substantially possesse the minde can neuer be proued and the contrary by me hath been plainly declared Notwithstanding I do freely confesse that the diuell hath an actuall or powerfull possession concerning mans minde so far foorth especially as tendes to the effectuall tormenting and tempting thereof other possession he hath none at all as shall be shewed hereafter Whereas therefore the diuell is said to enter into or to possesse the minde of a man that is to be vnderstood onely according to his effectuall working with the bodie it selfe And in this selfe same respect the possessed mans minde may truely be said to be silde with the diuell as the drunkards are saide to be filled with wine For the verie substance of the wine doth not substantially enter into the verie substance it selfe of the drunken mans minde because then there would be a violent rending and separation of substances as was shewed before but onely the fuming efficacie or power of the wine binding the vaines and sinnewes and stopping vp the secret passages of the vitall spirits is that which oppresseth the minde it selfe being peculiarly seated in her proper place The verie selfe same thing may be said concerning the diuell his mentall possession For the diuell himselfe touching his essentiall being doth nor essentially enter into the verie essence it selfe of the possessed mans minde because then there would be a penetrating of spirituall dimensions and so two distinct substances should be together and at at once in one and the selfe same place which were absurd to affirme as was shewed before but the diuell by his onely effectual power tormenting and tempting the sensible parts of man doth so mightily disorder the sensitiue faculties and so malitiously forestall the true notions and passages to a found vnderstanding as euen the minde it selfe it cannot but be maruellously distracted during the whole terme of that his tyrannicall dominion And this is all in effect that I yet see or can say concerning the diuel his mental possession Philologus This sir is enough I assure you and that which doth satisfie me to the full but what sayth Lycanthropus concerning this point Lycanthropus Howsoeuer you seeme to be satisfied me thinke yet in all reason that the diuel should haue essentiallie in some a mentall possession Physiologus Sith you relie so much vpon natural reason go to Lycanthropus let me argue this point to the ful Lycanthropus Take leaue and argue as pleaseth your selfe Physiologus You remember I hope how Maister Orthodoxus hath sufficiently showed before that angels and diuels are substantiall creatures and not any phantastical imaginations as was handled at large in our former discourse concerning that point Lycanthropus I remember it well and doe truelie beleeue the same to be so Physiologus Wel then sith yow hold spirites and diuels for substantiall creatures do now tel me whether you take them for spiritual or corporal substances Lycanthropus I know not what substances they are whether spirituall or corporall diuels I am certein they be verie pestilent diuels yea such dangerous diuels as vndoubtedly haue a reall possession in man Physiologus If you dare credit the Scriptures I will tell you God willing what creatures they are Lycanthropus I credit the Scriptures or else it were shame Physiologus This then I auouch vnto you for certaine that Angels and Diuels are Spirits by nature and Angels by office That they are not creators but creatures created by God Neither did they all issue out of one as all men by propagation were procreated from Adam but were all ioyntly togither and foorthwith created Neither is one in another as in the trinitie the father is in the sonne and the holy Ghost in both for then they should be of one and the selfe same substance whereas they are onely of like substance one to another Albeit they were created I confesse in a most absolute estate of substance but yet onely created For there is not one of them an infant a yoong one or an olde one neither come they to perfection by little and little or growe vp by nutriment and exercise but do continually retaine that selfe same estate of subsistance which they euer enioyed from their first creation By this then you see what creatures they are Lycanthropus This prooues them essentiall creatures which was prooued before howeit I haue nothing as yet from the sacred Scriptures concerning their peculiar substance Physiologus Yes I auouched them to be by nature essentiall spirits And this I say further that Angels and diuels are immortall and spirituall substances That they are so it is apparant in sundrie places of scripture I will saith the diuell be a lying spirite in the mouth of Achab his prophets Againe Christ cast out an vncleane spirit Againe the vncleane spirit walketh through drie places Againe he taketh to him seuen other spirits Againe we wrestle not against flesh and bloud but against spirituall wickednesses and so foorth All these and sundrie such places doe demonstrate vnto vs the truth of this matter Now then I reason thus The scriptures deliuer vnto vs not corporall but spirituall diuels therefore diuels are not corporall but spirituall substances I folow it thus Bodies and spirits are opposed the one to the other therefore they cannot possiblie be one and the same for as a bodie is not a spirit so neither is a spirit a bodie because a spirit hath not flesh and bones as a bodie hath Lycanthropus This I hold for an infallible truth Physiologus You acknowledge you say the diuels to be spirituall substances Well goe to then tell me whether you holde them not likewise for finite creatures and therefore also circumscriptible and locall Lycanthropus I doe for none but God alone can be infinite and incircumscriptible Physiologus Seeing you doe freely confesse the diuels to be spiritual substances finite and locall before we come to speake of their possession or placing doe tell me whether you take not that mans minde into the which as you saie he doth really enter to be for the time of his present possession the very receptacle or place that circumscribeth the diuell and whether the diuell also himselfe concerning his essence be not for that time wholy and substantiallie comprehended therein Lycanthropus Yes the verie minde it selfe for that present possession must needes be the receptacle wherein the diuell is wholie and substantially conteined Philologus Fie fie Lycanthropus this is too too absurd For by this meanes you make the minde of a man to be greater in muchnes in substance or essentiall being then the spirite of the diuell else howe should the diuell be possiblie comprehended therein sith that which is lesse can at no hand include or containe the greater Lycanthropus Nay that is no necessarie sequel because the diuell for that present may contract diminish or lessen his substantiall being Physiologus This your
their coniecturall opinion Howbeit for a further declaration heereof I do answer with Gregorie Beda Damascene the Schoolemen and others who doe all iointly affirme that euen as the knowledge of spirits and diuels in comparison of our knowledge is verie excellent and woonderfull large although yet in comparison of God the same is but shallow and shorte so surely those the supposed bodies of spirites and diuels in comparison of our earthly and palpable bodies may fitlie be saide to be spirituall whereas yet in comparison of the omnisufficient and incircumscriptible spirit of spirites they may after a sort be saide to be corporall And this our censure concerning corporall spirites being rightly vnderstood as it ought to be that is being graunted comparatiuely may very well stande with the truth For certeine it is that Angels are not spirites purely simple as God is most simple neither are they infinite and incircumscriptible spirits as God alone is but are marshalled within their proper dimensions and bounds All which being graunted it doth not thereupon necessarily folow that therefore Angels they are not created incorporall finite spirits and such as after their manner are limitted definitiuely within their proper dimensions but this rather folowes thereof namely that therefore spirits and diuels they are not most simple most infinite illocal nor omnipotent powers For the specialls do alwaies retaine the common nature of their generall and therein they fitly accord howsoeuer by reason of some repugnant formes they doe otherwaies dissent among themselues And thus your Fathers you see both old and new they are fully answered concerning their supposed mannaging of this your opinion of corporal spirits or diuels Philologus Are you able Lycanthropus to reply to his answere Lycanthropus I am vtterly vnable But sir sith you so confidently do hold that spirits and diuels are incorporall let vs heare your reasons and authorities concerning this point Orthodoxus With very good will my reasons are these First spirits and diuels haue not flesh and bones saith Christ as you see me to haue Wherein it is very apparant that there is one substance of humane bodies and another of spiritual powers Spirits they haue neither flesh nor bones therefore they cannot be comprehended with the sight of the eie nor handled by the sense of feeling both which are proper to the sensible perceiuing of humane bodies Againe the Lord saith the Apostle hath made his spirits his messengers and his ministers a flame of fier The which place albeit Dauid doth properly vnderstand of the operation of winds yet for as much as the Apostle applieth the same to the Angels it is not to be doubted at all but as the name Spirit so likewise a spirituall essence appertaineth vnto them Againe we read that a legion of diuels namely sixe thousand sixe hundred sixtie and sixe possessed the man in the Gospell whom Christ deliuered But if diuels be corporall substances and doe essentially enter into the bodie of man it is vtterly impossible that there should so many be crouded together and all contained at once within the narrow corners of an humane bodie Exorcistes Some doe hold there was in deed but one onely diuell in the possessed whose name was Legion Orthodoxus As though it were possible that one onely diuell could be really inherent in two seuerall persons at once Besides that it is verie apparant in Marke and in Luke that there was not one but many diuels yea and Mathew also exchanging the name of one into many he saith the diuels besought Christ that they might goe into the heard of swine Exorcistes Sir I onely haue shewed you what some others doe hold but proceed in your purpose Orthodoxus I proceed thus The spirits or soules of men are incorporall therefore spirits and diuels are also incorporall For if the reasonable soule or spirit of a man be not corporall in any respect I meane if it be neither solide nor palpable as are the earthie and terrestriall bodies neither yet subtile or slender as are the airie and celestiall bodies then without doubt spirits and diuels they are likewise incorporall because they also are spirits For the nature and definitions of a spirit and a bodie do altogither and in euery respect differ betweene themselues And thus besides those Philosophicall reasons which Physiologus propounded before you haue hetherto heard from the Scriptures such seuerall arguments as doe verie plainely conclude the non being of corporall spirites or diuels Pneumatomachus Beleeue me Lycanthropus before we began this our conference I doubted greatly of the essentiall being of spirits and diuels Howbeit now I am cleere in that point and by this discourse doe farther perceiue them to be admirable and woonderfull powers Lycanthropus Verie true as you saie But sir let vs heare I beseech you your authorities also concerning this point Orthodoxus With verie good will Wherein I assure you that this our opinion concerning incorporall spirits and diuels is generallie receiued in the church of God approoued by the consent of many Diuines and confirmed fully from the Laterane Councel Lycanthropus For the generall receite thereof in the Church I make little doubt but let vs heare now your seuerall authorities Orthodoxus Content First Dionysius writeth thus Wee account not saith he the celestiall and deified powers or spirits to consist of innumerable feete or to haue a manifold countenance neither yet to be like vnto liuing and corporall creatures albeit the sacred Scriptures in speaking of them doe vse these Poeticall and fained formes Chrysostome he saith the Seraphimes are called spirits that is incorporall and supernaturall powers And a little after he saith they be called fierie or flaming creatures because their substance is most pure Augustine be defineth them thus Angels and diuels are spirituall powers incorporall substances inuisible insensible reasonable intellectuall and immortall the good ones they are shining and impassible the euill ones blacke and passible Theodoret he saith that God created the vniuersall nature of incorporall substances constituting decreeing and ordeining their said nature to be intellectuall and also immortall Andreas of Ierusalem he saith that Angels and spirites are all without their bodies Gregorie also he saith in like sort that spirits and diuels they haue no flesh Isidore he saith that Angels and diuels according to their nature are called spirits Damascene he saith that Angels and spirits are intellectuall substances euermore mooueable and free by the arbiterment of their proper power incorporall the ministers of God obtaining immortalitie by grace not by nature the portraiture bounds of whose substantiall being onely the creatour of spirites he knoweth himselfe Carolus magnus he saith the essentiall substance of Angels and diuels is immortall because they be spirits by nature Vigerius Saonensis he saith that Angels are all of them spirituall substances without any bodies at all consisting of vnderstanding and will and
