course of nature Howbeit if the Phisition should effect the said cure by sole prayer and fasting alone without any such naturall medicine or by a quite contrary meanes namely if he together with prayer and fasting should worke the sayd cure by the only applying of a plaister of clay which naturallie hath in it selfe no naturall disposition at all for the orderlie effecting of any such worke and wherein nature her selfe neither hath nor naturally can haue any such secret operation at all then surely the cure it selfe in such sort effected it is vndoubtedlie supernaturall extraordinarie and meerely miraculous By the premisses then you may plainely perceiue what things in a naturall disease must necessarily concurre for the timely effecting of the ordinarie cure thereof and therefore do tell me plainely whether you make the possession of Diuels a disease or not Exorcistes Yes sir it is a disease as ordinarie as other diseases in men Orthodoxus But whether is it a naturall or supernaturall disease Exorcistes It is a supernaturall disease no doubt Orthodoxus And is not the cure thereof eyther ordinarie or extraordinarie at least Exorcistes The cure thereof in Christ and his Disciples dayes was extraordinary no doubt but now in these dayes of the Gospell it is altogether ordinarie Orthodoxus If an ordinarie cure as you say then must you be able to demonstrate vnto me the necessarie concurrencie of all the precedent matters and so you say something vnto vs. My meaning is this you must demonstrate vnto me first an ordinarie medicine for that selfesame cure Secondly a secret operation of some other effectual power concurring therewith Thirdly a ministeriall hand to apprehend and applie that selfesame medicine Fourthlie a theorie or skill to direct the sayd hand Fiftlie a meanes to imprint that selfesame theorie in the phisitions breast Lastlie an habite of that selfesame skill to imbolden and warrant the practise thereof and then the cure in such sort effected is vndoubtedlie ordinarie Exorcistes Why sir prayer fasting is a medicine ordained by Christ to effect that ordinarie cure Orthodoxus Haue prayer and fasting any such energetical force in themselues as doth naturallie and directlie tend to the timely effecting of that selfesame cure or doe they rather ex opere operato effect the said worke Exorcistes Neither of both Although yet sole prayer fasting do effect the said worke as wee see in experience notwithstanding my selfe be vtterlie vnable to expresse the manner how it effecteth the same Orthodoxus I doe verilie beleeue you in this Howbeit if sole prayer and fasting be able of it selfe to effect such a worke without any the other precedent matters concurring therewith then surely that selfesame cure as we told you before in naturall diseases it must needes be extraordinarie and so by consequence a miraculous cure no doubt Notwithstanding all this the working of miracles you say it was ceased long since and therefore also the miraculous expelling of spirits and diuels Besides that you your owne selfe doe terme the possession of diuels a supernaturall disease But supernaturall diseases doe necessarilie craue a supernaturall manner of cure for nothing in an orderly course of nature may possiblie cure a supernaturall infirmitie and therefore that selfesame pretended cure of yours concerning Sommers if euer the same was truely effected it must needes be as extraordinarie now as euer were any before and so by consequence as miraculous now as euer were any before whatsoeuer you prate to the contrary as in our tenth Dialogue is plainely declared Exorcistes Sir I prate not at all but doe aduisedlie report that infallible truth whereof we haue the examples the practise and counsell of fathers who generallie auouch the holie exercise of prayer and fasting for the perpetuall expelling of spirits and diuels Orthodoxus Your Fathers forsooth being euery of them mute before concerning the essentiall possession of diuels are here mustered afresh in one the selfesame ranck to support your idle cōceit of an ordinarie dispossessing of diuels by prayer fasting And herein howsoeuer you wrest open their mouthes to make them speake what you please they speake nothing at all to your purpose in hand my meaning is they doe not concludently proue that Christ hath purposelie established prayer and fasting as an ordinary and perpetuall meanes for the powerfull expelling of diuels For first howsoeuer you begin with Origen he rather insinuateth simplie the supposed efficacie of fasting and prayer in those your pretended admirable actions then purposelie put downe the practise thereof as a perpetuall ordinance peculiarlie and purposelie establisht by Christ for the powerfull expelling of spirits and diuels Tertullian he speaketh of many pretended deliuerances from some supposed extraordinarie afflictions of Satan but sheweth not the manner how they were freed from thence Neyther had Cyprian in those his