MA GIC AND SORCER Y 1 63 



A worm may grow in a hazel-nut althougli the shell of 

 the nut is whole, and there is no place where the worm 

 could have entered. Thus an evil spirit enters into the 

 body of a man and produces some disease without making 

 a hole into him. If the mind is weak and the soul not 

 protected by faith and confidence, it will enter ; and 

 therefore the best remedy is a strong mind, illuminated 

 by the interior light of wisdom coming from God." 



" Ills of the body may be cured by physical remedies 

 or by the power of the spirit acting through the soul. 

 Ills of the soul are cured by the power of the spirit, 

 but to do this requires more than mere lip prayer and 

 gibberish and idle ceremonies ; it needs the consciousness 

 of the spirit that it can accomplish that which it desires 

 to do. A paternoster is useless if the lips speak it 

 while the heart desires evil. He who is dressed up 

 like a clergyman is therefore not necessarily a spiritual 

 person, although he may have been ordained by the 

 Church. To be ordained by man does not imply the 

 possession of spiritual power, because such a power 

 can only be given by the spirit ; he who possesses the 

 power to cure diseases and to drive out evil influences 

 by the power of the spirit is ordained by God. The 

 others are quacks and maleficants, in spite of their super- 

 stitious beliefs, their illusory science, diplomas, and man- 

 made authority " (Be Sanctorum Benejiciis). 



" God looks at the heart and not at the ceremony. 

 All fasting and praying done by hypocrites for the 

 purpose of showing off their piety is the work of the 

 devil in them. All blessings and benedictions with 

 * holy water,' &c., are things which the devil has in- 

 vented to make men believe that they could dispense 

 with God and find their salvation in ceremonies. St. 

 Peter is not superior to God, neither can the spirits 

 in man do anything but what the Lord in him permits 

 them to do. All good things should be sought for 

 in God, and not in the spirits or saints j neither in 



