Book III, chapters 18–21: Evil spirits, their bodies and their annoyance; the proper genius

CHAP. XVIII. Of the orders of evil spirits, and of their fall, and divers natures.

THere are some of the School of the Theologians, who distribute the evill spirits into nine degrees, as contrary to the nine orders of the Angels; Therefore the first of these are those which are called false gods, who usurping the name of God, would be worshipped for gods, and require sacrifices and adorations, as that Devil, who saith to Christ, if thou wilt fal down and worship me, I will give thee all these things, shewing him all the kingdoms of the world; and the Prince of these is he who said, I will ascend above the height of the clouds, and will be like to the most High; who is therefore called Beelzebub, that is, an old god. In the second place follow the spirits of lies, of which sort was he who went forth, and was a lying spirit in the mouth of the Prophets of Achab; and the Prince of these is the Serpent Pytho; from whence Apollo is called Pythius, and that woman a witch in Samuel, and the other in the Gospel, who had Pytho in their belly. Therefore this kind of Devils joyneth himself to the Oracles, and deludeth men by divinations, and predictions, so that he may deceive. In the third order are the vessels of iniquity, which are also called the vessels of wrath, these are the inventors of evil things and of all wicked arts, as in Plato, that devill Theutus who taught Cards and Dice; for all wickedness, malice and deformity proceedeth from these; of the which in Genesis, in the Benedictions of Simeon and Levi, Jacob saith, vessels of iniquity are in their habitations; into their counsel let not my soul come; whom the Psalmist calleth vessels of death, Esay vessels of fury, and Jeremy vessels of wrath, Ezekiel vessels of destroying and slaying, and their prince is Belial, which is interpreted without a yoak or disobedient, a prevaricator and an Apostate, of whom Paul to the Corinthians saith, what agreement hath Christ with Beliall? Fourthly follow the revengers of evil, and their Prince is Asmodeus, viz. causing judgement; After these in the fifth place come the deluders, who Imitate miracles, and serve wicked conjurers and witches, and seduce the people by their miracles, as the serpent seduced Eve, and their Prince is Satan, of whom is written in the Revelations, that he seduceth the whole world, doing great signs, and causing fire to descend from heaven in the sight of men, seducing the inhabitants of the earth, by reason of the signs, which are given him to do. Sixthly the Aeriall powers offer themselves; they joyn themselves to thundering and lightnings, corrupting the aire, causing pestilences and other evils; in the number of which, are the four Angels, of whom the Revelation speaketh, to whom it is given to hurt the Earth and Sea, holding the four windes, from the four corners of the earth; and their prince is called Meririm; he is the Meridian Devill, a boyling spirit, a devill raging in the South, whom Paul to the Ephesians calleth the Prince of the power of this air, and the spirit which worketh in the children of disobedience. The seventh mansion the furies possess, which are powers of evil, discords, war and devastations, whose Prince in the Revelations is called in Greek Apollyon, in Hebrew Abaddon, that is destroying and wasting. In the eighth place are the accusers, or the inquisitors, whose Prince is Astarath, that is, a searcher out: in the Greek language he is called Diabolos, that is an accuser, or calumniator, which in the Revelations is called the accuser, of the brethren, accusing them night & day before the face of our God. […]oreover the Tempters and Ensnarers have the last place, one of which is present with every man, which we therefore call the will Genius, and their Prince is Mammon, which is interpreted covetousness: But all unanimously maintain that evil spirits do […]ander up & down in this inferiour world, enraged against all, whom they therefore call Devils, of whom Austine in his […]rst book of the incarnation of the word to Januarius, saith: concerning the devils and his Angels contrary to Vertues, the Eclesiasticall preaching hath taught, that there are such things; it what they are and how they are, he hath not clear enough pounded: yet there is this opinion amongst most, that this evill was an Angel, and being made an Apostate, perswad, very many of the Angels to decline with himself, who even to this day are called his Angels: Greece notwithstanding […]nketh not that all these are damned, nor that they are all […]posely evil, but that from the Creation of the world, the […]pensation of things is ordained by this means, that the tor[…]ting of sinfull souls is made over to them: The other Theologians. say that not any Devill was created evill, but it they were driven and cast forth of Heaven, from the or[…]s of good Angels for their pride, whose fall not only our […] the Hebrew Theologians, but also the Assyrians, Arabians, […]yptians and Greeks do confirm by their tenents; Pherecydes Syrian describeth the fall of the Devils and that Ophis, that […]he Devilish serpent, was the head of that rebelling Army; Trismegistus sings the same fall in his Pimander, and Homer under the name of Ararus, in his verses; and Plutarch in his speech of usury, signifieth, that Empedocles knew that the fall of the devils was after this manner: the devils also themselves often confess their fall: they therefore being cast forth into this valley of misery, some that are nigh to us wander up and down in this obscure air, others inhabit lakes, rivers and seas, others the earth, and terrifie earthly things, and invade those who dig Wells and Metals, cause the gapings of the earth, strike together the foundation of mountains, and vex not only men, but also other creatures; some being content with laughter and delusion only, do contrive rather to weary men, then to hurt them, some heightning themselves to the length of a Giants body, and again shrinking themselves up to the smalness of the Pigmies, and changing themselves into divers forms, do disturb men with vain fear: other study lies and blasphemies, as we read of one in the this book of Kings, saying, I will go forth and be a lying spi[…] in the mouth of all the Prophets of Achab: but the worst […] of devils are those, who lay wait and overthrow passenge[…] in their journeys, and rejoyce in wars and effusion of blood and afflict men with most cruell stripes: we read of such i[…] Matthew, for fear of whom no man durst pass that way moreover the Scripture reckoneth up nocturnall, diurnall, […] meridionall devils, and describeth other spirits of wicked[…] by divers names, as we read in Esay of Satyrs, Scricho[…] Syrenes, storkes, Owls; and in the Psalms of Aspes, Basilisk Lions, Dragons; and in the Gospel we read of Scorpions […] Mammon and the prince of this world and rulers of darkness of all which Beelzebub is the prince, whom the Scripture […] leth the prince of wickedness. Porphyrie saith, their prince Serapis, who is also called Pluto by the Greeks, and a[…] Cerberus is chief amongst them, that three-headed dog: […] Because he is conversant in three elements, air, water, […] earth, a most pernicious devill; whence also: Proserpina, […] can do very much in these three elements, is their Prince which she testifies of her self in her answers, in these verses.

