But the jews, accustomed to ascribe every uncommon or wonderful work of nature to the agency of angels, as ministers of the supreme deity, could easily work up their minds to believe, that some dreadful diseases, which injured the mind and body together, the causes whereof they could not investigate, arose from the operation of evil angels. For we learn from Philo Judæus,[111] with whom Josephus also agrees in opinion, _that they believed there were bad as well as good angels; that the good executed the commands of God on men, that they were irreprehensible and beneficent; but the bad execrable, and every way mischievous_.[112] But a more illustrious example of this matter cannot be given, than in the narrative of Saul’s disease,[113] of which I have already treated.[114] Nor were madness and the epilepsy the only diseases, which they imputed to devils. When Jesus had restored speech to the _furious dumb man_, he is said to have done it by _casting out a devil_.[115] And when he had cured another furious person, who was _blind and dumb_, the pharisees reproached him _with casting out devils by beelzebub the prince of the devils_.[116] In fine, Christ himself uses this common way of expression, on occasion of the _woman which had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years, whom he freed from that infirmity_; by saying, that _satan had held her bound these eighteen years_.[117] [111] _Lib. de gigantibus._ [112] _De bello judaico, Lib. vii. Cap. 6._ [113] _See Samuel (or Kings) Book i. Chap. xvi._ [114] _Chap. iii. page 28, &c._ [115] _Matthew, Chap. ix. Verse 32._ [116] _Ib. Chap. xii. Verse 22._ [117] _Luke, Ch. xiii. v. 16._