infallible Doctrines which you haue learned from Christ and auoyd them For they that are such serue not the Lord Iesus Christ but their owne bellies and with faire speech and flattering deceiue the hearts of the simple Consider therefore we humbly beseech you consult and giue sentence either with vs or against as the Lord shall direct your hearts If wee be thought to haue the truth on our sides we doubt not but that you will fight together with vs in one and the selfesame faith of the Gospell On the other side if we be found to haue faulted either in matter or manner wee beseech you confute vs and spare not and the blessing of God doe light on your hearts for your labour that way Neither shall our priuiledged bookes be any stoppage at all to so good a purpose for if you be vnwilling to deale that way because of authoritie your priuate conuictions shall suffice to procure from vs a publike retractation of whatsoeuer shall bee soundly adiudged amisse For howsoeuer we may happily erre we purpose by Gods grace to bee no Heretikes Referring therefore our selues and our labours to your approued considerations we humblie betake you all in our hartiest prayers to the holy directions of the onely wise God who iudgeth according to trueth Amen Your louing brethren assuredly in the Lord and the Lord his vnworthiest on earth IOHN DEACON IOHN WALKER TO THE CHRISTIAN AND WELL AFFECTED READERS WHO EXPECT THE COMming of the Lorde Iesus to their immortalitie I.D. and I.W. doe wish the necessarie graces of the spirit with a sauing knowledge in Iesus Christ So be it GOod Christian Reader when we dulie considered Maister Darel and his complices their lately dispersed pamphlets concerning their new-found trade of Diuillitie as also their vndutifull manner of imprinting and publishing the same to the world we could not but call to remembrance a most pestilent practise which Cardinall Benno reporteth of Hildebrand Who hauing killed Alexander the second for that he refused to sit at his speciall appointment in the Apostolike Sea without the good Emperours licence was by the ayde of his souldiours forthwith enthronized into the Popedome himselfe not hauing therein the consent either of Cleargie or people The which his prowd vsurpation when Abbas Cassinensis was come to redresse Hildebrand that insolent Vsurper very scornefullie sayth vnto him thus Frater nimium tardasti Brother you haue beene somewhat too slowe to whome Cassinensis very boldly replyed saying tu Hildebrande nimium festinasti and thou O Hildebrand thou hast beene ouer-hastie by much both in killing thy good predecessour in procuring the Popedome by such prowd vsurpation Euen thus surely it falles forth with vs at this present concerning especiallie the matters controuerted betweene our selues and those our Antagonists For they not only giuing the Canuisado of late to her Maiesties high Commission but hauing withall by the venemous infection of their viperous pennes verie vncharitablie endeuoured to wound S. H. vnto death for that by meanes of the sayd S. H. his dutifull discouerie of those their vndutifull dealings they might not be permitted to vsurp in our English Church a new Apostolicall power at their pleasures without any her Maiesties authenticall licence Maister Darel the principall agent partly by the inherent pride of his insolent spirit and partly by the prowde support of many his vnder-hand fauorits is very prowdlie enthronized into a new Popedome forsooth And by priuiledge thereof he hath very peremptorily imprinted and published sundrie seditious pamphlets hauing thereunto neither warrant from God nor dispensation from Prince nor testimonie of sound conscience no nor so much as the holie approbation of any good christian subiect Notwithstanding all this he hath for a season though feare and shame enforceth him now to pluck in his head very prowdlie ietted from countrie to countrie like a pettie new Pope among his owne Cardinals yea and that also in his pontificalities portrayed and contriued after the new-found popelike cut The which their vnbridled insolencie when we indeuoured to encounter by publishing as we verily beleeue the infallible truth of these intricate matters in a treatise at large and had signified so much to themselues by word and by letters in an only desire of doing them good they labored by letters and otherwaies to intercept our said enterprise a time at the least And in the meane time by printing and publishing the trifling toyes of that their new found trifling trade they haue sought to forestall our former good purpose and laboured to calme our carefull endeuours for doing them good Yea and by these their preuenting practises they do in effect but disdainefullie say vnto vs with Pope Hildebrand their prowd copartner Deere brethren you haue bin somewhat too slow in publishing those your dialogicall Discourses concerning Spirits and Diuels Howbeit we by these our subsequent labours and second encounters may with Cassinensis very conscionablie replie vpon them thus and you oh counterfeit Exorcistes you haue bin ouer-hastie by much not only in killing your good predecessour by your poysoned penne but also in broaching a fond triall abroade without any triall of truth in designing a Doctrine so opposite to the Doctrine of Christ and in discouering a Detection to detect your great follie and shame to the world The truth of the premisses good christian Reader may be made more apparantlie euident if thou wilt prouidently examine first the pamphlets themselues and then next the spirit it selfe which may be supposed to endight the same The pamphlets themselues notwithstanding any their outward florishing shewes they are inwardlie faultie we verily thinke both in matter and manner That they are ouermuch faultie in matter is more then may be denyed being euery of them fraught full of vnsound and absurd positions as shall be shewed hereafter in a short Catalogue prefixed before this booke Moreouer that they be likewise faultie in their manner or forme may easily appeare vnto such as are not vtterlie ignorant of methode or do any thing know