Dispute or Doubt. But whether the Distempers Christ then healed, were inflicted by evil Spirits, and whether those were cast out in the Cure, did not plainly appear at that time. Our Saviour therefore did not bid them mention that Instance to their Master John, because they could not testifie it on their own Knowledge, as they could the things themselves saw and heard.
SECT. IX.
An Answer to two more Objections; the one, that St. John mentions no casting out Devils in his Gospel; the other, that to have a Devil, and to be Mad are Synonyma's.
But the Passionate Witch-Advocates goes on. St. John the Evangelist who especially sets himself upon the Proof of the Godhead of Christ, hints nothing of his Ejecting Devils. Which one would think should be no Proof, since the other Three do; and St. John chiefly supplyed what they omitted. And since this Evangelist so particularly sets himself upon the Proof of Christ's Divinity, he mentions no Miracles, which were the Proof, but such as were sensible and indisputable. And our Author himself, after p. 41. saith, That the Cure of Diseases was more for Christ's Honour, and the Proof of his Godhead, than the casting out Devils could have been: For possibly, saith he, in that there might have been some probable grounds of the Pharisees Blasphemy, that he cast out Devils by Beelzebub.
So that he Answers and Contradicts himself at once; for p. 34. he saith. It had been a great over-sight in St. John to neglect such an Argument, if such a thing had ever been, this would have proved him to have been God indeed, and his Power paramount above all Principalities and Powers, &c. p. 35. And yet now, Curing Diseases proves it better, and the casting out Devils will scarce do it all, since it might, adds he, be in some sort credible, that he did it by Favour, Connivance, Compliance, Complotment, which is upon the borders of the highest Blasphemy.
