nothing in me." By which ex- 
 
IN THE SCRIPTURE, EXPLAINED. 57 
 
 pression he informed his disciples, that Satan, the 
 Prince of the apostate world, was coming to encoun- 
 ter him ; not only by the most dismal suggestions 
 and allurements, but by raising a storm, which 
 would terminate in his death. Nevertheless, " he 
 hath nothing in me ;" no guilt whatever to accuse 
 me of, no inward corruption or inherent depravity 
 to take part in, or to follow his temptations, as the 
 needle does the attraction of the magnet. 
 
 The Apostle styles him — " the Prince of the 
 power of the air."* Not because he has power to raise 
 the wind, as some have supposed, for he could not 
 cause the wind to blow down the house in which 
 Job's children were feasting, until God gave him 
 permission. But because he is the prince, or chief 
 of those demons whose residence is in the air. He 
 is called " spiritual wickedness in high places. 1 " 
 " For," says the Apostle, " we wrestle not against 
 flesh and blood, but against principalities, against 
 powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this 
 world, against spiritual wickedness in high places;" 
 or, as the margin more literally reads, wicked spirits 
 in heavenly places.-f 
 
 The meaning of the Apostle plainly appears to 
 be this : — We have not only to contend against our 
 own fears and passions, and a whole host of perse- 
 cutors, but we have to maintain a perpetual war with 
 
 * Eph. ii. 2. f Eph. vi. 12. 
 
58 THE NAMES GIVEN TO SATAN. 
 
 enemies more powerful " than Jlesh and blood ;" 
 even with invisible and formidable principalities 
 and powers, who are the rulers and cause of that 
 darkness and ignorance which is so predominant in 
 the world. And such is the power and malignity 
 of those enemies, that they even enter into our pub- 
 lic and private places of devotion, in order, if pos- 
 sible, to obstruct our worship, and draw our attention 
 from God. Hence, the Apostle styles them, 
 " wicked spirits in heavenly places? That this is 
 the proper meaning of this passage, will be still 
 more evident, when it is considered, that the Apos- 
 tle points out these enemies, in order to prove to the 
 Ephesians the necessity of putting on the whole 
 armour of God, that they might be able to withstand 
 in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.* 
 May God grant that both the author and reader of 
 this essay, may comply with the injunction of the 
 Apostle, and put on the whole armour of God, 
 that we may be able to stand firm in the Lord, and 
 in the power of his might ; and, at last, when our 
 warfare is accomplished, we may be translated to 
 the realms of eternal bliss. 
 
 * Epli. vi. 13, 
 
CHAP. IV. 
 
 Demoniacal Possessions; or, Reasons to prove their Reality 
 according to the New Testament. 
 
 -IT has been a subject of dispute for many centu- 
 ries, whether the demoniacs, mentioned in the gospel, 
 were really possessed with infernal spirits, or demons, 
 or whether they were only persons afflicted with 
 natural distempers. Those who contend for the 
 latter opinion, suppose that the expressions — pos- 
 sessed with the Devil — casting out Devils, are only 
 an accommodation to vulgar opinion, and that the 
 persons said to be possessed, were only mad, or Zw- 
 natic, or persons subject to epilepsy. Thus they 
 have explained away the account given in the gospel 
 concerning these demoniacs. I have never had the 
 opportunity of examining one complete treatise 
 against the opinion of real possessions, except one 
 written by Hugh Farmer, which was put into my 
 hands by a kind friend. And I candidly confess, 
 that it is a learned and ingenious production ; and 
 the more I read it, the more I am convinced of the 
 truth of the two following lines : — 
 
 " I know the learned can, with ease, 
 
 " Twist words and meanings as they please." 
 
60 DEMONIACAL POSSESSIONS; OR, 
 
 Neither have I had the pleasure to read one 
 single work in favour of real possessions; conse- 
 quently, my mind is not biassed by the specious rea 
 soning of any individual. I have met with various 
 remarks on the subject in the course of my reading, 
 and probably some of them may appear in this 
 chapter. The plain, unadulterated language of the 
 Scripture ? or the account which is given of posses- 
 sions in the gospel, are more convincing to me, 
 that the demoniacs were really possessed with evil 
 supernatural demons, than all the learning and so- 
 phistry which have been summoned into action, in 
 order to disprove and evade the simple and unvar- 
 nished narration given of possessions in the evan- 
 gelic history. I am firmly persuaded, that the 
 representation of the demoniacs in the gospel his- 
 tory, together with their condition, cannot be fairly 
 accounted for, but upon the principle of real pos- 
 sessions. And I would ask the opposers of this 
 scriptural doctrine, what language would they use, 
 in order to express real possessions ? Can any doc- 
 trine be better attested ? Are not the expressions 
 of the Evangelist as plain and forcible as language 
 will admit ? Why, then, should any man endea- 
 vour to expunge from the Scriptures a doctrine so 
 clearly and positively contained in them ? The 
 modes of reasoning made use of by these men to 
 evade the truth of the gospel history, are not only 
 dangerous in the extreme, but superlatively absurd ; 
 
REASONS TO PROVE THEIR REALITY. 61 
 
 they tend to destroy the certainty of all language, 
 and the unlearned, or uninformed reader, is at once 
 carried into boundless regions of mere allegory and 
 figure, and, like a pilot without anchor and without 
 compass, founders upon a dismal ocean of uncer- 
 tainty and confusion. And not only so, but upon 
 the same principle, we may easily explain away 
 every other doctrine contained in the Bible ; and 
 thus, in an alembic of mental chemistry, transmute 
 all these heart-cheering doctrines of Christianity 
 into mere shadows, and thereby deprive the humble, 
 sin-sick soul, of all his hope, leaving him to perish 
 in despair. 
 
 I shall, in the first place, point out a few of those 
 reasons which induce me to believe in real posses- 
 sions. 
 
 First Casting out Devils is frequently spoken of 
 as a thing different from the healing of diseases. 
 Hence, it is said of Jesus, that " his fame went 
 throughout all Syria, and they brought unto him 
 all such people that were taken with divers diseases 
 and torments, and those which were possessed with 
 Devils, and those which were lunatic, and those 
 that had the palsy, and he healed them."* " When 
 the even was come, they brought unto him many 
 that were possessed with Devils : and he cast out 
 the spirits with his word, and healed all that were 
 sicK."-f- And it appears still more evident, from 
 
 * Matt. iv. 24. f Matt. viii. 16. 
 F 
 
62 DEMONIACAL POSSESSIONS; OR, 
 
 the commission which Christ gave to his Apostles, 
 that the demoniacs were literally possessed with 
 infernal and invisible demons. For, says he — "Heal 
 the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, 
 cast out Devils, freely ye have received, freely 
 give.""* Now, how absurd is it to suppose, 
 that Jesus Christ would say to his Apostles, cast 
 out Devils, if there were no such beings in exist- 
 ence, or such a thing as real possessions. If the 
 opinions of our opponents be correct, we must look 
 upon Jesus Christ as an ignorant novice, or 
 else a downright impostor. " But let God be true, 
 and every man a liar," who attempts to pervert the 
 plain declarations of his word. " And at even, 
 when the sun did set, they brought unto him all 
 that were diseased, and them that were possessed 
 with Devils. ,""f* " Then he called his twelve dis- 
 ciples together, and gave them power and authority 
 over all Devils, and to cure diseases.'^ From 
 hence it is evident, that our Lord and his Apostles 
 considered casting out Devils as distinct and sepa- 
 rate from the healing of diseases ; and that casting 
 out demons was one prominent feature in the Apos- 
 tles' mission, when they went forth to unfurl the 
 banners of the cross, and to proclaim to a ruined 
 world the redemption of Christ. 
 
 Secondly. The sacred writers express themselves 
 
 * Matt. x. 8. f Mark i. 32. % Luke ix. 1. 
 
REASONS TO PROVE THEIR REALITY. 03 
 
 in such terms, as seem undeniably to imply their own 
 persuasion of the fact ; and that the distemper of 
 these deplorable sufferers, was owing to the influ- 
 ence of some personal agents wholly distinct from 
 themselves, and these no other than unclean, infer- 
 nal spirits. For, says the historian — " The Devils 
 besought him, saying, if thou cast us out, suffer us 
 to go away into the herd of swine,"* " As they 
 went out, behold, they brought to him a dumb man 
 possessed with a Devil. And when the Devil was 
 cast out, the dumb spake; and the multitudes 
 marvelled, saying, it was never so seen in Israel. 
 But the Pharisees said, he casteth out Devils 
 through the Prince of the Devils."-f- " And the 
 spirit cried, and rent him sore, and came out of 
 him : and he was as one dead, insomuch that many 
 said, he is dead."^: Thus it is evident, that the 
 Evangelists believed in real possessions ; otherwise, 
 they must be considered as unfaithful historians, to 
 declare as facts the expelling of demons, when no 
 such thing ever took place. But if we suppose 
 them constantly under infallible guidance, the opin- 
 ion of those who deny real possessions leads to the 
 grossest absurdity and contradiction. For it sup- 
 poses them to be under infallible guidance, and not 
 under infallible guidance, at the same time. 
 
 Thirdly. Our Saviour himself in the actual cure 
 
 * Matt. viii. 31. f Matt. ix. 32, 33, 34. % Mark ix. 26. 
 
64 DEMONIACAL POSSESSIONS; OR, 
 
 of these demoniacs, and in his treatment of them, 
 plainly appears to have looked upon them as not 
 only nominally, but really such. The Devils be- 
 sought him, saying — " If thou cast us out, suffer 
 us to go away into the herd of swine. And he said 
 unto them, Go." He speaks not to the man, but to 
 some other conscious being possessing and acting 
 upon him. "And Jesus rebuked him, (that is, the 
 unclean spirit,) saying, hold thy peace, and come 
 out of him." "And he healed many that were sick 
 of divers diseases, and cast out many Devils, and 
 suffered not the Devils to speak, because they knew 
 him." "And unclean spirits, when they saw him, 
 fell down before him, and cried, saying, Thou art 
 the Son of God. And he straitly charged them 
 that they should not make him known."* And 
 Devils also came out of many, crying out, and say- 
 ing, thou art Christ the Son of God. And he re- 
 buked them, and suffered them not to speak: for 
 they knew that he was Christ.t 
 
 Fourthly. The denial of real possessions makes 
 the gospel history to be a complication of absurdi- 
 ties, and renders it absolutely impossible to make 
 any sense of many of its parts. For instance, the 
 account which is given by St. Luke concerning the 
 ejection of a demon. Now, read the word disease, 
 instead of the word Devil, and the absurdity of such 
 
 * Mark iii. 11, 12. t Luke iv - 41 - 
 
REASONS TO PROVE THEIR REALITY. 65 
 
 an opinion appears in its true light ; and the folly 
 of those who are so absurd as to depart from the 
 line of divine truth, is at once exhibited to public 
 contempt. "And in the synagogue there was a 
 man which had a spirit of an unclean disease, and 
 the unclean disease cried out with a loud voice, Let 
 us alone, what have we to do with thee, thou Jesus 
 of Nazareth ? Art thou come to destroy us ? I, the 
 unclean disease, know thee who thou art, the Holy 
 One of God. And Jesus rebuked the unclean dis- 
 ease, saying, Hold thy peace, and come out of him. 
 And when the unclean disease had thrown him 
 down in the midst, he (the unclean disease) came 
 out of him, and hurt him not And they were all 
 amazed, and spake among themselves, saying, What 
 a word is this ; for with authority and power he 
 commandeth the unclean diseases, and they come 
 out."* 
 
 " It is well known," says Dr, Doddridge, " that 
 a late learned and ingenious writer has revived the 
 notion, long since maintained by Mr, Joseph Mede 
 and Dr. Bekker, that these supposed demoniacs 
 were only lunatics, or epileptics : but, on the most 
 impartial perusal of what has passed between him 
 and his learned antagonists, I am fully convinced 
 that there is no sufficient reason for departing from 
 the received interpretation ; and I should think this 
 story alone a convincing proof on the side of it. 
 
 * Luke iv. 33—36. 
 f3 
 
66 DEMONIACAL POSSESSIONS; OR, 
 
 It is most incredible that an evangelist should have 
 been left to ascribe this man's disorder to the spirit 
 of an unclean demon, if it were only lunacy, or the 
 falling sickness ; or, that a physician of common 
 sense should speak of it as a memorable circum- 
 stance, that such a distemper did not hurt a man 
 by leaving him.'" — Again, our Lord represents an 
 evil spirit or demon, after being cast out, as walk- 
 ing through desert places seeking rest and finding 
 none. But supply the word disease instead of spirit, 
 and the language of Jesus Christ becomes not only 
 altogether unintelligible, but absolutely absurd. 
 For instance, when the unclean spirit, or rather, 
 according to the hypothesis of our opponents, the 
 unclean disease y is gone out of a man, he (the unclean 
 disease), walketh through dry places seeking rest, 
 and findeth none. Then the unclean disease saith, 
 I will return into my house from whence I came 
 out ; and when the unclean disease is come, he find- 
 eth it empty, swept, and garnished. Then goeth 
 the unclean disease and taketh with himself seven* 
 oilier diseases more wicked than himself; and they, 
 i. e. eight diseases, enter in and dwell there. •(• 
 
 * If the word seven be understood as denoting perfec- 
 tion, the words seven other spirits, mean a great number ; 
 therefore, according to the principles of those who deny 
 the reality of possessions, this unclean disease took a great 
 number of diseases more wicked than himself, 
 f See Matt, xii* 43—45. 
 
REASONS TO PROVE THEIR REALITY. 67 
 
 Thus it is evident, that if the opinions of these men 
 who deny real possessions be correct, Jesus Christ, 
 instead of speaking as never'man spake, hath used 
 language which amounts to nothing more than a 
 mass of the most incoherent and ridiculous jargon. 
 But if we understand the words of Christ as a faith- 
 ful representation of what had previously taken 
 place, his language on this occasion is intelligible 
 and consistent with the general tenor of the gospel 
 history. Thus it is evident that our adorable Re- 
 deemer considered possessions as real ; otherwise, 
 he would never have adopted the mode of expres- 
 sion made use of on this occasion. 
 
 II. A reply to the objections against this literal 
 interpretation of these and similar expressions. 
 
 Objection 1st. — Mr. Heineken says, " In order 
 as much as possible to narrow the ground of our 
 present inquiry, it will be proper to observe, that in 
 almost all these passages of Scripture, where men 
 are described as possessed, our translators have in- 
 judiciously employed the term Devil, instead of 
 Demon, which is the true meaning of the original 
 word ; and this circumstance has given rise to a 
 very mistaken notion." 
 
 This is only an assertion without the least shadow 
 of proof brought to support it ; and I would have 
 Mr. H. to observe, that an assertion proves nothing 
 without it be substantiated either by positive facts, 
 or upon the principles of sound reason and argu- 
 
68 DEMONIACAL POSSESSIONS ; OR, 
 
 merit : therefore, it would be just to pass it over in 
 silence. But as assertions and misrepresentations 
 are generally considered by " rational Christians" 
 as strong weapons to attack their assailants with, I 
 shall therefore endeavour to prove to be false, the 
 assertion made in the above quotation. Mr. Heine- 
 ken ought to have proved that the translation of 
 the term Devil instead of Demon, was the cause of 
 the opinion that there are in existence supernatural 
 evil spirits, or Demons, or that it led to the notion 
 that the demoniacs were literally possessed. The 
 demoniacs are frequently said to be possessed with 
 unclean spirits ; and it is also said in the history of 
 these deplorable sufferers, that they brought unto 
 Jesus Christ " many that were possessed with 
 Devils, and he cast out the spirits with his word."" 
 Here, observe, the term spirit, is used as synony- 
 mous with Devil. But suppose the word Devil had 
 never been employed by our translators, would the 
 opinion of real possessions never have had an ex- 
 istence? I defy Mr. Heineken, or any other of 
 his Unitarian brethren to prove, that one single 
 individual believed in the existence of the Devil, 
 or in the reality of possessions, merely because 
 our translators have used the term Devil, instead 
 of Demon. Neither does the term Devil injure 
 the sense of the sacred texts, nor does it convey 
 a meaning which the writers did not intend. Sub- 
 stitute the word Demon instead of Devil, and the 
 
REASONS TO PROVE THEIR REALITY. 69 
 
 sense remains exactly the same: for instance, 
 "They brought unto him many that were possessed 
 with Demons" Christ said to his Apostles — "cast 
 out Demons." Thus, it is evident, that if the word 
 Devil had never been used, the doctrine of posses- 
 sions would have been the same. Mr. Heineken 
 further adds — "that it was a current opinion among 
 the Jews, who seem to have adopted it from the 
 Egyptians and other nations, that there was an 
 actual transmigration of the soul, and that the spirits 
 of the dead, both good and bad, had power to enter 
 the bosoms of the living, and either to impart their 
 good qualities, or to inflict torments both of body 
 and of mind, by the influence of their bad dispo- 
 sitions.'" And he again adds, that " having very 
 indistinct ideas of a future state, they imagined 
 disembodied spirits were flitting about in the re- 
 gions of space ; and that they were all under the 
 direction of a governing spirit, whom they termed 
 Beelzebub, the prince of the Demons" Although 
 the Egyptians, together with Pythagoras and his fol- 
 lowers, believed and taught the doctrine of the trans- 
 migration of the soul ; and though a great part of 
 the heathens worshipped confessedly the ghosts of 
 departed heroes, conquerors, potentates, and the in- 
 ventors of the fine arts, whom popular superstition, 
 after disguising their history with fables and absurd- 
 ities, blindly deified. Yet it was the opinion both 
 of Jews and Heathens, that the air was full of spirits, 
 
70 DEMONIACAL POSSESSIONS; OR, 
 
 a superior order of beings between men and God. 
 
 These, the Greeks termed Demons, (knowing ones) 
 
 and the Romans, Genii. Hesiod roundly affirms, 
 
 that — 
 
 " Millions of spiritual creatures walk 
 
 The earth unseen.' ' 
 
 Hence, it is probable, says an able writer on this 
 subject, arose the numerous tales about the exploits 
 of their demi-gods. Hence, their Satyrs, Fauns, 
 Nymphs of every kind,, wherewith they supposed 
 both the sea and the land to be filled. Some of these 
 Demons or Genii, the Heathens supposed to be 
 kind and benevolent, delighting in doing good; 
 others, to be malicious and cruel, delighting in doing 
 evil. Of the former, seems to have been the cele- 
 brated demon of Socrates, concerning which so 
 many and various conjectures have been made in 
 succeeding ages. " This gives me notice,''' said he, 
 " every morning, of any evil which will befall me 
 that day." — " My demon," said he, " did not give 
 me notice this morning of any evil that was to be- 
 fall me to-day; therefore I cannot regard as any 
 evil, my being condemned to die." Undoubtedly, 
 says Mr. Wesley, it was some spiritual being: pro- 
 bably one of the ministering spirits.* " The Jews, 
 in the PirTc Avoth" (says a learned author,) " teach, 
 that from the earth to the firmament all things were 
 
 * Sermon on Hebrews i. 14. 
 
REASONS TO PROVE THEIR REALITY. 71 
 
 full of these companies and rulers ; and that there 
 was a prince over them, who was called the governor 
 of this world, that is, the darkness of it" This 
 agrees with the opinion of the ancient Fathers, con- 
 cerning whom St. Jerome says, " this is the opinion 
 of the Doctors — that the air which divides between 
 the earth and heaven, is full of contrary powers.'" 
 It would probably be difficult to discover with cer- 
 tainty, from what is said in the Gospels concerning 
 possessions, whether the demons were conceived to be 
 the ghosts of wicked men deceased, or lapsed angels. 
 It is plain they were conceived to bemalignant spirits. 
 They are exhibited as the causes of the most direful 
 calamities to the unhappy persons whom they pos- 
 sessed — dumbness, deafness, madness, palsy, epi- 
 lepsy, and the like. The descriptive titles given them 
 always denote that they were wicked supernatural 
 spirits. They are frequently called unclean spirits, 
 either, because of their personal dispositions, or, be- 
 cause of the effects which they produced. They 
 are represented as conscious that they are doomed 
 to misery and torments, though their punishment be 
 delayed for a while. When our Saviour was in the 
 country of the Gergesenes, there met him two men 
 possessed with Devils, or Demons, coming out of the 
 tombs, exceedingly fierce, so that no man might pass 
 by that way. Into these two men a legion of Devils 
 had entered ; and, behold, they cried out, saying, 
 What have we to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of 
 
72 DEMONIACAL POSSESSIONS ; OR, 
 
 God ? — art thou come hither to torment us before 
 the time t We see here, that those Demons expect- 
 ed more grievous torment than they had ever yet 
 felt ; that they mentioned the time appointed for the 
 completion of their torment ; and, as the season 
 fixed on for this is the great day, they therefore ex- 
 postulated with him about the time of it — art thou 
 come to torment us before the time ? And they be- 
 sought him that he would not command them to go 
 out into the deep, into the abyss ; by which expo- 
 sitors understand the place of torment.* The state 
 of endless misery, to which Christ will sentence all 
 wicked persons at his second coming, is called, 
 " everlasting fire, prepared for the Devil and his 
 angels ;"*f* which seems to imply, that the arch- 
 apostate and his angels are not in this punishment; 
 that it is prepared for them, and they are reserved 
 unto it, and that at the appointed time, they shall 
 be cast into it. We read — " And the Devil that 
 deceived them, was cast into the lake of fire and 
 brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet 
 are, and shall be tormented day and night, for ever 
 and ever. And I saw a great white throne, and 
 him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and 
 the heavens fled away, and there was found no 
 place for them. And I saw the dead, small and 
 great, stand before God: and the books were open- 
 
 * Matt. viii. 29. and Luke Wii. 31. f Matt. xxv. 41. 
 
