A26888:247
The certainty of the worlds of spirits and, consequently, of the immortality of souls…
The certainty of the worlds of spirits and, consequently, of the immortality of souls of the malice and misery of the devils and the damned : and of the blessedness of the justified, fully evinced by the unquestionable histories of apparitions, operations, witchcrafts, voices &c. / written, as an addition to many other treatises for the conviction of Sadducees and infidels, by Richard Baxter.The certainty of the worlds of spirits and, consequently, of the immortality of souls of the malice and misery of the devils and the damned : and of the blessedness of the justified, fully evinced by the unquestionable histories of apparitions, operations, witchcrafts, voices &c. / written, as an addition to many other treatises for the conviction of Sadduces and infidels, by Richard Baxter.
London: printed for T. Parkhurst, 1691
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
3. That his very Substance entereth into the Possessed, I see no cause to doubt; for he can penetrate any part of our Bodies, as he is a Spirit: And if we knew that he Operate only in some Body or Vehicle, Air, or Air and Fire mixed; yet what part of our Bodies cannot Air and Fire penetrate: (And this Supposition would countenance Dr. More's Opinion, that all Spirits are the the Souls of some Bodies). And Scripture saith so much of Devils entering into Men, and being in them, and being cast out of them, that I see not how we can deny it to be their Substance.
3. That his very Substance entereth into the Possessed, I see no cause to doubt; for he can penetrate any part of our Bodies, as he is a Spirit: And if we knew that he Operate only in some Body or Vehicle, Air, or Air and Fire mixt; yet what part of our Bodies cannot Air and Fire penetrate: (And this Supposition would countenance Dr. More's Opinion, that all Spirits are the the Souls of some Bodies). And Scripture saith so much of Devils entring into Men, and being in them, and being cast out of them, that I see not how we can deny it to be their Substance.
And how else should they move us (besides by Instruments) Is it any more wonder that Devils (permitted) can enter, than Air: Or how else work they on Mens Souls. I must say it to humble us, that I fear, that in most Temptations that solicit our Thoughts, and our Wills, and Affections and Passions, if not sometimes our Tongues and Hands, it is the very present Substance of Evil Spirits, that by Contiguity move us, even true Christians when they Sin: And that it is no unseemly thing to pray God to cast Satan out of our Thoughts and Hearts. Oh that we better knew what cause we have to fear letting ⟨p. 126⟩him in, and by yielding and custom to give him advantages to tempt and rule us.
And how else should they move us (besides by Instruments) Is it any more wonder that Devils (permitted) can enter, than Air: Or how else work they on Mens Souls. I must say it to humble us, that I fear, that in most Temptations that sollicit our Thoughts, and our Wills, and Affections and Passions, if not sometimes our Tongues and Hands, it is the very present Substance of Evil Spirits, that by Contiguity move us, even true Christians when they Sin: And that it is no unseemly thing to pray God to cast Satan out of our Thoughts and Hearts. Oh that we better knew what cause we have to fear letting