sir we also our selues would gladly see that same Iesus whom the world so egerly affecteth and followeth Andrew no sooner perceiued their sute but he acquainted Phillip therewith and they both together propounded the whole matter to Iesus Now then Iesus considering in the zeale of those greekes how all nations affected his preaching and miracles and came flocking vnto him he answered Andrew and Philip thus I perceiue by all signes that the very hower it selfe is now come wherein the sonne of man must be glorified in the actuall manifestation of his effectuall power vpon satan by his sufferings and death Which his said death I assure you must now necessarily succeed to the actuall accomplishment of that actuall conquest a very liuely resemblance whereof you may plainely behold in the wheate corne Which vnlesse it doth fall into the ground and die abideth alone but if it doe die it bringeth foorth abundance of fruit And euen so if this body of mine were once wrapped within the bowels of the earth by the dart of death there would vndoutedly spring many moe branches from thence as from that liuing roote which quickneth many to eternall life Neither let any be so dismaied with the sight of my death as that therefore they themselues would not gladly vndeâ—goe the like shame of the crosse For whosoeuer is so taken vp with the loue of this life as he would not for my sake be throughly willing to put ouer the same to the extreamest aduentures of all that man without question shall loose his life Whereas they that for my sake doe make themselues ready to forgoe if neede so require their very life in this world they shal be sure to preserue the same to eternall life Yea and euen you also your selues whom I haue especially chosen my ministers to declare my said death to the world if in your said ministery you desire to serue me aright you likewise must willingly follow me your Lord and Maister now leading this dance vnto death For wheresoeuer I am there must my ministers willingly be Neither haue I any other purpose in suffering death for you but to giue you an example to follow my steps Wherein if you readily serue me assure your selues that then my father in heauen will honour you highly In deed this corporall death I confesse is extreamely fearefull to flesh and bloud For euen my very soule I assure you is so intollerably tormented with the terrours thereof as I would earnestly entreate my father that the approching hower of this my death might presently passe away were it not that euen therefore I came vnto this hower In consideration of which my determined death I will the more earnestly endeuour my selfe to vndergoe with patience the whole bickering whatsoeuer by crying incessantly vnto my father and saying Oh father glorifie thy owne name in these my appointed sufferings Moreouer to the end you may plainely perceiue the fruits of my praier you your selues shal be eare witnesses of my father his answere from heauen saying My son I haue both glorified it before in thy conception thy birth thy baptisme thy fasting thy preaching and miracles and I will now glorify it againe in thy death and resurrection because therein shal be actually effected the finall ouerthrow of satan his kingdom And howsoeuer the people here present may happely imagine this sound from heauen to be but a thunder or some voice of an Angel at the most yet I assure you it is the very thundring speech of my father himselfe Neither came this voice onely because of my selfe but for your sakes especially To teach you assuredly that euen now is the iudgement and reformation of this world because euen now must the prince of this world be actually cast foorth from thence as touching his actuall possession Yea and this so glorious a conquest ouer satan must euen now be actually effected by the power of my death wherein if I were once lift vp from the earth and fastned withall vpon the crosse I would then actually determine the actuall dominion of the diuel yea and would effectually draw his captiuated prisoners vnder my princely regiment Now all this haue I purposely spoken vnto you to shew you before hand what death I must die that so soone as you perceiue me to giue vp the ghost you may then certeinely assure your selues that the whole worke of your redemption from satan from death and from hell is actually effected finished Thus much for analysing the text it selfe Wherin you haue heard the occasion coherence proceeding and the orderly conclusion of all the premisses Lycanthropus The exposition is plaine in my simple conceite let vs therefore now heare the testimonie of writers for further confirmation thereof Orthodoxus You shall And first to begin with Augustine he saith that by the iudgement of the world we must there vnderstand not the iudgement of damnation which is reserued to the last day but the iudgement of discretion which consisteth wholie in reforming the worlde by the expelling of Satan For the diuell saith he possessed mankinde and held them guiltie of punishment through the handwriting of sinne He did dominier in the harts of Infidels and drewe them