On Popular Illuftons. 55 



aftive againft well-difpofed perfons, as frequently 

 to raife whirlwinds, in order to carry away their 

 linen, when hung out to dry : truly, fays he, I 

 have often wondered to fee my own fmall linen 

 caught up in an eddy, and carried out of fight, 

 over the church-fteeple* ! (l) Several others 

 engaged in the controverfy, a lift of whofe works 

 may be found in the dedication to Dr. Hutchin- 

 fon's hiftorical eflay concerning witchcraft, pub- 

 liflied about feventy years ago; a book which com- 

 prehends the moft fatisfaftory proofs fubverfive 

 of this opinion. Dr. Hutchinfon alfo fupplies a 

 very good chronological view of the delufion. 



On the continent, this controverfy feemed 

 almoft forgotten, till Bekker publifhed his 

 Monde Enchantee, in which he denied the 

 exiftence of witches on the Cartefian principle, 

 that the Deity is the fource of all aftion, con- 

 fequently actions fo oppofite to his nature and 

 attributes cannot be fuppofed to exift. He 

 was anfwered by Frederick Hoffman, the father of 

 the modern theory and pradlice of medicine, in 

 his Diflertation De Diaboli Potentia in Corporaf . 

 Dr. Hoffman fets out with the ufual afTertion of 

 demonologifts, that the fads eftablifhing the 

 do6lrine are as certain as any in hiflory ; that 

 the devil can alter the ftate of the atmofphere 

 at pleafure, fo as to raife ftorms ; that he can 



• Certainty of the World of Spirits. 



t Printed in the fifth volume of his Works, p. 98. 



E 4 produce 



