are not properly inuironed or bounded in by any place thereby letting vs vnderstand that his meaning was not to attribute any bodily substance vnto them The like may be obserued out of S. Ierome who saith with Saint Paul that Angels and soules doe bow their knees before God yet are wee not here saith he to conceiue that they haue their members and dimensions like vnto vs. Before wee descend to the proofes out of Scriptures wee shall doe well to examine whether the opinion of those that take the Scripture-phrase according to the rigour of the letter may bee defended S. Thomas dispureth against it and saith that it cannot be defended For first if they had bodies made of aire as Apuleius dreamed they could not bee immortall but would in the end fall into corruption as we doe because whatsoeuer is compounded of elementarie qualities must of necessitie be framed of contrary and repugnant natures which in the end by their perpetuall opposition and fight do ruine one the other and this truth is beyond exception Secondly the aire is a body which the Philosophers terme homogeneall that is whose least part is of the same nature and condition with the whole as euery drop of water is water as well as whole riuers or the sea from whence this absurditie would follow their opinion that the whole bodie of the aire must be one immense Angelicall substance Thirdly the men bers of a liuing bodie must haue seuerall organes fit for the performance of those functions whereunto nature doth ordaine them which cannot be true of the aire and if they were made of aire they may thē be dissolued and melted into water as the clouds are they should also be hot moist like vnto the aire as if they were cōposed of fire then must they burne All which absurdities doe euidently shew that they are said to bee airie only because they abide for the most part in the aire And therfore Saint Paul writing vnto the Ephesians who were great Philosophers and much addicted vnto Magicke as S. Ierome obserueth giueth them to vnderstand that this opinion was not repugnant vnto Christianitie but that they were to hold it for a truth that there are a great number of Spirits in the airie region against whom they were to combat insinuating thereby that they may in this sense bee called airie if thereby wee meane that they are Spirits without flesh and bones Non est nobis saith he colluctatio aduersus carnem sanguinem sed aduersus principes potestates aeris huius he also calleth them Spiritalia nequitiae in coelestibus Wee may safely saith that Father call them airie or heauenly but wee must alwaies suppose them to be Spirits In this sense doe the Hebrewes call birds the fowles of the heauen and of the aire and men are by them stiled terrestriall not that birds haue bodies of aire or men of earth but because they doe inhabite in the aire and dwell vpon the earth For conclusion of this point let vs hearken what the holy Scriptures say and for the old Testament King Dauid calleth them Spirits where he faith Qui facis angelos tuos spiritus as if he should haue said Lord thou hast ordained that those whom wee call Angels should be Spirits Now there is a contradiction and Antithesis betweene a bodie and a spirit so that the consequence by negation doth necessarily follow one vpon the other as if such a thing be a bodie it will be negatiuely inferred then is it not a spirit and contrariwise if it be a spirit then is it not a bodie which conclusion Christ himselfe maketh vnto his Apostles when after his resurrection they conceiued him to be a spirit Touch me said he and looke what I am being risen with my true bodie for a spirit hath neither flesh nor bones as you see I haue So that this were sufficient to proue that a spirit hath no body although there should bee no other place or text to strengthen the same And lest wee should fall into the opinions of certaine Stoicks who maintained diuersities of kindes in Angels and that some had bodies and others had not S. Paul doth direct vs vnto this generall Maxime which is without exception when hee pronounceth this sentence Omnes sunt administratorij spiritus and in another place he saith that amongst Gods creatures there are some visible and some inuisible such as are Thrones Dominations Principalities Powers for confirmation whereof wee may adde that which we haue alreadie alleaged out of the Epistle vnto the Ephesians where there is an opposition expressed between the things that appertaine to flesh and blood and the things that belong vnto the spirit Touching Diuels they are also called Spirits but to put a difference betweene the good and them there is euer subioyned some restriction as in the historie of Achab one of them speaketh in this manner Ero spiritus mendax in ore prophetarum Christ Iesus often calleth them vncleane spirits or the Diuels angels conformable whereunto S. Paul termeth them the angels of Satan which must be vnderstood to proceed from their imitation not from their creation But it may be obiected that they haue a body and are tyed so really vnto the same that Abraham washed their feete they tooke Lot by the arme and by strong hand drew him forth out of Sodome and Iacob wrestled a whole day with them It is true indeed they are supported sometimes by a body for otherwise they could not be seene because of themselues as S. Paul saith they are inuisible yet wee are not to detract from the authoritie of Scriptures that do cleerely teach vs that they haue no bodies of their owne for wee must affirme with Tertullian Habere corpora peregrina sed non sua They haue bodies saith he which they borrow but haue none in their owne nature Wee know that a Spirit did appeare vnto our grandmother Eue in the forme of a Serpent yet was there neuer any of so blunt earthy an apprehension that would affirme that this body of a Serpent was the body of an Angell Wee are then to say that this body was framed of one of the foure elements not of fire for it would burne nor of water for such a body would easily fleet away and be dissolued nor of earth for that would remaine sollid vnto the view and should afterward also bee found it must therefore necessarily bee framed of aire both because Spirits haue their places of abode from aboue the good Spirits dwelling in heauen and the bad in the aire as also for that this element doth easily take the impression of all colours formes as we see what great variety of colours are in the rainebow and what diuersities of shapes and semblances bearing the formes of Dragons Serpents and the like are represented vnto vs in the clowds And these formes are dissolued
Verrine Afterward she read the letter which she had formerly the day before her conuersion directed to the blessed Mother of God by the order and aduice of the Father Romillon in reading of which Verrine rebuked her and taxed her of pride saying that Pelagia being conuerted by a sermon Nonnus refused to baptize her but she threw her selfe downe at his feete and said that she would demaund satisfaction of him at the day of iudgement whereupon he did baptize her Then hee said Take courage Magdalene for God will giue assistance vnto thee but beware thou neglectest not the fiue counsels and instructions which were giuen to Louyse this morning to wit a good intention puritie of affection puritie of conscience faith and humilitie Francis for his simplicitie and humblenesse is in Paradise hee suffered himselfe to bee accounted a foole yet was hee garnished with all sorts of excellent vertues for God giueth grace to the humble and resisteth the proud He was also indowed with the gift of obedience for without obedience there is no going to Paradise yea the Sonne of God himselfe said to his Father in the garden of Oliuet Fiat voluntas tua and finally resignation is to be made of all worldly desires After this hee caused the tenour of the letter to bee changed saying that it sented of nothing but of pride and nicenesse and he made it to be mended in manner as followeth My most deare glorious worthie and vnspotted Mother of God and the most louely Mother of my Spouse I salute you in the heartiest manner and present my selfe before you as a wretched malefactor before his Iudge to the end that you would be pleased to intercede for me to your best beloued Sonne and to offer vnto him your holy and chast wombe that bare him and your blessed breasts that gaue him sucke As also to pray your dearest Sonne to present his fiue wounds vnto his Father that so I may haue remission of all the sinnes which I haue committed in my fiue senses I am a poore miserable creature vnworthie to lift vp mine eyes to heauen or once to name of my Creator But I will say like another Thais he who hath created me and framed me of nothing take pitie vpon me who am not worthie to tread on the earth or to lift vp my spirit and voyce to pray no not to S. Magdalene S. Dominicke my good Angel and all the Saints of heauen or other reasonable creatures as well absent as present I Magdalene of Demandouls haue written this letter to the most sacred and worthie Mother of God who doe not merit as much as to name her deliuered by a Diuell called Verrine that spake by the mouth of Louyse because I haue not made those instructions vsefull vnto mee which by so many learned personages whom I little esteemed of were recommended to my practise I haue rather hearkened vnto Lucifer then to them and doe now make my protestation before God that I shall neuer hereafter giue eare to Belzebub nor to his adherents by the assistance of his grace and through the prayers of the Virgin Mary the sinners Aduocate and specially of S. Mary Magdalene of all Angels and of all Saints Protesting in despite of Belzebub the chiefe of the Diuels which are in my bodie and of al hell I will heedfully obserue those fiue points which were recommended vnto me to wit a good intention a pure affection puritie of conscience simplicitie humilitie as also obedience and resignation of the world All this I doe here promise by the aide and grace of my God The subscriptioÌ„ of the said letter was dated in manner as followeth Verrine saying that the subscription of letters that were to be sent to great personages ought to be no lesse polite and elegant then the bodie of the letters themselues Your most humble and prostrate hand-maid replenished with all presumption in that she hath been so hardie as to write vnto so great a Queene although my great and compelling necessities haue pressed me vnto it and I saw that you were the Sanctuarie and refuge of those that were forlorne as also I was transported thereunto by reason of the great and violent assaults of temptations which Belzebub and all his complices did force vpon me And hauing vnderstood such wonders spoken of your greatnesse I was emboldâ—â—d to take you for my Mother and Aduocate and will remaine all my life long vntill the last houre of my death by the helpe of my God your most forlorne and worthlesse slaue Magdalene of Demandouls The superscription was thus To the most sacred worthie pretious and glorious Mother of my God and Aduocate for sinners The acts of the 13. of December 1610. being the feast of S. Luke THat day in the morning the Dominican Father came to conferre of the discourse of the day past that he might orderly couch and set downe in writing what he had obserued And seeing that hee could not conceiue where to begin hee remained a little sad that it should bee thus in hazard to bee forgotten At the length he was resolued to take the Stole and to adiure the Diuell Verrine that if it were the good pleasure of God that this should bee written to the end that the Church might take knowledge of the same it was then his part and dutie to repeate and dictate what hee had spoken to the confusion of the Diuell and to the glorie of God Presently did the Diuell begin to dictate in the presence of the fathers of the congregation as is aforesaid The Diuell protesting that he was now inforced to â—he repetition thereof but would hereafter dictate all â—nto the Church so leasureably that a man might haue â—he opportunity to write after him The same day in the morning Louyse and Magdaâ—ene were exorcised by the Dominican father and at the â—eginning of the exorcismes Verrine began to dictate â—hat which here followeth in the hearing of many taâ—ing the subiect of his discourse from the Gospell In â—rincipio which the Priest read after Masse Hee cried â—ut Cursed be In principio If I were able to smother â—t how willingly would I doe it These last words â—lunge vs into despaire Verbum caro factum est haâ—itauit The beginning speaketh of your redemption â—he conclusion of your glorie there is no habitauitâ—or â—or vs it is for others And this habitauit is it that â—addeth vs. The miracle doth not consist in this that Iohn the Euangelist wrote it but the wonder is that â— Diuell doth auow it and is constrained to his inâ—nite sorrow to annunciate this truth vnto you The â—iuels are compelled to speake the truth when God alâ—ighty doth expresse and wring it from them and are â—s Gally-slaues forced vnto it This is that God whom â—e Christians worship After Masse was finished hee began to speake after â—is sort touching the great Counsell of the most saâ—ed Trinitie about the reparation of mankinde When
of this sacke emptied there was neuer such villany seene neither was there euer the like miracle or the like remedy Verrine also said vnto the Dominican Father in the presence of the aboue-mentioned Sub-prior Take the booke of Exorcismes and enioyne me in the name of God to goe the third time to Marseille to solicite and labour the conuersion of the Magician When Verrine issued forth Gresil who held his place declared that he would speake to the Magician in another manner then he did to Magdalene And as Magdalene at the first would not beleeue because the Diuell busied himselfe in the cause of God or rather because Louyse did take vpon her to teach and instruct her or else some Diuell in her as was reported so should not this Magician regard any thing which should be spoken for his reformation The same day in the morning the Dominican Father did exorcise Verrine began to speake in this manner The will that is guided by the grace of God is able to compasse any thing and is mightier then the powers of hell it selfe How Idle then are they that say I cannot be conuerted It is vnbeseeming to adde excuses to your sinnes it was the old dotage of Adam and Eue. Adam thou haddest sufficient grace to keepe thy selfe vntainted but thou diddest suffer thy selfe to bee abused as many wretched sinners doe euery day The soule is the mistrisse and the body as the Chambermaid yet when the soule shall say let vs rise betimes to pray and serue God the body will forthwith oppugne it and say I am yet but young let old age first approch we shall haue leisure and time enough before vs to be repentant The memory will say let vs call to mind the blessings which are showred vpon vs from aboue the vnderstanding will thereunto adioyne let vs contemplate the goodnesse wisedome and power of the Creator in these his blessings and the will is ready to push vs on to loue and feare this good God because he is the sourse and first originall of all your happinesse The soule will say I will heedfully obserue thy diuine inspirations and will bequeath my selfe vnto thy seruice I will endure no longer that my seruant should inuade the gouernment of my house To which the chambermaid will reply Ha mistrisse what meane you to doe with your selfe take compassion of your tendernesse you are of too delicate a composition to bee martyred with such austere courses of life you haue time enough to repent you solace and glut your selfe with delights whiles occasion is offered and