what belongs to an orderlie manner of writing For first their manner of writing it seemes to be something Schismaticall and very shrewdlie to sauour of a Serpentine subtiltie because whatsoeuer their pamphlets pretend they proceede not by a plaine course of teaching but do rather incedere tortuosè goe wrigginglie to worke and walke this way and that way like to the hunted Hare which knoweth not whereon to resolue for a certaine Besides that their manner of writing it is also verie enigmaticall obscure and cloudie their sentences or periods they are in effect no better then riddles and for the most part so vncertaine so variable so flitting and so changing as none but themselues may possiblie spell or spie forth their meaning Briefely the very frame itselfe of their whole proceeding resembleth fitlie a paire of tarriours or tyring yrons and serueth to no other purpose at all but to hold men occupied all
or rather their vnwarranted trifling toyes as they haue bin hitherto receiued hand ouer head among the irreligious and prophane of the world with no lâ—sse admiration forsooth then if they had been the Alcoranean Oracles of Mahomet himselfe so are they alas at this present to too readily entertained with many of no small accompt in the Church as the infallible truths of the eternall God Howbeit the same being once equallie waied and wisely examined according to the very touchstone of truth they will notwithstanding any the supposed sway of their bookes appeare to be no better in effect than old wiues fables then the Legerdemaines of cunning Imposters and the cousoning sleights of some Popish priests as hath beene proued at large The premisses therefore considered let the authors or fauourers of those published Pamphlets endeuour what they possiblie may to support and vphold those fondly conceited fooleries in their former account with the people of God they will notwithstanding very shortly vanish away like snow in the Sunne be deemed no better in effect then Hobgoblings Bugboies Night-sprites or Fairies to make the yoong children afraid with their supposed shadowes while the aged ones in Christ doe take their comfortable rest in an assured confidence concerning the ouerruling power and prouidence of Iehouah himselfe And thus much in effect for those seuerall vses which doe generally appertaine to all men Pneumatomachus They are all singular vses no doubt But proceede now I beseech you to the putting downe also of such as are more particularly befitting some speciall persons Orthodoxus With very good will Wherein we haue first to consider that the seuerall vses more particularly befitting some speciall persons they are summarily of two sorts Namely either such only as concerne the affectors of that new-found Diuillitie or else such also as respect the mislikers thereof Lycanthropus What are those vses I pray you which more speciallie concerne the affectors thereof Orthodoxus They are summarily such as doe purposely tend to the timely informing either of the authors themselues or of any their fauourits Philologus Declare first I pray you those seuerall vses which more particularly respect the authors themselues Orthodoxus Content Wherein wee haue first to consider that for so much as all those the former conceits which Exorcistes hath broached abroad concerning these matters in question are euery of them vndoubtedly such as notwithstanding any his glorious pretences doe not onely not bring any one benefit to the Church in generall or to any the particular members thereof but doe rather tend couertly to the timely support of his owne priuate purposes without hauing relation to publike good nay rather to the vntimely procuring of many publike and priuate mischiefes The consideration hereof may serue to discouer those secret plots and vnder-hand practises which our miracle-mongers of what condition soeuer doe mutually obserue among themselues with one harmonicall consent and course For they all in the very first progresse of any their plotted proceedings doe primarily propound to themselues such purposed proiects as they notwithstanding any their outward iollie pretences doe cunningly prosecute and eftsoones accomplish by the secret meanes of many their vnder-hand practises and iuggling sleights of legerdemaine yea and this also with such a slie and nimble conueiance as a man would hardly imagine that not any other but May-butter it selfe could possiblie melt in their mouthes For these cunning practitioners as they haue euermore had an insatiable thirst to the filthie pleasures and pelfe of the world as to the onely true obiects of their hearts desire and the very purposed proiects which they principally propound to themselues in any their vnder-hand practises though they falsely make shew of a quite contrarie end in all outward appearance so haue they their sundrie deuices to further their said enterprise and to accomplish effectually that their primarie pretended purpose wherein also they are resolutelie bent notwithstanding any crossing occurrents although yet with as little suspition as they possiblie may And therefore in the very first progresse of those their proceedings they solemnely pretend the glorie of God the gracing of sundrie his sacred ordinances and the singular great good of his Church Namely either an approbation of the real presence of Christ in their Masse or a confirmation of publike fasts in those their solemne meetings or a perpetuall establishment of the worship of Saints of Purgatorie of Masses of Trentals of Dirges of praying for the dead of plodding on Pilgrimage with tenne thousand such other deuices Howbeit notwithstanding these wonderfull sturres if wee more prouidently respect the full period of those their proceedings wee may plainly perceiue that their primarie propounded pleasures and profits which they hourely expect as an ordinarie interest successiuely arising from such coloured courses they are that quickening spirit which only affoordeth life and motion to those their entended actions yea and that onely preexisting efficient which giues an essentiall forme to all