at times enter into the sons or more favourably of the character daughters of men, and distinguish of Jesus, asserted concerning his themselves in that situation by ca- discourses, in reply to his adverpricious freaks, deeds of wanton saries, These are not the words of mischief, or prophetic enuncia-him that hath a dæmon; meaning, tions. But in the instances in which no doubt, that he spoke in a more they supposed this to happen, it is rational manner than a madman evident no such thing took place. could be expected to speak. The Their accounts of the state and Jews appear to have ascribed to conduct of those persons whom the influence of dæmons, not they believed to be possessed in only that species of madness in this supernatural manner, shew which the patient is raving and plainly that what they ascribed to furious, but also melancholy madthe influence of dæmons were ness. Of John, who secluded himmerely the effect of natural dis-self from intercourse with the cases. Whatever they relate con-world, and was distinguished for cerning the larvati, the cerriti, and abstinence and acts of mortificathe lymphatici, shews that these tion, they said, He hath a dæmon. were merely people disordered in The youth, whose father applied mind, in the same unfortunate si- to Jesus to free him from an evil tuation with those madmen, idiots, spirit, describing his unhappy conand melancholy persons, whom dition in these words, Have mercy we have among ourselves. Fes-on my son, for he is lunatic, and sore tus describes the larvati as being vexed with a dæmon: for oft times furiosi et mente moti. Lucian de- he falleth into the fire, and oft into scribes dæmoniacs as lunatic, and the water, was plainly epileptic. as staring with their eyes, foam-Every thing, indeed, that is related ing at the mouth, and beings speech-in the New Testament concerning less. It appears still more evident dæmoniacs, proves that they were that all the persons spoken of as people affected with such natural possessed with devils in the New diseases as are far from being unTestament, were either mad or common among mankind in the epileptic, and precisely in the same present age. When the symptoms condition with the madmen and of the disorders cured by our Saepileptics of modern times. The viour and his apostles as cases of Jews, among other reproaches dæmoniacal possession correspond which they threw out against our so exactly with those of diseases Saviour, said, He hath a devil, well known as natural in the preand is mad; why hear ye him? The sent age, it would be absurd to imexpressions he hath a devil, and is pute them to a supernatural cause. mad, were certainly used on this It is much more consistent with occasion as synonymous. With common sense and sound philosoall their virulence, they would not phy to suppose that our Saviour and surely ascribe to him at once two his apostles wisely, and with that things that were inconsistent and condescension to the weakness and contradictory. Those who thought prejudices of those with whom

they conversed, which so emi-numberless diversities of being, nently distinguished the character yet the simplest machine constructof the Author of our holy reli-ed by human art does not display gion, and must always be a pro-greater simplicity, or an happier minent feature in the character of connexion of parts. We may, the true christian, adopted the therefore, infer by analogy, from vulgar language in speaking of what is observable of the order those unfortunate persons who of Nature in general to the prewere groundlessly imagined to be sent case, that to permit evil spipossessed with dæmons, though rits to intermeddle with the conthey well knew the notions which cerns of human life, would be to had given rise to such modes of break through that order which expression to be ill founded, than the Deity appears to have estato imagine that diseases which blished through his works; it arise at present from natural would be to introduce a degree of causes were produced in days of confusion unworthy of the wisdom old by the intervention of dæmons, of Divine Providence. or that evil spirits still continue to II. Dæmoniacs, arguments for enter into mankind in all cases the existence of. In opposition to of madness, melancholy, or epi- these arguments, the following are lepsy. Besides, it is by no means urged by the Dæmonianists. In a sufficient reason for receiving the days of our Saviour it would any doctrine as true, that it has appear that dæmoniacal possession been generally received through was very frequent among the Jews the world. Error, like an epi-and the neighbouring nations. demical disease, is communicated Many were the evil spirits whom from one to another. In certain Jesus is related in the gospels to circumstances, too, the influence have ejected from patients that of imagination predominates, and were brought unto him as possessrestrains the exertions of reason.ed and tormented by those maleMany false opinions have extend-volent dæmons. His apostles, too, ed their influence through a very and the first christians, who were wide circle, and maintained it most active and successful in the long. On every such occasion propagation of christianity, appear as the present, therefore, it be-to have often exerted the miracucomes us to inquire not so much lous powers with which they were how generally any opinion has endowed on similar occasions. The been received, or how long it has dæmons displayed a degree of prevailed, as from what cause it knowledge and malevolence which has originated, and on what evi-sufficiently distinguished them dence it rests. When we contem- from human beings: and the lanplate the frame of Nature, we be-guage in which the dæmoniacs are hold a grand and beautiful simpli-mentioned, and the actions and sencity prevailing through the whole:timents ascribed to them in the notwithstanding its immense ex- New Testament, shew that our tent, and though it contains such Saviour and his apostles did not VOL. I.