Of threefold nature I Lucina fair,
The daughter am, sent from above the air;
The golden Phoebe am, and with heads trine,
Whom many forms do change, and the trine sign
Which I bear with forms of earth, fire, and air,
I for black mastives of the earth do care.

Origen's opinion concerning the devils, is: The spirits who act of their own free will, left the service of God with their Prince the devil; if they began to repent a little, are clothed with humane flesh; That further by this repentance, after the resurrection, by the same means by the which they came into the flesh, they might at the last return to the vision of God, being then also freed from etheriall and aeriall bodies, and then all knees are to be bowed to God, of Celestiall, Terrestrial, and Infernall things, that God may be all in all: Moreover Saint Ireneus approveth the opinion of Justine Martyr, who hath said, Satan never durst speak blasphemy against God, before that the Lord came on the earth, because that he knew not as yet his condemnation; but there are many of the devils who are fallen, who hope for their salvation: Very many think by the History of Paul the Hermite, written by Jerome, & reverenced by the Church with Canonical hours, also by the Legend of Brandan, they are so taught; and even by this Argument they maintain that their prayers are heard; that we read in the Gospels, that Christ heard the prayers of the devils, and granted that they should enter into the Herd of Swine; to these also agreeth the 71. Psalm, according to our supputation, but according to the supputation of the Hebrews the 72, where we read, the Ethiopians shall fall before him, and his enemies lick the dust; there it is read according to the Hebrew text, they that inhabit the desert, shall bend their knees before him, that is, the aiery spirits shall adore […]im, as the Cabalists affirm, and his enemies shall lick the dust, which they understand of Zazell, and his Army: of which we read in Genesis, Dust shalt thou eat all the dayes of thy life, and elsewhere the Prophet saith, because the dust of the earth is his bread; hence the Cabalists think, that even some devils shall be saved, which opinion also it is manifest that Origen was of.

CHAP. XIX. Of the bodies of the Devils.

