_This same_ Julian _did, when_ Apostate, _forbid that Christians should be instructed in the Discipline of the_ Gentiles, _which (it seems)_ Socrates _a Writer of the Ecclesiastical History, does acknowledge to be by the singular Providence of God; Christians having then begun to degenerate from the Gospel, and to betake themselves to Heathenish learning. And in the_ Mercury _for the Month of_ February, 1695, _there is this Account_ [That the Christian Doctors conversing much with the writings of the _Heathen_, for the gaining of Eloquence. A Counsel was held at _Carthage_, which forbad the reading of the Books of the _Gentiles_.] _From all which it may be easily perceived, that in the Primitive times of Christianity, when not only many Heathen of the Vulgar; but also many learned Men and Philosophers had imbraced the Christian Faith; they still retained a love to their Heathen-learning, to which as one observes being transplanted into a Christian soils, soon proved productive of pernicious weeds, which over-ran the face of the Church, hence it was so deformed as the Reformation found it._ _Among other pernicious Weeds arising from this Root, the Doctrine of the power of Devils and Witchcraft as it is now, and long has been understood, is not the least; the Fables of_ Homer, Virgil, Horace _and_ Ovid, &c. _being for the Elegancy of their Language retained then (and so are to this day) in the schools; have not only introduced, but established such Doctrines to the poisoning the Christian World.[14] A certain Author expresses it thus [that as the Christian Schools at first brought Men from Heathenism to the Gospel, so these Schools carry Men from the Gospel to Heathenism, as to their great perfection] and Mr._ I. M. _in his_ Remarkable Providences, _gives an account that (as he calls it) an old Counsel did Anathematize all those that believed such power of the Devils, accounting it a Damnable Doctrine.[15] But as other Evils did afterwards increase in the Church (partly by such Education) so this insensibly grew up with them, tho not to that degree, as that any Counsel I have ever heard or Read of has to this day taken off those_ Anathema's; _yet after this the Church so far declined, that Witchcraft became a Principal, Ecclesiastical Engine (as also that of Heresy was) to root up all that stood in their way; and besides the ways of Tryal, that we have still in practice, they invented some, which were peculiar to themselves; which whenever they were minded to improve against any Orthodox believer, they could easily make Effectual: That Deluge of Blood which that_ Scarlet Whore _has to answer for, shed under this notion, how amazing is it._