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The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah Vol 1 - Predestination

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far<strong>the</strong>r, <strong>and</strong> say, that <strong>the</strong> two states are exactly<br />

parallel—^<strong>the</strong> demon or demons taking <strong>the</strong> place<br />

<strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> mesmeriser, only that <strong>the</strong> eflects were more<br />

powerful <strong>and</strong> extensive, perhaps more enduring.<br />

But one point seems to have been assumed, for<br />

which <strong>the</strong>re is, to say <strong>the</strong> least, no evidence, viz.,<br />

that because, at least in many cases, <strong>the</strong> disease<br />

caused by <strong>the</strong> demon wae permanent, <strong>the</strong>refore<br />

those who were so afiected were permanently or<br />

constantly under <strong>the</strong> power <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> demon. Nei<strong>the</strong>r<br />

<strong>the</strong> New Testament, nor even Rabbinic literature,<br />

conveys <strong>the</strong> idea <strong>of</strong> permanent demoniac<br />

indwelling, to which <strong>the</strong> later term * possession *<br />

owes its origin.* On <strong>the</strong> contrary, such accounts, as<br />

that <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> scene in <strong>the</strong> Synagogue <strong>of</strong> Capernaum,<br />

convey <strong>the</strong> impression <strong>of</strong> a sudden influence,<br />

which in most cases seems occasioned by <strong>the</strong><br />

spiritual effect <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Person or <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Words <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />

Christ. To this historical sketch we have only to<br />

add, that <strong>the</strong> phenomenon is not referred to ei<strong>the</strong>r<br />

in <strong>the</strong> Old Testament,' or in <strong>the</strong> Apocrypha," nor,<br />

for that matter, in <strong>the</strong> Mishnah,* where, indeed,<br />

from <strong>the</strong> character <strong>of</strong> its contents, one

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