Demoniality; or, Incubi and SuccubiSinistrari, Ludovico Maria
Religion
Demoniality; or, Incubi and Succubi
Sinistrari, Ludovico Maria
Catholic Church -- Doctrines; Demonology -- Early works to 1800
67. But then, there are Incubi that have to do with horses, mares and
other beasts, and, as shown by every day experience, ill-treat them if
rebel to coition; yet, in those cases, it can no longer be adduced
that the Demon simulates the appetite for coition in order to bring
about the ruin of souls, since those of beasts are not capable of
everlasting damnation. Besides, love and wrath with them are productive
of quite opposite effects. For, if the loved woman or beast humours
them, those Incubi behave very well; on the contrary, they use them
most savagely when irritated and enraged by a denial of coition: this
is amply proved by daily experience: those Incubi therefore have
truly sexual passions. Besides, the Evil Spirits, the incorporeal
Demons which have to do with Sorceresses and Witches, constrain them
to Demon-Worship, to the abjuration of the Orthodox Faith, to the
commission of enchantments and foul crimes, as preliminary conditions
to the infamous intercourse, as has been above-stated (Nr 11); now,
Incubi pretend to nothing of the kind: they are therefore no Evil
Spirits. Lastly, as written by Guaccius, at the mere utterance of the
name of Jesus or Mary, at the sign of the Cross, the approach of Holy
Relics or consecrated objects, at exorcisms, adjurations or priestly
injunctions, the Evil Demon either shudders and takes to flight, or
is agitated and howls, as is daily seen with energumens and is shown
by numerous narratives of Guaccius concerning the nightly revels of
Witches, where, at a sign of the Cross or the name of Jesus said by
one of the assistants, Devils and Witches all vanish together. Incubi,
on the contrary, stand all those ordeals without taking to flight or
showing the least fear; sometimes even they laugh at exorcisms, strike
the Exorcists themselves, and rend the sacred vestments. Now, if the
evil Demons, subdued by our Lord Jesus-Christ, are stricken with fear
by his name, the Cross and the holy things; if, on the other hand, the
good Angels rejoice at those same things, without however inciting men
to sin nor to give offense to God, whilst the Incubi, without having
any dread of the holy things, provoke to sin, it is clear that they are
neither evil Demons nor good Angels; but it is clear also that they
are not men, though endowed with reason. What then should they be?
Supposing them to have reached the goal, and to be pure spirits, they
would be damned or blessed, for correct Theology does not admit of pure
spirits on the way to salvation. If damned, they would revere the name
and the Cross of Christ; if blessed, they would not incite men to sin;
they would therefore be different from pure spirits, and thus, have a
body and be on the way to salvation.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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