so it seemes againe by your speach that the Apostles of Christ were neuer acquainted before with any of those principall spirits which made them so vnreadie in that vnwoonted occurrent wherewith they were then ouertaken Besides that a man might greatly woonder how your selfe should so readily perceiue the diuell at Mahgnitton to be a diuell of that selfesame kinde in meeting with him so fitly at the first onset of all by your prayer and fasting were it not that by your long experience you are now growen such an experimented practitioner concerning the Infernall hierarchie as both you know how to conuent before you eche seuerall diuell in his seuerall kinde and which way to conuince him by his speciall name Neither may this be deemed any matter impossible for your selfe to effect at this present who a dozen yeeres since at the least could coniure foorth seuen at a clap by their seuerall names Telling the beholders thereof in what moment of time ech diuell tooke his leaue and by what speciall name he was properly called Surely this makes many wise men imagine that either you are a man profoundly experienced in the Cabalisticall craft or that else you haue too too strangely a long time deluded the simpler sort In bearing them falsely in hand that onely by your prayer and fasting you doe fully apprehend an extraordinarie power from the Lord for the powerfull expelling of diuels whereas Christ the true wisedome of the father doth tell vs that such an extraordinarie power is onely apprehended by a speciall faith Affirming withall that this speciall faith it hath prayer and fasting annexed vnto it as the onely supporters thereof and no actors at all in the admirable effecting of any such accident Exorcistes Oh then I perceiue you haue a long time mistaken my meaning For howsoeuer I vrged the holy exercise of prayer and fasting as an appointed meanes for the powerful expelling of spirits my purpose therein was neuer to exclude the action of faith it being an effectuall apprehender of that selfe same extraordinarie power of the Lord which so powerfully effecteth the worke Orthodoxus If this be your meaning we shall haue you at a non plus before it be long For seeing now you make faith an actor in that your preposterous enterprise doe tell vs directly what faith you meane Whether the historicall the iustifying or the miraculous faith for the dead faith I am certaine it was not Exorcistes Neither could it be the historicall faith because that hath onely a speciall relation but to the bare historie of the Bible it selfe without any apprehension at all of the power of God As for the miraculous faith that is thought to be ceased long since And therefore it was and is onely a iustifying faith which apprehended that power of the Lord by vertue also whereof any godly Minister or others might as effectually haue performed that action as I did my selfe Orthodoxus I am iust of your minde for that matter Howbeit if an only iustifying faith may effect such an action then hath that faith some certeine word concerning such workes with a speciall promise of such an effect But in all the whole Scriptures neither word nor promise concerning such purpose is any where extant and therefore the iustifying faith could not possiblie effect such an action Exorcistes Yes sir the iustifying faith it hath an apparant word and a promise both concerning such matter and that also from our sauiour himselfe who told the possessed childs father that if he could beleeue it his faith should vndoubtedly haue an effect because all things are possible to him that beleeueth And therewithall vpon the profession of the fathers faith our sauiour did presently expel the euil spirit from his sonne Orthodoxus You huddle vp your reckoning without your host and must therefore be enforced to reckon afresh For be it supposed our sauiour in that place doth vndoubtedly speake of a iustifying faith yet is it certeine that Christ meaneth not there the Exorcists faith but the faith of the parties possessed And so by consequence it was not your owne but the yoongman his faith at Mahgnitton that draue foorth the diuel Exorcistes Very true his faith apprehending but my faith effecting the action Orthodoxus You do ouer grosly forget your selfe For not long since it was the supernaturall power of the Lord that effected the action your owne faith apprehending onely that effectuall working power Howbeit your iustifying faith now it being but a bare apprehender before is become the powerfull effectour and the possessed mans faith the bare apprehender of that admirable action Notwithstanding whatsoeuer you dreame of Christs words concerning faith for the action he speaketh there onely of a faith in the partie the verie want whereof was that which hindred his owne disciples from effecting the worke And for this onely respect our sauiour in that partâ—ie alone reprooueth the incredulitie of that faithles generation who hauing had so long experience of his diuine operations were yet no better in the faith then the heathenish infidels Yea such a grosse incredulitie was also the very maine cause why our Sauiour himselfe at Nazaret either could not or would not worke many myracles Not that his ineuitable power was vnable of it selfe to ouerswaie their palpable impiettie but for that the Lord hauing solemnly decreed the powerfull effecting of those admirable actions by an interposition of the parties owne faith apprehending his power and by other good meanes correspondent thereto their owne vnbeliefe and hardnes of hart had so much as they might verie fearefully foreclosed the bottomles fountaine of those his spirituall graces from flowing among them Whereas on the otherside he readily yeeldeth to the timely requests of such as beleeue whatsoeuer they craue concerning those admirable actions By all the premisses then it is too too apprantly euident that Christ in this place he speaketh onely of the parties possessed and not of the Exorcistes faith at all Exorcistes But Christ afterwards told his Disciples that their owne vnbeliefe was the cause why they could not cast foorth the diuell Protesting withall that if they had but so much true faith as one graine of mustard seed they should haue beene able thereby to remooue mountaines out of their places Orthodoxus Do you vnderstand Christs words in that place of the iustifying faith alone Exorcistes Yea why not Orthodoxus Aske you why not Why man by this meanes you would bring vs in doubt of the Apostles iustification and which more is you do verie blasphemously derogate from the authoritie and dignitie of their authenticall writings Exorcistes Nay sir I call not their iustification in question but do onely declare what was the principall stoppage to that speciall action namely the not effectuall working power of their owne faith for the present Orthodoxus Well yet by the tenour of your speech you would haue vs imagine at least that the
you one reason for this once in stead of a thousand thus The working of miracles is ceased long since and therefore also the miraculous faith Exorcistes Why sir to remooue the diuell by prayer and fasting is no miracle at all Physiologus Maister Orthodoxus doe rest you a little and let me argue this point Come on Exorcistes and answere directly Is the driuing out of diuels by prayer and fasting no miracle I pray you Exorcistes It is no miracle at all Physiologus Well then I perceiue we are of necessitie enforced to declare plainely vnto you first what a miracle is with the sundrie kinds of miracles and then next we will exactly consider of your action at Mahgnitton to see whether the same pretended to be done by your selfe as it was may truely be termed a miracle in any respect Lycanthropus I pray you proceed in your purposed course Physiologus With very good will Wherein first for the word miracle it selfe we haue to consider that that thing which we commonly account a miracle is named of the Hebrewes niphlah I meane a most admirable or a merueilous matter Or rather niphlath if you will that is a woonder quite hid from our eies And therefore all those obscure and admirable matters which do highly surmount the reach of our reason they are commonly called niphlaoth that is very strange and admirable actions Or rather miphleoth I meane such hidden and such secrete occurrents as cannot possibly be conceiued by the narrow compasse of our common and naturall sense They do fitly proceed from the radicall word palah or niplah which is as much to say as to be vailed obscured quite hidden difficult and very highly surmounting the shallow reach of our reason Because euery miraculous action is alwaies some such kind of matter as is ouer much vailed obscured hidden and difficult beyond our common capacity yea and such an vnwonted occurrent as seemeth most admirable and very hard in our present apprehension In like manner the Gretians they entitle it thauma that is a merueile or woonder And it commeth of the verbe thaumazo which signifieth to admire to merueile or woonder The latines they call it miraculum quasi occuli mirum the woonder of the eie for that it seemeth a merueile in euery mans eies and therefore they do oftentimes expound it a prodigious a monstrous or an admirable matter for that the Lord by such an vmvoonted meanes doth extraordinarily foreshew some admirable accident quite contrary to the accustomed order of nature her selfe So then by all the premisses it is verie apparant what a miracle is Namely it is by the extraordinary working power of the Lord some such vnaccustomed action as verie highly surmounteth the whole faculty of euerie created nature and is therefore thus admirablie effected to the end it might the rather affect the beholders with an admiration thereof might the more certeinly confirme their faith in the truth of the worde In this definition we may easily discerne all the essentiall causes of myracles For first the efficient cause of euerie such admirable action is an extraordinarie working power of the Lord. The materiall cause are all those admirable actions themselues The formall cause is the vnaccustomed maner of effecting those actions The finall cause is partly to affect the beholders with some serious admiration concerning the omnipotent power and wisedome of God and partly to confirme their faith in the truth of the worde By all which you may plainely perceiue what a miracle is Lycanthropus Verie true but what be the sundrie kindes of miracles Physiologus They are those variable and differing sorts of admirable actions which both may be and are diuersly discerned according to their diuers and sundrie conditions And these sundrie sorts of miracles are twofold namely either true or false miracles Philologus Which are the true miracles Physiologus They are al those admirable actions whatsoeuer which both for their matter and forme are rightly and truely effected and which also are wholie directed to their certeine determined endes namely the glorie of God and credit of his glorious Gospell And such are all those admirable actions how sielie soeuer in shew which were miraculously accomplished either immediately by the Lord alone or mediately at least by his extraordinarie ministers Pneumatomachus Which are the false miracles Physiologus They are all those admirable matters in shew which either are not in deed and in truth the selfesame thing they seeme to portend or which else are effected not by any supernaturall power surmounting the reach of our reason but by some such naturall facultie of nature herselfe as is hidden and secret from the present apprehension of those that behold the same Yea and which also are eftsoones directed to some such specialpurpose or sinister end as is directly opposite to the glorie of God and the truth of the Gospell These later sorts of miraculous actions how admirable soeuer in sensible appearance they may without any extraordinarie helpe of the Lord be easily effected by Angels by diuets and expert persons euen onely thorough some hidden facultie of nature her selfe three manner of waies 1. For first verie certaine it is that Angels diuels and men expert in naturall philosophie hauing a deepe insight into the hidden secrets of nature and being thoroughly experienced in the powers thereof they may and can easily apply those saide natural powers to some such perexisting matter as hath in it selfe a naturall disposition to euerie such action entended For from the naturall coniunction of some such perexisting matter with some proffered efficients there will euen naturally succeed some such vndoubted effects as the partie procuring such naturall coniunction propounded before Yea and those also vpon the sudden and beyond the expectation of all the beholders therof which doth eftsoones enforce them to admire at such rare and vnwoonted euents For the diuell himselfe as also those experienced persons in natures secrets they doe verie well know that frogs wormes yea and also some serpents are easily engendred of some putrified matter perexisting in nature especially if there be added to euerie such putrified matter and of heat by such certaine degrees as is correspondent thereto Now then this the foresaid conioyning of putrified matter an actiue heat together being not verie difficult for diuels and for cogging companions to effect if they please they therefore eftsoones doe attempt the timely effecting thereof and all to circumuent and deceiue the beholders themselues Euen as did Iannes and Iambres the Egyptian sorcerers if Augustines iudgement be adiudged Canonicall 2 Secondly the diuell himselfe and so many besides as haue any insight at all into the secrets of nature they doe very well know that some sodaine commotion of the naturall spirits of bloud and of humours do mightily disturbe and distemper the bodies of men Insomuch as the imaginations the