being deceiued and captiuated to worship the creature by forsaking the Creator Howbeit through that selfesame faith of Christ which by his death and resurrection was actually established and through his precious bloud which was shedde for remission of sinnes a thousand beleeuers being then actually freed from the power of the diuell were effectually coupled to the bodie of Christ and by the operation of his spirit became liuely members of his mysticall bodie For so Christ expounds himselfe in the very next words saying Now is the prince of this worlde cast foorth Vnderstanding by the particle now that which was then to bee done at his death not that which he was finally to accomplish at the generall iudgement The Lord therefore foresawe that worke which he knewe should be effected after his death and glorification namely that many thousands throughout the world should faithfully beleeue in his death From whose harts the diuel who worketh effectually in theÌ„ before should actually be driuen out by Christs death and finally be subdued through faith in his name Exorcistes The diuell then it should seeme by your speech was neuer driuen foorth from the patriarkes before the passion of Christ. Orthodoxus Not so For Christ was the Lambe slaine from the beginning of the world Neither speake we in this place of the effectual but of the actuall conquest which he made ouer Satan Yea and this I further auouch that euen as the particle now in an especiall regard of Christes actuall conquest respecteth especially the verie hower of his death so surely in some consideration also of Christs effectuall eonquest the said particle now may likewise haue a more speeiall reference to
foorth from the harts of so many as dedicate their names vnto Christ this Christ by the verie power of his death hath actually conquered his tyrannie And therefore the holie Ghost saith truely that nowe is the iudgement of this world that is euen now and foorthwith shal the reformation thereof be effected Againe Musculus vpon these wordes Now is the iudgement of this world saith thus The Lord in these words doth seeme to vnfold the meaning of that heauenly voice which spake thus a little before I haue glorified my name alreadie and wil glorifie it againe For what is it else to illustrate the name of God in this world but to beate downe and destroy the kingdome of Satan the prince of this world And because this ouerthrow of Satan was to be actually effected by that selfesame death which Christ did then suffer for the redemption of the world therefore he saith not there shall be a iudgement of this world but now is the iudgement of this world Neither saith he the prince of this world shall be but now is cast out Againe maister Caluin vpon these words Now is the iudgment of this world writeth thus By the worde iudgement some vnderstand the reformation and some the condemnation of the world the first accordeth better with the purpose of Christ because the world by his death was then to be brought into a lawfull order For the Hebrew word Mishpat which is here interpreted iudgement betokeneth a right and a lawfull constitution of things Howbeit we haue to consider that without Christ there is nothing in the world but meere confusion Although therefore that Christ before by his preaching and miracles began to erect the kingdome of God yet for all that his verie death it selfe was the true beginning of a rightly compounded state and the full restauration of the worlde Notwithstanding this withall would be noted namely that the worlds reformation it cannot possiblie be effected but the kingdome of satan must first be abolished but flesh and what else soeuer withstandeth the iustice of God must first be subdued Christ therefore pronounceth the prince of this world to be nowe cast foorth because all dissipation and deformitie proceedeth from him For so long as satan doth exercise his tyrannie so long there doth violently breake foorth all maner of iniquitie So then Satan is no sooner cast foorth but the world is forthwith recalled from her reuolted estate to the well ordered kingdome of Christ. Againe Hemingius vpon these words the holy Ghost shall reprooue the world of iudgement because the prince of this world is iudged already saith thus The world that made a mock of Christ and willed him if he were the sonne of God to come downe from the crosse by the holy ghost who fell vpon the disciples at the feast of Pentecost was flatly conuinced that in so doing they iudged vniustly of Christ. For the holy ghost saith Christ shall then cause them to vnderstand and perceiue in deed that I hauing conquered the diuel by my death and resurrection do now exercise by your ministery an absolute authority ouer the world in that none are now able to withstand the wisedome which speaketh so effectually in euery of you This saith Hemingius is the very sence of this place if especially we refer as we ought the fulfilling therof to the efficacy and power of the holy ghost apparantly resting vpon the Apostles at the feaste of Pentecost To be short Gualter vpon these words they brought vnto