that angels and demons appear
only by the particular will of God, and not in consequence of his
general will, and by virtue of his natural and physical concurrence
with his creatures.

In the first case, these apparitions are miraculous, as being above
the natural power of the agents in question; in the second case, there
is nothing supernatural in them except the permission which God rarely
grants to souls to return, to angels and demons to appear, and to
produce the effects of which we have spoken.

According to these principles we may advance without temerity--

1st. That angels and demons have often appeared unto men, that souls
separated from the body have often returned, and that both the one and
the other may do the same thing again.

2d. That the manner of these apparitions, and of these returns to
earth, is perfectly unknown, and given up by God to the discussions
and researches of mankind.

3d. That there is some likelihood that these kinds of apparitions are
not absolutely miraculous on the part of the good and evil angels, but
that God allows them sometimes to take place, for reasons the
knowledge of which is reserved to himself alone.

4th. That no certain rule on this point can be given, nor any
demonstrative argument formed, for want of knowing perfectly the
nature and extent of the power of the spiritual beings in question.

5th. That we should reason upon those apparitions which appear in
dreams otherwise than upon those which appear when we are awake;
differently also upon apparitions wearing solid bodies, speaking,
walking, eating and drinking, and those which seem like a shade, or a
nebulous and aerial body.

6th. Thus it would be rash to lay down principles, and raise uniform
arguments, and all these things in common, every species of apparition
demanding its own particular explanation.

CHAPTER LI.

WAY OF EXPLAINING APPARITIONS.

Apparitions in dreams, for instance, that of the angel[439] who told
St. Joseph to carry the infant Jesus into Egypt because King Herod
wished to put him to death; there are two things appertaining to this
apparition--the first is, the impression made on the mind of St.
Joseph that an angel appeared to him; the second is, the prediction or
revelation of the ill-will of Herod. Both these are above the ordinary
powers of our nature, but we know not if they be above the power of
angels; it is certain that it could not have been done except by the
will