together that man may not truely be termed a liuing man And which more is the soule and body are so inseparably conioyned by the creation of God as no one creature in heauen or in earth may possibly disioyne them before the finall separation of life according to the determinate councell appointment of God Briefly be it supposed that the diuell could in deed assume to himselfe some liuing mans bodie and could also for the present extenuate the same and transforme the substance thereof into spirituall congellations as Tatianus affirmeth yet this is verie certaine and a generall rule that two substantiall formes cannot possibly be inherent together and at once in one and the selfe same subiect And therefore to bring the substantiall forme of a diuell without feeling into the substantiall body of a man without either killing or hurting and which more is to transforme the same into such a slender and impalpable substance as cannot of the possessed him selfe be sensibly perceiued or felt no not at the first entrance into him it may well be vnlikely but very certaine I am the same is vtterly impossible for all the diuels in hell to accomplish such hard hap they haue in assuming a liuing mans body Pneumatomachus For my part I rather suppose that the Diuel doth assume to himselfe some deads mans bodie Physiologus This your supposall is no lesse absurd then the orher before For first if that bodie which the Diuel doth assume be the body of a dead man departed long since then surely it is an hundred to one that that selfesame assumed bodie is either eaten with wormes and so vnfit for the seruice or is else so putrified with filthie corruption as the Diuel by entring into any therwith must needes poyson the possessed man vnto death Againe if that assumed bodie be the bodie of a dead man but lately departed this life the Diuel then by assuming such a newly departed bodie must be supposed to appeere in a white winding sheete as he was heretofore thought to appeere vnto Saul in Samuels supposed bodie with a mantel about him must so for the present forsake that his supposed forme which the Poets and Painters doe hold to be griesly and blacke Besides that in supposing the Diuel can assume to himselfe the bodie of a man you doe therein very grosly oppose your selfe to the blessed Apostle who saith most confidently that mens bodies are created for the Lord himselfe and not for infernall Spirits That they are the members of Christ not the mansions of Belial the temples of the holy Ghost not a dungeon for Diuels a stie for Satan not an habitation for Helhounds Briefly if the Diuel doth assume to himselfe some dead mans bodie whether long since or but lately departed we must by this your supposall imagine a resurrection of bodies before to the generall iudgement and therein also must attribute to the Diuel that absolute power of raising the dead which only is due and proper to God and so by consequence conclude that the Diuel can accomplish and worke true miracles Whereas the Lord only is able to take life from the dead and to restore them againe vnto life which is such a miraculous worke of the omnipotent God as by an infallible consequence approoueth the Deitie Seeing therefore that by this your supposal you doe in effect but Deifie the Diuel bee foorthwith ashamed to hold that Spirits haue power to assume to themselues the bodie of a man alreadie created whether dead or aliue Lycanthropus You grant then that the Diuels doe assume to themselues some vncreated bodie Physiologus I grant no such thing For how is it possible either Diuel or Angel should assume that which is not at all or that they should take to themselues a bodie not yet existing in nature Philologus Very true But after the creation of such an essentiall bodie you doe then confesse the Diuel may assume such a bodie Physiologus I confesse no such matter vnlesse you first shew me by whom those selfesame supposed bodies should be essentially created whether by God or the Diuel Exorcistes They are surely created by God or not at all for the Lord onely alone is the creator of all things Physiologus Though the Lord in deed be the Creator of all things yet doth it not necessarily folow and your selfe shal neuer be able to proue that he is also the Creator of these things And how dare you then so confidently auouch that these your supposed bodies for the seruice of diuels are essentially created by God Exorcistes God is of infinite power and therefore may doe it Physiologus Your may be concludeth nothing at all Neither doe we dispute what God either may or is able to doe but what in deed and in truth he doth certainly accomplish And albeit the Lord I confesse be of infinit power yet is his said power restrainde to his will for whatsoeuer the Lord willeth that doth he in heauen and in earth So then vnlesse you can shew the Lords word to witnesse his will concerning such extraordinarie creation of bodies for the seruice of Satan whatsoeuer your selfe shall haplie imagine that God may doe therein you must yet giue vs leaue to doubt of the doing there of in deed Lycanthropus But why may not the Lord for the execution of iustice create them such bodies Physiologus First because the Lord hath infinite meanes besides and those also of more excellent maiestie for the execution of iustice and therefore he stands in no maner of neede to haue such a patched supplie Secondly for that the Lord will neuer do that which may any waies witnes against himselfe But for him to create such essential bodies afresh at the pleasure of the diuell and so oft as he pleaseth doth derogate greatly from the certaintie of that sacred truth which sealeth vnto vs the certaine accomplishment of all his workes whatsoeuer in sixe daies space and the vndoubted ceasing from all his labors the folowing day Moreouer to hold for infallible truth that those your supposed bodies for the seruice of Satan must in any case be created of God what doe you else in effect but thereby conclude the Lord him selfe to be slauishly subiect vnto Satan his accursed commaund in creating him bodies afresh and so oft as seemeth him good Briefly sith the glory of God is the maine end of all his creation what one glory may possibly redounde to the Lord by creating such your supposed bodies as being altogether by Satan abused are prepared neither to destruction nor glorie And therefore it is grosse impietie or rather an horrible blasphemie for any to hold that the Lord alone must be the Creator of any such essentiall bodies as your selfe and some others suppose the diuell doth assume to his seruice Lycanthropus It is certaine then that those assumed bodies are created by Satan him selfe Physiologus It is euen as
a blush that God and spirits haue visible formes and corporall substances And thereupon you doe rashlie conclude that spirites and Diuels must necessarily be euen such as your selfe by those places suppose or none at all But now because you your owne selfe with your corporall eies did yet neuer behold any such corporall Diuels as you by those Scriptures haue grossely imagined therefore you doe flatly resolue with your selfe that there are neither spirits nor Diuels at all Pneumatomachus Why what other thing else should those corporall formes attributed to spirits Diuels in the sacred scriptures import but either that Diuels and spirits are visible substances if those scriptures say true or that there are at the least neither spirits nor Diuels at all as I haue hitherto held Orthodoxus That the scriptures say true being truely vnderstoode no true harted Christians may dare to denie That there are also both spirits and Diuels though in truth and in substance they haue no such visible formes as those places of Scripture do literally import shall be prooued anone In the meane time this I must tell you for truth that those scriptures which attribute to God and spirites a corporall forme as eies eares hands feete bodies wings such like may at no hand be expounded literally but must rather be metaphorically and spiritually vnderstoode of vs. So that by any those corporall formes we may not grossely conceiue in God or in spirites such corporall members appertaining especially to their essentiall being but we must spiritually vnderstand â—hereby those their supernatural vertues operations and actions which by such corporall formes are metaphorically commended to our humane capacities And without doubt such a carnall misconstruing of scriptures was the onely maine cause which made the silly old monkes in elder times to fall fearefully into the palpable errour of the Anthropomorphites who by vnderstanding such scriptures literally did groslie attribute to God such humane actions and passions as are proper to men The holie scriptures then I perceiue they may not be interpreted hand ouer head neither are they in euery place to be opened literally Orthodoxus Nothing lesse for so should you fall into a thousand absurdities And therefore vnlesse you will purposely shew your selfe a swinish Saducee or impudently make your selfe knowne a monkish Anthropomorphite be now ashamed I beseech you of this palpable grossenes and hold confidently with the catholike church that there are essentiall spirites and Diuels Philologus Pneumatomachus howe goeth the matter Pneumatomachus That which hath beene hetherto spoken doth sufficiently set foorth a twofold ground of erronious opinions Howbeit this my opinion concerning the non being of Angels or spirits appeares not for any thing heard as yet to be erronious at all And I yet verely thinke as before that Diuels are none other thing else but those good or euill motions in men which doe maruellously comfort or afflict their minds Orthodoxus Thinke you so as you say Goe to then tell me I pray you what was the Serpent that tempted our grandmother Euah in Paradice Was that any good or euill motion in Euah If so then tel me further whether you thinke that motion was within or without her If within her how came the temptation then from the Serpent and from without her altogether But if it came from without her how should then the temptation be iustly accompted any motion of hers sith the same cannot truely be said to arise from within her Againe if you take Diuels to be but the good or euill motions in men what thinke you that tempter was who tempted Christ in the wildernes Was it thinke you any motion in Christ If yea then whether was it an euill or a good motion An euill motion you may not auouch it to be because Christ being free from all sinne could not possibly haue in him any euill motion at all As also it were verie absurd to affirme it a good motion for how could that motion be good which tempted Christ vnto euill Moreouer if you take Diuels for the good or euill motions in men what thinke you then that Legion was wherewith the two men were possessed Could the motions of men craue leaue and enter into a whole heardship of Swine And what became of those motions when they were cast foorth by our Sauiour Christ Were they drowned together with the Swine in the Sea If so what then became of the men themselues from whom as you dreame those motions arose Were they dead all the while their mindes were bereft of their motions For the minde you know is in perpetuall motion Or if those men all the while and euer after their motions were cast foorth and drownd in the Sea remained still in their liuely estate it should seeme that Spirits and Diuels are some other essentiall powers then the bare motions and affections arising in men Briefly if Diuels be nothing else but the good or euil motions in men what thinke you those tormentours to be which vexe and torment men in Hell with the Diuell and his Angels Yea and doe tell me I pray you what goeth to Hell the good or euill motions If only the euill what then must become of those other which were good in the man For sith none in this life can possibly be either so good or so euill but that they haue in them both good and euill motions it cannot otherwaies be but that either the good and euill motions in men must after this life be monstrously confounded together or else if the good motions goe roundly to Heauen and the euill vnto hell then the bodie and soule must be diuided part vnto heauen and part vnto hell like an indiuiduum vagum or some litle new nothing that hangs in the ayre To be short if man with his good and euill motions together goeth foorthwith either wholy to heauen or wholy to hell how then should his ioyes or his torments be either absolute or endlesse Because looke how fast his good motions doe minister comfort vnto him so fast at the least his euill motions will afflict and torment him Phylologus Surely Pneumatomachus this opinion I see is so absurd and so sottish as euen a sucking babe would blush to be taynted therewith Lycanthropus A sucking babe blush yea it is such a stale ridiculous iest as might make euen a mad man to hide his head in a corner Pneumatomachus Verie true and I also my selfe am now ashamed thereof Notwithstanding how soeuer it is certaine that spirits and Diuels be more then the good or euill motions in men it appeares yet for any thing heard that those your supposed Angels are nothing at all but the sensible tokens or signes of Gods power Orthodoxus What meane you by the sensible tokens or signes of Gods power Pneumatomachus I vnderstand thereby those extraordinarie iudgements of God which demonstrate vnto vs the incomprehensible maiestie and might of his power
actions be possibly performed of such as are not in deed true substances 3 Againe things created in them selues and not in an other subiect yea and so as they subsist of them selues alone those things vndoubtly haue a true subsistance But spirits and Diuels they are so created no doubt as they subsist in them selues neither are they inherent or inexistent in any other subiect whatsoeuer and therefore spirits and Diuels they haue vndoubtedly a true subsistance 4 Againe whatsoeuer liuing creature is endued with reason vnderstanding and will that must needs be some thing of it selfe subsisting but spirits and Diuels they are liuing creatures endued with reason vnderstanding and will and therefore somethings no doubt of themselues subsisting 5 Againe nothing can possiblie persist in the truth nor nothing can fall from their first estate vnlesse the same be some essence subsisting of it selfe and pertaker also of vnderstanding and will But some of the Angels doe perseuere in the truth and some againe haue fallen from the same and therefore Angels and spirits are some essences subsisting of themselues and pertakers also of vnderstanding and will 6 Againe if spirits and Diuels were onely but the euill motions and affections arising in men it shoulde be absurde either to distinguish their numbers or to expresse their seuerall actions but the consequent is false as all that feare God will confesse and therefore also the antecedent it selfe 7 Againe whatsoeuer doth speake assault suggest tempt afflict torment and circumuent to deuoure that must necessarilie be a subsistance But spirits and Diuels doe so for they spake to Euah they assaulted Achab and suggested an vntruth into all his prophets they tempted Christ they afflicted and tormented Saul they made Iudas to hang himselfe they seeke to winnowe and fanne men yea to circumuent al the children of God to destruction and therefore spirits and Diuels must necessarilie be some subsistance 8 Againe if Angels and spirits be onely but accidentall affections and no true substances in deed then neither shall we after this life be anie true substances for the scriptures affirme that after the resurrection we shall be like to the Angels in heauen Now then if Angels and spirits be not true substances in deed shall we also cease to be substances 9 Againe Aristotle he prooues this world to be perfect for that it consistes of all those things which can be desired therein or which may in any wise appertain to the perfection thereof Howbeit to the perfection of the whole there is required therein three seuerall sorts of substances the first inuisible the second visible and the third partly inuisible partly visible The second sort namely the visible substances are the heauens the elements and all things made of the elements The third sort namely the substances partly inuisible and partly visible are men who