Christ a Demoniack saith thus There were many such no doubt in the daies of Christ because the prince of this world was not yet cast foorth Who grew so much the more raging mad by how much he perceiued that fatal hower very neerely approche wherein he knew he must needs be cast foorth from the possession which he had so long time vniustly vsurped Loe Exorcistes these be the writers which for the present I haue purposely produced to prooue the exposition I gaue of these words Now is the iudgment of this world now shall the prince of this world be cast foorth Exorcistes Whatsoeuer you say or whomsoeuer you produce for proofe of your purpose I passe not this exposition you giue is strange and something more then that which hath been vsually receiued Orthodoxus Be it so It ouerthrowes not you see but rather confirmes the ordinary receiued exposition in that it shewes directly some actuall accomplishment of that actuall conquest concerning satans dominion Yea and this actuall conquest satan himselfe so actually felt as he was foorthwith enforced to acknowledg the same saying thus Ah what haue we to doe with thee o Iesus of Nazareth art thou come to destroy vs Not meaning therein satan his essentiall destruction but the actuall annihilating of his actuall dominion as hath been handled before And this also according to the determinate councell of God who had certeinely decreed the actuall breaking of the serpents head by the promised seede of the woman The which promised seede did purposely take flesh and bloud that he might in the flesh destroy through death him that had power ouer death that is the diuell as was shewed before Exorcistes Why should you so confidently applie this destruction of Satan to the actuall determination also of his essentiall possession and not rather to the onely effectuall weakening of that his spirituall dominion as it is vsually expounded of others Orthodoxus Because the holie Ghost ouer and besides the effectuall weakening of Satan his spirituall dominion speaketh directly there of the actuall accomplishment of something else by the verie act of Christs death The which actuall accomplishment of something else may at no hand be vnderstood either of the essence of Satan or of his power of obsession but onely of that his temporarie power of actuall possession as hath beene handled at large Yea and that selfesame actuall determination of Satan his said temporarie power of actuall possession it was so mightily feared so actually and so sensibly felt of the diuell as it made him with a bitter exclamation to burst foorth and say Ah art thou come to destroy vs As if Satan should sorrowfully exclaime in this sort Oh thou the promised seede that must actually breake my head Thou Iesus of Nazareth Thou sonne of the liuing God Thou that by the verie act of thy approching death art appointed to destroy me that had power ouer death Ah woe woorth thee Oh what haue I to doe with thee Art thou come to vndertake the actuall destruction of my actuall possession Art thou come now with force and armes to enter my house to depriue me of this my speciall armour wherein I trusted and euen actually to cast me forth of that my pallace or house which I haue hetherto possessed in peace Yea and therewithall likewise to weaken my whole spirituall dominion for euer Exorcistes But why
plainely vnto vs what you meane by the termes of ordinarie and continually working Orthodoxus My meaning is that if actuall possession as the Exorcist affirmeth be now in these daies of the Gospell an infirmitie inflicted perpetually vpon the Church as are also those other diseases contained iointly with it in one and the same commission the same vndoubtedly as are all the rest woulde be much more ordinarie with vs then now it is I meane it would bemuch more frequent and often at manie moe times in manie moe places and among manie moe persons then we see it to be Yea and it would vndoubtedly be so much more ordinarie then anie of the rest by how much more malitiously the diuel compasseth the earth and goeth continually about seeking whom to deuour Whereas the actuall possession which Exorcistes pretendeth is a thing now a daies so vnwoonted and so rare in experience as verie hardly it is heard of in twentie yeeres space Yea and when the same is generally supposed to be presently apparant in some yet the same euen then is so vncerteinlie knowne vnto men as the verie parties themselues of their owne knowledge are vnable to say they be possessed of diuels neither if they were not earnestly perswaded vnto it by some of the Exorcistes trade would they euer imagine any possession at all And therefore howsoeuer you dreame of the perpetuitie of actuall possession the same you see cannot truely be saide to be ordinarie but rather an extraordinarie and supernaturall matter surmounting the order and course of nature Philologus Surely sir I am iust of your minde that if actuall possession were now as ordinarie with diuels as are diseases with men such and so great is their malice we should foorthwith haue the whole world actually possessed at least Exorcistes