The Book of ceremonial Magic
The Book of ceremonial Magic
The Book of ceremonial Magic
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Name is Jesus, before which the heavens., earth and hell do bend the knee; we have seen<br />
with what Power He commanded demons, which Power was also transmitted to St. Peter<br />
by that utterance: Upon this rock I will build my Church, and the Gates <strong>of</strong> Hell shall not<br />
Prevail against it. <strong>The</strong>se words were addressed to St. Peter as the Head and Foundation<br />
<strong>of</strong> the Church. We then, who, by the mercy <strong>of</strong> God, and despite the Poverty <strong>of</strong> our merit,<br />
have succeeded to the Sovereign Apostolate, and, as lawful successor <strong>of</strong> St. Peter, have<br />
the Keys <strong>of</strong> the Kingdom <strong>of</strong> Heaven committed to our hands, desiring to communicate the<br />
Power <strong>of</strong> invoking and commanding Spirits, which hath been reserved unto us alone, and<br />
our Possessors did alone enjoy; wishing, I repeat, by Divine inspiration, to share it with<br />
our venerable Brethren and dear sons in Jesus Christ, and fearing lest in the exorcism <strong>of</strong><br />
the Possessed, 1 they might otherwise be appalled at the frightful figures <strong>of</strong> those<br />
rebellious angels who in sin were cast into the abyss, lest also they should be<br />
insufficiently learned in those things which must be Performed and observed, and that<br />
those who have been redeemed by the blood <strong>of</strong> Jesus Christ may not be tormented by any<br />
witchcraft or possessed by the demon, we have included in this Bull the manner <strong>of</strong> their<br />
invocation, which same must be observed inviolably. And because it is meet that the<br />
ministers <strong>of</strong> the Altar should have authority over the rebellious Spirits, we hereby depute<br />
unto them all<br />
p. 109<br />
powers which we possess, in virtue <strong>of</strong> the Holy Apostolic Chair, and we require them, by<br />
our Apostolic authority, to observe what follows inviolably, lest by some negligence<br />
unworthy <strong>of</strong> their character they should draw down on themselves the wrath <strong>of</strong> the Most<br />
High.<br />
<strong>The</strong> Grimorium Verum has once been reprinted in the French language. 1 Of the Italian<br />
version there have been two modern editions, both poorly produced. 2 <strong>The</strong> book <strong>of</strong> True<br />
Black <strong>Magic</strong> is known only by the edition <strong>of</strong> 1750. <strong>The</strong> Grand Grimoire reappeared at<br />
Nismes in 1823 and is, moreover, in all respects identical with the work entitled the Red<br />
Dragon, <strong>of</strong> which there are several examples. 3 <strong>The</strong> Grimoire <strong>of</strong> Honorius is exceedingly<br />
rare in the original, but is better known by the reprints <strong>of</strong> 1660 and 1670, though these<br />
also are scarce. <strong>The</strong>re is, finally, an edition dated 1760, and this even commands a high<br />
price among collectors. It remains to state that the Abbé d'Artigny was presented about<br />
the middle <strong>of</strong> the last century with an MS. copy <strong>of</strong> this Grimoire, which was much more<br />
complete that the printed editions. He gives no satisfactory account <strong>of</strong> it, nor can it be<br />
traced at this day. Possibly it represented the transition <strong>of</strong> the Sworn <strong>Book</strong> <strong>of</strong> Honorius<br />
into the Spurious Papal Constitution, which certainly reproduces the motive and moves in<br />
the atmosphere <strong>of</strong> its prototype.<br />
104:1 Histoire de la Magie, p. 307.<br />
Footnotes