consist of a soule and body togither the soule inuisible and the bodie visible Now then if Angels who are of themselues inuisible should not be substances then should there be wanting to the world inuisible substances and so the worlde should be vnperfect But the world it is perfect as all both Philosophers and Diuines do affirme And therefore Angels they be substances inuisible and spirituall 10 Lastly common experience from the beginning of the world to this present hower hath apparently approued vnto vs that there be Angelicall spirits and Diuels and therefore not to be denied of any vnlesse he will shew himselfe a swinish Saduce or some monkish Anthropomorphite as was shewed before And thus haue you briefly heard my seuerall reasons which prooue vnto you both spirits and Diuels Pneumatomachus Sir by that which you haue spoken I am now throughlie perswaded that Angels are indeed essentiall and spirituall substances Howbeit this one thing doth trouble me greatly namely that seeing all Angels were equally created according to the true image of God no one of them all may truely be said to be euill Orthodoxus You do well in deliuering your doubtes but goe to frame your argument Pneumatomachus I frame it thus A thing created to the image of God cannot be nor may not be said to be euill But all Angels and spirites were in the beginning created all alike to the image of God therefore no Angell or spirite either can be or may be said to be euill Now sir if none of them can or may be said to be euill how should there be any Diuels at all Orthodoxus Verie true as you saie if that which you seeme to conclude were as truely concluded Howbeit I answere thus First concerning your proposition I say That so farre foorth as any thing created to Gods image hath truelie that image keepeth and looseth it not so farre foorth and so long anie such thing may not truely be saide to be euill Now next to your assumption I answere thus All those Angelicall spirits so created of God they did not retaine and holde falt that true image of God wherein they were first created but willingly reiected and fledde from the same And therefore I distinguish thus Angels created in the beginning according to the true image of God did either perseuer in that originall integritie or else they wilfully fell from the same The one sort are finally confirmed in that selfe-same goodnes wherein they were first created and therefore good Angels the other sort loosing their first goodnes are hardened in that selfe-same euill whereinto they first fell and therefore euill Angels So then to imagine that the euill Angels also notwithstanding their euilnes must still shewe foorth that selfe-same image of God from which they fearefully fell is nothing else in effect but to confound the formes of their distinguished kindes For it is one thing to be created good and another thing still to retaine that selfe-same goodnes The one is past the other is present And the vanitie of that childish conceite may be made euident by the like reason thus All men are created in Adam to the image of God But Atheists and vngodly ones are men therefore Atheistes and vngodly ones they shewe foorth the image of God Here is more in the conclusion then was put in the premisses For this onely shoulde folowe namely that Atheistes in as much as they are men were first created according to the image of God but in that they are now falne they do resemble the image of the Diuell Pneumatomachus Sir my iudgement concerning these points is now I praise God so cleerly enlightned as my neighbour Lycanthropus my selfe may wel be at one being both fully resolued I hope in that selfe same controuersie which we held so hotly as we came from Mahgnitton Lycanthropus If you be therein at one with your selfe you are also at one with me For I was resolued before and your selfe now confesfesseth that there are essentiall spirits and diuels Pneumatomachus Yea I doe freely confesse
it from my verie hart Physiologus I am right glad to heare so good a beginning Exorcistes And euen so am I I assure you Orthodoxus Gods name be blessed for this speciall grace Lycanthropus So be it But sir as there will be tyde after tyde all the while the Seas themselues doe ebbe and flowe so surely so long as men haue in them their boyling affections so long no doubt the dispatch of one controuersie will be but the beginning of another as we see here by present experience For at our very first meeting my friend Phylologus affirmed flatly that howsoeuer there be granted essential spirits and Diuels their possession in these daies of the Gospell is denied of some and doubted of manie Philologus I said so in deed Orthodoxus This fals foorth verie fit for the next mayne point Namely what we haue to consider concerning spirits and Diuels Howbeit because it may be you grow faint by reason of trauell Let vs here breake off after we haue refreshed our bodies make speedie recourse to this present place and so enter a fresh on the matter Physiologus Sir we doe willingly attend your good pleasure if it pleaseth the rest of our companie Lycanthropus It pleaseth vs woonderous well For the motion I assure you is such as I would haue made mine owne selfe but for giuing offence Orthodoxus Let vs then arise and depart The end of the first Dialogue The second Dialogue THE ARGVMENT The power of Spirits and Diuels their possession what it is and whether the Diuell doth essentially enter into the possessed mans minde or not The speakers names PHILOLOGVS LYCANTHROPVS PNEVMATOMACHVS PHYSIOLOGVS ORTHODOXVS EXORCISTES Philologus GOod Sirs We three haue long expected your comming howbeit you are hartely welcome Lycanthropus Phylologus I perceiue is wholy vpon the matter Pneumatomachus Pardon the man he is pained you see like to a trauelling woman that wanteth onely a midwife Physiologus What is the opinion I pray you that troubleth his patience Lycanthropus This Sir He saith that howsoeuer there be granted essentiall spirits and Diuels yet their possession in these daies of the Gospell is denied of some and doubted of many Philologus I said so in deed And although I dare not flatly denie yet I also doe much doubt it my selfe Physiologus Your name I perceiue is Philologus which in signification is as much to say as a man that delighteth or loueth to talke You propound not this opinion of purpose I hope to declare vnto vs that you haue a name giuen you very fitly resembling your nature namely that you are but a talkatiue person or one that taketh great pleasure to heare himselfe speake in these points Philologus No truely I propound the same in simplicitie of hart shewing you plainely what my selfe suppose and desiring resolution wherein I do doubt Physiologus Wherefore doubt you that Diuels haue possession in men Philologus Because I suppose it impossible in nature and incredible also in all sound Diuinitie Lycanthropus What Philologus Is it supernaturall for the Diuell to possesse a man Doe not the scriptures in euerie place speake plainely of the possessed with Diuels of the entring of Diuels into men of casting them foorth of the Diuell that entred into the hart of Iudas of the Diuell that filled Ananiah his hart with a lye and a thousand such places All which so apparantly and so plainely approoueth this point that for any to doubt thereof were but to call into question the sunshine at mid-day Philologus I neither hold in supernaturall for the Diuell in some sort to possesse a man neither doubt I of that truth which those Scriptures import I onely suppose that the matter it selfe is not so grossely to be vnderstood as some from those places would seeme to conclude wherein I do freely submit to maister Orthodoxus his censure And therefore obiect what you can for your selfe and let him resolue vs both in the point Lycanthropus Content if it please him to take the paines Orthodoxus With verie good will and so much the rather because it falleth foorth fit for our next generall purpose namely what we haue especially to consider in spirits and Diuels Lycanthropus What haue we especially to consider in them Orthodoxus Hauing prooued directly that there be Spirits and Diuels we haue now next to consider in them two principall things The first concerneth their power ouer men the second respecteth the timely subduing of that selfe same power Lycanthropus What meane you by their power ouer men Orthodoxus I vnderstand thereby that Dominion or rule which the verie Diuels themselues by the iust iudgement of God doe in all outrage euen exercise ouer the naturall ofspring of Adam and which is vndoubtedly most woonderfull respecting both body and soule Howbeit this their appointed power is determinate finite and limited certainely within it owne speciall bounds albeit the Diuell in an especiall regard thereof be called the prince of this world the God of this world the prince of airie powers and that strong armed man which keepeth his house in peace till some stronger inuade him And this their saide power is twofold Namely either their power of possession or their power of obsession Lycanthropus What is your opinion I pray you concerning the possession of Diuels in these daies of the Gospell Orthodoxus My opinion therein shall be shewed at large after your selfe haue first opened vnto me what you doe meane by the Diuell his possession in man Lycanthropus By the Diuell his possession in man I vnderstand his essentiall and violent entring into him as men by force and armes doe enter an house and so inherently possesseth and peaceably enioyeth that selfe same person as his proper possession and peculiar dominion appointed vnto him of God For possession you know it importeth a peaceable dominion Orthodoxus That possession importeth a peaceable dominion we do neuer denie But where prooue you such an essentiall possession as your selfe speaketh of in all the Scriptures Nay where finde you these wordes possession or possessed peculiarly appropriated to the Diuell ouer men throughout the whole Bible in the old or new testament Lycanthropus Where finde I the words possession or possessed appropriate to Diuels throughout the whole Bible Surely wheresoeuer the Euangelist Mathew doth handle those matters there he vsually and purposely puts downe those selfe same wordes As for example he saith they brought many to Christ that were possessed with Diuels Againe he healed many that were possessed with Diuels Againe there met him two possessed with Diuels Againe they told the people what was become of the possessed with Diuels Againe they brought vnto him a dumbe man possest with a Diuell Yea and in euerie place else where like occasion is offred he vseth like speach which argueth euidently that the Diuell hath an essentiall possession in men Orthodoxus Arguing as you doe from a deceiueable
then the father and the sonne both do really and essentially inhabite in the harts of so many as obserue the word which how absurd it is to auouch your selfe may consider Besides that if you so strictly doe tye your selfe to the obseruation of words how vnderstand you this scripture The good Spirit of the Lord departed from Saul and an euil Spirit of the Lord came vpon him Would you haue vs to imagine fromhence that king Saul himselfe was really possest with an euill spirit or a diuel Lycanthropus Yea what other thing else Orthodoxus Then may we by the same reason conclude that Saul also before that time was really possest with the good spirit of God For when Samuel annointed him king it was said in like sort that the spirit of the Lord should come vpon him Againe that the spirit of the Lord it came vpon Saul Yea then may we likewise conclude that Dauid also himselfe he was really possest with the good spirit of God for it is said that after Dauid was annointed the spirit of the Lord came vpon him Now then tell me I pray you whether you thinke that Saul and Dauid were really possest with the good spirit of God and that the spirit did essentially enter into them Lycanthropus I vnderstand it euen so I assure you Orthodoxus Why man besides the absurditie arising thence the verie letter it selfe importeth a quite contrarie sence to that which you seeme to insert For the wordes of the text are not thus the spirit of the Lord entred into them but the spirit of the Lord came vpon them both Howbeit whether it had beene the spirit of the Lord entred into them or came vpon them it is al one in effect and may in no wise be vnderstood of anie essential possession but of an effectual operation of that spirit of God whether good or euil For in euerie of those places the word in the original is tsalac Which Ierome translates leaped vpon them Lyra he hath entred forciblie vpon them Pagnine he hath rested vpon them Tremellius he hath rushing vpon them Montanus he hath prospered vpon them None of al these howsoeuer they differ in termes they dreame not you see of anie real possession at al. Yea and the word tsalac also it selfe if we respect the natiue signification is properlie to be translated thus The spirit of the Lord preuailed had prosperous successe did happelie proceede or prospered greatlie in Saul and in Dauid al which hath relation to the efficacie and not to the essence of the spirit at all Otherwise if notwithstanding al this your selfe wil needes vnderstand in that place an essential entrance or real possession the grosse absurditie thereof may more plainlie appeare by the conference of this one with some other places of scripture where the selfesame word is also in vse As first where Eleazar saith vnto Laban hinder you me not sith the Lord bath prospered my iourney Would you expound it thus hinder me not sith the Lord hath caused my iorney verie really and essentially to enter into me Againe where it is said that whatsoeuer the godlie man doth it shall prosper Should we translate it thus the godly mens waies shal substantiallie enter into him Againe where the holie ghost saith vnto Salomon prosper thou with thy glorie Should we expound it thus let thy glorie substantiallie and reallie possesse thy person Briefly where Ieremie complaineth thus why doe the waies of the wicked prosper must we imagine that the waies of the wicked doe enter essentiallie into their bodies and soules that were to to absurd And yet in such a strict tying of our selues to the word we may by as good reason enterprete these places thus as those other of Saul and of Dauid the holie ghost vsing especially in euery of them al but one and the selfesame word Exorcistes If the scriptures be so intricate concerning these pointes what waies were we best to take for the vnderstanding of them aright Orthodoxus You must not be haled hedlong an end with an inueterate opinion receiued hand ouer head from hand to hand without further search or due trial of the trueth of the matter but must verie hartelie pray and most conscionablie depend vpon the holie spirit of God for a true vnderstanding and wisedome herein For seeing the proper nature of spirites and diuels is not in the sacred scriptures so exactly so plainely set downe as that thereby we may certeinly know them euen as they are in their proper and essential being we must therefore most humbly endeuour our selues very faithfully to imbrace and constantlie to beleeue the true sence of the scriptures concerning these points yea euen in such simple sort as the holy spirit of God who is the Lord of all spirites hath set downe the same Alwaies remembring this that spirites and diuels they are in the scriptures euermore spoken of as of spiritual substances howsoeuer for the onelie helpe of our slender capacities they be sometimes more groslie expressed by parables and metaphors and in a more sensible or corporal manner then otherwaies they are in themselues And therefore whereas it is said that the spirit of the Lord came vpon Balaam Othoniel Gedeon Iphthah Sampson Saul Dauid Azariah Ezechiel and others Moreouer where it is said that the Lord seperated the spirite of Moses and put in vpon the seuentie Elders againe that the spirit of Eliah was double vpon Elisha that Caleb had a spirit farre differing from the rest of the Israelites and that Daniel he had a more excellent spirite then al the rest yet that selfesame entrance into that resting vpon that multiplying that doubling and that excellencie of the spirit is not to be vnderstood of any real or essential possession but of an effectual and powerful operation of that selfesame spirit concerning the speciall worke for which it was sent So as although the spirites of the Lord whether good or euil are said to be giuen by proportion and nomber yet not the substance or quantitie but the condicion or qualitie of the spirit it selfe must be alwaies presupposed and ment thereby which is a point that I would haue you especially to consider throughout our whole conference concerning spirites and diuels Lycanthropus This I confesse is a verie good caution concerning the condition qualitie and operation of spirits Howbeit for any thing hetherto heard I can at no hand be perswaded but that the diuell albeit mans minde be free doth really and essentiallie enter into the possessed mans bodie Physiologus Goe to imagine that this your supposall were euerie waie sound and then do tell me withall what the diuell doth in the possessed mans bodie Lycanthropus What doth he there verie vntowardly I warrant you for euen in that selfesame bodie and by the helpe of that body he doth effectually accomplish and execute those
