Here follows the
Method of Preaching against and Controverting Five
Arguments of Laymen and Lewd Folk, which seem to be
Variously Approved, that God does not Allow so Great
Power to the Devil and Witches as is involved in the
Performance of such Mighty Works of Witchcraft.
Finally, let the preacher br armed against certain
arguments of laymen, and even of some learned men, who
deny, up to a certain point, that there are witches.
For, although they conceded the malice and power of the
devil to inflict such evils at his will, they deny that
the Divine permission is granted to him, and will not
admit that God allows such things to be done. And
although they have no method in their argument, groping
blindly now this way and now that, it is yet necessary
to reduce their assertions to five arguments, from which
all their cavillings proceed. And the first is, that God
does not permit the devil to rage against men wish such
great power.
The question
put is whether the Divine permission must always
accompany an infliction caused by the devil through a
witch. And give arguments are submitted to prove that
God does not permit it, and that therefore there is no
witchcraft in the world. And the first argument is taken
from God; the second from the devil; the third from the
witch; the fourth from the affliction ascribed to
witchcraft; and the fifth from the preachers and judges,
on the assumption that they have so preached against and
punished witches that they would have no security in
life.
And first as
follows: God can punish men for their sins, and He
punishes with the sword, famine, and pestilence; as well
as with various and countless other infirmities to which
human nature is subject. Wherefore, there being no need
for Him to add further punishments, He does not permit
witchcraft.
Secondly, if
that which is said of the devil were true, namely, that
he can obstruct the generative forces so that a woman
cannot conceive, or that if she does conceive, he can
cause an abortion; or, if there is no abortion, he can
cause the children to be killed after birth; in that
case he would be able to destroy the whole world; and it
could also be said that the devil's works were stronger
than God's, since the Sacrament of matrimony is a work
of God.
Thirdly, they
argue from man himself, that if there were any
witchcraft in the world, then some men would be more
bewitched than others; and that it is a false argument
to say that men are bewitched for a punishment of their
sins, and therefore false to maintain that there is
witchcraft in the world. And they prove that it is false
by arguing that, if it were true, then the greater
sinners would receive the greater punishment, and that
this is not the case; for sinners are less punished
sometimes than the just, as is seen in the case of
innocent children who are alleged to be bewitched.
Their fourth
argument can be added to that which they adduce
concerning God; namely, that a thing which a man can
prevent and does not prevent, but allows it to be done,
may be judged to proceed from his will. But since God is
All-Good, He cannot wish evil, and therefore cannot
permit evil to be done which He is able to prevent.
Again, taking
their argument from the infliction itself, which is
alleged to be due to witchcraft; they submit that they
are similar to natural infirmities and defects, and may
therefore by cause by a natural defect. For it may
happen through some natural defect that a man becomes
lame, or blind, or loses his reason, or even dies;
wherefore such things cannot confidently be ascribed to
witches.
Lastly, they
argue that preachers and judges have preached and
practised against witches in such a way that, if there
were witches, their lives would never be safe from them
on account of the great hatred that witches would have
for them.
But the
contrary arguments may be taken from the First Question,
where it treats of the third postulate of the First
Part; and those points may be propounded to the people
which are most fitting. How God permits evil to be, even
though He does not wish it; but He permits it for the
wonderful perfecting of the universe, which may be
considered in the fact that good things are more highly
commendable, are more pleasing and laudable, when they
are compared with bad things; and authority can be
quoted in support of this. Also that the depth of God's
Divine wisdom, justice, and goodness should be shown
forth, whereas it would otherwise remain hidden.
For a brief
settlement of this question there are various treatises
available on this subject for the information of the
people, to the effect, namely, that God justly permitted
two Falls, that of the Angels and that of our first
parents; and since these were the greatest of all falls,
it is no matter for wonder if other smaller ones are
permitted. But it is in their consequences that those
two Falls were the greatest, not in their circumstances,
in which last respect, as was shown in the last
Question, the sins of witches exceed those of the bad
angels and our first parents. In the same place it is
shown how God justly permitted those first Falls, and
anyone is at liberty to collect and enlarge upon what is
there said as much as he wishes.
But we must
answer their arguments. As to the first, that God
punishes quite enough by means of natural diseases, and
by sword and famine, we make a threefold answer. First,
that God did not limit His power to the processes of
nature, or even to the influences of the stars, in such
a way that He cannot go beyond those limits; for He has
often exceeded them in the punishment of sins, by
sending plagues and other afflictions beyond all the
influence of that stars; as when He punished the sin of
pride in David, when he numbered the people, by sending
a pestilence upon the people.
