twice a day the Diuels were asked and readily answered that there were three of them in the bodie of Louyse and that they resided there by meanes of witchcraft the first of them named himselfe Verrine the second Gresil and the last Sonneillon and that all three were of the third order to wit in the ranke of Thrones During this time Verrine one of the Diuels in Louyse gaue a signe of his being in her bodie and it was this As the Dominican who had been now an Exorcist for the space of three weekes had after Euen-song finished his Rosarie as is the manner of the order of S. Dominicke hee did immediatly present three prayers vnto three Saints to the Virgin Mary the mother of God to S. Magdalene and to S. Dominicke and then did sensibly feele a maruellous power deuotion and attention in himselfe so that he was amazed from whence such incitements might come and endeuoured by al meanes to slake the force of them and to know the reason of this strange motion But he could not finde the reason of it vntill hee affronted the diuell with an Exorcisme â—nd so demanded of him what were the Saints that did â—ost disquiet him Who answered they are those whom thou doest with such ardencie of affection pray â—nto The Exorcist asked him whether it were not Saint Paul vnto whom he euer bore a particular deuotion The diuell said no but it is the Virgin mother of God Magdalene and Dominicke yet had not the Exorcist â—poken a word of this to any person whatsoeuer The acts of the 8. of December which was the 4. feast of the second weeke of Aduent and the day of the conception of our Lady 1610. This day in the euening the said Dominican Father began to exorcise and vpon the entrie vnto the same Verrine began to speake in this manner following to the honour and praise of the sacred Mother of God saying Mary is the goodliest creature that euer the eternall Father created to my great griefe doe I speake it She standeth incessantly before her sonne making intercession for you she sheweth him the wombe that bare him the breasts that gaue him sucke and all the seruices that euer she did for him in the world True it is that she is so faire that the diuels themselues would endure all the tortures of the world only to haue a sight of her beautie but they could neuer haue the grace to see her in glorie neither haue they deserued or euer shall deserue the same by reason of their excessiue pride and arrogancie She is so amiable so excellent and so rich in all perfections that neither Angell nor Archangell no not the Seraphins themselues can be equall matches vnto Mary in beauty She is rich and a Queene together so that it were an idlenesse to demaund whether such a one as she be able to bestow on those that beg it of her so is she wise and doth therefore know all your necessities Besides she is mercifull and is euer in the presence of her Sonne suing and saying Sonne take compassion vpon these miserable sinners for many times they vnderstand not what they aske And in this said he they are like the mother of the sonnes of Zebedeus who prayed that one of her sonnes might sit at the right hand and the other at the left not knowing that she wronged her selfe in speaking so and that those that were on the left hand should be damned But your God who knoweth better then you what is needfull for you will answere You know not what you aske You will tell me that this is no new thing which I vtter it is true but this is new that the diuell doth speak these things I say then that it is good to loue serue and honour the most blessed and most worthie mother of God for all those that are carried with a full and perfect zeale vnto her they shall neuer it is true it is true it is true they shall neuer neuer O Mary thou sacred mother of God be put to confusion The diuell himselfe by the coaction of thy Sonne is forced to honour thee and to call thee the mother of God a thing vnaccustomed to be done by diuels for they call thee either plaine Mary without any accession of title as did the Iewes in contempt or they name thee by some other names of blasphemie in great indignation but neuer before by this so excellent an attribute as the blessed mother of God And vsing these words you say all that may bee said of a Ladie in honouring her with the title of the Mother of God then which no dignitie is more excellent none more venerable Shee is also all in all for she is the daughter of the Father the mother of the sonne the spouse of the holy Ghost and the peerelesse temple of the sacred Trinitie Shee is besides sister vnto the Angels yea euen their Queene and Princesse I say further that next after the blessed humanitie of Christ shee hath her Quire alone as one whose excellence admitteth no partners or equals to keepe her companie And in that shee is the onely and most matchlesse mother of God it stands with reason that hee who is cloathed with all power wisedome and bountie should mould and fashion her to admiration neither are we to wonder that it is so Many there are that haue a will to do good but their impotencie and disability maketh them come short of their intendments others haue knowledge to doe good but by reason of some bodily impeachments or for want of grace they cannot imploy it thereunto for the diuels haue knowledge but it steedeth them very little But thou speaking of God it is true I speake it constrainedly and not out of affection thou art omnipotent all-knowing and euerlastingly good who art able to make out of nothing whatsoeuer seemeth good vnto thee Notwithstanding it is true there are those that for all this are vngratefull During these and the like discourses so full of vse and obseruation the sister Catherine of France was sent for and brought with her Magdalene that was possessed that she might know the rare and transcendent praises of the blessed mother of God for it was held vnmeete that Magdalene should be present at the exorcising of Louyse And being come thither and seated on the first step of the place of the holy Penitence Verrine about the end of his discourse turned towards her and began to yell with a hideous out-cry Belzebub although thou be my Prince yet there is one greater then thy selfe that commandeth me to speake in thy presence yes yes I am constrained to speake before thee Proud Belzebub the Prince of Diuels who was in the body of Magdalene hearing these words began to bellow like a furious Bull and wresting aside the head and eies of Magdalene with great wrath and fiercenesse he tooke her shooe and threw it against
Adam had transgressed God was highly â—â—spleased against him yet would he not by and by inâ—ct his vengeance and indignation vpon the soule â—hich was so goodly a creature although it had receiâ—ed a taint and blemish by the pollution of sinne and â—as growne refractarie and mutinous against him who â—d showred downe so many blessings vpon the same â—at had shaped and created the whole world for man â—d did assubiect all creatures vnto him to vse them as â—e thought good euen downe to the very beasts This â—ould man haue excused when he said Eue did cause me to doe this but in this he did bewray the impotencie of his iudgement that would so facilely beleeue the counsell of a woman Yet if hee had humbled himselfe without excusing his faults he should not haue felt so much displeasure as he did God loueth not that men should endeuour to euade by excuses If that Adam had craued pardon God would presently haue forgiuen him yea the very Angels that fell if they had humbled themselues should haue tasted of his mercy Now the blessed Trinity held their counsell vpon this point concerning man The eternall Father according to true iustice would haue him punished but presently did the diuine word giue himselfe vp to be your pledge saying that hee would be incarnated and take your flesh vpon him and would be euer readie to endure whatsoeuer the father would thinke fit to be inflicted Then presented themselues the two daughters of the eternall Father to wit Iustice and Mercie and made them readie for the encounter Iustice as the younger daughter said that they were to be punished for their disobedience and that they did very well deserue it Mercie as the elder said My Father I am thy eldest daughter and my sister here is much younger then my selfe it therefore standeth with reason that I be beleeued and that for many causes As first to what end haue you created a creature thus beautifull to cast him headlong into hell There is a remedie to saue him For there will come a woman called Mary that will be more humble then Eue hath beene proud after her transgression and will bee more replenished with simplicity then euer Eue was with curiositie Mary will be more obedient then euer Eue was rebellious and more prompt to say I am the handmaid of the Lord then euer Eue was to take and taste the apple From thence shall proceede that great pay-maister of debts that shall giue satisfaction more then a hundreth fold On the contrary part Iustice pleaded that they did well deserue sharpest castigation who doe yet stand vpon their iustification although they are guilty of the highest treason in rebelling against their Prince yea such a Prince as their God is That they knew the Edict of their King yet would not obserue the same and sinned not through ignorance but through their too much knowledge that brought them to their destruction To this the diuine Word made replication Father Father you are to pardon them you are to pardon them repeating the same often not in words but by the power of vnderstanding and euer saying that hee would take vpon him your flesh for your sakes The eternall Father according to the rigour of Iustice and as being iustly prouoked against them would not haue â—t so but alwaies the diuine Word did oppose himselfe vnto it and said Father I will endure for their sakes a more ignominious death then euer any creature shall be able to suffer The eternall Father hauing regard vnto the person which was to suffer and giue plenarie satisfaction and that by no other meanes then this could a thing of that nature be accomplished as also knowing how much hee was to suffer for in God all things are present and there is nothing past or to come did yeeld vnto this ouerture yet what Father would haue consented to giue vp his Sonne as he did For he fore-saw â—he ingratitude and disesteeme which you would beare vnto him yet was he contented to agree vnto this because his sonne alwaies said Father some or other will be conuerted The Holy Ghost gaue assistance vnto the Word for he is the God of loue the Father is the God of power and of vengeance the Sonne the God of wisedome and the Holy Ghost the God of bountie But the Diuels themselues doe confesse that there is but one God in three persons and haue made confession of the same at Baume the place of S. Magdalens penitence in the presence of the whole assemblie Then spake Mercie and said Father it is expedient that the voyd seates of the cursed Angels that fell should be filled vp and why was this goodly fabricke and frame of the world created and the heauen so varied with diuersities of beauties Was it for your selfe alone let them liue let them liue they will be repentant and haue vertuous children and iust Abel will proceed from them Hereunto Iustice replied that there should be a Cain as wicked as the other was iust But Mercie did alwaies ingeminate that many of them would proue good as Mary who should make reparation of the fault committed by Eue. And in truth Mary hath been more vertuous then euer Eue was wicked and gaue more reputation vnto good then euer Eue gaue aduantage vnto sinne The Serpent held diuers discourses with Eue to cause her to fall but Gabriel spake but a few words and Mary presently obeyed saying Ecce ancilla Then the Word said to his Father that as the person offended was diuine so a diuine person should giue satisfaction since no other could make reparation of the same the person offended being infinite might iustly expect satisfaction from a person infinite That there was no creature neither men nor Angels that could make vp this offence which was committed by a man that at the time of his tentation was altogether innocent And as this sinne was committed in a garden so reparation thereof should be made in a garden at what time he should say fiat voluntas tua and this should be the act of his giuing himselfe vp vnto death To conclude this transgression came by eating of an apple and â—hould be remitted by the fruite of life issuing from the â—arden of Mary Vpon this mention of the Virgin â—errine tooke occasion to say This was a garden hedâ—ed in where that goodly fruite of her puritie remaiâ—ed excellently qualified with beautie sent and taste which make representation of the properties of the â—lessed Trinitie In this garden there were all sorts of goodly trees whose roots were humilitie whose leaues were vertuous desires and whose fruites were good workes that might deseruedly bee placed vpon the taâ—le of the King of glorie And vpon this table are euer â—trowed all kinds of flowers which signifie her vertues â—nd these she hath kept fresh by her humilitie acknowâ—edging that all the good which euer she had receiued did streame from her
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
of your selues and the paines of that other world as a malefactor would doe that waiteth hourely for the sentence of his death I tell you that this expectation is many times more grieuous then the torment it selfe and doth oft preuent punishment by hastening on of death Say vnto your soule Soule remember thy worth and consider how God hath created thee capable of eternal blisse How expedient then is it that thou walke in the commandements of thy God and that the Bride should be obseruant of her Spouse Al that thou canst performe is not able to ballance the least of his mercies yea hee should shew compassion towards thee in punishing thee with the tortures of hell You that goe to Church to heare Masse are to say Soule whether goest thou Thou goest to receiue either thy saluation or damnation I doe not say said Verrine that sinners offend God afresh in going to heare Masse but I affirme that they are like vnto those who when a shower of raine falleth stop all the spouts and conduit-pipes of their cisterne for feare left the water should be conueied into it If those are not watered with the dew of Gods grace the Priest is no cause thereof but they themselues whose heart is fashioned out of stone not composed of earth which is apt to bring foorth fruit Say further Soule let vs goe and craue pardon of God for being a wretched malefactor and worthie of condemnation it is reason the soule should prostrate it selfe and implore his mercie Yet fareth it not with sinners as with malefactors who appeale vnto the Court and Counsell of the King at Paris for oftentimes notwithstanding their delaies and paines they loose their life and the first sentence of death is ratified against them But your God doth inuite you vnto him saying Come vnto me and I will refresh you aske and I will giue you Notwithstanding the requests which you present vnto me must be of vertues and of spiritual blessings which concerne the saluation of your soules not of earthly goods or of riches or of knowledge or of any curiositie whatsoeuer Search after the light of your soules for God doth communicate it to all the world to rich and poore to noble and to men of base condition Your memorie resembleth the eternall Father your vnderstanding the Sonne your will the holy Ghost and all your soule the sacred Trinitie The Father saith vnto you call to mind the benefits which I haue diuided amongst you the Sonne saith in these benefits which you haue receiued from your God contemplate his power and his mercie his wisedome and his iustice the holy Ghost pusheth you on to the feare and loue of your God The memorie the vnderstanding and the wil are three things and yet but one thing the Father the Sonne and the holy Ghost are three persons and yet but one God When you heare Masse enter you into a deepe meditation and say thus vnto your selues Infinit God and Saint of Saints I do not know but this may be the last Masse that euer I shall heare for you are to take a strict account of your conscience as if your last houre were pronounced against you since that death doth threaten you all at all times and in all places But alas what man thinketh vpon these things the Angels tremble before the Maiesty of God and the malefactors are lulled asleepe in their stupide repose and securitie the first borne do honour their Creator with all awfull reuerence and the seruants go on in their vneuen courses without any feare at all Then he cried vnto God saying of a truth thou art the God of might and puissance and makest thy selfe to bee obeyed by men and Angels yea by the Diuels themselues as it plainely appeareth at this instant Herein thy Omnipotencie doth make full declaration of it selfe and amazeth the world with this new wonder for O great God thou doest not esteeme the wisdome of this world but al they that humble themselues shall participate of thy light and those that are puffed vp shall remaine obstinate in their pride You should demand three things from your God before all things else whatsoeuer first the glory of heauen then whatsoeuer appertaineth to your saluation and thirdly the good of your neighbour You are also to beg of your Creator in humility of spirit that hee will make you prosper and grow by the dew of his grace and this you are to doe as malefactors vpon your knees with an halter about your necke and must say My God and my Lord grant me thy light to consider confesse my sins implant within me a penitent and broken heart that I may bewaile my offences and haue my sinnes in detestation that so I may bee accounted worthy to receiue absolution from the Priest If thy body may stand thy brother instead to saue his soule doe not delay to bestow it vpon him or if his body haue need of sustentation by thy goods thou art not to deny them vnto him for it is not the will of God that you should giue a soule for a soule or a body for body or goods for goods but that you should preferre the saluation of a soule before the life and the life before goods and worldly possessions not that you should alwaies be tied vnto this but that hee who putteth it in practise doth doe the will of God for God hath said thou shalt loue thy neighbour as thy selfe but how few are there that doe this Then he cried out and alleaging an example answerable vnto what he formerly spake he said Ha Thomas thou wert not ignorant of the death of thy master thou knewest well that hee was to rise againe yet diddest thou say except I touch the prints of the nailes and put my hand into his side I will not beleeue I doe not speake this to disgrace thee but I say that if thou haddest beene more pregnant to beleeue thy Sauiour had not reproued thee neither shouldest thou as afterward thou diddest haue had experience of thy frailty yet wert thou named in the roll of the Apostles as well as the rest and diddest afterward constantly suffer death in confirmation of that truth whereof thou haddest formerly doubted God pardoned Dauid that you might know he hath power to remit sinnes hee did eate with the Publican to declare that hee came not meerely for the iust nay I say further that your God doth make narrower search and inquisition after the lost sheepe which is the sinfull soule then after that soule that standeth in her sanctity and innocency O great God thou art that true shepheard who hath laid downe his life for the saluation of his wandring flocke thou hast searched and at last found thy sheepe which stragled away from the pasturage of their shepheard The same day Magdalene said that there came a certaine Diuell from abrode to speake with Carreau who was one of those that resided in her body saying come
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
Mother Vncle and Aunt and almost all the kindred of Louyse were damned that it was thought fit that shee should speake this with her owne mouth and that he himself was constrained to reueale that they were damned saying Louyse of a truth thy father and mother are damned in Hell Who would euer haue told Iohn Cappeau and Louyse de Baume that their daughter would openly publish vnto the world their eternall damnation I doe not conceiue Louyse that thy heart is made of stone Then Louyse wept very bitterly so that the Assembly was so melted with compassion that they all fell a weeping also After that Verrine had for a season keept silence vpon the sudden he cryed out againe the father of thy father the father of thy mother the father of thy grandfather and the father of thy grand-mother and all thy kindred be damned then hee said the King of France of happy memory was an Heretick but died in the state of grace father Romillon the superiour of Louyse was also an heretick but now he is her spirituall father also Louyse her selfe was at the first brought vp after the fashion of hereticks Then Verrine began to cry that God might do well to vse the seruice of a Queene or a Princesse in a worke of this nature in the which if hee had made choice of Vrsula who was a Queene or some such as shee was it were not to be wondred And directing his speech vnto God hee said Why diddest thou not rather chuse a Queene or an Empresse then this worme here But thou wilt reply that thou hast no need of thy creatures but that they haue neede of thee that thou art alwaies ready to bestow vpon theÌ„ if they wil further co-operate with thy heauenly pleasure that it sufficeth thee to finde a soule framed disposed vnto that which thou wouldest impose vpon it Of a truth Louyse thou hast begged at Gods hands to suffer the paines of hell if it might be agreeable vnto him and this thou hast desired for the enlarging of his glory yet that this might bee without any finall depriuation of the sight of God according to thy request God hath yeelded vnto thy petition because thou diddest put thy selfe vpon his pleasure and diddest not indent with him to suffer after such such a fashion but diddest make a free offer of thy selfe to be disposed by him as hee pleased And the truth is all shall redound to the glory of God to the exaltation of his Church and to the aduancement of thy calling yet art thou to expect nothing but confusion and shame hereby which thou doest confesse thou hast well deserued to wit all sorts of iniuries and reproachfull contempts which thou canst suffer for his loue It is true Michaelis thou diddest indeed affirme that thou haddest an inspiration infused into thee to put such an intended reformation in practise I tell thee it is rather a reuelation but thy humility was pleased to giue it that modest appellation for those that are humble had rather call it by that name I tell you that the Reuelation of Michaelis the inspiration of Romillon and the will of God doe make a Trinitie that is one thing in three for the other two are dissolued into the will of God If two different persons do meet in the concurrence of friendship I affirme that there is but one heart and one soule so when the creatures conforme their wil vnto the wil of God they haue then the same will with God After many other discourses hee swore in behalfe of the sacred Trinity and of all the church triumphant and militant to the confusion of all Diuels and to his owne vtter disgrace and shame which oath he tooke in great solemnity vpon the blessed sacrament disauoâ—ing all double and sinister intention Moreouer he called Belzebub and all his companions saying vnto them speake now if you haue any thing to reply if I haue keept in any thing that is fit to be reuealed I promise you to deliuer it for all this not one of them dared so much as to grumble Then Verrine began to cry in the presence of the blessed Sacrament how admirable is thy power great God who hast permitted yea and commanded the Diuels to bring hither to his Church Magicians and witches to bee informed of that which from thee I am constrained to speake against them Hell is diuided and in distraction it waxeth feeble and the cousonages and subtleties thereof are dismasked Lewes the Magician shall exorcise the witchcrafts of the house of S. Vrsula are at an end and all the sisters shall be deliuered except Louyse and Magdalene who are to goe to Rome where Verrine by the mouth of Louyse with Magdalene shall make his declarations The same day Verrine said to Magdalene giue the keyes of thy house to God who is the father of thy family as the soule is the mistresse and the body the seruant of the same giue the keyes to God the Father the staffe of command vnto the Sonne and the fewell that is in thy house vnto the holy Ghost for they will setle a good order there which is beyond the spheare of thy power to accomplish The same day also Verrine was asked how hee meant that Moses was in the terrestriall Paradise because the Scripture mentioneth his death Hereunto he answered Hee may well be dead and yet be in the terrestriall Paradise too according to his body for God might raise him vp to life because he is one of the foure trumpets who are appointed in the last daies of the world to denounce the iudgements of God to the foure parts of the earth and it is certaine that neither his body nor the body of Iohn the Euangelist could euer be found But some man may heere cauill that the Apocalypse mentioneth but two witnesses to wit Enoch and Elias whom Antichrist shal put to death Verrine answered that which Iohn hath said of the two witnesses is a firme truth yet doth hee not exclude others but maketh mention onely of them that were to giue testimony of God by their death and not of Iohn or Moses who had already tasted of the same Then he said that his ranke was amongst the number of Thrones and that hee had command ouer three legions of Angels That the greatest ruine and downfall that was in heauen was the fall of Thrones that all the Princes and heads of all the orders were fallen that the greatest breach was made by the ruine of Thrones and that therefore God would fill vp his breach by the meanes and labours of Thrones He further added that Belzebub had tempted Adam and himselfe Eue and spake to her in the shape of the Serpent but in all his temptations which hee vsed towards her hee euer retained the face of a gitle The same day in the euening the Dominican father exorcised in the beginning whereof Verrine began to gibe and to
