De betoverde weereld ... in vier boeken

From this I find, and show in the 11th chapter, that those old (as well as the present-day) Heidenen Heathens, without the Scripture, had thoughts of a supreme Godhead, all-powerful: yet with a number of lesser gods, among the Greeks mostly called Daimones and Dæmonia Spirits and Demons, and otherwise also called Gods; and today among the Heathens also thus, and otherwise named. These rule the World as their portion, manage the affairs of men in and upon the name of the Supreme God, and are as Middelaars Mediators between the two. They also have intercourse with people: and because of this, people can know and perform things surpassing Natuur Nature through them; the first of whom were called Waarseggers Soothsayers, and the latter Tooveraars Sorcerers. Because of this, everything for which one knew no reason nor cause was attributed to those Dæmones or lesser gods.

The Souls of the dead are also counted among the Dæmones by them: and according to whether they had behaved well or poorly on the earth, or according to whether good or evil befell people, it was attributed to this one or that one; and thus those Dæmones or lesser gods were distinguished as good and evil.

Leaving the simple Heathens, who know neither the true God nor His Service, I pass to those who have the Holy Scripture at their advantage. The first of these are the Joden Jews; who have known God longest, and received His Word first of all in the writings of the Old Testament: and learned from it that the Souls of men are indeed immortal, but that such Dæmones or lesser gods do not exist in being; that God alone rules the World by Himself; and no one can do or know anything that surpasses the powers of Nature, except through God alone. But I note further down, as Judaism has been disposed since the time of Christ, and still exists today, that it is in many ways mixed with, or at least covered by Heathendom; and that from this also many superstitions, divinations, and practices of sorcery circulate among them. In chapter 13.

Thereupon I show that the Mahometanen Mahometans/Muslims, also believing in one God, with created Angels, good and evil, and the Duivel Devil as the head of all; yet making room also for Christ and the books of the New Testament, and meanwhile mixing Heathendom therein: are consequently also taken with such opinions,

and are inclined to similar divinations and sorcerous exercises. In chapter 14.

Passing over from Jews and Mahometans, as a twofold middle-ground between Heathendom and Kristendom Christendom: I then distinguish the Christians, according to how they were; before and under the Pausdom Papacy/Popedom, and thereafter. Thus I find that among the first Christians, after the time of the Apostles, something of Heathendom and Judaism still more or less clung to them, which gradually increased, and finally rose to the highest point with the Papacy: so far that things were attributed to the Angels and Souls of verstovene menschen deceased people which the Heathens made characteristic of the Daimones and lesser gods. In chapters 15 through 21.

But in between I note that in old Christendom the Manicheen Manichaeans arose, who reintroduced part of the heathen ways and made the Devil almost as powerful as God: and that their opinion has left some intolerant seed under Christendom until today. In chapter 17.

Coming now then to our times, and the doctrine of the Protestantsche kerken Protestant churches; under which I include, besides our own which people call Gereformeerde Reformed, all those who have departed from the Papacy: I find that the further we depart from the Papacy, the less we also hold to those things that have their regard upon the Devil. Yet that some, not properly perceiving the grounds of the Protestant doctrine and its difference from the Papacy, are much readier with the Devil than others who pay a bit more attention to it: to easily attribute such things to him (and likewise to those whom they also believe have fellowship with him) which surpass Nature. In chapters 22 and 23.

From that I conclude finally, having compared everything with one another, that the common opinion which is still in vogue among us today is originally derived from Heidendom Heathendom. Not that the right Members referring to parts of the Church or Scripture having worked purely, brought them to those thoughts: but that the Members used poorly or misled, and clouded and cloaked with a shadow of religiosity, without the light of the Holy Schriftuur Scripture, gave birth to, maintained, and fed those thoughts. That the Christians also did not first get it from the Scripture,