Egyptians And therefore where they should looke vp vnto heauen they stil looke groueling downe to the earth and runne rather vnto creatures then vnto the Creator And agayne they that are about them like them neuer giue them other direction Wherefore when Saul was not well at ease hee must needes sende for remedy for his disease And his moste excellent remedy had beene to haue sent for some sound Prophete or Preacher to haue told Saul of the grieuous and great sinnes which he had committed whereby the wicked spyrit had so great power ouer him to tormēt him as he did For by these and suche lyke speeches he must needes haue been brought to repentance and so haue fled to the mercies of God whereby he might haue obtained his fauour and remission of his sinnes for if he had growne to an attonemēt with God through true and faithful repentance he shoulde haue founde at Gods handes that remedye that was moste necessary for him For that God who had striken him in his iust iudgement could and also woulde haue healed him in mercy But because that Saul had so lōg dallied w t God perseuered so long in his wicked doing cōtrary to his own cōscience as y t god would not once vouchsafe to giue him that grace to haue recourse vnto him nor suffer him haue ani mā in his Court about him to giue him that counsel Toby I doe not thinke this counsell to be the best counsel that might haue been giuen him howbeit this is the verye ordinary course which we almost all take to runne rather vnto Phisitions and seeke remedie at the handes of Creatures then vnto God the most excellent Phisition of all Theo. I doe not thinke it amisse to vse Phisitions and all other meanes whatsoeuer that men are able to helpe withall so that they be ordeyned of God But herein resteth the faulte that wee forsake GOD and runne vnto Creatures But if wee runne vnto GOD yet haue we more confidence in men in the creatures and in the meanes and instrumentes which he hath ordained then in God y ◠framer and worker of all without whome all the instrumentes are able to doe nothing And therefore it is written of king Aza that GOD tooke away his life from him because that in his sicknesse he trusted more vnto his Phisitions then hee did vnto GOD. Nowe if God punyshed those whoe vsed such remedies as hee had ordayned when as they put their confidence in that which they should haue done in him we ought not to meruayle although hee seuerely dealeth with many who are not contented to abuse the meanes which hee hath ordayned but seek after other meanes which he hath forbydden put therin their whole trust To. They which haue recourse to the Deuill and vnto Charmers and Sorcerers who are his Ministers directe them selues to other Phisitions and meanes then GOD hath ordayned Theo. Neyther doe these men escape the heauy hande of GOD although hee be slow in comming nor yet they which runne vnto Idolles and to straunge Gods Toby But I pray thee tell me whether Musicke hath any power against such kinde of madnesse as Saules was or not For it is to be presumed that they which gaue Saule counsell to send for a cunning Musition where of this opinion Theo. There are many Melancholike and franticke people whom Musicke serueth as a medicine because it reioyseth and tempereth mens affections and thereby draweth awaye their imaginations els whether if it be vsed as it should be But Saules madnesse proceeded not onelye of a ladde and melancholicke humour eyther yet vppon anger and wrath But the principall cause was supernaturall And therefore although hee founde him selfe somewhat comforted and eased when Dauid played vppon the Harpe yet continued hee still in his madnesse yea insomuch that he still enforced him selfe to thrust through Dauid his Musition And therefore hee was to looke for remedie some where els For Saules madnesse proceeded from the cursse of god wherewith hee threatneth all such as will not obey his lawe that hee will strike them with blindnesse furye and madnesse in such a sorte as that hee will make them sencelesse that they shall be no more able to guyde and gouerne them selues then those blind men that grope by y e wals at noone dayes Toby Surely this is an horrible and very fearefull threat Theo. All the rest of the Prophetes which liued after Moses threatned the like curse and vengeance namely to tyrauntes their Counsellors and Offycers when as they threatned them that God would sende amongst them a blockish sleepy drunken spirite To. I thinke that foolish and wicked Counselles which greatly hurt Princes their courtes and principalities proceede from such a spirite Theo. That is questionlesse For seeing they make no account of the counsel of God which he delyuereth vnto them by his worde and seruauntes they are worthy of such counsellors as are ledde with such a spirite As the false Prophetes of Achab who were by y e iust iudgement of God sent vnto him to deceiue him as he had well deserued To. Thou wouldest thē thus conclude that there is no suffycient Phisition to deliuer or ridde men of such inconueniences saue the most excellent Phisition of al. Theo. Our sauiour Iesus Christ yeelding a reason why his Disciples were not able to heale the Lunaticque tolde them that that sort of Deuilles could not bee cast out but by