errour may be made to retract it or the partie enforming at least may obtaine a speciall Commission for some orderly proceeding in the publike confutation thereof 3 Lastly whether such so many Bookes pamphlets or papers whatsoeuer as heeretofore or heereafter do couertly passe vnderhand from the Presse in a contrarie course be not in an especiall regard of that authenticall order verie highly displeasing to God and greatly derogatorious to her Maiesties prerogatiue royall concerning all persons and causes in Christ and whether those Bookes pamphlets or papers so disorderly publisht abroad are not for such vndutifull disorder to be iustly esteemed of all true harted subiects such dangerous libels as doe insolently encounter with and directly vndermine her Maiesties princely preheminence and that therefore the verie authors themselues they are to be reputed and punished as pestiferous Libellours against publike authoritie When the maine parties them selues or the malcontented papists whom as miracle-mongers we haue throughout our whole treatise euen purposly matched togither and endeuored with one and the selfesame stone to beat downe for iangling blacke-birds both at a clap When as they we say or any one of them all haue fully resolued thy minde concerning these Quaeres then let them in Gods holy name verie freely proceed in their answere and spare not Otherwise if in an onely distrust of their cause they shall yet couer their weaknes and excuse their not answering for want of authoritie it shall be their best either humbly to submit themselues to her Maiestie or all ioyntly togither with the proscribed Apollonits before Apollo his golden tables verie pitifully to bewaile the irrecouerable subuersion of their seducing oracles through the manifestation and mightie power of the Gospell crying thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Heu tripodes lugete perit praesagus Apollo i. Ay me alas tripodes perisheth presager Apollo These things thus dispatched in order it followeth now verie fitly in place to vnfold vnto thee the whole platforme obserued throughout the whole worke First therefore we haue alphabetically put downe the seueuerall names of the seuerall authors whose seuerall authorities are purposely by vs produced to the ende that whosoeuer will may by knowing their names make diligent inquirie into all the quotations and see whether we of our selues haue propounded any one point which some others of antiquitie haue not before vs directly pointed vnto Then next we haue placed in order the seuerall arguments of eche seuerall Dialogue to the ende that such and so many good soules as being perswaded of some points are yet verie doubtfull concerning some other might if they please not to peruse the whole make their speciall choice of that which they chiefly affect In like manner we haue methodically prefixed before the maine treatise it selfe a briefe Analysis or summarie resolution of al the whole tractate and al this of very set purpose to propound to thy view at a blush the whole bodie of the Booke and the verie strict order it selfe which albeit the whole be deuided into Dialogicall Discourses we haue precisely obserued throughout the whole worke After all this we haue put downe the maine discourse in a Dialogicall forme and purposely produced sixe such seuerall speakers therein as should by their seuerall significant names supply whatsoeuer might tend to the timely effecting of an absolute tractate concerning such matters For first Philologus signifieth a Louer of talke and representeth such persons as trudge to and fro tatling these newes without any regard or due search into the soundnes thereof Then next Pneumatomachus signifieth a fighter or contender against the essentiall being of Spirits and representeth those Swinish Saduces of old and those godles Atheistes now in our daies who hold there are neither Spirits nor Diuels Then thirdly Lycanthropus signifieth a man essentially transformed to a wolfe and representeth such persons as do hold with tooth and naile the transformation of diuels Then fourthly Exorcistes signifieth a coniurour or caster foorth of spirits and diuels and representeth those persons that doe hold in these daies of the Gospel a real or actual possession of diuels at the least Then fiftly Physiologus signifieth a discourser of natures secretes or a naturall philosopher and representeth such persons as by the onely light of reason are able to discouer the grose and palpable absurdities ensuing such phantastical absurd opinioÌ„s Then lastly Orthodoxus signifieth one of an approoued or vpright iudgement and representeth all such illumined diuines and others as are able by the sway of reason the authority of writers and plaine euidence of scripture to censure the obiections and very soundly to set downe the infallible truth Al these are introduced as actours in these our discourses the which also we haue purposely deuided into eleuen seuerall dialogues And this partly for an ease to thy memory by auoiding that intricate that endlesse and tedious toile which otherwise would haue wearied thy spirits if without intermission thou haddest been intirely tied to the whole treatise it selfe And partly also to point foorth vnto thee the principall matters which are principally handled throughout the whole work Lastly we haue in the end of the booke summarily also annexed a table of all the principall points the speciall matters the seuerall syllogismes and the sundry expositions of such places of scripture as are any way pertinent to the maine purpose it selfe that by the onely direction thereof thou maist find forth with a trice whatsoeuer thou wishest to see concerning such rare and vnwonted occurrents And now gentle Reader least happily the curious sort should cry out and say Quid de pusillis tamâ—magna prooemia What needs so great a cry for so little wool we will therefore no longer withhold thee from the treatise it selfe Beseeching the God of peace to giue thee peace alwaies by all meanes Grace be with all them that loue the Lord Iesus to their immortality Euen so come Lord Iesu. So be it Amen Thine euer in the Lord I. D. I. W. The names of the seuerall Authors A AVlerius Augustinus Ambrosius Athanasius Aries Montanus Author de eccles dogm Andreas Hierosolomit Alexander Aphrodisaeus Augustin Marloratus Amandus Polanus Albertus Magnus Andreas willet Auicenna Aetius Aristides Aristoteles Adamus Hill Aristophanes B BAsilius Magnus Beda presbyter Bernardus Benedictus Pererius Benedictus Aretius Bee-hyue Bristow Ben-Sirah C CYprianus Cyrillus Caietanus Coelius Rhodiginus Cardanus Cassianus Carolus Magnus Concilium Acquirense Concilium Ancyranum Concilium Bracharense Concilium Lateran Cicero D DRusius Damascenus Dionysius Destructorium vitiorum Decretalia Didimus Alexandrinus E EPiphanius Eusebius Eucherius Erasmus Rhoterodam Erasmus Sarcerius Emanuel Tremelius Edwardus Dearing Eugubinus F FRacastorius Franciscus Georgius Fulgentius Franciscus Titelman G GRegorius Gregorius Magnus Gregorius Naziansen Gregorius 1. Rom. Gilbertus Longolus Glossa ordinaria Gryllandus Gemnasius Gratianus Georgius Ioyns Georgius Alley Georgius Gifford H HVgo Etherianus Hilarius Hieronimus Hieronimus Zanchius Henricus Bullinger Hyppocrates Horatius
essentiall being The rather because euery creature else how contemptible soeuer being once created it hath an essentiall substance and if the basest of all then much more the Angels they being indeed such excellent creatures Pneumatomachus Well goe to how next from their effectuall operations Orthodoxus Thus their operations haue beene and now are apparantly euident to all the world whether we respect the Lord or his church So that for any to doubt of their essentiall being is to call in question the sun-shine at mid-day and as wel may he denie their operations whatsoeuer Pneumatomachus Good sir is this your substantiall proouing of Angels and Spirits I denie that the Lord God euer created any Angels at all and then to what purpose doe you vrge their supposed operations Orthodoxus Sith you so confidently denie both Spirits and Diuels tell me what you imagine those to be which we generally hold for Spirits and Angels Pneumatomachus Sir I take those your supposed spirits for none other matters at all but the good or euill motions and affections arising in men as also those your imagined Angels I hold them to bee nothing else but the sensible signes or tokens of Gods vnspeakeable power Orthodoxus You do then conclude it should seeme that our faith concerning those matters is grounded altogither vpon bare supposals and idle imaginations of wandring braines I like well your plainnes in laying open your minde although I alowe not your pestiferous opinions iumping so pat with the Parepateticall and Sadusaicall sort Who flatly denying either Angel or Spirite do confidently auouch that there is nothing immortall in man which is a verie dangerous gulph of hell that deuoureth and swaloweth vp all sound diuinitie and sincere knowledge of God For first by opposing your selfe against all the essentiall spirits and powers of the Lord what doe you else in effect but implicatiuely reiect the essentiall being of the holy Ghost and then next you do also by consequence verie flatly deny that there is any God at all for what I pray you is God but a Spirite Pneumatomachus Nay sir howsoeuer I oppose my selfe to the catholike opinion of Spirits and Diuels I do confidently auouch and confesse that there is one true euerliuing God of an incomprehensible inuisible and spirituall essence distinguished into the Father the Sonne and the holy Ghost And moreouer concerning men and my selfe I do with like confidence verie cleerely acknowledge that euerie of vs also are essentiallie endued with spirituall and immortall soules Orthodoxus You cannot faithfully finally hold these infallible truthes from your hart but you must and will presently banish those other palpable errours from out of your brest For euen as Aaron his rodde deuoured foorthwith the counterfeite rods of all the Egyptian Sorcerers so surely these your confessed truths concerning the essentiall spirits and powers of the Lord being faithfully held from the hart will in the end I doubt not be another Aaronicall rodde to confute and confound those other Sadusaical sorceries wherewith the Diuel hath so dangerously bewitched your soule Lycanthropus Verie true if he be not to opinionate therein Pneumatomachus Sir howsoeuer I haue beene hitherto opinionate in this speciall point I am notwithstanding very loth that reason should be ouerruled by will or that the holy truth of God should giue place vnto errour and therefore proceed I beseech you in the timely vnfolding of this hidden mysterie Orthodoxus With very good will wherein also for your speedier conceiuing of that which is spoken we will first lay open the originall fountaine from whence this errour floteth abroad and then next hauing fully answered your arguments we wil directly prooue vnto you both Spirits and Diuels Exorcistes A very excellent order For there by first you shall cleere our iudgements and then next you shall the more fully confirme vs in the infallible truth Lycanthropus That is certainly so But what thinkes Pneumatomachos Pneumatomachus I acknowledge no lesse and do promise withall to giue an attentiue eare to whatsoeuer is spoken Orthodoxus Well then to proceede therein accordingly this I dare boldly affirme that your Parepatetical opinion or rather that this your Sadusaicall sorcerie concerning the non being of Spirits and Diuels proceedeth directly from a two-folde false ground Namely first from the naturall corruption of your proper minde and secondly from a carelesse misconstruing of some certeine places of Scripture Both which saide false grounds albeit I could and might well relate them my selfe yet because the first is rather Philosophical then Diuine I do purposely put ouer the prosecuting thereof as of al other like points to this my good brother if it please him to trauell therin reseruing the latter to