a schedull to the Diuel Magdalene which Louyse neuer saw It is a truth Magdalene that when thou wert first seduced thou wert in thy Fathers house and as true is it that thou hast giuen leaue and licence vnto the Diuell to enter into thy body Take heede Magdalene take heede take heede least thou incurre some dreadfull iudgement thou being now confessed as thou art if it were not so I had no reason to speake it Thy Confessours are wise and haue not reuealed thy sinnes vnto me This is most true Magdalene Louyse knoweth nothing of it beware therefore beware beware how thou doest coniecture that this should come either from thy Confessours or from Louyse This is true Magdalene this is true neuer striue and struggle for the matter it is for the glory of God and thou shalt receiue benefit by it It is true Magdalene that hee stands not in neede of thee for he should not be God if he had neede of thee or of any other creature All shall redound vnto thy profit doe not vexe at it God is so gracious that his end is not to publish any mens disgrace to the world but to conuert them Then hee â—aid to those that were present if you doe not make inquirie after him you shall all stand charged with him thereby meaning Lewis He further said with a high voice you Priests be not you troubled at any thing euill Priests cannot preiudice those that are good neither are the good to be despised or disesteemed because there are some that are euill If Lewis will not be conuerted hee well deserueth to be burned aliue It is true Magdalene hee first seduced thee to renounce thy God thy Baptisme and thy part in Paradise Thou hast chosen Hell for thy Mansion place yet shalt thou not goe thither because God will assist thee It is true Magdalene the Magician hath those schedules trouble not thy selfe he shall be forced to restore them It is true Magdalene the Priests haue watched with thee and happie was it for thee that they did so if they had not the Diuels would haue carried thee away It is true Magdalene thou art a Witch and hast performed whatsoeuer belongeth thereunto in great solemnitie Thou hast renounced God at three seuerall Masses one at mid-night another at the dawning of the day and the third was at high Masse It is true Magdalene God hath pardoned thee resist cursed Belzebub the Diuels haue no more force then is allotted vnto them It is true Magdalene thou hast alwaies withstoode thy God his inspirations and all other admonitions as well of the Angels of heauen as of the men of this world so that they could preuaile nothing in thy behalfe yet is thy God so gracious Magdalene that hee hath harkened vnto many soules that haue beene acceptable vnto him when they made intercession for thee It is true Magdalene many haue said Masses many haue done pennance and giuen almes many haue wrought good workes for thy sake and all this hath beene done by thy Fathers and Mothers as well corporall as spirituall Magdalene if the Starres of heauen were capable to thanke God for thee or the leaues of trees or the very stones of this Baume they would willingly do it for thy sinnes in number doe surmount the sand of the Sea O Magdalene the goodnesse of God doth not shine so bright in Peter Paul Dauid William the hermite in Theophilus or in Cyprianus as it shineth in thee It appeareth not so bright in Magdalene the sister of Martha nor in Pelagia nor in Thais nor in Marie of Aegypt nor in the woman of Samaria as it shineth in thee Yet Magdalene art thou a greater sinner then they Then Verrine cried to all the Assembly that they should haue compassion of her soule and that if God did not protect them with his grace they would bee farre worse then she Then he said humble thy selfe Magdalene and acknowledge that thou art lesse then nothing It were no wonder to see a little Innocent goe to heauen but O great wonder to see a soule that hath renounced her Maker Baptisme and Heauen to returne to God Hell it selfe is confounded thereat Lucifer now doe all thou canst call together all the Princes which are in the body of Magdalene for this is done against thee Then he began to talke in this manner What a wonder would it be to see a King take a Pismire and exalt it vnto honour Men would be amazed to see him thus honour a Pismire and this amazement would be encreased if he should take it and set it in his Chamber to honour it the more His Princes would mocke at him and say there were Ladies enough for him to honour without exalting a Pismire or if hee should take a Country wench to wife they will say that Kings ought to wed with equals and those of their owne ranke Yet for all this the Pismire should not haue eares to vnderstand when it was honoured nor words to vaunt and boast it selfe nor a proud body to swell at it and continuing still a Pismire it would neuer come to be a Lyon a Leopard or an Horse but would alwaies remaine a Pismire So Louyse because thou art a Pismire thou shouldest the more admire the puissance wisedome bounty and humilitie of thy King that hath made election of thee and would haue thee to be prouident as is the Pismire fore-casting in the Summer how to liue in Winter So must thou Pismire doe thou must amasse and treasure vp much good workes in the Summer of this world against the Winter which is the houre of thy death From this Pismire will God glorifie himselfe and make vse of her although she be but a Pismire for hee is able to make a Pismire speake if he please This will he doe to gaine soules vnto himselfe and she shall doe well to conceiue that all proceedeth from God and that she her selfe is but as a leafe of a tree nay lesse nay that she is nothing thereby to declare that all this commeth from God Then turning againe to Magdalene he said Magdalene thy soule is like a common-wealth thou must put to death the Princes that are within that a peace may bee there established It is true Magdalene disarme them all their weapons are thy consents cut off their heads and thy common-wealth will be free from danger Doest thou not know that God doth alwaies worke order out of disorder Courage Magdalene humble thy selfe and subiect thy selfe vnder the feete of euery one Then speaking to Belzebub Verrine said humble thy selfe cursed Belzebub and Verrine was the first that made him to humble himselfe who setting his foot vpon his head said Accursed miserable and proud Spirit Thou wouldest on Sunday last haue plucked God from his Throne if thou haddest been able and wouldest not worship him yet now thou art debased vnder my feete Then he cried to the Assembly Come heere and
thou the master of Pride and doest thou now slinke away in this sort Thou art he that doest suggest vnto the Nobility What sir will you yeeld to him you are noble and of an ancient stock why will you abase your selfe before a fellow of such cheapenesse You must not doe it it doth detract from your nobility Miserable Belzebub was it not thou that wouldest haue throwne God from his seate of Maiesty How art thou now abased hauing nothing to reply and being swallowed vp in shame and confusion And thou Leuiathan the Arch-Doctor of Hereticks art thou not hee that bestowest vpon them the apparance and shew of light But thy light is nothing else but darknesse for no man can giue that which hee hath not Thou bringest an itch vpon the curious to dispute of this place and of that place of Scripture because it is not interpreted as it ought to bee and seing them to bee proud beyond measure thou diddest by this course hinder them from humbling themselues I tell thee that the proud and curious shall not enter into Paradise vnlesse they become humble and lay aside their curiosity What answerest thou vnto this thou art a iolly doctor and very pregnant in replyes but I see thou hast litle to say for thy selfe and giuest sufficient proofe of thy insufficiency There bee heere very able men that would gladly heare thee argue but it appeareth that thou art confounded as much as thy companion And thou Balberith that doest secreetly whisper in the eares of Gentle-men and doest tell them that what they loue in their hart they should ofteÌ„times vse in their mouth and by this meanes thou makest them to deny and foresweare God from the head to the soale of the foote Thou doest also suggest vnto them what sir doe you not meane to defend your reputation Can you endure such an affront Remember such and such speaches and how he thus and thus belyed you hee is a base fellow and in an vnder-ranke vnto you I tel you you must reuenge yourselfe vpon him and call him into single combate Thus though they be forbidden by God excommunicated by the Church and prohibited by the Kings Edicts yet are they transported beyond their temper and reason and doe desire nothing but to come to blowes neither lyeth it in the power of man to giue preuention vnto these mischances Then Verrine iested at Asmodee and said and thou accursed fiend doest perswade yong folke that it is no sinne to offend God and so doest spread a vaile over their eies that they cannot haue the light to bee their guide but are forced to stumble in the darke And thou Astaroth master of the slouthfull be thou their speaker defend thy cause for thou art a powerfull Prince and doest excuse no man Kings and Clergy men are allured by thy blandishments and thou hast accesse euery-where euen when the gates and windowes of mens hearts are locked vp And thou Carreau art he that maintainest that Lazarus could not be raised vp to life by Lazarus meaning the obstinate sinner but I doe hold it as a truth that he may bee raised againe not of himselfe but by the assistance of the Church and of God who said Lazare veniforas and so commanded the stone to be taken away Hee it is that is able without paine vnto him to doe whatsoeuer seemeth pleasing in his sight I affirme that God is able to take away the stone from the heart of an vnrepenting sinner but hee must confesse himselfe receiue absolution from the Priest according vnto that authority which God hath giuen vnto his Church and in this manner is the dead raised vp to life Then he said hee that wants charity is not truely noble for true nobility commeth from aboue All the Citizens of heauen did reioyce at the birth of the Sonne of God neither is there any difference there put betweene the soule of a King and of a begger if it stand in the state of grace Vnto you a child is borne and to you a son is giuen he is both a King a Iudge yet but litle in his natiuity that it might be published vnto all how tractable he is and how easie to be appeased euen with an apple The apple signifieth the soule with the three powers thereof the Memory pointeth out vnto vs the Father the Vnderstanding the Son and the Will the holy Ghost Dâ—dicate and bequeath your thoughts your desires and your workes to this Childe whereby you shall also offer vp vnto him the odour sweetnesse and bewty of this apple this is the present that will appease and still him and for this cause was hee made contemptible that you might bee bold to tender the same vnto him He is co-eternal with his Father which Marie and none but shee did at the first vnderstand yet had he not where to lay his head giue therefore now vnto him the stone of your heart that hee may make a pillow of the same whereupon to repose himselfe If the deceased King of glorious memory should haue giuen his Sonne the Dauphin vnto you it is to be conceiued that you would haue receiued him with great ioy and applause the celestiall Father hath giuen vnto you the Dauphin of heauen equall to himselfe in Maiesty the Kings of the East came from a farre to seeke after him and to worship him and doth it not become you to adore him in like manner The time is at hand that God will fill the voide seates of heauen that great day of the Lord approacheth wherein hee will place you in Paradise for euermore Then Verrine said I Verrine doe renounce c. as is before mentioned at midnight Masse After that he inuited againe all creatures to praise God for his vnexpresseable bounty and infinite mercy as is afore written When he had finished his abiurations Gresill followed with the like and last of all Sonneillon did the same who further added Almighty God mai'st thou be pleased to create a thousand hells anew for all those that will not be conuerted giue vnto them a thousand liues and as many as there bee starres in the firmament for all this is very possible vnto thee that they may suffer as many seuerall deaths as they had seueral liues bestowed vpon them The same day in the euening the two possessed women were exorcised by Father Francis Billet Priest of the Doctrine and Verrine began to discourse thus The heate of hell is not more vnsupportable vnto mee then are thy Exorcismes and would God I had beene dease when I was first exorcised Then he said Belzebub thou tormentest Magdalene yet let it not trouble thee Magdalene for it is now our custome to doe thus because wee were guided neither by reason nor counsell The Exorcist said vnto him Recede maledicte who answered him in latine Non est tempus And when the Exorcist said Angeli decantanerunt Gloria Verrine spake these
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
transgression the most seuerely threatned and auenged This doctrine is the decision of Saint Thomas who concludes that if a man suffer death for any vertue whatsoeuer it is a true Martyrdome And he all eageth the example of Saint Iohn Baptist who was a true Martyr in that hee did defend continency against the incestuousnesse of Herode In like manner was that good Monke declared by a Councell to be a Martyr because in running betwixt two fencers to part them hee was slaine by them Saint Chrysostome doth precisely say that he which may be healed of some malady by inchantments and refuseth all such helpe least he might offend God and had rather dye then haue the vse of the same in this case saith he he is a Martyr Furthermore Cardinall Caietane commenting vpon the aboue-cited article of Saint Thomas saith that if a man bee slaine to auoid a veniall sinne that death is a Martyrdome for it chanced vnto him because he would not offend God and because hee desired to support vertue Those that would play the Philosophers and say the deceased King called not on the name of God in the last period of his life let them know that he might do that so suddenly and secretly that none about him might perceiue it much lesse vnderstand it How easily might he lift vp his heart and inward parts vnto God and that in a moment of time especially for that his precedent desire might minister quicke assistance heereunto because that day hee powred out his prayers vnto God more particularly and for a longer space then he accustomed to do Besides that honorable company which were with him in his Caroche do shew that hee went not surcharged with any wicked proiect or purpose THE VII DOVBT It tendeth litle to edification where it is said that the blessed Sacrament was troden vnder feet ANSWERE I Haue cleered this very largely in the Epistle to the Reader Besides the myracle which followed thereupon did much condemne Sorcerers and tended to the edification of good Christians It was further necessary to touch vpon this pointe as well for the integrity of this History as also because the said prophanation was already published and all the hereticke ministers of Xaintogne and Languedoc made their best aduantages from the same as may be seene in the said Epistle The But and aime of this History is to declare how much God is offended with such vnhallowed and sacrilegious persons as will appeare through the whole frame and body of this History I should desire that the historians in such cases would imitate the sacred Scripture which neuer sets before vs any prophanation of those things that are sanctified but it presently subioynes a miracle as may be seene in the History of the sonnes of Heli and of their death of the Philistins prophaning the Arke and their plagues of the Bethsamites who were too curious to behold it and the fire that fell from heauen vpon them of the two sonnes of Aaron Nabad and Abiud and the fire that went out from their Censers and destroied them of Choran and Dathan taking their Censers and the earth opening vnder them of king Ozias offering incense on the Altar and of the leprosie where with hee was stricken In the new Testament of the prophaners of the Temple and the whippes wherewith they were chased away which Saint Ierome taketh to be a great miracle of Ananias and Saphira and of their sudden death and to come neerer to our purpose of Iudas prophaning the blessed Eucharist and of his death the morrow after with his belly breaking asunder in the