his preposterous actions Physiologus Preposterous actions indeed for the diuell to appropriate to himselfe the peculiar organon of the possessed mans soule Do you imagine the Lord euer propounded any such end to himselfe in the creation of bodies Or do you suppose the Lord euer granted so large a commission or that the diuell himselfe euer receiued such an absolute power concerning the bodies of men But go to what becomes of the soule or spirit all the while the diuell himselfe is really inherent in the possessed mans bodie Remaines the soule still in that bodie as in her proper habitation appointed of God till the day of her vtter dissolution by death Or is it for the whole time of the diuell his being in that bodie vtterly exiled thrust out from the same Lycanthropus Naie the soule is not euen then secluded or shut out from the bodie at al but continueth and lieth therein like a subdued prisoner fast bound hand and foote yeelding ouer to the diuel for that present his whole interest concerning the bodie and endureth perforce his inexorable and tyrannous crueltie Physiologus But tell me I pray you is not the soule or the minde of a man an incorporall substance or a spirit equally diffused and spred throughout the whole bodie and euerie part thereof according to powers and proportion not Arithmeticall but Geometricall so as all the members of the bodie it selfe doth effectually fulfill their peculiar offices accordingly They being the proper instruments of that selfesame minde or spirituall substance furdering freely the organicall operation thereof and excecuting readily whatsoeuer the minde shall giue them in charge And that therefore this selfesame bodie being thus vtterly depriued as you say for the present of the soules organicall operation is in effect but dead to the soule because wheresoeuer is an vtter priuation of the soules operations concerning the bodie there the life of that man is for the present dissolued Hold you all this for a truth Lycanthropus Yea I may not denie any part thereof Physiologus Seeing then you doe flatly conclude that the minde or spirit of man is the first substantiall forme or action in a liuing bodie and the originall or primarie cause of all effects whatsoeuer performed duly therein as being that onlie whereby we doe liue perceiue desire are moued in place and doe also vnderstand how is it possible that the soule or mind of a man being naturally in perpetuall motion should at any time lie idle in her bodie it being the proper Organon of the soule peculiarly appointed vnto it by God yea euen vnto the very dissolution thereof Or how should the said soule or minde lie bound like a prisoner in her proper bodie and not execute effectually those selfesame operations and powers which are peculiarly appropriated vnto it for the special seruice of that selfesame bodie Lycanthropus What meane you by the proper operations of the soule or minde Physiologus I vnderstand thereby all those peculiar actions which doe necessarily succeede the powers of the minde as proper effects peculiarly appertaining vnto it Otherwaies this peculiar power of the minde it being a meane betweene the substance and operations of the minde are the only efficient cause of the said mindes operations should be vtterly in vaine and to no purpose at all vnles the peculiar effects of that selfesame power did vndoubtedly and immediatly succeede the same Howbeit these selfesame effects cannot possibly succeed the saide power of the minde so long at the least as the Diuel himselfe really possessing the bodie doth wholy and absolutely take vp the said bodie with the members thereof to accomplish his mischieuous purposes As for example all the operations of the minde are either organical or animal The organical operations they are those seuerall actions which the minde can in no wise accomplish but in the bodie it selfe and by all the seuerall members thereof as by the proper instruments for that purpose peculiarly appointed vnto it Namely the nutritiue augmentatiue and generatiue operations appertaining especially to the vegetatiue life also the facultie of seeing hearing tasting smelling handling and of common sense moreouer the imaginatiue the memoratiue the concupiscible irascible and motiue faculties being all attendant vpon the sensitiue life Now then these and euerie of these are the organical operations of the minde yea and such also as the minde cannot possibly effect but in her owne bodie and by all the partes thereof as by the peculiar instruments appointed of God And therefore how should the possessed mans minde his bodie it selfe being thoroughly surprised and taken vp as you say by the Diuel at any hand accomplish either all or any one of these organical operations Lycanthropus As the minde her selfe cannot but be in perpetuall motion so surely being forcibly restrained from these her organical operations she must for the present be faine to put in execution and to practise as she may her animal operations Physiologus The animal operations they are such speciall actions as the minde of it selfe both can and may effectually accomplish without the bodie namely those three essential powers of the reasonable soule called the vnderstanding affection and will Whereof the two last are fitly termed the intellectiue appetite whereas the organical affections arising only from out of the hart the lyuer and entralles are called the sensitiue appetite But for as much as these animal operations all the while the minde it selfe is seated in her proper bodie are by the order of God appointed to be the directours and moderatours of all the organical operations I aske you by what meanes the mind may accomplish her appointed dutie concerning the direction and moderation of those her organical actions so long as the Diuel himselfe doth really and wholy take vp the said bodie with her seuerall partes to become the vnhappie instruments of his Diuellish attempts Lycanthropus I see no possible helpe but that the minde it selfe must giue place to the Diuel for a time Physiologus Giue place for a time for how long I beseech you Put case this man be really possest of the diuell for seuen yeeres togither or more and that in the meane time he should die before the diuell be dispossest of his bodie which for any thing knowne to the diuell he may very well do for his daies are determined which he cannot possiblie passe Now then the soule it selfe being surprized by death and so seperate from the bodie it selfe before she recouer her pristinate power concerning the saide bodie or any the organicall actions appertaining vnto it to whom must those the disordered actions wrought in the bodie all the whole time of the diuell his reall possession therein be imputed I pray you Whether to the possessed mans minde or to the diuell himselfe that possesseth his bodie And whether of both must yeeld an account vnto God for those seuerall actions of the sinfull bodie Lycanthropus The verie soule it selfe is answerable
I take it for those sinfull actions Physiologus But seeing sinne it selfe is onely a voluntarie transgression of the law of God how holdes it with equitie that the soule should be answerable for those selfesame organicall actions which she did neuer voluntarily assent vnto accomplish affect or approoue Lycanthropus Because the animall operations of the soule they being appointed by God to direct and to moderate the organicall operations of the bodie did faile in doing that dutie Physiologus How should shee possiblie accomplish that her appointed dutie concerning the direction and moderation of those organicall operations shee being before verie violently and absolutely dispossessed of the bodie it selfe by whom those organicall actions should haue beene wrought according to her proper and onely directions Besides that the peculiar actions of the vnderstanding affection and will are meere animall respecting either the minde it selfe or the minde and bodie togither Touching the minde it selfe her animall operations are onely to vnderstand to affect and to will These animall operations they are such as the minde her-selfe both may and doth effectually accomplish without the bodie and being quite seperate from it And also she hath her animall motions whereby she is locally mooued without the bodie and being quite seperate from it For so the soule of Lazarus his bodie being dead fower daies in the graue did locally mooue and returne yea by such a non organicall or animall motion the verie soules of the saued damned are at this present continually moued The animal operations respecting the minde and bodie togither they are the dutifull applying of the vnderstanding affection and will to an orderly direction and circumspect moderation of al the organical actions To the timely discharge of which duty the minde especially is bound so long as she is naturally inherent or peculiarly predominant ouer the bodie Else she is freely exempt from all charge of the bodie and hath then her animall operations wherein her office doth wholie and onely consist And euen as in the minde so also in the body there be some such meere corporall actions and motions as the bodie it selfe both may and doth also accomplish without any direction or moderation of the minde As for example The dead carkasse of a man being quite seperate from the soule it hath notwithstanding her corporall dimensions figure situation and habite yea and is locally mooued either downewards by a natural motion or else vpwards or ouerthwart by a violent motion Yea and all these corporall operations and motions the bodie hath and may also accomplish by herselfe alone without any her soules direction moderation or guidance they being especially such actions and motions as appertaine not to the minde at all Now then as the soule hath some such animall operations peculiarlie appropriate to it as it may well and doth effectually accomplish without the bodie being freely seperate from it and therefore no reason the bodie it selfe should any waies be answerable for those peculiar actions of the minde whereunto she was no waies assistant so surely the bodie it hath and may haue some such corporall actions and motions peculiarly appropriated or violently enforced vpon it as it may and doth also effect without any the direction moderation or consent of the soule it being quite seperate from it or from any the directions thereof at the least and therefore it is absurd to imagine that the soule should be brought to account for any those peculiar actions or motions of the bodie which it neuer directed the bodie vnto nor neuer gaue consent to the same in any respect Lycanthropus I know not which waies to answere your speech howbeit very certaine I am the diuell hath really in man a corporall possession at least Physiologus How do you know it for certein sith the diuel is onelie a spirit of a spiritual substance simplie and absolutelie without all mixture of corporall matter and therefore he needeth no such real possession in anie mans bodie Lycanthropus He needeth no such real possession in any mans bodie I confesse in regard of his owne essential beeing Howbeit respecting more especiallie the timely execution of his tyrannicall tormenting of bodies there is necessarilie required in the parties possessed an essential possession at least Physiologus Why man as the Lord God in the verie first creation did constitute spirites and diuels essentiallie absolute in their owne proper beings without anie apparant necessitie of such an essential mixture with humane bodies so surelie you are neuer able to proue from the word that the infinite wise God did euer propound to himselfe in the creation of bodies anie one purpose at al concerning such essentiall possession of spirites and diuels Neither are you able to show by the scriptures that the diuel did euer receiue so large a commission from God concerning mens bodies For very certeine it is that the diuel did earnestlie entreate and the Lord for many respects did purposelie permit as much scope to the diuel concerning Iobs bodie as anie mans bodie besides either before him or after him and yet did the diuel neuer begge nor the Lord neuer graunt anie further power at al concerning the bodie of Iob then onelie an actual afflicting but not anie essentiall possessing at al. Besides that the whole man bodie and soule was preordained by the secret purpose of God to be for euer the liuelie image of his absolute maiestie respecting especially the perfection and holines thereof yea and which more is to be also a perpetuall habitacle and glorious temple for his sacred spirit and therefore it is incredible that the foreseeing wisedome of God would euer permit any such essentiall possession to spirites and diuels as should not onelie most beastlie pollute and deface his owne image but which more is euen reallie as it were transforme the habitation of his holie spirit into a filthie cage of vncleane spirites a most stinking stie for satan him selfe and a most horrible dungeon for damned diuels Lycanthropus Why sir this metamorphosis or change was primarilie effected in the persons of Adam and Euah who being both created according to the image of God concerning body and soule did not onelie quite loose the said image of God but which more is did presentlie put vpon them the verie image of the diuel who is called the strong armed man and they are now become that dwelling house of his which he possesseth and keepeth in peace Physiologus The image of God it was not lost in Adam and Euah as touching the essence but concerning onelie the perfection the sanctitie and holines thereof Neither did they essentiallie but onlie actuallie put vpon themselues the image of satan Neither did that strong armed man the diuel at any time essentially but onely effectively possesse or keepe them in peaceable possession as an house for himselfe And therefore either you must necessarily acknowledge the diuel to haue an essentiall possession not onelie in
