Page:Fourth Book of Occult Philosophy, 1655.djvu/153

 Of the Nature of Spirits. 1 29

more flrong and prevalent power of fore~k»owing, then men of earthly bodies can have ; or becaufe of the incomparable fwtftnefi of their aiery bodies, which wonderfully exceedeth not onely the celerity of men and wilde beajls, but a/fo the flying of birds : by which means j they are able to declare things long before they come to be known ; which we y by reafan of the earthly flowncfi of our fcnfey ceafe not to wonder at and admire : or becaufe of the benefit of their continual life, they obtain this wonderful experience of things ; which we cannot attain to 3 becaufe of thefhortnefiof our momentanccHS life, which is but a* it were a bubble.

Poll. Thislaft afiertion of S.Angu(tine feemeth unto me to be more true then the red, becaufe the Series of many yeers doth caufe great experience.

Cafl. If any one fhall deny thefe opinions of Auguftine^s erroneous, Damafcenus fetteth a greater wimefs of thefe things, without all exception, before our eyes ; who in his fecondbookof Orthodox Faith faith thus : That the devils The devils cannot foreknow things to come-, for that belongs onely Unto God: ^ them-

but fo much as they are able to know* they have from the difbofition. ? " n "

r l 1 a- 1 j ■ c ■ l j- not ' ore "

oj the celejttal ana mjeriour bodies, know

Poll. Why therefore do the devils fo willingly and ofchingsto their own accord undertake Prophecies, and to anfwer Ora- «m e - cles ? What benefit have they from hence ?

Cafl. Nothing, but that hereby they feek to get great efti- why the mation,and covet to be counted worthy of admiration, and devils de - to be adored in ftead of Gods. counled 1 *

PolL We know that the devil is the father of lyes, Cafior: p°oph«s. from whence we are pioufly to believe, that thofe things which he foretelleth, he extra£teth from his own lyes.

Cajf. Furthermore, the Prophet Efaias faith thus: Shew ifai^t. the things that are to come hereafter^ and tclluSy that we may know that ye are gods. And the Apoflle Peter alfo faith, Theprophe- » Ttt. 1. cie came not in old time by the will of mart, but holy men of God Jpakf as they were moved by the holy Ghofr,

Poll. No man therefore will deny that they do foraetimes foretel things to come.

Oatf. No man, certainly : but for what caufe that is at tai-

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