The extraordinary affliction, and gracious relief of a little boy; supposed to be the effects of spiritual agency ... / Carefully examined, and faithfully narrated; with observations on demoniac possession, and animadversions on superstition.

  • Heaton, James
Date:
1822
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The extraordinary affliction, and gracious relief of a little boy; supposed to be the effects of spiritual agency ... / Carefully examined, and faithfully narrated; with observations on demoniac possession, and animadversions on superstition. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    fed lo go liome to dinner, he looked at the watch and held up one finger to his mother, signifying it was one o’clock. He went to the door, and tried to force his way out. As he was fond of looking through the telescope, we placed it on the table to divert him; he loosed his hold of the door, and amu- sed himself for a few minutes. During this time we consulted together. We had been praying for up- wards of two hours: he was still dumb and nothing better that we could perceive. We had never yet attempted to adjure the evil spirit ; though we con- sidered, that if he was actually possessed, it would be necessary to do so in order to his relief. Our Lord, his apostles, his disciples, and the primitive Christ- ians all adjured in cases of possession. We felt considerable delicacy about this work. We were not yet q\\ fully convinced of his being really pos- sessed, though we had but little doubt remaining respecting it. To adjure evil spirits appeared to us a very awful work, and we felt reluctant to begin; but it was now come to the point. We had al- ready prayed at this time two hours, and he was nothing better. We then came to the resolution we would try the effect of adjuration ; observ- ing, that if he was really possessed by an evil spirit, we should be using the proper, scriptural method to expel him, and might succeed, Ifhe should not be possessed we should discover it, and know better how to submit to this affliction with patience, I de- sired one to give out the verse which most of all ir- ritated him, viz. “ Jesus the name high over all,” &c., and requested, that if the boy made any resist- ance to it, he would pronounce the adjuration as soon as the verse was sung. We began the verse, and he furiously contended. This was our signal. There was an awful silence. Others refused to adjure, and it became my duty to begin. We held him hand and foot: several of tho a