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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 more propitious kind of spirits, which being alwayes free
from corporeal bonds, are procured by certain prayers. But Psellus the Platonist, and
Christianus do think that the nature of spirits is not without a body; but yet not that the
body of angels, & devils are the same; for that is without matter; but the bodies of devils
are in a manner materiall, as shadows, and subject to 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 Demoniacall 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 element, 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 subtlety; 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 the touch, and their whole composure being made up
of the clearness of the skie [sky], and moisture of the air, hath joyned [joined] together an
indissoluble superficies. The other Demons are neither so appearable, nor invisible, being
sometimes conspicuous are turned into divers figures, and put upon themselves bodies
like shadows, of blood-less images, drawing the filthiness of a 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 Mareus
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 in form of men, as Satyrs, or Onosceli, with Asses legs, or
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.
Chapter 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 [shepherds], 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 [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
zanotowane.pl doc.pisz.pl pdf.pisz.pl aikidobyd.xlx.pl
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 more propitious kind of spirits, which being alwayes free
from corporeal bonds, are procured by certain prayers. But Psellus the Platonist, and
Christianus do think that the nature of spirits is not without a body; but yet not that the
body of angels, & devils are the same; for that is without matter; but the bodies of devils
are in a manner materiall, as shadows, and subject to 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 Demoniacall 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 element, 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 subtlety; 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 the touch, and their whole composure being made up
of the clearness of the skie [sky], and moisture of the air, hath joyned [joined] together an
indissoluble superficies. The other Demons are neither so appearable, nor invisible, being
sometimes conspicuous are turned into divers figures, and put upon themselves bodies
like shadows, of blood-less images, drawing the filthiness of a 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 Mareus
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 in form of men, as Satyrs, or Onosceli, with Asses legs, or
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.
Chapter 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 [shepherds], 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 [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]