exclamation and said O great miracle although in saying thus what noueltie doe I speake for it is no new thing that the Sonne of God should yeeld obedience vnto a Preist Ha God! it is no great wonder for thee to raise the dead to make the blinde to see or the dumbe to speak with many works of wonder of a parallell nature but the wonder of wonders is that the Sonne of God with foure words should be made to descend vpon this Altar although I could tell you another great wonder too and that is that the Deuill is here forced to deliuer the truth I doe auerro that it is more strange that a Deuill should thus deliuer truth then to create 1000. worlds or to raise 1000. from the dead for it is a matter of ease and course with God to command those things that giue no stoppe or resistance vnto his will When God created the World hee said but Fiat When he raised the dead he said but the word and all thing obeyed him But when he comes to command a Deuill he had need to employ all his power to enforce him to performe his will For the Deuill is so mischeeuously bent that he resisteth as much as he is able and is euer disputing with God propounding diuers reasons vnto him saying they haue preachers and they haue stoore of bookes let them giue credite vnto them He further said God is like the master of a great shop he is his crafts-master in all trades and will giue euery one of you wherewith all to employ himselfe He is so skilfull and gallant a Taylor that hee cutteth out garments with much dexterity and wants nothing but whom he may set on worke Hee is well experienced to cut out your worke you Ecclesiasticall men may doe well to employ your selues vnder him because you that are priestes ought rather to lead the life of Angels then of men and are to bee instrusted with the counsels and Commandements of God Then he turned himselfe to the Layity and said No no the Priests haue not the world at will as you conceiue they must be humble chast and poore and must chastice and mortifie themselues sundry waies which is a point full of difficulty vnto those that are deuoid of charity Then he spake to the Monkes and said You that liue in Cloisters haue an eye vnto your estate for it is not enough to bee mued vp in your walls and then to liue at your ease no you must rise at midnight you must be very studious you must bee humble you must be modest You should be a glasse vnto secular persons and harmelesse and vnblameable in your conuersations yet doe you worldlings thinke that religious persons doe liue in idlenesse and ease I tell you that the employment of one houre at mens studies is a greater toile then the trauels of a labouring man that sweateth at his worke a whole weeke The good conuersation of religious persons is of inestimable vse amongst Christians therefore obey God and his Church and ten thousand soules will be conuerted after your example Say not wee are young if you had a licence or warrant from another world I might then perchance aduise you to delay your amendment but thinke of death and consider how suddenly men are surprised by it Death is a theese and stealeth vpon men when they least looke for it Happie are they that are found to doe good and miserable are they that wallow in their sinnes when death approacheth for death will spare neither great nor small Then he spake vnto the Laity and said you are to line euery one according to his calling In Paradise there are Kings and there are poore people for some of all estates and conditions are saued Doe not mutter and say wee are poore wee haue not wherewithall to liue God will haue regard vnto your pouerty and will saue you but the great ones cannot excuse themselues you that are poore haue reason to reioyce when you shall consider that God became poore for your sakes God is a Taylor that wanteth nothing but workemen he is a Physition and a Surgeon that maketh enquirie after those that are infirme or wounded Reade well the booke of the Crucifix and you shall there find all variety of knowledge if thou doest obiect I am not able to reade this booke I tell thee thou liest for this booke may bee read by men and women yea by people of the most grosse and muddy capacity that may bee you may reade it in Churches in your houses in your beds and in the fields and all manner of vnderstanding is treasured vp in this booke that may any way concerne the saluation of your soules Looke on this booke and reade it well for in it you shall find all sorts of vertues humility pouerty patience obedience and whatsoeuer else may make full a mans perfection Rich and poore and people of all conditions looke in the glasse of the Crosse and behold therein a God so great so humble and yet so full of Maiesty you shall there see your God poore will you then hate or detest pouerty If pride suggest these haughty thoughts into you thinke that your God tooke man vpon him to humble himselfe to the death of the Crosse. It is a greater miracle to see God dwelling in the flesh of man then to behold the creation of one hundred thousand worlds The Word equall vnto his father hath taken humane nature vpon him to suffer and to be put to a cruell death And you Mary haue endured much also which hath bin the cause of the saluatiō of many soules If a King should haue a slaue and would redeeme him by giuing 10000. Crownes for his ransome this were a great summe and an extraordinarie fauour but if he should giue a Million of gold his grace and loue would shew it selfe the more by how much the more the summe encreased But this would appeare but a slender curtesie if hauing but one only sonne he would giue him away to redeeme and purchase back this slaue vnto him how infinitely would men maruell at the cortesie of such a King But all this is nothing in comparison of your God who hath but one only Sonne yet gaue him vp for you that are sinners this sonne I say that is equall to his father in power in wisedome and in goodnesse that is the blessed Word O great wonder that the Sonne of God should thus suffer for such vngrateful creatures who make so little profit of the same If stones were capable of vnderstanding they would expresse some action of acknowledgment and if leaues could bee furnished with the same they would also declare their thankfulnesse but you are the most vngratefull of creatures and doe not acknowledge the loue and tender care that God hath ouer you whose greatnesse is such that if you had but the least knowledge or side-long glance thereof you would creep with your
true And further I sweare according to the meaning of God and his Church that the Deuill and all Hell haue made a combination and solemne agreement to ruinate the company of the Christian doctrine and the company of S. Vrsula because there is a dependance of one vpon another and by abolishing the one the other will of it selfe fall to decay Many other things he spake at this Exorcisme and bade vs not from Romillon but from God to send and search after all those that were tempted and particularly one who is very high and haughty and is too ful of conceite of his iudgment and of selfe-will and to warne him if hee bee wise to submit himselfe to the will of God and to his obedience that is to returne to his calling and that he come hither to plead for himselfe For heere is said hee an Aduocate that is so skilfull in matters of pleading that he will quickly ease and disburthen him of all care and scruple and of all those doubts which did stagger him in his apprehending of the pleasure of God for hauing sought the same with an obscure and dimme lanthorne it was not to bee wondered at if hee were not able to finde it But God seeing him thus benighted did send vnto him a bright and cleare burning flame so that hee can now no longer shift things off with excuses if hee bee wise let him come that it may bee discerned what belongeth vnto the light and what vnto darknesse what to lyes and what vnto truth and what difference there is betweene his iudgement and the iudgment of God Come therefore hither with all promptitude and readinesse and for-slow not your time to bee informed in a point that toucheth you so neerely and call to minde how earnestly you haue besought God for this very particular and these prayers of yours God hath heard so that you need not feare to be forsaken as they haue beene a sweete sacrifice vnto him so shall they prooue very profitable vnto you if you wil but humble your self to his good pleasure Remember what God hath spoken that hee will giue grace to the humble and resist the proud of heart You are vnworthy to know his pleasure neither shall you euer vnderstand the same if you doe not bow vnder obedience and humble your selfe towards him You may turne ouer as many bookes as you will this is a new booke and very lately composed and not yet published to the world within this booke there are not aboue two words and yet heere is comprised the Epitome and abridgment of all perfection this is our Philosophy and Diuinity which wee are so seriously to study Call also to your remembrance that they who will not read this booke are very vnworthy to ascend vnto so great and sublime perfections Come therefore and trifle not with any studied or prepared delaies for God expecteth you that he may bestow vpon you that which with such ardency you haue besought at his hands that is to open your vnderstanding that you may be made acquainted with his will Remember what hee saith Aske and you shall haue seeke and you shall finde knock and it shall be opened vnto you Call to minde how often you haue knocked at the gate of this King and how he who had the key of this gate to wit Peter hath said yea and interceded for you as for the Cananite saying Lord giue to this poore blinde man that which he demandeth who would haue thought then that thou wouldest haue prooued so darke in the knowledge of Gods will But God grew angry at these intercessions and said I doe not vse to cast away my graces vpon a proud man If thou say that thou art not proud then thinke thy selfe to be depriued of light and that hee who conceiteth himselfe to bee humble doth notwithstanding appeare in full pride before God But if thou say that thou art proud I also will confesse the same and there is no hurt done if proud men be taught and lessoned to bee humble If thou tell mee thou art humble I must bee bold to say that it suteth not with truth for he that is humble indeed taketh no notice of his owne vnderstanding or will but suffereth himselfe to be guided as a blind-man by him that leads him and verely beleeueth that the other feeth better then hee and if thou be blinde then can it not bee hurtfull that he who of himselfe is depriued of light should goe and seeke it of him who hath the same And I doe assure thee thou shalt plentifully