their purposes and without which their vnder-hand practises would become an vntimely birth would quickly vanish away of themselues and forthwith come vnto nothing Neither only these their lewd plots and practises are apparantly laid open but the fearefull effects also of such counterfeit pranckes they are by the consideration hereof verie plainly discouered For who seeth not how opposite the same is to the eternall purpose of God concerning the actual brusing of the Serpents head how derogatorious to the supereminent dignitie and power of Christ for the finall determination of Satan his power of possession how iniurious vnto the certaine established truth of the Gospell in that it reuiueth the miraculous confirmation thereof afresh how hurtfull to the Church of Christ by breeding therein such vnnecessarie and fruitlesse garboyles how grieuous to the godly in procuring such an horrible prophanation of prayer and fasting vnder an holie pretence of doing great good to the Church how scandalous to the weake in making them doubt whether the Gospell bee yet fully confirmed by miracles how offensiue to Atheiâ—â—s in causing them to skorne the holie things of God so odly prophaned how gratefull an enterprise to Antichrist in that it puts vpon the true spouse of Christ the proper badge of his whorish strumpet how dangerous to all men by drawing them thereby into many idle conceits and needlesse troubles and lastly how acceptable a seruice it is to the Diuell and his Angels in that it erecteth and holdeth vp their kingdome afresh by bearing the world in hand that Spirits and Diuels haue such an essentiall inherencie in the bodies of men as cannot bee helped without fasting and prayer when there is no such matter at all but only the bare imaginations of idle braines and the deluding deuices of such cunning Impostors as accompt worldly gaine the greatest godlinesse and thereunto also doe hourely applie all their purposed plots and predetermined practises as experience in euery age
others Moreouer it may please the good Reader to remember withal that such absurd positions and so many apparant contradictions they cannot possiblie proceed from that spirit of truth which leadeth into all soundnes of truth and religion and that therefore they haue in them no force at all to fight for the Lord who needeth not the lies of mortall men Brieflie this we our selues doe certainely know all men more especiallie the iudiciall sort they plainely perceiue that howsoeuer those their pretended essentiall possessions and dispossessions of diuels may haplie accord with the truth of the Scriptures yet these their published Pamphlets they will neuer be able to make good the supposed truths which themselues doe pretend and that therefore they must of necessitie be forced to begin a new ground or to giue ouer their cause The Lord by his spirit direct vs only vnto that which tends to the glory of his great name the present good of his Church and our owne euerlasting comforts in Iesus Christ. So be it euen so Lord Iesu. Amen The seuerall Arguments handled at large in the subsequent Dialogues concerning our second encounter The first Dialogue Pag. 1. The Argument 1 WHether Master Darel his second encounter contayning an hotch-potch of things confusedly shuffled together hath found a better successe concerning the pretended essentiall possession of Spirits and Diuels then any the precedent particulars propounded at large in our former Dialogues The second Dialogue Pag. 81. The Argument 2 WHether this fresh encounter contayning an hotch-potch of matters confusedlie shuffled together hath found a better successe coÌ„cerning the pretended dispossession of Diuels by prayer and fasting then any of the precedent particulars propounded at large in those our former discourses The third Dialogue Pag. 197. The Argument 3 THe holie and right vses which the Church and Children of God are to make of this Doctrine concerning the finall determination of possessions and disposessions of spirits and diuels A SVMMARIE ANSWERE TO ALL THE MATERIALL POINTS in any of Master DAREL his bookes The first Dialogue THE ARGVMENT Whether Master Darel his second encounter containing an hotch-potch of things confusedly shuffled together hath found a better successe concerning the pretended essentiall possession of Spirits and Diuels then any the precedent particulars propounded at large in our former Dialogues The speakers names PHILOLOGVS LYCANTHROPVS PNEVMATOMACHVS PHYSIOLOGVS ORTHODOXVS EXORCISTES Orthodoxus EXorcistes Hauing very lately receiued your late-spread factious Pamphlets as also your Champion-like challenge concerning your old inueterate opinions about the essentiall possessions of Spirits and Diuels I vnderstand by Master Physiologus and the rest of our companie that according to your owne appointment for time and place you are now come purposely ouer vnto vs to mannage your challenge Surely howsoeuer your maine forces may happely be feeble there is no want I perceiue of a valorous minde Well sir you are welcome vnto vs. And therefore what say you man Doe you feele your selfe no lesse readie than willing to aduenture the combate afresh Exorcistes Yea sir I am very willing and readie at all assaies and doe purpose very valiantlie to hold out the encounter or lie fast by the heeles But what say you first to those my three late published treatises which you so scornefully brand with the odious title of factious Pamphlets Orthodoxus Or euer I come to open my mouth concerning any your owne matters I must first of all be very importunate vpon the rest of our companie that they would in no wise interrupt our talke for protracting the time but onely attend with silence and become indiffâ—rent Iudges concerning the scope of our conference Vnles happilie it may please Master Physiologus for better ease vnto me and more delight to your selues to enterlace now and then some such Philosophicall points as may in any sort tend to the further manifestation of the maine purpose in hand Lycanthropus We like very well of and doe willinglie submit to your motion proceede therefore