The Gentiles gods, he saith, were expelled by Constantine, & together with them, Imperii Romani majestas, & fortuna interiit, & profligata est: The Fortune & Majesty of the Roman Empire, decayed and vanished, as that Heathen in Minutius formerly bragged when the Jews were overcome by the Romans, the Jews god was likewise captivated by that of Rome, and Rabsakeh to the Israelites, no god should deliver them out of the hands of the Assyrians.

But these paradoxes of their power, corporeity, mortality, taking of shapes, transposing bodies, and carnal copulations, are sufficiently confuted by Zanch. c.10. l.4. Pererius in his comment, and Tostatus questions on the 6. of Gen. Th. Aquin. S. Austin, Wierus, Th. Erastus, Delrio, Tom.2. l.2. quæst.29. Sebastian Michaelis, cap.2. de spiritibus, D. Reinolds Lect.47.

They may deceive the eyes of men, yet not take true bodies, or make a reall metamorphosis: but as Cicogna proves at large, they are Illusoriæ & præstigiatrices transformationes, omnif. mag. lib.4. cap.4. meere illusions and cozenings, like that tale of Pasetis obulus in Suidas, or that of Autolicus, Mercuries son that dwelt in Pernasus, who got so much treasure by cozenage and stealth.

His father Mercury, because he could leave him no wealth, taught him many fine tricks to get meanes, for he could drive away mens cattel, and if any pursued him, turne them into what shapes he would, and so did mightily inrich himself, hoc astu maximam prædam est adsequuntus. This no doubt is as true as the rest;

yet thus much in general, Thomas, Durand, and others grant that they have understanding far beyond men, can probably conjecture, and foretel many things; they can cause and cure most diseases, deceive our senses, they have excellent skil in all Arts and Sciences: and that the most illiterate Divel is quovis homine scientior, as Cicogna maintaines out of others.

They know the vertues of Hearbs, Plants, stones, Minerals, &c. of all Creatures, Birds, Beasts, the four Elements, Stars, Planets, can aptly apply and make use of them as they see good, perceiving the causes of all Meteors, and the like:

Dant se coloribus (as Austin hath it) accommodant se figuris, adhærent sonis, subjiciunt se odoribus, infundunt se saporibus, omnes sensus etiam ipsam intelligentiam dæmones fallunt, they deceive all our senses, even our understanding it self at once.

They can produce miraculous alterations in the ayre, and most wonderful effects, conquer armies, give victories, help, further, hurt, crosse and alter humane attempts and projects (Dei permissu) as they see good themselves. When Charls the great intended to make a channel betwixt the Rhene and Danubius, look what his workmen did in the day, these spirits flung down in the night, Ut conatu Rex desisteret, pervicere. Such feats can they do.

But that which Bodine l.4. Theat. nat. thinks, (following Tyrius belike and the Platonists) they can tell the secrets of a mans heart, aut cogitationes hominum, is most false; his reasons are weak, and sufficiently confuted by Zanch. lib.4. cap.9. Hierom. lib.2. com. in Mat. ad cap.15. Athanasius quæst.27. ad Antiochum Principem, and others.

As for those orders of good & bad Devils, which the Platonists hold, is altogether erroneous, and those Ethnicks boni and mali Genii, are to be exploded: these heathen writers agree not in this point among themselves, as Dandinus notes, An sint mali non conveniunt,

some wil have all spirits good or bad to us by a mistake, as if an Oxe or Horse could discourse, he would say the Butcher was his enemy because he killed him, the Grasier his friend because he fed him; an Hunter preserves and yet kils his game, and is hated neverthelesse of his game; nec piscatorem piscis amare potest, &c.

But Iamblicus, Psellus, Plutarch, & most Platonists acknowledg bad, & ab eorum maleficiis cavendum, for they are enemies of man-kinde, & this Plato learned in Ægypt, that they quarelled with Jupiter, and were driven by him down to hell.

That which Apuleius, Xenophon, and Plato contend of Socrates Dæmonium, is most absurd: That which Plotinus of his, that he had likewise Deum pro Dæmonio: and that which Porphiry concludes, of them all in general, if they be neglected in their sacrifice they are angry, nay more, as Cardan in his Hipperchen will, they feed on mens souls,

Elementa sunt plantis elementum, animalibus plantæ, hominibus animalia, erunt & homines aliis, non autem diis, nimis enim remota est eorum natura à nostra, quapropter dæmonibus: and so belike that we have so many battels fought in all ages, countries, is to make them a feast, and their sole delight:

but to return to that I said before, if displeased they fret and chafe, (for they feed belike on the souls of beasts, as we do on their bodies) and send many plagues amongst us; but if pleased, then they do much good; is as vain as the rest and confuted by Austin l.9. c.8. de Civ. Dei. Euseb. l.4. præpar. Evang. c.6. & others.

Yet thus much I finde, that our School-men & other Divines make nine kinds of bad Spirits, as Dionysius hath done of Angels, In the first rank are those false gods of the Gentiles, which were adored heretofore in several Idols, and gave Oracles at Delphos, and elsewhere; whose Prince is Beelzebub.

The second rank is of Lyars, and Æquivocators, as Apollo, Pythius, and the like. The third are those vessels of anger, inventers of all mischief, as that Theutus in Plato; Esay cals them vessels of fury; their Prince is Belial. The fourth are malicious revenging Devils; & their Prince is Asmodeus.

The fift kinde are cozeners, such as belong to Magicians and Witches; their Prince is Satan. The sixt are those aerial devils that corrupt the aire and cause plagues, thunders, fires, &c; spoken of in the Apocalyps, and Paul to the Ephesians names them the Princes of the ayre; Meresin is their Prince.