.

But Jesus Christ not only expelled demons by his own authority,
without ever making mention of Beelzebub; he expelled them in spite of
themselves, and sometimes they loudly complained that he was come to
torment them before the time.[261] There was neither collusion between
him and them, nor subordination similar to that which might be
supposed to exist between Beelzebub and the other demons.

The Lord pursued them, not only in expelling them from bodies, but
also in overthrowing their bad maxims, by establishing doctrines and
maxims quite contrary to their own; he made war upon every vice,
error, and falsehood; he attacked the demon face to face, everywhere,
unflinchingly; thus, it cannot be said that he spared him, or was in
collusion with him. If the devil will sometimes pass off as chimeras
and illusions all that is said of apparitions, obsessions and
possessions, magic and sorcery; and if he appears so absolutely to
overthrow his reign, even so far as to deny the most marked and
palpable effects of his own power and presence, and impute them to the
weakness of mind of men and their foolish prejudices; in all this he
can only gain advantage for himself: for, if he can persuade people of
the truth of what he advances, his power will only be more solidly
confirmed by it, since it will no longer be attacked, and he will be
left to enjoy his conquests in peace, and the ecclesiastical and
secular powers interested in repressing the effects of his malice and
cruelty will no longer take the trouble to make war upon him, and
caution or put the nations on their guard against his stratagems and
ambuscades. It will close the mouth of parliaments, and stay the hand
of judges and powers; and the simple people will become the sport of
the demon, who will not cease continuing to tempt, persecute, corrupt,
deceive, and cause the perdition of those who shall no longer mistrust
his snares and his malice. The world will relapse into the same state
as when under paganism, given up to error, to the most shameful
passions, and will even deny or doubt those truths which shall be the
best attested, and the most necessary to our salvation.

Moses in the Old Testament well foresaw that the evil spirit would set
every spring to work, to lead the Israelites into error and unruly
conduct; he foresaw that in the midst of the chosen people he would
instigate seducers, who would predict to them the hidden future, which
predictions would come