in your matters as the Lord in mercie shall direct your minds Orthodoxus Content Come on therefore Exorcistes what say you now to the essentiall possession of Spirits and Diuels Exorcistes Sir be you sure you must finde me no Changeling concerning that so weightie a matter But first shew me I beseech you how you may possiblie make good the intolerable disgrace which you haue primarilie imposed vpon those my fruitefull labours which it pleaseth your own selfe to terme but factious Pamphlets Orthodoxus Why man It hath been euer my ordinarie manner of dealing you know to call a spade a spade and therefore you must pardon my plainenes herein Howbeit be patient I pray you we will neuer fall forth for naming the Childe And therefore pretermitting the terme of factious Pamphlets those your three last published treatises sith forsooth you will needes haue them intituled so they are either such as concerne onely but matters of fact or such as concerne matters of fact and Doctrine together Your treatises concerning onely but matters of fact namely your Triall and Detection I doe purpose at no hand to intermeddle withall Both because you your owne selfe haue purposely singled forth from the rest your proper Antagonists whom you proudely intitle the two English Inquisitours Samuel Harsnet I meane and his Master whom also in the very heate of your pride you haue by a Hysteron Proteron preposterouslie put downe in your Pamphlet and for that I also my selfe haue no authenticall Commission to enquire after much lesse to determine such factious proceedings For which speciall respects I doe purposely put ouer the trying forth of your Triall as also the orderly deciding of that your Detection to such Ecclesiasticall Commissioners as her excellent Maiestie hath authenticallie subordinate vnder her Highnes for the orderlie finding forth of all those vnorderlie and grosse malefactors which doe indirectlie withstand or impugne the same Exorcistes Well what say you then to the other of my treatises Orthodoxus You shall vnderstand anon my censure concerning the same In the meane time howsoeuer for the former considerations I doe vtterlie refuse to meddle with those two forenamed Pamphlets being meerelie but matters of fact yet must I bicker with you a blowe or two concerning the seuerall Epistles prefixed to both For besides that they are in some places absurd and senseles doe labour thoroughout vpon a pitifull begging of the cause of Possession and Dispossession are branded with Grosthead his corrections by matching in your Apocryphall text that your pretended miracle with the true miracles of Christ but yet making the same in your marginall note no miracle at all besides I say that they all keepe onely a circular motion are full fraught with idle excursions with rouing phantasies with extrauagant speeches are thirteene times pestered with an idle traducing tautologie are stored with fearefull disloyall titles and termes of disgrace with vaunting challenges virulent raylings and
all this he was eftsoones of such supernaturall strength as he could hardlie be ruled Physiologus How then came it to passe that some few men or women were able by their owne naturall power to subdue his saide supernaturall strength at their pleasure You shall hardlie perswade mee that the meere naturall power of a thousand men may possiblie subdue the supernaturall strength of a spirit or diuell Howbeit if this your supposed Demoniake had in deede beene fast tyed in chaynes of iron as were the Demoniakes put downe in the Gospell and could also as easilie haue knapt them in sunder you might then more boldlie haue reported and wee would the sooner haue beleeued that the youngman as you say had beene in deed of an extraordinarie supernaturall strength beyond the facultie and power of nature In the meane time you may not be angrie though we esteeme these trothles tales as trifling toyes being altogether insufficient to proue any such eyther actions or passions as doe wholie surmount the facultie skill and power of nature Exorcistes Why sir besides the precedent supernaturall actions the youngman he was of a supernaturall knowledge foretelling my comming vnto him and telling of many things done the actours themselues being absent Physiologus This is not so supernaturall as you make men beleeue For he might be ashsted in those his supposed predictions and declarations of actions els where effected by watch-wordes by signes by the insinuations and speeches of others by his owne obseruations collections and probable coniectures yea and perhappes by some cunning confederacies with Exorcistes himselfe Now then all these and other like helps hee eftsoones enioying as hath beene deposed by diuers no merueile at all though those his cosining predictions and declarations of actions to simple and plaine meaning people did seeme verie admirable straunge and miraculous Although yet with the circumspect and prouident beholders there was in them no straungnes at all but such as might easilie be effected by the meanest of wit with the help of a cunning confederate For if Bankes by his continuall prastise had brought his blacke Horse to such exquisite knowledge as that by the onely sight of his maisters eye by his words and many other experimented obseruations and rules he could and did eftsoones effect such admirable matters as many of the beholders did imagine him to be rather a black diuell then an Horse why should we wonder at all that two cunning companions confederate together before should conclude such a course betweene themselues as the one by the help of the other should prognosticate such straunge and incredible euents as that the sillie poore hearers would rather deeme him some supernaturall Cole-prophet then any naturall cosining companion So then this argueth no such supernaturall knowledge as you would make vs beleeue Howbeit if hee had spoken eyther Hebrew or Greeke neuer hauing learned those languages before that had beene in deed a very certaine argument of some supernaturall knowledge and might very probably haue concluded some possession by Satan