of that reformation Then he tooke an oth after this forme I doe here sweare by that God whom you worship and who is your Creator and Redeemer that whatsoeuer I haue here spoken is true and that all is done for his glorie the saluation of soules and instruction of the Clergie and Laytie and all sorts of people for the good and the bad and for the reformation of many Monasteries as well of men as of women All which is most true I sweare this according to the intention of God and his Church which I neuer did before and this oth I haue taken vpon the blessed Sacrament and without being spoken vnto by you and haue sworne this with all the solemnities that are required to a true oth according to the intention of God and his Spouse the Church that whatsoeuer I haue deliuered was for his glorie as also for the conueâ—sion of soules and the extirpation of Heresies and Magicke All which is true and nothing is heere vttered against the glorie of God or against his Church And I haue said that it shall haue approbation from the Church and that I neuer tooke such a kind of oth before And when I was to take this oth I said I doe sweare by the liuing God which is the greatest oth that may be taken After this he said Those that are so preiudicate as to say these things are false and very vnsutable to truth shall doe a wrong to God They affirme that God is omnipotent and yet in effect denie his omnipotencie and perhaps 〈◊〉 that God is lesse puissant then the Diuell And in regard these euents runue in a course beyond ordinarie there are many that will rather denie Gods power then confesse that this is true The Diuell by the first article of their Creed Credo Patreâ—s omnipotentem doth proue that they are to beleeue that God is omnipotent And if it be so he might then haue done all this by a Pismire yea and greater things then these for hee can if the concurrence of his will and power should resolue thereon create a hundred thousand worlds out of nothing After this Louyse retired her selfe into her chamber as being all in a sweate through her exceeding toyle and the vehement action of the Diuell Presently did Belzebub prince of the Diuels in the bodie of Magdalene begin to contest against the mercie of God in manner as followeth O mercie too great O God canst thou not be contented to take from vs sinners but must thy mercie also extend to those who haue giuen and made ouer vnto vs bodie and soule and whatsoeuer else they did or could possesse And this they gaue vs in writing and in schedules signed with their blood yet for all this doest thou take them from vs It is strange that thou takest them from vs in such a manner when they haue made renunciation of thee thy Father and the holy Ghost together with all his goodnesse loue and mercie that they might bee made vncapable of the same and bee damned for euermore They haue renounced thy Mother and all her prayers that she might make for them with her wombe and breasts that they might neuer proue compassionate in their behalfe her remembrance that she might neuer be mindfull of them her will that she might neuer pray vnto her Sonne for their conuersion her vnderstanding that she might neuer think vpon them but might abandon and giue them vp into the hands of the Diuels all Angels and all Saints and all 〈◊〉 benefits which God had euer bestowed vpon them or was to bestow vpon them hereafter all inspirations that might be infused into them to draw them vnto him They haue cursed all that euer God created for the good of man all the prayers that Angels Saints and men might make in their behalfe to the end they might be without all possibilitie of returning to God saying they had nought to doe with him his blessings fauours or Paradise They haue renounced his passion and blood with all the merits thereof that they might haue no power or efficacie vpon their soules but might lay a pressure vpon them of greater obstinacie They haue inuocated vpon themselues the wrath of Almightie God of his all-knowing Sonne of the euer-bounteous holy Spirit as also the indignation of the Mother of God of all Angels and of all Saints saying the blood of the Sonne of God fall vpon vs bodie and soule eternally Yet for all this doest thou take them from vs. And notwithstanding that in despite of thee and all that thou hast done for them they are desirous to be ours yet doest thou take them froÌ„ vs. They haue taken the Diuell and the Magician for their God Creator and Redeemer Sauiour and sanctifier and will not haue any reference or dependance vpon God but from the Diuell and from the Magician and doe worship magnifie and praise as well the Diuell as the Magician as if they were Gods They haue renounced God who hath created all they haue blasphemed him making retractation of all the good that euer they did for Gods sake and attribute all their subsequent actions to the Diuell and the Magician yet for all this art thou so good that thou wouldest bereaue vs of them and hast thy armes alwaies open to receiue them They were bequeathed and consecrated to thee and notwithstanding this they haue by a sure earnest contracted mariage with the Diuel and the Magician for greater confirmation whereof they did not sticke to signe it with their owne blood witnessing that they had now nothing to doe with God but were affianced wholly vnto the Diuell This mariage was authentically solemnized in the presence of the blessed Sacrament and written by the Priest that was the Magician yet for all this thou art still so good that thou wouldest bereaue vs of them I said to Mary what hast thou to doe with them to present them to thy Sonne for they haue prostituted themselues to all kinde of voluptuousnesse as well of men as of diuels and beasts What hast thou then to do to present such to thy Sonne who is puritie it selfe They renounce their good Angels lest they might infuse some inspiration into them to returne vnto thee And in counterchange they take the Diuell for their gard-Angell to direct them in whatsoeuer they doe yet art thou so good and so mercifull that thou giuest them in exchange theirvsuall Angell and wilt doe the same twentie thirtie fourtie times and in the end wilt cause all the Angels to to bee assistant to plucke them from betwixt our hands They make protestation that they haue conceiued such great anger rage disdaine and indignation against God that they would willingly become Diuels that they might the better hinder others from the fruition of the glorie of God by those temptations which they would lay close vnto them cursing God that hee had made them men and not Diuels inuocating and heartely praying
but you are to conceiue your selues to bee vnworthie of that life vnlesse you humble your selues beleeuing that you are vnworthy of such a place as Hell nay if that God shall make ten thousand helles yet are you to thinke that your deserts doe surmount the torments of them all If you fast in this world you shall feast in the world to come The excellency of the choise delicacies of the world to come doth breed a sacietie and disgust of the meats you heere enioy and whosoeuer could but get a crumme or the least rellish in the world of those dainties they are so exquisitely prepared that they would cause all the viands of this world to bee loathed Wee may talke of them but wee shall neuer taste them it is too late now to repent vs. That horse is not a horse of price and value that gallopeth not but when hee is spurred and hee who serueth God with an ill will is of no reckoning It is many times a greater fault to omit that thou oughtest to doe then to doe that which thou oughtest to omit There are three sorts that serue God the first serue him as slaues and they are those that are alwaies in Hell Others serue him as Hirelings and those haue regarde to nothing but to the rewarde of Heauen and are like those that work and trauel meerely for their profite and there are those that serue him more faithfullie who serue him as children out of meere loue A vertuous childe hath no regard vnto the goods of his Parents neither doth hee murmure at those blowes which for his reformation they giue vnto him but is respectiue of his duty and is seruiceable vnto them meerely out of affection so doe the children of God they serue him not out of expectancie of reward but from the strength of their loue A cup of fresh water that is giuen vnto the poore payeth a whole yeeres ransome in Purgatorie O great God it is no wonder if neither beasts Barbarians nor Indians doe know thee for they either haue no vnderstanding or doe liue in darknesse but I meruaile at thy children the Christians that they doe not acknowledge thee whose name and stampe they carrie For a Christian hath his appellation from Christ as the Bride beareth the name of the Bridegroome In the blessed baptisme God the Father taketh the soule for his daughter the sonne taketh it for his sister the holy Ghost for his Spouse and all the blessed Trinity for their Temple You doe so little reckon of Baptisme that when you approach to this Sacrament a man would say that you went to some May-game or dance for you talke in the Church and doe nothing but laugh vsing many other scandalous misdemeanments of this nature and do indeede any thing rather then conceiue of this Sacrament with reuerence S. Iohn did not runne into such an error but when he baptized our Lord hee baptized him in great feare and deuotion How great an ouersight is this in you thus to dis-esteeme the Sacraments that haue their institution from God himselfe and are the pillars on which this Church doth leaâ—â—e neither is there any Sacrament that hath not drawne blood from him Then Verrine set his foote vpon Belzebub and said Belzebub I doe adiure thee by the liuing God that if thou haue any thing to reply that what I haue now said is not true thou giue answere thereunto speake Belzebub whether that which I haue spoken be true or no. I doe further adiure thee by Lucifer that if thou canst take me tripping thou doe directly tell mee wherein I lye O cursed Belzebub thou canst not reply against me for I deliuer the truth and that by the appointment of God Thou art accursed and as wretched as my selfe speake wicked spirit if thou hast any thing to say Then Verrine began to cry All you here may obserue speaking to the Assembly that was there present he is my Prince but I doe not now acknowledge him to be so It is true Belzebub thou art my Prince but I here renounce any superiority which thou pretendest to haue ouer me I also renounce thee Lucifer and the authority of all the Diuels in Hell for wee are not powerfull to resist the Almightie You who take Lucifers part can reply nothing of any moment or importance neither haue you more force then a sort of Flies All this while did Verrine in contempt tread vpon Belzebub saying Thou proud Spirit and full of arrogancie as my selfe thou swellest art in the highth of pride I hope there is no offence done if that these proud creatures bee deiected and throughly dishattened Then Verrine said to Magdalene Magdalene the gate of Heauen is opened so is the gate of Hell and there men may enter in at full Carroche yea foure Caroches together may haue easie passage thither and all foure may enter in a front but the gate of Paradise is so narrow that few passe in thereat and much humiliation is expedient to enter in at the same Ouer this gate Obedience is seated and vnder it is Humilitie on the one side standeth Charitie on the other Hope and Perseuerance is the Porter that letteth in those that come thither Humilitie represents the birth of the Sonne of God and Obedience signifieth that the Sonne of God hath humbled himselfe from his birth vntill the time of his death Sinne is more vgly and deformed then the Diuell If a man-had a conuenient house of his owne and a reasonable competencie wherewith to liue and yet without cause should giue and cast himselfe into the hands of Turkes and should from them receiue hard vsage and entertainement if such a one should plaine himselfe men would say vnto him Friend you were not well aduised you liued well in your owne house and who is cause of this calamitie but your selfe I say there is no man that would compassionate such a fellow Euen so euery man hath somewhat whereby hee is enabled to make opposition against the world prouided that hee haue the grace of God but if he will sinne and inuassall himselfe to the Diuell who will pitty his case He is disabled in his braine that enioyeth libertie and doth voluntarily render himselfe vp to slauerie Then hee confirmed this speech with a solemne oath and after said to what vse and purpose are wholesome waters if there be none to drinke of them you must frequent the Sacraments that you may make your profit and aduantage of them Magdalene the iudgements of God are not to bee squared by the iudgements of men you are to stoope and abase your selues in this world if you will ascend to that which is to come This which I haue spoken Magdalene was neuer hammered in the shop of Hell The Diuels haue at sundry times preached and broached diuers curiosities to the preiudice and perdition of those that entertained the same but the things which I deliuer conduce to the amendment of mens
liues and conuersations The soules of men fall as thick into Hell as the Corne doth from the Mill. Men goe to Hell by thousands but they enter one by one into Heauen though it bee not alwaies so At times there haue gone to Heauen 10000. Martyrs in one day and 11000. Virgins in another day and many other arriue there after sundry manners according to the good pleasure of God The same day Verrine was asked why Magdalene was not yet endowed with vpright intention since she followed his instructions and the day before the conception had hartely renounced Satan To this hee answered that he is perfectly possessed with vpright intention that casteth no lustfull winke or glance of the eye on any creature yet a man might haue an honest heart although his intention doe fleete and wauer and might be as it were placed in the middle seazed vpon by neither party Then he said that he was not able to speake one word before another but as he receiued them from aboue so he spake them The Acts of the 18. of December THe same day as Father Francis one of the Order of S. Dominick did say Masse at the eleuation of the Chalice Verrine began to cry saying It is a truth that the body and blood and the whole humanitie and Diuinitie of our Lord all all is here present God is at this time contented to obey him that sayeth Masse This God who is so powerfull doth subiect himselfe to obedience yet you that are but lumpes of clay are so refractarie and rebellious that you labour to withdraw your obedience from so good a God obey him obey him After this when some would haue Louyse to communicate hee spake aloud and said goe and call mee hither Romillon this is to teach you obedience O Romillon thou must command me in the power of that blessed obedience and by the same power thou must command her to communicate Then he said communicate all you first Louyse shall be the last And before she did communicate Verrine began to say be well aduised how you goe to Confession there be many that goo to Confession and enquire after a Priest and desire the Priest to make their Confession for them saying Father tell me a little my sinnes for I haue forgot them What fooles are these doe they thinke that Priests are Gods and Prophets or that they know those sinnes which they haue neither seene nor committed I am verily of opinion that such as they should giue absoluâ—ion vnto the Priest because it accordeth with reason â—hat he that confesseth should receiue absolution There â—re others that will not sticke to commit many sinnes â—nd when they come to Confession they say why â—hould I confesse my sinnes to a Priest I thinke it very â—nfit to reueale all vnto such as they they are men and â—inners as we are But I would know of them why such â—inde of men should goe to Confession at all if they â—oe not subiect themselues vnto the authoritie of the Church The Church doth positiuely command and â—ay Thou art to confesse all thy sinnes at the least once a â—eere Then hee said Take good heede to your Conâ—ession it is a businesse of no small importance this I â—ffirme to my owne confusion and damnation but God â—lmightie doth force me thereunto Then hee swore â—hat this was true and that in confirmation thereof Loâ—yse should communicate without any contradiction â—r repugnancie an accident that neuer happened since â—ee came thither but onely once to strengthen and â—onfirme the disputation which hee had with the Miâ—ime Friar When Magdalene was about to reade the aboue â—entioned letter directed to the blessed Mother of God Belzebub began to resist and hinder the same whereupon Verrine stood vp and said take courage Magdalene perseuere and hold firme for God Magâ—alene beleeue mee Belzebub is almost disweaponed â—ake courage Magdalene and perseuere thou hast beâ—un well I assure thee Magdalene and will sweare it â—nto thee It is true I am the Sergeant sent by commission from â—ny King to execute that designe which he hath recomâ—ended vnto my charge much against my will but like â— Gally-slaue I am forced to obey him and am come with a rod and knocke at the doore of Magdalenes heart but I found it shut and all the windowes closed vp so that I knew not where to enter but was vpon the point of returning backe But God commanded mee that I should knock at the gate in good earnest and should get it opened I performed his pleasure and haue not varied from it a iot Yesterday I knocked and to day it was opened and then the stone which kept the doore fast was taken away It standeth with reason that hee who proueth rebellious should haue the most greeuous punishments inflicted vpon him This is true Magdalene perseuere perseuere Magdalene for thy God is come to dwell with thee God herein resembleth a King who sendeth his Sergeant at Armes to see his Commission executed When the Sergeant comes he saith Open doore for I come from the King then are they constrained to open vnto him and he casteth his staffe into the house and returneth to the King saying his Commission is executed The King maketh vse of a paltry Sergeant that is not worth a farthing for the performance of his seruices as if he were a man of value and estimation for the Kings authoritie hath no reference or dependencie vpon the Sergeantâ— so doth God make vse of me who am of no reckoning to be the instrument of things that are good and commendable Take courage Magdalene Thou hast indeede a great Inditement but take comfort Magdalene for Mary is thy Aduocate thy President Commissary and Solicitor euen as Monsieur du Vair being the first President is also the most sufficient Solicitor that is in the Parliament of Aix Cheere vp thy selfe Magdalene all are thy aduocates on high in the Parliament of Paradise It is true Magdalene thou hast but begun to day seriously and in good earnest to be conuerted at all other times thou wert newtrall and betwixt two neither against God nor for the Diuell but now thou dost reâ—olutely take armes against Belzebub This is true Magdalene this is true Then Belzebub began to bustle vp himselfe and said there is yet a time wherein shee may be had whereupon Verrine rose vp and tooke Belzebub rudely by the hand saying Thou lyest Belzebub thou hast no part or portion in Magdalene Beleeue it Magdalene thy sinnes are forgiuen thee it is most true and I will take my oath of it Then he sware vpon the Gospell that all which hee had deliuered was true saying I sweare by the liuing God by the power of the Father by the wisedome of the Sonne by the goodnesse of the holy Ghost for confirmation Magdalene of all the words which I haue spoken But doe not you thinke that I will leaue Magdalene thus there is
