of this sacke emptied there was neuer such villany seene neither was there euer the like miracle or the like remedy Verrine also said vnto the Dominican Father in the presence of the aboue-mentioned Sub-prior Take the booke of Exorcismes and enioyne me in the name of God to goe the third time to Marseille to solicite and labour the conuersion of the Magician When Verrine issued forth Gresil who held his place declared that he would speake to the Magician in another manner then he did to Magdalene And as Magdalene at the first would not beleeue because the Diuell busied himselfe in the cause of God or rather because Louyse did take vpon her to teach and instruct her or else some Diuell in her as was reported so should not this Magician regard any thing which should be spoken for his reformation The same day in the morning the Dominican Father did exorcise Verrine began to speake in this manner The will that is guided by the grace of God is able to compasse any thing and is mightier then the powers of hell it selfe How Idle then are they that say I cannot be conuerted It is vnbeseeming to adde excuses to your sinnes it was the old dotage of Adam and Eue. Adam thou haddest sufficient grace to keepe thy selfe vntainted but thou diddest suffer thy selfe to bee abused as many wretched sinners doe euery day The soule is the mistrisse and the body as the Chambermaid yet when the soule shall say let vs rise betimes to pray and serue God the body will forthwith oppugne it and say I am yet but young let old age first approch we shall haue leisure and time enough before vs to be repentant The memory will say let vs call to mind the blessings which are showred vpon vs from aboue the vnderstanding will thereunto adioyne let vs contemplate the goodnesse wisedome and power of the Creator in these his blessings and the will is ready to push vs on to loue and feare this good God because he is the sourse and first originall of all your happinesse The soule will say I will heedfully obserue thy diuine inspirations and will bequeath my selfe vnto thy seruice I will endure no longer that my seruant should inuade the gouernment of my house To which the chambermaid will reply Ha mistrisse what meane you to doe with your selfe take compassion of your tendernesse you are of too delicate a composition to bee martyred with such austere courses of life you haue time enough to repent you solace and glut your selfe with delights whiles occasion is offered and vse your goods with freenesse and profusenesse that you may varie and runne through all manner of pastimes whiles the time will giue this liberty vnto you Then Verrine said My words you see sauour of the spirit and doe maintaine that the soule is and ought to be the mistrisse of the body It is certaine that where the chambermaid holdeth the raines of gouernment in her hands the family will soone sinke and fall to decay therefore it ill beseemes the body to beare sway because it resembleth a woman who wanteth discretion to gouerne her selfe and God will not exact a reckoning from the body but from the soule and the soule shall haue the precedency of the body both in the reward and in the punishment because the soule ought rather to beleeue him that framed it then the seruant A blind man is vnfit to raigne and why because he is blind The soule is a common-wealth and if the conscience bee in quiet all the rest is the more peaceable Hence it is that the soule should gouerne and not the body because it is deuoid of all true apprehension of the misery which it may suffer Eue spake but once in excuse of her fault but the body grumbles and kickes perpetually Your God hath an armory garnished with all perfections and can euery day present new graces to those that demand them of him for hee keepeth them in his storehouse to bestow them vpon his children In like manner hath your God giuen the holy Scriptures the new Testament and the liues of Saints vnto his Church yet he resteth not heere but doth euery day offer new presents vnto her Embrace your God who for you hanged naked vpon on the Crosse for he is your father and the blessed mother of God is your aduocate Angels and Saints are your brethren and their pedigree is very noble God will also ennoble you after the same manner and this nobility is more venerable then all the royalty of descents that may bee giuen to the Kings of the earth The King of France lately deceased did worthily esteeme of this nobilitie he did humble himselfe and call vpon his God demeaning himselfe in his presence as a malefactor and oftentimes heard Masse with much deuotion and effusion of teares I tell you many Priests doe not so attentiuely meditate vpon the greatnesse and excellency of God as he did therefore was his death a kinde of martyrdome because hee would rather suffer death for the regard and reuerence which he bare vnto his God then giue credit to that which the Magicians had foreshowne vnto him and in dying hee pronounced the word Iesus and recommended his soule into the hands of God Hee had offended his God as David had done before him and was guilty as hee was and they were both Kings of mighty Nations but this had been infected with heresie as thou Louyse formerly wert yet O Henry it is a truth thou art now in Paradise Be glad Marie of Medicis for thou hast the honour to haue wedded a King who is now a Saint in heauen and if thou shalt imitate his godly end God will inuest thee with the same honour and thou Dauphin now a young tender King bee thou an imitator of the rare indowments of thy father who was so solicitous to giue thee vertuous education And doe you all loue this Prince for he well deserueth to beeloued by you and cursed be him that shall bandy or plot against this Prince and will not yeeld all dutifull obedience vnto him especially vnto a Prince of so sweet and harmelesse a nature as this is who will proue another Lewes in France that for his great vertue was canonized a Saint Reioyce little King for thy father is high in the glory of heauen I speake now to you that are but wormes of the earth examine well your selues for if your Prince did so humble and deiect himselfe how much more should you be prostrated in the lowlinesse of spirit thinke and consider seriously of these things Since also the holy Father doth humble himselfe who knoweth no superiour in this world it is to be admired that you should bee negligent or dainty in humbling of your selues The same day Verrine went againe to the Magician but before hee departed from the body of Louyse hee discoursed of the wretched estate of the Magician and of the mercy
of God towards him almost in these very words Certainly Lewes thou art an hypocrite and a Pharisie and vnder the shew of piety thou hast heaped vp such a multitude of transgressions and other damnable sacrileges that they are not to bee numbred Of a truth Lewes thou dost out-strip all magicians in malice and impiety and art the chiefe of all their sabbaths and assemblies Of a truth Lewes the Diuels are of opinion that hell it selfe will not bee sufficient to afford punishments for thee proportionable vnto thy villanies I tell thee Lewes they will protest against God if thou bee not conuerted will beg of him that he would make Hell six times more horrid and terrible then it is that thou mightest be tormented there for euermore Of a truth Lewes Cain and Iudas shall bee adiudged innocents in comparison of thee for Christ Iesus had not as then shed his blood for them as he hath done for thee I tel thee Lewes thy abominations are of that heighth vnsufferable presumption that God himselfe would bewaile thy wretched estate if hee were capable of teares and euery one would willingly bring a fagot to burne thee and would say Iust God make this impious villaine to liue a thousand times and so many times to suffer death yet is it a certaine truth Lewes that this good God is ready to die againe for thee and would if need were come now downe from heauen and suffer himselfe to be crucified on this Crosse. Besides the blessed mother of God and all the Saints doe of pure pitty plead thy cause I tell thee truth Lewes not that they haue any need of thee but that thou mayest bring backe those soules which thou hast led into perdition Of a truth Lewes God hath sent his messengers and guard vnto thee and they haue cast the rod of their power into thy house Nay I say more vnreasonable creatures would beg mercy for thee at Gods hands if they were endowed with reason What I deliuer is most true for nothing is impossible to God who is able to make a Diuell of an Angell and a Saint of a sinner The same day in the euening father Francis Billet did exorcise at the beginning whereof Magdalene moued all the assembly to commiserate her case by reason of the deepe and extraordinary sighs which shee pitifully breathed forth whiles the Diuels were inwardly torturing her And Verrine said you that hope for a future reward see you obey your God and you that are already Saints with him in heauen and haue now the full fruition of grace and eternall glory as the end and vp-shot of your labours bee you also plentifull in your duty and obedience towards him But I damned wretch as I am expect no recompence of my paines and trauell The Acts of the 24. of December being Christmas-Eve THis day in the morning the Dominican Father did exorcise and Verrine discoursed in these words Gods pleasure is that all men vnderstand that the Diuels themselues doe obey him and tremble before him I tell you God was wearied with your impieties and therefore leaped downe from Heauen to earth in the wombe of his blessed Mother that hee might redresse them Blessed Mother of God thy Sonne was impatient to be inclosed vp so long in thy flesh not for that he deprehended in thee any thing which might distast him but because his desire was to come into the world and to yssue foorth from thy holy prison with all the speed hee might to giue light vnto the world that remained darke and to make his brightnes communicable vnto his creatures Of a truth Mary thou art the Moone and thy Sonne the Sunne of this world the Saints are also the starres that shine in the same And therefore was this Sunne sent by the celestiall Father not onely to illuminate and deriue part of his light to the Moone and Starres but to giue light vnto euery man that commeth into the world which illumination could not spread it selfe ouer the earth vnlesse he had manifested himselfe to the earth by his natiuity Wonder not that I haue often said that this was a worke of admiration for Kings haue their Pallaces and bedds furnished euen to prodigality but good God thou couldest scarce finde a place to bee borne yet mightest thou haue built for thy selfe a Paris or haue chosen the cittie of Rome in her greatnes or haue caused some Royall Palace to bee prepared for thee for thou art wisedome and goodnes it selfe and hast created heauen and earth of nothing Neuerthelesse though the guide and prouidence of all things depend of thee yet wouldest thou not make choise of eminent and magnificent places for thy Natiuitie nor of Queenes and Princesses that might be assistant vnto thy Mother in the time of her t anell Great God thou art more powerfull then all the great ones of the earth and yet how il doe thy creatures demeane themselues towards thee Ioseph thou diddest doubt at first the veritie of these things but wert afterwards fully satisfied that the Mother of God was a Virgin before her deliuery at her deliuery and after her deliuery Thus doe many now question this very miracle which God hath wrought among you to wit that the Diuell should tell the truth but so is the wil of the most Highest who by his meanes would renue the league and amitie which is betweene his loue and his creatures O blessed Mother of God thy Sonne is the true God begotten of his Father Let it enter into thy consideration how choise and exquisite a Mansion did so mighty a Father prouide for this onely and welbeloued Sonne in whom he was so well pleased and thinke with thy selfe what presentments did thy deare Sonne prepare to offer vnto thee as his Mother Blessed Spirit where was the goodly beds with all the rich and pompous furniture which thou diddest prouide for thy Spouse Where were thy easie Litters to carry her Where were the Caroches Where were the horses There was but an Oxe and an Asse there present for other liuing creatures are too proud to be witnesses to such humility I say that God refused those creatures that were proud as is the horse he reiected the Lyons who figure vnto vs arrogancy he cared not for Mules who are the Hieroglyphicks of malice hee was onely contented that the Oxe and the Asse should be present who are beasts full of simplicity and deuoid of maliciousnesse The Asse pointeth out vnto vs the body the Oxe the vnderstanding so as when the Asse and Oxe doe draw together they doe beare the yoake of the Lord. The Angels were there the Princes Lords and Courtiers which is euidently declared vnto vs by that melodious song Gloria in excelsis Deo Thou Francis couldest well haue distinguished the difference betweene the musick of this world and such celestiall harmony for thou diddest so well apprehend the sweetnes of that heauenly Instrument
obstinate soules is not such a kind of impatiency as may any way darken or preiudice his perfections but it is rather an argument in him of vnblemished goodnesse for God in iustice should dart downe lightning from heauen to destroy them or suffer the earth to gape and swallow them vp who haue better deserued this punishment then Dathan and Abiran whom the earth deuoured vp for their rebellion O Lord God he cannot flie from thee whether he descend to hel for according to thy essence thou art there or whether he doth imagine to stray from thee by wandring like a vagabond vp and downe the world for thou seest all and art euery where or if he would ascend vnto heauen for there the gates are shut against him So that if he be not repentant hee may perchance flie but he cannot euade Great God thou hast made reseruation of three things to thy selfe and wouldest not that sinners should intermeddle or dip their fingers in them to wit thy glorie iudgement and vengeance And because the guidance and gouernement of things is most proper vnto him you must let him alone in his course of gouernement for he knoweth wel when to take the cause of innocencie into his owne protection What thinke ye that God will suffer this iniquitie to branch vp higher I tell you he is wearied with his long sufferance and therefore wil see the end of this inditement and howsoeuer this busines shal fal he wil be sure to fashion and shape it to his glory the saluation of soules I say further that if he be not conuerted he shal be burned aliue if he wil needs perish God will leaue him to himself for this good God for his part was not wanting to him in any thing God resembleth a father of many children who are all stubborne and rebellious against him and will not obey him neither by allurements nor by threats then doth this father say vnto them that they deserue to be punished because they are disobedient to their father and will not harken vnto him neither for hope of inheritance nor for any other admonitions or inducements that may bee laid before them but doe continue on in their contempt against him It is a thing full of astonishment that God should prouide this great remedy for you miserable and accursed sinners and yet the number of those that lay hold vpon it should be so small There are some that conceiue that God is indebted vnto them thinking with themselues that hee hath promised Paradise vnto them and that heauen was not destinated to intertaine beasts or Infidels but for Christians It is true God is vexed with a holy kind of impatience when he considereth the mischieuous and malitious purposes of men he hath purchased their soules at an high and inestimable rate for the satisfying of which paiment it was expedient that diuinitie should be vnited vnto a humane nature Thou also who art the powerfull mother of God did'st suffer much for their sakes and wert vnder the Crosse and neere vnto thy Sonne yet for all this do they renounce thy Passion O God the nailes and al other instruments of thy torments and doest thou still hearken after them and willingly subiect thy selfe to death to saue them Why art thou so fond ouer them is not thy blessed Mother in heauen with an infinite number of Saints and Angels If all the drops of water in the sea all the leaues of trees all the Starres of heauen were capable to sound forth thy praises they would all blesse thee O God and giue thee thanks for those manifold benefits which thou hast conferred vpon men yea the blessing of their creation alone doth challenge euerlasting giuing of thanks Besides this he hath giuen his Angels charge ouer you who doe euer intercede on your behalfe and say they will be conuerted they will be conuerted you must haue a little patience The Virgin Marie is also euer mediating for you yet are you regardlesse of all this especially this wretch who shall either be burned or be conuerted for God can no longer suffer or looke on villanies of so soule a nature and this will be the end of this businesse The messengers of the King haue been at his gate and haue diuers times knocked there I my selfe also was present but not any way to further the proiect of Belzebub Then he spake to Belzebub and said Accursed feind thou diddest imagine that I would combine with thee but thou art deceiued for I cannot swarue from the commission of my Master I did indeed suffer my seruants to giue thee assistance but for my selfe I tooke part against thee and made that iourney of set purpose to declare vnto him that as the Diuel had seduced him so the Diuell should bee an occasion to set him right in the true way Then hee tooke a solemne oath that whatsoeuer hee had now vttered was agreeable vnto truth The same day when Verrine was dictating that which hee had formerly deliuered touching the immaculate conception of the blessed Virgin Marie the Mother of God he was asked what he meant in saying that the humanitie of the Sonne of God did repose it selfe in the bosome of his Father and that then God did forme his blessed Mother out of one of his ribs To this Verrine answered You may here cauill and say that then this proposition must bee true the Sonne is before his Mother I tell you that the humanitie of Christ Iesus as all other things whatsoever are was alwaies present with his celestiall Father for with him nothing can bee said to bee past or to come but all is present the Sonne is before his Mother because the Father did first behold the humanitie of his Sonne before hee beheld his mother yet for all this you cannot properly say that the one precedeth the other for in God all things are present The Acts of the 23. of December THis day Verrine began to make a furious inuectiue against the Magician saying with great out-cries Accursed wretch thou deseruest to haue thy life restored vnto thee tenne thousand times that thou mightest so many times suffer death yea thou shouldest die as oft as thou hast sacrilegiouslie offended Notwithstanding God would yet deale fauourable with thee if thy selfe giue no stop thereunto Ha you Capuchins you shall bee punished with temporall calamities because you did vary from the forme which was prescribed vnto you You might well conceiue that Almighty God hath communicated power vnto his Church to bee able to command Diuels and your charity that you should beare vnto your neighbours might haue perswaded you hither that you might take information of all things but hee is not alwaies absolute that conceiteth hee is already sufficiently informed Then said Verrine to the Dominican Father who euer wrote what hee deliuered I must goe thither the third time consider how God loueth this soule Before Christmas you shall see the bottome
qui facitis verbum eius ad audiendani vocem sermonum eius Thus were the euill Spirits thrust out of heauen for their pride whereas the good Spirits were still made blessed in the participation of the vision and presence of God This did Christ signifie vnto his Apostles when out of pride they demanded of him who among them should bee the greatest in the kingdome of heauen hee tooke a litle childe by the hand saying if you become not like vnto this litle childe yee cannot enter into that kingdome and beware how you offend one of these litle ones for their Angels doe alwayes see the face of my Father which is in heauen whereby he giueth to vnderstand that children by reason of their naturall humility are like vnto Angels which Angels by this meanes doe see the face of God Since this great reuolte in heauen there hath euer been a contrariety and warre betweene the will 's of good and bad spirits and betweene good and bad men also as between Abel and Cain Isaac and Ismael Iacob and Esau. And this is it which S. Iohn speaketh of in the Apocalypse that there was a great battell in heauen between Michael and his Angels the Dragon with his Angels and S. Iude bringeth in the same Michael disputing and chiding with Satan Since therefore hee is full of wickednesse and altogether depriued of the grace of God he can doe nothing but what is naught and because hee cannot wreake his malice vpon the Saints in Paradise hee conuerteth his fury against man that is made after the image of God and is heere seated vpon the earth that hee may worship his Creator and acknowledge and serue him with his whole heart that so he may at length participate of that diuine glory and felicity which the Diuell by reason of his pride is vtterly depriued of as we haue already alleaged And this is the next pointe which offereth it selfe to consideration in the ensueing chapter CHAP. IIII. The meanes which Diuels haue to appeare and come vnto vs in what part of the world they reside how they are bound and their sundrie waies to tempt men TOuching the meanes which Spirits haue to performe this the scripture teacheth vs that in their downe-fall from heauen some remained in the middle region of the aire which is darksome obscure because the Sun-beames passe through the same without refraction of any solid body which by repercussion might double their force and light and without which they shine not at all as is euidently seene in a caue where there is no light at all perceiued but in the place where the sunne-beame doth fall And although we had no other proofe then that generall rule of Saint Ierome it might sufficiently euince the same for these are his very words Omnium doctorum opinio est quod aër iste qui coelum terram medius diuidens inane appellatur plenus sit contrarys fortitudinibus Since then there was neuer any Doctor of the Church which made scruple of the truth hereof wee must thinke that they had good warrant for the same from the Scripture They did no doubt consider that our Lord in the parable of the seede did by the birds of heauen which deuoured the corne vnderstand and also interpret it to be the Diuels whom he calleth the birds of heauen thereby meaning the aire according to the vsuall Hebrew phrase and agreeable vnto our maner of speech also who commonly say the raine falleth from heauen when the meaning is from the aire For as S. Ierome hath well obserued all Philosophers doe agree in their opinions that the clouds by the dissoluing of which the raine is engendred are not drawne vp aboue two miles at the most from the earth whereas the distance betwixt heauen and earth is incomparably greater And this is S. Pauls meaning when hee telleth the Ephesians that our fight is not chiefly against men but against the princes of this world which are the wicked spirits that haue their abode aboue in high places and as himselfe explaneth all these authorities in the second chapter of the same Epistle by these high places he meaneth the aire Secundum seculum mundi huius saith hee secundum principem potestatis aëris huius spiritus qui nunc operaetur in filios diffidentiae Which is also declared by S. Iude in his Canonicall epistle shewing that these wicked spirits are abiding in that darksome aire are there reserued for the day of iudgement when they shall heare these words Goe yee cursed into hell fire which is from the beginning prepared for the Diuell and his angels His words are these Angelos qui non seruauerunt suum principatum sed dereliquerunt suum domicilium in indicium magni diei vinculis aeternis sub caligine reseruauit And here may be fitly alleaged that which is written in S. Luke where it is related that the Diuels besought Christ Iesus not to send them out into the deepe but rather into the heard of swine and they doe likewise complaine vnto our Sauiour saying Vt quid venisti ante tempus torquere nos As if they should haue said we are assured of our totall and vtter damnation but the time thereof is not yet come for this shall bee put in execution at the last day of iudgement which being not yet present thou maist doe well to leaue vs in these parts vntill that time approch The like may be said of that place in the Reuelation Vah mari terrae quia descendit diabolus ad vos habens iram magnam and it is againe declared in the same booke that our aduersarie the diuell was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone And that wee may resolue what the difference is betweene the diuels that are in hell and those whose abode is in the aire although S. Ierome maketh daintie to meddle with it because he conceiued it to be from the matter whereof he intreated as also for that hee feared as himselfe excuseth it lest hee should trespasse too farre vpon the readers patience in dwelling so long vpon this argument yet will we speake somewhat of the same because this present discourse doth demaund it It is an infallible truth that there are great multitudes of wicked spirits who abide in that gloomie region of the aire and come also lower and neerer vnto vs which God in his prouidence hath and doth permit First because himselfe imployeth these his creatures although it be in base and seruile offices as a King or ciuill Iustice are accustomed to condemne certaine malefactors not vnto death but vnto the performance of some worke which aduantageth these offenders nothing at all but is onely charged with laboriousnesse and toyle and tendeth meerely to the publike good Thus were many in times past banished or confined to some Isle or mountaine to labour and digge in the Quarries of Marble for the Princes
