almightie power of our conquering Iehouah Yea let vs tell our distrustfull soules there is little cause to be frighted herein they hauing such an etsbang elohim I meane so powerfull a finger of the almightie God as is sufficientlie able to knap in sunder the yron barres of Sathan and to beate backe the vttermost force of his buffeting blowes from all his beloued in Christ who hauing promised that his power alone shall be a sufficient protection for euery of them and purposed to make perfit the same by those their manifold weakenesses will haue them thus exercised a season for the further manifestation of his watchfull prouidence ouer them for their greater triumph in the day of their glorious coronation yea and for the sorer confusion of Sathan himselfe in the generall iudgement Philologus A worthie meditation no doubt and such as is able to support the feeblest soule on earth Orthodoxus Againe this doctrine of ours concerning the finall determination of Satan his power of actuall possession by the promised seed of the woman who hath actually brused his head it ministreth fitly vnto vs a verie fruitfull meditation of that vnspeakeable maiestie and power of Iesus Christ which respecteth especially his triumphant conquering or rather his actuall vanquishing subduing and spoyling of Satans tyrannicall dominion and power more especiallie his actuall afflicting tormenting and vexing of mens bodies and mindes as in former times For this our conquering Iesus hee hath encountred with Satan hand to hand he hath actuallie brused the Serpents head he hath brought vnder that proud Leuiathan he hath put an ouerruling hooke into the nosthrils of that outragious Behemoth he hath so put to flight the fierie fierce Dragon as he hath now no more place in heauen he hath led captiuitie captiue and euen actuallie cast foorth that prince which deceiueth the whole world with all his Angels Yea and which more is he hath not onely freed vs finallie from the burthen of legall Ceremonies from the extreame malediction and curse of the morall law from the strength of sinne and from the power and sting of Death but hath so effectuallie destroyed and so finally determined the said actuall dominion of the Diuell concerning our bodies by the verie death of his bodie as he hath euen vtterly spoyled Principalities and Powers themselues and made a shew of them openly and triumphed ouer them all in his crosse yea hee hath euen destroyed through death him that had power of death that is the Diuell and so diuided his spoyles as he shall neuer be able any more to recouer his former possession neither yet be of power any more actually to molest either our owne or the bodies of any appertaining vnto vs. So as if wee can from henceforth but heedfully and warely watch his intestine windings and turnings and bee correspondently furnished with the spirituall armour of God for the timely withstanding of that his power of spirituall obsession which wholie consisteth in those his spirituall assaultings suggestings and temptings wherewith he endeuours continually from time to time like a ramping and roring lion to deuoure vs afresh he will not only very cowardly flee from vs but which more is wee may also with boldnes and in all holy assurance insult vpon him and his proud vsurping power saying thus Death where is now thy power sinne where is now thy sting yea Satan where is now thy actuall dominion ouer our bodies Behold Satan we all see and know now in experience that the mightie Iehouah our God and most mercifull father hath finally freed vs from thy tyrannicall dominion and power of darknes and hath translated vs into the kingdome of his deare sonne our Lord and Sauiour in whom wee haue the redemption through his bloud And therefore Satan the ioyfull remembrance of this our happie deliuerance may make vs the more freelie to reioyce in those our former sufferings vnder thy actuall power because we haue therein fulfilled but the rest of the afflictions of Christ in our flesh Who suffering still in vs and with vs will at his owne appointed time triumph ouer thee also in euery of vs his members as he hath actually done in his owne proper person for hee is gloriously mounted vpon his white horse hauing a bow and crowne in his hand and is gone forth conquering that he might ouercome And thus in effect for those holie vses which respectiuely haue their speciall relation to God himselfe Lycanthropus Very well and what are those other vses I pray you which respect some other besides Orthodoxus The vses respecting some others are those which more especiallie respect the creatures themselues namely they are such as haue a more speciall relation to Satan or men Pneumatomachus A very plaine order of teaching and therefore I pray you proceed first to the vnfolding of those which haue a speciall relation to Satan Orthodoxus With very good will First therefore this Doctrine of ours so substantially deciphering foorth to the world the finall