finde it if thou obey the will of thy Superiour and acknowledge thy selfe to be subiect vnto him that is to say to the Reuerend Father Romillon Louyse prayeth you for the loue of God to begg of God fiue things for her which shee hath long desired and that you would also lay hold vpon them for your selfe that is an vpright intention a pure affection integritie of conscience simplicity and humility together with obedience and resignation of your selfe in all things that may concerne the glory of God for the saluation of soules and for our good in particular She further intreateth that you would be pleased to pardon her if she hath beene too presumptuous to take on her to teach you for it is not her intention so to doe but the vrgent necessitie of the matter is such that shee hath beene hold to make thus much familiar vnto you which shee prayeth you to take in good part Shee should be very sorry notwithstanding any pride that may be in her but to take all your counsels and admonitions with due respect and to humble her selfe to him whom she knoweth to be inuested with so great dignitie as is the calling of Priests for she desireth nothing more then to honour them as Gods on earth and as befitteth so high a dignitie Your most humble affectionate and obedient seruant to doe whatsoeuer you shall be pleased to command Francis Billet the most vnworthie Preist of the Congregation of the Christian Doctrine being a witnesse of what is aboue mentioned The Acts of the 19 of December 1610. THis day at the eleuation of the blessed Sacrament Verrine began to speake aloude when he saw them take the was candles which they vse to light at the eleuation of the Sacrament This light which you heere see represents the faith which you ought to haue of Gods being in the blessed Sacrament with his Diuinity Humanitie and Blood yea I say further he is also within the Chalice What seekest thou further I confesse it it is a truth is it not sufficient that I haue confessed these to be present in the blessed Hoast And so fell downe and worshipped him Speaking of God he said yes I adore thee Adoramus te Christe And when they came to these words Redemisti c. he cryed out You you not me for he is not my Redeemer but a seuere and terrible Iudge Then he made an
I did apprehend that there was yet left vntraced another way a great deale more safe and lawfull and more apt for the course and scope of my studies who for the glory of God and releefe of the Church against the opposition of heresies haue for the space of 40. yeares giuen ouer the reading of all sorts of bookes but the holy Scriptures and the fathers of the Church to wit that this discourse should be drawne from the Scriptures and from the reading of auncient fathers vpon which we are to ground the principall foundation although other authors bee alleaged on the By to adde strength and illustration therevnto For touching the first they doe â—akedly report the fact but produce no proofes of the same The second doe propound their scholesticall resolutions of this point but the nicenesse of these times will not digest such fare As for those of the third sort wee will oppose against them by way of admonition that which Tertullian faith Daemonem soli nouerunt Christiani vel quaecunque apud Dominum secta And in another place he rendreth a reason of this saying Cui veritas comperta sine Deo cui Deus cognitus sine Christo cui Christus exploratus sine Spiritu Sancto cui Spiritus Sanctus accommodatus sine fidei Sacramento By which Gradation hee pointeth out vnto vs that no man could euer exactly and without grosse errour know what belongeth vnto the soule or vnto good and bad spirits for hee speaketh of such in these aboue-cited passages vnlesse he haue dranke of the water of Christ Iesus Philosophers saith he haue sometimes chanced vpon the truth yet was it neuer without some mingle of errour or else they did draw and borrow it from the Scripture or it fared with them as with one that hath lost himselfe in a maze or labyrinth who if after many crookings and distractions he chance to light vpon the right way out it is to be attributed to hap and not to election for they haue no assurance and certainty in whatsoeuer they say or inuent and therefore the Academicks doe rather freely confesse that they haue no certaine knowledge of any thing S. Augustine is iust of Tertullians opinion if Mercurius Trismegistus saith hee or any other doe deliuer any thing that is good it is not of authority sufficient to teach vs a wholesome doctrine but it is onely able to conuince and disprooue the Infidels And as concerinng their sayings that they are agreeable vnto truth there is no lesse discrepancy and distance between their authority and the authority of the Prophets then there is between Diuels and Angels For the Diuels haue sometimes spoken truth yet are we not presently to build a conclusion of Catholick doctrine vpon the same The question then in hand is to be debated by that which is conformable to the holy Scriptures and which hath been taught by the auncient fathers of the Church which is the onely scope vnto which I aime in this worke where we will also alleage when there shall be a conueniency thereof certaine Philosophers which for the most part are already cited by S. Thomas as farre as we shall finde them in conformity and league with Scriptures and the fathers And if any shall oppose against them tdey shall find themselues repelled and confuted by the ponderous and waighty allegations of naturall reason to content and gaine in or confound the Atheists whose number is farre greater then it should be although much inferiour vnto those to my great greefe I speake it that doe symbolize and comply themselues to Sorcerers and adhere vnto them by an infinite number of superstitions in which foule crimes men of the best ranke do sundry times inbarke themselues So that I may well say with Chrysostome that if it were as easie to execute iustice vpon the great ones as it is vpon the baser sort all the prisons would be presently stuffed with Magicians and Sorcerers And else-where doth this good father with large effusion of teares deplore the blindnesse of such people where he saith Lachrymis gemitibus digna vaticinia obseruationes genesis signa ligaturae diuinationes incantationes caetera huiusmodi Quae omnia magno profecto scelere praesumuntur denique iram prouocare consueuerunt atque eò magis quo post ingentis beâ—euolentiae insignis miserationis indicia postquam ille filium suum pro redimendis hominibus misit haec nesario aufu admittimus To this purpose doth S. Augustine prettily teach vs that this is a thing which God permitteth thereby to occasion vs to fly into the close embracements of Christ Iesus our Mediatour when we shal vnderstand how shamelesly and brutishly the Diuell doth dragge vs vnto him and worrieth vs as a famished Wolfe doth the harmeles sheepe Quantò quippe in haec ima inquit potestatem daemonum maiorem videmus tantò tenacius mediatori est inhaerendum per quem de imo ad summa contendimus It remaineth that I should also handle whether those things which are spoken of Sorcerers doe proceed from dreames and illusions or whether they are reall and true But fearing a glut of words in this long Epistle which may perhaps seeme vnto some more wearisome then delightfull I haue remitted and fitted that discourse to the conclusion of this booke hauing euer before me that which S. Augustine wittily obserueth that a reader when hee seeth the end of a booke or a chapter is as glad as a passenger to see the signe of his Inne where hee is to repose himselfe A DISCOVRSE OF SPIRITS CONTAINING WHATSOEVER IS NECESsary for the more full vnderstanding and resolution of the difficult Argument of Sorcerers CHAP. I. Whither there be Spirits or no There are foure points to be obserued touching Spirits that there are Spirits what their nature is from whence they came and the end why they are TOuching the first point it is an ordinarie method in all things which men are desirous to comprehend first to search into their causes otherwise they shall not want occasions to remaine vnresolued and doubtfull and their spirits will not cease to be full of discontentment and perplexitie For this is the nature of man especially when hee seeth vnusuall and extraordinary effects as is cleere by the example of countrie people set downe and expressed by Aristotle who when they see an eclipse of the Sunne or Moone they are presently stricken with admiration like vnto the Children of Israel who wondred at the new foode of Manna and demanded what it was And such kindes of admiration saith Aristotle haue been the seed-plot and head of all Philosophie for those spirits that had a touch of generousnes and industrie did presently endeuour to comprehend the cause of those vnusuall euents The like course of proceeding is here to bee obserued and the rather because it seemeth so much the more admirable and incredible by how much the more distant the knowledge
subiect Then saith he those that haue been once punished shall not bee punished afterwards otherwise it might occasion men to say that the Scripture is not true out subiect to lies Wee are then to say addeth Saint Ierome that these receperâ—nt mala in vita sua and consequently not in the other world Hee groundeth this vpon the saying of S. Peter that many at the time of the flood repented them of their sinnes and went not immediately into hell fire but were put into a prison from which Christ Iesus deliuered them when hee descended into hell The same also must bee vnderstood of the others aboue named After all this Saint Ierome maketh a very apposite question saying What shall wee then iudge of a Christian whom another findeth in adultery and cutteth off his head To this hee answereth in another manner and saith No man can preuent or anticipate the sentence of God our righteous Iudge thereby to giue impeachment vnto the course of his vengeance which hee inflicteth according to the measure of those punishments that are by him decreed for our great offences He meaneth that if a man should pretend to delude God and say I will hinder God from condemning of this sinner and will punish him my selfe in this world he would much deceiue himselfe For the reason why God doth not punish in the other world doth presuppose that God himselfe in his prouidence hath punished it and that he who receiueth castigation in this world doth whiles his affliction is vpon him repent him of his sinnes and semblable vnto the good theese aske pardon in his punishment On the other side if a Christian be beheaded in the very act of adultery he hath no leisure to make an acknowledgment and craue pardon of God which is another case and not comprized in the sentence of the Prophet