COncerning the bodies of Angels, there is a great dissention betwixt the late Divines, and Philosophers; for Thomas affirms that all angels are incorporeall, yea evil angels, yet that they do assume bodies sometimes, which after awhile they put off again; Dionysius in Divine names strongly affirms that Angels are incorporeal. Yet Austin upon Genesis delivers his opinion, that Angels are said to be Aery, and Fiery Animals: because they have the nature of Aeriall bodies, neither can they be dissolved by death, because the element which is more active then passive is predominant in them; the same seem to affirm, that all Angels in the beginning of their creation had Aeriall bodies, being formed of the more pure, and superiour part of the air, being more fit to act, then to suffer and that those bodies were after the confirmation preserve in good Angels, but changed in the evil in their fall, into the quality of more thick air, that they might be tormented in the fire: Moreover Magnus Basilius doth attribute bodies no[…] only to Devils, but also to pure angels, as certain thin, Aerial pure spirits; to which Gregory Nazianzen doth agree. Apuleius was of opinion, that all angels had not bodies; for in the book of the Demon of Socrates, he saith, that there is a mo[…] propitious kind of spirits, which being alwayes free from corporeal bonds, are procured by certain prayers. But Psellut the Platonist, and Christianus do think that the nature of spirits not without a body; but yet not that the body of angels, & devils are the same; for that is without all matter; but the bod[…] of devils are in a manner materiall, as shadows, and subjects passion, that they being struck are pained, and may be burnt in the fire, into conspicuous ashes, which as is recorded, was done in Tuscia. And although it be a spirituall body, yet it is most sensible, and being touched, suffers; and although it be cut asunder, yet comes together again, as air and water, but yet in the mean time is much pained. Hence it is that they fear the edge of the sword, and any weapon. Hence in Virgil the Sybill saith to Aeneas, Do thou go on thy way and draw thy sword.

Upon which Servius saith that she would have Aeneas have his sword consecrated. Orpheus also describes the kinds of Demonaicall bodies; there is indeed one body, which onely abides the fire, but being seen, doth not suffer, which Orpheus calls fiery, and Celestiall Demons: the other is contemperated with the mixtion of fire, and air, whence they are called Etheriall, and Aeriall; to which if any waterish thing was added, there arose a third kinde, whence they are Called watery, which sometimes are seen: to which if any earthiness be added, this is not very thick; they are called Terrene Demons, and they are more conspicuous, and sensible. Now the bodies of sublime Demons are nourished of the most pure Etheriall […]lement, and are not rashly to be seen of any, unless they be sent from God; being weaved of such bright threads, and so small, that they transmit all the rayes of our sight by their finess, and reverberate them with splendor, and deceive by their sub[…]lety; of which Calcidius saith, Etheriall, and Aeriall Demons, because their bodies have not so much fire as that they are conspicuous nor yet so much earth that the solidity of them resists she touch, and their whole composure being made up of the learnes, of the skie, and moisture of the air, hath joyned together an indissoluble superficies. The other Demons are neither […]o appearable, nor invisible, being sometimes conspicuous […]e turned into divers figures, and put upon themselves bodies sike shadows, of blood-less images, drawing the filthiness of […] gross body, and they have too much communion with the Wood (which the Ancients did call the wicked soul) and by reason of their affinity with earth, and water, are also taken with Terrene pleasures, and lust; of which sort are hobgoblins, and Incubi, and Succubi, of which number it is no absurd conjecture to think that Melusina was: yet there is none of the Demons (as Marcus supposeth) is to be supposed male or female, seeing this difference of sex belongs to compounds, but the bodies of Demons are simple, neither can any of the Demons turn themselves into all shapes at their pleasure; but to the fiery, and aiery it is easie so to do, viz: to change themselves into what shapes their imagination conceives: now subterraneall and dark Demons, because their nature being concluded in the streights of a thick and unactive body, cannot make the diversity of shapes, as others can. But the waterie, and such as dwell upon the moist superfices of the earth, are by reason of the moistness of the element, for the most part like to women; of such kinde are the fairies of the Rivers, and Nymphs of the Woods: but those which inhabite dry places, being of dryer bodies, shew themselves i[…] form of men, as Satyrs, or Onosceli, with Asses legs, o[…] Fauni, and Incubi, of which he saith, he learned by experience there were many, and that some of them oftentimes did desire and made compacts with women to lie with them: and that there were some Demons, which the French call Dusii, that did continually attempt this way of lust.

CHAP. XX. Of the annoyance of evil spirits, and the preservation we have by good spirits.

