here are effects which can be reasonably attributed to the
Almighty power of God alone, who acts immediately, or makes secondary
causes act to his glory, for the advancement of religion, and the
manifestation of the truth; and other effects there are, which bear
visibly the character of illusion, impiety, and seduction, and in
which it would seem that, instead of the finger of God, we can observe
only the marks of the spirit of deceit and falsehood.

Footnotes:

[260] Matt. xii. 24-27. Luke xi. 15-18.

[261] Matt. viii. 29.

[262] Tertullian does not say so much in the passage cited; on the
contrary, he affirms that we are ignorant of their nature: _substantia
ignoratur_.

CHAPTER XXVIII.

CONTINUATION OF OBJECTIONS AGAINST POSSESSIONS, AND SOME REPLIES TO
THOSE OBJECTIONS.

We read in works, published and printed, composed by Catholic authors
of our days,[263] that it is proved by reason, that possessions of the
demon are naturally impossible, and that it is not true, in regard to
ourselves and our ideas, that the demon can have any natural power
over the corporeal world; that as soon as we admit in the created
wills a power to act upon bodies, and to move them, it is impossible
to set bounds to it, and that this power is truly infinite.

They maintain that the demon can act upon our souls simply by means of
suggestion; that it is impossible the demon should be the physical
cause of the least external effect; that all the Scripture tells us of
the snares and stratagems of Satan signifies nothing more than the
temptations of the flesh and concupiscence; and that to seduce us, the
demon requires only mental suggestions. His is a moral, not a physical
power; in a word, _that the demon can do neither good nor harm; that
his might is nought_; that we do not know if God has given to any
other spirit than the soul of man the power to move the body; that, on
the contrary, we ought to presume that the wisdom of God has willed
that pure spirits should have no commerce with the body; they maintain
moreover that the pagans never knew what we call bad angels and
demons.

All these propositions are certainly contrary to Scripture, to the
opinions of the Fathers, and to the tradition of the Catholic Church.
But these gentlemen do not trouble themselves about that; they affirm
that the sacred writers have often expressed themselves according to
the opinions of their time, whether because the necessity of making