It will be seen that great Saints and scholars and all moral theologians of importance affirm the possibility of commerce with incarnate evil intelligences. The demonologists also range themselves in a solid phalanx of assent. Hermann Thyraus, S.J.,[54] in his _De Spirituum apparitione_ says: “It is so rash and inept to deny these (things) that so to adopt this attitude you must needs reject and spurn the most weighty and considered judgements of most holy and authoritative writers, nay, you must wage war upon man’s sense and consciousness, whilst at the same time you expose your ignorance of the power of the Devil and the empery evil spirits may obtain over man.”[55] Delrio, in his _Disquisitiones Magicæ_, is even more emphatic: “So many sound authors and divines have upheld this belief that to differ from them is mere obstinacy and foolhardiness; for the Fathers, theologians, and all the wisest writers on philosophy agree upon this matter, the truth of which is furthermore proved by the experience of all ages and peoples.”[56] The erudite Sprenger in the _Malleus Maleficarum_ has much the same.[57] John Nider, O.P. (1380-1438) in his _Formicarius_, which may be described as a treatise on the theological, philosophical, and social problems of his day, with no small acumen remarks: “The reason why evil spirits appear as incubi and succubi would seem to be that ... they inflict a double hurt on man, both in his soul and body, and it is a supreme joy to devils thus to injure humankind.”[58] Paul Grilland in his _De Sortilegio_ (Lyons, 1533) writes: “A demon assumes the form of the succubus.... This is the explicit teaching of the theologians.”[59] “It has often been known by most certain and actual experience that women in spite of their resistance have been overpowered by demons.” Such are the words of the famous Alfonso de Castro, O.F.M.,[60] whose authoritative pronouncements upon Scripture carried such weight at the Council of Trent, and who was Archbishop-elect of Compostella when he died. Pierre Binsfeld, _De confessione maleficarum_, sums up: “This is a most solemn and undoubted fact not only proved by actual experience, but also by the opinion of all the ages, whatever some few doctors and legal writers may suppose.”[61]