Exorcistes Why sir hee spake Latine I assure you saying thus Ego sum Deus Ego sum Rex Yea and which more is he spake for a good space together with an hallow voice in his bellie his mouth neuer closed but stretched wide open Physiologus It should seeme he was onelie possest with some poore petie diuell that had no more Latine in store Howbeit if the diuels memorie had failed him the best is the boy himselfe he had learned that Latine at schoole many yeares or euer the diuell and he grew acquainted As for speaking with an hollow voice in his bellie whatsoeuer it pleaseth your selfe to put downe with your penne very manie notwithstanding haue iudiciallie deposed that he spake as distinctlie and as orderlie as other men doe But be it supposed he spake in such sort as you say doth that argue necessarily some diuel in his bellie So euerie paltrie ventriloquist must become a Demoniake Hippocrates maketh mention of the wife of one Polemarchus who spake in her bellie Iohn Gorreus hee saith that such as speake in their bellie in Hipocrates they are called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is persons which speake in their bellie their mouth and their lippes being closed Faetius he writeth that the great Adrian Turnebus affirmed in his reading chaire that hee had seene a Rogue who without eyther opening his mouth or stirring of his lippes did with his bellie alone make such a sound and vttered such a sensible voice as both pleased the hearers and gainde to himselfe great store of money by the practise thereof If therefore these be the supernaturall actions whereupon you so greatlie relie for the vndoubted confirmation of those your supposed essentiall possessions I am sorie for intercepting M. Orthodoxus his course Both because these things are to too course and ridiculous to conclude such a cause and for that also they were not in such sort effected as they are by your selfe in your published Pamphlet reported Exorcistes Howsoeuer you would gladlie discredit the truth of the Historie the same could not possiblie be false it hauing the vndoubted truth thereof so carefullie reported with euerie circumstance and the same also most soundlie deposed vnto by diuers Deponents Orthodoxus Why man the very matters themselues they were nothing so straunge as the Historie reports them to be For how admirable soeuer they seemed at first in the beholders eyes yet the Deponents themselues deposing with some better deliberation their supposed straungnes a fresh they haue since then more aduisedlie reformed their oathes and deposed the contrarie Namelie that now by their better enlightned iudgements they doe plainely perceiue all those the former supposed supernaturall actions or passions to be but meere counterfeit toyes and plaine cosoning practises And therefore whatsoeuer your selfe may happily imagine concerning the supposed infallible truth of that Historie so carefullie reporting those seuerall points with the seuerall circumstances appertaining thereto yet the very best that wise men may thinke of that Historie is this Namely that the writer thereof reported those matters as then only they seemed to be but not as they were indeed and in truth Besides that other Histories are therefore credited because they report nothing in nature impossible or if happilie they doe yet then they plainely demonstrate how the same was effected Moreouer whereas you tell vs that the truth of the Historie hath beene deposed vnto our answere is this so hath the supposed truth thereof bin truely deposed against howsoeuer you your selfe in your accustomed charitie doe charge the Deponents themselues with open penurie And therefore notwithstanding that your exceeding great care for the truth of the historie the matters reported therein they may be vntrue Exorcistes But sir the Magistrates they haue not hetherto punished the reporters themselues for seducers and reporters of lies and therefore why should not the
Christ. Orthodoxus And he that knoweth not Christ what faith or hope hath he in Christ Ambrose yeelding a reason why Peter after his fall did not speake but weepe saith thus Peter doth not now vse speech by the which he had lied by the which he had sinned by the which he had lost his faith And againe Peter became more faithfull after he had bewailed the losse of his faith By all the premisses then it is very apparant that notwithstanding the prayer of Christ the Apostles faith it might and did faile at some time in doctrine and iudgement and therefore much more in the working of miracles Exorcistes This in my opinion is a dangerous point For if it be fully concluded that the Apostles at some time both might and did also erre in their iudgement concerning some points of doctrine then how may wee be certaine which of their writings must be held for infallible truths Orthodoxus Surely euen all those their writings whatsoeuer which the holie Ghost did leade them into those are the onely infallible truths of the spirit of truth But such only are all those which their master Christ had taught them before for the testimonie of Iesus is the spirit of prophesie and none other truths then those which Iesus before had testified to them were they led into by the spirit of truth Those their testimonies therefore what or how many soeuer they are to be esteemed as authenticall and infallible truths Al other their testimonies which only but slipped from humane infirmities how glorious soeuer in shew as they are not the testimonie of Iesus and therefore not the spirit of prophesie so are they in euery place of the Bible all tainted and branded for errors or vntruths by the spirit of truth as wee shewed before For howsoeuer the Apostles themselues were subiect to errors yet could they not possiblie erre so long as they onely but heard the voyce of Christ their Master and Shepheard and but followed the only directions of the spirit of truth Againe howsoeuer some one of them at some time and in some speciall point both might and did erre as hath been declared yet al their whole Colledge or companie it did not nor could not possiblie erre