REASONS TO PROVE THEIR REALITY. 73 
 
 ed : and another book was opened, which is the 
 book of life : and the dead were judged out of those 
 things which were written in the books, according 
 to their works."* Here we see, that when the dead, 
 small and great, shall stand before God, and be 
 judged by him, the Devil, together with the beast 
 and the false prophet, shall be cast into the lake of 
 fire and brimstone. And again — " Thou believest 
 that there is one God ; thou doest well : the Devils 
 also believe and tremble, ."-f- From hence it appears, 
 that when the Apostle is representing the Devils as 
 believing in the existence of God, he at the same time 
 represents them as trembling at the fearful expecta- 
 tion of some future misery which would be inflicted 
 upon them. These passages evidently intimate, 
 that their complete torment is yet to come, and that 
 they are looking forward with the most dismal fore- 
 bodings for their final destiny, the thought of 
 which makes them tremble. 
 
 That the Jews were afterwards led into idolatry 
 and superstition by other nations, is evident from 
 their own history. But that they believed in the doc- 
 trine of the transmigration of the soul, remains to be 
 proved. We find no mention in the Scripture of such 
 a doctrine ever being held by them. Besides, the 
 doctrine of transmigration was contrary to the gene- 
 ral tenor of their own Scriptures. The Apostle St. 
 Paul, in one of his letters to Timothy, said, that 
 
 * Rev. xx. 10 — 12. f James ii. xix. 
 
 G 
 
74 DEMONIACAL POSSESSIONS ; OR, 
 
 from a child he had known those Scriptures, and 
 that they were able to make him wise unto salva- 
 tion, through faith which is in Christ Jesus. From 
 hence it follows, that the Jews with these Scrip- 
 tures in their hands, could not be so ignorant of a 
 future state, as Mr. Heineken would have us believe. 
 Besides, it is well known that the Jews had the 
 strongest attachment to the Old Testament Scrip, 
 tures, and continue to have even to this day. That 
 the Jewish Rabbies incorporated into their Targums 
 many absurdities, I do not deny ; but that the doc- 
 trine of the transmigration of the soul was either 
 taught or believed by them, does not appear to me 
 to be probable ; for the Jews thought their title to 
 heaven absolutely certain, because they were the 
 offspring of faithful Abraham ; therefore, John the 
 Baptist said unto them, " Think not to say within 
 yourselves, we have Abraham to our father ; for I 
 say unto you, that God is able of these stones to 
 raise up children unto Abraham.' 1 * 
 
 Jesus Christ himself laid the axe at the very root 
 of such a doctrine as the transmigration of the soul, 
 in his narrative of the rich man and Lazarus. He 
 informs us, " that Lazarus died, and was carried by 
 the angels into Abraham's bosom : the rich man also 
 died, and was buried ; and in hell he lift up his eyes, 
 being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, 
 and Lazarus in his bosom. And he cried and said, 
 
 * Matt. iii. 9. 
 
REASONS TO PROVE THEIR REALITY. 75 
 
 Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Laz- 
 arus that he may dip the tip of his finger in water 
 and cool my tongue, for I am tormented in this 
 flame. But Abraham said, Son, remember that 
 thou in thy life-time receivedst thy good things* 
 and likewise Lazarus evil things : but now he is 
 comforted, and thou art tormented. And besides 
 all this, between us and you there is a great gulf 
 fixed ; so that they which would pass from hence to 
 you, cannot, neither can they pass to us that would 
 come from thence."* Now, had the doctrine of 
 transmigration been a prevailing opinion of the 
 Jews, they would have said to Jesus Christ, that 
 what he had been relating concerning these two men 
 was not true ; for that their spirits " were flitting 
 about in the regions of space," and sometimes enter- 
 ing the bosoms of mankind. Even the thief upon 
 the cross used language quite opposite to such a be- 
 lief as this; for says he — " Lord, remember me when 
 thou comest into thy kingdom."-f- Now, had he be- 
 lieved in transmigration, he would have said, Lord, 
 let my spirit and thine travel together in the bound- 
 less regions of eternal space ; or, let our souls enter 
 the bosoms of men and women together : thus, it is 
 evident, that the belief in the doctrine of transmi- 
 gration was not generally believed among the Jews.j 
 
 * Luke xvi. f Luke xxiii. 42. 
 
 X I do not mean that the doctrine of transmigration was 
 held by none of the Jews, for many I believe were led into 
 this opinion ; what I contend for is, that it was not a gene- 
 ral, or prevailing opinion. 
 
76 DEMONIACAL POSSESSIONS; OR, 
 
 In the quotation already made from Mr. Heineken's 
 lecture, he tells us, that departed spirits were sup- 
 posed to be under the direction of a governing spirit, 
 whom they termed Beelzebub, the prince of the De- 
 mons, or departed spirits. In another part of his 
 lecture, he says — " Beelzebub has also been consi- 
 dered as descriptive of this being (that is, of Satan) 
 but it was the name of one of the imaginary Pagan 
 Deities, and implied no particular qualities, either 
 good or bad." Now, is it not as reasonable to sup- 
 pose, that the Jews called Satan, Beelzebub, for a 
 certain reason, probably best known to themselves ; 
 as that the Heathens should designate the supposed 
 prince, or chief of departed spirits, by that name. 
 For the sake of argument, we will grant Mr. Heine- 
 ken what he contends for, viz. that Beelzebub was 
 only the name of a large image, whom the Ekronites 
 worshipped as a god. One of those passages in 
 which the term Beelzebub occurs, is in St. Mark's 
 Gospel, third chapter and twenty-second verse : 
 " And the scribes which came down from Jerusa- 
 lem, said : He hath Beelzebub, and by the Prince 
 of the devils casteth he out devils." Now, according 
 to the opinion of Mr. Heineken, the meaning of 
 this passage appears to be this : — he hath the god of 
 Ekron, and by the prince of the gods of Ekron, he 
 casteth out gods of Ekron ; or, he hath an heathen 
 deity, and by the prince of heathen deities, he cast- 
 eth out heathen deities. An absurdity too glaring 
 
REASONS TO PEOVE THEIR REALITY. 77 
 
 to be admitted by any man, except one who is blind- 
 ed by prejudice, or determined to believe any thing, 
 however monstrous, rather than give up his pre- 
 conceived opinions ; for it is making an image, which 
 consists of nothing but inanimate matter, to be the 
 " cause and the effect, the agent and the patient, 
 the moving principle and the thing moved : but 
 I refrain from drawing the absurd, the uphilosophic 
 conclusion, and humbly think, that the doctrine of 
 Devils is as clearly depicted, as any other truth in 
 the whole Bible ; and as all that has been advanced 
 against it is mere hypothesis, unsupported by argu- 
 ment, and unauthorized by Scripture, I hope, like 
 the bursting bubble on the passing stream, it will 
 soon evaporate into empty air." Mr. Heineken ought 
 to have told us how this god came from Ekron to 
 the place were Christ then was. We have yet to 
 learn whether he travelled, or he was borne upon 
 angels'* wings ! — And likewise, he ought to have 
 told us how it was possible for Christ to become 
 possessed with this image. Baalzebub, properly 
 signifies the lord of flies , an idol or deity of the 
 Ekronites. How this idol came to obtain this name, 
 I know not. Some commentators suppose, that 
 this god was called Baal-Shamaim, or the lord of 
 heaven ; but that the Jews by way of contempt, 
 gave him the name of Baalzebub; but others, 
 with greater reason, suppose that he was styled 
 
 the god of flies by his votaries, because he de- 
 g 2 
 
78 DEMONIACAL POSSESSIONS ; OR, 
 
 fended people from the flies, a troublesome and 
 destructive insect in some hot countries ; in like 
 manner, as the Eleans worshipped Hercules under 
 the appellation of the fly-chaser. And Pliny is of 
 opinion, that the name of Achor, the god invoked 
 at Cyrene against flies, came from Accaron, orEkron, 
 the city where Baalzebub was worshipped, and 
 where he had a famous temple. Ahaziah, king of 
 Israel, having fallen from the terrace of his house 
 into a lower room, and being dangerously hurt, sent 
 to consult this deity, to know if he should be cured 
 of his wounds.* 
 
 The Ekronites, says Dr Macknight — "being 
 near neighbours to the Jews, the great veneration 
 which they had for this idol, made him the object 
 both of the horror and detestation of the devout 
 worshippers of the true God. Accordingly, to 
 express in what detestation they held him, they 
 appropriated his name to the most hateful being in 
 the universe, calling the Devil, or the prince of the 
 the evil angels, Beelzebub? Dr. Doddridge says, 
 " the title in the Greek, is Beelzebub, which sig- 
 nifies, The lord of a dunghilV — And a learned and 
 ancient author in his notes on the first chapter of 
 the second of Kings, says, that this idol or deity was 
 known by the name of the filthy god, because of the 
 stench and filth with which those heathen temples 
 were infected. Hence, this name was given to the 
 
 * 2 Kings i. 
 
REASONS TO PROVE THEIR REALITY. 79 
 
 apostate fiend, not only to denote that he was the 
 most filthy and corrupt of fallen demons, but to de- 
 note the filthiness and corruptness of those princi- 
 ples which he is endeavouring to instil into the 
 bosoms of mankind. It is certain, from the answer 
 which our Lord gave to the Pharisees, when they 
 said — " This fellow doth not cast out Devils, but 
 by Beelzebub, the prince of the Devils ;"* that they 
 meant to stigmatize Jesus Christ with having a con- 
 federacy with this great apostate ; hence, says he, 
 " How can Satan cast out Satan ?" "And if a 
 kingdom be divided against itself, that kingdom 
 cannot stand."-)- As much as if he had said, if Satan 
 rise up to the subversion of his own cause and in- 
 terest, he is divided, and it follows as a necessary 
 consequence, that his kingdom cannot stand, but is 
 sure to come to a speedy desolation. 
 
 Objection 2d. Mr. Heineken says, that " Jesus 
 Christ and his apostles, it should be remembered, 
 were born in Judea, and educated as Jews, and 
 therefore very naturally reasoned with their country- 
 men in many. cases on their own principles, and 
 where no very important points of Christian doctrine 
 were immediately involved, employed the common 
 and popular language, in order to convey their sen- 
 timents to their hearers." 
 
 This might account for general expressions, such 
 as Demoniacs, or being possessed of the Devil ; 
 
 * Malt. xii. 24. f Mark iii. 23, 24. 
 
80 DEMONIACAL POSSESSIONS; OR, 
 
 but not for the manner in which the Evangelists 
 have related the dispossession of the Demons, who 
 would not have expatiated and enlarged upon the 
 notion, if they had not been satisfied that it had its 
 foundation in truth. " The more enlightened can- 
 not always avoid the use of metaphorical modes of 
 expression ; which, though founded upon error, yet 
 have been so established in language by the influ- 
 ence of custom, that they cannot be suddenly dis- 
 missed. But in descriptions of characters, in the 
 narration of facts, and in the laying down of sys- 
 tems of doctrines, we require different rules to be 
 observed. Should any person, in compliance with 
 popular opinions, talk in serious language of the 
 existence, dispositions, declarations, and actions, of 
 a race of beings whom he knew to have no existence, 
 we surely could not praise him for his ingenuity : 
 we must suppose him to be either exulting in irony 
 over the weak credulity of those around him, or 
 taking advantage of their weakness, with the dishon_ 
 esty and selfish views of an impostor. And if he 
 himself should pretend to any connection with this 
 imaginary system of beings, and should claim in 
 consequence of his connection with them, particular 
 honours from his contemporaries, whatever might be 
 the dignity of his character in all other respects, 
 nobody could hesitate to brand him as an impostor. 
 In this light we must regard the conduct of our 
 Saviour and his Apostles, if the idea of demoniacal 
 
REASONS TO PROVE THEIR REALITY. 81 
 
 possessions were to be considered as merely a vulgar 
 error. They talked and acted as if they believed 
 that evil spirits had actually entered into those who 
 were brought to them as possessed with Devils, and 
 as if those spirits had actually been expelled by 
 their authority out of the unhappy persons whom 
 they had possessed. They demanded too, that their 
 authority and declarations should be believed, in 
 consequence of their performing such mighty works, 
 and thus triumphing over the powers of hell.* Be- 
 sides, if we should suppose that our Lord in curing 
 these diseases, and his disciples in writing the his- 
 tory of his cures, used the vulgar language, or con- 
 ceded to popular superstition ; yet, this will not 
 account for the possessed persons speaking in the 
 manner related of them by the Evangelists. The 
 demoniacs, it is probable, might, while under the in- 
 fluence of outrageous insanity, fancy themselves to 
 be possessed : yea, they might even personate the 
 demons ; but is it possible they should even feign a 
 dread of being tormented " before the time :" they 
 might have expostulated with Jesus Christ, asking 
 him why he came to disturb or torment them ; but 
 it is not probable, that mere maniacs should even 
 look forward to a certain period when their destiny 
 would be completed, with the most dismal torments, 
 and then reason with Christ about the unreasona- 
 bleness of coming to torment them before that time. 
 
 * See Martindale's Dictionary, Article Demoniac 
 
82 DEMONIACAL POSSESSIONS ; OR, 
 
 But should it be said, that the demoniacs might 
 express a dread of being relieved from the possession, 
 and beg of Christ not to restore them to their natur- 
 al state: this is absolutely improbable; but be 
 this as it may, what shall we think of the man 
 mentioned in Luke iv. 33, who had a spirit of an 
 unclean Devil This person was neither lunatic 
 nor mad ; for the distemper under which he labour- 
 ed was an epilepsy, as is plain from verse 35, where 
 we are told that the spirit convulsed him.* 
 
 This, Mr. Heineken will not deny ; but he will 
 deny that the distemper arose from any agency of 
 evil spirits. Now, I would ask, if there was nothing 
 in the case but an epilepsy, arising from natural 
 causes, how came the demoniac to cry out, saying, 
 " Let us alone, what have we to do with thee, Jesus 
 of Nazareth t Art thou come to destroy us ?" Can 
 it be imagined that this person, while in his right 
 mind, would be unwilling to be cured of his disease, 
 or, that he should express a dread at the very 
 thought of being relieved from sickness to health, 
 from the most excruciating torture, to perfect ease 
 and vigour ? To suppose this, is to suppose a self- 
 evident absurdity ; and a man that can thus think, 
 gives evident proof that he is himself possessed, or 
 is a maniac. Suppose that the man was strongly 
 tinctured with the opinions of his country, and 
 
 * See Doddridge's Family Expositor. 
 
REASONS TO PROVE THEIR REALITY. 83 
 
 really imagined himself possessed with the Devil, 
 is it reasonable to think, that, being in his right 
 senses, he would dread the ejection of the Devil, 
 and look upon it as his own destruction ? From 
 hence it follows, as a necessary consequence, that 
 this man was literally possessed with an evil, super- 
 natural spirit, or demon. Mr. Heineken says — 
 " Where no very important point of Christian doc- 
 trine was immediately involved, they employed the 
 common and popular language." From hence it 
 follows, that Mr. H. believes, that the doctrine of 
 possessions is an unimportant point of Christian doc- 
 trine, and the belief in real possession an harmless 
 error. Now, how does this agree with the division 
 of his Lecture, where he says — " I shall proceed in 
 the third place to shew, that the supposed interfer- 
 ence of an evil being would be hostile to the Divine 
 perfections, and utterly subversive of the Divine 
 government." And in another place he says — 
 " Nor is the belief in the existence of an evil spirit 
 less hostile to the sublime attribute of Divine wis- 
 dom." Thus it is evident, that he is at war with 
 himself; and if the belief in the interference of evil 
 spirits be hostile to the Divine perfections, and 
 utterly subversive of the Divine government, the 
 doctrine of possession is a most important point of 
 Christian doctrine. How does this agree with the 
 characters of Christ and his apostles, that they 
 should not only concede the people in an opinion 
 
84 DEMONIACAL POSSESSIONS; OR, 
 
 that is hostile to the Divine perfections, and utter- 
 ly subversive of the Divine government, but even 
 countenance it themselves. Here, observe, the 
 point of Mr. H's. spear is turned against himself, 
 and he falls by his own weapon. Surely, Jesus 
 Christ ought to have told the people that there was 
 no such a thing as real possession ; yea, he should 
 expressly have said, that there were no such beings 
 in existence as evil spirits, if the belief in real 
 possession, or in the existence of evil spirits, was 
 subversive of the Divine government. And again, 
 in the latter part of the objection he says, that 
 Christ and his apostles adopted " the common and 
 popular language, in order to convey their sentiments 
 to their hearers." That the language of a country 
 must contain many allusions to the popular opinions, 
 I do not deny. Yet it does not follow as a neces- 
 sary consequence, that Jesus Christ, consistently 
 with goodness, could use phrases which alluded to 
 such popular opinions as were false, and especially 
 if they had a pernicious tendency ; for instance, to 
 use Mr. Heineken's own words, if they led to an 
 opinion which is " hostile to the Divine perfections, 
 and subversive of the Divine government." Besides, 
 there was no necessity for Jesus to adopt the vulgar 
 language of the people. For it is agreed on all 
 hands, that the Jewish language afforded abundance 
 of expressions, whereby the truth of the fact might 
 ^iave been clearly expressed, if there had been no 
 
REASONS TO PROVE THEIR REALITY. 85 
 
 real possession. They had proper names for every 
 distemper incident to the human system. Epilepsy, 
 lunacy, and madness, are diseases which have more 
 particularly obtained the name of demoniacism ; 
 yet, these distempers are as often designated by 
 their proper names as by the figurative name of de- 
 moniacism. Why is not this language made use of 
 in every cure, if it had been intended by way of 
 accommodation to vulgar notions ? From hence it 
 follows, that the Jewish language was such, that 
 our Lord could have expressed himself in terms 
 perfectly free from error ; therefore, it is inconsist- 
 ent with the perfection of his character, to suppose 
 that he would use this mode of expression, when 
 he knew that the vulgar would be confirmed by it 
 in their delusions. Whatever reasons may be shewn 
 why our Lord adopted the common phraseology of 
 the people, cannot be urged with regard to the 
 Evangelists, who wrote the history of our Lord's 
 miraculous cures, when they knew that their his- 
 tories were to last throughout succeeding generations- 
 Now, if they understood the real nature of posses- 
 sions, they ought to have assigned a reason why 
 they adopted modes of expression which could not 
 fail to lead their readers into a most hurtful and 
 delusive error. Mr. H. attempts to solve this dif- 
 ficulty, by saying, " That Jesus Christ and his 
 Apostles were born in Judea, and educated as Jews 
 and therefore very naturally reasoned with their 
 
86 DEMONIACAL POSSESSIONS ; OR, 
 
 countrymen on their own principles." I hope that 
 Mr. H. will not say that the Spirit of God was 
 born in Judea, or subject to Jewish prejudice; 
 therefore this error must be reconciled with the no- 
 tion of their inspiration. For surely it is a matter 
 of the greatest importance, and worthy of the in- 
 terference of the Divine Spirit, if the belief in the 
 existence of evil spirits is " subversive of the Divine 
 government.'" 
 
 If Christ promised to his disciples, that when 
 they were brought before kings and governors for 
 his sake, it should be given them in that same hour 
 that the Spirit of their Father would speak in them,* 
 it is fully as credible, that they would be assisted in 
 the same manner when they wrote the history of 
 our Lord's miracles and cures, especially as the re- 
 cord was to last through alleges, and to be a rule 
 of faith to all the nations of the earth. And again, 
 Jesus said to his disciples, that — " When the 
 Spirit of truth is come, he shall guide you into all 
 truth." From hence it follows, that the doctrine 
 of real possession is true, otherwise the Spirit of 
 Grod has not only suffered them to remain in an er- 
 ror, but to write a positive falsehood ; and in con- 
 sequence of which, others have been led into the 
 same erroneous notion. Besides, to suppose that 
 the Evangelists] were left to follow the dictates of 
 
 * Matt. x. 19, 20 ; Luke xii. 11, 12. 
 
REASONS TO PROVE THEIR REALITY. 87 
 
 Jewish prejudice, while they composed their his- 
 tories, is a reflection upon the Scriptures, which at 
 once annihilates their authority. " Again," says 
 Mr. Heineken, " to have engaged in controversy on 
 every doubtful subject of enquiry, would have been 
 foreign, and even hostile, to the main purposes of 
 their office, have involved them in perpetual litiga- 
 tions, and have weakened the influence of their 
 more important labours.'" 
 