demand his patrimony to be giuen vnto him which when he had gotten from his father into his owne hands hee wasted all in riot and was at length driven to such necessitie and extreame penurie that he was forced to feed with hogges so fareth it with sinners God heapeth on them such plentie of his blessings that they are even glutted with the multitude of them yet when they have consumed all in the heighth of prodigalitie this gratious father embraceth them and taketh them vnto him if they will not adde wilfulnesse vnto their wast For if worldly fathers are so loving shall not God who hath created them bee much more gracious and good then they I grant said Leuiathan that there are many prodigall children but very few propose that first prodigall child for their imitation that like vnto him they may returne to God For when they have trifled and melted away all their goods and have fashioned themselves to take the impression of all manner of impieties yet doe they remaine in their obstinacie and are still nailed fast to whatsoever savoureth of malice and mischiefe and notwithstanding that God calleth vpon them by many inspirations yet are they resolved to reply vnto these his holy motions We will take our fill of all worldlie pleasures whatsoever it cost vs. It is true said Verrine but yet when God will he can worke good out of evill for otherwise he could not be Omnipotent It is no impotencie or imperfection that he is not able to sinne or lie it is rather an argument of his Omnipotencie and of his transcendent perfection We are both of vs Sargeants and doe both execute our commission though after a different manner for thou doest here fulfill the will of Lucifer but I doe accomplish the good pleasure of the Almightie Thou maiest thinke that I doe brave thee I tell thee still that wee are Sargeants sent as it were from two severall parties and doe the wil of them that sent vs and although we doe not both execute the same cōmand yet are we stil Sargeants So if two preach and both think they deliver truth as for exāple a Preacher of the Church and a Minister although the action of preaching be commō vnto them both yet doth it not proceed frō the same spirit because the Preacher of the Church vttereth the truth but the Minister hath his vnderstanding perverted by errors and doth interpret divers passages of the Scripture according to the giddines of his privatfancy and is so self-conceited for they have al of them a touch of curiosity that he doth imagine he is able to bound in the Omnipotencie of the Father the wisdome of the Son and the goodnes of the holy Ghost within the narrow limmets of his owne vnderstanding But such come far short and have their braine too much scantled to comprehend God his infinite perfections God is wise for he is Wisdome it self needeth not the advise either of Angels or men much lesse of divels I tel thee Leuiathan that I am but the bare reporter of these things and to effect this I doe thus trouble her that is possessed for except God did put in vse his authoritie and force which he hath over Divels he were not God I am of opinion that those who will not humble themselves might doe well to assault God and take his glorie from him and translate Lucifer from hell to seat him in Paradise It is a grosse errour to conceive that God is not more able to convert evill into good then the divell is to change good into evill I affirme that God is omnipotent and therfore may do al things and when he pleaseth to put his power in practise he can force the Divel as a Gally-slave as like vnto a Iudge can make the malefactor to tremble before him and can compell him to accomplish his will when it seemeth good vnto him They that do not beleeve this are accursed want the first article of their Creede which faith that God is almighty I submit my selfe to these things because God himself obeyed his Executioners when they nailed him to the crosse The Saints whēthey were lead to the place of their Martyrdome obeyed the will of their executioners and yet thereby they did not intend any glory either to the hangman or to the Divell no more then did our Lord vnto whom the vertue of obedience is most pleasing and acceptable whereof I will now speake I resisted as much as I could and said vnto our Lord no I will not deliver this truth hee told me thou shalt be inforced thereunto I answered No no they have bookes enough that doe plentifully declare this argument but hee constrained me so that I must now begin with the vertue of obedience Then Verrine began to say What say you now to this point learned Doctor speaking to Leuiathan Thou art the Doctor of the Hereticks come and deliver your opinion And thou Belzebub thou art that proud one and doest fill men with curiositie and cocker them vp in their arrogancie And thou Balbarith thou art hee that saiest Hee that loveth God will have him often in his mouth and by this meanes makest mē to fort weare God And thou Asmodee thou art he who doest corrupt youth with thy loose speeches and lascivious lookes And thou Astaroth thou art he who assaultest men with idlenesse especially you that are Religious persons and thou Carrean thou hardnest mens hearts and thinkest to gaine all before thee knowest thou not that with one poore word with a Fiat he can doe whatsoever seemeth good vnto him doest thou not know that he is able to raise the dead I tell thee it is very easie for him to doe it witnesse the daughter of the chiefe Ruler of the Synagogue when he tooke her by the hand and bad her rise which signifieth vnto vs that a sinne committed in thought and only knowne vnto God and onely hurtfull vnto the soule alone of him that doth commit the same is easilie pardoned There are three sorts of dead men as there are three sorts of sinnes For there is the child of Naym the widow whom they carried out to be buried thereby intimating vnto vs that there are some who are dead in vaine speaches and they are carried out of the citie that is they flow from the soule into the mouth and are there vttered and the offence thereof commonly tendeth to the scandall of their neighbours This is represented vnto vs by that young man whom our Lord commanded to rise and gaue him to his mother Wherby hee gaue signification vnto sinners that when they have offended they are to be presented vnto their mother which is the Church as God commanded to bee done by the young man as you well know There are others that are dead in works who are for the most part those that dwell in their sinnes and remaine obstinate in them 20. 30. 40. 50. yeeres represented by
vp and swathed in his clours but you must warme him with the milde heate of perfect deuotion which is a permanent and standing seruency of the blessed spirit He also spake many other things to wit that those that were most humble are most high in Paradise as Christ Iesus and Mary doe well exemplifie vnto vs that loue allayeth and extenuateth labour for the Diuels failing in the point of loue are more grieued and extremely cruciated in saying an Aue Maria then in suffering the torments of ten thousand yeeres in hell It standeth also with reason said hee that if Princes bee forced vnto obedience the inferiour seruants doe not stand out in defiance Hee further said that if a man could but see the soule that standeth in the state of grace and haue a full view of the totall beauty thereof he would sinke downe and die for ioy and admiration thinking that he beheld the glorious Deity but this is a request not fit to be demanded If thy body complaine of thy hard vsage say vnto thy soule Soule thou must not groane and sinke vnder this burthen take notice of thy owne worth how thou art created to sway and haue dominion be thankfull therefore vnto him that hath framed thee God is not like vnto men for a man doth many times omit to doe a good turne to him that hath deserued it from him and is ingratefull for those benefits which hee hath receiued but your God foresaw the ingratitude of men and heard with his eares their sinnes that cried loud for vengeance yet for all this his resolution was firme to giue his Sonne vnto you Your Redeemer was borne at midnight receiue him in to you your body is the stable your soule the cratch to entertaine him and although hee bee a King yet doth hee not disdaine so meane a place as a stable There is no man therefore that can excuse himselfe You are to warme this little child and doe not say I haue no fier to warme him by for the holy Ghost is a burning furnace and will let you haue fier enough if you will but lend him fuell that is to say your sinnes whom hee will cast and consume in the neuer-dying flames of his loue After all these and many other discourses in a great rage and violent agitation hee made this abiuration as followeth I Verrine in the name of all Magicians of both sexes forcerers and forceresses doe renounce and disclaime all the abiurations which they haue made against the power of the Father the wisedome of the Sonne and the goodnesse of the holy Ghost I do further renounce all the abiurations by which they haue disclaimed and forsaken the blessed Virgin all the Angels and all the Saints in Paradise I also renounce all their abominable impieties through which they haue made choice of hell for their eternall habitation and haue told God that they did not regard his inspirations and graces but desired an euerlasting sequestration from him and his Angels Then in the name and right of all Hell hee cried I disclaime all donations and schedules which they haue made vnto the Diuell Afterwards he said Beleeue me God is so powerfull that hee is able to cause the Diuels to bring together in this Church the bodies of all Sorcerers and witches that they may heare their sentence and iudgement pronounced against them I speake in generall not in particular Then he added that therefore God would not vse the ministerie of an Angell because if hee should come inuisibly men would say that hee was a Diuell but if hee should appeare in the forme of a man they would say This is but a man and would not regard his message God herein resembleth a King who hauing many Princes subiects and seruants waiting on him taketh one of a more ordinary and cheape condition to bee employed in his ambassage and this hee doth not so much to honour this seruant of his but rather to manifest and magnifie his greatnesse for he needeth not the countenance or authority of his Ambassadour because all the power and splendour where withall hee goeth is deriued vnto him from the King So God would not chuse any Prince or great subiect of his Court but was pleased to serue his turne with the most sordide and base slaues hee could thinke vpon who are the Diuels not thereby to honour them with the same of his employments but to publish the more his greatnesse and absolute command vnto to the world For God compelleth the diuell to bee the instrument of effecting his will and giueth him authority to bring that to passe which hee shall adiudge fit to his greater glory and to the vtter confusion of all hell Hence it ariseth that God is pleased to make experience of a new remedy for the conuersion of soules and for the more ample expression of his bounty When Verrine bad done Gresill his companion made the like abiuration as afore-said that was also made by the mouth of Louyse whom he possessed After him the third Diuell that was in the same body and was called Sonneillon made his renunciation like vnto the former and added that when the Magicians and witches were there present they were mightily dismayed to see and heare these things and that this would turne either to their greater condemnation or else to their conuersion if they would apply their wills thereunto Then did they all three confirme that which they had auowed by a solemne oath and added that something or other they were to discourse of at the celebration of euery Masse At the morning Masse the Dominican father began to exorcise and Verrine spake in this manner Man is the head and chiefe of his family it is a thing vnsightly and full of indecency that the gouernment should bee put into the hands of a woman for women are to bee subiect vnto their husbands It therefore is proper vnto the head to gouerne and vnto the master to command the soule is the head the body but the woman the soule is the mistrisse and the body but the chambermaid yet doth the body euer grudge and grumble against the soule saying Why doe we disquiet our selues with this early rising we should now take our repose and make vse of the creatures for our pleasures and contentments while wee haue time to doe it and in the declination and setting of our age wee may haue leisure enough to thinke of our conuersion If the mistrisse bee discreet and well aduised shee will keepe this chambermaid no longer that taketh thus vpon her to prescribe and giue directions but will turne her out of her house Thus ought the soule to demeane it selfe towards the body when it complaineth and ought to say Flesh thou art but the chambermaid and not the mistrisse it is thy duty to serue not to command I tell thee if thou wilt eate hereafter with me of those choice and rare delicacies whose plenty knoweth no satiety thou
thou the master of Pride and doest thou now slinke away in this sort Thou art he that doest suggest vnto the Nobility What sir will you yeeld to him you are noble and of an ancient stock why will you abase your selfe before a fellow of such cheapenesse You must not doe it it doth detract from your nobility Miserable Belzebub was it not thou that wouldest haue throwne God from his seate of Maiesty How art thou now abased hauing nothing to reply and being swallowed vp in shame and confusion And thou Leuiathan the Arch-Doctor of Hereticks art thou not hee that bestowest vpon them the apparance and shew of light But thy light is nothing else but darknesse for no man can giue that which hee hath not Thou bringest an itch vpon the curious to dispute of this place and of that place of Scripture because it is not interpreted as it ought to bee and seing them to bee proud beyond measure thou diddest by this course hinder them from humbling themselues I tell thee that the proud and curious shall not enter into Paradise vnlesse they become humble and lay aside their curiosity What answerest thou vnto this thou art a iolly doctor and very pregnant in replyes but I see thou hast litle to say for thy selfe and giuest sufficient proofe of thy insufficiency There bee heere very able men that would gladly heare thee argue but it appeareth that thou art confounded as much as thy companion And thou Balberith that doest secreetly whisper in the eares of Gentle-men and doest tell them that what they loue in their hart they should ofteÌ„times vse in their mouth and by this meanes thou makest them to deny and foresweare God from the head to the soale of the foote Thou doest also suggest vnto them what sir doe you not meane to defend your reputation Can you endure such an affront Remember such and such speaches and how he thus and thus belyed you hee is a base fellow and in an vnder-ranke vnto you I tel you you must reuenge yourselfe vpon him and call him into single combate Thus though they be forbidden by God excommunicated by the Church and prohibited by the Kings Edicts yet are they transported beyond their temper and reason and doe desire nothing but to come to blowes neither lyeth it in the power of man to giue preuention vnto these mischances Then Verrine iested at Asmodee and said and thou accursed fiend doest perswade yong folke that it is no sinne to offend God and so doest spread a vaile over their eies that they cannot haue the light to bee their guide but are forced to stumble in the darke And thou Astaroth master of the slouthfull be thou their speaker defend thy cause for thou art a powerfull Prince and doest excuse no man Kings and Clergy men are allured by thy blandishments and thou hast accesse euery-where euen when the gates and windowes of mens hearts are locked vp And thou Carreau art he that maintainest that Lazarus could not be raised vp to life by Lazarus meaning the obstinate sinner but I doe hold it as a truth that he may bee raised againe not of himselfe but by the assistance of the Church and of God who said Lazare veniforas and so commanded the stone to be taken away Hee it is that is able without paine vnto him to doe whatsoeuer seemeth pleasing in his sight I affirme that God is able to take away the stone from the heart of an vnrepenting sinner but hee must confesse himselfe receiue absolution from the Priest according vnto that authority which God hath giuen vnto his Church and in this manner is the dead raised vp to life Then he said hee that wants charity is not truely noble for true nobility commeth from aboue All the Citizens of heauen did reioyce at the birth of the Sonne of God neither is there any difference there put betweene the soule of a King and of a begger if it stand in the state of grace Vnto you a child is borne and to you a son is giuen he is both a King a Iudge yet but litle in his natiuity that it might be published vnto all how tractable he is and how easie to be appeased euen with an apple The apple signifieth the soule with the three powers thereof the Memory pointeth out vnto vs the Father the Vnderstanding the Son and the Will the holy Ghost Dâ—dicate and bequeath your thoughts your desires and your workes to this Childe whereby you shall also offer vp vnto him the odour sweetnesse and bewty of this apple this is the present that will appease and still him and for this cause was hee made contemptible that you might bee bold to tender the same vnto him He is co-eternal with his Father which Marie and none but shee did at the first vnderstand yet had he not where to lay his head giue therefore now vnto him the stone of your heart that hee may make a pillow of the same whereupon to repose himselfe If the deceased King of glorious memory should haue giuen his Sonne the Dauphin vnto you it is to be conceiued that you would haue receiued him with great ioy and applause the celestiall Father hath giuen vnto you the Dauphin of heauen equall to himselfe in Maiesty the Kings of the East came from a farre to seeke after him and to worship him and doth it not become you to adore him in like manner The time is at hand that God will fill the voide seates of heauen that great day of the Lord approacheth wherein hee will place you in Paradise for euermore Then Verrine said I Verrine doe renounce c. as is before mentioned at midnight Masse After that he inuited againe all creatures to praise God for his vnexpresseable bounty and infinite mercy as is afore written When he had finished his abiurations Gresill followed with the like and last of all Sonneillon did the same who further added Almighty God mai'st thou be pleased to create a thousand hells anew for all those that will not be conuerted giue vnto them a thousand liues and as many as there bee starres in the firmament for all this is very possible vnto thee that they may suffer as many seuerall deaths as they had seueral liues bestowed vpon them The same day in the euening the two possessed women were exorcised by Father Francis Billet Priest of the Doctrine and Verrine began to discourse thus The heate of hell is not more vnsupportable vnto mee then are thy Exorcismes and would God I had beene dease when I was first exorcised Then he said Belzebub thou tormentest Magdalene yet let it not trouble thee Magdalene for it is now our custome to doe thus because wee were guided neither by reason nor counsell The Exorcist said vnto him Recede maledicte who answered him in latine Non est tempus And when the Exorcist said Angeli decantanerunt Gloria Verrine spake these
for your credits sake to bring backe the Magician and to giue out that hee is a holy and innocent man retire your selues retire your selues you shall see the end The silke-worme doth but now begin to weaue the materials but the tapistry that must bee made thereof is not yet finished The Acts of the 15. and 16. of Ianuary being Saturday and Sunday VPon the Saturday which was the day wherein the friends and fauourers of Lewes did lead him to Marseille that hee might there iustifie and cleere himselfe all was in an vprore at Saint Baume Verrine did nothing but cry as loud as Louyses forces would permit that the Prince of Magicians was like to bee declared guiltlesse saying O my Lord of Marseille why haue you licensed these men to carry Lewes away with them you do not rightly vnderstand the businesse but do offend through ignorance There were also many men on this day tempted to distemperatnesse and much impatiency for the Deuill had been sowing his tares amongst those that were at S. Baume although through the prouidence and grace of God they were quickly choaked The Sunday morning Belzebub spake not except when the Exorcist did reckon vp all the parts and members of her that was possessed saying A capite a collo ab oculis a naribus ab arterys a pulmone a spatulis a corde c. Whereupon Belzebub said expressing a sensible gesture in euery part of the body iust when it came to bee named as stamping with the feete when they were named and lifting vp the knees when they were pronounced and so of the rest There are charmes in euery part of her he that wanteth any let him come to Palud for shee hath them in abundance At the same Exorcisme Verrine cryed and tooke on very terribly when the Exorcist set his hand on Louyses head saying take of this hand which hee repeated diuers times you should torture rebels such as Belzebub is and not mee And added I onely am tormented and not my two companions Gresill and Sonneillon Being exorcised and adiured to speake why he was tormented he said that the last night he was exceedingly importuned by Lucifer to take his part which hee had promised to do He had also tempted Louyse to pray no more for Magdalene and had made her fall into a mortall sinne by procuring her consent hee also had made Louyse to say that one of the fathers was a proud fellow and shee had deceiued her Confessour with a confession which himselfe counterfeited and was not made by Louyse for all which delinquencies said hee Dominicke my aduersary hath procured from God that I should receiue due chastisement Being commanded by Exorcismes to sweare as abouesaid hee answered with all my heart I will take mine oath for Dominicke hath also obtained this fauour from God Then the Exorcist commanded him to put both his hands vpon the words of the consecration of the Chalice and presented vnto him the Canon of the Masse in folio Louyse who was altogether vnlearned did neuerthelesse put both her hands vpon the said wordes Then did the Exorcist command him againe to put them vpon the second prayer which the Preist had said before the Communion which he accordingly did and withall added what art thou yet satisfied and so beginning his oath he said I sweare vnto thee by the power of the Father by the wisedome of the Sonne and by the goodnesse of the holy Ghost according to the intention of the Church triumphant militant and according to thy meaning and the meaning of all these heere without reseruation of any sinister intention whatsoeuer that what I haue now said is true to witt c. repeating that which hee had before deliuered The same day at the Euening Exorcismes Belzebub did shake Magdalene as hee was accustomed alwaies drawing backe her head when the Exorcist would make the signe of the Crosse and snatching the booke of Exorcismes out of the Exorcists hands he threw it to the ground and cryed get you gone and open the doore for Romillon for he would come in which indeed they found to be true Being asked which of them two was the greater and of most authority himselfe or Verrine hee answered It is a friuolous question and sauoureth of nothing but of impertinency and is not worth an answere When the Exorcist was naming all the parts of her body as is already declared mentioning the reines the Deuill did strangely shake and stirre the same saying That the day before Blanche a Witche of Marseille had laide a charme made of golde and siluer and other ingredients vpon Magdalen's reines and had cast another through a trunke vpon her eyes that vpon whomsoeuer Magdalene should looke he should appeare to her to be the Magician Lewes And Magdalen being at her good times questioned vpon the same confessed that it was the greatest torment vnto her that could be to haue that obiect and apparition of Lewes euer before her eyes when any one came in her sight although it were her Confessour or the Priest at Masse But this charme wrought not on her aboue 8. dayes through the assistance of God and by the efficacy of her frequent receiuing of the Communion which they ministred vnto her euery day for this is the soueraigne remedy to scape or to take away the force of charmes as the Deuils themselues in the vertue of Exorcismes would not sticke to confesse and did further affirme that the Priests which did celebrate the Communion euery day could not be charmed The same day Verrine said wee vnderstand and know God better then you but in loue vnto him I must confesse you do out-strippe vs but if you knew God as well as wee you would be fond of him We tempt euery body and albeit they thereby fall into mortall sinne yet are not wee punished for the same if we exceed not our limits or the expresse commandement of God intimated vnto vs by his Angels because it is in their owne choice whether they will sinne or no but we are sure to pay for it when we are the cause that they are exorcised and stirre vp rebellion in them and these paines are accidentall and do indure but for a season as for an hower or a day c. Being asked whether hee had borne the name of Verrine from the beginning he answered that the Deuils haue no names for they know one another perfectly well but they then take a name vpon them when they enter into a body and it is for distinctions sake they do also change their names as they please when as they enter into other bodies To conclude said hee I am a spirit of the aire and therefore lesse malicious then those that are lower in hell the most malicious of vs all is Lucifer who although hee be chained vp in hell yet hath he aduertisements from all the quarters of the Earth and commandeth and giueth directions vnto