Nahum Better it is saith S. Ierome that the transgressor bee punished in this world as he who cursed the people of Israel or hee that gathered wood on the Sabbath day for they had time to acknowledge their sinnes which yet were much more pardonable then the sinne of adultery From this discourse of S. Ieromes some schoole diuines haue drawne this concâ—â—sion that if a malefactor that is condemned to die receiueth his death willingly because hee hath offended God and in hope of the remission of his sinnes hee is not to endure further paine in the other world because there can bee no greater loue in the world then freely and willingly to die for God for the remission and satisfaction of the offence committed against his Maiesty AN EXTRACT OF THE Kings Priuiledge BY the permission and priuiledge of the King it is granted to Charles Chastellaine sworne Printer in the vniuersity of Paris to print or cause to be printed to sell and to disperse this present booke intituled The admirable History of the possession and conuersion of a penitent woman seduced by a Magician compiled and disgested into order by the Reuerend Father Michaelis Doctor of Diuinity and Preacher Wee doe therefore sorbid all Stationers Printers and all others of what estate quality or condition soeuer they bee to print or cause to be printed the said booke or to sell and vent the same during the tearme of six yeeres vpon paine of confiscation of the said Copies and an arbitrary amersement besides as is more lagely declared in the Letters Patents Giuen at Paris the third of August in the yeere of Grace 1612. And of our Raigne the third By the King in his Counsell DV FOS AN APOLOGIE VNTO THE DOVBTS that are proposed touching this admirable History of the possession and conuersion of a Penitent woman c. AN ADVERTISEMENT TO THE Reader This booke is a bare History that maketh true declaration of all the passages which happened in the discouery of a Magician and conuersion of a seduced sinner THe wicked Spirit that was the instrument of this discouery called himselfe Verrine and declared that himselfe was a Diuell damned eternall without hope or redemption This he well shewed by his deeds for from the moneth of December vntill the end of Aprill he did what in him lay to stoppe and hinder Louyse whom he possessed from making an end of her confession and from receiuing the blessed Sacrament the like did Belzebub by Magdalene God saith he is not my redeemer but my seuere Iudge And addeth that it is a wonder extraordinarily rare that he is thus constrained to speake the truth yea it is more saith he then to create the world in that the Diuels in this constraint resist as much they are able and enter into dispute with God He also said I was not sent by God to preach the Gospell I should lye to say it but said that God had permitted him to enter into this body for his glory and for the conuersion of many soules especially of these two Both the Deuils did discouer and declare all the enormous and grosse villanies that these Magicians committed in their cursed Synagogue Verrine further said I speake vnto you things tending to your saluation take and make vse of that which is good as if a wicked Preist should giue you good exhortations and if you will not I tell you you shall not be constrained vnto it These particulars with many others of a semblable nature will giue an easie checke to those apprehensions that should misconceiue them to be Angels of light for they do plainly appeare what they are to wit true Deuils And consequently in this regard there is no danger of being abused by those which speake in persons possessed because we know they are very Deuils which in these cases we must alwaies presuppose as a foundation The strange torments and gestures which do appeare beyond the strength of man in the bodies of those that are possessed do prooue also the same vnto vs. This being presupposed it remaineth now to cleere vp some difficulties that were propounded since the impression of this booke which not withstanding consistunt in facto tantum and not in any points of our faith And although I had for the most part breefly swept away these doubts in my Annotations in the margent yet because I will giue no disrellish vnto any I will make a longer explication of the same alwayes supposing that which I haue noted in the 260. page vpon the day of Saint Iohn the Euangelist that touching the predictions to come time will make the truth or false-hood thereof to appeare haereafter and touching those things that are abstruse and hidden wee must in the meane time hold vs to that which is decreed and taught by the Church THE DOVBTS BY SOME PROPOVNDED TOVching the History comprized in this booke THE I. DOVBT Whether it bee lawfull that a woman should speake and preach in the Church since that Saint Paul forbiddeth a woman to speake there THE ANSWERE THat a woman possessed should speake in the Church or rather the Deuill by her mouth
I affirme that if they be humble they will acknowledge that thou art omnipotent and that being so thou art able to wring truth from the very Diuels not from their free disposition and will for we are all of vs accursed but compulsorily and as constrained thereunto by thy power We are more loyall vnto God then many Christians yet for all this we are still Diuels And heere must they denie the authoritie of the Church Why is it that those that are possessed be exorcised if it bee not auaileable and if the Diuell cannot speake truth I say it is all lost labour you may take your bookes speaking to the Exorcist and throw them all into the fire Then he spake in a great rage to her that was possessed and said What thinkest thou Louyse why doest thou suffer thy selfe to be exorcised if neither by God nor the tenents of the Church we are able to tell the truth Ha miserable wretches how many othes haue been taken in the vertue of the name of God by Exorcismes all which must proceede from Louyse if they must not be accepted of our part But miserable and abhorred wretches as you are you deceiue your selues you are exceedingly replenished and surcharged with vnthankfulnes and mis-apprehension You haue so good a God that if it were needfull that hee should suffer death for you againe he would willingly vndergoe it more especially for two soules which now I cannot name Magdalene it is true that Louyse is for thy sake possessed and will if it be requisite lay down her bodie for thy soule It is true all sinners are accursed and obstinate You will peraduenture say that God doth loue much And why Lord Hast thou neede of Christians No no thou couldest not bee God and haue neede of the aide of any creature whatsoeuer I say the creature hath neede of thee And it is a fixed truth that the more miserable the creature shall bee the more cleerely shall thy bountie shine and appeare in relieuing it It is not so great a wonder that children should goe to heauen but this is the miracle that sinners who haue a long time snored in their obstinacie should repent and turne to God I doe assure you who heare this that if you doe not treasure vp these things for your profit and health we will be your accusers at the day of iudgement We must here note that some daies past Magdalene told the Dominican father that vpon the eighth exhortation which Verrine made vnto her she felt her selfe so affrighted as if she had alreadie one foote in the pit of hell The acts of the 12. of December 1610. which was the third Aduent Sunday ON this day it was thought behoofull that the Father of the Doctrine and the Dominican Father should so interchangeably aid one another that whiles the Dominican Father was busied in exorcising one of the possessed Father Francis should supplie the place of a Scribe to note summarily the sentences that proceeded from the Diuell by the mouth of Louyse On the other side when the Father of the Doctrine did exorcise the Dominican Father should transcribe that so in conclusion all might be subiected to the Censure of the Church for the further glorie of God The same day in the morning were Louyse and Magdalene exorcised by the Dominican Father In the beginning whereof many persons of the neighbouring Townes and Villages which were by this time aduertised of this accident that happened at S. Baume being assembled thither in great troupes Verrine began thus to speake Cursed be this witchcraft for from hence will God worke out a thousand benefits and a thouâ—and acts of his mercie It was not our intendment nor the purpose of the Magician that such accidents should happen Our proiect was to get her consent that so wee might haue carried her to hell Cursed cursed cursed be S Baume a thousand thousand thousand times accursed It is a wonderfull thing that the slaues of hell should be the instruments to conuert the children of light Do but obserue what I shall say vnto you Some hunt after riches and all their affection is enuassailed and taken vp therewith who by giuing a little almes imagine to goe to heauen in a featherbed without any more adoe or obseruation of the law and Commandements of God Some others are poore and haue a conceit that for their pouertie they shall enter into glorie Indeede happie are the poore but they must be poore in spirit You that are poore endure your pouertie with patience and you shall merit much Haue you in your cogitations the God of glorie how he was borne in pouertie for your sakes and laid in the manger of a stable God from all eternitie foresaw this day and that in S. Baume the Diuels should discouer themselues to the conuersion of soules Do not repine at your comming nither you I say who oftentimes haue prostituted â—our selues to the hazard of losing your goods bodies â—nd soules to offend and trespasse against him What a â—hame will it be that any should not be conuerted wheÌ„â—he Diuell himselfe exhorteth them thereunto God is â—ost powerfull and is able to bestow rewards and riâ—nes vpon you but he is not able to doe two things he â— not able to sinne and hee cannot faile of his proâ—aise Shake off your sins you who haue mortally sinned â—nd depart not from hence vntill you be coâ—sessed To â—y extreame griefe and vexation doe I speake this â—orsake your couetous desire of worldly goods which â—oth so much possesse you You poore people reioyce in your pouertie This day â—m I compelled by Mary and Magdalene to tell it â—nto you by Mary from her sonne by Magdaleneâ—om â—om her Master Humble your selues after the example of him who â—ecame poore for your sakes He died for you and not for vs. Mary knoweth well that he died on a Crosse being naked and not able to get a glasse of water The same knoweth Magdalene and Iohn the Euangelist and that for you he suffered death on the Crosse. It is strange that hell should exhort you to goe to Paradise And speaking to Louyse he said Cursed bee thy desires thou hast longed aboue a thousand times to suffer euen the paines of hell for thy neighbour Humble thy selfe Louyse and that speedily otherwise beleeue it thou art the most vnhappy the most abhorred the most detestable and accursed of all creatures Louyse beleeue me Enter into the abisme of thy lesse then nothing God would haue thee humbled Desist from beleeuing all that men will thrust vpon thee The sinnes from which God hath preserued thee are as great benefits as those for which he hath pardoned thee Thou hadst beene in hell if God had not preserued thee thou hadst remained a Huguenot and shouldest not haue had the vnderstanding to begge for that which was conuenient for thee Preachers doe trauell themselues much to thinke vpon what