determination of Satan his actuall dominion and the glorious triumph of Christ concerning the same it doth very liuely demonstrate vnto vs at large the miserable estate and captiuated condition of that cursed catife the Diuell Who hauing hitherto very proudly tyrannized ouer the whole ofspring of Adam and euen actually tormented their bodies and minds at his pleasure so farre forth especially as concernes his commission from God was at the very first onset of Christ in such actuall encounter so fearefully frighted with his glorious presence and power as hee roared forth and cried fearefully saying Iesus thou sonne of the liuing God what haue I to do with thee art thou come hither to torment me before the time Yea and which more is the worke it selfe being once actually effected according to the predeterminate purpose and promise of God hee is now not onely very powerfully pulled downe a pegge lower by Christ himselfe who hauing actuallie brused his head did behold him like lightning fall downe from heauen that is he beheld him very suddenly very terriblie and vnrecouerablie tumbled downe from his tyrannicall dominion but also euen actually expelled from his actuall possession in man and so determinatelie driuen and exiled from al future hope of recouering the saine afresh as he walketh now through desarts and stonie drie places like a forlorne and comfortlesse catife seeking rest euery houre but findeth none nor is neuer in hope to finde any againe as in former times But is now reserued in chaines vnder darknes vnto the great and notable day waiting euery houre in trembling and feare when that mighty Angel who hath the key and a great chaine in his hand should gloriously descend from heauen should bind him hand and foote and tumble him headlong into that bottomlesse pit which from the beginning was prepared for him and his Angels And therefore now is
selfe same primarie dispossessions performed by Christ may seeme to import saying thus the like was neuer seene in Israell Exorcistes That is the like manner of curing not the like matter of essentiall possessing Orthodoxus If there had beene the like matter of essentiall possessing before the comming of Christ but not the like manner of curing the same then tell vs I pray you what manner of curing they had in those dayes I meane by what meanes they were cured before the comming of Christ. I hope you will not say they were cured by physicall meanes Neyther may you for shame auouch their cure to be wrought by that your supposed new ordinance of prayer and fasting because such an ordinance before the comming of Christ was neuer establisht and so much also you doe else where affirme your owne selfe If therefore the manner of curing your supposed possessions then was neyther by physicall meanes nor by praier and fasting it followeth necessarilie that their said cure it was then also effected by some supernaturall and miraculous meanes Now then if the cure of those your supposed possessions before the comming of Christ were euerie of them supernaturall strange and miraculous how can it be possiblie true which the Euangelist reporteth here saying thus the like was neuer seene in Israell sith the miraculous expelling of spirits and diuels had beene in euerie age of the world euen equallie admirable straunge and most meruellous Againe sith Christ is in deed that promised seed of the woman who in his owne proper person was actuallie to breake the Serpents head it is meruellous probable that the eternall father euen in his foreseeing wisdome had purposelie determined from before all eternities that the primarie and first actuall encountring with Satan his actuall possossion should be primarily and actuallie accomplished by Christ himselfe in his owne person first and that therefore this temporarie iudgement of Satan his actuall possession was neuer actuallie inflicted vpon anie before the comming of Christ. Besides that if there had beene possessions and dispossessions from the beginning of the world as your selfe doth else where auouch the same then no doubt being so fearefull a iudgement would haue beene eftsoones foretold and threatned the Iewes by some of the Prophets at least for an especiall part of the counsell of God as well as many other speciall iudgements of lesse moment by much and so euen those their propheticall predictions and denuntiations of that so fearefull a iudgement being so necessarie for the Church of God it would no doubt haue beene as carefullie registred for the succeeding ages to the end of the world as any other like iudgement of God whatsoeuer Moreouer if there had beene such a miraculous dispossessing of diuels any long time before the comming of Christ then surelie the same vndoubtedlie being such admirable matters of fact they would in some one booke or other throughout the old testament haue beene most carefullie recorded for all posterities sith many other miracles of lesse importance by much are so precisely put