saiest that I must go fetch the writings I go and there with all he issued out of her body very sensiblie In the meane season Magdalene renounced the Diuell and all writings made vnto him after her wonted manner Belzebub was obserued vpon his returne to bring the writings to the Magician requyring him to ratifie them a new for the farther hardning of her to be of the Diuels side and to resist the inspirations of God At the euening Exorcismes Belzebub continued to torment Magdalene and a litle after he said What wilt thou I can torment her no more for shee wanteth strength if shee had as much strength as the maide of Aix I would worke more powerfully vpon her and as we vnderstood it he talked to the Magician but in the meane time hee ceased not to torture her casting her somewhiles downe to the ground vpon her belly and sometimes againe vpon her back and that with great violence and after that hee tooke her three or foure times by the winde-pipe to choake her but by the strength of the prayers of those which were present and specially of those words Et verbum caro factum est he forsooke his hold After this Belzebub by the hand of the maide opened the yron doore of the holy house saying get in quickly we vnderstood thereby that he let in the Magician to ratifie as he had said the writings brought from Marseille and then issued forth as if hee had crept through the hole of the yron gate crying and saying within there it is too hote and they which abide there burne for the heate is too great to abide it any long time The acts of the 2. of February being Wednesday and the Purification of our Lady AT the morning Exorcisme Belzebub continued his wonted outrages laughing dancing and singing loue-songs thereby to prophane the holiday according to his wont yet did hee not torment Magdalene in that high degree as hee had done the dayes before saying that Lewes was then hindred from being present by reason that he heard diuers confessions at Marseille being taken vp with businesse there all the morning At the Euen-song as they were singing Magnificat and being come to that verset Deposuit potentes de sede he beganne to cry aloud and to grunt and shewed himselfe much moued as he had done to the former part of the Euen-song the day before yet all this day was Magdalene quiet Being demanded and adiured to tell whether or no we had inclosed the Magician when we shut the doore of the holy house the last night and opened it not afterwards he answered goe looke Being demanded whether he would sweare that he was not there he answered I wil neither sweare that he is there nor that hee is not there Being adiured with punishments imposed he answered he indeed entred but he came presently forth againe After this Magdalen fully renounced the Diuels and all the powers of hel imploring the mercy of Iesus Christ and calling vpon the Saints in manner as wee haue formerly declared The acts of the 3. of February being Thursday AT the morning Exorcisme Belzebub sharply tormented Magdalene as hee had done the dayes before Being demanded whether the Magician Lewes were shut into the holy house he answered he is so far from that that behold him there pointing with his finger to the middle of the Church he is there quoth hee with his liuetenant they entred indeed but fearing to be taken they made no stay but pronounced whiles they abode there these speeches I renounce God and ratifie the writinges made vnto Lucifer and all that I haue promised and sworne vnto him Being commanded to sweare vpon the third prayer of the Canon which the Priest saies after the Communion without any more adoe he laid his hand on the booke and swore with the conditions required adding farther I sweare that we will not goe forth hence till the Magician Lewes be either conuerted or dead for by this meanes God will root out al the Synagogue of Magicians and witches such is his will and so hee hath reuealed it vnto vs. Being demanded if hee would sweare by the words of the Consecration of the bloud hee presently put his hands vpon those words saying I Belzebub sweare in the name of the Father the Sonne and the holy Ghost that it is Gods pleasure we should not depart from the possession of this body vntill Lodouicus Prince of the Magicians be either conuerted or dead as well for the rooting out of his Synagogue as for the confusion of Lucifer and this I sweare according to your meaning and the intention of the Church triumphant and militant without any sinister reseruation whatsoeuer Being demanded whether the Magician knew the will of God in that behalfe or vnderstood what had then been sworne he answered laughing yes for hee is euen now here present but skornes all that hath been said affirming that hee will liue a Magician in despite of God The Exorcist being about to impose punishments on him why said he should you impose punishments on me since I obay you impose it on the Magician who would hinder mee from obeying and command him not to beat me for obeying and likewise command his liuetenant the same who beats mee in his absence and so it was done accordingly Being demanded how it came to passe that all yesterday Magdalene was quiet It was quoth hee because the Magician could not be present being taken vp in the morning it being the holiday of his Church with confessions and at night with the Priests of his Church but as for me God hath preuailed against me and Fortitude the good Angell of this Maide was the instrument of the victory The Acts of the fourth of February being Friday AT the Euening Exorcisme for at that in the Morning there was no new thing deliuered Belzebub was adiured to name the good Angell of father Friar Honore Lyon who was newly come thither turning towards him he said his good Angell is called Agilitie and quoth hee if thou wert so nimble to serue God and to obserue his Commandements thou wouldest be a braue fellow Being demanded wherefore that Euening hee committed so many outrages laughing and playing of tricks It is quoth he because this day which is Friday Lewes hath offered great iniurie to the Consecrated host in despight of Christs passion of which this day is a commemoration he farther added that all the Nunnes of Saint Vrsula should bee deliuered either from the Deuils which possessed them there being fiue of them possessed or from their inchantments but that Magdalene should not be deliuered till the whole processe of the Magician was ended but yet she should not be so tormented as now she was Being adiured to tell with whom he talked that afternoone for he answered some body and yet we perceaued not the voice of any that talked with him he replied that it was with Fortitudo the
of prison eight daies after he was committed but it was to bring him to the Palace there to confront him with Magdalene and afterwards to search for his markes The Acts of the 26. of February being Saturday ABout foure of the clock in the after-noone the Phisitians Founteine and Grassi together with Bâ—ntemps the Surgeon and Anatomist found againe the motion in the forenamed parts of Magdalens head as if it had been Frogs mouing in the inside but Belzebub being once departed out of her they found the beating of the braine to cease and to be in her as in other men And hauing felt her pulse in both armes and found that it beat equally without any alteration they thereupon concluded that the foresaid motion was not naturall but arysing rather from voluntary then naturall spirits At the same time Asmodeus the cheiftaine of Luxurie began to moue Magdalene to wanton and vnchast actions as hee had often done at S. Baume thereby to bring her to shame After this the said Phisitians and Surgeons caused her sometimes to walke and then to sit and to make repression of those motions as much as she could but she being then in her right senses answered that she could not by any meanes hinder it nor could they themselues withstand or remedy this same whence they inferred that by the course of nature this could not be It is obseruable that euery day during the holy Masse the Diuell assaulted her extremely in all the parts of her body and it was maruelous to the beholders to see that when shee had once receaued the holy Communion presently those motions ceased and there followed a great calme as well in her soule as in her body The same day one of the Diuels who called himselfe Carton cried and howled saying that hee was beaten and burned Being adiured to yeeld the reason why he onely answered it is that accursed Fortitude the good Angell of Magdalene which beats mee often repeating Accursed Fortitude let mee alone and this lasted by the space of an houre The acts of the 27. of February being Sunday FAther Francis Billet saying Masse and being come to his memento Belzebub cryed out foure times Why prayest thou for Magdalene And when Masse was ended the Priest assured vs that hee then prayed for her Afterward the Diuell would not suffer her to set her knee on the ground And as they forced her to doe it Belzebub said no it is not yet time but as soone as the Priest had ended the last words of the Consecration presently he made her kneele saying loe there After dinner the markes of the woman that was possessed were searched which shee had in her feet in her reines and right ouer against her heart and they were all found to be voyd of sense Then said Belzebub I laboured to make them sensible but God hath hindred me After this the Diuels put Magdalene to the rack very sorely by the space of a quarter of a houre in the presence of Monsieur Thoron Counsellor in the Court of Parliament and deputed for a commissioner in this businesse and Monsieur Garandeau Vicar generall vnto the most reuerend the Arch-bishop of Aix and also one of the deputed Commissioners there being withall present Thomassin the Aduocate generall in the Court of accompts and de Calas of the Kings Counsell in the Parliaments of Aix Concerning the foresaid markes it is worth the marking that Monsiour Simeonis an honest man and a wife well knowen in that Citty who managed all the affaires of the Arch-bishop told father Michaelis that after the markes were found vpon the Magician hee went to see him beeing of his acquaintance since his youth who in a familiar manner assured and told him I shall but mock the world in comming thither for I haue a spirit at my command who can free mee from all men liuing and couer my markes And hee demanding how they were then found The Magician answered Gods finger is in it The acts of the first of March being Tewsday untill Sunday FRom that day vntill the 15. of the same moneth during the holy Masse Belzebub began to make his renouncements in behalfe of the Magician as Lewes had giuen him comission to do thereby to assure his obstinacy and fastnesse to him But hauing in charge to do it inwardly God intended to manifest his malice by the ministery of Fortitude and therefore caused them to make them outwardly with as loud a voice as the maide could cry in so much as it was doubted least shee had broken a vaine terrifying all the beholders and driuing away some who were the more fearefull He cryed saying I renounce Paradise in the behalfe of Lewes Gaufridy I renounce the Trinity the Father the Sonne and the holy Ghost in the behalfe of Lewes Gaufridy I renounce the Eucharist all holy Inspirations all the members of Iesus Christ naming them all from the head to the feet and particularly renouncing euery particular member all the Masses and Prayers which were said for him and any thing that might serue as a meanes for his saluation After this hee added I renounce the Virgin Mary I renounce Michael Gabriel Raphael Vriel Fortitude and all the Quiers of Angels Peter and all the Apostles Lawrence and all the Martyrs Gregory and all the Doctours Lazarus and all the Bishops Dominique and Francis with all the Confessours and Votaries Mary Magdalene and all Penitents Martha and all Virgins all Instructions and Sermons adding to euery one In the behalfe of Lewes Lastly hee concluded with the Masses of Michaelis Romillon Francis Billet and Anthony Boilletot And when the Chalice was eleuated hee cryed out sundry tymes Lord I renounce thee and thy bloud and let the bloud of the Iust one fall vpon me in the behalfe of Lewes Gaufridy There was at that present an Heretick walking in the hall which ioynes vpon the Chapell of the Palace whom his brother being a Catholike had brought thither to beholde these strange sights but hee durst not enter the Chapell Then Belzebub cryed make that Heretick come in whereat the by-standers were much astonished Then said the brother of the Heretick who was there present he speakes truth for my brother who is an Heretick walkes in the hall Thus continued he all the dayes following during which time the Magician Lewes was brought to the Chappel to the end he might vnderstand the renouncements which Belzebub made on his behalfe And as Lewes beheld Magdalene thus tormented of the Diuel Belzebub turning himselfe towards him said Come hither my friend and see if I doe not torment her as much as thou desirest At this passage was present Monsieur Thoron Counsellour of the Court of Parliament and Commissioner in this businesse with diuers others This hapened on Saturday after Masse The same Saturday after dinner the Magician was againe brought to speake with Magdalene face to face who still
maintained stoutly and stifly all that shee had before deliuered against him This done at euening hee was visited by the three Physitians Founteine Merindol and Crassy and two Chirurgeons Bontemps and Pronet and hauing stripped him in the presence of Thoron and Garandeau the forenamed Commissioners they found him in a shamefull and odious fashion whereat they were ashamed themselues and turned their faces aside Afterwards being blindfolded they searched him with needles and when they touched the sensible parts hee cryed saying You hurt mee and when hee cryed not they thurst in the needle vp to the head without any appearance of sense By which meanes they found vpon his body three markes where-upon hauing his eies vnmufled and being re-apparelled hee thought that they had found no markes on his body and so returned very merry to the prison but two dayes after being aduertised of the relation which the forenamed Phisitions and Surgeons had made he was much dismaid at it and would needs moue a question whether the Diuell had power to marke a Christian without his consent Then said father Michaelis to Monsieur Thoron if this man were in Auignion he should be burnt to morrow next for such markes doe plainely conuince him and they are neuer found but vpon Magicians For God permitteth not that his children who are members of the mysticall body of Iesus Christ should beare the marke of his enemie but hee markes them inwardly by the holy Ghost and the character of Baptisme and outwardly in the forehead by the chrisme and the signe of the Crosse and by this marke hee distinguisheth the elect from the reprobate in the 7. of the Reuelation And as it is said in the same booke he will not suffer his elect to carry the marke of the beast some being willing to dispute vpon the point alleaged that God permitted Satan to strike Iob in all his bodie To which the said father answered there is great difference betwixt a blow or a stripe and a marke the blow is giuen for correction the marke in token of subiection the slaues of Turkie carry their masters marke in their forehead burnt with an hoat yron but it is another matter when their masters whip them till the bloud come S. Antony and other holy men haue beene beaten by Diuels as Iob was but you shall neuer finde that the Diuell stamped markes vpon their bodies the stripes cease but the markes remaine and if that could be the Diuell would marke the Pope himselfe and all the Iudges and who is that father of a family who would suffer his sheepe or bull to carry another mans marke and so the question was at an end The selfe same Saterday at the confronting of the one against the other Magdalene said vnto the Magician Thou canst not deny foure things first thou canst not but remember how thou diddest abuse my body and take away my virginity at my fathers house in Marseille Secondly how thou diddest lead me to the Synagogue and with thine owne hand diddest baptise me in the name of the Diuell and anoynt me with their execrable Chrisome causing me to renounce God and my portion in Paradise and to make all other renounciations which they vse to doe in Synagogues Thou diddest also stampe the Diuels markes vpon me which I still carry in my body Thirdly thou hast giuen me an Agnus Dei and a peach charmed Fourthly how thou hast sent the Diuels vnto mee which doe now possesse mee because I would enter into the order of S. Vrsula To these accusations Lewes the Magician made answere that they were all false and that hee would take his oath in the name of God the Virgin and S. Iohn Baptist that it was most maliciously vntrue Then said Magdalene I vnderstand you well This is the oath of the Synagogue where by God the Father you meane Lucifer by the Sonne Belzebub by the holy Ghost Leuiâ—ithan O damned villaine By the Mother of God thou meanest the mother of Antichrist and thou callest the Deuill who is the forerunner of Antichrist Saint Iohn Baptist. Whereupon the said Magician remained much confounded And for the more ample demonstration of his villany It is to be noted that in an Exorcisme performed at Saint Baume within the holy Penitence Belzebub said that this Magician was more swolne with rancor and malice against Christ Iesus then themselues were for they did abhorre and hold in detestation the more then deuellish inuentions which hee daily deuised hee also made certaine accursed memorialls to helpe the remembrance of those that were in the Synagogue that they might more abundantly and readily blaspheme and do villany to Christ Iesus especially during the time that he liued vpon the Earth But said he he hath cousened himselfe for we haue deceaued him in the schedule which he hath made vnto vs wherein it is couenanted that after the tearme of 24. yeares he was to be ours and we were to carry him away body and soule but wee haue so cunningly changed the number of yeares that there are but two yeares remaining It is 14. yeares agoe since he was first a Magician and now we haue reduced the schedule to sixteene yeares It is to be obserued that Magdalene did vpon this occasion tell vs that she had vnderstood by him that at the first he was but a sorcerer but the Synagogue seeing that he had a practicke head and did performe the deuillish acts that were enioyned him to their content and liking as also because he was a great inuenter of new dâ—uiceâ— thereby to aduance the kingdome of Sathan they made him a Magician and at last they made choice of him for their Prince In the whole course and current of the Magicians obstinacie we haue obserued that as the true Christian hath a true sympathie with the hart of Christ Iesus and therefore his heart is humble charitable patient c. So the Magicians haue in their heart a participation of the obstinacy of Lucifer vnto whom they haue dedicated themselues but this is not by any infusion for that were impossible but by adhering and consenting to the ceaslesse batteries and temptations of the Deuill by which they are endarkned and remooued from the beame of grace The Acts of the 6. of March being Sunday AS well at the Exorcismes as at all the Masses which were said this day in the Chapel of the Archbishops Palace Belzebub did not cease to make diuers renunciations in the name and behalfe of Lewes Gaufridy as wee haue formerly noted vpon the first of March but now he vsed more vehemency and cryed so lowde that Magdalene grew hoarse so that her words could hardly be vnderstood yet did the Deuill still go on with that impeatuous course of speaking The same day Belzebub made recitall of the conference he had with Lewes in prison after that hee was searched whether he had any markes vpon him or no saying vnto him if thy markes be found
he speaketh not absolutely but addeth that for his part he is of this opinion Hanc opinor dilecti carnis suae substantiam phantastieam assumet organi vice It may therefore well bee that all these things were reuealed vnto him by the Disciples of the Apostles saying that at the end of the world the Prince of Deuils shall shew him selfe vnto men in a humane forme and shall speake vnto them as one man doth vnto another that hee may with the more ease seduce them and that there shall be a great number of other Diuels with him in the like formes But the good Father doth from himselfe conclude that such a one Antichrist should be and therefore addeth the word opinor And this is not onely probable but necessary to excuse so great a personage who further addeth that there shall be at the end of the world many wicked Spirits in the shape of men Daemones inquit congregabit humana specie And this in effect the same which Sorcerers doe depose that there are a great company of Diuels in their assemblies and both men and women haue euery one a Diuell to commit abomination with them S. Augustine out of the obseruation which hee tooke from the Scripture that saith that in the last three yeeres wherein Antichrist shall raigne all power shall bee giuen vnto the Diuell asketh this question whether those fathers that are Christians shall then bee able to procure their children to bee baptised and shall haue power to resist the incursions of the Diuels who at that tyme will bee euery where busied Tertullian saith that Diuels haue no naturall impeachment to hinder them from entering into any place whereunto they haue a fancy because God hath not circumscribed or limited their nature to any place and therefore saith he it is an vndenyable truth that Diuels may not onely enter into mens houses but euen into their very cabinets Nemo inquit dubitauerit domos quoque daemonijs paetere nec tantum in aditis sed in cubiculis homines imaginibus circumâ—enire He addeth the reason Vtique non clausa vis est nec sacrariorum circumscribitur terminis vaga peruolatica interim libera est From whence S. Augustine draweth this conclusion that because the Diuels shall in those daies bee vnbound they shall bee able to goe in and out where they please yet are wee not to vnderstand this as though they could be at one tyme in diuers places as Iustin Martyr well declareth in his 40. question Now wee are witnesses of the beginning hereof by their frequent appearing vnto those whom they abuse and in whose behalfe they effect some things which are in themselues meerely diabolicall and as S. Paul saith of the schollers of Simon Magus and others of the same condition Qui nunc operatur in filios diffidentiae To conclude the Diuell may take vnto himselfe a body made of aire and may shape it after what forme and figure hee will and clap it about him as a garment vnlesse hee be expresly forbidden by the diuine prouidence as wee haue formerly vnfolded And this is the resolution of S. Thomas who next to Augustine doth thus affirme it Potest formare corpus ex aëre cuiuscunque formae figurae vt illud assumens in eo visibiliter appareat P.P.Q. 114. art 4. ad 2. Cardinal Caietan in his Comment vpon S. Thomas doth obserue that when a wicked Spirit is so hardy or else hath permission to shew himselfe visibly vnto a man it is an argument that such a one is either forsaken of God and hath one foote in hell already or that he is a man of an extraordinary holinesse and God permitteth it to the confusion of Satan as appeareth by Christ Iesus in the wildernesse THE SECOND ANNOTATION Whether the Diuell can make men renounce God and their Baptisme DEum rerum omnium creatorem opificem vnum trinum abnegastis c. infra Et sacratissimo Baptismati c. It is an ordinary practise of the Diuell to labour and perswade men to deny their God Venit Diabolus saith Christ Iesus tollit verbum de corde eorum ne credentes salui fiant He is the authour of al the heresies that euer were in the world and amongst other inuentions he brought in the plurality of Gods and to that end he stirred vp diuers agents of his as Basilides Carpocrates and others Hee it was that made the Arrians deny the sacred Trinity and perswadeth Atheists that there is no God all which hee practiseth that hee may by vsurpation inuade the glory of God for he stil holds him to his first pretension when hee said in his heart I will be like vnto the Highest Therefore S. Augustine doth well obserue that the greatest ambition which the Diuell hath is that men should performe vnto him those honours which they are accustomed to offer vnto God Daemones inquit diuinis honoribus gaudent And this hee can by no meanes wrest and extort from Christians vnlesse they do first deny the Trinity of persons because the very beleefe of the blessed Trinity is of sufficiency enough to giue stop vnto all Idolatry for by it we beleeue an vnitie in trinitie and a trinitie in vnitie which when wee once comprehend it cannot be fastned vpon our beleef to worship or acknowledge any thing for God except the Father the Sonne and the holy Ghost for our faith is limited to these three persons and therefore excludeth all other things whatsoeuer in regard that they are as much inferiour and subordinate vnto these three persons as the creature is vnto the Creator And therefore Basilides and others of his likenesse must first haue â—ost all beleefe of the blessed Trinity beefore they could giue admittance vnto this plurality of Gods The like may be said of the Arrians and Sabellians who denyed the three persons in vnity of essence and trinity of persons Hence it ariseth that neither the Diuell nor any other creature whatsoeuer can be worshipped by a Christian vnlesse hee first abandon the faith which he hath of the blessed Trinity So that it is no wonder if the Diuell doth first exact this of Christians in his Synagogue for if hee should doe otherwise hee could haue no colour to passe further Whereupon wee may obserue that there can scarce an heresie bee found if a man search narrowly vnto the same which hath retained the full and intire beleefe of the Trinity This we see daily practized by the Sabellians of our time who misconceiue of the distinction of persons and haue opened a gap to the Trinitarians of this age to mock and make a ieast of the blessed Trinity as if it were a Chimera or a conceite framed and feined in the braine of man In like manner it followeth of necessity that they must renounce their Baptisme also which is administred in the name of the blessed Trinity S. Hippolytus a very