fasting and prayer Toby Why sayd he so Theo. He himself declared that sufficiently enough when as he as wel rebuked his Disciples as also the father of the Lunaticque for their incredulitie giuing them therby to vnderstand that y t was the cause why his Disciples were not able to cast out y t Deuil albeit they had vsed al the skil and cunning they had Wherefore seeing it was for want of fayth it was requisite that their faith should be encreased And this could not be had but by the grace of God For fayth is the gift of GOD And therfore as we cannot haue it without him no more also can it bee encreased but by him alone And therefore Iesus Christ exhorted his Disciples to pray that it might bee encreased in them Wherfore sith it is so we must addresse vs vnto GOD by hearty and faythfull prayer And prayer can in no wise please him without it come from the soule and heart And because that abstinence or fasting greatlye auayleth the soule or minde forsomuch as being lesse pressed by the body it is better disposed towardes God therfore the seruauntes of GOD haue commonly ioyned abstynence and fasting with their prayers when as they would addresse them selues vnto his Maiestie for any things of great importaunce and be more feruent in prayer according as the necessitie of the cause requyred And therefore Iesus Christe meaning to let his Disciples vnderstande that
she so felt those gripyng tallents smart With mournyng voice she waild her hap when Hauke with cruell hart Gan saie thou wretche why wailest thou thy better hath thee quaild Though thou in song more pleasaunt be my power hath now auaild I maie thee beare from place to place and suppe on thee this night I maie thee keepe or els release who can resist my might Hereby you see what follie t is to striue with higher powers Might now is right so for thy meede thou getst but stormie showers Tobie Truely poore men that are in tyrants handes are like the Nightingale in the haukes tallents for syng thei neuer so sweetely as the common Prouerbe is the belly hath no eares let them talke reason and shewe asmuche law for themselues as thei will it helpes them euen asmuche as did the swete singyng of the Nightingale out of the Faulcons tallentes For tyrantes heare with none other eares nor other reason then their owne that is their will therefore whosoeuer resisteth thē is neuer the nere for he wrappeth hym self in more daunger and moueth them to more wrath Ierom. Therefore we maie well saie of this matter that we daily proue that to be true that king Pirrhus answered to one of his yong children whiche demaunded of him to whō he would resigne his kingdō he answered To hym that hath y e sharpest sworde emongst you there is almost none other reason in the worlde now adaies Tobie When I consider the states and trades of diuers cities tounes mee thinkes thei be like a den of theues for there is almoste no occupation art or practise but hath his pillyng pollyng wherewith he cutteth poore mens throtes And when I consider y e frendship agrement that coūtries cities tounes villages neighbours kinsfolkes frendes brethren sisters generally all men beare one to an other mee thinkes I see Griphons Lions Beares Bores Wolues Doggs Hoggs Foxes Snakes Vipers Scorpiōs Cockatrices Egles haukes other priyng birds with all kinds of wild beastes shut vp together in a parke or iron cage which fight sting bite teare deuour consume one an other And who in this case dare come nere them to set thē at one For thei will assone fal vpon hym that comes to do good as on him that comes to make debate yea rather souer his daunger is greater For it is the greatest most dangerous state now adayes to be an vpright man For the Frēche prouerbe saith he y t makes himself a shepe the Wolfe will eate hym Wherefore we must plaie the wolfes with wolfes wicked with the wicked if we wil be at quiet yea it so rageth now adaies that a man cānot knowe his frend frō his foe And therfore they y t meddle to reforme or set a staie in this matter are vsed as if thei had to do with a deafe man who when he is striken or angred striketh the next that commeth nere hym of y e next that he metes whether thei be his frēdes or his foes wheither thei come to hurt him or to help hym for lacke of hearyng vnderstanding he is not able to iudge of his frends frō his enemies but al aduētures without respect laies on lode as though euery man were his enemie Ierom. If it bee so daungerous to haue to do with a deaffe man how muche more daungerous is it to meddle with him that is bothe deaffe dombe yea and possessed with a Deuill as many are in these daies Thou hast heretofore compared the world to one possessed with a Legion of Deuils but as the possessed whiche our Sauiour Christ healed were of diuers sortes so are thei that now adaies liue in the worlde Tobie Why how knowest thou that Ierom. Aske of Theophraste how many sortes our Sauiour Christe healed as he findeth in the Scriptures and then thou shalt easely knowe if all those diuers kindes of deuils whiche then tormented men are not now as rife as euer thei were or worse and if there bee none possessed with deuils now whiche torment others also Tobie Tell what thou thinkest of this matter Theophrast Theo. I am contented so to doe but before