That foloweth not For howsoeuer the actuall possession of diuels be perpetually ordinarie in these daies of the Gospell yet is the same no further effectuall then God hath appointed Orthodoxus Perceiue you not the absurditie of your speech in auouching a perpetuall action without an effect Howbeit because you relie so much vpon the perpetuitie of actuall possession I doe argue further against you thus Whatsoeuer power our sauiour Christ hath vndoubtedly determined long since no man may now hold the same in opinion nor conscionablie auouch the perpetuitie thereof But that extraordinarie power which concernes the actuall possession of diuels Christ hath determined long since therefore that extraordinarie power of actuall possession no man may now hold in opinion nor conâ—cionablie auouch the perpetuitie thereof Exorcistes Prooue your assumption Orthodoxus I prooue it directly from a proportionable respect of the two maine endes of such a possession namely the declaration of Christs Deitie the confirmation of his glorious Gospell both which two endes are determined long since and therefore the extraordinarie possession of diuels which were especially for those two ends it also is vndoubtedly ceased The determination of the latter I meane the confirmation of the glorious Gospell shall heereafter be handled at large when we come to entreat of the ceasing of miracles in the meane time this I doe boldly auouch namelie that the extraordinarie possession for the other maine â—nd namely the declaration of the glorious deitie is long since by Christ determined Exorcistes When where hath Christ determined the extraordinarie possession of diuels concerning that speciall end Orthodoxus Euen then and there where he telleth vs plainely that nowe is the iudgement of this world now shall the prince of this worlde be cast out Foretelling directly vnto vs that immediately after his death and resurrection the extraordinarie actuall power of satans possession should receiue a full and finall subuersion as a thing now meerely superfluous to worke vpon for any further declaration of his glorious Deitie Exorcistes Good sir by your leaue you do greatly mistake the meaning of that Scripture For Christ by the aduerbe of time or particle now doth not precisely and purposely restraine the final determination of actuall possession vnto any predeterminate or speciall time but thereby doth rather insinuate the perpetuall efficacie of that his own effectuall working power which by the powerfull preaching of his glorious Gospell should after his death successiuely shew it selfe vpon Satan to the verie ende of the world Orthodoxus I perceiue you need no Gentleman vsher for you can take leaue without leaue to censure the exposition I giue of that Scripture by quallifying the literall sense of the particle now Which in that place you say importeth no predeterminate or speciall time but onely hath reference vnto the successiue working power of Christ executed by the powerful preaching of the gospel to the end of the world In deed I do willingly graâ—t that the effectuall working power of Christ neither doth nor may possibly determine to the end of the world for hee must effectually reigne till he hath actually subiected all his enimies vnder his feete But withall I do flatly denie the continuance of satan his power of actuall possession to the end of the world neither may such manner of inference be possiblie enforced from thence For what a dalliance is this Christ his effectuall working power must successiuely shewe foorth it selfe vpon satan to the end of the world therefore the actuall possession of satan must not nor may not determine to the end of the world As though if the actuall possession of diuels should now finalliâ— cease and determine the effectuall power of Christ could finde nothing at all in satan to worke vpon But tell me I pray you had not the diuell at the first of all a power of possession and a power of obsession permitted vnto him And was and is he not industrious enough in the execution of both from time to time Let continuall experience speake in this point Now then if the effectual working power of Christ hath actually fully subdued the first may therefore the efficacy of that his said power remaine now vtterly idle from time to time notwithstanding any the fiery assaults or harmes which might grow from the latter I suppose nothing lesse For remember you not that old saying It is as much to keepe an hold as was before to win the hold Hence therefore it is very apparant that as the effectuall working power of Christ hath extraordinarily and actually shewed foorth it selfe vpon satan by suppressing for euer his power of actuall possession so surely the efficacy of that his said power must now successiuely shew foorth it sefe vpon satan to the end of the world by repelling his power of obsession I meane by withstanding his outragious assaults his cunning circumuentions his subtile tentations and by quenching the force of his fiery darts for euer through the powerfull preaching of his glorious gospel So then howsoeuer the continuance of Christs power be granted vnto you yet vnlesse you be able withall very substantially to prooue the