Iesus which two last points are comprehended in these words In nomine meo Daemonia eijcient But Sorcerers and Magicians doe not vse to resist the Diuell and bruse his head but they flatter him and call him vnto them by a certaine bargaine or agreement which directly importeth a subiection and dependancy and to be briefe they doe first worship him before hee will come vnto them Againe in steed of repelling him they come vnto him for aduise aide or fauour whereas Christ Iesus would not so much as suffer him to speake and this is not as Origen obserueth to force the Diuell by inuocation vpon the name of God it rather argueth a familiarity and intercourse which they haue together So that if wee doe seriously consider all circumstances they doe crosse and goe a contrary course vnto Christ Iesus and the Apostles It cannot bee gaine-said but that sometimes they will make a semblance as if they wept although in truth it be nothing so S. Augustine reciteth the history of a certaine Magician who boasted much what a command hee had ouer Diuels saying that when they were lasie to doe that he commanded them he threatned to pull the heauens with such violence that they should fall vpon the earth and thereupon the Diuels would readily execute what he had enioyned them for feare least they should be brused betweene heauen and earth as corne is brused betweene two milstones But who seeth not that this is the craft and counterfaite weeping of Crocodiles that is to say Diabolical fictions framed for deceit and cousonage For first it is not the power of Angels to make the heauen descend and touch the earth because vnto them as S. Paul saith God hath not subiected the round frame of the world Non enim saith he Angelis suis subiecit Deus orbem Nay it is so farre from being so that it is not in the naturall power of all wicked spirits that are to wheele about the orbe of the Moone which is the least of all the rest for as God hath appropriated the natural operations of mans body vnto a reasonable soule so that it is not in the power of an Angell to make this body to liue the life of plants the life of beasts or the life of man although he can enter at his pleasure into the same as we see by experience in those that are possessed euen so God hath limited the passiue power of the motions of the heauens vnto certaine Angels whom hee hath destinated thereunto so that it is a ridiculous thing to conceiue that Spirits may be brused or crushed in peeces But they doe herein take the aduantage of mens simplicity and their owne craft by infusing these fables into them wherein they resemble naughty seruants that wait for an occasion to cut their masters throates The fifth error that blindeth those Sorcerers is because they haue a conceite that the Diuell is very ready to doe them seruice but how is it possible that the Diuell should inuassall himselfe vnto man that is but a worm of the earth since that thorow the excessiiuenes of his pride which brooketh no equals hee scorneth to bee the seruant of God whom he knoweth to be his Creator How can he debase himselfe to be mans Lackey when hee did rather choose to relinquish his portion in Paradise and to burne euerlastingly in hell fire then he would acknowledge Christ Iesus for his better For when it was laid before him that hee should become man the Diuel said in his heart no before I will acknowledge a man and a worme of the earth I will first be damned as that deuoute and auncient father S. Bernard hath well expressed it He doth indeed make shew of seruice vnto man but to this end that he may be his master for if hee be delighted corporally to possesse a man when hee hath gotten the mastery of his body how much more is hee pleased when by his subtilties and by taking from him the knowledge of God hee getteth possession of his soule For when hee possesseth the body this affliction is many times the instrument of saluation as S. Paul saith Traedidi huiu smodi Sathanae vt spiritus eius saluus fiat But when hee possesseth the soule and withdraweth it from the grace of God hee is then the instrument of damnation And therefore the Scripture doth euer figure out Satan vnto vs by things that are both dangerous and dreadfull vnto men as by a Serpent by a Dragon and by a roaring Lyon for feare least wee should say as Athiests doe that the Diuell is not so black as men doe paint him whereas contrariwise he is so terrible and so dangerous that all the comparisons of Centaures doggs with three heads and the like monsters described vnto vs by Poets fall farre short of his vglinesse If then any one should be familiar with such furious beasts might hee not well bee accounted mad and depriued of common sense Yet Witches and Magicians do ordinarily expose themselues to these things And this horridnesse of Diuels was declared vnto Iob who had partly experimented the rage and bloody malice of Satan but hee tryed not all his forces because God suffered him not to doe all that he was willing to inflict vpon Iob. God then described Satan vnto him by the similitude of the most great and horrible monster of the world called Behemoth This beast saith God is the most fearfull and cruell monster of the world his body is armed as it were with iron his flesh is harder then stone so that hee cannot be crushed or hurt by the violent strokes of hammers neither can the sharpest launces enter into him nor pierce him more then so many strawes if men should goe about to strike him downe with tumbling vpon him great stones from a rock it would be but lost labour and hee would be no more endāgered thereby then if they threw balls of flax against him God further speaketh vnto Iob of this monster dost thou thinke to put a hooke into his nostrills as men take fishes or when hee is before thee dost thou conceiue that he is affraide of thee Nunquid multiplicabit tibi preces aut loquetur tibi mollia Will he behaue himselfe like a dogg that flattereth his master and lyeth at his feet for feare of being beaten or if hee come to some agreement with thee doest thou imagine that he doth it to any other end then to deuoure thee Nunquid feriet tecum pactum accipies eum quasi seruum sempiternum Wilt thou play with him as a bird and tye a thread about his legg to keep him in or to let him fly at thy pleasure Nunquid illudes ei quasi aui Last of all God saith Memento belli nec vltra addas loqui remember that hee is a murtherer from the beginning that hee is thy arch-enemy and doth continually wage warre against thee Doe not hurt thy selfe by these foolish speeches
transgression the most seuerely threatned and auenged This doctrine is the decision of Saint Thomas who concludes that if a man suffer death for any vertue whatsoeuer it is a true Martyrdome And he all eageth the example of Saint Iohn Baptist who was a true Martyr in that hee did defend continency against the incestuousnesse of Herode In like manner was that good Monke declared by a Councell to be a Martyr because in running betwixt two fencers to part them hee was slaine by them Saint Chrysostome doth precisely say that he which may be healed of some malady by inchantments and refuseth all such helpe least he might offend God and had rather dye then haue the vse of the same in this case saith he he is a Martyr Furthermore Cardinall Caietane commenting vpon the aboue-cited article of Saint Thomas saith that if a man bee slaine to auoid a veniall sinne that death is a Martyrdome for it chanced vnto him because he would not offend God and because hee desired to support vertue Those that would play the Philosophers and say the deceased King called not on the name of God in the last period of his life let them know that he might do that so suddenly and secretly that none about him might perceiue it much lesse vnderstand it How easily might he lift vp his heart and inward parts vnto God and that in a moment of time especially for that his precedent desire might minister quicke assistance heereunto because that day hee powred out his prayers vnto God more particularly and for a longer space then he accustomed to do Besides that honorable company which were with him in his Caroche do shew that hee went not surcharged with any wicked proiect or purpose THE VII DOVBT It tendeth litle to edification where it is said that the blessed Sacrament was troden vnder feet ANSWERE I Haue cleered this very largely in the Epistle to the Reader Besides the myracle which followed thereupon did much condemne Sorcerers and tended to the edification of good Christians It was further necessary to touch vpon this pointe as well for the integrity of this History as also because the said prophanation was already published and all the hereticke ministers of Xaintogne and Languedoc made their best aduantages from the same as may be seene in the said Epistle The But and aime of this History is to declare how much God is offended with such vnhallowed and sacrilegious persons as will appeare through the whole frame and body of this History I should desire that the historians in such cases would imitate the sacred Scripture which neuer sets before vs any prophanation of those things that are sanctified but it presently subioynes a miracle as may be seene in the History of the sonnes of Heli and of their death of the Philistins prophaning the Arke and their plagues of the Bethsamites who were too curious to behold it and the fire that fell from heauen vpon them of the two sonnes of Aaron Nabad and Abiud and the fire that went out from their Censers and destroied them of Choran and Dathan taking their Censers and the earth opening vnder them of king Ozias offering incense on the Altar and of the leprosie where with hee was stricken In the new Testament of the prophaners of the Temple and the whippes wherewith they were chased away which Saint Ierome taketh to be a great miracle of Ananias and Saphira and of their sudden death and to come neerer to our purpose of Iudas prophaning the blessed Eucharist and of his death the morrow after with his belly breaking asunder in the middle Saint Paul was well practised in this who when he had told the Corinthians of this prophanation he presently sets before their consideration those that for this cause were dead sick and feeble by the vengeance of the iust iudgement of God And it is a cleere truth that at sundry other times things sacred haue beene made prophane which the holy Ghost passeth ouer in silence because there insued no miracle â—hereupon which when it happeneth may edifie as much or more then the prophanation can giue occasion of scandall The same is held by S. Cyprian and S. Greâ—ory in his Dialogues To this purpose may bee alleaged â—he example of the Donatists that gaue the blessed Saâ—rament vnto doggs who running presently mad turâ—ed vpon them and tore them in peeces As also of him â—ho came in to the city of Beâ—ith recited in the workes of S. Athanasius and of him of Paris whose markes â—re yet in the Church of Bulliettes in Latine Ecclesia Doâ—ini Bullientis the blessed Sacrament being throwne â—â—to a boyling cauldron Another miracle is to be seene 〈◊〉 the holy Chapel at Diion Besides the blessed Euchaâ—â—st is more prophaned when it entereth into a soule â—â—at is polluted with the infections of sinne then it can â—e said to be in this place THE VIII DOVBT How and for what reason did Magdalene by the aduice of her Confessour write one letter to the blessed Virgin and another to the glorious S. Magdalene ANSWERE IT is a very profitable way which our spirituall fathers â— do vse to instruct inure those that haue any knowâ—edge to holy exercises and meditations and by this â—eans they become ready expert therein As a schole-â—aster coÌ„mandeth his scholar to write letters to his faâ—her or mother to the King or to the Pope not that he would haue the letters sent but that his scholar should â—y this gaine some skil and ability for it is one thing to write and another thing to send a letter So many in our â—ge haue with great deuotion dedicated the epistles of â—heir books to the blessed Virgin not with an intent to send them but to giue contentment to their deuotion As for example the Epistle of the Booke touching cases of conscience made by Frier Benedictus and of the Booke of Euangelical demonstrations vpon the 3. Maries made by another Frier The same was also practised by the Emperour Theodosius who wrote a letter to S. Chrysostome that was dead more then 30. yeeres before which letter is to be seene in Nicephorus Touching the correction of this letter which was made by the Diuell we are to conceiue that he was inforced by God to busy himselfe in the conuersion of Magdalene as is by experience verified vnto vs. There is no difficulty of this for it is apparant that a spirit is more sharpe-sighted and peircing and more particularly familiar with mens faults and imperfections then any man can be either with his owne or with others THE IX DOVBT How the Diuell could pray to God for the conuersion of the Magician presenting to God the Father the merits of the death and passion of his Sonne of the blessed Virgine and of all the Saints of Paradise ANSWERE WHen a good or bad Spirit doth put motions into a man if hee yeeld his consent and doth operate with them
Verrine Afterward she read the letter which she had formerly the day before her conuersion directed to the blessed Mother of God by the order and aduice of the Father Romillon in reading of which Verrine rebuked her and taxed her of pride saying that Pelagia being conuerted by a sermon Nonnus refused to baptize her but she threw her selfe downe at his feete and said that she would demaund satisfaction of him at the day of iudgement whereupon he did baptize her Then hee said Take courage Magdalene for God will giue assistance vnto thee but beware thou neglectest not the fiue counsels and instructions which were giuen to Louyse this morning to wit a good intention puritie of affection puritie of conscience faith and humilitie Francis for his simplicitie and humblenesse is in Paradise hee suffered himselfe to bee accounted a foole yet was hee garnished with all sorts of excellent vertues for God giueth grace to the humble and resisteth the proud He was also indowed with the gift of obedience for without obedience there is no going to Paradise yea the Sonne of God himselfe said to his Father in the garden of Oliuet Fiat voluntas tua and finally resignation is to be made of all worldly desires After this hee caused the tenour of the letter to bee changed saying that it sented of nothing but of pride and nicenesse and he made it to be mended in manner as followeth My most deare glorious worthie and vnspotted Mother of God and the most louely Mother of my Spouse I salute you in the heartiest manner and present my selfe before you as a wretched malefactor before his Iudge to the end that you would be pleased to intercede for me to your best beloued Sonne and to offer vnto him your holy and chast wombe that bare him and your blessed breasts that gaue him sucke As also to pray your dearest Sonne to present his fiue wounds vnto his Father that so I may haue remission of all the sinnes which I haue committed in my fiue senses I am a poore miserable creature vnworthie to lift vp mine eyes to heauen or once to name of my Creator But I will say like another Thais he who hath created me and framed me of nothing take pitie vpon me who am not worthie to tread on the earth or to lift vp my spirit and voyce to pray no not to S. Magdalene S. Dominicke my good Angel and all the Saints of heauen or other reasonable creatures as well absent as present I Magdalene of Demandouls haue written this letter to the most sacred and worthie Mother of God who doe not merit as much as to name her deliuered by a Diuell called Verrine that spake by the mouth of Louyse because I haue not made those instructions vsefull vnto mee which by so many learned personages whom I little esteemed of were recommended to my practise I haue rather hearkened vnto Lucifer then to them and doe now make my protestation before God that I shall neuer hereafter giue eare to Belzebub nor to his adherents by the assistance of his grace and through the prayers of the Virgin Mary the sinners Aduocate and specially of S. Mary Magdalene of all Angels and of all Saints Protesting in despite of Belzebub the chiefe of the Diuels which are in my bodie and of al hell I will heedfully obserue those fiue points which were recommended vnto me to wit a good intention a pure affection puritie of conscience simplicitie humilitie as also obedience and resignation of the world All this I doe here promise by the aide and grace of my God The subscriptioÌ„ of the said letter was dated in manner as followeth Verrine saying that the subscription of letters that were to be sent to great personages ought to be no lesse polite and elegant then the bodie of the letters themselues Your most humble and prostrate hand-maid replenished with all presumption in that she hath been so hardie as to write vnto so great a Queene although my great and compelling necessities haue pressed me vnto it and I saw that you were the Sanctuarie and refuge of those that were forlorne as also I was transported thereunto by reason of the great and violent assaults of temptations which Belzebub and all his complices did force vpon me And hauing vnderstood such wonders spoken of your greatnesse I was emboldâ—â—d to take you for my Mother and Aduocate and will remaine all my life long vntill the last houre of my death by the helpe of my God your most forlorne and worthlesse slaue Magdalene of Demandouls The superscription was thus To the most sacred worthie pretious and glorious Mother of my God and Aduocate for sinners The acts of the 13. of December 1610. being the feast of S. Luke THat day in the morning the Dominican Father came to conferre of the discourse of the day past that he might orderly couch and set downe in writing what he had obserued And seeing that hee could not conceiue where to begin hee remained a little sad that it should bee thus in hazard to bee forgotten At the length he was resolued to take the Stole and to adiure the Diuell Verrine that if it were the good pleasure of God that this should bee written to the end that the Church might take knowledge of the same it was then his part and dutie to repeate and dictate what hee had spoken to the confusion of the Diuell and to the glorie of God Presently did the Diuell begin to dictate in the presence of the fathers of the congregation as is aforesaid The Diuell protesting that he was now inforced to â—he repetition thereof but would hereafter dictate all â—nto the Church so leasureably that a man might haue â—he opportunity to write after him The same day in the morning Louyse and Magdaâ—ene were exorcised by the Dominican father and at the â—eginning of the exorcismes Verrine began to dictate â—hat which here followeth in the hearing of many taâ—ing the subiect of his discourse from the Gospell In â—rincipio which the Priest read after Masse Hee cried â—ut Cursed be In principio If I were able to smother â—t how willingly would I doe it These last words â—lunge vs into despaire Verbum caro factum est haâ—itauit The beginning speaketh of your redemption â—he conclusion of your glorie there is no habitauitâ—or â—or vs it is for others And this habitauit is it that â—addeth vs. The miracle doth not consist in this that Iohn the Euangelist wrote it but the wonder is that â— Diuell doth auow it and is constrained to his inâ—nite sorrow to annunciate this truth vnto you The â—iuels are compelled to speake the truth when God alâ—ighty doth expresse and wring it from them and are â—s Gally-slaues forced vnto it This is that God whom â—e Christians worship After Masse was finished hee began to speake after â—is sort touching the great Counsell of the most saâ—ed Trinitie about the reparation of mankinde When