some few but euen in Adam himselfe and al his posteritie or els you must grant that that possession which the diuel hath in anie it is onlie an actual possession Howsoeuer the latter be true the first you may neuer acknowledge for shame Because if the Lord created the members of our bodies for these two onelie respects namelie that they should be for euer the liuelie organons of our owne proper soules and the expresse images of him their Lord creator it is vnlikely that satan should euer haue power through the permission of God to frustrate those former effects by assuming our bodies essentiallie vnto himselfe and by applying them so forcibly to his slauish seruice in an vnuoluntarie action whether they will themselues or not Lycanthropus Why may not the Diuel for a time essentially vsurpe the possessed mans bodie to accomplish therin his Diuelish actions Physiologus The question is not what the Diuel may doe but whether he doth so essentially vsurpe vpon the possessed mans bodie as your selfe doth absurdly imagine For if an humane soule be only made capable of an humane bodie then also an humane bodie it is only made capable of an humane soule But the first in all reason is vndoubtedly true and therefore also the latter and so by consequence there can be no essential possession of spirits and Diuels Lycanthropus Why sir the scripture saith that the strong armed man possesseth his house in peace Physiologus That must only be vnderstood of an actual and of no essential possession at all I prooue it thus Satan so possesseth as Christ inuadeth his house But Christ inuadeth only effectiuely and not essentially therefore Satan he possesseth only effectiuely and not essentially Besides that if Satan essentially and inherently dwelleth in the possessed mans bodie what then for the present becomes of the soule and who must become accomptable to God for those corporall actions which are wrought in the possessed mans bodie as was shewed you before the man or the Diuel If the man how can it stand with the iustice of God to punish those things in a man whereunto he was violently enforced and drawen against his owne will If the Diuel then should something be effected in the possessed mans bodie which nothing concerneth himselfe Briefly you cannot possibly propound to your selfe any one necessarie vse or end for such an essentiall entring of Diuels into the bodies of men Lycanthropus Oh yes sir it is needfull for this special end namely that they might thereby the more fitly afflict and torment such persons as the Lord in iudgement hath committed vnto them Physiologus All this may as fitly as fully and as effectually be effected by an only actual possession as shall be shewed hereafter in the meane time you shall neuer be able to prooue your imagined real possession of Diuels while you haue any breath For if Spirites and Diuels be in deed and in truth in the possessed mans bodie then are they so either as the part in the whole or as the whole in the part or as the special in the general or as the general in the special or as the accident in the subiect and forme in the matter or as the efficient in the effect or as the intention in the end or as the thing placed in the place at the least But he is not in the possessed mans bodie according to any of these respects therefore not essentially or personally in the possessed mans bodie at all Lycanthropus Though not according to any the former respects yet are they in the possessed mans bodie as we say autoprosopos I meane euen personally not putting any other qualitie in the bodie which it had not before but only mouing and stirring the said bodie with the seueral partes to such extraordinarie operations as by the prouident disposing of God are permitted them to accomplish thereby Physiologus He is in the possessed mans bodie you say only as a mouer and stirrer vp of the same to some extraordinarie operations this is too too absurd For then he must be in that bodie either as one hypostatically ioined with that man in his essence which hypostatical vnion is only proper to Christ or els formaliter as the Schoolemen doe call it to giue an essential forme to those the entended operations and so there should be in the selfe-same subiect two essential formes at once which is too too absurd For Diuels being incorporal spirites are also inuisible impalpable insensible yea such spirituall creatures as cannot possibly be discerned by corporall sence such a substance I meane as can neither be seene nor felt nor handled nor possiblie perceiued by corporall or sensible meanes And therefore how should your selfe be able to iudge or the possessed man certeinlie know when the diuel is really and substantially inherent within his bodie as a moouer to such operations Lycanthropus The same is verie apparantly perceiued by the diuell his violent rending and tearing and such other vnnaturall and preposterous actions Physiologus This perceiuance or knowledge is giuen neither to you nor the possessed himselfe by any meanes of the diuell his essentiall being within him but by reason of his effectuall working in the possessed mans bodie By which said effectual working that selfesame rending and tearing with other like vnnaturall and preposterous actions may effectually be wrought in the man though the diuell doth neuer essentially enter into the possessed mans bodie or any part thereof Euen as also the efficacie and heate of the sunne may effectually be perceiued and felt both outwardly and inwardly and yet the verie substance of the sunne it selfe neuer essentially inherent in anie mans bodie And thus at vnawares you do fully ouerthrowe you idle supposall of an essentiall and reall possession concluding withall that the diuell hath onely an actuall or powerfull possession whereof also hereafter we will conferre to the full Lycanthropus Staie heere a while I beseech you me thinke you are somwhat ouerswift in gathering vpon me For albeit I do freely confesse that spirits and diuels are spirituall substances and therefore not sensiblie perceiued or felt of vs by any corporall or sensible meanes yet doe I not hold them for such absolute and simple substances but that they haue also their proper bodies peculiarlie appropriate to them though of another nature and farre different also from ours And therefore the diuels entring into the possessed mans bodie with those their owne bodies they may by meanes of their said bodies so violently worke in the possessed maus bodie as that their essentiall being therein may easily be discerned of others and verie sensiblie also perceiued of the possessed himselfe Physiologus A man had need to be swift in gathering when he lighteth vpon one so lauish in laying abroad For besides your conclusion heere against your owne cause you do flatly discent a fresh from that we concluded before in our first conference concerning the
which is too too absurd as was told you before Lycanthropus I wonder you are so peremptory in denying this point I hauing not onely the Philosophers as you heard euen now but ecclesiastical fathers both old and new on my side Orthodoxus Your philosophers they shoote faire and farre off as you also haue heard euen now You say you haue fathers both old and new on your side let vs see first whether your old fathers doe come any neerer the marke Lycanthropus First Origen he flatly affirmeth that spirits and diuels are endued with their proper bodies Orthodoxus Origen if that booke be his owne is not to be regarded concerning this question because therein he doth nothing but play the Platonist iumpingfull patte with Psellus in euerie point And therefore he deserueth none other answere then that which was giuen to those other before Let vs heare more authentical fathers or end the discourse Lycanthropus Hilarie he saith there is nothing which in it owne substance and in respect of creation is not corporall And therefore spirits and diuels they hauing their substance and being created are also corporall Orthodoxus Hilarie he saith so indeed but giues no one reason of saying so It is not enough for your selfe to crie out and say Hilarie he speakes it vnlesse Hilarie also doth prooue what he speake which he doth not in the place you alleage He onely propoundeth the matter without any proofe and may easily be answered thus The soule of man it hath her substance and was also created and yet incorporall For or euer it was infused into the bodie and after the dissolution thereof it doth substantially exist and is also immortall accomplishing continually her animall operations Neither needes shee an humane bodie in any respect of her proper essentiall being but onely in regard of her organicall operations as was shewed before And therefore Hilarie he helpes you nothing at all Lycanthropus Tertullian verie plainely affirmeth Angels and spirites to haue their peculiar bodies Orthodoxus Whatsoeuer Tertullian saith there concerning this question the Schoolemen they doe excuse and qualifie his speech on this sort They say that Tertullian by the name of bodie vnderstandeth onely the spirituall substance of Angels and nothing else And this he doth saie they in an onely regard of the simplicitie of that people with whom he delt who helde that nothing coulde possibly exist in nature without a bodie Tertullian therefore in that onely regard did purposely call the substances of spirites and diuels by the name of a bodie Lycanthropus Yea but Tertullian auoucheth further that God himselfe is also a bodie and therefore much more that spirits and diuels they haue their bodies His wordes be these Who will deny God himselfe to be a bodie although God indeed be a spirit Orthodoxus This is so farre from confuting as it rather confirmes that qualification which the Schoolemen doe make Namely that by the worde bodie Tertullian vnderstandeth nothing but the spirituall and simple substance of spirits and diuels Besides that it is one thing to be a bodie and another to haue a bodie Tertullian saith onely that God is a bodie he saith not there that God hath a bodie Lycanthropus Notwithstanding all this he saith elsewhere that spirits and diuels are corporall his reason is because the soules of men are also corporall Orthodoxus Herein his pouerty bewraieth it selfe being constrained as you see to beg his cause wherin also he would proue the same by the same namely corporall spirits by corporal soules Howbeit we haue proued before do here affirm it a fresh that the soules of men they are incorporal and therefore by consequence spirits and diuels they are not corporal but spiritual substances Besides all this Augustine verie flatly affirmeth that the incorporall doe differ fully from corporall substances and denieth withall that whatsoeuer is created the same is a bodie yea he sharpely reprehendeth and derideth Tertullian for auouching the soules of men to be corporall And in the end he thinks it too too absurd to hold that a reasonable soule should be a bodie in any respect because the same is onely and altogether incorporall And thus you may plainely perceiue by Augustine how vnfitly Tertullian doth fit your turne Exorcistes But Augustine himselfe elsewhere verie flatly affirmeth that all reasonable creatures are corporall substances yea and that euen the intellectuall creatures namely Angels spirits and diuels are euerie of them also corporall powers howsoeuer they subsist not of flesh and bloud Orthodoxus How Augustine agreeth with Augustine your selfe may plainely perceiue and therein also may wisely consider what credit consists in such varietie But that your Augustine may also receiue his answere let vs heare his argument whereby he would prooue spirits and diuels to be corporall substances Lycanthropus He reasoneth thus We doe therefore affirme the intellectuall powers to be corporall substances onely because they are circumscribed with place euen as humane soules are also inclosed with bodies Orthodoxus This is his argument Whatsoeuer is circumscribed with place that same is corporall but spirits and diuels they are circumscribed with place therefore spirits and diuels they are corporall I answere the proposition is faultie and halteth downe right For the localitie of spirits and diuels doth not simply depend vpon a bodie which after it owne manner I meane circumscriptiuely and sensibly is no doubt in a place but it ariseth properly from the finitouesse and dimensiuenesse of the angelicall nature it selfe Which said angelicall nature being created of God is therefore but finite and circumscribed also with those her owne termes which are competent and proper vnto her And therefore the intellectuall powers they are in a place because they be finite substances although yet they are in a place but definitiuely or determinately So then spirites and diuels you see they are vndoubtedly in a place because they be locall but they are therefore said to be local not because they be corporall as Augustine imagineth but for that being finite they haue their muchnesse or quantity after a sort I meane no predicamental but an intelligible quantity And therefore Augustine he speaketh soundly you see against Tertullian but proueth your purpose nothing at al. Exorcistes But the author of the Ecclesiasticall opinions writeth plainely that we must beleeue nothing to be incorporall or inuisible but onely God Who alone is truely said to be incorporall because he is euery where present replenishing al things and therefore also inuisible to euery creature because he is incorporall His first argument is framed thus Whatsoeuer is incorporall that same is euery where because vbiquity is the cause of incorporality But spirits and diuels they are not euery where therefore spirits and diuels they are not incorporal Orthodoxus The proposition with his prosyllogisme halteth downe right the same being a deceaueable Elench making that the cause which is not properly the
therefore they are euerie of them called Angels as it were by a Christian name Culmannus he saith that Angels are not corporall but spiritual substances because they be spirits For a spirit is not a substance consicting of elements or hauing flesh and bones in which onely respect the Scriptures do call them ministring spirits Briefly Bernard he saith the verie wals are vnable to withstand the Angelicall spirits but that all bodies how solide or palpable soeuer they are vnto them verie penetrable Loe heere we haue summoned a grand-Iurie of ancient Fathers who haue all with one generall consent giuen vp their verdit concerning the non being of corporall spirites and diuels Go to therefore Lycanthropus what say you them Lycanthropus I saie they are all good men and true Orthodoxus Waell then I hope you will yeeld this question namely that spirites and diuels they haue not materiall bodies peculiar to their essentiall being but are altogither simple and incorporall substances and that therefore their essentiall being in men if the same should be granted can neuer be perceiued by corporall sense and so by consequence no corporall possession at all Lycanthropus I yeeld no such matter vnto you Orthodoxus Why man it was the determination of that grand-Iurie of Fathers whom you acknowledge for good men and true Whereupon their verdit was foorthwith authentically recorded and may not now by any orderly course be reuersed Lycanthropus It may be they were to inconsiderate and rash in giuing their verdite and therefore let vs heare your Laterane Councell concerning this matter in question Orthodoxus What man must the credit of a grand-Iurie of Catholike Fathers be made to depend vpon the approbation of a generall Councell Well then the Laterane Councell doth flatly confirme that Angels or spirits they are incorporall created of God and were not eternall before al beginnings but created onely in time By all the premisses then you may plainly perceiue by swaie of argument by plaine euidence of Scripture by authoritie of Fathers yea and by the whole consent of a generall Councell that spirits and diuels are incorporall substances and that therefore if diuels doe essentially enter into the bodies of men as your selfe do fondly imagine they enter not so by any bodies of their owne because they haue no bodies at all Lycanthropus Whether diuels haue bodies or no bodies it makes no great matter verie certaine I am they haue a reall possession in men and I prooue it thus Spirites and diuels they can essentially assume to themselues true naturall bodies therefore they can essentially enter into the possessed mans bodie Orthodoxus Are you fledde on the sodaine from the diuell his reall possessing of bodies to his essentiall assuming of bodies Can you find no fast footing to setle your selfe vpon that you thus plodde hether and thither from point to point as a man fearefully distracted or suddenly fallen in a maze Lycanthropus Yes sir I haue fast footing I warrant you for whatsoeuer I hold although yet now I rather desire to heare what you are able to say concerning the diuell his essentiall assuming of true naturall bodies Orthodoxus Well then I perceiue your store is not great being thus constrained to spend on the stocke Howbeit because this matter wil craue a longer discourse then the present time will affoord let vs therefore goe take our naturall rest and meet here againe betimes in the morning to discourse this point to the full Physiologus Your motion is good for vs all Philologus Very true as you say And therefore we three wil repaire to our Innes to take our rest and meete you God willing to morrow by six of the clocke Orthodoxus Wel then let vs