entreate of my selfe Physiologus Sith it is your good pleasure to haue it so I will gladly giue my endeuour to satisfie the man so it seemeth him good Pneumatomachus With all my hart if first you will tell me who you are and what is your name Physiologus I am I assure you a friend to the truth and my name is Physiologos Pneâ—matomachus In very good time be it spoken But may I be bold by the way to aske you a question without offence Physiologus Propound at your pleasure and aske what you please Pneumatomachus Was not your name also purposely giuen to purport vnto vs your proper nature For Physiologus you say is your name which vnlesse I be fowly deceaued is as much to say as a babler or pratler of naturall Philosophie or it signifieth rather some notable discourser of naturall causes I hope you are none of those cogging companions of whom the Apostle doth wish vs beware who goe purposely about to spoile men with Philosophie and vaine deceit Orthodoxus Nothing lesse For the man I assure you is both a sound Philosopher and a sincere Diuine Neither would I haue you once to imagine that Paul doth there purposely oppose himselfe to all true Philosophie whether naturall or morall no but reprooueth rather that false and counterfeit Philosophie which hauing onely an appearance of truth and not the substance of truth it selfe is cunningly foisted in by cogging companions to spoile and deceiue mens mindes of the truth indeed For otherwaies all true Philosophie is the speciall gift of God and a principall helpe to Diuinitie so far foorth especially as she is made a submissiue Moderatour in naturall causes and not a commaunding Mistres ouer Diuinitie Then I assure you shee comes in her naturall kinde and thrice happie is he that hath a true insight into her according to that old accustomed saying Foelix qui potuit rerum cognoscere causas The wight that could all causes skan Might count himselfe an happie man Now then such a Philosopher is this and therefore be bold vpon my warrant to harken freely vnto him concerning the first ground of your errour Pneumatomachus I credit your words let him therefore proceede in his purpose Physiologus
The first ground of this as of all errours else whatsoeuer doth vndoubtedly arise as you heard from the naturall corruption of your proper minde And this may more plainely appeare if I first shew you what the Minde is and then tell you how the same is corrupted The Minde is that reasonable facultie or power of the soule whereby the naturall man perceiueth knoweth and discerneth all intelligible things By which wordes it is plaine that the proper ende and office of the Minde is especially to perceiue to know and discerne things And this office also it accomplisheth by the helpe of no bodily Organon but onely by it selfe alone vnlesse haply the senses doe sometime assist the intellectiue vertue therein The Minde therefore it differeth you see from the Will For the Minde onely perceiueth and knoweth a thing the Will it maketh free choice either to pursue or eschew the thing that is knowen Now then the Minde in a meere naturall man is easily corrupted by reason of the phantasie through whose onlie helpe the aforesaide knowledge of things intelligible is conueyed and offered vnto it For the phantasie it being that interiour sensitiue knowledge which by the middle ventricle of the braine receiueth into it selfe a verie deepe impression of the sundrie kinds of sensible things either present or absent and labouring also to draw foorth from those seuerall kinds of sensible things the like sensible kindes in conceit it cannot otherwise possibly be but that the said phantasie not being able to transcend beyond the seâ—sitiue knowledge of naturall and corporall substances must needes offer the minde such sensible notions as her speciall oâ—iect affoords And hereby also it commeth to passe that the minde eftsoones is deceiued in perceiuing knowing and discerning aright of euerie intelligible thing more especially if the said phantasie at any time endeuoureth to draw foorth from some sensible things an imaginarie conceit of some intelligiâ—le matter For then the vnderstanding or minde being mightily misled by the phantasie must needs be deceiued in perceiuing and discerning such a matter it being supernaturall spirituall and heauenly and surmounting the compasse of humane reason As for example The minde of a meere naturall man being at any time desirous to perceiue and discerne aright of God of Angels or Diuels it looketh foorthwith to receiue from the phantasie or interiour sensitiue knowledge some certaine notions concerning these matters Which said phantasie receiuing an impression onely of sensible things from the exteriour senses themselues and hauing in her naturally no impression at all of any the aforesaide supernaturall spirituall and heauenly matters therein shee affoordeth the minde either no notions at all or none other at least then onely such as she reeeiueth herselfe from corporall sensible and meere naturall obiects Whereupon the minde being still desirous to perceiue and discerne the aforesaid supernaturall matters and hauing thereof I say no notions at all or deceiueable notions at least shee foorthwith concludes either that there are neither God nor Angell nor Diuell or none other at least then such as shee hath notions of in an imaginarie conceite arising onely vpon a sensible knowledge from corporall sensible and naturall obiects That is the said phantasie receiuing some sensible knowledge from the sense of the eare that God is an almightie and magnificent Lord of hostes it imagineth foorthwith some sensible or corporal potentate and thereupon receiuing an impression of some such sensible thing in conceit the minde by and by from such sensible notions concludeth that God is some almightie supereminent and sensible potentate in deed hauing all princes and powers subiected vnto him Againe the said phantasie hauing receiued by the eare as before a like sensitiue knowledge that the Seraphims shadowing the throne of grace haue sixe wings apiece to flie and to couer themselues withall it foorthwith supposeth some sensible creature and thereupon receiuing as before a sensible impression of some such sensible thing in conceit the minde eftsoones resolueth that Angels if there be any are none other but firie and winged creatures To be short the phantasie hauing receiued by the eare as before that the Diuel is a terrible tormenting Termagant chayned vp vnder darkenes and taking an impression of some such sensible thing in conceit the minde straight way supposeth that infernall spirits if there be any at all are vndoubtedly some blacke grim griesly ghostes hauing goggled eies fearefull clawes with two clouen feete Thus then you see how the mind in a meere naturall man receiuing but bare phantasticall notions of sensible things in conceit is too too corrupted in iudgement and therfore hath naturally no power in it selfe to perceiue to know and discerne aright of any supernaturall spirituall or heauenly matters Pneumatomachus From hence you would seeme to inferre that the meere naturall man is vtterly vnable by naturall reason to conceiue foundly and rightly of spirituall causes Orthodoxus Verie true For as that wisedome which is from belowe is but earthly sensuall and diuellish so surely the naturall man he cannot possibly perceiue the things of the spirit of God for they are but foolishnes to him Neither can he know them at all for they are spiritually discerned And this spirituall discerning of things is no naturall but a supernaturall worke of faith which doth not arise from sensible notions but from a supernaturall knowledge infused spiritually into the enlightened soule and which also being grounded on things that are hoped for is an vndoubted true euidence of things vnseene Otherwaies faith could be no faith at all as one very fitly affirmeth saying The diuine operation if it may possibly be comprehended by reason is nothing admirable neither can that faith find any merite whereunto humane reason affoords an experiment Philologus How now Pneumatomachus what say you to these matters Pneumatomachus By that which is spoken I doe plainely perceiue the verie first ground of all grosse and palpable errours namely the grosse conceiuing of spirituall matters according to that natural knowledge which naturally ariseth from meere sensible and naturall notions Exorcistes You haue conceiued aright but how is your hart affected therewith Pneumatomachus It is affected I hope as it ought to be For surely this I must needs confesse to my shame that hetherto I haue adiudged nothing either possible in nature or credible in action which could not absolutely be comprehended by humane reason And this now I perceiue is that worldly wisedome which the word accompteth foolishnes with God But doe shewe me good Maister Orthodoxus the other ground also of these grosse opinions Orthodoxus With verie good will The other ground of your errors ariseth I assure you from a carelesse misconstruing of some such places of scripture as doe attribute to God and to spirits a corporall forme as eies eares hands feete bodies wings and such like Which said places your selfe vnderstanding them carnally do seeme to import vnto you at
to abound Whose vaporous humors vitiating and corrupting the braine doe procure the patient vnto a verie deepe sleepe Wherein his phantasie is fearefully troubled with the dailie impression of such fearefull and strange imaginations as do cause the interiour spirits of the braine to waxe verie wilde and fearefull by reason of those blacke and cloudie representations which were receiued before in the phantasie And heereof it is that some vnskilfull Physitions do so rashly ascribe this humorous disease to the operation of the diuell and that the ignorant people do absurdly imagine the partie thus affected to be vndoubtedly possessed of diuels Howbeit they should certeinly know that a cholerike humour so soone as an extreme adustion affecteth the same is foorthwith conuerted to furie or madnes neither is it then satisfied with an onely simple melancholike affection This disease it hapneth to men especially in Autumne through the malitiousnes of the humors abounding and eftsoones is encreased in the spring in summer yea it is then the extreamest of all when the north-winde blowes by reason of the drines thereof The signes that commonly fall foorth in the beginning of this disease are these namely strange conceits and feares a pronesse to anger the partie affecting solitarinesse hauing a fearefull swimming and turning about of the braine Howbeit when the disease is once growne to perfection then there folowes verie fearfull and strange effects For some are afraide the heauens will ouerwhelme them forthwith some feare the earth will swallow them quicke some stand in continuall dread of theeues and others againe that woolues will enter into them Some imagine themselues to be diuels birds and vessels of earth yea and that they be truely transformed into woolues and therefore they do counterfeit their voices wander about in the fields This vndoubtedly is your present disease this is that which makes you so resolute concerning the supposed possession of spirits and diuels All which you may plainely perceiue is nothing else in effect but a phantasticall conceit occasioned only vpon those disordered humours which hurt and trouble your braine That which any further concerneth the nature the causes the circumstances and cure of Lycanthropie you may see more at large in Wierus his workes Lycanthropus This is very strange I assure you and more then euer I heard albeit I haue felt the experience thereof in my selfe Physiologus Not so strange as true and therefore forsake your folly in time Orthodoxus I pray you hartely doe so and that so much the rather by how much the diuel in working vpon that disordered humour will be ready eftsoones to abuse you afresh In consideration whereof I will shew you what the Ancyran councell aâ—d others haue carefully decreed against such humerous persons saying thus Whereas certeine gracelesse women seduced wholly by satans illusions doe verely imagine themselues for certeine howers in the night to be riding vpon woolues and beasts with Diana the pagane Goddesse and to passe through sundry countries through which erronious conceite they being grosly abused doe verely beleeue those things to be true yea and in beleeuing the same do fearefully straggle from the true sauing faith It appertaineth therefore to the ministers in euery their seuerall churches to publish and confute the falshood hereof and withall to strengthen the minds of their people against euery such phantasticall and fond illusion of satan Who eftsoones assailing the minds of humerous women and through infidelity conpling them sure to himselfe deludes their said minds with dreames and visions making them sometimes mery and sometimes sad shewing them