pathetical perswasions any purpose at all to put downe the pretended establishment of that your conceited new ordinance for the powerful expelling of spirits and diuels as may plainely appeare by that authenticall censure which Iacobus Pamelius hath set downe vpon that selfesame place of Cyprian which your selfe doth alleadge Telling vs confidently that the Exorcists office was not then of any vse in the Church and giueth this reason withall Nam munus illud cum miraculorum dono coniunctum temporarium fuit For that office or function being conioyned with the gift of miracles it was onelie a temporarie office Yea and in an vtter detestation of this your deluding conceit concerning the perpetuitie thereof from those your preposterous practises a little after he saith that the crafts and iuggling sleights of counterfeit Exorcists and coniuring Priests they are long since apparantly euident yea euen to the very eyes of the blind By that then which is hitherto spoken concerning your mustered Fathers you may easilie iudge the very iust length of all the others footings concerning especiallie their hoped releefe towardes this your languishing ordinance For whatsoeuer they may seeme in your sillie conceit to set downe concerning some supposed supplie for your falslie pretended ordinance very certaine it is they doe not nor durst not auouch the pretended establishment of that selfesame supposed ordinance by Christ his authoritie as you very fondly imagine And as you are not herein assisted by any their determinate or resolute iudgements so neyther haue you their own examples or practise to any such purpose but onely their bare reports concerning the apocryphall practise of some others conuersing among them Neyther doe they once open their mouthes concerning any such established ordinance only Origen as we yeelded vnto you before he speakes of prayer and fasting by way of aduise all the rest if they speake anie thing they speake onlie of prayer alone as of that which they deeme a notable exercise or fruit of faith Neyther doe any one of them all in any their published workes write eyther of sole prayer alone or
A SVMMARIE ANSWERE TO AL THE MATERIAL POINTS IN ANY OF Master DAREL his bookes MORE ESPECIALLIE TO THAT ONE BOOKE OF HIS INTITVLED the Doctrine of the Possession and Dispossession of Demoniaks out of the word of God By IOHN DEACON IOHN WALKER Preachers And the Sorcerers or Charmers of Aegypt they did in like manner with their inchauntments For they cast downe euery man his rod and they were turned into Serpents but Aarons rod deuoured their rods and so Pharaohs heart was hardened Exdo. 7.11.12.13 Si de veritate scandalum sumitur vtilius permittitur nasci scandalum quà m veritas relinquatur Aug. de libro arbitrio Talis est conditio falsitatis vel erroris vt etiam nullo sibi adsistente consenescat talis autem è diuerso veritatis status vt etiam multis impugnantibus suscitetur crescat Chrys. de laudibus Pauli lib. 3. Eugubinus de perenni Philosoph lib. 3. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Heu Tripodes lugete perit praesagus Apollo Aye me alas Tripodes perisheth presager Apollo Propugnaculum vitae patientia LONDINI Impensis Geor. Bishop 1601. TO THE REVEREND FATHERS THE LEARNED PREACHERS AND GODLIE BREthren in this our English Church I. D. and I. W. doe hartily wish the abundance of Reuelation in Iesus Christ with an holy discerning spirit that they may be the better inabled thereby to discerne aright of the things that differ and to hold fast for euer the infallible truth for the glorie of God the Churches good and their owne euerlasting comfort in Iesus Christ. So be it REuerend Fathers and Brethren beloued and longed for in the Lord The blessed Apostle putting downe some certaine precepts or Canons concerning the sacred Schooles of prophesie obserueth in effect this following order First hee permitteth the Prophets to speake by two or by three appointing the other Prophets to determine vprightlie of that which they speake and then next hee decreeth that if any thing be reuealed to another which sitteth by the former should be silent a time and the other man speake because all being thereunto called may prophesie one by one that all may learne and all may haue comfort Howbeit least any the Prophets should happily presume vpon this his permission to speake at their pleasure the Apostle forthwith for auoyding disordered confusion subiecteth the spirits of the Prophets to which more is if wee found them able to mannage their matters to giue them the hand of fellowship concerning their doubtfull cause Or if happily vpon better deliberation they yeelded the question to vs wee protested further to conceale their secret being vntill some good course might forthwith be taken for informing authoritie as well of their present conformitie as also for procuring their speedie deliuerance from the Ecclesiasticall censures so farre foorth as possiblie might be effected Sixtly