aduise them thereunto Ioannes Euangelista was the great friend of God and Maryes gardian for her chastitie Stephanus cursed may'st thou be I must trumpet foorth thy charity in praying for those that stoned thee O Pernardus thou art Maries darling and thou Dominicke thou Stanislaus also though few take notice of thee Pâ—ulus thou wert a sinner and persecutor of the Christians but afterwards diddest become a great Preacher of vertues Anthonius of Padua through thy humilitie and for thy other vertues thou art now in Paradise By thy obedience O Abraham thou art the Father of beleeuers Dauid is the glasse of repentance wherein sinners may behold themselues and how they are to returne vnto their God Tu Petrus thou hast denied thy Maister Accursed Peter thou hast cost me deere O Peter by thy example those that haue denied God will learne to be conuerted William the Hermite was a great sinner yet by his repentance he found mercie Some go to heauen through repentance others through innocence Mary is in Paradise for her innocence Magdalene for her repentance Lewes King of Fraunce is the Patron of Kings It is the good pleasure of God that men of all conditions should be saued Hee hath made election of Emperours and also of the basest sort of people of Shooe-makers and of Husband-men Crispinian was a Cobler Athanasius a Labouring-man yet was hee at length chosen to be a Bishop There are of all sorts in Heauen to our confusion be it spoken to the end that none might haue any pretension for excuse God placeth those in Paradise which loue his Commandements and keepe them and doe not quench in themselues his good inspirations Hee sets them at his table He causeth them to eate of his bread and drinke of his wine He doth not as the men of this world doe vse their seruants as if they were slaues Nay there bee diuers that doe a great deale worse who cherish and make much of their dogges but doe euill entreate their seruants Then he said that hee should not be abashed if God would elect Princes and not men of base condition yea we could be contented to haue patience that he should chuse men but that women should bee gadding to Paradise that is it that maddeth vs. Cunigonda was an Empresse and is in Paradise so is Catherine of Alexandria and eleuen thousand Virgines went in one day to Paradise besides men which are not numbred Margaret of Hungary was a Queene shee entred into a Monastery and became so humble that shee would not be called the daughter of a King but of a Citizen Cursed be her humility for which we haue payd so deere To this Belzebub replied Amen Then Verrine continuing on his discourse said Barbara was beheaded by her owne Father and presently the Diuell slew him vpon the place The earth and Paradise are two Countries very distinct and different heere those that are most rich goe formost in Paradise those that are most good most humble and most obedient Marie was a poore Chamber-maid and the Chamber-maid of a Paynim yet is shee now espoused vnto the King of glory and as great as Cunigunda Margaret of Scotland was a married woman and yet shee went to Heauen Codelana also was a married woman whose husband strangled her and afterwards caused her to be throwne into a pit Elizabeth was the Queene Dowager of Hungary and in her great humility betooke her selfe to be the Mistresse of an Hospitall Notwithstanding we could let passe all this with patience but wee cannot chuse but bee enraged at those that haue committed folly and were great sinners as were Pelagia Thais and Magdalene which we speake without any preiudice to them or their glorie it doth rather conduce with the glorie of God and his bounteousnesse that he would vouchsafe to take them into blisse who did a thousand times deserue Hell They that will not beleeue what is here spoken will say that these two here be women and haue had their lesson giuen vnto them by which meanes these discourses will not proue vse-full vnto them which doth put vs in great comfort A Preacher is often wearied in preaching of one Sermon and I haue already made fifteene discourses by the mouth of this woman here meaning Louyse and haue sometimes made two or three in a day of greater extent and length then Preachers in their Aduents Cursed be thy force and cursed be him that hath bestowed it vpon thee Belzebub at this discourse cried out O power Then Verrine said it is the force which God giueth her How strange is it that Diuels should preach the Commandements of God and his Counsels and should teach the religious Clergie men Priests and Seculars and all sorts of people I tell you here are viands for all people to eate Eate he that will There are not a few of vs who are not well pleased with the sauce but would rather chuse the sauce of Hell You shall finde Notaries that for a matter of fiue sous will Register the Acts false and breake their oathes The Diuels are more faithfull vnto their Maister then you men are When the Diuels haue once sworne according to the purpose of God and his Church being thus adiured vnto the truth they want ability to lye Men haue their free-will if they doe ill they doe goe forth-with to hell if good they are straight admitted into heauen But the Diuell is meerely constrained to speake the truth when God would haue it so they haue no free-will to doe that which is good but are enforced accursed Fiends as they are to deliuer a truth Otherwise to what purpose scrueth the authority of the Church if oathes haue no tye or power or to what end are these bookes of Exorcisines published For they that denie this must denie the authoritie of the Church and those that haue composed and allowed the said bookes They must further say that there was neuer any dispossessed after the taking of an oath But they plunge into a gulfe from whence they can neuer issue out and either they must make search and inquisition after the curious persons that are in hell to make explanation of their curiosities or after the Saints in heauen to cause them to say that all their writings are nothing worth And so by a consequence they wil come to deny the Church and so stand defiled with the infectious opinions of the Caluinists How wonderfull is this that Diuels should preach of good intention pure affection puritie of conscience simplicitie humilitie and resignation of the world and teach men not to reserue the least loue of themselues as also to shew the meanes toward the attainment of Paradise and to discourse of chastitie and pouertie The Diuels will be a meanes of the reformation of many Monasteries the Diuels will yeeld more furtherance hereunto then their Bishops Abbots or Prelates are able to their great griefe doe they reueale it This must be the meanes
helpe to humble this cursed Belzebub let euery one of you set his foote on his head and in contempt of him say three times Ite maledicti in ignem aeternum Then he commanded on Gods behalfe that euery one should deiect Magdalene and humble her by putting their feete on her head and said Take courage vnto thee Magdalene this iâ— behoofefull for thee for the remission of thy sins and the confusion of Lucifer Belzebub and all hell O great confusion that the Diuels should be at ods and combat against diuels and take part with God it was neuer before heard of Hold thy selfe Magdalene to bee the most vile and detested creature that is vpon the earth and thou shalt proue another Magdalene and shalt die a penitent O Magdalene thou shalt be a helper vnto S. Vrsula and shalt be much honoured A great sinner shall find great mercy witnesse the Prophet Dauid and a lesse sinner â—esse mercy O great great great mercy let euery one pray for it Then the Priest tooke the blessed Sacrament at Verrines owne instance to make him sweare who said Magdalene I say this in thy behalfe Adoramus te Christum miserere ei miserere ei And as those that were there preseÌ„t were saying miserere mei Deus vpoÌ„ a suddeÌ„ he began to howle and cry like a galli-slaue and as if he were framed out of rage and despaire saying Miserere tui miserere tui miserere tui Magdalene to shew how God doth reioyce at the conuersion of this soule O Magdalene the Angels of heauen would triumph at it and Lucifer with the whole kingdome of hell would grow sad and dumpish vpon the same It is true Magdalene thou art in a desert very happie for thee Cursed be S. Baume O how fortunate is it vnto thee O how disasterous vnto hell This is the sheepe which the Prophet saw deuoured by the wolfe whereof nothing but the peeces of the eares was remnant which signifieth the soule of an obstinate sinner for men in an agonie lose their hearing last That you may therefore be conuerted you must haue the eares of your hearts open thereby to receiue in the inspirations of God O Magdalene worship the right hand of thy God worship also his left hand worship his side Magdalen where all thy sins lie buried worship his head that was couered with thornes for thy sake Magdalene and beg from him one thorne of true compunction It is true Magdalene thou hast offended him in thy fiue senses and Magdalene his fiue wounds haue made reparation of the same A braue miracle Magdalene that the diuels should say Miserere tui and should beg mercy for thee And then Verrine sware according to the meaning of God and his Church vpon the blessed sacrament confessing in the said sacrament the reall presence with his humanitie diuinity and all his glory that Louyse knew nothing of this neither vnderstood shee that Magdalene was a witch or of the schedule All which said he is true and hee that would denie this must denie the power of God the authoritie of his Church and the vertue and efficacy of Exorcismes God hauing told Peter that the gates of hell should not preuaile against his Church Tu es Petrus super hanc Petram They should further denie all bookes of Exorcismes if they denie that the diuell cannot speake truth when God forceth him thereunto And turning againe vnto Magdalene