1 7 1 8 ▁he ▁wrote ▁to ▁defend ▁Richard ▁Bent ley ▁in ▁the ▁St ▁James ' s ▁Post , ▁who ▁had ▁been ▁dep riv ed ▁of ▁his ▁degrees ▁by ▁Thomas ▁Go och ▁acting ▁as ▁Vice - Ch an cell or ▁of ▁the ▁University ▁of ▁Cambridge . ▁The ▁controvers y ▁was ▁continued ▁by ▁Thomas ▁Sher lock ▁and ▁Con y ers ▁Middle ton . ▁ ▁Mira cles ▁and ▁prop he cy ▁Sy kes ▁made ▁some ▁con cess ions ▁to ▁de ist ▁criticism ▁of ▁the ▁reli ability ▁of ▁the ▁testim ony ▁to ▁the ▁bib lic al ▁m ira cles . ▁He ▁also ▁restricted ▁the ▁scope ▁of ▁the ▁mi rac ul ous , ▁for ▁example ▁reject ing ▁the ▁reports ▁associated ▁to ▁the ▁Con v ulsion na ires ▁of ▁Saint - M éd ard , ▁and ▁the ▁tomb ▁of ▁the ▁J ansen ist ▁supp orter ▁François ▁de ▁P â ris . ▁He ▁also ▁stated ▁that ▁the ▁c ures ▁of ▁Valent ine ▁Great rak es ▁were ▁not ▁mi rac ul ous . ▁His ▁doctrine ▁of ▁the ▁working ▁of ▁the ▁bib lic al ▁m ira cles ▁linked ▁them ▁to ▁an ▁active ▁spiritual ▁dimension ▁of ▁ful fil ment ▁of ▁prop he cy . ▁ ▁Dem onia cs ▁and ▁mental ▁ill ness ▁In ▁ 1 7 3 7 ▁Sy kes ▁published ▁An ▁enqu iry ▁into ▁the ▁meaning ▁of ▁dem onia cks ▁in ▁the ▁New ▁Testament , ▁reject ing ▁any ▁belief ▁in ▁the ▁existence ▁of ▁dem ons ▁and ▁regarding ▁those ▁possessed ▁as ▁simply ▁suffering ▁from ▁mental ▁ill ness . ▁In ▁this ▁he ▁went