s power. In his Second Apology, Justin says: "And now you can learn
this from what is under your own observation. For numberless demoniacs
throughout the whole world, and in your city, many of our Christian
men exorcising them in the name of Jesus Christ, who was crucified
under Pontius Pilate, have healed and do heal, rendering helpless and
driving the possessing demons out of the men, though they could not be
cured by all the other exorcists, and those who used incantations and
drugs."

Irenaeus (130-202) held that mankind, through transgressions of divine
command, fell absolutely from the time of Adam into the power of
Satan. On the other hand, he assures us that all Christians possessed
the power of working miracles; that they prophesied, cast out devils,
healed the sick, and sometimes even raised the dead; that some who had
been thus resuscitated lived for many years among them, and that it
would be impossible to reckon the wonderful acts that were daily
performed.[5]

Tertullian (160-220) insisted that a malevolent angel was in constant
attendance upon every person, but in writing to the pagans in a time
of persecution he challenged his opponents to bring forth any person
who was possessed by a demon or any of those prophets or virgins who
were supposed to be inspired by a divinity. He asserted that all
demons would be compelled to confess their diabolical character when
questioned by any Christians, and invited the pagans, if it were
otherwise, to put the Christian immediately to death, for this, he
thought, was the simplest and most decisive demonstration of the
faith.

Lecky tells us of the attitude of the fathers toward demonism in the
following words: "Justin Martyr, Origen, Lactantius, Athanasius, and
Minucius Felix, all in language equally solemn and explicit, call upon
the pagans to form their own opinions from the confessions wrung from
their own gods. We hear from them, that when a Christian began to
pray, to make the sign of the cross, or to utter the name of his
Master in the presence of a possessed or inspired person, the latter,
by screams and frightful contortions, exhibited the torture that was
inflicted, and by this torture the evil spirit was compelled to avow
its nature. Several of the Christian writers declare that this was
generally known to pagans."[6]

Origen (185-254) said: "It is demons which produce famine,
unfruitfulness, corruptions of the air, pestilence; they hover
concealed in