vse your goods with freenesse and profusenesse that you may varie and runne through all manner of pastimes whiles the time will giue this liberty vnto you Then Verrine said My words you see sauour of the spirit and doe maintaine that the soule is and ought to be the mistrisse of the body It is certaine that where the chambermaid holdeth the raines of gouernment in her hands the family will soone sinke and fall to decay therefore it ill beseemes the body to beare sway because it resembleth a woman who wanteth discretion to gouerne her selfe and God will not exact a reckoning from the body but from the soule and the soule shall haue the precedency of the body both in the reward and in the punishment because the soule ought rather to beleeue him that framed it then the seruant A blind man is vnfit to raigne and why because he is blind The soule is a common-wealth and if the conscience bee in quiet all the rest is the more peaceable Hence it is that the soule should gouerne and not the body because it is deuoid of all true apprehension of the misery which it may suffer Eue spake but once in excuse of her fault but the body grumbles and kickes perpetually Your God hath an armory garnished with all perfections and can euery day present new graces to those that demand them of him for hee keepeth them in his storehouse to bestow them vpon his children In like manner hath your God giuen the holy Scriptures the new Testament and the liues of Saints vnto his Church yet he resteth not heere but doth euery day offer new presents vnto her Embrace your God who for you hanged naked vpon on the Crosse for he is your father and the blessed mother of God is your aduocate Angels and Saints are your brethren and their pedigree is very noble God will also ennoble you after the same manner and this nobility is more venerable then all the royalty of descents that may bee giuen to the Kings of the earth The King of France lately deceased did worthily esteeme of this nobilitie he did humble himselfe and call vpon his God demeaning himselfe in his presence as a malefactor and oftentimes heard Masse with much deuotion and effusion of teares I tell you many Priests doe not so attentiuely meditate vpon the greatnesse and excellency of God as he did therefore was his death a kinde of martyrdome because hee would rather suffer death for the regard and reuerence which he bare vnto his God then giue credit to that which the Magicians had foreshowne vnto him and in dying hee pronounced the word Iesus and recommended his soule into the hands of God Hee had offended his God as David had done before him and was guilty as hee was and they were both Kings of mighty Nations but this had been infected with heresie as thou Louyse formerly wert yet O Henry it is a truth thou art now in Paradise Be glad Marie of Medicis for thou hast the honour to haue wedded a King who is now a Saint in heauen and if thou shalt imitate his godly end God will inuest thee with the same honour and thou Dauphin now a young tender King bee thou an imitator of the rare indowments of thy father who was so solicitous to giue thee vertuous education And doe you all loue this Prince for he well deserueth to beeloued by you and cursed be him that shall bandy or plot against this Prince and will not yeeld all dutifull obedience vnto him especially vnto a Prince of so sweet and harmelesse a nature as this is who will proue another Lewes in France that for his great vertue was canonized a Saint Reioyce little King for thy father is high in the glory of heauen I speake now to you that are but wormes of the earth examine well your selues for if your Prince did so humble and deiect himselfe how much more should you be prostrated in the lowlinesse of spirit thinke and consider seriously of these things Since also the holy Father doth humble himselfe who knoweth no superiour in this world it is to be admired that you should bee negligent or dainty in humbling of your selues The same day Verrine went againe to the Magician but before hee departed from the body of Louyse hee discoursed of the wretched estate of the Magician and of the mercy
and experience thereof is from the best and soundest part of men We are therefore to diue into the causes which when we once shall steddily comprehend it will easily bow and incline our vnderstandings to the beleefe of those things and make vs conceiue them not only to be possible but of a more ordinarie frequencie then hath hitherto bin beleeued And in regard that Spirits are the cause of these euents wee are first to know whither there are Spirits or no. There are three sorts of men that haue denied Spirits the first are Philosophers the second are the Sadduces and the third are Atheists Touching Aristotle the prince of Philosophers hee is of opinion that there is one supreme cause not tyed to the pressure and incumbrance of a bodie And he sets downe 47. Spirits subordinate to that supreme cause according to the number of motions which he obserued in the celestiall Orbes of heauen thinking with himselfe that those heauenly bodies could not so ordinately moue vnlesse they were animated and quickened thereunto by some Spirits of life Now whither hee had stolne this out of the holie Scripture or at the least had borrowed it from his Master Plato who might take it from thence because it is said in Ezekiel speaking of the celestiall bodies which are there called wheeles Spiritus vitae erat in rotis or whether hee had inuented the same by the collections which his experience had made from his frequent obseruing of them I cannot tell but surely he said truth except where hee seemeth by exclusion to shut out the rest as if there were no more then those that he recited Wherein he might consider that if those Spirits were necessarie for the vniforme and vncessant motions of the Spheares and by a consequent for the seruice of man Qui est quodammodo finis omnium much more is it conuenient that this first and supreme cause whom hee calleth the alone Prince of all things should be waited on with an infinite number of them for his owne vse and seruice Whereunto agreeth that of Daniel who teacheth vs that Millia millium ministrabant ei decies centena millia assistebant ei Thousand thousands ministred vnto him and tenne thousand times tenne thousand stood before him Whereof Dauid giueth the naturall reason saying Ministrieius vt faciant voluntatem eius and this doth tacitely agree with the saying of Ezechiel Spiritus vitae erat in rotis Mercurius Trismegistus as S. Thomas recites him doth determinately denie that there are good Spirits except those who wheele about the heauens And in this he agreeth with Aristotle although hee was a better Diuine then the other because he yeeldeth that God did make and create them which Aristotle seemed to deny who frameth to himselfe an eternitie euen of thistles and butter-flyes but touching the number of Spirits they are both of one opinion Aristotle doth deny that there are wicked Spirits whose authoritie Physitians did follow and adhere vnto as Psellus witnesseth intending those that were not Christians or which had apostated from the true Religion This sort of men doth ordinarily fall into two grosse errors the one against the immortalitie of the soule as it is recited in the 2. of Wisedome saying that the soule doth altogether resemble the flame that is nourished from the lampe the other is against Spirits for when they are shewed the effects wrought really by the Diuell in the bodies of those hee doth possesse they do adiudge of it more meanely then Aristotle did and affirme that these incongruities doe happen through the indisposition and depraued temper of humours and vitall spirits And thus as they doe by the immortalitie of the soule so heere also they change an immortall and incorruptible spirit into a spirit more earthly and which they would haue to bee quintessented from the temperament of naturall qualities which indeed is nothing else but a blast or smoake Hence it is that S. Augustine doth to this purpose fitly alleage the historie of a Physitian who saith hee was constrained to confesse the immortalitie of soules by a vision which hee had when he lay asleepe wherein hee saw although the casements of his eyes were shut vp and heard although his sense of hearing was tied vp and possessed by sleepe his good Angell speaking vnto him and making him to consider that his soule of it selfe without the aide or seruice of the bodie or any of the organs thereof did see and heare And this is the reason why such kinde of people doe relie and leane too much vpon Philosophie and causes in nature The Sadduces also may be ranked with them because they also denie Spirits as it is recited in the Acts of the Apostles from thence they fall into another inconuenience and that is to deny the immortality of the soule whereupon it followeth of necessitie that they must deny the resurrection of the body which three points are common vnto Atheists and all those that deny Spirits Others there are that are not so frontlesse and grosse in their opinions as the former but grant that as there are good Spirits for the motion of the heauen doth force from them that confession in that so good and necessarie a worke cannot proceed but from a good agent so there are also bad Spirits and that from them many actiōs of villany and naughtinesse doe proceed Of these Porphiry maketh mention in Epistola ad Anebuntem cited by S. Thomas saying that these are the Masters of Sorcerers and of all that vse witchcraft and that they neuer direct any man in a course of goodnesse but giue all passage and furtherance vnto those who haue any propension to doe mischiefe Plato also and his sect doe grant that there is a great number of Spirits whose residence is in the highest region of the aire as birds haue their abiding place in the low and middle region and fishes in the water but they doe heere intermingle many absurdities as wee will declare heereafter To conclude none haue euer perfectly knowen the nature of Spirits but those that haue receiued and vnderstood the holy Scripture Now against Philosophers and Painims wee haue experience against the Saduces who are hereticks amongst the Iewes as Tertullian saith wee haue the fiue bookes of Moses which they themselues admit and for Catholicks and Christians wee haue the consent of all the holy Scriptures both of the old and new Testament S. Thomas in his third booke against the Gentiles doth solidly and learnedly dispute against all the arguments of the Philosophers who affirmed that when any prodigie in nature did happen it was to be attributed to the influence of celestiall bodies which are able to bring forth many things that are hidden and buried from our knowledge It is true saith hee that nature is able to doe much yet notwithstanding it is bounded in and limited so strongly that for
the most part it is tyed to the production of one manner of effects either from the property of the efficient cause or from the impotency or vnaptnesse of the matter which hath no capacity but to bring forth one thing as the Sunne and all the heauens cannot in the sapp of a vine shape vp or bring forth any other thing but grapes nor from an apple tree any thing but apples Whereupon it must bee granted that there are many effects which are against and aboue the power of nature as Oracles which were nothing else but statues that did speake and giue resolution vnto those doubts that were propounded vnto them and did vnfold many things that were absent hidden and to come as also that some men haue suddenly and without any study or paines taking therein spoken Hebrew Greeke and Latine Syriac Chaldey and all other languages citing sentences of Poets and Orators although they neuer were conuersant in them or in any other kinde of literature that Oxen and Asses should speake and other prodigious accidents should happen against the power and course of nature that a vestall Virgin being suspected of light behauiour and wantonnes should in witnesse of her chastitie cary vp and downe before the Romansa sure full of water Claudia also vpon the same occasion did draw a great ship after her with her girdle and Actius Naeuius did with a rasor cut a whet-stone in peeces It hath been found true by experience and mention is made of the fame in the lawes of the 12. Tables that a certaine Island did fleet vp and downe from one place to another It is also knowen by obseruation that they who practise such things as these do vse certaine words characters prayers protestations and other manners of behauiour which cannot without folly and vanity be presented vnto any but vnto substances that haue vnderstanding and reason From whence hee draweth this conclusion that it is euident that al these prodigies doe proceed from Spirits and therefore there are Spirits And if the authority of the Scripture may heere take place which they may admit of at the least as any other History it is impossible to conceiue that the course of the Sunne should be stayed and that the heauen should goe backward in the time of Iosua and Esâ—chias by any naturall force or power For Aristotle himselfe faith that this is impossible euen for Intelligences themselues to wheele back the heauen as it is impossible for the soule to yssue forth of the body at pleasure or not to enlifen and actuate the body whiles it remaineth in it because there is a necessity in nature that compelleth the same Therefore it is plaine that those euents proceed from some thing else then from the motion of the heauens and it must necessarily be granted that prodigies ought not to be appropriated to the motion of the heauens but to some other secret causes which stand involued with much ambiguity and mistinesse Mercurius Trismegistus would indeed haue answered that argument touching Oracles in saying that it was true that God did create as many Spirits as are in nature yet it was the art of men to make the Oracles to speake by sitting thereunto certaine influences of the heauens for saith hee such statues might be so aptly accomodated to certaine aspects of the heauens as that they might speake diuine and foretell and might strike men with diseases and heale them againe and might in breefe worke miracles But it fareth heere with him as it doth with Plutarch who endeuouring to giue a reason why Oracles did cease to doe those wonders which they were wont letting slippe the true reason which was the comming of Christ Iesus in the flesh by whom the kingdome of Satan was vtterly ruined he maketh a booke exprespresly to shew the reason of their cessation and silence but hee falleth so short in his discourse that hee alleageth no reasons but such whose insufficiency and weaknesse may bee easily confuted nay which is more the most of them are ridiculous and vnworthy of so great a Philosopher in so much as he is driuen to say that they were nourished by exhalations drawne vp from the earth which when they ceased and were exhausted those Oracles were famished and dyed for want of their accustomed sustenance In the same maze wandereth Trismegistus when hee would yeeld a reason of their ouerthrow for it may be easily demanded of him first why men in these times may not doe the like as those of former ages haue done by the same obseruations of the heauens since now they are more skilled in their motions then formerly they haue beene and wheÌ„ now our modern Astrologers haue conuicted both Aristotle and Ptolomy of many errours Againe how may it bee possible that the cause should be of lesse excellency then the effect and if a man as hee affirmeth can by his industâ—y make such oracles it will in sound Philosophy bee necessarily inferred that hee may also produce and worke the same thinges in another man And if it be replyed that there must bee a concurrence of the heauens influence vnto such a worke I answere Why may not the like influence as well happen vnto a man as vnto a statue of wood Nay why should it not rather agree vnto him as being more capable of reason speech and all other actions then a statue Since then it was neuer knowen that a man was an oracle we may conclude that this reason is most insufficient for it is certaine that in all ages there haue beene some who would not haue desired a better purchase then by this meanes to bee esteemed Gods wherein they retaine a remnant of that poyson wherewith the Serpentinfected our first parents telling them Erit is sicut Dij and Gregory Nazianzene allegeth a number of examples as of Aristâ—ur Empedoâ—â—mus and Trophonias who hid themselues vnder ground that they might be esteemed Gods Empedocles also cast himselfe head-long into the sulphurous mountaine of Sicily which perpetually vomited 〈◊〉 â—lakes of fire and Iulian the Apostate was incited with the same 〈…〉 and did so burne with the cogitation of the same that hee would haue drowned himselfe in a great riuer Aristotle himselfe who laboured to giue a reason in nature for all things could not comprehend the 〈◊〉 and satisfying cause of the ebbe and flow of the Sea Euripâ—â— now called Negrepont where with hee was so vexed that hee threw himselfe violently into the same crying Because Aristotle cannot containe this Sea this Sea shall conteine Aristotle as Iustin Martyr writeth of him Hence it is that hee studied to render a naturall reason for those memorably strange accidents in man which cannot be attributed to any cause but either to God or Spirits and therefore he affirmed that the Sibills and those excellent Emperors and great Philosophers were dis-affected by a melancholick humour through which they spake and did many strange things In