downe in euerie place namelie the miraculous deliuerance of Israell the straung wonders in Egypt in the red sea in the wildernes in mount Sinah and els where the wonders recorded in the bookes of Ioshuah Iudges Samuell of the Kings the Chronicles and other historicall bookes wherein all such admirable matters of fact are purposelie put downe and recorded All which precedent miraculous actions being in some of those bookes at the least so exactlie registred by the spirit of God it is not to be doubted but that the miraculous dispossessing of diuels if any such then would haue beene likewise most carefullie recorded as matters eyther actuallie or typicallie performed But no such authenticall record is any where extant in all the Canonicall scriptures and therefore it is verie probable there was then no such miraculous dispossessing of diuels before the comming of Christ. Exorcistes Howsoeuer such a miraculous manner of curing then be not actuallie recorded it is likelie the same was typicallie shadowed forth in the brazen Serpent Because that Serpent was a liuelie figure of Christ himselfe who was actuallie to cure the deadlie sting of that infernall Serpent the diuell Orthodoxus Be it so as you say Yet that brazen Serpent it onelie prefigured the effectuall curing of the serpentine sting of sinne and not the power of Christ his actuall expelling of diuels from out of the bodies of men vnlesse happily you imagine that as all the Elect were effectuallie wounded with the serpentine sting of sinne so were they also essentiallie possessed with diuels inherently dwelling within their bodies Besides that the brazen serpent was onlie a shadow of that whereof Christ was the bodie and therefore by that reason there could be onelie a bare shadow but no essentiall possessions or dispossessions before the comming of Christ. Furthermore if there had in deed bin essentiall possessions before the comming of Christ what then could Christ himselfe haue done more at his comming then manie others had effected before him Besides that if there had beene such miraculous dispossessions before then surelie though Christ at his comming had also for the declaration of his deitie dispossessed ten thousand Demoniakes moe then he did yet this one exception had bin verie forcible against him from time to time namelie that many others before him had performed as much in effect And therefore no reason that for such a miraculous dispossessing of diuels they should esteeme him to be rather the Messiah then any of the rest Moreouer if there had beene any such miraculous dispossessings before then had not that beene true which our Sauiour speakes of himselfe saying thus If I had not done works among them which none other man did they had not had sin but now haue they seene and hated not onely mee but also my father Brieflie if there had beene such dispossessions before the comming of Christ how then should our Sauiour himselfe by such his powerfull expelling of diuels haue beene so particularlie reputed for that sonne of Dauid who especiallie was to walke vpon the Lion and Adder and triumphantlie to tread the young Lion and Dragon vnder his feet Exorcistes Whatsoeuer you say I will neuer be perswaded but that there were dispossessions before the comming of Christ. Orthodoxus Well be it supposed there were such miraculous dispossessings in Israell before the comming of Christ yet is it to too absurde to auouch that those extraordinarie effects which apparantlie brake forth in former Demoniakes are purposelie recorded for infallible ordinarie meanes or signes to discerne soundlie and truelie of all the succeeding Demoniakes Both because wee are no where foretold by the Lord your selfe also els where auouching the contrarie that diuels should preciselie obserue but one and the selfesame methode or order in tormenting the parties possessed and for that also there was then no such vrgent necessitie of any such
infallible Doctrines which you haue learned from Christ and auoyd them For they that are such serue not the Lord Iesus Christ but their owne bellies and with faire speech and flattering deceiue the hearts of the simple Consider therefore we humbly beseech you consult and giue sentence either with vs or against as the Lord shall direct your hearts If wee be thought to haue the truth on our sides we doubt not but that you will fight together with vs in one and the selfesame faith of the Gospell On the other side if we be found to haue faulted either in matter or manner wee beseech you confute vs and spare not and the blessing of God doe light on your hearts for your labour that way Neither shall our priuiledged bookes be any stoppage at all to so good a purpose for if you be vnwilling to deale that way because of authoritie your priuate conuictions shall suffice to procure from vs a publike retractation of whatsoeuer shall bee soundly adiudged amisse For howsoeuer we may happily erre we purpose by Gods grace to bee no