forthwith arise and depart The end of the third Dialogue The fourth Dialogue THE ARGVMENT Whether Spirits and Diuels can assume to themselues true naturall bodies What bodies they are said to assume and how those Scriptures are to be vnderstood which be for this purpose produced The speakers names PHILOLOGVS LYCANTHROPVS PNEVMATOMACHVS PHYSIOLOGVS ORTHODOXVS EXORCISTES Philologus LYcanthropus I haue this night in my sleepe beene so strangely troubled about thy last argument as if thou take heed to thy selfe I verily beleeue thou wilt giue them the foile Lycanthropus I am so perswaded my selfe howbeit if I be conquered therein I haue another in store that will trouble them more then that by a thousand fold Pneumatomachus Make much of your arguments against the intended skirmish and all little enough for you are to encounter with sharpe sighted aduersaries Lycanthropus Be as sharpe as they will they shall be sure to receiue as hot as they bring But behold where they come Orthodoxus What sirs God giue you good morrow You haue preuented our purpose which was to haue perused an author or twaine before your comming Howbeit sith you are all so readie Goe to Lycanthropus propound your argument to vs. Lycanthropus I propound it thus Spirits and Diuels they can essentially assume to themselues true naturall bodies therefore they can essentially enter into the possessed mans bodie Physiologus We haue hetherto denied and your selfe was vnable to prooue any reall or substantiall possession at all and would you now thus cunningly insinuate some essentiall entrance of diuels vnder the pretence of assumed bodies Which assuming of bodies if it should be denied would perhaps be as hard to prooue as any the points before Philologus What sir would you beare vs in hand it were hard to prooue that the diuell can assume to himselfe a bodie That was neuer yet doubted of any and dare your selfe vndertake to denie the same Physiologus I vndertake no absolute deniall thereof but onely do here make it a Question Howbeit sith your selues are so resolute concerning this point doe tell me what bodie the diuell doth assume to himselfe Whether a true naturall or phantasticall bodie Pneumatomachus Surely a true natural bodie or none at all Physiologus If a true naturall bodie then tell me further whether it be a bodie created before or to be newly created Lycanthropus It is a bodie created before Physiologus If you hold it a bodie created before then tell me yet further whether you take it to be a liuing or dead mans bodie Exorcistes I take it to be some liuing mans bodie if any at all else how should it possibly serue the diuels purpose Physiologus I woonder you should so grossely imagine an impossible matter For where hath the diuell receiued power from the Lord to dispossesse liuing soules of their organicall bodies And what must become of that liuing mans soule all the while the diuell assumeth his bodie it selfe to serue his mischieuous purpose Moreouer it is verie absurde to suppose that the diuell can possibly assume to himselfe any liuing mans bodie Because the Lord hath so vnchangeably established such an inseperable vnion betweene the soule and bodie of a liuing man as vnlesse the bodie and soule be substantially vnited
it is not woorth a rush Beleeue me I wot not what to say in the matter Lycanthropus Neither do I my selfe I assure thee Orthodoxus Well then hauing answered your arguments concerning the diuell his essentiall assuming of bodies Let vs now heare your seuerall authorities if you haue any Lycanthropus I haue authorities some Howbeit either such as are answered before or such as doe but barely propound without any proofe or such at the least as your selfe by your subtile newe coined distinction of essentially and effectiuely will easily shift ouer And therefore I had as leaue they lay still as rise vp and fall Orthodoxus Let them rise vp or lie still at your pleasure for me Howbeit to the end your selfe and the rest do not vniustlie surmize that I seeke to shift ouer your forces by subtile distinctions yea and those also such as I haue newly coined my selfe I am therefore verie well willing the maister of sentences determine this point if it please you to heare him and so may you see the distinction is not new but renued Exorcistes You shall doe vs all a very great fauour therein Orthodoxus Marke then and you shall heare him at large This also saith he is woorthie due consideration namely Whether spirites and Diuels corporal or incorporal doe substantially enter into the bodies of men and essentially slip into their mindes or whether only they are therefore said to enter into men for that by the permission of God they doe exercise in them the force and effect of their malice by oppressing and vexing them or by haling them headlong into sinne at their pleasures That they enter into men and being expelled perforce goe out of them againe the Gospel doth plainly declare affirming that Diuels being entred into some were cast forth by our Sauiour Christ. Howbeit whether they entred into them substantially or rather were said to be in them effectiuely there lieth the point and the same is not yet apparant vnto vs. Gennadius entreating hereof saith thus We beleeue not that the Diuels by an effectual operation doe substantially or essentially enter into the minde but rather by an effectual application and by a violent oppression are neerely vnited vnto them For essentially to slip into the mind is onely possible for him who alone created the minde who subsisting of his owne nature and being also incorporal is capable alone of his creature Loe hereby saith he is insinuated vnto vs that serpents and Diuels doe not essentially slip or enter into the mindes of men Beda in like manner vpon that in the Actes where Peter said to Ananias why hath Satan filled thy hart writeth thus It would be throughly considered that nothing can replenish or fill vp the minde of a man substantially saue only the creating Trinitie who according to the operation and instinct of his owne will doth alone replenish and satisfie the minde with all things created Howbeit Satan also he filleth the hart of a man not by entring substantially into the man or into any his senses neither yet by insinuating himselfe essentially into his hart for that power if any such be appertaineth only to God but by craftie and fraudulent guile he draweth the minde through a malitious effect and by his sugred charmes into a whirlepoole of euils and by that meanes he filleth the hart Thus farre he Wherein you may plainly perceiue that this Distinction was not newly coyned by me but concluded of old and that also I auouch no more in this matter then others haue affirmed before me Philologus Beleeue me sir this iumpeth in euery respect so patte with your proper opinion as a man might iustly imagine the one had begotten the other But are there any moe of this mind Orthodoxus Yea Chrysostome he saith the Diuel compelleth not by force nor essentially toucheth any but saith only cast downe thy selfe backward For suggest he may but compell he cannot And therefore saith Lyra the Diuel he is called a deafe and a dumbe spirit not formally but effectiuely in that by a powerfull operation he maketh men deafe and dumbe For Torment or vengeance saith Musculus is only in Gods hand and not in the hand of the Diuel The Diuel hath in deede a ministerie but no arbitrarie power Now then the ministerie it consists not of an absolute auctoritie but of a subiected seruitude And albeit saith Gregorie the depraued will of Satan be euer vniust yet his deputed power is neuer vniust because although he hath a will of himselfe yet hath he his power onely from God And therefore whatsoeuer he desireth to worke vniustly that if at any time he effect it God permitteth most iustly So then the Diuel ought neuer to be vniustly feared because he is vnable any further to deale then he himselfe is permitted Briefly Hermes Trismegistus very confidently auoucheth that an humane soule cannot receiue any other then an humane bodie neither yet can it light into a bodie that wanteth reason of minde From whence we may argue thus If an humane soule be capable only of an humane bodie then also an humane bodie is capable only of an humane soule and so by consequence vncapable of an essentiall Diuel but the first is true by Trismegistus his iudgement and therefore also the latter And in very deed seeing Satans assaults are spirituall why should we imagine saith Skot that the Diuel who is a spirit and therefore inuisible and insensible can be sensibly seene knowen perceiued or felt essentially of a naturall man Or that he should contrarie to his nature become corporal being by Gods appointment ordeined and created to a spirituall proportion They that doe thus vnderstand things spoken of the Diuel according onely to the literal sense they may as well conclude that trees in times past did call a parlament speake one to another and choose them a king by mutuall consent Thus then these and many others you see doe iointly conclude concerning this point Physiologus These are sufficient to satisfie such as are not wilfully wedded to their willes Pneumatomachus Surely for my owne part I rest fully â—atisfied Philologus And for my part also I am quite out of doubt But Lycanthropus you told Pneumatomachus me in the beginning of this our present discourse that if this argument taken from the diuel his assuming of bodies would not suffice to proue an essentiall possession of diuels you had another in store that would trouble Maister Orthodoxus more then this doth by a thousand fold It were good you propounded the same Orthodoxus Very true And therefore if you imagine you haue something in store which may make more for your purpose propound it and spare not Lycanthropus This then it is Spirits and diuels they can essentially transforme themselues into any true naturall body and therefore they can also essentially enter into the possessed mans body Orthodoxus What are you fled on the suddaine from
assuming of bodies to the transforming of bodies your store then I perceiue is not great and it seemes you are almost drawen dry Howbeit because the handling of this point will craue a large discourse Let vs therefore breake off for the present And hauing with some small pittance refreshed our selues then wil we conferre hereof to the full til dinner be readie if you like of the offer Pneumatomachus Sir we like whatsoeuer you feele best for your selfe and therefore respect your owne health and we three in the meane time will repaire to our Innes and after will meet you afresh Orthodoxus Nay surely as we haue iointly ioyned together in spirituall repast so will we not sunder our selues in our corporall sustenance all the while our controuersie continueth And therefore if you doe like the thinne diet of schollers let vs in Gods name goe all together Philologus It is much to troublesome vnto you and chargeable both but sith you wil haue it so we will all iontly attend on your person Orthodoxus Let vs then arise and depart The end of the fourth Dialogue The fifth Dialogue THE ARGVMENT Whether Spirits and Diuels can essentially transforme themselues into any true naturall bodie And how those places of Scripture are to be taken which manie produce for that purpose The speakers names PHILOLOGVS LYCANTHROPVS PNEVMATOMACHVS PHYSIOLOGVS ORTHODOXVS EXORCISTES Orthodoxus SIth nature by the good blessing of God is something refreshed let vs now for a while keepe close in my parlour with ful purpose to proceede in our conference till dinner be ready and then after walke forth in the aire to recreate our spirits Physiologus With very good will and therefore linger not the time but go an end in your purpose Orthodoxus Goe to then Lycanthropus repeate your argument Lycanthropus I repeate it thus Spirits and diuels they can essentially transforme themselues into any true naturall body therefore they can also essentially enter into the possessed mans body Orthodoxus Proue your antecedent Lycanthropus What sir do you flatly denie that the diuell can essentially transforme himselfe into what bodie he please I am fully resolued to hold this point whatsoeuer be said to the contrarie Orthodoxus Your vnreasonable resolution is vnto vs no reasonable conclusion neither is the question betweene vs what you wil hold but what you are able to prooue concerning this point And albeit I doubt nothing at al but that you for your owne part will hold verie much till it comes to the pinch yet we hope you will change your purpose if once you be made to perceiue that none but your selfe are of this opinion Lycanthropus Yes sir all the world I am sure iumpes pat with me in this point and verie certeine I am I shall gaine your consent to the same in the end Orthodoxus Howsoeuer you seeme confident in the common consent of the world your gaine I assure you is not like to be great by any such a supposed grant as you haplie imagine from me Lycanthropus Will you not grant that diuels may essentially transforme themselues into what bodies they please Physiologus Master Orthodoxus let me answere this point if you please Come on Lycanthropus what is the thing you would haue granted vnto you Lycanthropus Why this namely that diuels may essentially transforme themselues into a true naturall bodie Physiologus Such a grant we may yeeld you at no hand because euen Philosophie her selfe is flat opposite to it who will neuer admit any such a confused participation of essentiall formes For as essence it selfe is impartible and vndeuidable or rather a certaine incommunicable and singular matter so surely the essence and vnitie of things being preserued intier essentiall formes they cannot possiblie be cnumōicated transferred or passed ouer from that substance it selfe whereof they are formes into any other substance or matter to giue the same also an essentiall forme Because not onely the constituting forming or framing but euen also the destruction of substances doth essentially arise from the forme it selfe And looke whereunto there is giuen a forme conuenient and proportionable to one onely essence thereunto also must necessarily be giuen an vndoubted true essence Because a proper forme is the principall part of essence yea and as some learned Philosophers doe flatly affirme it is the whole essence or nature of the thing it selfe And therefore if spirits and diuels be at any time essentially transformed into men then do they foorthwith cease for that time to be spirits and diuels and may truely be said to be men Lycanthropus I doe not well conceiue your meaning Physiologus I will further explaine it thus If there be any such essentiall transforming of spirits and diuels into men as your selfe doth imagine then vndoubtedly that selfe same essentiall transformation it is either according to the body alone or according to the body and soule together If according to the body alone then that selfe same transformed body it should at one and the selfe same time become both the body of a man and the body of a diuell which were to to absurde to imagine If according to the body and soule together then either the whole man both body soule must be essentially transformed into the very essence and nature of a diuell or the diuell he must needes be essentially transformed into the very naturall body and soule of a man at the least which none but mad-men will euer affirme Againe if that essentiall transformation be effected according to the body alone then howsoeuer that selfe same body be not for the present the body of a man but is wholy transformed into the very essence and nature of a diuell yet the soule of that man must either be forced to forsake his owne body and so bring present death to the body it selfe because death is nothing else but the dissolution of soule and bodie or else the same soule it must necessarily passe from out of it owne body into the very essence of a diuell and so by consequence there must needes be a meere confusion of spirituall substances or two essentiall formes in one and the selfe same body at once which were absurde to auouch and vtterly impossible by any created power to be euer effected Lycanthropus Let Phylosophie be opposite or what she will very certaine I am the diuell can essentially transforme him selfe into any true naturall body Physiologus What man will you in deed oppose your selfe to true Phylosophie then I perceiue you respect not at all the operations and powers of nature But goe to let master Orthodoxus heare what one reason you haue in true diuinitie to mannage your said resolution Lycanthropus What one reason quoth you why man the diuell he can essentially transforme him selfe into an Angell of light therefore how much more into any true naturall body Orthodoxus You are mightily mis-led herein by mistaking the word metaschemarizetai That is to say he transmuted transfashioned