middle Saint Paul was well practised in this who when he had told the Corinthians of this prophanation he presently sets before their consideration those that for this cause were dead sick and feeble by the vengeance of the iust iudgement of God And it is a cleere truth that at sundry other times things sacred haue beene made prophane which the holy Ghost passeth ouer in silence because there insued no miracle â—hereupon which when it happeneth may edifie as much or more then the prophanation can giue occasion of scandall The same is held by S. Cyprian and S. Greâ—ory in his Dialogues To this purpose may bee alleaged â—he example of the Donatists that gaue the blessed Saâ—rament vnto doggs who running presently mad turâ—ed vpon them and tore them in peeces As also of him â—ho came in to the city of Beâ—ith recited in the workes of S. Athanasius and of him of Paris whose markes â—re yet in the Church of Bulliettes in Latine Ecclesia Doâ—ini Bullientis the blessed Sacrament being throwne â—â—to a boyling cauldron Another miracle is to be seene 〈◊〉 the holy Chapel at Diion Besides the blessed Euchaâ—â—st is more prophaned when it entereth into a soule â—â—at is polluted with the infections of sinne then it can â—e said to be in this place THE VIII DOVBT How and for what reason did Magdalene by the aduice of her Confessour write one letter to the blessed Virgin and another to the glorious S. Magdalene ANSWERE IT is a very profitable way which our spirituall fathers â— do vse to instruct inure those that haue any knowâ—edge to holy exercises and meditations and by this â—eans they become ready expert therein As a schole-â—aster coÌ„mandeth his scholar to write letters to his faâ—her or mother to the King or to the Pope not that he would haue the letters sent but that his scholar should â—y this gaine some skil and ability for it is one thing to write and another thing to send a letter So many in our â—ge haue with great deuotion dedicated the epistles of â—heir books to the blessed Virgin not with an intent to send them but to giue contentment to their deuotion As for example the Epistle of the Booke touching cases of conscience made by Frier Benedictus and of the Booke of Euangelical demonstrations vpon the 3. Maries made by another Frier The same was also practised by the Emperour Theodosius who wrote a letter to S. Chrysostome that was dead more then 30. yeeres before which letter is to be seene in Nicephorus Touching the correction of this letter which was made by the Diuell we are to conceiue that he was inforced by God to busy himselfe in the conuersion of Magdalene as is by experience verified vnto vs. There is no difficulty of this for it is apparant that a spirit is more sharpe-sighted and peircing and more particularly familiar with mens faults and imperfections then any man can be either with his owne or with others THE IX DOVBT How the Diuell could pray to God for the conuersion of the Magician presenting to God the Father the merits of the death and passion of his Sonne of the blessed Virgine and of all the Saints of Paradise ANSWERE WHen a good or bad Spirit doth put motions into a man if hee yeeld his consent and doth operate with them
his deseruings not for their merits but from his owne bounty for if he should handle euery man according to his deserts there would few scape hell And this great God be your good workes neuer so meane yet if they flow from charity and the merits of his passion hee will giue them a reward as he hath promised saying Come yee blessed of my father c. Because when I was a hungry you gaue mee meate when I was thirstie you gaue me to drinke when I was a stranger you tooke me in when I was dead you buried me when I was sicke you visited me when I was naked you cloathed me when I was in prison you redeemed me Then shall he carrie them to Paradise to haue there the fruition of his pleasures because they contemned all for his sake And since they were his companions at the Crosse it standeth with reason that they be his Associates at his table These words were no sooner ended but hee cried I am mad I am mad I am compelled to expresse this not for loue but vpon constraint It is strange that a souldier should kill himselfe with his owne weapons It fareth so with mee who take armes against my selfe wherewith my owne throat is mangled But what remedie God will haue it so Is it not a thing that was neuer heard of before that the Diuell is at variance with the Diuell and that hell combateth against hell Here is to be obserued that this discourse and many others semblable vnto them were spoken with such an emphasis and efficacie that all the assembly began to weepe and to aske God forgiuenesse as also to confesse themselues and to receiue the Sacrament instantly vpon it Of which the foure aboue-named Pilgrimes would needs giue attestation in forme as followeth The 10. of December 1610. there came to S. Baume Monsieur Arnoulde Borffartigues Canon and Sexton of the Cathedrall Church of Cominge Doctor of Diuinitie Iames Audry Merchant of Troy in Champaigne Iohn Gallois Gold-smith and Claud Gaùdet a Merchant Draper of Troy in Champaigne which were present at the Exorcismes of the two women that were possessed about three seuerall times and heard very admirable accidents touching this particular In witnesse whereof we of our owne proper motion haue subscribed our names for the publique good and for the reducement bringing home of many millions of soules by the miraculousnesse of the same where the Diuell is enforced to vtter the truth of the Gospell by the mouth of a woman called Louyse being thereunto commanded by almighty God And hauing no further occasion to remaine or soiourne here any longer as men harried with the trauell and toyle of our iourney from Rome we haue left our testimony in the hands of the venerable father the Exorcist in the presence of the fathers that were present and of many others In truth whereof we haue subsigned our names Borffartigues Iohn Gallois Gaudet Audry The same day in the euening were Louyse and Magdalene exorcised by the Dominican father and at the beginning of the Exorcismes Verrine discoursed of the paines of hell and other matters in this manner The paines of hell are so great and fearefull that one alone Diuell with his hideous shape were able to strike a man dead vpon the place although he had a thousand liues The diuels themselues might not indure the soules of the damned were it not that hell were the place that is destinated for euerlasting torments When the accursed soules of the damned come vnto vs wee make very much of them wee cause them to sit on a great chaire of flaming fire we present vnto them balls of fire for their repast that are all very well sulphured we giue them to drink a certaine liquor bitter as gall or wormwood and enforce also vpon them courtesies more bitter and more stinking then these Their eyes are fed with continuall visions of Diuel◠they haue for their songs and musicke wherein they tooke their pleasure in their life time vucessant blasphemies against God cursing the time that they were borne their fathers and their mothers together wirh all other creatures great and small We fling and tumble them sometimes in the fire sometimes vpon the yce sometimes in sulphure sometimes in snow and in exprobration of their transgressions we say vnto them Ha! accursed wretches behold behold the recompense for your pleasures and delicacies You that would not obey your God you that made slight to trespasse against his commandements you that haue whored after Baal and abandoned your Creator you doe deserue you doe deserue to be thus tormented you deserue to bee thus handled Neuer shall you see God but shall bee eternally depriued of those celestiall ioyes and in briefe you shall here be tortured for euer Besides said Verrine we are cruell remembrancers vnto them of the fauours and blessings which they haue receiued from their Creatour not hereby to giue them any comfort or refreshment but to torment them the more abundantly We say vnto them Miserable caitifes as you are you might haue gone to Paradise you might haue beene filled with heauenly blisse you might haue beene companions to the Saints of heauen but the tide is turned another way Behold you are the bondmen of Sathan the Gally-slaues of hell and the food and nourishment of that vnquenchable fire How wretched are you who might haue had the liberty of the children of God and doe now remaine in the thrall and seruitude of Diuels If you suffer tortures you doe well deserue them yet are you not punished according to your misdeedes and demerits Then making a great out-cry he said O wonderfull miracle O great misery The Diuels speak against themselues yea and against all hell they disgrace their owne Countrey and dehort men from trauelling thither and from cohabiting with them This is very strange Let two men speake together of their Country and it is not to be wondered at if both of them be lauish in the praises thereof but it is a great miracle that the Diuell an enemie to God and heauen recommendeth vnto men that celestiall Country and vilifieth the kingdome of hell I further auerre that men ride to hell easily in a Coach and the horses and all the furniture thereof may passe in with facility But to Paradise you must goe a-foote and enter in stouping the gates thereof are narrow so that much labour and toyle is requisite for the attainement of the same and hardly may you enter in without doing penance I also say that the fire of hell is so deuouringly hot that put all the fire in the world together and it is but a painting in regard of it Yet are there soules so desperate and vnnaturall that they runne at full speede into these gulphes of brimstone Accursed Magicians abominable Witches and relentlesse sinners can all of them relate vnto you such newes as this Then hee cried with great and ghastly exclamations
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
his Pages of honour and part of his Court are seruants vnto you Yet are there many that make more reckoning of their Gromes and Lackies then you doe of your good Angels who alwaies behold their God and their King in the face and by onely looking vpon him doe know the will of their Maister and doe euermore render their obedience vnto him They are so wonderous faire that if you should but see one of them you would worship him and think that you beheld a Deitie If the seruant bee so louely how amiable ought the Maister then to be You haue the witnesse of Iohn the Euangelist heereunto who would haue worshipped an Angell which hee saw but he raised him vp and would not permit that hee should worship him An Angell is more powerfull then all hell and one of them is sufficient vtterly to ruine and ouerthrow it Mary the mother of God is the most pure of all creatures most louely in her humility Cursed be those words when Mary said that she was the hand-maide of her God and that she held her selfe vnworthy to be the hand-maide of those that are hand-maides vnto him for by this meanes she deserued to be the mother of God Magdalene because shee loued so much is there where she now remaineth and is the chiefest amongst those that haue sinned that are about the sonne of God because shee and Iohn the Euangelist loued him more then others Dominicke Iohn the Euangelist and Iohn Baptist be all our enemies yet must we found forth their praises All those that are in heauen haue such a longing that the day of iudgement should come as cannot bee expressed to the end that you may haue the fruition of what they enioy and that you may taste of those delicacies wherewithall they are plenteously fed They haue a good Maister that prepareth their viandes for them and the holy Ghost is the Maister of the banquet of soules They that are in Paradise would willingly transport you vnto that mountaine of blisse and they doe so burne with the feruencie of this desire that they would bee more pregnant and ready to descend and accompany you thither then we that are Diuels can be to carrie you to hell Paradise is so exceedingly faire that if you could but behold one of the soules there I speake not now of Angels you would worship the same and thinke it to be a Deity so louely is it being cloathed and couered with the cleere brightnesse of God The soules of Iohn the Euangelist of Iohn Baptist of Peter of Paul of Stephen our greatest enemie haue had some participation of this glory before they died but nothing comparable to that wherewith they are now adorned It is a great wonder that so grieuous sinners as they haue beene in the world should haue their soules so beautified in heauen This is it that plungeth vs into despaire and maketh vs runne outrageously madde For let them commit ten thousand millions of sinnes yea let them leaue no transgression vnpractised yet shall they finde mercie and out of the euill which they doe there shall be drawne much goodnesse Witnesse Paul when hee heard the voyce Saul Saul why persecutest thou mee he heard a voyce he felt no stroke Your God loueth you so much that be it good or be it hurt which is done to one of his hee will take it as done to himselfe Paradise is so beautifull that the walles thereof are framed of precious stones as Carbuncles Emraudes Diamonds Saphyrs Iacinths which do all signifie some manner of vertue He that will come thither must build him a Tabernacle here and that by good works There is a mansion prepared for you in Paradise but you must bring with you the stones that betoken vertues and before your iourney thither it is needful that you ioyne and set these stones together Euery bodie shall haue there a countrey more spatious then the whole earth and notwithstanding all this beautie and riches of your God how few are there that doe loue and serue him Contrariwise we are so deformed so horridly foule that if you should see one of vs you wil be struckē dead with feare vpon the place And if a soule of the damned should but present it selfe vnto your view you could not endure to behold so gastly a spectacle but would fall downe dead presently Yea so horrible is their semblance that hell it selfe could not suffer them but that it is the place destinated by God for their punishments The good Iesus hath many friends at his table but very few on Mont Caluary Many lose their part in Paradise for their delights others for gluttonie and some for their curiositie wee alwaies assault them where they are weakest and most ouvert vnto danger and on that side which we know most inclinable to vices We shall neuer see God but in iudgement when he shall rouse himselfe vp as a roaring lion against vs and when flames of fire shall flash from his eyes which wee shall neuer endure to behold After this discourse whilest the assemblie said their Credo at the Article Sedet ad dexteram Patris Verrine spake of Iesus and said Before he sate at the right hand of his Father he did endure so much and did suffer such an ignominious death as no Martyr did euer vndergoe the like I say further that not only no one Martyr but all of them together did neuer endure so much as hee although all glorie were alreadie his owne There is no ransome bee it of King or of Emperour that can equall the price wherewithall God hath redeemed you to be heires of Paradise yet doe you reckon no more of it then if it had cost him nothing I speake generally as well for those that are heere as for those that are absent You regard it no more then if it had stood him but two Liards or a Sons No no it is not so cheape he hath bought it with the price of his blood And when they came to Sanctam Ecclesiam c. Verrine said Euery one beleeues not this Church witnesse the Caluinists and many stray from her and so depart from the light to be shadowed with darknesse I am forced to speake this with more compulsion then any Gally-slaue or one that is a captiue amongst the Turkes There were then fiue Princes of the Diuels in the bodie of Magdalene to wit Belzebub Leuiathan Baal-berith Asmodee and Astaroth with many others of inferiour ranke and condition Yet did Verrine braue them all and Lucifer himselfe also saying that God commanded it and that they al in regard and comparison of him were but flies and were to yeeld their seruice and obedience vnto him when hee should command it as seruants doe vnto their Prince That same day did Magdalene reade the letter which she had before addressed to blessed Magdalene and the assemblie there heard it without any hindrance or contradiction from