 But is this a sufficient vindication of him who 
 came to bear witness of the truth ? Is he not 
 emphatically styled "the light of the world?" there- 
 fore to have acted consistently with his character 
 he ought to have said, as he did on other occasions, 
 "Ye do greatly err " there is no such thing as being 
 possessed with the Devil, it is only a natural dis- 
 order of an extraordinary kind. Besides, how does 
 this agree with another zealous advocate for Unita- 
 rianism, who boldly asserts — " That Jesus and his 
 Apostles pursued one direct course, in opposition to 
 long-established opinions, and regardless and fear- 
 less of consequences, leaving them to God." And 
 another says it is the opinion of the Unitarians, that 
 Jesus Christ, " by the force of his doctrines and ex- 
 ample, saves men from ignorance and superstition" 
 Thus it is evident, that the Unitarians are at war 
 with themselves ; and such is the absurdity and 
 contradiction of the Unitarian's creed, that, in or- 
 der to support any part of it, they are obliged to 
 
88 DEMONIACAL POSSESSIONS; OR, 
 
 annihilate all the rest. Again, says Mr. Heineken, 
 " they prudently left the notion of possessions as 
 they found it." Now, if it was an act of prudence 
 for Jesus Christ and his Apostles to leave the peo- 
 ple in error and superstition, continually tormented 
 with a fantastic dread of evil spirits, surely it is the 
 greatest imprudence in Mr. H. not to follow this 
 example, when, according to his own opinion, it is 
 a prudent one. But this is such a notion of pru- 
 dence as I have yet to learn. 
 
 I read Mr. H.'s lecture with astonishment. Some- 
 times he says, the supposed interference of evil 
 spirits is subversive of the Divine government ; at 
 others, he calls such an opinion an almost blasphem- 
 ous notion ; but here he supposes it an act of 
 prudence in Christ and his Apostles, to leave 
 the people in the possession of an error, which, 
 according to his opinion, leads to the most serious 
 consequences. Such are the inconsistencies of this 
 all-searching, all-discerning, all-knowing philoso- 
 pher ! Again, says he — "Although for the espe- 
 cial purpose of establishing their authority, Jesus 
 Christ and his Apostles were endowed with a su- 
 pernatural power over the diseases of the body and 
 the mind ; yet, it by no means follows as a neces- 
 sary consequence, that they were themselves ac- 
 quainted with the real causes of the calamities they 
 removed." This is a sweeping declaration, and 
 not less contradictory than other assertions in this 
 
REASONS TO PROVE THEIR REALITY. 89 
 
 lecture.^ For, if Jesus Christ and his apostles did 
 not know the real nature of possession, they could 
 not adopt the popular language of the times by way 
 of accommodation. Does not such language as 
 this cast a reflection on our Lord and his Apostles? 
 Is it not evident from this supposition, that Mr. 
 Heineken fancies that he is in possession of more 
 wisdom and knowledge than was the lot of our ador- 
 able Redeemer, and the first heralds of salvation. He 
 of whom it is so often said — "Whence had this man 
 this wisdom F* But Mr . Heineken, without a blush, 
 can suppose, that that Divine personage, whom the 
 Apostle styles "the brightness of his Father's glory, 
 and the express image of his person," was such a 
 simpleton as not to know a physical disease from a 
 diabolical possession. " Thus situated, (says Mr. 
 Heineken,) it would be very natural for them to use 
 the common language of the times." This is one 
 of Mr. H.'s wonderful discoveries : first, to suppose 
 them unacquainted with the real nature of posses- 
 sions, then it follows as a necessary consequence, 
 that they must adopt the common language of the 
 times in which they lived. This opinion is abso- 
 lutely absurd, if we consider Jesus Christ to be God 
 and man in one person ; but Mr. H. will deny this, 
 notwithstanding he acknowledges that Christ and 
 his Apostles were endowed with supernatural power 
 to cure disease, both of the body and of the mind. 
 
 Now, is it not as reasonable to suppose, that by 
 2 H 
 
90 DEMONIACAL POSSESSIONS ; OR, 
 
 this power, (which is no other than the Spirit of 
 God,) they were not only able to cure, but even 
 to know the real nature of these diseases. For 
 it is not only inconsistent with reason and common 
 sense, but derogatory to the wisdom and goodness 
 of God, to suppose that he would suffer Jesus 
 Christ and his disciples, to attribute these direful 
 calamities to the agency of beings which had no ex- 
 istence. Again, says Mr. H. " Did any, whilst 
 under the influence of outrageous insanity, utter 
 incoherent speeches, and fancy themselves to be in- 
 habited by a legion of demons ? they were treated 
 as if they were possessed ; and so they would pro- 
 bably have been in the present day ; for it would be 
 folly to reason philosophically with a madman." 
 It is certain, that the demoniacs were believed to be 
 really possessed with evil spirits. Now, if Jesus 
 Christ and his disciples were ignorant of the real 
 nature of possessions, it was morally impossible for 
 them to reason philosophically either with a mad- 
 man, or with one in his right mind. Neither could 
 they use these modes of expression relative to the 
 demoniacs in a figurative sense. Can any man in 
 his right mind believe, that any physical disease 
 could give this certain knowledge of Christ, or that 
 any disease, epilepsy, or any thing else, could thus 
 talk, and say — " Thou art Christ, the Son of the 
 living God." Instead of the demoniacs uttering 
 *f incoherent speeches" as Mr. H. intimates, they dis- 
 
REASONS TO PROVE THEIR REALITY. 91 
 
 played a degree of knowledge which is not surpass- 
 ed even by the Apostles themselves. "When 
 Jesus came in to the coasts of Caesarea Philippi, 
 he asked his disciples, saying — Whom do men say 
 that I the Son of man am ? And they said — Some 
 say that thou art John the Baptist ; some, Elias ; 
 and others, Jeremias, or one of the prophets. He 
 saith unto them, but whom say ye that I am ? And 
 Simon Peter answered and said— Thou art the Christ, 
 the son of the living God. And Jesus answered 
 and said unto him, blessed art thou, Simon Barjona, 
 Jbrjlesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, 
 but my Father which is in heaven."* Now, if the 
 people did not know the true character of Jesus 
 when in their right minds, is it reasonable to believe 
 that a mere madman, while under the influence of 
 outrageous insanity, could ever point out the true 
 character of our blessed Redeemer. Yea, if the 
 Apostle Peter did not know the real character of 
 Christ by the mere exercise of his own natural un- 
 derstanding, is it not absurd to suppose, that a mere 
 maniac could ever arrive at this knowledge ? One 
 of the demoniacs styles him — " Thou Son of the 
 Most High." Now, the title Most High is given 
 to the Supreme Being by the writers of the Old 
 Testament, in order to distinguish him from all 
 other gods. Thus it is evident, that the demo- 
 
 * Matt. xvi. 13—17. 
 
92 DEMONIACAL POSSESSIONS ; OR, 
 
 niacs acknowledged Christ in the divinity of his 
 character, which Mr. H. so unreasonable denies. 
 
 " With these observations," says Mr. H. " I 
 shall pass over all these passages of Scripture, in 
 which the afflicted are said to have been possessed 
 by demons ; for this word ought, in all cases, to have 
 been employed by our translators instead of the 
 word Devil ; and it would then very plainly appear, 
 that such passages have no actual bearing on the 
 present question." With what propriety Mr. H. 
 can say such passages have no actual bearing on the 
 present question, I am at a loss to determine, unless 
 these passages are an insuperable bar to his progress 
 in denying the existence of a supernatural evil be- 
 ing, whom we call the Devil, or Satan. The term 
 demon, signifies a spirit, whether good or bad ; 
 and though the heathens generally used it in a good 
 sense, yet they sometimes used it in an evil one. 
 They had evil demons as well as good. "But when 
 no bad quality is ascribed to the demon or demons 
 spoken of, and nothing affirmed that implies it, the 
 acceptation of the term in Pagan writers, is gener- 
 ally favourable." If there had been nothing more 
 to urge in favour of real possessions than the mere 
 name Devil, or demon, I should think the contrary 
 opinion not so improbable. But when I find men- 
 tion made of the number of demons in particular 
 possessions, their actions particularly distinguished 
 from those of the man possessed, I cannot but ad- 
 
REASONS TO PROVE THEIR REALITY. 93 
 
 mit that they were really possessed. And I am 
 firmly persuaded, that we must either admit of real 
 possessions, or else give up the Divine authority of 
 the gospel history. For the gospel expressly as- 
 serts real possesion, and our Lord and his apostles 
 never once told the people that there was no such 
 thing ; but, on the contrary, countenanced the 
 common and prevailing opinion. Therefore, I shall 
 take it for granted, that the demoniacs were literally 
 possessed, until Mr. H, brings forward some proof 
 to the contrary. He has hitherto advanced nothing 
 but dogmatical assertions, which are as contradic- 
 tory as they are false. 
 
 It is maintained by those who deny the common 
 opinion, that " the Devil was only a name for epi- 
 lepsy, lunacy, or madness" But I want clear proof 
 of this ; and I assert, contrary to Mr. Mede, that 
 the sentence — " He hath a Devil, and is mad,"* 
 are not synonymous expressions, any more than he 
 hath a fever, and is mad, are so. To be mad, is 
 often the consequence of a violent fever, but this is 
 no proof that they are synonymous terms, and mean 
 one and the same thing. It is reasonable to sup- 
 pose, that every one was possessed of a demon grew 
 lunatic or mad, and at intervals might have fits, 
 and be more than ordinarily affected, which might 
 be the reason why the demoniacs are said to be lu- 
 natic, or mad ; but still this is no proof that being 
 
 * John x. 20. 
 
 £ 
 
 ut * 
 
 xmiy 
 
94 DEMONIACAL POSSESSIONS; OR, 
 
 possessed, and lunacy, or madness, were synony- 
 mous terms, or mean one and the same thing. 
 They are quite different disorders, though the latter, 
 perhaps, was generally, if not always, the conse- 
 quence of the former. But it is farther alleged, 
 " that madness and lunacy may be accounted for by 
 natural and secondary causes.'" It is very true ; 
 but this is no reasom for believing that they may 
 not sometimes be owing to preternatural ones ; thus, 
 a fever may be cured by natural means, but it no 
 way follows that it may not have been cured by the 
 efficacy of a miraculous power, exerted for that pur- 
 pose. And as nothing is more easy to be imagined, 
 than that our Saviour should be able to assign the 
 instance of such a preternatural agency, may we 
 not take his word for a plain matter of fact ? 
 
 Mr. Farmer says, that " the miracle wrought 
 upon the demoniacs, is often described in the same 
 terms as that wrought upon the diseased, terms 
 that necessarily imply their having previously la- 
 boured under a real distemper." St. Matthew says, 
 equally concerning demoniacs, lunatics, and para- 
 lytics, "He healed them." What then? Does 
 the term healing always imply a bodily disorder, or 
 such a disorder of mind as proceeds from natural 
 causes ? This Mr. Farmer dare not assert, firm as 
 his brow is for allegory md figure. We find it ap- 
 plied to unwholesome waters, to sin, and to outzvard 
 temporal calamities ; therefore this argument proves 
 
REASONS TO PROVE THEIR REALITY. 95 
 
 nothing. And as the demoniacs laboured under 
 various diseases, which were thought to have been 
 inflicted by the agency of evil spirits, the Evange- 
 lists, by simply saying that they were healed or cared, 
 was a certain proof that the demons were dislodged. 
 Besides, they mention the dispossession of the de- 
 mons in contradistinction to the healing of diseases ; 
 hence, it is said of Christ, that " He cast out the 
 spirits with his word, and healed all that were 
 sick." Now, this language is nothing but unintel- 
 ligible jargon, on the supposition that the demo- 
 niacs were only labouring under natural diseases. 
 
 Again, the account, which is given of the Demo- 
 niacs of Gadara, and the ridiculous and miserable 
 subterfuges which have been resorted to by those 
 who deny the common opinion, is a convincing proof 
 to me in favour of real possession. It is said of one 
 of those Demoniacs, that u no man could bind him, 
 no not with chains"* But Mr, Farmer says, — 
 < c That the ancients perhaps, were less skilful than 
 the moderns, in the methods of confining such un- 
 happy persons." This is at best only an improba- 
 ble supposition ; for who can suppose, (unless he 
 has an hypothesis to support by it,) that the ancients 
 were such idiots as not to be able to confine with 
 chains a mere maniac. Besides, why should the 
 Evangelist point out this circumstance with so much 
 
 * Mark v. 3. 
 
96 DEMONIACAL POSSESSIONS ; OR, 
 
 emphasis, if the reason why he could not be bound, 
 was owing to the deficiency of wisdom in the people. 
 It is further said, that out of this deplorable suf- 
 ferer, our Lord dislodged a Legion of Devils ; and 
 that he permitted them to go into a herd of swine, 
 which was feeding upon the mountain, in conse- 
 quence of which, the whole herd (which was about 
 two thousand) ran violently down a steep place and 
 were choked in the sea. But Dr. Lardner and Mr. 
 Mede, strenuously contend in opposition to reason 
 and Scripture, that this herd of swine was driven 
 into the sea by the joint assistance of two raging 
 madmen. Is it not a pity that men of learning 
 should ever suffer themselves to be led into such 
 absurdities ; and is it not a strong proof in favour 
 of real possessions, when those who deny the fact 
 are obliged to resort to such miserable shifts. I 
 hesitate not to say, that it was impossible, not for 
 two, but for twenty such madmen, however fierce, 
 to put so vast a number of swine as two thousand 
 into motion in an instant, and to cause them all to 
 rush with violence down a precipice into the sea ; 
 for it is well known, that swine are the worst of tame 
 animals to be driven. Besides, it does not appear 
 from the history, that the men ever fell upon the 
 swine, or made any attempt to drive them into the 
 sea; nay, the history positively refers their de- 
 struction to a different cause ; for we are expressly 
 told, that the Devils went into the herd of swine. 
 
REASONS TO PROVE THEIR REALITY. 97 
 
 "Now there is a great deal of difference between the 
 Devils going into a thing, and a man following after 
 or driving it. Moreover, if this legion of demons, 
 were nothing more than a raging madman or two, 
 and if these demons entered into the swine, as we 
 are assured they did, then these madmen entered 
 into the swine. Now, it remains for them to ex- 
 plain, how these madmen got out of themselves, 
 and how they got into the swine. Such are the ab- 
 surdities which men unavoidably run into, who 
 wish to be wise above what is written. Neither is 
 the supposition, that the demoniacs only laboured 
 under a natural disease less absurd ; for if there was 
 nothing more than a bodily disease, we must view 
 the subject of it as afflicted with a legion of diseases 
 at one time, that is, about jive thousand; that the 
 diseases were possessed of the gift of speech ; for it 
 is said, they besought him that he would not com- 
 mand them to go out into the deep. There is one 
 thing more which ought not to be overlooked. 
 When our Lord had commanded the unclean spirit, 
 or rather the unclean disease, to come out of the man, 
 the reply which was made was—" What have we to 
 do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of God Most High? 
 I beseech thee torment me not.'" If we consider 
 this to be the language of the afflicted person with- 
 out diabolical influence, we are totally unable to 
 make any sense of the passage ; and if we view k 
 as the language of a disease, it appears more absurd 
 
98 DEMONIACAL POSSESSIONS; OR, 
 
 still. Mr. Farmer supposes, that it was the disease 
 of the man that was transferred into the swine ; 
 and he further supposes, that the answer which one 
 of the demoniacs gave Christ, viz. my name is Le- 
 gion, was only the incoherent dogmas of a mere mad- 
 man ? Hence, he fancies he evades the absurdity of 
 supposing a legion of diseases to inhabit the bosom 
 of a man at one time. For the sake of argument, 
 we will grant Mr. Farmer what he contends for, 
 viz. that this demoniac was only mad. Now one 
 would almost be persuaded, that Mr. Farmer be- 
 lieved that the disease was infinitely divisable, for 
 at any rate, this disease must have been divided into 
 two thousand parts, in order to affect the whole herd. 
 Now, suppose it possible, that a disease thus di- 
 vided, would cause two thousand swine to go raging 
 mad. Is it possible for a man to believe, in his 
 right mind, that the injection of the two thousandth 
 part of a disease into each of them, would make 
 them to go raging mad in an instant, and in a mo^ 
 ment cause them to rush with violence into the sea. 
 If it was only the mere disorder of a man which 
 caused them to go mad, how is it that they should 
 run with one accord into the sea ? Why did not they 
 run in all directions, and thus squander themselves 
 all over the plain, tearing in pieces every thing 
 that came in their way ? Mr. Farmer has only re- 
 jected one absurdity to take up another. I shall 
 conclude this chapter with a few remarks upon the 
 
REASONS TO PROVE THEIR REALITY. 99 
 
 permission given to the devils when cast out of the 
 man to go into the herd of swine. 
 
 1st. It was not derogatory to the honour of our 
 Saviour's character, since it is one of the very usual 
 methods of God's moral government, to awaken sin- 
 ners to repentance by alarming events. 
 
 2d. Nor was it unjust in Jesus, since it is evi- 
 dent he acted not in his own personal character as 
 a private member of society, but by a special divine 
 commission and authority, and the miraculousness 
 of the fact, is a satisfactory attestation to the inno- 
 cence of it. Had the herd gone mad of themselves, 
 as we say, no one would have thought of assigning 
 the event as an objection against Divine Providence; 
 nor do we find that theGadarenes ever made the least 
 objection of this sort against our Saviour's conduct. 
 
 3d. It proved, in the most convincing manner, 
 the reality of diabolical agency ; for, says Dr. Dod- 
 dridge, " it was self-evident that a herd of swine 
 could not be confederates in any fraud : their death, 
 therefore, in this destructive circumstance, was ten 
 thousand times a greater blessing to mankind, than 
 if they had been slain for food as was intended." 
 And Dr. Macknight judiciously observes, that 
 Jesus Christ " permitted the Devils to enter into 
 the swine, not only because he knew it would render 
 the miracle more public, but, because it would 
 
 PROVE THE REALITY OF THE POSSESSION, and 
 
 make men understand both how great the power of 
 
100 DEMONIACAL POSSESSIONS ; OR, 
 
 evil spirits is, and how terrible the effects of their 
 malice would be, if they were not restrained.* For 
 no sooner was the permission granted, than the 
 keepers who were with the swine, and the disciples 
 who were at a distance, beheld to their great aston- 
 ishment, the whole herd running furiously down 
 the mountain, and leaping from the tops of the 
 rocks into the sea, where they were drowned to the 
 number of two thousand, while the possessed furious 
 mad men became all of a sudden weak and com- 
 posed, having recovered the entire use of their rea- 
 son ; the first exercise of which, doubtless, would 
 lead them to an high admiration of his goodness, 
 who had delivered them from the oppression of the 
 Devil." " The whole history teaches us to rely on 
 the providence of God, and not to live in fear of 
 evil spirits. They are under the strictest restraint 
 and cannot hurt us without the divine permission." 
 With these remarks I leave the reader to judge for 
 himself, and may God give his blessing. 
 
 * Dr. Jortin says, " that evil spirits had more influ- 
 ence over the bodies of men at that time, that the power 
 of Jesus Christ over sin and Satan might be manifested in 
 expelling them and putting them to open shame, and thus 
 even make them unwilling' witnesses of the truth of his 
 gospel. Thus, men beheld the vile nature and the 
 terrible force of these apostate spirits, and at the same 
 time the superior power and goodness of the Saviour of 
 the world who delivered miserable men from such dread- 
 ful enemies.' ' 
 
CHAP. V. 
 
 A more direct Reply to the Lecture. 
 
 JL HE first passage of Scripture which contains a 
 reference to the subject in debate, is in the Book of 
 Genesis, 3d chapter and 1st verse — " Now the ser- 
 pent was more subtle than any beast of the field." 
 Perhaps no part of the sacred history has so much 
 perplexed the Uunitarians, as this now under con- 
 sideration, in order to explain it agreeably with the 
 hypothesis of no Devil. The method which some 
 have taken, in order to evade the force of the nar- 
 rative, supposes that the Serpent is a personifica- 
 tion of moral evil. To which I reply, that accord- 
 ing to this mode of interpretation, the 14th verse 
 of the same chapter ought to be paraphrased thus: — 
 And thou moral evil 9 art cursed above all cattle 9 
 and above every beast of the field ; and thou, moral 
 evil 9 upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt 
 thou eat all the days of thy life. Therefore, such 
 an hypothesis as this, carries its own refutation, 
 and the bare mention of it is sufficient to expose it-. 
 While others consider the whole to be an allegory : 
 
 then we have not only an allegorical serpent, but 
 i 3 
 
102 A MORE DIRECT REPLY TO THE LECTURE. 
 
 an allegorical tree, bearing allegorical fruit, and an 
 allegorical garden, an allegorical woman, formed 
 allegorically out of an allegorical mm, who partook 
 of the fruit of an allegorical tree, and thereby be- 
 same subject to an allegorical death ; but God, by 
 an act of infinite love and goodness to this allegori- 
 cal man, redeemed him by an allegorical redemp- 
 tion — in a word, an allegorical world. I should 
 not have troubled .the reader with such dogmas as 
 these, had it not been to give a specimen of the 
 criticism of those men, who can bestow such high 
 compliments upon themselves, and the rationality 
 of their religion. But, Mr. H. is well aware of the 
 absurdity of such interpretations as these ; and be- 
 ing unable to find out an explication more plausi- 
 ble, he therefore, in order to extricate himself from 
 this dilemma, rejects the whole narrative from his 
 creed. " The history of the fall," says Mr. H. 
 "is a mere tradition, and a tradition of a most 
 corrupt kind; totally inconsistent with itself; 
 founded on false principles ; and having no pre- 
 tension whatever to a divine revelation. And he 
 again adds, f* that what has been called the Mosaic 
 history of the creation, is a mere fable" In a 
 word, he rejects the whole Pentateuch, as fabulous 
 and false. The inspiration of Leviticus and Deu- 
 teronomy, he positively denies in the present Lec- 
 ture, which is now under review. It is a matter of 
 very suspicious circumstance, as to the truth of any 
 
A MOEE DIRECT REPLY TO THE LECTURE. 103 
 
 system, which, in order to support it, obliges its 
 devotees to such preposterous means. By this 
 means, a system, however absurd, might be sup- 
 ported. 6i The genuineness of the Pentateuch may 
 be inferred from the universal concurrence of all 
 antiquity. The rival kingdoms of Judea and Israel, 
 the hostile sects of Jews and Samaritans, and 
 every denomination of early Christians, received 
 the Pentateuch as unquestionably written by Moses. 
 It is also mentioned and referred to by many Hea- 
 then authors, in a manner, which shews it plainly 
 to have been the general and undisputed opinion of 
 the pagan world, that this book was the work of 
 the Jewish Legislator.'" But why refer to the uni- 
 versal opinion of antiquity, to prove the inspiration 
 of the Pentateuch, and the reality of its author, 
 when infallible proof is at hand. In the New Tes- 
 tament, the writings of the Law, or Pentateuch, 
 are expressly ascribed to Moses. " We have found 
 him, of whom Moses in the law and the prophets 
 did write ;"* and in a variety of passages in the 
 Gospels, Acts, and Epistles, Moses is evidently con- 
 sidered as the author of the Pentateuch ; and every 
 one of the five books is quoted, as written by him. 
 The inspiration of the Pentateuch is infallibly 
 proved by Jesus Christ. For he calls the words 
 of Exodus, Leviticus, and Deuteronomy, the words 
 of God himself. For God commanded, saying, 
 John i. 45, 
 
104 A MORE DIRECT REPLY TO THE LECTURE. 
 
 " Honour thy Father and thy Mother."* Hence. 
 it is certain from revelation, that Moses wrote the 
 Pentateuch by the immediate inspiration of God. 
 
