fit for the Functions of the Soul, as that of any other Body what

ever.

Thus Origen against Celfus, as quoted by Dr. Hammond, (that inexhauftible Fountain of Learning and Judgment ): 66 The Q. I lately happened on a Fair "Names of Abraham, &c. fays Book in Manuscript, full of" he, joyned with the Name of Charms and Conjurations which "God, is not only of Force in a little startled me at first; "the Jews Prayers and Exorbut looking further into it," cifms, but almost all others I found it full of very Devont that deal in Conjurations Prayers, and many Names of" use them; whence the ignoGod, Repeated divers times, in rant fort, as St. Chryfoftom ob. a very curious Order. I can't ferves, come to mistake the tell how to think there should Name of Abraham for the Name be any hurt in making use of fo of fome God, because of the good Prayers, and fuch Holy Phrafe Oss Alaiu. Which Names, which may have a fecret Miftake might be furthered by Force in them, unknown to the a way of Expreffion common most of the World, as are many among the Jews, we being inother useful Arts and Sciences. cin'd to think that the Words Pray your Judgment in the cafe? Abraham, and Jacob, or Irael, are fometimes used in Scripture for the God of Abraham, &c. Thus, to name no more Pfal. 24.6. "This is the Generation of "them that feek thy Face, O "Jacob! And Abraham's Heaven or Befom, is a common Para phrase among the Jews for Paradice, or Heaven. So Zebaoth, and Adonai, were often used in the Paganifh Incantations, as the fame Origen tells us; and Jamblichus calls 'em, Affyria no mina, Affyrian or Jewish Names And Lucian brings in his Alex ander, muttering I know not what barbarous Words in the Phanitian, or Hebrew Language, in order to cure Difeafes. And Pausanias gives the fame Ac count of his Lydian Magician, in the Rites of the Pyreftreia. And Fofepbus had no more Wic than to believe there was a great Depth of Art in thefe Charms, pretending Selom in the Inventor of 'em, whom the

A. We remember fome time fince, in the Reign of King James, to have heard an Old Devil-hunter, pretended to caft out a Devil from one who pretended to be poffeft, and was in and about London, and divers other Places. The Old Fellow went to Prayers, but moft of his Prayer was nothing else but a Repetition of O God of Abraham, God of Ifaac, God of Jacob, God of Sabboth, &c. which we then thought only a foolish Tautology, but are now enclin d to belive 'twas no better nor worfe than a Charm, or Conjuration, that Form having been commonly made ufe of for thole Purposes, perhaps fome two or three Thousand Years, both among Jews and Heathens. This Superftition was, it seems, fpread very wide, not only the Egyp tians, but many other Nations having learnt it from the Jews.

Jews

Vol. II. Jews tell many ridiculous Fa-ρασμάσι, καὶ τοῖς φυλακτηριοῖς, bles of this Nature; and that as the Doctor has mended it. he himself understood them, and All Incantations, Charms, Conhad feen Perfons raised from the jurations, Amulets, or DefenDead by them; and the foolish fatives; which laft were feveStory of the Jews is common e-ral Names of God, written or Dough, That our Saviour wrought engraven in a particular way, all his Miracles by Vertue of fome of which are common ethe Tetragrammaton, an unut-nough ftill in all Countries, the terable Name of God, sowed up fame with Talismans, to procure in bis Thigh. However, we good Fortune, or drive away are fure that the Jews pretend- ill. But one common mischief ed to this Art; and as it seems, there is in a'l of these, for fometimes accomplished ftrange which a wife and good Man things by it; there being a fhould abhor 'em: They certainftated Order of Exorcifts among ly, and we believe unavoida them, as now among the Pa- bly, take all those who truft in pifts. Whom our Saviour in- 'em, from an immediate and atends, when he asks the Pha- &ual Reliance on the Divine rifees, by whom their Sons did Providence and Protection. Tis caft our Devils? Who ufing in vain to say, they don't, and the Name of the God of Abra that there's no Neceffity they ham, &c. the Devil did fome- fhould do fo, because we find times obey, it being probable in Fact they always do, making he was then forced to do it, those who doat upon 'em weak Virtate Creatoris, as a Diftinction, and fuperftitious, and either and forc'd Homage paid unto prefumptuous or defperate; and the Supreme God. Though this, they can't be other wife, any ir feems, was not infallible; more than their Aftrological Elfe why did the Sons of Steva Brethren, because when taken leave the Name of God, and off from the Bafis of God's Proufe that of Jefus? Of this Cutection, and their own Reason, from Jalin relates, as quoted by they must be floating in Fatathe Doctor already mentioned: lities and Uncertainties, and the "If, fays he, you call upon the most notorious Contradictions; "Name of the God of Abraham, and those who worship Images perhaps the Devil will obey. may with as much Reason preAnd Feners and Tertullian wit-tend 'tis the true God on whom nefs the fame. However, this Practice was thought fo dangerous and unwarrantable, that the Chriftians were foon after obligd folemnly to renounce it at Baptifm, where the ancient Form was, not only, Slave

και

tw Diabúdíó, I renounce the Devil, as we ftill fay in ours, bur voïs exwdois, Teis e

they truft, ufing these only as the means of their Dependance and Devotion. But there's ftill another Reason why fuch Arts are dangerous, because when People are thus unwarrantably curious, and thereby throw themfelves out of the Divine Protection (for they are not content with it in the ordinary

