Treatise

Is the name of Magic or of the Magi to be held in such hatred among mortals, when the Holy Scriptures seem to celebrate and remember it with such honor? Or should anyone be believed who, because of one evil branch of Magic, attempts to uproot even the good from human memory? As if, because of the sins of the worst men, even the good should be utterly extirpated and fundamentally removed along with the wicked?

But there are those who use the word "Magic" without any distinction throughout the entire thread of their works in the worst sense—that is, they take it for Cacomagia original: "Cacomagia," meaning "evil magic" or "black magic."—hardly understanding that there is no difference between Natural Philosophy and Natural Magic, and consequently no difference between a Magician and a Philosopher. Even Jerome, in his letter to Paulinus, did not disdain to mention this kind of Magic, where he says that Apollonius of Tyana was a Magician or a Pythagorean philosopher.

Can you not also perceive with open eyes, contrary to their opinion and based on the branch of the preceding distinction, that True Wisdom (which is the science of the good) has in its Theosophical Theo-sophical: literally "God-wisdom," referring here to divine knowledge or mystical insight. nature the task of teaching not only the knowledge of the Word of God—that is, Eternal Wisdom—but also that by which we are taught how God governs all things through the mediation of Angels? For this reason, they are called "Watchers" by the holy page, and through it, we are made participants in angelic mysteries. Is it not also through a single branch of Cacomagia that those are included who, out of ignorance of God's governance through Angels, are swept away, and, despising the protection of Angels, willfully or unwillingly make themselves associates of Devils? But we also have this confirmed by the Holy Scriptures: namely, that God brings about His Word through the mediation of His Angels, who are most mighty in strength, and that it is the office of Angels to carry out the pleasure of God, and that everyone has their own good Angel before the face of the Father who is in heaven.

Psalm 103:4. In the author's citation system; modern Bibles often cite this as Psalm 103:20: "Bless the Lord, O you his angels... that do his commandments."

But why should we doubt further in this matter, when the Holy Bible itself seems to echo this subject everywhere? And yet a certain monk called Mersenne Marin Mersenne (1588–1648), a French polymath and theologian known for his intense criticism of alchemy and the occult. has, out of ignorance, I know, fallen into that pit of Cacosophia Cacosophia: "Evil wisdom" or "false wisdom," used here as a pun to contrast with Theosophia.. For he seems to deny the powers of Angels, and their governance of the world under God, and the protection assigned to us by God; he seems to call those "impious magicians" who think thus, and by this reasoning—in this denial of the protection of good Angels—he makes himself an associate of Devils.

But since this "good" author, according to his own malicious whim, sharply rebukes European men who are most famous for their learning and even immaculate in the Roman religion—being clothed in religious habits and untouched in the honesty of their lives—falsely accusing them of "impious magic" (which is truly called cacomagia), let the readers see through these following pages whether these men are truly such as they are accused of being by Marinus Another reference to Marin Mersenne.. Let their writings be produced before the throne of judgment, so that you may understand what they can bring forward in their masters' cause, by which they may say their masters are either innocent or guilty of Cacomagia. In this way, you may conclude whether they are truly to be held as impious black magicians or as natural magicians, not at all inconsistent with divine laws. And first, I will explain the accusation against Roger Bacon Roger Bacon (c. 1214–1292), an English Franciscan friar and philosopher whose interest in nature and optics led to long-standing legends that he was a sorcerer. introduced by Marin Mersenne; then I will give his response, and so I will proceed with the others.

It should be noted, however, that Roger Bacon wrote one book on Necromantic Nigromantia: black magic or communication with the dead. images, another on incantations, two on Alchemy, and countless others on Astrological mysteries. So cautious is the rival of the human race A traditional term for the Devil. that he even mocks and leads into error men who are otherwise most learned; certainly, familiarity with them is all the more dangerous because they better cover the poison of their insane doctrine with diverse conjectures and the tricks of reasoning. By their habit, even the elect, if it were possible, are cast into the danger of their salvation, not to say their destruction.