 Notwithstanding Mr. H.'s inability to explain 
 the Mosaic history, consistently with his own sys- 
 tem, he has endeavoured to prove, that an invisi- 
 ble supernatural evil Being is not contained in the 
 narrative, or that the history fails to prove such a 
 Being, supposing it to be true. But what are the 
 reasons which Mr. H. brings forward ? They are as 
 follow : — " We will, for the sake of argument, 
 suppose this history to be true ; and what would it 
 then prove — that a natural animal, whom some in- 
 genious men have supposed to have been a walking 
 snake, others a satyr, others an ape, and others a 
 winged seraph, conversed with Eve, and excited 
 her to disobedience ; but if our credulity could car- 
 ry us to the belief of this as a matter of fact, even 
 such a fact would be very far from demonstrating 
 the existence of an invisible malignant being, pos- 
 sessed of almost divine attributes ; and indeed, the 
 history itself, (supposing it to be true) proves, that 
 this tempter must have been some animal, whose 
 nature and properties were well known ; because it 
 is said to have been wiser than all the beasts of the 
 field, but for its offence, deprived of its erect form, 
 
 * Mat. xv. 4. to which, compare Ex. xx. 12. Lev 
 xix. 3. Deut. v. 16. 
 
 
A MORE DIRECT REPLY TO THE LECTURE. 105 
 
 and condemned to creep on the ground, together 
 with its posterity, ever afterwards, so that it cer- 
 tainly could not have possessed any thing like 
 UBIQUITY." Wonderful reasoning ! admirable 
 philosophy ! What has all this bombast proved ? 
 That a natural animal does not Jill all space. Won- 
 derful deduction ! — a deduction, that a man possess- 
 ed of common sense would blush to have drawn. 
 Surely it is not necessary for the tempter to be om- 
 nipresent, in order to render him supernatural* 
 Mr. H. has reasoned on the supposition, that the 
 tempter was only a mere animal ; whereas this sup- 
 position is absolutely false, and he contradicts him- 
 self; for, says he, "in the Book of Genesis, we 
 read that Eve was tempted to disobey the divine 
 command, by an evil being, in the form of a ser- 
 pent" And Mr. H. knew very well, that not one 
 of those divines to whom he has alluded, thought 
 that the tempter was a mere animal in the abstract. 
 That divines have trifled with this part of sacred 
 history, I readily grant ; yet it does not follow, 
 that it is not true, or that there is not an evil be- 
 ing. The history itself evidently supposes, that 
 the tempter was something more than a mere ani- 
 mal — " I will put enmity between thee and the wo- 
 man, and between thy seed and her seed ; it, (that 
 is Christ) shall bruise thy head, and thou, (that 
 is the tempter) shalt bruise his heel." This verse 
 is significant of the whole plan of redemption — and 
 
106 A MORE DIRECT REPLY TO THE LECTURE. 
 
 to bruise the head, means a total and Jinal over- 
 throw ; but who could be so foolish as to suppose, 
 that the sacred historian meant that Christ should 
 bruise the head of a mere animal, and give it a to- 
 tal and final overthrow. We are told that Eve was 
 deceived and tempted to transgress the law of God, 
 by an agent who could speak and reason, called by 
 M oses the Serpent ; because of the craft and sub- 
 tilty he exhibited in the seduction of our first pa- 
 rents, which hesaith was more subtile than any beast 
 of the field. But a beast of the field, how subtile 
 or sagacious soever, could not speak and reason. 
 Who then was the agent that deceived Eve ? St. 
 Paul speaks of this deceiver in the same manner as 
 Moses — " I fear, lest by any means, as the Ser- 
 pent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your 
 minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is 
 in Christ."* The apostle did not suppose that the 
 Corinthians might be corrupted by the subtilty of 
 an irrational creature ; consequently, he did not 
 suppose that Eve was deceived by a mere animal. 
 Hence, it is evident, that it was the Devil, or Sa- 
 tan, an evil supernatural spirit, which tempted Eve. 
 Again, says Mr. H. " In the book of Leviticus, 
 (xvii. 7. ) it is said, that the Israelites shall no 
 more offer their sacrifices to Devils. Now, even sup- 
 posing this book to hare been written by Divine 
 
 * 2 Cor. xi. 3. 
 
A MORE DIRECT REPLY TO THE LECTURE. 107 
 
 authority, this passage proves nothing, because this 
 word should have been translated goats, or hairy 
 animals ; and, therefore, plainly refers to the religi- 
 ous rites of the surrounding Idolators.*" Having 
 already proved the inspiration of the Pentateuch, 
 I shall only observe in passing, had the book of 
 Leviticus not been at war with his creed, he would 
 not have denied its authority. He supposes that 
 this passage proves nothing, because the word 
 rendered Devils, ought to have been translated 
 goats, whereas the fact is quite the reverse, for 
 idolatry, is worshipping the Devil; and although the 
 children of Israel did not directly or intentionally 
 worship him, yet they did by construction or con- 
 sequence, because the Devil is the author of idola- 
 try, and is eminently served and honoured by it. 
 
 We read, % Sam. xxiv. 1., there was one that 
 moved David against Israel to say — " Go, number 
 Israel and Judah." This, we are told, 1 Chron. 
 xxi. 1, was Satan ; But the Unitarians say, it was 
 not a supernatural being, but " one of David's 
 counsellors, who first started and advised the pro- 
 ject." They say—" It is reasonable to think this, 
 because Satan means an adversary" Supposing 
 this to have been the case, it is as reasonable to 
 think that the Devil put it into the heart of his 
 counsellors, as well as into the heart of Judas, to 
 betray our blessed Saviour : so that the Devil had 
 a principal hand in the affair. Therefore this plea, 
 
108 A MORE DIRECT REPLY TO THE LECTURE. 
 
 that it was one of David's counsellors, is of no ad- 
 vantage to them. But I say it is not reasonable to 
 suppose this ; for the sacred historian is very parti- 
 cular in telling us the names of David's counsellors, 
 and such as had a principal hand in matters of state 
 during his reign, and we have the names of persons 
 concerned in matters of much less importance than 
 this left on record. Had it, therefore, been one of 
 his counsellors, that put him upon numbering the 
 people, we should in all probability have heard 
 somewhat of him from David himself, or from Joab, 
 or from the historian ; but we hear nothing of him 
 from David's command, Joab's remonstrance, or 
 the historian's account. It is, therefore, reasonable 
 to suppose, that this conjecture is false, and with- 
 out any foundation at all. Consequently, I shall 
 take it for granted, that it was an evil supernatural 
 spirit which influenced and prompted David to num- 
 ber the children of Israel, contrary to the will of 
 God. Again says Mr. Heineken — " An evil spirit 
 is said to have been sent by the Lord : the expres- 
 sion clearly relates to an unhappy disposition of 
 mind and contentious temper; i twould be blasphem- 
 ous to suppose, that God would [employ such a 
 being as that called the Devil, as the agent of his 
 sovereign will." But is it any more blasphemous, 
 than to suppose, that God would employ an unhap- 
 py disposition of mind and contentious temper as 
 the agent of his sovereign will ? Surely the Su- 
 
A MORE DIRECT REPLY TO THE LECTURE. 109 
 
 preme Being may employ whatever agent he thinks 
 proper in the execution of his purposes ; he may 
 either commission an angel, or let loose a Devil. 
 They are only instruments in his hands, and under 
 his direction and control. 
 
 " To consider the Book of Job (says he) in any 
 other light than as an allegory, would be to give up 
 all title to common sense." On the contrary, he that 
 can suppose that Job was a fictitious being, and his 
 book a fable , must give up all title as a believer in 
 Divine revelation, and appropriate to himself the 
 designation of infidel. That Job was a real, and 
 not a fictitious character, may be inferred from the 
 manner in which he is mentioned by the prophet 
 Ezekiel and St. James — " Though these three men, 
 Noah, Daniel, and Job, were in it, they should 
 deliver but their own souls by their righteousness, 
 saith the Lord God."* As Noah and Daniel were 
 unquestionably real characters, we must conclude 
 the same of Job. If Job were not a real intelligent 
 being, why did the inspired prophet class him with 
 Noah and Daniel, and positively call them three 
 men, and not only so, but repeated it thrice, as if 
 to guard against any mistake of his name? From 
 hence it is evident, that the inspired prophet con- 
 sidered him as a real character. To suppose that 
 Job was only an imaginary being, is to suppose that 
 
 * Ezek. xiv. 14. 
 k 
 
110 A MORE DIRECT REPLY TO THE LECTURE. 
 
 the prophet repeated a positive falsehood and ab- 
 surdity. " Behold, (says St. James,) we count 
 them happy that endure : ye have heard of the 
 patience of Job, and have seen the end of the Lord, 
 that the Lord is very pitiful and of tender mercy ."* 
 But adopt Mr. H.'s opinion, and the language of 
 the Apostle would read thus — Ye have heard of the 
 patience of a fictitious being, and have seen the 
 end of the Lord, that the Lord is very pitiful and 
 of tender mercy. But to whom ? A fictitious being ! 
 Astonishing chimera ! No person could ever be- 
 lieve, unless he were biassed by the most invincible 
 prejudice, that the inspired Apostle would refer to 
 an imaginary character as an example of patience, 
 or in proof of the mercy of God. 
 
 Mr. H. has, by mere evasion, endeavoured to 
 convert the whole into an allegory. Now we must 
 observe, that the allusions with which we meet in 
 Scripture, are allusions to real facts, and to real 
 beings. The writers of the Sacred Scriptures nei- 
 ther did, nor could invent, consistent with their 
 inspiration, imaginary beings, either for the exer- 
 cise of their genius, or the amusement of their 
 readers. Such a conduct would but ill become 
 those who were commissioned to instruct mankind 
 in things spiritual. If, therefore, we should grant 
 that the first chapter of Job is an allegory, still we 
 
 * James v. 11. 
 
A MORE DIRECT REPLY TO THE LECTURE. Ill 
 
 should maintain, that all its allusions are founded 
 in facts, and that the poetical mention of Satan in 
 such a book, would be a proof of his existence. 
 Mankind have invented superstitions enough, with- 
 out receiving addition to them from those Scriptures 
 which are intended for the destruction of error, and 
 the diffusion of Divine truth. So far is the Book 
 of Job from " darkening counsel by words without 
 knowledge" that in that book the practice is reprov- 
 ed.* There is no ground for the supposition that 
 the Book of Job is an allegory. " It is an expo- 
 sition of what actually took place, couched in such 
 terms as will best convey the truth to human 
 minds." In what terms would Mr. H. describe the 
 transactions of the invisible world, if he rejects such 
 as are used in the chapter in question ? " Have 
 these Socinians, who suppose their souls to be no- 
 thing but organized matter, refined and spiritualized 
 their ideas, so as to speak of spiritual things in any 
 other manner than after the manner of men?" 
 The Scriptures speak of God after the manner of 
 men, condescending to our capacities, in order to 
 suit the revelation of his will and providence to our 
 apprehensions. And shall we reject those parts of 
 sacred truth, and look upon them as fabulous and 
 absurd, because God, out of his infinite love and 
 goodness to mankind, has been pleased, so far as 
 
 * Job xxx. 8. 
 
112 A MORE DIRECT REPLY TO THE LECTURE. 
 
 was necessary, to condescend to speak of himself, 
 and the dispensations of his providence, in a method 
 the best adapted to convey to our minds the truth 
 of those solemn realities, which is the subject of 
 the counsels of the unseen world ? " God forbid ;" 
 rather let us adore such amazing condescension, 
 and with implicit confidence receive his word, as 
 able to make us wise unto salvation, through faith 
 in the atonement. 
 
 "Again, in the 109th Psalm, (says Mr. H.) 
 " and also in the book of Ezekiel, Satan is spoken 
 of as standing at the right hand of the righteous ; 
 the writers evidently refer to temporal enemies, 
 and especially those who opposed the reformation 
 of the Jewish Church." I have not been able to 
 find the passage in Ezekiel, which Mr. H. has al- 
 luded to, and I believe there is not such a passage 
 in the Bible ; consequently, I am not able to point 
 out its meaning. But the expression in the Psalms, 
 in question, we will examine for a moment. The 
 whole verse reads thus — " Set thou a wicked man 
 over him : and let Satan stand at Ms right hand"* 
 Now, leaving thej passage which Mr. H. says is in 
 Ezekiel, out of the question — is it consistent*with 
 truth for him to^say, that " Satan is spoken of as 
 standing at the right hand of the righteous," when 
 there is not such a sentence in the Psalms, nor any 
 
 * Psalm cix. <5. 
 
A MORE DIRECT REPLY TO THE LECTURE* 113 
 
 thing said that will justify such a sentence being 
 drawn as an inference. The fact is, Mr. H. has 
 conjured up this sentence, not only to suit his own 
 purpose, but in order that he might with more ease, 
 evade the force of the sacred text. The meaning 
 of this passage appears to be this : — Set thou a 
 wicked man over him, to be as cruel to him, as 
 he hath been to others ; and not only so, but let 
 Satan stand at his right hand ; or, the adversary 
 shall stand at his right hand — that is, an evil spirit 
 shall molest, vex, and trouble him in all his affairs; 
 or rather, shall accuse and torment him. This 
 Psalm is prophetic, and evidently refers to the 
 enemies of Christ. And if David spake this in 
 reference to Doeg or AhitAqphel, it was only as they 
 were types of Judas — at least the Holy Ghost in- 
 tended it of him, and the persecutors of the Mes- 
 siah ;* of whom, this whole paragraph to the end 
 of verse 19th is a prophecy. And it is unquestion- 
 ably certain, that this Psalm does not refer to the 
 reformation of the Jewish church, as Mr. H. sup- 
 poses. David composed this Psalm, either when 
 he was persecuted by Saul, and calumniated by 
 Doeg,*(* or, at the time of Absalom's rebellion, but 
 whether, I know not. In one part of it he refers to 
 the traitor, Ahithophel, who, in a fit of despair, 
 went out and hanged himself,J in which last cir- 
 
 * Acts i. 20. f 1 Sam. xxvi. 19. % 2 Sam. xvii. 
 K 2 
 
114 A MORE DIRECT REPLY TO THE LECTURE. 
 
 cumstance he exactly typified Judas, who, without 
 all question, was prophetically intended in this 
 psalm, for so an inspired Apostle expounds it ;* in- 
 cluding, however, the persecuting Jews, against 
 whom the Psalmist denounces the most dreadful 
 judgments. From hence, it is certain, that Mr. 
 H. has perverted the passage in question, for the 
 Psalmist evidently alludes to the enemies of the 
 Messiah, who would be troubled and tormented by 
 an evil spirit, as a just punishment for their crimes, 
 in betraying and crucifying the Lordof life andglory. 
 
 " Here the just law — the judgment of the skies : 
 He that hates truth, shall be the dupe of lies ; 
 And he that will be cheated to the last, 
 Delusion, strong as hell, shall bind him fast." 
 
 Again we read, that Zechariah saw in a vision, 
 " Joshua, the high-priest, standing before the angel 
 of the Lord, and Satan standing at his right hand 
 to resist him.^-f- The Devil here stands charged 
 by the prophet as resisting Joshua. The Unitarians 
 contend, that " under the person of Sata?i 9 were 
 represented Tatnai and Shether-boznai, and other 
 enemies of the Jews, who vehemently opposed the 
 designs of Joshua, about restoring the temple." 
 Suppose it was Tatnai and Shether-boznai, and 
 other enemies of the Jews, that is here represented 
 as resisting Joshua, still it remains for them to 
 
 * Acts i. 20. f Zech. iii. 1. 
 
A MORE DIRECT REPLY TO THE LECTURE. 115 
 
 prove, that Satan, emphatically so called, or the 
 Devil, did not put them on to resist him ; for, 
 whether it was Satan, the apostate, that resisted 
 Joshua, or, that he made use of Tatnai and Shether- 
 boznai as his instruments and agents, the charge 
 still recoils upon himself, and the existence of a 
 Devil is proved. There is no doubt but that Satan 
 endeavoured to prevent the rebuilding of the temple 
 by every possible means ; not only by exciting Tatnai 
 and Shether-boznai, and other enemies of the Jew- 
 ish nation, but by himself endeavouring to divert 
 their attention from such a purpose, or by present- 
 ing to their minds the most insurmountable difficul- 
 ties, in order to discourage them ; and likewise by 
 every allurement which was in his power to suggest. 
 And lastly observe, that Joshua, the great high- 
 priest, in his prophetic vision, stands as the repre- 
 sentative of the whole Jewish nation ; and in like 
 manner, Satan, the great apostate foe, stands as 
 the representative of the whole army of opposers, 
 whether spiritual or natural. 
 
 Again, says Mr. H. " In the gospels, Jesus Christ 
 is said to have been tempted, or tried, by Diabohs, 
 the accuser or calumniator ; but this is evidently a 
 scenical representation of what passed in his own 
 mind, during his retirement from the world, pre- 
 viously to his entrance on his public ministry ; we 
 may clearly infer from the account which is given, 
 that he had retreated to an uninhabited part of the 
 
116 A MORE DIRECT REPLY TO THE LECTURE. 
 
 country^'where, like John the Baptist, he subsisted 
 on the wild fruits of the earth" But we want proof 
 of this. The Scripture asserts, that he fasted forty 
 days. If Jesus Christ subsisted on the wild fruits 
 of the earth, why is it said — " And in those days 
 he did eat nothing ; and when they were ended, he 
 afterwards^hungered.""* And that " Angels came 
 and ministered unto him."-f- Mr. H.'s comment 
 contradicts the text. He makes no mention of the 
 Spirit, because it is against his creed ; but, how- 
 ever, the Unitarians generally suppose, that he was 
 led by his own thoughts : but Scripture positively 
 declares, that Jesus, being full of the Holy Ghost, 
 returned from Jordan and was led up of the 
 Spirit ! — " not his own thoughts" One of the 
 Evangelists, in order to signify the strength of the 
 impulse, expresses it thus — " Immediately the Spirit 
 driveth him into the wilderness." Mr. H. says, to 
 meditate on his exalted plans ; but the Scripture 
 says, " to be tempted of the Devil" The Evan- 
 gelist names four times the Devil as the tempter, 
 and Mr, H. knows that it means a slanderer, and 
 he has not been able to find a place where the word 
 is used, except where it is applied to some real 
 being. Hence, it is declared, that he was tempted 
 by Diabolos, the accuser or calumniatory which 
 certainly implies a real being. He further adds, 
 
 * Luke iv. 2. f Matt. iv. 11. ; Mark i. 13. 
 
A MORE DIRECT REPLY TO THE LECTURE. 117 
 
 that Jesus Christ was tempted " by the suggestions 
 of an ambition which was natural to the human 
 bosom." Astonishing ! but how does he prove this ? 
 Was there any thing in the conduct of Jesus, or 
 is there any thing said in the Scripture, to warrant 
 such an assertion ? May it not be said with pro- 
 priety that he 
 
 " Pretends to take the Christian's part, 
 But stabs his Sovereign to the heart." 
 
