The sieve of Balthasar Bekker

Jutta pointed us to this 18th century satiric image aimed at the work of Balthasar Bekker, a Dutch Calvinist who wrote Betoverde Weereld (The World Bewitched):

In the image, Bekker is holding a sieve that seems to "transform" evil demons, as they fall through it, into modern ailments, including  

"Raserey, Melancholie, Monsucht, Unsinnigkeit, Wahnwitz, Paroxismus, Enthus, Mitzkranckheit, Fallende Sucht." (Translations welcome!)

Bekker's work was published in 1691, and led him to be deposed from his ministry and tried for blasphemy and for spreading atheistic ideas. His major offense appears to have been to question the existence of the devil, and of demons in general. His notoriety was fairly long lasting, as the above image, taken from a work satirizing Bekker's view, was published in 1731.

Bekker was a student of the work of Descartes. Here's a bit more about him:

Amsterdam Reformed minister Balthasar Bekker (1634-98), ... unleashed enormous controversy with the 1691-93 publication of his De betoverde weereld (Die bezauberte Welt / The World Bewitched).  Across the four volumes of this work Bekker argued that "the apparitions of Evil Spirits are contrary to true Reason, and that the Holy Scripture affords no proofs of it."

Bekker seems to have thought all such belief in evil spirits was essentially pagan in origin, and wished to rid Christianity of it. Interestingly, Isaac Newton wrote extensively of his similar doubts about the existence of evil spirits (but not, it seems of good ones or angels), but held back publication probably because doubting the devil was, at least for some, tantamount to opening a slippery slope -- where would the doubt end?

But as this article (cited in the preceding post) argues, Newton should not be lumped in with "modern" rationalism, or some sort of proto-Enlightenment, scientific thinking. Newton was basing his doubts about the demons upon his very careful reading of the Bible and other ancient sources. Here's the conclusion of its author, Stephen David Snobelen:

In this study, I have shown that there was more than one way for an early modern believer to orient biblical demonology. In Newton’s case, it meant the denial of the existence of evil spirits. A corollary to this was a shift from an ontology of Satan to a psychology of temptation, a reorientation from the external to the internal. But instead of looking for possible affinities with his view in sceptical thought or suggesting a source in some putatively rational or ‘modernist’ strain of natural philosophy, I have argued that Newton’s demonology formed an integral part of his grand religious project and that the most relevant analogies lie in theology—ancient and heterodox.

In short:

Newton articulated his own position in biblical terminology and above all, as with so many other aspects of his theological and natural philosophical thought, his views on the devil were reinforced by an engagement with older traditions. The apparent ‘modernity’ of his stance turns out to be a mirage.

The devil you know

There were two general areas or positions on the existence of diabolical evil current in Milton's day: On the one hand, there were those, like Isaac Newton, who, while firm believers in the primal truths of Scripture, found little support for the actual existence of demons and devils; on the other hand, there were those who clearly felt that skeptical disinclination to believe in evil powers was nothing less than a clear manifestation of the workings of those very powers.

Men like Joseph Glanvill, for example:

In his 1668 work A Blow at Modern Sadducism, Joseph Glanvill, Fellow of the Royal Society and ardent apologist for belief in witches, demons and ghosts, contended that the denial of the demonic was tantamount to atheism. Those who rejected the literal existence of evil spirits, Glanvill asserted, did so because they did not dare take the next putatively logical step and openly declare that there is no God:

...if any thing were to be much admired in an Age of Wonders, not only of Nature (which is a constant Prodigy) but of Men and Manners, it would be to me a matter of Astonishment, that Men, otherwise witty and ingenious, are fallen into the conceit that there’s no such thing as a Witch or Apparition, but that these are the creatures of Melancholly and superstition, foster’d by ignorance and design.

But this was not all. Glanvill went on to propose a sinister source for this wicked disbelief, suggesting that the very devil, “whose influences they will not allow in Actions ascribed to such Causes, hath a greater hand and interest in their Proposition than they are aware of.”

Here's the turning of the tables:

For since the influence of the Prince of Darkness “is never more dangerous than when his agency is least suspected,” in order to accomplish “the dark and hidden designs he manageth against our Happiness, and our Souls, he cannot expect to advantage himself more, than by insinuating a belief, That there is no such thing as himself, but that fear and fancy make Devils now, as they did Gods of old.” (Italics are Glanvill's.)

The rest of this interesting piece by Stephen David Snobelen, which is actually about Isaac Newton's concept of evil, (and is entitled Lust, Pride, and Ambition: Isaac Newton and the Devil) can be downloaded here as a .pdf file which requires Adobe Reader).

When we consider the bewildering maze of illusion and delusion in Books I and II of Paradise Lost, it's well to bear it mind that Milton was writing for a public that wrestled with these matters not just in theological circles, but even at the august Royal Society.

