The Phantom World

The first, the most famous, and the most fatal apparition of Satan, is that of the appearance of this evil spirit to Eve, the first woman,

vanquished him and cast him down from heaven. He has often appeared to the servants of God in the form of a dragon, and he has caused himself to be adored by unbelievers in this form, in a great number of places: at Babylon, for instance, they worshiped a living dragon,[90] wh

pidaurus, to which they paid divine honors. The Egyptians considered vipers as divinities.[92] The Israelites adored the bra

ys see the form of the serpent in the magical figures[96] Akraxas and Abrachadabra, which were held in veneration among the Basilidian heretics, who, like the Manich?ans, acknowledge two principles in

o the effects of enchantment and magic than the serpent, as if t

desert;[98] that he tempted him and told him to change the stones into bread that he might satisfy his hunger; that he transported him,

lpicius[100] and some Rabbis, have thought that it was the angel of Esau, who had come to combat with Jacob; but the greater number believe that it was a good angel. And w

d, or make a compact with him, as a man taller than the common stature, dressed in black, and with a rough ungracious manner; making a thousand fine promises to those to whom he ap

he Duke of Lorraine, to learn the French language, lost all his money at cards: reduced to despair, he resolved to give himself to the demon, if that bad spirit would or could give him some good money; for he doubted that he would only furnish him with counterfeit and bad coin. As he w

ceived in an acorn-cup; after which, presenting a pen to Michael, he desired him to write what he should dictate. He then dictated some unknown words, which he made him write on two different bits of paper,[102] one of which remained in the po

the seven years was approaching, and the young man was then about twenty years old. He returned to his father's house, when the demon to whom he had given himself inspired him with the idea of poisoning his father and mother, of setting fire to their

hands of fathers of the society. Then it was that the demon made still more violent efforts against him, appearing to him in the form of ferocious animals. One day, amongst others, the demon, wearing the form of a hairy savage, threw on the ground a schedule, or compact, different from the true one which he had extorted from the young man, to try by means of this false appearance to withdraw him from the hands of those who kept him, and prevent his making his general confession. At last they fixed on the 20th of October, 1603, as the day for being in the Chapel of St. Ignatius, and to cause to be brought the true schedule containing the compact made w

isms, and invoked St. Ignatius, and promised to say a mass in honor of the saint; at the same moment there appeared

. Adam, Suffragan of Strasburg, and George, Abbot of Altorf, who were juridically interrogated, and who affirm

her more at length in Bartoli

ers and sorceresses relate that at the (witches') Sabbath he is seen under several different forms of men, animals, and birds; whether he takes the shape of these animals, or whether he makes use of the animals themselves as instruments to deceive or harm, or whether he simply affects the senses and imagination of those whom he has fascinated and who give themselves to

elevated to the priesthood, having devoted himself to God in a monastery, imagined that he held converse with angels; and as they would not believe him, he said that the following night God would give him a white robe, with which he

was clothed: it was made of a stuff of admirable whiteness, shining as purple, and so extraordinarily fin

in. He resisted as much as he could, saying that he had been expressly forbidden to appear in his presence. As they were press

ls, and all the apparel of a great prince. Addressing himself to Martin, he said to him, "Acknowledge me, Martin; I am Jesus Christ, who, wishing to descend to earth, have resolved to manifest myself to thee first of all." St. Martin remained silent at first, fearing some snare; and the phantom havi

himself to him sometimes under the form of Jupiter, or Mercury, or Venus, or Minerva; and sometimes he was to reproach Martin greatly because, by baptism, he had converted and regenerated

one side; and on the other, the weakness and uselessness of his efforts against the

ead them into evil; sometimes in the form of a traveler, a priest, a monk, or an angel of light,[107] to mislead simple minde

nd try his patience through everything that was dearest to that holy man, he doubtless presented himself in his natur

gst the visible appearances of Satan may be placed mortalities, wars, tempests, public and private calamities, which God sends upon nations, provinces, cities, and families, whom the Almighty causes to feel the terrible effects of his wrath and just vengeance. Thus the exterminating angel kills the first-born of the Egyptians.[110] The same angel strikes with death t

od or a bad angel, since it is certain that sometimes the Lord employs good angels to execute his vengeance against the wicked. But it is thought that it was the devil who slew eighty-five th

uture, and whose predictions are sometimes fulfilled; those who make compacts with the devil to discover treasures and enrich themselves; those who make use of charms; evocations by means of magic; enchantment; the being devoted to death by a vow; the deceptions of idol

tno

n. iii.

Rev.

and the

isd. x

an. Hist

xxi. 2 King

and as interesting as profound, on "The Worship of the

om. viii. p

pater mali, o

e Gen. ad Lit.

t. iv. 9

. xxxii.

r. Sulpit.

he Electorate of Cologne, situa

k, but which formed no (apparent) sense. They were to be seen at M

Lib. d

1 Pet.

vi. 11. 1 T

Sever. Vit. St

2 Cor.

Job

Kings

Exod.

n. xviii

Gen. x

rov. xv

Rev. i