The Seven Spirits and the Rejection of the Covenant

A man was seen to have come through lowliness and a despised nature. But the judgment interpreted according to the law—neither for this present age nor for the coming one—is not to be forgiven. For when the law commands the condemned God to die, and the Lord is held against the law, it does not grant forgiveness for such a thing.

But if the forgiveness through baptism is kept silent in such matters, since there was not even a time to discourse with the Jews about this; for there is found a certain distinction between the judgment in this age and the coming one, that the one being baptized will be from this age; and a certain distinction is examined between the present and the coming life, and thus it holds a denial of the examination from the law, according to Paul the speaker saying, 'God is the one who justifies; who is the one who condemns?' (Romans 8:33). Does not the doing of wonders and the loosening of demons, which only the Spirit does, leaving these things to the demon, leave you no forgiveness for the blasphemy? He says this, not refusing that the blasphemy against himself be forgiven, nor refusing a place of repentance for those blaspheming against the Spirit, if they wished, but claiming that the blasphemy against him, as against a man, would then only seem to be a lesser thing when compared to the blasphemy against the Holy Spirit, but after the resurrection from the dead and the ascent to heaven and it being clearly shown that he is truly the Son of God and God. Even if he has become unchangeably a man, the blasphemy against him will not be forgiven, unless through a sincere repentance of his fault.

From this we learn (Mt 12:43-45) that a demon will not overpower a man of better disposition, but such a one will be an impassable barrier to him, having virtue preceding, and leaving no place for him, as the Preacher advises. On the contrary, the evil and reckless man is a rider for the evil spirit regarding the good. And we learn that the demons also possess a certain consolation for those who are suitable to themselves; for when they are not able to do this, they do not rest, just as it is said from the opposites that the rest of the Divine Spirit is the suitability toward men; for 'the Holy One rests in the holy ones' (Ps 99:2).

God. But the entering in with many after the one-time departure has a cause in the unchangeable wickedness of man. And the seven spirits are to be considered much; for among the multitudes, many times the seven are mentioned according to the divine Scripture. In the beginning, indeed, the evil spirit dwelt among the Jews, when in Egypt they were idolaters; but it departed when they were called by God. After these things, when it had failed against the one who was called, then the grace passed over to the Gentiles, and they were being given out. And the one among the Gentiles became a dwelling of the evil ones, both harsh and inaccessible, having received God, the Gentiles. But the return to Israel is easier than before, and with a great multitude of the exodus. Therefore, it is bad that they now pass through, being constantly arranged toward the blasphemy against Christ as in Egypt, not having the covenant toward Abraham, and not expecting according to justice even as then, but being cut off from hope, because they have rejected the fulfiller of this. Thus the Lord has made manifest in the words toward them both their remaining rejection and the judgment of the coming shame, and the already-established rule by the evil one.

That his brothers did not believe in him (Mt 12:46), we learn from John, and from Mark we have heard somewhat more: as if they were attempting to hold him having gone astray. With such a mind, the Lord did not remember them as his own, but he demonstrates the subjects; to these he foretells all the names of the relatives, who, according to the intimacy of obedience to him, were joined together. And even if Mary's opposition was only for a time, just as Simeon also foretold saying, 'and your own soul' and the following, it is fitting that the Lord also returned to these things favorably, remembering her passion and having joined her to the beloved disciple.

In these things it is sought how he did not say that the word had been sown in the beginning, nor did he say the seed beside the road was sown, but this is the one sown beside the road (Mt 13:18-23); even though after a little while he showed the seed to be existing in those in whom he says the word is being compressed and becomes unfruitful. And in the parable of the weeds he also says that the 'good seed' is 'the sons of the kingdom,' not that in...