hee said vnto her Thy father gaue thee not vnto the diuell Magdalene It is true Magdalene thou diddest indeed abide in thy fathers house at that time Magdalene and yet tookest not thy bane with S. Vrsula It is no wonder that a yong girle should bee led astray as a sheep when her shepheard is the meanes hereof but this was no shepheard of the Gospell but of the number of those that fly away when they see the wolfe nay worse he is the wolfe himselfe and hell is well stuffed with such as hee It is true Magdalene thou wert and art possessed and it was expedient that the Priests should watch with thee for otherwise the diuels had carried thee away such power had they ouer thee both here and abroad and wheresoeuer thou wentest Then he discoursed of Lewes and said O Lewes if thou be not conuerted thou shalt bee burned aliue but if thou be then shalt thou proue a Theophilus and a Cyprian Mary will endeauour to conuert thee therefore beware Lewes how thou resist her I am the executioner of that high iustice and am constrained by force vnto obedience If I were capable of heauen you would peraduenture pray vnto God for me but your prayers will not be auaileable vnto me I am debaâ—'d from Paradice the sentence is gone forth against me The sentence of the highest is not as an earthly senteÌ„ce obnoxious vnto change and repealeable for money Ite maledicti venite benedicti shall stand for euermore Iurauit dominus non poenitebit he shall neuer repent himselfe thereof If the Kings of the earth make good the performance of what they haue promised who are in comparison but as gnats much more will the King of glory and God of Israel auow his denuntiations Then hee said O great miracle full of rarenesse and nouelty destinated to Gods glory and to the conuersion of sinners there is nothing in it preiudiciall to God or his Church it is for the reputation and honour of the fathers of your doctrine the Diuels hauing conspired to root them and the companie of S. Vrsula out of the Church but it is a greater wonder that a diuell should adore God and should confesse and say vnto the blessed sacrament behold my God and my Iudge then if all the Christians in the world should without intermission call vpon all the names of God and should returne backe to goe them ouer againe till the day of iudgement It is no wonder if those doe well that haue a power thereunto that is if they doe often call vpon and worship their God but this is an exceeding great wonder that those who of themselues haue no capacity vnto goodnesse should yet doe the thing that is good when it is commanded them from God This the Diuels doe without any expectance or hope of compensation And whiles that Pange lingua was said to the honour of the blessed Sacrament which the Priest held vpon the rehearsall of this verse Sola fides sufficit Verrine cryed O this is most true sola fides sufficit faith a-alone is sufficient How can it bee that so great a God should be contained in such a little Host and he cryed out saying yet is it true hee is present here worship you him for hee is here really and truly cursed bee the curious Curiositie will let them drop into a pit from whence they shall not bee able to issue forth at their pleasure We our selues are constrained to worship him and to beleeue his
presence there we suggest many forgeries and falshoods vnto the curious so that they are more pregnant to beleeue vs then to listen vnto God After all this he said that the Diuels were theeues and added Wee vse to enter in at the gate that is the will but when that gate is shut we enter in at the windowes as we practise in the houses of Magitians and Witches where wee come in at the windowes that is the fiue senses For our manner is to make our approches and assaults on that side where we finde them most vnable for resistance This might suffice to conuert many soules yea euen the Diuels themselâ—es if they had a possibility to be conuerted S. Iohn saith Possumus bibere we cannot say this we cannot be reclaimed For In inferno nulla est redemptio The Acts of the 16. of December 1610. ON this day in the morning there chanced to arriue thither a religious person of the order of S. Francis de Paul a minime Fryer who kneeling on his knees neere the steps by which you goe to the holy Penitence there befell this dispute that followeth When Belzebub began to cruciate and shake the bodie of Magdalene Verrine one of the Diuels that was in the body of Lonyse de Capeau began to say Feare not Magdalene thou art very happy to be thus tortured in this world for they shall not haue power vpon thee in the world to come So it is Magdalene that God desireth to make triall in this world of those whom he loueth Beleeue Magdalene this is a certaine truth and I am constrained to vtter the same although my desire was to palliate and keepe it close I know not what to doe I am not able to withstand it Then the said religious person said vnto Verrine Peace thou accursed spirit thou art the father of lies and falshood To which Verrine replyed It is true I am the father of lies but being compelled therunto by the vnresistable working of the Almighty I must of necessity deliuer the truth The Frier answered Pease thou damned spirit thou canst not speake a truth thou art the father of lies and therefore art not capable to speake any thing truely S. Thomas saith that truth is no vertue in him that onely speaketh it but when the person that vttereth the same is thereby made vpright and sincere then and not before it is a vertue 2ae 2. qae 109. art 1. He further saith that this vertue is no theologicall or intellectuall vertue but a morall and therefore may be pronounced either by one that speaketh truth or by a lyar Doctor Maldonat vpon the 8. Chapter of S. Iohn doth with great subtility obserue that the diuell may speake a truth For he spake the truth in confessing Christ Iesus to be the Sonne of God and albeit it may be obiected that he doth this to an euill purpose yet was it not so in this particular for although it is to be coniectured that he spake by constranit yet doth not this hinder but that he might speake the truth Hee spake the truth in the third of Kings 22. Chapter when he said that hee would be a lying Spirit as also when he alleaged Scripture to Iesus in the desert although it was leuelled to a wicked purpose Notwithstanding wee ought to beware how we beleeue what hee saith if it be not cleere that it is by coaction and in the vertue of the name of God by Exorcismes and that he speaketh conformable vnto the Scriptures and the doctrine of the Church and in this case wee are not to beleeue him but the Scripture Then said Verrine I will proue vnto thee that what I haue spoken is true that the Diuell is able to speake truth He replyed thou canst not for thou hast no ability to doe good thou art an accursed and wicked Spirit Verrine answered It is true I am an accursed wicked and damned spirit and am not able of my selfe to speake any thing but falshood and to act nothing but mischiefe It is true that of mine owne free will I cannot doe the thing that is good but when I am constrained by Almighty God there is a necessity laid vpon me to deliuer the truth Then the Frier hearing that Masse was begun held his peace And Verrine said I will take Gods part and since I am forced vnto obedience I will serue him with more obedience then you Then he cried out as loud as he could who dares deny that Diuels may speake truth I say they may as wel denie that God is omnipotent and that there is no authority in the Church and that all the bookes of Exorcismes are idle and of none effect They must also denie and disapproue of all the oathes which Exorcists doâ— cause the Diuels to take for why do they demand it of them and make them sweare to deliuer the truth if they are disabled to speak the truth Or why do they lose so much time which they employ about those that are possessed if they can draw nothing but falshood from them True it is said Verrine when the Exorcists are not circumspect and well aduised it is likely the Diuels make their aduantages thereof and so somtimes sweare falsly against God and his Church but this is no fault of ours it is the Exorcists fault because they haue not had that circumspection as to cause them to sweare as I haue done according to the intention of God and his Church and also according to the meaning of the Exorcist in which case wee cannot lye but are constrained to speake the truth If this were not so I should then say that the Diuell had more power then God But it is cleere the Diuell must acknowledge a subordination vnto God not out of loue but by compulsion by which they are tied vnto obedience Then the Frier said vnto the Priests and other religious persons that were there make this Diuell hold his peace and himselfe said peace thou cursed spirit peace But the Diuell euer shewed himselfe more and more couragious to speake on Gods behalfe and said resolutly that he would not obey him for he had a Superior mightier theÌ„ he meaning the Frier yea more powerfull then the Exorcist that did command him At this the Frier grew angry and said peace thou wicked spirit peace get thee into Hell thou damned fiend and spake to the assemblie My Masters you should make him hold his peace this is a cursed spirit and speakes nothing but lyes and saith that God is his Redeemer To this Verrine answered that hee lyed for hee had said that God was his Creator and Iudge but not his Redeemer To which the Frier answered that hee vnderstood him so Then Verrine told him that hee had no good eares and vnderstood him amisse Hereupon the Frier said I do assure you you ought to make him hold his peace he himselfe began to threaten him saying peace thou blasphemous beast