sundry persons both knowne and vnknown yea and leading them dangerous bie-waies to their owne destruction Thus you see the councels decree against these rouing conceites wherewith your selfe at this present is fearefullie tainted and therefore forethinke you thereof in time Lycanthropus Are there then no essentiall transformations at all Orthodoxus No verily whatsoeuer they seeme in shewe they are but illusions and sleights of the diuel to deceiue and therefore I aduise you to winde your selfe from them with speede for feare of a further mischiefe And because you shall not imagine this councell I giue to be but a dreaming deuise of my owne therefore besides that which was spoken before I will yet further make knowen vnto you how generall councels many good writers yea and the Popes owne canons do all iointly condemne and pronounce this peeuish opinion concerning the supposed transformation of diuels to be impious absurd and diuellish and the maintainers thereof to be woorse then Infidels saying thus Whosoeuer beleeueth that any one creature can be made or changed into better or woorse or to be transformed into any other shape or into any other similitude by any other then by God himselfe the creator of all things without doubt he is but an Infidell and woorse then a Pagane And therewithall this reason is rendred Because say they they doe therein attribute that power to a creature which onely belongeth to God the creator of all things By this you may plainely perceiue of what reckoning these your supposed transformations haue beene in former times Philologus Lycanthropus your opinion it appeareth is plainely condemned of all and therefore forsake it for shame Lycanthropus So I do I assure you praising the Lord with all my hart for bringing me thus to behold the folly thereof yea and am hartely sory for being bewitched therewith so long being also ashamed now of my odious name Physiologus The Lords name be blessed for this your happy illumination in Iesus Christ. Pneumatomachus Yea and the Lord grant the like happy successe to our further proceedings Lycanthropus So be it But good Master Orthodoxus I remember full wel how that in the beginning of our conference where we handled the power of spirits aud diuels you spake of a twofold possession the one reall the other actuall The first you haue fully confuted notwithstanding any thing spoken to the contrary Howbeit of the other the question is ordinary in euery mans mouth and therefore I pray you hartely shew vs your iudgement also therein Orthodoxus What I pray you is the common opinion of men concerning the same Lycanthropus I here of none that make any doubt of actuall possession yea and the Exorcist also who cast out the diuel at Magnitton howsoeuer he faggeth with me now concerning his first conceite of real possessions he is very confident in the very title of his apology to auouch the yong man to haue been actually possessed of satan Exorcistes I doe so in deed and I make no doubt thereof at all being able I hope to mannage the same against all men yea euen to the death Orthodoxus What are you able to mannage against all to the death Exorcistes That the diuel hath and may haue now euen in these daies of the gospel an actuall or powerfull possession in men Orthodoxus What man are
be no better argument I hope then common experience Physiologus Indeed as you say experience she is called the schoole-mistres of fooles and yet she is not to bee accompted a foolish schoole-mistres but such a one rather as when all other meanes faile is able to worke wisedome in the most foolish on earth Yea she is such an approoued schoole-mistres as euen the wisest of all must be subiect vnto And therefore if you haue her on your side as you saie you are not vnlike to preuaile Exorcistes Yes I haue her verie sure For the most in Mahgnitton and sundrie other besides are euerie of them able to testifie in their owne experience an actuall possession in the yoong-man there as also in many others else where Physiologus They are able to testifie thus much you say in their owne experience The question is now whether that their owne experience be a true experience Exorcistes There needes no question to be made thereof For the witnesses eftsoones did see the fellow in his fearefull fittes they viewed his wallowings his fomings his rendings and tearings they beheld his senslesnesse his bowings and bendings togither they perceiued his many outrages his swounings and dangerous falling in fires they handled his stiffenes of limbes his sundrie swellings and the Kitlings crawling vnder the couerlid as he lay in his bedde they heard his roarings his cryings with many strange knocking 's and the Diuell eftsoones speaking verie hideously within him briefly they smelt many sodaine and vnwoonted strong sauours eftsoones very sweete and sometimes more stinking then brimstone with sondrie other verie sensible signes of actuall possession yea and all these verie sensibly in their owne experience Physiologus These your supposed sensible signes they are I confesse such sensible demonstrations as may fully suffice to conclude a common experience if all were as commonly true as they are commonly reported abroad Philologus True sir why I assure you they are all extant in Print in a very authenticall narration and which more is in maister Exorcistes his Printed Apologie Physiologus I am easily drawen to beleeue your report and so much the rather for that Painters Poets do challenge a priuiledge to print what they please Howbeit this is no good argument they are all extant in printe therefore they are all vndoubtedlie true Exorcistes As you say sir. But these I assure you are all auouched for truths and that also vpon the corporall oaths of sundrie discreete and honest deponents Physiologus For truths as they tooke them at least and so neither their discretions their honesties nor oaths are any thing tainted though happily they failed in substance Howbeit many others not of the meaner or simpler sort are otherwaies fully resolued Partly in regard of the verie actions themselues and partly in an especiall respect of Satan the supposed actor of them For first cōcerning the actions themselues How strange soeuer in a seeming shew they are no way so strange in truth but that many things else as much and more strange then they are in shew may ordinarily proceed from naturall experiments and be admirably effected by actiue and ingenious persons the practise whereof would seeme in these daies if not an actuall possession yet a cosening tricke of some cogging companion at least Lycanthropus I pray you discouer some fewe of those naturall experiments Physiologus With verie good will And this I must tell you before that there is not a man in the world though neuer so little imbrued with Philosophicall skill but he verie well knoweth there be many hidden vertues of meere naturall things and those also the howerly effectours of many admirable actions which saide vertues if a man vnderstood well and could skilfully apply them to his purpose pretended he might vndoubtedly accomplish many vnwoonted experiments Yea there be many maruels in nature hitherto vnexperienced of any and to vse Plinie his words as yet wholy ouershadowed with natures maiestie which the spirit of all spirits onely knoweth how and when to implop at his pleasure Now then if any man couertly practising the experiments of these naturall causes did apparantly accomplish like admirable matters men would commonly account him a Magitian and verie hardly beleeue he could possibly effect those rare and strange feats without the power and helpe of the diuel whereas yet they are onely meere natural actions and produced wholy from meere naturall causes Of these naturall maruels hath Aristotle penned downe a most perfit treatise which notwithstanding is by some ascribed to Theophrastus Plinie also he hath some such wonderfull matters in sundry of his workes but verie many in his naturall historie as may appeare plainely to such as exactly peruseth the same Besides this Proclus he also hath penned downe many all tending directly to that selfesame purpose Yea and which more is Augustine himselfe Albertus Magnus Fracastorius and Ficinus also they are none of them inferiour herein to any of the others before To be briefe there are verie many such matters dispersed throughout Cardanus his bookes concerning the subtletie and varietie of things which I will here briefly repeat out of Plinie his works Pneumatomachus Doe so I hartily pray you for therein you shall accomplish vnto vs a singular pleasure Physiologus I will spare for no paines so far foorth especially as my memorie serues me and therefore hearken attentiuely to it Philologus Yes sir be you sure you shall find vs attentiue Athenians in hearing and reporting strange newes Physiologus Well then this first I must tell you that very neere vnto Harpasa a towne in Asia there standeth an horrible craggy rock or torre which a man may easily moue with a little touch of one of his fingers whereas if he set his whole body vnto that selfesame rock he cannot possibly stirre it the breadth of an haire Againe there are other two mountaines very nerely adioining vnto the famous riuer called Indus The nature of one mountaine is to draw iron vnto it and of the other by all meanes to reiect and put iron from it In so much as if any man come on those mountaines with nailes in his shooes he cannot with his said shooes be possibly pulled from the one nor by any meanes stand on the other Againe very nere vnto Babilon there floweth foorth from a rock some certeine naturall matter called Naphtha being a chalkie clay and of a slimy moist substance not vnlike vnto pitch This said Naphtha on which side soeuer a man shall behold it hath flames of fier ouerflowing the same which cannot possibly be quenched but with aboundance of water with vineger with alome or birdlime Againe from Nympheum the famous promontory or mountaine of Proconnesus an iland in Propontis there floweth foorth from the middest of the rock a flame which by the drops of raine is kindled and set on fire Againe in Dodona a citie of Greece Iupiter his
sorts of workers Commonlie and indifferently I confesse an author in a more common and more ample signification howbeit a fauourer only of good and a director of all actions whatsoeuer to the good of his children and glorie of his name As more plainly appeareth in the person of Iob whom the diuell could no further afflict then the Lord had appointed By all that which is spoken it is therefore verie apparant that notwithstanding anie thing hitherto heard the actuall affliction of Saul it might something be lessened though the actuall possession of satan if anie such there was still continued Exorcistes Well sir I argue it further thus If a melodious sound may effectually procure such an apt disposition in the minde of a man as may make it more able to receiue and recouer afresh some supernaturall gift being lost before then may it much more procure such an apt disposition in the body of man as may euen vtterly disable the same from the speedie apprehension of any such naturall affliction as is naturally inflicted by satan But the first is vndoubtedly true as appeereth in Elisha the man of God who onely by hearing a melodious harmonie recouered foorthwith the supernaturall gift of prophesie and therefore also the other in like manner is apparently euident For an actiue vertue hauing an abilitie in that which is greater it hath much more abilitie in that which is lesse Yea and this also verie fitly accordeth with the text it selfe which telleth vs plainely that when Dauid but handled his harpe the euill spirit departed foorthwith from Saul Physiologus Howsoeuer your antecedent befitteth your humour the same I assure you is vtterly vntrue For first the prophet Elisha he had not vtterly lost the supernaturall gift of prophesie as your selfe verie falslie and fondly imagine howsoeuer being somthing disquieted in minde by reason of the wicked kings presence he perceiued himselfe vnapt for the present to any such spirituall enterprize And for that onely respect he purposely required that some cunning musition by playing and singing before him might quiet his troubled minde and quicken his dulled spirits for his better enabling afresh to that so sacred and so blessed a busines Againe if the Prophet as you falslie affirme had euen vtterly lost indeed that selfesame supernaturall gift then surely the sensible sound of a melodious harmonie had beene vtterly vnable of it selfe to recouer the same Because created vertue such as that musicall harmonie was it could not effectually extend it selfe to the timely apprehension of any such supernaturall action or habite as prophesying is Onely it might be some meanes to reuiue and to quicken the appaled spirits of the prophet Elisha for the better preparing of him to that action but againe to recouer that supernaturall gift