It remains now that I make some inquiry whether those that are born monsters have reasonable souls, and are capable of resurrection.  And here both divines and physicians are of opinion that those who, according to the order of generations deduced from our first parents, proceed by mutual means from either sex, though their outward shape be deformed and monstrous, have notwithstanding a reasonable soul, and consequently their bodies are capable of resurrection, as other men’s and women’s are; but those monsters that are not begotten by men, but are the product of women’s unnatural lusts in copulating with other creatures shall perish as the brute beasts by whom they were begotten, not having a reasonable soul nor any breath of the Almighty infused into them; and such can never be capable of resurrection.  And the same is also true of imperfect and abortive births.

Some are of opinion that monsters may be engendered by some infernal spirit.  Of this mind was Adigus Fariur, speaking of a deformed monster born at Craconia; and Hieronimus Cardamnus wrote of a maid that was got with child by the devil, she thinking it had been a fair young man.  The like also is recorded by Vicentius, of the prophet Merlin, that he was begotten by an evil spirit.  But what a repugnance it would be both to religion and nature, if the devils could beget men; when we are taught to believe that not any was ever begotten without human seed, except the Son of God.  The devil then being a spirit and having no corporeal substance, has therefore no seed of generation; to say that he can use the act of generation effectually is to affirm that he can make something out of nothing, and consequently to affirm the devil to be God, for creation belongs to God only.  Again, if the devil could assume to himself a human body and enliven the faculties of it, and cause it to generate, as some affirm he can, yet this body must bear the image of the devil.  And it borders on blasphemy to think that God should so far give leave to the devil as out of God’s image to raise his own diabolical offspring.  In the school of Nature we are taught the contrary, viz., that like begets like; therefore, of a devil cannot man be born.  Yet, it is not denied, but the devils, transforming themselves into human shapes, may abuse both men and women, and, with wicked people, use carnal copulation; but that any unnatural conjunction can bring forth a human creature is contrary to nature and all religion.

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CHAPTER VI

     Of the happy state of matrimony, as it is appointed by God, the
     true felicity that rebounds thereby to either sex; and to what end
     it is ordained.