aduise them thereunto Ioannes Euangelista was the great friend of God and Maryes gardian for her chastitie Stephanus cursed may'st thou be I must trumpet foorth thy charity in praying for those that stoned thee O Pernardus thou art Maries darling and thou Dominicke thou Stanislaus also though few take notice of thee Pâ—ulus thou wert a sinner and persecutor of the Christians but afterwards diddest become a great Preacher of vertues Anthonius of Padua through thy humilitie and for thy other vertues thou art now in Paradise By thy obedience O Abraham thou art the Father of beleeuers Dauid is the glasse of repentance wherein sinners may behold themselues and how they are to returne vnto their God Tu Petrus thou hast denied thy Maister Accursed Peter thou hast cost me deere O Peter by thy example those that haue denied God will learne to be conuerted William the Hermite was a great sinner yet by his repentance he found mercie Some go to heauen through repentance others through innocence Mary is in Paradise for her innocence Magdalene for her repentance Lewes King of Fraunce is the Patron of Kings It is the good pleasure of God that men of all conditions should be saued Hee hath made election of Emperours and also of the basest sort of people of Shooe-makers and of Husband-men Crispinian was a Cobler Athanasius a Labouring-man yet was hee at length chosen to be a Bishop There are of all sorts in Heauen to our confusion be it spoken to the end that none might haue any pretension for excuse God placeth those in Paradise which loue his Commandements and keepe them and doe not quench in themselues his good inspirations Hee sets them at his table He causeth them to eate of his bread and drinke of his wine He doth not as the men of this world doe vse their seruants as if they were slaues Nay there bee diuers that doe a great deale worse who cherish and make much of their dogges but doe euill entreate their seruants Then he said that hee should not be abashed if God would elect Princes and not men of base condition yea we could be contented to haue patience that he should chuse men but that women should bee gadding to Paradise that is it that maddeth vs. Cunigonda was an Empresse and is in Paradise so is Catherine of Alexandria and eleuen thousand Virgines went in one day to Paradise besides men which are not numbred Margaret of Hungary was a Queene shee entred into a Monastery and became so humble that shee would not be called the daughter of a King but of a Citizen Cursed be her humility for which we haue payd so deere To this Belzebub replied Amen Then Verrine continuing on his discourse said Barbara was beheaded by her owne Father and presently the Diuell slew him vpon the place The earth and Paradise are two Countries very distinct and different heere those that are most rich goe formost in Paradise those that are most good most humble and most obedient Marie was a poore Chamber-maid and the Chamber-maid of a Paynim yet is shee now espoused vnto the King of glory and as great as Cunigunda Margaret of Scotland was a married woman and yet shee went to Heauen Codelana also was a married woman whose husband strangled her and afterwards caused her to be throwne into a pit Elizabeth was the Queene Dowager of Hungary and in her great humility betooke her selfe to be the Mistresse of an Hospitall Notwithstanding we could let passe all this with patience but wee cannot chuse but bee enraged at those that haue committed folly and were great sinners as were Pelagia Thais and Magdalene which we speake without any preiudice to them or their glorie it doth rather conduce with the glorie of God and his bounteousnesse that he would vouchsafe to take them into blisse who did a thousand times deserue Hell They that will not beleeue what is here spoken will say that these two here be women and haue had their lesson giuen vnto them by which meanes these discourses will not proue vse-full vnto them which doth put vs in great comfort A Preacher is often wearied in preaching of one Sermon and I haue already made fifteene discourses by the mouth of this woman here meaning Louyse and haue sometimes made two or three in a day of greater extent and length then Preachers in their Aduents Cursed be thy force and cursed be him that hath bestowed it vpon thee Belzebub at this discourse cried out O power Then Verrine said it is the force which God giueth her How strange is it that Diuels should preach the Commandements of God and his Counsels and should teach the religious Clergie men Priests and Seculars and all sorts of people I tell you here are viands for all people to eate Eate he that will There are not a few of vs who are not well pleased with the sauce but would rather chuse the sauce of Hell You shall finde Notaries that for a matter of fiue sous will Register the Acts false and breake their oathes The Diuels are more faithfull vnto their Maister then you men are When the Diuels haue once sworne according to the purpose of God and his Church being thus adiured vnto the truth they want ability to lye Men haue their free-will if they doe ill they doe goe forth-with to hell if good they are straight admitted into heauen But the Diuell is meerely constrained to speake the truth when God would haue it so they haue no free-will to doe that which is good but are enforced accursed Fiends as they are to deliuer a truth Otherwise to what purpose scrueth the authority of the Church if oathes haue no tye or power or to what end are these bookes of Exorcisines published For they that denie this must denie the authoritie of the Church and those that haue composed and allowed the said bookes They must further say that there was neuer any dispossessed after the taking of an oath But they plunge into a gulfe from whence they can neuer issue out and either they must make search and inquisition after the curious persons that are in hell to make explanation of their curiosities or after the Saints in heauen to cause them to say that all their writings are nothing worth And so by a consequence they wil come to deny the Church and so stand defiled with the infectious opinions of the Caluinists How wonderfull is this that Diuels should preach of good intention pure affection puritie of conscience simplicitie humilitie and resignation of the world and teach men not to reserue the least loue of themselues as also to shew the meanes toward the attainment of Paradise and to discourse of chastitie and pouertie The Diuels will be a meanes of the reformation of many Monasteries the Diuels will yeeld more furtherance hereunto then their Bishops Abbots or Prelates are able to their great griefe doe they reueale it This must be the meanes
peace coÌ„mest thou here to preach lies Thou saiest that thou art sent from God to preach the Gospell wee haue Preachers enow without thee To this Verrine replied thou lyest and doest misvnderstand me I said not so thou knowest not the bottome of this businesse and that maketh thee to speake so foolishly as thou doest It is most true I neuer so much as said that I was sent from God to preach the Gospell I should lye to say it I said that I was here in the bodie of this vnhappie woman who hath begged from God that shee might bee humbled euen to the paines of Hell for the saluation of her neighbours I said that God had permitted me to enter into this body for his glorie and the conuersion of many soules and in particular of these two which thou curious fellow knowest not Thou art a proud arrogant fellow and worse then a Diuell except thou humble thy selfe and I will proue it vnto thee that thou beleeuest not thy God to be omnipotent Thou art worse then an Hereticke except thou repent and beleeue what I haue spoken Get thee gon get thee gon accursed spirit said the Frier I will not beleeue the Diuell Then said Verrine I doe adiure thee by the liuing God to come with me and sweare that all which I haue said is true For thou deseruest to bee burnt aliue if thou doest not beleeue thy God to be omnipotent Why saiest thou thy Credo if thou beleeuest not what I haue spoken It is not to bee auoided thou must either denie the puissance of God or confesse that this is true To this the Frier replied that there was a woman in Paris much resembling the condition of this woman in whom was discouered a great deale of knauerie and iugling and that she did deceiue much people Verrine told him that it was true shee did indeede cousen many but Louyse was trulie possessed Let her life belooked into and let her be turned ouer to the Examinations of the sharpest vnderstandings Shee would bee readie euen to suffer Martyrdome to maintaine this auerment if need did so require because it would redowne vnto the glorie of her God Then Verrine ingeminated that speech to goâ— and sweare with him and that Louyse could not communicate till they were both sworne The Frier made great resistance hereunto and would by no meanes obey it saying that hee would not bee commanded by a Diuell Hereunto Verrine answered it standeth not with reason to obey the Diuell I command thee not from my selfe but say vnto thee on Gods behalfe that thou â—ome along and sweare with mee it waxeth late and Louyse is to communicate Then the Frier said vnto the Priest which held the blessed Sacrament Father doe â—ou commaund me for I will not obey the Diuell Whereupon the Priest commanding him he came and wore vpon the Te igitur and then vpon the blessed â—acrament Verrine also taking such an oath the like whereof hee had neuer taken before said thus I doe weare by the liuing God that whatsoeuer I haue said I â—aue been constrained to vtter the same vnto you It is â—rue O God who art here really and truly with thy boâ—ie and blood with thy diuinitie power wisdome and â—ountie The said Frier was present when hee swore â—hus to whom he said I doe sweare by the God of Isâ—ael and by the God of the Christians that all which I â—aue spoken is true I sweare vnto thee according to â—he meaning of God and his Church and according to â—he Exorcists intention also that when wee are inforâ—ed thereunto by God we must put his good pleasure 〈◊〉 execution keeping all the solemnities that are requiâ—te in taking a true and perfect oath Then the Frier submitted himselfe and said that hee â—ad spoken nothing against God or his Church and beâ—eeued that God was Omnipotent and was able to â—orce the Deuill to deliuer a truth when it pleased him â—nd so submitting himselfe he rested satisfied The Deuill thereupon told him Thou art exceeding â—roud learne to humble thy selfe and bee not so ouer-â—urious for the curious fall into a pit from whence â—hey cannot free themselues when they will alleaging Caluin Beza Luther Iulian the Apostata Simon Maâ—us and saying doe not thou boast thy strength aboue heirs for there haue been Priests and religious perâ—ons that afterwards became heretikes as Caluin Beza Luther Verrine further said vnto him And of what religion art thou Doth thy Order command thee to bee proud I will proue vnto thee that thou art arrogant and selfe-opinioned and wouldest circle in the omnipotencie of God within thy narrow vnderstanding Humble thy selfe for it ill beseemeth one of thy coate to bee thus drenched in curiositie The supremest Seraphins doe euery day make new discoueries of great perfections in God the same doth his Mother and all the Angels Salomon when hee dedicated his Temple said Hee that created heauen and earth whom the heauen of heauens cannot containe and wilt not thou that art but a worme which crauleth on the earth submit thy selfe but wouldest hoope in the omnipotencie bountie and wisedome of thy God within the cancels of thine owne memorie and braine Vpon this the Frier rested satisfied and submitted himselfe with many words of humiliation Verrine also discoursed touching the reason of these present writings in forme of a letter missiue the tenour whereof here ensueth The men of these times are so curious that God must bee as a Gardener vnto them witnesse Magdalen to whom he appeared in the semblance of a Gardener and fit diuers sorts of sallets vnto their palats lest they should be disrelished wherein he resembleth a good father who doth so affectionately loue his child that he is euer asking him What wilt thou eate childe And if the childe chance to say I haue no appetite I see nothing I can eate the father will cause daintie and exquisite meate to bee set before him the best that may bee gotten If then the childe should say nothing heere pleaseth me the fault is not in the victuals but in him that is sicke and hath his tafte ill-affected What doth the father then doth he fall a beating of him doth he threaten and chide him no but goeth about and searcheth after other strange victuals which may chance to please them for their noueltie as being such which hee had neuer seene tasted or heard talke of Euen so doth your God by you for he is an hundred times more carefull then all the naturall fathers that are This father both of your soules and bodies when he obserueth that the soule hath no appetite vnto such varietie of good meates which as a father hee hath solicitously prouided such as is the holy Scripture it is true euery one doth not vnderstand this which is a meat too lushious too delicious too precious and all cannot rellish and like the same especially women and fooles it is too hot for them and
Lazarus who had a stone laid over his graue And the reason why God commandeth to vnbind him is that hee might declare how much authoritie hee hath bequeathed vnto his Church and how much Priests ought to be had in honour and estimation in reproofe of those who say they will not confesse themselves obiecting why should I humble my selfe before a Priest is he not a man nay is hee not a sinner as well as I why then should I declare my sinnes before a Priest God is gratious and will pardon me without confession Then Verrine began to speake of obedience in this manner Obedience of all vertues is the most pleasing vnto God Charitie is a great vertue because without it there is no entrance into Paradise Faith is also a necessarie vertue for without faith it is impossible to please God Hope also holdeth the same ranke because it is our guide to heaven Humilitie also is the ground-worke of all vertues To bee briefe all morall vertues are profitable good and praise-worthie for I doe not affirme that a man may attaine vnto heaven without Humilitie and without Charitie and other vertues but I averre that hee who stands possessed of obedience is garnished with all other vertues whatsoever Obedience is the most excellent of all vertues I meane perfect Obedience for he that is perfectly obedient is humble and charitable he is confident and persevereth vnto the end nay I say further he that is truely obedient cannot die I meane an eternall death For some may obiect vnto me that Isaac was very obedient vnto his father Abraham yet did he finish the course which nature had proportioned for him and died I say no for Saint Paul saith that those that are blessed from above doe not dye but saith they sleepe as it is true Isaac thou sleepest and shalt bee awakened at the day of iudgement If thou have the integritie of Obedience there will be no opposition against thee consider this well you that are Religious persons and haue vndertaken the vow of Obedience Remember that your God was obedient euen vnto the death I say vnto the death of the Crosse he did not murmure against his Father and say Father this Mountaine is too steepe and vneasie to come vnto meaning Mount Caluary no hee said not so He did not speake vnto his Father that he should so prouide that he might suffer death in a Chamber or in a Hall because this mountaine was so loathsome and so full of displeasing obiects that it seemeth a very compound of noysome sauours No no with a full desire and free acceptation hee embraced death for the loue which he bare vnto you You that are religious persons learne to obey your Superiours when they impose any thing vpon you and say not my Superiour commandeth mee things of such vneasie performance yea almost so impossible to bee done that I know not how to turne mee vnto them A religious person will not stick to say Ha my Superiour commandeth mee to declare my fault openly before people this will edifie my neighbour but a litle Let his Superiour command him to goe to Rome and hee shall say I know not the way thither let him inioyne him to fast and hee will say Ha my father I am of so tender a constitution that if this pennance bee imposed vpon me I shall be sick how harsh and vnpleasing is it to be put to weare shirts of hayre My Superiour is so froward that he is not to be endured If the Superiour shall say vnto him thou shalt vndertake to murther one of thy brethren and the other