wee enter any further in this matter I muste desire leaue to looke home and I will come againe straight Tobie That is good reason for we will not trouble thee if thou haue other businesse ¶ The title and somme of the seconde Dialogue THE seconde Dialogue is entituled Blacke Deuilles because that mētion is made herein of the moste furious possessed with Deuilles whiche dwelt emong graues and desertes and of suche menne as are like vnto them and namely of suche as bee tyrauntes persecutours and open enemies of the people of God For this sort of Deuills and possessed are lesse transfigured into Angelles of light then suche cloaked enemies as make shewe of frendship and familiaritie As concerneth the principall poinctes whereof this Dialogue treateth first there is talke of diuersities of suche Deuilles and possessed as our Sauiour Christ healed Afterwarde there is shewed thee in what sence wicked menne maie bee holden for possessed and what maner of possessed thei are Of good and euill Angelles and what thei doe about men Of the power malice and practises of the Deuill and how ware men ought to be of them Of the remainyng of the possessed in graues or desertes and the causes thereof Of suche as are giuen ouer to the Deuill and of the iuste iudgement of God on the wicked and the Image of their hell Of suche men as are of wilde and vnbrideled nature Of the torment of the Soule and Conseience Of the power of the brideled Deuill Of tyrauntes possessed with Deuilles Of the Crounes of the redde Dragon and their signification and of the iugement of God on all persecutours that haue persecuted the people of God Of the nature and difference of Blacke Deuilles from White Deuilles and how daungerous aswell the one as the other is ¶ The second Dialogue called Blacke Deuilles Tobie Theophrast Eustace Ierome NOw that thou art come Theophraste I praie thee shewe vs ccordyng to thy promise the diuersities Natures of those that were possessed with Deuilles whom our Sauiour Christ healed Theo. The Euangelistes witnesse that he cast out many wicked spirites that tormēted the possessed wherof thei write not at large but there are some other of whom thei write more largely specially emongest whiche also there wer great diuersity Tobie Wherevppon doest thou gather that diuersitie whereof thou speakest Theo. We maie gather it either by the multitude of wicked spirites that then tormented the possessed or by the tyme when thei began to torment them or by the workyng of wicked spirites in them and the euills whiche the Deuilles did them or by the qualitie of the persones so possessed Tobie Shew vs the exāple of all these diuers sortes possessed so that we may better vnderstande this thy distinction Theo. There were some
What grace God graunteth to men by the preaching of the Gospell In what a dangerous estate they are which are depriued of the Gospell Of the Prophecies of the hardening and blynding of their hearts which contemne the word of God What power the Deuill hath ouer younge children and what be the causes therof and of Originall sinne What occasions the Deuil taketh at the infirmities of men thereby to hurt them Of those meanes by which wee giue the Deuill libertie to haue accesse vnto vs. Howe the Aungelles were conuerted into Deuils Of Lunatique fooles Of the wicked Spirite which tormented Saule Of the vengeaunce of God vpon the mightie men of the world Of such as follow Saules ill conditions and which sinne against their owne consciences Of such as the Deuill casteth into the fier and into the water Of the woman possessed of a Spirite which staie money by supping vp of it Of the reigne of God Mammon heere in this world ¶ The fift Dialogue of the Demoniacke world intituled Lunatike Diuels Theophrast Toby Ierome Eustace Theophraste THere is no man liuing but that would be greatly afeard when as hee considereth of the estate where in these poore and miserable demoniackes stoode who were possessed with a Legion of Diuels But if they were very miserable no doubt of it the estate of y e lunatike deafe dumb blind altogether seemeth vnto me to bee most vngracious Tob. I warrant thee the least of all these mischiefes is great enough to make the estate of a poore man miserable For although we bee neuer wholy blind deafe nor dumb yet see how we take on when as our sight alone beginneth to faile vs and that wee must bee faine to vse spectacles Or if wee heare not so well as wee were wonted to do or that we stammer or haue any other impediment in our tongue and speake not so plainely as wee woulde And if we be thus at this point wee may easily iudge what a miserie it is to bee altogether blinde deafe and dumbe But if we haue al these at once besides a number of other strange diseases ioyned together with thē then is there a notable sort of mischiefes piled vp in vs all at once Theo. That is out of al doubt and by how much both the sight the hearing the speech are the excellent giftes of God by so much are those mē most miserable who are depriued of them Tob. For mine owne part I verily suppose that there is no man liuing but had rather die tenne times then he would be only blinde deafe and dumbe although hee were no demoniacke Theo. Surely hee that should be in that estate shoulde be more