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
certainly so as that S. Donston did hold the diuell fast by the nose with a paire of pincers the very first day he appeared vnto him in such an assumed bodie wherein Donston serued the Diuell of trust and according to his due desertes to teach him to be medling with the worke of creation before he had gotte a Comission from God But alas Lycanthropus are you not highly ashamed to hold so maine absurd and horrible impieties or rather such execrable and intollerable blasphemies For be you throughly assured of this that your selfe imagening the diuell a creator of bodies you doe thereby ascribe vnto him a supernaturall power and therein also doe attribute that vnto diuels which onely is due vnto God because creation of substances was neuer yet graunted to man or Angell much lesse vnto diuels Besides that if it were in the power of diuels either to create or assume to them selues essentiall bodies at pleasure it is not then to be doubted but that such and so endlesse is their malice towards men we should shortly haue the whole world replenisht with corporall diuels yea and their number would farre surmount the number of men if all be true that is set downe in Salomons notes of coniuration Wherein are named seauentie nine principall diuels hauing euery of them vnder them and at their commaund some tenne twentie thirtie fortie fiftie sixtie seauentie yea and some of them eightie legions of diuels at the least So then howsoeuer your selfe shall otherwaies dreame of a power in Satan for assuming of bodies sith they can be no such bodies as are newly created either by God or the diuell sith they can be no bodies created before sith they can be no bodies of men either dead or aliue it must necessarily follow that those imagined bodies which the diuels are supposed to assume to them selues they are in deed and in truth no true naturall bodies Lycanthropus It is like then that the diuels they do onely assume to themselues but a phantasticall body Physiologus And it is like then that the diuels they haue onely in men but a phantasticall possession which is the very same issue you were brought vnto before when we discoursed of the mental possession of diuels Philologus How now Lycanthropus are you brought to a non-plus before you well wiste Lycanthropus I wot not I assure you which waies to winde my selfe out from these windings and turnings howbeit for any thing hitherto heard I will neuer beleeue but that the diuell can assume to himselfe a true naturall bodie Orthodoxus What man will you with such setled pertinacie dwell in your opinion not hauing sound reason therefore Lycanthropus Yes sir I haue reasons and authorities both support me therein Orthodoxus Let vs first heare your reasons Lycanthropus With verie good will wherein first from the like I doe reason thus The good Angels of God they haue appeered to men in assumed bodies therefore spirits and diuels they may also appeere vnto men in assumed bodies Orthodoxus Your argument is faultie the same not consisting of things essentially alike in euery respect For neither haue the infernall diuels those heauenly priuiledges which the celestiall Angels enioy neither yet are they equall with them in knowledge and power So as although the good Angels doe sometimes assume to themselues essentiall bodies yet doth it not necessarilie folow that therefore the euill Angels or diuels are able to do the like Againe howsoeuer the good Angels haue at some time assumed essential bodies yet doth it not appeer and your selfe cannot prooue that they created those bodies themselues but by the prouident power and appointment of God they had them from else where for that speciall seruice whereunto they were sent Moreouer there is no sound consequence in this viz. Good Angels they do visible appeere vnto men in assumed bodies therefore euill Angels they doe the like This I say doth not folow because of the good Angels appearing in visible bodies we haue had often and manifest experience but of the euill Angels appearing so no example or instance at all can be giuen Briefly your argument is but a deceaueable Elench from a may be to the being indeed whereof no certeine conclusion can folow For thus you reason Good Angels haue appeared to men in assumed bodies therefore spirites and Diuels they may also appeare vnto men in assumed bodies This your may be concludeth nothing for certeine Whereas you should haue argued thus Good Angels appeare in assumed bodies therefore spirits and diuels do appeare vnto men in assumed bodies but then your consequent woulde haue been ouer-hard to prooue and besides that it is the very question it selfe By the premisses then it is very apparant that this your first reason hath in it no reason at all to support your opinion Lycanthropus But sith it is certeine that the good Angels doe oftentimes appeare in assumed bodies why should not spirites and diuels be able to do the like Orthodoxus As though because the omnipotent God doth furnish and endowe his heauenly messengers with sensible bodies when and so oft as seemeth good to himselfe therefore euery impotent and infernall spirit or diuell is able also to do the like at their pleasures Lycanthropus Why may not the Lord do as much for spirits and diuels Orthodoxus The Lord may do whatsoeuer he please that it will be his good pleasure to do this which you dreame of who can certeinly say His pleasure in the one hath beene made apparant vnto vs by often experience for the other we haue neither worde nor promise nor example to my remembrance Exorcistes Yes there is a plaine proofe heereof in the Psalmes where Dauid saith plainly that the Lord powred foorth the fiercenes of his wrath vpon the Egyptians by sending his euill Angels among them Orthodoxus What vnderstand you by the euil Angel there Exorcistes Those spirits and diuels wherewith they were dailie tormented Orthodoxus Consider diligentlie the story concerning the Egyptian plagues and tel me where you find any one diuel afflicting them nay tel me what one plague was among them which was not inflicted vpon them by the message and ministery of Moses and Aaron And therefore you are deepely deceiued in mistaking these words by sending the Angels or messengers of euils Which place Tremellius vnderstands not of spirites and Diuels sent among them but of Moses and Aaron rather whom the Lord sent to the Egyptians as his only Angels that is the only messengers and executioners of all those his euils which were cast vpon Egipt And this sense is in my opinion according to the purpose coherence and scope of the Psalme it selfe Lycanthropus But it is as Exorcistes saith in the vulgar translation Orthodoxus It is true and therefore let it so stand as he saith for euil Angels I meane for spirits and diuels But now tel me withal how much this place doth make for the assuming of bodies by
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
power from the Lord to subdue the actuall possession of diuels during especially that primary age immediately succeeding the Apostles of Christ And this also for the more admirable watering of that selfesame Gospel of saluation so admirably planted before by Christ himselfe and his chosen Apostles Lycanthropus And how next in consideration of the churches successiue Orthodoxus The ecclesiasticall mediate power more especially respecting the churches successiue was some certeine imagined faculty ability or force in some certeine peculier persons for the timely expelling of spirits and diuels from out of newly borne infants before their admission to baptisme Hauing also for that speciall purpose their Exorcists and Exorcismes peculierly appointed thereto Which said order or rather disorder of Exorcizing in as much as it wants the warrant of the word and for that also it foisteth very odly into the church such new found offices and officers as neuer were planted by Christ it was neuer yet iustifiable in the court of conscience and we woonder not at all though the same being no plant of the almighty his planting be now plucked vp quite by the rootes Loe these be those seuerall sorts of Exorcizings which were euer yet practized in the true church of Christ since the very first time the Gospel began to be preached among them And these Exorcizings also by some others of speciall account are distinquished or intituled thus namely they are either archicall apostolicall ecclesiasticall or infanticall Howbeit respecting perspiâ—uity or plainesse and for that especially they come all to one and the selfesame period we do rather the more purposely retaine our own order rehearsed before Exorcistes But tel me I pray you were there no other sorts of Exorcizings at any time practized but these fower which your selfe haue expressed Orthodoxus Yes there hath euer beene and will be to the end of the world a certeine conterfeite or fained faculty pretended by some for expelling the possession and power of the diuel and the same also vndoubtedly proceeding from a preposterous emulation or rather from an apishimitation of that selfesame extraordinary power apparantly euident in the Apostolicall or primitiue church For in all ages of the world some certeine od persons are wonderfully affected with either glory or gaine at the least These men therefore perceiuing how easie a matter it was and how glorious a thing with the faithfull for any to haue power ouer diuels they eftsoones attempted or at least they pretended the selfesame power in themselues Yea and which more is euen satan also for the better enthronizing of himselfe in the seate of God as also for a more easie establishing of all his dangerous errours he in like manner attempted an apish imitation of this the admirable power of the Lord for the expelling of diuels And this his pestilent purpose he might so much the more easily effect by how much he plainely perceiued that the miraculous faith did not necessarily require such special persons only as were vpright with God and righteous before men Perceiuing therefore that the very hipocrites also and reprobate wretches men fit for his purpose might fully participate with that selfesame speciall power for the admirable expelling of spirits and diuels as well as the other Satan himselfe he also vndertooke that selfesame enterprise and began by himselfe and his instruments to practise the like And this said counterfeit or fained facultie for expelling the power of spirits and diuels is also foretold Namely Satanicall Ethnicall Iudaicall and Papisticall Lycanthropus What meane you by the Satanicall facultie Orthodoxus That selfesame Thrasonicall brag or that Spanish-like Brauado wherwith the diuel adiured our Sauiour Christ as though by his great wordes he could skar or by his Exorcizing power he would binde our Sauiour himselfe beyond the vtmost borders of Egypt saying I adiure or coniure thee thou Christ that thou torment me nothing at all Howbeit his successe in that proude enterprise was not vnlike to the proude Spaniards successe in eightie eight for notwithstanding any their magicall skill or Thersites-like vaunts they were both constrayned to get home by weeping crosse with confusion and shame to themselues Pneumatomachus And what meane you by the Ethnicall facultie Orthodoxus That Satanicall pretended power which Satan did seeme to practise by heathenish persons as by his organicall instruments for that speciall purpose howbeit such as were strangers and forreiners from the Church of Christ. These men notwithstanding by christals by rings by stones by hearbs and such other like fooleries they would seeme to doe something in shew at the least Philologus And what meane you by the Iudaicall facultie Orthodoxus That selfesame Satanicall violence which the diuell also by those his pharisaicall organons endeuoured to establish and to communicate from hand to hand vnto all the posterity following And these Iudaicall adiurations they were so much the more dangerous by how much the patrones and professors thereof did in outward appearance at least more neerely approch to the Church of God And for that also by an execrable and blasphemous prophaning of that sacred and vnexpresable name of the Lord tetragrammaton they verie pestilently pretended the powerfull establishment of their pestilent practises Yea and which more is so soone as the holy name of our Sauiour Christ began to be admirably and powerfully published abroad they eftsoones also abused that glorious name in euery of their said exorcismes adiurations or coniuring attempts Imagining the honorable name of Iesus to be much more powerfull for that speciall purpose then the name tetragrammaton was euer before And hereof it came also to passe that the seuen sonnes of Sceua the Iewe being stirred vp with a like counterfeit zeale did thereby vndertake to adiure the diuels to their cost Exorcistes Not so for Cyprian very flatly affirmeth that the diuels gaue place to their said coniurations Orthodoxus No such matter at all appeeres in the text Nay it telleth vs rather that the euill spirits ranne violently vpon those Coniurours ouercame them and preuailed against them insomuch as the Coniurours fledde foorth of that house all naked and wounden Nowe these kindes of Exorcismes were very ordinarie among manie in those daies which were not of the Colledge of Christ yea and some of them also but reprobates Which declareth plainely vnto vs that the gift of myracles was then indifferently bestowed vpon good and bad so farre off was it that any holines of that instrument effected the worke Lycanthropus And what meane you by the papisticall facultie Orthodoxus That selfesame presupposed Satanicall power which was compounded partly of Gentilisme and partly also of Iudaisme as a verie mingle-mangle or hotchpotch of all the Magicall sorceries of satan consolidate fully in one filthie confection to the more dangerous deceiuing of vnstable and ignorant persons For first they had their lygatures their herbes their consecrated verum their rootes