you now fled from your idle conceit of essentiall possessions to the supposed actuall possessions of spirits and diuels this as it argueth euidently great want of munition to mannage that matter so it haleth vs perforce to follow your footings awhile in these your wandring vagaries that so being forcibly beaten from all hope of recouering your former hold you may be forced at the lenght to yeeld vp the conquest in the open field Howbeit this question I perceiue doth craue a larger discourse then the present time will afoord especially our dinner being now in a readinesse and staying vpon vs. Let vs therefore for the present put an ende to our speech till we haue refreshed our selues with the good blessings of God and then afterwards walke foorth and conferre of this point to the full Pneumatomachus Sir you may account vs for bold and impudent guests that are thus troublesome and chargeable to you Orthodoxus My ministerie is allotted to these kinde of troubles and my cheare I account well bestowed vpon such sort of guests therefore make no more strangenes but arise and goe with me Philologus We praise God for your kindnes and care concerning our bodies and soules and therefore doe thankfully accept of your offer and dutifully attend on your person Orthodoxus Let vs then arise and depart The end of the fifth Dialogue The sixth Dialogue THE ARGVMENT Of actuall possession what it is And whether the diuels now in these dates of the Gospell do actually possesse either the minde or the bodie by an extraordinarie afflicting or vexing The speakers names PHILOLOGVS LYCANTHROPVS PNEVMATOMACHVS PHYSIOLOGVS ORTHODOXVS EXORCISTES Orthodoxus HAuing blessed the Lord for his benefits the choice shal be yours whether you will walke foorth abroad or keepe close in my Parlour and conferre there of the question for one or two howers Physiologus Sir you remember the Prouerbe After dinner sit a while and after supper walke a mile The which as it accordeth verie fitly with the rules of Physicke so will it be a furtherance to the maine purpose it selfe which we haue in hand Orthodoxus You say verie well Goe to therefore Exorcistes proceed in your purpose and tell vs what you hold concerning this point Exorcistes This I haue hitherto and yet still doe confidently holde That the diuell euen in these daies of the Gospell hath an actuall possession in men Orthodoxus Well then before you produce your proofes let vs first put downe the question it selfe in it proper termes that so we may the better perceiue the verie point of your purpose Lycanthropus I pray you proceed in that course Orthodoxus With verie good will For so the matter controuersed betweene vs may more fitly be comprehended within the true bounds of an orderly conference Philologus A verie conuenient course in my proper conceit Pneumatomachus I am iust of your minde Exorcistes Neither know I of any one that dissents from the same Tell vs therefore I praie you what is actuall possession Orthodoxus The actuall possession is that effectuall working power wherewith the diuels by an operatiue permission of God doe extraordinarily and in most woonderfull manner afflict molest torment and vexe some speciall persons in a speciall iudgement of God put ouer vnto them for that speciall purpose Wherein we haue first to obserue the primarie efficient cause namely the speciall purpose and iudgement of God Then next the secondary efficient cause I meane the effectuall working power of the diuell Thirdly the materiall cause that is to say the affliction the torment and vexation it selfe Fourthly the formall cause namely an extraordinarie manner of working And lastly the finall cause I meane some speciall purpose of God best knowen to his wisedome Lycanthropus How manifold I pray you is this actuall possession Orthodoxus It is twofold namely either mentall or corporall Lycanthropus What meane you by the mental-actuall possession Orthodoxus My meaning is not that the diuell doth really enter and essentially or inherently dwel in the possessed mans minde which we denied before when we conferred of the real-mentall possession but that he doth onely actually afflict and effectiuelie torment the possessed mans minde Lycanthropus What meane you by actually afflicting the possessed mans minde Orthodoxus By actually afflicting I vnderstand the effectuall and powerfull operation wherewith the diuell for the present doth so fearefully molest and so strangely depriue the possessed mans minde it selfe from the present vse of all reason as he makes him euen senseles and woode verie violently to rush headlong into fire and water and outragiouslie to runne vpon desperate aduentures Lycanthropus And what call you the corporall actuall possession Orthodoxus I call the corporall actuall possession that ineuitable working power whereby the diuels doe actually torment and vexe the whole or some speciall part of the possessed mans bodie Lycanthropus What meane you by actually tormenting the whole or some part of the bodie Orthodoxus My meaning is that the diuels for the present doe either powerfully disable the whole or some part of the possessed mans bodie from the orderly accomplishment of their peculiar and ordinarie operations appointed of God by depriuing the said body foorthwith of seeing of hearing of speaking of walking by bowing and bending togither or do otherwaies verie effectually enable the saide bodie or the seuerall parts thereof with some extraordinarie and vnnaturall force for the fearefull effecting of many outragious and most mischieuous practises Namely the remaining day night among graues the knapping in sunder of chaines a violent rending and tearing a tumbling headlong into fiers and waters a scriking a wallowing a foaming and leauing for dead Pneumatomachus These actuall possessions are fearefull possessions Orthodoxus They are so I confesse But what saith Exorcistes to those things that be spoken Exorcistes Sir the description which you haue made of actuall possession with those her seuerall kindes I approoue in euery point But tell me in good earnest do you absolutely denie euery such actuall possession Orthodoxus I doe freely acknowledge that the same was vndoubtedly in vse in the daies of Christ howbeit I do flatly deny any further continuance thereof now in this time of the Gospell Exorcistes Men may denie the sunne-shine at mid-daie if they coulde beare vs in hand we were blinde Orthodoxus And men may affirme the moone to be made of a greene cheese if they could make vs beleeue what they list Howbeit affirme what you will we are commanded to search the scriptures and to trie out your spirit before we beleeue you Licanthropus Good maister Orthodoxus resolue vs I praie you in this so intricate and doubtfull a matter for al men do acknowledge and my selfe hath hitherto euer held the actuall possession of diuels Orthodoxus I do neither respect what the most men acknowledge nor greatly regard what your selfe do hold so long as I haue truth on my side We must not runne after a
as he please For if he be anie waies able there is no doubt of his willingnes in working of mischiefe That if he hath done them before at Mahgnitton he is then able to doe them againe my reason is this namely for that euerie art or action presupposeth alwaies an essentiall power in the artist or actor himselfe Your Apologie therefore reporting as it doth for infallible truth that the diuell in the yoongman at Mahgnitton either did or could possibly accomplish such impossible actions you your selfe must be able to demonstrate by what possible meanes he might possibly effect them which I verily supposse you cannot possibly doe For this you may not be ignorant of that to euery action is required the faculty and ability of the agent the aptnesse of the patient or subiect with a conuenient and possible application of true matter and forme Now then first for the diuel the supposed agent of those your impossible actions he is not omnipotent but an impotent a finite and circumscriptible spirit and his power whatsoeuer it dependeth vpon the analogy and consonancy of his mind and body if he had any at all Howbeit with his mind he can doe no more but vnderstand and will and with his body if he had any at all he could accomplish no more then the very bounds and ends of corporall sense would suffer and the faculty of his nature extendeth vnto and therefore his naturall power whatsoeuer it cannot possibly stretch foorth it selfe to the powerfull effecting of any such supernaturall actions as doe infinitely surmount his naturall and finite faculty his sense his vnderstanding and will So then here wanteth you see first the faculty and power of the efficient it selfe for the possible effecting of those impossible actious wherewith you would mannage your pretended actuall possession Whereupon I infer that if no such supernaturall power at all may be prooued in the diuel his supposed possession then no such supernaturall actions in truth may possibly proceede from the same notwithstanding any your printed reports For in all reason there can be no greater vertue in the thing caused then is in the cause it selfe or in that which proceedes from the benefit of the cause But you in your printed apology doe make the diuel his supposed actuall possession the principall effiâ—ient cause of all such supernaturall actions as were ministerially effected you say by the yong man at Mahgnitton and therefore the said power being finite you cannot possibly conclude from thence any such admirable matters as you would beare vs in hand Neither may you conscionably perswade vs to entertaine for sound truth whatsoeuer you report concerning that point especially if we will credit our owne experience and sense vnabused the rules of philosophy and sound diuinity Now next for any aptnesse in the yoong man at Mahgnitton whom in any wise you will haue the proper patient or subiect of those strang and impossible actions how should there possibly be found in him any aptnesse or inclination at all to any such supernaturall matters he himselfe being but a meere naturall creature consisting naturally of body and soule endued onely with meere naturall faculties and circumscribed no dout with meere naturall bonds And therefore you see it is vtterly impossible for him to haue any further aptnesse or inclination that way then his naturall faculty extendeth vnto and may possibly proceede from the very sway and reache of his owne proper nature Briefly concerning some conuenient and possible application of true matter and forme for the orderly effecting of those your supposed supernaturall actions such a conuenient and possible application is much more impossible then any of the rest Both because no such true matter for those your supposed supernaturall actions was euer preexisting in nature and for that also the true forme it selfe for a conuenient and possible application thereof must needs be supernaturall surmounting by much the naturall power of the diuel And so by consequence those your printed reports they are you see no sound demonstrations to conclude vnto vs the certeine truth of such supposed supernaturall actions Exorcistes Why are you so loth to beleeue that which so many beheld with their eies Physiologus Because I see not how they should possibly behold that with their eies which you would haue me beleeue with my hart contrary to diuinity to philosophy to physick to nature to law and to conscience 1. For first the working of miracles in all sound diuinity is ceased long since neither was the diuel euer able to effect any miracle whatsoeuer he pretended in outwarde appearance 2. Besides that no one reason in all Philosophie may possibly be yeelded for the confirmation of a matter so impossible in reason 3. Againe howsoeuer the yoong man was said to vse ointments in working his feates yet verie certeine I am that no one Physicall receipt may by arte be prescribed for the possible effecting of such impossible actions 4. Nether yet may a circumscribed nature at any hand extend herselfe beyond her owne naturall bounds to the admirable accomplishment of such supernaturall matters 5. Moreouer because there is nothing possible in Law which in nature it selfe is absurd and impossible the Iudge therefore notwithstanding any thing confessed before by the parties he is not to attend or regard whatsoeuer those partiall reporters haue published in print or otherwaies reported to be done by the diuel at Mahgnitton but he must strictly examine and in equitie alowe rather of that thing which is substantially prooued to haue in deed and in truth by him beene effected or which at the least might naturally and possiblie fall within the full power of the agent to do 6. Lastly whatsoeuer the yoong-man may haplie report concerning the supposed accomplishment of any such supernaturall actions by himselfe or the diuell he is not in conscience to be beleeued therein whether his iudgement be sound or vnsound I mean whether he be wel or but wild in his wits For first be it supposed the man were sound in his iudgement yea and so well in his wits as possiblie he might be yet were there no conscience at all to credite a cousoning companion so vnconscionablie auouching such incredible actions But if as may rather be deemed he was someway intoxicated or not well in his wittes when he reported such matters abroad then tell me what conscience or what wisdome it were to credite for infallible truth the crazie confession of a crazie weake braine in matters especially so absurd and so opposite to the orderly course of nature For this I take to be Lawe namely that when the errour of iudgement or the blindnes of will dependeth vpon some secret disease or naturall infirmitie the mens actions then in such kind of cases are in all tender compassion to be carefully pitied but their confessions at no band to be conscionablie credited
