, which the physician observes. Therefore it seems
not unlawful to observe such like signs.

Obj. 2: Further, it is unreasonable to deny that which nearly
everybody experiences. Now nearly everyone experiences that certain
times, or places, hearing of certain words meetings of men or
animals, uncanny or ungainly actions, are presages of good or evil to
come. Therefore it seems not unlawful to observe these things.

Obj. 3: Further, human actions and occurrences are disposed by divine
providence in a certain order: and this order seems to require that
precedent events should be signs of subsequent occurrences:
wherefore, according to the Apostle (1 Cor. 10:6), the things that
happened to the fathers of old are signs of those that take place in
our time. Now it is not unlawful to observe the order that proceeds
from divine providence. Therefore it is seemingly not unlawful to
observe these presages.

_On the contrary,_ Augustine says (De Doctr. Christ. ii, 20) that "a
thousand vain observances are comprised under the head of compacts
entered into with the demons: for instance, the twitching of a limb;
a stone, a dog, or a boy coming between friends walking together;
kicking the door-post when anyone passes in front of one's house; to
go back to bed if you happen to sneeze while putting on your shoes;
to return home if you trip when going forth; when the rats have
gnawed a hole in your clothes, to fear superstitiously a future evil
rather than to regret the actual damage."

_I answer that,_ Men attend to all these observances, not as causes
but as signs of future events, good or evil. Nor do they observe them
as signs given by God, since these signs are brought forward, not on
divine authority, but rather by human vanity with the cooperation of
the malice of the demons, who strive to entangle men's minds with
such like trifles. Accordingly it is evident that all these
observances are superstitious and unlawful: they are apparently
remains of idolatry, which authorized the observance of auguries, of
lucky and unlucky days which is allied to divination by the stars, in
respect of which one day is differentiated from another: except that
these observances are devoid of reason and art, wherefore they are
yet more vain and superstitious.

Reply Obj. 1: The causes of sickness are seated in us, and they
produce certain signs of sickness to come, which physicians lawfully
observe. Wherefore it is not unlawful to consider a p