 Mr. H. has attributed to this Divine Personage, 
 inherent depravity, " an ambition that was natural" 
 If it was natural, it was inherent; and if our ador- 
 able Redeemer contained within himself the least 
 iota of depravity, the whole system of Christianity 
 tumbles into ruins, and the bright prospect of fu- 
 turity is covered with a dire eclipse. An expression 
 this, which is enough to cut the finest fibres that ever 
 concreted the hearts of true and genuine Christians. 
 But Mr. H. goes on to say, that while Jesus was 
 " under the influence of these, (that is, the sugges- 
 tions of ambition,) and conscious of the superna- 
 tural gifts with which he was endowed, he was 
 tempted to make an ostentatious display of his mi- 
 raculous powers, and to employ them for the pur- 
 poses of self-interest and aggrandisement. ,, But 
 by whom was he tempted? It removes not the diffi- 
 culty by saying, that it was the suggestions of 
 worldly pride and ambition; for this is only an asser- 
 
118 A MORE DIRECT REPLY TO THE LECTURE. 
 
 tion without the least shadow of proof for its sup- 
 port. Neither does it evade the force of the text, 
 by saying, "that it was a visionary representation ;" 
 for the Evangelist declares, that he was tempted by 
 the slanderer, or calumniator, meaning some real be- 
 ing. Again, says he, "Although he might have been 
 rewarded with the glory of the kingdoms of the earth, 
 by paying his homage to the principles of worldly 
 pride and ambition, yet lie could not have been the 
 Captain of our Salvation." Why does he call 
 Jesus Christ " the Captain of our Salvation F In 
 order that he may give him a more desperate thrust ; 
 like an army that retreats, in order to give the 
 enemy a more dismal attack. The Unitarians deny 
 that the death of Christ was a propitiatory sacrifice 
 for sin, and they look upon the doctrine of redemp- 
 tion, through his blood, as an entire mistake. Mr. 
 Belsham maintains, that " we are totally ignorant 
 of the place where he resides, and the occupations 
 in which he is engaged ; and, consequently, that 
 there can be no gratitude for favours now received, 
 or of confidence in his future interposition on our 
 behalf."* But the Scripture speaks in a very differed 
 
 * Is it not astonishing, that Mr. Beisham should pro- 
 fess to be a Christian minister ! How different are the 
 views which he entertains concerning* Jesus, the great 
 atoning sacrifice, than those entertained by the first heralds 
 of salvation. Without a blush, he tells us, that " we are 
 totally ignorant of the place where he resides." But, an 
 
A MORE DIRECT REPLY TO THE LECTURE. 119 
 
 strain ; and thanks be to God, we are not left to 
 follow these blind guides, on whose hearts the light 
 of Divine Truth has never shone. To the law and 
 
 inspired Apostle tells us, that " Christ is not entered into 
 the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of 
 the true ; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the 
 presence of God for us." Mr. Belsham further adds 
 that we are likewise totally ignorant of the " the occupa- 
 tions in which he is engaged." But, the same Apostle, viz. 
 Paul, filled with the power of God, and his heart glowing* 
 whith love to his Divine master, asks, " Who is he that 
 condemneth ? — It is Christ that died, yea, rather that is 
 risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who 
 also maketh intercession for us." The Scriptures abound 
 with declarations concerning Christ, pointing him out as 
 our Mediator, Advocate, and Intercessor; in a word, as 
 our Prophet, Priest, and King. But this refined Deist, 
 first declares his ignorance of Jesus Christ, and then con- 
 cludes " that there can be no gratitude for favours now 
 received, or of confidence in his future interposition on our 
 behalf." Suffer me to ask, is this Christianity? I am 
 persuaded that every candid and impartial reader will 
 answer, no. M No, this is not our island goddess, bearing 
 freshness on her cheek, and scattering the valley's 
 bounty from her hand — known by the lights that herald 
 her fair presence, the peaceful virtues that attend her 
 faith, and the long blaze of glory that lingers in her train ; 
 "it is a demon in disguise, hiding the bloody symbols 
 of its purpose under the sacred and glorious name of Chris- 
 tianity. 
 
 The Apostle St. Paul declares, " If any man love not 
 the Lord Jesus Christ, let him be Anathema Maran- 
 atha f\ but. Mr. Belsham says, that " there can be no gra- 
 titude for favours now received from Christ.' ' Therefore 
 
120 A MORE DIRECT REPLY TO THE LECTURE. 
 
 to the testimony. The apostle Peter tells us, that 
 God hath exalted Jesus " with his right hand, to 
 be a Prince and a Saviour, for to give repentance 
 
 Mr. Belsham does not love him. The Apostle Peter says, 
 " Unto them which believe he is precious ;" but Mr. Bel- 
 sham receives no, favours from him, therefore, he has no 
 cause of gratitude ; hence, he is an unbeliever. Again, 
 an inspired Apostle tells us, " If any man have not the 
 Spirit of Christ he is none of his." Now, as Mr. Bel- 
 sham knows not "where he resides" nor " the occupa- 
 tions in which he is engaged" and, consequently , he has no 
 gratitude, because he receives no favours from him, it 
 necessarily follows, that Mr. Belsham has not the " Spirit 
 of Christ, and therefore he is none of his." The Apostle 
 Peter exhorts those to whom hewrote, to " be sober, and 
 
 HOPE TO THE END, FOR THE GRACE THAT IS TO BE BROUGHT 
 UNTO YOU AT THE REVELATION OF JESUS CHRIST. " The Same 
 
 Apostle says in another place to the suffering people of 
 God, " But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of 
 Christ's sufferings, that, when his glory shall be reveal- 
 ed, YE MAY BE GLAD ALSO WITH EXCEEDING JOY." And Je- 
 
 sus Christ says himself, " Behold I come quickly, and my 
 
 REWARD IS WITH ME, TO GIVE TO EVERY MAN AS HIS WORK^SHALL 
 
 be." But as Mr. Belsham has no confidence in his future 
 interposition in his behalf, he certainly does not take his 
 religion from the Bible. Therefore he is not a Christian 
 Minister ; and, " When he (christ) shall come to be glori- 
 fied in his saints, and to be admired in all them that be- 
 lieve," he will have neither lot nor part in the matter, 
 but must be banished from the presence of God, and from 
 the glory of his power. Well might Mrs. Barbauld call 
 Unitarianism " Christianity in the Frigid Zone," for in 
 that region, the'Son of righteousness has never risen /there-r 
 fore it is blasted with an eternal frost. 
 
A MORE DIRECT REPLY TO THE LECTURE. 121 
 
 to Israel, and forgiveness of sins."* And the 
 Apostle Paul says — " Let us run with patience the 
 race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the 
 Author and Finisher of our faith ; who, for the joy 
 that was set before him, endured the cross despising 
 the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the 
 throne of God. ,, *(- And again, " He is able also to 
 save them to the uttermost, that come unto God by 
 him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession 
 for them. 1 ^ And the apostle St. John tells us, 
 that " we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus 
 Christ the righteous : and he is the propitiation for 
 our sins ; and not for ours only, but also for the sins 
 of the whole world."" || Is it not then a thing most 
 wonderful, that these men should pretend to take 
 their religion from the Bible. The Unitarians never, 
 with animation, display the love of Christ in our 
 redemption. They call him our Saviour occasion- 
 ally. They propose him as an example, but when 
 do they make him the foundation of our hope, 
 speak of him as the only name through which we 
 must be saved — treat largely on his character and 
 offices, and dwell with animation on his redeeming 
 love ? When does Mr. H. urge his audience to 
 flee to him, and depend on him for life and salva- 
 tion ? Therefore, to call Jesus Christ " the Cap- 
 
 * Acts. v. 31. f Heb. xii. 1, 2. J Heb. vii. 25. 
 || 1. Johnii. 1. 2. 
 L 
 
122 A MORE DIRECT REPLY TO THE LECTURE. 
 
 tain of our Salvation," and at the same time to deny 
 his atonement, is the most unaccountable rhapsody* 
 and a violation of every principle of propriety. 
 Again, says Mr. H. " Although he thus had it in 
 his power to have become rich, yet, for our sakes, he 
 became poor, that we through his poverty might be 
 made rich ; and thus did he deny himself, and be- 
 came of no reputation, and took upon him the form 
 of a servant. In this way we may very rationally 
 explain the history." How these two misapplied 
 passages can serve as a key to explain this part of 
 our Lord's history, I am at a loss to determine. 
 These two passages are an evident proof that our 
 Lord was more than human, or that he was truly 
 Divine, though they have been miserably perverted 
 by the false reasoning of these men. Without en- 
 tering into any particular discussion relative to the 
 Divinity of our Lord Jesus Christ, I shall only, in 
 passing, make a few remarks on those Scripture 
 truths, in order to shew the absurdity of this wild 
 chimeraist, in thus perverting the sacred truths of 
 the gospel. Now, I would ask, when was he rich 
 as a man? When was fee born in a stable, and 
 laid in a manger ? When he said — " The foxes have 
 holes, and the birds of the air have nests, but the 
 Son of Man hath not where to lay his head ?" At 
 what time was he rich, and how did he become poor ? 
 The answer which the Unitarians generally give to 
 these and similar questions. is-* — " He never became 
 
A MORE DIRECT REPLY TO THE LECTURE. 123 
 
 poor." The original word does not denote his 
 passing from an antecedent state of opulence, to a 
 subsequent state of poverty, but his living in pov- 
 erty, although he was at the same time rich. 
 " While he was rich, yet for our sakes he lived in 
 poverty." " If, for a moment, (says a learned au- 
 thor,) overlooking his criticisms, you require, how 
 was this ? How was it, that, although rich, he 
 lived in poverty ? The reply is — ' He was rich in 
 miraculous powers , which it was at his own option to 
 employ for his own benefit? Miraculous powers, 
 which it was at his own option to employ for his own 
 benefit ! ! What a strange supposition is this ! 
 What ! a prophet of the Most High, with miracu- 
 lous, that is, with Almighty power, at his own dis- 
 posal, to use as he may incline, for promoting his 
 own wealth, and honour, and aggrandizement ! 
 Divine power transferred to a creature ! Subjected 
 to the will and pleasure of a mere man, ' a fallible 
 and peccable man.'' Such transference of Divine 
 power, I would, in the first place remark, is a na- 
 tural impossibility. The might which effects the 
 miracles resides in God alone. It never can belong 
 to the creature ; and residing as it must in God 
 alone, it can never be exerted to gratify the will of 
 a creature, who would pervert it to a selfish purpose, 
 or to any purpose different from that which he is 
 commissioned to accomplish, and for the accomplish- 
 ment and vindication of which alone, the interpo- 
 
124 A MORE DIRECT REPLY TO THE LECTURE. 
 
 sition of the power is pledged. The contrary sup- 
 position is pregnant with consequences of the most 
 serious and fatal. It destroys the certainty of the 
 evidence of miracles, and thus subverts one of the 
 main pillars on which the truth of Christianity rests. 
 Meantime* consider how full it is of beauty and of 
 force, when referred to him, who, although rich as 
 the Great Creator and Sovereign Proprietor of the 
 universe, became poor in the assumption of our 
 nature, making no use in that nature of those 
 riches, which were all his own , but ' humbling him- 
 self, and becoming obedient unto death, even the 
 death of the cross.** This is grace indeed ! Grace 
 that shall be the theme, the worthy theme of ever- 
 lasting song H 
 
 " Kind bowels yearning in the eternal Son, 
 
 " He left bis Father's court, his heav'nly throne; 
 
 " Aside he threw his most divine array, 
 
 " And wrapt his Godhead in a veil of clay." 
 
 " But if we consider" (says Mr. H.) " this trial 
 as arising from the natural suggestions of worldly 
 ambition, all the difficulties immediately vanish." 
 And he further adds, that this view is " fully 
 illustrated by every subsequent action of his life * — 
 Is it not astonishing, that Mr. H. should profess 
 to be a follower of Jesus Christ ? When did he 
 discover the least proof of worldly " pride and am- 
 bition" — was it when he washed his disciples' feet, 
 
A MORE DIRECT REPLY TO THE LECTURE, 185 
 
 or when he agonized in the garden, or when he hung 
 upon the cross ? In what part of his life did worldly 
 pride and ambition ever appear? Is not this a 
 plain proof, that Mr. H. denies the " Lord that 
 brought him ? He supposes that " all the difficulties 
 immediately vanish" by supposing, that after Jesus 
 Christ had received miraculous power, he was tempt- 
 ed by an innate principle of worldly ambition. 
 But this opinion, instead of removing the difficulties, 
 only increases them, and makes the history of our 
 Lord's temptation ten thousand times more myste- 
 rious. Besides, this opinion is at variance with the 
 whole tenor of Scripture, and every action of his 
 life ; it degrades his character, and destroys the 
 foundation of all our hope. Neither does this hy- 
 pothesis in the least explain the tragedy ; for the 
 Scripture says, he was tempted by the Devil, or the 
 calumniator ; not worldly ambition. Did worldly 
 ambition lead Christ into the wilderness? — did 
 worldly pride carry him upon the battlements of the 
 temple ? — did worldly ambition take him " up into 
 an exceeding high mountain?" — was it worldly pride 
 that said, if thou wilt fall down and worship me, I 
 will give thee all the kingdoms of the world, and 
 the glory of them? — was it for maintaining a struggle 
 with worldly pride and ambition, that caused the 
 heavenly messengers to wing their flight to minister 
 unto him ? — But I refrain from drawing the absurd, 
 
 the unphilosophic conclusion, and will pass on to 
 l 2 
 
126 A MORE DIRECT REPLY TO THE LECTURE. 
 
 notice the objections which Mr. H. has brought 
 against the literal interpretation. They are as fol- 
 low: — " If we follow the common notion, we shall 
 find it full of absurdities and contradictions, carried 
 about from place to place through the air, by the 
 power of an evil Being, whose supposed empire in 
 the world he came to destroy ; enticed by offers and 
 promises, which he must have well known this Be- 
 ing could not fulfil ; placed in circumstances which 
 were impossible ; and urged to prostrate himself 
 before, and to pay divine honours to one, whom he 
 knew to be the most malignant enemy, both of 
 himself, and of the benevolent Being, whose work 
 he came to perform ; how could such circumstances 
 (even supposing them possible) have afforded a mo- 
 mentary trial to his virtue ? " 
 
 In the first place, I remark, that there is no ne- 
 cessity to suppose that Satan flew with our Saviour 
 through the air. Although it is said that the Devil 
 set him upon the pinnacle of the temple, he did not 
 dp it by flying through the air with him, as Mr. H. 
 intimates ; but by going up with him to the roof of 
 one of the cloisters, where the people were at liberty 
 to walk, and by assisting him in getting up upon the 
 battlements thereof. 
 
 Sndly. The common interpretation is not so full 
 of absurdities, as Mr. H. supposes. The objections 
 which he has advanced, fall with equal weight upon 
 his own hypothesis. The strength of Mr. H.'s ob- 
 
A MORE DIRECT REPLY TO THE LECTURE. 127 
 
 jection in the supposition, that Jesus Christ knew, 
 or was well acquainted, with the character of the 
 tempter. But did he not know likewise, the dread- 
 ful nature of worldly pride and ambition ; how it 
 eclipsed in a moment all the splendour, virtue, and 
 dignity, of angels, and overcast in a moment, all 
 their beautiful and eternal prospects; or did he not 
 know that pride and ambition were the principal 
 causes of all the misery in the world ? And by rea- 
 son of it, kingdoms have been desolated, and con- 
 querors, and warriors, whilst under its dazzling 
 fervor, have delighted in war and in blood. And is 
 not pride and ambition hostile to God's moral go- 
 vernment, and subversive of the whole kingdom of 
 divine grace ? Is not pride placed among that 
 black catalogue of evils, which Christ came to de- 
 stroy? Hence, he has denounced against that prin- 
 ciple the most dreadful woes ; therefore, (to retort 
 Mr. H.'s question upon himself, I would ask) how 
 could pride and ambition " afford a momentary 
 trial to his virtue ?" — Mr. H. has attributed to the 
 Saviour of mankind, a Devil, without a substance ; 
 and an evil principle walking about, without a real 
 Being in which to inhere. An absurdity too glar- 
 ing to be admitted by any reasonable man.* 
 
 * Query, would Mr. H. and his Unitarian Brethren, 
 find that principle of pride and ambition, so observable in 
 the human hosom, if they were discussing the question of 
 toe depravity of human nature P — Here they find it observa- 
 ble in Jesus Christ. 
 
128 A MORE DIRECT REPLY TO THE LECTURE. 
 
 Again, as Adam had been overcome by Satan, it 
 is reasonable to suppose, that Jesus Christ, the 
 second Adam, should have a personal conflict, in 
 order that he might demonstrate his power over the 
 apostate foe. It is plain from the history itself, 
 that the contest was a pre-concerted design, a mea- 
 sure approved by heaven, and subservient to the 
 grand design in which our Saviour was engaged in 
 rescuing mankind from the power of Satan. Pro- 
 bably the Devil transformed himself into an angel 
 of light, hoping thereby the better to deceive him. 
 
 The Divinity of our Lord was also quiescent^ 
 and that he overcame him by virtue of the Spirit, 
 which was given him. Thus he suffered being 
 tempted, that he might afford suitable help to us 
 when we were tempted. It is agreed by most or- 
 thodox divines, (says Dr. Whitby,) that the Di- 
 vinity in Christ was so quiescent for the space of 
 thirty years, as to afford no specimen of its resi- 
 dence in him ; why might it not be quiescent also 
 in those things which had a particular reference 
 to his prophetic office, and also in those parts of 
 his life, which are set forth as an example, in order 
 that we should follow his steps. Therefore, Jesus 
 Christ, as man, endured and overcame the allure- 
 ments of Satan by the sole energy of the Divine 
 Spirit. 
 
 The Rev. Rowland Hill, in his Village Dia- 
 logues, has treated the impious folly of represent- 
 
A MORE DIRECT REPLY TO THE LECTURE. 129 
 
 ing scriptural realities as mere figures, with that 
 pointed irony which cannot fail to produce the 
 effects he intended. He introduces one of his 
 dialogists, Mr. Wisehead, as saying, " We can- 
 not believe that there is any such a thing as the 
 Holy Ghost ; nor can we believe there is any such 
 thing as the Holy Spirit. Consequently, we have 
 nothing to do with the abstruse notion of regenera- 
 tion, or, as it is called, the work of the Spirit. We 
 believe that such sort of expressions are to be taken 
 as oriental figures, or as tropical language, and 
 that it only means a good disposition. We there- 
 fore deny the doctrine of original sin, as there is 
 quite as much virtue as vice in the world ; aud we 
 have no doubt at all, as to the Devil, that he is en- 
 tirely a fabulous character ; and as to what is said 
 concerning those who were possessed of the Devils, 
 it were irrational to suppose, that it could mean any 
 thing further, than that ( they were mad, or had hys- 
 teric fits ; , and as the existence of angels, though 
 there are frequent allusions to it in the New Tes- 
 tament — * Yet it is a doctrine that cannot be proved, 
 or made probable, from the light of nature ;' 
 and what have we to do with the New Testament, 
 while it contradicts the light of nature ? Notwith- 
 standing therefore the allusion, we choose to say, 
 6 this is no where taught as a doctrine of revela- 
 tion.' A judicious Christian, therefore, will dis- 
 card it from his creed, and that not only as a 
 
130 A MORE DIRECT REPLY TO THE LECTURE. 
 
 groundless, but a useless and pernicious tenet, 
 which tends to diminish our regard to the Omnis- 
 cient, Omnipotent, and Omnipresent God, and to 
 excite superstitious respect to, and unreasonable 
 expectations from, imaginary and fictitious beings.* 
 When therefore we hear how Jesus was tempted 
 in the wilderness, it was (for we always talk very 
 rationally in our way,) only an allusion to a fictitious 
 being ; and the proper and most rational meaning is, 
 that he was fighting withsomegood and bad thoughts, 
 which alternately possessed him ; but such were the 
 eastern metaphors and oriental figures; then in use." 
 To these considerate replies, then, Sir, might it 
 not have sounded still more rational^ had you made 
 it out that he was fighting with two eastern 
 metaphors or oriental figures ; that when the angel 
 spake to Zacharias about the birth of John, the 
 forerunner of our Lord, he should not have said — 
 ' I am Gabriel,' but, f I am an oriental figure, and 
 that itwas nothingbut an oriental figure that spake to 
 Mary on the same subject ?' And that eastern me- 
 taphors, or oriental figures, appeared unto the shep- 
 herds, and sung — < Glory to God in the highest, 
 on earth peace, and good will towards men.' And 
 then, again, that our Lord had another meeting of 
 these eastern metaphors and oriental figures in the 
 Mount of Transfiguration ; that an eastern meta- 
 
 * Belshnm's Caution, p. 21. 
 
A MORE DIRECT REPLY TO THE LECTURE. 131 
 
 phor opened the prison in which Peter was confined ; 
 and that an oriental figure knocked off his fetters ? 
 That Paul was converted at the sight of these 
 Eastern metaphors ? That Stephen saw somwehat 
 of the same sort before he was stoned ? A.nd that 
 an eastern metaphor stood by Paul when nearly 
 shipwrecked ? And if these be not enough, I could 
 give you further lucubrations on your rational 
 way of explaining these eastern metaphors.' 1 
 
 Mr. Hill adds, "the Socinians suppose they 
 have a right to take these preposterous liberties on 
 this subject, because these spiritual existences are 
 described as being powers and virtues.*" There- 
 fore, they are not real existences, but figurative 
 allusions. We will produce a few passages where 
 the real existence of such spirits is positively men- 
 tioned, and then we shall see how far common sense 
 will befriend them in their rational religion. 
 
