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| Influence of the Moon and Stars on Men. PREVIOUS SECTION - NEXT SECTION - HELP
6. Influence of the Moon
and Stars on Men.
Let us now, then, give heed to the very letter of the
passage, and first let us inquire, how he who has been cast into
darkness and repressed by an impure and deaf and dumb spirit is said to
be a “lunatic,” and for what reason the expression to be a
“lunatic” derives its name from the great light in heaven
which is next to the sun, which God appointed “to rule over the
night.”5870 Let
physicians then, discuss the physiology of the matter, inasmuch as they
think that there is no impure spirit in the case, but a bodily
disorder, and inquiring into the nature of things let them say, that
the moist humours which are in the head are moved by a certain sympathy
which they have with the light of the moon, which has a moist nature;
but as for us, who also believe the Gospel that this sickness is viewed
as having been effected by an impure dumb and deaf spirit in those who
suffer from it, and who see that those, who are accustomed like the
magicians of the Egyptians to promise a cure in regard to such, seem
sometimes to be successful in their case, we will say that, perhaps,
with the view of slandering the creation of God, in order that
“unrighteousness may be spoken loftily, and that they may set
their mouth against the heaven,”5871
this impure spirit watches certain configurations of the moon, and so
makes it appear from observation of men suffering at such and such a
phase of the moon, that the cause of so great an evil is not the dumb
and deaf demon, but the great light in heaven which was appointed
“to rule by night,” and which has no power to originate
such a disorder among men. But they all “speak
unrighteousness loftily,” as many as say, that the cause of all
the disorders which exist on the earth, whether of such generally or of
each in detail, arises from the disposition of the stars; and such have
truly “set their mouth against the heaven,” when they say
that some of the stars have a malevolent, and others a benevolent
influence; since no star was formed by the God of the universe to work
evil, according to Jeremiah as it is written in the Lamentations,
“Out of the mouth of the Lord shall come things noble and that
which is good.”5872 And it is
probable that as this impure spirit, producing what is called lunacy,
observes the phases of the moon, that it may work on him who for
certain causes has been committed to it, and who has not made himself
worthy of the guardianship of angels, so also there are other spirits
and demons who work at certain phases of the rest of the stars; so that
not the moon only, but the rest of the stars also may be calumniated by
those “who speak unrighteousness loftily.” It is
worth while, then, to listen to the casters of nativities, who refer
the origin of every form of madness and every demoniacal possession to
the phases of the moon. That those, then, who suffer from what is
called lunacy sometimes fall into the water is evident, and that they
also fall into the fire, less frequently indeed, yet it does happen;
and it is evident that this disorder is very difficult to cure, so that
those who have the power to cure demoniacs sometimes fail in respect of
this, and sometimes with fastings
and supplications and more toils, succeed. But you will inquire
whether there are such disorders in spirits as well as in men; so that
some of them speak, but some of them are speechless, and some of them
hear, but some are deaf; for as in them will be found the cause of
their being impure, so also, because of their freedom of will, are they
condemned to be speechless and deaf; for some men will suffer such
condemnation if the prayer of the prophet, as spoken by the Holy
Spirit, shall be given heed to, in which it is said of certain sinners,
“Let the lying lips be put to silence.”5873 And so, perhaps, those who make a bad
use of their hearing, and admit the hearing of vanities, will be
rendered deaf by Him who said, “Who hath made the stone-deaf and
the deaf,”5874 so that they may no
longer lend an ear to vain things.E.C.F. INDEX & SEARCH
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