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consider the idea of dæmoniacal actually entered into those who possession as being merely a vul-were brought to them as possessed gar error concerning the origin of with devils, and as if those spirits a disease or diseases produced by had been actually expelled by natural causes. The more en-their authority out of the unhappy lightened cannot always avoid the persons whom they had possessed. use of metaphorical modes of ex-They demanded, too, to have their pression; which though founded possessions and declarations beupon error, yet have been so esta-lieved, 'in consequence of their blished in language by the influ-performing such mighty works, ence of custom, that they cannot and having thus triumphed over be suddenly dismissed. But in de-the powers of hell. The reality scriptions of characters, in the of dæmoniacal possession stands narration of facts, and in the lay-upon the same evidence with the ing down of systems of doctrine, gospel system in general. Nor is we require different rules to be there any thing unreasonable in observed. Should any person, in this doctrine. It does not appear compliance with popular opinions, to contradict those ideas, which talk in serious language of the ex-the general appearances of Nature istence, dispositions, declarations, and the series of events suggest, and actions of a race of beings concerning the benevolence and whom he knew to be absolutely wisdom of the Deity, by which fabulous, we surely could not he regulates the affairs of the unipraise him for integrity: we must verse. We often fancy ourselves suppose him to be either exulting able to comprehend things to in irony over the weak credulity which our understanding is wholly of those around him, or taking ad- inadequate; we persuade our vantage of their weakness, with selves, at times, that the whole the dishonesty and selfish views of extent of the works of the Deity an impostor. And if he himself must be well known to us, and should pretend to any connexion that his designs must always be with this imaginary system of be-such as we can fathom. We are ings; and should claim, in conse-then ready, whenever any difficulquence of his connexion with ty arises to us in considering the them, particular honours from his conduct of Providence, to model contemporaries; whatever might things according to our own ideas; be the dignity of his character in to deny that the Deity can posall other respects, nobody could sibly be the author of things which hesitate to brand him as an im-we cannot reconcile; and to aspostor. In this light must we re-sert, that he must act on every oc gard the conduct of our Saviour casion in a manner consistent with and his apostles, if the idea of our narrow views. This is the dæmoniacal possession were to be pride of reason; and it seems to considered merely as a vulgar er-have suggested the strongest obror. They talked and acted as if jections that have been at any time they believed that evil spirits had urged against the reality of dæmo

niacal possession. But the Deity inconsistent with the general conmay surely connect one order of duct of Providence; in short, it his creatures with another. We is not the caution of philosophy, perceive mutual relations and a but the pride of reason, that sugbeautiful connexion to prevail gests objections against this docthrough all that part of Nature trine. See the essays of Young, which falls within the sphere of Farmer, Worthington, Dr. Lardour observation. The inferiorner, Macknight, Fell, Burgh, &c. animals are connected with man-on Dæmoniacs; and article DÆмOkind, and subjected to their au-NIAC in Enc. Brit. thority, not only in instances in