of prophesie being vtterly lost it had beene vtterly vnable Notwithstanstanding all this let vs admit your antecedent for currant which will neuer be prooued so yet your consequent or inference enforced from thence is too too weakely confirmed by the rule you alledge Telling vs incōsiderately that any actiue vertue hauing an abilitie in that which is greater it hath an abilitie also in that which is lesse This rule I assure you it concludes not your cause no it commeth short thereof by manie degrees in as much as the same is not vniuersally true but holdeth onely in things essentially subordinate in one and the selfe-same kinde and not else For this is no good consequent A man is able to beget a man therefore he is also able to beget an asse Neither is there any sequell in this A man is able to carrie a great stone therefore he is able also to carrie a great fire Thus then you may plainely perceiue by all the premisses that the actuall affliction in Saul it might something be lessened though yet the actuall possession of satan if any such there was still continued And therefore this the example of Saul who was eased a time by Dauid his handling the harpe it concludeth no absolute dispossessing of spirits and diuels by any created sensible or meere naturall meanes whatsoeuer Exorcistes Well sir how lightlie soeuer you esteeme of these matters it is vndoubtedly true that my selfe dispossessed the yoongman at Mahgnitton yea and this onely by meanes Physiologus By what meanes I beseech you Exorcistes Euen by the onely meanes of fasting and praier Physiologus But whether was it done by your fasting alone or by your praier alone or by your fasting and praier togither Exorcistes Not by any meanes of either alone but by a mutuall concurring of both in that selfesame action Physiologus Put case you had attempted the worke by your praier alone what then woulde your endeuour therein haue beene voide Exorcistes Yea no doubt For by that extraordinary exercise of fasting my praier it became the more forcible and my spirit was made the more powerfull in the timely performance of that admirable enterprise Physiologus So then the whole efficacy of that selfesame action as your speech doth import it depended especially and onely vpon the extraordinary exercize of your fasting alone as vpon that which gaue a power to your praier and which made your spirit the more apt to that enterprise O absurd and sencelesse opinion This sauoureth very shrewdly of the Montanists errour who did attribute so much to their voluntary exercise of fasting and praier as for that selfesame respect they inuented their adusting and drying vp diets for the more forcible effecting of those ther fondly affected fooleries And were therefore very fitly termed temperate continent persons So surely your selfe at this present in this your pretended dispossession of spirits and Diuels you make your extraordinarie exercise of fasting the onely efficient cause of that selfesame supposed dispossession of the diuell at Mahgnitton For first you dispossest him forsooth by the onely meanes of fasting and prayer But your prayer you say it became the more forcible and your spirit was made the more apt by the extraordinarie exercise of your fasting it selfe therefore the extraordinarie exercise of your said fasting it selfe was the onely efficient cause of that selfesame supposed action For whatsoeuer doth make another thing to be such as it is that same thing no doubt is much more so it owne selfe But your extraordinarie exercise of fasting it made your prayer more powerfull and your spirit more apt for that selfesame dispossessing of Satan therefore your said extraordinarie exercise of fasting it was the onely efficient cause of that selfesame dispossessing of Satan This not onely mannageth much the Montanists errors as was shewed before but which more is it doth verie shrewdly support the superstitious and Popish opinions of fasting Who not onely repose to much spiced holines in the voluntarie vsage thereof but make it withall verie satisfactorie for sinne and propitiatorie for the silly poore soules departed to purgatorie Whereas
a like power be eftsoones permitted vnto them for the working of miracles it beeing a faculty inferiour to the other by much yea and such a power also as the very wicked may haue Physiologus The soundnesse of this reason consisteth in vnsoundnesse altogether and therefore the supposed soundnesse thereof for the proofe of your purpose is nothing else in effect but a festured incurable corruption concerning both matter and forme For first that it is faulty in matter your selfe may plainely perceiue in that it wholely relieth vpon a very false exposition concerning the word Exousia For whereas your Gregory or your selfe in his name do translate it a power the whole coherence and circumstance of the text doth plainely declare that it ought rather to be termed a right or prerogatiue Yea and which makes me to merueile sith that selfesame word is diuersly translated according to the diuerse occasions thereof namely sometimes a power sometimes a faculty sometimes a liberty sometimes an authority sometimes a care a procuration a right or prerogatiue It is too too strange that your selfe quite contrary to the true scope of the text should so confidently cleaue to the word power alone aboue all the other rehearsed before Neither may I possibly perceiue your purpose therein vnlesse happely you would iumpe with Castalio and the papists in their free-will opinion a thing directly opposite to the holy ghost himselfe as you may plainely perceiue both in that and the verse immediately following Where the Euangelist acknowledgeth onely such as are borne of God to haue the right or prerogatiue to be made the sonnes of God Not vnderstanding by the word Exousia as your selfe would falsly beare vs in hand any power of electing but a power of apprehending the adoption of God by faith Attributing wholy therein the effectuall working power of that selfesame adoption to the almighty alone and the power of apprehending that priuiledge vnto the sauing faith of the adopted sonnes of God in Iesus Christ. Yea and thus much also your selfe at vnwares doe flatly confesse in your very assumption saying that they haue power to be made the adopted sonnes of God making them plainely you see very passiues and no actiues at all in the work of adoption And so your owne reason concludeth directly the contrary of that which you labour to prooue namely that those good men of God they had onely a passiue power in the working of miracles that is they had none other but an instrumentall power therein as we shewed before Secondly your reason it is faulty also in forme For besides that the same is in no good forme it concludeth only a may be from a bare or naked supposall telling vs by a pittifull begging of the cause in question that if the Saints haue an actuall power in the greater there needes be no merueile at all if sometimes they haue also a like power in that which is lesse Very true as you say if the Saints of God haue in deed an actuall power in that which is greater then the sequel of your speech might happely haue in it some more probability But whether they haue in them such a power or no your Gregory he hath not concluded as yet Exorcistes Yea but he illustrates the matter by a plaine example Physiologus How could he illustrate the thing that is not at all For it is not yet concluded you see that the Saints of God had euer in themselues any actuall power for the working of miracles and therefore he cannot possibly illustrate the same by any example Notwithstanding propound your example that so we may see whether it be any sounder then the reason produced before Exorcistes That sundrie deuout and religious persons did effect many miracles sometimes instrumentally and sometimes principallie I meane sometimes by prayer alone apprehending the power of Christ and sometimes also by an actual power permitted vnto them it is verie apparant saith Gregorie by these folowing examples First the Apostle Peter instrumentally by praier alone apprehending the power of Christ restored Tabitha againe to her life On the otherside the selfesame Apostle more principallie and by an actuall power in himselfe and without anie inuocation or praier at all did actually deliuer Ananias to death By both which it is verie apparant that the holy men of God they had in themselues not onely instrumentally but which more is euen princâ—pally also an actuall power for the powerfull expelling of spirits and diuels Physiologus That some holie men of God haue had an especiall power permitted vnto them for the admirable effecting of miracles no wise man will euer denie because the Scripture it selfe doth plainely auouch that vnto some there was giuen the operations of great workes by the spirit of God Howbeit this we must hold withall that such a power whatsoeuer it was onely an instrumentall and no principall power at all For seeing the sacred Scriptures do flatly affirme that Iehouah alone doth woondrous things we must therefore verie conscionable confesse and acknowledge that Iehouah alone is the author and man but the instrument of all those admirable actions whatsoeuer which he by their hands doth so powerfully accomplish Touching therefore your vaine surmize of Peter his principall power in the actuall deliuerie of Ananias to death the Euangelist Luke a little after doth flatly auouch that Peter was onely the hand whereby the Lord himselfe with his scepter or two edged sworde did wound Ananias his soule vnto death Yea and it is verie apparant by the storie it selfe that Peter he had onely a Ministeriall power in that action he being but a Minister and no Master of that selfesame worde of the Lord which is vndoubtedly a sauour of death vnto death in them that perish Howbeit because that selfe same death of the soule cannot possiblie be discerned by our corporall eies the Lord therefore he sawe it exceedingly good euen by the Ministerie of Peter therein to giue an extraordinarie visible token thereof on Ananias his bodie To the end that so many as then beheld or should from thencefoorth but heare of the same might tremble at the maiesticall power of the word and humble themselues to the auctoritie of God Who hauing plainely foretold by the mouth of his prophet that he would smite the earth with the rodde of his mouth and with the breath of his lippes destroy the vngodly did euen then by the Ministerie of Peter exhibite vnto vs an experimented triall thereof So then howsoeuer Peter himselfe he being the speciall instrument of Iehouah in that most admirable matter might by vertue of the principall agent it selfe attaine to the admirable acting of that which highly surmounted the whole facultie or power of his owne proper person euen as we also may see that a naturall heate by a power in the soule begetteth flesh yet had Peter as hath that naturall heate
Physiologus This then I dare tel you for truth that your assumption is vtterly false For the powerfull expelling of spirits and diuels was neuer effected by any such meanes but by the onely supernaturall power of the Lord as hath been sufficiently prooued long since and therefore euery such action notwithstanding your often pretended meanes of praier and fasting must needs be a miracle Exorcistes Nay sir when satan is cast out by praier and fasting the whole church or any member thereof it worketh no miracle because she cannot in vsing the meanes be assured to preuaile For although the assurance is and may be great in this case yet we cannot be sure that the party shal be deliuered the meanes beeing vsed because God is at liberty to blesse the meanes he hath appointed to this ende or to withhold his blessing from it And in this latter case what will any meanes profit or preuaile Physiologus Your minde it shoud seeme is mightily amazed with the matter in question your speeches they are so fearefully distracted among themselues For the assurance you say is very great in this case and yet you cannot be assured of the parties deliuerance Because the whole successe of that busines doth wholie depend vpon the great blessing of God without which the meanes cannot possiblie preuaile or profit in any respect Oh heere are crowded vp closely togither an huge company of crazie conclusions the one of them proferring the canuizado or counterchecke directly vnto the other Insomuch as if they be not al bound the sooner vnto the good behauiour some bloudie massacre will vndoubtedly fall foorth among themselues But goe to what if your saide meanes should be blessed of God My meaning is this What if the Lord euen at your praier and fasting be entreated to driue foorth a diuell Were that worke thus effected as you fondlly imagine by meanes no miraculous action at all Exorcistes It is then mirandum non miraculum that is a woonderful worke but not a woonder Physiologus Oh then I perceiue the verie period of