But euermore the light of truth was cleerely conserued in some of their mindes to discouer the clowdes of darknes which shadowed the rest and to propagate the light of the truth to all posteritie in which onely respect they are purposely called the lights of the world the foundations and pillars of truth Besides that the Apostles they did neuer vniuersallie erre I meane their faith neuer failed in all the parts of Christian doctrine howsoeuer some of them at some one time or other might happily swarue in some certaine point Moreouer they did neuer decline from the foundation it selfe because then they could not haue been the true Church of Christ which must necessarily bee builded vpon Christ the head corner stone and therefore they euermore held the foundation fast Briefly the Apostles faith it neuer finally failed for howsoeuer they at some times stragled aside through humane frailtie yet were they in time recalled from their errors as may plainly appeare For not only they all returned to Christ so soone as he was risen from death but which more is they first acknowledged themselues and then taught soundly to others the state of Christs kingdome And Peter being reprooued of Paul did willingly yeeld vnto him and Iohn staied himselfe vpon the Angels admonition from offering worship vnto him and the Apostles with the brethren being taught the truth reioyced greatly that God had granted the Gentiles also repentance to life and saluation Yea and in this their sound conuersion is fully performed that which was promised before by Christ when he said vnto Peter vpon that his worthie confession of faith Thou art Peter and vpon this rocke will I build my Church and the gates of hell shall neuer preuaile against the same Marke the words the gates of hel they shal not preuaile against the Church that is they shall not be of a preuailing strength for so much the word importeth They shall then be of strength against the Church but they shal not preuaile by their strength no albeit their said strength bee as strong as holds as the Apostle elsewhere doth purposely call them yet are they not preuailing holds For the elect and chosen of God may take a fall at some time but fall finally away they can neuer Perhaps at some time they build straw or stubble yet they build on the foundation and the foundation is Christ. The sheepe of Christ may eftsoones goe astray in the wildernes but perish they cannot because none shall euer be able to plucke them forth of the true shepheards hands The prodigall sonne may happily at sometime goe away from his fathers house but he shall be made to returne againe and be no lesse fauourablie entertained of his father then hee was before The faith of Peter himselfe did euen swoune as we say but finally it failed him not He was turned away from the Lord whom hee also denied but hee returned againe to the Lord with the bitter teares of repentance Briefly the faithfull they are oft times very shrewdly pressed with many and mightie enemies howbeit they are neuer suppressed It is certaine therefore that the elect and chosen albeit they be made the children of God by adoption yet are they subiect to errors and slips Howbeit on the other side they are subiect so as they are freed from the guilt of error by Christ and accepted as holie in the sight of God because they are holie in part I am blacke O ye daughters of Ierusalem saith the Spouse yet am I comely as the tents of Kedar yet as the hangings of Salomon Yea further the bridegrome he saith she is faire nay which more is that she is the fairest but yet the fairest of women not simply the fairest but in comparison of women but in respect of earthly creatures To teach the Church thereby least happily she grow proude of her borrowed beautie that so long as she liueth in this tabernacle of the bodie she goeth on towards but is not yet come to the perfection of fairenes and therefore that she is not faire altogether though she be therefore commended for her fairenesse because she walketh after the spirit not after the flesh So then to conclude this point sith it is apparantly euident by all the premisses that the Apostles faith it might and did sometimes faile in doctrine or iudgement yea euen since that very time they were filled with the spirit therefore it is likewise apparantly euident that their said faith it might much more faile in the working of miracles Exorcistes Their faith neuer failed in the working of miracles since that time especially they were filled with
auouch any thing for truth which is not a truth or to father a lie vpon Christ and so to hold the truth in vnrighteousnes It is impietie to put vpon the pure Spouse of Christ the besmearing brand of that antichristian strumpet to whome alone is giuen power to worke lying signes and wonders in all deceiueablenesse of vnrighteousnesse and so make her saith M. Darel to boast or bragge that she hath in her eare the marke of a Rogue or that shee is burnt in the hand like a theefe For as these saith he are the infallible markes of rogues and theeues so surely the miraculous expelling of diuels by papists and others in these dayes of the Gospell it is the vndoubted true ensigne badge or cognizance of antichrist It is impietie to affirme that fasting and prayer ex opere operato may possiblie effect such a worke and so to iumpe with trayterous Stapleton and with Thyreus the Iesuite It is impietie to prophane the holy exercise of prayer and fasting by such preposterous practises without any warrant at al from the word It is impietie to draw prayer and fasting from their peculiar and proper appointed ends namely from being but proppes and helpes for the onlie support of our feeble faith in the promises of God and to make them the only sole meanes for the powerfull expelling of diuels without any faith at al. Yea and euen such a meanes forsooth as may saith M. Darel enable a reprobate to effect such a worke Loe these are the seuerall impieties which doe necessarilie succeede your sensles exposition and yet you aske what impieties would follow thereof Now next for absurdities It is to too absurde