power of the word being preached powerfully among them And this also either by working effectually vpon the hearers infirmities namely vpon their naturall blindnes dumbenes deafenes as also by making their eares without hearing or otherwaies by practizing all possible resistance against the powerfull preaching and preachers themselues Howbeit this his resistance against the power of the word and preachers thereof is not alwaies effected after one and the selfesame manner For sometimes he vseth an inward and sometimes an outward resistance By inward resistance he laboureth chiefely either to make the holy word it selfe vnfit for mens mindes and this sometimes by stealing the word from out of their harts sometimes by corrupting the puritie of the word it selfe through a confused mixture of his cockell and darnell sometimes by peruerting the true purpose and sense of the Scripture it selfe and sometimes also by calling in question the certaintie and truth of the word Or if notwithstanding these the aforesaid meanes he cannot possibly make the holy word vnfit for mens mindes then he taketh a quite contrarie course and endeuoureth to make mens mindes at least vnfit for the word And this partly by entring effectually into their harts and so filling them full of all iniquitie partly by circumuenting their harts so violently as no preaching at all may poâ—â—ibly penetrate or pearce thorough the same partly by prophaning their harts with the filthie pollutions of profits and pleasures and partly also by insnaring and captiuating their harts so powerfully as they may not possibly be brought to acknowledge the truth And this in effect for his inward resistance His outward resistance against the power of the word and preachers thereof is partly by faire meanes and partly by foule meanes By faire meanes first And this especially by making some outward faire shew concerning the holy religion professed or otherwaies by fawning vpon the professors themselues with an holy pretence of wishing their good By fowle meanes also he withstands the power of the word and preachers thereof And this especially either by sifting and winnowing the professours thereof as was shewed before or by entangling and intrapping them by some manner of meanes or by a Iudas-like and trecherous betraying of their persons states or by procuring fiery trials persecutions and troubles against them or by committing the professours themselues vnto prison or lastly by an outragious tortoring racking tormenting and killing of their bodies outright Loe these in effect are the most principall meanes whereby Satan effecteth his power of obsession without any actuall possession at all Exorcistes Good sir I beseech you beware what you doe And so much the rather because this your absolute deniall of actuall possessions will open a wide doore vnto Atheisme and loozen the reines of our vnruly affections to an irreligious licentious and dissolute carriage For let men but once heare they are free from all bodily danger of diuels and what will they not foorthwith aduenture Orthodoxus Nay rather this your obstinate auouching of actuall possession it the verie high way vnto Atheisme to an irreligious behauiour and all carnall securitie For by making men verie idlely to gaze as they do at an imagined actuall possession of diuels when no such matter in deed and in truth may soundly be prooued what doe you else in effect but lull the whole world fast a sleepe in the cradell of carnall securitie Yea and which more is by this meanes you make men forgetfull and carelesse of Satan his pernicious power of obsession wherein lieth couertly enfolded a very pestilent poyson and most deadly confection for bodie and soule Neither may you more fitly pleasure the diuell nor more fully make him beholding vnto you in any thing else then in vpholding for him as you do a falslie imagined actuall possession For by this meanes the mysterie of iniquitie doth more freely and more forciblie worke in the mindes of men and the diuell may more easily seduce their soules at vnwares by vsing at his pleasure the power which he hath while the whole worlde at their pleasure so improuidently and so carelesly stand musing vpon an imagned power which he hath not indeed And herein the subtile dealing of Satan is nothing inferiour to the craftie bird-catcher who while the silie poore birdes sit prying at and playing with the whirligig or staling before them doth cunningly clap them vp at vnawares in his net and nippes them all dead in the head Howbeit that which is spoken may fully suffice I perceiue for a caueat herein you your selfe being thus driuen as you are into a maruelous maze concerning the matters in question For these your idle vagaries and often startings aside from the purpose propounded do import a woonderfull defect in your skill or implie a maruelous distrust in your cause at the least Exorcistes Nothing lesse I assure you For I am resolute as before in the actuall possession of diuels which may yet more effectually be prooued thus I draue out the diuell from the yoongman at Mahgnitton and therefore the yoongman no doubt was actually possessed before Orthodoxus And I disprooue it effectually thus The yoongman at Maghnitton was neuer actually possessed of satan and therefore you did not nor could not possibly driue foorth the diuell from him For how is it possible you should dispossesse the diuell of that partie whom indeed in truth he neuer possessed Howbeit this question fals foorth verie fitly for another discourse wherein shall be purposely put downe the verie true meanes for subduing the power of diuels Notwithstanding the time now is farre spent and our Supper doth stay on our comming therefore Let vs goe and refresh our selues with such repast as God sends and afterwards conferre of the point for an hower or twaine if you please Otherwaies I must put ouer the perfecting of our present discourse till some other appointed season because the next day if God will I must sequester my selfe to some other more priuate meditations for the Saboth daies exercise Lycanthropus And we also our selues must returne homewards to morrow vpon vrgent occasion Howbeit we are all verie loth to leaue the matter so raw as it is and therefore if it please Exorcistes and the rest of the companie we will rather loose an howers sleepe or two then goe home vnresolued herein Exorcistes I am for mine owne part verie willing thereto and so much I dare say for the rest Orthodoxus Let vs then arise and depart The end of the seuenth Dialogue The eight Dialogue THE ARGVMENT Of the vndoubted true force for the timely subduing of this the forenamed power of the Diuell Whether anie created meanes may therein preuaile yea and whether praier and fasting haue in them selues any power to effect such a worke The speakers names PHILOLOGVS LYCANTHROPVS PNEVMATOMACHVS
no vndoubted true signes of any dispossessing of Satan But in all the adiurations which concerne the aforesaid examples there was no crying aloude no rending sore nor no leauing as dead therefore in all the adiurations which concerne the aforesaid examples there were no vndouted true signes of the dispossessing of satan Thus then it is very apparant you see by all the premisses that vnlesse you will purposely fall into palpable absurdities you may at no hand auouch that those cryings those rendings and tearings and that leauing for dead are the vndoubted true signes of the dispossessing of satan No you must rather perswade your selfe they were purposely reported for speciall and proper effects of that speciall and proper action of Christ and not considerately put downe for perpetuall and vndoubted true signes of all the actuall dispossessings of spirits and diuels in whomsoeuer Notwithstanding be it supposed which will neuer be prooued that your selfe did vndoubtedly driue foorth a diuel from the yoongman at Mahgnitton and that some cryings aloude some rendings sore and some leauing as dead were then also the speciall effects of that your supposed speciall action doe here tell vs I pray you after what speciall manner you effected the action Whether onely by meanes or by a miraculous manner Exorcistes Surely euen onely by meanes and not by any miraculous manner of working at all Physiologus Good Maister Orthodoxus let me argue this matter a little Come on Exorcistes doe you hold in good earnest that diuels may bee driuen foorth from men and that onelie by meanes Exorcistes I am very confident therein I assure you Physiologus Make your mind plaine before we proceede And tel me I pray you whether spirtts and diuels by very natural or corporall meanes may be truely dispossessed and driuen from men Exorcistes Yea euen by very naturall or corporall meanes Physiologus Why man spirits and diuels they are meere spirituall creatures But such is the proper condition of spirituall creatures that all corporall matters whatsoeuer they come short thereunto by many degrees and therefore we may boldly conclude that those corporall or sensible things can work nothing efficiently in spirits and diuels can offer no violence at all vnto them nor possibly expell them from any their actuall possessions Exorcistes Yes sir I am able to demonstrate this matter by an argument of comparison thus There is one and the selfesame condition of spirits and of liuing mens soules for they are both of them spirituall essences But euen by a meere corporall or sensible meanes may some violence be offered to liuing mens soules yea they may thereby eftsoones be separated quite from their bodies and therefore euen to spirits also by meanes of some corporall or sensible matter there may eftsoones some violence be offered and they also may be expelled quite from their actuall possessions in man Physiologus Your argument of comparison it consisteth not of such pares as are equally alike in euerie respect no it halteth downe right in that selfesame point wherupon it is more especially grounded and therefore it enforceth no necessarie conclusion vpon vs at all For the condition of spirits and of liuing mens soules howsoeuer alike in spirituall essence it is vtterly vnlike respecting the bodies whereupon they both worke Soules they are properly conioyned to their owne proper bodies as the verie first essential forme thereof appointed by God howbeit spirits not by any proprietie but by vsurpation rather they are onely actually there as the afflictors or tormentors permitted by God So then for those former respects the soules of liuing men doe necessarily require in those their owne bodies some such certaine dispositions and qualities as the diuels themselues they being no true essentiall formes of those bodies require not at all And therefore spirits or diuels they may actually afflict and torment those selfesame bodies of men how vnfitly soeuer they finde them whereas the soules of men vnlesse those their said bodies be aptly proportioned and fitted thereto they cannot informe them at all Exorcistes Sir howsoeuer you enforce a disparison betweene spirites and soules concerning especially their dealings with bodies and thereby would frustrate the force of my argument verie certeine I am that spirits or diuels they may be driuen foorth from mens bodies and that onely by meanes Physiologus But by what meanes I beseech you whether by an vncreated or by a created meanes Exorcistes Not by any vncreated meanes at all For how can I possiblie practise that thing which is either vncreated or not existing in nature Physiologus Then you do flatly conclude that spirites or diuels they may actually be dispossessed euen by a created or meere naturall meanes Exorcistes Yea so much I flatly conclude Physiologus This then I must tell you for certeine that you doe very fondly conclude you wotte not what For this is vndoubtedly true that no created or naturall meanes whatsoeuer may efficiently extend themselues to any such supernaturall actions as do anie way concerne the dispossessing of diuels Because all such supernaturall actions they proceed not at all from any power of nature but from the onely power of obedience By the onely efficacie of which obedientiall power euen any thing of euerie thing may easilie be effected although yet in an onely respect of the mightie Iehouah himselfe the sole and onely efficient thereof For albeit the Saints of the Lord namely Moses and manie others are saide to effect supernaturall actions yet therein wee must rightly vnderstand that onely the Lord alone he workes that by his Saints which he workes by himselfe And therefore in saying as you do that spirits or diuels they may be dispossessed from men by any created or naturall meanes you do therein very ignorantly auouch you wot not well what Exorcistes Yes sir I wot well what I say and am able to demonstrate the truth thereof by many examples Physiologus Let vs heare your examples which make for this matter Exorcistes With verie good will First therefore Iosephus verie plainely reporteth that when Titus and Vespasian besieged Ierusalem there was an Exorciste that time in the hoste who by a certeine stone in a ring deliuered many that were possessed of Satan Moreouer Eleazar the Hebrew as the said Iosephus recordeth he vsed certeine Exorcismes which were inuented and made by Salomon for the expelling of spirits and diuels namely ringes rootes herbes and such other like sensible matters But the stone in the ringe those rootes and those herbes they were onely created and meere naturall meanes therefore some onely created and meere naturall meanes it hath and may haue in it selfe an actuall power for the dispossessing of spirits and diuels Physiologus Why doe you not also alleage that which the said Iosephus and Aelianus also reporteth concerning the herbe Cynospastus being otherwaies called Aglaphotis which hath they say a certeine speciall operation for the powerfull expelling of spirits and
may by no meanes any longer endure your palpable vntruthes or rather most blasphemous speeches For where hath the Lord established praier and fasting as an extraordinary perpetuall meanes for the powerfull expelling of spirits and diuels Exorcistes Euen in the seauenteene of Mathew and ninth of Marke where he telleth vs plainely that this kind goeth not foorth or can by no other meanes else be cast out but by praier and fasting Orthodoxus What conclude you from thence Exorcistes This I conclude and very confidently hold namely that one beeing possessed praier and fasting is to be vsed for the casting out of satan as a meanes appointed of God to that speciall end Orthodoxus Do you hold that in good earnest Exorcistes Yea in very good earnest And this I doubt not but I am able to prooue by the holy scriptures and further to confirme the same by the testimony of ancient and late writers by the practise also of the primitiue church in all ages and the good successe thereof Orthodoxus Then will I be bound for one twelue moneths space to keepe your kine for nothing Howbeit because this point will craue a long discourse and I feele my selfe somewhat weary with sitting let vs go walke a turne or two in my parlour And hauing reuiued our spirits by the singing of psalmes returne againe to our purpose Physiologus I for my owne part like well of your motion Lycanthropus The same I dare say for all the rest Orthodoxus Arise then and let vs depart The end of the eight Dialogue The ninth Dialogue THE ARGVMENT Whether Praier and fasting be established by Christ as a perpetuall ordinarie meanes for the powerfull expelling of diuels Whether the power therein be a vocal or a personall power Or whether a true iustifying faith apprehending some supernaturall power of God doth effect that worke The speakers names PHILOLOGVS LYCANTHROPVS PNEVMATOMACHVS PHYSIOLOGVS ORTHODOXVS EXORCISTES Orthodoxus BLessed be the name of our God for these sweete recreations oh how they comfort the soule and refresh the bodie Surely our crazie bodies they would soone be infeebled were they not daily supported by such sanctified props yea and our soules also they would languish euerie hower were they not eftsoones comforted by such gracious refreshings from God Physiologus It is vndoubtedly so as you saie and therefore how highly are we bound to extoll his mercifull kindnes Orthodoxus Verie true But come Exorcistes let vs loose no time Hath Christ established prayer and fasting for the perpetuall expelling of spirits and diuels Exorcistes There is no doubt at all to be made of that matter Orthodoxus I am doubtfull thereof I assure you neither will you be able I feare to cleere me of that doubt so long as I haue breath in my bodie For this I must tell you for certeine that if praier and fasting be perpetually appointed by Christ for the powerfull expelling of spirits and diuels then must we necessarilie esteeme thereof as of an holy established ordinance for that selfesame purpose Exorcistes Yea no doubt it is an holie established ordinance for that verie same purpose Orthodoxus If it be an holie ordinance perpetually establisht by Christ as you beare vs in hand then hath it also an apparant commandement appertaining vnto it for the authenticall approbation of such a perpetuall establishment it hath also some certeine Canons and rules concerning out orderly directions therein But no such commandement or canon is any where extant in all the Scriptures therefore praier and fasting is no perpetuall ordinance establisht by Christ to any such speciall purpose Exorcistes I vnderstand not your argument it is so obseurely and so intricately propounded vnto vs. Orthodoxus It is apparant enough if you were not wilfully blinde howbeit I will repeate and propound it more cleerely thus If praier and fasting be such an established ordinance then that establishment is apparantly exprest in the Scriptures but the latter is false therefore also the first Exorcistes Why sir hath not our Sauiour himselfe put downe an expresse commandement for the perpetuall establishment of such an ordinance where he telleth vs plainely that this kind goeth not foorth but by prayer and fasting What may be more cleere then this Orthodoxus Do you call this a cleere commandement for the perpetuall establishment of such an ordinance Exorcistes What may be more cleere Orthodoxus You do herein too