not knowing the intention of his Superiour who speaketh this from his mouth not from his heart onely to prooue him will gaine-say him he is not obedient and therefore not humble for obedience is the daughter of humilitie and hee that is truely humble is alwayes obedient Learne you that are Monkes and Fryars and read in this excellent booke that is to say vpon the tree of the Crosse It is your God who hath obserued his three vowes carefully and as he ought the vow of Chastity for hee is puritie it selfe and surpasseth all the Angels and creatures whatsoeuer as one that is immaculate and without blemish Touching the vow of Pouertie he hung naked vpon the Crosse. He might haue beene accompanied with his traine of Princes which are the Angels hee might haue had garments to couer him and whatsoeuer else was needfull yet hee despised all to demonstrate vnto you that are Religious that you ought to surrender your purse and treasure vnto him and suffer your Father to prouide for that which is necessary for his children Touching the vow of Obedience he hath been more obedient then euer any was I speake this to you Preists and Monkes behold your selues well in this glasse and read ouer this booke aduisedly it consisteth but of two leaues and yet containeth all perfection there are but two words within this Booke Obedience and Humilitie yet if a man be rightly informed how to draw out the quintessence of this Booke he shall there finde all sorts of vertue that may any way further or yeeld conducement to the attaining of so high and sublime a perfection To what end doe you exhaust your selues with studying and doe so painefully imploy your selues in reading of bookes Be but conuersant in this booke and you shall be able to performe the will of God If a seruant obey his Master how much more ought a childe so to doe Wee that are Deuils are as seruants or rather slaues and doe nothing but constrainedly and by compulsion but you that hope for an heritage in Heauen are bound to loue and serue him I further say that God hath three sorts of seruants There are that serue him onely by constraint and those are such as onely feare Hell and if that stumbling block were away they would not care to drench themselues in the puddell and pollution of any sinnes whatsoeuer Others serue like hirelings as doe those whose scope and aime is the attainement of Heauen saying God hath promised vnto vs Paradisus therefore we shall doe well to obey him But there are a third sort more aduised who doe not make either Paradise or Hell their scope but doe the wil of their father purely out of loue and haue not their end mixed with any secondary regarde of recompence they set their confidence in God with their whole heart and beleeue his prouidence in preparing for thē whatsoeuer is necessary for say they if his care descend to birds and beasts how much more will this his care extend to vs God heerein behaueth himselfe like a Marchant who separat's farthings from sous crownes from peeces of fower setting euery sort a part by it selfe against the time he shall haue imployment for them yet doth he not contemne his other money So fareth it with God hee taketh Religious persons and those whom hee hath marked foorth for his seruice
with good workes and not to appeare empty-handed before his God For to what purpose serue the commandements if good workes be not necessary to saluation You goe awry if you imagine to bee saued by doing of nothing for God cannot lie Therefore you may boldly say vnto him Ha! my God with what aboundant mercy hast thou brought back my soule from Hell and endowed it with thy sanctified grace Good God what haue I miserable creature deserued to haue thy fauours doubled and heaped vpon me O infinite and immense eternitie thy benefits towards mee know neither end nor number and I frankly confesse my incapacity to comprehend them God of mercy thou hast condemned those once-beawtifull and goodly Angels to the pit of Hell for one sinne of pride and doest thou take compassion of me what of me that haue so often transgressed against thee After this discourse God commanded Verrine to giue the assembly there present the last course of confections and sweet meats Then began Verrine to confesse and say I am able to say no more let them goe to the Apothecaries if they will and buy them comfeits What regard I whether their mouthes be sweetened or distasted for my part I would they might bee all dragged by vs to hell they should see how well wee would entertaine them God answered him This supper is not dressed for thee I command thee to say and doe that which I haue now decreed After much resistance Verrine said I can resist no longer he is farre stronger then I and being omnipotent as he is he will bee obeyed by faire meanes or foule otherwise he could not be omnipotent Then said Verrine God himselfe hath instituted the blessed sacrament of the Eucharist I speake it as forced vnto it and against my custome and the fashion of the other Diuels For when they were to speake of God or of Mary they were all accustomed to say him and her without any other addition but I who take Gods part and am not now-sided with hell am constrained to speake these words Sacred and Saint and Paradise for confirmation of which I am ready to take my oath Then before the Communion of the Priest Verrine added Ponder in your selues how God saith open mee thy heart for to you doth it belong to open and garnish it with faith hope and charity and to beleeue that Christ Iesus is in the blessed Sacrament with his humanity and diuinity You will aske mee how or by what meanes is hee there I tell you you are not with such curiosity to pry into the meanes Beleeue simply that hee is a glorified body and taketh vp no place and therefore may easily lie hidden vnder the species of bread Hauing spoken thus hee said vnto the Priests that were there present You that are Priests how could you dare to touch your God if hee were there visibly and not vnder the forme of bread I tell you you could not be so hardy as once to approch vnto so great a light for his sacred mother on the day of his natiuity dared not as it were to touch his hands although she had carried him nine moncths in her wombe Know ye not that Moses when hee came downe from the Mountaine and had spoken with God was faine to couer his face with a vaile for otherwise the people could not endure to speake with him so brightsome was the light that beamed and proceeded from his face Then he suddenly turned to Leuiathan one of the Diuels in the body of Magdalene and said Hola you that are such an illuminate doctor what is it you now say pleade now thine owne cause O Doctor in a close corner of Hell as heereafter I my selfe may chance to doe but now I am a partisan with the Doctor of doctors who is also wisedome it selfe Then againe hee turned his speech and said Beware beware you that approch vnto the holy Communion how you receiue God in your harts whom the heauen of heauens cannot containe If the King of France O man were desirous to come to thy house wouldest not thou presently say Ha sir my house is too little to giue entertainment or harbourage vnto your Maiesty I beseech you sir spare your paines to visit my poore cottage and haue respect vnto my wants and pouerty To this some or other will answere It is the Kings pleasure to haue it so hee is wealthy enough and will cause whatsoeuer is necessarie to bee conueyed vnto thy house for hee hath his Pages seruants and traine that will take care of these things he hath no need to borrow thy goods or any thing else that belongeth vnto thee it shall suffice that thou lend him thy house and because where the King is there is the Court also by a consequent the King honouring thy house with his presence it shall put on the nature and appellation of a Palace So doth God when hee commeth to thy soule if thou doe but bequeath vnto him the habitation of thy will he will hang the roomes thereof with the rich Tapistrie of all sorts of vertues The holy Communion is the table of the King of glory yet do you carelesly venture vpon the same as if it were the common boord of an Inne or as if it were a may-game and place to dance in The Pages and seruitours of this table are the Angels yet not regarding all this you giue a thousand occasions of scandall in the Church to wit by thoughts words and other misdemeanours which I will not speake of yea you there act diuers villanies and vncleannesses where of the Turkes would blush to be found guilty Aske therefore those sweet fruits the seven guifts of the holy Ghost and so shall God water you with the dew of his grace in this world and cloth you with eternall glory in the world to come How easily would you loath all the pleasures of the world if you had relished your mouthes neuer so little with the delicacies of your God You that are poore are many times riotous and spend in an howre all that you haue gotten in a whole weeke for the maintenance of your families A Christian should imitate Christ Iesus and since that reward is the fruit of labour in vaine doth hee who will not labour expect a reward Thinke againe and againe vpon this fearfull sentence which God will one day pronounce Ite maledicti then all processes shall bee ended And there shall bee no more Appeales Giue thankes vnto God after you haue receiued the Communion for it is a great blessing which hee bestoweth vpon you in that he hath vouchsafed to admit you to the participation of his body It were a clemency not easily parallelled if a King should grâ—â—t life and liberty to a man that stands conuicted of high treason but it is a greater wonder to withdraw soules from sinne and to winne them to grace for sinne is of a greater distance from grace then heaven is
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
quickly for Belzebub calleth for thee and forthwith Carreau flew forth from her like lightening She also said that Belzebub was departed from her body all that day and had neuer stayed from her so long And that she saw Belzebub to returne while she was reading a letter that made mention of the mother of God The same day also father d'Ambruc sub Prior of the Couent of S. Maximin came to S. Baume to informe himselfe touching Louyse because many gaue out that she was not possessed And the same day towards euening were the two women exorcised by Father Francis Billet whereupon Verrine began to speake in this manner What Belzebub art thou returned Belzebub answered whence had'st thou notice of my returne Verrine said the seruant knoweth his master and added The head draweth after it the whole body so that if it fall into a pit the body must of necessity follow after The flocke of sheepe goeth after the shepheard witnesse vs accursed spirits who haue beleeued Lucifer as our head and as our shepheard I haue been desirous to gaine thus much vpon the beleefe of Louyse that shee would conceit her selfe not to be possessed and that I am heere by the appointment of Lucifer for this day haue wee compassed her in with these tentations telling her that shee of her selfe gaue life to all these actions and gestures and that a woman might of her selfe deliuer all such discourses as these There are those that say put case that God would conuert a soule or reueale some truth vnto his Church is it probable that hee would make the Diuell his agent in an employment of so high a nature But I auerre that the Church hath receiued the Inuestiture of authority from God whereby it is enabled to command Diuels and to enforce them in the vertue of Exorcismes to deliuer truth and that the Diuell by his oath may giue assurance of the truth if so be hee bee forced thereunto by the power of God communicated vnto his Church and by the vertue of Exorcismes and that all the conditions and ceremonies of a solemne oath be performed yet for all this there is a religious person who faith that I am not able to speake a truth I answere him that as I am a Diuell I cannot speake truth indeed but am herein of his opinion yet as I am sent from God who is able to draw good out of euill I am constrained to deliuer truth and to take an oath for the further ratification thereof He must deny the first Article of his faith and in stead of Credo say Non credo if it be false that the Diuell may be forced to vtter a truth for God hath giuen all his authority to the Church to command Diuels and to constraine them to obey the charge which is laid vpon them But I am not a whit abashed if this woman stand doubtfull whether shee bee possessed or no when the religious persons themselues make question of the same Then he spake to God and said I could endure with more ease the torments of hell 50 yeeres together then to pronounce thy name onely one time yet doest thou force from my mouth speeches of reuerence vnto thy Saints which is much against the nature and custome of Diuels Giue this charge to thy children who looke for a share in thy heritage and expect a recompence for their obedience vnto thee They haue so many famous and notable Preachers and many bookes furnished and fraught with al variety of learnings and wilt thou haue me then to speake to men of all sorts both wise and foolish who waite for no other retribution but the torments of hell It is no wonder if the Diuels seeke to withstand God when his very children who haue a portion in Paradise declare themselues heady and refractary against him Was it euer knowne that Diuels should aduise men to inuocate the Saints yet am I constrained to perswade you to pray vnto them especially vnto S. Dominicke Cursed be thy deuotion Dominicke which thou diddest beare towards the Virgin Mary the mother of God Cursed bee those religious persons that haue entred into thy Order I would rather be tortured in hell then to found forth thy praises and the commendations of Bernard Let me possesse you with this truth that the Saints make intercession for you and that Dominicke is one of the intimate friends to the Virgin as also is Bernard It is thou great God that constrainest me to exalt Dominicke my greatest enemy and wouldest make it cleere vnto all how blessed and good a thing it is to honour and loue thy mother and hast enforced me to make thus much familiar vnto men that they may with the greater feruency of deuotion serue her Dominicke I hate thee as I doe the plague and I should take more contentment in that externall darkenesse of the bottomlesse pit of hell then in these discourses which I lauish thus vpon thy praises Thou wert euer very deuout vnto the Virgin as were also Bernarnardus Stanislaus Anselmus and thou Stephanus who hast contracted great familiarity with her He that will bee beloued by the blessed mother of God must serue Dominicke in feruency of spirit you are first to craue the mediation of the mother and then to make your redresse vnto the Sonne There are many who are deuout to their Creator but few vnto the Virgine yea there are not many amongst women themselues that consecrate their deuotions vnto her and yet hee that will gaine eternall life must make his approch vnto this Mary Mary is the ladder of heauen the Saints are the steps of this ladder so that hee who will enter into the Pallace of the King must first ascend by these staires You are all guilty of high treason and there is not any that can coniecture what will bee the state and issue of your cause but God onely therefore present your selues before Mary with all humble and submissiue behauiour before you approch vnto her Sonne and first take the aduise of Dominicke before you prostrate your selues to the mother of God For it would sauour of intrusion and much presumption to thrust into the conference of a Queene and not to prepare her vnto the same by a Mediatour Bee you therefore regardfull to gaine the good opinion of some one of her familiars and fauourites by meanes of whom you may more confidently get accesse and admittance into her chamber and haue spaedier audience when you are presented vnto her whereby your request shall bee with greater expedition granted vnto you for this is the will of him who is the fountaine of all grace Dominicke though thou be my sworne enemy aboue all that are in heauen yet am I compelled to depainâ— thy praises and haue already made worthy mention of thy Order vpon the day of the conception of the Virgin and it is Gods pleasure that men should now bee more deuout addicted vnto thy
