TheseattractedespecialattentionintheMiddleAges，andthepopularloveofmarvelgeneralizedisolatedphenomenaintorules。
Thusitwassaidthatthelightningstrikestheswordinthesheath，goldinthepurse，thefootintheshoe，leavingsheathandpurseandshoeunharmed；thatitconsumesahumanbeinginternallywithoutinjuringtheskin；thatitdestroysnetsinthewater，butnotontheland；thatitkillsoneman，andleavesuntouchedanotherstandingbesidehim；thatitcantearthroughahouseandentertheearthwithoutmovingastonefromitsplace；thatitinjurestheheartofatree，butnotthebark；
thatwineispoisonedbyit，whilepoisonsstruckbyitlosetheirvenom；thataman’shairmaybeconsumedbyitandthemanbeunhurt。[220]
[220]See，forlistsofsuchadmiranda，anyoftheearlywriters——e。g。，VincentofBeauvais，Reisch’sMargarita，orEck’sAristotle。
Thesepeculiarphenomena，mademuchofbytheallegorizingsermonizersoftheday，wereusedinmorallessonsfromeverypulpit。ThustheCarmelite，MatthiasFarinator，ofVienna，whoatthePope’sowninstancecompiledearlyinthefifteenthcenturythatcurioushandbookofillustrativeexamplesforpreachers，theLumenAnimae，findsaspiritualanalogueforeachoftheseanomalies。[221]
[221]SeetheLumenanimae，Eichstadt，1479。
Thisdoctrinegrew，robustandnoxious，until，inthefifteenth，sixteenth，andseventeenthcenturies，wefinditsbloominamultitudeoftreatisesbythemostlearnedoftheCatholicandProtestantdivines，anditsfruitageinthetorturechambersandonthescaffoldsthroughoutChristendom。AttheReformationperiod，andfornearlytwohundredyearsafterward，CatholicsandProtestantsviedwitheachotherinpromotingthisgrowth。JohnEck，thegreatopponentofLuther，gavetotheworldanannotatededitionofAristotle’sPhysics，whichwaslongauthoritativeintheGermanuniversities；and，thoughthetextisfreefromthisdoctrine，thewoodcutillustratingtheearth’satmosphereshowsmostvividly，amongthecloudsofmid-air，thedevilswhotherereignsupreme。[222]
[222]SeeEck，AristotelisMeteorologica，Augsburg，1519。
Luther，intheotherreligiouscamp，supportedthesuperstitionevenmorezealously，assertingattimeshisbeliefthatthewindsthemselvesareonlygoodorevilspirits，anddeclaringthatastonethrownintoacertainpondinhisnativeregionwouldcauseadreadfulstormbecauseofthedevils，keptprisonersthere。[223]
[223]ForLuther，seetheTableTalk；alsoMichelet，LifeofLuthertranslatedbyHazlitt，p。321。
Justatthecloseofthesamecentury，CatholicsandProtestantswelcomedalikethegreatworkofDelrio。Inthis，thepowerofdevilsovertheelementsisprovedfirstfromtheHolyScriptures，since，hedeclares，“theyshowthatSatanbroughtfiredownfromheaventoconsumetheservantsandflocksofJob，andthathestirredupaviolentwind，whichoverwhelmedinruinthesonsanddaughtersofJobattheirfeasting。”Next，Delrioinsistsontheagreementofalltheorthodoxfathers，thatitwasthedevilhimselfwhodidthis，andattentioniscalledtothefactthatthehailwithwhichtheEgyptianswerepunishedisexpresslydeclaredinHolyScripturetohavebeenbroughtbytheevilangels。CitingfromtheApocalypse，hepointstothefourangelsstandingatthefourcornersoftheearth，holdingbackthewindsandpreventingtheirdoinggreatdamagetomortals；
andhedwellsespeciallyuponthefactthatthedeviliscalledbytheapostlea“princeofthepoweroftheair。”HethengoesontocitethegreatfathersoftheChurch——Clement，Jerome，Augustine，andThomasAquinas。[224]
[224]ForDelrio，seehisDisquisitionesMagicae，firstprintedatLiegein1599-1600，butreprintedagainandagainthroughouttheseventeenthcentury。HisinterpretationofPsalmlxxviii，47-49，wasapparentlysharedbythetranslatorsofourownauthorizededition。Forcitationsbyhim，seeRevelationvii，1，；Ephesiansii，2。Evenaccordingtomoderncommentatorse。g。，Alford，thewordheretranslated“power“denotesnotMIGHT，butGOVERNMENT，COURT，HIERARCHY；andinthissenseitwasalwaysusedbytheecclesiasticalwriters，whoseconceptionisbestrenderedbyourplural——“powers。”SeeDelrio，DisquisitionesMagicae，lib。ii，c。11。