Heretikes Referring therefore our selues and our labours to your approued considerations we humblie betake you all in our hartiest prayers to the holy directions of the onely wise God who iudgeth according to trueth Amen Your louing brethren assuredly in the Lord and the Lord his vnworthiest on earth IOHN DEACON IOHN WALKER TO THE CHRISTIAN AND WELL AFFECTED READERS WHO EXPECT THE COMming of the Lorde Iesus to their immortalitie I.D. and I.W. doe wish the necessarie graces of the spirit with a sauing knowledge in Iesus Christ So be it GOod Christian Reader when we dulie considered Maister Darel and his complices their lately dispersed pamphlets concerning their new-found trade of Diuillitie as also their vndutifull manner of imprinting and publishing the same to the world we could not but call to remembrance a most pestilent practise which Cardinall Benno reporteth of Hildebrand Who hauing killed Alexander the second for that he refused to sit at his speciall appointment in the Apostolike Sea without the good Emperours licence was by the ayde of his souldiours forthwith enthronized into the Popedome himselfe not hauing therein the consent either of Cleargie or people The which his prowd vsurpation when Abbas Cassinensis was come to redresse Hildebrand that insolent Vsurper very scornefullie sayth vnto him thus Frater nimium tardasti Brother you haue beene somewhat too slowe to whome Cassinensis very boldly replyed saying tu Hildebrande nimium festinasti and thou O Hildebrand thou hast beene ouer-hastie by much both in killing thy good predecessour in procuring the Popedome by such prowd vsurpation Euen thus surely it falles forth with vs at this present concerning especiallie the matters controuerted betweene our selues and those our Antagonists For they not only giuing the Canuisado of late to her Maiesties high Commission but hauing withall by the venemous infection of their viperous pennes verie vncharitablie endeuoured to wound S. H. vnto death for that by meanes of the sayd S. H. his dutifull discouerie of those their vndutifull dealings they might not be permitted to vsurp in our English Church a new Apostolicall power at their pleasures without any her Maiesties authenticall licence Maister Darel the principall agent partly by the inherent pride of his insolent spirit and partly by the prowde support of many his vnder-hand fauorits is very prowdlie enthronized into a new Popedome forsooth And by priuiledge thereof he hath very peremptorily imprinted and published sundrie seditious pamphlets hauing thereunto neither warrant from God nor dispensation from Prince nor testimonie of sound conscience no nor so much as the holie approbation of any good christian subiect Notwithstanding all this he hath for a season though feare and shame enforceth him now to pluck in his head very prowdlie ietted from countrie to countrie like a pettie new Pope among his owne Cardinals yea and that also in his pontificalities portrayed and contriued after the new-found popelike cut The which their vnbridled insolencie when we indeuoured to encounter by publishing as we verily beleeue the infallible truth of these intricate matters in a treatise at large and had signified so much to themselues by word and by letters in an only desire of doing them good they labored by letters and otherwaies to intercept our said enterprise a time at the least And in the meane time by printing and publishing the trifling toyes of that their new found trifling trade they haue sought to forestall our former good purpose and laboured to calme our carefull endeuours for doing them good Yea and by these their preuenting practises they do in effect but disdainefullie say vnto vs with Pope Hildebrand their prowd copartner Deere brethren you haue bin somewhat too slow in publishing those your dialogicall Discourses concerning Spirits and Diuels Howbeit we by these our subsequent labours and second encounters may with Cassinensis very conscionablie replie vpon them thus and you oh counterfeit Exorcistes you haue bin ouer-hastie by much not only in killing your good predecessour by your poysoned penne but also in broaching a fond triall abroade without any triall of truth in designing a Doctrine so opposite to the Doctrine of Christ and in discouering a Detection to detect your great follie and shame to the world The truth of the premisses good christian Reader may be made more apparantlie euident if thou wilt prouidently examine first the pamphlets themselues and then next the spirit it selfe which may be supposed to endight the same The pamphlets themselues notwithstanding any their outward florishing shewes they are inwardlie faultie we verily thinke both in matter and manner That they are ouermuch faultie in matter is more then may be denyed being euery of them fraught full of vnsound and absurd positions as shall be shewed hereafter in a short Catalogue prefixed before this booke Moreouer that they be likewise faultie in