Hints of the War in Heaven

The Scriptural basis for the war in heaven is - you guessed it - Revelation. Before that, there is very little deviltry in the Bible.

Here are a few mentions: Isaiah 14: 12-20:

12: How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations!
13: For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north:
14: I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High.
15: Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit.
16: They that see thee shall narrowly look upon thee, and consider thee, saying, Is this the man that made the earth to tremble, that did shake kingdoms;
17: That made the world as a wilderness, and destroyed the cities thereof; that opened not the house of his prisoners?
18: All the kings of the nations, even all of them, lie in glory, every one in his own house.
19: But thou art cast out of thy grave like an abominable branch, and as the raiment of those that are slain, thrust through with a sword, that go down to the stones of the pit; as a carcase trodden under feet.
20: Thou shalt not be joined with them in burial, because thou hast destroyed thy land, and slain thy people: the seed of evildoers shall never be renowned.

Isaiah uses a Hebrew word that means "morning star," which was translated into Greek as ἑωσφόρος, which in Latin and English became "Lucifer":

H1966
הילל
הֵילֵל ‎ hêylêl
hay-lale‘
From 1984 (in the sense of brightness); the morning star: - lucifer.

In Luke 10:18 we find Jesus saying:

18 And¹¹⁶¹ he said²⁰³⁶ unto them,⁸⁴⁶ I beheld²³³⁴ Satan⁴⁵⁶⁷ as⁵⁶¹³ lightning⁷⁹⁶ fall⁴⁰⁹⁸ from¹⁵³⁷heaven.³⁷⁷²

The Greek is σατανᾶν, the Latin is Satanam.

Another passage sometimes cited is in Ezekiel 28:14 - 19:

14 Thou⁸⁵⁹ art the anointed⁴⁴⁷³ cherub³⁷⁴² that covereth;⁵⁵²⁶ and I have set⁵⁴¹⁴ thee so: thou wast¹⁹⁶¹ upon the holy⁶⁹⁴⁴ mountain²⁰²² of God;⁴³⁰ thou hast walked up and down¹⁹⁸⁰ in the midst⁸⁴³² of the stones⁶⁸ of fire.⁷⁸⁴

15 Thou⁸⁵⁹ wast perfect⁸⁵⁴⁹ in thy ways¹⁸⁷⁰ from the day^{4480 3117} that thou wast created,¹²⁵⁴till⁵⁷⁰⁴ iniquity⁵⁷⁶⁶ was found⁴⁶⁷² in thee.

16 By the multitude⁷²³⁰ of thy merchandise⁷⁴⁰⁴ they have filled⁴³⁹⁰ the midst⁸⁴³² of thee with violence,²⁵⁵⁵ and thou hast sinned:²³⁹⁸ therefore I will cast thee as profane²⁴⁹⁰ out of the mountain^{4480 2022} of God:⁴³⁰ and I will destroy⁶ thee, O covering⁵⁵²⁶ cherub,³⁷⁴² from the midst^{4480 8432} of the stones⁶⁸ of fire.⁷⁸⁴

17 Thine heart³⁸²⁰ was lifted up¹³⁶¹ because of thy beauty,³³⁰⁸ thou hast corrupted⁷⁸⁴³ thy wisdom²⁴⁵¹ by reason of⁵⁹²¹ thy brightness:³³¹⁴ I will cast⁷⁹⁹³ thee to⁵⁹²¹ the ground,⁷⁷⁶ I will lay⁵⁴¹⁴ thee before⁶⁴⁴⁰ kings,⁴⁴²⁸ that they may behold⁷²⁰⁰ thee.

18 Thou hast defiled²⁴⁹⁰ thy sanctuaries⁴⁷²⁰ by the multitude^{4480 7230} of thine iniquities,⁵⁷⁷¹ by the iniquity⁵⁷⁶⁶ of thy traffic;⁷⁴⁰⁴ therefore will I bring forth³³¹⁸ a fire⁷⁸⁴ from the midst^{4480 8432} of thee, it¹⁹³¹ shall devour³⁹⁸ thee, and I will bring⁵⁴¹⁴ thee to ashes⁶⁶⁵ upon⁵⁹²¹ the earth⁷⁷⁶ in the sight⁵⁸⁶⁹ of all³⁶⁰⁵ them that behold⁷²⁰⁰ thee.

19 All³⁶⁰⁵ they that know³⁰⁴⁵ thee among the people⁵⁹⁷¹ shall be astonished⁸⁰⁷⁴ at⁵⁹²¹ thee: thou shalt be¹⁹⁶¹ a terror,¹⁰⁹¹ and never³⁶⁹ shalt thou be any more.^{5704 5769}

The word "cherub" is from the Hebrew, and is constant through all four languages:

H3742
כּרוּב
כְּרוּב ‎ k^erûb
ker-oob‘
Of uncertain derivation; a cherub or imaginary figure: - cherub, [plural] cherubims.