to fondly bewray your grosse ignorance and make cleere to the world your want of iudgement concerning the purpose of Christ in that place Which was onely to make knowne the accidentall impediment in that selfe-same action and not to put downe any essentiall commandement concerning the supposed perpetuitie of any such sacred ordinance as your selfe do imagine For what manner of argument is this that you make This kind goeth not foorth but by praier and fasting therefore from hencefoorth saith Christ I do solemnly establish prayer and fasting as a perpetuall ordidinance for the powerfull expelling of spirits and diuels for euer This foloweth faire and farre of from the purpose you aime at Againe if the holy ghost in that place had either expresly or implicatiuely entended to put downe a commaundement for the perpetuall establishment of any such falsly supposed ordinance then surely it is not to be doubted at all but that in a matter especially of such sacred importance he would neuer haue left vs at randome to deale therein as seemed good to our selues but in some other place else at the least he would haue inserted such certeine canons and rules as should more fuly haue serued for our orderly direction and guidance therein Howbeit neither in the epistle to the Romanes or Corinthians neither yet in any of those to Timothy or Titus where all church offices and officers are handled at lage doth he giue any one rule at all concerning the orderly practise of this your falsly supposed perpetuall ordinance and therefore the same is no such ordinance established by Christ. Besides that the apostle Peter hauing purposely laid open the perpetuall vagaries of satan to kill and deuour he maketh no mention at all of praier and fasting but onely of a strong faith to resist him withall As also the apostle Paul displaying purposely the compleate armour of christians against the power of the diuel whatsoeuer he speakes not a word of praier and fasting for the timely withstanding of any his fiery darts So then sith in all the canonicall scriptures there is neither commaundement nor canon for the timely fortification of any such new-found ordinance I wonder you blush not to braue out the matter as hitherto you haue done by pretending the authority of scriptures the testimony of fathers old and new the practise of the church in euery age yea and the good successe thereof to mannage the matter it selfe Exorcistes I could prooue the same in such sort as I say You could so I confesse if
their censure Exorcistes Not before I haue heard their verdict Orthodoxus Well then Augustine you see hee is the foreman of the Iurie let him therefore if you please deliuer vp the verdict for himselfe and the rest Exorcistes That liketh me maruelous well Orthodoxus This then is that which he saith for him selfe and his fellowes concerning these matters Away with those fained miracles of lying men or rather those woonders wrought by enchaunting diuels Exorcistes This I am sure is a partiall verdict suggested before by some sinister meanes and therefore I will either sue foorth an attaint against the whole iury or remoue the iudgement by a writ of errour Orthodoxus Oh I pray you be patient and let the verdict passe currantly without your coutroulement Exorcistes What reason haue you to perswade me to that Orthodoxus Tertullian doth yeeld you the reason thereof Because Christ saith Tertullian hath vndoubtedly taught vs that the faith of signes and woonders which are easily effected by false Christs and hypocrites is very rash and vncerteine Exorcistes This reason concernes onely the good of the soule Physiologus We hope man you haue that in far greater regard then either the credit of your person or the welfare of your worldly estate Exorcistes Though that be certeinely so yet the other also it must be respected Physiologus Very true Howbeit because you are carried to much a way with carnal respects let Hippocrates his reason suffice for that course who saith thus Those persons which boast that they can cure or remooue the infections of maladies by sacrifices coniurations inuocations enchantments such other like magical meanes they are but beggerly and needy companions wanting promotion or mainteinance And for this onely respect they refer their speech to the diuel because they would be thought to know somewhat more then the vulgar sort Loe this is Hipocrates reason Exorcistes I way not his reason a rush Physiologus Neuer say so for shame least you make men imagine that you neither respect your credit nor conscience Exorcistes Men may imagine what pleaseth themselues howbeit the Lord alone he knoweth the hart Lycanthropus Good Exorcistes be not too singular Exorcistes Why man I may doe nothing against the truth but for the truth Pneumatomachus Wel wel be not wedded too much to your wil neither doe make I beseech you an idle of your owne wit Exorcistes I hope sir I am nether wilfull nor foolishly wise whatsoeuer your selfe or some others imagine Physiologus Then would you not be so wise as you are in your owne conceit but rather yeeld and submit to a more dexteritie Exorcistes Alasse sir I haue not hetherto heard any such sound dexteritie to submit me vnto Orthodoxus Well well Exorcistes there is something that sticks in your stomacke which makes you so loath to relent it is not I hope a vaineglorious conceit of your selfe Whatsoeuer it be we will hope the best Let vs therefore giue ouer for the present and goe take our naturall sleepe It may be when you haue taken counsell at your pillow you will change your opinion If therefore it seemeth good to your selfe I will spend with you againe one hower more in the morning before you depart and giue you the best directions I can In the meane time I wish you good rest and betake you all bodie and soule to the gratious protection and prouidence of the Almightie Physiologus Come then let vs arise and depart The end of the tenth Dialogue The eleuenth Dialogue THE ARGVMENT A summarie Recapitulation of all the premisses concludently repeating and proouing the precedent purpose with a patheticall perswasion to subscribe to the truth thereof The speakers names PHILOLOGVS LYCANTHROPVS PNEVMATOMACHVS PHYSIOLOGVS ORTHODOXVS EXORCISTES Orthodoxus GOod morow to you all my deere brethren what newes I beseech you from Exorcistes this morning Lycanthropus Surely sir so farre as we can perceiue his Euen-song and Morne-song they are one and the same Neuertheles we haue by our vrgent and often entreaties preuailed so much with the man as that he is nowe exceedingly willing to accept of your Christian offer concerning one halfe howers conference before our departure and is heere come for that purpose Orthodoxus The Lords name be blessed for this your good newes For surely so long as he will not obstinately refuse to conferre there may be great hope of his happie conuersion Come on therefore Exorcistes what say you to our matters this morning A verdict or no verdict Exorcistes No verdict at all for any thing hitherto heard Orthodoxus Oh then I perceiue you haue either careleslie ouerslipped or not carefully obserued those things which you heard and therefore it shall not be amisse verie succinctly to recapitulate the whole course of our conference That by this meanes the matters themselues being fitly reduced to your remembrance afresh you may either be constrained to consent to the truth or be otherwise destitute of all excuse by hauing one and the selfesame truth now the second time testified to you For in the mouth of two or three witnesses the truth of these matters they must be so iudicially and so firmely established as all the sworne aduersaries thereof may Iudasly be ashamed and finally confounded Exorcistes Well sir goe an end in your purpose Orthodoxus With verie good will Wherein you must call to remembrance how that vpon the verie first entrance into these our Dialogicall discourses we tooke a due consideration of the essentiall being of spirits and diuels and then next of their vndoubted dominion or power That there are essentiall spirits and diuels we prooued directly from their essentiall creations and effectuall operations answering withall those beastly anthropomorphites and swinish Saduces who in these our daies doe impudently denie that there is either Angell or diuell And this in effect was the summe of our first conference Exorcistes It was so I confesse Orthodoxus The next concerning the vndoubted dominion or power of the diuell it was likewise apparantly prooued that spirits and diuels they haue no such possession in men as the world doth fondly imagine Both because the worde possession is no where in any such sense to be found throughout the whole Bible for that also if the same were so to be found yet must it be taken metaphorically for so onely the Scriptures doe demonstrate their nature operation and power vnto vs. Admitting you therefore the worde possession in a metaphoricall meaning wee confessed that selfesame dominion or power of spirits and diuels to be two-fold Namely either a power of possession or a power of obsession By their power of possession we vnderstood that their authenticall authoritie iurisdiction or interest which they vsurpingly by the operatiue permission of God doe exercise ouer some speciall men in afflicting tormenting and vexing their persons And this their saide power of possession it must needes be we told you either reall or actuall By the reall
it is and the effects thereof ibid. The minde how it is corrupted naturally 14 The minde differeth from the will and how ibid. Phantasie what it is and how it worketh ibid. The naturall man vnable to comprehend spirituall things 14 15 Anthropomorphites errour and whence it sprang 17 Scriptures expounded hand ouer head doe procure a thousand absurdities 18 Reasons proouing Spirits and Diuels to be more then the good or euill motions of men 18 19 Angels not mentioned in the Worlds creation 21 Angels and Spirits not eternall or vncreated 22 Angels in what day they were created 23 24 Reasons to prooue the essentiall being of Angels ibid. Testimonies of Fathers for the essentiall being of Angels 24 Angels created on the second day 24 25 Reasons to prooue the essentiall being of Angels 26 Angels how they are saide to be euill 28 To be created good and still to retaine that selfesame goodnes are two distinct things 29 Boyling affections the causes of controuersies 30 Physiologus and what the same signifieth 31 Possessions doubted in these daies of the Gospell 32 Satans dominion ouer men what it is and how the same is limited 33 Possession and what it importeth ibid. The worde Possession is not peculiarly appropriated to the Diuel throughout the whole Bible ibid. If the Lord had euer entended an essentiall possession of Diuels he wanted not fit words to expresse it 34 Possession what it is in the Hebrue toong 35 Possession what it signifieth in the Greeke toong 37 Possession how the same is defined 40 Reall possession of Diuels what it is 41 Mentall possession what it is thought to be ibid. Reall possession whether in the minde alone or in the body alone or in the minde and bodie togither ibid. Satan needs no mentall possession for the actuall accomplishment of sinne in any 42 The maner of Satan his proceeding with men 43 44 Reasons against the reall mentall possession 45 46 Our iudgement concerning the reall mentall possession is mightily deceiued by relying too much on the bare letter 48 Satan being a Spirit doth principally affect mans spirit 49 After what manner the Diuell hath a mentall possession 50 Spirits and Diuels are substantiall creatures 51 Diuels are Spirits by nature and Angels by office ibid. Diuels are spirituall and finite substances 52 53 Whether mans minde be a receptacle or place circumscribing the Diuell 53 Whether mans minde be a common or proper place for the Diuell 54 Whether it be a corporall or an imaginarie place 55 Things are said to be in a place three maner of waies 56 Corporall substances are in a place dimensiuely ibid. Spirituall substances are in a place determinately 57 God is in a place indefinitiuely and repletiuely ibid. Angels and Diuels howsoeuer they propound diuers ends their maner of working is euer the same 58 Diuels how and by what meanes they torment men 60 God is the onely encliner of mans minde 61 Mans minde is inclined either by an interiour efficient or by an exterior agent 62 The third Dialogue pag. 64. COrporall possession what it is supposed to be of some 65 Reall corporall possession what it is ordinarily thought to be ibid. Entring in and dwelling there do imply no essentially inherency but an effectuall operation in the bodies of men 66 The Metaphor of entring in rightly expounded and fitly explicated by the example of Saul and Dauid 67 The word Tsalak verie truely expounded by conference with other places of scripture 68 A good rule for the right vnderstanding of such scriptures as doe any way concerne the extraordinarie operation of Spirits 69 Sundrie reasons against the reall corporall possession 70 Mans minde is an incorporall substance being simply considered 70 71 The proper operations of the minde are either organicall or animall ibid. The organicall operations of the minde what they are 72 The animall operations of the minde what they are ibid. Whether mans minde or the Diuell be answerable for the actions done by the bodie during the time of Satans possession 73 74 God in the first creation of bodies neuer purposed any such reall corporal possessions of Diuels 74 Gods image was not lost in Adam as touching the essence 76 A humane bodie is onely capable of an humane soule 77 Satan so possesseth as Christ inuadeth ibid. There is no one necessarie vse or end of such a possession ibid. If the Diuell be in the possessed mans bodie essentially then is he so either hypostatically or formally 78 How the reall corporall possession may be perceiued 78 79 Whether Diuels haue their proper or their assumed bodies or whether no bodies at all 80 Celestiall bodies haue onely their celestiall motions and elementarie bodies their elementarie motions 80 81 Grosse absurdities ensuing the opinion of corporall Diuels ibid. It is absurd to hold that Diuels haue airie bodies 82 Augustine is not sound concerning the supposed airie bodies of Spirits and Diuels 83 Though it were graunted that Diuels might adde vnto yet may they not diminish or alter their substantiall being 84 Fower seuerall sorts of Spirits found in the word ibid. Angels haue eftsoones their assumed bodies and why 85 The testimonie of fathers pretending corporall Diuels 86 Reasons directly concluding the incorporietie of Diuels 94 Testimonie of fathers concerning that point 95 The Grand Iuries verdict against corporall Diuels 96 The Laterane Councell concluding the same 97 The fourth Dialogue pag. 99. WHether Diuels can essentially assume true naturall bodies 9. Whether that bodie which the Diuels are supposed to assume be a true naturall or but a phantasticall bodie 100 The Diuell had neuer power to assume essentially any liuing mans bodie pag. 101 The Diuel had neuer power to assume essentially any dead mans body ibi It is absurd to hold the Diuell his assuming of dead mens bodies 101 102 Whether the Diuell can assume to himselfe an vncreated bodie 102 The Lord alone is the onely creator of bodies ibid. It is absurd to imagine that God should create bodies for Satan 103 Satan hath no power at all to create a bodie 104 Arguments pretending the Diuell his essentiall assuming of bodies 105 It is no good argument to hold that because good Angels haue therefore euill Angels may also assume to themselues true natural bodies 105 106 That place in the Psalme 78. 49. is verie truely expounded 107 The Diuell did not essentially assume to himselfe the serpents body 108 Whether it was the Diuell alone or the serpent alone or the Diuell and serpent together that tempted Euah 109 It is ordinarie in the scriptures to vse the names of other creatures in setting foorth vnto vs the intellectuall creatures 111 Reasons declaring why it was not the serpent but the Diuell himselfe set foorth by the name of a serpent that tempted Euah ibid. A verie good Canon for the faithfull expounding of scriptures 112 It is no absurditie or impietie at all to hold that Moses vnder the person of a poysoning serpent did metaphorically