their manner or forme may easily appeare vnto such as are not vtterlie ignorant of methode or do any thing know what belongs to an orderlie manner of writing For first their manner of writing it seemes to be something Schismaticall and very shrewdlie to sauour of a Serpentine subtiltie because whatsoeuer their pamphlets pretend they proceede not by a plaine course of teaching but do rather incedere tortuosè goe wrigginglie to worke and walke this way and that way like to the hunted Hare which knoweth not whereon to resolue for a certaine Besides that their manner of writing it is also verie enigmaticall obscure and cloudie their sentences or periods they are in effect no better then riddles and for the most part so vncertaine so variable so flitting and so changing as none but themselues may possiblie spell or spie forth their meaning Briefely the very frame itselfe of their whole proceeding resembleth fitlie a paire of tarriours or tyring yrons and serueth to no other purpose at all but to hold men occupied all
so your minds should be corrupt from the simplicitie that is in Christ. For if these men do preach another Iesus then him whom others haue preached before or if you receiue another spirit then that which you haue receiued either yet an other Gospell then that which was taught you before you might well haue admired their persons approued their practises and so desirouslie haue entertained their factious pamphlets Notwithstanding when there are no such matters at all as you haplie imagine why haue they so stronglie bewitched your minds that you should not obey the truth to whom Iesus Christ hath bin described in your sight and among you crucified They do ring in your eares and would beare you in hand that they only but display that authenticall power of the Lord which others doe darken as though all other saue onely themselues did daylie obscure the glorious scepter of Christ and herein also by the preposterous approbation of their vnderhand fauourets they haue gotten a popular applause But wherein will they not very fitlie resemble Sulpitius a man fearefully confect in all kind of mischiefe who hauing by the voyce of the vulgar sort very peremptorilie passed a Decree that no Senatour should borow aboue two hundred Crownes at the most was found at his death to owe thirtie thousand himselfe So surely these men do seeme with the vulgar sort to dislike that any should darken the glorious power of the Lord whereas they them selues do obscure it the most of all others For howsoeuer they wholie pretend to vphold the kingdome of Christ what do they else by those their iollie pretences but couer themselues as we say with a wet sack For it will euidentlie appeare by the following discourses that none haue more dangerouslie trampled downe the dignitie of Christ then themselues and yet as if the Crow had engendred the Swanne these men forsooth they will seeme now to build vp the dignitie they destroyed before Perhaps thou wilt say or surmize at the least that we our selues by omitting and taking what part of their pamphlets might make most for our owne purpose haue therein euen purposely maymed their writings and foyled the very force of their cause Our answer is this we haue carefullie quoted the page it selfe from whence we do drawe our seuerall collections and therefore let the learned determine whether we haue any where abstracted their pamphlets besides their purposed scope or haue otherwise pretermitted any thing materiall which might but in shew either mannage or further their cause and God forbid but that we should very willinglie acknowledge and redresse the offred wrong In deede we haue purposelie pretermitted many impertinent vagaries extrauagant speeches idle excursions needles dilatations friuolous amplifications and humorous illustrations which like vnto vglie botches and swelling tumours do filthilie disfigure the bodie it selfe and are nothing materiall but meerely superfluous because the very ground-worke it selfe whereon they seeme to be builded is ouersandie or weake to support such a combersome frame very confidentlie concluding withall that for vs to answere their nothing with something would be in the iudgement of the learned a labour worth nothing For what do they by such their clamorous outcryes but deale with their ignorant Readers as the foolish huntsman deales with his hounds who by his crying so ho before the game it selfe be on foote or first found at the least do but set the vnskilfull hounds at an idle gaze Our Antagonists in deede they do keepe a clamorous coyle against the impugnings of any their pestilent practises and tels iâ— in the eares of all the world that do the aduersaries what they are able their wisedome forsooth it must and shall be iustified of all her children as though they thought it but an easie matter to breake an Eele with their knee or to build vp the roofe without a foundation Howbeit they haue herein verie earnestlie solicited sundrie