Order then euer formerly they haue been because thou art the Virgins darling and art able to preuaile much with her in mens behalfe You will tell me that God hath created heauen not for beasts nor for Turkes but for Christians I grant it yet for all this your deuotion must not coole within you neither must your life bee bestiall nay worse then the conuersation of Infidels The Saints who are full of charity and all perfection will obtaine sanctification for you if you direct your prayers to them for that purpose and doe not make intercession for these temporall and momentary commodities By performance where of you shall fulfill the will of the Saint of Saints You may peraduenture conceit that God will come downe from heauen and take you by the hand and so leade you with him to his kingdome hee doth indeed behold you a great way off and goes before you with open armes but before you bee entertained with his embracements you must haue recourse vnto Dominick Stanislaus â—ernardus Anselmus Stephanus and to your guard-Angell and entreat them to conuey you into the Palace of his Maiesty Also those that are desirous to speak vnto the Queene must run the same course for it is she aboue all that maketh intercession for you neither is there any better acquainted with the pangs and torments which her deare Son suffered for your sakes then is her selfe Honour the Angell that is your guardian for hee is one of the Pages of your Soueraigne King and alwaies beholdeth the face of God in his full of Maiesty and glory Be euer carefull of your saluation and say vnto him O my good Angell that takest charge of me lend me thy hand and bring me the directest way vnto the Court of this King and doe me this fauour as to make my introduction vnto some grace with your Prince I tell you that all Saints are Kings and Princes and haue great authority and power in the Court of that Soueraigne King The body of a man is not more different from the soule then is the Court of this world from that celestial mansion If you had but tasted the delicacy of the wine of loue which was broached in the Mount of Tabor without doubt you would despise all things in coÌ„parison of it This wine is at one time both delicate and pure but the wine of voluptuousnesse is mingled and sophisticated with water and retaineth no sweetnesse or sauour Who so drinketh of the wine of heauen shall quench his thirst as Magdalene did who dranke at the feet of our Sauiour The Court gates of the King of glory are very narrow and euery one that will cannot enter in thereat For first a man must knocke at the gate of mercy taking an Angell for his guide and humility and obedience for his two companions for you can haue no admittance into the kingdome of heauen if you bee not associated with these two vertues The Sonne of God is the protector thereof who died obediently vpon the Crosse nay more in being obedieÌ„t vnto his executioners he was obedient vnto the instrument of the Diuell may therefore in right now challenge obedience froÌ„ him He who shall deuoutly serue the mother of God and Dominick shall bee sure to obtaine plenary remission for his sins After all this Verrine confirmed all with an oath which he tooke very solemnly imprecating the wrath of God vpon himselfe and all hell Then hee said three seuerall times but with a great deale of resistance Aue Maria and in saying of Ora he added Orapro illis miseris peccatoribus nunc in hora mortis to the honour of the mother of God and of Dominicke And then hee cried O Dominicke neuer diddest thou receiue so much honour from a Diuell but thou dost merit this and much more and turning to the Sub-prior he said cursed bee thy comming hither which hath brought such shame and confusion vnto Diuels The Acts of the 22. day of December This day in the morning the Dominican father did exorcise in the beginning whereof there happened a disputation between father Peter d'Ambruc Sub-prior of the Couent royall of S. Magdalene at S Maximin of the order of S. Dominicke and the Diuell Verrine who was one of those that possessed Louyse Capeau The said Sub. prior affirmed that hee could conceiue no true proofe or demonstration to induce him to beleeue that the said Louyse was possessed Verrine answered him Thou pleasest me well in not beleeuing it and in affirming that all these extraordinary actions and gestures doe expresly proceed from her selfe The said Father said I will neuer beleeue her possession I perceiue well answered Verrine what thou beleeuest thou saiest Credo and non Credo and art indeed irresolute and doubtfull Thou maiest tell mee that thou art bound to beleeue it because it is an Article of faith but what commendation is this vnto thee when thou doest not beleeue it The said father replyed thou art not able to speake Latine to which Verrine answered God will not haue it so but constraineth me to speake in the vulgar tongue Then said the father Thou lyest in saying so I lie not said Verrine I tell thee againe God will not haue it so that Louyse may be the more abundantly humbled and that wee might haue the greater power to tempt her concerning this point that so shee might for a time giue easie credit vnto those who tell her that either this which shee doth proceedeth from God or from the Diuell alone or that all these strange deportments and discourses are made and counterfaited by her selfe No no Gods pleasure is that she should be deiected for it is no matter of difficulty to beleeue that which a man beholdeth Then replyed the said father It is false and thou giuest my ielousies no satisfaction Verrine answered What desirest thou to build and firme in thee a beleefe that Louyse is possessed Doest thou beleeue it or doest thou not I doe very well perceiue that thou are not hasty to beleeue yet is this a very vnusuall accident neither is shee possessed after the ordinary fashion of many who striue to expresse themselues with eloquent and affected phrases and so make a cheate vpon mens beleefe and vpon their soules also but I am heere on Gods behalfe to conuert soules and not to deceiue them Then the Exorcist holding the Booke of Exorcismes in his hand commanded him in the Name of God to answere vnto such things as hee would demand of him But Verrine snatched away the booke by violence and threw it to the ground saying What Wilt thou exorcise Louyse when shee is not possessed Then hee said vnto her that was possessed No Louyse doe not suffer thy selfe to be exorcised any longer thou art a foole and art not possessed If thou permit them to exorcist thee I will cry aloud that thou art giuen over vnto the Diuell but I will take heed how I sweare this
adiured in the Name of Almighty God hee gaue his Church authority ouer Diuels to bee able to constraine thē by the vertue of Exorcismes I affirme therefore that the oathes of Diuels are in force whē they are discreetly ministred vnto thē And the oath now inquestion is taken with as great solemnitie as possiblie may be in such a case I hauing sworne vpon the honoured and blessed Sacrament in the Name of the Father Almighty in the name of the Eternall Wisedome which is the Sonne and in the name of that infinite goodnes which is the holy Ghost It is also taken according to the intention of the whole Church militant and triumphant against the meaning of Hell and any sinister or reserued purpose whatsoeuer whereof the Diuels many times make their aduantage if the Exorcist doe not looke about him with great warinesse And after hee had taken this oath hee called for the wrath of God of the blessed Trinitie and of the whole Church militant and triumphant to fall vpon him The like imprecation he made against all Hell and that in the presence of the whole Assembly You may heere behold the list of those that were present and heard that which is aboue spoken and who signed their names vnto the same Frier Peter Dambruc Francis Billet Priest of the Christian Doctrine the Exorcist Romillon Priest vnworthy Godam Doctor in Diuinity Frier Peter Foruer Vicar of S. Baume A. Porchieres Lange Carret Baltazar Charuaz A. Lymory Priest Honorat Boeuf Iohn Flotte Priest Denis Guillemini Priour of Romoules Frier William Cadry Then in confirmation of whatsoeuer he had spoken Verrin was constrained to worship the holy and blessed Sacrament and to say three times Adoramus te Christe quia per Sanctam Crucem tuam redemisti hos non autem nos After the said oath hee said as hee did the day before three times Aue Maria and then he said other three times Oraproillis Sancta Mater Dei and againe other three times Ora pro illis sancta Magdalena and other three times Ora pro illis sancta Martha and other three times Ora pro illis sancte Lazare But in the Salutation of the Virgin he refused to say Mater Dei because said hee it is a name of the greatest excellency and perfection amongst all the attributes of her praises After dinner in the presence of the Sub-Prior afore named while he was speaking to Magdalene Belzebub returned entred into the body of the said Magdalene bad Leuiathan come forth who presently performed the same he said the like to Asmodee who came foorth like a flame of fire mingled with sulphure hee further said to Astaroth come thou foorth likewise and he flue out of her with extreame stinke of rosen sulphure Afterward as Verrine did dictate the disputation that happened betweene him and the Sub-prior afore said Belzebub came and demaunded to haue the two Diuels that were with Verrine to wit Gresill and Sonneillon Verrine told him they will doe you no good for thou seest that the Princes who are with thee are able to stand thee in no stead Belzebub said vnto him come thou also along with me Verrine told him I cannot yet leaue my master let it suffice thee that I bestow my seruants vpon thee and immediatly Gresill and Sonneillon came out of the body of Louyse and shee sensibly felt that they came from her in the manner of winde Yet did not Belzebub leaue intreating of Verrine to goe with him Verrine answered Why doest thou thus intreat mee I cannot goe and if I should goe my presence would preiudice your dessignement Belzebub said speake not thus for we are companions Not altogether so said Verrine the Diuell hath seduced her and the Diuell shall bring her home to the confusion of all Hell Then said Verrine wel I must goe then but it shal be to conuert the Magician and bid the Exorcist to take the booke of Exorcismes and to command him in the name of God to goe thether which the Exorcist did and presently Verrine came foorth saying I goe against Belzebub Then did Louyse feele his departure from her like vnto a winde But as he was comming foorth hee said I doe not leaue thee altogether Being departed from her Louyse remained in her ordinary temper resenting onely the paines that proceeded from the witchcraft The same day in the euening were these two women exorcised by father Francis Priest of the Doctrine and Verrine began to speake as followeth Souldiers follow their Captaine and when Belzebub departed wee went after him God would winne vnto him the soules of such as are growne stony in their obstinacy his desire is that you would shunn that which is naught and apply your selues vnto that which is good Wee haue been at Marseille and haue diuerse times knocked at his gate and Belzebub obserue how slender thy forces are when thou doest demand for help of my seruants Belzebub thy affaires runne in a low ebbe and this is the reason why thou art now so sad and dumpish Belzebub thou art at thy wits end what to follow Then he spake to Magdalene and said Magdalene let not thy courage be abated for those few torments which thou now endurest for the paines of Hell are farre more grieuous After this hee spake vnto the Diuels and said come all yee Diuels of the aire all yee Diuels of the earth and all the Diuels of hell come all to helpe and succour Belzebub but your comming wil be to no purpose and your assistance not worth your comming for all of you are in comparison but as leaues of trees Then turning to Belzebub he said be of good cheere Belzebub knowest thou not that where thou loosest one thou shalt gaine tenne ha cursed spirit oughtest thou not to consider that these soules were not created by thee Doest thou not see that God will take them vnto himselfe Thou hast inueagled thousands from him and thinkest thou that hee will euer dissemble this If it were possible that leaues of trees could weepe they would shed forth teares of blood for this wretched sinner so vast are his offences before God Then Verrine turned his discourse to God and said great God! how good how bountifull and how sweet art thou I am tortured and tormented and haue not the patience to behold thy great goodnesse towards the grossest sinners especially towards this man whom I am forbidden to name O all powerfull God why doest thou not vntie and let out those heapes of water or hurle downe thy lightning from heauen to destroy this wretch and to bring him to vtter perdition who sendeth soules to hell more in number then the haile that falleth vpon the earth I tell you God can dissemble this no longer neither will he any more indure his execrable villanies but his pleasure is that he be either conuerted or punished The impatiencie which God taketh at the losse of these and other
obstinate soules is not such a kind of impatiency as may any way darken or preiudice his perfections but it is rather an argument in him of vnblemished goodnesse for God in iustice should dart downe lightning from heauen to destroy them or suffer the earth to gape and swallow them vp who haue better deserued this punishment then Dathan and Abiran whom the earth deuoured vp for their rebellion O Lord God he cannot flie from thee whether he descend to hel for according to thy essence thou art there or whether he doth imagine to stray from thee by wandring like a vagabond vp and downe the world for thou seest all and art euery where or if he would ascend vnto heauen for there the gates are shut against him So that if he be not repentant hee may perchance flie but he cannot euade Great God thou hast made reseruation of three things to thy selfe and wouldest not that sinners should intermeddle or dip their fingers in them to wit thy glorie iudgement and vengeance And because the guidance and gouernement of things is most proper vnto him you must let him alone in his course of gouernement for he knoweth wel when to take the cause of innocencie into his owne protection What thinke ye that God will suffer this iniquitie to branch vp higher I tell you he is wearied with his long sufferance and therefore wil see the end of this inditement and howsoeuer this busines shal fal he wil be sure to fashion and shape it to his glory the saluation of soules I say further that if he be not conuerted he shal be burned aliue if he wil needs perish God will leaue him to himself for this good God for his part was not wanting to him in any thing God resembleth a father of many children who are all stubborne and rebellious against him and will not obey him neither by allurements nor by threats then doth this father say vnto them that they deserue to be punished because they are disobedient to their father and will not harken vnto him neither for hope of inheritance nor for any other admonitions or inducements that may bee laid before them but doe continue on in their contempt against him It is a thing full of astonishment that God should prouide this great remedy for you miserable and accursed sinners and yet the number of those that lay hold vpon it should be so small There are some that conceiue that God is indebted vnto them thinking with themselues that hee hath promised Paradise vnto them and that heauen was not destinated to intertaine beasts or Infidels but for Christians It is true God is vexed with a holy kind of impatience when he considereth the mischieuous and malitious purposes of men he hath purchased their soules at an high and inestimable rate for the satisfying of which paiment it was expedient that diuinitie should be vnited vnto a humane nature Thou also who art the powerfull mother of God did'st suffer much for their sakes and wert vnder the Crosse and neere vnto thy Sonne yet for all this do they renounce thy Passion O God the nailes and al other instruments of thy torments and doest thou still hearken after them and willingly subiect thy selfe to death to saue them Why art thou so fond ouer them is not thy blessed Mother in heauen with an infinite number of Saints and Angels If all the drops of water in the sea all the leaues of trees all the Starres of heauen were capable to sound forth thy praises they would all blesse thee O God and giue thee thanks for those manifold benefits which thou hast conferred vpon men yea the blessing of their creation alone doth challenge euerlasting giuing of thanks Besides this he hath giuen his Angels charge ouer you who doe euer