beholding the holie Religion of Christ verie shrewdly scandalized by reason of such falsely pretended miracles we knew in our conscience we might doe nothing at all against the truth but for the truth and therefore not possiblie conceale those truthes which the Lord hath discouered vnto vs. Seuenthly our holy established Religion being verie scornefully derided with Papists and Atheists as a Religion that needeth now at length to be presentlie supported by superfluous miracles we verely perswaded our selues that no good Christian heart could possiblie forbeare his best endeuour to stay their intemperate courses Eightly Master Darel and his fellowes very confidently persisting in the vnhappie support of those their newly broached opinions hath mightily moued our hearts to haue at the least a compassion of some by putting a difference and othersome again to saue with feare by pulling them violently forth of the fire Ninthly their deceitful and coloured kind of proceeding in that they not onely pretend an holie cause but which more is doe varnish the same with holy pretences with faire words and flattering speeches to intangle if possiblie they may the very hearts of the simple hath made vs the more carefully to discouer vnto all the world what lurking poyson lieth shrowded vnder those glorious pretences Lastlie who would not both speake and write whatsoeuer they conscionablie knowe concerning these causes if hee but respect as in conscience hee ought that shamefull reproch which Master Darell and his fauourits like disordered persons doe verie iniuriouslie impose vpon the whole land vpon Magitracie Ministery and people in these following words Wee doubt not say they but that other nations and kingdomes about vs will both giue credit to this matter of fact so soone as they shall heare thereof and see how the same hath been witnessed vpon the oathes of many and will also receiue the Doctrine of possession and dispossession which we so much haue gaine-saide Blush then oh England and be thou ashamed of this thy incredulitie which is such as the like thereof hath not bin read nor heard of before for others haue yet acknowledged the worke which hath been done in them but thou hast not gone so farre but rather denied the same Loe these in effect be the maine occasions themselues which moued vs especially to labour these matters Now next the principall ends which we propound to our selues in publishing our labours are these that follow Namely we haue first done it to testifie our hearts desire for the timely accomplishment of Ierusalems peace Secondly to make knowne to the world our prouident care for the speedie preuenting of euery such future disordered courses as happily might preiudice the whole or any part of Gods truth as heretofore the Brownists and Hackets haue too inconsideratlie effected by their vnruly and headie conceits Thirdly to insinuate vnto al the world our arnest endeuours to know the truth and to be better informed if happily we erre in these matters Fourthly to lay open our Christian care for the timely informing of such as are contrarie minded Fiftly to discouer our vndoubted detestation of all false waies in any how deare soeuer vnto vs. Sixtly to vnfold the preposterous giddines of such humorous spirits as dare in this our doting age so dangerouslie pester the Church with strange and vnwonted opinions very fitly consorting with their fauourits natures Lastly wee haue more especially published our labours to stand in steede of some prouident watch-word for yong students in Diuinitie and newly conuerted Christians that in any wise they beware how they doe either broach abroad or receiue any such phantasticall conceits of priuate persons as are not primarily examined according to the infallible rules of the word neither yet authentically approued by publike authoritie Loe these in effect were the maine occasions and ends for the now publishing of our labours in print The premisses therefore considered and the arguments on both sides rightly respected we beseech you reuerend Fathers and Brethren to consider diligentlie whether of vs both haue caused diuisions and offences contrarie to the
neuer failed in doctrine or iudgement so neyther in the working of miracles This seemeth an irrefragable reason no doubt and such a one I beleeue as may not possiblie be shaken Well bee it supposed that after the Apostles receiued the holie Ghost their faith fayled sometimes in Doctrine or iudgement then it is very probable their said faith it might also fayle at sometime in the working of miracles That the Apostles at sometimes fayled in the first it is verie apparant For Peter hee went not rightly to the truth of the Gospell Iohn would haue worshipped the angell once or twice The Apostles and brethren who were at Iudaea they thought that the word of God was not to be preached vnto the Gentiles All these were errors in doctrine and iudgement And therefore the Apostles faith