Part L

CEREMONIAL MAGIC.
49
CHAP. VIII.
W THE ANNOYANCE OF EVIL SPIRITS, AND THE PRESERVATION WE HAVE FROM
GOOD SPIRITS.
IT is the opinion of divines, that all evil fpirits are of that nature, that they hate God as well as man ; therefore Divine Providence has fet over us more pure fpirits, with whom he hath entrufted us, as with fhepherds and governors, that they fhould daily help us, and drive away evil fpirits from us, and curb and reftrain them, that they fhould not hurt us, as they would otherwife ; as is read in Tobias, that Raphael did apprehend the demon called AJmodeus , and bound him in the wildernefs of the Upper Egypt. Of thefe, Hefiod fays, there are 30,000 of Jupiter’s immortal fpirits living on the earth, who are the keepers of mortal men, who, jthat they might obferve juftice and merciful deeds, having clothed themfelves with ajr, go to and fro every where on the earth. For there is no potentate could be fafe, nor any woman continue uncorrupted, no man in this vale of ignorance could come to the end appointed to him by God, if good fpirits did not fecure us, or if evil fpirits fhould be permitted to fatisfy the wills of men; as therefore among the good there is a proper keeper or protestor deputed to every one, cor- roborating the fpirit of the man to good ; fo of evil fpirits, there is fent forth an enemy ruling over the flefh and defire thereof ; and the good fpirit fights for us as a preferver againft the enemy and flefh, now man, between thefe contenders is in the middle, and left in the hand of his own counfel to whom he will give vidtory : we cannot therefore accufe angels, or deny free- will, if they do not bring the nations entrufted to them to the knowledge of the true God and true piety, but fuffer .them to fall into errors and perverfe worfhip ; it is to be imputed to themfelves, who have, of their own accord, declined from the right path, adhering to the fpir-its of error, giv- ing vidtory to the devil : for it is in the hand of man to adhere to whom he