Luc. 11, 14-28.
And he cast out a devil, which was dumb. And it came to pass, when the devil was cast out, that the dumb man spake. And the people marveled. But some of them said: He casts out devils through Beelzebub, the chief of the devils. But the others tempted him, and desired a sign from him out of heaven. But he heard their thoughts and said to them: Every kingdom, if it be divided against itself, shall be desolate, and one house shall fall upon another. If Satan also be at variance with himself, how shall his kingdom stand? Because you say that I cast out devils by Beelzebub. But if I cast out devils by Beelzebub, by whom do they cast out your children?
*) Cf. Erl. A. oxx. var. sr§. VII, 967 844. D. Red.
out? Therefore, they will be your judges. But if I cast out devils by the fingers of God, the kingdom of God will come to you. If a strong man keeps his palace, his own remains in peace. But if a stronger man comes upon him and overcomes him, he takes away his armor, on which he relied, and divides the spoil. He that is not with me is against me; and he that gathereth not with me scattereth. When the unclean spirit departs from a man, it wanders through dry places, seeking rest, and does not find it; so it says: I will return to my house from whence I came. And when he cometh, he findeth him clothed and adorned with besomes. Then he goes and takes to himself seven spirits worse than himself, and when they come in, they dwell there; and afterward he becomes worse with the same man than before. And it came to pass, as he spake these things, a certain woman of the people lifted up her voice, and said unto him, Blessed is the womb that bare thee, and the breasts which thou hast sucked. And he said, Blessed are they that hear the word of God, and keep it.
The miraculous work is clear in itself, namely that Christ is an enemy of the devil, because he also destroys the physical works and damages; how much more the spiritual. This is a beautiful comfort, that Christ is an enemy of this enemy of ours.
(2) When Christ therefore doeth and teacheth, there arise and are found three kinds of hearers: first, the multitude (that is, some of the pious) wonder; secondly, enviers and blasphemers, haters and persecutors, who would that these things were not taught; thirdly, tempters, who despise and are careless, like the rabble, who say that he doeth signs, he speaketh true, but he doeth and speaketh not what we would etc.In sum, those who do not care and hope that they can be saved in any other way, or that they will not be saved. Christ, on the contrary, after these despisers have been despised, only answers the other kind, that is, the enemies etc.
First, he answers with a beautiful similitude, which human reason cannot deny, that is, the kingdom divided among itself. This argument is indissoluble.
4th On the other hand [he answers] with an example, "By whom do they cast out your children?" That is, you cannot condemn
yours, namely, the exorcists, the devil's banners; why then do you condemn me, since I do this very thing? It is a hatred etc.
Thirdly, he answers with an allegory taken from warfare, of a strong man overcome by a stronger one. So I do not cast out the devils through the chief of the devils, because we are enemies throughout.
Now he confirms this with two reasons: first, "he who is not with me"; second, "he who does not gather with me"; that is, we are enemies, I and the devil. For he that is loathsome and scattereth is an enemy; the devil is loathsome and scattereth; ergo he is an enemy. Summa, Christ and the devil are enemies. Another speech: To be and to gather with Christ; to be and to scatter with the devil. Here great things are spoken against the highest religions and wisdoms and for the most miserable Christians. For the Christians are thought to be against Christ and to scatter all things; the wicked seem to be with Christ and to gather all things. But it is nothing, everything is different from what it appears to be. Here we will give a description of what it means to be, to gather with Christ or with the devil.