Not all spirits or demons have the same level of existence, power and knowledge. Indeed, we know that there are many more species of them than there are sensible things. Thus, some of them are brute animals and cause injury without any reason. Although these are far inferior to humans in knowledge, they still can do as much harm as dangerous animals or poisons. Mark called these spirits 'deaf and dumb', i.e., they are without reason, since they recognize no commands, and they do not hear or perceive any threats or prayers. As a result, it has been declared that it is impossible to banish them, although it has also been said that they can be controlled and conquered by fasting or abstinence and by prayer or lofty meditation and by the power of the senses. This latter is a medical issue, for spirits of this crass type, like food and pleasure, are located in our dense humors and earthy melancholies, which a doctor controls either by thinning them out through fasting or by expelling them with a proper dose of laxative.
There is another type of demon which is fearful, suspicious and credulous. These hear and understand voices but do not distinguish the possible from the impossible or the appropriate from the inappropriate. They are like humans who are dreaming and disturbed by fantasies. This type of demon is usually expelled by threats of death, prison, fire and other such things.
There are other, wiser demons which reside in pure air, which is a simple substance. They are affected by no cult, no religious practice and no prayers. Rather, they freely distort all these things and play with humans by counterfeiting illusions of fear, anger, religion and such things. They understand languages and the sciences, but never make any firm assertions. And so these hateful demons introduce confusion and doubt into the human mind and sense.
There are also ethereal spirits which are pure and luminous. All agree that they are hostile to no one and are completely good and friendly to virtuous men. But the airy spirits are friendly to some, and hostile and hateful to others.
…But the spirits of fire, which are more properly called heroes and gods, are said to be the ministers of God. The cabalists call them Fissim, Seraphim and Cherubim and the prophet of Psalms said, 'He made the winds to be his angels and the flames of fire his ministers.' Hence, Basil and Origen rightly argue that the angels are not completely incorporeal, but are spiritual substances; that is, they are animals with very subtle bodies, which divine revelation has said are fire and flames of fire.
…These various spirits occupy the bodies of humans, animals, stones and minerals. There is no body which is completely devoid of spirit and intelligence. Furthermore, no spirit possesses a permanent location for itself…death is nothing more than such a disintegration. No spirit and no body ever perishes; rather, there is only a continual change of combinations and actualizations.
…The existence of subterranean demons is established not only by the senses, experience and reason, but also by divine authority in the very wise Book of Job, which contains a great deal of the most profound philosophy. When Job curses the day he was born with the words: 'May the day of my birth perish,' he adds after a few sentences, 'Why was light given to one in misery, and why was life given to those who are bitter of heart?' 'Why did I not perish as soon as I left the womb?' 'Why was I not hidden and replaced after having been aborted?' 'For now 'I would be silently asleep and would rest in my dreams together with the rulers and princes of the earth, who have built isolated houses for themselves and have filled them with their silver.' The point at hand could not have been more clearly stated than in these words from the mouth of Job himself.
...Origen, Pythagoras and the Platonists list humans among the demons, including those who are not good but who could become good or evil as they live out their lives in a better or worse way. This is why both Christian theologians and the better philosophers say that life is like a road and a transition, a journey and a fight.
…Also, it is very probably that all illnesses are due to evil demons, which are expelled and replaced by their opposites with chants, prayers, meditations and ecstasies of the soul.
…The more noble and more eminent spirits are said to be pleased by hymns, chants and musical instruments.
Above all, these are the gods who, by nature, 'have no need of us and are neither favorably influenced by our merits nor touched by our anger.' Being affected by our good or evil actions pertains only to those spirits who can ask and receive from us some arrangement whereby they can have a better and happier life. This does not seem to be at all appropriate for those spirits who already enjoy a most happy state.
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