e cross as folly, and the others as
the work of sublimest wisdom, and of the most admirable power of God.
Pharaoh hardened his heart when he saw the wonders wrought by Moses;
but the magicians of Egypt were at last obliged to recognize in them
the hand of God. The Hebrews on sight of these wonders take confidence
in Moses and Aaron, and yield themselves to their guidance, without
fearing the dangers to which they may be exposed.

We have already remarked that the demon often seems to act against his
own interest, and destroy his own empire, by saying that everything
which is related of the return of spirits, the obsessions and
possessions of the demon, of spells, magic, and sorcery, are only
tales wherewith to frighten children; that they all have no existence
except in weak and prejudiced minds. How can it serve the demon to
maintain this, and destroy the general opinion of nations on all these
things? If in all there is only falsehood and illusion, what does he
gain by undeceiving people? and if there is any truth in them, why
decry his own work, and take away the credit of his subordinates and
his own operations?

Jesus Christ in the Gospel refutes those who said that he expelled
devils in the name of Beelzebub;[260] he maintains that the accusation
is unfounded, because it was incredible that Satan should destroy his
own work and his own empire. The reasoning is doubtless solid and
conclusive, above all to the Jews, who thought that Jesus Christ did
not differ from other exorcists who expelled demons, unless it was
that he commanded the prince of devils, while the others commanded
only the subaltern demons. Now, on this supposition, the prince of the
demons could not expel his subalterns without destroying his own
empire, without decrying himself, and without ruining the reputation
of those who only acted by his orders.

It may be objected to this argument, that Jesus Christ supposed, as
did the Jews, that the demons whom he expelled really possessed those
whom he cured, in whatever manner he might cure them; and consequently
that the empire of the demons subsisted, both in Beelzebub, the prince
of the demons, and in the other demons who were subordinate to him,
and who obeyed his orders; thus, his empire was not entirely
destroyed, supposing that Jesus Christ expelled them in the name of
Beelzebub; that subordination, on the contrary, supposed that power or
empire of the prince of the demons, and strengthened it