Dissertation on the Natural Knowledge of Angelic Existence

are not lacking examples of those who, although not bound to the Devil by any pact, yet by the tragic end of their life—which they achieved through the wickedness of their morals and flagitious words and deeds—or by terrors struck by demons, have almost been killed, [and] have sufficiently given proof of their existence and powers. Mart. Delrio (n) will give an example, which cannot be remembered without horror. The name of the place, he says, I keep silent. In the County of Flanders there is a priory; three gluttons lived there, and each had a concubine, and there was no shame present. They were gluttons and lechers together. One day, with a drinking bout prolonged into late night, one who was less wicked said, "Enough has been given to Bacchus and the belly, thanks be to God at least." But I, another more impudent one subjoined, "I give thanks to the Cacodemon, and I think thanks ought to be given, for whom we work." And with a laugh, the table was left and they rushed to their beds. As soon as each had lain down with his whore, behold, the door having been unbarred by force, a demon in the guise of a great, black, and truculent man, in hunting attire, and with him two little hell-hounds, walked in, and looked around at the beds with a grim countenance: then with a horrific voice, "Where is he who gave thanks to me? I am here, I will repay." He dragged the trembling man from the bed, and almost expiring from fear, ordered him to be fixed to a spit by the hell-hounds, and to be properly roasted with a bright fire. They obey promptly, the wretch is roasted, he dies most plainly; the others [were] almost dead from fear; the cubicle is filled with the smell of the roasted body. Finally, the hunter said to the survivors trembling under the covers, barely alive, "You also are worthy of equal punishment, and the will does not fail me. I am forbidden by a greater force. Unwillingly I depart, and I warn you: repent, or more terrible things await." The phantoms disappear, nor did another spirit return to them or [the power of] voice, except when the light was already clear. When they arose, they found their colleague dead, and, so that you do not think it an empty vision, fully roasted. But since all these things become known from the light of nature alone, and it is not doubtful that they truly happened, it is clear that the knowledge of at least evil angels can evidently be drawn from the light of nature alone.

§. XV.

Truly, there are also some things here which seem to throw a drag upon this argument. First, Wierus (o) resisted powerfully, not indeed with the intention to remove the natural knowledge of angelic existence, which, however, if his opinion stood, would be entirely removed as far as this argument brought forward in this way [is concerned], but rather to