keyes thereof and suffer him to haue the gouernment of them Locke fast your gate that is to say your will against all manner of vice shut vp your windowes to wit the fiue externall senses that theeues steale not in and make a cheate vpon your soules Then Verrine said I had rather an hundred thousand times sup in Hell then haue giuen you such a supper as by this discourse I haue done and withall swore that hee had vttered all which is aboue mentioned for the glorie of God that all proceeded from God and that the Diuel was forced thereunto as a slaue or a captiue in the galleys Then he said to those that were there present This Baume this Rocke these leaues will rise vp against you at the day of Iudgement if you make not your aduantage of these things Your God loueth you so well that if it were behoofull for you hee would at this very instant returne to Mount Caluary The same day this dialogue chanced to be betweene Verrine and Belzebub Verrine said You that heare Masse doe say I beleeue that my God is there in blood and bones and that in the Chalice both his flesh and bones his Humanitie and Diuinitie are present But you must conceiue that you are there as poore malefactors before your Iudge pray therefore vnto your Iudge and he will heare you for hee giueth grace vnto the humble and casteth downe the proud of heart Oh how narrow is the gate of Paradise and how low you are to stoope to enter into it Then Belzebub said Ha God thou art too plenteous in thy pitie to sinners the Diuell is enforced to acknowledge it I am not at this time possessed with the scheduls Lewis hath them in his custodie to the confusion of Diuels is this great mercie shewed towards sinners Christ Iesus is euer shewing his wounds to his Father hee doth alwaies renue and make them fresh and doth still represent them vnto him All Hell is confounded Misericordia Dei plena est terra O Mercie thou art too too exceedingly great You haue no more to doe but only to crie peccaui and presently all is pardoned a mercy indeede too spatious Let a man renounce God his Passion and all the merites of the same and let him onely say Miserere mei and presently all is pardoned confusion vnto vs Confundatur superbia Diabolorum Lord thou diddest cast forth the Angels which would haue bandied themselues against thee and diddest crush in pieces all their forces yet let a sinner cast himselfe headlong into Hell and renounce thy precious blood and wounds yet wilt thou euer mediate for them to thy Father and wilt receiue them into grace if they bring with them a pure desire to returne backe to God for thy sake a mercy too large for sinners and damnation too great for the Diuell Cursed be the wound that cost me so deere because in it all sinnes are swallowed vp Cursed be Long in us that made that wound O God most bountifull vnto sinners O vertuous and most mercifull Mary The Diuell is their God and yet O Mary thou art alwaies falling at the feete of thy sonne thou art euer interceding for them thou art alwaies saying To day and to morrow and doest euer prolong and driue things off In saying this hee desired against his ordinary manner to haue an oath ministred vnto him and for further confirmation of the truth he said that one of Magdalens Gloues should fall to the ground and that hee would stretch himselfe flat vpon the earth Then said Verrine to him humble thy selfe Belzebub What is now become of thy strength Belzebub said Confundatur suâ—erbia Diaboli I am now constrained to humble my selfe Then Verrine said All you that are here come and tread vpon him speaking this to the Assembly Then Belzebub began to cry what vnder the feete of men Doe men resist God and am not I able to doe the same Verrine said God is so mercifull that he will fill vp the empty seates in heauen and will pardon men â—heir offences Then did Belzebub inferre O what a iudgement is heere against those which will not turne and be conuerted Next after Lucifer I am the proudest yet learne from hence to humble your selues For one offence am I damned for euer for euer for euer And that iustly said Verrine we are damned because wee had more illumination then was giuen vnto men O O O Mercy said Belzebub how great art thou for the sinner O Iustice how seuere art thou against vs Occasions of doing good are neuer wanting vnto the sinner he hath the benefit of Preachers of Confessours and of Miracles yet remaineth obstinate in his sinne and still God is so fauourable in his behalfe that he will at the last cast make vse of Diuels for his conuersion Verrine replied superbos humiliat he is more powerfull to attract sinners vnto goodnesse then are the Diuels in their malice to allure them vnto ill Further hee said I feare not Belzebub nor Lucifer nor all Hell besides I am not to bee punished for this God hath commanded me and yet there be some found that will not beleeue this Neuer busie your selues further about repentance for the day of iudgement doth approach and 〈◊〉 very stones shall rise vp and the leaues shall bandy themselues against those that shall dwell still in their obstinacie I warne you all of this both young and olde for Death is a thiefe that spareth none but sweepeth all away rich and poore great and small and as the hooke moweth downe the hay so Death with his sithe cutteth downe all Then said Belzebub it is no longing of ours to deliuer the truth Whereupon Verrine tooke occasion to say Magdalene this he vttereth in confirmation of the letter directed to the blessed Mother of God and pronounced by Verrine in the mouth of Louyse reade iâ— often and keepe it as thou wouldest doe relickes Then said Belzebub I sweare that I haue reasoned of the mercy of God to confound all Diuels Magicians and Witches that are in the world and all them that doâ— practise or trade with Magicke At this Verrine said Through maine compulsion art thou drawne to sweare and although thou bee my Prince yet at this present thou art but as a Fly Where are thy braues and forces now thou that but a while since diddest out-face heauen and earth doest now humble thy selfe vnder the feete of Frauncis Then Verrine setting his foote vpon Belzebub said I am thy vassall Thou wouldest haue pluckt God from his Throne Consider you that are here whither Monsieur de Guyse your Gouernour would euer haue endured that a Lackey should braue him thus as I doe now my Prince And turning to Magdalene he said Endure patiently Magdalene for the remission of thy sinnes and thinke thy selfe euen vnworthie to humble thy selfe Resist thou Belzebub for thou seest how I braue him and yet there are heere fiue
peace coÌ„mest thou here to preach lies Thou saiest that thou art sent from God to preach the Gospell wee haue Preachers enow without thee To this Verrine replied thou lyest and doest misvnderstand me I said not so thou knowest not the bottome of this businesse and that maketh thee to speake so foolishly as thou doest It is most true I neuer so much as said that I was sent from God to preach the Gospell I should lye to say it I said that I was here in the bodie of this vnhappie woman who hath begged from God that shee might bee humbled euen to the paines of Hell for the saluation of her neighbours I said that God had permitted me to enter into this body for his glorie and the conuersion of many soules and in particular of these two which thou curious fellow knowest not Thou art a proud arrogant fellow and worse then a Diuell except thou humble thy selfe and I will proue it vnto thee that thou beleeuest not thy God to be omnipotent Thou art worse then an Hereticke except thou repent and beleeue what I haue spoken Get thee gon get thee gon accursed spirit said the Frier I will not beleeue the Diuell Then said Verrine I doe adiure thee by the liuing God to come with me and sweare that all which I haue said is true For thou deseruest to bee burnt aliue if thou doest not beleeue thy God to be omnipotent Why saiest thou thy Credo if thou beleeuest not what I haue spoken It is not to bee auoided thou must either denie the puissance of God or confesse that this is true To this the Frier replied that there was a woman in Paris much resembling the condition of this woman in whom was discouered a great deale of knauerie and iugling and that she did deceiue much people Verrine told him that it was true shee did indeede cousen many but Louyse was trulie possessed Let her life belooked into and let her be turned ouer to the Examinations of the sharpest vnderstandings Shee would bee readie euen to suffer Martyrdome to maintaine this auerment if need did so require because it would redowne vnto the glorie of her God Then Verrine ingeminated that speech to goâ— and sweare with him and that Louyse could not communicate till they were both sworne The Frier made great resistance hereunto and would by no meanes obey it saying that hee would not bee commanded by a Diuell Hereunto Verrine answered it standeth not with reason to obey the Diuell I command thee not from my selfe but say vnto thee on Gods behalfe that thou â—ome along and sweare with mee it waxeth late and Louyse is to communicate Then the Frier said vnto the Priest which held the blessed Sacrament Father doe â—ou commaund me for I will not obey the Diuell Whereupon the Priest commanding him he came and wore vpon the Te igitur and then vpon the blessed â—acrament Verrine also taking such an oath the like whereof hee had neuer taken before said thus I doe weare by the liuing God that whatsoeuer I haue said I â—aue been constrained to vtter the same vnto you It is â—rue O God who art here really and truly with thy boâ—ie and blood with thy diuinitie power wisdome and â—ountie The said Frier was present when hee swore â—hus to whom he said I doe sweare by the God of Isâ—ael and by the God of the Christians that all which I â—aue spoken is true I sweare vnto thee according to â—he meaning of God and his Church and according to â—he Exorcists intention also that when wee are inforâ—ed thereunto by God we must put his good pleasure 〈◊〉 execution keeping all the solemnities that are requiâ—te in taking a true and perfect oath Then the Frier submitted himselfe and said that hee â—ad spoken nothing against God or his Church and beâ—eeued that God was Omnipotent and was able to â—orce the Deuill to deliuer a truth when it pleased him â—nd so submitting himselfe he rested satisfied The Deuill thereupon told him Thou art exceeding â—roud learne to humble thy selfe and bee not so ouer-â—urious for the curious fall into a pit from whence â—hey cannot free themselues when they will alleaging Caluin Beza Luther Iulian the Apostata Simon Maâ—us and saying doe not thou boast thy strength aboue heirs for there haue been Priests and religious perâ—ons that afterwards became heretikes as Caluin Beza Luther Verrine further said vnto him And of what religion art thou Doth thy Order command thee to bee proud I will proue vnto thee that thou art arrogant and selfe-opinioned and wouldest circle in the omnipotencie of God within thy narrow vnderstanding Humble thy selfe for it ill beseemeth one of thy coate to bee thus drenched in curiositie The supremest Seraphins doe euery day make new discoueries of great perfections in God the same doth his Mother and all the Angels Salomon when hee dedicated his Temple said Hee that created heauen and earth whom the heauen of heauens cannot containe and wilt not thou that art but a worme which crauleth on the earth submit thy selfe but wouldest hoope in the omnipotencie bountie and wisedome of thy God within the cancels of thine owne memorie and braine Vpon this the Frier rested satisfied and submitted himselfe with many words of humiliation Verrine also discoursed touching the reason of these present writings in forme of a letter missiue the tenour whereof here ensueth The men of these times are so curious that God must bee as a Gardener vnto them witnesse Magdalen to whom he appeared in the semblance of a Gardener and fit diuers sorts of sallets vnto their palats lest they should be disrelished wherein he resembleth a good father who doth so affectionately loue his child that he is euer asking him What wilt thou eate childe And if the childe chance to say I haue no appetite I see nothing I can eate the father will cause daintie and exquisite meate to bee set before him the best that may bee gotten If then the childe should say nothing heere pleaseth me the fault is not in the victuals but in him that is sicke and hath his tafte ill-affected What doth the father then doth he fall a beating of him doth he threaten and chide him no but goeth about and searcheth after other strange victuals which may chance to please them for their noueltie as being such which hee had neuer seene tasted or heard talke of Euen so doth your God by you for he is an hundred times more carefull then all the naturall fathers that are This father both of your soules and bodies when he obserueth that the soule hath no appetite vnto such varietie of good meates which as a father hee hath solicitously prouided such as is the holy Scripture it is true euery one doth not vnderstand this which is a meat too lushious too delicious too precious and all cannot rellish and like the same especially women and fooles it is too hot for them and
sinnes of those that are damned in hell If Iudas had been penitent if Cain had craued pardon if Adam had not stood vpon his iustifications and excuses God would haue forgiuen them of such vnspeakable goodnesse is the God of the Christians and so wel doth humility please accord with him The God of the Turks and the Gods of the Gentiles are all Deuils there is but one God one Church one Baptisme The God of the Christians is the true God the Baptisme of the Christians is the true Baptisme the Church of the Christians is the true Church The Baptisme of Turks or Iews is of no auaile for the soule The Christian shall say In te Domine speraui and shall neuer perish It is true Magdalen thy life shall be written and described from the first three yeeres of thy age and Louyse shal endure much sorrow and afterwards dye in paine but the end crowneth the worke Thinke not Magdalen that thy God will come to thee and take thee by the hand No no hee will not descend in his humanity for such a purpose Where is thy Credo Magdalen thou must now beleeue Magdalen dost thou looke for miracles as many others doe To this Belzebub said I haue nothing to doe with that Credo Verrine replyed Ha wicked spirit it was not for thy sake I spake it Magdalen shall be conuerted in despite of Lucifer and of all hell besides I am true of my word Belzebub answered No no she shall be mine she shall be damned for the gate of mercy is shut against her Then said Verrine It is not so her will to doe wel wil proue acceptable and pleasing and thou saist this accursed as thou art to plunge her into dispaire But the â—ust shall say In te Domine speraui and shall finde the gates of Paradise opened vnto them as witnesseth S. Augustine The Church shal examine this whole tract wherein is nothing contained either against God or his Church â— hereshal many be illuminated he that shall diue into the botome of the sacke shall easily approoue the same the curious and proud shall haue their abode in the pit of hell and shall not haue the power to beleeue Then hee said Carreau cannot fill thy hart Magdalen thy part is set triangle-wise and the blessed Trinity is to replenishe and comfort the same The same day Verrine told Magdalen roundly and rigourously of her faults being in her chamber and spake vnto her in this sort Magdalen if thou resolue not vpon thy conuersion between this and Christmas thou shalt bee euerlastingly damned and burnt aliue and shalt not for all this escape our hands as none haue euer scaped vs these hundreth ninty nine yeeres because wee made them all to dispaire This indeed will bee the Magicians confusion but shall leaue no touch or taint vpon the company of S. Vrsula the company of the Christian doctrine or vpon thy father whom I haue pronounced innocent though Belzebub tooke a false oath against him saying that thy father had giuen thee vnto him which was false for thou of thy owne accord and from a full and franke will diddest giue thy selfe to Lucifer and to all his adherents renouncing God the blessed Trinity and Paradise renouncing all the merits of the Passion of Christ Iesus all the prayers of the sacred mother of God and of all Angels and Saints taking and chusing hell accepting the same as thy last and euerlasting habitation saying that thou hadst rather liue in this world in all varieties of delights and villanies then to serue God thy Creator and thy Redeemer Iesus Christ promising Belzebub to bee obedient vnto all his commands and that thou diddest giue him with all thy heart thy body and soule with the powers thereof reseruing nothing to thy selfe but hell which those that are culpapable of the like abominations doe deserue if they remaine and dye in their sinnes making a schedule written in thy bloud by thine owne hand and giuing it to Belzebub which afterwards the Magicians got into their custody It is true she did not enter into these infernall courses her self but was induced and by allurements drawne vnto it by the theeues of her soule But Lodouicus seeing that dreadfull wolfe of hell to approch left this silâ—ie sheepe to be seazed by him yea intised her into the clawes of rauenous wolues which are the Diuels of hell Shee was young which will bee a good plea for her because God is accustomed to compassionate youth witnesse the prodigall child who left his fathers house as Magdalene hath done and fed with hogs as she did Yet did he not die in his obstinacie but acknowledged his fault and prostrated himselfe at the feete of his father in great humilitie So if Magdalene shall cast her selfe at the feete of the mercie of her God and shall knock at his gate that father of pitie will commaund her to be let in and will bid the fat calfe to be killed he will also cause new garments to be fetched and cast vpon her which signifieth a good conscience and repentance and will put a ring on her finger to declare the faith and trust she ought to giue to the words of her father and how grateful she should be in her acknowledgements of his benefits Then is shee to â—o say Father father I haue sinned against heauen and against thee and am no more worthie to be esteemed thine intreate me as one of your hirelings although most vnworthie of such a place as that Thus should Magdalene humble her self and should say approaching to the seate of his mercie Father I haue sinned against heauen and against thee against thy blessed Mother against the whole Court of heauen and against all thy creatures I am therefore vnworthie to bee called your daughter nay your slaue nay I am not worthie to lift vp mine eyes to heauen but take mee vnto your mercie if it stand with your good pleasure who am the most wretched and disconsolate creature that liues vnder the heauen or vpon the earth Then he added further Magdalene be conuerted and abandon thy sinnes thou hast been hitherto gently led on in calmenesse and in softnesse thou hast been priuilie reproued by secret inspirations by preaching by reading of good bookes by many spirituall instructions which haue from time to time been infused into thee as well in the house of S. Vrsula as by the fathers the Confessors and other learned and illuminated personages who haue giuen them vnto thee both for thy practise and for a remedie against thy aduersaries He further said Magdalene being rebelliously bent against her God and the admonitioÌ„s of his Spouse the Church and God seeing her perdition so neere and her selfe so obstinate in her sinnes and hauing by all the aboue-named remedies profited nothing hath permitted that an vnworthie yea thrice-vnworthie sister of the Companie of S. Vrsula Louyse Capelle who of her selfe is lesse
no reason that shee should goe to Paradise without humbling her selfe vnder the burthen of repentance I tell thee Magdalene thou must bee repentant and must with all lowlinesse and debasement of thy selfe make resignation of whatsoeuer appertaineth vnto thee into the hands of thy God thou art to suffer him to do with thee whatsoeuer shall seeme good vnto him thou art to obey thy superiour as if he were a God on earth for it is said honour the Priests because of their dignity and calling which in regard the Angels themselues cannot paragon or equall it standeth with reason that you should haue them in good esteeme and veneration O Magdalene these are thy Gods on earth honour them and doe all that which they shall command thee agreeable to God his Church and their authority obey Magdalene and humble thy selfe craue pardon of all and beseech euery one to say a Miserere for thee fall downe groueling vpon the ground and bid all come and put their feet vpon thee to the vtter confusion of Belzebub Lucifer and of all hell yea of Verrine himselfe that doth command it After this he began to say take all this as spoken to thy shame and thou shalt reape profit by it it will minister vnto thee occasion of contrition and of satisfaction it will asswage and lessen the paines which thy sinnes haue deserued Then he cried aloud as one beside himselfe It is true Magdalen thou hast been buffitâ—ed thou hast been spit vpon and hast borne a thousand disgraces and disparagements but bee of good cheere Magdalene all shall turne to thy aduantage Hee further made great exclamation saying O great goodnesse of your God! how wretched shall you be if you doe not serue him with all fidelity for a little affliction which you endure in this world you shall bee clothed with robes of honour in Paradise Your God is so gracious that for a little paine which a man here endureth for his sake yea for a glasse of water giuen for his loue or for a little mortification in this world hee will esteeme more of these then of a long and languishing durance of the flames in Purgatorie and turning againe to Magdalene hee said Bee of good cheere Magdalene and be glad and take into thy possession and vse those two wings wherby mens soules doe soare vp to heauen that is loue and feare the one toucheth the earth the other climbeth heauen The two wings that carried Magdalene to S. Pilon were the loue which shee did beare towards her God and that filiall feare which kept her back from offending against him The same day did those that were sent to Marseille with a purpose to giue the letter vnto Lewes returne from thence hauing effected nothing in the businesse For it seemed strange vnto the Capuchin fathers that they should be actors in reclaiming of him and would by no meanes proceed in the same till they had taken aduice and direction from father Michaelis vnto whom they sent certaine fragments of this their brotherly resolution and one of their reasons against this was because at that very time there was in the City of Aix one possessed in the couent of the Capuchins where the Diuell swore crosse and opposite to that vpon which the correction and pretended reformation of Lewes was founded saying that Lewes the Priest was no Magician neither was Magdalene bewitched This being thus related in the presence of Verrine and Belzebub Verrine said that this Dâ—uell was sent from Lucifer to stagger and make doubtfull the truth of these things and that he had taken a falâ—e oath for the Exorcist did not deale with that circumspection as hee should in exacting this oath with those solemnities that are requisite vnto the same that is to say hee was not made to sweare according to the meaning of God of his Church c. Yea Belzebub himselfe contrary to his wont and custome for hee did alwaies stand in opposition against Verrine said in great choller and fury yes that which Verrine tels you is most true for that Diuell was expresly sent from hell to say that Lewes was no Magician and that Magdalene was not bewitched but hee spake not truth in saying so neither did he sweare according to the meaning of God and of his Church and that hee was now grieuously punished for the same All which hee confirmed with a solemne oath vnto the which hee was enforced as Magdalene did afterwards testifie to haue inwardly felt in her selfe The same day I receiued a letter from father Michaelis dated the 16. of December 1610. in this teâ—our Reuerend father Pax Christi vobiscum I was well pleased to heare such good newes from you and to vnderstand that your labour towards those poore soules was not idle and without fruit of the which I doe so well approue that I delegate ouer vnto you all my authority as well of Inquisitour and Priour as of Vicar generall Cudgell these Diuels lustily who are Gods and our sworne enemies The manage of these affaires I wholly leaue vnto your selfe as being well practiâ—ed and dextrous in things of this kind and by Gods assistance hope to see you after Christmas So recommending me vnto the praiers of your reuerend selfe of the father Vicar and of father Gadrij saluting you and desiring you to tell Frier Simon from me that hee bestirre himselfe lustely herein I rest Yours most affectionate in the Lord Fr. Sebastianus Michaelis Vicarius generalis Prior Inquisitor fidei From Aix the 16. of December 1610. The same day after dinner Magdalene seemed to be much changed being full of spirituall ioy and ready to doe and leaue all for the loue of God She said that the day before shee had receiued many blowes and much disgrace without any feare or trembling in her heart although Lucifer endeauoured at the same time to make it appeare otherwise in outward shew and that she had receiued and taken in good part those instructions and disâ—ourses which in S. Baume were proposed vnto her She said that in the said place shee did for the space of 3. or 4. howres sensibly feele a kind of gentle sweetnesse softly distilling and dropping vpon her heart with a quiet internall silence so admirablie pleasing that in all her life she had not knowne nor seene nor heard the like She was also that day shut vp within S. Baume and confessed that the Sabbath and assembly of Witches was kept in S. Baume In the euening they were Exorcised by father Francis and Verrine after his accustomed manner began to say They that make difficulty to beleeue that the Diuell constrained by Exorcismes may auow and sweare a truth are worse then Hereticks because they must deny the vertue of Exorcismes the authority of the Church and the Omnipotency of God I could tell you all the villanies and sins you haue committed but I am tyed vp from doing mischiefe Wee that are Diuels can
