Question Three of Chapter Four of the Third Decade
Whether, from the teaching of demons, a human being can form a true human body through the operation of natural powers alone
It is asked: since demons can, by applying active things to passive things, form a human body similar to an embryo, as was said above, can they teach this art and power of coagulating human bodies to necromancers devoted to them, as is affirmed by certain persons concerning Albert the Great and Virgil?
To this it is answered simply in the negative: a human being cannot, from the teaching of demons, acquire the art of forming a true human body through the operation of natural powers alone, without the demons’ cooperation, so that he might make anew the body of a young man or boy, as they report that Virgil, deceived by the devil, attempted to do.
For how could a human being make by art a heterogeneous body so tender as the rational soul requires, when he cannot make by art a coarse and, in comparison with the human being, ignoble homogeneous body, such as gold or silver?
But if it is said that Albert the Great formed by art and solely through the operation of natural powers the head of a speaking human being, this is denied.
And it is said that, if indeed it existed, it existed through the hidden operation of demons; and for that reason Thomas, then his disciple, broke it, as is reported.
These things are from Henry of Assia upon Genesis.