most conspicuous thing that is Hence it is that as many as haue laboured to discouer the intricacy of these subtilties do resemble those that by a mathematicall demonstration would prooue quadraturam circuii for being not able to reach vnto it they haue an infinity of false hypotheses and suppositions Among these the two Arabicke Philosophers may be numbred Aben Rois whom some by corruption of speech cal Auerrois and Aben Pace whose opinions are largely confuted by Saint Thomas But to come to those who haue drawne neerer vnto the truth Aristotle doth affirme and prooue that those few Spirits whom he had knowledge of were certainely free from any Masse or pressure of bodies and were substances separated and abstracted from all composition of elements for he well knew that a corporeall forme ought to be proportioned vnto the body wherein it doth act and produce motion If then the Intelligences who moue the heauens were corporeall it must needs be that their bodies should be proportionable vnto the quantity of the heauenly bodies which is so great that it comprehendeth and compasseth in all the world and as touching the outward superficies it is contained in no place If then these Spirits should be fashioned to such greatnes they would be exceeding monstrous and hideous to looke vnto which is not to be conceited of these substances which are the most noble and excellent of all others They moue then the heauens as the reasonable soule doth our bodies that is meerely by their will which the body in his corporall motions cannot possibly resist if so be it be furnished with Organs proper for the same mouet voluntate non tactu which manner of working is strange and incomprehensible because it is a spirituall kind of working and not a corporall Many other reasons are alleaged by Aristotle but because they are drawne from naturall Philosophy and cannot easily be vnderstood but by those that are well versed in the Maximes of that science it shal be sufficieÌ„t that we haue alleadged these few Plato seemeth to himselfe to haue soared higher in his Philosophy but he is not without this errours for hauing got the sight of the holy Scriptures and taking the words according to the rigor of the letter he affirmeth that these excellent Spirits haue a thinne and subtile kinde of body made of fire or ayre wherein he followeth the Scriptures which seeme to say that they are made of winde or of a flame of fire and do alwayes mention their appearing to be clothed in such materiall shapes as when they speake of the Angell that conducted the people in the wildernesse it is said that hee was as a pillar of fire vnto them in the night and as a cloud in the day Besides in the mountaine of Sinay there were seene lightnings lampes and flames of fier as also the two Cherubins of the Mercies seate resembled two yong boyes with winges and Helias his taking vp to heauen was by Horses of fire But Plaeto vnderstood not that it is an vsuall thing with the holy Scripture to set before vs the highest mysteries by metaphors borrowed from things that are more vile so they be more familiar vnto vs. In like manner are the fowre Elements the seauen Planets and that supreame heauen of all where God and his Saints do dwell blessed for euermore are represented vnto vs in the Mercies seate by artificiall things the seauen Planets by the seauen Lampes in the middest of whom one was more bright and conspicuous then the rest and that represented the Sunne the like may be said of other things as that in the garments of Auron the High Priest there was representation made of the whole world and a kinde of expression of the Maiesty of God as the wise man saith In veste Aaron erat descriptus orbis terrarum The linen breeches did betoken the earth not onely because the earth bringeth forth flaxe and linnen but also because it is one of the worst stuffes that is there described the large girdle wherewithall the Priest did engirt himselfe represented the Ocean sea that compasseth all the earth the coate of blew veluet with the little bells of pomegranets the aire which is of the same colour and is the shopp where all thunders and lightnings are hammered the Rochet that was vpon his shoulders beautified with all variety of precious colours the heauen where all the Starres do like spangles beautifie that place the twelue precious stones that were set into this garment the twelue signes of the Zodiacke the Miter vpon his head the highest heauen and the plate of gold in which the ineffable name of God was ingrauen and which was vpon all the rest did represent the Maiâ—sty of God In the like manner God is shadowed out vnto vs with eyes eares and hands that is to say seeing hearing and doing all things which these Anthropomorphites not vnderstanding did maintaine wherein they fell into Platoes errour that God had also a body but how monstrous a body must this be since God himselfe is euery where They may as well say that he is a Lambe a Lyon or a Beare and the like then which borrowed speeches nothing is more frequent in Scripture So that when Angels are figured out with winges and are said to be clothed with winde or fire it signifieth nothing else vnto vs but that they are swift and ready to execute the will of God as the Psalmist doth explaine it speaking of Angels and saying Potentes robore seu virtute ad audiendam vocem sermonum eius The Ethnicks also hauing stolue the same from the Iewish antiquities as Iosephas calleth them that is to say from the holy Scripture doth set forth Mercury with winges and describe the winde in the shape of a man hauing winges thereby to expresse the swiftnesse and celerity which they conceiued and saw in these things And Hamer when he would speake of Gods descent vpon the earth whom he alwayes calleth Iupiter hee bringeth him downe couered and wrapped in a cloud which he stole from the bookes of Moyses where God is alwayes said to come downe in a cloud Descendebat columna nubis ad ostium Tabernaculi and as King Dauid saith Descendit dominus caligo sub pedibus eius The winde also is figured out to be a man with winges which is drawne from that place Qui ambulas super pennas ventorum And that we may more fully vnderstand the Maiesty and antiquity of the holy Scripture from whence the opinions of Plato had their first ground and originall and which the most famous Philosophers and Diuines haue followed in part as we will by and by demonstrate it is expedient to obserue breefely that which the ancients haue more largely expressed vnto vs especially Clemens Alexandrinus Origen Eusebius and Tertullian and that is that whatsoeuer Poets and Philosophers whether they were Greekes or Latines haue truly and excellently
qui facitis verbum eius ad audiendani vocem sermonum eius Thus were the euill Spirits thrust out of heauen for their pride whereas the good Spirits were still made blessed in the participation of the vision and presence of God This did Christ signifie vnto his Apostles when out of pride they demanded of him who among them should bee the greatest in the kingdome of heauen hee tooke a litle childe by the hand saying if you become not like vnto this litle childe yee cannot enter into that kingdome and beware how you offend one of these litle ones for their Angels doe alwayes see the face of my Father which is in heauen whereby he giueth to vnderstand that children by reason of their naturall humility are like vnto Angels which Angels by this meanes doe see the face of God Since this great reuolte in heauen there hath euer been a contrariety and warre betweene the will 's of good and bad spirits and betweene good and bad men also as between Abel and Cain Isaac and Ismael Iacob and Esau. And this is it which S. Iohn speaketh of in the Apocalypse that there was a great battell in heauen between Michael and his Angels the Dragon with his Angels and S. Iude bringeth in the same Michael disputing and chiding with Satan Since therefore hee is full of wickednesse and altogether depriued of the grace of God he can doe nothing but what is naught and because hee cannot wreake his malice vpon the Saints in Paradise hee conuerteth his fury against man that is made after the image of God and is heere seated vpon the earth that hee may worship his Creator and acknowledge and serue him with his whole heart that so he may at length participate of that diuine glory and felicity which the Diuell by reason of his pride is vtterly depriued of as we haue already alleaged And this is the next pointe which offereth it selfe to consideration in the ensueing chapter CHAP. IIII. The meanes which Diuels haue to appeare and come vnto vs in what part of the world they reside how they are bound and their sundrie waies to tempt men TOuching the meanes which Spirits haue to performe this the scripture teacheth vs that in their downe-fall from heauen some remained in the middle region of the aire which is darksome obscure because the Sun-beames passe through the same without refraction of any solid body which by repercussion might double their force and light and without which they shine not at all as is euidently seene in a caue where there is no light at all perceiued but in the place where the sunne-beame doth fall And although we had no other proofe then that generall rule of Saint Ierome it might sufficiently euince the same for these are his very words Omnium doctorum opinio est quod aër iste qui coelum terram medius diuidens inane appellatur plenus sit contrarys fortitudinibus Since then there was neuer any Doctor of the Church which made scruple of the truth hereof wee must thinke that they had good warrant for the same from the Scripture They did no doubt consider that our Lord in the parable of the seede did by the birds of heauen which deuoured the corne vnderstand and also interpret it to be the Diuels whom he calleth the birds of heauen thereby meaning the aire according to the vsuall Hebrew phrase and agreeable vnto our maner of speech also who commonly say the raine falleth from heauen when the meaning is from the aire For as S. Ierome hath well obserued all Philosophers doe agree in their opinions that the clouds by the dissoluing of which the raine is engendred are not drawne vp aboue two miles at the most from the earth whereas the distance betwixt heauen and earth is incomparably greater And this is S. Pauls meaning when hee telleth the Ephesians that our fight is not chiefly against men but against the princes of this world which are the wicked spirits that haue their abode aboue in high places and as himselfe explaneth all these authorities in the second chapter of the same Epistle by these high places he meaneth the aire Secundum seculum mundi huius saith hee secundum principem potestatis aëris huius spiritus qui nunc operaetur in filios diffidentiae Which is also declared by S. Iude in his Canonicall epistle shewing that these wicked spirits are abiding in that darksome aire are there reserued for the day of iudgement when they shall heare these words Goe yee cursed into hell fire which is from the beginning prepared for the Diuell and his angels His words are these Angelos qui non seruauerunt suum principatum sed dereliquerunt suum domicilium in indicium magni diei vinculis aeternis sub caligine reseruauit And here may be fitly alleaged that which is written in S. Luke where it is related that the Diuels besought Christ Iesus not to send them out into the deepe but rather into the heard of swine and they doe likewise complaine vnto our Sauiour saying Vt quid venisti ante tempus torquere nos As if they should haue said we are assured of our totall and vtter damnation but the time thereof is not yet come for this shall bee put in execution at the last day of iudgement which being not yet present thou maist doe well to leaue vs in these parts vntill that time approch The like may be said of that place in the Reuelation Vah mari terrae quia descendit diabolus ad vos habens iram magnam and it is againe declared in the same booke that our aduersarie the diuell was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone And that wee may resolue what the difference is betweene the diuels that are in hell and those whose abode is in the aire although S. Ierome maketh daintie to meddle with it because he conceiued it to be from the matter whereof he intreated as also for that hee feared as himselfe excuseth it lest hee should trespasse too farre vpon the readers patience in dwelling so long vpon this argument yet will we speake somewhat of the same because this present discourse doth demaund it It is an infallible truth that there are great multitudes of wicked spirits who abide in that gloomie region of the aire and come also lower and neerer vnto vs which God in his prouidence hath and doth permit First because himselfe imployeth these his creatures although it be in base and seruile offices as a King or ciuill Iustice are accustomed to condemne certaine malefactors not vnto death but vnto the performance of some worke which aduantageth these offenders nothing at all but is onely charged with laboriousnesse and toyle and tendeth meerely to the publike good Thus were many in times past banished or confined to some Isle or mountaine to labour and digge in the Quarries of Marble for the Princes