It is the common opinion of Divines, that all evil spirits are of that nature, that they hate God as well as men; therefore Divine providence hath set over us more pure spirits, with whom he hath entrusted us, as with Shepheards, and Governours, that they should daily help us, and drive away evil spirits from us, and curb, and restrain them, that they should not hurt us as much as they would; as is read in Tobia, that Raphael did apprehend the Demon called Asmodeus, and bound him in the wilderness of the upper Egypt. Of these Hesiod saith, there are 30000 of Jupiters immortall spirits living on the earth, which are the keepers of mortall men, who that they might observe justice and mercifull deeds, having clothed themselves with air, go every where on the earth. For there is no Prince, nor potentate could be safe, nor any woman continue uncorrupted, no man in this valley of ignorance could come to the end appointed to him by God, if good spirits did not secure us; Or if evill spirits should be permitted to satisfie the wils of men; As therefore amongst the good spirits there is a proper keeper or protector deputed to every one, corroborating the spirit of the man to good; so of evil spirits there is sent forth an enemy ruling over the flesh, and desire thereof; and the good spirit fights for us as a preserver against the enemie, and flesh; Now man betwixt these con[…]enders is the midle, and left in the hand of his own Counsell, […]o whom he will give victory; we cannot therefore accuse Angels, if they do not bring the Nations entrusted to them, to the knowledge of the true God, to true piety, and suffer them to fall into errours, and perverse worship: but it is to be imputed to themselves, who have of their own accord declined from the right path, adhering to the spirits of errours, giving victory to the Devill; for it is in the hand of man to adhere to whom he please, and overcome whom he will; by whom, if once the enemy the devill be overcome, he is made his servant, and being overcome, cannot fight any more with another, as a wasp that hath lost his sting: to which opinion Origen assents in his book Periarchon, concluding, that the Saints fighting against evil spirits, and overcoming, do lessen their armie, neither can he that is overcome by any, molest any more; As therefore there is given to every man a good spirit, so also there is given to every man an evil Diabolicall spirit, whereof each seeks an union with our spirit, and endeavours to attract it to it self, and to be mixed with it, as wine with water; the good indeed, through all good works conformable to it self, change us into Angels, by uniting us, as it is writ of John Baptist in Malachie: Behold I send mine Angel before thy face: of which transmutation, and union it is writ elsewhere; He which adheres to God is made one spirit with him. An evil spirit also by evil works, studies to make us conformable to it self, and to unite as Christ saith of Judas, Have not I chosen twelve, & one of you is a devil? And this is that which Hermes saith, when a spirit hath influence upon the soul of man, he scatters the seed of his own notion, whence such a soul being sowen with seeds, and full of fury, brings forth thence wonderfull things, and whatsoever are the offices of spirits: for when a good spirit hath influence upon a holy soul, it doth exalt it to the light of wisdom; but an evil spirit being transfused into a wicked soul, doth stir it up to theft, to man slaughter, to lusts, and whatsoever are the offices of evil spirits. Good spirits (as saith Jamblicus) purge the souls most perfectly; and some bestow upon us other good things; they being present do give health to the body, vertue to the soul, security to the soul, what is mortall in us they take away, cherish heat, and make it more efficacious to life, and by an Harmonie do alwayes infuse light into an intelligible mind. But whether there be many keepers of a man, or one alone, Theologians differ amongst themselves; we think there are more, the Prophet saying, he hath given his Angels a charge concerning thee, that they should keep thee in all thy wayes: which as saith Hierome, is to be understood of any man, as well as of Christ. All men therefore are governed by the ministery of divers Angels, and are brought to any degree of vertue, deserts, and dignity, who behave themselves worthy of them; but they which carry themselves unworthy of them are deposed, and thrust down, as well by evil spirits, as good spirits, unto the lowest degree of misery, as their evil merits shall require: but they that are attributed to the sublimer Angels, are preferred before other men, for Angels having the care of them, exalt them, and subject others to them by a certain occult power; which although neither of them perceive, yet he that is subjected, feels a certain yoke of presidency, of which he cannot easily acquit himself, yea he fears and reverenceth that power, which the superiour Angels make to flow upon superiours, and with a certain terrour bring the inferiours into a fear of presidency. This did Homer seem to be sensible of, when he saith, that the Muses begot of Jupiter, did alwayes as inseparable companions assist the Kings begot of Jupiter, who by them were made venerable, and magnificent. So we read that M. Antonius being formerly joyned in singular friendship with Octavus Augustus, were wont alwayes to play together. But when as alwayes Augustus went away conquerour, that a certain Magician Counselled M. Antonius thus. O Antony, what dost thou do with that yong man? shun, and avoid him, for although thou art elder then he, and art more skilfull then he, and art better descended then he, and hast endured the Wars of more Emperours, yet thy Genius doth much dread the Genius of this yong man, and thy Fortune flatter his Fortune; unless thou shalt shun him, it seemeth wholly to decline to him. Is not the Prince like other men, how should other men fear, and reverence him, unless a Divine terrour should exalt him, and striking a fear into others, depress them, that they should reverence him as a Prince? Wherefore we must endeavour, that being purified by doing well, and following sublime things, and choosing opportune times, and seasons, we be entrusted or committed to a degree of sublimer, and more potent Angels, who taking care of us, we may deservedly be preserred before others.

