Yet again we reserve our judgement in
discussing the remedies against certain injuries to the fruits of the
earth, which are caused by canker-worms, or by huge flights of
locusts and other insects which cover vast areas of land, and seem to
hide the surface of the ground, eating up everything to the very
roots in the vineyards and devouring fields of ripe crops. In the
same light too we consider the remedies against the stealing of
children by the work of devils.
But
with regard to the former kind of injury we may quote S. Thomas, the
Second of the Second, Question 90, where he asks whether it is
lawful to adjure an irrational creature. He answers that it is; but
only in the way of compulsion, by which it is sent back to the devil,
who uses irrational creatures to harm us. And such is the method of
adjuration in the exorcisms of the Church by which the power of the
devil is kept away from irrational creatures. But if the adjuration
is addressed to the irrational creature itself, which understands
nothing, then it would be nugatory and vain. From this it can be
understood that they can be driven off by lawful exorcisms and
adjurations, the help of the Divine mercy being granted; but first
the people should be bidden to fast and to go in procession and
practice other devotions. For this sort of evil is sent on account of
adulteries and the multiplication of crimes; wherefore men must be
urged to confess their sins.
In some
provinces even solemn excommunications are pronounced; but then they
obtain power of adjuration over devils.
Another terrible thing which God permits to happen to men is when
their own children are taken away from women, and strange children
are put in their place by devils. And these children, which are
commonly called changelings, or in the German tongue Wechselkinder,
are of three kinds. For some are always ailing and crying, and yet
the milk of four women is not enough to satisfy them. Some are
generated by the operation of Incubus devils, of whom, however, they
are not the sons, but of that man from whom the devil has received
the semen as a Succubus, or whose semen he has collected from some
nocturnal pollution in sleep. For these children are sometimes, by
Divine permission, substituted for the real children.
And there is a third kind, when the devils at times
appear in the form of young children and attach themselves to the
nurses. But all three kinds have this in common, that though they are
very heavy, they are always ailing and do not grow, and cannot
receive enough milk to satisfy them, and are often reported to have
vanished away.
And it can be said that
the Divine pity permits such things for two reasons. First, when the
parents dote upon their children too much, and this a punishment for
their own good. Secondly, it is to be presumed that the women to whom
such things happen are very superstitious, and are in many other ways
seduced by devils. But God is truly jealous in the right sense of the
word, which means a strong love for a man's own wife, which not only
does not allow another man to approach her, but like a jealous
husband will not suffer the hint or suspicion of adultery. In the
same way is God jealous of the soul which He bought with His Precious
Blood and espoused in the Faith; and cannot suffer it to be touched
by, to converse with, or in any way to approach or have dealings with
the devil, the enemy and adversary of salvation. And if a jealous
husband cannot suffer even a hint of adultery, how much more will he
be disturbed when adultery is actually committed! Therefore it is no
wonder if their own children are taken away and adulterous children
substituted.
And indeed that it may be
more strongly impressed how God is jealous of the soul, and will not
suffer anything which might cause a suspicion, it is shown in the Old
Law where, that He might drive His people farther from idolatry, He
not only forbade idolatry, but also many other things which might
give occasion to idolatry, and seemed to have no use in themselves,
although in some marvellous way they retain some use in a mystical
sense. For He not only says in Exodus xxii: Thou shalt not
suffer a witch to live on this earth; but He adds this: She shall not
dwell in thy land, lest perchance she cause thee to sin. Similarly
common bawds and bulkers are put to death, and not allowed to company
with men.
Note the jealousy of God,
Who says as follows in Deuteronomy xxii: If thou find a bird's
nest, and the dam sitting upon the eggs or upon the young ones, thou
shalt not take the dam with the young, but thou shalt let the dam fly
away; because the Gentiles used these to procure sterility. The
jealous God would not suffer in His people this sign of adultery. In
like manner in our days when old women find a penny, they think it a
sign of great fortune; and conversely, when they dream of money it is
an unlucky sign. Also God taught that all vessels should be covered,
and that when a vessel had no cover it should be considered
unclean.
There was an erroneous belief
that when devils came in the night (or the Good People as old women
call them, though they are witches, or devils in their forms) they
must eat up everything, that afterwards they may bring greater
abundance of stores. Some people give colour to the story, and call
them Screech Owls; but this is against the opinion of the Doctors,
who say that there are no rational creatures except men and Angels;
therefore they can only be devils.
Again, in Leviticus xix: Ye shall not round the corners of
your heads, neither shalt thou mar the corners of thy beard; because
they did this idolatrously in veneration of idols.
Again in Deuteronomy xxii: God says that men shall not
put on the garments of women, or conversely; because they did this in
honour of the goddess Venus, and others in honour of Mars or
Priapus.
And for the same reason He
commanded the altars of idols to be destroyed; and Hezechias
destroyed the Brazen Serpent when the people wanted to sacrifice to
it, saying: It is brass. For the same reason He forbade the
observance of visions and auguries, and commanded that the man or
woman in whom there was a familiar spirit should be put to death.
Such are now called soothsayers. All these things, because they give
rise to suspicion of spiritual adultery, therefore, as has been said,
from the jealousy which God has for the souls He has espoused, as a
husband espouses a wife, they were all forbidden by Him.
And so we preachers also ought to bear in mind that no
sacrifice is more acceptable to God than a jealousy of souls, as S.
Jerome says in his commentaries upon Ezekiel.
Therefore in the Third Part of this work we shall treat the
extermination of witches, which is the ultimate remedy. For this is
the last recourse of the Church, to which she is bound by Divine
commandment. For it has been said: Ye shall not suffer witches to
live upon the earth. And with this will be included the remedies
against archer-wizards; since this kind can only be exterminated by
secular law.
A remedy. When certain
persons for the sake of temporal gain have devoted themselves
entirely to the devil, it has often been found that, though they may
be freed from the devil's power by true confession, yet they have
been long and grievously tormented, especially in the night. And God
allows this for their punishment. But a sign that they have been
delivered is that, after confession, all the money in their purses or
coffers vanishes. Many examples of this could be adduced, but for the
sake of brevity they are passed over and omitted.