doe nothing but that which is euill and Angels can doe nothing but that which is good but men are able to doe either good or euill as being endowed with a free will and yet O God there are of these creatures that doe rebelliously demeane themselues against thee and are indeed worse then Diuels The paines that men suffer in this world are as flowers and Roses in comparison of the paines of Hell which are true torments indeed I tell you the fiers of this world are imaginarie and painted in respect of the fiers there and all furnaces are as nothing if they be compared but to a sparke in Hell Diuels are as wild and rauenous beasts they bite in their embracements Wee promise much and performe nothing because where nothing is nothing can bee expected You that are Priests bee circumspect and aduised in your calling because it is no offence if a man neglect and turne from an Angell of heauen to doe honour and reuerence vnto you The Angels indeed doe incessantly behold the face of their God but you with foure words doe make him descend vpon the Altar and since herein the King obeyeth his vassall how wretched must that Priest bee that doth rebell and mutter against his superiour you lumps of clay it will not go well with you vnlesse you humble your selues and bee repentant Disobedience was it that turned Adam out of Paradise and the same disobedience cast Lucifer headlong out of Heauen If God were capable of sadnesse hee would weepe when he seeth a rebellious and disobedient man so highly doth that sinne displease him Euery one ought to liue contentedly in his vocation You that are Priests and religious persons ought to studie preach and search out the truth for you are sequestred from this world to be seruants vnto the light Many seeke truth and cannot find it because they search after it with a dim and obscure lanthorne other search it with a greater and fuller light and they finde it Faith is this light and humility the doore that openeth vnto truth The curious walke vpon the brinke of Hell and thinking alwaies that they shall finde out what they make inquisition after they doe at last stumble and fall downe the head first and the rest of the body after witnesse the Caluinists Caluin Beza Luther these were the heads of our new Hereticks and all the body to wit those that follow and adhere to their opinions doe fall into this gulfe if they die obstinately in their fancies this is it they must looke for vnlesse they be conuerted You that are in religious Orders attend seriously vnto your vocation and obserue the commandements and counsels of God and know that your life is a light vnto worldlings and a patterne or copie of their liues and conuersations you must studie a new booke a booke that hath but two leaues the first leafe containeth the manner of attaining vnto perfect humility in the birth of the Son of God the other leafe containes the obedience which till his death hee euer practised I tell you that those who shall reade this booke aduisedly and as they ought I dare bee bold to promise them on Gods behalfe life eternall because in this booke is comprehended the beginning and end of perfection He that is humble is neither curious nor rebellious but is apt for commands and full of obedience and the obedient cannot die but liue eternally by obedience I vnderstand such a kind of subiection that shall no way be disagreeable vnto God or his Church or the saluation of soules for if I should say otherwise I should lie And I say turning himselfe to the Assembly speaking vnto you in generall not in particular that our Lord had twelue Disciples of whom one was starke naught The Iewes were formerly the true children of God but now they are a reprobate Nation so I say if you see a wicked priest you are not presently to ground from hence that all the rest are like vnto him if you see a wicked Frier or religious person you are not by and by to coniecture that their religion is naught But here is the great misery of worldly men who when they see a wicked Priest are presently ready to say this is the conuersation of them all I say vnto them that herein they doe bely them and they are not to speake after this manner for the wicked cannot preiudice or disparage the good and those that thus despise Priests doe it to this end that they may haue freer scope to liue in liberty and licentiousnesse The booke of humility is hard to be vnderstood by a man that is not very intelligent but when hee once shall know the interpretation of the same hee will find all manner of vertues contained therein for she is a Queene that bringeth with her many Princesses and Ladies in her traine and as in a chaine one ring followeth and dependeth vpon another so doth humility vpon obedience the ground-worke of true perfection is humility and the end is obedience Great God for this cause wast thou borne for this cause didst thou die thou wert borne in a manger and died'st naked vpon the Crosse and hast endured death it selfe yea a most cruell and ignominious death Cursed be those that shall fight in single cumbate for hereby they transgresse the Commandement of God and of their King and doe contemne the Excommunication of the Church Many children are so il-aduised that they beleeue neither father nor mother and doe well deserue the miseries which doe afterward ouertake them Absolon may be a true witnes of the same In the world all things goe by friendship and partiality but it is not so with God the Monarch and the begger the faire and the foule the lame and the perfect are all alike if they be in grace alike You of the laity keepe the Commandements of God and his Church and you shall be saued Heauen was not made meerely and solely for religious persons bee you onely carefull to loue God and to serue and obey him Such and so admirall is the power of God that he stinteth not himselfe to the praises of Angels or of his creatures but goeth further and commandeth the Deuill himselfe by compulsion and not out of loue to glorifie him and to put his good pleasure in execution Though all Angels all men and all Hell should incessantly enlarge and extend their speaches to relate at full the glory and perfections of God yet could they neuer attaine vnto the same it is an abisme whose bottome is inscrutable and cannot be diued into by the greatest Seraphins or the Mother of God her selfe God is onely he who can comprehend it Many curious persons conceiue their iudgments so able that they can comprise within the same all Gods power all his sapience and goodnesse and all his other perfections Ha! how short commeth their vnderstanding of these mysteries they must humble themselues if they will goe to
doth dislike and abhorre these abominations yet being an excellent painter he is able when he pleaseth to correct any deformitie in this his portraicture Thou knowest Leuiathan that this is true and that I am here by the appointment of God but am tied and bound from revealing of sinnes Leuiathan said Thou lyest for thou hast divulged them and art now convicted of a manifest vntruth It is true said Verrine but this is done for the good of these sinners neither could the miracle be manifested if the sinnes were not divulged Then turning himselfe to Saint Magdalene hee said these words It is true Magdalene thou wert a sinner neither doth it redound vnto the dishonor of God or lay any disreputation vpon thee that thou wert so nor is there any diminution of thy happinesse because thou diddest formerly offend That is true said Leuiathan but there is a great difference betweene this and that Magdalen she needed no Divels to convert her but was reclaimed by her owne care and industry and therefore it is not probable that God hath sent thee into this body for the conversion of these two soules since there be many other meanes to bring this to passe without thy helpe who art the father of lies and whom no man will scarce beleeve Hold thy peace said Verrine accursed spirit as thou art and give me audience It is true I am in this body God having suted and fitted his pleasure to the desire of this creature I am here expresselie from Almightie God for his glory and particularliâ— for the conversion of these two soules and miserable shall they bee if they bee not converted Thou tellest me that Saint Magdalene was not converted by the Divell it is true but wee live not now in that time when God came downe from heaven and with his Humanitie and Devinitie did labour the conversion of soules but I say withall that he is still the same God and therefore is able to give birth vnto those works whose greatnesse may equall the former It is a truth said Leuiathan that God is not in the world as in times past yet hath he bequeathed vnto his Church his Sacraments Preachers and many other remedies which were not practised in those daies But none did euer reade that God made Divels his instruments to convert soules since they are the fathers of lies and stuffed with all kind of malice and falsehood Who without great difficultie would give credite vnto them there is no man but would be readie to object that God hath many other meanes to gaine soules vnto him without taking the service and furtherance of the Divels It may be so said Verrine but tell me Leuiathan are there not oathes whereby a truth may be averred Leuiathan answered Knowest thou not that we never sticke to take a false oath I am sure thou knowest it witnesse the oath that was lately taken amongst the Capuchins you know my meaning To this Verrine said Either make it appeare vnto mee that there is no oath that may bind and stand in full strength or else thou art vanquished For I say that an oath taken according to the meaning of God and his Church with all other due ceremonies and circumstances requisit thereunto doth bind and is in force and whosoever will deny this must deny the omnipotencie of God all the authoritie of the Church and all the bookes of Exorcismes To what purpose doe men exorcise and make interrogatories vnto diuels if their replies be never consonant vnto truth It were an idlenesse to be prodigall of so much time and to wast so many yeeres if this were so It were much better that Exorcists should spend their time otherwise and take vpon them some other course of study To this Leuiathan answered I have affirmed that all oathes are not true because of the sinister and perverse meaning and reservations of the Divels I confesse said Verrine all are not true because when the Exorcists are not heedy and well advised of what they goe about wee are so mischeevous that wee reserve some secret and sinister intention but when we are enforced like gally-slaves by the power of God I tel thee wee must obey his pleasure and therefore Leuiathan thou art consounded For I my selfe not from my owne will but vpon constraint from God haue lessoned and warned the Exorcists to apprehend aright all the intentions and ceremonies whatsoever that are requisite in the making vp of a true oath Then said Leuiathan How darest thou speake thus in my presence knowest thou not that I am mightier then thy selfe I grant it said Verrine thou art mightier then I to do a mischiefe for thou hast more knowledge to doe it thou being of the order of Seraphins and I onely of the order of Throanes I am one of your slaves but let me tell you I doe not now respect any of you meaning the princes that were in the body of Magdalen every one of whom hee braved one after another What said he answere you nothing Are you such gallant doctors and can you make no reply Ha you would answere now if you knew what Come on speake speake Leuiathan replied knowest thou not that when sinners are obstinate they are vncapable of conversion nay God himselfe is not able to winne them vnto him witnesse Iudas whom our Lord could not convert How canst thou then conceive that a Divel should bring this to passe when God himselfe by the practise of all his art and cunning cannot accomplish the same Verrine said I have affirmed that God is omnipotent and may make an alteration in the free will of man and change it from evill to good Knowest thou not that God is a cunning Painter who can fashion and make vp a picture when it seemeth good vnto him and is contented if they doe but leave him the table to worke vpon It is true said Leuiathan if the creature doe not hinder it for God hath created man without his aide but cannot save him vnlesse he co-operate and give assistance vnto it Verrine answered If the body and soule doe remaine together it is all that God desireth who well knowes when to take his pencels to correct and perfect vp this table I affirme further that if he will he is able to make it more beautifull and more goodly then ever it was before which he may easily doe by laying on colours of more freshnesse and luster Knowest thou not that hee is the father of the prodigall child If the fathers of this world be thus loving towards their children and doe cherish them and yet doe sometimes threaten them not to hurt them thereby but to make them wiser and better advised how much more shall hee shake the rodde of his iudgements over them to preserve them from the hands of Iustice. And when the child of God shall acknowledge his fault then shall he returne vnto his father and humble himselfe before him for as the prodigall child did
