Page:Luther's correspondence and other contemporary letters 1521-1530.djvu/451

 infirmity was bound by Satan,* and Peter asserts that all whom Christ cured were possessed by devils,* so I am forced to believe that many are made dumb, deaf and lame by Satan's malice, nor can I doubt that pestilence, fever, and other severe illnesses are caused by devils, who also bring on tempests, conflagrations and blights in fruit and grain. What wonder if these wicked angels scourge the human race with all kinds of harm and peril as much as God permits? If some are ciu^ed by herbs and other natural remedies, it is by God's mercy. I suppose a physician would have said that the suffer- ings Satan caused Job were due to natural agents and could be cured by natural remedies. So I believe yoiu* lunatics are tempted by Satan for a time. Indeed, does not Satan make those lunatics whose hearts he fills with fornication, murder, rapine and all evil lusts? He has more power over us than some think ; especially over the saints, since he buffeted Paul * and carried Christ where he would.*

I should console those tempted by doubt and despair, first by warning them to beware of solitude, and rather to converse with others on the Psalms and Scriptures ; and then — ^although this is hard to do it is a very present remedy — ^let them per- suade themselves that such thoughts are not really theirs, but Satan's, and that they should strive with all their might to turn their minds to other things and leave such thoughts to him. Dwelling on these ideas, fighting with them and wishing to argue them down, or waiting idly for them to come to an end, is only irritating them and making them desperately strong unto perdition. The best thing is to let them vanish as they came and not to think of them or dispute with them long; I have no other counsel for him who neglects to follow this. You must know, however, that it is hard to follow this advice. For when we think such thoughts of God and eternal salvation, our nature vehemently refuses to leave or to despise them until we are satisfied, for we know not that the certainty and victory desired are impossible by means of reason, be- cause our own powers are not sufficient to cope with such matters, as Satan well knows. Therefore he suggests such

^Luke xiii, i6. •!! Corinthimns xllf-

« Acta X, 38. * Matthew it.

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