without sense or power of any kind, and their worship founded on
imposture--Opinion that the Oracles were silenced at the Nativity
adopted by Milton--Cases of Demoniacs--The Incarnate Possessions
probably ceased at the same time as the intervention of
Miracles--Opinion of the Catholics--Result, that witchcraft, as the
Word is interpreted in the Middle Ages, neither occurs under the
Mosaic or Gospel Dispensation--It arose in the Ignorant Period, when
the Christians considered the Gods of the Mahommedan or Heathen
Nations as Fiends, and their Priests as Conjurers or
Wizards--Instance as to the Saracens, and among the Northern
Europeans yet unconverted--The Gods of Mexico and Peru explained on
the same system--Also the Powahs of North America--Opinion of
Mather--Gibb, a supposed Warlock, persecuted by the other
Dissenters--Conclusion.


What degree of communication might have existed between the human race
and the inhabitants of the other world had our first parents kept the
commands of the Creator, can only be subject of unavailing speculation.
We do not, perhaps, presume too much when we suppose, with Milton, that
one necessary consequence of eating the "fruit of that forbidden tree"
was removing to a wider distance from celestial essences the beings who,
although originally but a little lower than the angels, had, by their
own crime, forfeited the gift of immortality, and degraded themselves
into an inferior rank of creation.

Some communication between the spiritual world, by the union of those
termed in Scripture "sons of God" and the daughters of Adam, still
continued after the Fall, though their inter-alliance was not approved
of by the Ruler of mankind. We are given to understand--darkly, indeed,