Demons And Madness

Dicebant autem multi ex ipsis: Dæmonium habet, et insanit: quid eum auditis? Alii dicebant: Haec verba non sunt dæmonium habentis: numquid dæmonium potest cæcorum oculos aperire? Daemonium habet... In Beelzebub, principe daemoniorum, ejicit daemonia. Occasionem autem isti acceperunt ex hoc quod dicit : Potestatem habeo ponendi eam, scilicet animam meam, et potestatem habeo iterum sumendi eam. Haec enim reputabant verba obsessi, et impossibile, esse, quod aliquis compos rationis hoc diceret. Nonne bene dicimus nos quia Samaritanus es tu, et daemonium habes? Signa enim attribuebant daemoni, et verba dixerunt esse insaniae. Et insanit... Sicut dictum est de David, qui se et suos per insaniae formam liberavit. Vidistis hominem insanum: quare adduxistis eum ad me ... ut fureret me praesente? Sic dictum est de Propheta qui venit ungere Jehu, ultorem iniquitatis domus. Quid venit insanus iste ad te? Sic dictum est de Paulo qui summae sapientiae verba praedicavit, Insanis, Paule: multae te litterae ad insaniam convertunt. Quid eum auditis? Hoc dictum fuit Pharisaeorum qui illis consenserunt. Dicunt videntibus: Nolite videre: et adspicienlibus: Nolite adspicere nobis ea quae recta sunt: loquimini nobis placentia. Domus Israel nolunt audire te, quia nolunt audire me. Alii dicebant: Haec verba... Alii dicebant, devoti, verbis ejus illuminati, et operibus confirmati: Haec verba non sunt daemonium habentis: quin potius sunt daemonis imperium et potestatem evacuantis. Daemon enim non est contrarius daemoni. Si Satanas Satanam ejicit, adversus se divisus est: quomodo ergo stabit regnum ejus? Numquam sic locutus est homo, sicut hic homo. Numquid daemonium... Quod homini nocet, et caecitati studet, et homini est inimicum, ...potest caecorum, a nativitate, oculos aperire? Impotentiam enim habet. Et si posset, mala voluntate non faceret, sed potius excaecaret. In hoc feriam vobiscum foedus, ut eruam omnium vestrum oculos dextros, ponamque vos opprobrium in universo Israel. Nasum tuum et aures tuas praecident, et quae remanserint, gladio concident. Beneficium ergo tale daemones nec possunt, nec volunt praestare. Sanctus Albertus Magnus, Commentarium in Joannem, Caput X Source: Here, p198

But many said among themselves, 'He has a demon and he is mad, why do you listen to him?' The others said, 'These words are not of one who has a demon. Can a demon open the eyes of the blind?' 1 'He has a demon...' 'By Beelezebub, prince of demons, he casts out demons.' 2 The reason they seized on this was because He said: 'I have power to place down my soul, and I have power to take it up again.' 3 They understood these words to be of one who was disturbed, for it was impossible that someone who was healthy in his mind would say this. 'Do we not speak well to say that you are a Samaritan and that you have a demon?' 4 For they attributed His signs to be from demons and the words He spoke to be from madness. 'And He is mad...' As was said about David who freed himself by a sort of madness. 'You see he is a madman, why have you led him to me...that he should stand before me?' 5 So it was spoken about the prophet who came to anoint Jehu as the one to take revenge on the house of Ahab, 'Why did this mad man come to me?' 6 So it was said of Paul who preached words of the highest wisdom: 'You are mad, Paul, many books have turned you to madness.' 7 'Why do you listen to him?' This was said to the Pharisees who associated with them. 'They say to those who see, 'Do not see,' and to those who have visions, 'Do not have visions which are truly right for us, but tell us what pleases us.' 8 'The house of Israel does not wish to hear you, because it does not wish to hear me.' 9 Others said, 'These words...' 'Others said...' the devoted, who were enlightened by His words, and which His works confirmed, '...are not of one who has a demon.' Rather they are what casts out the power and rule of demons. A demon is not an adversary to a demon. 'If Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself, how then will his kingdom stand?' 10 'No man spoke like this man.' 11 'Can a demon...' Because a demon harms a man, and desires blindness, and is an enemy of mankind. '...open the eyes of the blind?' The blind from birth. A demon does not have the power. And if it did, it would not do it, on account of malevolence, but rather it would make a man blind. 'Regarding this I will make a treaty with you, that I pluck out all your right eyes and I set you as a disgrace among all Israel.' 12 'They will cut off your noses and your ears, and what remains they will cut to pieces with the sword.' 13 Therefore demons are not able to perform such benefactions, nor do they have any wish to help. Saint Albert The Great, Commentary On The Gospel of St John, Chapter 10 1 Jn 10.20 2 Mt 12.27 3 Jn 10.18 4 Jn 8.48 5 1 Kings 21.14-15 6 4 Kings 9.11 7 Acts 26.24 8 Isaiah 30.10 9 Ezek 3.7 10 Mt 12.26 11 Jn 7.46 12 1 Kings 11.2 13 Ezek 23.25