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
then is the action said to be the mans and not the Spirits because a voluntary action proceeding from free-will is an action appertaining to a man When it is said that a Spirit did aske of God to bee a Spirit of lies in the mouths of the Prophets of Achab although this lying spirit did speake by the mouth of Zedekias and other false Prophets yet the action of prophesying falsly is attributed to Zedechias and his companions In like manner when the wicked Spirit came to Saul and made him throw his speare at Dauid â—his action is Sauls and not the wicked Spirits because Saul did consent and worke with him So when the good Angell came vpon Sampson by whose force and â—ower he slew a thousand Philistins with the iaw-bone of an asse the Scripture doth appropriate this victoriâ—us action vnto Sampson holding the iaw-bone in his â—and When the same good spirit made Elizabeth to declare the praises of the Virgin the Gospel doth make the action to be blessed Elizabeths exclamauit dixit The same may be said of S. Iohn Baptist who leapt for â—oy in his mothers belly because he did co-operate and â—eeld his consent thereunto by his precedent free-will â—s many of the fathers haue obserued In the same sense â—oth Saint Augustine and others interprete that senâ—ence of S. Paul Spiritus postulat pro vobis gemitibus inâ—enarrabilibus postulare nos facit gemere For they are the actions of the man not of the holy Spirit but as he inspireth him And when it is said that God hardened Pharaohs heart the interpretation heereof is two fold First that it was God himselfe immediatly that did it by withdrawing his grace secondly that it was by Gods permission who suffered Satan to tempt him euen to obduratnesse of heart without controule or hindrance Howsoeuer it bee all the euill actions of Pharaoh that proceeded from this hardnesse of heart and euen that too are attributed to Pharaoh Indurauit Pharaoh cor suum saith the Scripture and the reason heereof is because he delighted and gaue his consent vnto this hardnesse of heart Thus fared it with the Diuell that possessed Louyse when God by his absolute power as the Diuell himselfe said and often repeated that it was a very great miracle constrained the Diuell to mooâ—e the tongue of Louyse and to imprint in her imagination all which she should say Louyse giuing her consent vnto it out of a longing shee had to conuert the Magician and Magdalene All these prayers were the actions of Louyse and not of the Diuell but as an inftigatour Peraduenture God would haue it so to demonstrate the more how greeuous the offence of the said Magdalene was shee at that time sending forth hideous yell's and cries with all the force she had for the space of an houre till shee had lost her voyce as also to shew how much prayer and merit must be imployed in the conuersion of a miserable man so farre banished from the presence of God And although the wicked Spirit did sometimes speake by Parenthesis in his owne person to declare that he was the author and moouer of this discourse yet this lets not but that those other actions might bee humane shee working with them and not these Parentheses And as wee haue noted vpon the passage in the 292. page the act of the second of Ianuary and the 275. page in the act of the 29. of December she afterward said that she did labour and consent vnto all those prayers as if it had proceeded from her owne proper and first motion Which being so there is no doubt but she might present the oblation of Iesus Christ to God his Father as all Christians that are present at Masse do or ought to doe Pro quibus tibi offerimus vel qui tibi offerunt hoc sacrificium laudis pro se suisque omnibus c. Heereunto I adde that of S. Thomas cited before in our Epistle who saith that when a young man is tempted by the Diuell to enter into the orders of religion who hopes by this meanes either to ouerthrow him or by him to spoyle others and that this young man doth then pray to God to giue him grace to bee receiued this action is meritorious and good as being a humane action proceeding from a good intention although the Diuell bee the author thereof And if when the Diuell straineth to put his first designe in execution hee doe yet resist him then gaineth hee a double conquest vpon his enemy The same may bee said of all other good workes as giuing of Almes or hearing the word of God Actiones sunt suppositorum THE X. DOVBT The Diuell saith that God promised him a diminution of his paines ANSWERE THe essentiall torment of the Diuels which is the depriuation of the sight of God and is the greatest of all others together with the punishment allotted vnto them from the beginning and proportionable vnâ—o their first sinne cannot bee subiect to augmentation or diminution as may those accidentall paines bee which are often written and mentioned in Exorcismes Augeo tibi poenas The doctours of Saint Ieromes time were of opinion that euill spirits haue new punishments â—nflicted on them as oft as they offended God these punishments are temporall as parallell heereunto there is an accidentall ioy in the good Angels at the conuersion of a sinner which is lost againe when hee â—eturneth and falles into a relapse but their essential ioy â—emaineth for euer Besides God at the last iudgement will augment their paines Vt quid venisti ante tempus â—orquere nos tradidit cruciandos in iudicium reserâ—ari although there should bee nothing else done vnto â—em then the shutting and penning of them vp in hel being now at more liberty in the aire And when a â—ood Angell binds a wicked Spirit as in Tobias and in â—e Reuelation then is his paine increased and when 〈◊〉 is loosed then is it diminished and taken away So â—all Lucifer be serued at the end of the world Soluetur athanas iam alligatus There is heere no doubt then if â—e attribute this vnto the vnlimited power of God by â—hich he is able to do all things and of this power doth 〈◊〉 Diuel expressely speake as we haue before obserued THE XI DOVBT There is a shew and semblance of ambition by reason certaine praises are bestowed in common and some giuen more particularly which might well be spared ANSWERE Touching this point there are two fortes of learned men which haue said their opinions of it The first being led by the direction of their knowledge answere candidely in three words which for this purpose are as good as a thousand It is a History The others not regarding their knowledge by which they might easily vnderstand that in the composure of a History the truth must be purely told and written and must neither wrappe vp in silence reprehensions nor praises
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
there are hundreds that burne their fingers for being too nimble and presumptuous and because they would make their priuate interpretations vpon the same which they vse to square by their owne iudgements and further hee prouideth for them other good wholesome foode to wit the liues of Saints and many miracles yet for all this they are euer squemish and cannot downe with these course cates Where lieth the fault it is because their palate is by some infirmitie and indisposition disseasoned for the meate remaineth good though the taste bee naughtely affected What doth this father then he doth loue his children so tenderly that hee enquireth after fresh and vnaccustomed delicacies by new and vnusuall miracles Like vnto the Spouse who loueth his wife so dearely that he is euer presenting her with some new token of his affection O Church reioyce now at thy husband Thou art that chast wife whom if any will follow hee must not walke in darknesse for the holie Ghost doth guide thee by his light and illumination I am not a whit abashed that the Caluinists make refusall of thee for they are exiled from the bosome of the Church and haue no light to vnderstand the truth but I wonder most that the children of this Church doe not make vse of the light of the Gospell Here now is nothing spoken either against God or his Church The same day in the euening the sister Louyse and the sister Magdalene were exorcised by Father Francis Billet Then Verrine turning himselfe toward Magdalene said Beware Magdalene Belzebub would cast thee downe headlong into despaire It is a good signe Magdalene He saith that thou shalt not be able to resist him but Magdalene hee lieth in saying so for thou hast more brothers in heauen then thou hast aduersaries in hell Take courage Magdalene one of thy brothers is able to doe more then all hell set together And speaking to Belzebub he said Ha wretched fiend thou doest tempt Magdalene and tell her that she shall be damned I say no Magdalene thou shalt be saued and I tell thee againe from the liuing God Magdalene thou shalt be saued He said againe to Lucifer In Hell I acknowledge thee for my superiour but in this body God hath made me thy Master It is not to bee wondred at if many men shall with difficultie bee induced to beleeue a matter altogether vnusuall A great sinner ought to vse great repentance thou shalt repent Magdalene and God shall giue thee life put thy confidence in him for he shall more helpe thee then all Hell can hurt thee God hath promised to heare the prayers of the iust a thousand Magdalene haue begged for thee mercie and grace and at the last haue found it for thee Magdalene haue they knocked at the doore of mercie and at length it hath been opened vnto them Thy good workes Magdalene shall not be able to saue thee but the blood of thy Redeemer It will bee proued that there haue been more then a thousand Masses said for thee and doest thou think that so many sacrifices haue been all barren and vneffectuall shall not the eternall Father haue regard vnto his Son equall vnto him in power wisedome and bountie Take a good courage Magdalene I doe assure thee that hee is Omnipotent and euer-bounteous that he hath pardoned thy offences and being that all-knowing vnderstanding he hath taken notice of thy miseries for in the glasse of his owne essence he seeth all things and there is a perfect representation in him of all euents whatsoeuer as if they were now present It is true thou blessed Mother of God thou hast presented thy breasts for her more then ten thousand times And thou Magdalene hast made tender of thy repentance and thou Peter prince of Apostles hast shed many teares for the conuersion of this Magdalene Ioannes Baptista hath also interceded for thee and did present his innocencie in thy behalfe And thou Dominicke hast been very fauouâ—able vnto her and thou Bernardus and Antonius haue prayed for her Take a good heart Magdalene keep thy owne Magdalene and thou shalt become another Magdalene or another Thais God is wearied in expectation of thee giue him to drinke Magdalene but O Lord how canst thou bee thirstie since thou hast no neede of thy creatures But as Christ demanded drinke of the Samaritane woman and then also when hee was nailed to the Crosse so Magdalene thou shalt doe well to let him drinke of thy teares and for a little of this liquour hee shall bestow vpon thee the wine of his loue and shall take from thee all thirstinesse and alteration whatsoeuer Who will beleeue that the Diuell should thus endeuour to conuert Magdalene and the Magician Magdalene I doe assure thee from God that he who hath deliuered the children of Israel from the red Sea will if thou humble thy selfe euen to the pit of hell although thou haddest committed an hundred million of sins more then thou hast done receiue thee into grace saying In quacunque hora. For Magdalene hee cannot be lesse then his word This and many other discourses of a semblable nature did hee confirme and strengthen with his accustomed oath Quod licet dicere licet scribere Whatsoeuer is lawfull to be said is lawfull to be written But as the wicked Spirits doe not speake vnto men but by the tongues of men so neither can they write to men but by the ministerie and seruice of men God not permitting vnto them a free vse either of the one or the other Vpon the same day did Verrine dictate many letters saying to Father Francis Billet Write me certaine letters after this tenure and first of all one to the Priest Lewis Lewis for the saluation of thy soule for the glorie of God and edification of thy neighbour come to S. Baume and obey the Sonne of the Virgin that calleth thee vnto him or doth otherwise threaten thee that if thou doe not obey him for loue thou shalt be enforced thereunto by iustice Come if thou be wise come if thou be wise come if thou be wise obey obey obey for the honour of the blessed Trinitie come along with those that goe to seeke thee who will accompanie thee and will become pledges for thee If thou be well aduised thou wilt come For there is a great processe betwixt the iustice and mercie of God which are the two daughters of the eternall Father obey Mercie the eldest daughter for she is euer fauourable vnto sinners The Virgin Mary is thy aduocate and Theophilus prayeth for thee and is one of thy solicitors Cyprian is another and was a Magician as thou art Dauid is another William the Hermite doth also pray for thee and so doth Matthew the Publican Mary the sister of Martha is thy aduocate Pelagia is another Mary of Aegypt is another Thais also is another and the woman of Samaria is another who doth inuite thee to come and slake thy
Lazarus who had a stone laid over his graue And the reason why God commandeth to vnbind him is that hee might declare how much authoritie hee hath bequeathed vnto his Church and how much Priests ought to be had in honour and estimation in reproofe of those who say they will not confesse themselves obiecting why should I humble my selfe before a Priest is he not a man nay is hee not a sinner as well as I why then should I declare my sinnes before a Priest God is gratious and will pardon me without confession Then Verrine began to speake of obedience in this manner Obedience of all vertues is the most pleasing vnto God Charitie is a great vertue because without it there is no entrance into Paradise Faith is also a necessarie vertue for without faith it is impossible to please God Hope also holdeth the same ranke because it is our guide to heaven Humilitie also is the ground-worke of all vertues To bee briefe all morall vertues are profitable good and praise-worthie for I doe not affirme that a man may attaine vnto heaven without Humilitie and without Charitie and other vertues but I averre that hee who stands possessed of obedience is garnished with all other vertues whatsoever Obedience is the most excellent of all vertues I meane perfect Obedience for he that is perfectly obedient is humble and charitable he is confident and persevereth vnto the end nay I say further he that is truely obedient cannot die I meane an eternall death For some may obiect vnto me that Isaac was very obedient vnto his father Abraham yet did he finish the course which nature had proportioned for him and died I say no for Saint Paul saith that those that are blessed from above doe not dye but saith they sleepe as it is true Isaac thou sleepest and shalt bee awakened at the day of iudgement If thou have the integritie of Obedience there will be no opposition against thee consider this well you that are Religious persons and haue vndertaken the vow of Obedience Remember that your God was obedient euen vnto the death I say vnto the death of the Crosse he did not murmure against his Father and say Father this Mountaine is too steepe and vneasie to come vnto meaning Mount Caluary no hee said not so He did not speake vnto his Father that he should so prouide that he might suffer death in a Chamber or in a Hall because this mountaine was so loathsome and so full of displeasing obiects that it seemeth a very compound of noysome sauours No no with a full desire and free acceptation hee embraced death for the loue which he bare vnto you You that are religious persons learne to obey your Superiours when they impose any thing vpon you and say not my Superiour commandeth mee things of such vneasie performance yea almost so impossible to bee done that I know not how to turne mee vnto them A religious person will not stick to say Ha my Superiour commandeth mee to declare my fault openly before people this will edifie my neighbour but a litle Let his Superiour command him to goe to Rome and hee shall say I know not the way thither let him inioyne him to fast and hee will say Ha my father I am of so tender a constitution that if this pennance bee imposed vpon me I shall be sick how harsh and vnpleasing is it to be put to weare shirts of hayre My Superiour is so froward that he is not to be endured If the Superiour shall say vnto him thou shalt vndertake to murther one of thy brethren and the other not knowing the intention of his Superiour who speaketh this from his mouth not from his heart onely to prooue him will gaine-say him he is not obedient and therefore not humble for obedience is the daughter of humilitie and hee that is truely humble is alwayes obedient Learne you that are Monkes and Fryars and read in this excellent booke that is to say vpon the tree of the Crosse It is your God who hath obserued his three vowes carefully and as he ought the vow of Chastity for hee is puritie it selfe and surpasseth all the Angels and creatures whatsoeuer as one that is immaculate and without blemish Touching the vow of Pouertie he hung naked vpon the Crosse. He might haue beene accompanied with his traine of Princes which are the Angels hee might haue had garments to couer him and whatsoeuer else was needfull yet hee despised all to demonstrate vnto you that are Religious that you ought to surrender your purse and treasure vnto him and suffer your Father to prouide for that which is necessary for his children Touching the vow of Obedience he hath been more obedient then euer any was I speake this to you Preists and Monkes behold your selues well in this glasse and read ouer this booke aduisedly it consisteth but of two leaues and yet containeth all perfection there are but two words within this Booke Obedience and Humilitie yet if a man be rightly informed how to draw out the quintessence of this Booke he shall there finde all sorts of vertue that may any way further or yeeld conducement to the attaining of so high and sublime a perfection To what end doe you exhaust your selues with studying and doe so painefully imploy your selues in reading of bookes Be but conuersant in this booke and you shall be able to performe the will of God If a seruant obey his Master how much more ought a childe so to doe Wee that are Deuils are as seruants or rather slaues and doe nothing but constrainedly and by compulsion but you that hope for an heritage in Heauen are bound to loue and serue him I further say that God hath three sorts of seruants There are that serue him onely by constraint and those are such as onely feare Hell and if that stumbling block were away they would not care to drench themselues in the puddell and pollution of any sinnes whatsoeuer Others serue like hirelings as doe those whose scope and aime is the attainement of Heauen saying God hath promised vnto vs Paradisus therefore we shall doe well to obey him But there are a third sort more aduised who doe not make either Paradise or Hell their scope but doe the wil of their father purely out of loue and haue not their end mixed with any secondary regarde of recompence they set their confidence in God with their whole heart and beleeue his prouidence in preparing for thē whatsoeuer is necessary for say they if his care descend to birds and beasts how much more will this his care extend to vs God heerein behaueth himselfe like a Marchant who separat's farthings from sous crownes from peeces of fower setting euery sort a part by it selfe against the time he shall haue imployment for them yet doth he not contemne his other money So fareth it with God hee taketh Religious persons and those whom hee hath marked foorth for his seruice