Hermes Trismegistus Hugo Cardinalis Harmonia confessionum Henricus Iaakob Hortus sanitatis I IOsephus Isidorus Iacobus Pamelius Iohannes Brentius Iohannes Drusius Iohannes Chrysostomus Iohannes Caluinus Iohannes Piscator Iohannes Auenarius Iohannes Ferus Iohannes Wierus Iohannes Wulcurio Iohannes Bromyard Iohannes King Iohannes Bodin Iustinus Martyr Iulius Scaliger Iohannes Darel Iohannes Gorraeus L LAmbertus Danaeus Leonardus Culmanus Leonardus Fuchsius Laurentius Codmanus Lauaterus Leuinius Lâ—mnius Ludulphus Lucas Lossius Legenda aurea Lucianus M MArtinus Bucerus M. in historijs Methodius Michael Psellus Marcilius Ficinius Malmesburius Malleus mallificarum Marcus Vigerius Moses Barsephus Moses Pellacherus N NIcephoras Nicholaus Lyra. Nicholaus Hemingius Nichol. Selneccerus Narration of Darel O OTho Casmannus Origines P PAulus Frisius Patricius Paulus Aegenitus Paulus Burgensis Petrus Martyrus Petrus Lambertus Petrus Thyreus Philosophus Pellicanus Philippus Barough Plinius Plutarchus Pompanatius Prosper Proclus Pythagoras R R. D. Kimhi Rodulphus Gualterus Robertus Rollocus Reginaldus Skotus Rhemish Testament Robertus Pontus Ruffinus S SEbastianus Martyr Stenchus Eugubinus Strabus Sanhedrin editio Basiliens T TErtullianus Thomas Aquinas Theophylactus Theodoretus Theodorus Beza Theupolus Timotheus Brichtus Tatianus Thomas Cooperus W WOlfgangus Muscul. Wilel Minatensis Wilelmus Fulke Wilelmus Perkins X Xantis Pagninus Z Zozomenus FINIS The seuerall arguments of the seuerall Dilogues following in order The first Dialogue pag. 1. The Argument 1 THat there are essentiall Spirits and Diuels as appeereth plainelie from their essentiall creations and effectuall operations Their spirituall and substantiall being The second Dialogue pag. 31. The Argument 2 THe power of Spirits and Diuels Their possession what it is with the seuerall parts thereof And whether the Diuell doth essentially enter into the possessed mans minde or not The third Dialogue pag. 64. The Argument 3 WHether Spirits and Diuels doe essentially enter into the possessed mans bodie or not And whether for that purpose they haue peculiar to themselues their true naturall bodies The fourth Dialogue pag. 99. The Argument 4 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 fifth Dialogue pag. 165. The Argument 5 WHether Spirits and Diuels can essentiallie transforme themselues into any true naturall bodie And how those Scriptures are to be vnderstood which many produce for that purpose The sixt Dialogue pag. 131. The Argument 6 OF actuall possession what it is And whether Spirits and Diuels in these daies of the Gospell do now actually possesse either the minde or the bodie by any extraordinarie afflicting or vexing The seuenth Dialogue pag. 199. The Argument 7 COmmon experience what it is Whether the actuall possession of Spirits and Diuels especially that supposed in the yoong man at Mahgnitton may be prooued thereby And of the Diuell his power of obsession The eight Dialogue pag. 232. The Argument 8 OF the vndoubted true force for the timely subduing of this the forenamed power of the Diuell Whether any created meanes may therein preuaile And whether praier and fasting haue any power in themselues to effect such a worke The ninth Dialogue pag. 263. The Argument 9 WHether praier and fasting be established by Christ as a perpetuall ordinarie meanes for the powerfull expelling of Spirits and Diuels Whether the power therein be a vocall or a personall power Or whether a true iustifying faith apprehending some supernaturall power of God doth effect that worke The tenth Dialogue pag. 304. The Argument 10 WHether a miraculous faith apprehending the power of God for the powerfull expelling of Diuels be yet still continued what a true miracle is And whether the working of miracles be now fullie determined in the true Churches of Christ The eleuenth Dialogue pag. 339. The Argument 11 A summarie recapitulation of all the premisses verie concludentlie repeating and proouing the precedent purpose with a patheticall perswasion to subscribe to the vndoubted truth thereof A briefe Analysis or summarie resolution of this present treatise the same affoording vnto vs Certaine Dialogicall discourses declaring especially 1. that there be spirits diuels this prooued from 1. Their essentiall creation 2. Their effectuall operation 2. What we haue to consider in them namely 1. Their power the same being a power either 1. Of possession and this also is either 1. Reall the same being either Mentall 1. essentially in the mind Corporal 1 essentiallie in the body by their assuming of true naturall bodies their traÌ„sforming of true bodies 2. Actuall this also either by a mentall afflicting and grieuing a corporall tormenting vexing 2. Of obsession which stands either in an outward assaulting and circuÌ„uenting inward suggesting and tempting 2. The subduing of that power by a power 1. Immediate and this in Christ. 2. Mediate by others this either Apostolicall hauing from Christ a power ouer diuels Ecclesiastical it being in the church either Primitiue wherin the continuaÌ„ce of that power Successiue wherin the compasse of that power DIALOGICALL discourses of SPIRITS and DIVELS The first Dialogue THE ARGVMENT That there are essentiall Spirits and Diuels as appeareth plainely by their creation and operation Their spirituall and substantiall being The speakers names PHILOLOGVS LYCANTHROPVS PNEVMATOMACHVS PHYSIOLOGVS ORTHODOXVS EXORCISTES Philologus WHat Lycanthropus and you maister Pneumatomachus my olde companions well mette at this present From whence come you whether walke you so fast if a man may be bolde to enquire the same at your hands without offending your persons or hindering your busines Lycanthropus We come euen now from that famous citie Mahgnitton my good friend Philologus and are presently trauelling towards the Iland of Eirtwab with speede vpon verie speciall and vrgent busines concerning the glorie of God and the good of his Church Philologus What newes from Mahgnitton I pray you Lycanthropus Newes sir the strangest newes I assure you that hath been heard of this hundred yeeres Philologus What newes is that Lycanthropus Of a yoong man there Who being reallie possest with a Diuell was very strangely or rather miraculously deliuered by prayer and fasting Philologus How strange newes soeuer the same seemeth to vs verie certaine it is as appeeres in the Gospel that Diuels haue been driuen foorth by prayer and fasting Howbeit that the Diuel should now in these daies of the Gospell haue a reall possession in any is greatly doubted of the most and very flatly denied of some Lycanthropus The real possession of Diuels may iustly be called in question if Pneumatomachus his opinion be canonized for currant who very confidently auoucheth that there are neither Spirits nor Diuels at all Which being so howe should there be a reall possession of Diuels in any Philologus Verie true for Diuels must first be before they can haue a reall possession in men But Pneumatomachus he holds I am sure no such opinion vnlesse it be for argument sake Pneumatomachus Yes I am verie confident
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
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
Philosophers the aire is rather passiue then actiue because his proper qualitie is thought to be liquide Howbeit heate and cold are said to be actiue but drinesse and humiditie passiue qualities Moreuer it hath beene prooued by manifest and daily experiments that the aire is both passible and corruptible and may easily be corrupted and changed And therefore if the Diuels haue airie bodies they are subiect to corruption and dissolution and so by consequence the Diuels they should be indued with mortal bodies as was affirmed before Lycanthropus But manie for all this doe flatly auouch that the Diuels haue either fierie or aierie or waterie or earthlie bodies yea such bodies as can feele and be felte both hurt and be hurt in so much as they lament when they are stricken and being put to the fier are burnt And that they themselues continually burne in such sort as they leaue ashes behinde them as hath beene manifestly prooued in the borders of Italie Physiologus If you lend you eares to the opinion of the Platonists or but listen a while to the dotages of dreaming Psellus they will fill your head full of these and such other Italian tales wherein it were more ease for a man to beleeue them then to run into the borders of Italie to reprooue them of falsehood Howbeit if Diuels in deede should haue elementarie bodies they could not be eternal For the elements they haue in them both heate and cold drinesse and moisture yea such actiue and passiue qualities both as by contending together continually must needes in the end be vtterly dissolued And therefore these toyes which the Platonistes and Psellus doe tattle abroad are matters that cleaue together like thombe-roppes of sand hauing in them no soundnes of truth Besides that their Philosophie herein is very improbable for if the Diuel be earthie he must needes be palpable if he be palpable he must needes kill the man into whom he really entreth Also if he be of earth created then must he be visible and vntransformable concerning that point for Gods creation cannot be annihilated by any deuise of the creature So as although it were graunted that the Diuels might adde to their being either matter or forme yet very certaine it is they cannot possibly diminish or alter the substance whereof they consist As not to be spiritual or to relinquish and leaue earth water fire aire or this or that element whereof they were first created and made But howsoeuer they imagine of water of aire or of fire very certaine I am that the earth must alwaies be visible and palpable yea and the aire must be alwaies inuisible and fire must be hote and water must be moist And of these three latter bodies especially of water and aire no shape nor forme can naturally be exhibited to mortall mens eies by any possible meanes of the creature Lycanthropus Well yet for any thing heard I can hardly be perswaded but that Diuels haue their proper and peculiar bodies Orthodoxus I haue forborne a long time to speake in hope that Physiologus and your selfe would haue growen to some issue concerning this point But sith you persist in your fond opinion doe tell me what it is that makes you imagine the Diuels to haue also their bodies Lycanthropus This especially perswades me vnto it I finde in the scriptures fower sortes of spirites Namely first a diuine spirit which only is God who although he be a spirit yet hath he no need of a bodie touching either his being or his working The second are Angelical spirites namely Angels and Diuels who albeit they neede no bodies at all in respect either of their being or of their proper actions yet neede they their bodies in communicating their actions vnto vs. The third are humane spirites who in regard of their essential being doe neede no bodies for they really exist and liue being disioined asunder from their bodies Although yet concerning their organical actions appertaining especiallie to the vegetatiue sensitiue