Secondly, it
agrees with the Divine wisdom that He should so govern
all things that He allows them to act at their own
instigation. Consequently, it is not His purpose to
prevent altogether the malice of the devil, but rather
to permit it as far as He sees it to be for the ultimate
good of the universe; although it is true that the devil
is continually held in check by the good Angels, so that
he may not do all the harm that he wishes. Similarly He
does not propose to restrain the human sins which are
possible to man through his free-will, such as the
abnegation of the Faith, and the devotion of himself to
the devil, which things are in the power of the human
will. From these two premisses it follows that, when God
is most offended, He justly permits those evils which
are chiefly sought for by witches, and for which they
deny the Faith, up to the extent of the devil's power;
and such is the ability to injure men, animals, and the
fruits of the earth.
Thirdly, God
justly permits those evils which indirectly cause the
greatest uneasiness and torment to the devil; and of
such a sort are those evils which are done by witches
through the power of devils. For the devil is indirectly
tormented very greatly when he sees that, against his
will, God uses all evil for the glory of His name, for
the commendation of the Faith, for the purgation of the
elect, and for the acquisition of merit. For it is
certain that nothing can be more galling to the pride of
the devil, which he always rears up against God (as it
is said: The pride of them that hate Thee increases
ever), than that God should convert his evil
machinations to His own glory. Therefore God justly
permits all these things.
Their second
argument has been answered before; but there are two
points in it which must be answered in detail. In the
first place, far from its being true that the devil, or
his works, as stronger than God, it is apparent that his
power is small, since he can do nothing without the
Divine permission. Therefore it may be said that the
devil's power is small in comparison with the Divine
permission, although it is very great in comparison with
earthly powers, which it naturally excels, as is shown
in the often quoted text in Job xi: There is no
power on earth to be compared with him.
In the second
place, we must answer the question with God permits
witchcraft to affect the generative powers more than any
other human function. This has been dealt with above,
under the title, How witches can obstruct the generative
powers and the venereal act. For it is on account of the
shamefulness of that act, and because the original sin
due to the guilt of our first parents is inherited by
means of that act. It is symbolized also by the serpent,
who was the first instrument of the devil.
To their
third we answer that the devil has more intention and
desire to tempt the good than the wicked; although he
does in fact tempt the wicked more than the good, for
the reason that the wicked have more aptitude than the
good to respond to his temptation. In the same way, he
is more eager to injure the good than the bad, but he
finds it easier to injure the wicked. And the reason for
this is, according to S. Gregory, that the more often a
man gives way to the devil, the harder he makes it for
himself to struggle against him. But since it is the
wicked who most often give way to the devil, their
temptations are the hardest and most frequent, as they
have not the shield of Faith with which to protect
themselves. Concerning this shield S. Paul speaks in Ephesians
vi. Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye
shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the
wicked. But on the other hand, he assails the good more
bitterly than the wicked. And the reason for this is
that he already possesses the wicked, but not the good;
and therefore he tried the harder to draw into his power
through tribulation the just, who are not his, than the
wicked, who are already his. In the same way, an earthly
prince more severely chastises those who disobey his
laws, or injure his kingdom, that those who do not set
themselves against him.
In answer to
their fourth argument, in addition to what has already
been written on this subject, the preacher can expound
the truth that God permits evil to be done, but does not
wish it to be done, by the five signs of the Divine
will, which are Precept, Prohibition, Advice, Operation,
and Permission. See S. Thomas, especially in his First
Part, quest. 19, art. 12, where this is very plainly set
forth. For although there is only one will in God, which
is God Himself, just as His Essence is One; yet in
respect of its fulfilment, His will is shown and
signified to us in many ways, as the Psalm says:
The mighty works of the Lord are fulfilled in all His
wishes. Wherefore there is a distinction between the
actual essential Will of God and its visible effects;
even as the will, properly so called, is the will of a
man's good pleasure, but in a metaphorical sense it is
the will expressed by outward signs. For it is by signs
and metaphors that we are shown that God wishes this to
be.
We may take
an example from a human father who, while he has only
one will in himself, expresses that will in five ways,
either by his own agency, or through that of someone
else. Through his own agency he expresses it in two
ways, either directly or indirectly. Directly, when he
himself does a thing; and then it is Operation.