be plainely discerned the chosen seruants of God from the confounded slaues of Satan Because now shall the prince of this world be actually cast out by the effectuall power of my death and resurrection Thus then we haue briefly heard those speciall scriptures which doe purposely point at the effectuall working power of Christ before his death Lycanthropus Let vs heare in like sort those other scriptures which doe purposely handle the said effectuall power of Christ now since his death Orthodoxus Content First therefore the holy Ghost saith thus to the Hebrewes For as much as the children are pertakers of flesh and bloud Christ also himselfe tooke part with them that he might destroy through death him that had power ouer death that is the diuell Wherein first you see he puts downe the incarnation of Christ and then next he sheweth the maine cause of his saide incarnation namely that he might destroy the diuell Now then this same destruction of the diuell it must in no wise be vnderstood of the essence but of the actions of Satan For the diuell as touching his essence or being still liueth and liue must for euer Howbeit concerning his actions I meane his tyrannicall dominion and actuall power he may verie fitly be said to be now destroied Because howsoeuer satan be accounted a prince of this world and therefore endeuoureth verie proudly to dominire ouer all yet when he came vnto Christ he found nothing at all in him that is no such matter of subiection as he happily imagined Neither could he possibly haue any power ouer him at all or no further power at the most then the brusing of Christ his heele I meane the crucifying of his flesh And this one worke of satan was that which accidentally procured his proper destruction For therefore did Christ take flesh vpon him that euen in the flesh he might conquere him who had conquered flesh and through death might destroy him that had power ouer death namely the diuell as was shewed before And this as it hath reference to the actions and not the essence of satan so shall it giue much light to the matter in hand if we precisely examine the verie word it selfe which the holy Ghost here obserueth For he saith not that Christ hath abated infringed or weakened but that he hath destroied the diuell that is that he hath vtterly cut off exiled and banished his tyrannicall dominion For so much the word tsamath importeth which signifieth to chaine vp to exterminate to driue out and in such sort to consume a thing as there remaineth no hope at all of anie possible recouerie Yea and the Greeke word catargeo portendeth fully as much Now then howsoeuer Christ may truely be said to haue destroied the diuell yet this word destruction hath not properly any reference to the essence of satan for therein he liueth and liue must for euer as hath beene declared Neither may it be fitly applied to Satan his power of obssession which is not yet vtterly destroied for thereby he assaulteth circumuenteth and tempteth men still to the end of the world And therefore it must necessarily and more especially be appropriated to his power of possession which was not onely much maimed but vtterly destroied by the death of our Sauiour although yet we denie not but that this vtter destruction both may be and is also in some sort vnderstood of the whole dominion and power of the diuell whatsoeuer All which his said powers were so mightily weakened by the sufferings and resurrection of Christ as thereby he shall neuer be able any more now to hurt the elect Because Christ taking part with them in the flesh hath destroied through death him that had power ouer death namely the diuell And hereunto accordeth that which the holy Ghost elsewhere auoucheth saying that Christ hath appeared to loosen dissolue or destroy the workes of the diuell Exorcistes That destruction is to be vnderstood of annihilating the venim and sting of sinne and death and not of a finall determining of satan his power of actuall possession Orthodoxus Herein your speech is derogatorious to the efficacie and dignitie of Christs death in that by restrayning the same as you doe to the onely annihilating of the venemous sting of sinne and of death you vtterly exclude the effectual working power thereof from the actuall determination of satan his actuall possession For consider you not what peculiar action therein the Scriptures impose vpon Christ First he hath been from the worlds foundation peculiarly appointed of God to be that promised seede which should bruse the serpents head Then next he is vndoubtedly that stronger man who was to binde the strong armed man and to deuide his spoiles Both which places as they plainly import some peculiar action to be performed by Christ so doe they vndoubtedly binde the actuall accomplishment thereof vpon his owne person alone and that also euen in the future time Then after the fulnes of time our Sauiour Christ being come in the flesh he flatly affirmeth that euen now shall the prince of this world be cast out Limitting