and putteth them to his vse and imployment that they may performe some seruice of importance for his glory yet doth he not despise the lay-men but receaueth them all if they walke in his commandements as doth the Marchant all the rest of his money Those that are refractary would haue their Superiour to bee obedient vnto them and not they vnto him this is not well No they must be obedient beyond others for know you not that they are tempted by the Deuill beyond others If a great Prince or a great Lord offer to appropriate himselfe to the seruice of God presently doe wee oppose and affront this his godly designement we tempt him and say Sir you leaue at ease in your own house you haue thus many Pages and thus many Gentlemen that waite vpon you besides many groomes and Lackies you are able to liue plentifully and neuer trouble your selfe besides you are of a great house Sir doe not slaue your selfe when you may liue in libertie You shall haue a Superiour of base parentage will you euer endure to obey him You must beare the scrip vp downe the towne you must weare a shirt of haire and must discipline your selfe Ha Sir this is too great a burthen you will neuer be able ro hold on this course diuert this resolution beleeue mee saith the World and they are not a few that beleeue and follow these perswasions The childe in reason ought rather to obey his Father then the slaue his Master The Master and Mistresse when they haue disobedient and stubburne seruants doe presently pay them their wages and say vnto them you are not for our turne you are to depart and goe forth of our doores so should a Superiour demeane himselfe to his inferiours when he seeth them inclined to contumacy and rebellion Get you gone goe foorth of doores for you are not to be heere to follow your owne fancy those that behaue themselues vnduetifully are not to abide heere But they may obiect that it is lawfull to propound vnto the consideration of their Superiour some kinde of commands whose lawfulnesse may be questionable and say Father in my opinion such a thing may be better done this way No beware of replications for such a one ought to submit himselfe and thinke that his iudgement may easily goe awry I grant that in some cases hee may modestly reprehend his Superiour but alwaies in great charitie not by way of reprehension but by way of aduise saying Father it seemeth vnto mee that you haue done such a thing or haue vttered such a speach which in my opinion might better haue beene done or spoken after this manner But this is to be done in great humilitie and feare as if he were to speake before God Because Superiours are Gods on earth and those that yeeld vnto them obedience cannot doe amisse prouided alwayes that the thing which is commanded bee not against God or the Rules of his order or against himselfe for in this case he is not tyed vnto obedience Nay I say further he is bound to slight him to oppose him and to reprehend him if hee should command any thing that might directly derogate from God or the good of his neighbour that is to say he is to speake home vnto his Superiour to open his fault and lay it before him if the fault be publick as if he should command any one to preach heresies or to doe something contrary vnto his Vowes I affirme that in this case it is lawfull for the inferiour to reprehend his Superiour In the euening Louyse and Magdalene were exorcised by Father Francis and the Priest who exorcised them recited many appellations of God Then Verrine said Say but the God of the Christians and thou hast reckoned them all for that is the beginning and the end of them All these names of perfection and ten hundred thousand more doe agree vnto him these are no matters of scorne or mockery cursed are al they that doe not beleeue it Then God being willing that Verrine should speake something touching Confession that mens soules might be instructed and bettered by it Verrine answered God that they had banqueted sufficiently and that there was no reason why Deuils should be mens Phisitians they will not beleeue Angels nay they wil giue no credit vnto God himselfe for they haue said that he was a dronkard and a foole much more will they affirme that the Deuill is a liar If thou saiest that then by a consequent they must deny thy power the authority of thy Church and the vertue of Exorcismes I answere that they doe already deny the communion of Saints and the Sacraments And if thou saiest that thou wilt guide them with thy light I answere that they neither search nor seeke after the same The Turkes may haue some shadow of excuse and may pretend ignorance but Christians may learne if they will those things which they are to beleeue and take knowledge of You are the Pictures of this master painter and vnhappy are they that suffer themselues to bee soothed vp by the faire semblances of the Diuell Cursed be the houre wherein I am thus forced to open the meanes how men are to confesse themselues Thou art hee Leuiathan who makest some to deny the wisedome others the goodnes and many the power of God thou art hee who teachest them new interpretations which antiquity neuer heard of thou art the author of all heresies that euer were are and shall bee Thou art accursed and wouldest haue plucked God from his Throne thou art blinde and those that follow thee say Credo without Credo and when the blinde leadeth the blinde both fall into the pit Thou art the Doctor of the false Church and although the father and mother should forsake their owne childe yet would God neuer abandon his Church A father is not to answere for the sinnes and faults of his childe but hee that is a father of soules must bee accountable for the transgressions that are committed by his children You therefore that are the Father and chiefe Pastour looke you vnto your charge Confession is to preceede the holy Communion and Humility must take possession in your harts if you will haue your requests granted vnto you If a King be to be intertained in your house you will presently decke foorth the same and make your preparations sutable to so great a State and how dare you then receiue into your vncleansed houses the King and Lord of glory when your Consciences are defiled with all manner of pollutions It is as if you would lodge God in Hell For the sinfull soule is the habitation and cage for Diuels and is a Christian soule not indeed but by appellation onely You come into a Church and kneele vpon the ground and wish that Masse may bee quickly finished but you doe not consider that the Priestly dignity surmounteth the ranke and condition of Angels I tell you you
both in themselues and in their fellowes especially in the Order of Dominick and whosoeuer shall remaine vnconformable to this reformation shall be in great and imminent danger Some will say I haue nothing to doe with the reformation another will obiect I am of a tender and delicate constitution another will excuse himselfe with Father I am too yong and this is too hard for me to vnder-goe Neuerthelesse many shall take vpon them the Order of Dominick because his Rule cannot tollerate any mortall sinne and because of the Reformation of his Order And they will make choice of this Order when they shall vnderstand what great immunities and priuiledges Dominick hath obteined for it at the hands of the sacred Mother of God vnto whom he was euer exceedingly deuoted and is beloued againe by the Virgin for his continency and puritie Many also shall enter into this Habit when they shall heare of the perfection of this Order and what a sweete sauour it rendreth vp vnto the Almightie In like manner shall the Congregations of the Christian Doctrines and of Vrsula floorish and spread their branches yet without any preiudice vnto other Orders and the Reformed shall liue in puritie as the Angels of God At the end of the Exorcismes it was held fit that Verrine should solemnly sweare vpon the blessed Sacrament for confirmation of that which he had aboue spoken And first they asked him in what manner he had spoken of the Conception of the Virgin to which hee answered in these words Those who are heere present are of different opinions The Exorcist commanded him to expresse himselfe distinctly and cleerly if it were the will of God that he should vtter the truth herein and if God had reuealed any thing vnto him concerning this point Then he plainly told them that she was immaculate from the beginning Then did the Exorcist command him againe that hee should more amply discourse of this point before them all whereupon he beganne to speake in this manner I affirme that the Eternall Father when hee was resolued to send his Word vpon the earth to repaire the breach of mankinde and that the Word was ready to doe the will of his Father then did he determine to create a creature particularly for that purpose to be the blessed Mother to his Sonne who being also that King of power was able so to fit all things that his Mother should co-operate together with those blessings and guifts which he would endow her with all which was iust and agreeable vnto reason I say that when hee saw and knew for hee is the wisedome of his Father that his blessed Mother would not oppose against that which hee had decreed to doe in a matter of such consequence and importance as was the Coniunction of the Diuine nature vnto the nature of man he iudged it fit and expedient that shee should be for euer exempted from the vassalage of sinne whether it were originall actuall mortall or veniall hence it commeth that she neuer did trespasse against God her Father And if Iohn Baptist and Ieremie were sanctified from their mothers wombe how much more should the sacred Mother of God out-shine them in puritie when amongst al the creatures that were euer fashioned by the hands of the Almighty shee is the most eminent and perfect next vnto the humanitie of her Sonne And as in God there is no time either past or to come but all is present with him and being besides a cleere and spotlesse cristall that is neuer misted ouer or made dimme by darknesse he fore-saw in this Idea or glasse that his blessed Mother should in the whole race of her life gently submit her selfe to his good pleasure and obey the Angell when hee came vnto her For if Eue had her creation exempted from sinne it standeth with reason that the second Eue should haue a greater dowry of integritie then euer the first had And as the first Adam being the type and figure of Iesus Christ was created without sinne and from a mould of earth that neuer was mingled with vncleannesse how much more shall this second Adam surmount the first in the excellency of his humanitie And as God tooke from the first Adam when hee was a sleepe one of his ribbes and thereof created Eve so God the Father while the second Adam that was to come slept in his bosome tooke one of his ribbes and framed another Eve from the same that is the blessed Mother of God The Father contributed thereunto his power the Sonne his wisedome and was content that shee should haue a greater portion of wisedome then the Seraphins or any other creature whatsoeuer next to his humanity that was to come and manifest it selfe vnto the world And the ribbe which Almightie God tooke from Adam when hee slept did prefigure and fore-shew what I haue aboue declared In like manner the holy Ghost did communicate his goodnesse vnto her not that essentiall goodnes which is co-eternall with him but a goodnes of that proportion and magnificense as could possibly be bestowed vpon a pure and immaculate creature After this discourse Verrine did dictate the forme that was to be held to giue testification that all this was spoken and vnderstood in this manner Wee whose names are vnder-signed haue heard and seene all that which hath beene spoken by the mouth of Louyse Cappeau who is possessed by three Diuels by some witch-craft that together with them was giuen vnto her and further we haue heard one of the Diuels named Verrine after much resistance and renitency against God and the Exorcismes yet being at the length forced by God vnto the same to deliuer all that is heere written touching the blessed Mother of God and the Eternall Word to their glory and the saluation of Soules He further confessed in a great agony and chase that there was no saluation out of the Church of Rome that there was but one God and one holy Baptisme and therefore by a consequent but one Church Afterward he said that al these acts were to confirme that which he had formerly touched concerning the Order of Dominick and to show how agreeable his rule was to God and his blessed Mother and that this Miracle was wrought in fauour of that Order Obserue heere that this was spoken after that Verrine had said that this Miracle was wrought for the glory of God and for the honour of his blessed Mother Magdalene and Dominick Then to confirme whatsoeuer he had aboue spoken he tooke an oath the strongest and most binding that a Diuel possibly could take and if euer an oath had power to tye it was this oath And added that there were some of opinion that no oath was of validitie before God yet when hee said vnto his Apostles that they should cast out Diuels and foresaw that these Diuels being full of all iniquity would not by their good will obey the commands of the Church vnlesse they were
not therefore say I am not able to beare it for God commandeth nothing that is impossible It is a truth that hee indeed was loaden with a yoake that was very combersome and with a burthen exceedingly heauy for his Crosse did ouerlay him with an intollerable pressure yet did hee not call vnto you behold my Crosse carry you it as I haue done No hee saith not so because hee knoweth your debilitie will easily sinke vnder the same but hee saith carry my yoake because the burthen thereof is very portable to those that loue God and serue him as they ought God hath his troopes of Angels and Saints about him neither is it to bee wondred that Angels obey him and that men put his will in execution but that Deuils who are already condemned to the Gallies of Hell should yeeld him their obedience heere is it that doth amaze vs with astonishment and admiration Great God why doest thou not cause these things to be deliuered by some Seraphin or some learned Preacher and not to bee divulged by the mouth of this silly woman Or why should I bee constrained to disclose my name in an action that is directly preiudiciall vnto Hell and to my great griefe that am forced to pronounce it Then he said many beleeue not this but I answere them they haue not seene God nor Paradise and yet they beleeue both the one and the other Certainly Thomas thy God vnto whom it is impossible that hee should tell a lie hath said that hee would rise the third day and what did hee not rise the third day Certainly hee did but because thou diddest not see it thou wouldest not beleeue it but diddest say I will not beleeue it except I may touch the prints of the nayles There is none among you that euer saw him die in person yet doe you beleeue that he suffered death for you Know you not what God said to Thomas blessed are they that shall not see these things that thou seest and shall beleeue There is no neede of faith in those things which wee manifestly and plainly see as if I should tell you that this Priest is standing at the Altar I imagine you would beleeue mee neither should this faith of yours containe any great matter of merite because you see this together with mee All the fruitlesse sciences and speculations of Cicero Plato and the other Heathen Philosophers to what purpose serue they but to trauell and consume the spirits of a man by imaginary contemplations These waters cannot appease the thirstinesse of the soule and by consequence are not powerfull to yeeld due and conuenient refreshments but the smallest delights of a spirit indued with vertue doth surpasse all worldly delectations and cursed may they bee who for the fruition of momentary pleasures heere hazard the losse of that eternall felicity Your God is a cunning Surgeon and of the choisest esteeme amongst those that are most famous hee well knowes when to serch the wound and forecasteth how it may be healed and apprehending the meanes he presently commeth furnished with such salues and medicaments as hee conceiueth most proper for the cure God is Father vnto two daughters Mercy and Iustice but mercy obtained the right of eldership in the house of God and you know those that are the elder haue a kinde of prerogatiue ouer the other Mercy is sister vnto Christ Iesus and shee it was that said vnto him that it was fit that he should suffer al those torturings and contempts which afterward he subiected himselfe vnto in his Passion And although both these sisters proceeded from the same father and mother yet is it a certainty that the one is in more grace and neerenesse then the other For God the Father was more indulgent vnto mercy then iustice yet are they sisters and both daughters vnto him because he is no lesse iust in exercising his iustice then he is gracious in declaring his mercy It is no argument of imperfection in God that he powreth down the viols of his wrath vpon the wicked and rewardeth the good endeauours of the iust it is rather a demonstration of his omnipotency to render vnto euery man according to his workes Of a truth thy inward parts O mother of God are as the shop of an Apothecary full of fragrant and aromaticall odours which the holy Ghost hath furnished with all varieties of perfumes and spices that is to say with his fruits and with the adundance of vertues and graces I further say that Mary is an inclosed garden and the holy Ghost is the gardener who could well tell how to manure this blessed plot of earth sowing therein all kinds of beautifull flowers and ingraffing goodly and vernant trees charged with excellent flowers and fruits Thou Mary art also a tree thy holy cogitations are the leaues thy seruent desires are the flowers and thy little Iesus is the fruit that was brought forth for your saluation The nature of this fruit is admirable so that it was accounted worthy to bee made a Present for the eternall Father on the tree of the Crosse for the expiation of your sinnes Let your memory recall into your remembrance these blessings of your God and let Ioseph who signifieth your vnderstanding bow his knees in a corner of the stable and take in so high a mystery with his most attentiue contemplation Mary as hauing a greater portion of light is of more neerenesse and figureth vnto vs the will the vnderstanding laboureth to comprehend him but the will shunneth such wild conceptions and demeaneth it selfe like vnto the mother of Christ Iesus who dared not at the first to touch him but at length Mary who is the will taketh him in her armes and beareth him vp and downe for loue at the last ouercommeth feare Take therefore the Child Iesus play with him and wrap him charily in his swathling bands hee is but a little one and therefore very tractable endeauour then to bee diligent about him bring with you little bands to roule him in and to be breefe prouide your selues of whatsoeuer may bee needfull for him Hee is a little child and yet a great God as it is written Vnto you a child is borne and vnto you a sonne is giuen Hee is young and tender his hands are swathled vp so that hee cannot strike come therefore and draw neere vnto him but withall consider that he is also a seuere Iudge to those that refuse to obey his will If Abraham should haue reasoned the case with God when hee commanded him to sacrifice his well-beloued sonne Isaac and should haue said how or in what manner is this possible to bee done I tell you he had not merited to bee the father of the faithfull Bee you humbled therefore before this God and beleeue that he is yonder in the blessed Sacrament for his body is a glorified body and taketh vp no place I say further that it is not enough to haue this child Iesus wrapped
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
shall afterward appeare The end of the first part THE ACTS THAT WERE COLLECTED AND DIGESTED INTO ORDER BY FAther Michaelis Priour of the Couent Royall of S. Maximin and of S. Baume who came thither after Christmas in the yeere 1611. Returning from Preaching his Aduent Sermons in the towne of Aix in Prouince The Acts of the 11. of Ianuary 1611 AFter wee had read the Acts that were formerly taken by father Francis Domptius and were verified by many eye-witnesses men fearing God and worthy to bee beleeued who had euer been in presence and had an eye vpon the two women that were possessed wee then proceeded vnto the Exorcismes and continuation of administring the Sacrament and for the more ample verification of possession by wicked spirits we narrowly sifted and pryed into the words and gestures which they vsed Vpon the eleuenth day of Ianuary after Masse was said Magdalene was exorcised and Belzebub being charged to come forth answered Vpon the day of the exaltation of the holy Crosse last past at the Exorcisme performed at Aix in the Chapell of the doctrine thou holding the blessed Sacrament in thy hand speaking to father Francis Billet who did Exorcise by vertue of the same and by the power of the holy Crosse as also by the Virgine Maries interposing her selfe by her entreaties there issued forth out of this body 6660 Diuels very priuately and without noyse who are not returned backe vnto this place so that now there are of vs still remaining seuen Princes and 100 inferiour Diuels within and without And being asked when and how these Diuels came out of her he would answere nothing thereunto but onely that they issued forth by the powerfull prayers of Mary Magdalene Dominicke and Francis Whilest the Exorcismes were pronouncing he drew backe and was euer flying away in so much that Magdalene was saine to bee stopt and held fast by maine force At the second Exorcisme in the euening Belzebub made answere vnto nothing onely hee seemed sad and composed the face of Magdalene to melancholinesse Whereupon Verrine said Belzebub I guesse at the cause of thy sadnesse it is because there are foure Magicians with many others as well men as women at Marseille at Aix else where in the high way to coâ—uersion Then the Exorcist admonished Magdalene to renounce the Diuell all the schedules which she had made vnto him which she did in very ample maner saying I Magdalene of Demandoul do renounce Lucifer Belzebub Leuiathan Asmodee Balberith Astaroth Carreau and all the Diuels of hell together with all those that liue in the ayre in the water in the earth and all those which are in the bodies of such as are possessed I do also renounce all the schedules which I haue made vnto them and do prostrate my selfe at the feet of my Redeemer Christ Iesus putting my selfe vnder his protection and humbly crauing pardon for my enormous transgressions and for the better attainement hereof I doe implore the aide of the glorious mother of God Queene of all the Angels of S Michal and the Angels of Ioseph and all the Patriarches of S. Peter and all the Apostles and Euangelists of S. Stephâ—n and all the Martyrs of S. Gregory and all the Doctors of S. Martin and all Bishops and Confessors of S. Anthony and all Monkes and Hermites of S. Dominicke and S. Francis and all Friers of S. Ursula and all virgins of S. Monica and all widowes of the glorious S. Magdalene and all penitent sinners promising vnto God by the assistance of his grace neuer to adhere more or to giue my consent vnto the Diuell Whilest shee made these renunciations Belzebub did tosse and wreath her body after a strange manner the agitation whereof was such that it made her tremble ouer all her body neuerthelesse she did resoluedly continue on her abiuration although her voice trembled by reason of this extraordinary shaking Then Verrine by the mouth of Louyse said Belzebub thou hast now good cause to bee sad for Magdalene hath from her heart renounced thee and all the rest of vs. The Acts of the 13. of Ianuary being the day of the octaue of Epiphany 1611 for vpon the day before which was the 12. Belzebub spake nothing Verrine telling vs that he was bound by the Magician THe 13. day about seauen a clocke at night when Belzebub was pressed and vrged to speake at the beginning of the Exorcismes he tooke Magdalene by the throate as if he would haue strangled her And this endured a long time vntill hee was commanded to get him downe and to leaue her After the Exorcisme Magdalene being retired vnto her chamber and all of vs keeping her company because it was not yet time to withdraw our selues Belzebub by the toung of Magdalene as being now vnloosed for he had bin tyed onely during the time of Exorcisme said that he would now speake I my selfe said he am he that tempted Adam and Asmodee taking on him the face of a hansome woman did with sweete and sugered speeches steale into Eue by his temptations and perceauing that she began to fluctuate and was yet but a Nouice in the world he was incouraged to inforce and double his temptations and so at length remained victorious I am he said Belzebub that tempted Christ Iesus in the wildernesse with the two first temptations at the third which was the strongest to witt to cause him to fall downe and worship me I tooke Leuiathan for my coadiutor but not being able to gaine vpon him we had a strong coniecture and suspition that he was the Messias whereas before wee onely esteemed of him as of a great and perfect Prophet for although some called him Christ yet did they speake it either doubtfully or flatteringly But we began to doubt no longer of him when he once prayed for his enemies after they had at my instigation said Belzebub so blasphemously reuiled him whom also I animated to cast him downe headlong vpon the stones as a blasphemer I was on the right side of the Crosse Asmodee at the foote and Leuiathan on the left side but he ouercame vs all Leuiathan is the Prince of Hereticks Asmodee of wantons and I said Belzebub am the Prince of pride yet did he ouercome those three mighty aduersaries the world the flesh and pride They fastned the Crosse with cords and in setting it vp in the hole which was forced into the rocke by the shaking and shogging of the same they opened againe all his wounds he was nayled with three long nayles hauing one foote nayled ouer the other to augment the greatnes of his torment and in crucifying him they turned the Crosse and his face towards the earth to fitt and fasten the nayles on the other side This Crosse said he was very high of the height of the Crosse which you haue below at the comming in vnto Saint Baume if you adde the height of a foote thereunto and
