Apologeticae sive Theologiae Fundamentalis, Tomus I: Demonstratio Christiana

Rationalism likewise strives to explain the castings out of demons by psychotherapy or rather by psychiatry. For since it calls the sick persons of the Gospel hysterics, it contends that the demoniacs were hysterics of the highest degree, afflicted, namely, with imaginary dementia (hystero-paranoia). "For dementia and its like, psychoneurotic illnesses, were commonly attributed to the baneful influence of demons," says rationalism. "Under the instigation of this popular superstition, the so-called demoniacs of the Gospel falsely suggested to themselves diabolical possession. Jesus healed them by suggesting the illusion of the expulsion of demons." Thus the older rationalists, almost all the more recent Protestants, and the modernists as well.¹

We do indeed concede that dementia and illnesses similar to it (hypernervous, hysterical, hystero-epileptic conditions) can easily be confounded with diabolical possession by the incautious and superstitious. For between insanity and possession there exists a certain affinity. For just as the insane (and likewise the hystero-insane and the hypnotized) almost entirely lose the dominion of reason over the lower part of the soul and over the bodily organism, so the possessed are deprived of the dominion of reason over their physical and psychical powers, while their free will alone remains unimpaired. Just as, e. g., the hypnotizer governs the hypnotized person, so the indwelling demon governs the demoniac. Hence certain morbid states and acts appear in the demoniacs. Moreover, possession is for the most part united with genuine psychical or physical illnesses, whether these precede the diabolical habitation or follow it.²

Nay more, we concede that the incautious and superstitious have often confounded dementia and illnesses similar to it with diabolical possession and subjected them to vain exorcisms. This has happened in every part of the world and at every time, but most of all of old in the East. To say nothing of the magical cures of the Chaldeans and the Egyptians,³ the rabbinical Jews sought to remove possession, whether real or imaginary, by absurd incantations.⁴

These things being conceded, we nevertheless deny that the demoniacs of the Gospel were merely insane persons, who suffered from the suggestion of possession and of the expulsion of the devil. For that this opinion of the rationalists is false is proved by the condition, the number, the knowledge, the bearing, and the deliverance of the demoniacs.

a) The condition of the demoniacs in the Gospels is by no means to be identified with illnesses either physical or psychical. For the possessed are set over against those men who suffered from various ailments,⁵ even mental ones,⁶. Even in the case of the possessed themselves the Gospels distinguish possession from the physical and psychical illnesses with which the demoniacs were at the same time afflicted. For of several demoniacs not only is possession recorded, but other illnesses as well are expressly reported: two demoniacs were mute,⁷ one was mute and blind,⁸ one was a lunatic, i. e. an epileptic,⁹ one was a paralytic,¹⁰ two were catatonic, i. e. seized with furious madness.¹¹ Whence it is clear that the demoniacs of the Gospel were not merely insane.

b) The number of the demoniacs.

The Gospels record demoniacs of both sexes and of every age, even of infantile age,¹² who appeared in very great numbers in almost every part of Palestine and especially of Galilee.¹³ "Behold an epidemic of suggestion among insane persons, who in their religious madness believed themselves to be possessed by a demon!" exclaim the rationalists. Sound psychiatry, however, refutes them, teaching that hysterical epidemics are found only in closed places, e. g. in schools, boarding houses, and prisons. Psychiatry neither knows nor conceives of a hysterical pestilence affecting whole regions and consequently invading as many free-living persons as the demoniacs numbered in the Gospels.¹⁴

On the contrary, we readily understand that at the time of Christ many possessed persons appeared everywhere in the world and especially in Palestine. For Christ came to destroy the kingdom of Satan and to cast out the prince of this kingdom, as He Himself says: "Now is the judgment of the world; now shall the prince of this world be cast out."¹⁵ Therefore it is no wonder that Satan tried everything in order to preserve his dominion over men. And the more Satan was straitened by the presence of Christ, the more he assailed men by seducing, obsessing, and possessing them.¹⁶

c) The knowledge of the demoniacs. As soon as the demoniacs see Jesus, they recognize Him and confess Him to be the Messiah and the Son of God: "The unclean spirits, when they saw him, fell down before him and cried out, saying: Thou art the Son of God."¹⁷ ...And devils went out from many, crying out and saying: Thou art the Son of God."¹⁸ "What have we to do with thee, Jesus of Nazareth? Art thou come to destroy us? I know who thou art, the Holy One of God."¹⁹ ...What have I to do with thee, Jesus, Son of the most high God?"²⁰ This christological knowledge and confession of the demoniacs is assuredly not that of insane persons. For neither the Jews of sound mind — nay, not even the apostles, as yet separately instructed by the Lord — thought so perfectly and so supernaturally about Jesus. Out of the demoniac men, therefore, a superhuman being speaks, the evil spirit dwelling in them.

d) The bearing of the demoniacs. When Jesus drew near, the demoniacs were violently tormented,²¹ trembling, they cast themselves down at His feet,²² they cried out with a loud voice,²³ they piteously entreated and adjured Him not to destroy them, not to torment them, and to have nothing to do with them.²⁴ Thus indeed the demons had to behave when the Messiah, the Son of God, drew near; on the contrary, hysterical demoniacs, i. e. those who falsely suggested possession to themselves, would have approached Jesus humbly asking for help.

When, however, they are delivered, the demoniacs are torn asunder and thrown into the midst by the unclean spirit,²⁵ nay, sometimes they are dashed to the ground as if dead.²⁶ Once also, at Jesus' permission, the demons on going out entered into a herd of swine, and behold, the whole herd rushed with impetuosity down a steep place into the sea, and about two thousand of the animals perished.²⁷ No illness, either organic or hysterical, produces such phenomena at the very moment when it is removed. These phenomena, therefore, are without doubt signs of demoniacal possession.

e) The deliverance of the demoniacs. This very deliverance of the demoniacs Jesus accomplishes at every encounter, by a mere command, and even by action at a distance. At every encounter: for whether He comes upon single demoniacs or upon crowds of demoniacs, He delivers them all immediately. And indeed by a mere command: He delivers the Gerasene demoniac by saying: "Go out of the man, thou unclean spirit."²⁸ He delivers the lunatic boy by threatening the unclean spirit: "Thou deaf and dumb spirit, I command thee, go out of him, and enter no more into him";²⁹ He delivers the demoniac in the synagogue of Capharnaum by rebuking the devil: "Hold thy peace and go out of him,"³⁰ He delivers crowds of demoniacs by casting out the evil spirits with one word.³¹ Nay, sometimes He delivers demoniacs by action at a distance: for to the Syrophoenician woman, who asked that He cast the demon out of her daughter, He says: "Go, the demon is gone out of thy daughter." She, being far away, was delivered at that very moment.³² In this manner neither do the suggesters heal, nor are the suggested healed. By psychiatric suggestion hysterics can be healed only when actually present, and only by continued therapy, and under the condition that they be treated singly, one by one and apart from the others.³³ The demoniacs delivered by Jesus, therefore, did not suffer from the suggestion of possession, but from true demoniacal possession.

Rightly, therefore, did the frightened crowds exclaim concerning Him: "With power and authority he commandeth the unclean spirits, and they go out."³⁴ But this divine power over the evil spirits Jesus not only exercised Himself, but also upon His apostles and disciples³⁵ He conferred it.³⁶ He promised the same power to His faithful.³⁷ And in fact the apologists of the first centuries publicly testify before Jews and pagans that all Christians cast out demons in the name and by the authority of Christ.³⁸ This supreme power over the kingdom of hell assuredly presupposes the divinity of Christ.