fayling directlie in these it might fayle much more in the working of miracles Howbeit because you seeme so confident in this one assertion doe shew vs the reason why the Apostles faith so soone as they were filled with the holy Ghost could not possiblie fayle in doctrine or iudgement Exorcistes My reason is this The holy Ghost is called the spirit of truth This spirit being promised to them was afterwards in miraculous maner bestowed vpon them they therefore receyuing the fulnes of this spirit their faith from thenceforth could not possiblie faile in Doctrine or iudgement and therefore much lesse in the working of miracles Orthodoxus I answere The holie Ghost is iustly called the spirit of truth This spirit of truth was faithfullie promised vnto the Apostles and at the feast of Pentecost very miraculouslie bestowed vpon them Hitherto we accord you see in euery point Howbeit your inference inforced from hence is not proued but pitifullie begged for we denie that either all or any one of the Apostles receyued the fulnes of this spirit Exorcistes Then you denie the truth of the sacred Scriptures For doth not the Euangelist Luke verie flatlie affirme that they were all filled with the holie Ghost and spake with new toongs as the spirit gaue them vtterance Orthodoxus He denyes not the truth of the sacred scriptures who onlie denyes but your erronious collections vntrulie gathered from the sacred scriptures For it is one thing to be filled with and another thing to receyue the fulnes of the spirit It is an axiome not onely warrantable by learned Philosophers and commonlie knowen to the simplest on earth but approued of all by common experience that whatsoeuer thing is receyued of another the same thing is receyued only according to the capacitie of that which receyueth the same We do willinglie acknowledge that the holie Ghost hath replenished only our sauiour Christ with the vnmeasurable aboundance of his graces and that Christ only hath receyued the fulnes of the spirit because that vnto him the father giueth not the spirit by measure Notwithstanding the Apostles and all other the elect they do only apprehend the graces of the spirit in their proper measure according to which measure they haue receyued not the fulnes it selfe but of the fulnes of Christ his spirit euen grace for grace By all which it is very apparant that euen the blessed Apostles and other the elect in Christ they receyue the graces of the spirit only according to the simple capacitie of humane frailtie and not according to the maiestie and fulnes of the spirit it selfe so as their faith could not faile in any respect For howsoeuer they were trulie renued and enlightned with the holy Ghost yet were they not in this present life so absolutely enligtned renued or clensed from all peruersnes of hart or blindnes of mind as that they could neyther swarue in doing their dutie nor be deceiued at all in their iudgement Not that the measure of the spirit which they receyued was of it selfe insufficient to preserue them absolutely from either of both but for that it pleased the father in such sort to dispence his spiritual graces to men in this life as the verie best might perceiue their owne imperfections and therewithall be driuen to acknowledge that the fulnes of perfection consisteth only in Christ. For who will denye there is water enough in the mayne Ocean sea to quench the raging flames whatsoeuer which wast a whole towne howbeit this we must needes acknowledge withall that a simple earthen vessell cannot possiblie contayne enough of that water to asswage the fier alone that burneth one house The blessed Apostles they acknowledge themselues to be men yea men who being naturallie begotten in the image and likenes of Adam their father must naturallie flame and burne as the Prophet reporteth And therefore albeit they were certainely borne anew of water and the spirit yet the water of the spirit it doth not so thoroughlie extinguish in them all sparks and ouersights whatsoeuer as that their faith could not faile in any respect For then what needed their corruptible bodies to put incorruption vpon them or themselues desire to be dissolued and to be with Christ Howbeit this we certainely know that during this life there remayneth euen in the best of all a dayly strife betweene the spirit and the flesh yea and that the remnants of flesh do sticke very fast not only in their harts but also in their minds And for these selfe-same respects the very Apostles themselues do freely acknowledge that now namely while they liue in this life they knowe only but in part that the power of God is perfited in weakenes and that therefore they do all cry out with the Prophet and say heale thou vs O Lord and we shall be healed yea and euen Paule he acknowledgeth of himselfe that he is not yet perfit although he be laboring earnestly towards the marke And Iames sayth generally concerning the faithfull that in many things they all offend