The divine Cause of these Monstrous Generations, proceeds from the permissive Will of our Great Creator, who many times suffers Parents to bring forth such Deform'd Creatures as a Punishment for their Lust: And some Authors are of Opinion, that outward deformity of Body is generally a Sign of the Pollution of the Heart, as a Curse upon the Child for the Incontinency of the Parents.
In the Writings of some Authors mention is made of Monsters engender'd by infernal Spirits; and as the Scriptures give us to understand that the Angels being taken with the Beauty of the Daughters of Men, went in unto them, and that from such a Conjunction, Giants were Born, so we may infer that if Angels can mix Amorously with Women, and engender Children, the Devils who only differ from Angels by their Fall, may also draw Women into immodest Pleasures, and Defile them with their Embraces: But it is highly inconsistent to suppose that our Creator who is all Purity, would permit the worst of Spirits to propogate his diabolical Offspring.
Devils assuming to themselves Human Shapes, in the opinion of Ancient Writers, may abuse both Men and Women, and with wicked People use carnal Copulation. St. Austin yields to this Notion, and that Generation may thereby be effected; but his Opinion was grounded more upon the depositions of Melancholly superstitious Persons, than from any demonstrable Proofs; and 'tis impossible that such an unnatural Conjunction can produce a humane Creature, though some will have it that it may, and that his Malice shall be a Sign of his Extraction.
The Rabbins beleived that the Silvani, Pans and Fauni, call'd Incubus's and the Tutelar Gods, were Creatures left imperfect the first Friday Evening, and not finish'd by God, as being prevented by the ensuing Sabbath; for this reason they alledg'd, these Spirits love Mountains and dark Places only, and never appear but in the Night time: And the Incubus's not only Court and desire to Caress Women, but have actually Caress'd them.
Hierenimus Cardanus writes of a Maid which was got with Child by a Devil, she thinking it had been a fair young Man who had Enjoy'd her; and some Witches fancy they have been at the Sabbath, and Caress'd by the Devil, whose Privy Parts were full of Bristles, Scaly, and the Seed cold as Ice; but this has proceeded only from a distracted Brain: Besides we learn from Scripture that Devils being pure Spirits, are quite different Substances from those of Men. That they have neither Flesh nor Blood, nor Privities, and consequently no Seed for Generation. That though they sometimes assume Bodies, these Bodies are only form'd of Air, and do not Live, neither can they exercise the Operations of Life: That having no occasion to hope for Posterity, as being Eternal and Unhappy, they cannot be suppos'd to be desirous of perpetuating their Species or to take pleasure in the Embraces of Women.
The Stories of Women having Commerce with Devils, are very Fabulous, and proceed chiefly from Dreams and Nocturnal Illusions; a Lecherous and Melancholly Woman seiz'd with the Night Mare, may verily beleive that the Devil Caresses her; especially if her Fancy is taken up with Tales of Witches. Leo Africanus tells us, That what is attributed to Devils, is committed by Lascivious Men, and Lecherous Women, who perswade others, that they are Caress'd by Devils. The Witches of the Kingdom of Fez, according to History, are very desirous that People should beleive them to be familiar with Devils, and for that Reason endeavour to tell surprizing Stories to those that consult them; they do not require any Fees from handsome Women that come to see them, but only intimate the Desire their Master has to Caress them for a Night. The Husbands take these Impostures for Truth, and surrender their Wives to the Gods and the Winds. Night being come, the brawny Sorcerer (who Employs the Persons abovemention'd, to ensnare fine Women to his Caresses) Embraces the fair one closely, and Enjoys her instead of the Devil. If this Ignorance and Superstition prevail'd in this Kingdom, I doubt not but it would very much Pleasure the frolicking Libertines.