time is now plainely expired wherein that old verse must needes be fulfilled which saith Miranda canunt at non credenda Poetae The Poets many woonders sing Which are not woorth the crediting For tell me I pray you whether you account this your newe comed distinction of mirandum and miraculum as a sound and a currant distinction Exorcistes Yea why not It being the very same which the holy Ghost obserueth in sundry places of Scripture where he putteth downe these two distinct words namely signes and woonders By signes he vnderstandeth all those miraculous actions whatsoeuer which are called miracula and by woonders he meaneth all those admirable matters which in an onely regard of their great vnwoontednes are fitly termed miranda Physiologus This new-coyned Logicke or rather this coie-kinde of distinguishing causes you haue learned I perceiue from nyce mistres Merchant who with as great probability of reason hath tolde vs long since that Pepper is hot in operation and colde in working Making operation and working the diuident members of her pepper in sale as you make your woonderfull worke and your woonder the seuerall kindes of admirable matters and all this to manage if possiblie it might be your woonderles woonder wrought at Mahgnitton And thus you would cunningly cast a myste if you could before the eies of the simple to make them beleeue that a woonderfull worke were no woonder at all and that no woonder at all were a woonderfull worke And so it commeth eftsoones to passe especially among such as are desirous of nouelties that signes and woonders must be esteemed either as true woonders or no woonders at all whensoeuer and so oft as it pleaseth your selfe to make of a woonderlesse woonder a woonder of woonders Howbeit because this new phantasied distinction of signes woonders is be come at this present the fairest flower in your garden to furnish foorth your faint-harted cause it shall not be amisse first to put downe the verie true meaning of those two seuerall wordes and then next to lay open your palpable impudencie in so groslie abusing the same to serue your turne Lycanthropus I pray you proceed in your purpose Physiologus Content First therefore for signes and woonders the Hebrewes they haue vsually Oth and mopeth sauing that eftsoones for the word Oth they do vse the word Lanas which signifieth a signe or a banner set vp for a token as in sundrie places of Scripture it is verie apparant By the worde Oth they vnderstand such a signe as portendeth some rare matter to come or rather a woonder whose prediction is hard at hand It springeth from the radicall verbe Athath which is as much to say as to come speedily to make haste or to runne because euery miraculous action surmounting the ordinarie course of nature and comming to passe beyond the common expectation of people is eftsoones in place as it were on the sodaine and within the beholders view before they begin to imagine thereof as we may plainely perceiue by the verie vse of the word it selfe in sundrie places Againe by the word Mopeth they vnderstand some prodigious or seldome seene thing some vnwoonted or perswasorie matter yea or some such perswasible signe as verie easily procureth credit with all the beholders It comes of the worde iaphah and hath an affinitie with pathah which signifieth to perswade or entice because euerie such admirable matter how vnwoonted soeuer it hath in it selfe such a perswading or an entycing power as preuaileth with men And hereof it came to passe that the third sonne of Noah fitly was named Iapheth Gen. 9. 27. for that he and all his posteritie by the admirable promises put downe in the Gospell were so easilie perswaded or enticed to dwell in the tents of Shem vnto whom the Sauiour was promised The which dwelling with Shem may fitly be called Mopeth that is a woonderfull matter by reason of that woonderfull effect which it wrought vpon Iapheth and all his posteritie These two wordes Oth and Mopeth do differ the one from the other in this namely for that the word Oth is vsed in many places where the worde Mopeth may not be vsed because Mopeth it euermore respecteth the effect or the end which is to procure an admiration with men and therefore it is verie apparant that a woonder respecting especially the beholders themselues is no lesse admirable then a woondrous worke howsoeuer it pleaseth your selfe to distingush the one from the other Exorcistes Not I but the holie Ghost doth distinguish them so in sundrie places especially in Deuteronomie where he putteth downe signes and woonders distinctiuely Vnderstanding by signes such miraculous actions as are onely effected by the supernaturall or commanding power of the Lord and by woonders such strange operations as do for their strangenes make men to admire albeit
this matter it iumpeth iustly with the rich mans in hel For he also being vtterly destitute of all other releefe did very instantly desire that Lazarus might foorth with be sent from the dead to his fathers house to forewarne his fiue brethren of that place of torment Seeing then you thus iumpe in your iudgements I were loath you should iar in the answere and therefore do tel you plainely that the atheistes of our age they haue Moses and the prophets to testifie vnto them the truth of such matters as concerne their saluation whom if they wil not faithfully here and beleeue neither would they beleeue at all notwithstanding they should see a thousand strange miracles Exorcistes Yea but such a miraculous expelling of satan by praier and fasting it woulde notwithstanding all this verie powerfully silence the papists who doe confidently affirme that spirits and diuels cannot possible be driuen out by any the Protestant ministers Physiologus The papists and your selfe it should seeme are in very great hope to delude the world afresh by your fained false miracles and that makes you so earnestly to vrge the continuance of the gift of miracles as though the same were yet still to be executed by some speciall persons But if they or your selfe would either winne or continue your credits by the working of miracles you must not bring in those your counterfeit crankes out of whom you woulde make vs beleeue you haue coniured spirits and diuels not vnlike to the possession of Mildred in Kent 1574. nor to the miraculous restoring of Margaret Iesop againe to her limbes not to the vision of the blacke dogge with other like fables reported by Bristowe but you must bring vs in some such miracle-workers as are able extempore to talke with new toongs to take away serpents or to drinke any deadly thing without danger for so your credites might haply be deemed the greater although yet if you taught not the truth we would take you for Antichrist As for the Protestant Ministers they neuer durst nor now dare professe themselues to be miracle mongers Both because the doctrine they teach it hath beene sufficiently and finallie confirmed before by the approoued miracles of Christ and his holie Apostles and for that also if there be yet still a continuance of any power in men for the working of miracles that power they confesse it belongeth to Antichrist and his Antichristian ministers of whom they are precisely warned by Christ to beware These therefore they are seely poore causes you see to prooue the continuance of miracles Exorcistes But yet the holy exercise of praier and fasting which with the prophane is so shamefully scorned it would by this and such other like admirable actions be notablie confirmed Orthodoxus Why man if praier and fasting be an ancient true ordinance of the eternall God then the truth there of was sufficiently confirmed before by the vndoubted true miracles contained in the worde so as it needeth not the accursed supplie of anie such patched and paltrie confirmations Howbeit if the same were a newe and neuer knowne ordinance in the Primitiue Church then surely all the fained miracles and signes in the world woulde neuer be able either to shelter the same from the scornes of the wicked or to procure it estimation among the godly In consideration whereof you your owne selfe haue beene highly to blame thus badly to abuse so sacred an ordinance For these your preposterous courses concerning the practise thereof hath more hindred that holy and orderly exercise then all the scornes of the vngodly could euer haue done and therefore forethinke it in time Exorcistes Should I forethinke me of that which is so generally helde of all for an infallible truth yea and which more is should I most cowardly disclaime that Christian cause which manie great Diuines doe confidently holde and haue so constantlie offred by publike disputation to vphold against all men Offring not onely to prooue the continuance of actuall possessions but which more is the perpetuall establishment of this selfesame continued meanes for the powerfull expelling of spirits and diuels from time to time Orthodoxus If these matters were so generally held of all for an infallible truth your selfe could neuer haue beene so iudicially conuented nor so iustly conuicted a grosse male factour for but putting an infallible truth in practise As for the profered disputations by those your approoued Diuines I doe verily beleeue that you haue borne your selfe much more bolde in presuming thus peartly vpon the proppe of their persons then your commission will warrant Otherwise those your great Diuines hauing heard long since at a Commencement in Cambridge this question disputed and determined negatiuely they might and they would without doubt at some one time or other since then haue taken occasion either by disputation by writing or by preaching at least to mannage the truth of that matter which so directly concerned their open pretended chalenge Especially if they either held the same an infallible truth or had so publikely offred a publike dispute as you would beare vs in hand they haue done And therefore by this their so long continued silence we must either account of your speech as of a Canterburie tale or at leastwaies imagine that those your approoued Diuines they haue had like good Christians their second cogitations concerning the truth of your matters For we will neuer beleeue that they would by any their purposed silence so vnconscionablie betray a professed infallible truth especially if they so approoued thereof as you tell vs they did Howsoeuer this I must tell you is a verie grosse and a palpable folly namely that you your selfe or anie man else shoulde so confidently and so fondlie relie vpon the persons of men without any due triall or proofe of their spirits because great men they are not alwaies the wisest neither doe the aged at all times vnderstand iudgement For howsoeuer there is a spirit in man the inspiration of the almightie it giueth men wisedome Being therefore but a yoong Nouice my selfe in regard of those great Diuines and ancient Fathers I doubted and was a long time afraid to affoord my opinion For I said surely the daies shall speake and the multitude of yeeres shall teach men wisedome Howbeit hauing a long time waited vpon their words and perceiuing withall that no one of those your great Diuines haue hitherto had in their mouthes any answere at all to reprooue your aduersaries nor found foorth their forcible reasons to mannage your cause I was inwardly mooued to answere in my turne For I am full of matter and the spirit within compelleth me Therefore now will I speake that I may take my breath Neither in speaking will I accept the persons of men for feare if I should fondly giue titles to men my maker would sodainely take me away Go to therefore Exorcistes doe either shew vs more probable reasons for the