Iesus which two last points are comprehended in these words In nomine meo Daemonia eijcient But Sorcerers and Magicians doe not vse to resist the Diuell and bruse his head but they flatter him and call him vnto them by a certaine bargaine or agreement which directly importeth a subiection and dependancy and to be briefe they doe first worship him before hee will come vnto them Againe in steed of repelling him they come vnto him for aduise aide or fauour whereas Christ Iesus would not so much as suffer him to speake and this is not as Origen obserueth to force the Diuell by inuocation vpon the name of God it rather argueth a familiarity and intercourse which they haue together So that if wee doe seriously consider all circumstances they doe crosse and goe a contrary course vnto Christ Iesus and the Apostles It cannot bee gaine-said but that sometimes they will make a semblance as if they wept although in truth it be nothing so S. Augustine reciteth the history of a certaine Magician who boasted much what a command hee had ouer Diuels saying that when they were lasie to doe that he commanded them he threatned to pull the heauens with such violence that they should fall vpon the earth and thereupon the Diuels would readily execute what he had enioyned them for feare least they should be brused betweene heauen and earth as corne is brused betweene two milstones But who seeth not that this is the craft and counterfaite weeping of Crocodiles that is to say Diabolical fictions framed for deceit and cousonage For first it is not the power of Angels to make the heauen descend and touch the earth because vnto them as S. Paul saith God hath not subiected the round frame of the world Non enim saith he Angelis suis subiecit Deus orbem Nay it is so farre from being so that it is not in the naturall power of all wicked spirits that are to wheele about the orbe of the Moone which is the least of all the rest for as God hath appropriated the natural operations of mans body vnto a reasonable soule so that it is not in the power of an Angell to make this body to liue the life of plants the life of beasts or the life of man although he can enter at his pleasure into the same as we see by experience in those that are possessed euen so God hath limited the passiue power of the motions of the heauens vnto certaine Angels whom hee hath destinated thereunto so that it is a ridiculous thing to conceiue that Spirits may be brused or crushed in peeces But they doe herein take the aduantage of mens simplicity and their owne craft by infusing these fables into them wherein they resemble naughty seruants that wait for an occasion to cut their masters throates The fifth error that blindeth those Sorcerers is because they haue a conceite that the Diuell is very ready to doe them seruice but how is it possible that the Diuell should inuassall himselfe vnto man that is but a worm of the earth since that thorow the excessiiuenes of his pride which brooketh no equals hee scorneth to bee the seruant of God whom he knoweth to be his Creator How can he debase himselfe to be mans Lackey when hee did rather choose to relinquish his portion in Paradise and to burne euerlastingly in hell fire then he would acknowledge Christ Iesus for his better For when it was laid before him that hee should become man the Diuel said in his heart no before I will acknowledge a man and a worme of the earth I will first be damned as that deuoute and auncient father S. Bernard hath well expressed it He doth indeed make shew of seruice vnto man but to this end that he may be his master for if hee be delighted corporally to possesse a man when hee hath gotten the mastery of his body how much more is hee pleased when by his subtilties and by taking from him the knowledge of God hee getteth possession of his soule For when hee possesseth the body this affliction is many times the instrument of saluation as S. Paul saith Traedidi huiu smodi Sathanae vt spiritus eius saluus fiat But when hee possesseth the soule and withdraweth it from the grace of God hee is then the instrument of damnation And therefore the Scripture doth euer figure out Satan vnto vs by things that are both dangerous and dreadfull vnto men as by a Serpent by a Dragon and by a roaring Lyon for feare least wee should say as Athiests doe that the Diuell is not so black as men doe paint him whereas contrariwise he is so terrible and so dangerous that all the comparisons of Centaures doggs with three heads and the like monsters described vnto vs by Poets fall farre short of his vglinesse If then any one should be familiar with such furious beasts might hee not well bee accounted mad and depriued of common sense Yet Witches and Magicians do ordinarily expose themselues to these things And this horridnesse of Diuels was declared vnto Iob who had partly experimented the rage and bloody malice of Satan but hee tryed not all his forces because God suffered him not to doe all that he was willing to inflict vpon Iob. God then described Satan vnto him by the similitude of the most great and horrible monster of the world called Behemoth This beast saith God is the most fearfull and cruell monster of the world his body is armed as it were with iron his flesh is harder then stone so that hee cannot be crushed or hurt by the violent strokes of hammers neither can the sharpest launces enter into him nor pierce him more then so many strawes if men should goe about to strike him downe with tumbling vpon him great stones from a rock it would be but lost labour and hee would be no more endāgered thereby then if they threw balls of flax against him God further speaketh vnto Iob of this monster dost thou thinke to put a hooke into his nostrills as men take fishes or when hee is before thee dost thou conceiue that he is affraide of thee Nunquid multiplicabit tibi preces aut loquetur tibi mollia Will he behaue himselfe like a dogg that flattereth his master and lyeth at his feet for feare of being beaten or if hee come to some agreement with thee doest thou imagine that he doth it to any other end then to deuoure thee Nunquid feriet tecum pactum accipies eum quasi seruum sempiternum Wilt thou play with him as a bird and tye a thread about his legg to keep him in or to let him fly at thy pleasure Nunquid illudes ei quasi aui Last of all God saith Memento belli nec vltra addas loqui remember that hee is a murtherer from the beginning that hee is thy arch-enemy and doth continually wage warre against thee Doe not hurt thy selfe by these foolish speeches
yet did God suffer the Diuell to reâ—ist and stand in affront with Michael the Prince of Angels about the burying of the body of Moses And being not able to stoppe and vanquish him hee had no other remedy but to flye to God and to pray him to lay â—is command on Satan Imperet tibâ— Deus increpet te Deus Satan especially in matter of iustice whereof the Diuels are the executioners Thus when God would trye Iob in his iustice and cause all his cattell to be taken from him all his children to be destroied his houses to be throwne to the ground and fire to descend from heauen and consume all his substance then spake hee friendly to Satan as is written at large in the booke of Iob. And when hee would declare his iustice vpon Achab and had decreed to let him perish in battell for his transgressions hee spake vnto a wicked Spirit and commanded him to goe and execute his pleasure Now because this History is an act of his iustice against one of the most impious and cursed Magicians that euer was as appeared in his end and that it was not a woman that divulged this but the Diuell himselfe called Verrine who published the same in her and further in regarde that God would shew an act of iustice vpon the conuerted sinner as the vnsufferable torments wherewith for the space of fix moneths shee was in all mens sight miserably afflicted doe very well testifie it is not to bee wondered at if heerein hee imployed two executioners of his iustice Let vs then giue God leaue to doe whatsoeuer seemeth best vnto him and not dispute thus against his powerfulnesse and manifest good pleasure CONCLVSION We ought not to beleeue the Diuell yet when hee is compelled to discourse and relate a truth then wee should seare and tremble for it is a token of the wrath of God ERRATA Pag. re line 13. read The Dominican father p. 11. l. 21. read refractaric p. 12. 27. read contentations p. 18. 1. 24. them read it p. 38. l. 30. read ouuert p. 82. 2. it not so r. it is not so p. 87. l. 16. in margine from any r. from him p. 96. l. vlt. or them r. him p. 97. l. 15. leaue out and further p. 103. l. 3. for them r. him 105. l. 19. for the r. thy p. 116. l. 10. for part r. heart p. 137. l. 27. r. to the blessed 143. l. 6. for these r. thes p. ibid. l. 30. r things p. ibid. l. 36. r. store p. 146. l. 5. r. â—0000 p. 152. l. 12. r. in a good way p. 169. l. 18. as like r. like p. 172. l. 11. r. seared 174. l. 32. leaue r. liue p. 189. l. 26. r. equall p. 198. l. 8. redresse r. addresse p. 216. â—4 r. â—auourably p. 219. l. 18. in margine for this Saint r. the same p. 223. l. 13. or his r. this p. 235. l. 32. forwhom r. which p. 245. l. 34. questioned r. question 246. l. 1. r. domini p. 252. l. 31. r. follow p. 257. l. 17. r. lessoned p. 285. l. 35. ascent p. 355. l. 2. r. â—â—â—nuisibly p. 361. l. 13. r. Thrones p. 387. l. 15. the portment deportment Errata in the discourse of Spirits Pag. 12. line r. erant read erant p. 17. l. 5. this r. his Ibid. p. 25. leaue out â—t p. 50. l. 9. Spiritum r. Spirituum p. 78. l. 24. do r. did AA THE ADMIRABLE HISTORIE OF A PENITENT woman conuerted who was seduced by a Magician in the Country of Prouince in France and of the end of the said Magician The acts of the 27. of November 1610. THE reuerend Father and Frier Sebastian Michaelis Prior of the Couent of S. Magdalen at S. Maximin of the order of preaching Friers hauing sent Father Francis Domptius aboue-named to Saint Baume a place of penitence of the â—id Saints about the same time also which was the â—7 of Nouember 1610. there came thither from Saint Maximin by Father Michaelis his appointment Faâ—er Romillon and Father Francis Billet together with Magdalene de Demandouls and Louyse Capeau And it â—as held expedient that the said Magdalene should â—ere soiourne especially on S. Andrewes day to make â—ustrate the menaces of the Diuels that threatned to â—rrie her away that day according to the compact â—ade betwixt them two yeeres before as the said Magâ—lene confessed Being come thither and she hauing been formerly â—xorcised in diuers places as at nostre Dame de Grace 〈◊〉 S. Maximin and at Aix by the space of many moâ—eths in which affaire the said Father Francis Billet did exercise much patience in himselfe and charitie towards the said Magdalene yet was neuer able to draw the Diuels who did possesse her to speake one word vpon the 28.29 and 30. of Nouember the said Father Francis Billet began againe to vndergoe the office of an Exorcist at S. Baume endeuouring to make the Diuels to speake In the meane time by reason of some occurrence of busines it behoued the said Father Francis to be absent for certaine daies from S. Baume Vpon whose departure which was the 3. of December the said Magdalene was very carefully watched for in the meane space especially vpon S Andrewes day in the euening it chanced that the wicked spirits would sensibly and with great violence haue carried her away euen when she was in the holy place of Penitence whither she was led to preuent the worst as also the night before they lifted her vp very high from the ground and would haue carried her out at a window which is in the highest place of the Quire at S. Baume In so much that Father Romillon not being able to hold her was forced to call for aide and to contest with the Diuels and say She is ours The 3. of December Father Romillon and the said Father Francis Billet before his departure did intreate Father Francis Domptius the Dominican that he would make some Exorcismes for Father Romillon who by reason of his age was to vndergoe that labour assuring him that Father Michaelis would auow the fact because he had taken him as his assistant in his proceedings of Inquisitour to annihilate and breake off all contracts betweene the Diuell and Magdalene To which Father Domptius then answered very coldly because hee had been formerly trauelled and wearied with the pressure of the like charge Notwithstanding vpon the 6. of December he began to coniure Louyse and at the first Exorcisme one of the Diuels that was in her bodie began to speake Then the said Dominican Father commanded him to worship God and to bow himselfe in the adoration of him and to doe things of the same nature which he readily did to the great astonishment of the Exorcist who had vpon another occasion laboured three weekes to make a Diuell called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to performe an action of that kind The 7 â—nd 8. of December vpon the continuance of the same Exorcismes
I affirme that if they be humble they will acknowledge that thou art omnipotent and that being so thou art able to wring truth from the very Diuels not from their free disposition and will for we are all of vs accursed but compulsorily and as constrained thereunto by thy power We are more loyall vnto God then many Christians yet for all this we are still Diuels And heere must they denie the authoritie of the Church Why is it that those that are possessed be exorcised if it bee not auaileable and if the Diuell cannot speake truth I say it is all lost labour you may take your bookes speaking to the Exorcist and throw them all into the fire Then he spake in a great rage to her that was possessed and said What thinkest thou Louyse why doest thou suffer thy selfe to be exorcised if neither by God nor the tenents of the Church we are able to tell the truth Ha miserable wretches how many othes haue been taken in the vertue of the name of God by Exorcismes all which must proceede from Louyse if they must not be accepted of our part But miserable and abhorred wretches as you are you deceiue your selues you are exceedingly replenished and surcharged with vnthankfulnes and mis-apprehension You haue so good a God that if it were needfull that hee should suffer death for you againe he would willingly vndergoe it more especially for two soules which now I cannot name Magdalene it is true that Louyse is for thy sake possessed and will if it be requisite lay down her bodie for thy soule It is true all sinners are accursed and obstinate You will peraduenture say that God doth loue much And why Lord Hast thou neede of Christians No no thou couldest not bee God and haue neede of the aide of any creature whatsoeuer I say the creature hath neede of thee And it is a fixed truth that the more miserable the creature shall bee the more cleerely shall thy bountie shine and appeare in relieuing it It is not so great a wonder that children should goe to heauen but this is the miracle that sinners who haue a long time snored in their obstinacie should repent and turne to God I doe assure you who heare this that if you doe not treasure vp these things for your profit and health we will be your accusers at the day of iudgement We must here note that some daies past Magdalene told the Dominican father that vpon the eighth exhortation which Verrine made vnto her she felt her selfe so affrighted as if she had alreadie one foote in the pit of hell The acts of the 12. of December 1610. which was the third Aduent Sunday ON this day it was thought behoofull that the Father of the Doctrine and the Dominican Father should so interchangeably aid one another that whiles the Dominican Father was busied in exorcising one of the possessed Father Francis should supplie the place of a Scribe to note summarily the sentences that proceeded from the Diuell by the mouth of Louyse On the other side when the Father of the Doctrine did exorcise the Dominican Father should transcribe that so in conclusion all might be subiected to the Censure of the Church for the further glorie of God The same day in the morning were Louyse and Magdalene exorcised by the Dominican Father In the beginning whereof many persons of the neighbouring Townes and Villages which were by