An entire body of philosophy according to the principles of the famous Renate Des Cartes in three books, (I) the institution ... (II) the history of nature ... (III) a dissertation of the want of sense and knowledge in brute animals ... / written originally in Latin by the learned Anthony Le Grand ; now carefully translated from the last corrections, alterations, and large additions of the author, never yet published ... by Richard Blome.

CHAP. X. Whether there be any Order amongst the Devils; and what kind of Order that is.

I. Since An∣gels have different Offices, there must be some order amongst them. FOrasmuch as the Devils are deputed to different Works, and according to TRITHEMIUS his Opinion, are sent abroad into divers parts of the World, they must of necessity observe some Or∣der, and somewhat imitate the Government that is amongst the Angels of Light. For seeing they perform various Offices, and inhabit the Fire, Air, and Earth, as also the Waters and Bowels of the Earth, and that in perpetual Darkness; it does not appear how they could be kept to their several Tasks and Duties, if there were not some depen∣dence between them, and if they did not derive their Power from one Head. Wherefore, LUCI∣FER in Holy Writ is called the Devil, because he is the Prince of all the Devils: And accordingly when the Pharisees told our Saviour that he cast out Devils by Beelzebub the Prince of Devils; he replies: If Satan be divided against himself how shall his Kingdom stand? By which Words Christ himself supposeth that there is a Primacy, and con∣sequently a Government amongst Devils.

II. The Power that An∣gels have, is not pro∣portion'd to their Per∣fection. The only difficulty here is to explain wherein the mutual subjection of the Devils is founded. Some fix it in the different Perfection of Devils, as supposing them to be endued with Power, ac∣cording to the Proportion of their Dignity. But this seems to be said without sufficient ground; for there seems to be no Connexion between Natural Perfection, and Command or Moral Praeeminence, except that the one should necessarily follow from the other; or that one should be the Rule of Man∣ners; neither of which can have place in the De∣vils; for otherwise an Inferiour Angel would have as many Commanders and Rulers, as there are Angels more perfect than himself, which would be a most miserable State of Slavery, and Incompara∣bly worse than any other.

III. The Com∣monwealth of Devils is establisht by their mutual con∣sent. It seems more Rational to conclude that the Form of their Commonwealth, hath proceeded from themselves, and been established by their mutual consent. For tho' the Devils be exceeding Proud, and each of them hath Ambition enough to aspire to be Governour in chief; yet because they are full of hatred against God and the Envy they bear to Mankind, they suppose they can take no better way to Rob God of his Honour and to destroy the Souls of Men, than by mutually agreeing to sub∣mit themselves to a Government setled by Laws. Wherefore the Devils chose Lucifer the first Au∣thor of the Rebellion, to be their Prince, as Rob∣bers us'd to do, who having join'd themselves to∣gether, choose one from amongst themselves to be their Captain.

IV. The Devils are divi∣ded into Nine Or∣ders, like the Angels. But what kind of Government the Devils have amongst themselves, is not easily Determinable, ex∣cept we assent to them who divide the Devils into three Hierarchies and nine Quires, like the Angels. For so CORNELIUS AGRIPPA in his third Book of Occult Philosophy tells us, that there are Divines, who distribute the Devils into Nine Ranks, as standing in Opposition to the Nine An∣gelical Orders. Whose Opinion he follows and ranks them so himself.

V. The First Order of Devils. The First Order of Devils according to Agrippa, are the PSEUDOTHEI, or False Gods, who Usur∣ping the name of God, presume to be worshipt like God, and to have Sacrifices, and Adorations made to them; like that Devil, who said to Christ, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and Worship me, shewing him all the King∣doms of the Earth. And the Prince of these is he who said, I will ascend above the height of the Clouds, and will be like the most High; and who is therefore called Beelzebub, that is, the old God.

VI. The Second Order. The Second Order are the Lying Spirits, such as he was that entred the Prophets of Ahab, and was a Lying Spirit in their Mouths. And the Prince of these is the Serpant PYTHON, from whence Apollo is called Pythius, and that Woman Pythonissa, 1 Sam. 28. as also that Other in the Acts of the Apostles, Chap. 16. This sort of Devils make it their business to delude Men by Ambiguous or false Oracles, Divinations, and Predictions.

VII. The Third Order. The Third Order of them are Vessels of Iniquity which are also called Vessels of Wrath. These are the Inventers of all Wicked Arts; such as was the

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Devil THEATUS mention'd by Plato, who taught Men to Game and Play at Dice; for from these all Crimes and Wickedness do proceed, accord∣ing to that of Jacob, Gen. 49. 5. where detesting the cruel Massacre committed by his Sons Simeon and Levi upon the Sichemites, he saith, Vessels of Iniquity are in their Habitation: O my Soul come not thou into their Secrets, &c. The Psalmist calls them The Vessels of Death; Isaiah, the Vessels of Fury; Jeremy the Vessels of Wrath, and Ezekiel the Vessels of Murther and Destruction. Their Prince is BELIAL, which signifies without a Yoke or Disobedient, and is mentioned by St. Paul 11. Cor. 6. 15. where he saith, What Concord hath Christ with Belial?

VIII. The Fourth Order. Those of the Fourth Order are called Avengers of Wickedness, whose Prince is ASMODEUS, the Executioner of Justice.

IX. The Fifth Order. The Devils next to these are Juglers, so called, because they imitate Miracles, and assist Magicians and Witches, seducing the People by their seeming Miracles, as the Serpent seduced Eve. And their Prince is SATAN, of whom it is written in the Revelation, that he deceives the whole world, work∣ing great Miracles, and causing Fire to come down from Heaven in the sight of Men, and deceiving the Inhabitants of the Earth, by the wonders he doth.

X. The Sixth Order. The Sixth Order are those that are called the Powers of the Air; these are very busie in Thunder and Lightning; they corrupt the Air, and cause the Plague; and of this Number were those, of whom the Revelation mentions, that it was given to them to hurt the Earth and the Sea. And their Prince is MERIZIM. This is the Noon-Devil, the Burning Spirit, and the Devil that rageth at Noon; whom St. Paul in his Fpistle to the Ephe∣sians calls The Prince of the Powers of the Air, the Spirit that Works in the Children of Disobedience.

XI. The Seventh Order. The Seventh Rank or Order is that of Furies, the sowers of mischief and Dissension, of Wars and Devastations; whose Prince in the Revelation is called APOLLYON, and in Hebrew Abaddon, that is, the Destroyer.

XII. The Eighth Order. In the eighth Order are Accusers, whose Prince is called ASTAROTH, that is, a Spie; and in Greek Diabolus, that is to say a Slanderer; who in the Revelation is called the Accuser of the Bre∣thren, who accuseth them before the Face of God, day and night.

XIII. The Ninth Order. The last Order of Devils are those that are called Tempters, or Lyers in wait, who do accompany Men continually to tempt them to Evil, and are therefore called Bad Angels. Their Prince is MAMMON, that is, Lust or Concupiscense.

XIV. This Ordi∣nation of the Devils is not to be respected. And tho' this Ordination of the Devils be no where else to be found but in Agrippa, yet is it not therefore to be the less esteemed, seeing that it imitates the Orders of the Good Angels, and is derived and descends from Lucifer the Prince of the Apostate Spirits: So that as God hath his An∣gels, so Lucifer hath his Devils.