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| Chapter XXXII. Of the different desires and wishes which exist in the powers of the air.
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Chapter XXXII.
Of the different desires and wishes which exist in the
powers of the air.
But it is clearly proved
that there exist in unclean spirits as many desires as there are in
men. For some of them, which are commonly called Plani,1508
| 1508 “Πλανοί,”
“Seducers,” if the reading be correct: but some
mss. have “Fauni.” | are shown to be so seductive and sportive
that, when they have taken continual possession of certain places or
roads, they delight themselves not indeed with tormenting the passers
by whom they can deceive, but, contenting themselves merely with
laughing at them and mocking them, try to tire them out rather than to
injure them: while some spend the night merely by harmlessly taking
possession of men, though others are such slaves to fury and ferocity
that they are not simply content with hurting the bodies of those of
whom they have taken possession, by tearing them in a dreadful manner,
but actually are eager to rush upon those who are passing by at a
distance, and to attack them with most savage slaughter: like those
described in the gospel, for fear of whom no man dared to pass by that
way. And there is no doubt that these and such as these in their
insatiable fury delight in wars and bloodshed. Others we find affect
the hearts of those whom they have seized with empty pride, (and these
are commonly called Bacucei1509
| 1509 The origin of this
term is obscure. | ) so that they
stretch themselves up beyond their proper height and at one time puff
themselves up with arrogance and pomposity, and at another time
condescend in an ordinary and bland manner, to a state of calmness and
affability: and as they fancy that they are great people and the wonder
of everybody, at one time show by bowing their body that they are
worshipping higher powers, while at another time they think that they
are worshipped by others, and so go through all those movements which
express true service either proudly or humbly. Others we find are not
only keen for lies, but also inspire men with blasphemies. And of this
we ourselves can testify as we have heard a demon openly confessing
that he had proclaimed a wicked and impious doctrine by the mouths of
Arius and Eunomius. And the same thing we read that one of them openly
proclaimed in the fourth book of Kings: “I will go forth,”
he said, “and will be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his
prophets.”1510
On which the
Apostle, when reproving those who are deceived by them, adds as
follows: “giving heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of devils
speaking lies in hypocrisy.”1511
And that there
are other kinds of devils which are deaf and dumb the gospels testify.
And that some spirits incite to lust and wantonness the prophet
maintains saying: “The spirit of fornication deceived them and
they went astray from their God.”1512
In the same way the authority of Scripture teaches us that there are
demons of the night and of the day and of the noonday:1513
But it would take too long to search
through the whole of Scripture and run through the different kinds of
them, as they are termed by the prophets onocentaurs, satyrs, sirens,
witches, howlers, ostriches, urchins; and asps and basilisks in the
Psalms; and are called lions, dragons, scorpions in the gospel, and are
named by the Apostle the prince of this world, rulers of this darkness,
and spirits of wickedness.1514
| 1514 Cf. Bible:Luke.10.19 Bible:John.14.30 Bible:Eph.6.12">Is. xiii. 21, 22; xxxiv.
13, 15; Ps. xc. (xci.) 13; S. Luke x. 19; S. John xiv. 30; Eph. vi.
12. | And all these
names we ought not to take as given at random or hap-hazard, but as
alluding to their fierceness and madness under the sign of those wild
beasts which are more or less harmful and dangerous among us, and by
comparing them to the poisonous wickedness or power which among other
beasts or serpents, some pre-eminence in evil confers on them, they are
called by their names, in such a way that to one is assigned the name
of lion because of the fury of his rage and the madness of his anger,
to another that of basilisk because of his deadly poison, which kills a
person before it is perceived, and to another that of onocentaur or
urchin or ostrich because of his sluggish malice.E.C.F. INDEX & SEARCH
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