CHAP. XXI. Of obeying a proper Genius, and of the searching out the nature thereof.

AS every Region in the Celestials hath a certain Star, and Celestiall image which hath influence upon it before others: so also in supercelestials doth it obtain a certain Intelligence set over it, and guarding it, with infinite other ministring spirits of its order, all which are called by a common name, the Sons of Elohim Sabaoth [non-Latin script] i. e. Sons of the God of hosts. Hence, as often as the most high doth deliberate of War, or slaughter, or the desolation of any Kingdom, or subduing of any people in these inferiours, then no otherwise, when these shall come upon the earth there proceeds a conflict of these spirits above, as it is written in Isaiah, The Lord of hosts shall visit the Army of the high, in the heavens; and the Kings of the earth, in the earth; of which conflict of spirits and presidents, we read also in Daniel, viz. of the Prince of the Kingdom of the Persians, of the Prince of the Grecians, of the Prince of the people of Israel; and of their conflict amongst themselves, of which also Homer seemed formerly to be sensible of, when he sang.

Great was the rumour in the Court above,
When that the gods War mutually did move:
When Phoebus did to Neptune battle give,
Pallas with Mars the god of War did strive,
Diana did withstand in hostile way
Juno, and Latona did for to slay
Mercury attempt.—

Nevertheless seeing there be in every region spirits of all sorts, yet they are more powerfull there which are of the same order with the president of that region. So in the Solary region, the Solary spirits are most potent; in the Lunary, Lunany, and so of the rest. And hence it is that various events of our affairs offer themselves, & follow us in places and provinces, being more Fortunate in one place more then another, where viz. the Demon our Genius shall receive more power, or we shall there obtain a more powerfull Demon of the same order. So Solary men, if they shall travell into a Solary region, or province, shall be made there far more fortunate, because there they shall have more powerfull, and more advantagious conducters or Genii, by the present aid of whom they shall be brought beyond expectation, and their own power, to happy events. Hence it is that the choice of a place, region, or time doth much conduce to the happiness of life where any one shall dwell, & frequent, according to the nature & instinct of his own Genius. Sometimes also the change of the name doth conduce to the same, for whereas the properties of names being the significators of things themselves, do as it were in a glass declare the conditions of their forms; thence it comes to pass, that names being changed, the things oftentimes are changed. Hence the sacred writ doth not without cause bring in God, whilest he was blessing Abram, and Jacob, changing their names, calling the one Abraham, and the other Israel. Now the ancient Phylosophers teach us to know the nature of the Genius of every man, by Stars, their influx, and aspects, which are potent in the Nativity of any one; but with instructions so divers, and differing amongst themselves, that it is much difficult to understand the mysteries of the heavens by their directions. For Porphyrie seeks the Genius of the Star, which is the Lady of the Nativity: but Maternus either from thence, or from the Planets, which had then most dignities, or from that into whose house the Moon was to enter after that, which at the birth of the man it doth retain. But the Caldeans enquire after the Genius, either from the Sun above, or from the Moon. But others, and many Hebrews think it is to be enquired after from some corner of the heaven, or from all of them. Others seek a good Genius from the eleventh house, which therefore they call a good Demon; but an evil Genius from the sixth, which therefore they call an evil Demon. But seeing the inquisition of these is laborious, & most occult, we shallfar more easily enquire into the nature of our Genius from our selves, observing those things which the instinct of nature doth dictate to, and the heaven inclines us to from our infancy, being distracted with no contagion, or those things which the minde, the soul being freed from vain cares, and sinister affections, and impediments being removed, doth suggest to us: These without all doubt are the perswasions of a Genius which is given to every one from their birth, leading, and perswading us to that whither the Star thereof inclines us to.