fute these learned men, who seem to think we ought to reject all diabolic possessions but such as are ascertained by symptoms supernatural. An instance of such we have in the damsel possessed with the spirit of DIVINATION, who brought her master much gain by SOOTHSAYING. This woman, Paul dispossessed, and so spoiled her master's trade; who thereupon raised a fierce persecution against the apostle. The symptoms of divination and soothsaying, that is, telling of things absent, and foretelling things future, were certainly supernatural; and, for such, must be acknowledged by the objectors; who I hope will not yet forget the personages, they have assumed, of believers; against whom only this reasoning on the demoniacs is directed and addressed. Having now seen what these learned writers have to oppose to my system of the gospel demoniacs: I crave leave, in the next place, to bespeak their attention to what I have to urge against theirs. Enough hath been said to show that this is no trifling or unimportant question. The untoward consequences being these, which unavoidably follow the concession, that Jesus and his disciples did only accommodate themselves to the fanciful and superstitious opinions of the times, in placing natural distempers in the visionary class of supernatural. 1. Unbelievers may conclude (and by too many they will be supposed not to conclude amiss) that much advantage is hereby gained over the evidences of our faith.-While it is believed, from the testimony of the evangelists, that Jesus cast out devils, and healed such as were possessed with them, that plausible subterfuge against his miraculous cures, which pretends that the relief afforded t * Acts xvi. 16, et seq. + See Sermon On the fall of Sutan. Abrahaın, a brief historical view of the call of God to him and his family by some authors taken for Zoroaster i. 196 Allegories, controversial reflections on their ii. 494 ii. 527 the true meaning of the blessing pro- ducements to enter into i. 366 nounced on him, pointed out ii. 436 exposition of the history of the command to sacrifice his son Isaac ii. 466-479 explanation of "Our Father Abraham wished to see my day" ii. 468 reason for discrediting the notion of their summary of his history ii. 471 invention by the Israelites ii. 54 the import of God's revelation to him ex- invention of, prior to the time of Moses ib. plained ii. 473 Hebrew, formed by Moses from an im- in what sense said by Christ to have seen provement on the Egyptian ii. 54 his day ii. 478,484 reply to objections against the historical natives of, truth of his relation ii. 483 America, remarks on the religion of the i. 176 three distinct periods of his history point- sophers and freethinkers 1. 400 ed out ii. 484 an advocate for toleration ii. 556 - remarks on the language of ii. 214 Abraxas, (Egyptian Amulet) described i. 63,64 providence quoted from the book of ii. 311 Academics and Pyrrhonians, their principles compared, i. 456 Academies, Greek, their founders and vari- Anatomy, practised and studied by the ii. 14 ous sects ib. cerning the immortality of the soul i. 506 -on what principles erected i. 459 Animal food, Sir Isaac Newton's opinion of Academy Old and Peripatetics, their con- the introduction of it into Egypt re- formity i. 501 futed ii. 127 Academy, Old and New, their conformity i. 502 Animal worship, origin of, accounted for i. 569 i, 576 i. 312 Bolingbroke's notions of i. 330 Gaul ii. 220 Augury of safety, Dion Cassius's account of i. 619 - of ancient Germany ii. 221 ness of the Christians i. 654 it Austin, St, his ingenious definition of lan- Calf, golden, what divinity represented by ii. 34 - on the knowledge of old ones from the phrases they make use of ii. 389 were so invincibly attached to them ii. 146 ed ib. B Canaanites, why ordered to be exterminat- ii. 139 i. 133 Bacchanalian rites, origin of the impieties committed in them i. 241 Casaubon, his account of the translation of ii. 249 representation of their vigils Plutarch's account of their vigils i. 303 i. 395 Bacchus, oath of the priestesses of i. 378 for the use of ii. 99 Egyptian characters i. 302 Cato, mentioned in the Æneis, inquiry whe- i. 301 i. 454 ii. 124 ii. 204 Osiris ii. 103 Origen i. 208 reasons for proving him to be Noah ii. 222 his remark on Plato's doctrine of a future state 1. 481 Cerberus, in the Æneis, explained 1. 278 stition 1. 556 Ceres, Eleusinian, her temple described i. 298 Balaam, his prophecy, Numb. xxiv. 17, ex- her story i. 299 pounded ii. 61 Cervantes, ill consequence resulting from his - observation on the story of his ass ii. 207 his wish to die the death of the righteous satire against Knight Errantry 1. 87 1. 273 ii. 439 Charlevoix, F. his sentiments respecting the ed ii. 673 i. 93 cause his miracles of casting out devils or evil vindicated against Lord Bolingbroke i. 167 spirits, considered ii. 675 their hard luck amongst modern free- his miracles of healing natural diseases thinkers i. 333 considered ii. 677 his temptation considered ii, ib Collins, his ill treatment of his friend Locke i. 91 i. 97, 98 Christian religion, how esteemed by the an- cient pagans i. 309 - how the evils of persecution arose in it i. 387 the validity of his assertions, that new re- ii. 255 first received, with complacency by the characterized as a writer ii. 493 pagans i. 389 first incurred hatred by claiming to be the only true religion ib. an examination of his discourse on the ib. occasion of its being persecuted i. 390 character of by Tacitus ib. his observations on the allegorical writ- ii. 523 persecuted both by good and bad princes i. 427 these observations shown to refute his ob- jectious against Christianity ii. 524 ing it i. 536 Egyptians their nocturnal assemblies vindicated Comets, their theory known by the ancient i. 519 mended to their attention ii. 447 i. 652 Condamine, his remarks on the Indians of first occasion of the nocturnal assemblies America i, 401 of Christians ib. Controversy, the arts of freethinkers in i. 82 Pliny's doubts of the manner of proceed- the mischief arising from carrying it on i. 653 - an inquiry into the methods taken by under assumed characters i. 96 i. 97 providence to propagate it ii. 160 the ignorance of the propagators, the Cretans, celebrate their mysteries openly i. 235 ib. born amongst them ib. its doctrine shadowed under the rites of - the custom of adopting youth among 1. 259 i, 540 |