intercede on your behalfe and say they will be conuerted they will be conuerted you must haue a little patience The Virgin Marie is also euer mediating for you yet are you regardlesse of all this especially this wretch who shall either be burned or be conuerted for God can no longer suffer or looke on villanies of so soule a nature and this will be the end of this businesse The messengers of the King haue been at his gate and haue diuers times knocked there I my selfe also was present but not any way to further the proiect of Belzebub Then he spake to Belzebub and said Accursed feind thou diddest imagine that I would combine with thee but thou art deceiued for I cannot swarue from the commission of my Master I did indeed suffer my seruants to giue thee assistance but for my selfe I tooke part against thee and made that iourney of set purpose to declare vnto him that as the Diuel had seduced him so the Diuell should bee an occasion to set him right in the true way Then hee tooke a solemne oath that whatsoeuer hee had now vttered was agreeable vnto truth The same day when Verrine was dictating that which hee had formerly deliuered touching the immaculate conception of the blessed Virgin Marie the Mother of God he was asked what he meant in saying that the humanitie of the Sonne of God did repose it selfe in the bosome of his Father and that then God did forme his blessed Mother out of one of his ribs To this Verrine answered You may here cauill and say that then this proposition must bee true the Sonne is before his Mother I tell you that the humanitie of Christ Iesus as all other things whatsoever are was alwaies present with his celestiall Father for with him nothing can bee said to bee past or to come but all is present the Sonne is before his Mother because the Father did first behold the humanitie of his Sonne before hee beheld his mother yet for all this you cannot properly say that the one precedeth the other for in God all things are present The Acts of the 23. of December THis day Verrine began to make a furious inuectiue against the Magician saying with great out-cries Accursed wretch thou deseruest to haue thy life restored vnto thee tenne thousand times that thou mightest so many times suffer death yea thou shouldest die as oft as thou hast sacrilegiouslie offended Notwithstanding God would yet deale fauourable with thee if thy selfe giue no stop thereunto Ha you Capuchins you shall bee punished with temporall calamities because you did vary from the forme which was prescribed vnto you You might well conceiue that Almighty God hath communicated power vnto his Church to bee able to command Diuels and your charity that you should beare vnto your neighbours might haue perswaded you hither that you might take information of all things but hee is not alwaies absolute that conceiteth hee is already sufficiently informed Then said Verrine to the Dominican Father who euer wrote what hee deliuered I must goe thither the third time consider how God loueth this soule Before Christmas you shall see the bottome
of this sacke emptied there was neuer such villany seene neither was there euer the like miracle or the like remedy Verrine also said vnto the Dominican Father in the presence of the aboue-mentioned Sub-prior Take the booke of Exorcismes and enioyne me in the name of God to goe the third time to Marseille to solicite and labour the conuersion of the Magician When Verrine issued forth Gresil who held his place declared that he would speake to the Magician in another manner then he did to Magdalene And as Magdalene at the first would not beleeue because the Diuell busied himselfe in the cause of God or rather because Louyse did take vpon her to teach and instruct her or else some Diuell in her as was reported so should not this Magician regard any thing which should be spoken for his reformation The same day in the morning the Dominican Father did exorcise Verrine began to speake in this manner The will that is guided by the grace of God is able to compasse any thing and is mightier then the powers of hell it selfe How Idle then are they that say I cannot be conuerted It is vnbeseeming to adde excuses to your sinnes it was the old dotage of Adam and Eue. Adam thou haddest sufficient grace to keepe thy selfe vntainted but thou diddest suffer thy selfe to bee abused as many wretched sinners doe euery day The soule is the mistrisse and the body as the Chambermaid yet when the soule shall say let vs rise betimes to pray and serue God the body will forthwith oppugne it and say I am yet but young let old age first approch we shall haue leisure and time enough before vs to be repentant The memory will say let vs call to mind the blessings which are showred vpon vs from aboue the vnderstanding will thereunto adioyne let vs contemplate the goodnesse wisedome and power of the Creator in these his blessings and the will is ready to push vs on to loue and feare this good God because he is the sourse and first originall of all your happinesse The soule will say I will heedfully obserue thy diuine inspirations and will bequeath my selfe vnto thy seruice I will endure no longer that my seruant should inuade the gouernment of my house To which the chambermaid will reply Ha mistrisse what meane you to doe with your selfe take compassion of your tendernesse you are of too delicate a composition to bee martyred with such austere courses of life you haue time enough to repent you solace and glut your selfe with delights whiles occasion is offered and vse your goods with freenesse and profusenesse that you may varie and runne through all manner of pastimes whiles the time will giue this liberty vnto you Then Verrine said My words you see sauour of the spirit and doe maintaine that the soule is and ought to be the mistrisse of the body It is certaine that where the chambermaid holdeth the raines of gouernment in her hands the family will soone sinke and fall to decay therefore it ill beseemes the body to beare sway because it resembleth a woman who wanteth discretion to gouerne her selfe and God will not exact a reckoning from the body but from the soule and the soule shall haue the precedency of the body both in the reward and in the punishment because the soule ought rather to beleeue him that framed it then the seruant A blind man is vnfit to raigne and why because he is blind The soule is a common-wealth and if the conscience bee in quiet all the rest is the more peaceable Hence it is that the soule should gouerne and not the body because it is deuoid of all true apprehension of the misery which it may suffer Eue spake but once in excuse of her fault but the body grumbles and kickes perpetually Your God hath an armory garnished with all perfections and can euery day present new graces to those that demand them of him for hee keepeth them in his storehouse to bestow them vpon his children In like manner hath your God giuen the holy Scriptures the new Testament and the liues of Saints vnto his Church yet he resteth not heere but doth euery day offer new presents vnto her Embrace your God who for you hanged naked vpon on the Crosse for he is your father and the blessed mother of God is your aduocate Angels and Saints are your brethren and their pedigree is very noble God will also ennoble you after the same manner and this nobility is more venerable then all the royalty of descents that may bee giuen to the Kings of the earth The King of France lately deceased did worthily esteeme of this nobilitie he did humble himselfe and call vpon his God demeaning himselfe in his presence as a malefactor and oftentimes heard Masse with much deuotion and effusion of teares I tell you many Priests doe not so attentiuely meditate vpon the greatnesse and excellency of God as he did therefore was his death a kinde of martyrdome because hee would rather suffer death for the regard and reuerence which he bare vnto his God then giue credit to that which the Magicians had foreshowne vnto him and in dying hee pronounced the word Iesus and recommended his soule into the hands of God Hee had offended his God as David had done before him and was guilty as hee was and they were both Kings of mighty Nations but this had been infected with heresie as thou Louyse formerly wert yet O Henry it is a truth thou art now in Paradise Be glad Marie of Medicis for thou hast the honour to haue wedded a King who is now a Saint in heauen and if thou shalt imitate his godly end God will inuest thee with the same honour and thou Dauphin now a young tender King bee thou an imitator of the rare indowments of thy father who was so solicitous to giue thee vertuous education And doe you all loue this Prince for he well deserueth to beeloued by you and cursed be him that shall bandy or plot against this Prince and will not yeeld all dutifull obedience vnto him especially vnto a Prince of so sweet and harmelesse a nature as this is who will proue another Lewes in France that for his great vertue was canonized a Saint Reioyce little King for thy father is high in the glory of heauen I speake now to you that are but wormes of the earth examine well your selues for if your Prince did so humble and deiect himselfe how much more should you be prostrated in the lowlinesse of spirit thinke and consider seriously of these things Since also the holy Father doth humble himselfe who knoweth no superiour in this world it is to be admired that you should bee negligent or dainty in humbling of your selues The same day Verrine went againe to the Magician but before hee departed from the body of Louyse hee discoursed of the wretched estate of the Magician and of the mercy
of God towards him almost in these very words Certainly Lewes thou art an hypocrite and a Pharisie and vnder the shew of piety thou hast heaped vp such a multitude of transgressions and other damnable sacrileges that they are not to bee numbred Of a truth Lewes thou dost out-strip all magicians in malice and impiety and art the chiefe of all their sabbaths and assemblies Of a truth Lewes the Diuels are of opinion that hell it selfe will not bee sufficient to afford punishments for thee proportionable vnto thy villanies I tell thee Lewes they will protest against God if thou bee not conuerted will beg of him that he would make Hell six times more horrid and terrible then it is that thou mightest be tormented there for euermore Of a truth Lewes Cain and Iudas shall bee adiudged innocents in comparison of thee for Christ Iesus had not as then shed his blood for them as he hath done for thee I tel thee Lewes thy abominations are of that heighth vnsufferable presumption that God himselfe would bewaile thy wretched estate if hee were capable of teares and euery one would willingly bring a fagot to burne thee and would say Iust God make this impious villaine to liue a thousand times and so many times to suffer death yet is it a certaine truth Lewes that this good God is ready to die againe for thee and would if need were come now downe from heauen and suffer himselfe to be crucified on this Crosse. Besides the blessed mother of God and all the Saints doe of pure pitty plead thy cause I tell thee truth Lewes not that they haue any need of thee but that thou mayest bring backe those soules which thou hast led into perdition Of a truth Lewes God hath sent his messengers and guard vnto thee and they haue cast the rod of their power into thy house Nay I say more vnreasonable creatures would beg mercy for thee at Gods hands if they were endowed with reason What I deliuer is most true for nothing is impossible to God who is able to make a Diuell of an Angell and a Saint of a sinner The same day in the euening father Francis Billet did exorcise at the beginning whereof Magdalene moued all the assembly to commiserate her case by reason of the deepe and extraordinary sighs which shee pitifully breathed forth whiles the Diuels were inwardly torturing her And Verrine said you that hope for a future reward see you obey your God and you that are already Saints with him in heauen and haue now the full fruition of grace and eternall glory as the end and vp-shot of your labours bee you also plentifull in your duty and obedience towards him But I damned wretch as I am expect no recompence of my paines and trauell The Acts of the 24. of December being Christmas-Eve THis day in the morning the Dominican Father did exorcise and Verrine discoursed in these words Gods pleasure is that all men vnderstand that the Diuels themselues doe obey him and tremble before him I tell you God was wearied with your impieties and therefore leaped downe from Heauen to earth in the wombe of his blessed Mother that hee might redresse them Blessed Mother of God thy Sonne was impatient to be inclosed vp so long in thy flesh not for that he deprehended in thee any thing which might distast him but because his desire was to come into the world and to yssue foorth from thy holy prison with all the speed hee might to giue light vnto the world that remained darke and to make his brightnes communicable vnto his creatures Of a truth Mary thou art the Moone and thy Sonne the Sunne of this world the Saints are also the starres that shine in the same And therefore was this Sunne sent by the celestiall Father not onely to illuminate and deriue part of his light to the Moone and Starres but to giue light vnto euery man that commeth into the world which illumination could not spread it selfe ouer the earth vnlesse he had manifested himselfe to the earth by his natiuity Wonder not that I haue often said that this was a worke of admiration for Kings haue their Pallaces and bedds furnished euen to prodigality but good God thou couldest scarce finde a place to bee borne yet mightest thou haue built for thy selfe a Paris or haue chosen the cittie of Rome in her greatnes or haue caused some Royall Palace to bee prepared for thee for thou art wisedome and goodnes it selfe and hast created heauen and earth of nothing Neuerthelesse though the guide and prouidence of all things depend of thee yet wouldest thou not make choise of eminent and magnificent places for thy Natiuitie nor of Queenes and Princesses that might be assistant vnto thy Mother in the time of her t anell Great God thou art more powerfull then all the great ones of the earth and yet how il doe thy creatures demeane themselues towards thee Ioseph thou diddest doubt at first the veritie of these things but wert afterwards fully satisfied that the Mother of God was a Virgin before her deliuery at her deliuery and after her deliuery Thus doe many now question this very miracle which God hath wrought among you to wit that the Diuell should tell the truth but so is the wil of the most Highest who by his meanes would renue the league and amitie which is betweene his loue and his creatures O blessed Mother of God thy Sonne is the true God begotten of his Father Let it enter into thy consideration how choise and exquisite a Mansion did so mighty a Father prouide for this onely and welbeloued Sonne in whom he was so well pleased and thinke with thy selfe what presentments did thy deare Sonne prepare to offer vnto thee as his Mother Blessed Spirit where was the goodly beds with all the rich and pompous furniture which thou diddest prouide for thy Spouse Where were thy easie Litters to carry her Where were the Caroches Where were the horses There was but an Oxe and an Asse there present for other liuing creatures are too proud to be witnesses to such humility I say that God refused those creatures that were proud as is the horse he reiected the Lyons who figure vnto vs arrogancy he cared not for Mules who are the Hieroglyphicks of malice hee was onely contented that the Oxe and the Asse should be present who are beasts full of simplicity and deuoid of maliciousnesse The Asse pointeth out vnto vs the body the Oxe the vnderstanding so as when the Asse and Oxe doe draw together they doe beare the yoake of the Lord. The Angels were there the Princes Lords and Courtiers which is euidently declared vnto vs by that melodious song Gloria in excelsis Deo Thou Francis couldest well haue distinguished the difference betweene the musick of this world and such celestiall harmony for thou diddest so well apprehend the sweetnes of that heauenly Instrument
