Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologiae

Objection 1: It would seem that the prophets of the demons never foretell the truth. For Ambrose says that "Every truth, by whomsoever spoken, is from the Holy Ghost." Now the prophets of the demons do not speak from the Holy Ghost, because "there is no concord between Christ and Belial " (2 Cor. 6:15). Therefore it would seem that they never foretell the truth.

Objection 2: Further, just as true prophets are inspired by the Spirit of truth, so the prophets of the demons are inspired by the spirit of untruth, according to 3 Kgs. 22:22, "I will go forth, and be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets." Now the prophets inspired by the Holy Ghost never speak false, as stated above (Question 111, Article 6). Therefore the prophets of the demons never speak truth.

Objection 3: Further, it is said of the devil (Jn. 8:44) that "when he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own, for the devil is a liar, and the father thereof," i.e. of lying. Now by inspiring his prophets, the devil speaks only of his own, for he is not appointed God's minister to declare the truth, since "light hath no fellowship with darkness " (2 Cor. 6:14). Therefore the prophets of the demons never foretell the truth.

On the contrary, A gloss on Num. 22:14, says that "Balaam was a diviner, for he sometimes foreknew the future by help of the demons and the magic art." Now he foretold many true things, for instance that which is to be found in Num. 24:17: "A star shall rise out of Jacob, and a scepter shall spring up from Israel." Therefore even the prophets of the demons foretell the truth.

I answer that, As the good is in relation to things, so is the true in relation to knowledge. Now in things it is impossible to find one that is wholly devoid of good. Wherefore it is also impossible for any knowledge to be wholly false, without some mixture of truth. Hence Bede says that "no teaching is so false that it never mingles truth with falsehood." Hence the teaching of the demons, with which they instruct their prophets, contains some truths whereby it is rendered acceptable. For the intellect is led astray to falsehood by the semblance of truth, even as the will is seduced to evil by the semblance of goodness. Wherefore Chrysostom says : "The devil is allowed sometimes to speak true things, in order that his unwonted truthfulness may gain credit for his lie."

Reply to Objection 1: The prophets of the demons do not always speak from the demons' revelation, but sometimes by Divine inspiration. This was evidently the case with Balaam, of whom we read that the Lord spoke to him (Num. 22:12), though he was a prophet of the demons, because God makes use even of the wicked for the profit of the good. Hence He foretells certain truths even by the demons' prophets, both that the truth may be rendered more credible, since even its foes bear witness to it, and also in order that men, by believing such men, may be more easily led on to truth. Wherefore also the Sibyls foretold many true things about Christ.

Yet even when the demons' prophets are instructed by the demons, they foretell the truth, sometimes by virtue of their own nature, the author of which is the Holy Ghost, and sometimes by revelation of the good spirits, as Augustine declares (Gen. ad lit. xii, 19): so that even then this truth which the demons proclaim is from the Holy Ghost.

Reply to Objection 2: A true prophet is always inspired by the Spirit of truth, in Whom there is no falsehood, wherefore He never says what is not true; whereas a false prophet is not always instructed by the spirit of untruth, but sometimes even by the Spirit of truth. Even the very spirit of untruth sometimes declares true things, sometimes false, as stated above.

Reply to Objection 3: Those things are called the demons' own, which they have of themselves, namely lies and sins; while they have, not of themselves but of God, those things which belong to them by nature: and it is by virtue of their own nature that they sometimes foretell the truth, as stated above (ad 1). Moreover God makes use of them to make known the truth which is to be accomplished through them, by revealing Divine mysteries to them through the angels, as already stated (Gen. ad lit. xii, 19; 1, Question 109, Article 4, ad 1).

Articulus 6

Argumentum 1

Ad sextum sic proceditur. Videtur quod prophetae Daemonum nunquam vera praedicant.

Dicit enim Ambrosius quod omne verum, a quocumque dicatur, a spiritu sancto est.

Sed prophetae Daemonum non loquuntur a spiritu sancto, quia non est conventio christi ad belial, ut dicitur II ad Cor. VI.

Ergo videtur quod tales nunquam vera praenuntiant.

