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CHAPTER II.

THE AGENCY OF SPIRITUAL BEINGS IN THE MATERIAL CREATION.

I.

B

EFORE we proceed to particulars concerning miracles, it may be proper to consider the idea which the Holy Scriptures give us of the power of supernatural created beings to act upon matter, and of their agency in this world. This will illustrate the explanation given of miracles, and will facilitate our understanding the doctrine of the sacred writings concerning them.

I observed above, that it is from revelation alone that we know with certainty of the existence of spiritual beings, and consequently it is only from the same source that we can draw information regarding their nature, qualities, powers, and operations. It is unjust, therefore, in the adversaries of Christianity, to deny the existence of such beings, or at least to assert that they have no communication with the affairs of men, and, from this groundless supposition, to ridicule, and argue against Christianity and its miracles. For if the existence and agency of spirits in nature be the manifest doctrine of the Holy Scriptures, it is unreasonable to deny this doctrine, while they cannot disprove the divine origin of those sacred writings which contain it. It is no less un

just in certain pretended friends of Christianity to allege that the teaching of the holy fathers and primitive Christians concerning the agency of spiritual beings in the material creation, was solely owing to their attachment to the heathen mythology, and was the remains of their belief in demons before their conversion; for we find not only that their teaching concerning spirits is strictly conformable to the Holy Scriptures, but that these very Scriptures are brought by them to prove this doctrine, and are the sources from which they profess to draw it. But still more unjustifiable is it in Christians themselves, who receive the sacred Scripture as divine truths, to call in question what they clearly express concerning spiritual beings and their agency in nature, and to pervert the plain and obvious meaning of the text on this subject, rather than surrender some favourite preconceived opinion on pretence of being superior to what they call the prejudices of vulgar minds. A plain view of what is contained in the Word of God, will at once show the folly of such conduct.

II. The belief in the agency of spiritual beings in the material world has passed through various phases within the last two centuries. At the period of the Reformation, when Catholics urged the invincible weight of miracles in their communion as a proof of the truth of what they taught, and consequently as the strongest refutation of the new tenets, the first reformers had not yet discovered Dr Middleton's ready answer to all pleas of this kind. They could not deny the reality of the facts, and therefore did not hesitate to attribute them to the agency of Satan, willingly allowing an unbounded power of this kind even to wicked spirits during what they called the "reign of Papacy."

Afterwards, when Deism and Freethinking became

more prevalent, gentlemen of that party found it extremely inconvenient to admit the existence of evil spirits; for devils, hell, eternity, and the like, were incompatible with the leading articles of their belief, and still more with their morality. They sought, therefore, to resolve all miracles into juggling tricks and human imposture. But this plea was soon abandoned as untenable by various serious inquirers, who saw on the one hand many miraculous effects which they could not attribute to the art of man; and on the other, being unable to find any show of reason for absolutely denying the possibility of supernatural agents, they gladly admitted this, and from it pretended to invalidate the authority of miracles in general, even those of Jesus Christ Himself and of His holy apostles. For how, say they, do we know but that all miracles without exception may be only the work of different genii or demons, of whom there be many different degrees? And if the things done be some more and some less wonderful, this may be owing only to the greater or less degree of strength in the assisting demon. Thus, if Moses performed greater miracles than the magicians of Pharaoh, it only shows that his invisible helper was of a higher order than theirs; and if the miracles of Jesus Christ were above all that had ever been seen in the world before, it was owing only to the superior abilities of His assisting genius. Now, say they, as this is possible, it may be true, and all miracles may be the work of demons; and if this be the case, in vain do we appeal to miracles as interpositions of the Deity, and as proofs of doctrines revealed by Him.

The futility of this line of argument will afterwards be seen, and is indeed a natural consequence of what shall be shown upon the authority and criterion of miracles. At present I shall only observe that these various theories

concerning the existence and agency of spiritual beings in the material world, show clearly that their respective advocates have no solid ground on which to stand; that they adopt their opinions at random, as fancy prompts; or, at best, that they are forced to embrace them in support of the different systems in which they have been previously engaged, without consulting the only certain source from which they could be fully informed, and, indeed, without examining whether their opinions be conformable to what is there taught or not.

There is still another system regarding the agency of spiritual beings, differing from all the former, lately set forth with great pomp by Mr Farmer. In this it is pre

tended that though these beings be of a nature superior to man, and may possess many qualities and powers of a more excellent kind, yet the exercise of them is limited to their own peculiar spheres for which they are adapted; that naturally they have no power to act in the material creation; and that when Almighty God is pleased at any time to employ them as His agents in performing anything miraculous, it is not enough that He order or authorise them, but it is also necessary that He impart to them a particular power, extraordinary, and otherwise not competent to their nature, to enable them to perform what He so commands.

III. In refutation of these and other such hypotheses, it will be sufficient to display the doctrine of the Holy Scriptures in their own words, where we shall find the following truths clearly declared by the authority of God Himself: 1. That spiritual beings, whether good or bad angels, have in their own nature an inherent power to act in this material creation; that they can move, dispose of, and affect bodies in many different ways; and that their strength is great, far superior to anything we know

or can conceive in this world; so that they can perform many things marvellous in our eyes, and far above the abilities of any natural agent. 2. That evil spirits have an implacable hatred both to God and man; and consequently are most desirous to exert this their natural strength for the injury and destruction of man, and to perform great signs and wonders in order more effectually to delude and deceive him. 3. That, however, in the present dispensation of Providence, their malice is much restrained by Almighty God, who never permits them to exert their natural power to the injury of mankind, but in such manner and degree as He pleases for His own wise ends—that is, either for the good of mankind, according to the views of His mercy, or for the punishment of their sins, according to the order of His justice. This restraint appears, as we shall afterwards see, both from the nature of the things they are permitted to do, and from other circumstances attending them. 4. That good angels on many occasions have had communication with men, and have often performed extraordinary things on their account, and at their desire, by divine appointment for the benefit and consolation of God's friends and servants. 5. That wicked spirits also, by God's permission, have had frequent communication with men, and have often done extraordinary things at their desire, and by their means, for most wicked ends on their part, although justly and wisely permitted by Almighty God for His own most righteous views and purposes. Each of these heads we shall now illustrate separately from the Holy Scriptures; and afterwards we shall make a short inquiry into the power of spiritual beings to perform things miraculous to us in the material world.

IV. As the first of these is the most important, I shall be more explicit upon it, and show that spiritual beings