belly vpon the earth and would esteeme your selues vnworthy of that deiection God is a glasse and blessed is he that taketh Christ Iesus and the mother of God for his glasse to looke on It is true that whilest shee liued in the earth shee was contemned and held to bee a woman of meane condition but know you not that Gods custome is to abase the proud you that are poore would very faine liue in the desert of this world but you want money to buy drugges or confections of the Apothecaries this want may easily be endured Come and vnderstand what may more neerely import you how you ought to be deuout to the blessed mother of God I tell you those that are deuout vnto her shall neuer die in mortall sinne Mary is the sinners aduocate There is a great inditement betweene God and the soule the blessed mother of God makes the report the Angels and Saints are the Aduocates Mary is the poore sinners refuge and thou Magdalene hast obtained remission of thy sinnes Let the Crosse therefore bee your Grammer your Philosophy and your S. Thomas Then he confirmed all this discourse and diuers other matters by an oath as his maner was Then he spake to Magdalene and said Well Magdalene are you satisfied now Is it not better to obey God then Belzebub Then Magdalene said aloud yes I finde a great deale of difference betwixt them Verrine replied a minute of the ioyes of God is more thon the eternity of all hell and all the delights of the world put together Magdalene thou must change thy selfe thy name shall remaine still Magdalene but touching thy first workes thou shalt bee Magdalene no longer Thou shalt be changed Magdalene and as it were transformed from what thou art into a new forme You know that those who make cheese when they haue failed in making it good they doe vnmould it againe and make it better euen so God when hee seeth a soule disfigured and defeated of shape by sinne hee taketh it vnto him and doth alter and fashion and new frame it and so makes it pliable vnto his will And as the cheese doth still remaine the same cheese so doth the creature remaine still the same creature but he that hath refashioned the same is Omnipotent vnto whom all things owe subiection and whom the Diuels themselues obey when they are constrained to execute his pleasure The creature may for a short space resist but God hauing waited a long time and growing now impatient to stay so long without doores saith these words No no I will enter in I am master of this house and am come to fashion this Image a new whom the Diuell hath so deformed I am the Painter shall not I mend this picture when it seemeth good vnto me Witnesse my Passion when my holy and sacred face was couered ouer with spittle but it was to make my countenance shine the brighter I am content that in this world you should be despised and defaced euen by the Diuels themselues for all creatures are my pictures I am the Painter and haue made them all but the Diuels my mortall enemies doe often come by stealth and disfigure these portraictures and do deface them after such an outragious manner that I my selfe doe tremble to behold them But remembring that they were my handy-worke I take the pencell of holy inspirations with the colours of my graces and come to this picture and giue him the first draught by contrition and another by confession and after that by satisfaction I am content that the linnen cloth should still remaine the same that is the body and the soule of the creature Now God who hath all manner of liuely colours in his hands knowes well to dispense these colours as seemeth best vnto him giuing men the white of Humility the red of Charity the orange of Patience the greene and yellow of Hope that he may one day take comfort in this-his pourtraying and that this excellent peece may come and giue him thankes in that he hath framed him and fashioned him anew when the Diuell in his malice had razed and disfigured him Thus doth God by the soule of Magdalene shee was a portraicture that God himselfe had made but Belzebub Lucifer and all Hell did bandie themselues and were resolued to deface it not once or twice but I dare say a thousand times God being impatient to see them so maliciously bent was desirous to conuert her gaue her to vnderstand that hee had a long time with patience waited for her threatned her with great authority with words so strong with such violent strokes as it were with hammers that she was constrained to open the gate to him who saith Open vnto mee and I will enter in and dwell with thee it is long since that I haue been heere at thy gate Magdalene suffer me to enter in and giue me thy keyes The same morning after the Exorcismes were finished Magdalene performed three acts of humilitie at the first she craued pardon of the whole Assembly at the second she desired to be forgiuen by all those that were absent confessing that she was not worthy so much as of Hell and intreating that they would set their feete and treade vpon her Hereupon Verrine said that this was more pleasing to God then a whole yeares repentance At the third she said to the Assembly that she would lie along at the entry of the Church desiring all that were present to tread vpon her as the most wretched creature of the world which was accordingly performed then Verrine said that such an act of humiliation was neuer before performed by any that euer was possessed and that Belzebub would rather chuse to be tortured in Hell a thousand yeares then to haue endured such an affront and infamy in the body of Magdalene The same day about two a clock in the afternoone there came thither in the company of certaine Gentlemen a Huguenot that would needs dispute with the Deuill When suddenly the Deuill Verrine began to say Shee whom thou seest heere is the daughter of an Hereticke shee is of S. Rhemy her father and mother died Huguenots and Monsieur de Beaucamp is her kinsman who would haue disswaded her from dedicating her selfe to the seruice of God but now by his permission she is bewitched and possessed hauing three deuils in her body Doe not thou conceiue that thou art now to enter into the lists of disputation with a woman no thou shalt not direct thy speech to her it is I that will grapple with thee Come neere and aske what thou wilt To this he answered I aske nothing Then said the Deuill you are quickly satisfied it seemes you are very rich that you haue need to aske nothing And bid the Gentle-man propound what hee had thought to haue said What is it said hee that you would bee resolued of To this the Gentle-man said How prooue you that the
are to bow your knees as oft as you shall heare the name of Iesus wee are a great deale better then you for although wee obey not God for loue yet doe wee yeeld vnto his pleasure by constraint and in the vertue of Exorcismes If a Harbinger of Court should come and tell thee behold the King is desirous to come and lodge in thy house thou wouldest make many excuses because thou dost esteeme thy selfe vnworthie of such honour and wouldest labour to garnish thy house with whatsoeuer might be pleasing or might adde any beawty vnto thy habitation So should you take the broome of true contrition and repentance to brush and sweepe the chambers and roomes of your soule that when the King shall come to reside there hee may make it his Palace You that are poore and ignorant people you must not say when you kneele to the Priest in Confession Father declare vnto me my sinnes this is no good forme of proceeding for if in matters of slight importance concerning the body euery man hath his vnderstanding quick and able much more should their conceptions bee free from dulnesse and earthinesse in those things that appertaine vnto the benefite of their soules and which are of a higher consequence yet contrariwise men for the most part are insensible and dull in the apprehension of them There are those that doe daily confesse themselues and doe yet forget many of their offences how then shall they giue an exact account of them that confesse themselues but from yeare to yeare or from six moneths to six moneths Thou wilt not shame to say Father I doe not remember my sinnes let me heare you to aske and examine mee O deafe and blinde caitife art thou able to giue audience vnto the Diuell and to fall into those sinnes which hee inticeth thee to plunge into and dost thou refuse to harken vnto the voice of God who desireth to breath into thee the remembrance of thy misdeeds Others say To what purpose should I confesse my selfe Is not the Priest a sinner as I am Haue I nothing to doe but to expose my sinnes to his knowledge Beware of these contempts I tell you they are instigations of Sathan framed purposely to bring Priest-hood into disgrace which is a calling more high and noble then is the dignity of Angels for the Angels doe indeed contemplate the face of their God but he discendeth from Heauen vpon the Altar at the consecration made by a Priest Your processe that is entred in the high Court of Heauen is full of difficultie and doubt so that the euent thereof is not knowne to the Saints themselues yet is the Mother of God a party with you who together with your guide-Angels is euer pleading on your behalfe and saying Lord take compassion on them Before the time of Confession prooue your selues examine your owne consciences pray vnto God with teares and make your intercessions vnto Peter Magdalene and the good theefe The good theefe of his owne accord confessed his sinne and reproued his companion What hast thou no feare of God He was also pricked in heart by contrition saying Domine memento mei Lord remember me he also did in a sort satistisfie by dying for hee linked and mingled his death and torments with the death and torments of Christ Iesus Your God doth endeuour to draw you vnto him by many admirable meanes he will diuide the contrition and acknowledgment of your sinnes amongst you and will stirre you vp to recall them into remembrance if you will giue eare vnto him You should be patient in whatsoeuer aduersity may befall you you should euer stand before your iudge like vnto men that are guilty of high treason and should thinke that the paines of Hell are not of equall proportion vnto your demerits and that you are not worthy to suffer them God is better knowne vnto them that cast downe their eies on the earth then to those that stare vp to heauen For what are you but a compound of dust and ashes meate for wormes and a pitcher of hansome earth apt to breake and subiect to a thousand miseries and mischances You are therefore to abstract your cogitations and to place them aboue vpon the goodnesse of God who for your sakes hath created the Heauens and filled vp the number of Angels yet are you still hardned in your iniquities God pardoneth mans offences easily if so bee that hee lendeth his helpe and forwardnesse vnto it for God is hee that doth operate and man doth co-operate with him If you should dwell in a darksome house and would faine enioy the benefit of the light you ought to open the doore vnto him that bringeth his torch lighted vnto you for hee is not worthie to bee enlightned by the torch that will refuse to open the doore to him that bringeth it And if hee should afterwards complaine that hee sitteth in darknesse and by meanes of being depriued of this light hee is not able to worke hee will bee answered that himselfe is the cause of his owne misery and that hee iustly looseth the light of the day because he shutteth his doores against it Thus when God speaketh to the soule that is ouercast with mists and darknesse open thou poore blinde soule open the gates of thy will vnto mee I am that Sunne of Iustice which will illuminate and shine vpon thee yet will not the soule open vnto mee but chuseth rather to bee wrapped vp in darknesse And why because if I should enter in I should discouer by the cleernesse of my light whatsoeuer lieth buried in obscurity and should chase thence that palpable darksomnesse wherein the soule is so dangerously muffled But alas it rather laboureth to be shadowed with darknes and to wallow stil in voluptuousnesse and delights which are lost in their very fruition then by paines and industry to bee blest with the full possession of a perfect light Confession followeth contrition and before Confession euery one ought to examine himselfe and say O my God! what am I that I should receiue such manifold blessings at thy hands Thou hast redeemed mee from the clawes of Sathan and hast retired mee vnder the couerture of thy wings Good God I esteemed my selfe a malefactour waiting to heare the sentence of death pronounced against mee and yet hast thou in goodnesse repriued mee from this prison which is narrow darke and full of horrour and besides the free donation of my life thou hast infranchised mee with the seruants of God Good God I was a malefactour and stood conuicted of grieuous and master-sinnes yet was it thy good pleasure to remit them vnto mee After Confession euery one is to looke vnto satisfaction but how many are there that hold not themselues endebted to God but that God is a debtour vnto them Who so demeaneth himselfe in this sort let him know that Heauen is barred against him except hee labour to strengthen himselfe
adiured in the Name of Almighty God hee gaue his Church authority ouer Diuels to bee able to constraine thē by the vertue of Exorcismes I affirme therefore that the oathes of Diuels are in force whē they are discreetly ministred vnto thē And the oath now inquestion is taken with as great solemnitie as possiblie may be in such a case I hauing sworne vpon the honoured and blessed Sacrament in the Name of the Father Almighty in the name of the Eternall Wisedome which is the Sonne and in the name of that infinite goodnes which is the holy Ghost It is also taken according to the intention of the whole Church militant and triumphant against the meaning of Hell and any sinister or reserued purpose whatsoeuer whereof the Diuels many times make their aduantage if the Exorcist doe not looke about him with great warinesse And after hee had taken this oath hee called for the wrath of God of the blessed Trinitie and of the whole Church militant and triumphant to fall vpon him The like imprecation he made against all Hell and that in the presence of the whole Assembly You may heere behold the list of those that were present and heard that which is aboue spoken and who signed their names vnto the same Frier Peter Dambruc Francis Billet Priest of the Christian Doctrine the Exorcist Romillon Priest vnworthy Godam Doctor in Diuinity Frier Peter Foruer Vicar of S. Baume A. Porchieres Lange Carret Baltazar Charuaz A. Lymory Priest Honorat Boeuf Iohn Flotte Priest Denis Guillemini Priour of Romoules Frier William Cadry Then in confirmation of whatsoeuer he had spoken Verrin was constrained to worship the holy and blessed Sacrament and to say three times Adoramus te Christe quia per Sanctam Crucem tuam redemisti hos non autem nos After the said oath hee said as hee did the day before three times Aue Maria and then he said other three times Oraproillis Sancta Mater Dei and againe other three times Ora pro illis sancta Magdalena and other three times Ora pro illis sancta Martha and other three times Ora pro illis sancte Lazare But in the Salutation of the Virgin he refused to say Mater Dei because said hee it is a name of the greatest excellency and perfection amongst all the attributes of her praises After dinner in the presence of the Sub-Prior afore named while he was speaking to Magdalene Belzebub returned entred into the body of the said Magdalene bad Leuiathan come forth who presently performed the same he said the like to Asmodee who came foorth like a flame of fire mingled with sulphure hee further said to Astaroth come thou foorth likewise and he flue out of her with extreame stinke of rosen sulphure Afterward as Verrine did dictate the disputation that happened betweene him and the Sub-prior afore said Belzebub came and demaunded to haue the two Diuels that were with Verrine to wit Gresill and Sonneillon Verrine told him they will doe you no good for thou seest that the Princes who are with thee are able to stand thee in no stead Belzebub said vnto him come thou also along with me Verrine told him I cannot yet leaue my master let it suffice thee that I bestow my seruants vpon thee and immediatly Gresill and Sonneillon came out of the body of Louyse and shee sensibly felt that they came from her in the manner of winde Yet did not Belzebub leaue intreating of Verrine to goe with him Verrine answered Why doest thou thus intreat mee I cannot goe and if I should goe my presence would preiudice your dessignement Belzebub said speake not thus for we are companions Not altogether so said Verrine the Diuell hath seduced her and the Diuell shall bring her home to the confusion of all Hell Then said Verrine wel I must goe then but it shal be to conuert the Magician and bid the Exorcist to take the booke of Exorcismes and to command him in the name of God to goe thether which the Exorcist did and presently Verrine came foorth saying I goe against Belzebub Then did Louyse feele his departure from her like vnto a winde But as he was comming foorth hee said I doe not leaue thee altogether Being departed from her Louyse remained in her ordinary temper resenting onely the paines that proceeded from the witchcraft The same day in the euening were these two women exorcised by father Francis Priest of the Doctrine and Verrine began to speake as followeth Souldiers follow their Captaine and when Belzebub departed wee went after him God would winne vnto him the soules of such as are growne stony in their obstinacy his desire is that you would shunn that which is naught and apply your selues vnto that which is good Wee haue been at Marseille and haue diuerse times knocked at his gate and Belzebub obserue how slender thy forces are when thou doest demand for help of my seruants Belzebub thy affaires runne in a low ebbe and this is the reason why thou art now so sad and dumpish Belzebub thou art at thy wits end what to follow Then he spake to Magdalene and said Magdalene let not thy courage be abated for those few torments which thou now endurest for the paines of Hell are farre more grieuous After this hee spake vnto the Diuels and said come all yee Diuels of the aire all yee Diuels of the earth and all the Diuels of hell come all to helpe and succour Belzebub but your comming wil be to no purpose and your assistance not worth your comming for all of you are in comparison but as leaues of trees Then turning to Belzebub he said be of good cheere Belzebub knowest thou not that where thou loosest one thou shalt gaine tenne ha cursed spirit oughtest thou not to consider that these soules were not created by thee Doest thou not see that God will take them vnto himselfe Thou hast inueagled thousands from him and thinkest thou that hee will euer dissemble this If it were possible that leaues of trees could weepe they would shed forth teares of blood for this wretched sinner so vast are his offences before God Then Verrine turned his discourse to God and said great God! how good how bountifull and how sweet art thou I am tortured and tormented and haue not the patience to behold thy great goodnesse towards the grossest sinners especially towards this man whom I am forbidden to name O all powerfull God why doest thou not vntie and let out those heapes of water or hurle downe thy lightning from heauen to destroy this wretch and to bring him to vtter perdition who sendeth soules to hell more in number then the haile that falleth vpon the earth I tell you God can dissemble this no longer neither will he any more indure his execrable villanies but his pleasure is that he be either conuerted or punished The impatiencie which God taketh at the losse of these and other