to auouch that fasting is more effectuall and more powerfull for the expelling of spirits and diuels then is prayer it selfe It is absurde to make sole prayer but a practicall meanes to proue experiments by It is absurd to make fasting the subsequent of prayer whereas it should indeed be a precedent exercise or rather an ordinarie preparation thereunto It is absurde to establish a trade without a tuition or to prescribe a medicine where there is no maladie at all Loe these and such other absurdities doe necessarilie succeed your sensles exposition of Math. 17. vers 21. and yet you enquire what absurdities may possiblie succeed the same Now next shall be handled succinctlie the daungers also thereof which are both manie and those also most mightie For first it cannot but be fearefullie dangerous that the Church should be brought to imbrace for infallible truth that which cannot possiblie be proued a truth Againe it is vndoubtedly dangerous for the Church by this meanes to consort her selfe with her enimy especially in such grosse and erronious opinions To practise prayer and fasting as a perpetual ordinance establisht by Christ for the powerful expelling of diuels hauing no one warrant in the word for the same To be made carelesse of the true spirituall armour against Satan in deed by buzzing secretlie into her eares that which is not her armour appointed by God Loe these are some of those palpable impieties absurdities and dangers which must necessarilie succeed your said exposition and yet you are not ashamed to enquire what impieties absurdities or daungers may possiblie follow thereof These and such like they are the supposed good fruites which grow vp and may possiblie be gathered from your former most fruitles exposition concerning that portion of scripture As for the euill fruits you enquire after therein you are sufficiently able to resolue your selfe For what fruit may you haue of that whereof you are now so filthilie ashamed that you dare not shew forth your face as in former times Exorcistes Sir I would you knew it I am nothing ashamed of that infallible truth which I teach Orthodoxus If you blush not for very shame at so grosse an exposition the lesse is your glorie and the greater your confusion no doubt For who but an impudent person would not be highlie ashamed of the ignorance of his owne soule Howbeit if in very deed you be not ashamed thereof from your heart why then doe you thus hide your head in a corner Truth you know she seeketh no corners neyther feareth she more in her heart then to be hid from the eyes of the world Exorcistes I forsake not the truth it selfe be you sure I onely but flee those fierie trials which so fiercely doe follow the truth Neither take I this course without the warrant of Christ who wils me when I am persecuted in one Citie to flie into another Orthodoxus Alas poore pitiful cause what hard hap hadst thou to put thy selfe vnder the protection of so cowardly a Patrone as only but braues it in words without either beating once back or bearing off the blowes which daily befall thy vntimelie birth Howbeit you doe blasphemouslie belie our Sauiour Christ in saying that hee should approue of your cowardlie flight from citie to citie For the flight which Christ warranteth there is that wherin only your person not your profession is hotlie pursued by persecuting Tyrants You are not pursued with any purposed hurt to your person but onely with a prouident respect to those your preposterous practises which your selfe hauing preposterously set first on foote doe now by this your cowardly cariage euen purposely betray in the open field Besides that howsoeuer your flight might bee warranted lawfull before the challenged combat yet being once purposely billed forth for the battell and your owne selfe vndertaking the graund-Captaine his charge in this singular skirmish you haue from hence-foorth no more warrant to flee the very forefront of the field then hath the apprehended offender to breake out of prison Notwithstanding let vs set these things aside for the present and doe shew foorth vnto vs I pray you how from that portion of Scripture you may possibly conclude the timely establishment of that your supposed ordinance of prayer and fasting Exorcistes Why sir he knoweth nothing at all in the holie things who vnderstandeth not this namely first if any bee now possest and by prayer preuaile not then prayer and fasting together must forthwith be vsed Secondly that prayer and fasting being so vsed will certainly prosper either to the present remouing or to the powerfull sanctifying of the said iudgement at least Orthodoxus If that man who vnderstands not the profunditie of these new-found mysteries knoweth nothing at all in holie things then surely I for mine owne part must freely confesse that hitherto I haue knowne nothing at all concerning that mysticall way Yea and which more is this your pretended great knowledge therein it is I verely beleeue but a presumptuous knowledge hauing in it no soundnes of knowledge at all For who euer taught you as yet or from what spirituall fountaine can you possiblie conuey such a profunditie of sacred knowledge as may warrant vs to vndertake first an