Courfe

may be drawn from what we our felves have advanced in the beginning of this Queftion, which may feem to favour thofe Practices we have been all this while condemning; and that is, we have own'd that Devils might be caft out, and Difeafes cured by the Name of the God of Abraham, &c. Virtute Creatoris, as Tertullian before; and why not now as well as then? And to make it ftronger, What hurt, will it be faid, can there be in fuch good Names. and Prayers, as before in the Queftion? And many who make use of them, are very devout and good Men, who wou'd abhor fuch Things, were they Diabolical: And if the fame Power

Course of God's Providence, but must have something further then we are certain the Devil has oftentimes taken advantage against them, to lead them to greater Evils. This is notorious in the Story of Dr. Dee and Kelly, all whofe Angels at laft turned to Devils, and their Purity to extraordinary down right Adultery. And if there be any thing at all in the Appearances fo often boafted of, and fo confidently affirmed by the Cabalifts and Roficrucians, we cannot think 'em any thing else but these Delufive Spirits, who by a fhew of Piety and abftrufe Knowledge, lead Men with the more cafe into Perdition, by the most unnatural and horrid Villanies; For if that Corre-be manifefted in Vertue of those fpondence thefe Men talk of, Holy Names that has been forbe true, between their He and merly, whether fome Vertue She-Erial Acqaintance, as we of these Amulets may not be won t pronounce they are not, hinted at in that of the Pfal what ist all less than the Depth mist, "The Name of the God of Witchcraft; only their In-" of Jacob defend thee; it becubus's and Succubus's dress a lit-ing certain that th's Practice is tle finer than when they appear very Ancient. to a poor ignorant nafty old Woman ? And don't thefe Wretches deferve Death as well as e'er the witch of Endor did, and perhaps much more? We know they will be angry, but much good may't do theni; for we think this little Stricture is much less than they deferve, who would either ftill put up on the World their affe&ted Cant and Myftery, that is at bottom, hard Names, with nothing in them; or if there be any thing at a'l in it, if it has any bottom, it muft lie as deep as Hell. We are fcafible of an Objection that

In Anfwer, ift, The way of cafting out Devils, and work. ing Miracles then by the Name of God among the Jews, which our Saviour hints at, feems to have been much more fimple, and lefs curious, when really performed, than that these inyftical Men now plead for: A calling over them in the Name of the Lord wrought the Miracle, as we may fee by the AtBut tempt of Stava's Sons. what's this to all those foolish ridiculous Curiofities and Ceremonies which were added to it in after Ages, which were the Additions either of fome Ma

gical

gical Jews, or fome Apith Dunce of an Heathen. Again, the Cure was not certain by these means, lows oraynson, perbays be'll obey, was the moft that Juftin could fay on't. A gain, the Cafe is alter'd now, for though real Miracles might then be done in the Name of the Creator, in diftinction, as has been faid from all the numerous Falle Gods of the Heathen, that Reason now ceafes when we live among thofe who pretend to own the one only true God. Befides, after Chrift came, thefe Miracles ceafed; otherwife why would Scaphesus, A&s 19. 19. the 'Epiora va's Sons, as before, have left yegμuata and arstigaçμana, the Name of God, and ufed that and seisgya; Their Magical of our Saviour, in imitation of Characters, Philtres and Ceremothe Apostles, who, as the Jews nies being Notorious in all ufed to fay, In the Name of Writers, both Chriftian and the God of Abraham, or God of Heathen. As for the Name of Sabaoth, did command, In the the God of Jacob, undoubtedly Name of Jefus Chrift of Nazar 'tis a Defence to all that truft tth; wherein the firft Chrifti in it; but they must then take ans followed 'em, and a Divine care they don't diftinguish the power fometime after attended Thing and Name, for what that bleffed Naine ; at which Vertue can there be in so many every Knee fhall bow, and which Letters, which when taken a makes Devils tremble. Good funder, are nothing at all, or Names therefore, and good may make other words, of a Things are not fufficient, when different, or perhaps contrary Unwarrantably, Nonfenfically, Senfe? or Magically made ufe of, as, was found to their Sorrow, by thofe Exorcifts fo often mention'd. For good Mens ufing 'em, all that appear to be fo, are not fo, any more than the Devil is an Angel; because he can fometimes look like one. Befides, the Chriftian Church has, as we have proved, most folemaly renounc'd all thefe Fancies, Councils have decreed againft" them, Laws have been made

to prevent em; the Body of Chriftians, Wife, and Pious, and Learned, unanimoufly abhor 'em. The most of those that use 'em, are Men defperate, and whimfical,and fuperftitious, and wicked, and are either Cheats, or worse, cheated themselves out of their own Souls, and Eternal Happiness. The beft ufe therefore that can be made of all thefe curious Books, is that which the firft Chriftians pur 'em to on their Converfion, as Arguments of their Chriftianity, to make a curious Rich Bonfire of 'em, as those at E

The only Amulet then that we know of, which may be lawfully and fuccef-fully used, is that which we are fure Da vid made Trial of wich fo good Success, whatever skill his Son might have in Charms and In cantations; 'tis that in the 91ft Pfalm, "Whofo dwelleth "under the Defence of the most

High, fhall be safe under the Shaddow of the Almighty. He "fhall deliver thee from the "Snare