life they at no hand may want their proper bodies The fourth and last sort are brutish spirites which neither can be nor do any thing at al without their bodies By al which it is cleare that of these foure sorts of spirits the diuine spirit alone the omnipotent God I meane he needeth no bodie al the rest they haue al neede of and doe also enioy their owne bodies for the vse of themselues and of others and this either to helpe or to hurt And for these selfesame respects the very diuels also themselues do stand in neede of their bodies Orthodoxus By this your distribution of spirites it doth plainlie appeare that spirites and diuels they neede no bodies at al touching either their beeing or working For first they haue their essentiall beeing without anie body in as much as they are spiritual substances and then next they neede also no bodies concerning their proper actions for they loue they hate they affect they doe wil and vnderstand without anie helpe of bodies at al. Lycanthropus I speake not now of their proper but of their ministeriall actions which they cannot possiblie accomplish without their peculiar bodies Orthodoxus And I vnderstand it also of their ministerial actions which they may and do eftsoones accomplish by assumed bodies without any their peculiar bodies at all And heerin also I speake onely of good Angels but goe to proceede in framing your argument Lycanthropus I frame it thus Ministers they cannot possiblie accomplish their appointed ministerie to those that liue in the bodie without hauing a bodie But the Angels are all ministring spirits for such saued ones as liue in the bodie therefore they cannot possibly accomplish their ministerie to them without hauing a body Orthodoxus I vnframe it thus The truth of your proposition is onely particular hauing speciall relation to some certeine kind of ministerie and therefore it doth not nor cannot so generally conclude as you would haue it to doe Because Angels or spirits they may and do eftsoones vndergoe some certeine offices without any assistance of an externall bodie yea euen all their offices whatsoeuer they might and could wel vndertake without any bodie at all if it so seemed good to the Lord. Howbeit some other offices againe they doe execute in bodies not because there is otherwaies in themselues a defect for that work but for their sakes onely to whom they are sent Neither is it of any necessitie that the Angels for some speciall respects should alwaies consist vpon and haue peculiarly vnto them their owne proper bodies because for such speciall respects they may and haue eftsoones assumed to themselues some other bodies from else where Howbeit what need of assuming of bodies at all if Angels and spirits be alwaies endued with their proper and peculiar bodies No surely then to assume where no assuming of bodies in deed but rather a stretching out a rending and dissoluing of substances
a corporall matter both may be and is also so farfoorth in the power of the diuel as appertaines to a local motion this al men do hold And therefore the diuels by their owne proper power and without any perceiuance at all to humane sense they might through some such local motion take away with a trice the sorcerers rods from the ground and put in their place true naturall serpents taken by them from else where And this vndoubtedly they might doe in a moment through the agility and nimblenesse of their owne proper nature For euen as the mind of a man it being a spirituall substance can easily accomplish her animall operations and as it were with a thought so surely the diuel he being also a spirituall essence he is able much more speedily to accomplish his spirituall actions and in far shorter time Lycanthropus As though the diuels so couertly and with such vnspeakeable speed could conuay true naturall serpents in place of the rods but some must needes haue perceiued the same Physiologus The diuel you know he is an inuisible creature Besides that this we see plaine in our owne experience that a Iuggler by meanes of such local motion and through the nimble conueiance of his onely hand he can so sleightly and so cunningly conuey one thing in place of another as the beholders themselues they do not onely not perceiue the legerdemaine but which more is they are vndoubtedly perswaded that the Iuggler he hath essentially transformed the first matter in sight into some other substantiall forme Now then if a meere mortalman by the onely nimblenesse of hand can so easily effect such admirable matters why should we imagine the same impossible for spirits and diuels Pneumatomachus Wel sir proceed in the pursute of your purpose Physiologus Lastly spirits and diuels being naturally nimble and swift as was showed before they might by a local motion apply true naturall actiues to naturall passiues vpon which application there would vndoubtedly ensue like naturall effects As for example wood fitly applied to fire by the hand of a man fire is foorthwith ingendred in the matter of wood And yet that fire so engendred is efficiently engendred by the fier it selfe as by a naturall and proper agent although yet withall that selfsame fier is also ministerially effected by the very hand applying the same And euen so without doubt the diuels they might easily apply some naturall matter preexisting in a neere disposition to the forme of true serpents and withall subiecting the said matter vnto some proper agent might by such meanes engender true naturall serpents and vnperceiueably put them in place of the rods whereas yet those said serpents so engendred were efficiently engendred by some proper agent although withall they might truely be said to be ministerially effected by the sorcerers themselues as by the verie hand of the diuell effecting the same Euen as also the husbandman by applying and mixing wheat with earth may ministerially be saide to bring foorth the said wheat himselfe Yea and these things may spirits and diuels more easily and more speedily accomplish then men may possibly doe for many respects First because they vnderstand the power of naturall causes much better then men Secondly they are much more nimble then men in gathering and applying those naturall causes Lastly for that those naturall causes so assumed of diuels may also by them be applied to farre greater and more woonderfull effects then possibly they can be by men Lycanthropus You affirme incredible things For how could the diuels possibly finde either serpents or any other matter in a neare disposition to serpents for that so sudden an ingendring and placing of true serpents in place of the rods Physiologus I speake not incredibly at al if you rightly consider as you ought that the diuels were especially assisted herein with a towfold power namely with the power of nature and with the power of obedience Lycanthropus What meane you by the power of nature Physiologus None other thing els but that diuine action of nature wherin the Lord God from the worlds beginning doth of true matter measurably compounded by a determinate agent through a local motion effected also in time euen voluntarily procreate some certeine determinate effects Nowe then the ordinarie assistance of this selfesame naturall power doth ordinarily befall to men to spirits and diuels in all ordinarie and naturall productions of formes so farre foorth especially as they by a naturall knowledge are able rightly to comprehend compound and applie the same Yea and the assistance of this selfesame naturall power was not wanting at all to the diuels in those their appearances of true naturall serpents as was shewed before Lycanthropus And what meane you by the power of obedience Physiologus I vnderstand thereby that extraordinarie subiection wherein all things without determination or repugnancie doe euen readily submit to the will of God as to the onely supereminent soueraigne ouer all causes formes and effects whatsoeuer This selfesame power of obedience not onely the Lord himselfe immediately and with no preexistence of matter almost doth exercise by himselfe alone euen from the beginning but euen howerly also by holy men and by good Angels and diuels doth administer the same So that whensoeuer the Lord commandeth any strange action surmounting the ordinarie power and course of nature to be foorthwith effected then doth he extraordinarilie take vp the aforenamed persons as the onely fitte instruments of that his diuine and supernaturall power Nowe then this power of obedience albeit the same doth not ordinarily attend vpon the pleasure and becke of men or of diuels yet the diuels vndoubtedly they had at that present by some secret priuiledge from God the extraordinarie assistance also thereof in those selfesame appearances of true naturall serpents Yea and this also according to the secret decree and counsell of God who hauing predetermined the destruction of Phaaroh did by this meanes harden his hart and so made a passage to the timely execution of his iudgements vpon Phaaroh himselfe and all the Egyptians Exorcistes Notwithstanding these two presupposed powers assisting the diuell in those your supposed appearances me thinke it is cleere by the text it selfe that the Sorcerersrods were truelie transformed to serpents and I argue it thus If those rods were no true serpents but serpents onely in an outward appearance then is not that true which is set downe in the text namelie that the sorcerers Likewise they cast downe their roddes and they were turned into serpents Physiologus I answere you thus It is vndoubtedly true whatsoeuer is set downe in the text and may verie well stand with that which I say For be it it supposed the Sorcerersrods were turned as you say into serpents yet were they not truely so turned I meane they were not existingly but appearingly turned into serpents And this distinction is verie fully borne foorth
man and euery liuing thing with their proper nature substance forme constitution qualities and gifts and directeth their wils faculties and powers accordingly so hath he alotted to spirituall creatures their owne substance and properties seuerall alone to themselues and appointed them their lawes and limits beyond which they cannot possiblie passe the bredth of an haire And therefore as it is absolutely against the ordinance of God that I should flie like a bird or swim like a fish or creepe like a worme or become another creature in forme to that which by nature I am insomuch as if God would giue me leaue I could not possiblie do it for it were flat contrarie to his owne ordinance and decree yea and euen opposite to the naturall constitution of that bodie which he hath created and giuen me so is it vndoubtedly incredible that either a diuell should be essentially transformed into a man or a man substantially turned into a diuell or that either of both should reallie change themselues into any other nature substance forme constitution qualitie or gift then those verie same which they haue by creation yea or that they should possiblie applie those which they haue to any other end or vse then that which God himselfe naturally decreed and directeth them vnto Otherwise either God should be contrarie to himselfe which is farre from him or else those things must needs be supernaturall and so a true miracle in whom soeuer Neither yet is Gods omnipotencie hereby qualified but the diuell his impotencie is rather manifested and more liuely declared Who hath no further power then that which God from the beginning hath appointed vnto him and the same also consonant to his owne nature and substance The diuell I confesse may well be restrained from his naturall faculties power and will but being Gods minister beyond the same he cannot possiblie passe the bredth of a pinne neither yet any other waies or further imploie his endeuour then onely in that verie worke which the Lord from the beginning hath enabled him to do Which is that he being himselfe a spirit may vitiate and corrupt the spirit of man and therein also he is diligent enough howbeit for the doing heereof he cannot substantially alter his forme at all Philologus I haue heard many very confidently affirme that the diuell hath appeared to them in the likenes of a man a cocke a catte or a dogge Orthodoxus Yea but how are those confident affirmers certeinly sure that the man the cocke the catte or the dogge whose likenesse they sawe in appearance was indeed and in truth either spirit or diuell and not rather the Legerdemaine of some coniuring Priest or cousening companion For if a diuell can indeed essentially transforme himselfe into the likenes figure or shape of a man a dogge a catte a mouse or a toade whie can he not also transforme a man a dogge a catte a mouse or a toade into the likenes figure or shape of a diuell sith there is a like reason and possibilitie of both Howbeit we may not beleeue saith Augustine that a mans bodie can by any Arte or power of the diuell be transformed into the lineaments of a beast much lesse into the forme or substance of any infernall