you see the actuall effecting of that selfesame peculiar action so foretold as before vnto the present time of his sufferings Moreouer after the actuall accomplishment thereof by his death the holy Ghost else where affirmeth accordingly that he hath by death destroied him who had power ouer death and againe that Christ hath appeared to destroy the works of the diuel Both which last places of scripture as they plainely import some speciall action effected by Christ in the preter time as did those other before in the future time so surely Christ after he was come in the flesh did likewise alotte the actuall performance thereof vnto that present time of his death wherein he was actually to finish his predetermined conquest ouer satan himselfe Now then this said actuall accomplishment of some special action thus actually effected by Christ must necessarily haue a speciall reference to the finall determination either of Satan his power of possession or of his power of obsession But not of his power of obsession for therin he still assaulteth and tempteth mens minds and therefore of his power of possession as was shewed before Lycanthropus Let this suffice for the sence of those seueral scriptures which both before and since the comming of Christ do point foorth vnto vs his effectuall working power vpon satan and now I pray you analyse that selfesame scripture you propounded of late to prooue the finall determination of satan his actuall possession Orthodoxus Content Wherein you haue to consider first that our sauiour Christ in saying Now is the iudgement of this world now shall the prince of this world be cast out had an especiall regard to that earnest petition which certeine greekes a little before did personally put vp vnto Andrew saying Good
the verie hower it selfe of that his said death Because howsoeuer the efficacie of that his effectuall conquest hath from the beginning of the world beene alwaies effectuall yet the vertue and power thereof did more effectually shewe foorth it selfe at the death and resurrection of Christ then euer before And euen thus is that place to be vnderstood which Christ elsewhere propoundeth saying that the holy Ghost was not yet giuen because Christ was not yet glorified Not that the holy Ghost was neuer giuen to the fathers before for holy men of God spake euer as they were mooued by the holy Ghost but that hee was neuer so vniuersally nor so effectually giuen as after when he was in all abundance powred forth vpon the Apostles vpon old men and children Euen so the diuell in like manner he was vndoubtedly cast foorth of the fathers from time to time by the effectuall conquest of Christ but yet neuer so vniuersally nor so effectually driuen forth as after that actuall conquest of Christ on the crosse Exorcistes If the diuell be now so vniuersally and so effectually cast foorth from the faithfull as your selfe doe auouch then the faithfull it seemes are now free from temptations Orthodoxus That foloweth not For howsoeuer the diuell his actual possession be actually expelled yet ceaseth he not stil to assault to tempt the children of God Howbeit it is one thing to raigne inwardly and another to assault outwardly For the best defenced cities of all are eftsoones of the enimie besieged yea and somtimes verie hotly assaulted Notwithstanding though the diuel doth daily cast foorth his fierie darts we are spiritually armed with the complete armour of God Yea and if at any time we hap to be wounded the Physicion hee is euer at hand to cure our soules For what pray we for else when we say Forgiue vs our trespasses but onely that our woundes may be healed And what other thing else doe we aske when we say Lead vs not into temptation but that he which besiegeth and assaulteth vs outwardly may neuer breake in vpon vs on any side neither yet by any fraude or force may be able to conquer a fresh So then albeit the diuell doth practise his policies daily against vs yet forsomuch as he hath nowe no abiding place in that hart where faith is resiant he may fitly be saide to be both actually and effectually now cast foorth Hitherto Augustine Exorcistes Proceede in propounding the rest of your writers Orthodoxus I will Next therefore for Chrysostome he saith Nowe shall the prince of this world be cast foorth that is saith he be tumbled downe headlong For the diuell who before that time did domineir and beare the whole swaie in the world shall nowe be ouerthrowne and violently cast foorth as it were with a sling at the passion of Christ. Againe Theophilact vpon these wordes Now is the iudgement of this world writeth thus This saith he doth fitly accord with the premisses For the father protesting before from heauen that he would glorifie his name againe Christ sheweth heere the maner how his said name should be glorified Namelie when as by casting foorth the prince of this world the worlde should be iudged that is reuenged of satan For this casting forth is a metaphor taken from such as being iustly condemned in iudgements are actually cast foorth from the tribunall seate Or by this casting foorth may be