On Popular IHnfions. 91 



furniflied a ftronger proof than this, of the exift- 

 ence of redivivi, confequently of all forts of de- 

 moniacal operations. 



It feems alfo, that when men are unacquainted 

 with the natural caufe of a particular appearance, 

 and at the fame time, are perfuaded of the pofTi- 

 bility of diabolical illufions, they will impofe 

 even on their own fenfes, to favour the admiflion 

 of a theory fo interefting to their imaginations. 



The miracles of the Abbe Paris, while they 

 afford the ftrongeft proof of this affertion, and 

 while they fhew that illufions fcarcely credible 

 may prevail in the brighteft periods of fcience 

 and art, require particular attention, as Mr. 

 Hume has affeded to comp'arc them with the 

 miracles of our religion; though they were re- 

 futed in publications of the time never much 

 known, and now generally forgotten. 



The report of thefe miracles began in 1727, 

 foon after the death of the Abbe Paris, when 

 different perfons fuppofed themfelves relieved 

 from indifpofitions, by employing portions of 

 his clothes, or of the bed on which he died, as 

 relics. A concourfe of the difeafed, the fuper- 

 ftitious, and the curious was made to his tomb, 

 in the church-yard of St. Medard, at Paris, 

 where miraculous cures and fudden converfions 

 were faid to take place every hour. But con- 

 taft with the tomb produced a curious effect 

 on many : they were thrown into convulfions, 



-which 