this time aduertised of this accident that happened at S. Baume being assembled thither in great troupes Verrine began thus to speake Cursed be this witchcraft for from hence will God worke out a thousand benefits and a thouâ—and acts of his mercie It was not our intendment nor the purpose of the Magician that such accidents should happen Our proiect was to get her consent that so wee might haue carried her to hell Cursed cursed cursed be S Baume a thousand thousand thousand times accursed It is a wonderfull thing that the slaues of hell should be the instruments to conuert the children of light Do but obserue what I shall say vnto you Some hunt after riches and all their affection is enuassailed and taken vp therewith who by giuing a little almes imagine to goe to heauen in a featherbed without any more adoe or obseruation of the law and Commandements of God Some others are poore and haue a conceit that for their pouertie they shall enter into glorie Indeede happie are the poore but they must be poore in spirit You that are poore endure your pouertie with patience and you shall merit much Haue you in your cogitations the God of glorie how he was borne in pouertie for your sakes and laid in the manger of a stable God from all eternitie foresaw this day and that in S. Baume the Diuels should discouer themselues to the conuersion of soules Do not repine at your comming nither you I say who oftentimes haue prostituted â—our selues to the hazard of losing your goods bodies â—nd soules to offend and trespasse against him What a â—hame will it be that any should not be conuerted wheÌ„â—he Diuell himselfe exhorteth them thereunto God is â—ost powerfull and is able to bestow rewards and riâ—nes vpon you but he is not able to doe two things he â— not able to sinne and hee cannot faile of his proâ—aise Shake off your sins you who haue mortally sinned â—nd depart not from hence vntill you be coâ—sessed To â—y extreame griefe and vexation doe I speake this â—orsake your couetous desire of worldly goods which â—oth so much possesse you You poore people reioyce in your pouertie This day â—m I compelled by Mary and Magdalene to tell it â—nto you by Mary from her sonne by Magdaleneâ—om â—om her Master Humble your selues after the example of him who â—ecame poore for your sakes He died for you and not for vs. Mary knoweth well that he died on a Crosse being naked and not able to get a glasse of water The same knoweth Magdalene and Iohn the Euangelist and that for you he suffered death on the Crosse. It is strange that hell should exhort you to goe to Paradise And speaking to Louyse he said Cursed bee thy desires thou hast longed aboue a thousand times to suffer euen the paines of hell for thy neighbour Humble thy selfe Louyse and that speedily otherwise beleeue it thou art the most vnhappy the most abhorred the most detestable and accursed of all creatures Louyse beleeue me Enter into the abisme of thy lesse then nothing God would haue thee humbled Desist from beleeuing all that men will thrust vpon thee The sinnes from which God hath preserued thee are as great benefits as those for which he hath pardoned thee Thou hadst beene in hell if God had not preserued thee thou hadst remained a Huguenot and shouldest not haue had the vnderstanding to begge for that which was conuenient for thee Preachers doe trauell themselues much to thinke vpon what
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
yet ought you euer to prepare your selues Let your humility keepe wing with Gods mercie for so you shal draw vnto you the humanity and diuinity of your God O blessed mother of God you haue attracted the God of Gods from heauen to be conversant vpon the earth he made this great leape as a Giant because you became the seruant of seruants whose humility when hee had once perfectly vewed hee presently made choice of you for his Mother The holy Ghost is the God of loue of deuotion of good desires and of compunction knock at his gate and hee will giue you whatsoeuer you shall demand of him as he did inlarge his bounty to Magdalene Peter David and the good theefe Besides all these Saints are most ready to fly to your aide and doe desire your saluation an hundreth thousand times more then your selues God hath made three things vnto whose greatnesse no other worke of his can aspire vnto that is Heauen the humanity of his Sonne and his Mother Ioseph noteth vnto vs the vnderstanding and Mary the will Say therefore vnto Mary teach mee to obey and loue my brother Say vnto Ioseph who is Maries guardian make me to apprehend and to bee sensible of my misery and then will this childe streame downe vpon you the dew of his grace and feare of his loue and obedience Your Redemer obeyed his Mother and Ioseph yea he was content to stoope vnto the commands of the ministers of Satan not that he would thereby adde any reputation vnto him or his kingdome but because hee would be a president vnto the proud of his great humility The Diuell doth heere discourse of wholesome and vsefull obseruations do you cull out the things that are good as if a wicked Priest should propose these exhortations vnto you and if you will not I tell you you shall not be by me constrained thereunto After all this he tooke his oathe and did call the wrath of God vpon himselfe if he had not sworne sincerely and in truth he also added Sancta Maria ora pro eis Sancte Ioseph Sancta Magdalena Sancte Dominice Sancte Stephane the arch-enemy vnto Sonneillon orate pro eis Cursed bee they who say that the blessed Saints doe not make intercessions for you The Acts of the 26. of December being the Feast of Saint Steuen THis day in the morning the Dominican Father did exorcise and at the beginning of the Exorcismes Sonneillon who was in the body of Louyse began to discourse in this manner I am constrained to speake of Stephen and concerning superstition Come hither Asmodee Thou art that accursed one which teachest Magicians to vse ligaments portractures resemblances of wax brasse and stone together with other abominations of the like nature to the end that they may fire men and set an edge vpon all fleshly prouokements vnto lust Then doest thou cause the Priest who is the Magician to baptise these statues wherein he doth commit a most greeuous sinne so that he that should baptise a Doue an Eagle or any other â—oule of the aire should come farre short of the abomination of the same for the birds doe after a sort blesse God by their melody and voices although they haue not a capacity of being baptised because they are beasts and are without vnderstanding yet doe I affirme that those who should doe this should bee lesse culpable and sinfull then those that baptise these idols which are the statues of Diuels O execrable Priest how carelesse art thou of thy dignity and calling I speake of wicked Priests not of those that are good in generall not in particular and I doe aduertise you that they are Magicians and by a consequent slaues vnto sinne and Satan There are many sorts of Magick of Magicians and Witches Sorcerers and Sorceresses Ha wicked Asmodee thou blindest and seducest the great ones of the world by telling them you are mighty and powerfull who will call you to an account if you offend God You may doe whatsoeuer your heart desireth none dare reprooue you The law is not made to cage in or controule such as you you are he that made the law who then dareth to wagge his tongue or to attempt any thing against you There are also some great personages that giue eare vnto Magicians and are schollers of this Diabolicall Art that by the assistance thereof they may aspire vnto places of greater eminency Asmodee thou art euer whispering in their eares and saying Sir you are a Prince sublime your braue conceptions and lift them vp to a kingdome then you are to thinke of an Empire and then you must conquere the whole world like another Alexander By these meanes their reprose is disseasoned with these wilde and whirling apprehensions and they are many times so forgetfull of man which they continually beare about them that they giue commandement to be adored as Gods as appeareth by him who waded into the Sea to see if any thing were mightier and more powerfull then himselfe The Deuill doth cherish all ambition and whatsoeuer sauoureth of goodnesse he hath in detestation hee doth euer solicite all sorts of men of what quality or condition soeuer they bee But would to God hee onely insinuated himselfe vnto the houses of great personages hee is euery-where and tempteth all persons without choice or distinction of sexes This appeareth in Nabuchodonosor who was tempted with a desire that whatsoeuer hee did eate might be converted either into gold or into the semblance and shew of gold who for his pride was afterwards by Gods permission transformed into a beast and so at last became humble for when he remembred what he was and grew penitent for his excessiuenesse of pride hee afterward was thought worthy to be saued Salomon I can tell you was the worlds wisedome yet did the Diuels intrappe and take him by Magicians and women so that he is now burning in the flames of hell because he neuer was bruised and humbled with such repentance as deserued acceptance from God Dauid indeed offended his God but hee did seriously repent dewing and watering his couch with teares and eating his bread mingled with ashes that hee might declare vnto all how much his heart was humbled and made tender He further said to Asmodee Accursed spirit thou art also he that doest vaile and cast a mist ouer the eyes of such soules as are seduced by thee and then thou lockest vp their eares that Gods word may not pierce and penetrate euen to the pith and inmost part of the heart that so being both deafe and blind they may lose all hope of their share in the kingdome of God I meane not the deafnesse and blindnesse of the body but a spirituall deafnesse and blindnesse for it is not doubted but those that are corporally blinde may enter into the kingdome of heauen neither is the light of this world necessarie thereunto else what should become of the poore men that are blind
there should not one of them be saued therefore I say that God speaketh not of the light which wee see and comprehend but of the light of faith Then he spake to Baalberith and said Impious and accused Baalberith thou art he that doest continually make Gods name to be blasphemed Thou also suggestest What are not you a great counsellor doe not you moderate the scales of Iustice are not you a great familiar of the Kings whereof should you stand in feare Vpon these suggestions doest thou lay the first foundations of single combats and Magicke But thou thy selfe being blinde and full of villany doest make those to fall that followes the paths wherein thou doest trace Thou doest also say Your ranke and quality will beare thus many Lackeys thus many Horses thus many Pages for from these externall apparances will men iudge of your true Nobility but I tell thee true Nobility is euer accompanied with liberality and as it is studious to act those deeds that sauour of charity and bounty so doth it hate all viciousnesse and prodigality Thou wilt neuer stand forth to answere for thy Disciples when God shall demand of them an account of their workes Resist the Diuell and he will fly from you there are too too many that suffer themselues to bee deceiued for some will chase at the poore that beg almes of them and tell them they are too importunate yea they will not stick many times not onely to withdraw their almes but to bestow many stripes and blowes vpon them others say vnto the Diuels giue vs a dinner in this world and wee will bestow a supper vpon you in the world to come others there are that will lay an imputation vpon a whole company for the default of some one that doth not orderly demeane himselfe Behold Baalberith cursed are all thy doctrines and instructions Hee further said There are those who when their children are bewitched will vse vnlawfull meanes to know who the witch is that did it and in stead of hauing recourse vnto God that hee may by his good blessing cure the same they goe vnto a witch and entreate him to come and heale their children wretches as you are your misfortune proceedeth from the Diuell and you with your children were innocent but are now partakers of the euill Ought you not to goe to God who knoweth the reason why he hath permitted this euill and not to the Diuell or the sorcerer to vnderstand from them the remedy you ought not to haue familiarity with him but to giue the Church notice of the same and seeke redresse from them who haue the care and charge of soules But cleane contrary vnto this you eate and drinke with sorcerers and by a necessary inference with the Diuell vnto whom they haue abandoned themselues bodies and soules surrendring vp their part of Paradise and all the pretensions they may haue for heauen Nay I say further they are of that impious and execrable disposition that if it lay in their power they would betray God into the hands of Diuels The Diuels doe also cause them to renounce that natural affection which they should carry towards their fathers and mothers and to all those vnto whom they are tyed vnto by propinquity of blood they forbid them to pray for them and which is more to bee abominated they doe many times command them to murther them for it is the custome of Diuels to mischieue those whom they should loue and to returne euill for good as it is the property of God to render good for euill I say further that the children of darkenesse doe serue the diuell with more diligence then the children of light doe their God yet is there a great difference betweene the seruice of God and the seruice of the Diuell for your seruice vnto God is associated with a setled and in-disturbed repose but the bondage of the Diuell is full of great vexations for he commandeth them day and night winter and summer in sicknesse and in health and in what state soeuer they bee they must make their apparance and if they faile but the least scruple or minute of time I tell you they are well beaten for their slacknesse so that a gally-slaue is not so manicled and bechained nor a lackey so buffetted and beaten as they are chained and beaten that make but the least omission in the Diuels seruice and which is worse he giueth least recompence vnto those that serue him most for he hath nothing indeed to bestow vpon them Doe you serue him with the grâ—atest faithfulnesse that may bee yet all the reward you shall gaine thereby is nothing but the horrid paines of hell witnesse those that haue died without confessing themselues and such as haue departed the world in the like sort I speake in generall not in particular The children of God when they die doe recommend their soules vnto God saying In manus tuas c. But the last words that the children of Satan breath forth are The Diuell take me body and soule This is the recompence which they demand of him whom they haue so industriously serued and this is it which he hath promised to bestow vpon them And certainly they doe well deserue hell Then he said to Asmodee What saiest thou Is it not all true which I haue here deliuered Asmodee answered that it was so Sonneillon replyed sweare Asmodee that it is true and I will take my oath with thee Asmodee said I will not sweare with thee Sonneillon answered sweare thou then by Lucifer and I will take mine oath on the behalfe of God To this Asmodee replied I tell thee I will not sweare yet I confesse and doe assure euery body that what thou hast said is consonant to the truth Then said Sonneillon doe you not perceiue the malice of this accursed fiend Hee vseth these tergiuersations and delaies to stagger your beleese and it is Gods pleasure that you should merit more in that God to try you will not comn and him to sweare then if hee had actually commanded him to take his oath for then hee must of necessity obey But let it suffice that I doe sweare by the liuing God that whatsoeuer I haue aboue spoken is most true and therefore let this satisfie you which being spoken he accordingly tooke his oath Hee further said I will also sweare that the Church will approue of all this and that neuer Diuell spake in the presence of his Princes as I haue done hence it is that I shall receiue an abatement and mitigation of my torments Besides God would neuer endure that this should be acted if it were counterfaited because it would set open a vast gap to let in the perdition of many soules He further said consider heere the goodnesse of your God whose manner is to set first before you those things that are worst for you know that hither-vnto the viands which