vnderstoode the exiling of satan into the externall darkenesses because now he hath lost his dominion ouer the faithfull Neither shall hee euer be permitted to raigne as before within men I meane either in their mindes or their mortall bodies for I will saith Christ now draw all men vnto my selfe Howbeit because men cannot posâ—iblie be brought vnto me all the while they are captiuated and fast bound by that tyrant Hauing therefore thus actually conquered satan cast him foorth and broken a sunder the yron barres of his power by my death I will now effectually draw all men vnto me in despite of his teeth Againe Lyra saith thus Now is the iudgement of this world that is the iudgement for this worlde Because saith he the world nowe by the definitiue sentence of God and through the power of Christs death is actually deliuered from the power of the diuell And therefore it foloweth that now the prince of this worlde shall be cast foorth by the passion of Christ. By the power of which passion is set open vnto vs the gate vnto glory so that the diuell can now no more hinder the saints from the consequution of glorie as he did in times past although it be permitted him still to tempte for the triall and exercise of all the elect Againe Hugo saith thus Now is the iudgement of this world because saith Christ the diuell by my death and passion being now actually destroied many poore soules shall be deliuered from him And a little after he saith Nowe shall the prince of this world be cast foorth that is be actually driuen out of the harts of men by the death and passion of Christ. Againe the master of the sentences doth plainly auouch that the diuels they haue not nowe the selfesame power ouer men which they enioyed before the comming of Christ. Againe Ludulph saith thus Nowe is the iudgement of this world nowe that is euen in this verie time of my passion is the iudgement not of condemnation but of discretion Of this world that is for this world against satan because now shal this world be iudged seperated and deliuered from the power of darkenes that is from the dominion of the diuel And this is that iudgement of discretion whereby verie many are plainely discerned and seperated now from the power of the enimy For since the verie time of Christes death the faithfull beleeuers are apparantly espied from the obstinate infidels And then after he sheweth the effect of that selfesame iudgement which concerneth the world saying thus Now the prince of this world the diuell I meane who from Adam hitherto hath borne the whole swaie in this world shall be cast foorth that is from the elect and shall loose his power of drawing men after him anie more After all this our Sauiour saith Ludulph declareth the maner of his death and resurrection in this sort And I if I were once lift vp would draw all men vnto me As if he shoulde saie thus That selfesame loue which I shew forth by my death it hath in it a certaine attractiue vertue or power of drawing mens mindes vnto me euen as the Adamant stone hath in it selfe an hidden force to draw yron vnto it Againe Bucer saith thus Things amisse in iudgements are vsually corrected and changed Nowe then the diuell that strong armed man carefullie keeping his pallace before time did quietly exercise his tyrannie ouer the world But being nowe to be actually cast
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
withstand the creator and Lord of nature Come on therefore Exorcistes let vs goe strictly to worke Either you wrought no woonder at all or you wrought a wonder at least in the yoongman at Mahgnitton If no woonder at all then did you grossely delude the world by making them to stand gazing and woondring so long at a matter of nothing On the other side if you wrought a woonder at least then was the same either a false or true woonder If onely a false woonder then you effected the same either as a false Christ to draw sillie soules into a falsely conceited holines concerning your person or as a minister of Antichrist to establish vnderhand some pretended deuise of your owne besides the authoritie of Christ. Howbeit if that which you wrought at Mahgnitton was in deed and in truth a true woonder such I meane as the Scriptures doe vnderstand by signes and woonders then surely whether the same was effected by meanes or without meanes it was an vndoubted true miracle And therefore you are now perforce constrained to confesse that either you did nothing at all but iuggle with men in that your pretended action or must flatly acknowledge that you wrought a true miracle Because the expelling of spirits and diuels whether with meanes or without meanes is no lesse admirable now then it was in the primitiue Church Exorcistes Nay sir the miraculous curing of feuers palsies leprosies and other diseases by Christ his Apostles in those daies gaue credit to the Gospell but if God by prayer and fasting should heale the falling sicknes or phrensie or should graunt raine drought victorie or such like requests were this a miracle Physiologus If I should but imagine the contrarie men might verie well thinke I were not well