was two foote broader then that The forme of this Crosse was not made in the manner of a T but it had a beame of wood aboue and the Iewes turning the Crosse downe on the other end did hoise vp his leggs aboue his belly Of a truth said he your God hath suffered more for you then you imagine After hee was dead hee visited the fathers in Lymbo and all hell trembled at his arriuall Adam and Eue were the first that presented themselues vnto him who came with great contrition and hartely prayed him to pardon their sinnes that had occasioned those manifold torments which he suffered He deliuered like a great King all the soules aswell of those that were in Lymbo as of those that were in Purgatory but the bodies which he had raised did vpon this deliuerance dye againe When Belzebub had said this vpon the sudden hee blew out the candle which stood on the table whereat we were somewhat abashed for it was night and crying with a loude voice he said Lodouice veni veni for the Magician was indeed come as Magdalene who sawe him when he came recited vnto vs. And Belzebub said to Magdalene thou hast not seene him since he hid himselfe behind the bed when thou wouldest haue done him some outrage but he went away as he entred in and was carried from hence through the chimney After this we went to the Church to say Matines as our maner is which being ended father Romillon aduertised vs that Belzebub played strange horse-play in the chamber and would not suffer Magdalene to confesse her selfe nor to kneele vpon the Earth Then father Michaelis flung towards her chamber and there did threaten him that he should bee brought into the house of holy penance and causing it to bee done accordingly Belzebub cryed that he would rather bee there all night long then suffer her to bee confessed Yet at the presence of the blessed Sacrament which was shewed vnto him and by the holinesse of the place hee was so dispirited and his forces so farre spent that shee confessed her selfe in that very place to father Michaelis with great contrition and deuotion to the singular comfort of her soule and performed diuers actions of humility and submission to all those that were there present especially to father Romillon whom shee had resisted in her chamber and so remained reposedly and in good quiet that night till about an hower after midnight at which time Lewes the Magician came againe vnto her as she afterward auowed and cast a caracter vpon her head to trouble her imagination memory and other faculties of her soule that they might stand her in no steed against him in the accusations of the crimes wherewith he was burthened The Acts of the 14. of Ianuary 1611 THis morning at the Exorcismes Belzebub made all the body of Magdalene to swell and caused her visage to bee exceeding red so that shee cast about strange and diabolicall lookes hauing her eyes sparkling and fiery her lippes open her necke swollen like a toade sometimes hee was ready to strangle her and sometimes tumbled her on the ground sometimes hee made her laugh and sometimes he made her cry Being exorcised and asked wherefore the night before when Magdalene was brought to the holy Penitence he cried and repeated it diuers times that she was not to haue absolution after her confession because shee had committed a sacriledge he would not make answere thereunto vntill his paines were augmented by a new coniuration And then hee answered that hee had said it to make her fall into despaire by suggesting this scruple vnto her that he had caused her to enter hastily into the holy penitence so that she forgot to put off her shooes as the maner is After this Verrine speaking by the mouth of Louyse said the last Euening when at the time of Exorcismes you heard a great cry aboue vpon the Church it was a great number of Magicians that came thither some because they beleeued not that Magdalene was conuerted others to listen what was said others to spread abroad their charmes and so to deceiue her others to see a thing so worthy of admiration that Verrine an inferiour Deuill should braue Belzebub who was his superiour Then Verrine began to barke like a hunting dogg saying that the Wolues were come againe thereby meaning the Magicians whom hee saw carried thither by the Deuils Then said Verrine The world is turned vpside downe for the Deuils do now labour to preserue men and to pleade for them as their Aduocates and Proctors so that it is now no wonder if God the Angels and the Saints do succour and giue assistance vnto them And added that this was like the time of Antichrist when Nations should rise against Nations so do now the Deuils bandy themselues against Deuils Then he inueighed against Magicians reprehended them for their great folly to combine and oppose themselues against God Then he turned to Belzebub and said I am not ignorant that thou Belzebub with thy companions haue determined to torment and beate me greeuously when I am once departed out of this body but I regard it not as long as I do my duety and for the time to come let it hap as hap will But see my braue Princes the Princes of Tharasques for so he called the Sorcerers you haue now no more force then a flie or a pismire although you were of the Seraphins and my selfe but of the Thrones and thou Belzebub wert faine to intreate me to side with thee or at the least that I would giue thee my two companions Gresill and Sonneillon to aide thee in soliciting the Magicians to hold out but I refused thee for I heere take part with God At the second Exorcisme at Euening Asmodee by the commandement of Belzebub who was the cheefe in her body did shake and tumble Magdalene after a beastly and odious manner that hee might shame her and so bring her backe vnto him by perswading her to auoide the shame and imputation of these things which were done in the sight and presence of men And he continued these courses aboue 15. daies so that in conclusion Magdalene vtterly refused to go to Exorcismes when there were any strangers by In the meane time Verrine reproched Belzebub that hee was now driuen to his last shiftes and that the Magicians and Witches did nothing but runne in and out to hinder the working of God which yet they were very vnable to bring to passe Then he said there are at Marseille and elsewhere many persons of good ranke and place that go to Masse and do neuerthelesse traficke with the Deuill yet if they will be conuerted God is not desirous they should be punished or burnt and doth therefore force the Deuils to carry them heere to S. Baume that they might heere vnderstand our discourses And then hee added O you that are come from Marseille we silence your names
opened the doore and entred into the Church to the astonishment of all the beholders The same morning Belzebub discouered another peece of businesse as strange as the former The day before being the 27. of Ianuary there came thither two men of Marseilles and one of them desired to heare newes of his wife who rysing very early in the morning tooke leaue of him vpon Innocents day and returned not since who receaued answere of father Michaelis that it became him not in that holy place to demand such curiosities of Diuels but hee should rather recommend both himselfe and his wife vnto God who would not faile to help him As soone as they were once entred the Church Belzebub began to cry out turning himselfe towards the husband and saying you haue wel sought your wife she walkes through the cloudes in the aire and was heere two or three dayes since in company of some others and there-with-all comming neere him hee touched him saying againe you haue well sought your wife haue you not There were present at this action father Francis Billet and father Peter Fournez Vicar of S. Baume and a good company besides This being done the said men came to father Michaelis to certifie him of that which passed to whom he answered I did indeed make a doubt thereof before for about 10. or 12. dayes since the father of the lost woman being come to the same place to seeke her the possessed said that shee had seene her with some other witches vpon the hill ouer against S. Baume and moreouer that she had strangled two yeares since a daughter of her owne named Margarite of the age of two yeares a fair childe and that she did this at the instance of the Magician who told her that hee longed to eate of her childes flesh whereupon shee was taken out of her graue by the rest of the witches and carried to the assembly O bloudy tyrannie of the Diuell and his vnder officers more cruell then that of Pharaoh and O the miserable estate of them who put their necks vnder his yoke The woman that was possessed said farther that this woman was lifted vp in the aire thereby to be the better inabled with her companions to cast inchantments against her which because shee would not doe fearing to receaue hurt as the rest did the Diuell broke her neck and cast her into a vally betweene two hils And indeed since that time shee hath not beene found The two men which sought after this woman were honest Citizens of Marseilles whose names the Parliament of Aix noted in their processe against the Magician The acts of the 29. of Ianuary being Saturday AT the morning Exorcisme Belzebub was very insolent not suffering Magdalene a long time to kneele before the altar and when the exorcist would haue inforced her shee knocked him on the shinnes with her feet and when he would hold her hands shee scratched him till the bloud came which was a cleare argument that the Diuell had gained more footing in her the night past Afterward Magdalene turned her selfe toward the Church doore looking earnestly vpon the hill ouer against it and being demanded why shee did so shee answered that it was the place where the Magician Lewes offered sacrifice to Lucifer which hee performed on Thursday Saturday and Sunday About two of the clock in the afternoone father Michaelis and father Francis Billet and father Anthony Boilletot discoursing with Magdalene being then in her sound and perfect iudgement about the Princes of the 9. companies of Angels whether or no she had not heard Verrine say that hee was a Prince of the Thrones which they demanded thereby to vnderstand what any of the Diuels which haunted Magdalene and were Verines opposits would answere thereunto vpon the suddaine Magdalene ratled in the throate and Astaroth mounted into her tongue neighing as it had bin a feirce horse and saying heere am I Astaroth the Prince of Thrones and not Verrine who is but a base companion Being demanded why Verrine spake not Latine sithence he was a spirit hee answered it is for reasons which I could now declare but one day you shall see Verrine to bee Verrine Astaroth being retired and Magdalene returned to her selfe shee demanded in writing the names of those Saints which were opposits to the wicked Spirits that possessed her that she might call vpon them for helpe for when we called vpon them shee perceiued that the Deuils stirred and vexed themselues Belzebub said she possesseth the braine Asmodeus the reines Carreau the heart and in like sort others whom she named and as we discoursed vpon the reason and cause of there opposition whether it proceeded from the holding of there place in Paradise or for the contrarietie of their vertues to the others vices which they exercised most father Michaelis arguing that it could not bee the former cause in as much as Saint Bartholomew was the Saint contrary to Astaroth who was but of the order of Thrones and Saint Francis to Belzebub who was of the order of Seraphins whereupon Astaroth instantlie mounted vp into her tongue againe and said Bartholomew is mine opposite because he defaced the Idoll of Astaroth and since that time he hath alwaies opposed himselfe against me And being about to retire now saith he I will make Magdalene feele my furie and there with she began to rage and foame being whollie plunged as it were and swallowed vp in the torments which she suffered but it lasted not long Astaroth being threatned with an hundred thousand degrees of punishments if he withdrew not himselfe for that is it which they most feare daemones credunt contremiscunt And it is surely worth the obseruing that the like punishments may also bee imposed on Magicians who haue spred abroad their inchantments which wee well vnderstood because the Diuels desired that the punishment which was imposed on them might bee turned ouer vpon the Magician as being the principall author of that Tragedie which it behooues Preists cheifely to remember it being of good vse in dispossessing my meaning is that after the inuocation of Gods assistance the true remedie to stop the inchantment is to impose greiuous and fresh punishments vpon the author of the mischeife Oderunt peccare mali formidine poenae Experience teacheth vs out of the Confessions of the wicked spirits themselues that neuer yet any Exorcist imposed any degree of punishment on them but the dew execution thereof followed vpon the same by Gods iust iudgement who hath said to his Church dedi vobis potestatem calcandi supra serpentes supra daemonia The same day after Euen-song Belzebub being demanded how it came to passe that the Magician being at Saint Baume for the space of 10. dayes whether he was called by father Michaelis became so pale that thereupon father Anthony Boilletot exhorted him to repentance hee answered that it was by reason hee had touched him to the quicke in his
said father Michaelis Come hither when the soule is diuorced from the body it is as pure a spirit as are your selues doth God euer take pitty vpon them then To which the Diuell answered He doth not and so presently held his peace and Magdalene had liberty to confesse her selfe and receiue the Communion The Acts from the 27. of March being Palm-Sunday till Good-fryday being the 1. of Aprill VPon Sunday at morning Masse there came a wicked spirit sent from the Magician and entered into the body of Magdalene his name was Aurey and he said that hee was the sixth in the order of Seraphins who laughingly and in ieasting manner told them that he would not leaue her tongue vntill hee had executed his commission Being adiured to tell why hee laughed so immoderatly because said he yesterday about 12. of the clock it is iust 15. yeares agoe since Lewes gaue himselfe vnto the Diuell and to day this very houre it is so long agoe since hee made vnto vs his first schedule written with his bloud drawing the same from the fingar of his left hand where the veynes of his hart do lye This being done hee began to make his renunciations in the name of Lewes as hath formerly beene declared crying aloud so that hee was heard a great way off and when they applyed vnto her back a crosse of gold he said take away this there is a crosse behind me and touched one of the nayles of the feete in the said crosse After dinner there was a man brought to Marseille who was much doubted to be possessed And as soone as he entred into the chamber the Diuels that were in Magdalene began to bussell a litle and at last fell a bellowing one of them saying this man hath 15. Diuels within him and a legion that watch him without if he bee not looked vnto he will within these 15. dayes bee vtterly vndone Hee was possessed vpon the feast of S. Michael 1610 they that gouerne and are the cheefe within are two Garanier and Sandrié It is to be noted and we haue had experiment of the same that the Diuels who are in diuers bodies cannot indure to be together if they doe they grumble one against the other and seeme to be ready to deuoure one another like wolues and hogs Hence was it that wee were forced to separate Magdalene and Louyse which proceeded from their pride and malice Vpon holy Munday in the morning Magdalene was shrewdly tempted to deny Confession vnto her owne Confessor father Francis Billet and this temptation continued from the morning till eleuen of the clock when the Diuell-being ouercome by the patience and perseuerance of the said Priest did giue ouer his assault and shee acknowledging her fault confessed her selfe vnto the said father although shee had before protested that she would more willingly confesse her selfe to any other Where by the way wee may note that to change our Confessors is many times a temptation of the Diuell About this time he of Marseille that was possessed was brought vnto the chapel where-upon the Diuels that were in Magdalene began to bellow so hideously that they were forced to constraine him to goe out of the Chapell Heerein the Diuell behaueth himselfe like vnto a tyrant who cannot indure to haue a great Lord dwell neere him so high is his heart swollen with malice and arrogancy After dinner Belzebub made Magdalene take a knife and set it against her breast tempting her to kill her selfe with her owne hand When the knife was taken away hee caused her to lay hold on her owne throate and would haue strangled her if they had not hindered him About two of the clock in the after-noone Belzebub cryed so hideously that father Michaelis and his companion heard it into their lodging which was on the other side of the Arch-bishops house a great way off which when they heard they ranne thither and being adiured by the said father to tell what the reason of this so terrible an out-cry was he answered I cannot but bee mad that Magdalene doth thus surrender vp and make resignation of her owne will Vpon this day Monsier Thoron the Commissary did relate vnto vs that the Saturday last past beeing Palme-Sunday eue the court as their manner is went in visitation of the prisoners where Lewes Gaufridy to excuse himselfe said vnto them that hee did giue himselfe wholy to the Diuell if hee were not innocent which is agreeable vnto that which Aurey said on Palme-Sunday when he laughed and was so merry that the Magician had giuen himselfe vnto the Diuell Then the said Monsieur Thoron said vnto him Speake not after this manner for hereby you doe but settle and confirme your sin with greater assurednes Vpon holy Tewsday in the morning Carreau whose imployment is to harden mens hearts did withhold Magdalen from confession so that the combate continued till twelue a clock against him and when the Exorcist did impose more punishâ—ents vpon him he said he was a torturer and a hangman but in conclusion they remained with the victory against Satan Vpon holy Wednesday in the morning Monsieur de Segoyer one of the Counsellors of the Kâ—ng seing the strange gestures and torments which Magdalene according to her custome did suffer during the time of Masse hee being on his knees did pâ—â—uatly and a-part powre out his prayers to God in behalfe of her that was possessed which hee did very heartily and with much affection Then Belzebub turned himselfe towards him and said Pray for thy selfe and let her alone Whereat this Counsellor was much abashed for hee prayed with great silence On this day Magdalene was asked by the two aboue named charitable Capuchin fathers who tooke the paines to remaine all night in prison with the Magician to see if they could conuert him what the reason was that the Magician did so often fix his eies vpon the ground when they spake vnto him Where-unto she answered a Magician may be knowen by his eies when hee looketh fixedly vpon the earth and cannot endure to settle his eies vpon those that looke vpon him They are also knowen said she when they stoope downe to the ground and take vp a straw for then they aske aduice of the Diuell and doe homage vnto him by bowing for this straw Which being once obserued by the said Capuchin fathers they found that the Magicians custome was to doe so Vpon holy Thursday the Diuels did torment and vex themselues during the time of Exorcismes tossing the woman that was possessed heere and there to her great disquiet After the Communion was ended shee presently sound ease The Acts of the first and second of Aprill being holy Fryday and Saterday VPon holy Fryday in the morning the Magician by diuine grace and the particular influence of that celestiall light began to confesse his sinne to the two Capuchin Fathers who had watched with him in prison after they had all the
