Demonologia : $b or, natural knowledge revealed; being an exposé of ancient and modern superstitions, credulity, fanaticism, enthusiasm, & imposture, as connected with the doctrine, caballa, and jargon, of amulets, apparitions, astrology, charms, demonology, devils, divination, dreams, deuteroscopia, effluvia, fatalism, fate, friars, ghosts, gipsies, hell, hypocrites, incantations, inquisition, jugglers, legends, magic, magicians, miracles, monks, nymphs, oracles, physiognomy, purgatory, predestForsyth, J. S.
History
Demonologia : $b or, natural knowledge revealed; being an exposé of ancient and modern superstitions, credulity, fanaticism, enthusiasm, & imposture, as connected with the doctrine, caballa, and jargon, of amulets, apparitions, astrology, charms, demonology, devils, divination, dreams, deuteroscopia, effluvia, fatalism, fate, friars, ghosts, gipsies, hell, hypocrites, incantations, inquisition, jugglers, legends, magic, magicians, miracles, monks, nymphs, oracles, physiognomy, purgatory, predest
Forsyth, J. S.
Demonology; Superstition; Witchcraft
DEV. Alas! alas! we have not one yet, but we expect a great number of
them after their devotion is a little cooled.
DOM. What saint in heaven does the devil fear most?
Instead of returning any answer to this question, the devils begged
Dominick by all that was sacred to be satisfied with the torments he had
already inflicted upon them, and with those to which they were condemned
in hell, begging he would not insist upon a true answer to that question
before so great a congregation, to the ruin of their kingdom; telling
him, that if he would ask the angels they would tell him who it was.
This, however, would not satisfy Dominick, who, whatever virtues he
might have, had little mercy in his composition, especially, it would
appear, towards devils. He persisted upon their telling; and, perceiving
how reluctant the demons were to comply with his wishes, he threw
himself upon the ground, and went to work, hammer and tongs, with his
rosary; upon which sulphureous flames of fire burst forth from his nose,
mouth, eyes and ears; after this above an hundred angels, clad in golden
armour, appeared with the blessed virgin in the midst of them, holding a
golden rod in her hand, with which she gave the demoniac a switch on the
back, commanding, at the same time, the devils to return true answers to
Dominick’s questions; at this they all roared out lustily, _O our enemy!
O our damner! O our confusion! Why didst thou come down from heaven to
torment us here? Why art thou so powerful an intercessor for sinners? O
thou most certain and secure way to heaven; but since thou commandest
it, we must tell the truth, though it will confound us, and bring woe
and misery on our princes of darkness for ever. Hear, O Christians_,
continued the devils, this mother of Christ is too powerful in
preserving all her servants from hell; it is she that, as a sun,
dissipates all our darkness, _and enervates and brings to nought all our
machinations. We are forced to confess that nobody is damned who
perseveres in her holy worship, and is devoted to her. One sigh from her
has more power than the prayers of all the saints; and we fear her more
than all the citizens of Paradise; and you must all know, that vast
numbers of Christians are, contrary to right, saved by calling upon her
at the time of their death; and that we should long ago have destroyed
the church, if it had not been for this little Mary; and being now
forced to it, we must own, that none who persevere in the exercise of
the rosary, can undergo the eternal torments of hell, for she obtains
contrition for all her devout servants._
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account