Lazarus who had a stone laid over his graue And the reason why God commandeth to vnbind him is that hee might declare how much authoritie hee hath bequeathed vnto his Church and how much Priests ought to be had in honour and estimation in reproofe of those who say they will not confesse themselves obiecting why should I humble my selfe before a Priest is he not a man nay is hee not a sinner as well as I why then should I declare my sinnes before a Priest God is gratious and will pardon me without confession Then Verrine began to speake of obedience in this manner Obedience of all vertues is the most pleasing vnto God Charitie is a great vertue because without it there is no entrance into Paradise Faith is also a necessarie vertue for without faith it is impossible to please God Hope also holdeth the same ranke because it is our guide to heaven Humilitie also is the ground-worke of all vertues To bee briefe all morall vertues are profitable good and praise-worthie for I doe not affirme that a man may attaine vnto heaven without Humilitie and without Charitie and other vertues but I averre that hee who stands possessed of obedience is garnished with all other vertues whatsoever Obedience is the most excellent of all vertues I meane perfect Obedience for he that is perfectly obedient is humble and charitable he is confident and persevereth vnto the end nay I say further he that is truely obedient cannot die I meane an eternall death For some may obiect vnto me that Isaac was very obedient vnto his father Abraham yet did he finish the course which nature had proportioned for him and died I say no for Saint Paul saith that those that are blessed from above doe not dye but saith they sleepe as it is true Isaac thou sleepest and shalt bee awakened at the day of iudgement If thou have the integritie of Obedience there will be no opposition against thee consider this well you that are Religious persons and haue vndertaken the vow of Obedience Remember that your God was obedient euen vnto the death I say vnto the death of the Crosse he did not murmure against his Father and say Father this Mountaine is too steepe and vneasie to come vnto meaning Mount Caluary no hee said not so He did not speake vnto his Father that he should so prouide that he might suffer death in a Chamber or in a Hall because this mountaine was so loathsome and so full of displeasing obiects that it seemeth a very compound of noysome sauours No no with a full desire and free acceptation hee embraced death for the loue which he bare vnto you You that are religious persons learne to obey your Superiours when they impose any thing vpon you and say not my Superiour commandeth mee things of such vneasie performance yea almost so impossible to bee done that I know not how to turne mee vnto them A religious person will not stick to say Ha my Superiour commandeth mee to declare my fault openly before people this will edifie my neighbour but a litle Let his Superiour command him to goe to Rome and hee shall say I know not the way thither let him inioyne him to fast and hee will say Ha my father I am of so tender a constitution that if this pennance bee imposed vpon me I shall be sick how harsh and vnpleasing is it to be put to weare shirts of hayre My Superiour is so froward that he is not to be endured If the Superiour shall say vnto him thou shalt vndertake to murther one of thy brethren and the other not knowing the intention of his Superiour who speaketh this from his mouth not from his heart onely to prooue him will gaine-say him he is not obedient and therefore not humble for obedience is the daughter of humilitie and hee that is truely humble is alwayes obedient Learne you that are Monkes and Fryars and read in this excellent booke that is to say vpon the tree of the Crosse It is your God who hath obserued his three vowes carefully and as he ought the vow of Chastity for hee is puritie it selfe and surpasseth all the Angels and creatures whatsoeuer as one that is immaculate and without blemish Touching the vow of Pouertie he hung naked vpon the Crosse. He might haue beene accompanied with his traine of Princes which are the Angels hee might haue had garments to couer him and whatsoeuer else was needfull yet hee despised all to demonstrate vnto you that are Religious that you ought to surrender your purse and treasure vnto him and suffer your Father to prouide for that which is necessary for his children Touching the vow of Obedience he hath been more obedient then euer any was I speake this to you Preists and Monkes behold your selues well in this glasse and read ouer this booke aduisedly it consisteth but of two leaues and yet containeth all perfection there are but two words within this Booke Obedience and Humilitie yet if a man be rightly informed how to draw out the quintessence of this Booke he shall there finde all sorts of vertue that may any way further or yeeld conducement to the attaining of so high and sublime a perfection To what end doe you exhaust your selues with studying and doe so painefully imploy your selues in reading of bookes Be but conuersant in this booke and you shall be able to performe the will of God If a seruant obey his Master how much more ought a childe so to doe Wee that are Deuils are as seruants or rather slaues and doe nothing but constrainedly and by compulsion but you that hope for an heritage in Heauen are bound to loue and serue him I further say that God hath three sorts of seruants There are that serue him onely by constraint and those are such as onely feare Hell and if that stumbling block were away they would not care to drench themselues in the puddell and pollution of any sinnes whatsoeuer Others serue like hirelings as doe those whose scope and aime is the attainement of Heauen saying God hath promised vnto vs Paradisus therefore we shall doe well to obey him But there are a third sort more aduised who doe not make either Paradise or Hell their scope but doe the wil of their father purely out of loue and haue not their end mixed with any secondary regarde of recompence they set their confidence in God with their whole heart and beleeue his prouidence in preparing for thē whatsoeuer is necessary for say they if his care descend to birds and beasts how much more will this his care extend to vs God heerein behaueth himselfe like a Marchant who separat's farthings from sous crownes from peeces of fower setting euery sort a part by it selfe against the time he shall haue imployment for them yet doth he not contemne his other money So fareth it with God hee taketh Religious persons and those whom hee hath marked foorth for his seruice
follow thereupon neither is it against the Scripture Fathers Histories or reason But touching the first assertion that they are but dreames there are many inconueniences that doe vnauoidably follow vpon it as we haue in part declared One point remaineth vnresolued which may sâ—agger weake and vnaduised persons in reading the Fathers Lodouicus Viues of Granada who hath commented vpon S. Angustines bookes of the City of God when he vndertaketh to comment vpon that notable and learned chapter which wee haue so often alleaged he sheweth himselfe to be a very meane diuine as indeed he was although he was well seene in humane learning and those who reade his Commentaries will perceiue that he was if I may so speake rather an Idiot then a Diuine He then seeing S. Augustine was cleere of opinion that these things are not alwaies fables but might fall out indeed as where Apuleius reporteth of himselfe that hee was transformed into an Asse that is to say hee was couered with the likenesse of that beast he I say not being able to comprehend this with Saint Augustine doth runne into three gâ—osse faults First he accuseth S. Augustine of ignorance and saith that he read not Lucian because hee cared not for the Greeke language Secondly that Apuleius had drawne his discourse from Lucian who saith that he had made this of his owne head for sport and pastime The third fault that he committeth which is the absurdest of all is that whereas S. Augustines conclusion is that these things may either bee fables or practised truthes which is the very resolution of our discourse Viues doth oppose against this and saith that it cannot be but that all these things are meerely imaginary and fabulous and alleageth the authority of Pliny that they are not to be held for true Touching his accusation that S. Augustine was ignorant and had not read the workes of Lucian it cannot bee made to appeare that it is so how many Greeke Authors can wee cite both sacred and prophane whom Saint Augustine hath fitly and to good purpose alleaged although it be true that he did naturally hate the Greeke tongue as himselfe confesseth in his bookes of Confessions and did therefore the more apply himselfe vnto Latine A Commentatour should not lightly burthen his Author whom he goeth about to explaine with ignorance he should rather defend him in whatsoeuer may admit of a defence Touching the other imputation that Apuleius had taken his history from Lucian it is so farre from being true that it rather appeareth to the contrary For Lucian saith that those things which he had written were fables deuised by himselfe but