An essay for the recording of illustrious providences

The Sadducees of those days being like unto Avicenna, and Averroes, and other Atheistical Philosophers in former times; say that there are no Spirits, and that all Stories concerning them are either Fabulous or to be ascribed unto natural causes. Amongst many others, the Learned V••tius (in disp. de operationibus Daemonum) has sufficiently refuted them. And as the experience of other ages and places of the World; so the things which divine providence hath permitted and ordered to come to pass amongst our selves ⟨p. 169⟩(if the Scriptures were silent) make it manifest beyond all contradiction, that there are Devils infesting this lower World. Most true it is, that Satan and all his wicked Angels are limited by the providence of God: so as that they cannot hurt any Man or Creature, much less any Servant of his, without a Commission from him, whose Kingdom is over all. It is a memorable Passage, which Chytraeus relateth concerning Luther, that when he was sought after by his Popish and Implacable Enemies (being then hid by the Duke of Saxony) they consulted with Magicians that so they might find where Luther absconded, but the Wizards confessed they could not discover him. Undoubtedly the Devils knew where Luther hid himself; only God would not suffer them to reveal it. Nevertheless, the Lord doth for wise and holy ends, sometimes lengthen the Chain which the infernal L•ons are bound fast in. And as there are many tremendous Instances confirming the Truth hereof, so that of Satan's taking bodily possession of Men, is none of the least. Sometimes indeed it is very hard to discern between natural Diseases and Satanical Possessions; so as that persons really possessed have been thought to be only molested with some natural Disease, without any ⟨p. 170⟩special finger of the Evil Spirit therein. Fernelius (de abditis rerum causis, Lib.2. Cap.16.) speaketh of a certain young Gentleman, that was taken with strange Convulsions, which did surprise him at least ten times in a day. In his Fits he had the use of his Speech and Reason free. Otherwise his Disease would have been judged no other than an ordinary Epilepsy. Much means was used by skilful Physicians for his relief, but without success for three Months together; when all on a sudden, a Daemon began to speak out of the miserable Patient;