diuell Besides that if spirits and diuels may possiblie transforme themselues into an humane bodie then could not Christ his argument propounded to Thomas be currant good where he saith behold my hands and side and put thy finger into my hands and thrust thy hand into my side and be not faithlesse but faithfull All this how truely soeuer deliuered by Christ could neuer in truth haue satisfied Thomas concerning the resurrection of Christ if it be true in deed that diuels can truely transforme themselues into true naturall bodies For Thomas remayning vnsatisfied might boldly haue answered thus oh sir why doe you will me to handle your hands and sides that is no certeine argument to demonstrate vnto me your rising againe from the dead Because spirits and diuels you know they can truely transforme themselues into true naturall bodies and therefore notwithstanding such an experimentall or sensible knowledge you may rather be some transformed spirit or ghost to deceiue me then my Lord and my God which came for to saue me Thus then you see that if these essentiall transformations be concluded for currāt Thomas his incredulity for any thing heard might passe vncontroled Exorcistes Though the diuell cannot alter his forme substantially yet may he change the same in shape or figure I doubt not and such a distinction hath Bodin saying The essentiall forme namely reason it selfe is not changed but onely the outward shape or figure Orthodoxus Bodin he strikes it dead no doubt For here he maketh the diuell a cunning iugler who by casting a miste before mens eies can giue to spirituall substances what outward figure and forme he please Howbeit till Bodin be able to demonstrate truely vnto vs that the diuell may haue power to alter essentially a spirituall substance we will neuer acknowledge any possibilitie of transforming their shape or formes at all Exorcistes Well yet Augustine subscribes to such transformations Orthodoxus He doth I confesse Yea those and other like matters are so common in many of his workes as I am driuen to suspect they were rather cunningly foisted in by some cunning popish coniuring Priest to credit his cosening practises then carefully inserted by Augustine himselfe to set foorth a truth Howsoeuer I say with Cardanus that how many of those transformations Augustine saith he hath seene with his eies so many I am content for the reuerence I owe him to giue credit vnto All the rest I account but Cabalisticall conceits and no better in effect then foolish toies to mocke an Ape Yea and so much the rather because Augustine himselfe affirmeth those transformations to be but phantasticall and that they are not according to the veritie but according onely to their outward appearance Lycanthropus Yet such then according to outward appearance Orthodoxus I alow no such supposed appearances made by diuels because I find no such power giuen them by God in all the scriptures Besides that if we admit that diuels may take onely but formes or shapes vpon them though not the very substance it selfe of a true naturall body yet then also Christ his argument made else where vnto his disciples had not been sound in euery point saying thus handle me and see for a spirit it hath not flesh and bones as you see me to haue Setting downe visibility and palpability as things opposite to the nature of spirits and diuels reducing his disciples in discerning of spirits to the iudgment first of their eies and then next of their hands and arguing thus Spirits can neither be seen nor felt but I may both be seen and felt therefore I am no spirit And then next he reasoneth a disparatis thus A spirit it hath
neither flesh nor bones but I haue both therefore no spirit Putting down there you see very apparant and manifest properties to seperate himselfe in shew from a spirit And therefore if spirits and diuels haue power by any possible meanes to transforme themselues but into the onely outward formes and shapes of true naturall bodies though not substantially transformed in deed yet could not that which Christ concludeth haue soundly established the disciples faith concerning the true body of Christ. Because they by reason of such supposed apparitions remaining still doubtfull might haue fitly replied thus Good sir though spirits and diuels haue not substantially flesh and bones and therefore no true and substantiall bodies yet can they truely transforme themselues into the outward shapes and formes of true naturall bodies and so notwithstanding we may be deceiued in an onely outward appearance These exceptions you see the disciples of Christ they might iustly haue made neither if these transformations be vndoubtedly true might Christ so sharply haue blamed their vnbeleefe Lycanthropus Spirits I confesse they are not palpable but only visible and therefore not the seing without the handling might wel haue satisfied Christ his disciples Orthodoxus Yea but whatsoeuer you imagine of the other disciples if you rightly way and exactly consider the text it selfe with the seuerall circumstances you may plainely perceiue that the fault of Thomas his incredulity was secondly bewraied and condemned for that the durst neither credit the vewe taken by the other disciples nor trust his owne eies concerning the truth of Christs body For saith Christ because thou hast seen not because thou hast felt thou beleeuest Also blessed are they that beleeue and see not and not they that beleeue and feele not Giuing thereby to vnderstand that our corporall eies may truely discerne betweene a spirit and a true naturall body which were not true if spirits and diuels could possibly transforme themselues into any visible shapes or formes of true bodies for thereby the sence of seeing might soone be deluded And in very deed it is very erronious for any to imagine that the eies may possibly be deceiued in discerning between spirits and diuels and true naturall bodies as appeareth by sundry scriptures Wherein Christ very sharply reprooueth his owne disciples for not crediting the iudgment of their owne eies in such a case Which could not I say be a certeine rule if spirits and diuels can truely and essentially transforme themselues into true naturall bodies or but change themselues into the true shapes and formes of such bodies And this I beleeue doth break the very neck of those your supposed transformations of spirits and diuels whatsoeuer Lycanthropus This that you say is vndoubtedly true and yet still me thinke the diuell should haue power so to transforme himselfe either in substance or appearance at least although I my selfe am vnable to render any one reason thereof Orthodoxus It is verie ridiculous saith one for a man to leaue manifest things and such as euen by naturall reason may soundly be prooued and so to seeke after vnknowen things which by no likelyhood may be conceiued nor yet tried out by any rule of reason but Good Lord how light of credit is the wauering minde of man How vnto lies and tales his eares attentiue all they can Lycanthropus Good maister Orthodoxus I am drawen by the very force of your speech into a maruelous perplexitie For when I examine the weight of your reasons propounded I am driuen to denie the transformation of spirits and diuels but so soone as I returne to the necessarie consideration of my present distressed estate then that former new-bredde conceit is cut in the necke and squashed quite Orthodoxus And why so I praie you Lycanthropus Surely sir because I my selfe am essentially transformed into a woolfe I make no question but that diuels can also substantially change themselues into any true naturall bodie Orthodoxus Verie true as you say the one is euery way as possible as is the other Lycanthropus Why then alas the Lord be mercifull to vs for what man in the world may possiblie be free from their malice Philologus How now Lycanthropus are you indeed in good earnest doe you verilie imagine you are essentially transformed into a woolfe now surely this is the oddest iest that euer I heard Lycanthropus Nay nay alas it passeth a iest for I finde it and feele it to true by experience Physiologus Well said Lycanthropus now I perceiue your name was not giuen you for nought it being so proportionablie answerable to your phantasticall nature You are called Lycanthropus that is a man transformed to a woolfe which name is verie fitlie deriued from the verie disease it selfe that disorders your braine called Lycanthropia Which worde some Physitions do translate Daemonium Lupinum that is a wooluish Demoniacke others Lupina melancholica and Lupina insania that is a wooluish melancholie or a wooluish furie and madnes And it is nothing else in effect but an infirmitie arising vpon such phantasticall imaginations as do mightâ—ly disorder and trouble the braine Lycanthropus An infirmitie say you It is a verie strange and fearefull infirmitie that can so essentially transforme a man into a verie naturall woolfe God blesse euery good man from such kinde of infirmities Physiologus Had you liued in such a time as beasts and beares woolues were supposed to speake like men it had beene an easie matter I perceiue to perswade you that you are a woolfe Lycanthropus Yea but how are you able to perswade me the contrarie Physiologus That may easily be done by describing briefly vnto you the verie true nature of that the aforesaid diseases which so fearefully affecteth your minde with these phantasticall imaginations and fond conceits Lycanthropus I praie you then describe it plainly vnto me Physiologus With verie good will Wherein you must principally consider that the verie first matter which causeth Lyâ—anthropie or this wooluish Demoniacke consisteth in the very selfesame matter or stuffe that maketh in any other man else a melancholike humour for either of both are melancholike persons Howbeit the peculiar cause it selfe which more especially procureth Lycanthropie is either that kinde of melaâ—choly which ariseth properly of choler adust or that which comes of a simple and naturall melancholie Sometimes also it proceedes of an impostume of bloud in the braine but verie seldome of bloudadust Now then that Lycanthropie which ariseth onely of the abundance of a simple melancholie as it is for the most part the verie woorst of all therefore is called Lupina insania a wooluish furie or madnes so is it commonly seated in the exteriour parts of the braine and hath an operation not vnlike to the matter of a desease called Karabitus which is a hotte impostume of the head seated in the verie ventricle of the braine it selfe causing choller adust and the melancholike matter verie much
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
diuels for thereby also you might haue borne vs in hand that herbes in times past haue beene workers of miracles Exorcistes Well sir howsoeuer you would scoffe out the matter doe answere Iosephus Physiologus I will Iosephus he hath heretofore so often beene tainted in matters of more waightie importance as we haue the lesse cause to credit his pen in these his senseles reports Besides that let this which he writes concerning these tryfling toyes be esteemed for certeine truthes I meane that some such dipossessions were effected in some outward appearance yet Wierus he flatly affirmes that Iosephus the Iewe Vespasian the Ethnicke and Eleazar also the Hebrew were euerie of them woonderfully bewitched with the iuggling sleights of the diuell Who for the present did purposely pretend the giuing of place to an imagined vertue in ringes in rootes in herbes and in stones that by meanes of such sundrie his illusions those persons themselues might the more easily be brought to repose greater confidence in those tryfling toies then in the almighty Iehouah the onely disposer and guider of all things And for the furthering of this his diuellish endeuour the better he brought it also to passe that all those his said Exorcismes they were very confidently fathered vpon Salomon himselfe in an especiall regard of his singular wisedome that by such legerdemaines he might winne the more credit to all those his sprituall illusions But seeing it is certeinly true that these created instruments could not effectiuely extend foorth themselues to the powerfull effecting of any such supernaturall effects what man will bee so wilfully madde as once to beleeue or once to esteeme those his tryfling tales for infallible truthes Againe sith Salomon the verie mirrour it selfe of heauenly wisedome being vsually accustomed as the Hebrewes report to dispute of trees and of herbes from the Cedar of Libanon to the verie Hysope it selfe and which more is of beastes of fowles of creeping things and of fishes in the knowledge of all which there lieth hid from the world much secret Philosophie for the admirable effecting of such admirable matters by meere naturall meanes If Salomon I say disputing these matters hath left no one monument at all of any such admirable skill throughout the whole scriptures recorded what wight is so sottishly minded as once to imagine