In Christian writers it is natural that logical explanations of the general law of storms should center about the Devil. Clement of Alexandria records the belief that wicked angels have a hand in tempests and other such calamities. But, let us not forget, that is just an adjunct, by way of explanation, to the basic element—the belief that it is possible to influence storms and other calamities of the kind by certain rites. Victorious Christianity had to fight for its interpretations first with ancient pagan practices and later on with magical arts that in part continued the pagan and in part were new. But great the need of escaping storms! And powerful the thought that there were ways of doing so! So in one manner or another the need was covered and the thought carried out.
In mediaeval times individuals endowed with such powers were known as tempestarii, and even the law took cognizance of them. Nevertheless the Church did not recognize this power of producing storms without a struggle. The Council of Braga in the year 563 anathematizes anyone teaching that the Devil can produce thunder, lightning, tempests, or drought. A celebrated ecclesiastical decree denies all basis in fact to fanciful tales about witches. St. Agobard wrote an entire book “against idiotic notions current as to hail and thunder.” Says he: “In these parts nearly all people, noble or villain, burgher or rustic, old or young, believe that hail and thunder can be produced at the will of men. They therefore exclaim at the first signs of thunder and lightning: ‘Raised air!’ Asked to explain what ‘raised air’ is, they will tell you, some shamefacedly as though conscious of sin, others with the wonted frankness of the ignorant, that the air has been stirred by the incantations of individuals known as ‘tempestuaries’ and that that is why they say ‘raised air’. We have seen and heard many people possessed of such stupidity and out of their heads with such lunacy as to believe and say that there is a certain country called ‘Magonie’ whence ships sail out on the clouds and return laden with the grain which the hail mows and the storms blow down, and that the ‘tempestuaries’ are paid by such aerial mariners for the grain and other produce delivered to them. We have seen a great crowd of people—blinded by such great stupidity as to believe such things possible—drag four persons in chains before our court, three men and a woman, alleging that they had fallen from one of those ships. They had been held in chains for several days till the court convened; then they were produced, in our presence, as I said, as culprits worthy to be stoned to death. Nevertheless, after much parley the truth prevailing, the accusers were, in the prophet’s words, confounded like thieves caught in the act.”
St. Agobard demonstrates from Holy Writ the error of believing that hail and thunder are at the beck and call of human beings. Others, on the contrary, will likewise show by Scripture that the belief is sound. Yes and no have at all times been produced from Scripture with equal readiness.
Doctrines recognizing the powers of witches were mistrusted by the Church for two reasons, at first because they looked like survivals of paganism, the gods of which were identified with devils; then because they were tainted with Manicheism, setting up a principle of evil against a principle of good. But owing to the pressure of the popular beliefs in which the non-logical impulses involved in magic expressed themselves, the Church finally yielded to something it could not prevent, and with little trouble found an interpretation humouring popular superstition and at the same time not incompatible with Catholic theology. After all, what did it want? It wanted the principle of evil to be subordinate to the principle of good. No sooner said than done! We can grant, to be sure, that magic is the work of the devil—but we will add, “God permitting.” That will remain the final doctrine of the Catholic church.
Popular superstitions exerted pressure not only upon the Church hut also upon secular governments; and they, without bothering very much to find logical interpretations, set out with a will to punish all sorts of sorcerers and witches, “tempestuaries” included. Whenever a certain state of fact, a certain state of belief, exits, there is always someone on hand to try to take advantage of it; and it is therefore not surprising that church, state, and individuals should all have tried to profit by the belief in witchcraft. St. Agobard repots that blackmail was paid to “tempestuaries” and Charlemagne, no less, admonishes his subjects to pay their tithes to the Church regularly if they would be surer of their crops.
1.We are led to believe that paganism supported （ ）.
2.Which of the following adjectives best applies to “tempestuaries”？
3.Which of the following best applies to St. Agohard’s theory?
4.In paragraph 4, which of the following best qualifies the authorities of the Catholic church in reference to the expression “No sooner said than done!” ？
5.It is obvious from the context that Charlemagne is a(n) （ ）.