that vpon the touch of one onely string thou diddest forget nature and those necessary actions of eating and drinking For it is most certaine that who so hath but a tast of the sweetnesse of Heauen will haue all the pleasures of the earth in no estimation Great God! all things are subiected vnto thy will for doe thou but speake the word and what is there that dareth resist thee Hence it is that thou mad'st choice of a poore and contemptible Virgin to bee thy Mother because thou wouldest paterne and square foorth from thy selfe a perfect example of humility vnto others Who would euer haue affirmed that such a one as shee should bee the Mother of Almighty God Who would euer haue thought that her Sonne which she carried in her armes had beene the liuing God Creator of Heauen and Earth In like manner diddest thou yssue foorth from that chast wombe of thy blessed Mother without any taint or corruption of thy integrity as a Sun-beame passeth through the glasse without breaking of the same but rather maketh it more cleere and brightsome Great God thy blessed Mother and Ioseph when they were at Bethlem were forced to vse an vnknown stable for their dwelling place I am much displeased at this thy too great humility when I obserue the haughtines which swelleth mankind I meane not Kings and Princes but I speak of baser and more subordinate fellowes who are indeed very shrubbs and flyes yet if they faile in their expectation of the smallest commoditie that may befall them they presently fall a murmuring and thinke thou doest them wrong although it be nothing so and that these cogitations are miscreated in them by errors the wrongfull mis-apprehension of things O Ioseph thou diddest enquire after some lodging wherein you might retire your selues but there was no roome in the Inne and why because they knew you not for if they had had aduertisement who you were they would assuredly haue lodged you in their house But God was content to take harborage in a poore beggerly lodging being almost vntiled and open euery where and not being locked and made sure for their safety You therefore that are poore can haue no place for excuse of your intemperatnesse and impatiency but you are to be contented if you haue but where-with-all to intertaine your life and soule together You are not without a stable and a cratch wherein to lodge the King of glory the stable is your soule and the cratch your heart Ioseph and Mary accepted of the stable although Christ for his part could haue beene contented to bee borne without doores in the open fields but hee made election of a stable not because hee had need of it but in regard that it had need of him that so it being honoured by his presence might bee a place of more renoume then all the Kings Palaces of the world If God had permitted the ordering and determination of this affaire to the will of the Seraphins or Sages of this world I tell you they would haue runne a cleane contrary course vnto that which God had ordained But good God thou diddest by inspiration put it into Iosephs heart to chuse the stable because thou wouldest publish vnto the world that thou doest not despise the soule of any man that so all pretext and shadow of excuse might be taken away from those that would otherwise obiect I am too poore I am not fitt to lodge my God for the soule of a poore man is as acceptable vnto him as is the soule of a King if it stand established in the grace of God The place where God was borne is no more a stable it is a Palace and a Church and many account it a great happinesse to behold it so thy soule shall no longer remaine a stable but shall become a Temple and a Palace when God shal take vp his lodgeing in the same Prophane not therefore this stable with mortall sinne but rather sanctifie it and make it more venerable then this Baume into which no man may enter but bare-footed Bid sinne and Satan when they labour to thrust themselues into that place to depart from thence because it is a stable reserued onely for God to come and take his repose therein Then will your God come vnto you as a little childe wrap him vp charily in his swathling bands make much of him cherish him and handle him with gentlenes and deuotion Mary brought him forth into the world yet did she not dare once to touch him much lesse would you be so hardy to handle him if you were acquainted with him but feare without loue is fruitles and vnprofitable and if loue should not surmount feare what man is hee that would haue the boldnesse to appeare before him Thou that art his Church how vngratefull a Spouse shouldest thou be if thou diddest not make acknowledgement of thy husbands benefits towards thee Art thou ignorant what the Lord said to Peter Feede my sheepe for you that are Preists could not be true Shepheards vnlesse you were carefull to feede and giue sustentation vnto your flocke I doe not speake this as if I would haue you conuey them into some fat pasturage of this world but my meaning is that you should communicate the Doctrine of their God vnto them It is true Iohn the Euangelist that thou wert priuy to many mysteries and hast not buried thy Talent nor fed vpon these royall viands alone but thy resolution euer was to make distribution of the same to others and dare you proud and haughty wretches conceaue that you are humble and yet will not diuide some portion of your knowledge vnto your neighbours Besides ô Iohn thou hast diuulged the visions which thou hast seene and thou Iohn Baptist thou hast not bin silent all this time of aduent but hast said let all mountaines be humbled and yet how many mountaines are there that extoll themselues Michaelis thou hast also enlarged thy voice at Aix in imitation of Iohn Baptist saying Make straight the way of the Lord yet haue there bin those that were present at thy Sermons that carpe at thee and say that thou hast not a glib and eloquent toung Others there are who haue bin meerely incited out of curiosity to harken vnto thee others murmure that thy gesture which thou doest vse in preaching is not gracefull to some others they obiect that their vaine of preaching is too domesticke and familiar and say they had rather heare young Diuines preach because they are more curious and neate in their composures These are not worthy to heare the word of God and deserue to be shut vp in the dungeon of Hell because they will not harken vnto Gods word whereby they may be nursed vp to saluation Then he said accursed wretches do you deeme that the trauells of Preachers are nothing I tell you they many times forbeare to feede when hunger seaseth vpon them and to repose themselues when sleepe doth ouertake
must not now grudge and repine at labour Knowest thou not that it will bee said vnto me Soule render me an account of what thou hast done thou wert ' the mistrisse and shouldest therefore manage thy gouernment with discretion A man that chanceth vpon a sober discreet wife is in reason to intrust her and not his seruant with the domesticke and home-businesses of his family but thou hast done cleane contrary You that are men are iust of the same humour and say Wee are tender and of a delicate composition and must a little cherish and make much of our selues Others will say let vs bee frolicke I can liue without working I haue many goodly possessions I am noble in my blood and am descended from such a race I am able to keepe thus many horses maintaine thus many gentlemen in my attendance and bee waited on with thus many Pages and Lackeies Another will complaine of his old age and how vnable hee is to vndergoe the burthen of penance at those yeeres For this cause do those families perish and lie buried in their ruines where this cursed chambermaid beareth sway Do not you resemble those that as the Prouerbe noted of them are facete and pleasant abroad but sullen in their owne houses Then Verrine speaking to the assembly said you promise Paradise vnto your selues but thinke you not to attaine vnto it without much sufferance and aduersities in this world for the seruant is not greater then his master And if God was first to suffer and then to haue admittance into glory would you expect to enter into heauen on horse-backe or in your Caroach I tell you nay but you are to come thither on foot and to bee besides loden with store of good workes otherwise it will be told you I know you not you cannot come in for I and my children are in bed Whereby you are not to conceiue that these beds are beds of doune and delicacy as some lazy persons might apprehend it No these words shall be spoken to the stuborne and obstinate sinner that hateth to be conuerted If you will bee saued you must not abandon your selues vp to wantonnesse which doth emasculate and weaken all vertuous desires in you You all stand charged with the heauie burthen of your sinnes prostrate your selues before this little childe which lieth in the manger and come vnto him with the full burthen of your transgressions that hee may vnload you If you say vnto mee you haue no sinne I must tell you that it is false for all men are sinners Sinne is like vnto wood pile it vp and lay it on a heape that when the holy Ghost commeth hee may set fire to the same I meane the fire of his loue which searcheth still for stubble and other such combustible matter that it may consume and burne it What man can heere excuse himselfe hath not euery one a staffe in his hand whereon to leane and support himselfe which is the will whatsoeuer you haue besides you owe vnto God but this will is your owne since God hath made it ouer vnto you and therefore take this staffe vnto you For God is the shepheard and you are the sheepe of his pasture whom if the woolfe come to rauin vpon and to deuoure hee will take the staffe of your will and will swinge him so soundly that hee shall neuer returne for his prey but to his owne confusion Then did Verrine inuite all the creatures of Heauen all the Quires of Angels all Saints especially the blessed mother of God as also the whole Church triumphant and militant to praise God for the repentance of sinners especially of those that were obstinate as Magicians and Witches Sorcerers and Sorceresses in these words Verrine in the name of al Magicians Witches Sorcerers and Sorceresses and by the appointment of that Soueraigne God saith O yee foure elements praise yee the Lord all creatures reasonable and vnreasonable praise the Lord whatsoeuer hath grouth or motion laud the name of God Earth Sea Aire and Fire trees and starres praise ye all the Lord c. I tell you that if all the creatures of the world could make their eies gush foorth with teares of bloud they would bewayle as much as in them lyeth the impieties of Magicians and Witches so abominable are their courses before God All these things were pronounced by him whilest the Priest held the blessed Sacrament in his hands to giue the Communion to Louyse and Magdalene After this he renounced those abiurations of Magicians and Witches Sorcerers and Sorceresses as he had formerly done at midnight Masse Gresill and Sonneillon did also the same three seuerall times once when the Crede was said in the Masse another time at the eleuation and the third time at the Communion In like manner these three Diuels confirmed by oath all that was aboue mentioned in the same manner as at the midnight before The same day the Dominican Father wrote a letter to father Michaelis in answere vnto one of his written the 13. of this moneth wherein hee intreateth him to come to S. Baume The same day Verrine said vnto the Dominican Father command mee in the Name of God and by the authority of the Church triumphant and militant to goe foorth about an imployment which God hath imposed vpon mee then hee called father Romillon and father Andrew Godan of the Order of S. Dominick to be witnesses hereunto and then departed Moreouer there happened a very memorable accident on the same day for Belzebub began to speake in this strange manner as followeth Verrine not long agoe cryed out that all Hell was constrained by God to renounce whatsoeuer the Magicians and Witches had proiected and I Belzebub cheefe of the Diuels that are in the body of Magdalene am compelled by the Almighty to make the like abiuration in effect contrary to my resolution and the greatnesse of my pride Yes yes yes in despight of my selfe and against my customary pride and rebellion in the name of all my companions I renounce I renounce I renounce I say whatsoeuer I haue suggested vnto Magdalene as well for the time past as for thetime to come both against her God and conscience Yes yes yes I reuoke it all I condemne and disclaime it now at this very instant The same day at high Masse were the two women that were possessed exorcised by the Dominican father and Verrine began to speake in this manner Thou God of power cause now an Angell to descend from Heauen vpon this Altar that these men may beleeue what meanest thou to doe Wilt thou vse the ministry of a Diuell in a businesse of this importance Thou hast here Doctors able and ready to say the same that I say men will euer bee saying that Louyse is not possessed cursed be her folly I could endure Hell better then her Then the said Verrine began to scoffe at Belzebub and his Princes in this manner What Belzebub art
words the Diuels themselues did say Gloria in excelsis Deo for that it was no wonder that the Angels did sing Gloria in excelsis Deo but the miracle was to heare this Gloria chanted forth by the Diuels and if it were put to their choice they would rather make election to suffer all the torments of hell then once to pronounce this Gloria Hee farther said some men doe cauill and say that the Diuels cannot deliuer a truth miserable and stupid wretches is not God powerful to make Angels and men and diuels to obey him Others say that these are meere iuglings and fables Others that they are stage-playes and inuentions Others murmur because they see no signe and because those that are possessed doe not speake all kinde of languages Others beleeue that Louyse might cary away these discourses which shee had vttered from the many sermons which shee had heard It is not to bee wondred that men beleeue it not for it is a thing full of nouelty and rarenesse And thou Michaelis art to examine all this and then the censure of the Church must passe vpon it But as hee was esteemed healthie who was indeed infirme before God as appeared by the Pharisie so hee esteemed himselfe infirme before God who was indeed sound and healthy witnesse the Publican O blessed mother of God thou didst not imitate Eue nor questioned the Angell with quare quomodo but thou diddest forth with say Ecce ancilla Domini The Serpent suggested vnto Eue God hath giuen you to eate of all the fruit of these trees that are in Paradise whereunto Eue answered he hath commanded vs not to eate of this fruite and added much idle language besides so that at the last shee gaue credence vnto the serpent whereupon Adam fell also by the perswasions of Eue but he should haue said that it was not lawfull for her to take the apple that he had no commandement from God to do it nay that he was expresly forbidden Wretched sinner if thy body say vnto thee take and eate there is no offence in it thy soule as Mistrisse of the body must giue checke vnto it and say I will not venture vpon it for God himselfe hath prohibited it And if thou chance to be so seduced beware how thou follow the dangerous tract wherein Adam walked but humble thy selfe without asking quare quomodo but rather confesse thy selfe to be vnworthy to suffer euen the paines of hell for thy sinnes Then he said there are many that say vnto the Preist Father reueale and remember vnto mee my sinnes but the Preist must in reason answere them it is your part to examine your selues and to disclose vnto mee what your transgressions are for I am not God or a Prophet that I should be able to know the secrets of your consciences your cause is heere to be heard and pleaded the client ought to furnish his Advocate with instructions I tell you in this case the Preist is to demand his absolution from him because he is confessed and not to penitent person and men of this humor are worse then vnreasonable beastes The Confessour is sharply to reprehend such kind of men but his reproofes must be interlaced with discretion and must say vnto them that they wittingly and willingly haue offended and therefore they are to pray vnto God for his illumination who is not dainty to grant the same to those that beg it of him in humilitie wee must search for this light if wee will finde it and knocke at Gods mercie-gate that we may attaine vnto it For it is the sister of that eternall Word which doth easilie open this gate vnto you nay I say farther that this word is mercie it selfe and yet it is enuironed with awfull Iustice. Iustice is the sister of mercie and the indiuiduall companion of Princes take away the punishments of offenders and behold all order in confusion and all ciuill Policie trampled vpon and contemned After this hee spake to Magdalene and said Magdalene keepe this childe with all the charinesse that may bee wrap him vp in the swathling bands of the mortification of the fiue fenses for hee is euer presenting his fiue woundes to God the Father in thy behalfe which he receaued vpon the crosse for thy saluation These are those pretious pearles whose estimate is so beyound all value that God the Father casting but his eyes aside vpon them can deny no suite which he propoundeth vnto him Iesus is a goodly flower in the garden of Mary and alwayes standeth in the sight and presence of his Father Marcella it was thou that diddest cry blessed is the wombe that did beare thee but the diuine word answered rather blessed are they which heare the word of God and diligently keepe the same Then hee said O yee Kinges of the East you haue worshipped this childe what pompe found you with Ioseph and Mary his Mother surely nothing but an Asse and an Oxe in a stable Who reuealed vnto you that the King of glory was there you did certainly behold the brightnesse and radiaâ—â—re of his face as the witnesse of his Diuinity with this he strucke the souldiers to the ground who came to apprehend him and to binde him with cordes And thou good Theise who told thee that hee that was crucified vpon the crosse with thee was a King I am sure thou didst not behold any Crownes Scepters and Triumphes or any such customarie pompes and preparations yet didst thou not desist from crying Memento mei cum veneris in regnum tuum For although hee had a crowne of thornes platted vpon his head yet insteed thereof hee hath acquired for you a crowne of immortalitie and in stead of his nakednes hee hath clothed you with the robes of glory If a King should say vnto a Gallie-slaue I will take thee for my adopted sonne were not hee senselesse and dishearted if he should replie vnto the King Sir I am tyed vp heere with a chayne and therefore I will not bee called your sonne You are all guiltie of high treason and your estate baser and more full of slauerie then those that rowe in Gallies for they at the least canne beholdeâ— the Heauen and Earth but you that are sinners are ouertaken and incompassed with darknesse God saith vnto you I will make you Kings I will enroll you in the catalogue of my children I will set you at mine owne table and will inrich you with all my treasures onely clense your selues and purge your soules from those filthy and ill fauouring ordours wherewithall it is is defiled O Christians bee not solicitous how to nourish your bodies but be you carefull for the foode of your soules receaue the Communion often for Christ Iesus is many times consecrated and many times sacrificed Before you doe communicate see that you diligently examine your selues for you cannot too worthily approach vnto this table for although you should liue a 100000. yeares
yet ought you euer to prepare your selues Let your humility keepe wing with Gods mercie for so you shal draw vnto you the humanity and diuinity of your God O blessed mother of God you haue attracted the God of Gods from heauen to be conversant vpon the earth he made this great leape as a Giant because you became the seruant of seruants whose humility when hee had once perfectly vewed hee presently made choice of you for his Mother The holy Ghost is the God of loue of deuotion of good desires and of compunction knock at his gate and hee will giue you whatsoeuer you shall demand of him as he did inlarge his bounty to Magdalene Peter David and the good theefe Besides all these Saints are most ready to fly to your aide and doe desire your saluation an hundreth thousand times more then your selues God hath made three things vnto whose greatnesse no other worke of his can aspire vnto that is Heauen the humanity of his Sonne and his Mother Ioseph noteth vnto vs the vnderstanding and Mary the will Say therefore vnto Mary teach mee to obey and loue my brother Say vnto Ioseph who is Maries guardian make me to apprehend and to bee sensible of my misery and then will this childe streame downe vpon you the dew of his grace and feare of his loue and obedience Your Redemer obeyed his Mother and Ioseph yea he was content to stoope vnto the commands of the ministers of Satan not that he would thereby adde any reputation vnto him or his kingdome but because hee would be a president vnto the proud of his great humility The Diuell doth heere discourse of wholesome and vsefull obseruations do you cull out the things that are good as if a wicked Priest should propose these exhortations vnto you and if you will not I tell you you shall not be by me constrained thereunto After all this he tooke his oathe and did call the wrath of God vpon himselfe if he had not sworne sincerely and in truth he also added Sancta Maria ora pro eis Sancte Ioseph Sancta Magdalena Sancte Dominice Sancte Stephane the arch-enemy vnto Sonneillon orate pro eis Cursed bee they who say that the blessed Saints doe not make intercessions for you The Acts of the 26. of December being the Feast of Saint Steuen THis day in the morning the Dominican Father did exorcise and at the beginning of the Exorcismes Sonneillon who was in the body of Louyse began to discourse in this manner I am constrained to speake of Stephen and concerning superstition Come hither Asmodee Thou art that accursed one which teachest Magicians to vse ligaments portractures resemblances of wax brasse and stone together with other abominations of the like nature to the end that they may fire men and set an edge vpon all fleshly prouokements vnto lust Then doest thou cause the Priest who is the Magician to baptise these statues wherein he doth commit a most greeuous sinne so that he that should baptise a Doue an Eagle or any other â—oule of the aire should come farre short of the abomination of the same for the birds doe after a sort blesse God by their melody and voices although they haue not a capacity of being baptised because they are beasts and are without vnderstanding yet doe I affirme that those who should doe this should bee lesse culpable and sinfull then those that baptise these idols which are the statues of Diuels O execrable Priest how carelesse art thou of thy dignity and calling I speake of wicked Priests not of those that are good in generall not in particular and I doe aduertise you that they are Magicians and by a consequent slaues vnto sinne and Satan There are many sorts of Magick of Magicians and Witches Sorcerers and Sorceresses Ha wicked Asmodee thou blindest and seducest the great ones of the world by telling them you are mighty and powerfull who will call you to an account if you offend God You may doe whatsoeuer your heart desireth none dare reprooue you The law is not made to cage in or controule such as you you are he that made the law who then dareth to wagge his tongue or to attempt any thing against you There are also some great personages that giue eare vnto Magicians and are schollers of this Diabolicall Art that by the assistance thereof they may aspire vnto places of greater eminency Asmodee thou art euer whispering in their eares and saying Sir you are a Prince sublime your braue conceptions and lift them vp to a kingdome then you are to thinke of an Empire and then you must conquere the whole world like another Alexander By these meanes their reprose is disseasoned with these wilde and whirling apprehensions and they are many times so forgetfull of man which they continually beare about them that they giue commandement to be adored as Gods as appeareth by him who waded into the Sea to see if any thing were mightier and more powerfull then himselfe The Deuill doth cherish all ambition and whatsoeuer sauoureth of goodnesse he hath in detestation hee doth euer solicite all sorts of men of what quality or condition soeuer they bee But would to God hee onely insinuated himselfe vnto the houses of great personages hee is euery-where and tempteth all persons without choice or distinction of sexes This appeareth in Nabuchodonosor who was tempted with a desire that whatsoeuer hee did eate might be converted either into gold or into the semblance and shew of gold who for his pride was afterwards by Gods permission transformed into a beast and so at last became humble for when he remembred what he was and grew penitent for his excessiuenesse of pride hee afterward was thought worthy to be saued Salomon I can tell you was the worlds wisedome yet did the Diuels intrappe and take him by Magicians and women so that he is now burning in the flames of hell because he neuer was bruised and humbled with such repentance as deserued acceptance from God Dauid indeed offended his God but hee did seriously repent dewing and watering his couch with teares and eating his bread mingled with ashes that hee might declare vnto all how much his heart was humbled and made tender He further said to Asmodee Accursed spirit thou art also he that doest vaile and cast a mist ouer the eyes of such soules as are seduced by thee and then thou lockest vp their eares that Gods word may not pierce and penetrate euen to the pith and inmost part of the heart that so being both deafe and blind they may lose all hope of their share in the kingdome of God I meane not the deafnesse and blindnesse of the body but a spirituall deafnesse and blindnesse for it is not doubted but those that are corporally blinde may enter into the kingdome of heauen neither is the light of this world necessarie thereunto else what should become of the poore men that are blind