Thisdoctrinewasspreadnotonlyinponderoustreatises，butinlightliteratureandbypopularillustrations。IntheCompendiumMaleficarumoftheItalianmonkGuacci，perhapsthemostamusingbookinthewholeliteratureofwitchcraft，wemayseethewitch，inpropriapersona，ridingthediabolicgoatthroughthecloudswhilethestormragesaroundandbeneathher；andwemayreadarichcollectionofanecdotes，largelycontemporary，whichestablishtherequireddoctrinebeyondquestion。
ThefirstandmostnaturalmeanstakenagainstthisworkofSatanintheairwasprayer；andvariouspetitionsaretobefoundscatteredthroughtheChristianliturgies——someverybeautifulandtouching。Thismeansofescapehasbeenreliedupon，withgreaterorlessfaith，fromthosedaystothese。Variousmedievalsaintsandreformers，anddevotedmeninallcenturies，fromSt。GilestoJohnWesley，haveuseditwithresultsclaimedtobemiraculous。Whatevertheoryanythinkingmanmayholdinthematter，hewillcertainlynotventureareproachfulword：
suchprayershavebeeninallagesanaturaloutcomeofthemindofmanintrouble。[225]
[225]ForGuacci，seehisCompendiumMaleficarumMilan，1608。
ForthecasesofSt。Giles，JohnWesley，andothersstillingthetempests，seeBrewer，DictionaryofMiracles，s。v。Prayer。
Butagainstthe“poweroftheair“wereusedothermeansofaverydifferentcharacterandtendency，andforemostamongthesewasexorcism。InanexorcismwidelyusedandascribedtoPopeGregoryXIII，theformulaisgiven：“I，apriestofChrist，……
docommandye，mostfoulspirits，whodostiruptheseclouds，……
thatyedepartfromthem，anddisperseyourselvesintowildanduntilledplaces，thatyemaybenolongerabletoharmmenoranimalsorfruitsorherbs，orwhatsoeverisdesignedforhumanuse。”Butthisismild，indeed，comparedtosomelaterexorcisms，aswhentheritualruns：“Allthepeopleshallrise，andthepriest，turningtowardtheclouds，shallpronouncethesewords：`Iexorciseye，accurseddemons，whohavedaredtouse，fortheaccomplishmentofyouriniquity，thosepowersofNaturebywhichGodindiverswaysworkethgoodtomortals；whostirupwinds，gathervapours，formclouds，andcondensethemintohail……Iexorciseye，……thatyerelinquishtheworkyehavebegun，dissolvethehail，scattertheclouds，dispersethevapours，andrestrainthewinds。’“Therubricgoesontoorderthatthenthereshallbeagreatfirekindledinanopenplace，andthatoveritthesignofthecrossshallbemade，andtheonehundredandfourteenthPsalmchanted，whilemalodoroussubstances，amongthemsulphurandasafoetida，shallbecastintotheflames。Thepurposeseemstohavebeenliterallyto“smokeout“Satan。[226]
[226]SeePolidorusValerius，Practicaexorcistarum；alsotheThesaurusexorcismorumCologne，1626，pp。158-162。
Manualsofexorcismsbecameimportant——somebulkyquartos，othershandbooks。NoteworthyamongthelatterisonebytheItalianpriestLocatelli，entitledExorcismsmostPowerfulandEfficaciousfortheDispellingofAerialTempests，whetherraisedbyDemonsattheirownInstanceorattheBeckofsomeServantoftheDevil。[227]
[227]Thatis，Exorcismi，etc。A“corrected“secondeditionwasprintedatLaybach，1680，in24mo，towhichisappendedanothermanualofPrecesetconjurationescontraaereastempestates，omnibussacerdotibusutilesetnecessaria，printedatthemonasteryofKempteninBavariain1667。ThelatterbearsasepigraphthepassagefromthegospelsdescribingChrist’sstillingofthewinds。
TheJesuitGretser，inhisfamousbookonBenedictionsandMaledictions，devotesachaptertothissubject，dismissingsummarilythescepticismthatquestionsthepowerofdevilsovertheelements，andadducingthestoryofJobasconclusive。[228]
[228]SeeGretser，Debenedictionibusetmaledictionibus，lib。
ii，c。48。