Apuleius affirmeth confidently that what hee had set downe was a certaine truth hee goeth further and reproueth those that conceiue these things to be dreames and saith that such do shew themselues to be altogether vnpractised in affaires of of such secresie and importance And if Apuleius had conceiued that these things were imaginarie onely why had hee not when hee was personally cited before the Gouernour of Africke for witchcraft and Magicke made a short resolution of this doubt in both his Apologies which hee published to cleere himselfe and said that it was but a popular report and a very fable But we see he doth not so but endeauoureth to purge himselfe from the suspition of being one of those that practised these things Touching the third either Viues had not read or at the least remembred not the sentences of Tertullian and Saint Augustine alleaged in the Preface vnto this discourse by the which it is euinced that Paynims were blind and ignorant in the knowledge of good and bad Spirits yet doth Viues preferre the opinion of Pliny an Infidell and an Atheist before Saint Augustines who was the most celebrious and learned Doctor of the Church of God Certainely if Viues had continued this fashion down to his last Commentaries where Saint Augustine doth largely proue that there shall bee a generall resurrection in the same flesh and bones Viues might as well haue said that this was not to bee credited because Pliny is of a contrary opinion and might haue ieasted also at this as at a thing full of impossibility and falshood So that whatsoeuer Saint Augustine doth affirme in this behalfe hee did not take the same from the Schooles of Philosophers but from the Scriptures and Schooles of Christians which he calleth the City of God This chapter of Saint Augustine hath beene much better explained by a certaine Doctor of Diuinity well seene in the Scripture and conuersant in the Fathers and in the doctrine of Saint Thomas who commented vpon the said bookes bâ—fore Viues his time and although he were not so learned in humane sciences as Viues was yet was he a better diuine then he Who when he commeth to the explication of this chapter he onely giueth this briefe aduertisement of the same Hic inquit diligenter notandus est modus possibilitatis quem ponit Augustinus in transformationibus hominum bestiarum qui à minus studiosis videtâ—r difficilis ad intelligendum In which hee thwarteth Viues and toucheth him to the quick who doth not onely conceite this to be dâ—fficult but also impossible To conclude he that is desirous to see a large and learned Comment vpon this chapter of S. Augustine let him read S. Thomas in his first part 114 question art 4. In the yeere 1584. a Germane Lawyer called Mr. George Goldeman did first publickly defend by argument as himselfe declareth and afterward caused 80. propositions to bee printed which wholy tended to prooue that the things which Sorcerers depose are nothing else but dreames and fancies Vnto which it will be needlesse to make a full and distinct answere because they are all of them confuted in diuers passages of this discourse Yet wee shall doe well to obserue that hee affirmeth that before him no man did make the distinction betweene a Magician a Sorcerer and a Poysoner and that the default of this distinction was the cause that none hitherto could resolue this difficultie And although hee grant that Magicians and Poysoners are worthy to suffer death yet hee denyeth that Sorcerers are to be punished with the like because they haue nothing that is hurtfull in them but meere imaginations and illusions yea hee is bold to say that although when they are awake they yeeld their assent vnto such imaginations yet are they no way culpable either before God or men And to excuse them the more colourably he alleageth that they are drawne into it by the deceite and subâ—letie of Satan and thorow ignorance and feare but heerein hee sheweth himselfe too zealous and eager in their defence For if there bee a consent and delectation in such fantasies there can not possibly bee a constraint and if those concupiscentiall and fleshly cogitations which arise from the corruption of our nature bee condemned by the law of God how much more
i Verrines exhortation to Lewes k That is to say there is no hope of men after they are dead l The Magician told vs that if we did vnderstand his condition wee would be amazed at it for he had no memory But in this he did co-operate with the Diuell gaue his consent there unto which being by the Diuels oftentimes practized vpon Magdalen they could neuer by any charmes bring the same about as shall be seene heereafter because she would neuer consent there-unto m Belzebub accuseth Lewes the Magician n Louyse related vnto vs that she vnderstood wel al that Verrine had prompted vnto her and did readily co-operate and gaue her assistance to all the praiers that were powred forth for the conuersion of the Magician o Touching Antichrist see the Apology vnto the doubts p The hardnesse of the Magicians hart q The aduice for the seperation of the women possessed r The Exorcist changed s Leuiathans answeres t He said this because hee was put to silence vpon the accusations against Lewes for a season u The Diuels exclamation and inuectiue against the obduratenesse of the Magician x The hypocrisie of the Magician y This is very obseruable for he made repetition diuerse times of the same z The death of Louyse a Touching Antichrist see the doubts after the Epistle to the Reader b Two Capuchin fathers go to Marseille c Witches are carried inuisibly d Verrine barketh like a dogge e The superiour Diuels doe tye and binde vp those that are inferiour and in subordination vnto them as amongst men the stronger bindeth him that is weaker and maketh him to hold his peace So amongst liuing creatures one by the instinct of nature doth master another f We were yet in indifferency and were at that time making inquiry after these things g The difference of Diuels h By this often reprouing of the Diuell they gaue intimation vnto him that they did not beleeue him i The adoration of a Goat in their Synagogues k Verrine barketh against Lewes l The prediction that Lewes should bee burnt and the two women exorcised at Aix as it afterward happened m He was degraded by the Bishop of Marseille who was also deputed a Commissary at the hearing of his cause n The prediction of the execution death of the MagiciaÌ„ ratified by a solemne oath which prediction the Diuel gaue as a signe o The difficulty which the father 's made of the truth hereof p The prediction that the Magician should be enlarged vpon supposition of his innocence which was verified the 14. 15. of Ianuary q These departures were very sensible as well by the blast which brake forth froÌ„ her mouth as by their names which in their issuing â—orth they gaue themselues r Magicians are not possessed s This is to be seene t There were schedules rendered to Theophilus the Magician and to S. Basil for an other Magician as is set downe at large in their liues u Being in a Church of his iurisdiction x Verrines complaint vnto God y The prophesie of Ezechiel accidentally lighted on and read z These Canons did alleage that Lewes was a Priest appertaining to the Dioceâ—â—e of the Bishop of Marseille to whom we answered that hee was come thither not vpon command but by aduice a Inquisition into the verity of the writings b Lewes the Magician went away to Auignon with some others to make declaration of his innocency but he was remitted backe againe c Father Domptius sent backe vnto his superiour d This was a Priest of the Doctrine Confessor in ordinary to the sisters of S. Vrsula and particularly to Magdalene since her possâ—ssion A man godly and learned and at this present Superiour in the house of the Priests of the Doctrine in the city of Aix in Prouince who did Exorcise Magdalene in his Church c She named all the wicked spirits in their order as readily as any one could reade them in a booke f This was her vsuall prayer when she was among the sisters of her Order which she said by heart g Belzebub strangely shaketh Magdalane h This was said after the Exorcismes were past i Belzebub vaunteth that he had tempted Adam and Christ Iesus k The distinct places and Office of Diuels l Some Doctors are of opinion that he was fastned with foure nailes m Some schoole-men do hold that he did not deliuer all the soules that were in Purgatory but all those that were in Lymbo otherwise called Abrahams bosome n The horrible gestures of Belzebub in the body of Magdalene o Great cries heard on the top of the Church p Tharasque was a monstrous Dragon that deuoured men in Tharascon in Prouince q The filthy gestures caused by Asmodee r Six Knights came from Marseille to lead with them the Magician whom they fauoured and gaue countenance vnto as their speciall friend s Out of his commission we might easily conceaue him to bee a true Deuill when hee was left to his owne nature the iudgement of God permitting this to happen least otherwise men might mistake and beleeue him to be no Deuil t They try the Deuils whether they would contradict themselues u Charmes cast into the eyes of Magdalene Saint Clement in his recognitions reciteth the like of his mother who thought that she had euer Simon Magus before her eyes x The difference of the knowledge of God y The accidentall paines of the Deuils z From whence the names of Deuils haue their originall Tertullian saith Ibi nomen vbi pignus a Lucifer chained vp in hell b See the Apology vnto the 10. doubt after the Epistle to the Reader b See the Apology vnto the 10. doubt after the Epistle to the Reader c God bindeth and vnbindeth the Deuils how and when it pleaseth him yet he doth this but at times permitting them sometimes to do whatsoeuer their naturall power can accomplish at other times he weakneth this power of theirs as seemeth good vnto him Examples heereof are in the 1. of Iob in the 7. and 20. of the Apocalypse and elsewhere d Michael the cheifest of the Angels e What the temptations of Deuils are and who are their aduersaries in heauen f Balberith Iudg. 9. a Obserue the order which he here keepeth in numbring of them in the same place ranke as when hee first deliuered them b Verrine denyeth that he is a preacher See the 1. doubt after the Epistle to the reader c The absolute power of God d A charmed ring e Magdalens throte seased on by the Diuel f The tortures which Magdalen suffered g Charmes cast into Magdalene which she reuealeth h Either to beat vp and downe in the aire with them or to defend themselues against such attempters i O the goodnesse of God that will not so much as suffer the Diuell to force through a casement of paper What ought the christian to conceaue of his wil which