although she be a woman yet is shee the second after God and is neuerthelesse the mother of God After dinner Sonneillon vttered many things tending to edification that Vertue was ascended vp to heauen and in her ascent had let her mantle fall which Impiety that remained vpon the earth tooke vp and clothed it selfe therewithall vnder which couerture and maske it commeth abroad to deceiue men who otherwise would decline the rock of such seducements He further said that the damned should bee punished in all the faculties of their soule in their memory vnderstanding and will together with their fiue senses and all this by the vision of Diuels At the euening Verrine said that the time would come that his name should bee rased out and that many men should see the same The same euening Louyse was not exorcised but Verrine made a terrible inuectiue against Magdalene because she grew coole in the acknowledgement of Gods mercie towards her and had not yet humbled her selfe with a full and perfect repentance Then he admonished euery one in particular how they should discreetly carry themselues in that great businesse of their saluation The Acts of the 27. of December being the feast of S. Iohn THis day in the morning the Dominican Father exorcised and Verrine after his acustomed manner began to speake thus Harken and be attentiue the houre of that great day of Iudgement is at hand for Antichrist is borne and brought forth some moneths past by a Iewish woman God will rase out Magick al Magicians and witches shall returne home vnto him the Soueraigne high Priest shall giue them plenary absolution and all their complices shall be laid open vnto the world These are not fables or fancies or words of ieast and derision I foretell you these things by the appointment of the holy Ghost all which is true I beare but the name thereof and the Church shall heereafter admit it as a Reuelation God would preuent the Diuel and therefore he doth cause this annunciation to be made that the day of Iudgement is at hand and that Antichrist is borne Seauen yeares before the great day of the Lord the earth shall bring forth no fruite the women shall not conceiue and many signes and wonders shall bee seene as is in part already made manifest For the sonne rebelleth against his father the daughter against her mother as you see by experience euery day and that now there are some of all Nations vnder Heauen who are conuerted Iohn the Euangelist thou hast beene intrusted with many celestiall secreets thou wert a doue in thy simplicity and diddest leane vpon the breast of thy Redemer at his last supper and doest now take thy rest in Paradise Moses Enoch and Elias you are there also for your bodies were neuer found vpon the earth Great God of the Christians thy Saints haue many reuelations but such a one as this was neuer disclosed vnto them because the time of this Reuelation was not then come and the sonne of perdition was vnborne I tell thee O Spouse of God thou shalt bee beyond measure vngratefull if thou make nice to receiue so excellent a present sent vnto thee by thy husband but I am assured thou wilt receiue it as shal also the chief dealers in Magick if they will be conuerted whereby they shall reape much mercy and fauour and then the secular arme shall haue no power to inflict the rigour of iustice vpon them It is the good pleasure of God that his goodnesse should be founded forth by them and that they should bee the meanes of the conuersion of many soules as they were the instruments of their perdition The Priests duety is to absolue Magicians and Witches that shall repent and craue of God the remission of their sinnes And thou Prince of Magicians shalt be particularly sisâ—ed and examined and God shal menace and affright thee by the Diuell because other creatures haue no force to worke vpon thee France is infected with this dangerous Art of Magick all the sisters of the company of Vrsula are bewitched at Marseille at Aix and at many other places so that the country swarmeth with the multitude of charmes Come and draw neere vnto the childe Iesus his hands be tender and cannot gripe you hard yet euer haue you in remembrance that this childe onely shall be your Iudge that of all Nations some shall bee conuerted and that this miracle shall bee spread abroad ouer all the world There are yet many voyd seates in Heauen which God will haue filled Lucifer thou goest about to get those soules for whom thou hast payed no ransome but God hath fully shewed that no man can wring that out of his hands which hee hath determined to saue In this God doth offer vnto consideration a new tract of his wisedome power and authority which thou couldest not perceiue for hee confoundeth and beateth thee by a Diuell who is thy seruant and subiect and by two women hee doth conuert soules and set all hell in an vproare and distraction For since the time of this accident more then a thousand soules haue beene conuerted to the faith yet diddest thou accursed spirit think that thou knowest all things when as I â—ell thee Marie her selfe knoweth not all although she be inriched with perfection and hath much authority and power in heauen These discourses are not drawne from the pit of Hell for the tree is knowne by the fruite When God giueth the fire of Charitie he also adioyneth thereunto the cinders of humility for the fire is conserued vnder the ashes Then hee spake to Carreau and said thou also art a wretched spirit thou art he that saiest that God was not able to raise Lazarus to life I tell thee thou liest and he shall conuert the Cheife and ring-leaders in Magick and God shall be praised for his great goodnes by those that shall behold the same God perceaueth that men esteeme not of his Preachers and therefore sent the Diuell to deliuer his truth by the mouth of a woman Phisitians to new maladies haue new remedies and appliances so because this sicknesse of men went beyond ordinary it was expedient for the cure thereof to apply extraordinary remedies especially to those whom the Diuell had deceaued and conquered I affirme that it is necessary to goe to Rome for God will haue this businesse examined and looked into Then he desired to haue his oath ministred vnto him and because hee had reuealed diuerse things full of nouelty and admiration it was thought fit that he should sweare vpon the blessed Sacrament And whilest the Priest was holding the same Verrine spake of diuers matters and amongst the rest that the company of the Christian Doctrine and of Saint Vrsula and the order of Saint Dominicke should sprout vp and flourish alwaies without offence vnto other Orders as vnto the Iesuits and the like that the Father
the proueth hath it they that neglect to doe good are at length oâ—ertaken with euill and hee who doth not chuse Christ Iesus for his host shall haue the Diuell to be his companion Christ Iesus is the good sheep-heard that leadeth his sheepe into pastures fatned by his body and blood hee is a sheepe-heard and a lambe together and was offered vp as a sacrifice for your sinnes giue him the staffe of your will and leaue the guide and gouernement of your selues vnto him for he will preserue you from the fury of rauening wolues Cursed be the sheepe that doth not suffer it selfe to be guided by him it doth well deserue to be deuoured The sheepe doth graze and chew the cudde so saith Christ Iesus must you take and eate not flesh that is dead but the liuing and celestiall foode of his body there is no dainty in the world comparable to this viande Paul in his extasie of spirit had an essay thereof so had also some others after him yet is there stil plenty of this food and the treasure of Gods mercies is so infinite that the Seraphins themselues cannot found the depth or know the end of his riches for they doe euer see new and vndiscouered perfections in God maruell not therefore if hee bestow a new rePsent vpon his Church Then he turned to the image of S. Magdalene and said O Magdalene thou wer 't abiding in this Baume where thou diddest repent neither is it lawfull for any man to enter into the litle caue where thou diddest lye but vpon his bare feete and I Verrine am of opinion that God will hardly giue way to a man hardened in his sin to passe into that sacred place God spake to Moses from the â—iery bush Put off thy shooes for the place whereon thou treadest is holy ground and I also affirme that this place is no lesse sacred then that because the Sacrament resteth here which is the Saint of Saints and Christ Iesus himselfe in his diuinity humanity came downe from heauen to visite Magdalene in this Baume Consider therefore seriouslie you that approach vnto the Communion how pretious a foode it is which is administred vnto you to the seruing in of which the Angels themselues are assistant as the seruants and pages of God O Marie sacred mother of God thou wer 't the first that diddest taste of this meate and wer ' more familiar there withal then any other creature whatsoeuer for thou diddest humble thy selfe at the comming and salutation of the Angell and diddest repute thy selfe vnworthy to be the seruant of seruants of the Lord. It is the custome of God where hee bestowes other vertues to circle them in all with perfect humility to the end that the soule bee not stayned with the spots or pollutions of ingratitude but may acknowledge those benefits which it hath receaued For the grace of God is a waight by which a man sinketh into the gulfe of his nothing and is drawne vp againe on high to make a coniunction and concurrence of the creatures will to the good pleasure of the Creator by this meanes also doth he vnderstand how slauish and fearefull his condition were if that God did not wing and protect him from all danger Mary thou art shee that like a waight diddest draw downe thy Sonne from heauen to earth not for thy owne sake alone but for all other distressed sinners so that he who will enioy euerlasting life must haue recourse vnto thee God indeed is that fertile cloud from whence all vertues drop downe vpon men Thy sonne doth indeed present his wounds before his father and thou art a remembrancer vnto thy sonne of all the seruices and offices which thou hast done vnto him not by way of ostentation but out of loue and to the end thou maiest obtaine mercy and forgiuenesse for comfortlesse sinners Whilest thou liued'st in this world thou wer 't fired with zeale and charity how much more now when thou art so neere vnto the furnace of loue and the fountaine of mercy Then hee said Lewes hath committed an infinite number of sacrileges against God and hath caused a thousand and a thousand persons to deny their Sauiour but God is desirous to expect a litle longer the euent of things Magick is the most pernitious and diabolicall art that may be France hath taken a strong spreading infection of the same and at Paris the schooles of Magick are more frequented then the diuinity lectures in Auignon God hath oftentimes offered himselfe and as it were way-laid the soule of Lewes sometimes by preaching and sometimes by other inspirations but he would not giue him a drop of drinke Belzebub drew him on to practise Magick and inchantments the schedules are now in his hand he hath been the occasion that many haue died very strange and sudden deathes and although God doth labour his conuersion yet doth hee thrust away and reiect the same All that which hath beene aboue spoken began vpon the day of the conception of the Virgine in the very place of pennance to figure out vnto you that you are first to receiue into your embracements repentance represented vnto you in Mary Magdalene and then innocence pointed out by Mary the mother of God When hee had thus said hee tooke his oath as hee was accustomed The same day in the euening were these two possessed women Exorcised whereupon Belzebub said I am assured that about this time they hold their synod and assembly will he relinquish this charge to come hither I must goe see Then Asmodee issued forth to giue aduertisement vnto the Magicians and witches as he said The same time which was about nine of the clocke at night father Michaelis came to S. Baume from Aix whence hee came with his companion father Anthony Boilletot and the master of the Chapter-house at Aix hauing finished his sermons for the Aduent Vpon whose arriuall there was inquiry made after Lewes for father Michaelis did imagine that Lewes was come because hee set forth from Aix the day before in the company of two Capuchin fathers but hee was not as then arriued The Acts of the 31. of December 1610. THis day in the morning were the two possessed women exorcised by father Domptius the Dominican and Verrine began to speake in this manner Blessed mother of God Veni Maria veni in adiutorium Lodouico Sancta Maria Magdalena veni in adiutorium Lodouico Sancte Ioannes Euangelista veni in adiutorium Lodouico Sancta Martha veni in adiutorium Lodouico Then he said Most sacred mother of God thou knowest those insupportable paines which thy Sonne suffered on the Crosse Verrine also did inuocate many other Saints that were assistant vnto Christ at his passion on mount Caluary Afterwards he added O sacred humanity I adiure and charge thee in the name of thy eternall father that thou offer thy wounds for Lewes I charge thee that thou present before him all the
paines punishments and tortures which thou diddest suffer for Lewes make thou profer also of that thirstinesse which caused such a drought in thee vpon the tree of the Crosse. And continuing his speech to Christ Iesus hee said What Lord are you thirsty you are a fountaine that can neuer be drawne dry you are a sea of waters you are the seller of all sorts so excellent wines and doe you cry Sitio Lord the soules that are in Paradise are able to quench this thirst But some one will obiect what can Christ Iesus bee subiect to thirst and such naturall infirmities is not his body glorified said he not that the Saints in heauen should no more hunger and thirst how can God who is the center of all perfections haue vpon him such an impotency in nature Verrine answered God is wearie without wearinesse he is impatient without hastinesse he was thirsty on Mount Caluary but it was after the saluation of soules for whose sake if it were expedient hee would once againe be re-crucified on this very Crosse of S. Baume if his body were passible and subiect to suffering O how vnexpressable is his compassion towards you Then he said This is the Friday of your redemption and the day of Lewes his iustification if he please let him ponder vpon these words Remittuntur tibi O Lodouice peccata tua and also these Vade in pace Lewes why doest thou thus fore-slow thy comming O ye Capuchins Capuchins Capuchins hasten your pace and come quickly But you will obiect that you are bare-footed and that it is impossible for you to make such festination indeed Hell did yesterday and to day raise such a storme and made the clouds to spout downe raine after that vnmeasurable manner that the Diuels had well hoped to giue some stop vnto thy worke O God but thou art euer omnipotent and doest make thy creatures to stoope vnder thy commands although they be most rebelliously bent against thee Then speaking to Magdalene he said Sigh not thus God hath the key of thy soule and will giue thee meate from his owne table Thou Belzebub art heauie but I am glad knowing that whatsoeuer is held by the puissant hand of God cannot be plucked from him by the strength or policy of hell The soule is a goodly Vineyard purchased at an high rate but the number of those that manure and labour the same is small and not worthy to come into consideration yea some of the labourers themselues suffer the Wolfe to steale in and to make hauocke in this Vineyard the master whereof is the Sonne of God who is without mother in Heauen and without father on earth a second Adam conceiued of a Virgine without sinne The Eucharist is the Sacrament of loue and the nourishment of soules translating you vnto glory and making you as Gods Paradise is the habitation of Saints but if thou wouldest be absolute and compleate in perfection descend by contemplation as low as Hell and say I am vnworthy to suffer the paines of Hell although that horrible pit of sulphure was built for such as I am who carry in my bosome the well-spring of all sinnes and wickednesses But how few are there that arriue to this point of humiliation and vnder-valuing of themselues although it bee the center from whence they are to begin and the highest assent whereunto they are to climbe yet this debasement of themselues taketh little roote with the greatest sort of men Who is hee that will beleeue that himselfe is the cause of all the euils paines and iudgements that haue been so fearefully rained downe vpon you especially if hee haue from his youth liued in some religious Order and obserued the rules and precepts of his Superiors yet is this humility the extract of all perfection the Queen that draweth after her all the other Princesses Ladies and Damsels and which is more the mother of God is humility it selfe and doth therefore the rather exact it from you God hath giuen two wings vnto the soule the one of feare the other of loue the first hath regard vnto sinne the second doth apprehend the goodnesse of God Hee that eateth at a Kings table will not sit with foule and vn-washed hands though otherwise hee bee of a rude and boysterous behauiour and will not you be careful to wash your hands with the water of contrition and make confession of your sinnes Christ Iesus at the first institution of the blessed Sacrament did wash the feet of his Apostles and Peter at the beginning would haue hindered him but when hee saw it was the good pleasure of his master hee then subiected himselfe thereunto Iudas himselfe set his feet vpon the breast of the Sonne of God that they might be washed yet would he not for all this be conuerted Iohn leaned vpon the heart of his master and therefore had the wings of an Eagle giuen vnto him so that hee was afterwards the adopted Sonne of the blessed Virgine The iudgements of God and men are infinitely different for many are sickly and in a consumption by their sinnes before God who in the estimation of men are very healthfull and contrariwise those that are sound before God are â—eeble before men God will come to iudgement with terrour and power all things shall tremble before his face the Angels and the righteous shall go before him like burning Torches all creatures shall behold this awfull spectacle and shall bee arrested before this Maiesty Then shall the bookes bee vnfoulded and all shall be laid open in publike You haue many heere that are shamefast and nice to confesse their sinnes in the meane time the Diuell booketh downe all that is actionable and hath euer his pen and ink-horne ready so that he omitteth nothing and intendeth to obiect it against you openly and to your disgrace It were a folly beyond pardon to beg a straw of a mighty King for Princes Presents are like themselues magnificent and they are not to be disseasoned with petty suites Thus should not you craue the straw and stubble of temporary blessings from the King of Kings but you should beg of him the treasures of heauen which hee himselfe is contented you should request at his hands Pray him to giue you patience humility and other vertues and bee not euer solliciting him for faire weather for raine for the riches and preferments of this world Whether it raine or whether it bee faire bee thankfull vnto God and co-operate with him in al things so shall you giue best satisfaction vnto him This day in the euening there came to S. Baume Lewes Gaufredy with father d' Ambruc sub-priour of the couent at S. Maximin and two Capuchin fathers where it was thought fit that Lewes the Priest should exorcise Louyse and to that end father Michaelis granted vnto him all his power and authority Whereupon Verrine made Louyse to cry very loud and began a prayer full of
Magdalene were bound and could not speake and that hee was free from the same and therefore said hee you ought to listen vnto mee who am of a contrary faction vnto them Vpon this hee was bid to discouer the ambushments of the Diuell whereunto Verrine said since you will needs haue mee to expresse and explaine vnto you what I formerly had said listen vnto me It is the pleasure of God that all men know what I haue said this morning and not the confessors of Louyse onely for God will now make demonstration of his exceeding bounty The truth is Magdalene is not throughly conuerted but is perpetually vexed with the Incubi who commit a thousand impurities with her It is true Michaelis that God will bee offended with thee vnlesse thou take some order that this be redressed and doe not thinke that I speake it for her behoofe or for the sake of her heere whom I now possesse for if shee bee not possessed why doe you exorcise her were it not better to send her backe into the kitchen She would be contented with such a place as she was formerly before she came hither What think you why doth not Magdalene harken now vnto mee The reason is because I speake the truth and shee is not yet throughly conuerted shee obeyeth not her superiours and confesseth her sins with nicenesse and affectation like a Player Magdalene you must not confesse them so but you are to reueale them vnto the Priest with much penitency and compunction Then Verrine was commanded to speake lower for he cried as loud as possibly the forces of a woman could giue assistance thereunto Vnto which Verrine answered when I speak low you despise mee and when I talke aloude you put me to silence Sodome neuer were such abominations spoken by thee nor in the time of the flood did there euer happen so strange a fact as this is yet were they drowned in the waters and burned with the fire Was it euer heard of before that the Diuell should come to reprehend sinners You know there is a difference to haue a Diuell in the body and to haue a Diuell in the soule or to haue him in the body for the conseruation of the soule Afterward when some or other had told him that hee was to obey the Church as the spouse of God hee answered that this spouse also was to humble her selfe before her husband God goeth about to enlighten you with the brightnesse of his grace yet do you euer cry vnto me Verrine obmutesce I tell you I will speake but it shall be for the glory of God Did I euer bid you worship Verrine no I euer told you that I was a damned Diuell If I haue spoken euill reproue me of this euil but good God said hee command me to speake Hebrew or to doe some other prodigious and amazefull act for these poore blind caitiffes are yet calling vpon me for a signe But what did you Lord to those that asked a signe of you you could haue giuen them signes from heauen which their curiosity did itch after but you would not satisfie their brain-sicke fancies herein because they wanted faith which should be in men Michaelis the young sucking Infants which they haue eaten and others which they haue strangled and digged vp from graues to make pies withall cry loud for vengeance before God for crimes so punishable and full of execration Yet are not these accursed Magicians contented but will plucke God from his Throne they worship a Goate and sacrifice vnto him euery day What Thinke ye not that God is exceedingly incensed by these audacious prouocations At their tables and meales they vse no kniues because they will not pare off their imperfections they vse no salt because they hate the vertue of wisedome they haue no Oliues nor oyle because they loue nothing but crudities and cruelties In this very Baume doe they keepe their Sabbaths in this very Baume doe they deuoure manâ— flesh in this very Baume do they belch forth vnconceiueable blasphemies against the sacred Trinity the Sacraments the mother of God and all the Saints in Paradise Hath not God then inst occasion to bee incensed against them The Turke with his vnbeleefe the Iewes with their expectation of the Messias the Heretickes with their adorations of the bastardly figments and conceptions of their owne braines are not to bee held in such detestation as these Magicians heere for they doe day by day renounce God and there passeth not a minute wherein they crucifie him not I do further affirme that if this which hath been pronounced and published in S. Baume had been declared at Geneua they would haue shaken off the chaines and â—etters of their obstinacy yet doe the children of the Church keepe the Magician from mee and will not suffer mee to speake vnto him O Michaelis the Magician is now in thy custodie haue a curious and quick regard ouer him for hee doth yet put Magdalene to shrewd plunges After this Lewes was sent for from his chamber to come vnto the Church and as he entred Verrine did barke and bay wondrous like a dogg and said Meruaile not that I thus barke for I see the woolfe Then he spake to Lewes and said thou art a Magician thou art an execrable Sorcerer I lay it heere before thee that if thou be not speedily conuerted thou shalt bee burned and these two women heere must bee exorcised before the Parliament at Aix If Lewes be not conuerted within eight dayes I tell you heere before hand and doe call to witnesse the blessed mother of God the Seraphins Martyrs Virgins Saints and as many as be of you that he shall be deliuered vp into the hands of the gouernour of Marseille and then let them speak whither Louyse were possessed or no. Heere is to bee obserued that the Capuchin fathers found not any thing in the chamber of Lewes that might any wayes concerne Magick and this search displeased many at Marseille and presently it was bruted abroad through all the citty that father Michaelis was the author of all this You must further note that the Magicians and Witces which came inuisibly into S. Baume left very vile and offensiue sauours behind them and cast now vpon one and now vpon another certaine powders and oyles once vpon father Francis Billet and twice vpon father Anthony Boilletot who found himselfe benoynted ouer the lippes and when hee asked Lewes what the meaning thereof might bee hee onely laughed at the same They also threw such kinde of stuff vpon sister Catherine who was co-adiutour of the company of S. Vrsula so that shee was a long time greeuously sick vpon the same Besides all this Verrine tooke his oath on Gods behalfe the Creator of heauen and earth and on the behalfe of the blessed mother of God and of Angels Patriarches Apostles Martyrs Doctors Confessors Virgins and Widowes and on the behalfe of the whole