must not now grudge and repine at labour Knowest thou not that it will bee said vnto me Soule render me an account of what thou hast done thou wert ' the mistrisse and shouldest therefore manage thy gouernment with discretion A man that chanceth vpon a sober discreet wife is in reason to intrust her and not his seruant with the domesticke and home-businesses of his family but thou hast done cleane contrary You that are men are iust of the same humour and say Wee are tender and of a delicate composition and must a little cherish and make much of our selues Others will say let vs bee frolicke I can liue without working I haue many goodly possessions I am noble in my blood and am descended from such a race I am able to keepe thus many horses maintaine thus many gentlemen in my attendance and bee waited on with thus many Pages and Lackeies Another will complaine of his old age and how vnable hee is to vndergoe the burthen of penance at those yeeres For this cause do those families perish and lie buried in their ruines where this cursed chambermaid beareth sway Do not you resemble those that as the Prouerbe noted of them are facete and pleasant abroad but sullen in their owne houses Then Verrine speaking to the assembly said you promise Paradise vnto your selues but thinke you not to attaine vnto it without much sufferance and aduersities in this world for the seruant is not greater then his master And if God was first to suffer and then to haue admittance into glory would you expect to enter into heauen on horse-backe or in your Caroach I tell you nay but you are to come thither on foot and to bee besides loden with store of good workes otherwise it will be told you I know you not you cannot come in for I and my children are in bed Whereby you are not to conceiue that these beds are beds of doune and delicacy as some lazy persons might apprehend it No these words shall be spoken to the stuborne and obstinate sinner that hateth to be conuerted If you will bee saued you must not abandon your selues vp to wantonnesse which doth emasculate and weaken all vertuous desires in you You all stand charged with the heauie burthen of your sinnes prostrate your selues before this little childe which lieth in the manger and come vnto him with the full burthen of your transgressions that hee may vnload you If you say vnto mee you haue no sinne I must tell you that it is false for all men are sinners Sinne is like vnto wood pile it vp and lay it on a heape that when the holy Ghost commeth hee may set fire to the same I meane the fire of his loue which searcheth still for stubble and other such combustible matter that it may consume and burne it What man can heere excuse himselfe hath not euery one a staffe in his hand whereon to leane and support himselfe which is the will whatsoeuer you haue besides you owe vnto God but this will is your owne since God hath made it ouer vnto you and therefore take this staffe vnto you For God is the shepheard and you are the sheepe of his pasture whom if the woolfe come to rauin vpon and to deuoure hee will take the staffe of your will and will swinge him so soundly that hee shall neuer returne for his prey but to his owne confusion Then did Verrine inuite all the creatures of Heauen all the Quires of Angels all Saints especially the blessed mother of God as also the whole Church triumphant and militant to praise God for the repentance of sinners especially of those that were obstinate as Magicians and Witches Sorcerers and Sorceresses in these words Verrine in the name of al Magicians Witches Sorcerers and Sorceresses and by the appointment of that Soueraigne God saith O yee foure elements praise yee the Lord all creatures reasonable and vnreasonable praise the Lord whatsoeuer hath grouth or motion laud the name of God Earth Sea Aire and Fire trees and starres praise ye all the Lord c. I tell you that if all the creatures of the world could make their eies gush foorth with teares of bloud they would bewayle as much as in them lyeth the impieties of Magicians and Witches so abominable are their courses before God All these things were pronounced by him whilest the Priest held the blessed Sacrament in his hands to giue the Communion to Louyse and Magdalene After this he renounced those abiurations of Magicians and Witches Sorcerers and Sorceresses as he had formerly done at midnight Masse Gresill and Sonneillon did also the same three seuerall times once when the Crede was said in the Masse another time at the eleuation and the third time at the Communion In like manner these three Diuels confirmed by oath all that was aboue mentioned in the same manner as at the midnight before The same day the Dominican Father wrote a letter to father Michaelis in answere vnto one of his written the 13. of this moneth wherein hee intreateth him to come to S. Baume The same day Verrine said vnto the Dominican Father command mee in the Name of God and by the authority of the Church triumphant and militant to goe foorth about an imployment which God hath imposed vpon mee then hee called father Romillon and father Andrew Godan of the Order of S. Dominick to be witnesses hereunto and then departed Moreouer there happened a very memorable accident on the same day for Belzebub began to speake in this strange manner as followeth Verrine not long agoe cryed out that all Hell was constrained by God to renounce whatsoeuer the Magicians and Witches had proiected and I Belzebub cheefe of the Diuels that are in the body of Magdalene am compelled by the Almighty to make the like abiuration in effect contrary to my resolution and the greatnesse of my pride Yes yes yes in despight of my selfe and against my customary pride and rebellion in the name of all my companions I renounce I renounce I renounce I say whatsoeuer I haue suggested vnto Magdalene as well for the time past as for thetime to come both against her God and conscience Yes yes yes I reuoke it all I condemne and disclaime it now at this very instant The same day at high Masse were the two women that were possessed exorcised by the Dominican father and Verrine began to speake in this manner Thou God of power cause now an Angell to descend from Heauen vpon this Altar that these men may beleeue what meanest thou to doe Wilt thou vse the ministry of a Diuell in a businesse of this importance Thou hast here Doctors able and ready to say the same that I say men will euer bee saying that Louyse is not possessed cursed be her folly I could endure Hell better then her Then the said Verrine began to scoffe at Belzebub and his Princes in this manner What Belzebub art
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
were serued in vnto you haue not been very pleasing because wee did nothing but ingeminate your offences Wee must therefore now serue in vnto you a banquet of confections Then he said God hath commanded me who am a great enemy vnto Stephen to praise those that in imitation of Stephen doe forgiue their enemies he pardoned those that maliced him after the example of his great master Christ Iesus saying Pater ignosce eis quia nesciunt quid faciunt But O great God why diddest thou not first recommend thy mother to Iohn and Iohn vnto thy mother the reason was not because thou wouldest not doe it but because thou wouldest giue an example vnto all the world of remitting and pardoning the iniuries done by their enemies The riches of this world are but trash and of-scowring in comparison of Paradise You will heere obiect What is there silthinesse in Paradise I say vnto you that there is not for no vncleane or imperfect thing can enter into heauen but I call riches trash because the Elect make no account of them and the blessed Saints doe not esteeme of siluer gold precious stones and all the riches of the world The seruant is not greater then his master the Master entred not into heauen on horsebacke but naked and hanging vpon the tree of the Crosse. Why therefore should you tremble at afflictions troubles persecutions or whatsoeuer may deiect and make you humble it is for your good and his glory that these crosses make you thus to double vnder the waight of them for by this meanes will he place your soules and bodies in Paradise O wondrous accident the world is conquered with the desires of it Satan is an enemy to Satan and his kingdome is rent and diuided within it selfe not by his consent but by an vnresistable compulsion After all this discourse he said vnto God Ho! cause an Angell to speake or a man to deliuer these things and let mee befreed from this vnpleasing office There are indeed many Preachers but few harken vnto them and if any goe to heare them they goe to surprise and entrap them in their sermons and to quote their gestures and actions O blindnesse that men should bee more attentiue to the voice of the Diuell then to the word of God vttered by a Preacher Imitate Stephen and pray for your enemies for by this prayer did he merit to behold the Sonne of God and did win Saul to the bosome of the Church who before was a persecutor of the same and did keepe the garments of those that stoned him And Saul thou knowest that his charity did plead for thee at the barre of the Almighty Stephen whiles hee was yet young was one of the first Deacons and Treasurers of the Church a louer of the poore as if they were hiâ— brethren and a great familiar of God it was therefore needful that he should suffer as did you Margaret Vrsula and the 1100. Virgins and also you Catherine Barbara and Catherine of Sienna that so by your examples others might be lessened to be filled with sufferance and patient bearing of whatsoeuer tribulations should bee laid vpon them And thou Stephen if thou haddest not been such a notable instrument of Gods glory as thou wert ' the Apostles would neuer haue thus esteemed and honoured thee Say but Father euery day for thine enemies and it is sufficient for it is a powerfull prayer and full of efficacy The abridgement of all perfection is to pray for your enemies and it is a well-pleasing sacrifice vnto God for he loueth the soules of his enemies a hundreth times more then he doth the bodies of his friends and one Aue said for your enemies is of more waight and importance then an hundred Pater for your friends It is an easie matter to pray for your friends but it is harsh and vnpleasing to pray for your enemies and such as go about to kill you this is a morsell not easily swallowed yet doth it exceedingly conduce vnto saluation and is the path which chalketh out vnto you the way of life if it be done in vprightnesse of intention in purity of conscience and in charity for the glory of God and saluation of soules I tell you such prayers are no lesse effectuall then the prayers of many Saints yea then extasies and rauishing in spirit and other such admirable mysteries Hee that prayeth for another hath said enough for himselfe Then hee said vnto Belzebub thou art startled at that which I haue spoken I plainly see that it doth much disquiet thee what answerest thou vnto these things And thou Asmodee make thy part good if thou hast what to reply but I see you are tongue-tied and cannot answere therefore I will prosecute these things further Then he swore that al which he had spoken should by publicke approbation bee allowed and speaking to himselfe he said O Sonneillon thou art hee which temptest men with enuie and doest withdraw men from praying for their enemies for this cause Gods pleasure is thou shouldest speake against thy selfe and against all hell hee hath taken thy owne weapons and forced thee to beate thy selfe with them Then he was asked touching three Articles first of the state of Nabuchadonosor next of the state of Salomon and then whether hee had said that S. Stephen was broiled vpon a gridiron for thus did some vnderstand him He directly made answere that Nabuchadonosor was saued and Salomon damned that this opinion was a probleme in the Church and that his damnation was reuealed to many Saints but in modesty they would not attempt to make it knowne that now God will haue his Church to be certified of the truth therof for many reade his fault but no man euer saw any mention of his repentance that God would cleere vp and dispell all the doubts that shadow his Church before the consummation of the world for he will endow his Church with some new donations and will enrich his faithfull Spouse with some fresh remembrances of his affection And this standeth with reason for if a King to grace his Queene will make expression of the affection which he beareth towards her by new gifts and presentments how much more shall God being more great and good then the Kings of the earth haue both ability and will to enrich his Church with new immunities and endowments Iohn the Euangelist thou art an Eagle and hast soared higher vpon the wings of diuine wisedome then any other and although many mysteries haue been reuealed vnto thee yet diddest thou not vnderstand all of them for the Armory of God is inscrutable and full of hidden perfections and hee may from thence when it seemeth good vnto him bring forth many strange nouelties I affirme further that neither the highest Seraphin nor the blessed mother of God her selfe doe comprehend all the secrets of her Sonne or of his humanity For God is aboue all and after him is Mary who
Mother Vncle and Aunt and almost all the kindred of Louyse were damned that it was thought fit that shee should speake this with her owne mouth and that he himself was constrained to reueale that they were damned saying Louyse of a truth thy father and mother are damned in Hell Who would euer haue told Iohn Cappeau and Louyse de Baume that their daughter would openly publish vnto the world their eternall damnation I doe not conceiue Louyse that thy heart is made of stone Then Louyse wept very bitterly so that the Assembly was so melted with compassion that they all fell a weeping also After that Verrine had for a season keept silence vpon the sudden he cryed out againe the father of thy father the father of thy mother the father of thy grandfather and the father of thy grand-mother and all thy kindred be damned then hee said the King of France of happy memory was an Heretick but died in the state of grace father Romillon the superiour of Louyse was also an heretick but now he is her spirituall father also Louyse her selfe was at the first brought vp after the fashion of hereticks Then Verrine began to cry that God might do well to vse the seruice of a Queene or a Princesse in a worke of this nature in the which if hee had made choice of Vrsula who was a Queene or some such as shee was it were not to be wondred And directing his speech vnto God hee said Why diddest thou not rather chuse a Queene or an Empresse then this worme here But thou wilt reply that thou hast no need of thy creatures but that they haue neede of thee that thou art alwaies ready to bestow vpon theÌ„ if they wil further co-operate with thy heauenly pleasure that it sufficeth thee to finde a soule framed disposed vnto that which thou wouldest impose vpon it Of a truth Louyse thou hast begged at Gods hands to suffer the paines of hell if it might be agreeable vnto him and this thou hast desired for the enlarging of his glory yet that this might bee without any finall depriuation of the sight of God according to thy request God hath yeelded vnto thy petition because thou diddest put thy selfe vpon his pleasure and diddest not indent with him to suffer after such such a fashion but diddest make a free offer of thy selfe to be disposed by him as hee pleased And the truth is all shall redound to the glory of God to the exaltation of his Church and to the aduancement of thy calling yet art thou to expect nothing but confusion and shame hereby which thou doest confesse thou hast well deserued to wit all sorts of iniuries and reproachfull contempts which thou canst suffer for his loue It is true Michaelis thou diddest indeed affirme that thou haddest an inspiration infused into thee to put such an intended reformation in practise I tell thee it is rather a reuelation but thy humility was pleased to giue it that modest appellation for those that are humble had rather call it by that name I tell you that the Reuelation of Michaelis the inspiration of Romillon and the will of God doe make a Trinitie that is one thing in three for the other two are dissolued into the will of God If two different persons do meet in the concurrence of friendship I affirme that there is but one heart and one soule so when the creatures conforme their wil vnto the wil of God they haue then the same will with God After many other discourses hee swore in behalfe of the sacred Trinity and of all the church triumphant and militant to the confusion of all Diuels and to his owne vtter disgrace and shame which oath he tooke in great solemnity vpon the blessed sacrament disauoâ—ing all double and sinister intention Moreouer he called Belzebub and all his companions saying vnto them