Briefly our sauiour affirmeth flatly that he which is washed the whitest of all hath neede notwithstanding to wash his feete By all which its very apparant that the Apostles themselues they were not so absolutely filled with the graces of the spirit but that their faith notwithstanding it might and did faile at one time or other in some point of doctrine or iudgement and therefore much more in the working of miracles Exorcistes If it be certainely true that their faith at any time fayled in doctrine or iudgement how then is the promise of Christ to be credited concerning the holie Ghost for he told his Disciples that the same should leade them into all truth Orthodoxus That the Apostles faith in some things and at sometime might faile it is vndoubtedly true and the promise also of Christ cōcerning the holie Ghost his direction is as vndoubted a truth For the holie Ghost no doubt did leade them into all truth yea I say further into all holines of soule and bodie howbeit he led them into all truth in such sort as
sentence of death vpon such malefactors as he himselfe hath before condemned to death And therefore vnlesse you be able directly to proue that hang-men are distinguished also into seuerall orders among themselues this your imagined reason from the seuerall degrees and orders among men vpon earth hath in it no shew at all to maintaine any difference of order among spirits and diuels in hell Exorcistes But sir there are distinct or seuerall orders among the Angels in heauen therefore also among spirits and diuels in hell Physiologus Master Orthodoxus doe take your ease for a time and let me alone with this argument Come on Exorcistes I hartely thanke you for this irrefragable reason this I trow is a toucher Surely howsoeuer Dionysius himselfe be departed long since his dottage I perceiue must neuer decay so long as Exorcistes is liuing Now faire fall a sure friend at a pinch But goe to man doe tell vs I beseech you how many distinct orders of spirits and diuels are establisht in hell Exorcistes That is much more then any may possiblie know or yet needes to enquire of Physiologus Why man seeing you doe shew your selfe no lesse presumptuous now in vrging a distinction of diuels in hell then was Dionysius before you in putting downe a difference of Angels in heauen why may you not as boldlie determine this point from Dionysius his mouth by an argument of proportion thus There are nine seuerall orders of angels in heauen therefore nine seuerall orders of diuels in hell Exorcistes What inconuenience could follow thereof if happilie I reasoned so Physiologus Nay none at all I assure you if in so saying you happilie be able to proue what you say but that must be done I suppose at our latter Lammas Exorcistes Not so sir the proofe I assure you is pregnant enough if we but marke what we read in the scriptures concerning this point For therein is mention made of Seraphims Cherubims Thrones Dominations Vertues Powers Principalities Archangels and Angels all which you may see are distinct or seuerall names But those nine seuerall names are giuen vnto Angels in regard of their nine seuerall orders in heauen therefore there are also nine seueral orders of diuels in hell Physiologus Dionysius in deed from those nine seuerall names doth conclude as you say nine seuerall orders of angels yea and which more is hee doth afterwards verie quaintlie distinguish those nine seuerall orders into a threefold ternarie of Angels as may plainely appeare in his booke if any were so surprised with palpable follie as he could be brought to beleeue the same Howbeit there is no sound order of reasoning from that which your selfe or Dionysius doth dreame Because if from an onlie bare distinction of names wee may boldly conclude a distinction of orders then surelie Dionysius and your selfe haue missed the marke by many degrees For besides those the aforesaid nine seuerall names the Apostle from out of the Prophet alleageth two other names more namelie spirits and flaming fire and in Iob the Angels are called the sonnes of God So then in this account because there be twelue seuerall names there must necessarilie be made twelue seuerall orders of Angels which giueth to your selfe and Dionysius directly the lie Exorcistes Not so for those three last you speake of your selfe namely spirits flaming fire and the sonnes of God they are names common to all Angels whatsoeuer Physiologus So is I am sure the name of Angels as Dionysius also confesseth which yet notwithstanding he and you both doe preciselie put downe for one particular order of Angels And therefore if the communitie of name confoundeth the particularitie of order then are there but eight orders of Angels other waies if the varietie of names must make also a varietie of orders then are you necessarily enforced to confesse twelue seueral orders of Angels at least Howbeit we haue to consider with Augustine that by the name Angell is not meant the