miserable as a man would say then the very bruite beast Now imagine that this might be when as the diuell should be amiddest all his mischieuous turnes whereof he is the cause instrumēt And if wee must iudge these Demoniacks to be miserable what shall we say by them who haue all these inconueniences in their soules To. If we could aswel discerne these mischiefes in our soules as we cā whē we haue thē in our bodies I doe not dout but y t wee would be in greater fear of thē then we are Theo. And yet for all this they whome Satan the god of this world haue blindfolded their eies to the end they should not see the light of the gospell and whose eares he hath stopped that they should not heare the worde of God and whose tongues he hath tyed y t they should not call vpon and praise the Lorde and such as whose hearts he possesseth and hardeneth to the end they should not beleeue the gospel are without al doubt a great deale more miserable and accursed then these dumb deafe and blinde demoniackes where of wee speake Tob. And yet a man shall finde a great number of these demoniackes in the world The. Why mā there is almost nothing els in it For we our selues haue somtimes been all in this estate And that which is more al men are such by their owne nature vntill such time as Iesus Christ commeth vnto them to driue out the diuel who maketh them so deafe dumbe and blinde And therefore so often as we see any man conuerted to the Gospell wee must thinke it to bee such a worke euen a most excellente work of god neither ought we lesse maruel at the matter then if wee sawe him healing the deafe dumbe blynde demoniacks before our eyes And by this we may iudge what grace God sheweth to those kindes of people out of whē Iesus Christe driueth the Diuell by the preaching of the gospel that they might see the light of God whiche without al cōparison is a great deale more to bee desired then the light of the Sunne and make them heare the voyce of theyr shephearde Iesus Christe and open theyr mouthes to preach declare his prayse and glory For there is no harmonie of the mouth nor yet of musicall instrument to pleasant to y e bodily eare as y e voyce o◠god is pleasant to the eares of the soules of the children of God And as this greatly delighteth them to heare this so sweete and pleasant a voyce euen so likewise is it as great a delight to thē to haue their mouths open to magnifie and sanctifie the name of God and to call vpon him incessantly And contrariwise we may iudge in what a cursed estate they are who bee depriued of this benefite of the Lord. For it is euen as muche as if wee sawe the Diuell visibly raigne amongst the deafe dumbe blinde neuer ceasing tormenting of them both in soule and body more cruelly then the moste tormentious hangman in the world is able to deuise to torment the most wicked man that might possibly be committed into his handes Tob. Assuredly I doe tremble when I thinke of that whiche thou speakest and when I heare thee speake Theo. What wouldest thou then say if thou shouldest see with thine owne eyes the thing as it is in deed For if the Infidels and enemies of God could perceiue and beleeue that they were in this estate no doubt of it they would bee more afeard of it then they are Tob. For mine owne part I verily thinke that they would fully and wholy bee contented to die so that they might but only vnderstand and lay hold of it Theo. Why then if the estate of all such as remaine in the darknesse of error and ignorance be so accursed horrible and fearful yet for all this there are none of all those which are in such estate who are more accursed then those whome God reiecteth by reason they haue cōtēned his holy word and to whom he sendeth his prophetes and seruants to doe that duetie which the Lorde committed to Isaiah when as he said vnto him Goe thy way and tell this people that in hearing they shall not vnderstand and in seeing they shall not perceiue Blockishe
they had great neede to pray vnto GOD for the encrease of their faith and that fasting greatly auayled vnto praier because it was of great effycacie he ioyned fasting with prayer when as he spake of fayth that was to be required for the casting out of this kinde of wicked and most cruell Deuils Toby I doe not much meruaile that there are this day so few Coniurers which are able to cast out of the worlde those Deuilles of whome wee haue heretofore so much spoken For there are but a few men very earnest in prayer And as for fastinge the number is lesse especially amongeste you who so greatly glory of the Reformation of the Gospell For you are not contented your selues not to fast but which is worse you scorne them that fast and condemne them for superstitious people and hypocrites Theo. I know right well that thou takest great pleasure to be mery with vs or els thou speakest of our doctrine according as thou haste hearde our aduersaryes talke who can neuer speake well of it and yet neuer eyther heard or yet vnderstood it or if euer they heard it and vnderstoode it they speake ill of it against their own consciences For who euer heard vs more condemn fasting and abstynence then true praier and all other good workes which God alloweth and lyketh of Toby Wherefore then fast you not in Lent the foure