others Being demanded how Lucifer could vnderstand all the occurences of things if he bee thus chained vp hee began to laugh and said you are deuoid of sense and ordinary apprehension doth not a King that abideth in his Palace know whatsoeuer passeth in his kingdome by meanes of Ambassadors messengers and Postes So the Deuils go to hell for they are there very speedily and take instructions from Lucifer who is more knowing and of greater command then them all The Acts of the 17. of Ianaary which was Munday being the Feast of S. Anthony WHiles Masse was saying there grew a great contestation betweene Belzebub and Verrine Belzebub did intellectually and by an intrinsicke conference with Verrine make impression in his vnderstanding standing to desire him to go with his associates to Marseille and to lend him his helping hand to harden the Magicians and Witches that were now at a stand and very shreudly shaken in their former resolutions because their Prince was detected and named Vnto whom Verrine audibly made answere that hee would not go saying that hee had sworne alleageance vnto God and did not therefore feare the paines which they threatned him withall that hee might go thither himselfe if hee had any fancy thereunto and that since hee would needs boast his greatnesse and command hee should do well to try his forces But as for mee and my companions said hee God hath hired vs yesterday morning as a man will hire a labouring man to dresse and trimme his Vineyard so that thou commest to late to hire vs to thy seruice thou wert lazy and diddest slip thy time I do not meane to worke at thy request for when I haue industriously wrought for thee what reward canst thou giue me but the paines of hell thou hast no other thing to bestow But God hath promised vnto me an asswagement and lessening of my paines and therefore I will labour for him in this businesse tempt not mee nor my companions any more O what braue Princes you are that do neither defend nor gouerne your people any better It is very obseruable that Verrine being the night before tempted in the same nature tooke on and plained himselfe like a child saying They will force me to go to Marseille to strengthen the Magician God will punish mee if I do it And after some distances he would often repeate these words no no so that it seemed that God had restored some part of his former force to Belzebub that hee might labour Verrine and almost constraine him to his pleasure and he did once in a manner consent vnto him as wee haue formerly obserued for the which he was well beaten After Masse Belzebub being departed from the body of Magdalene as it seemed to go to Marseille for the aboue named purposes the Exorcist demanded which of the Deuils did then beare sway in her body One of them answered that it was Balberith And being asked of what order he was he made very dainty to vtter it yet at last he spake these words I am constrained by God vpon the intercessions of the Virgin Mary of Magdalene of Michael and of Francis to declare this and other things of the like nature vnto you 1. Belzebub was Prince of the Seraphins and next vnto Lucifer for all the Princes that is to say all the cheefe of the nine quiers of Angels are fallen and of the quire of Seraphins there fell the three first to witt Lucifer Belzebub and Leuiathan who did all reuolt but the fourth who was Michael was the first that resisted Lucifer and all the rest of those good Angels followed him so that now hee is the cheefest amongst them all Lucifer when Christ descended into hell was there chained vp where hee commandeth all and euery one of them knoweth how to traficke in his owne trade Belzebub tempteth men with pride And as Iohn Baptist holdeth Lucifers place in Paradise because hee was the greatest amongst men and had obtained this great fauour by his singular humility opposite vnto the pride of Lucifer so Belzebub hath Frauncis for his aduersary in heauen who was father and founder of the Friars minorites and a great example of humility 2. Leuiathan is a Prince of the same order and is the ring-leader of the Hereticks tempting men with sins that are directly repugnant vnto faith hee hath Peter the Apostle who is Vicar of Christ Iesus and chiefe Bishop in the Church for his aduersary vnto whom the promise was made Portae inferi non praeualebunt 3. Asmodee is of the same order hee continueth a Seraphin to this day that is he burneth with the desire to tempt men with his sinne of luxuriousnesse and is the Prince of wantons Iohn Baptist is his aduersary in heauen who liued and died a perfect Virgin 4. Balberith is Prince of the Cherubins hee tempteth men to commit homicides and to be quarrelsome contentious and blasphemous His enemy in heauen is Barnabas the Apostle because of his great modesty 5. Astaroth Prince of the Thrones is alwaies desirous to sit idle and bee at ease hee tempteth men with idlenesse and slouth Bartholomew the Apostle is his enemy in heauen who prayed to God a hundred times a day and a hundred times a night kneeling in great humility vpon the earth Hee did also vanquish that idole Astaroth 6. Verrine is also one of the Thrones next in place vnto Astaroth and tempteth men with impatience His aduersary in heauen is Dominick your father who was singularly patient in all iniuries and aduersities 7. Grâ—ssib is the third in the order of Thrones and tempteth men with impurity and vncleannesse and his aduersary in heauen is Bernard whose conuersation was vnblameable and full of purity 8. Sonneillon is the fourth in the order of Thrones and tempteth men with hatred against their enemies His aduersary in heauen is Stephen who prayed for his enemies 9. Carreau Prince of Powers tempteth men with hardnesse of hart his aduersaries in heauen are the two Vincents the ouâ— a Martyr the other surnamed Ferrier of the order of preaching Friers whose hearts were full of tendernesse and softnesse And this Diuell is euer about Magdalene laying the nets of his temptations to make her obstinate 10. Carniueau is also a Prince of Powers and doth tempt men to obscenitie and shamelesnesse His aduersary in heauen is Iohn the Euangelist who was a virgin 11. Oeillet is a Prince of Dominations he tempteth men to break the vow of pouerty His aduersary in heauen is Martin who gaue halfe his cloake to a begger 12. Rosier is the second in the order of Dominations and by his sweet sugered words he tempteth men to fall in loue His aduersary in heauen is Basil who would not listen to amorous and inchanting language 13. Verrier is Prince of Principalities and tempteth men against the vow of obedience and maketh the neck stiffe and hard as iron and vncapeable to stoope vnder the
are not properly inuironed or bounded in by any place thereby letting vs vnderstand that his meaning was not to attribute any bodily substance vnto them The like may be obserued out of S. Ierome who saith with Saint Paul that Angels and soules doe bow their knees before God yet are wee not here saith he to conceiue that they haue their members and dimensions like vnto vs. Before wee descend to the proofes out of Scriptures wee shall doe well to examine whether the opinion of those that take the Scripture-phrase according to the rigour of the letter may bee defended S. Thomas dispureth against it and saith that it cannot be defended For first if they had bodies made of aire as Apuleius dreamed they could not bee immortall but would in the end fall into corruption as we doe because whatsoeuer is compounded of elementarie qualities must of necessitie be framed of contrary and repugnant natures which in the end by their perpetuall opposition and fight do ruine one the other and this truth is beyond exception Secondly the aire is a body which the Philosophers terme homogeneall that is whose least part is of the same nature and condition with the whole as euery drop of water is water as well as whole riuers or the sea from whence this absurditie would follow their opinion that the whole bodie of the aire must be one immense Angelicall substance Thirdly the men bers of a liuing bodie must haue seuerall organes fit for the performance of those functions whereunto nature doth ordaine them which cannot be true of the aire and if they were made of aire they may thē be dissolued and melted into water as the clouds are they should also be hot moist like vnto the aire as if they were cōposed of fire then must they burne All which absurdities doe euidently shew that they are said to bee airie only because they abide for the most part in the aire And therfore Saint Paul writing vnto the Ephesians who were great Philosophers and much addicted vnto Magicke as S. Ierome obserueth giueth them to vnderstand that this opinion was not repugnant vnto Christianitie but that they were to hold it for a truth that there are a great number of Spirits in the airie region against whom they were to combat insinuating thereby that they may in this sense bee called airie if thereby wee meane that they are Spirits without flesh and bones Non est nobis saith he colluctatio aduersus carnem sanguinem sed aduersus principes potestates aeris huius he also calleth them Spiritalia nequitiae in coelestibus Wee may safely saith that Father call them airie or heauenly but wee must alwaies suppose them to be Spirits In this sense doe the Hebrewes call birds the fowles of the heauen and of the aire and men are by them stiled terrestriall not that birds haue bodies of aire or men of earth but because they doe inhabite in the aire and dwell vpon the earth For conclusion of this point let vs hearken what the holy Scriptures say and for the old Testament King Dauid calleth them Spirits where he faith Qui facis angelos tuos spiritus as if he should haue said Lord thou hast ordained that those whom wee call Angels should be Spirits Now there is a contradiction and Antithesis betweene a bodie and a spirit so that the consequence by negation doth necessarily follow one vpon the other as if such a thing be a bodie it will be negatiuely inferred then is it not a spirit and contrariwise if it be a spirit then is it not a bodie which conclusion Christ himselfe maketh vnto his Apostles when after his resurrection they conceiued him to be a spirit Touch me said he and looke what I am being risen with my true bodie for a spirit hath neither flesh nor bones as you see I haue So that this were sufficient to proue that a spirit hath no body although there should bee no other place or text to strengthen the same And lest wee should fall into the opinions of certaine Stoicks who maintained diuersities of kindes in Angels and that some had bodies and others had not S. Paul doth direct vs vnto this generall Maxime which is without exception when hee pronounceth this sentence Omnes sunt administratorij spiritus and in another place he saith that amongst Gods creatures there are some visible and some inuisible such as are Thrones Dominations Principalities Powers for confirmation whereof wee may adde that which we haue alreadie alleaged out of the Epistle vnto the Ephesians where there is an opposition expressed between the things that appertaine to flesh and blood and the things that belong vnto the spirit Touching Diuels they are also called Spirits but to put a difference betweene the good and them there is euer subioyned some restriction as in the historie of Achab one of them speaketh in this manner Ero spiritus mendax in ore prophetarum Christ Iesus often calleth them vncleane spirits or the Diuels angels conformable whereunto S. Paul termeth them the angels of Satan which must be vnderstood to proceed from their imitation not from their creation But it may be obiected that they haue a body and are tyed so really vnto the same that Abraham washed their feete they tooke Lot by the arme and by strong hand drew him forth out of Sodome and Iacob wrestled a whole day with them It is true indeed they are supported sometimes by a body for otherwise they could not be seene because of themselues as S. Paul saith they are inuisible yet wee are not to detract from the authoritie of Scriptures that do cleerely teach vs that they haue no bodies of their owne for wee must affirme with Tertullian Habere corpora peregrina sed non sua They haue bodies saith he which they borrow but haue none in their owne nature Wee know that a Spirit did appeare vnto our grandmother Eue in the forme of a Serpent yet was there neuer any of so blunt earthy an apprehension that would affirme that this body of a Serpent was the body of an Angell Wee are then to say that this body was framed of one of the foure elements not of fire for it would burne nor of water for such a body would easily fleet away and be dissolued nor of earth for that would remaine sollid vnto the view and should afterward also bee found it must therefore necessarily bee framed of aire both because Spirits haue their places of abode from aboue the good Spirits dwelling in heauen and the bad in the aire as also for that this element doth easily take the impression of all colours formes as we see what great variety of colours are in the rainebow and what diuersities of shapes and semblances bearing the formes of Dragons Serpents and the like are represented vnto vs in the clowds And these formes are dissolued
into that from whence they were exhaled and drawne faith Tertullian Eadem ratione species illa intercepta est qua edita fuerat si non fuit initium visibile nec finis By which it appeareth that the Doue that descended from heauen and lighted vpon Christ Iesus was fashioned of aire and not of earth for it is said Descendit spiritus sanctus corporali specie sicut columba in ipsum The like may be said of the firy tongues that sate vpon the Apostles at the feast of Whitsontide Factus est repente de coelo sonus tanquam aduenientis spiritus vehementis So that it is cleere that these apparances are framed of aire as the cloud out of which God the Father spake to his Sonne in his transfiguration which vanished into aire as did Moyses also whose body in that apparition was composed of the same element and whiles the Apostles eyes were fixed on these obiects it vanished and they saw none but Christ Iesus alone So when the Angell appeared to Manoah the father of Samson he mounted vp into heauen in a flame of fire and in his ascent was visibly seene of him but by little and little Manoah and his wife lost the sight of him because his body began to dissolue into the first matter whereof it was framed Thus did the Angell that accompanied Tobias in his iourney It is now time said hee for me to returne to him that sent me and presently hee vanished from them And for addition vnto the truth hereof some alleage experience saying that if a man should cut such airie bodies it would fare with them as it doth with the Sun-beame which doth runne together and presently vnite it selfe without any signe of such separation which very well agreeth with the nature of aire and is fit to confute the error of Psellus who in the seuenth chapter of his booke maintaineth that they haue a naturall body yet in the 23. chapter he granteth that such bodies being smit asunder doe ioyne againe as doth the aire when it is diuided whence he might easily haue collected that these bodies must bee made of aire and not proper vnto Angels For touching the reason which he bringeth that if they had not bodies they could not be tormented with fire it is certaine that the diuine prouidence may easily bring to passe that a body may really worke vpon a spirit and likewise the contrary which no Christian can deny to bee by diuine prouidence wrought in the Sacrament of Baptisme where the water as the instrument of the diuine bountie doth really and truly wash and purge the soule that is a spirit and experience teacheth vs this truth in nature for imaginations which are corporall things doe depresse the soule and make it heauie euen vnto death as Christ Iesus himselfe said Besides by this reason we should say that the soules of the damned being departed from this world are not cast into hell-fire because they haue no bodies and must therefore bee impassible And so wee shal fall into their heresie that maintaine that the soules lie sleeping till the day of iudgement which doth directly oppose the holy Scriptures which shew vnto vs that the soules of good men returne vnto God who hath created them to be at quiet in his hands and vnder his protection as S. Stephen saith Domine suscipe spiritum meum and S Paul wished for death to no other end but to be with Christ Cupio inquit dissolui esse cum Christo which is confirmed by S. Iohn in the Reuelation saying Henceforth doe the soules rest from their labours for their good workes follow them and death saith S. Paul shall be a gaine vnto me on the other side they teach that the soules of the reprobate are tormented in the flames of hell as appeareth in the Gospell by the rich Glutton and by the saying of Saint Iohn Baptist who told the Pharisies that the axe was alreadie applied vnto the roote of the tree and euery tree that brought not foorth good fruite should bee hewen downe and cast into the fire This S. Iude affirmeth is already happened to the Sodomites as also to Chorah Dathan and Abiron with their complices and that they went quicke downe to hell But here may an obiection be made how Spirits are able to frame vnto themselues such bodies at their own pleasure S. Augustine answereth that Spirits by a certaine agilitie and naturall power can bring to passe whatsoeuer may be done in nature for they doe perfectly know not onely the effects of nature but the causes also which proceedeth from the refinednesse and subtilitie of spirit wherewith they are indowed which they so well know how to manage and applie that whatsoeuer nature maketh successiuely and at leisure they doe the same in an instant We see the aire diuers times being disposed thereunto by certaine causes is variously depainted with colours and diuers semblances and in the sommer wee sometimes see toades and frogs fall with the raine which proceedeth frō the corruption of the aire from whence also butter-flyes and catterpillers and the like vermine are ingendred all which is produced from the successiue operations of nature The like effects may bee produced by Spirits by vniting of causes whereupon the effects doe necessarily follow Thus we reade that the Diuell tooke vpon him the forme of a Serpent which cannot be denied as also that Pharaohs Magicians by the assistance of Satan did make serpents and frogs appeare before the people and surely they may in the like manner shape and counterfeit any other figure yea of a man himselfe as is cleere by the apparitions recited in the book of Genesis From whence we must draw this necessarie conclusion that it is contrary both to naturall reason and to Scrip that Spirits should haue bodies but that they are incorporeall and inuisible The resolution of all this discourse may bee had in the booke intituled De Ecclesiastic is dog matibus which is amongst the workes of S. Augustine where in the 11. chapter he saith We beleeue that God is inuisible and incorporeall because hee is euery where and is present in all places yet not bounded in by any place but we beleeue that intellectuall substances are corporeall because they are circumscribed in a place as the soule within the body and hence it is that they are called corporeall because they are limited in their substances It remaineth that wee endeuour to know when they were created since Moyses maketh no mention of it and from whence it proceedeth that there is a difference betwixt Spirits so that some are good and some bad CHAP. III. Of the Creation goodnesse or maliciousnesse of Angels SAint Athanasius when he was to giue his full resolution and opinion concerning Spirits vnto Prince Antiochus demandeth in the first place whether Angels were created or no for Moses maketh no mention thereof in the first chap. of Genesis