the selfesame cause So then it is not the martyrdome it selfe but the cause of the martyrdome that maketh a martyr You are not therefore simply to reioice in suffering but in suffering especially for righteousnesse sake And who is it I pray you that can harme you at all if only you follow the thing that is good On the other side what praise is it vnto you if when you be iustly buffetted for your owne faultes as herein you haue been you take it patiently But if when you do wel which vndoubtedly you should do in yeelding submission if then I say you suffer euil vndeserued by vndergoing with patience the cynical censures of some giddy conceitours this is thankworthy and acceptable before the Maiesty of our eternall God And therefore this your primary respect for not submitting your selfe it is you see very fond and preposterous Exorcistes Yea but by this my submission I should giue our aduersaries great occasion to insult ouer the brethren afresh in farre better causes then this as we found by experience how highly they triumphed ouer the intended discipline of late by reason of Hackets Arthingtons and Copingers seductions Orthodoxus If your owne dealings in these your preposterous courses doe as deepely discredit the holy ordinance of praier and fasting as Hackets seduction disgraced in the iudgement of some the entended church discipline I hope then you will neuer account much lesse entitle them aduersaries to sincere religion howsoeuer opposite to these your practises that shal seeke by due meanes to suppresse the irregularity of your intemperate humour Otherwise if these your disordered attempts haue ministred iust occasion for any to insult ouer the brethren as you say afresh in far better causes then this when you see such fearfull effects to follow your fooleries you may neuer blame the insulters themselues but your owne indiscretion Howsoeuer I do aduise you in all loue to reckon this late-giuen occasion as the very principall among the rest of your sins and make it a perpetuall meanes to your better humiliation before God and men As for the inconsiderate and vnchristian insultings of any ouer good and Christian causes let not their euil dealings that way make you to constant in euil Exorcistes But yet sir by this so vnseasonable a submission of mine I should scandalize the zealous professours and offend sundry honorable and noble personages both Lords and Ladies with diuerse others of good estimation who fauouring rightly the reformation haue mightely affected my cause and bountifully mainteined my person and state Orthodoxus Your conscionable reiecting of an inueterate error and your zealous entertaining of a newly reuealed truth can euer scandalize such sincere professours as are zealously and rightly religious As for offending any honorable personages or others in any account who wishing reformation haue hetherto affected your cause and mainteined your person know this and know it for truth that if those honorable personages euen in a sincere regard of some holy reformation haue hitherto affected your cause so far foorth at the least as they supposed the same to be sound and good then doubt not at all but that they wil much more affect your holy and hoped conuersion so soone especially as their enlightned iudgements shall once but soundly perceiue the infallible truth Yea and which more is they will then be much more forewards in supporting your person and state then euer before Otherwise those your maintainers they might be supposed to affect your cause and to support your person in an onelie malcontentednes rather against the persons of some in authoritie then in any true mindednes towards reformation indeed And which more is you your owne selfe by persisting as you doe in your errour you may be supposed of all as you are shrewdly suspected of some to be rather their humorist in an onely respect of their hier then anie their approoued martialist to mannage these matters in any right reuerend regard of their honours This therefore you see is but a sielie respect to hold you from such an holy submission Exorcistes Yea but by such my submission I shoulde foorthwith depriue my selfe from all Ecclesiasticall functions For this is held an vndoubted truth among the preciser sort that a man so groslie falne doth make foorthwith a flat nullitie of his former ministerie Orthodoxus Put the case that some concerning this point are much more peeuishly precise then prudently wise will you therefore in an onely regard of their itching humours refuse to do good to your selfe and manie others of more temperate spirits For tell me I praie you who is able to make a flat nullitie in any mans ministerie but he alone who enableth and calleth whomsoeuer he will to the ministerie Exorcistes Verie true as you say respecting simplie his gifts and graces there is none able to make a flat nullitie in anie mans ministerie saue onely the Lord. Howbeit respecting the orderly execution and vse of those gifts the Church she may and she ought to make a flatte nullitie in the ministerie of such are groslie falne Orthodoxus If there be none other stoppage at all to this your submission but onely the feare of forgoing your ministerie this feare I hope it may soone be remooued For if none but the Lord be able to disable your gifts then none without warrant from the Lord is able to disable the orderly execution and vse of your gifts But no such warrant haue anie from the Lord in all the Bible Besides that if the Lord bestoweth and continueth his gracious gifts in anie being orderly called before to the ministerie for the edification of others who may without warrant disanull and discontinue the orderly execution and vse of those gracious gifts in anie being orderly continued in the ministerie for the edification of others For if vnfained repentance doth set an offendour in statu quo prius in his former estate with God and man notwithstanding any his former offences why should not an vnfained repentance set a poore minister being falne by occasion in statu quo prius in his former estate with God and man for the orderly vse of his ministerie notwithstanding anie his former offences Otherwise why did not the Church in former times disanull and discontinue the orderly execution and vse of gifts in Dauid in Peter in Paul in Iohn Marke in Demas and diuers other both ordinarie and extraordinarie persons In all whom did breake foorth no lesse apparant disorders then this one of yours yet the Lord continuing in them his gracious gifts the Church still enioyed the vse of those gifts Discharge you therefore a good conscience by testifying truely your vnfained submission and then if the Ecclesiasticall gouernors vpon aduised deliberation shall deeme it conuenient to emploie you afresh in the vse of your gifts let those your preciser sort set vpon them if they please for such their imployment of one so groslie offending In the meane time
set out the Diuell who poysoned our grandmother Euah 114 The iudgement of Tremellius and others concerning this point 115 The common receiued opinion herein consented vnto and why ibid. The true interpretation of the word Nachash 116 The Diuell did not essentially enter into the serpents body ibid. Whether the Angell essentially spake in Baalams Asse and how that scripture is to be vnderstood 117 Whether the Angell opened the Asses mouth efficiently or but ministerially 118 Whether the Angell for such a ministeriall opening of the Asses mouth did essentially enter into the Asses bodie 119 Whether Samuels true naturall bodie was essentially assumed by Satan 120 Whether the Diuell appeared to Saul in Samuels likenes 123 Sundrie impossiblities and absurdities concerning such a supposed likenes pag. ibid. The opinion of sundrie writers touching this point ibid. The Witch a cunning ventriloquist coosened Saul 126 The distinction of essentialitér and effectiué is no new but a renued distinction and ordinarie with Schoolemen and Fathers 127 The testimonie of writers touching that point 128 It is absurd to vnderstand literally the things that are spoken of Satan 129 The fifth Dialogue pag. 131. WHether Diuels can essentially transforme themselues into any true naturall bodie 131 This essential transformation of Diuels is opposite to true philosophy 132 Diuels are not essentially transformed into Angels of light 134 The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 what it importeth ibid. The place of 2. Cor. 11. 14. is truely expounded 134. 135 The conference of that one with other places of scripture 136 The family of loue is fitly confuted ibid. Transubstantiation very shrewdly cut in the neck 137 Antiquity is no priuiledge for errours whatsoeuer ibid. Whether the Sorcerers rods were essentially transformed into true naturall serpents 138 Whether the Sorcerers rods were true Serpents in deed or serpents onely in an outward appearance ibid. The Serpents rods were no true naturall rods in any orderly course of nature 139. Neither Sorcerer nor Diuel could euer work a true miracle 140 Diuels neuer had any supernaturall power or skill 141 Why the Sorcerers rods were called Serpents not being in deede true naturall Serpents 142 Satan may procure an outward appearance of things three manner of waies 143 Spirits and Diuels they haue a deeper insight into meere naturall causes then men haue by much 144 The Diuel in transforming the Sorcerers rods was vndoubtedly assisted with a twofold power 145 What is ment by the power of nature ibid. What is to be vnderstood by the power of obedience 146 The Sorcerers rods they were trasformed into Serpents not existingly but appearingly 147 Whether Nabuchadnez-zer was essentially transformed into a naturall oxe 148 There was in Nebuchadnez-zer no transmutation of substance but onely an alteration of qualities 149 Fury disordering mens nature doth make them beastly affected 152 Men by tradition haue receiued hand ouer head an error concerning the essentiall transformation of Diuels 153 God hath naturally engraffed in man such a peculiar propriety touching his naturall being as can at no hand be essentially transformed into any other forme 153 154 Mans members may not possibly be transformed into the proportion or lineaments of a beast 155 If there are essentiall transformations of Diuels then Christs argument Ioh. 20. 27. cannot be currant ibid. That there are no essentiall transformations in any sensible appearance 156 Lycanthropus and what the same importeth 159 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is a mere naturall disease and how ibid. Lycanthropy and melancholy proceed from one and the same cause 160 The signes and effects of a true Lycanthropy 161 The Anâ—yran Councell against the opinion of essentiall transformations ibid. Councels Fathers and the popes owne Canons condemning the same page 162 The sixt Dialogue pag. 165 ACtuall possession what it is and the causes thereof 166 The actuall possession of Diuels is twofold ibid. The actuall possession of Diuels was onely in Christ and the Apostles daies 168 The perpetuitie of actuall possession was neuer purposed by God ibid. Whether the commission giuen by Christ to his Apostles for the dispossessing of Diuels be a perpetuall commission 169 Reasons against the perpetuitie of actuall possessions ibid. The extraordinarie power for the expelling of Diuels was onely peculiar to Christ and his owne Apostles and why 170 The opinion of anâ—ient fathers for the supposed perpetuitie of actuall possessions considerately examined 171 Extraordinary gifts and graces did determine with the officers themselues on whom they were peculiarly bestowed 172 The continuance of actuall possession auouched in some 173 Whether the actuall possession of Diuels be an ordinarie disease 174 The termes of ordinarie and continually working what they import 176 The instance from the Sunne with the Antipodes verie fitly retorted 177 The actuall possession of Diuels is an extraordinarie and supernaturall matter surmounting the orderly course of nature 178 The perpetuitie of actuall possession long since determined by Christ. 179 The two maine ends of actuall possession are ceased long since ibid. That maine ende which tended to the manifestation of Christ his Deitie is fully determined Ioh. 12 31. 179 Christ his power matter to worke vpon still though the actuall possession be ceased long since 180 The text in Ioh. 12. 31. is cleered by conferring the same with other places of Scripture 181 Scriptures vnfolding that extraordinarie power of Christ for the dispossessing of Diuels before his suffring in the flesh 182 The difference betweene Christ and the Leuitical priesthood verie plainely expressed 183 Scriptures respecting this speciall power of Christ after his suffring 184 Tho words Tsamath and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 verie plainely expounded 185 The text of Iohn 12. 31. paraphrasticallie analyzed 187 The Fathers opinion concerning the ceasing of actuall possession 189 The Diuell was subdued in the Fathers before the comming of Christ 190 Though actuall possession be ceased the faithfull are not freed quite from the Diuell his sundrie tentations ibid. The reason why Satans destruction is so confidently applied to the actuall determination of his essentiall possessions 195 This our exposition of Iohn 12. 31. ouerthrowes not but confirmes the ordinarie receiued exposition ibid. Something besides the weakening of Satans dominion was actually accomplisht by the verie act of Christ his death 196 Christ restraines the actuall determination of actuall possession to the verie act of his death ibid. The dispossessions after Christes death were to confirme the Gospel 197 The seuenth Dialogue pag. 199. WHether common experience may concludently prooue the supposed continuance of actuall possession 199 The actions in the yoong man at Nottingham were in experience no admirable matters if we consider the actions well 200 Many naturall experiments as admirable as those in all appeerance 202 Many maruels in nature ouershadowed as yet with natures maiestie ibid. Verie strange and admirable woonders apparant in nature 203 More strange and admirable matters are reported by Augustine 205 As admirable matters may and do proceed from naturall