that wise Salomon himselfe was the first inuentour of anie such palpable fooleries or that he was the author of any such Magicall enchantments and superstitious Exorcismes as are so iniuriouslie or rather so blasphemouslie fathered vpon him Exorcistes How basely soeuer you esteeme of these meanes which Iosephus reportes yet what say you to that which good Tobie declareth concerning the perfume made with the fishes liuer which expelled the diuell from out of Sarah the daughter of Raguel That perfume you know it was only a created and meere naturall meanes therefore an onely created and meere naturall meanes it hath and may haue in it an actuall power for the dispossessing of spirits and diuels Physiologus The booke of Tobiah it is not Canonicall and therefore not authenticall enough to conuince or confirme any matter in controuersie But be it supposed Canonicall yet thus then I answere the same Namely that the forenamed perfume so made of the liuer it might lessen in some sort the present affliction though not vtterly expell the diuell his possession For that perfume it might be some physicall meanes to drie vp or correct some bad disposition in Sarahs braine arising naturally from the variable disposition of the moone it selfe ouer moistning her braine and making it more apt for the present apprehending of satan his entended afflictions Which saide badde humour of hers being by that meanes something alaied the affliction withall it would something abate howbeit vtterly to expell the diuell his possession it could haue no possible power at all No that supernaturall action if any such were was supernaturally effected by a supernaturall power in the Angell Who taught not Tobiah by any force of that perfume to expell the diuell but tolde him rather before that so soone as the perfume was kindled the diuell should foorthwith be expelled Not that the perfume it selfe should effectiuely procure any such supernaturall action but be rather an apparant demonstration of the admirable effecting thereof For euen as it is not vndoubtedly necessarie that the washing of my handes shoulde be an efficient cause of the moones ecclipse though the moone it selfe at the verie time of my washing be vndoubtedly ecclipsed so neither was it necessarie that the forenamed perfume should effectiuely procure of it selfe that selfesame supposed dispossession of satan howsoeuer satan at the verie instant it selfe was truelie dispossessed So then the Angell he taught by that perfume what should then come to passe not rendring any one efficient cause why it so came to passe As also the verie text you alledge it telleth vs not that the perfume expelled the power of the diuell but that it was rather the Angell himselfe who cast the diuell foorth at the verie same time the perfume was kindled Now then what was it I pray you that expelled the diuel the perfume which rose vp from the liuer no but the Angell that bound him And how did he binde him by any effectuall meanes of that perfume No but at the verie same season the liuer perfumed the Angell he bound the diuell in the vtmost borders of Egypt Giuing Tobiah that selfesame perfume as an infallible signe but no effectuall cause at all of Sarah her happie deliuerance Thus then you plainely perceiue that no created or meere naturall meanes â—ath any efficient power of it selfe for the actuall dispossessing of spirits and diuels Exorcistes Wel sir howsoeuer you may iustly challenge the authority of Tobiah for not being authenticall I haue one example from the canonicall scriptures to confirme the infallible truth of that which I hold herein Namely that admirable action of Dauid who onely but plaied with his harp and the euil spirit of the Lord departed from Saul Howbeit that harpe and that playing of Dauid thereon were onely created and meer naturall meanes therefore some onely created or meere naturall meanes may haue in it naturally an effectuall power for the dispossessing of spirits and diuels Physiologus In deed if spirits and diuels had their peculier bodies naturally vnited vnto them as Apuleius affirmeth saying that diuels are liuing creatures constituted of airy bodies of passible minds and in time also eternall then there would be no inconuenience at all to hold that spirits and diuels by a melodious sound or some other such sensible meanes might be altered in their actions and expelled from men For the Platonists they flatly affirme that diuels are a certeine meane betweene the intellectuall spirits who are of a pure spirituall substance and between men hauing bodies constituted of the foure elements Howbeit because the sacred scriptures 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
a like power be eftsoones permitted vnto them for the working of miracles it beeing a faculty inferiour to the other by much yea and such a power also as the very wicked may haue Physiologus The soundnesse of this reason consisteth in vnsoundnesse altogether and therefore the supposed soundnesse thereof for the proofe of your purpose is nothing else in effect but a festured incurable corruption concerning both matter and forme For first that it is faulty in matter your selfe may plainely perceiue in that it wholely relieth vpon a very false exposition concerning the word Exousia For whereas your Gregory or your selfe in his name do translate it a power the whole coherence and circumstance of the text doth plainely declare that it ought rather to be termed a right or prerogatiue Yea and which makes me to merueile sith that selfesame word is diuersly translated according to the diuerse occasions thereof namely sometimes a power sometimes a faculty sometimes a liberty sometimes an authority sometimes a care a procuration a right or prerogatiue It is too too strange that your selfe quite contrary to the true scope of the text should so confidently cleaue to the word power alone aboue all the other rehearsed before Neither may I possibly perceiue your purpose therein vnlesse happely you would iumpe with Castalio and the papists in their free-will opinion a thing directly opposite to the holy ghost himselfe as you may plainely perceiue both in that and the verse immediately following Where the Euangelist acknowledgeth onely such as are borne of God to haue the right or prerogatiue to be made the sonnes of God Not vnderstanding by the word Exousia as your selfe would falsly beare vs in hand any power of electing but a power of apprehending the adoption of God by faith Attributing wholy therein the effectuall working power of that selfesame adoption to the almighty alone and the power of apprehending that priuiledge vnto the sauing faith of the adopted sonnes of God in Iesus Christ. Yea and thus much also your selfe at vnwares doe flatly confesse in your very assumption saying that they haue power to be made the adopted sonnes of God making them plainely you see very passiues and no actiues at all in the work of adoption And so your owne reason concludeth directly the contrary of that which you labour to prooue namely that those good men of God they had onely a passiue power in the working of miracles that is they had none other but an instrumentall power therein as we shewed before Secondly your reason it is faulty also in forme For besides that the same is in no good forme it concludeth only a may be from a bare or naked supposall telling vs by a pittifull begging of the cause in question that if the Saints haue an actuall power in the greater there needes be no merueile at all if sometimes they haue also a like power in that which is lesse Very true as you say if the Saints of God haue in deed an actuall power in that which is greater then the sequel of your speech might happely haue in it some more probability But whether they haue in them such a power or no your Gregory he hath not concluded as yet Exorcistes Yea but he illustrates the matter by a plaine example Physiologus How could he illustrate the thing that is not at all For it is not yet concluded you see that the Saints of God had euer in themselues any actuall power for the working of miracles and therefore he cannot possibly illustrate the same by any example Notwithstanding propound your example that so we may see whether it be any sounder then the reason produced before Exorcistes That sundrie deuout and religious persons did effect many miracles sometimes instrumentally and sometimes principallie I meane sometimes by prayer alone apprehending the power of Christ and sometimes also by an actual power permitted vnto them it is verie apparant saith Gregorie by these folowing examples First the Apostle Peter instrumentally by praier alone apprehending the power of Christ restored Tabitha againe to her life On the otherside the selfesame Apostle more principallie and by an actuall power in himselfe and without anie inuocation or praier at all did actually deliuer Ananias to death By both which it is verie apparant that the holy men of God they had in themselues not onely instrumentally but which more is euen princâ—pally also an actuall power for the powerfull expelling of spirits and diuels Physiologus That some holie men of God haue had an especiall power permitted vnto them for the admirable effecting of miracles no wise man will euer denie because the Scripture it selfe doth plainely auouch that vnto some there was giuen the operations of great workes by the spirit of God Howbeit this we must hold withall that such a power whatsoeuer it was onely an instrumentall and no principall power at all For seeing the sacred Scriptures do flatly affirme that Iehouah alone doth woondrous things we must therefore verie conscionable confesse and acknowledge that Iehouah alone is the author and man but the instrument of all those admirable actions whatsoeuer which he by their hands doth so powerfully accomplish Touching therefore your vaine surmize of Peter his principall power in the actuall deliuerie of Ananias to death the Euangelist Luke a little after doth flatly auouch that Peter was onely the hand whereby the Lord himselfe with his scepter or two edged sworde did wound Ananias his soule vnto death Yea and it is verie apparant by the storie it selfe that Peter he had onely a Ministeriall power in that action he being but a Minister and no Master of that selfesame worde of the Lord which is vndoubtedly a sauour of death vnto death in them that perish Howbeit because that selfe same death of the soule cannot possiblie be discerned by our corporall eies the Lord therefore he sawe it exceedingly good euen by the Ministerie of Peter therein to giue an extraordinarie visible token thereof on Ananias his bodie To the end that so many as then beheld or should from thencefoorth but heare of the same might tremble at the maiesticall power of the word and humble themselues to the auctoritie of God Who hauing plainely foretold by the mouth of his prophet that he would smite the earth with the rodde of his mouth and with the breath of his lippes destroy the vngodly did euen then by the Ministerie of Peter exhibite vnto vs an experimented triall thereof So then howsoeuer Peter himselfe he being the speciall instrument of Iehouah in that most admirable matter might by vertue of the principall agent it selfe attaine to the admirable acting of that which highly surmounted the whole facultie or power of his owne proper person euen as we also may see that a naturall heate by a power in the soule begetteth flesh yet had Peter as hath that naturall heate