NorwasthistheoryofexorcismbyanymeansconfinedtotheelderChurch。Luthervehementlyupheldit，andprescribedespeciallythefirstchapterofSt。John’sgospelasofunfailingefficacyagainstthunderandlightning，declaringthathehadoftenfoundthemeresignofthecross，withthetext。”Thewordwasmadeflesh。”sufficienttoputstormstoflight。[229]
[229]So，atleast，saysGretserinhisDeben。etaml。，asabove。
FromthebeginningoftheMiddleAgesuntillongaftertheReformationthechroniclesgiveampleillustrationofthesuccessfuluseofsuchexorcisms。Sostrongwasthebeliefinthemthatitforceditselfintomindscomparativelyrational，andfoundutteranceintreatisesofmuchimportance。
But，sinceexorcismswerefoundattimesineffectual，othermeansweresought，andespeciallyfetichesofvarioussorts。OneoftheearliestoftheseappearedwhenPopeAlexanderI，accordingtotradition，ordainedthatholywatershouldbekeptinchurchesandbedchamberstodriveawaydevils。[230]Anothersafeguardwasfoundinrelics，andofsimilarefficacyweretheso-called“conceptionbillets“soldbytheCarmelitemonks。Theycontainedaformulauponconsecratedpaper，atwhichthedevilmightwellturnpale。Buriedinthecornerofafield，oneofthesewasthoughttogiveprotectionagainstbadweatheranddestructiveinsects。[231]
[230]“Instituitutaquaquamsanctumappellamussaleadmixtainterpositussacrisorationibusetintemplisetincubiculisadfugandosdaemonesretineretur。”Platina，VitaePontif。ButthestoryisfromtheFalseDecretals。
[231]SeeRydberg，TheMagicoftheMiddleAges，translatedbyEdgren，pp。63-66。
ButhighestinreputeduringcenturieswastheAgnusDei——apieceofwaxblessedbythePope’sownhand，andstampedwiththewell-knowndevicerepresentingthe“LambofGod。”ItspowersweresomarvellousthatPopeUrbanVthoughtthreeofthesecakesafittinggiftfromhimselftotheGreekEmperor。IntheLatindoggerelrecountingtheirvirtues，theirmeteorologicalefficacystandsfirst，forespecialstressislaidontheirpowerofdispellingthethunder。ThestressthuslaidbyPopeUrban，astheinfallibleguideofChristendom，ontheefficacyofthisfetich，gaveitgreatvaluethroughoutEurope，andthedoggerelversesrecitingitsvirtuessankdeepintothepopularmind。Itwasconsideredamostpotentmeansofdispellinghail，pestilence，storms，conflagrations，andenchantments；andthisfeelingwasdeepenedbytherulesandritesforitsconsecration。
Sosolemnwasthematter，thatthemanufactureandsaleofthisparticularfetichwas，byapapalbullof1471，reservedforthePopehimself，andheonlyperformedtherequiredceremonyinthefirstandseventhyearsofhispontificate。Standingunmitred，heprayed：“OGod，……wehumblybeseechtheethatthouwiltblessthesewaxenforms，figuredwiththeimageofaninnocentlamb，……
that，atthetouchandsightofthem，thefaithfulmaybreakforthintopraises，andthatthecrashofhailstorms，theblastofhurricanes，theviolenceoftempests，thefuryofwinds，andthemaliceofthunderboltsmaybetempered，andevilspiritsfleeandtremblebeforethestandardofthyholycross，whichisgravenuponthem。”[232]
[232]ThesepiouscharmsarestillinuseintheChurch，andmaybefounddescribedinanyecclesiasticalcyclopaedia。Thedoggerelversesrunasfollows：
“Tonitruamagnaterret，InimicosnostrasdomatEtpeccatanostradelet；Praegnantemcumpartusalvat，Abincendiopraeservat，Donadignismultaconfert，Asubersioneservat，Utquemalismaladefert。
Amortecitaliberat，Portio，quamvisparvasit，EtCacodaemonesfugat，Utmagnatamenproficit。”
Seetheseversescitedinfullfaith，solateas1743，inFatherVincentofBerg’sEnchiridium，pp。23，24，whereisanamplestatementofthevirtuesoftheAgnusDei，andistructionsforitsuse。Afullaccountoftheritesusedinconsecratingthisfetich，withtheprayersandbenedictionswhichgavecolourtothistheoryofthepowersoftheAgnusDei，maybefoundintheritualoftheChurch。IhaveusedtheeditionentitledSacrarumceremoniarumsiverituumSanctaeRomanaeEcclesiaelibritres，Rome，1560，infolio。Theformofthepapalprayerisasfollows：
“Deus……tesupplicaterdeprecamur，ut……hascereasformas，innocentissimiagniimaginefiguritas，benedicere