Volume 2

210
Life of Jesus Christ
them, though not of the vicious kind. The possessed were
often brought to Jesus' instructions. At first sight of Him,
they fell into frightful raging and threw themselves on the
ground, but as soon as He commanded them to be at
peace, they became quiet. After some time, however,
they seemed no longer able to restrain themselves, and
began again to move convulsively. Jesus made them a
sign with His hand, and they again recovered themselves.
The instruction over, He commanded Satan to go out of
them. They lay, as was usual on such occasions, for
about two minutes as if unconscious, and then, coming to
themselves, thanked Jesus joyfully, not exactly knowing
what had happened to them. There are such good
possessed, people of whom the demon has taken possession
by no fault of their own. I cannot clearly explain it,
but I saw on this occasion, as well as upon others, how it
happens that a guilty person may, by the mercy and longsufferance
of God be spared, while Satan takes possession
of one of his weak, innocent relatives. It is as if the
innocent took upon himself a part of the other's punishment.
I cannot make it clear, but it is certain that we are
all meInbers of one body. It is as if a healthy member, in
consequence of a 'secret, intimate bond between them,
suffers for another that is not sound. Such were the
possessed of this place. The wicked are much more terrible
and they cooperate with Satan, but the others merely
suffer the possession and are meanwhile very pious.
Jesus afterward taught in the synagogue. There were
present from Nazareth several Doctors of the Law, and
they invited Him to return with them. They said that His
native city was ringing with the great miracles He had
wrought in Judea, Samaria, and Engannim; that He knew
very well the opinion prevalent in Nazareth that whoever
had not studied in the school of the Pharisees could not
know much; therefore they desired Him to come and
teach them better. They thought by these arguments to