iustifying faith of Christs disciples did oftentimes ebbe and flowe with the moone because howsoeuer the same was alwaies inherently dwelling within their harts the efficacie thereof for that present was suddenly falne to a verie low ebbe And which more is we must by the purport of your speech be further perswaded that verie many whom Christ in the generall iudgement will finally and iustly reiect as workers of iniquitie they had once notwithstanding the true iustifying faith in themselues howsoeuer they finally fell from the same For many of them also did in Christs name as effectually and as powerfully driue foorth the diuels from people possessed as did any of the rest how holy soeuer And so by consequence howsoeuer the callings and gifts of God to saluation be without repentance verie manie notwithstanding they may and do loose their iustifying faith and finally fall from the grace of God This as it strengthneth verie shrewdly the popish opinion of falling from grace so doth it mightily weaken that vndoubted assurance of the sauing faith in all the elect Exorcistes Let it strengthen or weaken whatsoeuer it will verie certaine I am that the iustifying faith may effect such a worke Orthodoxus If you meane such a worke as your faith effected at Mahgnitton of late we are growne to an issue Howbeit if you imagine that the iustifying faith may miraculously driue foorth a diuell then all the elect how vnexpert soeuer they also are sufficiently able to cast foorth spirits and diuels if they please For they are all mutually interessed in the selfesame iustifying faith and do iointly participate with all the prerogatiues thereof whatsoeuer as well as any of the rest Yea then those other preachers also who seuerally and at sundrie times did deale with the partie possessed they might as effectually haue dispatched that matter as you did your selfe vnlesse haply you imagine them but reprobates concerning the faith Besides all this if the driuing out of diuels from men be as you would haue vs imagine the vndoubted effect of a iustifying faith it must necessarily folow that so manie as cannot effect such a worke they may doubt of their iustification in Iesus Christ. Yea and those other Preachers also who eftsoones before and with your owne selfe at that present attempted the matter in vaine they may begin to make some scruple of conscience concerning the soundnes of their iustification for their faith could effect no such worke Briefly if the powerfull expelling of spirits and diuels be in deed as your selfe doth auouch the essentiall effect of a iustifying faith then surely that selfesame effect so highlie surmounting verie many of the rest it would vndoubtedly haue beene reckoned vp in some one of those places at least where the other effects of that faith are purposely registred by the spirit of God Howbeit this powerfull expelling of diuels is not anie where mentioned amongst those other essentiall fruits of iustifying faith and therefore the same is no essentiall effect of anie such faith Exorcistes But in the xvj of Marke this powerfull expelling of spirits or diuels is principally put downe as an infallible effect of the faith of the Gospell For after our Sauiour Christ had spoken these words he that beleeueth and is baptized he shall be saued he that beleeueth not shall be damned then he addeth foorthwith and these tokens shall follow them that beleeue In my name they shall cast foorth Diuels speake with new toongs take away Serpents drinke any deadly thing without hurt yea and but euen lay their hands on the sicke and they shall recouer Loe all these you see are most admirable eflects Yet such I assure you as doe vndoubtedly succeed a iustifying faith in Iesus Christ. Orthodoxus I doe greatly mislike your assurance for these matters how admirable soeuer in shew they are no essentiall effects of a iustifying faith Neither were they at any time absolutely or simply but after a sort as it were the signes or tokens of faith and serued only for that primitiue age wherein the Gospel of Christ was first to be preached abroad in the world That selfesame primarie preaching of the Gospell hauing by the vnsearchable prouidence of God such signes and tokens euen purposely annexed vnto it as trumpets or criers to summon all sorts of hearers vnto the kingdome of Christ. For euen as Moses his lawe in mount Sinai and throughout the wide wildernes did gaine a woonderfull auctoritie vnto it selfe by reason of the manifold miracles effected by Moses and Aaron which said miracles notwithhanding so soone as the people of Israell possessed the promised Land did foorthwith determine So surely those selfesame miraculous actions which in the primitiue church did credit and grace the Gospell of Christ so soone as the Gospell it selfe was vniuersally published abroad in the world they foorthwith did cease and grow out of vse By all which it is verie apparant that those admirable effects they were onely but temporarie and personall prerogatiues more especially appertayning to some speciall persons accordingly as it seemed good to the Lord to bestow them himselfe in the seuerall distributions of those his seuerall graces Howbeit because those speciall graces thus personally bestowed on some few did publikely tend to the publike profit of all the elect and for that those admirable actions so admirably effected by some one peculiar person did generally serue for an vndoubted confirmation of the faith in all it therefore pleased the holy Ghost in that place indefinitely to name the beleeuers themselues as though that which was done by some one or a few had beene generally effected by all the faithfull Exorcistes Howsoeuer he speakes but of one or a few of the faithfull very certeine I am that the miraculous actions mentioned there they are such essentiall tokens as do vndoubtedly succeed the sauing faith of the Gospel Orthodoxus That those tokens succeeded the preaching of the Gospel we do neuer deny but whether they do follow the preaching of the Gospel as the essentiall effects of that iustifying faith which mutually belongeth to all the elect is the very issue of the question betweene vs the which I am willing if you please that Maister Beza doe determine for vs both in this sort To another is giuen faith by the same spirit This is not that faith saith Beza which belongeth indifferently to all the beleeuers in Christ for the Apostle in this place entreateth onely of some certeine speciall gifts of the spirit and therefore this speciall faith it hath a speciall relation vnto the effectuall power of God in working of miracles so far foorth especially as some speciall persons endued with that special gift were especially directed therin by some secret motion from the spirit of God This therefore is that faith which we call in the schooles the miraculous faith whereof an expresse mention more especially is made in the seauenteene
faith is most generall and reacheth euen to the reprobates in so much as satan also himselfe is thought to enioy it according to that of Iames. Thou beleeuest there is one God thou dost well the diuels also they beleeue and tremble The second kind of faith is onely that sauing faith of the Adopted sonnes by which they are firmely incorporate saued in Christ. Of this faith the Euangelist speaketh not heere neither yet can they that haue this sauing faith effect any miracles by vertue thereof The third kinde of faith is onely a particular faith in some certaine speciall persons and the same not alwaies in force but hath her speciall times and peculiar reasons annexed vnto her This kinde of faith may fitly be called a particular or singular faith it being the singular gift of the holy Ghost and hauing from thence her singular directions as the Apostle declareth saying to another is giuen faith by the same spirit The which without doubt must in no wise be vnderstood of the iustifying faith because this being peculiar to some one or a fewe the iustifying faith it belongeth indifferently to all the elect This miraculous faith it saueth none nor changeth the minde neither is any man bettered thereby the woorth of one haire Yea and it is also eftsoones bestowed vpon manie reprobate persons who will say vnto Christ in the general iudgement Lord Lord haue we not by thy name prophesied and by thy name cast out diuels and by thy name done manie great workes to whom he will answer I neuer knew you depart from me yee workers of iniquitie Againe saith the Apostle If I had al faith so as I could remooue mountaines and haue no loue I am euen as nothing Of this faith our Sauiour speaketh in the place you alleage saying If you had faith so much as is a graine of mustard seede and should say to this mountaine remooue hence to yonder place it should foorthwith obey you By all these testimonies it is very apparant that Christ in that parcell of Scripture which you produce for your purpose speaketh nothing at all of the iustifying faith in Iesus Christ. Exorcistes Howsoeuer your selfe doe conclude and those your contestes may seeme to confirme those tokens which Christ puts downe in that place they are I am sure the essentiall signes or effects of a iustifying faith Orthodoxus Although by reason of a selfe conceit the iudgement of learned diuines be vnable to ouersway your setled partinacie concerning this point yet let the absurditie of your owne speech enforce you at the least to forsake such a palpable errour for shame For if the tokens put downe in that place be indeed and in truth the essentiall and ordinarie effects of a true iustifying faith as you would beare vs highly in hand then surely this palpable absurditie must necessarily ensue so absurd an assertion Namely that either there are none now in these daies of the Gospell who may truely be said to be iustified or that now at the least we haue the true iustifying faith in another edition quite differing from that which was then in the primitiue Church For verie certeine I am that no Christians now how holie soeuer are able by the onely efficacie of their iustifying faith to driue out a spirit or diuell in any possessed howsoeuer your selfe durst so boldly I will not say blindly aduenture vpon such a woonderfull worke Exorcistes Sir you doe ouer grosly abuse me with girding quippes I would you knew it I did not blindlie vndertake that admirable enterprice as your selfe doth bluntly imagine Orthodoxus My imaginations herein are nothing so blunt as the bluntnes of your cause doth require For if the vndertaking of such an admirable enterprise without some apparant directions and warrant from the word be but a walking in darkenes yea a verie desperate and a blinde rushing vpon the worke it selfe then I hope I do not grosly abuse you with girding quippes because it is lawfull to call darkenes darkenes But your selfe did vndertake that admirable enterprise without any apparant directions or warrant at all from the worde as hath beene sufficiently declared and therefore you rushed but blindly vpon that woonderfull worke So then the premisses you see being dulie considered you are now enforced perforce to confesse that either you draue foorth no diuell at all from the yoongman at Mahgnitton or that else you draue him foorth at the least by the onely meanes of a miraculous faith Howbeit the miraculous faith you may at no hand auouch in that action because you disclaimed the same but euen now as a thing ceased long since Exorcistes Not so I onely affirmed that the miraculous faith it was thought of some to be ceased long since but told you not what opinion I hold my owne selfe concerning that matter Orthodoxus Are you opinionate then concerning this point Let vs heare I beseech you your proper opinion and tell vs without anie doubling whether you hold for certeine that the miraculous faith is yet still continued in these daies of the Gospell Exorcistes If I auouch the continuance thereof it is no heresie I hope Orthodoxus A man by the course of your speech may giue a shroud gesse concerning the length of your foote Howbeit the night is farre spent and I am ouer wearie to hold out the controuersie without a breathing fitte at the least Let vs therefore breake off for a little short space and then set vpon it afresh For I am vnwilling to giue ouer the conference now before the matters be brought to some better perfection Lycanthropus Gods name be blessed for your Christian care in doing vs good and we willingly yeeld to your motion Orthodoxus Arise then let vs go walke a turne or two in my parlour Philologus We attend on your person The end of the ninth Dialogue The tenth Dialogue THE ARGVMENT Whether a miraculous faith apprehending the power of God for the powerfull expelling of Diuels be yet still continued What a true miracle is And whether the working of miracles be now fully determined in the Churches of Christ The speakers names PHILOLOGVS LYCANTHROPVS PNEVMATOMACHVS PHYSIOLOGVS ORTHODOXVS EXORCISTES Orthodoxus A Pennie-woorth of ease I perceiue is woorth a pennie Oh how this little recreation hath reuiued my wearied spirits Do not you also verie sensiblie perceiue the self-same effect in your selues Physiologus Yes sir blessed be God for the same For my owne part I feele my selfe as liuely in bodie as sharpe in conceit yea and as fit for the conference as I was at the first beginning Lycanthropus The same I dare say for my selfe and the rest Orthodoxus Let vs then go roundly to worke Come on Exorcistes tell vs in good sadnes doe you hold it for certaine that the miraculous faith is yet still continued in these daies of the Gospell Exorcistes What reason haue you to imagine the contrarie Orthodoxus What reason I will giue