apprehendeth that power of God 292 Whether Math. 17. 20. be to be vnderstood of the iustifying faith as able alone to expell Diuels 294 Whether Marc. 16. 25. 17. be to be properly vnderstood of the iustifying faith 296 Maister Beza his iudgement concerning the casting out of Diuels by a iustifying faith 297 The personall prerogatiues spoken of Marc. 16. 17. were but temporarie seales to establish the Gospell 299 Testimonies of writers concerning that point 300 Either no Diuell at all driuen foorth or driuen foorth by the miraculous faith 302 The tenth Dialogue pag. 340 WHether the miraculous faith be yet still continued in these daies of the Gospel 304 What a miracle is and whence it is deriued 305 The words Niphlath and Miphleoth interpreted ibid. The causes and kinds of miracles 306 The true miracles what they are ibid. The false miracles what they are ibid. False miracles effected 3. manner of waies 307 A thing effected by meanes whether a miracle 309 Meanes either naturall or artificiall 310 The distinction of mirandum and miraculum dashed 312 Sundry places expounded concerning the true sense of Oth and Mopeth pag. 314 The words Oth and Mopeth expounded 313 The words Semeion and Teras interpreted 317 Tautologies in scripture no idle repetitions 319 Many things effected by meanes are notwithstanding miraculous actions 321 How Sorcerers Satan or Antichrists effect woonders 323 Nothing a true miracle that is not truely effected or effected to a true end ibid. False miracles are commonly called Terata ibid. True miracles are properly called Semeia ibid. Exorcistesis driuen into dangerous Dilemmaes 324 Expelling of Diuels whether by meanes or without meanes as admirable now as euer ibid. Whether the working of miracles be ceased 325 The ends of miracles are ceased now ibid. That end which concernes the declaration of Christs Deity is determined Math. 12. 39. 40. ibid. That other end which respects the confirmation of the Gospel is determined by Marc. 16. 20. and Heb. 23. ibid. Miracles needlesse for the confutation of Atheists 326 Miracles friuolous for the silencing of papists 327 Praier and fasting are not graced by miracles now ibid. Dispossessions by praier and fasting not generally held of all Diuines as is pretended 329 The miraculous faith is now determined 330 The faith of hearing for euer established ibid. Reasons for the determination of miracles ibid. Testimonies of writers for that purpose 333 The faith of miracles but rash and vncerteine 337 Hippocrates opinion of miracle-mongers ibid. The eleuenth Dialogue pag. 339. A Summary recapitulation of all the premisses 339 The necessity of such a recapitulation ibid. A summary abridgement of the 1. Dialogue 340 A summary abridgement of the 2. Dialogue ibid. A summary abridgement of the 3. Dialogue 341 A summary abridgement of the 4. Dialogue 342 A summary abridgement of the 5. Dialogue ibid. A summary abridgement of the 6. Dialogue 343 A summary abridgement of the 7. Dialogue ibid. A summary abridgement of the 8. Dialogue 344 A summary abridgement of the 9. Dialogue ibid. A summarie abridgement of the 10. Dialogue 345 Certaine respects restrayning Exorcistes from submitting to the truth of this Doctrine 346 The note of inconstancie and cowardlines 347 The hardening of the aduersaries against better causes 348 The scaÌ„dalizing of zealous professors offending of great personages ibi Feare of being depriued from all ministerie 349 The depriuing of him and his from all maintenance 351 The suspicion of practizing with the counterfeits 352 How the charitable sort esteeme the action ibid. If W. Sommers then also M. Cooper counterfeited 353 How M. Cooper was cured ibid. The fixt respect vz. losse of credit for euer 354 Exorcistes is fearefully distracted 355 Pertinacie in his opinion put ouer to some other conference at his owne choise 356 FINIS Gentle Reader so many faults in the Printing as came to our remembrance we pray thee correct as followeth the rest if any arise we referre to thy godly wisedome Pag. 6. lin 28. put downe Orthodoxus for the speaker pag. 21. l. 3. for executiours read executioners pag. 106. lin 4. for visible r. visibly pag. 205. lin 31. for actuall r. effectuall pag. 307. l. 34. for and of heat r. an actiue heat Item l. 36. for an actiue r. and of an actiue Math. 5. 11. 2. Tim. 2. 17. Ier. 13. 23. 1. Cor. 4. 3. 4. Ioh. Drusij Adag 2. Haras in libro Auoth In Sanhedrin edit Basiliens cap. 10. Act. 15. 37. 38. Cicero 1. Cor. 1. 10. 11. Eccles. 1. 12. 13. Reasons for the hetherto suppressing of this present treatisâ— Psalm 141. 5. Luc. 10. 34. 2. Chro. 15. 13. 14. Reasons for the now publishing of this present treatise Tertul. in Apologetico Math. 24. 23. 24. Luc. 17. 31. 2. Thes. 2. 9. 10. Hieron de illustribus Lucianus 2. Sam. 1. 20. Aristotoleles Aristophanes 1. Cor. 3. 4. 7. Iude 22. Iude 23. Ben-Sirah in suis prouerbijs Item citatum inuenies in Medras Mesle Eccles. 10 20. 1. Pet. 2. 13. 17. Iudg. 9. 8. c. Psal. 122. 6. 7. Psal. 85. 10. 11. 1. King 21. 20. 1. King 22. 8. 1. Cor. 15. 8. 9. Luc. 18. 9. 11. 12. 1. Cor. 10. 12. Beza annotat in Math. 1. 19. 2. Sam. 16. 9. Aristophanes 2. Sam. 16. 9. 10. 11. 12. 1. Cor. 4. 4. Aristides Math. 7. 5. In Gemara cap. 6. Item in Glossa Thalmudica In Elie id est in the height of his pride At Abington id est on the gallowes that Northhamptonshire feolons are hanged vpon 1. Cor. 3. 12. 13. Iudg. 14. 18. 1. Cor. 9. 22. Queres concerning the publike priuiledge for Printing and publishing Bookes Eugubinus de perenni Philosop lib. 3. Math. 17. 21. Marc. 9. 29. Act. 17. 18. 2. Tim. 4. 3. These passions are apparant in Dorel his Apologie Act. 17. 21. Act. 23 8. Iohannis Caluini opuscula contra Libertinos c. 12. fol. 179. G. Alley in his poore mans librarie fol. 123. Maister Perkins vpon the Creede fol. 73. Iosephus de Antiquit. Iud. lib. 20. Magister in historijs Ioh. 4. 24. 1. Cor. 3. 16. Exod. 7. 12. Col. 2. 8. Gen. 17. 1. Isa. 6. 3. Isa. 6. 2. 2. Pet. 2. 4 Iude. 6. Iam. 3. 15. 1. Cor. 2. 14. Heb. 11. 1. Gregorius in Homil. 26. super Euang. 1. Cor. 1. 20. Gregorius in moraliâ—us Item in librâ— de collatione patrum Gen. 3. 1. 11. Cor. 3. 3. Math. 4. 1. 3. Luc. 4. 2. 3. Math. 8. 28. Marc. 5. 9. Luc. 8. 30. Math. 25. 41 46. Gen. 19. 13. Numb 22. 27. 28. 2. King 19. 35. Aug. de cognitione verae vitae cap. 6. Danaeus in Enchir August cap. 57. pag. 193. Gen. 1. 24. 25. Gen. 1. 7. 8. Hieron Zanchius deoperibus Dei lib. 2. cap. 5. Theodorelus quest 3. super Genes Gennadius Otho Casmannus Angelographiae part 1. cap. 5. pag. 107. Psal. 33. 6. Psal. 148. 2. 5. Col. 1. 16. Gen. 1. 1. 2. Psal. 148. 2. 3. Heb. 1. 7. Reuel 4. 11. Psal. 33. 6. Reuel
cap. 10. sect 23. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 See M. Darels Narration fol. 5. pag. 2. See M Darels Narration fol. 6. pag. 1. See M. Darelâ— Apologie in pag. 32. Math. 17. 21. Marc. 9. 39. See M. Darels Narration fol. 5. pag. 2. See M. Darels Apologie pag. 32. See M. Darels Apologie pag. 32. See M. Darels Apologie pag. 32. Math. 17. 21. Marc. 9. 39. See M. Darels Narration fol. 5. pag. 2. Math. 17. 21. Marc. 9. 39. Rom. 12. 6. c. 1. Cor. 12. 28. 1. Tim. in al. Tit. in al. 1. Pet. 5. 8. 9. Eph. 6. 11. 12. D. Apolog. pag. 32. D. Apolog. pag. 32. Ioh. Caluin in Math. 17. 21. Henr. Bullinger in Math. 17. 21 See Rhemish testament in Math. 17. 21. sect 7. D. Fulke his answere to the Rhem. testament Math. 17. 21. sect 7. See M. Darels Narration fol. 1. pag. 1. See M. Darels Apologie pag. 31. 32. Perse aut per alios Math. 7. 6. Luc. 11. 4. Act. 8. 22. Act. 8. 24. 1. Thes. 5. 32. Exod. 4. 15. 16. See M. Darels Narration in the depositions of William Aldred the 5. diponent fol. 8. pag. 7. Gen. 4. 4. Iudg. 17. 5. 6. Numb 16. 18. 1. Chr. 13. 9. 10. Act. 5. 36. 37. Rom. 12. 6. Heb. 5. 4. Act. 20. 28. 1. Pet. 5. 2. 1. Tim. 5. 19. 20. Act. 19. 15. 16. M. Aldredge maister of Arts and an ancient authorized preacher See M. Darels Narration in the depositions of Thomas Haies fol. 7. See Narration ibid. pag. 2. See the Narration in William Aldred his depositions fol. 8. pag. 1. See M. Darel his Narration fol. 8. pag. 2. See M. Darels Narration fol. 5. pag. 1. fol. 8. pag. 2. Augustini epistola 137. Memorem mendacem esse â—portet See M. Darels Narration fol. 1. pag. 1. Rhem. testament Luc. 4. 23. sect 3. See D. Fulke contra Rhem. Luc. 4. 23. sect 3. Item ibid. 1. Cor. 12. 9. sect 2. See M. Darels Narration fol. 1. pag. 1. 2. Thes. 2. Math. 24. 23. 24. 2. Thes. 2. 9. 10. Luc. 6. 19. In eodemnâ—mero Wised 7. 27. Luc. 6. 19. Leo in epist. ad Flauianum Psalm 136. 4. Opera miracu losa excedunt totam virtutem naturae creatae Phil. 2. 7. 8. Heb. 2. 14. Eph. 1. 19. Phil. 3. 21. Luc. 24. 19. Act. 20. 28. 1. Tim. 3. 16. Gen. 1. 3. 14. Ioh. 1. 1. 2. Col. 1. 16. Psalm 136. 4. Rhem. testament Marc. 3. 10. sect 1. Math. 9. 21. 22. Marc. 5. 27. and 6. 56. Luc. 8. 45. and 6. 19. D. Fulke contra Rhem. testament Marc. 3. 10. sect 1. Ambrose in Luc. lib. 6. cap. 8. Math. 26. 49. Marc. 15. 17. 20. Ioh. 18. 22. Luc. 8. 41. 45. Beda in Marc. lib. 1. cap. 3. Psal. 136. 4. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Mammilla implens 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Acerâ—us bonoâ—um omnium 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Suis vberibus omnia alens Psal. 135. 6. Act. 2. 2â— Act. 4. 30. Aug. Marlorat in Math. cap. 28. 20. Act. 3. 12. Act. 5. 12. Act. 19. 11. 12. Hieronimus Marc. Vigerius Decachord chord 8. 45. fol. 191. Theod. Beza ad Brentij argumenta de carnis Christiomnipraesentia August de â—iuiâ—at Dei lib. 22. Gregorius Dialog lib. â— Ioh. 1. 12. Math. 7. 22. 23. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Theod. Beza in annotat super Ioh. 1. 12. Gylberius Longolius in Lexic Graec. Theod. Beza in annotat super Ioh. 1. 12. Iohan. Caluin in Ioh. 1. 12. Ioh. 1. 12. 13. Iohannes Calin Ioh. 1. 12. 13. Act. 9. 40. Act. 5. 5. 1. Cor. 12. 10. Psal. 136. 4. D. Fulke in Rhem. testameÌ„t Act. 3. 12. sect 4. 5. Act. 5. 12. Ioh. Caluin in Act. cap. 5. 5. 2. Cor. 2. 13. 14. Ioh. Caluin in Act. cap. 5. 5. Isa. 11. 4. Philosophus lib. 2. de anima Rhem. testament in Marx. 6. 13. sect 7. Ioh. 9. 6. Luc. 8. 44. Marc. 6. 13. Act. 5. 15. 19. 11. 12. 5. 12. D. Fulke contra Rhem. testament in Marc. 6. 13. sect 7. Item ibid. in Marc. 7. 33. sect 4. Psal. 135. 6. Math. 26. 26. Ioh. 6. 52. Iude 10. Cant. 2. 9. Exod. 33. 20. 22. Ioh. 1. 18. 1. Tim. 6. 16. Aug. Marlorat 〈◊〉 Ioh. 14. 12. Ioh. 16. 23. Luk. 9. 54. 2. King 1. 10. Luc. 9. 54. 2. King 1. 10. Ioh. 16. 23. Musculus in Ioh. 14. 13. 2. King 1. 10. Act. 4. 30. Math. 9. 11. 12. 13. Marc. 9. 24. Eph. 6. 18. 19. Coloss. 4. 2. 1. Thes. 5. 17. 23 â— Thes. 3. 1. Math. 17. 21. Musculus in Math. cap. 17. 21. See M. Darels Apolog. in pag. 32. See M. Darels Narration fol. 5. pag. 2. M Darel was said to cast 7. diuels out of Katherine Wright if you list to beleeue him therein and to note eche diuell by his seuerall name Math. 17. 21. Luc. 17. 6. Marc. 9. 23. Math. 13. 58. Marc. 6. 5. Bullinger in Math. 13. 58. Caluin in Math. 13 58. Gualter in Math. 13. 58. Musculus in Math. 13. 58. Math. 9 22. Marc. 5. 34. Luc. 8. 48. Math. 17. 20. Luc. 17. 6. Math. 7. 22. 1. Cor. 13. 2. Heb. 6. 4. 5. 6. Heb. 6. 5. 6. Rom. 5. 1. 2. 3. 2. Pet. 1. 5. 6. 7. Heb. 11. 32. 33. 34. 35. 36. 37. 38. Marc. 16. 17. 18. Pet. Martyr in 2. Cor. cap. 12. 11 Item in loc com class 1. cap. 8. sect 20. Aug. Marlorat in Math. cap. 28. 19. Iohannes Caluin in Math. cap. 28. 19. 1. Cor. 12. 9. Theod. Beza annot in 1. Cor. 12. 9. editione 4. Ioh. Caluin in 1. Cor. 12. 9. Math. 17. 20. Marc. 16. 17. Luc. 7. 6. Math. 7. 22. 1. Cor. 12. 9. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Numb 20. 12. Math. 17. 20. Math. 14. 31. Marc. 16. 15. Marc. 16. 17. Hugo Cardinal in Marc. cap. 16. 17. Marc. 16. 20. Chrysost. in Math. 17. 20. Sebast. Meyer in 1. Cor. cap. 12. 9. Bullinger in Math. 17. 20. Moses Pellach Analys typic Math. cap. 17. 20. Aretius in Math. 17. 20. 1. Cor. 13. 2. Ioh. Caluin in Math. cap. 17. 20. Musculus in Math. cap. 17. 20. Pet. Martyr in loc com class 1. cap. 8. sect 14. Iam. 2. 19. Tit. 1. 1. Aug. Marlorat in Math. cap. 17. 20. Ioh. Caluin in Math. 17. 20. 1 Cor. 12. 9. Pet. Martyr loc com clas 1. cap. 8. sect 14. Math. 7. 22. 1. Cor. 13. 2. Math. 17. 20. D. Apol. 32. 33. D. 1. Narrat pag. 10. D. doct pag. 59. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Psal. 139. 14. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Psal. 118. 23. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Exod. 34. 10. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Iob. 37. 16. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 yel 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Miraculum q. oculi mirum Prodigium portentum monstrum A miracle What it is The efficient cause The materiall cause The finall cause Two kinds of miracles A true miracle what A false miracle what False miracles may be effected three manner of of waies Aug. de trinit lib. 3.