nature but the office of Angels Doest thou enquire saith hee the name of this Angelicall nature it is a spirit Wouldest thou know the office it is an Angell Behold the selfesame distinction saith he in the nature of man If thou askest the name of mans nature it is man If thou askest the name of his office it is Preacher The name of his nature is man the name of his office is Souldier Hereunto also appertaineth the speech of Rabbi Shelomoh who saith that the names of Angels are secret yea so secret as the Angels themselues doe not know them they hauing indeede no proper names but onely some certaine sir-names saith hee imposed vpon them from those speciall respects whereunto they are purposely sent according to that in the Hebrues which saith Are not his Angels all ministring spirits sent forth to minister for their sakes who shall be heires of saluation And according to the matter of their seuerall ministeries they haue for the present their seuerall names bestowed vpon them in an especiall regard of our slender and shallow capacities For so the Spirit that was sent to Isaiah because hee purged the Prophets mouth with a fierie coale he was fitly called Seraphim of Saraph which signifies properly to burne So the Angel who cured Tobiah is called Raphael that is the medicine of God of Rapha which properly signifies to cure or to heale So the Angel who was sent to Daniel and the Virgin Mary because he reuealed matters impossible for any but a supernaturall power to effect he was correspondently called Gabriel that is the fortitude or strength of God of the radicall word Gabar which signifies properly to preuaile So in like manner the Angell who was sent to Manoah because hee miraculouslie brought fire from heauen that consumed the sacrifice he was fitly called pele of pala which signifieth properly to be secret or wonderfull By all these and the rest wee may boldly conclude that the seuerall names which are giuen to Angels doe rather set foorth their seuerall temporarie imployments then establish among them any distinct or seuerall orders For if wee examine the matters aright wee may plainly perceiue that all the names attributed to them in the sacred Scriptures they haue relatiō either to their nature or office but not to any your supposed different orders at all Lycanthropus What names I pray you respect only their nature Physiologus That doe these three namely Spirits Seraphims and Cherubims Spirits because they are of a spirituall essence Seraphims in regard of their fierie disposition or working as wee told you before and Cherubims of Cherub which properlie signifies a bird and this also in consideration of their agilitie or swiftnes for performing the busines imposed vpon them These names you may see they set foorth no seuerall orders but doe only lay open the admirable nature of Angels Pneumatomachus And what names doe properly import their office Physiologus The names which
ORTHODOXVS EXORCISTES COme on Exorcistes you doe earnestly expect I am sure what holy vses we may possibly make of these our former discoursed opinions so opposite to yours in euery point Exorcistes I doe so indeed neither need you to wonder thereat For if you so carelesly reiect those seuerall vses which I made before and onely because there is no matter as you say to ground them from what ground haue your selfe to build any vses vpon denying so flatly the essentiall possession and dispossession of Diuels Orthodoxus Why man we will draw our vses from the finall determination of possessions and dispossessions but seeing you are in such expectation thereof we will no longer protract the time Lycanthropus Nay sir we also our selues are all held in as earnest expectation thereof as is Exorcistes I am sure and therefore I pray you proceede in your purpose Orthodoxus With very good will Wherein also you haue to vnderstand that the vses whatsoeuer which we entend to put downe from any the precedent points they are summarilie such as haue a speciall relation either to the Lord himselfe or to some other besides Pneumatomachus A very excellent order I pray you therefore proceede in putting downe first those seuerall vses which haue a more speciall relation to the Lord himselfe Orthodoxus Content First therefore these our precedent discourses they offer vnto vs in generall a very holy meditation concerning the vndoubted faithfulnesse and truth of our eternall God Who promising foure thousand yeeres fully before to send such a blessed seede of the woman as should actually bruse the Serpents head hath in his owne determined time very faithfully fulfilled the same by sending his owne Sonne into the world to accomplish his said eternall decree concerning the timely subduing of Satan his kingdome of darkenesse This therefore may serue very fitly to confirme our faith and hope in the faithfull assurance of all the rest of his promises as yet vnperformed how impossible soeuer they seeme in our weake apprehension More