DAMNATION, condemnawhich it is exerted for their ad- tion. This word is used to denote vantage, but even where it is ty- the final loss of the soul; but it rannically abused to their destruc-is not to be always understood in tion. Among the evils to which this sense in the sacred scripture. mankind have been subjected, why Thus it is said in Rom. xiii, 2. might not their being liable to da-" They that resist shall receive to moniacal possession be one? While themselves damnation." i. e. conthe Supreme Being retains the so- demnation, " from the rulers, who vereignty of the universe, he may are not a terror to good works, employ whatever agents he thinks but to the evil." Again, in 1st proper in the execution of his pur-Cor. xi, 29. "He that cateth and poses; he may either commission drinketh unworthily, eateth and an angel, or let loose a devil; drinketh damnation to himself;" as well as bend the human i. e. condemnation; exposes himwill, or communicate any parti-self to severe temporal judgments cular impulse to matter. All that from God, and to the judgment revelation makes known, all that and censure of the wise and good. human reason can conjecture, Again, Rom. xiv, 23. "He that concerning the existence of va-doubteth is damned if he eat;" i. e. rious orders of spiritual beings, is condemned both by his own good and bad, is perfectly con- conscience and the word of God, sistent with, and even favourable because he is far from being satisto, the doctrine of dæmoniacal fied that he is right in so doing. possession. It is mentioned in the DANCERS, a sect which sprung New Testament in such language, up about 1373 in Flanders, and and such narratives are related places about. It was their custom concerning it, that the gospels all of a sudden to fall a dancing, cannot well be regarded in any and, holding each other's hands, other light than as pieces of im-to continue thereat, till, being sufposture, and Jesus Christ must be focated with the extraordinary considered as a man who took ad-violence, they fell down breathvantage of the weakness and igno-less together. During these interrance of his contemporaries, if vals of vehement agitation they this doctrine be nothing but a pretended to be favoured with vulgar error: it teaches nothing wonderful visions. Like the Whip

pers, they roved from place to may be felt, the Hebrew phrase place, begging their victuals, hold-may signify a darkness wherein ing their secret assemblies, and men went groping and feeling treating the priesthood and worship about for every thing they wanted. of the church with the utmost con- Let this, however, be as it may, tempt. Thus we find, as Dr. Haweis it was an awful judgment on the observes, that the French Convul- Egyptians; and we may natusionists and the Welch Jumpers rally conclude that it must have have had predecessors of the same also spread darkness and distress stamp. There is nothing new un-over their minds as well as their der the sun. Haweis and Mo-persons. The tradition of the Jews shiem's Ch. Hist. Cent. 14. is, that in this darkness they were DARKNESS, the absence, pri-terrified by the apparitions of evil vation, or want of natural light. In spirits, or rather by dreadful scripture language it also signifies sounds and murmurs which they sin, John iii, 19, trouble, Is. viii, 22, made. What made it still worse, obscurity, privacy, Matt. x, 27, was the length of time it continuforgetfulness, contempt, Ec. vi, 4. ed. Three days, or, as bishop Darkness, says Moses, was upon Hall expresses it, six nights in the face of the deep, Gen. i, 2.one. that is to say, the chaos was plung- During the last three hours that ed in thick darkness, because hi-our Saviour hung upon the cross, therto the light was not created. a darkness covered the face of the Moses, at the command of God, earth, to the great terror and brought darkness upon Egypt, as amazement of the people present a plague to the inhabitants of at his execution. This extraordiit. The Septuagint, our transla-nary alteration in the face of Nation of the Bible, and indeed most ture, says Dr. Macknight, in his others, in explaining Moses's ac- Harmony of the Gospels, was pecucount of this darkness, render it liarly proper, whilst the Sun of "a darkness which may be felt ;"Righteousness was withdrawing and the Vulgate has it, “palpable his beams from the land of Israel, darkness;" that is, a darkness con- and from the world; not only besisting of black vapours and exha-cause it was a miraculous testilations, so condensed that they mony borne by God himself to might be perceived by the organs his innocence, but also because it of feeling or seeing; but some was a fit emblem of his departure commentators think that this is and its effects, at least till his light carrying the sense too far, since, in shone out anew with additional such a medium as this, mankind splendour in the ministry of his could not live an hour, much less apostles. The darkness which now for the space of three days, as the covered Judea, and the neighbourEgyptians are said to have done, ing countries, beginning about during the time this darkness last-noon, and continuing till Jesus ed; and, therefore, they imagine expired, was not the effect of an that instead of a darkness that ordinary eclipse of the sun, for