Page:Three Books of Occult Philosophy (De Occulta Philosophia) (1651).djvu/472

 of Divine vertues, spirits did sometimes apply themselves to humane uses: not as being compelled by any kind of necessity, but of their own accord, and by a kind of custom, did, being overcome by the prayers of them that called on them, more easily yeeld: whence Porphyrie in his book De Responsis Hecate saith,

I by thy prayers being overcome Came thither -

And in another place in the same book he saith,

Conquer'd by pray'r the Deities above Come down on th' earth and future things foreshew.

Also the divining of sutable things works so with mans mind, that good spirits do assist us willingly, and communicate their power and vertue to us, dayly helping us with illuminations, inspirations, oracles, prophecyings, dreams, miracles, prodigies, divinations, and auguries, and working upon and acting upon our spirits, as images like to them, by framing them by their influences, and making them most like to themselves even so far, as that oftentimes our spirit doth as surely work wonderfull things as the Celestial spirits are wont to do. But evil spirits are overcome by us through the assistance of the good, especially when the petitioner is very pious and devout, and sings forth sacred words, and a horrible speech, as by conjuring the Divine power by the venerable names, and signs of supernaturall powers, by miracles, by Sacraments, by sacred mysteries, and such like; which conjurations, or adurations, in as much as they are done by the name and power of Religion, and Divine vertue, those evil spirits are afraid of; whence also oftentimes prophane men do bind or allay by such kinde of sacred conjurations, evil spirits not enduring such things, whence Cyprian in his book Quod Idola Dii non sint, saith; that spirits being adjured by the true God to presently yeeld