in my wittes for what hath prayer in it selfe for the orderly effecting of any such action without the extraordinary working power of the Lord which was euer reputed miraculous Howbeit a miracle you may neuer auouch it to be both because you disclaimed the same before and for that the working of miracles is ceased long since Exorcistes Howsoeuer you vrge the ceasing of miracles there is no determination thereof in the holy scripture Physiologus Why man the two maine causes of working miracles namely the testification of Christ his Deitie and the confirmation of the Gospell are long since determined by the sacred scriptures and therefore the working of miracles are thereby also determined The first it was vndoubtedly determined by Christ himselfe where he saith that the euill and adulterous generation require a signe Howbeit no signe shall be giuen them but the signe of Ionah the Prophet For as Ionah was three daies and three nights in the Whales belly so shall the sonne of man be three daies and three nights in the hart of the earth Christ there declareth vnto vs that his death and resurrection should be the last signe wherewith he would testifie to the world the truth of his Deitie The other I meane the confirmation of the Gospell it also was long since determined by the spirit of God in the sacred scriptures as may verie plainely appeare by conferring the sixeteene of Marke with the second to the Hebrewes For first in the sixeteene of Marke he speaketh of a power from the Lord for confirming the word with miracles following Putting downe in that place the confirmation of the Gospell in the present time saying thus The Lord Bebaiountos that is confirming the word as if the said confirmation had euen then beene in working Howbeit in the second to the hebrewes he speakes thereof as in the preter time telling vs plaine the Gospel was ebebaioothei that is confirmed vnto vs. Declaring thereby that the confirmation of the Gospel by miracles was then so fully accomplished and so finally determined as now to let slip the certeinty of that truth which they had heard before for want of a further confirmation thereof by miracles they could not possibly escape the iust recompence of such a preposterous negligence By the premisses then you may plainely perceiue that those two maine ends of miraculous actions being long since determined the working of miracles was euen then also determined And therefore although you had wrought a true miracle at Mahgnitton in deede yet had the same beene merely superfluous Exorcistes This I suppose is your argument The Gospel it was fully and finally confirmed before by miracles therefore the further confirmation thereof by miracles now is meerelie superfluous Physiologus It is euen the very same Exorcistes Then the sequel I suppose is vnsound For why may there not be as much neede of such a miraculous confirmation in these daies of atheisme as euer before Sure we are that the scripture the deity and al religion is by some among vs no lesse called in question now then it was in any the former ages as the ecclesiasticall courts can testifie and daily experience approoueth vnto vs. Physiologus This your irreligious insinuation concerning some supposed necessity of miracles now in these daies of the Gospel as it doth very blasphemously derogate from the absolute wisedome of God in not foreseeing as it ought the future necessity of miraculous actions in euery age so doth it dangerously vndermine the certeinety of that sauing faith which was onely confirmed vnto vs by former miracles For that faith could neuer be fully nor finally confirmed before if any future necessity of confirming the same afresh be eftsoones admitted euen as that princes broade seale may at no hand he accounted authentically currant which needeth eftsoones to be iterated or imprinted afresh Besides that this pestiferous insinuation of yours it doth open a wide gap to all manner of iuggling knaueries and crafty legerdemaines For if vpon euery such insinuation the working of miracles be once freely permitted then euery cogging companion vnder an holy pretence of miracles may foist into the church at his pleasure whatsoeuer best pleaseth his phantasie and so the certeine truth of our hoped saluation should neuer be certeine vnto vs. And therefore tel me plainely I pray you whether you hold the continuance of miracles in these daies of the Gospel Exorcistes Whether I hold or not hold the continuance thereof it makes no great matter because that article in this action is not to be controuersed at all Physiologus If not in this then in no one action whatsoeuer Howbeit because you are very loath I perceiue to acknowledge that truth which you must needes be enforced at length either openly to confesse or else vtterly to disclaime your admirable action wrought at Mahgnitton let me here what one apparant reason or end you are able to propound for the continuance of miracles in these daies of the Gospel Exorcistes Alas sir an vrgent necessity in these daies of atheisme requireth the same Physiologus Oh then I perceiue your iudgment concerning