formes and representations of things raised vp and conserued in those selfesame commotions are eftsoones exhibited to the phantasie or imaginatiue facultie at the verie same instant the commotion was made yea and eftsoones also euen in that selfe same manner and order wherein it pleaseth the disturber of our spirits and humours to conuaie those selfesame representations By which said meanes verie many and sundrie visions do foorthwith appeere to the phantasie as we may plainly perceiue in so many as are fearefully affected with Phrenesies Yea and which more is the matter it selfe may be brought to such issue as those selfe same representations which are inwardly conserued in the imaginatiue facultie they may and are eftsoones recalled to the externall senses themselues In so much as the partie preposterously affected therewith doth verie strongly imagine that he vndoubtedly beholdeth those selfesame things with his eies which were apprehended before in the phantasie imagination or common sense and are conuersant wholy therewith whereas in deed and in truth there was neuer any such matter existing essentially in outward appearance 3. Lastly many like admirable matters may verie easily and as it were with a trice be foorthwith effected both by diuels and by cogging companions either by the assistance of some precompacted confederacie or through the onely supply of some local motion Wherein partly by watchwords and partly also by the present exchange of one thing for another many admirable actions in an outward sensible seeming and by a nimble conueyance both may be and are eftsoones effected by seducing make-shifts and iuggling mates Now then all these the forenamed sundrie manners of working many admirable matters in outward shew how strange soeuer they seeme to the beholders themselues they are simply no miracles at all howsoeuer respecting our shallow reasons and stinted iudgements it pleaseth the Lord eftsoones to entitle them so in the sacred scriptures Come on therefore Exorcistes now that you haue sufficiently heard what a miracle is as also of the sundrie sorts of miracles doe tell me with whether of both these sorts of miracles aforesaid you do range your supposed admirable action wrought at Mahgnitton I meane whether we must esteeme the same a true or false miracle A true miracle you may not affirme it to be both because the same is vtterly destitute of all those the former essentiall causes of miracles and for that no such thing at all was euer effected as hath beene and shall be shewed at large Againe a false miracle I beleeue you will neuer auouch it to be for feare of being forthwith concluded some such cunning Impostor as hath only by iuggling sleights and falfe legerdemaines a long time bewitched the minds of the simple Exorcistes I account it no miracle in any respect And surely if your selfe or any other haue conceiued thereof as of a miracle and thereupon also haue thought hardly vpon it for that the miraculous actions are thought to be ceased you are therein by your patience verie deepely deceiued Physiologus Why sir is not the driuing out of Diuels a miracle Exorcistes In deed to cast out diuels by a commanding word so as one no sooner commaundeth the spirit to goe out but foorthwith he departeth as Christ and his Apostles did this I confesse is not onely a miracle but of them the greatest Howbeit by meanes of prayer and fasting to driue out Satan or rather to entreat Christ to whom all power is giuen in heauen and in earth to cast foorth Satan is no miracle at all Physiologus And why so I beseech you Exorcistes Because of the meanes that is vsed For whatsoeuer is brought to passe by meanes that same is no miracle because of that saide meanes be it neuer so woonderfull as might be shewed but for breuities sake by a thousand instances Physiologus You are either a great frend vnto breuity or breuity a good shelter to your wether-shaken cause at the least Notwithstanding for that you go about by a bare pretence of meanes to make a mere nullity in many miraculous actions as shal be shewed hereafter this I must be bold to tel you as it were by the way that either I wholly mistake your meaning or your selfe do vtter you wot not what For if by the word meanes you vnderstand such a meanes as hath essentially in it owne selfe some energetical force either naturally or artificially for the orderly effecting of matters namely such a meanes as hath in it selfe naturally some naturall consonancy concerning the action entended as hath naturall foode for the orderly conseruation of our naturall being or if otherwaies you vnderstand such an artificiall meanes as hath in it selfe artificially an apt correspondency vnto the purposed businesse as hath the carpenters axe to the hewing and squaring of logs then you say true Because any thing effected by such essentiall meanes hath in it â—elfe no extraordinary or supernaturall power how admirable soeuer in shew but is ordinarily effected by mere naturall or artificiall meanes at the least and therefore howsoeuer a woonder yet no miracle in any respect Howbeit if by the word meanes you vnderstand some such supposed phantasticall meanes as neither naturally nor artificially hath in it selfe any ability disposition or aptnesse at all to any such action entended as are all created or mere naturall meanes whatsoeuer to euery of those extraordinary and supernaturall actions which wholly concerne the powerfull expelling of spirits and diuels then this your speech respecting especially the point of our question is too to absurd and sencelesse Neither shall you euer be able though you set breuity aside for the present and take what leasure best liketh your selfe to giue vs herein so much as one onely true instance out of all those your pretended thousand instances whereof you so brauely vaunted before Exorcistes You goe about I perceiue very sleightly to ouerslip the maine point of my argument by this your cunning new-coined distinction of meanes Physiologus Nothing lesse I assure you And therefore seing you are so resolute do frame your owne argument that you may foorthwith receiue an answere directly vnto it Exorcistes I frame it thus Whatsoeuer is brought to passe by meanes that is no miracle But the driuing out of diuels by praier and fasting is brought to passe by meanes therefore the driuing out of diuels by praier and fasting is no miracle Physiologus First make plaine the ambiguous terme meanes in your maior proposition and tel me plainely whether you vnderstand thereby any such essentiall meanes as either naturally or artificially at least hath in it selfe some energeticall force for the powerfull expelling of spirits and diuels Exorcistes I vnderstand not any such essentiall meanes at all but such a meanes rather as doth accidentally befall the action entended that selfesame accidentall meanes not hauing any further force in it selfe for expelling the diuel then pleaseth the Lord to blesse it withall
this matter it iumpeth iustly with the rich mans in hel For he also being vtterly destitute of all other releefe did very instantly desire that Lazarus might foorth with be sent from the dead to his fathers house to forewarne his fiue brethren of that place of torment Seeing then you thus iumpe in your iudgements I were loath you should iar in the answere and therefore do tel you plainely that the atheistes of our age they haue Moses and the prophets to testifie vnto them the truth of such matters as concerne their saluation whom if they wil not faithfully here and beleeue neither would they beleeue at all notwithstanding they should see a thousand strange miracles Exorcistes Yea but such a miraculous expelling of satan by praier and fasting it woulde notwithstanding all this verie powerfully silence the papists who doe confidently affirme that spirits and diuels cannot possible be driuen out by any the Protestant ministers Physiologus The papists and your selfe it should seeme are in very great hope to delude the world afresh by your fained false miracles and that makes you so earnestly to vrge the continuance of the gift of miracles as though the same were yet still to be executed by some speciall persons But if they or your selfe would either winne or continue your credits by the working of miracles you must not bring in those your counterfeit crankes out of whom you woulde make vs beleeue you haue coniured spirits and diuels not vnlike to the possession of Mildred in Kent 1574. nor to the miraculous restoring of Margaret Iesop againe to her limbes not to the vision of the blacke dogge with other like fables reported by Bristowe but you must bring vs in some such miracle-workers as are able extempore to talke with new toongs to take away serpents or to drinke any deadly thing without danger for so your credites might haply be deemed the greater although yet if you taught not the truth we would take you for Antichrist As for the Protestant Ministers they neuer durst nor now dare professe themselues to be miracle mongers Both because the doctrine they teach it hath beene sufficiently and finallie confirmed before by the approoued miracles of Christ and his holie Apostles and for that also if there be yet still a continuance of any power in men for the working of miracles that power they confesse it belongeth to Antichrist and his Antichristian ministers of whom they are precisely warned by Christ to beware These therefore they are seely poore causes you see to prooue the continuance of miracles Exorcistes But yet the holy exercise of praier and fasting which with the prophane is so shamefully scorned it would by this and such other like admirable actions be notablie confirmed Orthodoxus Why man if praier and fasting be an ancient true ordinance of the eternall God then the truth there of was sufficiently confirmed before by the vndoubted true miracles contained in the worde so as it needeth not the accursed supplie of anie such patched and paltrie confirmations Howbeit if the same were a newe and neuer knowne ordinance in the Primitiue Church then surely all the fained miracles and signes in the world woulde neuer be able either to shelter the same from the scornes of the wicked or to procure it estimation among the godly In consideration whereof you your owne selfe haue beene highly to blame thus badly to abuse so sacred an ordinance For these your preposterous courses concerning the practise thereof hath more hindred that holy and orderly exercise then all the scornes of the vngodly could euer haue done and therefore forethinke it in time Exorcistes Should I forethinke me of that which is so generally helde of all for an infallible truth yea and which more is should I most cowardly disclaime that Christian cause which manie great Diuines doe confidently holde and haue so constantlie offred by publike disputation to vphold against all men Offring not onely to prooue the continuance of actuall possessions but which more is the perpetuall establishment of this selfesame continued meanes for the powerfull expelling of spirits and diuels from time to time Orthodoxus If these matters were so generally held of all for an infallible truth your selfe could neuer haue beene so iudicially conuented nor so iustly conuicted a grosse male factour for but putting an infallible truth in practise As for the profered disputations by those your approoued Diuines I doe verily beleeue that you haue borne your selfe much more bolde in presuming thus peartly vpon the proppe of their persons then your commission will warrant Otherwise those your great Diuines hauing heard long since at a Commencement in Cambridge this question disputed and determined negatiuely they might and they would without doubt at some one time or other since then haue taken occasion either by disputation by writing or by preaching at least to mannage the truth of that matter which so directly concerned their open pretended chalenge Especially if they either held the same an infallible truth or had so publikely offred a publike dispute as you would beare vs in hand they haue done And therefore by this their so long continued silence we must either account of your speech as of a Canterburie tale or at leastwaies imagine that those your approoued Diuines they haue had like good Christians their second cogitations concerning the truth of your matters For we will neuer beleeue that they would by any their purposed silence so vnconscionablie betray a professed infallible truth especially if they so approoued thereof as you tell vs they did Howsoeuer this I must tell you is a verie grosse and a palpable folly namely that you your selfe or anie man else shoulde so confidently and so fondlie relie vpon the persons of men without any due triall or proofe of their spirits because great men they are not alwaies the wisest neither doe the aged at all times vnderstand iudgement For howsoeuer there is a spirit in man the inspiration of the almightie it giueth men wisedome Being therefore but a yoong Nouice my selfe in regard of those great Diuines and ancient Fathers I doubted and was a long time afraid to affoord my opinion For I said surely the daies shall speake and the multitude of yeeres shall teach men wisedome Howbeit hauing a long time waited vpon their words and perceiuing withall that no one of those your great Diuines haue hitherto had in their mouthes any answere at all to reprooue your aduersaries nor found foorth their forcible reasons to mannage your cause I was inwardly mooued to answere in my turne For I am full of matter and the spirit within compelleth me Therefore now will I speake that I may take my breath Neither in speaking will I accept the persons of men for feare if I should fondly giue titles to men my maker would sodainely take me away Go to therefore Exorcistes doe either shew vs more probable reasons for the
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