sticking on the rafters and an Oxe that heated the child with the abundance of his vaperous breath Thus you must doe The holy Ghost breatheth on you the breath of deuotion and doe you lend your breath vnto the little Infant and being ioyned together he shall be the fire and you the ashes The breath of the holy Ghost is a fire and representeth vnto vs charity and your breath is the ashes of the meekest humility for vnder the ashes is the fire preserued Learne hence to speake of sacred things aduisedly and seriously according vnto truth and beware whether you bee rich or poore how you blaspheme against him The pouerty of this world is not the meanes to make you happie neither doth God esteeme much of this pouerty for there be many that are now howling frying in those infernall flames that reposed too much confidence in this pouerty Blessed bee the poore but they must bee poore in spirit for theirs is the kingdome of heauen Are you ignorant in what this pouerty of spirit consisteth It consisteth in this to possesse no other thing but God and him alone for there are many poore people in the estimation of the world who are rich enough in their ambition and yet are there many Kings Princes and Noble personages who are owners of nothing but of God and themselues For riches are amongst indifferent things neither hurt they those that make good vse and appliance of them according vnto the Commandement of God Then Verrine turned to the poore that were there and said There is not one amongst you but is better accommodated for his necessities then was the Sonne of God when he lay in the manger you should therefore say vnto him when hee profereth his kingdome vnto you Good God I am not capable of such a blisse and still you are to acknowledge your owne infirmitie you must also descend downe as it were to hell which you are to doe either in this life or after you are dead when therefore you are afflicted with aduersities say vnto him I am ready to suffer with my Redeemer for I haue deserued much more yet doth he compassion my tottering and distracted estate and cheereth me vp with the beames of his mercy I assure you that both I you haue to do with a seuere Iudge therefore humble your selues and you shall enter into the kingdome of heauen Grudge not that God hath made such an one rich and thee poore or that hee hath endowed such with wisedome and hath left vnto thee nothing but foolishnesse For hee created the Angels and marshalled them in their orders there are the Seraphins The Cherubins and the Thrones c. euery one in their seuerall ranke and station and although there bee such variety and diuersity amongst them yet you cannot say that they are subiect to confusion If you direct and leuell your actions by an vpright intention that is to say if you square all your doings by the rule of Gods glory the saluation of your soule and good of your neighbour Satan will easily flee from you Let your soule be furnished with three things with vpright intention in your memory with pure affection in your will and with sincerity of conscience in your vnderstanding The memory by calling to remembrance some wicked thing offendeth not God the vnderstanding by considering thereof incurreth no mortal sinne but when the will interposeth it selfe then is there a consummation of the sinne Read diligently the booke of the Crucifix for in this booke you shall learne pouerty patience humility and al vertuous knowledge be not curious to make inquisition after humane literature for this shall bee sufficient for your full instruction He further said that if a damned soule could breake from hell hee would indure all torments whatsoeuer in hope to inioy the vision of God yea this soule would say that all these torments were but as flowers and roses Then hee added God is vnited vnto his Church as the nayle vnto the finger of the hand The acts of the 29. of December ON this day while the Dominican father was saying Masse Verrine held disputation with God and on the sudden hee thus expressed himselfe by the mouth of Louyse Great God I offer vp vnto thy Maiesty all the sacrifices that haue beene offered vnto thee from the first creation of the world and doe also make tender of all those that are or shall bee presented before thee vntill the consummation of time bee ended and all this will I doe for Lewes I also present vnto thee all the teares and repentance of all the Saints that are in thy Court triumphant and militant and all this will I doe for Lewes I offer all the praiers which haue beene are or shall bee made vnto thee and al this wil I doe for Lewes I further tender vnto thee all the extasies and rauishments in spirit as well of men as of Angels which haue beene are or shall bee sent vnto them and all this will I doe for Lewes Moreouer I would by Gods appointment I speake this and not as I am a Diuell that the multitude of such as offer were mightily inlarged in their number that so the oblation might be the greater and all this I desire for Lewes Then he said Euerlasting father I now present and lay before you your wel-beloued Sonne who is in the hands of the Priest that now saieth Masse and all for Lewes I doe further offer vnto you all the merits of his blessed and dolourous passion trusting that you wil take compassion on him After this he said Pater de coelis Deus miserere Lodouici Fili redemptor mundi Deus miserere Lodouici Spiritus sancte Deus miserere Lodouici Sancta Trinitas vnus Deus miserere Lodouici Sancta Dei genitrix ora pro Lodouico Sancta Virgo virginum ora pro Lodouico Sancta Maria ora pro Lodouico Sancti Angeli Archangeli orate pro Lodouico Sancti Patriarchae Prophetae orate pro Lodouico Sancti Apostoli Euangelistae orate pro Lodouico Sancti Martyres orate pro Lodouico Sancti Confessores orate pro Lodouico Sancta Virgines Viduae orate pro Lodouico omnes Sancti Sancta Dei orate pro Lodouico O Lodouice veni veni Lodouice Why doest thou linger thus to be conuerted vnto thy God God is wearied God is thirsty and craueth to haue his thirst slaked by thee Lewes but thou like vnto the woman of Samaria refuseth him and saiest thou hast not a pitcher wherewithall to draw water for him Yet is not this a sufficient excuse because he desireth to drinke of the water of thy soule which thou maiest minister vnto him by thy conuersion Lewes Lewes Lewes take the speediest and swiftest coursers that thou canst get and come quickly for if thou wilt thou maiest yet bee conuerted God is more powerfull then the Diuel neither can any one pul by violence from him
paines punishments and tortures which thou diddest suffer for Lewes make thou profer also of that thirstinesse which caused such a drought in thee vpon the tree of the Crosse. And continuing his speech to Christ Iesus hee said What Lord are you thirsty you are a fountaine that can neuer be drawne dry you are a sea of waters you are the seller of all sorts so excellent wines and doe you cry Sitio Lord the soules that are in Paradise are able to quench this thirst But some one will obiect what can Christ Iesus bee subiect to thirst and such naturall infirmities is not his body glorified said he not that the Saints in heauen should no more hunger and thirst how can God who is the center of all perfections haue vpon him such an impotency in nature Verrine answered God is wearie without wearinesse he is impatient without hastinesse he was thirsty on Mount Caluary but it was after the saluation of soules for whose sake if it were expedient hee would once againe be re-crucified on this very Crosse of S. Baume if his body were passible and subiect to suffering O how vnexpressable is his compassion towards you Then he said This is the Friday of your redemption and the day of Lewes his iustification if he please let him ponder vpon these words Remittuntur tibi O Lodouice peccata tua and also these Vade in pace Lewes why doest thou thus fore-slow thy comming O ye Capuchins Capuchins Capuchins hasten your pace and come quickly But you will obiect that you are bare-footed and that it is impossible for you to make such festination indeed Hell did yesterday and to day raise such a storme and made the clouds to spout downe raine after that vnmeasurable manner that the Diuels had well hoped to giue some stop vnto thy worke O God but thou art euer omnipotent and doest make thy creatures to stoope vnder thy commands although they be most rebelliously bent against thee Then speaking to Magdalene he said Sigh not thus God hath the key of thy soule and will giue thee meate from his owne table Thou Belzebub art heauie but I am glad knowing that whatsoeuer is held by the puissant hand of God cannot be plucked from him by the strength or policy of hell The soule is a goodly Vineyard purchased at an high rate but the number of those that manure and labour the same is small and not worthy to come into consideration yea some of the labourers themselues suffer the Wolfe to steale in and to make hauocke in this Vineyard the master whereof is the Sonne of God who is without mother in Heauen and without father on earth a second Adam conceiued of a Virgine without sinne The Eucharist is the Sacrament of loue and the nourishment of soules translating you vnto glory and making you as Gods Paradise is the habitation of Saints but if thou wouldest be absolute and compleate in perfection descend by contemplation as low as Hell and say I am vnworthy to suffer the paines of Hell although that horrible pit of sulphure was built for such as I am who carry in my bosome the well-spring of all sinnes and wickednesses But how few are there that arriue to this point of humiliation and vnder-valuing of themselues although it bee the center from whence they are to begin and the highest assent whereunto they are to climbe yet this debasement of themselues taketh little roote with the greatest sort of men Who is hee that will beleeue that himselfe is the cause of all the euils paines and iudgements that haue been so fearefully rained downe vpon you especially if hee haue from his youth liued in some religious Order and obserued the rules and precepts of his Superiors yet is this humility the extract of all perfection the Queen that draweth after her all the other Princesses Ladies and Damsels and which is more the mother of God is humility it selfe and doth therefore the rather exact it from you God hath giuen two wings vnto the soule the one of feare the other of loue the first hath regard vnto sinne the second doth apprehend the goodnesse of God Hee that eateth at a Kings table will not sit with foule and vn-washed hands though otherwise hee bee of a rude and boysterous behauiour and will not you be careful to wash your hands with the water of contrition and make confession of your sinnes Christ Iesus at the first institution of the blessed Sacrament did wash the feet of his Apostles and Peter at the beginning would haue hindered him but when hee saw it was the good pleasure of his master hee then subiected himselfe thereunto Iudas himselfe set his feet vpon the breast of the Sonne of God that they might be washed yet would he not for all this be conuerted Iohn leaned vpon the heart of his master and therefore had the wings of an Eagle giuen vnto him so that hee was afterwards the adopted Sonne of the blessed Virgine The iudgements of God and men are infinitely different for many are sickly and in a consumption by their sinnes before God who in the estimation of men are very healthfull and contrariwise those that are sound before God are â—eeble before men God will come to iudgement with terrour and power all things shall tremble before his face the Angels and the righteous shall go before him like burning Torches all creatures shall behold this awfull spectacle and shall bee arrested before this Maiesty Then shall the bookes bee vnfoulded and all shall be laid open in publike You haue many heere that are shamefast and nice to confesse their sinnes in the meane time the Diuell booketh downe all that is actionable and hath euer his pen and ink-horne ready so that he omitteth nothing and intendeth to obiect it against you openly and to your disgrace It were a folly beyond pardon to beg a straw of a mighty King for Princes Presents are like themselues magnificent and they are not to be disseasoned with petty suites Thus should not you craue the straw and stubble of temporary blessings from the King of Kings but you should beg of him the treasures of heauen which hee himselfe is contented you should request at his hands Pray him to giue you patience humility and other vertues and bee not euer solliciting him for faire weather for raine for the riches and preferments of this world Whether it raine or whether it bee faire bee thankfull vnto God and co-operate with him in al things so shall you giue best satisfaction vnto him This day in the euening there came to S. Baume Lewes Gaufredy with father d' Ambruc sub-priour of the couent at S. Maximin and two Capuchin fathers where it was thought fit that Lewes the Priest should exorcise Louyse and to that end father Michaelis granted vnto him all his power and authority Whereupon Verrine made Louyse to cry very loud and began a prayer full of