 Beelzebub, the prince of the Devils — the prince 
 of the eastern metaphors. — Unto which of the an- 
 gels, (oriental figures) said he, at any time * this 
 day have I begotten thee, 1 Let all the angels of 
 God (eastern metaphors) worship him. — Our Lord 
 cast out a whole legion of eastern metaphors from 
 the man among the tombs, and the same set of 
 eastern metaphors drove the swine into the sea. 
 Whether they be thrones, dominions, principalities, 
 and powers — all tropical language, only eastern 
 metaphors. Christ spoiled principalities and pbw- 
 
132 A MORE DIRECT REPLY TO THE LECTURE. 
 
 ers: he spoiled eastern metaphors and oriental 
 Jigures. The ministering spirits sent forth to min- 
 ister to those who shall be heirs of salvation, these 
 are also to be understood as nonentities, or oriental 
 Jigures. The angels (oriental Jigures) who kept 
 not their first estate. There was fire prepared for 
 the Devil and his angels (for an eastern metaphor 
 and his oriental Jigures.) But enough of this, I 
 had not troubled the reader with so much, on a 
 supposition so absurd, had it not been to give a fair 
 specimen of the wisdom of those who can bestow 
 such high compliments on themselves, and on the 
 rationality of their religion."" 
 
 In the parable of the tares and the wheat, an 
 evil supernatural being is plainly declared to exist. 
 In answer to those questions relative to the tares 
 growing up with the wheat, He (that is, Christ) 
 said unto them, an enemy hath done this. But 
 when he explained this parable to his disciples, he 
 said, that this enemy was the Devil, or the accuser, 
 a supernatural evil being, who is either the direct 
 or the indirect cause of all wickedness. That this 
 is the proper import of the word Devil in this 
 place, may be inferred from the parable itself. 
 For after Jesus had addressed the multitude in 
 parables, his disciples came unto him, saying, "de- 
 clare unto us the parables of the tares of the field." 
 Then he began and explained unto them the pro- 
 per import of this parable. Now, can any reason- 
 
A MORE DIRECT REPLY TO THE LECTURE* 133 
 
 able person for a moment suppose, that Christ 
 would deceive his beloved disciples by using a 
 word which implies a real being. Why did he not 
 say that this enemy was a " corrupt principle" 
 rather than a Devil. And this will appear still 
 more clear, when it is considered thathehadlaid aside 
 his parabolical language, and was teaching his dis- 
 ciples in private the great truths contained in this 
 parable. Therefore it is reasonable to suppose that 
 he would use language the most proper and easy to 
 be understood, and particularly when they were so 
 much perplexed about the tares, and the enemy that 
 sowed them ; therefore, it casts a reflection on our 
 Lord to suppose that he would tell them, " that the 
 tares were the children of the evil one, and the 
 enemy that sowed them was the Devil, if there 
 was no evil one or Devil in existence. 
 
 When he explained to his disciples the parable 
 of the sower, he said, " Now, the parable is this : 
 the seed is the word of God ; those by the way side 
 are they that hear ; then cometh the Devil and 
 taketh away the word out of their hearts, lest they 
 should believe and be saved."* Mark says, " that 
 Satan cometh immediately." And Matthew, "then 
 cometh the wicked one." The Devil is said to 
 come and take away the word from this sort of 
 hearers, not because he has power to rob men of 
 their religious impressions by any immediate acts, 
 * Lukeviii, 11, 12. 
 
134 A MORE DIRECT REPLY TO THE LECTURE. 
 
 but because they expose themselves through care- 
 lessness to the whole force of the temptations which 
 he lays in their way. 
 
 Note lastly, that Mr. H.'s mode of explanation 
 is only an evasion, overlooking the first class of 
 hearers, which are said to be like seed sown by the 
 way side, and substituting in their room those which 
 are compared to seed falling among thorns, and 
 likewise by paying no regard to the proper explana- 
 tion of those parables as given by our Lord. He 
 acknowledges that the enemy that sowed the tares, 
 was the " accuser, or the adversary" But he evades 
 the proper import of these terms by a positive false- 
 hood : for says he, " Our Lord plainly declares 
 that these expressions, as well as those of the good 
 and bad seed, were figurative illustrations." Where 
 does he say so ? Not in the parables, nor in any 
 other place. I have already observed, that our 
 Lord in the explanation of those parables to his 
 disciples, had laid aside his parabolical language. 
 As a proof of this we would observe, that after 
 Jesus had delivered the parable of the sower, his 
 disciples came and said unto him, " Why speakest 
 thou unto them in parables ?" The import of the 
 question is this — Why is it, when thou speakest 
 unto us, thou doest it without a parable, thou talk- 
 est to us in plain language ; when thou preachest 
 unto us the gospel of the kingdom, it is without 
 the aid of parabolic language ; why is it, then, that 
 
A MORE DIRECT REPLY TO THE LECTURE. 135 
 
 thou speakest unto us in plain terms, but to the 
 ignorant multitude in parables ?" He answered 
 and said unto them, " Because it is given unto you 
 to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, 
 but to them it is not given,"* As much as if he 
 had said, my speaking to the multitude in parables 
 need be no obstacle to you, for should I say any 
 thing which you do not fully comprehend, you 
 have only to ask me and I will give you proper in- 
 formation, " For it is given unto you to know the 
 mystery -f of the kingdom." As love and sincerity 
 give the first impetus to all your enquiries after 
 truth , you are thereby prepared to hear and receive 
 my doctrines when delivered in their plainest and 
 simplest manner possible, but to the rest of the 
 multitude it is not given ; that is, such is their pride, 
 avarice, hypocrisy, and unbelief, that if I were to 
 deliver my doctrines to them as I do to you, it 
 would have the most injurious tendency ; instead 
 of proving to them the savour of life unto life, it 
 would only increase their prejudice, exasperate their 
 minds, and thereby prove to them the savour of 
 death unto death — therefore I speak unto them in 
 parables. Hence, it is certain that our Lord nei- 
 ther said nor did explain these parables in a figu- 
 
 * Matt. xiii. 10, 11. 
 f A mystery, in the scriptural use of the term, signifies 
 a subject in religion, in which we can know nothing*, 
 except by revelation, and nothing more than is revealed. 
 
136 A MORE DIRECT REPLY TO THE LECTURE. 
 
 rative sense, and that the Devil and the wicked one 
 are terms which properly signify an evil supernatu- 
 ral being. 
 
 Mr. H. further adds, " that the enemy which 
 opposed itself to the upright, was the God of this 
 world; which, in another place, he (Christ) calls » 
 the mammon of unrighteousness, or that spirit of 
 pride, avarice, and ambition, by which bad men are 
 governed." Here, observe, he makes the phrase 
 " mammon of unrighteousness " and the " spirit of 
 pride, avarice and ambition" to be synonymous, 
 and mean one and the same thing. What an ab- 
 surdity ! The sentence occurs in St. Luke's 'gospel, 
 xvi. chap. 9 ver. " Make to yourselves friends of 
 the mammon of unrighteousness, that when ye fail 
 they may receive you into everlasting habitations. " 
 That is, endeavour to make yourselves sure friends 
 of those riches which may not improperly be called 
 the unrighteous or deceitful mammon (as so little 
 confidence can be reposed in them,) that when you 
 fail, and die out of this world, they may receive you 
 into everlasting habitations, and you may for ever 
 enjoy the reward of your pious charity and love in 
 an everlasting friendship with all those truly worthy 
 persons who have been relieved by it.* The con- 
 trary supposition is pregnant with absurdity and 
 contradiction. For instance, can any reasonable 
 
 * See Doddridge, Macknight, and Scott, on the place. 
 
A MORE DIRECT REPLY TO THE LECTURE. 137 
 
 man, for a moment, suppose that Jesus Christ would 
 say to his beloved disciples, " Make to yourselves 
 friends with the spirit of pride, avarice, and am- 
 bition, that when you fail (die) they (the spirit of 
 pride, avarice, and ambition,) may receive you into 
 everlasting habitations ?" What ! corrupt and evil 
 principles in the eternal regions above ! What ! 
 will corrupt principles hail the heirs of salvation 
 welcome in the atmosphere of unsullied bliss and 
 purity ! ! A man that will thus pervert the gospel 
 of Christ ought to be suspected of every thing he 
 saith. 
 
 In the 25th chap, of St Matthew' s gospel and 
 44th verse, we read of the condemnation and pun- 
 ishment of the Devil When our Lord alludes to 
 the final destiny of wicked men, he says, " Depart 
 from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared 
 for the Devil and his angels." Thus has he point- 
 ed out the antecedent sin of the Devil and his an- 
 gels, and the punishment prepared for them, in con- 
 tradistinction to those men who are doomed to share 
 one common destiny. Hence it is evident, that 
 there is a supernatural evil being, called the Devil 
 and Satan, who is distinguished from men on the 
 one hand, and from mere abstract principles on the 
 other. Mr. H. supposes that the expression, the 
 Devil and his angels, " refers to the persecuting 
 Jews and Pagans," which is a chimera so absurd, 
 that it scarcely deserves a notice. The paragraph 
 
 M 2 
 
138 A MORE DIRECT REPLY TO THE LECTURE. 
 
 out of which this verse is taken, evidently refers to 
 the judgment of the great day. " When the Son 
 of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy 
 angels with him, then shall he sit on the throne of 
 his glory ; and before him shall be gathered all 
 nations, and he shall separate them one from another, 
 as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats. 
 And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but 
 the goats on the left. Then shall the King say 
 to those on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my 
 Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from 
 the foundation of the world. But to those on the 
 left, he shall say, Depart from me, ye cursed, into 
 everlasting fire, prepared Jbr the Devil and his 
 angels"* In this paragraph our Lord has exhibited 
 to our view the solemn and awful process of the 
 great day. The righteous are hailed welcome to 
 the realms of eternal bliss, and to a kingdom prepar- 
 ed for them from the foundation of the world ; while 
 the wicked are consigned to irreversible misery, pre- 
 pared Jbr whom ? not for MAN, but for the Devil 
 and his angels. Therefore, if man became a 
 sharer in this punishment, it is by being self-fitted 
 for destruction, or by his wilful rebellion against 
 the Most High, and rejection of the gospel of 
 Christ. But adopt Mr. H.'s view of this passage, 
 and the language of Jesus Christ on this occasion 
 becomes unintelligible jargon : for according to the 
 * See Matt. xxv. 
 
A MORE DIRECT REPLY TO THE LECTURE. 139 
 
 explanation which he has given of the verse in 
 question, it would read thus : Depart from me, ye 
 cursed, into long enduring punishment, pre- 
 pared for the Jew and his Pagans. Mr. H. with- 
 out the least iota of proof, either from reason or 
 scripture, supposes that the punishments, which in 
 this chapter are said to be inflicted on the wicked, 
 are only " natural calamities" and that the day of 
 judgment here alluded to, only refers to " the se- 
 paration of true Christians from the corrupters of 
 truth and righteousness, who would thus suffer the 
 consequence of their own violence. 1 ' Such is the 
 verbosity of this all-knowing philosopher ! How 
 he reconciles this hypothesis with the last verse of 
 this chapter I know not, — M And these shall go 
 away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous 
 into life eternal" Now, if the opinion of Mr. H. 
 be correct, the meaning of this verse is this, to use 
 his own words, that " the persecuting Jews and 
 Pagans, together with their emissaries, who would, 
 in consequence of their own schemes of pride and 
 ambition, be, for a long series of years, involved in 
 the most terrible natural calamities" And he fur- 
 ther adds, that this " appears evidently to be the 
 day of judgment which is here and in many other 
 places spoken of." Consequently, the last clause of 
 this verse, instead of alluding to the final glorifica- 
 tion of the righteous, only refers to temporal bless- 
 ings, which would be conferred on them for a long 
 
 
140 A MORE DIRECT REPLY TO THE LECTURE. 
 
 series of years for their virtuous actions ; therefore 
 it is evident that he robs the Scripture of all its in- 
 trinsic excellence and glory I appeal to every im- 
 partial inquirer after truth, whether ever there was 
 a greater absurdity ever propagated in the whole 
 system of Popery. It is unquestionably certain, 
 that Mr. H. and his Unitarian brethren, when en- 
 deavouring to support their system from the Bible, 
 instead of considering the current language of Scrip- 
 ture, comparing it with itself, and thus making it 
 its own interpreter, do generally strive to con- 
 found and perplex the ignorant and unwary, by se- 
 lecting and playing upon a few isolated passages. 
 
 In the 8th chapter of St. John's gospel and 44th 
 verse, Jesus Christ said to his enemies, " Ye are 
 of your father the Devil, and the lusts of your 
 father you will do. He was a murderer from the 
 beginning, and abode not in the truth, because 
 there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a 
 lie, he speaketh of his own : for he is a liar, and 
 the father of it" As to the proper meaning of this 
 verse, there can be but one opinion entertained by 
 all those who receive the truth in the love of it. 
 The language of this passage is altogether unin- 
 telligible, on the supposition that there is not in 
 existence an evil supernatural being. But Mr. H 
 has a key that will almost suit every lock. Should 
 it be asked, what is this key ? I answer, it is the 
 word evident, which he almost brings forward on 
 
A MORE DIRECT REPLY TO THE LECTURE. 141 
 
 every occasion, as a sufficient proof to establish every 
 proposition. The fact is, it is almost the only 
 sure source that he has left, for reason and Scrip- 
 ture have proclaimed an eternal war against him. 
 He tells us, that " the whole conversation on this 
 occasion is evidently a personification of that 
 wicked and persecuting spirit, which had for ages 
 b^n. so prevalent in the world." He further adds, 
 " On another occasion, he (Christ) beautifully ex- 
 emplified this wicked and murderous spirit in his 
 parable of the vineyard. But let his language 
 to the Jews, on this occasion, be understood liter- 
 ally, and it would convey an absurd falsehood ; for 
 he would positively have asserted that the Jews 
 were the descendants of a supernatural evil spirit, 
 although he knew that they, as well as himself, 
 were the lineal posterity of the righteous Abraham." 
 I candidly and honestly confess, that I was struck 
 with astonishment, and could scarcely believe my 
 own eyes, when I first read this part of Mr. H.'s 
 lecture. I got my Bible, and found every one of 
 the parables of the vineyard — I read them over and 
 over again, and I could not find that the parables 
 of the vineyard had the most distant bearing on 
 the subject in question. How Mr. H. could, in 
 the face of a large congregation, conjure up such a 
 barefaced misrepresentation, I am at a loss to de- 
 termine, unless he was worse than mad, and thought 
 every body else fools. I am but 
 
 u A plain, blunt man, speak directly on." 
 
142 A MORE DIRECT REPLY TO THE LECTURE. 
 
 How Mr. H. explains any one of the parables of 
 the vineyard consistent with this part of his lec- 
 ture, would surpass the comprehension of the 
 wisest sage that ever lived on the face of animated 
 nature. Certain I am, that if we were to understand 
 all the parables of the vineyard literally, it would 
 be impossible to fix such a meaning upon them as 
 that given by Mr. H., without we had a purpose lv o 
 serve by it, and were determined to have our point, 
 like him, at the sacrifice of truth and reason. 
 
 " Thus men go wrong", with an ingenious skill, 
 Bend the straight rule to their own crooked will ; 
 And, with a clear and shining lamp supplied, 
 First put it out, then fake it for a guide : 
 Halting on crutches of unequal size, 
 One leg by truth supported, one by lies, 
 They sidle to the goal with awkward pace, 
 Secure of nothing — but to loose the race !" 
 
 When the disciples of Christ returned to inform 
 him of their success, they told him in joyful sur- 
 prise, that " even the Devils are subject unto us 
 through thy name." He said unto them, I beheld 
 Satan as lightning fall from heaven."* I saw him 
 on his first transgression, when he was hurled from 
 the transparent regions of unsullied bliss and hap- 
 piness, to live in an atmosphere of misery and woe, 
 and well remember how immediate and dreadful 
 was his ruin. 
 
 * Luke x. 17, 18. 
 
A MORE DIEECT REPLY TO THE LECTURE. 143 
 
 Him, the Almighty power 
 
 Hurled headlong, flaming, from th' ethereal sky. 
 With hideous ruin and combustion, down 
 To bottomless perdition, there to dwell 
 In adamantine chains and penal fire, 
 Who durst defy the Omnipotent to arms." 
 
 And I also foresee in spirit, that renewed, swift, 
 and irresistible victory, which shall be accomplish- 
 ed by the preaching of the gospel, when Satan, the 
 prince of the demons, shall be dethroned from his 
 usurped dominion on earth, with the idolatrous 
 worship which he has devised to establish ; so that 
 your casting out devils is only an emblem of a far 
 more and decisive victory, when all rebel powers 
 shall be subjugated, and the gospel shall wing its 
 way to the ends of the earth. " Satan, being spoiled 
 of his dominions, may be said to fall from heaven." 
 So of the fall of the king of Babylon, the prophet 
 says, " How art thou fallen from heaven, O Luci- 
 fer !" Of the fall of the colleague of Antonius, 
 Cicero says, " Thou hast pulled him down from 
 heaven." " And when Pompey was overthrown, 
 he si said to have fallen from the stars.." 
 
 The Apostle St. Paul said to those to whom he 
 wrote, " that God would bruise Satan under their 
 feet shortly."* Thus assuring them that God, the 
 author of all their blessings, whether spiritual or 
 temporal, would speedily bruise the great enemy of 
 
 * Romans, xvi. 20. 
 
144 A MORE DIRECT REPLY TO THE LECTURE. 
 
 mankind, and all his agents, under their feet, and 
 thereby give them, and every true believer, an en- 
 tire and final victory. 
 
 The Devil manages his mode of attack with 
 deep subtilty and invidious cunning. Hence, says 
 the Apostle, " Lest Satan should get an advantage 
 of us" that is, that we may not be overreached by 
 Satan. The Apostle adds, "for we are not ig- 
 norant of his devices"* The term devices, signify 
 his machinations, far fetches, and contrivances. 
 These devices are called by the same Apostle, 
 " the wiles of the Devil "f which signifies his craf- 
 ty, artful methods to deceive. These fraudulent 
 methods are also called the " snare of the Devil" 
 This snare the Devil lays with all the cunning of 
 which he is master, in order to catch and entangle 
 the souls of men. " It is," says Bishop Taylor, 
 " by the mercy of God we have the quietness of a 
 moment, for if the Devil's chains were taken off, 
 he would make our beds a terror, our tables to be a 
 snare, our sleep fantastic, lustful, and illusive, 
 and every sense should have an object of delight 
 and danger, an hyena to kiss, and to perish in its 
 embraces." 
 
 The Apostle Paul, in his second epistle to the 
 Corinthians, says, " Satan himself is transformed 
 into an angel of light "I It is certain, from the 
 
 * 2 Cor. ii. 11. f Eph. vi. 11. 
 
 + 2 Cor. xi. I 4. 
 
A MORE DIRECT REPLY TO THE LECTURE, 145 
 
 connexion in which this verse stands, that the 
 Apostle alludes to the chief or head of the apostate 
 demons. The reason why he informs them of this 
 species of imposture, which is carried on by this 
 arch-deceiver, was owing to certain false teachers, 
 who had crept into the church, and by reason of 
 their splendid eloquence and high pretensions to * 
 sanctity and sublimity of devotion, deceived their 
 deluded followers. The Apostle designates these 
 false teachers, "deceitful workers, transforming 
 themselves into the Apostles of Christ. And then 
 he adds, And no marvel, for Satan himself is 
 transformed into an angel of light. Therefore it is 
 no great thing if his ministers also be transformed 
 as the ministers of righteousness, whose end shall 
 be according to their works.'" The drift of the 
 Apostle's reasoning is this : you need not wonder, 
 or be astonished, at such wicked men as these being 
 so specious in their appearance and pretensions, for 
 even Satan, their master, often disguises himself, 
 and tempts the true followers of Christ in the form 
 of a heavenly messenger, instead of appearing as 
 the prince of darkness. Therefore, if Satan, the 
 head and ringleader of all impostures and false 
 teachers, thus transforms himself, it is reasonable, 
 and only what we may naturally expect, that his 
 ministers should transform themselves into the mi- 
 nisters of righteousness. Mr. H. supposes, without 
 any show of reason, that the Apostle only " refers 
 
146 A MOEE DIRECT REPLY TO THE LECTURE. 
 
 to some leading character among those Judaizing 
 teachers, who violently opposed his apostolic la- 
 bours, and endeavoured again to bring the Chris- 
 tian Churches under bondage to the ceremonial law." 
 The fact is, that it does not appear that these false 
 Apostles were Judaizing teachers, or that they 
 ever attempted to re-establish the ceremonial law. 
 " For," says Mr. Locke, " if subjection to the 
 Jewish rites had been that which the Apostle was 
 so zealous against, he would have spoken more 
 plainly and warmly, as we see in the epistle to the 
 Galatians, and not have touched it only, by the 
 bye, slightly, in a doubtful expression. Besides^ 
 it is plain, that no such thing was yet attempted 
 openly, only St. Paul was afraid of it." " Conviction 
 and steadiness of principle," says Dr. Beattie, " is 
 that which gives dignity, uniformity, and spirit, to 
 t he human conduct, and without which our happi- 
 ness can neither be lasting nor sincere. It consti- 
 tutes, as it were, the vital stamina of a great and 
 manly character; whereas scepticism betrays a sickly 
 understanding, and a levity of mind, from which 
 nothing can be expected but inconsistency and 
 folly." 
 
