Communion unworthily,[527] say that the demon occasioned them
dangerous maladies, of which many died? Will it be believed that those
whom the same Apostle delivered over to Satan[528] suffered nothing
bodily; and that Judas, having received from the Son of God a bit of
bread dipped in the dish,[529] and Satan having entered into him, that
bad spirit did not disturb his reason, his imagination, and his heart,
until at last he led him to destroy himself, and to hang himself in
despair?

We may believe that all these angels were evil angels, although it
cannot be denied that God employs sometimes the good angels also to
exercise his vengeance against the wicked, as well as to chastise,
correct, and punish those to whom God desires to be merciful; as he
sends his Prophets to announce good and bad tidings, to threaten
punishment, and excite to repentance.

But nowhere do we read that either the good or the evil angels have of
their own authority alone either given life to any person or restored
it. This power is reserved to God alone.[530] The demon, according to
the Gospel,[531] in the last days, and before the last Judgment, will
perform, either by his own power or that of Antichrist and his
subordinates, such wonders as would, were it possible, lead the elect
themselves into error. From the time of Jesus Christ and his Apostles,
Satan raised up false Christs and false Apostles, who performed many
seeming miracles, and even resuscitated the dead. At least, it was
maintained that they had resuscitated some: St. Clement of Alexandria
and Hegesippus make mention of a few resurrections operated by Simon
the magician;[532] it is also said that Apollonius of Thyana brought
to life a girl they were carrying to be buried. If we may believe
Apuleius,[533] Asclepiades, meeting a funeral convoy, resuscitated the
body they were carrying to the pile. It is asserted that AEsculapius
restored to life Hippolytus, the son of Theseus; also Glaucus, the son
of Minos, and Campanes, killed at the assault of Thebes, and Admetus,
King of Phera in Thessaly. Elian[534] attests that the same AEsculapius
joined on again the head of a woman to her corpse, and restored her to
life.

But if we possessed the certainty of all these events which we have
just cited--I mean to say, were they attested by ocular witnesses,
well-informed and disinterested, which is not the case--we ought to
know the circumstances attending these events, and then we should