The world bewitch'd; or, an examination of the common opinions concerning spirits: their nature, power administration, and operations. As also the effects men are able to produce by their communication / Divided into IV parts. By Balthazar Bekker ... Vol. I. Translated from a French copy. Approved of and subscribed by the author's own hand.

Balthasar Bekker

Date:: 1695

Credit: The world bewitch'd; or, an examination of the common opinions concerning spirits: their nature, power administration, and operations. As also the effects men are able to produce by their communication / Divided into IV parts. By Balthazar Bekker ... Vol. I. Translated from a French copy. Approved of and subscribed by the author's own hand. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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$NS | al An Abridgement of the whole Work. nin,’ and the Kingdom which he raifes againft that of Jefus Chrift; I conclude not only that they are not grounded upon thefe three principles, but alfo-being confidered with all the neceflary attenti- on, they appear contrary to them. In this place | I begin to enter into difpute, and to draw my con- | clufion from arguments which the Scripture and reafon furnifhes me with; having by. the means heretofore eftablifhed upon thofe two principles, fearched after the ways how plainly and wirhout equivocation to underftand the {tate of the queftions which properly and particularly cocern the Devil. | Thisis not then the point in queftion, to difpute of the meaning of thofe paffages which mention the appeared to Abraham, and others wreftled with Fa- cob ; or of the tentation of Our Lord Chrift in the defert ; norof the fenfe of thofe that fay David was tempted by Satan, and that Fob was tormented by him, and the like places 5 but the Chief point, the” {cope of all this fearch, is to know what to believe concerning the Devil. Upon this I beftow the five laft Chapters, and in | the three firft of thefe five,which are the 32th,33th, | and 34th, I am not afraid of calling Reafon to my affiftance ; after having fhewn that the Scripture is filent upon this fubject, for I prefume to have made appear in the 32th Chapter, that the apparitions of Evil Spirits are contrary to true Reafon, and that the Holy Scriprure affords no proofs of it. _After- wards, in the 33th Chapter, I fhow ,’ that the) knowledge that the Devil may have, as well of things Natural as Civil, and above all of things Spi- ritual, which concern our Salvation, is nothing of: what is believed. I reft as yet upon the fame) foundatien of Scripture and Reafon, to prove the | Empire of the Devil is but a Chimera, and that he Ju has]$

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