especially it may fully assure our soules of the faithfull performance of that one infallible promise of God which concerneth the vtter subuersion of Satan his whole kingdome of darkenes and of the quite treading downe of himselfe very shortly vnder our feete Because whatsoeuer is alreadie fulfilled in part the same is a very sure pawne to our soules of fulfilling the whole in that conuenient season which the Lord hath appointed Let vs therefore in an holy meditation of this so faithfully performed a promise be more readie to raise vp our drouping soules with an holy consideration and full assurance of all the rest of Gods promises Yea and whensoeuer any doubtings by the suggestions of Satan shall at any time hereafter arise in our harts and seeke to surprise our faith and hope concerning the vndoubted certainetie of any one promise of our gratious God let vs forthwith begin to checke our fainting soules very earnestly to meditate thus with our selues and say My Soule be not faithlesse I pray thee but faithfull in those the assured promises of God which chiefely concerne the finall and full subuersion of Satan For what though he be dayly assaulting suggesting and tempting what though he seeke dayly to fanne and to winnowe thee as men winnow wheate what though he rageth howrely like a cruell red Dragon and goeth continuallie about like a ramping and roaring Lion to deuoure thee yea admit he doth eft soones trip vp thy heeles at vnwares and giue thee a fearefull fall yet shall he neuer finallie preuaile against thee thou canst not finallie lye still in the dust of death thy faith cannot finallie faile No no thou hast a sure promise from God to go conqueringlie vpon the Lion and Adder and to trample the yong Dragon vnder thy foote yea the Lord God he hath promised very shortly to tread Sathan downe vnder thy feete And what one cause hast thou I pray thee to distrust the truth of this promise thou hauing especiallie such a sure earnest pennie thereof in the faithfull performance of other his faithfull promises Let not any supposed lingring delay procure in thee a languishing hope Consider the Lord his experimented faithfulnes concerning that promised seed which was actuallie to bruse the serpents head That promise being solemnely pronounced vpon Adam his fall was foure thousand yeares after very faithfullie fulfilled in Christ and therefore this his latter giuen promise coÌ„cerning the treading downe of Sathan vnder thy feete it shall in his certaine appointed time be certainely performed vnto thee For as all times with the Lord are presentlie present and therefore no forgetfulnes may possiblie lodge with his maiestie so is there with him no shadow of change and therefore he will vndoubtedly performe whatsoeuer he hath certainely promised Lycanthropus This I assure you is a most comfortable vse for Christian consciences I pray you proceede in the rest Orthodoxus I will This doctrine againe as it franklie affordeth an holie meditation coÌ„cerning the faithfulnes and truth of God so doth it no lesse freelie offer vnto vs a very deepe and sacred consideration concerning the omnisufficiencie of our all-sufficient Creator and of the exceeding mightie power of his ouer-ruling arme ouer euerie of his creatures of what nature or kind soeuer Yea euen ouer those the intellectuall spirits who for their inueterate malice are called accusing aduersaries for their insatiable crueltie are termed ramping and roaring Lions for their inexorable rage are intituled the red firie Dragons for their vndermining subtiltie are said to be Serpents and for their Lordlie dominion are accompted the Princes and gods of this world These titles howsoeuer they seeme terrible vnto vs yet are the Spirits themselues no better then hangmen to the heauenlie maiestie oâ— the mightie Iehouah but vile vassals to accomplish his vnchangeable decrees and the slauish executioners of his ineuitable iudgements Yea and howsoeuer they make an out-facing brauado in any their outragious attempts against the sonnes of mortall meÌ„ as though they would forthwith surprize the whole world not vnlike to the chayned Monkie which keepeth a skipping and leaping as though she would presentlie ouerleape the vtmost borders of Egypt yet can they extend their furie no further then the length of their chaine will giue them leaue because their whole malice power and policie are perpetuallie limited within those their appointed bounds which they cannot possiblie passe And therefore the serious consideration of this the ouer-ruling hand and power of the Lord may notablie serue to support those often feares which do ordinarilie arise from the often feeling of our fraile and feeble condition concerning our powerfull resisting of any the forcible assaults of Satan Let vs therefore in euerie of these daunting feares endeuour to strengthen our weake knees and to support our feeble hands which hang so droâ—pingly downe by meditating daylie vpon the