The source of the "war in heaven" as a dramatic scene is Rev. 12:7-12:

7 And²⁵³² there was¹⁰⁹⁶ war⁴¹⁷¹ in¹⁷²² heaven:³⁷⁷² Michael³⁴¹³ and²⁵³² his⁸⁴⁸ angels³²fought⁴¹⁷⁰ against²⁵⁹⁶ the³⁵⁸⁸ dragon;¹⁴⁰⁴ and²⁵³² the³⁵⁸⁸ dragon¹⁴⁰⁴ fought⁴¹⁷⁰ and²⁵³²his⁸⁴⁸ angels,³²

8 And²⁵³² prevailed²⁴⁸⁰ not;³⁷⁵⁶ neither³⁷⁷⁷ was their⁸⁴⁸ place⁵¹¹⁷ found²¹⁴⁷ any more²⁰⁸⁹in¹⁷²² heaven.³⁷⁷²

9 And²⁵³² the³⁵⁸⁸ great³¹⁷³ dragon¹⁴⁰⁴ was cast out,⁹⁰⁶ that old⁷⁴⁴ serpent,³⁷⁸⁹ called²⁵⁶⁴the Devil,¹²²⁸ and²⁵³² Satan,⁴⁵⁶⁷ which deceiveth⁴¹⁰⁵ the³⁵⁸⁸ whole³⁶⁵⁰ world:³⁶²⁵ he was cast out⁹⁰⁶ into¹⁵¹⁹ the³⁵⁸⁸ earth,¹⁰⁹³ and²⁵³² his⁸⁴⁸ angels³² were cast out⁹⁰⁶ with³³²⁶him.⁸⁴⁶

10 And²⁵³² I heard¹⁹¹ a loud³¹⁷³ voice⁵⁴⁵⁶ saying³⁰⁰⁴ in¹⁷²² heaven,³⁷⁷² Now⁷³⁷ is come¹⁰⁹⁶ salvation,⁴⁹⁹¹ and²⁵³² strength,¹⁴¹¹ and²⁵³² the³⁵⁸⁸ kingdom⁹³² of our²²⁵⁷ God,²³¹⁶and²⁵³² the³⁵⁸⁸ power¹⁸⁴⁹ of his⁸⁴⁸ Christ:⁵⁵⁴⁷ for³⁷⁵⁴ the³⁵⁸⁸ accuser²⁷²⁵ of our²²⁵⁷brethren⁸⁰ is cast down,²⁵⁹⁸ which accused²⁷²³ them⁸⁴⁶ before¹⁷⁹⁹ our²²⁵⁷ God²³¹⁶ day²²⁵⁰and²⁵³² night.³⁵⁷¹

11 And²⁵³² they⁸⁴⁶ overcame³⁵²⁸ him⁸⁴⁶ by¹²²³ the³⁵⁸⁸ blood¹²⁹ of the³⁵⁸⁸ Lamb,⁷²¹and²⁵³² by¹²²³ the³⁵⁸⁸ word³⁰⁵⁶ of their⁸⁴⁸ testimony;³¹⁴¹ and²⁵³² they loved²⁵ not³⁷⁵⁶their⁸⁴⁸ lives⁵⁵⁹⁰ unto⁸⁹¹ the death.²²⁸⁸

12 Therefore^{1223 5124} rejoice,²¹⁶⁵ ye heavens,³⁷⁷² and²⁵³² ye that dwell⁴⁶³⁷ in¹⁷²² them.⁸⁴⁶Woe³⁷⁵⁹ to the³⁵⁸⁸ inhabitants²⁷³⁰ of the³⁵⁸⁸ earth¹⁰⁹³ and²⁵³² of the³⁵⁸⁸ sea!²²⁸¹ for³⁷⁵⁴the³⁵⁸⁸ devil¹²²⁸ is come down²⁵⁹⁷ unto⁴³¹⁴ you,⁵²⁰⁹ having²¹⁹² great³¹⁷³ wrath,²³⁷² because he knoweth¹⁴⁹² that³⁷⁵⁴ he hath²¹⁹² but a short³⁶⁴¹ time.²⁵⁴⁰

According to the Polyglot Bible, Satan's name is of Chaldee origin:

G4567
Σατανᾶς
Satanas
sat-an-as‘
Of Chaldee origin corresponding to 4566 (with the definite article affixed); the accuser, that is, the devil: - Satan.

More on the War in heaven from Wikipedia is here.