into that from whence they were exhaled and drawne faith Tertullian Eadem ratione species illa intercepta est qua edita fuerat si non fuit initium visibile nec finis By which it appeareth that the Doue that descended from heauen and lighted vpon Christ Iesus was fashioned of aire and not of earth for it is said Descendit spiritus sanctus corporali specie sicut columba in ipsum The like may be said of the firy tongues that sate vpon the Apostles at the feast of Whitsontide Factus est repente de coelo sonus tanquam aduenientis spiritus vehementis So that it is cleere that these apparances are framed of aire as the cloud out of which God the Father spake to his Sonne in his transfiguration which vanished into aire as did Moyses also whose body in that apparition was composed of the same element and whiles the Apostles eyes were fixed on these obiects it vanished and they saw none but Christ Iesus alone So when the Angell appeared to Manoah the father of Samson he mounted vp into heauen in a flame of fire and in his ascent was visibly seene of him but by little and little Manoah and his wife lost the sight of him because his body began to dissolue into the first matter whereof it was framed Thus did the Angell that accompanied Tobias in his iourney It is now time said hee for me to returne to him that sent me and presently hee vanished from them And for addition vnto the truth hereof some alleage experience saying that if a man should cut such airie bodies it would fare with them as it doth with the Sun-beame which doth runne together and presently vnite it selfe without any signe of such separation which very well agreeth with the nature of aire and is fit to confute the error of Psellus who in the seuenth chapter of his booke maintaineth that they haue a naturall body yet in the 23. chapter he granteth that such bodies being smit asunder doe ioyne againe as doth the aire when it is diuided whence he might easily haue collected that these bodies must bee made of aire and not proper vnto Angels For touching the reason which he bringeth that if they had not bodies they could not be tormented with fire it is certaine that the diuine prouidence may easily bring to passe that a body may really worke vpon a spirit and likewise the contrary which no Christian can deny to bee by diuine prouidence wrought in the Sacrament of Baptisme where the water as the instrument of the diuine bountie doth really and truly wash and purge the soule that is a spirit and experience teacheth vs this truth in nature for imaginations which are corporall things doe depresse the soule and make it heauie euen vnto death as Christ Iesus himselfe said Besides by this reason we should say that the soules of the damned being departed from this world are not cast into hell-fire because they haue no bodies and must therefore bee impassible And so wee shal fall into their heresie that maintaine that the soules lie sleeping till the day of iudgement which doth directly oppose the holy Scriptures which shew vnto vs that the soules of good men returne vnto God who hath created them to be at quiet in his hands and vnder his protection as S. Stephen saith Domine suscipe spiritum meum and S Paul wished for death to no other end but to be with Christ Cupio inquit dissolui esse cum Christo which is confirmed by S. Iohn in the Reuelation saying Henceforth doe the soules rest from their labours for their good workes follow them and death saith S. Paul shall be a gaine vnto me on the other side they teach that the soules of the reprobate are tormented in the flames of hell as appeareth in the Gospell by the rich Glutton and by the saying of Saint Iohn Baptist who told the Pharisies that the axe was alreadie applied vnto the roote of the tree and euery tree that brought not foorth good fruite should bee hewen downe and cast into the fire This S. Iude affirmeth is already happened to the Sodomites as also to Chorah Dathan and Abiron with their complices and that they went quicke downe to hell But here may an obiection be made how Spirits are able to frame vnto themselues such bodies at their own pleasure S. Augustine answereth that Spirits by a certaine agilitie and naturall power can bring to passe whatsoeuer may be done in nature for they doe perfectly know not onely the effects of nature but the causes also which proceedeth from the refinednesse and subtilitie of spirit wherewith they are indowed which they so well know how to manage and applie that whatsoeuer nature maketh successiuely and at leisure they doe the same in an instant We see the aire diuers times being disposed thereunto by certaine causes is variously depainted with colours and diuers semblances and in the sommer wee sometimes see toades and frogs fall with the raine which proceedeth frō the corruption of the aire from whence also butter-flyes and catterpillers and the like vermine are ingendred all which is produced from the successiue operations of nature The like effects may bee produced by Spirits by vniting of causes whereupon the effects doe necessarily follow Thus we reade that the Diuell tooke vpon him the forme of a Serpent which cannot be denied as also that Pharaohs Magicians by the assistance of Satan did make serpents and frogs appeare before the people and surely they may in the like manner shape and counterfeit any other figure yea of a man himselfe as is cleere by the apparitions recited in the book of Genesis From whence we must draw this necessarie conclusion that it is contrary both to naturall reason and to Scrip that Spirits should haue bodies but that they are incorporeall and inuisible The resolution of all this discourse may bee had in the booke intituled De Ecclesiastic is dog matibus which is amongst the workes of S. Augustine where in the 11. chapter he saith We beleeue that God is inuisible and incorporeall because hee is euery where and is present in all places yet not bounded in by any place but we beleeue that intellectuall substances are corporeall because they are circumscribed in a place as the soule within the body and hence it is that they are called corporeall because they are limited in their substances It remaineth that wee endeuour to know when they were created since Moyses maketh no mention of it and from whence it proceedeth that there is a difference betwixt Spirits so that some are good and some bad CHAP. III. Of the Creation goodnesse or maliciousnesse of Angels SAint Athanasius when he was to giue his full resolution and opinion concerning Spirits vnto Prince Antiochus demandeth in the first place whether Angels were created or no for Moses maketh no mention thereof in the first chap. of Genesis
which conceite being once growne into an habite and custome it did at length become almost naturall vnto them and brake out openly in the desert when they saidâ—n the plurall number Hi sunt dij tui Israel quite eduxerunt de terra Aegypti And hereupon God tooke occasion to insist vpon the explication of this in the first commandement of the Law which saith Dominus Deus tuus Deus vnus est longer then vpon all the rest of the commandements because the people were so much inclined to this plurality of Gods and had then lately made and worshipped a Calfe Which they may doe well to obserue who because it is afterwards said Thou shalt not make any likenesse of any thing that is in heauen or in earth doe conceite that this is the second commandement and aske the cause why Curats doe not so pronounce the same in their seruice not vnderstanding that the Curate doth pronounce but a short summary of the commandements of God and that this whereof they complaine is not properly a commandement but a more ample exposition of the first commandement against which the people had for a long time most transgressed Therefore doth S. Athanasius well obserue that it was not safe to mention Angels vnto them because they would presently haue thought them Gods which Carpocrates Basilides and other disciples of Simon Magus also did as S. Ireneus and Tertullian haue written Whereunto we may adde a third reason drawne from the more moderne diuines and that is that Christ Iesus was the end and scope of the law who was to take vpon him the flesh of Adam and not the nature of Angels as S. Paul noteth Finis legis Christus nusquam Angels apprehendit sed semen Abrahae apprehendit Since then Christ Iesus was not to be the Redeemer of Spirits but of men Moses did with good reason passe ouer Angels in silence and bounded his discourse with the mention of visible creatures ouer whom man had dominion that in conclusion hee might inferr that man alone had the priuiledge to bee made after Gods image and likenesse that in the end hee might be deifyed and made a partner in the diuine nature thorow Iesus Christ. By which hee thought to leade and conduct man the more easily vnto the knowledge of the grace of God towards him since that he had more remembrance of him then of the Angels themselues who were iustly passed ouer without mentioning if wee consider hou much our humane nature was honoured by the diuine word so that hee who is God adored by all is a man as wee are being as absolutely man as I am and being as truely man as he is truely God And this is the conclusion which S. Paul maketh against the Iewes when he speaketh of Angels Nusquam Angelos apprehendit sed semen Abrahae It is also manifest that the old Testament maketh no mention of the sinne of Lucifer and his adherents but indirectly and by glances as when the haughty minded men are compared vnto him so in Esai the 14. chap. where mention is made of Nabuchodonosor King of Babilon and in Ezechiel 18. where the King of Thir is described both of them being meruailous proud and presumptuous against God they are saith the Scripture like vnto Lucifer But of set purpose there is no relation made hereof except it bee incidentally and as wee say per accidens For Christ Iesus did pay no ransome for wicked Spirits as he had done for men but he hath clearly declared himselfe that hell fire is from all eternity prepared Diabolo Angelis eius But although Moses did not make direct mention of them yet did hee tacitly insinuate the same when hee saith of the seauen daies that they followed one the other and that the heauens went on in their course making day night euening and morning which could not possibly be without the ministry and helpe of Angels Moreouer when he concludeth Igitur perfecti sunt coeli terra omnis ornatus eorum by the perfect ornament of heauen he meaneth Angels For that excellent ornament which addeth such grace vnto the heauens is their motion without which as Aristotle himselfe well knew the heauen could beame downe no influence vpon the earth as is intimated by S. Iohn when hee saith Iurauit per viuentem in secula quod non erit ampllus tempus For if wee should say behold a perfect man this speech doth import that hee hath a soule and that his body is disposed and fitted for those motions which are naturall vnto man Whereupon S. Chrysostome admonisheth that by this ornament wee are not to vnderstand the light or starrs onely but many other perfections both of higher and baser consideration But because this manner of speaking is very obscure S. Athanasius Theodoret and S. Chrysostom moue the question whether the Scriptures doe directly say that the Angels were created by God or no and their resolutions are that they doe so say First King Dauid maketh vs an expresse Psalme touching the creation of the world where hee speaketh generally of all creatures Spirituall rationall sensible terrestriall as also those creatures who haue their being in the water and aire in the 103. Psalme where he beginneth to speake of the Maiestie of God in this manner Confessionem siue maiestatem decorem induisti amictus lumine siout vestimento next hee speaketh of the heauens saying Thou hast stretched them our ouer vs like a tent then doth hee adioyne the Angels Qui facis Angelos tuos Spiritus who makest saith he thy Angels Spirits Where by the way wee may obserue for our better information in this and the like places of Scripture that the Hebrews haue but three tenses in their verbes the Praeter-perfect tense the present and future tense and haue not the vse as the Greeks and Latins haue of the praeter-imperfect and praeterpluperfect tenses whence it ariseth that the present tense with the Hebrewes may as the sentence will beare it bee translated by the praeterimperfect tense as also by the praeterperfect and by the praeterpluperfect tense And this is practised by the Hebrewes in this very passage of Scripture as if they should say in latine Quifaciebas Angelos Spiritus that is to say Lord in the time of creation thou diddest make and fashion these Spirits to bee the messengers and ministers of thy good pleasure By which place Dauid doth not onely shew that God created Angels but also contrary to the opinion of the Greekes and Latins that the Angels were created when God made heauen and earth and not as some would say many thousands of yeares before so that it is not chancefully done that he first made mention of the essence of God and then of Angels and last of all of other creatures The same methode he obserueth in the 148. Psalme where he inuiteth all things to praise their Creator and doth
not omit the Angels but placeth them in the first rank laying Laudate eum omnes Angeli eius laudate eum omnes virtutes eius and concludeth that God fashioned and created them as hee hath done all other creatures quoniam ipse dixit facta sunt ipse mandauit creata sunt The same order is obserued by the three men that were cast into the firy furnace at Babilon who in their thanksgiuing doe inuite all the workes of Gods hand to blesse their Creator and descending to particulars they bring in the Angels as the excellentest creatures of all harmoniously to sing and say Benedicite omnia opera Domini Domino cantate superexaltate eum in secula Benedicite Angeli Domini Domino Benedicite coeli Domino Where it is very remarkable that we may not digresse from the argument in hand against those who conceite that the creation of Angels was long before the creation of heauen that therefore in this place and some others the heauen is said to bee set after the Angels thereby to figure out vnto vs the transcendency of Angels aboue all other creatures but why the heauens should be mentioned and not the Angels there can be no other probable and literall reason rendered then that which wee haue formerly alleaged S. Chrysostome affirmeth that S. Iohn made mention of the creation of Angels where he saith Omnia per ipsum facta sunt sine ipso factum est nihil And S. Paul doth as it were comment vpon this sentence of S. Iohn as hauing bin rapt vp to heauen after him in his Epistle to the Colossians Quoniam in ipso condita sunt vniversa in coelis in terra visibilia inuisibilia siue Throni siue dominationes siue principatus siue potestates omnia per ipsum in ipso creata sunt And this doth vndoubtedly confute al the Manicheans Marcionists and other sectaries and disciples of Simon Magus So that wee may from hence conclude that God did create all Angels good at first that is perfect in all goodnesse both of nature and grace for whatsoeuer God made he saw that it was passing good as Moses expresseth it and towards the end of his Bookes hee giueth a reason of the same vnto the people saying Dei perfecta sunt opera Whereunto agreeth the wise-man who giueth vs to vnderstand that God made all things in number waight and measure in which the most captious can not finde the least discord or blemish And Christ Iesus himselfe doth assure vs that the Diuell did not persist in the truth that is in his first integrity wherein hee was created and that hee was once in heauen but was fallen from thence like lightning S. Peter and S. Iude doe giue the reason of this fall because say they hee sinned against God which sinne being folded vp in the pleates of malice and obstinacy was without the proportion of remission and pardon The same meaning hath Iob in the 4. chapter In Angelis suis reperit pravitatem And although there were no other text sutable vnto this purpose then that which is alleaged in Saint Matthew where Christ Iesus doth foretell that he will cast the Diuell and his Angels into hell fire yet would this bee an argument sufficient as Theodoret well inferreth to prooue that he was created in perfection and goodnesse but that from his owne desire and malice he made choice of euill by his rebellion against God Non est enim saith hee iusti Dei proprium eum punire quinecessitate malus sit And certainely it is repugnant vnto the nature goodnesse and iustice of God who neuer condemneth any that doe not through malice deserue such punishment Hence it is that S. Augustine doth worthily reprooue Porphiry the Philosopher because his assertion was that there were a kinde of Spirits who from their first nature were originally euill and deceitfull This proceeded not from their nature saith he but from their will It remaineth now that we declare what manner of sinne it was whereof they were conuicted S. Augustine giueth vs the resolution heereof saying Since they are Spirits wee are not to conceiue that they were fornicatours drunkards or addicted to any of those grosse vices which haue their sting in the flesh but we are to obserue that there are two sorts of