of our honorable Iudges and Magistrates and presumed to prescribe them their seuerall courses concerning anie their iudiciall proceedings against their persons forgetting belike that they who take in hand to limit authoritie are like vnto such as seeke to stay the course of the Sunne They should rather acknowledge with Plutarch that it is vnfitting for him who falleth to lift vp who knoweth nothing to teach who is disordered to order who is vnrulie to rule or who cannot himselfe obey to commaund obedience to others It had beene much better for them to haue trulie learned their dutie to God and their Prince before they had so prowdly presumed to pester the Church with such vndutifull and disordered Pamphlets Howbeit because they haue publisht abroade such perilous points without any respect of Princes authoritie or due regard of the Churches peace it shall not be amisse to tell to their faces that they haue therefore iustlie deserued the selfesame recompence which Alexander Seuerus gaue to his friend Vetronius Turmius namely vt fumo pereant qui fumum vendunt that they perish with smoake who sell forth smoake For what other thing else do they set forth to sale but such fuming smoke as is readie to breake forth into dangerous firie flames Beware therefore good christian Reader that thou increase not the fire alreadie kindled by blowing a popular applause into the wide open eares of any those turbulent spirits Be not too credulous or rash in intertayning their Bookes as the approued oracles of Apollo Pythius at Delphos Know this for a certaine that euerie light beliefe is none other thing else but a foolish document Therefore try all things and keepe that which is good abstayne from all appearance of euill Now the verie God of peace sanctifie you throughout and we pray God that your whole spirit and soule and bodie may be kept blameles vnto the comming of our Lord Iesus Christ. Faithfull is he which calleth you who also will do it Amen And now brethren wee beseech you for our Lord Iesus Christs sake and for the loue of the spirit that you would striue together with vs by prayers to God for vs that we may be deliuered from them which are disobedient in Iudea and that our seruice which we haue to do at Ierusalem may be acceptable among the Saints of God Thus the God of peace be with you all Amen Your louing brethren assuredly in the Lord and the Lord his vnworthiest on earth IOHN DEACON IOHN WALKER A summarie suruey of Master Darel his absurd and vnsound positions 1 POssessions are only to be iudged by the Scriptures Doctrine pag. 5. 2 It is impossible for Satan being without man to haue the whole rule and disposition of the body Doct. pag. 2. 3 The Demoniakes in their fits are depriued of all their senses externall and internall Doctrine pag. 10. 4 A direction left to the Church to discerne of possessions for euer Doct. pag. 19. 5 A medicine left for the curing of possessions Doct. p. 6
miraculous manner of working by him Thus then you see their said deliuerance being determined with God before all times it was accordingly promised and performed in time And as before the Law written from the very first creation the Lord obserued this method order in the orderly manifestation of any his vnchangeable ordinances so surely both at and after the giuing of the Law there was in him no shadow of chaunge concerning that selfesame vnchaungeable course For First hauing determined with himselfe before all beginnings of time to establish the Morall Law as a perpetuall rule of perfect obedience not onely he did in very fitte time make promise thereof to his people but which more is after the full expiration of foure hundred and thirtie yeeres I meane at the very appointed season it selfe he did correspondently accomplish the same Neither hath the Lord obserued such an orderly methode of working onely before and at the giuing of the Law but euer since then he hath beene altogether one and the same in the orderly accomplishment of al his actions as may plainly appeare in his orderly establishing and subuerting of the seuerall Monarkes how mightie soeuer in the seauentie yeeres captiuitie of Israell his people in the birth and death of his onely Sonne in the vniuersall establishment of his glorious Gospell in Ierusalems finall destruction in reiecting his owne people the Iewes and in bringing the Gentiles into their roomes And as in all these the precedent operations and actions so likewise in the powerfull dispossessing of Satan and in the finall determination of that his tyrannicall power of actuall possession the Lord hath carefully obserued not onely in purposing but also in promising and performing the selfesame order accordingly For as the Lord before all beginnings of time did purposely determine such a temporary iudgement as a peculiar demonstration of the Deitie of his onely Sonne and promised withall the admirable conquering of the selfesame iudgement in that promised seede which was actually