Art of the Devil. Arturo Graf

said (and the famous Jean Bodin[35] so writes in his Daemonomania) that the renowned Ermolao Barbaro, patriarch of Aquileja (died in 1493), once called up a devil in order to find out from him what Aristotle had meant by his “entelechy”. At any rate, though ignorant of sound philosophy, the demon must have been well versed in sophistry, even master of it; and in this connection I recall the fearful tale of that scholar of Paris, who (having died and gone to perdition) appeared to his terrified teacher, arrayed in a gown that was completely embroidered with sophisms; a tale that the good Passavanti (1297–1357) relates, for the admonition and confusion of all those who do not make good use of the syllogism.

      But if the devils were not supposed to have any knowledge of philosophy, it will appear strange to some that they could have a knowledge of theology, could know the Scriptures by heart, and could argue concerning the mysteries with that same precision and clarity of ideas that we so admire in professional theologians. Yet such was the case. On countless occasions, through the mouths of possessed persons of whose bodies they had made themselves masters, the demons would quote passages from both the Old and the New Testaments; they would cite the opinions and judgments of Fathers and Doctors of the Church; they would propound embarrassing questions; to the no slight humiliation of those who, listening to them or striving to exorcise them, found that they themselves knew far less of these matters than did the demons. In one of the Visions of Saint Fursey, the demons argue very learnedly with the angels concerning sins and penances, quote the Scriptures, and show themselves no less able dialecticians than are the greatest theologians. Nor is there any lack of other cases of like nature. We know how the Devil used to engage in very bitter theological disputes with Luther.

      However, we need not believe that all the devils possessed the same knowledge, or that they were all of the same mental capacity. There were among them, indeed, some who were more, some less, learned than the rest; just as some were more, some less, intelligent. In due season, we shall meet the stupid and ignorant devil, a conception that is not so unreasonable as it might seem at first glance. If a certain branch of knowledge appealed to any devil, he could, it seems, devote himself to that particular branch. Caesarius tells of a devil lawyer, Oliver by name, who proved himself an able pleader. Other devils took greater delight in material pursuits; and these helped in the brewing of philtres, the transmuting of metals and in performing other tasks of that nature.

      Knowledge implies power; therefore it is no wonder that the devils were able to perform great things. True, their power also had its limits, but what were these limits? It is hard to say with any accuracy. Matthew calls Satan a powerful spirit,[36] and, indeed, not without reason. His power is not comparable with the omnipotence of God; yet he is great and formidable. He rebels and is conquered, and victory will never smile on him again; but, though conquered, he rises again and avenges himself. He enters the happy abode of our first parents and brings in sin; he disturbs the harmony of God’s work and brings in death. He poisons the world and makes it apostatise from God; he becomes the lord and arbiter of this perverted world, princeps hujus saeculi.[37] It is said, forsooth, that he can do only so much as God permits him to do; but we must admit that God permits much to him, and that, whatever he performs, he performs by virtue of a force that resides within himself and is connatural to him. Whatever there is of evil in the world comes, in the beginning, from him; and the preponderance of evil renders gigantic our own conception of his power. And this power of his, which was to have been weakened by the work of redemption, has not been weakened. We are told how the Devil once appeared to Saint Anthony and told him that the curses men were incessantly hurling at him were undeserved, since, now that Christ reigned, he himself could no longer do anything. But the devil who said this lied. Along with paganism, perhaps his unlimited sway over the earth also ceased; but his power did not cease. Christ has conquered him, but he has not disarmed him; and straightway he begins the strife anew and ranges the earth at will, disputing with his victorious adversary this wretched human race, soul by soul. He peoples his kingdom with slaves; and when century after century has passed since the Redeemer’s death, who, looking on this poor troubled world of ours, would say that he found himself in a world redeemed?