afflicted and disfauoured by those that were neerest of her blood by reason that shee thus debased her selfe They farther aduertised that Verrine began already to be wray the coÌ„plices and asfoclats in Magick by their names and sur-names and amongst others a woman called Honoria that was blind of both her eies who being apprehended had the markes found vpon her and was conuicted of witch-craft and so burnt although she died with great contrition and sense of her sinnes Let vs therefore pray vnto God that all may redound to his glory and the good of the Church and to the vtter ruine and desolation of the kingdome of Satan Amen THE CONCLVSION THe end and scope of this History which is the discouery of a Magician by the Diuell and his execution which followed there-upon doth cleerly demonstrate the vndoubtable truth contained in the same since there was nothing in the world more secret and incogitable then that the said Gaufridy was a Magician but contrariwise hee stood fauoured and well esteemed of by gentle-men and others of his owne quality the Diuel infusing into him an insinuating and well fashioned deportment of himselfe with so winning a manner of conuersation that hee was wel-be-loued and well entertained by all men But God would not suffer such hypocrites to lurke in his Church vndiscouered and vnpunished as wretched Iudas gaue the first proofe thereof be it spoken without offence and preiudice to S. Peter and the rest of the Apostles God be blessed and praised for euer for all those miracles which he hath been pleased in his good time to worke amongst vs for his glory and the further instruction of his Church Amen The whole is submitted to the iudgement of the Church THE APPROBATION WE the vnder-written Doctors in the sacred facultie of Diuinity at Paris doe certifie that we haue fully and diligently suruayed and read this present treatise intituled The admiâ—able History of the possession and conuersion of a penitent woman seduced by a Magician The collections whereof were gathered by the reuerend father Michaelis Doctor Preacher and Inquisitour of the Catholicke Apostolicke and Romane faith established by our holy father the Pope In which treatise and collections wee finde nothing which is not orthodox and conformable vnto the decrees and orders of our holy mother the Church Yea wee haue therein obserued many notable things that may tend to the great comfort and edification of all faithfull Christians as well Temporall as Spirituall and may induce and spurre vs on to repentance and to the practise of vertue From our Studies in Paris this present Tewsday the 10. of Iuly in the yeare of grace 1612. G Froger Fr. P. Dum. A DISCOVRSE OF SPIRITS CONTAINING WHATSOEVER is necessarie for the more full vnderstanding and resolution of the difficult Argument of Sorcerers WRITTEN AND COMPOSED BY the reuerend Father Frier Sebastian Michaëlis Doctor of Diuinitie of the Order of Preaching Friers and Prior of the Couent Royall of S. Maximin in Prouence BY WISDOM PEACE BY PEACE PLENTY AT LONDON Imprinted for VVilliam Aspley THE PREFACE FRiendly Reader I doe protest with Tertullian that in the Argument of Sorcery which is the subiect of this discourse I neuer was so farre transported with curiosity as to plunge my selfe into an ouer-diligent intelligence of the same because it is a Science that serueth for nothing but to disseason and perplex my spirit as being an enemy vnto my soule and therefore the vnderstanding thereof distastfull to mee The consideration whereof is common to all those who leuell their actions to godly purposes whereof that holy and ancient Father doth draw a learned and generall deduction in these notable words Nos spiritualia nequitiae non quidem socia Conscientia sed inimica scientia nouimus nec invitatoria operatione sed expugnatoria dominatione tractamus multiformem luem mentis humanae totius erroris artificem salutis pariter animaeque vastatorem In which he hath spoken a certaine truth for what other thing can a man gaine by this vnnecessary yet dangerous knowledge but a true plague of man-kind a palpable blindnesse in all sorts of error and last of all an ir-recouerable slide and downe-fall both of body and soule into the pit of Hell Notwithstanding the Theorick and contemplation of these things is not vnnecessary vnto vs that are Clergy-men because we are expresly commanded by Christ Iesus in the persons of his Apostles to cast out and chase away all wicked and vncleane spirits by the powerfulnesse of his name for his pleasure is that wee should be in direct opposition against Magicians who doe call vpon them and wooe them to appeare vnto them by their softest and sweetest supplications But we as is already said Non inuitatoria operatione sed expugnatoria dominatione ipsos tractamus So that the admirable effects which doe continually flow from so high and weighty a charge may giue full answere and solution to the obiection of Paynâ—â—s who were wont by way of réproch to aske the Primitiue Christians wherein their knowledge of wicked spirits did excell and surmount other mens Vnto whom the same good father Tertullian answereth that it was necessary that Christians should haue a greater knowledge of Diuels because as experience did well witnesse none but Christians had authority and power to cast them out with violence and in despite of them For as a Lord or Master who is euer labouring to tame his slaue that is refractary and rebellious against him hath occasion to know his peruersues more thorowly then other men euen so fareth it with Christians in respect of vncleane spirits Daemonia itaque affirmamus esse inquit sane quasinon probemus qui ea soli de corpore exigimus Hence wee may make this deduction that for the readier way to dissipate and ouerthrowe the kingdome of Satan this kinde of Science is necessarily required in Church-men as the knowledge of Heresies is necessary vnto Catholick Doctors that they may the better confute them and those diseases that are pestilentiall must be vnderstood by Phisitians if they hope to expell them I doe heere desire that in a subiect of this nature there might bee a methode obserued in our manner of speaking as the Stoicks anciently did in their discourses of the world esteeming it as a great abuse to call things that in themselues were odious and filthy by honest names or things that were vertuous and honest by filthy names but insteed thereof euery thing was to be expressed by words and appellations apt and proper to figure out the same For vertuous actions were to bee expressed by termes that should breath and sound forth nothing but a decent and equall commendation but vicious and discommendable actions were to be set forth with such fit and conuenient epithetes as might breed an â—orrour and detestation of their filthinesse Neither doe I desire this without iust cause since that the malice of our times hath mis-applied
to auoid a danger 2 Magdalene spitteth at the perswasion of the Exorcist 11 Magdalene strongly tempted by Belzebub at the time of communion 49 Magdalene changed 147 Magdalene at times wauereth 116.118.119 Magdalene weepeth and prostrateth her selfe at the feet of the Dominican 8.10 Saint Magdalene the first among sinners 36. and in beauen is the next after the mother of God 189 Magdalene a table 148 Magdalene giuen to the Diuell and by whom 116 Magdalene falleth downe at her mothers feet 14 S. Magdalene intercedeth for Magdalene 13 Magicians are not possessed 304 Magicians spread abroad ill sauours and cast some of their stinkes vpon two Fathers 301 Magick much vsed 282 Maladies of men 267.268 Malice of this world 26 Maliciousnesse of Lewes 282.297.298 Man is endowed with free will 272 The manner of Magdalenes transformation in soule and of others also 147 The Mantle or cloake of impiety 259 Mary the Moone and her sonne the Sunne 222. and the Saints Starres ibid. Mary intercedeth for sinners 9 Mary conceiued without originall sinne 205.206 Mary the sinners aduocate 41.42.128.147 Mary the goodliest creature that euer God made She is a garden 4.47.233 Mary is a ladder 19.8 Mary is all in all 5. She is the temple of the blessed trinity 4.5 Maries praiers 233.270 Martha next after the mother of God and why 50. She is loued by Mary 53 Martyrdome of S. Lucia and the Virgins 49 Martyrs ten thousand went in one day to Paradise 125 The Masse of a wicked Priest is good 32 Memory representeth the eternall father 193 Menaces of the Diuell to carry away Magdalene 2 Menaces of Belzebub 10 Menaces of Lewes the Magician 291 The Mercy of God 11.73.77 and his iustice 44 The Mercy of Christ Iesus 45.48.62 and of our Lady 78 Mercy and Iustice the two daughters of God 44 Miracles discouered 34.43.68.88.143.205 Miracles oppugned 205 A great miracle that the Diuell should praise heauen 20 A great Miracle that God by the pronouncing of foure words should descend vpon the Altar 133 Miserable is he who giueth good counsell vnto others and keepeth none for himselfe 110.112.113 Mortification recommended vnto vs. 68.130 The Mother of God euer intercedeth for Magdalene 9 The Mother of God dared not to touch him vpon his birth day 183 Moses one of the foure trumpets who together with Saint Iohn shall come and summon men to iudgement 265 N NAbuchodonosor turned into a beast and is saued 251.258 Names of the Diuels which were in the body of Louyse 3 The name of Verrine shall be rased forth 259 Neighbours necessities to be relieued 226.227 Euery night two Priests watch with Magdalene 84 No man without sinne 239 True nobility 252 True nobility commeth from heauen 243 Nonnus would not baptize Pelagia 40 Nostre Dame de grace the place where Magdalene was exorcised 1 O THe Oath of the Diuell 131 Oathes that are of validity 92.165.209.304 The Oathes of Belzebub and Verrine 35.63.64 Without Obedience no Paradise 40 Obedience in some cases not to be giuen 175 Obedience recommended 126.133.134.171 Obstinacy and hardnesse of heart in Magicians accompanied with a great blindnesse 254 Offices to be performed by religious persons 144 Offices of the Diuels 170.191 The order of S. Dominicke admitteth not mortall sin 206 The Order of S. Dominick extolled 206.263 The Order that is Hierarchichall and appertaining to the Church is not among the good Angels themselues 93 Order among the Diuels 80 P THe paines of hell are not so vnsufferable as the wrath of that great God 17 The paines of hell 19.60.61.121.122 Paines of this world as flowers but the pames of hell are truly punishments 133 Gates of Paradise very narrow 124.200 Pardoning our enemies 256 The pastour is to giue an account of his sheepe 177 Patrons of Prouince 65 Pennance recommended 177.181.120.208 People flocke by troupes to S Baume 124 A great perfection to omit nothing that is good 203 Perswasion of Verrine to Magdalene 12 Physitians of the soule 268 The holy pillar 130 A Plot to ruine the companies of the doctrine and S. Vrsula 55 Possessed persons are much eased at the departure of Diuels 211 Possession by witchcraft 3 Possession of Magdalene by her spirituall father 88 The power of God towards sinners 64 The Power of God 73.151.163.168.169 Prayers powred forth by Verrine vnto God 240 Prayers for our enemies 48.257 Prayers cause teares 8 Prayers for Magdalene 98 Prayers made by Magdalene vnto the Virgin by the aduise of her Confessour 15 Preachers labour much haue not such easie liues as some imagine 227 The Praises of the Nunnes of S. Vrsula 34.50.51 55.65.118 Prediction of the punishment and death of the Magician bound with a solemne oath 88.89.213.301 Prediction yet to come 260.262.263.304 Predictions already happened 265.278.299.303 304.305 Priests ought to be had in reuerence 133.171 Priests ought to study and preach because they are separated from the world 133 The Priest is not the cause why sinners receiue no grace by hearing of the Masse but they themselues 192 Pride of the Diuell 24.66 Fiue Prinses of the Diuels in the body of Magdalene 39 Proceedings to conuert the Magician very charitable and repugnant vnto Diuels 102.106 Promise of witnesses to keepe Lewes his sinnes secret 102 The proud shall not enter into Paradise 242 The great Punishments of those that doe not obey God 119 Purgatory 153 Purity recommended 186 R THe Rage of the Magicians 73.74.116.236 254.302 The rebels person displeaseth God 133 Recompence which the Diuell giueth to those that serue him 254.255 Redemption of man 145.146 Reformation 204.206 Refusall of father Francis Domptius to exorcise why 2 To Render euill for good is the property of Diuels 254 Renunciations of Magicians 74.75 and of Verrine 235.236 Reprehension of Magdalene 7.8.116.119 Reprehension of Christians 16.93 Resignation of Louyse 56.94 Resistance to withstand their comming to Saint Baume 112 Resistance of the Diuell at the Communion 24 Returne of Lewes to Marseille as innocent 308 Riches of this world the of scourings of Paradise 256 Father Romillon could not hold in Magdalene but crieth for helpe 2 Ruine of Angels 266 S THe Sabbath held in Saint Baume 119.132 The same Sacrifice is alwaies seene in the Church 190 Sacrifices that are publicke and why they are offered 114 Saints deuoted to the Virgin 198 Saints and their vertues 68.69.70 They pray for vs. 150 Salomon the worlds wisedome damned 251.258.304 Satisfaction followeth confession 181 Schedules restored to Theophylus and others 305 Science of Diuels full of malice 25 Science of God knoweth all things 46 Science of Cicero and Plato to what vse they serue 232 Separation of the two women 289.295 The seruice of Diuels is laborious but the seruice of God delightfull 254 The shame which Magdalene tooke to bee proclaimed a Witch before all people 10 Signes of the day of Iudgement 260 Signe of Predestination what it is 228 Signes of Magdalenes possession 39.93.305 Signes of Louyses possession 201.202.261.265.276
Adam and Christ. 313 Belzebub goeth forth out of the body of Magdalene 322 Belzebub goeth to the Magician to teach him to weepe 388 Belzebub the prince of pride and his tentations 323 Belzebub beginneth to speake 313 Belzebub saith that absolution burned him more then hell fire 338 Belzebub shaketh Magdalene 312 Belzebub bound 313 Belzebub interrupteth confession 338.357 Belzebub discourseth of diuers things that were absent 372 Blood drawne from the finger of the left hand where the vaines of the heart are of Lewes the Magician to write the schedule 393 The body of Magdalene swolne by Belzebub 315 The brauado of Verrine vnto the other Diuels 316 The broome wherewith Magdalene to shew her obedience swept the Church is by the Diuell cast vpon the ground 391 C THe Charity of two Capuchin fathers 388 Charmes to what end they are giuen 343. and the remedy against them 344 Charmes spread abroad by Sorcerers 320.347 Charmes blowne through a cane by Sorcerers 300.383 and the composition and ingredients of them 330 Charmes in the eyes of Magdalene 320 The Cherubins manner of adoring God 408 Commissaries deputed to apprehend the Magician 372 Confession of the Magiciā vnto the Capuchin fathers 396 Confronting of Magdalene and the Magician 379 Contrition truly practised 394 Conuersions of men successiuely and by degrees 90.386 Cries of Magdalene 331 Cries of Belzebub 364 The Crosse of our Sauiour very high 313 The Crosse not made in the forme of a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 314 The Crosse applyed to the back of her that was possessed 393 D DEfence prepared against the sorcerers that came inuisibly to Saint Baume 330 Diuels tied to charmes and the remedy against them 343 The Diuell runneth in and out in the Chapell when the woman which he possessed was to be confessed 382.383 One of the Diuels answereth the Exorcist and reuealeth many things vnto him 323.324 Diuels not able to bewitch men that are superiours as Bishops Abbots c. 344 The Diuell first blindeth men and after iests at them and why 354 The Diuell complaineth of God 392 The Diuell excuseth his sinne 392 Diuels are deceiuers 374 Diuels by constraint may speake truth 389 Diuels bound 349 Diuels tormented 321.375 Diuels feare the relicks of Saints 369 Diuels feele the efficacie of prayers 375 Diuels change their names as they please when they enter into sundry bodies 321 Diuels haue no names and why 321 The Diuels by constraint haue reuealed the bodies and relicks of Saints 389 The Diuel answereth that God was purposed that the Magician and his adherents should be discouered 366 Diuels labour to bewitch father Michaelis and cannot◠344. the cause ibid. 15. Diuels in a body of acertaine man 394. 30 Diuels in the body of Magdalene besides inferiour Diuels 325 Dialogue between Belzebub and the Magician 373 An excellent dialogue betweene one of the fathers and the Diuell 392 The difference between a marke and a stripe 379 Difference in the knowledge of God 320 Diligence of the Sorcerers to turne Magdalene vnto them 345.349 Diuers tentations of Diuels 323.324.325 c Some Doctors hold that our Lord was nayled to the crosse with foure nayles 313 A dog kneeleth before the blessed Sacrament 337 Doggs forbidden to be brought to the Sabboth 337 The dueties of those who goe to the Sabboth 334 E THe excellent effect of consecrated fingers 385 Exhortation of the Exorcist vnto Magdalene to renounce the Diuell 311 An Exorcisme called Luciferiana 342 Exorcismes and the Diuels answers vnto them 318.319 The Exorcist called Hangman by the Diuel 395 Experience teacheth that Witches being beaten or threatned doe make their withcrafts cease 354 F FIngers that were consecrated put vpon Magdalens throat 385 Fontaine the Physitian counterfaiteth himselfe a Priest to deceiue Belzebub 371 The forces of Magdalene fayle her 381.363 Force of Exorcismes 367 Fortitudo Magdalens good Angell 360 Father Francis the Capuchin doth Exorcise Magdalene and what he asked her 383 A Franciscan putteth reliques vnto Magdalens back and what reliques they were Ibid. 369 Frequencie of the Sacraments a true remedy against witchcraft 320.344 Holy Friday apt for the remission of sinnes 396 G A Gallery neere Magdalens chamber to which she vsed to come 390 Monsieur Garandeau leadeth the woman that was possessed into the Chapel of S. Sauiour 387 Garandeau Vicar generall vnto the Arch-bishop of Aix doth question Magdalene 370 Garanier the name of a Diuell 394 Gaufridy Prince of Magicians Priest of Acoules 367 A gentleman of the pretended religion speaketh vnto Magdalene and the summe of his discourse 386 A girle digged out of her graue by witches 352 God bindeth and looseth Diuels when and how he pleaseth 322 Gombert Priest of nostre Dame de Grace is sent to confesse the Magician 386 The Gormundizing of Lewes 355 Great store of Magicians come and make a noise at Louyses Exorcismes 316 Great iniurie done to the Host by Lewes 366 A Great light sent from God when corporall punishments are lesse esteemed then spirituall tentations 407 Great strokes giuen by the Diuell to Magdalene being on her knees 405 Grassy a doctor of Physick tryeth Magdalene and is helped by other Physitians 371.374 Gresill and his temptations 324 The Grumbling of the Diuels when they are together 394 H THe hate of Magdalene infused into her by the Diuell 359 The head of an Owle engrauē within a circle in a ring 328 Henrie Alphonsus the father of Marie 332 An Heritick spied out by the Diuell as he came to see these wonders 377 The Host could neuer be put into Magdalens mouth by the Magician although her mouth was forced open by the Diuell 368 The Host presented by the Magician in the sabbath vnto Magdalene and her refusall of it 368 In the Host a young childe is seene by Magdalene and what he said vnto her ibid. The Hickcough in Magdalene when she should communicate 392 Honore Lyon of the couent of S. Maximin lately arriued and his Angell 366 Horrible gestures vsed by Belzebub towards Magdalene 315 I IAmes the Hermit despised all honour and dignities 326 The Image of our Ladie brought by Mary one of Magdalens acquaintance vnto her 342 Imploring of helpe from the Virgin 333 Imploring of aide from the blessed Virgin and all Angels by Magdalene 311.312 Impotencie of Diuels 331 Impudence of Diuels 373 Insolence of Belzebub 349.352.357.363 An instrument of glasse foure cornered and the vse of it 42 Intellectuall conferences externally expressed 321 Interrogatories put vnto Belzebub and his answers 332 The iumping of Magdalene vpon her knees 383 K SIx Knights came from Marseille to leade away the Magician and fauoured him as their speciall friend 317 Knowledge of things absent 377 L LAdies and other women intercede for Lewes Gaufridy 372 Laudate Dominum sung by Magicians 336 Father Lawrence Prouinciall of the Capuchins 407 Letanie sung to awake Magdalene 349 A letter brought vnto Magdalene by the Magicians lieutenant 342 Leuiathan neigheth like an horse 333 Leuiathan Prince of
is of an infinite resistance when he saith Nolo k The doleful cry of one giuing vp the ghost m Torches seene in the aire n The sea the graue for Sorcerers m The banquet of the Synagogue n The songs vsed in the Sabbath o The abominable sensuality practised in the Sabbaths p O prodigious and vnheard of impiety but this accursed Magician deceaued himselfe for he could not consecrate Saint Thomas saith that those who crucified Christ Iesus could not be said to sacrifice although in their action Christ Iesus was the host and oblation because their intention was not in their offâ—ring to present this thâ—ir action vnto God for they did this out of pure malice 3. pag. q. 47. art 4. ad 2. q Magicians not possessed r Superiours not to be bewitched s The remedy against inchaÌ„tments t The noise of the witches plainly heard u The damnable industriousnesse of Sorcerers to diuert Magdalen x Another charme cast vpon Magdalen and why y Behold here the pride that is amongst wicked spirits z The Saints that are aduersaries vnto the Synagogue of witches a He had raged and stormed against S. Chrysostome b This Aegidius whiles he liued gaue himselfe to the Diuell that he might be a skilful Physitian He was a Portugese and his history was made by father Sampaye of Portugal olso we wondered that an illiterate woman could relate such an history that is almost vnknown vnto all men and came not forth in print bnt a while since and was written and published in latine by a Portugese after it had lyen a long time obscurely among the manuscrips of our Library c Verrine did scarce euer refuse to answere at the Exorcismes d The diligence of the Magicians to diuert Magdalene e A woman that was lost and sought after and the place where she was abiding f The said fellow and father of this child said that he had indeed a daughter called Margaret that died two yeares agoe g Notable instructions for Preists to hinder the working of charmes h Experience teacheth that Sorcerers being menaced or beaten do make the charmes to cease i Father Michaelis sent for him thither to purge himselfe from those publike defamations which the Deuils with open throate daily proclaimed against him And the two good Capuchin fathers into whose familiarity he had wonne himselfe the better to couer his villianies did beare him company Hee remained with vs 10. dayes vntill there came some persons and carried him from thence in great scorne Wee caused him to exorcise both the one and the other of those that were possessed and thereupon the Deuils began to sport at it saying who would euer haue thought that thou shouldest exorcise vs Afterwards he pretended as though he could not read and intreated father Michaelis to read the Exorcismes for him k Magdalene reported vnto vs that in deflouring of women in the Synagogue hee had this end scope to be the father of Antichrist But the Diuels made him to vnderstand his ignorance of the Scriptures l The Diuell first blindeth them and then when they are thus hood-winkt he scoffeth at them * Because he had prophaned the holy Host. m Parish church in Marseille n What become of Magicians when they are either hurt or slaine o The tormeÌ„ts of Magdalen p Reconciliation doth frustrate yeâ—tteÌ„pts of the Diuell The hate which the one did beare vnto the other was so great that they could not indure to bee neere one another so that we were constâ—med to exorcise them a part for a certaine season q The great tortures which Magdalene indured and the reason why a The Angelâ— who are gardians vnto men are of an inferiour degree of Angels are commanded and sent by their superiour Angels s The markes which witches haue vpon them t It fell out so indeed about 3. moueths after u God permitted these extraordinary tortures which indured vntill the Magician was vpon the last of April burned that Magdalene might be truely conuerted who had escaped from a great gulfe of voluptuousnesse and sins To breake therefore these euill habits which long custome had made familiar vnto her shee needed great mortifications and that which was said of the Canaanitish woman may well be said of her Male à daemonio vexatur y He made this out-cry because he was occasioned to remember his fall z The day of the Purification was the feast of the Church of Acoules at Marseille a Hee is one of the ancients in the Couent at Saint Maximin b This prediction fell out afterward to be true c This happened at Aix many dayes together in the Archbishops Chappell when they said Masse for hee then would cry as lowde as he could that he renounced Christ and his passion in the name of Lewes Gaufridy Prince of Magicians Many heard the same and some Iudges of the Court were there also See the Acts of the 1. day of March. d The fact not the time reuealed e The good Angell is assisting vnto Magdalene f The triall of the Deuill g A vision in the holy Host. h We must not consent or giue way vnto the Deuill in the least thing that is so that if he come and demand but a rush of vs wee are not to giue it vnto him i Another trial of the Diuel k The arriual of the two womeÌ„ that were possessed at Aix l The signes of Magdalens possession and her markes m The witnes of Physicians and Surgeons n He speaketh vnto Monsieur â—onteine the Physician o The Commissioners that were deputed to fetch the Magician p Belzebub reciteth things that were acted in remote places q See the impudence of Diuels r The Diuell is a cousener and deceiueth euen those that he calleth his Yet here it was no deceite but an impotency and want of ability â—od gaue hinderance here vnto by his good Angell because the Magicians markes might be found out s Another trial made by the Physitianâ— t A notable sensible effect of the blessed Sacrament u The Diuell vvel swinged by the good Angel x He felt the vertue of the prayer for he cannot vnderstand or diuine the secrets of the heart y Diuers men of quality present at Magdalenes tortures z Witnesse of the Magicians markes a This is the accomplishment of Verrins prediction who foretoldat S. Baume that Belzebub himselfe should discouer the Magician in a Church in the presence of Iudges and Counsellors of the ParliameÌ„t and should cry so loud that they should be very dease who heard it not And that if after all this they did not execute Iustice vpon him God would vse two other meanes in the citty of Marseille See the Acts of the 4. of February aboue written b It is to bee noted that these 4. had on this day said Masse in the Chapel of the Arch bishops Pallace at Aix for his conuersion c The Diuels knowledge of things absent