1. They supposed that the Devils had a Prince or a Ruler that was able to cast out Devils that were his Subjects, and inferior unto him, to which his answer is: Every Kingdom divided against it self is brought to desolation, and every City or house divided against it self cannot stand. And if Satan cast out Satan, he is divided against himself, how shall then his Kingdom stand? Upon which a most learned Author doth thus paraphrase: “If any King mean to uphold his Kingdom, he will not quarrel and fall out with his own Subjects, and cast them out, which are doing him service; such divisions and civil dissentions as these will soon destroy his Kingdom, and therefore cannot probably be affirmed of any prudent Ruler or Prince. And Satans casting out Devils which are about his business (possessing those he would have possest) would be such a civil dissention as this, and a breach.” From whence he necessarily concludeth, that either Satan doth not cast out Satan, or else that his Kingdom is divided, and cannot stand, but come to desolation. But Satans Kingdom is not destroyed nor brought to desolation; therefore it is not divided against it self, and consequently Satan doth not cast out Satan. Of this passage Theophylact saith: Quomodo enim Dæmones seipsos ejiciunt, quum magis inter se conveniant? Satan autem dicitur adversarius. And to the same purpose is that of S. Chrysostom: Si divisus est, imbecillior factus est, & perit: si autem perit, qualiter potest alium projicere?
Vid. Hieron. in loc.
2. Our Saviour saith further: And if I by Beelzebub cast out devils, by whom do your children cast them out? For as the fore-cited Author saith: “Why may not I cast out Devils by the Power and in the Name of God, as well as your Disciples and Country-men, the Jews among you (who being evil are therefore more obnoxious to suspicion of holding correspondence with Satans Kingdom) do, at least pretend to do. When they in the Name of God go about to cast them out, you affirm it to be the Power of God, and so do I. Why should you not believe that of me, which you affirm of your own?” Si expulsio (saith S. Hierom) Dæemonum in filiis vestris Deo, non Dæmonibus deputatur, quare in me idem opus non eandem habeat & causam?
3. Christ further urgeth: But if I cast out Devils by the Spirit of God, then the Kingdom of God is come upon you or unto you. “But if it be indeed by the Power of God, that I do all this, then it is clear, that although you were not aware of it, yet this is the time of the Messias, whose Mission God hath testified with these Miracles, and would not have done so, if it had been a false Christ.” So that he seemeth to conclude thus: “You Scribes and Pharisees seem to acknowledge, that there are real possessions by Devils, and that they may be thrown out, either by the Power of God or the power of Satan. But I have shewed the absurdity, that Satan doth not cast out the Devils his obedient Subjects that are doing his service; and therefore that what I do must be by the finger of God, and that must certainly denote unto you, that his Kingdom is come, and that I am the Messias.”
Chrysost. in loc.
4. He proceedeth: Or else how can one enter into a strong mans house, and spoil his goods? except he first bind the strong man, and then he will spoil his house. “My dispossessing Satan of his goods, and turning him out of those whom he possesses, is an argument that I have mastered him, and so that I do not use his power, but that mine is greater than his, and imployed most against his will, and to his damage.” Quòd enim (as saith a learned Father) non potest Satanas Satanam ejicere, manifestum ex dictis est: sed quoniam neq; alius potest eum ejicere, nisi priùs eum superaverit, omnibus est manifestum: Constituitur ergo quod & anteà, cum manifestiori abundantia. Dicit enim: Tantum absisto ab hoc quòd utar Diabolo Coadjutore, quòd prælior cum eo, & ligo eum: Et hujus conjectura est, quòd vasa ejus diripio. Et sic contrarium ejus quod illi tentabant dicere, demonstrat. Illi enim volebant ostendere, quòd non propriâ virtute ejecit Dæmones. Ipse autem ostendit, quòd non solùm Dæmones, sed & eorum Principem ligavit: quod manifestum est ab his quæ facta sunt. Qualiter enim Principe non victo, hi qui subjacent Dæmones direpti sunt?
5. Lastly he concludeth: He that is not with me, is against me: And he that gathereth not with me, scattereth abroad. “And it’s proverbially known” (saith Dr. Hammond) “that he that is not on ones side, that brings Forces into the field, and is not for a mans assistance, he is certainly for his Enemy, engages against him, doth him hurt; and consequently my casting out Devils, shews that I am Satans declared Enemy.” By all which arguments he flatly overthrows the false supposition of the Pharisees.
Absurd. 4.
4. These Tenents do overthrow the chief Articles of the Christian Faith, to wit, the rational and infallible evidence of the Resurrection of Christ in the same individual and numerical body in which he suffered: and this we shall elucidate in these particular Considerations.
1 Cor. 15. 14, 15, 16, 17, 18.