4395. About Examiners of a certain kind, who arouse the filthy qualities of evil spirits
There are spirits who are driven by the desire to arouse others to see whether they are evil, and when they have noticed evil and filthy things, they arouse them. After such a spirit has undergone punishments by recalling those filthy things, to see whether he still thinks about them, they then examine whether that is his character, especially after he has sustained punishments, and recall in this way also profanities, as happens very frequently. I spoke with them, saying they should not do this, because they then not only entice the spirits to thinking such filth and profanity, but also others who cannot at once recover themselves, whom they then condemn and want to punish. Moreover they themselves are not touched by any horror at filth, putting themselves into it without shame; so they are not unlike those who are being aroused.
It was said of them that they were the sort who had been curious in the world to investigate the bad things of others, with a view to harming them. The punishers, however, have no need to examine others, since they know at once and instantaneously without such an examination who they had been, and where they are, nor does anything escape or mislead them. So they do not need to arouse filth and profanity from the filthy and profane, and thus contaminate society. For example, if others are thinking some abominable thought against what is holy, and are therefore punished, those examiners afterwards recall that abominable thought, to find out whether the spirit still thinks it.
4395. CONCERNING EXPLORING SPIRITS, [AND] A CERTAIN KIND OF THEM WHO EXCITE THE FILTHY THINGS OF EVIL SPIRITS.
There are certain spirits who are impelled by a cupidity of exciting others in order to discover whether they are evil. When they apperceive evil and filthy things, they excite them [with a spirit], especially after he has undergone punishments, recalling those filthy things to see whether the spirit still thinks of them; thus they explore him whether he is such [as he was before]: they recall in this way also profane things, which is done very often. I spoke with them to the effect that they ought not to do thus, because they not only then allure the spirits upon whom they immediately act, but others also, to think thus filthily and profanely, and those, too, such as cannot forthwith recollect themselves, whom they then condemn and wish to punish; besides, that these are not touched with any horror of what is filthy, putting themselves in it without shame, and being thereby not much different from those who are excited. It was said concerning these explorers that they were such as, in the world, were curious in investigating the evils of others for the sake of injuring them. Punishing spirits, however, do not need to explore others thus; they know forthwith and in a moment without such exploration who they were [who did the evil] and where they are, nor does [anything] escape or mislead them, [and I said] that thus there was no necessity by filthy and profane things of exciting filthy and profane things, and thus contaminating the society. For example, if others think some abominable thing against what is holy, and are therefore punished, then such explorers afterwards recall this abominable thing by exploring whether the spirit still thinks it.
4395. De Exploratoribus, quodam eorum genere, qui excitant spirituum malorum spurca
Sunt spiritus, qui cupiditate feruntur excitandi alios num mali, qui cum apperceperunt mala et spurca, excitant illa, postquam poenas subiit, revocando illa spurca, num spiritus adhuc cogitet talia, et sic explorant num talis, imprimis postquam sustinuit poenas, ita revocant etiam prophana, hoc persaepe fit, loquutus cum iis, quod non ita faciendum, quia non modo pelliciunt tunc alios ad tale spurcum et prophanum cogitandum, etiam alios qui non se recolligere illico possunt, quos tunc damnant et volunt punire, praeter quod ii nullo horrore spurci tangantur, se ponendo in spurco absque pudore, quare nec absimiles illis sunt, qui excitantur. De iis dictum, quod sint tales qui in mundo curiosi fuerunt investigandi aliorum mala, nocendi causa. Praeterea punitores non opus habent ita explorandi alios, sciunt illico et momento absque exploratione tali, quinam fuerunt, et ubinam sunt; nec fugit aut fallit eos, ita non opus esse a spurcis et prophanis excitare spurca et prophana, et sic contaminare societatem. Exempli causa, si abominabile quoddam contra sanctum cogitant alii, et ideo puniuntur, tunc exploratores tales postea revocant abominabile hoc, explorando num adhuc ita cogitet.