Page:Fourth Book of Occult Philosophy, 1655.djvu/154

 130 ADifcourfe,

ned to, Chrjffoftome doth moft clearly teach, in thefe words : It is granted) he fa ith, that fometimes the devil doth fpeal^ truth^ that he might commend his own lying with rare verity .- whereat. Why the jf he [hould rte ver tell the truth, he could deceive no man, neither times tdl W0Hl * hit tying frjfice him to tempt with. Thus far Chryfcjlome. truth. C Nocwithflanaing, if he underftand thac he bach not grace grained unto him of himfclf to foretel the truth, he forerel- Jeth things nevenhelefs, but fo obfeurely, faith S. eAuguftiney cJe$ c o ??" thathe always layeth the blame of the things by himfoforetold^up- devils are °" '^ e interpreter thereof. Porphyrins, in his book of OracleS, uncertain, although he be the greateft maintainer of devils , and the mod expert teacher of diabolical Arts , nevenhelefs he faith with the aforcfaidDo£tors,thac the foreknowledge of things to come, is not onely intricate to mex t but alfo uncertain to the gods ; and full of many obfeurities.

roll. Thou haft faid, that the predictions of the devils are done in this maner, that they may gain authority to them- felvesamongft the credulous people, and be worshipped in fiead of Gods : for what end do the evil fpirits work Mira- cles ?

Cafl. What is a Miracle, Pollux > What a Poll, Anew and unwonted accident, which cometh to Miracle is. pa f s coritrar y to j ts CO urfe and cuftome, and draweth men

The devils »,. '. . _ '

work mi- 1,lt0 a dmtration thereof.

racks. Cafl. But do they work Miracles ?

Poll. They do : for whereby doft thou believe that e/E/cw- lapius was honoured in his Confecration for a god, but onely by the means of a Miracle, when he conveyed a Serpent from Epidatirw to Rome ? What gave fo great authority to Juno, but onely the working of a Miracle ? when her Image of wood was asked by Fur ins Camillm whether ic would be car- ried to Rome t znd it anfwered with a humane voice, It would. Alfo,from rhence Fortune was made agoddefs, becaufe her Statua, in the way to Latjumjn the hearing of many people, not once,but oftentimes fpoke with a humane voice. In the 8 Chapter of the Alts of the Apoftles, we read of Miracles done by Simon the fon of Rachel j and in Exod. 8. of the

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