Whether Observances Directed to the Alteration of Bodies, As for the
Purpose of Acquiring Health or the Like, Are Unlawful?
Objection 1: It would seem that observances directed to the
alteration of bodies, as for the purpose of acquiring health, or the
like, are lawful. It is lawful to make use of the natural forces of
bodies in order to produce their proper effects. Now in the physical
order things have certain occult forces, the reason of which man is
unable to assign; for instance that the magnet attracts iron, and
many like instances, all of which Augustine enumerates (De Civ. Dei
xxi, 5, 7). Therefore it would seem lawful to employ such like forces
for the alteration of bodies.
Obj. 2: Further, artificial bodies are subject to the heavenly
bodies, just as natural bodies are. Now natural bodies acquire
certain occult forces resulting from their species through the
influence of the heavenly bodies. Therefore artificial bodies, e.g.
images, also acquire from the heavenly bodies a certain occult force
for the production of certain effects. Therefore it is not unlawful
to make use of them and of such like things.
Obj. 3: Further, the demons too are able to alter bodies in many
ways, as Augustine states (De Trin. iii, 8, 9). But their power is
from God. Therefore it is lawful to make use of their power for the
purpose of producing these alterations.
_On the contrary,_ Augustine says (De Doctr. Christ. ii, 20) that "to
superstition belong the experiments of magic arts, amulets and
nostrums condemned by the medical faculty, consisting either of
incantations or of certain cyphers which they call characters, or of
any kind of thing worn or fastened on."
_I answer that,_ In things done for the purpose of producing some
bodily effect we must consider whether they seem able to produce that
effect naturally: for if so it will not be unlawful to do so, since
it is lawful to employ natural causes in order to produce their
proper effects. But, if they seem unable to produce those effects
naturally, it follows that they are employed for the purpose of
producing those effects, not as causes but only as signs, so that
they come under the head of "compact by tokens entered into with the
demons" [*Augustine, De Doctr. Christ.; see above Q. 92, A. 2].
Wherefore Augustine says (De Civ. Dei xxi, 6): "The demons are
allured by means of creatures, which were made, not by them, but by
God. They are enticed by various objects differing according to the
various things in which they delight, not as animals by meat, but as
spirits by signs, such as are to each one's liking, by means of
various kinds of stones, herbs, trees, animals, songs and rites."
Reply Obj. 1: There is nothing superstitious or unlawful in employing
natural things simply for the purpose of causing certain effects such
as they are thought to have the natural power of producing. But if in
addition there be employed certain characters, words, or any other
vain observances which clearly have no efficacy by nature, it will be
superstitious and unlawful.
Reply Obj. 2: The natural forces of natural bodies result from their
substantial forms which they acquire through the influence of
heavenly bodies; wherefore through this same influence they acquire
certain active forces. On the other hand the forms of artificial
bodies result from the conception of the craftsman; and since they
are nothing else but composition, order and shape, as stated in
_Phys._ i, 5, they cannot have a natural active force. Consequently,
no force accrues to them from the influence of heavenly bodies, in so
far as they are artificial, but only in respect of their natural
matter. Hence it is false, what Porphyry held, according to Augustine
(De Civ. Dei x, 11), that "by herbs, stones, animals, certain
particular sounds, words, shapes and devices, or again by certain
movements of the stars observed in the course of the heavens it is
possible for men to fashion on earth forces capable of carrying into
effect the various dispositions of the stars," as though the results
of the magic arts were to be ascribed to the power of the heavenly
bodies. In fact as Augustine adds (De Civ. Dei x, 11), "all these
things are to be ascribed to the demons, who delude the souls that
are subject to them."
Wherefore those images called astronomical also derive their efficacy
from the actions of the demons: a sign of this is that it is
requisite to inscribe certain characters on them which do not conduce
to any effect naturally, since shape is not a principle of natural
action. Yet astronomical images differ from necromantic images in
this, that the latter include certain explicit invocations and
trickery, wherefore they come under the head of explicit agreements
made with the demons: whereas in the other images there are tacit
agreements by means of tokens in certain shapes or characters.
Reply Obj. 3: It belongs to the domain of the divine majesty, to Whom
the demons are subject, that God should employ them to whatever
purpose He will. But man has not been entrusted with power over the
demons, to employ them to whatsoever purpose he will; on the
contrary, it is appointed that he should wage war against the demons.
Hence in no way is it lawful for man to make use of the demons' help
by compacts either tacit or express.
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