to bruse the Serpents head so hath his said Sonne correspondently accomplisht the same by his death and resurrection destroying through death him that had power ouer death that is to say the Diuell Yea he hath spoyled Principalities and Powers made such a shew of them openly and so triumphed ouer them all in his Crosse as we may boldly assure our selues of the finall accomplishment of that which our Sauiour affirmeth saying Now is the iudgement of this world now is the Prince of this world cast out that is his power of actuall possession is fully and finally determined According to that his authenticall message else wherâ— vnto Herode saying Behold I cast out Diuels to day and tomorrow and the third day I shall be perfected or the third day I will make an end of that businesse The premâ—sses therefore considered there is no more reason to doubt of the finall determination of this one then of any other the eternall Decrees of God whatsoeuer For seeing the Lord not onely purposed the finall determination of Satan his power of actuall possession from before all beginnings of time but also very solemnely promised and most powerfully effected the same in that promised seede which was actually to bruise the Serpents heade who seeth not euen one and the selfesame methode and order herein obserued as in all other the forenamed purposes and determinations of our eternall God And therefore there is no more reason to denye the finall determination of this one then of any other the like purposed operations of God vnlesse we doe purposely entend to bring present confusion vpon the orderly actions of that only wise agent who accomplisheth and ordereth all things in measure in number and waight Physiologus Very true as you say And therefore let those men beware who so constantly auouch the continuance of actuall possession now in these later dayes of the world But proceede in the rest Orthodoxus Againe this doctrine of ours deciphering so plainely vnto vs all those the deceiuable notions whatsoeuer which more peculiarlie appertaine to this new-found trade of Diuillitie with the seuerall points thereof it ministreth vnto vs a notable meditation or rather a watchfull consideration concerning the very proper foundation of all those the common receiued opinions fantasies dreames or idle conceites which runne all the world ouer about the Diuels their essential assuming and transforming of bodies their pretended apparitions in this or that essentiall forme their absolute power for creating of substances their essentiall possessions their supernaturall operations with sundrie other such idle conceites These their strange imaginations concerning Spirits and Diuels if we rightlie consider the same they arise not from any the infallible truths of the Lord reuealed vnto vs in the sacred scriptures for then we might and ought boldly to imbrace them for truths how absurd soeuer in humane reason but they do rather proceede from the only imagination of mans idle braine Who hauing their cogitations darkened through the ignorance that is naturallie in them cannot possiblie be made to discerne aright of any such intricate matters Yea and they spring partly also from the corrupt customes of the world For men receiuing such vntruthes from hand to hand as it were an inueterate lie by an auncient tradition do careleslie transferre the same from themselues to their owne posteritie and the ages to come And thus forsooth an old doating custome hauing careleslie begotten many grosse and erroneous opinions concerning Spirits and Diuels the world at this present is so vniuersally besotted bewitched and possessed with these palpable fooleries as they had rather to hold a manifest lye in their very right hand then be brought from their former most fond conceites and corrupt customes to an vndoubted knowledge of the truth it selfe For howsoeuer they may haplie pretend herein the holie Religion and feare of the Lord they feare him not in deede and in truth but do serue him only after the manner of former nations yea euen vnto this day they deale in these points according to the old accustomed manner and not after the ordinances customes lawes and commaundements which the Lord commaunded the children of Iacob They runne not for a true vnderstanding of these mysticall matters to the lawe and the testimonie neither speake they at all according to this truth but euery man speaketh herein according to the blind imagination of his owne â—oolish heart and after the corrupt customes of the world itselfe because there is in them no light of truth concerning these matters And thus much in effect for those speciall vses which haue a more speciall relation to any the seuerall points propounded Lycanthropus Very well Proceede now I pray you vnto those other vses which more specially concerne the parties themselues perusing those seuerall points Orthodoxus With very good will Wherin especially we haue to consider that seeing the matters we