The history of the life and adventures of Mr. Duncan Campbell : $b a gentleman, who, tho' deaf and dumb, writes down any stranger's name at first sight, with their future contingencies of fortune
General
The history of the life and adventures of Mr. Duncan Campbell : $b a gentleman, who, tho' deaf and dumb, writes down any stranger's name at first sight, with their future contingencies of fortune
Campbell, Duncan, 1680?-1730; Deaf people -- Great Britain -- Biography; Occultism -- Early works to 1900; Prophets -- Great Britain -- Biography
Secondly, They imply, that where justice is not violated, it is lawful
both to predict and to consult.
Thirdly, Many of them, but particularly Aureolus, puts this question:
Is it lawful to go to one that deals in the black art, to persuade them
to cure any innocent body that another necromancer or dealer in the
black art may have maliciously afflicted and tormented with pains? And
some of these casuists, particularly Aureolus, say, it is lawful on such
an occasion to go to such a conjurer, because the end is not
conjuration, but freeing a person from it.
But I take leave to dissent from these great men, and think they are in
a double mistake; first, in stating the question, and then in making
such an answer, provided the question had been stated right.
The question is founded upon this supposition, which is passed by as
granted, viz., that one necromancer could release a person bewitched by
another, which is absolutely false; for it is against the nature of the
devil to be made an instrument to undo his own works of impiety. But
admitting and not granting this to be possible, and the question to be
rightly stated, why still these casuists are out in their answer. It is
lawful, reply they, because the end of going to the conjurers, is not
conjuration, but freeing a good person from it; but the end is not the
point here to be considered, it is the medium, which is bad, that is to
be considered. It is by conjuration, according to their hypothesis, the
other conjuration is to be dissolved; and does not the common rule, that
a man must not do evil that good may come of it, forbid this practice?
And to speak my opinion plainly in that case, the friend that should
consult a conjurer for that end, would be only so kind to put his own
soul in danger of being guilty of hell torments, to relieve his
afflicted friend from some bodily pains, which it would be a virtue in
him to suffer with patience and resignation.
Others, almost all divines, indeed, agree, that it is and may be lawful
to go to a conjurer that torments another, and give him money not to
afflict the patient any longer; because that is only feeing him to
desist from acting after his conjuring manner.
These premises thus settled, if we allow the second-sight to be inborn
and inbred, and natural and common to some families, which is proved in
the book; and if all that Mr. Campbell has predicted in that
second-sighted way terminates with moral advice, and the profit of the
consulter, and without the violation of justice to others, as the book
shows all throughout; if he can relieve from witchcraft, as it seems
oath is to be had he can, which no one that deals in black art can do,
why then I need not draw the conclusion, every reader will do it
naturally; they will avow all the strictest laws of casuistry and
morality to be in favour of Mr. Campbell and his consulters.
VERSES
TO MR. CAMPBELL,
ON THE
HISTORY OF HIS LIFE AND ADVENTURES.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account