where hee purposely laboureth to magnifie the power and goodnesse of God in the worke of Creation And in good reason doth he take his beginning from this question since the weightiest argument that Saduces and Atheists can alleage for themselues is that Moses speaking of all the creatures of God and of the heauens themselues doth yet make no mention of Angels whereupon the ancients haue endeauoured to giue a satisfying resolution heereunto as S. Chrysostome S. Athanasius Theodoret and others S. Chrysostome particularly in two passages doth determine this point I know well saith hee speaking vnto the people that you are accustomed to demand why it is not said In principio creauit Deus Angelos Archangelos as well as it is written In principio creauit Deus coelum terram especially since Angels and Archangels are vndoubtedly compositions of more noblenesse and puritie then heauen or earth You are to know saith hee that the holy Scripture is nothing else but a letter missiue which God by his Ministers doth send vnto vs no lesse then when wee read that Helias was sent from God vnto Ioram king of Israell with a letter missiue to reclaime him from his faults and to instruct him in the will of God Now when a great Lord writeth his letters missiue hee doth accommodate the stile and matter of them vnto the qualitie and capacitie of the person vnto whom he doth addresse them for hee must write to a Prince after one fashion and after another fashion vnto a Philosopher and in a different maner from these when hee writeth to his wife or to his children Now the first letter missiue which God in his goodnes sent vnto man was the fiue bookes of Moses which hee directed to the people of Israel This people of Israel vnto whom the letter was addressed was a rude and an ignorant people because they were newly infranchised from the slauery and seruitude of Egypt where they had been for the space of 400 yeares very cruelly oppressed being all of them constrained to apply themselues to manuall trades and workes as to gather straw and clay to carry great baskets vpō their shoulders ful of such stuffe wherof they were afterwards to make bricks and then to carry them where the Cities and Pyramides of Aegypt were a building and this they daily did not hauing leasure to breath or to serue their God one day as may be easily seene in the beginning of Exodus so that whatsoeuer was said of Ioseph may very appositly be applied vnto this people Diuertit ab oneribus dorsum eius manus eius in cophino seruierunt Which was the cause that they were a rude nation altogether vnacquainted with good literature And this is the peculiar slight of tyrants as Aristotle writeth in his Politicks who will not permit their subiects to study and attaine vnto learning which was the practise of Iulian the Apostata against the Christians They were all then very ignorant except Moses who was exempted from such rudenesse because he had his education in the Kings Palace and was the adopted sonne of King Pharaoes daughter and this S. Stephen well obserueth saying Erat Moses doctus in omni scientia Aegyptiorum for he had skill in Astronomy Geometry and the Mathematicks but the rest of the people were exceedingly ignorant and could not conceiue of any thing but what they could see with their eyes which is the ordinary fashion of illiterate people who are not able to eleuate their spirites higher then the earth and laugh at Philosophers when they dispute of the roundnesse of the Sunne of the height of heauen and of the sphericall forme of the sea and earth and heereupon it is that Moses saith to God alas Lord I assure my selfe that they will not beleeue that which I shall say vnto them for when I shall speak of thee Lord what fashion shall I hold in my discourse to make thy Maiesty knowen vnto them since their apprehensions doe sauour so much of earth and dulnesse But God answered him it shall be sufficient for thee to tell them that hee who is hath spoken vnto thee for hee would not that hee should speake vnto them in a higher straine then of his being onely which is a thing common and agreeable to the least creature of the world although if these words bee vnderstood by nature not by participation they haue a high and mysterious meaning but this distinction was not mentioned vnto them because he would fit his discourse to their vnderstandings And this is the very opinion of S. Dydimus who sheweth that according to the diuersitie of tymes and persons there came Prophets and others in the name of God some with the name of him that was Almighty others with the name of him that was replenished with all goodnes and others with the name of vnappeasable rigour and iustice And thus saith hee was Moses sent vnto this rude people with the name of him That is for God would at that time exact nothing from them but that they should vnderstand that the God of their fathers is and was not like the false Gods of Egypt who indeed were not because they had not so much as an existence which is the least that any thing may haue In like manner when Christ Iesus did addresse himselfe vnto the seauen Churches of Asia hee set downe diuers attributes of his Maiestie in the beginning of those letters according to the diuersitie of persons And S. Paul preaching at Athens among the Philosophers did purposely decline to make particular mention of the Trinity but thought it sufficient to expresse vnto them that there was a God who created heauen and earth Deus inquit qui fecit mundum omniae quae in eo sunt coeli terrae ' Dominus non in manu factis Templis habitat S. Peter also in his first sermon to the Iewes doth not at the first cast plainely expresse that Christ Iesus was the true God but accommodating himselfe vnto them hee is contented if at the first he may winne thus much vpon their beleefe that Christ Iesus was a holy and innocent man sent from God Iesum inquit Nazarenum virum approbatum a Deo signis virtutibus but afterwards he speaketh vnto them in a higher straine hauing once prepared them for more diuine instructions And so heere likewise in processe of time did God manifest vnto this people that there were Angels and that they had their creation from him as wee shall presently see Which is also more expresly vnfoulded in the new Testament at what time men grew more familiar and better acquainted with the secrets of God This is S. Chrysostoms reason which is very probable and fit to be admitted S. Athanasius yeeldeth another reason saying that this people was exceeding ready to beleeue and admit plurality of Gods which in processe of time they tooke from the superstitions of the Egyptians
which conceite being once growne into an habite and custome it did at length become almost naturall vnto them and brake out openly in the desert when they saidâ—n the plurall number Hi sunt dij tui Israel quite eduxerunt de terra Aegypti And hereupon God tooke occasion to insist vpon the explication of this in the first commandement of the Law which saith Dominus Deus tuus Deus vnus est longer then vpon all the rest of the commandements because the people were so much inclined to this plurality of Gods and had then lately made and worshipped a Calfe Which they may doe well to obserue who because it is afterwards said Thou shalt not make any likenesse of any thing that is in heauen or in earth doe conceite that this is the second commandement and aske the cause why Curats doe not so pronounce the same in their seruice not vnderstanding that the Curate doth pronounce but a short summary of the commandements of God and that this whereof they complaine is not properly a commandement but a more ample exposition of the first commandement against which the people had for a long time most transgressed Therefore doth S. Athanasius well obserue that it was not safe to mention Angels vnto them because they would presently haue thought them Gods which Carpocrates Basilides and other disciples of Simon Magus also did as S. Ireneus and Tertullian haue written Whereunto we may adde a third reason drawne from the more moderne diuines and that is that Christ Iesus was the end and scope of the law who was to take vpon him the flesh of Adam and not the nature of Angels as S. Paul noteth Finis legis Christus nusquam Angels apprehendit sed semen Abrahae apprehendit Since then Christ Iesus was not to be the Redeemer of Spirits but of men Moses did with good reason passe ouer Angels in silence and bounded his discourse with the mention of visible creatures ouer whom man had dominion that in conclusion hee might inferr that man alone had the priuiledge to bee made after Gods image and likenesse that in the end hee might be deifyed and made a partner in the diuine nature thorow Iesus Christ. By which hee thought to leade and conduct man the more easily vnto the knowledge of the grace of God towards him since that he had more remembrance of him then of the Angels themselues who were iustly passed ouer without mentioning if wee consider hou much our humane nature was honoured by the diuine word so that hee who is God adored by all is a man as wee are being as absolutely man as I am and being as truely man as he is truely God And this is the conclusion which S. Paul maketh against the Iewes when he speaketh of Angels Nusquam Angelos apprehendit sed semen Abrahae It is also manifest that the old Testament maketh no mention of the sinne of Lucifer and his adherents but indirectly and by glances as when the haughty minded men are compared vnto him so in Esai the 14. chap. where mention is made of Nabuchodonosor King of Babilon and in Ezechiel 18. where the King of Thir is described both of them being meruailous proud and presumptuous against God they are saith the Scripture like vnto Lucifer But of set purpose there is no relation made hereof except it bee incidentally and as wee say per accidens For Christ Iesus did pay no ransome for wicked Spirits as he had done for men but he hath clearly declared himselfe that hell fire is from all eternity prepared Diabolo Angelis eius But although Moses did not make direct mention of them yet did hee tacitly insinuate the same when hee saith of the seauen daies that they followed one the other and that the heauens went on in their course making day night euening and morning which could not possibly be without the ministry and helpe of Angels Moreouer when he concludeth Igitur perfecti sunt coeli terra omnis ornatus eorum by the perfect ornament of heauen he meaneth Angels For that excellent ornament which addeth such grace vnto the heauens is their motion without which as Aristotle himselfe well knew the heauen could beame downe no influence vpon the earth as is intimated by S. Iohn when hee saith Iurauit per viuentem in secula quod non erit ampllus tempus For if wee should say behold a perfect man this speech doth import that hee hath a soule and that his body is disposed and fitted for those motions which are naturall vnto man Whereupon S. Chrysostome admonisheth that by this ornament wee are not to vnderstand the light or starrs onely but many other perfections both of higher and baser consideration But because this manner of speaking is very obscure S. Athanasius Theodoret and S. Chrysostom moue the question whether the Scriptures doe directly say that the Angels were created by God or no and their resolutions are that they doe so say First King Dauid maketh vs an expresse Psalme touching the creation of the world where hee speaketh generally of all creatures Spirituall rationall sensible terrestriall as also those creatures who haue their being in the water and aire in the 103. Psalme where he beginneth to speake of the Maiestie of God in this manner Confessionem siue maiestatem decorem induisti amictus lumine siout vestimento next hee speaketh of the heauens saying Thou hast stretched them our ouer vs like a tent then doth hee adioyne the Angels Qui facis Angelos tuos Spiritus who makest saith he thy Angels Spirits Where by the way wee may obserue for our better information in this and the like places of Scripture that the Hebrews haue but three tenses in their verbes the Praeter-perfect tense the present and future tense and haue not the vse as the Greeks and Latins haue of the praeter-imperfect and praeterpluperfect tenses whence it ariseth that the present tense with the Hebrewes may as the sentence will beare it bee translated by the praeterimperfect tense as also by the praeterperfect and by the praeterpluperfect tense And this is practised by the Hebrewes in this very passage of Scripture as if they should say in latine Quifaciebas Angelos Spiritus that is to say Lord in the time of creation thou diddest make and fashion these Spirits to bee the messengers and ministers of thy good pleasure By which place Dauid doth not onely shew that God created Angels but also contrary to the opinion of the Greekes and Latins that the Angels were created when God made heauen and earth and not as some would say many thousands of yeares before so that it is not chancefully done that he first made mention of the essence of God and then of Angels and last of all of other creatures The same methode he obserueth in the 148. Psalme where he inuiteth all things to praise their Creator and doth
with good workes and not to appeare empty-handed before his God For to what purpose serue the commandements if good workes be not necessary to saluation You goe awry if you imagine to bee saued by doing of nothing for God cannot lie Therefore you may boldly say vnto him Ha! my God with what aboundant mercy hast thou brought back my soule from Hell and endowed it with thy sanctified grace Good God what haue I miserable creature deserued to haue thy fauours doubled and heaped vpon me O infinite and immense eternitie thy benefits towards mee know neither end nor number and I frankly confesse my incapacity to comprehend them God of mercy thou hast condemned those once-beawtifull and goodly Angels to the pit of Hell for one sinne of pride and doest thou take compassion of me what of me that haue so often transgressed against thee After this discourse God commanded Verrine to giue the assembly there present the last course of confections and sweet meats Then began Verrine to confesse and say I am able to say no more let them goe to the Apothecaries if they will and buy them comfeits What regard I whether their mouthes be sweetened or distasted for my part I would they might bee all dragged by vs to hell they should see how well wee would entertaine them God answered him This supper is not dressed for thee I command thee to say and doe that which I haue now decreed After much resistance Verrine said I can resist no longer he is farre stronger then I and being omnipotent as he is he will bee obeyed by faire meanes or foule otherwise he could not be omnipotent Then said Verrine God himselfe hath instituted the blessed sacrament of the Eucharist I speake it as forced vnto it and against my custome and the fashion of the other Diuels For when they were to speake of God or of Mary they were all accustomed to say him and her without any other addition but I who take Gods part and am not now-sided with hell am constrained to speake these words Sacred and Saint and Paradise for confirmation of which I am ready to take my oath Then before the Communion of the Priest Verrine added Ponder in your selues how God saith open mee thy heart for to you doth it belong to open and garnish it with faith hope and charity and to beleeue that Christ Iesus is in the blessed Sacrament with his humanity and diuinity You will aske mee how or by what meanes is hee there I tell you you are not with such curiosity to pry into the meanes Beleeue simply that hee is a glorified body and taketh vp no place and therefore may easily lie hidden vnder the species of bread Hauing spoken thus hee said vnto the Priests that were there present You that are Priests how could you dare to touch your God if hee were there visibly and not vnder the forme of bread I tell you you could not be so hardy as once to approch vnto so great a light for his sacred mother on the day of his natiuity dared not as it were to touch his hands although she had carried him nine moncths in her wombe Know ye not that Moses when hee came downe from the Mountaine and had spoken with God was faine to couer his face with a vaile for otherwise the people could not endure to speake with him so brightsome was the light that beamed and proceeded from his face Then he suddenly turned to Leuiathan one of the Diuels in the body of Magdalene and said Hola you that are such an illuminate doctor what is it you now say pleade now thine owne cause O Doctor in a close corner of Hell as heereafter I my selfe may chance to doe but now I am a partisan with the Doctor of doctors who is also wisedome it selfe Then againe hee turned his speech and said Beware beware you that approch vnto the holy Communion how you receiue God in your harts whom the heauen of heauens cannot containe If the King of France O man were desirous to come to thy house wouldest not thou presently say Ha sir my house is too little to giue entertainment or harbourage vnto your Maiesty I beseech you sir spare your paines to visit my poore cottage and haue respect vnto my wants and pouerty To this some or other will answere It is the Kings pleasure to haue it so hee is wealthy enough and will cause whatsoeuer is necessarie to bee conueyed vnto thy house for hee hath his Pages seruants and traine that will take care of these things he hath no need to borrow thy goods or any thing else that belongeth vnto thee it shall suffice that thou lend him thy house and because where the King is there is the Court also by a consequent the King honouring thy house with his presence it shall put on the nature and appellation of a Palace So doth God when hee commeth to thy soule if thou doe but bequeath vnto him the habitation of thy will he will hang the roomes thereof with the rich Tapistrie of all sorts of vertues The holy Communion is the table of the King of glory yet do you carelesly venture vpon the same as if it were the common boord of an Inne or as if it were a may-game and place to dance in The Pages and seruitours of this table are the Angels yet not regarding all this you giue a thousand occasions of scandall in the Church to wit by thoughts words and other misdemeanours which I will not speake of yea you there act diuers villanies and vncleannesses where of the Turkes would blush to be found guilty Aske therefore those sweet fruits the seven guifts of the holy Ghost and so shall God water you with the dew of his grace in this world and cloth you with eternall glory in the world to come How easily would you loath all the pleasures of the world if you had relished your mouthes neuer so little with the delicacies of your God You that are poore are many times riotous and spend in an howre all that you haue gotten in a whole weeke for the maintenance of your families A Christian should imitate Christ Iesus and since that reward is the fruit of labour in vaine doth hee who will not labour expect a reward Thinke againe and againe vpon this fearfull sentence which God will one day pronounce Ite maledicti then all processes shall bee ended And there shall bee no more Appeales Giue thankes vnto God after you haue receiued the Communion for it is a great blessing which hee bestoweth vpon you in that he hath vouchsafed to admit you to the participation of his body It were a clemency not easily parallelled if a King should grâ—â—t life and liberty to a man that stands conuicted of high treason but it is a greater wonder to withdraw soules from sinne and to winne them to grace for sinne is of a greater distance from grace then heaven is
from earth hence it is that the remission of one onely sinne doth chalenge from you a perpetuall giuing of thankes The least blessing that God bestoweth vpon a man is of more worth then if a mighty King would make a free donation vnto him of all his dominions And what thinke yee Did not God giue you a soule accompanied with the three goodly faculties thereof that you might vse it and them to his glory The sinne that is committed out of frailty is against the Father and is easily pardonable the sin against the Sonne who is the eternall wisedome of his father is out of ignorance and is excusable but the sinne against the holy Ghost who is that euerlasting goodnesse is hardly pardoned some may bee reclaimed that offend this way but very rarely After this Verrine by a most solemne oath confirmed all which is aboue rehearsed and in honour of the fiue wounds he said fiue seuerall times Adoramus te Christe c. and towards the end saying this word Redemisti he subioyned Redemisti that is you and not vs Diuels who are in hell Then hee said Great God I adore thee who art heere couered vnder a little Host cursed be that Christian who reputeth himselfe to bee a Christian and doth not beleeue it hee is farre worse then a Diuell This same day in the morning Belzebub departed out of the body of Magdalene and said vnto her farewell I goe to see thy friend who is in great perplexity and so he went to Marseille to aide the Magician as he said against those that did aduise him from father Michaelis to haue regard vnto his conscience The same day father Iames de Rets came from Aix to S. Baume and brought newes that father Michaelis had consulted at Aix with the Capuchin Fathers touching this particular and that hee had sent diuers vnto Marseille and willed them to bee carefull in a businesse of so rare and high a consequent The Acts of the 21. of December This day in the morning the Dominican father did exorcise and assoone as the Exorcismes began one of the Diuels which was in Louyse asked him saying In the name of God why dost thou exorcise mee who gaue thee authority to doe it the Exorcist answered him God and his Church Then said the Diuell can God compell a Diuell to deliuer truth The exorcist replyed that he could To this Verrine said Beleeue it not for we are all the fathers of lies True said the Exorcist you are the fathers of lies when you speake from your selues and that which is your owne but when you are constrained by Almighty God I affirme that then you may speake truth Verrine replyed vnto him Tell me if there bee any power or authority in the bookes of Exorcismes to force vs to take a true and a binding oath answere mee now to this It is true that we may take a true oath as for example when you interrogate vs in the name of God Almighty and by the authority of the Church tell me if in that case God hath giuen that power vnto you to force vs to take an oath that bindeth to wit according to the purpose of God and the meaning of the Church It is a truth answered the Exorcist that God hath bestowed this power vpon his Church and vs. Verrine replyed I spake this in confutation of those that auerre that Diuels cannot speake truth I tell you that such doe in effect deuise the omnipotencie of God and therefore they may saue a labour in saying their Creed and if they doe say it it is after the Hereticks cut that say their Credo without a Credo for they say it with their mouth and deny it in their heart I therefore auow that since God is omnipotent he may easily constraine the Diuell to execute his will Then did Verrine turne himselfe towards Leuiathan and said Speake Leuiathan if thou hast any thing to say for thy selfe Leuiathan answered I shall loose of mine honour to hold discourse with my slaue I am not disposed to talke Thou art faine to say this said Verrine because thou hast not wherewith all to oppose or thwart that which on Gods behalfe I haue deliuered Leuiathan answered God doth not vse to send diuels abroad to preach That is true said Verrine neither is my errant hither to bee a Preacher Leuiathan answered What need all these words then They are no words of mine said Verrine all my knowledge is nothing auaileable vnto me but he who causeth me to speake is wisedome it selfe and all these things doe proceed from the Almightie Speake now illuminate doctor defend thy selfe O thou doctor of Heretickes I doe heere my dutie and discharge my commission speaking meerely from the strength of that which God commandeth and not out of any fancie I haue thereunto I haue not so much charitie in me as to speake it from my selfe but what I haue deliuered is wrung out of me by maine force and compulsion Speake now vnto this perchance you may get aduantage by that which I haue spoken Then said Leuiathan If I did see here any one whom I might call mine meaning Heretickes I would not make daintie to speake Thinkest thou answered Verrine that God is like vnto men who are curious and choise in their phrases and lay a varnish of eloquence vpon their speeches I tell thee that with one sole motion of his will he reuealeth by an intrinsicke manner of vnderstanding whatsoeuer he pleased shal be accomplished but the truth is thou art pusillanimous and hast nothing to replie Leuiathan answered I neither feare God nor his Angels and why then should I feare thee who art but as it were a lackey It is true said Verrine I am but as thy lackey yet mightest thou answere if thou hast any courage residing in thee But thou art a very illiterate doctor and those that follow thee must needs stumble in the darke so full of obscurenesse and falsehood is all thy doctrine Darest thou sweare that thy doctrine is consonant vnto truth as I wil sweare that whatsoeuer I haue here deliuered proceedeth from the liuing God Leuiathan answered Yes I affirme that it is all true Verrine replied Accursed spirit darest thou sweare as I will Yes that will I said Leuiathan Verrine answered him thou canst not without reseruing some priuate and malitious meaning Leuiathan then said Well let vs breake off this discourse To which Verrine answered If thou mightest be let alone I doe easily conceiue thy inclination to sweare falsely and the reason is cleare for thy doctrine is false and if thou shouldest take thine oath thou wouldest sweare falselie and not according to the intention of God and his Church Not so said Leuiathan I tell thee I wil sweare according to the meaning of the Church Wilt thou sweare according to the meaning of the Catholicke Apostolicke and Romane Church said Verrine Leuiathan replied What neede all these