Ember dayes the Vigiles and other fasting dayes commanded by y e Church Theo. If we condemne y e superstitious and importable abuses which the Papistes vse in their fastes wee doe not for all that comdemne the true fastes that are according to the worde of GOD and according to the right rule of the auncient Fathers and true seruauntes of God But contrariwise wee greatly desire to haue the right vse of those fastes to bee brought into the Church For there is great differēce between correcting the abuses the abolyshing of good things which men haue abused And as for the common fastes there are no preachers which more commēd thē nor who more grieuously reproue and condemne gluttony drunkennesse and al dissolutenesse or losenesse of life as well for eating and drinking as also for all other thinges then the true Ministers of the Gospell reproue and condemne them Toby I doe verely thinke that that which thou sayest is true but I finde fewe which follow that doctrine For I see manye of your side whoe are no better reformed without where peraduenture they might at the least haue fasted sometimes so long as they held our lawe who nowe not onely neuer fast but commonly surfet both in eating and drinking as if they had receyued the Gospell for none other purpose but to surfette at pleasure and make a scorne at all abstynence and sobrietie Theo. I must needes confesse that there are ouer many such And I will confesse more vnto thee then that For if this mischiefe whereof thou speakest were but in some of the meaner sorte it were lesse to be lamented But the greatest mischiefe of all the rest is this that there are a great number of ministers and magistrates who are more licentiously giuen to this kinde of vice of trowling and bowling then those men whom they ought to correct for such offences For these are the speciall men whome a man shall ordinarily finde in the Cauernes and Tipling houses as if their chiefest occupation were to trowle and bowle prouoke others to all loosenes Tob. I haue hearde it oftentimes spoken y t there are many of the chiefest of your officers amongst you who take great pleasure to giue the ministers which will play the good fellowes alittle theyr lading as wee say And these officers thinke that they haue made a great conquest when as they haue a minister drunke as it too too often falleth out And I doubt not but that Ierome hath hearde as great newes of this as I. Theo. I knowe more of this then I gladly would I cānot heare it spoken of but to their great shame which doe and continue such villanies But it is easily to bee seene what maner of men these ministers and officers are who thus honestly behaue them selues thou maist right well say That Rowland and Oliuer are well met For because these officers are men of wicked life and conuersation and feare that the Ministers woulde reproue them of their sinnes They are the gladdest men in the worlde when they can get in their Ministers to bolle with them to the end thereby to brydle them that they shoulde not bee ouer greeuous in accusing and reprehending of them For when these Ministers or rather minstrels haue well wet theyr whystle they ouer whom they are Pastors doe assure themselues then that they wyll not be too eager vpon them And againe these cup whisteling minstrels haue no regard to much crying out because they fear that some man woulde accuse them if they should displease those who were witnesses of their trolling and bolling the rest of their vices whereunto they are subiect Tob. If the case thus standeth I dare assure thee that you haue very venerable Apepostles to cast out all the Diuels by fasting and prayer which at this present so greatly trouble the worlde And if there were no Diuels at all in the whole worlde these good fellowes in steede of casting of them out woulde bring them in Wherfore I doe not much maruel although the Diuels haue so great power of these drūkards and gluttons of all sortes and estates and namely ouer those ministers magistrates who ryse early in the morning not to go to a Sermon but to the Tauerne and there drink a dutant what saiest thou to it Theophraste Theo. This I say vnto it that y t land and common weale is accursed which hath gluttonous drunkē magistrates pastors rise vp in the morning to folow drunkennesse vntyll they are hoat with wine And therefore seeing that all vices reigne in the world more amongst them which should correct and punish thē then amongst any of the rest it is no maruell though there be so many diuels Demoniacks euery where as are But such as feare y e Lord haue a very good recourse In very deed it will bee a hard matter to make those diuels departe frō thē but yet they shal wil they nil they be displaced because Christ laieth his hand on as hee did vpon the miserable Lunatike For when Iesus Christe was in place it was so farre of that the wicked spirite woulde departe from this poore childe as that hee became more madde in him And so likewise when these Diuels and demoniackes that they possesse which are nowe in the worlde feele the Gospel come neare them and beginne to heare the voyce thereof they are euen as madde as if a man shoulde sounde out the Trumpet to assault them and giue them the alarme And as the Diuell went not out of the