care towards God to his Church to their owne soules and more especially to that people of the Lord which peculiarly dependeth vpon them And that also in an only respect of these the precedent coÌ„siderations they do forthwith make apparantly known to all the world their proper abilitie their valour and courage in defending the truth and in conuincing the aduersaries thereof of what coÌ„dition soeuer That by such a conscionable course they may truly declare themselues to be men sanctified and prepared for the seruice of the Lord yea and such also as can do nothing against the truth but for the truth notwithstanding any the sinister perswasions of men or the carnall respects of this bewitching world And this in effect â—â—r those seuerall vses which more especially concerne the publike mislikers of this new-found Diuillitie Lycanthropus Very well Proceede now I beseech you to the timely vnfolding of some such speciall vses as haue a more speciall relation to the priuate mislikers Orthodoxus With all my hart Wherein we haue first to consider that seeing the â—ound truth of this doctrine we teach hath in euery age of the world bin so mightily vndermined by Sathan himselfe and so dangerously darkened by such seducing companions as accompting glorie or gaine the greatest godlines do endeuour to withhold the veritie it selfe in vnrighteousnes and to turne the manifest truth of God into a mysticall lye This therefore it tendeth very notably you see to the timely commendation and comfort of all such sound harted Christians as notwithstanding these encountring occurrents are not lightly carried about with euery vaine blast of deceiueable doctrines from the sinceritie and soundnes of that sacred faith which they firmely hold in Iesus Christ but do rather very circumspectlie watch most couragiouslie stand fast in the faith to too valiantly quite themselues like valorous souldiers are vnconquerablie strong against principalities and powers against the worldly gouernours euen the princes of the darkenes of this world against spirituall wickednesses in the high place yea and which more is do euen fight together in one faith of the Gospell not fearing the outragious force of their aduersaries how many or how mightie soeuer which is vndoubtedly vnto their aduersaries a token of perdition but vnto them a signe of saluation and that also of God Surely such their sound persisting in the puritie of faith as it argueth no small measure of grace so doth it freelie afoord theÌ„ a singular meditation of spirituall comfort so oft as they in the middest of this reeling and wauering world be soundly touched with the due consideration of that their setled constancie For consider I beseech you and tell me directly what persons they were that were freed from those the bewitching Inchantments wherewith Pharaoh and the Egyptians were so grosly deluded but only the true Israell of God Againe who are they that do considerately foresee those seducing practises of such miracle-mongers as giue men a signe or a wonder to draw them from God but they who do circumspectlie respect the purpose of Iehouah in sending such seducers among theÌ„ which is only to â—ound and to try their sincere and faithfull cleauing to him with all their harts Againe who were they that discerned the lying spirit in the mouth of Baall his prophets but those only seuen thousand whome the Lord in mercie had elected to himselfe and called to the sincere profession of his holie name Againe who are they that discouer those the deceiueable sounds and signes of such counterfeit Christs as cry out and say Lo here is Christ Lo there is Christ but only those saued ones who hauing receiued his cognizance do heare only his voyce and follow him whether soeuer he goeth Againe what were they that escaped the bewitching snares of Simon Magus very pestilentlie termed the great power of God but such only as gaue an attentiue regard to the preaching of Phillip and faithfullie entertained his powerfull miracles Againe who had an immunitie from those satanicall inticements of Elymas the sorcerer who mightily withstood the preaching of Paule and seducingly sought to turne Sergius Paulus away from the faith but only those prudent deputies and those prouident people who conscionablie conuersing with Paule and Barnabas do desire to be soundly instructed in the word of God Againe who are mercifully deliuered from the deluding enchantments of such schismaticall teachers as draw men into factious courses but they only that receiue not the word with respect of persons Againe who are they that are sincerely preserued and cheerefullie presented chast virgins to Christ but such onely as are not seduced with serpentine sleights but can and doe prouidently perceiue the legerdemaines of those cunnicatching companions who cunningly transforme themselues as if they were the Apostles of Christ Againe who are they that are not spiritually entrapped with the deceiueable signes and woâ—ders which the second Beast hath power to worke vpon earth but such onely as being wise to number the name of the Beast haue their own names assuredly written in the booke of life Thus then these holie mislikers of this new found Diuillitie who accompt the faith of miracles to be but rash and vncertaine they plainly perceiue by all the premisses their happie condition in Iesus Christ and may assuredly comfort their soules in this their immoueable constancie notwithstanding the daily contemplation of such strange signes and wonders as if it were possible are able to deceiue the verie elect Peuumatomachus This sir I assure you is a comfortable vse but proceed in the rest I beseech you Orthodoxus Moreouer in that the holie mislikers of this new found trade of Diuillitie haue found themselues notwithstanding Satan his sundrie sleights of legerdemaine to remaine sincerely and immutably constant in their holy profession surely the timely consideratioÌ„ of this so singular a mercie in Iesus Christ should stirre vp their hearts vnto a dutifull thankfulnes to God for the same Yea and it should make them to testifie such speciall fauour both in labouring earnestly the hoped saluation of the rest of their brethren by hauing a mutuall compassion vpon some and other some againe by sauing with feare in pulling them violently from out of the fire That being by this meanes recouered they may conscionablie confesse their holie conuersion and therewithall be brought not only to present all those their vnpriuiledged bookes concerning this curious craft to the publike Magistrate to bee sacrificed forthwith in the fire but also euen ioyntly and couragiously to encounter with Satan himselfe or any his Serpentine ymps for the speedie suppressing of all such seducing courses as our miracle-mongers doe hourely imagine and with flattering speeches doe purposely plot to deceiue the hearts of the simple Briefly let them vndoubtedly assure themselues that by such an happie conuersion of these their poore seduced brethren thus straggling