As it is, we are hopelessly left to infer that most of the beatific and divine visions of the _Golden Legend_, and those to be found in the more complete biographies of the most important “saints,” as well as most of the visions of our own persecuted seers and seeresses, were produced by ignorant and undeveloped “spirits” passionately fond of personating great historical characters. We are quite ready to agree with the Chevalier des Mousseaux, and other unrelenting persecutors of magic and spiritualism in the name of the Church, that modern spirits are often “lying spirits;” that they are ever on hand to humor the respective hobbies of the persons who communicate with them at “circles;” that they _deceive_ them and, therefore, are not _always_ good “spirits.” But, having conceded so much, we will now ask of any impartial person: is it possible to believe at the same time that the _power_ given to the exorcist-priest, that supreme and _divine_ power of which he boasts, has been given to him by God for the purpose of deceiving people? That the prayer pronounced by him _in the name of Christ_, and which, forcing the _demon_ into submission, makes him reveal himself, is calculated at the same time to make the devil confess _not the truth_, but that only which it is the _interest of the church to which the exorcist belongs_, should _pass for truth_? And this is what invariably happens. Compare, for instance, the responses given by the demon to Luther, with those obtained from the devils by St. Dominick. The one argues against the private mass, and upbraids Luther with placing the Virgin Mary and saints before Christ, and thus dishonoring the Son of God;[101] while the demons exorcised by St. Dominick, upon seeing the Virgin whom the holy father had also evoked to help him, roar out: “Oh! our enemy! oh! our damner! ... why didst thou descend from heaven to torment us? Why art thou so powerful an intercessor for sinners! Oh! _thou most certain and secure way to heaven_ ... thou commandest us _and we are forced to confess_ that nobody is damned who only perseveres in thy holy worship, etc., etc.”[102] Luther’s “Saint Satan” assures him that while believing in the transubstantiation of Christ’s body and blood he had been worshipping merely bread and wine; and the _devils_ of all the Catholic saints promise _eternal damnation_ to whomsoever disbelieves or even so much as doubts the dogma!