of the Magnalia of Art or Nature; no, not of those, whereby the propagation of the Gospel might have been much advanced, viz. the Mistery of Printing, and the Magnet; and yet no one useth his silence in these instances, as an argument against the being of things, which are evident objects of sense. I confess, the omission of some of these particulars is pretty strange, and unaccountable, and concludes our ignorance of the reasons, and menages of Providence; but I suppose, nothing else. I thought, I needed here to have said no more, but I consider, in consequence of this Objection, it is pretended; That as Christ Jesus drives the Devil from his Temples, and his Altars (as is clear in the Cessation of Oracles, which dwindled away, and at last grew silent shortly upon his appearance) so in like manner, 'tis said, that he banisht Him from his lesser holds in Sorcerers, and Witches; which argument is peccant both in what it affirms, and in what it would infer. For
(1.) The coming of the Holy Jesus ded not expel the Devil from all the greater places of his residence and worship; for a considerable part of barbarous Mankind do him publick, solemn homage, to this Day: So that the very foundation of the pretence fails, and the Consequence without any more ado comes to nothing. And yet besides,
(2.) If there be any credit to be given to Ecclesiastical History, there were persons possessed with Devils some Ages after Christ, whom the Disciples cast out by prayer, and the invocation of his Name: So that Sathan was not driven from his lesser habitations, as soon as he was forced from his more famous abodes. And I see no reason
(3.) Why, Though Divine Providence would not allow him publickly to abuse the Nations, whom he had designed a short time after, for Subjects of his Son's Kingdom, and to stand up in the face of Religion in an open affront to the Divinity that planted it, to the great hinderance of the progress of the Gospel, and discouragement of Christian hopes; I say, Though Providence would not allow this height of insolent opposition; yet I see not why we may not grant, that God however permitted the Devil to sneak into some private skulking holes, and to trade with the particular more devoted vassals of his wicked Empire: As we know that when our Saviour chased him from the Man that was possessed, he permitted his retreat into the herd of swine. And I might add,
(4.) That 'tis but a bad way of arguing, to set up fancied congruities against plain experience, as is evidently done by those arguers, who, because they think that Christ chased the Devil