Indirectly, when he does not hinder someone else from
acting (see Aritotle's Physics, IV: Prohibition
is indirect causation), and this is called the sign of
Permission. And the human father signifies his will
through the agency of someone else in three ways. Either
he orders someone to do something, or conversely forbids
something; and these are the signs of Precept and
Prohibition. Or he persuades and advises someone to do
something; and this is the sign of Advice. And just as
the human will is manifested in these five ways, so is
God's will. For that God's will is shown by Precept,
Prohibition, and Advice is seen in S. Matthew vi:
Thy will be done in earth as it is in heaven: that is to
say, may we on earth fulfil His Precepts, avoid His
Prohibitions, and follow His Advice. And in the same
way, S. Augustine shows that Permission and Operation
are signs of God's will, where he says in the Enchiridion:
Nothing is done unless Almighty God wishes it to be
done, either by permitting it or by Himself doing it.
To return to
the argument; it is perfectly true that when a man can
prevent a thing, and does not, that thing may be said to
proceed from his will. And the inference that God, being
All-Good, cannot wish evil to be done, is also true in
respect of the actual Good Pleasure of God's Will, and
also in respect of four of the signs of His Will; for it
is needless to say that He cannot operate evil, or
command evil to be done, or fail to be opposed to evil,
or advise evil; but He can, however, permit evil to be
done.
And if it is
asked how it is possible to distinguish whether an
illness is caused by witchcraft or by some natural
physical defect, we answer that there are various
methods. And the first is by means of the judgement of
doctors. See the words of S. Augustine On the
Christian Doctrine: To this class of superstition
belong all charms and amulets suspended or bound about
the person, which the School of Medicine despises. For
example, doctors may perceive from the circumstances,
such as the patient's age, healthy complexion, and the
reaction of his eyes, that his disease does not result
from any defect of the blood or the stomach, or any
other infirmity; and they therefore judge that it is not
due to any natural defect, but to some extrinsic cause.
And since that extrinsic cause cannot be any poisonous
infection, which would be accompanied by ill humours in
the blood and stomach, they have sufficient reason to
judge that it is due to witchcraft.
And secondly,
when the disease is incurable, so that the patient can
be relieved by no drugs, but rather seems to be
aggravated by them.
Thirdly, the
evil may come so suddenly upon a man that it can only be
ascribed to witchcraft. An example of how this happened
to one man has been made known to us. A certain
well-born citizen of Spires had a wife who was of such
an obstinate disposition that, though he tried to please
her in every way, yet she refused in nearly every way to
comply with his wishes, and was always plaguing him with
abusive taunts. It happened that, on going into his
house one day, and his wife railing against him as usual
with opprobrious words, he wished to go out of the house
to escape from quarrelling. But she quickly ran before
him and locked the door by which he wished to go out;
and loudly swore that, unless he beat her, there was no
honesty or faithfulness in him. At these heavy words he
stretched out his hand, not intending to hurt her, and
struck her lightly with his open palm on the buttock;
whereupon he suddenly fell to the ground and lost all
his senses, and lay in bed for many weeks afflicted with
a most grievous illness. Now it is obvious that this was
not a natural illness, but was caused by some witchcraft
of the woman. And very many similar cases have happened,
and been made known to many.
There are
some who can distinguish such illnesses by means of a
certain practice, which is as follows. They hold molten
lead over the sick man, and pour it into a bowl of
water. And if the lead condenses into some image, they
judge that the sickness is due to witchcraft. And when
such men are asked whether the image so formed is caused
by the work of devils, or is due to some natural cause,
they answer that it is due to the power of Saturn over
lead, the influence of that planet being in other
respects evil, and that the sun has a similar power over
gold. But what should be thought of this practice, and
whether it is lawful or not, will be discussed in the
Second Part of this treatise. For the Canonists say that
it is lawful that vanity may be confounded by vanity;
but the Theologians hold a directly opposite view,
saying that it is not right to do evil that good may
come.
In their last
argument they advance several objections. First, why do
not witches become rich? Secondly, why, having the
favour of princes, do they not co-operate for the
destruction of all their enemies? Thirdly, why are they
unable to injure Preachers and others who persecute
them?
For the
first, it is to be said that witches are not generally
rich for this reason: that the devils like to show their
contempt for the Creator by buying witches for the
lowest possible price. And also, lest they should be
conspicuous by their riches.
Secondly,
they do not injure princes because they wish to retain,
as far as possible, their friendship. And if it is asked
why they do not hurt their enemies, it is answered that
a good Angel, working on the other side, prevents such
witchcraft. Compare the passage in Daniel: The
Prince of the Persians withstood me for twenty-one days.
See S. Thomas in the Second Book of Sentences,
where he debates whether there is any contest among the
good Angels, and of what sort.
Thirdly, it
is said that they cannot injure Inquisitors and other
officials, because they dispense public justice. Many
examples could be adduced to prove this, but time does
not permit it.
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