sinnes the first are spirituall because they are proper to spirituall substances such as are pride and enuy the other are carnall and proceed from the flesh S. Augustine spake not this of his owne head but grounded it vpon the Scripture which specifying the sinnes that are peculiar vnto Satan maketh mention of these as Esay and Ezechiel when they would exaggerate the great ouer-weening and pride of the Kings of Babylon and Thir he maketh a comparison betwixt Lucifer and them And our Sauiour when he saw his Apostles to be a little pussed vp and swolne in spirit because at their words and commandement the Diuels were cast out Reioyce not saith hee in this for I saw Satan fall from heauen like lightning by which words hee insinuated thus much that the downe fall of the Diuell proceeded from pride S. Paul also in his admonition vnto Bishops that they should be humble doth charge the Bishop not to bee pussed vp with pride least hee should fall into the same condemnation with the Diuell Touching the sinne of enuy it is also written Inuidia Diaboli mors intrauit in orbem terrarum And the reason why mention of mankinde is made heerein is to giue vs to vnderstand that the Diuell fell not into the sinne of enuy till after the creation of man and that pride was his peculiar sinne for the which he was thrust out of heauen Now whether it were that by reason of his great endowments of nature hee did so farre ouerballance his owne worth that hee might conceite that hee was able to make himselfe an associate and partaker in the diuine nature which is the highest degree whereunto an intellectuall substance may aspire and that by his owne naturall and peculiar forces as Esai and Exechiel doe seeme to imply or whether he would not acknowledge Christ Iesus the Mediatour of men and Angels for his head which mystery might by reuelation be proposed vnto him as it was afterwards also vnfolded vnto Adam and all the fathers of the old Testament it is most certaine that from his owne will and in the pride of his heart he rebelled against God so that there was a battell fought in heauen after the manner that Spirites combat one against another by a strong renitency and resistance of the ones will against the others euen as wee also fight against them But the good Angels would by no meanes adhere or fauour that damnable attempt but resisted it with all their forces accomplishing that which is written of them Benedicite Domino omnes Angeli eius potentes virtute
of an Atheist as indeede hee was but the rule in Logicke doth easily ouerthrow his collection when from a particular instance he would inferre an vniuersall proposition for as wee say Ex particularibus nihil concludi potest a particulari ad vniuersale conclusio nulla We could also allow vnto him the history of Iulian the Apostatate who had as much authority riches wit and as many masters as Nero euer had and a great deale of more will but by the permission of God he grew more weary of the incertainty and barrennnesse thereof then hee was before heated with the desire of knowing it And this did rather happeÌ„ vnto them both that we may answere the obiection of Pliny because their maine drift and designe was to abolish and annihilate the memory of Christ Iesus and to prooue him a lyar in that he had said Ecce ego vobiscum sum vsque ad consummationem seculi But thereupon to deny the effects of the Deuill practised by his instruments the witches it would sauour of too much rashnesse especially since many authors so ancient and so renowned are full of them Let it suffice to haue alleaged for confirmation heereof certaine passages out of Lactantius and Saint Augustine who giuing a reason of such admirable effects do attribute them to wicked Spirits We will onely adde that which Philostratus hath written of a sorceresse who by her art did prouide a sumptuous banquet for her louer Menippus who being sate at table with many others and hauing a good appetit to taste of those delicacies vpon the suddaine all was taken away and they were forced to rise more hungry then they were before But wee will draw our proofes from the Scripture least some should with Pliny conceite this relation to bee fabulous First Saint Paule maketh mention of the Iamnâ—s and Iambres whose history is recited in the booke of Exodus that they resisted Moyses and did worke by Magicke whatsoever Moyses could do by Diuine power they changed their roddes into serpents and water into blood they also made frogges to come and couer the land of Aegypt yet at the third plague not at the third signe as it is vulgarly receiued they could not do as Moyses did before them not because as the Hebrewes would alleage the Deuill cannot counterfeit any thing that is lesse then a barly corne in regard that those things that are least require say they greatest subtilty to shape them and therefore although the Magicians did make great snakes and frogges yet they could not bring lice vpon the land of Aegypt as Moyses did for this opinion is not iustifiable because afterwards they could not make great flyes nor raise those hugh botches and tumours which were in the bodies of men neither could they make haile or lightning to descend from heauen or cause the windes to blow and combate against themselues which neuerthâ—lesse he did in Iobs time but the reason was because at the third time God tyed vp the power of Satan and restrained him from passing further as hee also inhibited him in the like case to put Iob to death as he did his children And this the Magicians were forced to confesse saying Digitus Dei est hic From hence it is apparant that there are those who contract secret familiarity with the Deuill and by this meanes worke strange things although for the most part they are ordained vnto wicked purposes The Prophet Dauid doth take his similitude from the charmer who by his arte doth charme serpents so that this is a truth not to bee gaine-said especially since God himselfe doth no lesse detest and prohibite such kinde of men in his law then he doth Idols and Oracles of the Deuill For when Sathan sawe that the people of God did abhorre his Oracles that were senslesse and framed by the hands of men hee insinuated himselfe amongst them by another way more subtile then the former by speaking vnto men and making himselfe to be secretly adored by them This is it which is so strictly forbidden in Leuiticus Non declinetis ad magos nec ab Heriolis aliquid sciscitemini ne polluamini per eos And hee repeateth the same afterwards Anima quae declinauerit ad magos Hariolos fornicata fuerit cumeis ponam faciem meam contra eam interficiam eam de medio populi sui Also it is said in Exodus Maleficos non patieris viuere where the Hebrew word doth particularly apply it selfe vnto witches And in Deutronomy God speaketh thus vnto his people Quando ingressus fueris terram quam Dominus Deus tuus dabit tibi caue ne imitarivelis abominationes illarum gentium nec inueniatur in te qui lustret filium suum aut filiam ducens per ignem aâ—t qui ariolos sciscitatur obseruat somnia atque auguria net sit maleficus nec incantator neque qui Pythones consulat nec diuinos quaerat à mortuis veritatem Omnia haec abominatâ—r Dominus propter istiusmodi scelera delebit eos in introitu suo perfectus eris aâ—sque macula cum Domino Deo tuo gentes ist ae quarum possidetis terram augures diuinos audiunt tu autem a Domino Deo tuo aliter institutus es To bee breife the Scripture doth often speake of these people in so much as there is scarce a booke in the whole Bible where mention is not made of them Besides the passages already cited those that are desirous may see Num. 23. Ios. 13. 1. Reg. 15. and 28. 2. Paral. 33. Esay 47. and 44. Mich. 5. Naâ—um 3. In the new testament there is Simon Magus Elimas the south-sayer Barieu and a woman who had a familiar Spirit and did foretell many things by which meanes she brought in much gaine vnto her masters There is also mention made of the Ephesians who were exceedingly addicted to all kinds of curious artes and these were nothing else amongst the Ancients but the artes of Magicke but when they had their vnderstandings rectified by Saint Paules instructions they burned all their bookes that were valued at 50. thousand peices of siluer When good King Iosias would reduce the religion of God into that first integrity wherein it formerly stood thereby to appease the wrath of God against the people of the Iewes hee called a generall Councell in the temple at Hierusalem where amongst other things sit to be redressed it was decreed that all sorcerers and witches should be put to death which the good King accordingly practised Pythones saith the text ariolos figuras idolorum immunditias abominationes quae fuerunt in terra Iudae Hierusalem abstulit Iosias vt statueret verba legis After his raigne all good Princes did the like the law of God hauing expressely forbidden the vse of the same As also in the Codices there are many lawes religiously ordained by Christian Emperours as
were truly that which they seemed to bee It also declareth that what the Diuell wrought against Iob was not seemingly done but really acted with a great deale of malice witnesse the death of his children and seruants and the downefall of the house vpon them This rule we are to practise in the charmes of Witches and to see if there be any reality in that which they giue out they haue done which falling out so frequently true we are no longer to question the verity of the same There is a reality in their murthering of Infants for it is confirmed by the report of their parents that the children which they said they had strangled were found strangled indeed as they had themselues deposed In like manner the dis interring of their bodies was a truth because their bones were not found lying in their graues There is a reality in the mark which they beare in their bodies the which of all other parts is leprous and deuoid of sense and which can bee found vpon none but vpon such as are said to be Witches There is also a reality in the peece of their garment which in signe of homage they present vnto the Diuell and wee haue seene with our eyes that such a like peece was wanting in their garment as they themselues had reported There is a manifest reality in the charmes which they cast vpon man and beast making them dull and almost dead and by their words reuiuing and setting them in as good plight as they were before not saith Lactantius that they can heale diseases for this is not in the compasse of the Diuels power although it be in their naturall power to infuse an infirmity into any part of a liuing body as appeareth in the history of the Demoniaek that was both dumbe and deafe and of the woman that was crooked so that shee could not lift vp her eyes to heauen and therefore by taking away this impediment they doe not really cure a disease but withdraw the stop that hindered those operations of nature God somtimes permitting him by his iust though hidden iudgement to doe this although further then this hee cannot passe as S. Augustine often inserreth So that it is apparant by the first rule that the confessions made by Sorcerers are not alwaies dreames but doe oftentimes containe facts that haue been really practised The second rule drawne both from S. Augustine and from S. Thomas is to obserue whether all that is spoken in this argument doth lie in the naturall power of the Diuell This S. Augustine obscurely noteth when in the history of Diomedes hee saith that this transmutation was by a secret substraction and conueying away of their bodies because it doth transcend the naturall power of Diuels to change one body into another according to their substance and therefore it must needs bee that this collusion was by transporting and placing one body into the roome of another S. Augustine would not yeeld vnto the first because as hee had already declared it was aboue the naturall power of the Diuell but he granteth the second in regard that it is within the compasse of his force and working Neque enim saith he daemonibus iudicio dei permissis huiusmodi praestigia difficilia esse possunt And as hee expresseth it else where the Diuell can do this when he will how he will if so be that God doth expresly command him or doth leaue him to his owne nature Quando volunt quomodo volunt Deo vel iubente vel sinente S. Thomas betaketh himselfe to this rule when he saith that if the Diuell should busie himselfe in the resurrection of the dead or in any other supernaturall workings wee must be strong that all these things are meere illusions for although God by his vniuersal prouidence doth imploy wicked Spirits vpon many occasions yet doth hee neuer vse them in working of miracles which he reserueth vnto himselfe and to his because Diuels haue no capacity to receiue such supernaturall endowments This rule did distinguish the magicall workes of Simon Magus from those of S. Peter and the other Apostles as S. Clement and S. Ireneuâ— doe witnesse and this rule shall make the workes of Antichrist to bee discerned from those of the Christians And this rule gaue Saint Augustine occasion to say that not onely the admirable workes of the Diuell comprehended in the old and new Testament were to bee beleeued but also many other things were to be credited which prophane histories and Poets themselues doe mention of them and which were in former ages accounted fables although S. Augustine out of the great subtility of his spirit and his deepe knowledge in holy Writ would not venture to say that they were fables hee rather sheweth that this might bee true either really or in outward apparance For as Tertullian said Daemones soli nouere Christiani From whence could the Christians better know this then from the Scriptures Whereupon it followeth that none can truly and iudicially determine this point vnlesse he bee conuersant in the holy Scriptures and in the ancient Fathers from whence the true resolution hereof may be drawne To conclude this point touching the extent of the Diuels naturall power and how farre it teacheth it is not my intendment to enlarge my discourse thereof to the full I will onely say with Saint Thomas who had the soule of S. Augustine as a maÌ„ may say doubled vpon him that it is in the Diuels naturall power to doe as much as the vtmost strength of nature can reach vnto for he is able to vse those meanes which nature accustometh to serue her selfe withall and applieth one thing vnto another iust as nature doth as when a man by applying a torch vnto char-coale doth presently fire the same which nature would also produce but at more leisure and this appeareth in the causes of lightning which are longer ere they produce their effect whereas wee shoot off our Artillery suddenly and without premeditation And this we are taught by experience for the Angels who wheele about the heauens by the application of their motions vnto these iâ—feriour elements doe cause naturall things to bee produced euer presupposing a matter and forme whereupon to worke which were immediately created by God himselfe Hence it is that they are called both in the Psalmes and in the Gospel Virtutes Coelorum for without them the heauens would haue no more efficacie or power in the production of things then the body hath to worke without a soule which S. Augustine wel glanceth at in the third Booke against Maximin the Arrian the seuenteenth chapter So that those things which Sorcerers depose are within the natural power of SataÌ„ as may be seene in the whole frame of this Booke especially in the Annotations vpon the ensuing Sentence Therefore it is plaine that the second rule doth positiuely conclude that all these workings are not
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