 " The bookful blockhead, ignorantly read 
 With loads of learned lumber in his bead." 
 
 The existence of a supernatural evil being has 
 been believed in all ages, by the wisest and best of 
 men that ever graced the republic of letters with 
 
A MORE DIRECT REPLY TO THE LECTURE. 14# 
 
 their learnings adorned the Christian Church with 
 their piety, or benefited the world with their labours. 
 The same Apostle informed the Thessalonians, 
 that he would gladly have come to Thessalonica 
 " once and again ,-" but Satan, by raising a storm 
 of persecution, hindered him.* The Apostle cer- 
 tainly alluded to temporal enemies ; but as Dr. 
 Whitby judiciously observes, " they who obstruct 
 the progress of the gospel, and persecute the pro- 
 moters of it, are the ministers of Satan, and there- 
 fore bear his name.'" The Apostle, in his second 
 epistle to this people, warns them of an approaching 
 evil, which would befall the Church by reason of 
 one whom he denominates the " man of sin" the 
 " son of perdition, whose coming is after the work- 
 ing of Satan, with all power and signs, and lying 
 wonders. "-f- We shall not stay to enquire whom 
 the Apostle meant by the " son of perdition, - " or 
 whether he meant (which is probable) a succession 
 of individuals, who would be governed by the same 
 dispositions, and induced by the same motives. 
 One thing is certain, that this -diabolical person 
 would gain his object by force, and deep subtilty, 
 lying miracles, and every kind of imposture, which 
 human ingenuity and satanical cunning were able 
 to invent. Mr. H. tells us, that " the wicked 
 spoken of, whose cunning is described as after the 
 
 * 1 Thes. ii. 18. f 2 Thess. ii. 3, 9. 
 
148 A MORE DIRECT REPLY TO THE LECTURE. 
 
 working of Satan, with all power, and signs, and 
 lying wonders, is an evident reference to some of 
 the ecclesiastical oppressors, who would, at a future 
 time, domineer over the Church." But he has 
 overlooked the doctrine in question; he has left us to 
 learn who this Satan is, whose working this eccle- 
 siastical oppressor is described as coming after. 
 Therefore I shall take it for granted, that the Apostle 
 alludes to that infernal spirit, which is called else- 
 where, the Devil and Satan, who is the great de- 
 ceiver of mankind, and the author of all delusions. 
 This opinion is supported by the same Apostle, 
 who said to his son Timothy, " That in the latter 
 times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed 
 to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils."* 
 Thus the Apostle informs Timothy, that in the 
 latter days some would depart from the true faith of 
 the gospel, and that this apostacy would be effected 
 by false teachers, who would hearken to seducing 
 spirits, and consequently preach those doctrines 
 which are devised and suggested by devils or demons. 
 
 He also informs him, that he had delivered Hy- 
 menius and Alexander unto Satan :*f that is, he had 
 openly excommunicated and cast them out of the 
 Church of Christ into the visible kingdom of Satan, 
 that they might learn not to blaspheme. 
 
 The Apostle, in describing the characteristic 
 
 * 1 Tim. iv. 1. f 1 Tim. i. 20. 
 
A MORE DIRECT REPLY TO THE LECTURE. 149 
 
 marks of a scriptural Bishop, says, he must " Not 
 be a novice, lest, being lifted up with pride, he Jail 
 into the condemnation of the Devil"* Here I 
 think it is clearly intimated, that pride was the first 
 spring of the defection, fall, and ruin, of the Devil, 
 Not a novice, that is, he must not be a new convert 
 to Christianity, or a new plant in the garden of 
 the Church ; and he gives this reason for it — lest, 
 being puffed up with pride on account of his being 
 promoted to such an high station, he fall into the 
 condemnation of the Devil. This reason certainly 
 implies, that pride was the Devil's first and chief 
 sin, or his affecting some spiritual highness beyond 
 the bounds of God's will. Why does the Apostle 
 make use of the condemnation of the Devil, to de- 
 ter from pride, if that were not the cause of his apos- 
 tacy, and the sin for which he was condemned of 
 God? 
 
 He likewise observes, that " some are already 
 turned aside after Satan "f " The converting men 
 to the Christian faith," says Dr. Whitby, " being 
 the turning them from Satan unto God" The 
 casting off the faith may well be styled, " the turn- 
 ing aside after Satan" 
 
 The Apostle has pointed out in his second epis- 
 tle to his beloved Timothy, how a Christian minis- 
 ter ought to conduct himself to those who had fallen 
 
 * 1 Tim. iii. 6. f 2 Tim. ii. 26. 
 
150 A MORE DIRECT REPLY TO THE LECTURE. 
 
 into the snare of the Devil, or " who are taken cap- 
 tive by him at his will? " The word rendered 
 taken captive? says a learned author, " was origi- 
 nally taken from Jishing, fowling, or hunting, and 
 signified to catch the prey alive, by way of opposition 
 to 'killing it. Hence, it was transferred to other 
 things, and here should be rendered caught alive? 
 " According to this sense of the word," says Dr. 
 Macknight, "it is used by the Apostle with great 
 propriety. For the purpose of the Devil's ensnaring 
 men, being to kill them. The servant of God who 
 takes the wicked alive out of his snare, saves their 
 lives, by giving them an opportunity of escaping 
 and returning to God." 
 
 " In Hebrews ii. 14," says Mr. H. " the accuser 
 is said to have the power of death, which clearly re- 
 fers to the strict requisitions and fatal denunciations 
 of the Jewish law, which, in the same passage, the 
 Apostle declares Jesus Christ came to abolish, in 
 order to free men from that fear of death, by which 
 they were all their life-time made subject unto bon- 
 dage." Mr. H. thinks this is clear, but for what 
 reason ? because he supposes that the " staunchest 
 advocates for the existence of an evil being will 
 hardly venture to maintain, that life and death 
 were ever at his disposal." Life and death are at the 
 complete disposal of God, who rules the armies of 
 heaven, and amongst the inhabitants of the earth, 
 and therefore life and death were never at the disposal 
 
A MORE DIRECT REPLY TO THE LECTURE. 151 
 
 of the Jewish law. " For," says the Apostle M the 
 letter Jcilleth, but the Spirit giveth life.''''* And again, 
 " if there had been a law-giver which could have 
 given life, verily righteousness would have been by 
 the law."f Now, if Mr. H. thinks it a sufficient 
 reason that the Apostle did not mean an evil being, 
 because the staunchest advocates for his existence 
 would hardly venture to affirm that life and death 
 were at his disposal ; it is equally as good a reason, 
 that he did not mean, by the term Devil, the Jew- 
 ish law ; for I think that the staunchest advocates 
 against the existence of an evil being, would hardly 
 venture to maintain that life and death were ever 
 at the disposal of this law. Besides, I know not 
 for what purpose he has conjured up the word Life ; 
 for certain it is, that it has no connexion with the 
 subject ; for if the Apostle meant the Jewish law, 
 and that that law could have given life, why should 
 Jesus Christ have come to abolish it ? Therefore, 
 that system, which depends upon such miserable 
 subterfuges as this for its support, is a bad system, 
 and stands upon a tottering foundation. Besides, 
 the decalogue, or moral law, is not abolished, but 
 is in full force now, and will be to the end of time ; 
 it is only the ceremonial law which Jesus Christ has 
 put away, by the sacrifice of himself. Hence, says 
 the Apostle, " For by one offering he hath perfected 
 
 * 2 Cor. iii. 6. f Gal. iii. 21. 
 
15& A MORE DIRECT REPLY TO THE LECTURE. 
 
 for ever them that are sanctified?* And likewise 
 observe, that salvation was as much by faith under 
 the Old Testament dispensation as it is now ; and 
 by reason of this faith in the atonement of Christ, 
 which was pointed out to them by promises, types, 
 and shadows, many of the Old Testament saints 
 were delivered from this fear of death. If the 
 Apostle meant by the term Devil, or Accuser, the 
 Jewish law, then none could be kept subject to this 
 bondage but those who were under this law; conse- 
 quently, the whole Gentile nations were exempt from 
 this fear of death. But certainly the Apostle had 
 the pious Gentiles in view, who were enslaved by 
 the fears of death, because they lived without any 
 written revelation from God; therefore they had 
 not that bright assurance of the pardon of sin, nor 
 that bright hope of a blessed immortality. The 
 reasoning of the Apostle is as follows: — "Foras- 
 much then, as the children are partakers of flesh and 
 blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same :" 
 that is, as the children were partakers of human na- 
 ture, so Christ voluntarily condescended to partake 
 of the same, in order that he might stand in the 
 nearest relation to them, and be rendered capable of 
 suffering and dying, that through death he might 
 destroy him that had the power of death, that is, 
 the Devil ;" that by his death in the flesh, he 
 
 * Heb. x. 14. 
 
A MORE DIRECT REPLY TO THE LECTURE. 159 
 
 might frustrate the malicious contrivance of him 
 who first introduced death into the world, that is, 
 the Devil. The Devil's intention in tempting our 
 first parents was to destroy them, and thereby to put 
 an end to the human species. This Satanical de- 
 sign the Son of God frustrated, and rendered inef- 
 fectual, by assuming our nature, and dying as a sa- 
 crifice for sin. The sentence, " Him that had the 
 power of death" means a power that is usurped by 
 guile ; and the Apostle evidently alludes to that era 
 when Satan, by an exertion of this power, deceived 
 our first parents, and, consequently, brought death 
 on all mankind. Hence, he is called a " murderer 
 from the beginning" But Christ, by his atonement 
 and resurrection, would remove the baneful e ffect 
 of this power, and " deliver them, who through 
 fear of death were all their life-time subject to bond- 
 age ; when one common salvation was preached to 
 both Jew and Gentile, and the copious influence of 
 the Spirit was poured upon all the nations of the 
 earth.'" " For verily he took not on him the nature of 
 angels, but he tooTc on him the seed of Abraham;"* 
 or, as the margin renders it, " he talceth not hold of 
 angels, but of the seed of Abraham he talceth hold." 
 Here the Apostle represents the apostate angels, and 
 mankind, as it were, falling from an eminence ; but 
 our merciful high-priest is represented as catching 
 
 *Heb. ii. 14—16. 
 
154 A MORE DIRECT REPLY TO THE LECTURE. 
 
 hold of his falling creature, man, in order to bring 
 him back to his former inheritance, while he leaves 
 the rebellious angels to fall lower and lower ; as on 
 them he taketh not hold. The reason of this dif- 
 ference probably is, because they rebelled presump- 
 tuously against God without a tempter, while the 
 first parents of mankind sinned only by the invidi- 
 ous cunning of another. 
 
 " On the subject of temptation," (says Mr. H.) 
 we have the authority of the Apostle James for 
 maintaining, that every man is tempted when he is 
 ' drawn away by his own lust and enticed.'* It is 
 generally believed by the most learned men that 
 ever graced the republic of letters, that the Apostle, 
 by the sentence * being drawn away by his own lust 
 and enticed?* alludes to the drawing of fish out of 
 a river with a baited hook. Therefore, the meaning 
 of the Apostle is this, that the corrupt desires of 
 our nature prompt us to seize the bait which Satan 
 throws in our way ; so we are drawn out of the line 
 of duty, as the fish is drawn out of the water by the 
 delusive morsel that covers the hook. Therefore, 
 instead of this verse being a support for Mr. H. it 
 makes completely against him. The Apostle St. 
 Peter says, — " Your adversary , the Devil, as a roar- 
 ing lion, walketh about seeJcing whom he may 
 devour "f Here, observe, it is not whom he will, 
 
 *Jamesi. 14. f 1 Pet v. 8. 
 
A MORE DIRECT REPLY TO THE LECTURE. 155 
 
 but whom he may devour : were his power as great 
 as his malice, he would, no doubt, destroy every 
 true Christian from off the face of the earth. What- 
 ever power he may be possessed of, he is not invulner- 
 able, nor irresistible. He may be strong, but not 
 omnipotent. He may be cunning, but he is not 
 omniscient. He walks about, therefore he is not 
 omnipresent. He is under the divine controul, 
 and in his warfare with human beings, the advan- 
 tage is graciously allowed to man. Satan's dominion 
 on the earth is hastening to a close. Therefore he 
 is of great wrath, because his time is short on the 
 earth. Infinite wisdom gives us instructions in the 
 Scriptures of Sacred Truth, and if we abide by 
 them, and follow the direction of the Holy Spirit, 
 we shall never be deceived. Almighty power, and 
 the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, which is given 
 to every true believer in Christ, enables him to be 
 more than conqueror in conflict with Satan on any 
 ground, at any time it is his previlege to triumph 
 
 "On even gTOund against our moral foe." 
 
 This verse with the two following, Mr. H. took 
 for his text; and he tells us that the expressions in 
 these verses, evidently relate "to the persecuting 
 Jews and Pagans." Suppose that the expression, 
 your adversary, the Devil, alludes to the persecut- 
 ing Jews and Pagans, does it follow that there is no 
 Devil, or that the Devil did not excite them thus 
 
156 A MORE DIRECT REPLY TO THE LECTURE. 
 
 to oppose the people of God. The word devour, 
 Dr. Macknight translates swallow up. " So the 
 word literally signifies, being used concerning solids 
 as well as liquids. It strongly expresses the insatia- 
 ble rage of the enemy of mankind, to hinder their 
 salvation, and the danger we are in from his devices. 
 For he sometimes attacks the people of God in 
 person, though not visible; and sometimes by his 
 ministers, the other evil spirits, who are in league 
 with him ; and sometimes by wicked men, his sub- 
 jects, whom he instigates to tempt them by the ter- 
 ror of persecution/' The same Apostle says, in his 
 second espistle — " For if God spared not the angels 
 that sinned, but cast them down to hell, and de- 
 livered them unto chains of darkness, to be reserved 
 unto judgment. ** Now, sin is a relative term, and 
 supposes a rule or law of which it is a breach : for, 
 says the Apostle, " Where no law is, there is no 
 transgression."-) - And though that particular law 
 which they ^transgressed be not revealed, it must be 
 a positive one, or that of nature ; if the law of 
 nature, it is the same as the moral law, so far as it 
 agrees with the angelical spiritual nature, and re- 
 quires Divine worship, and other duties resulting 
 from the relation of creatures to God their Creator. 
 And supposing the law which they transgressed to 
 be a positive one, they could not violate it without 
 transgressing the law of nature. But a question 
 
 * 2 Pet. ii.4. f Rom. iv. 15. 
 
A MORE DIRECT REPLY TO THE LECTURE* 157 
 
 naturally arises, how could pure and exalted beings 
 violate any law ? Supposing we were not able to 
 give any definite answer to this question, would it 
 follow that they never sinned ? Certainly not, be- 
 cause our ignorance can never alter facts. Nothing 
 is more unaccountable than the motives and causes 
 of action of free agents ; when any being is at liberty 
 to act as it will, no other reason need be required 
 for its actions but its own will. They who are at 
 liberty to sin, may sin, whatever be the motives 
 that induced them to it ; and to enquire what is that 
 motive, is to enquire what motive may determine a 
 free agent, that is, an agent which may determine 
 itself upon any ground or motive. Immutability is 
 an infinite perfection, therefore it could not inhere 
 in a finite creature, however exalted in the scale of 
 being. But how perfect and excellent soever any 
 creatures are, they may be supposed to admire their 
 own perfections and excellencies, and, by degrees, 
 to neglect to acknowledge God, till they end in 
 downright rebellion against him. And it is most 
 agreeable to Scripture, that pride, or affecting some 
 spiritual greatness above their station, was the cause 
 of the fall of the angels; and those perfections, which 
 might secure them against every other temptation, 
 might be the cause of this. But though they sin- 
 ned, God spared them not, but cast them down to 
 hell, and delivered them unto chains of darkness, 
 to be reserved unto judgment. Neither will he 
 
158 A MORE, DIRECT REPLY TO THE LECTURE. 
 
 spare any other persevering sinner who violates his 
 law and rebels against his government.* 
 
 The apostate angels in their state of degradation 
 and misery, retain the same disposition as when 
 they first rebelled against their Creator. They 
 sinned without remorse : we never read of the least 
 compunction in them, but meet with many proofs 
 of their fixed malignity against God and all good- 
 ness. Hence, says the Apostle, " the Demi sinneth 
 from the beginning."^ He does not say, he sinneth 
 
 * On what occasion soever pride first shewed itself, it 
 seems to have been the leading" sin of the angels, who, ad-r 
 miring and valuing 1 themselves too much on account of the 
 excellence of their nature, and the height of their station, 
 came at length to entertain so little respect for their Crea- 
 tor and Sovereign, as to be guilty of downright rebellion 
 and apostacy. But here observe, as creatures of this 
 lower world, it becomes us to speak and write with rever- 
 ence on this subject, for, the moment the mind is carried 
 to the contemplation of the fall of angels, that very 
 moment it enters a region where all to us is mystery and 
 unknown ; for where God is silent, all the conjectures of 
 men are vain. Therefore, we wish to carry this subject no 
 further than we are supported by the word of God. And 
 here, we may observe, that Christianity passes over in 
 silence, what forms no part of its design, which was not 
 to teach men science, and gratify the unhallowed curio- 
 sities of men, hut Divinity, faith, and morality. 
 1 ' Through worlds unnumbered, though the God be known, 
 'Tis ours to trace him only in our own." 
 f 1 John iii. 8. 
 
A MORE DIRECT REPLY TO THE LECTURE. 159 
 
 at the beginning, though that be true; but, he. 
 sinneth Jrom the beginning, that is, sinning is his 
 and all the host of evil spirits, continual practice, 
 and has been ever since their rebellion. But Mr. 
 H. tells us that the words used here, " are an evi- 
 dent personification of bad and good dispositions of 
 the mind, and the wicked are called the children 
 of the accuser or adversary ; in exactly the same 
 sense as on another occasion, he that committeth 
 sin is the servant of sin; and the righteous are 
 called the children of God in the same sense, al- 
 though in a different degree with Christ, who was 
 styled the Son of God, on account of his exalted 
 goodness." This is a sweeping declaration, which 
 leads us at once into a self-evident absurdity, viz. 
 to believe that sin has an independent existence, or 
 it robs us of our God, and leads us to suppose that 
 that Being, whose existence is necessary and inde- 
 pendent, only exists in a relative manner. We 
 will examine for a moment, the modes of expres- 
 sion made use of in this quotation. The expression, 
 " he that committeth sin is the servant of sin"* is 
 the language of Christ, and evidently means one 
 who habitually practices sin. That sin has only a 
 relative existence may be inferred from the expres- 
 sion itself; for, if its existence were positive and 
 independent, it would be absurd to say, he that 
 
 * John viii. 34. 
 
160 A MORE DIRECT REPLY TO THE LECTURE. 
 
 comrnitteth or practises sin ; and it would be abso- 
 lutely impossible to attach to this expression of 
 Christ any definite idea. That sin has in itself a 
 positive and independent existence, I belive no 
 one will venture to affirm ; therefore it can have no 
 more than a relative being, and can exist no longer 
 than those beings continue to exist which are capa- 
 ble of moral actions. For, if all moral agents were 
 nee annihilated, it would be an absurdity too gross 
 to be imposed upon the mind of man, to suppose 
 thait sin, in this case, could have any kind of ex- 
 istence. As, therefore, sin has not in itself any 
 kind of positive existence, we must look to moral 
 agents for all the being which it can possibly pos- 
 sess. And although sin is, in a moral point of 
 view, nothing more than the sinful thoughts and 
 actions of moral agents, physically capable of a 
 better conduct, yet so far can it extend its baneful 
 influence in its effects and consequences, as to de- 
 range the whole human system. 
 
 2ndly. " He that comrnitteth sin is of the Devil-"* 
 that is, he that lives habitually in the practices of 
 sin belongs to the family of the Devil ; and as a 
 proof of this the Apostle adds, "jor the Devil 
 sinnethjrom the beginning" that is, from the time 
 of his apostacy in heaven. Now, how absurd it 
 would be to say, he that comrnitteth or ira?isgresseth, 
 
 * 1 John iii. 8. 
 
A MORE DIRECT REPLY TO THE LECTURE. 161 
 
 the Devil, is of the Devil ; and it is equally as ab- 
 surd to say, that sin sinnethfrom the beginning, 
 for sin has only a relative being, and depends on 
 moral agents for its existence, and therefore it could 
 never act independently of these moral agents. 
 Therefore, to suppose that it was sin that sinneth 
 from the beginning, leads us to believe a self-evi- 
 dent contradiction, viz. that sin is dependent and 
 not dependent at the same time, or that sin acts in- 
 dependently, although it has at the same time no 
 independent existence. 
 
 3rdly. The righteous are called the children or 
 servants of God, because they habitually serve, 
 honour, and obey him. Now, it would be abso- 
 lute nonsense to say, he that committeth or trans- 
 gresseth God, is the servant of God. Therefore I 
 conclude, that God and Satan have a positive and 
 independent existence, while sin has only a relative 
 being; and the man that committeth sin is the 
 servant of sin, or be is a slave to those actions 
 which he commits. Surely, Mr. H. will not say, 
 that God has no independent and personal existence. 
 Why, then, has he classsed him with sin, without 
 he meant to say he had no real being ; or, that sin 
 had a positive and independent existence. It is 
 evident, that no absurdity is too great for this know- 
 ing one to adopt ! 
 