Argumentum 2

Praeterea, sicut veri prophetae inspirantur a spiritu veritatis, ita prophetae Daemonum inspirantur a spiritu mendacii, secundum illud III Reg. Ult., egrediar, et ero spiritus mendax in ore omnium prophetarum eius.

Sed prophetae inspirati a spiritu sancto nunquam loquuntur falsum, ut supra habitum est.

Ergo prophetae Daemonum nunquam loquuntur verum.

Argumentum 3

Praeterea, Ioan. VIII dicitur de diabolo quod, cum loquitur mendacium, ex propriis loquitur, quia diabolus est mendax, et pater eius, idest mendacii. Sed inspirando prophetas suos diabolus non loquitur nisi ex propriis, non enim instituitur minister dei ad veritatem enuntiandam, quia non est conventio lucis ad tenebras, ut dicitur II ad Cor. VI.

Ergo prophetae Daemonum nunquam vera praedicunt.

Sed Contra

Sed contra est quod, Num. XXII, dicit quaedam Glossa quod Balaam divinus erat, Daemonum scilicet ministerio, et arte magica, nonnunquam futura praenoscebat.

Sed ipse multa praenuntiavit vera, sicut est id quod habetur Num. XXIV, orietur stella ex Iacob, et consurget virga de Israel.

Ergo etiam prophetae Daemonum praenuntiant vera.

Corpus

Respondeo dicendum quod sicut se habet bonum in rebus, ita verum in cognitione. Impossibile est autem inveniri aliquid in rebus quod totaliter bono privetur. Unde etiam impossibile est esse aliquam cognitionem quae totaliter sit falsa, absque admixtione alicuius veritatis.

Unde et beda dicit quod nulla falsa est doctrina quae non aliquando aliqua vera falsis intermisceat.

Unde et ipsa doctrina Daemonum, qua suos prophetas instruunt, aliqua vera continet, per quae receptibilis redditur, sic enim intellectus ad falsum deducitur per apparentiam veritatis, sicut voluntas ad malum per apparentiam bonitatis.

Unde et chrysostomus dicit, super Matth., concessum est diabolo interdum vera dicere, ut mendacium suum rara veritate commendet.

Ad 1

Ad primum ergo dicendum quod prophetae Daemonum non semper loquuntur ex Daemonum revelatione, sed interdum ex inspiratione divina, sicut manifeste legitur de Balaam, cui dicitur dominus esse locutus, Num. XXII, licet esset propheta Daemonum. Quia deus utitur etiam malis ad utilitatem bonorum. Unde et per prophetas Daemonum aliqua vera praenuntiat, tum ut credibilior fiat veritas, quae etiam ex adversariis testimonium habet; tum etiam quia, dum homines talibus credunt, per eorum dicta magis ad veritatem inducuntur. Unde etiam sibyllae multa vera praedixerunt de christo. Sed et quando prophetae Daemonum a Daemonibus instruuntur, aliqua vera praedicunt, quandoque quidem virtute propriae naturae, cuius auctor est spiritus sanctus; quandoque etiam revelatione bonorum spirituum, ut patet per Augustinum, XII super Gen. Ad litt..

Et sic etiam illud verum quod Daemones enuntiant, a spiritu sancto est.

Ad 2

Ad secundum dicendum quod verus propheta semper inspiratur a spiritu veritatis, in quo nihil est falsitatis, et ideo nunquam dicit falsum. Propheta autem falsitatis non semper instruitur a spiritu falsitatis, sed quandoque etiam inspiratur a spiritu veritatis. Ipse etiam spiritus falsitatis quandoque enuntiat vera, quandoque falsa, ut dictum est.

Ad 3

Ad tertium dicendum quod propria Daemonum esse dicuntur illa quae habent a seipsis, scilicet mendacia et peccata. Quae autem pertinent ad propriam naturam, non habent a seipsis, sed a deo.

Per virtutem autem propriae naturae quandoque vera praenuntiant, ut dictum est.

Utitur etiam eis deus ad veritatis manifestationem per ipsos fiendam, dum divina mysteria eis per Angelos revelantur, ut dictum est.