 It is awful and affecting to consider, that the 
 
 fallen angels are our inveterate enemies. The 
 o 2 
 
162 A MORE DIRECT REPLY TO THE LECTURE. 
 
 Scriptures attribute to the Devil, all the various 
 degrees of malice ; such as indignation, wrath, envy, 
 and hatred. Malice is the Devil's character and 
 disposition : — it is this which excites him to all 
 mischief, and of breathing after all kinds of wicked- 
 ness. Hence, he is styled the wicked one, which 
 denotes a special wickedness. God is called by the 
 Prophets, the holy one, because he is infinitely 
 and altogether holy. — So the Devil, because he is 
 the most malicious, envious, and wicked being that 
 exists, is called the wicked one. 
 
 The Apostle Jude tells us, that the " angels Inept 
 not their first estate" Though the angels were 
 created holy, and without the least inherent de- 
 pravity, yet they were mutable ; and, indeed, mu- 
 tability is essential to a creature, considered as such; 
 it is God's prerogative alone to be unchangeable ; 
 none but he can be naturally free from change. The 
 angels that fell were not fixed in a state of unaltera- 
 ble purity and happiness ; and as responsible beings , 
 they were left to the freedom of their own choice. 
 Jesus Christ tells us, they " abode not in the truth ;" 
 and the Apostle says they kept not their first 
 estate: the meaning of the Apostle is this — that a 
 certain number of angelic beings, who were pos- 
 sessed of all those physical energies which are es- 
 sential to moral agents, kept not their first estate ; 
 
 * John viii. 44. 
 
A MORE DIRECT REPLY TO THE LECTURE. 168 
 
 or, they retained not their original purity ; therefore, 
 " they left their own habitation" that is, they gave 
 up their office or station, which was assigned them 
 by their Sovereign Creator; therefore, he cast them 
 out of his celestial mansion, and " reserved them 
 in everlasting chains, under darkness, unto the 
 judgment of the great day." Should it be said 
 how can Satan and his host range up and down the 
 earth, and at the same time be confined in chains? 
 We answer, that CHAiNsis a metaphorical expression, 
 which denotes, that they have no more power to 
 escape the present punishment which is inflicted 
 upon them, "than a man who is strongly bound with 
 iron chains. Therefore, these chains do not denote 
 their being confined to a certain place, but that 
 wherever they go they carry their punishment with 
 them. 
 
 The same Apostle informs us of a contest which 
 took place between an archangel, and the head or 
 chief of apostate demons : " Yet, Michael, the arch- 
 angel, when contending with the Devil, (he dis- 
 puted about the body of Moses,) durst not bring 
 against him a railing accusation, but said, The 
 Lord rebuke thee." Now a good angel would not 
 be the adversary of Michael. A good angel would 
 not dispute with this archangel, and contend about 
 the body of Moses. To a good angel, Michael 
 would not say, " the Lord rebuke thee;" therefore 
 these words of the Apostle afford a direct and posi- 
 tive proo f of the existence of a supernatural evil 
 
164 A MORE DIRECT REPLY TO THE LECTURE. 
 
 being. In the Apocalypse we are informed that 
 " there was war in heaven ; n that is, the gospel 
 kingdom, which in many places in Scripture is 
 called the kingdom of heaven. Michael and 
 his angels fought against the dragon, and the dra- 
 gon fought, and his angels, and prevailed not; 
 neither were their place found any more in hea- 
 ven. And the great dragon was cast out, that 
 old serpent, called the Devil and Satan, which 
 deceiveth the whole world : he was cast out into 
 the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.* 
 Michael signifies, who is like God, and therefore 
 may fitly represent Christ ; and the Devil, or Satan, 
 is here styled the great dragon, which term is em- 
 blematical of his great strength and bloody cruelty 
 against the church. The former employed -as his 
 instruments in this war, Christian magistrates, 
 faithful ministers, and true believers, as well as 
 angels, which he sent forth as ministering spirits to 
 those heirs of salvation ; while the latter fought by 
 persecuting emperors, idolatrous priests, and heathen 
 philosophers; this conflict ended in the total defeat 
 of Satan's army, when the opposers of the kingdom 
 of the Messiah were spoiled of their dominion and 
 power, which is intimated by the expression, " he 
 was cast out into the earth? This alludes to a time 
 when the Christian Church emerged by a resolute 
 struggle from a state of captivity and bondage, when 
 
 * Rev. xii. 7, 8, 9. 
 
A MORE DIRECT REPLY TO THE LECTURE. 165 
 
 she conquered her enemies, dethroned them of their 
 dominion and power: then was Satan cast down 
 from his dignity as God and prince of this world. 
 Here, observe, this victory is not ascribed to the 
 sword of war, but to the merit and efficacy of the 
 atoning sacrifice of Christ, by faith in his blood, 
 and a bold and holy profession of his gospel. Hence, 
 it is said, " they overcame him by the blood of the 
 Lamb, and by the word of the testimony, and they 
 loved not their lives unto death." 
 
 Mr. H. has made a great flourish about the ab- 
 surdity of a literal interpretation of two passages, 
 and then concludes, that there is no Devil, because 
 it would be absurd to interpret those passages 
 literally : we will examine them for a moment. Our 
 Lord said unto Peter, " get thee behind me, Satan-" 
 literally, get thee behind me, thou adversary. Now, 
 the question is, who was this adversary ? We answer, 
 Peter. " Have I not chosen you twelve, and one 
 of you is a Devil; literally, have I not chosen you 
 twelve, that is, some time ago ; but in the present 
 tense, one of you is a calumniator. Who was this 
 calumniator? We answer, Judas. We read tha^ 
 Jesus was tempted of the Devil ; literally, the ac- 
 cuser or calumniator : but who was this accuser or 
 calumniator? We answer, an evil supernatural 
 being. Hence, it is certain, that we do not slide 
 into any absurdity, by interpreting these passages 
 literally. And if Mr. H. could find ten thousand 
 
166 A MORE DIRECT REPLY TO THE LECTURE. 
 
 more passages, where the term Devil, or Satan, were 
 applied to human beings, it would not follow that 
 there was not an evil supernatural being, or spiritual 
 Devil, or hellish Satan. 
 
 Should it be asked, how can a finite being tempt 
 persons in different places at one time ? We answer, 
 1st. — That the Devil has many demons under his 
 direction. 2nd. — That we do not precisely know 
 what relation spirit has to place. 3rd. — That we 
 are not sure that evil spirits may not produce effects, 
 which often remain when those spirits are no longer 
 immediately present. We know that a moral prin- 
 ciple once imbibed, often produces effects for a long 
 period after the departure of the person from whom 
 it has been imbibed. 
 
 Mr. H. calls the opinion that there is in existence 
 an evil being, "an absurd and frightful notion" 
 Now, it must be obvious to every attentive reader of 
 these quotations which I have made from Mr. H.'s 
 Lecture, that he believes in an evil principle, 
 which is as bad, nay, worse than the Devil; for this 
 evil principle found its way into the bosom of Jesus 
 Christ, which none of the advocates for the existence 
 of an evil being dare venture to affirm. It is the 
 property of horror to be inconsistent. When the 
 degeneracy of human nature is to be denied, the 
 Unitarians will acknowledge no evil principle; but 
 when the Devil is to be destroyed, his ghost haunts 
 his murderer's in the form of an evil principle, 
 
A MORE DIRECT REPLY TO THE LECTURE. 167 
 
 which corrupted the pious heart of Eve, and fer- 
 mented the pious mind of Christ. What Devil 
 that ever was invented, could be worse than this 
 
 EVIL PRINCIPLE? 
 
 "In a subject so abstruse in its nature as the 
 present, in the investigation of which the mind is 
 carried into unknown regions, we must expect that 
 mystery will set a boundary to all human reason, 
 a boundary that we can never pass ; and unless 
 we implicitly believe the Bible, we must for ever 
 wander in darkness. 1 " 
 
 " Abstracted from revelation, we can neither ac- 
 count for the existence or non-existence of the Devil, 
 for the following obvious reason : — The existence of 
 all spirits is beyond our comprehension, above our 
 nature ; and whenever we, on the principles of na- 
 tural reason, can account for their existence, then 
 it must necessarily cease to be supernatural ; and in 
 attempting to make that to be natural, which we 
 admit to be supernatural, we attempt to explain that 
 which we admit to be inexplicable. The r ules of 
 duty dictate, that we should divest our minds of 
 prejudice to look into our Bibles ; and when this is 
 done, we shall soon discover that the doctrine of 
 Devils is no bug-bear ; that hell itself is an eternal 
 an indestructible reality, a receptacle prepared 
 
 FOR THE DEVIL AND HIS ANGELS. 
 
 To assert that God would be unjust if he suffered 
 his temporal creatures to be tempted by a super- 
 
168 a more direct reply to the lecture. 
 
 natural evil being, is the most unaccountable folly. 
 For what does any man know of the justice of that 
 Being, who fills immensity with his presence, before 
 whom angels stand confounded? Can any man by 
 searching find out God, or trace the unfathomed 
 counsels of Deity ? If any fiinte creature could 
 comprehend this great and exalted Being, and trace 
 his infinite modes of action, he must cease to be 
 ^finite ; for finite can never fathom infinite, nor the 
 less encircle the greater. How far the justice of 
 God may permit man to be tempted before he 
 approximates towards injustice, lies beyond the con- 
 fines of human comprehension to determine. For 
 what does any one know of the justice and govern- 
 ment of God ? Can any one trace infinite relations, 
 or view completely the amazing chain of causes and 
 effects ? Does it lie within the reach of human 
 understanding to comprehend all the possible forms 
 which justice can assume, and the diversified 
 instances in which it can display itself ? Is it pos- 
 sible for any finite creature to see the close connex- 
 ion that exists between time and the immense ocean 
 of eternity ? Is it possible for the highest order of 
 created intelligence to penetrate all contingencies — 
 all certainties — all probabilities — all realities — all 
 causes and effects — traverse the unbounded and 
 illimitable regions of space, and survey the close 
 connexion that exists in the great chain of intelligent 
 and unbounded being? If not, no one has a right 
 
A MOEE DIRECT REPLY TO THE LECTURE. 169 
 
 to Conclude that God is unjust in suffering his 
 rational creatures to be tempted by an evil being, or 
 that it is inconsistent with his moral government. 
 
 Mr. H. tells us, that " the supposed existence of 
 an evil being contradicts every rational notion of 
 the Divine power, for this power must of necessity 
 be imperfect, if there is a corrupter busily at work 
 in the universe." He might with as good a show of 
 reason have said, that the power of God is imperfect, 
 because he permitted superstitious bigots to quench 
 their thirst in the blood of the martyrs. We have 
 to contend with our own natural passions, the pre- 
 valence of surrounding example, the stigma and 
 insults of malignant enemies ; but does it follow that 
 God is deficient in power, because he suffers all these 
 enemies to unite together, in order to stop our pro- 
 gress in the ways of piety and virtue. The Apostle 
 tells us, that some of the ancient worthies " had 
 trial of cruel mockings and scourgings ; yea, more- 
 over, of bonds and imprisonment. They were stoned, 
 they were sawn asunder, were tempted, were slain 
 with the sword ; they wandered about in sheep-skins 
 and goat skins, being destitute, afflicted, torment- 
 ed."* But did any of these sufferers ever complain 
 that the power of God was imperfect ? No : they 
 rather said, with good old Elisha—- " Fear not, for 
 they that be with us are more than they that be with 
 
 * Heb. xi. 36. 37. 
 P 
 
170 A MOHE DIRECT REPLY TO THE LECTURE. 
 
 them." God may suffer us to be tempted by our 
 enemies for a while, but when our warfare is accom- 
 plished, he will avenge us of our adversaries, and 
 bless us with an eternal peace. 
 
 Infinite power can do every thing that does not 
 imply a contradiction. He could, with infinite ease, 
 annihilate the revolving sphere in which we live, 
 and destroy the entity of all created existences in a 
 moment. Whatever depends upon infinite power 
 for its accomplishment, except it imply a contradic- 
 tion, can be effected. 
 
 Modern infidels, and particularly that implacable 
 character, Richard Carlile, have done much of 
 late to propagate the opinion that matter is eternal, 
 and that it can never be destroyed In passing, I 
 would observe, that if we admit matter to be eternal, 
 we must admit, many self-evident absurdities; and 
 that it can be destroyed, is neither impossible, con- 
 tradictory, nor absurd. If there be in existence an 
 infinite power, it is possible for matter to be destroy- 
 ed, unless we suppose matter to be more than infinite, 
 which is an absurd contradiction. 
 
 "Nor is the belief in the existence of an evil 
 spirit," says Mr. H. "less hostile to the sublime 
 attribute of Divine wisdom." Is it" possible to 
 imagine, that he, whose knowledge is perfect and 
 universal, could have devised a method for the trial 
 of human virtue, which subverts the first principle 
 of morality ?" Here observe, that this part of Mr. 
 
A MORE DIRECT REPLY TO THE LECTURE. 171 
 
 H.'s reasoning is founded upon a false principle, 
 viz. that God has devised, or invented, the Devil to 
 tempt his children, merely to try their virtue; 
 therefore, the superstructure that is built on this 
 absurd principle, must be false. It would have 
 been equally as good logic if he had said, that God 
 created every persecuting sinner, and every other 
 temptation, merely to try the virtue of his people. 
 The true state of the case may be illustrated by 
 two or three examples : — 1st. When Joseph's 
 brethren sold him to the Ishmaelites, it was a vo- 
 luntary action on their part, and though God per- 
 mitted it, he did not devise it ; but he so over- 
 ruled this free and voluntary action for good, as to 
 make it the very means of advancing Joseph next 
 to the throne of Pharaoh, and of saving the whole 
 family of Israel alive. 
 
 2nd. When David voluntarily and courageously 
 engaged in contest with Goliath, God made this 
 spontaneous and free action subservient to the in- 
 terest of this young son of Jesse, and the very 
 means of advancing him to the throne of Israel. 
 
 3rd. And when the enemies of the Messiah cru- 
 cified and put him to death, such was the wisdom 
 of God, that he overruled it for good, and though 
 it was a free act on their part, yet God effected the 
 redemption of the world by it. And though Satan 
 may voluntarily tempt the true followers of Christ, 
 such is the wisdom of God, that he makes these very 
 
1*72 A MORE DIRECT REPLY TO THE LECTURE. 
 
 temptations subservient to the interest and advance- 
 ment of the Messiah's kingdom. 
 
 Nor is it inconsistent with the Divine goodness ; 
 for Satan can only tempt or allure, he cannot com- 
 prl. And every true disciple of Jesus may ask, 
 with an inspired Apostle, " Who shall separate us 
 from the love of Christ — shall tribulation, or dis- 
 tress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or pe- 
 ril, or sword ? Nay, in all these things we are more 
 than conquerors through him that loved us. For I 
 am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor an- 
 gels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things pre- 
 sent, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor 
 any other creature, shall be able to separate us from 
 the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord." 
 Nor can Satan prevent any one from coming to 
 Christ; man is a free agent, and cannot be com- 
 pelled. Satan may tempt or allure, but in vain, 
 if man be determined by the grace of God to come. 
 And be it remembered, that a sinner had better 
 contend with the allurements of Satan, with the 
 Spirit of God to support him, than have to contend 
 merely with his own passions, without the Spirit 
 of God to assist him. 
 
 " Some dream, that they can silence when they will 
 
 " The storm of passion, and say — 'peace be still? 
 
 " But, ' thus far and no farther,' when addressed 
 
 " To the wild waves, or wilder human breast, 
 
 " Implies authority, that never can, 
 
 " That never ought to be the lot of man." 
 
A MORE DIRECT REPLY TO THE LECTURE. 173 
 
 Therefore, the orthodox Christian, though he 
 may have to contend against the temptations of the 
 Devil, yet with the Spirit of God to assist him, he 
 stands upon a more firm and sure basis, than any 
 Unitarian who has to contend against an evil prin- 
 ciple, without the Spirit of the living God to sup- 
 port him. 
 
 " Bound on a voyage of awful length, 
 
 " And dangers little known ; 
 
 " A -stranger to superior strength, 
 
 u Man vainly trusts his own. 
 
 " But ours alone can ne'er prevail, 
 
 " To reach this distant coast; 
 
 " The breath of heav'n must swell the sail, 
 
 " Or all the toil is lost." 
 
 Mr. H. tells us towards the close of his lecture, 
 " that natural light and natural darkness cannot 
 possibly be so much at variance, as the cotemporary 
 existence of good and evil principle in the moral 
 world !" Having already met with so many con- 
 tradictions, misrepresentations, and absurdities, in 
 Mr. H.'s lecture, my mind is prepared for the re- 
 ception of this. The attentive reader will remem- 
 ber, that Mr. H. has often acknowledged the exist- 
 ence of a good and evil principle ; and he has en- 
 deavoured to explain many passages of Scripture, 
 by saying its language was evidently a personifica- 
 tion of good and bad principles ; yea, he acknow- 
 ledges a good and bad principle to have heaved the 
 
174 A MORE DIRECT REPLY TO THE LECTURE. 
 
 bosom of Jesus Christ, at one and the same time. 
 But here this consistent reasoner tells us, that 
 light and darkness are not more opposed to each 
 other, than the cotemporary existence of a good and 
 bad principle. If we trace this assertion to its ulti- 
 mate tendency, it is not only at variance with every 
 part of his lecture, but it annihilates at one stroke, 
 all the evil that exists in the world ; or else, every 
 principle of virtue and moral goodness, that exists 
 in the universe. Therefore, if we should admit the 
 wild chimeras of these men, we should at once be 
 led into the bewildering vortex of absurdity, and 
 involve ourselves amidst rhapsody and confusion. 
 
 Whether the present essay, like the bursting 
 bubbles on the passing stream, will expire, or it will 
 pass on to ages yet to come, which its author can 
 never reach, are points which events alone can 
 decide. 
 
 The author of this essay returns his warmest 
 thanks to his numerous, and highly-respectable list 
 of subscribers, for their kind patronage. If the work 
 should not entirely meet with their approbation, 
 he begs them to keep the words of Burns in mind. — 
 
 "An* ablins, when it winna stan' the test, 
 
 " Wink hard, an' say, ' the chap has done his best.' " 
 
 Or the generous maxim of Pope — 
 
 " To err, is human — to forgive, divine. 1 ' 
 The author hopes it will be a sufficient apology 
 
A MORE DIRECT REPLY TO THE LECTURE. 175 
 
 for this long delay of publishing, to say, that when 
 he had got the work ready for the press, and a cer- 
 tain portion printed, he found that he had more 
 written than two volumes would contain ; conse- 
 quently, he was obliged to take it home and abridge 
 it : and be it remembered, that his family depends 
 upon his hand labour for its support ; consequently, 
 his time was limited, and he had to write the 
 work over again, at a time when he should have 
 been asleep ; and in addition to which delay, it has 
 been detained a long time in the press, for which 
 delay, the author is sorry : and likewise he hopes, 
 that the candid and impartial reader will ever bear 
 in mind, that the author has not had the advantages 
 of a liberal education. From an early period of his 
 existence, he was convinced of the depravity of hu- 
 man nature, and the necessity of salvation by faith 
 in the atonement ; consequently, he was led to seek 
 redemption through the merits and efficacy of 
 Christ's death, and to cast off all dependance upon 
 any thing he could do or suffer : and the author is 
 of the same opinion, that salvation is of grace, from 
 first to last ; and he trusts that in a little while, he 
 will have to sing with the redeemed above, that 
 ever-blessed anthem, " Not unto us, but unto thy 
 name be all the praise." 
 
 Should there be any thing said in this essay 
 which the reader may think harsh and severe, the- 
 author hopes he will attribute it to the heat of con- 
 
176 A MORE DIRECT REPLY TO THE LECTURE. 
 
 troversy, and not to any malicious design which the 
 author has against Mr. H. As touching Mr. PL's 
 moral character, the author highly esteems him; 
 and he candidly and honestly confesses, that as a 
 benevolent and moral character, Mr. H. is worthy 
 of being set forth as an example ; and firmly be- 
 lieves, that in acts of charity and kindness, he is 
 exceeded by none, if equalled by many. Notwith- 
 standing Mr. H/s amiable and unimpeachable cha- 
 racter, as it respects morality, such is the dreadful 
 nature of his religious principles, that were his mo- 
 rals ten thousand times more excellent, they would 
 not stand in equilibrium against the evil tendency 
 of these principles. And so long as Mr. H. enter- 
 tains these principles, though the author may esteem 
 him as a benevolent character, yet he cannot con- 
 cede to him the term of Christian Minister. It is 
 Mr. H.'s religious principles, and those alone, that 
 these pages are directed against, and how far the 
 author has succeeded in his endeavours to confute 
 these principles, is left for the candid and impartial 
 reader to determine. May the God of all grace, 
 and the giver of all our blessings, grant that the 
 reader and author, may at last meet in the mansions 
 of the blessed, and sing together, through a never- 
 ending eternity, M Worthy is the Lamb that was 
 slain, to receive honour, and glory, and blessing, for 
 ever and ever." Amen. 
 
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