speake now if you haue any thing to reply if I haue keept in any thing that is fit to be reuealed I promise you to deliuer it for all this not one of them dared so much as to grumble Then Verrine began to cry in the presence of the blessed Sacrament how admirable is thy power great God who hast permitted yea and commanded the Diuels to bring hither to his Church Magicians and witches to bee informed of that which from thee I am constrained to speake against them Hell is diuided and in distraction it waxeth feeble and the cousonages and subtleties thereof are dismasked Lewes the Magician shall exorcise the witchcrafts of the house of S. Vrsula are at an end and all the sisters shall be deliuered except Louyse and Magdalene who are to goe to Rome where Verrine by the mouth of Louyse with Magdalene shall make his declarations The same day Verrine said to Magdalene giue the keyes of thy house to God who is the father of thy family as the soule is the mistresse and the body the seruant of the same giue the keyes to God the Father the staffe of command vnto the Sonne and the fewell that is in thy house vnto the holy Ghost for they will setle a good order there which is beyond the spheare of thy power to accomplish The same day also Verrine was asked how hee meant that Moses was in the terrestriall Paradise because the Scripture mentioneth his death Hereunto he answered Hee may well be dead and yet be in the terrestriall Paradise too according to his body for God might raise him vp to life because he is one of the foure trumpets who are appointed in the last daies of the world to denounce the iudgements of God to the foure parts of the earth and it is certaine that neither his body nor the body of Iohn the Euangelist could euer be found But some man may heere cauill that the Apocalypse mentioneth but two witnesses to wit Enoch and Elias whom Antichrist shal put to death Verrine answered that which Iohn hath said of the two witnesses is a firme truth yet doth hee not exclude others but maketh mention onely of them that were to giue testimony of God by their death and not of Iohn or Moses who had already tasted of the same Then he said that his ranke was amongst the number of Thrones and that hee had command ouer three legions of Angels That the greatest ruine and downfall that was in heauen was the fall of Thrones that all the Princes and heads of all the orders were fallen that the greatest breach was made by the ruine of Thrones and that therefore God would fill vp his breach by the meanes and labours of Thrones He further added that Belzebub had tempted Adam and himselfe Eue and spake to her in the shape of the Serpent but in all his temptations which hee vsed towards her hee euer retained the face of a gitle The same day in the euening the Dominican father exorcised in the beginning whereof Verrine began to gibe and to
the proueth hath it they that neglect to doe good are at length oâ—ertaken with euill and hee who doth not chuse Christ Iesus for his host shall haue the Diuell to be his companion Christ Iesus is the good sheep-heard that leadeth his sheepe into pastures fatned by his body and blood hee is a sheepe-heard and a lambe together and was offered vp as a sacrifice for your sinnes giue him the staffe of your will and leaue the guide and gouernement of your selues vnto him for he will preserue you from the fury of rauening wolues Cursed be the sheepe that doth not suffer it selfe to be guided by him it doth well deserue to be deuoured The sheepe doth graze and chew the cudde so saith Christ Iesus must you take and eate not flesh that is dead but the liuing and celestiall foode of his body there is no dainty in the world comparable to this viande Paul in his extasie of spirit had an essay thereof so had also some others after him yet is there stil plenty of this food and the treasure of Gods mercies is so infinite that the Seraphins themselues cannot found the depth or know the end of his riches for they doe euer see new and vndiscouered perfections in God maruell not therefore if hee bestow a new rePsent vpon his Church Then he turned to the image of S. Magdalene and said O Magdalene thou wer 't abiding in this Baume where thou diddest repent neither is it lawfull for any man to enter into the litle caue where thou diddest lye but vpon his bare feete and I Verrine am of opinion that God will hardly giue way to a man hardened in his sin to passe into that sacred place God spake to Moses from the â—iery bush Put off thy shooes for the place whereon thou treadest is holy ground and I also affirme that this place is no lesse sacred then that because the Sacrament resteth here which is the Saint of Saints and Christ Iesus himselfe in his diuinity humanity came downe from heauen to visite Magdalene in this Baume Consider therefore seriouslie you that approach vnto the Communion how pretious a foode it is which is administred vnto you to the seruing in of which the Angels themselues are assistant as the seruants and pages of God O Marie sacred mother of God thou wer 't the first that diddest taste of this meate and wer ' more familiar there withal then any other creature whatsoeuer for thou diddest humble thy selfe at the comming and salutation of the Angell and diddest repute thy selfe vnworthy to be the seruant of seruants of the Lord. It is the custome of God where hee bestowes other vertues to circle them in all with perfect humility to the end that the soule bee not stayned with the spots or pollutions of ingratitude but may acknowledge those benefits which it hath receaued For the grace of God is a waight by which a man sinketh into the gulfe of his nothing and is drawne vp againe on high to make a coniunction and concurrence of the creatures will to the good pleasure of the Creator by this meanes also doth he vnderstand how slauish and fearefull his condition were if that God did not wing and protect him from all danger Mary thou art shee that like a waight diddest draw downe thy Sonne from heauen to earth not for thy owne sake alone but for all other distressed sinners so that he who will enioy euerlasting life must haue recourse vnto thee God indeed is that fertile cloud from whence all vertues drop downe vpon men Thy sonne doth indeed present his wounds before his father and thou art a remembrancer vnto thy sonne of all the seruices and offices which thou hast done vnto him not by way of ostentation but out of loue and to the end thou maiest obtaine mercy and forgiuenesse for comfortlesse sinners Whilest thou liued'st in this world thou wer 't fired with zeale and charity how much more now when thou art so neere vnto the furnace of loue and the fountaine of mercy Then hee said Lewes hath committed an infinite number of sacrileges against God and hath caused a thousand and a thousand persons to deny their Sauiour but God is desirous to expect a litle longer the euent of things Magick is the most pernitious and diabolicall art that may be France hath taken a strong spreading infection of the same and at Paris the schooles of Magick are more frequented then the diuinity lectures in Auignon God hath oftentimes offered himselfe and as it were way-laid the soule of Lewes sometimes by preaching and sometimes by other inspirations but he would not giue him a drop of drinke Belzebub drew him on to practise Magick and inchantments the schedules are now in his hand he hath been the occasion that many haue died very strange and sudden deathes and although God doth labour his conuersion yet doth hee thrust away and reiect the same All that which hath beene aboue spoken began vpon the day of the conception of the Virgine in the very place of pennance to figure out vnto you that you are first to receiue into your embracements repentance represented vnto you in Mary Magdalene and then innocence pointed out by Mary the mother of God When hee had thus said hee tooke his oath as hee was accustomed The same day in the euening were these two possessed women Exorcised whereupon Belzebub said I am assured that about this time they hold their synod and assembly will he relinquish this charge to come hither I must goe see Then Asmodee issued forth to giue aduertisement vnto the Magicians and witches as he said The same time which was about nine of the clocke at night father Michaelis came to S. Baume from Aix whence hee came with his companion father Anthony Boilletot and the master of the Chapter-house at Aix hauing finished his sermons for the Aduent Vpon whose arriuall there was inquiry made after Lewes for father Michaelis did imagine that Lewes was come because hee set forth from Aix the day before in the company of two Capuchin fathers but hee was not as then arriued The Acts of the 31. of December 1610. THis day in the morning were the two possessed women exorcised by father Domptius the Dominican and Verrine began to speake in this manner Blessed mother of God Veni Maria veni in adiutorium Lodouico Sancta Maria Magdalena veni in adiutorium Lodouico Sancte Ioannes Euangelista veni in adiutorium Lodouico Sancta Martha veni in adiutorium Lodouico Then he said Most sacred mother of God thou knowest those insupportable paines which thy Sonne suffered on the Crosse Verrine also did inuocate many other Saints that were assistant vnto Christ at his passion on mount Caluary Afterwards he added O sacred humanity I adiure and charge thee in the name of thy eternall father that thou offer thy wounds for Lewes I charge thee that thou present before him all the
others Being demanded how Lucifer could vnderstand all the occurences of things if he bee thus chained vp hee began to laugh and said you are deuoid of sense and ordinary apprehension doth not a King that abideth in his Palace know whatsoeuer passeth in his kingdome by meanes of Ambassadors messengers and Postes So the Deuils go to hell for they are there very speedily and take instructions from Lucifer who is more knowing and of greater command then them all The Acts of the 17. of Ianaary which was Munday being the Feast of S. Anthony WHiles Masse was saying there grew a great contestation betweene Belzebub and Verrine Belzebub did intellectually and by an intrinsicke conference with Verrine make impression in his vnderstanding standing to desire him to go with his associates to Marseille and to lend him his helping hand to harden the Magicians and Witches that were now at a stand and very shreudly shaken in their former resolutions because their Prince was detected and named Vnto whom Verrine audibly made answere that hee would not go saying that hee had sworne alleageance vnto God and did not therefore feare the paines which they threatned him withall that hee might go thither himselfe if hee had any fancy thereunto and that since hee would needs boast his greatnesse and command hee should do well to try his forces But as for mee and my companions said hee God hath hired vs yesterday morning as a man will hire a labouring man to dresse and trimme his Vineyard so that thou commest to late to hire vs to thy seruice thou wert lazy and diddest slip thy time I do not meane to worke at thy request for when I haue industriously wrought for thee what reward canst thou giue me but the paines of hell thou hast no other thing to bestow But God hath promised vnto me an asswagement and lessening of my paines and therefore I will labour for him in this businesse tempt not mee nor my companions any more O what braue Princes you are that do neither defend nor gouerne your people any better It is very obseruable that Verrine being the night before tempted in the same nature tooke on and plained himselfe like a child saying They will force me to go to Marseille to strengthen the Magician God will punish mee if I do it And after some distances he would often repeate these words no no so that it seemed that God had restored some part of his former force to Belzebub that hee might labour Verrine and almost constraine him to his pleasure and he did once in a manner consent vnto him as wee haue formerly obserued for the which he was well beaten After Masse Belzebub being departed from the body of Magdalene as it seemed to go to Marseille for the aboue named purposes the Exorcist demanded which of the Deuils did then beare sway in her body One of them answered that it was Balberith And being asked of what order he was he made very dainty to vtter it yet at last he spake these words I am constrained by God vpon the intercessions of the Virgin Mary of Magdalene of Michael and of Francis to declare this and other things of the like nature vnto you 1. Belzebub was Prince of the Seraphins and next vnto Lucifer for all the Princes that is to say all the cheefe of the nine quiers of Angels are fallen and of the quire of Seraphins there fell the three first to witt Lucifer Belzebub and Leuiathan who did all reuolt but the fourth who was Michael was the first that resisted Lucifer and all the rest of those good Angels followed him so that now hee is the cheefest amongst them all Lucifer when Christ descended into hell was there chained vp where hee commandeth all and euery one of them knoweth how to traficke in his owne trade Belzebub tempteth men with pride And as Iohn Baptist holdeth Lucifers place in Paradise because hee was the greatest amongst men and had obtained this great fauour by his singular humility opposite vnto the pride of Lucifer so Belzebub hath Frauncis for his aduersary in heauen who was father and founder of the Friars minorites and a great example of humility 2. Leuiathan is a Prince of the same order and is the ring-leader of the Hereticks tempting men with sins that are directly repugnant vnto faith hee hath Peter the Apostle who is Vicar of Christ Iesus and chiefe Bishop in the Church for his aduersary vnto whom the promise was made Portae inferi non praeualebunt 3. Asmodee is of the same order hee continueth a Seraphin to this day that is he burneth with the desire to tempt men with his sinne of luxuriousnesse and is the Prince of wantons Iohn Baptist is his aduersary in heauen who liued and died a perfect Virgin 4. Balberith is Prince of the Cherubins hee tempteth men to commit homicides and to be quarrelsome contentious and blasphemous His enemy in heauen is Barnabas the Apostle because of his great modesty 5. Astaroth Prince of the Thrones is alwaies desirous to sit idle and bee at ease hee tempteth men with idlenesse and slouth Bartholomew the Apostle is his enemy in heauen who prayed to God a hundred times a day and a hundred times a night kneeling in great humility vpon the earth Hee did also vanquish that idole Astaroth 6. Verrine is also one of the Thrones next in place vnto Astaroth and tempteth men with impatience His aduersary in heauen is Dominick your father who was singularly patient in all iniuries and aduersities 7. Grâ—ssib is the third in the order of Thrones and tempteth men with impurity and vncleannesse and his aduersary in heauen is Bernard whose conuersation was vnblameable and full of purity 8. Sonneillon is the fourth in the order of Thrones and tempteth men with hatred against their enemies His aduersary in heauen is Stephen who prayed for his enemies 9. Carreau Prince of Powers tempteth men with hardnesse of hart his aduersaries in heauen are the two Vincents the ouâ— a Martyr the other surnamed Ferrier of the order of preaching Friers whose hearts were full of tendernesse and softnesse And this Diuell is euer about Magdalene laying the nets of his temptations to make her obstinate 10. Carniueau is also a Prince of Powers and doth tempt men to obscenitie and shamelesnesse His aduersary in heauen is Iohn the Euangelist who was a virgin 11. Oeillet is a Prince of Dominations he tempteth men to break the vow of pouerty His aduersary in heauen is Martin who gaue halfe his cloake to a begger 12. Rosier is the second in the order of Dominations and by his sweet sugered words he tempteth men to fall in loue His aduersary in heauen is Basil who would not listen to amorous and inchanting language 13. Verrier is Prince of Principalities and tempteth men against the vow of obedience and maketh the neck stiffe and hard as iron and vncapeable to stoope vnder the
those that came from Priests because saith hee these came immediatly from the very mouth of God Nay which is more to be wondered there were hereticks in the primitiue Church that affirmed so much and were perswaded that the Serpent which spake vnto Eue was a true God and therefore their custome was to place a Serpent vpon their Altar vnto whom they offered their sacrifices and heereupon were called Ophites that is to say Serpentines or people that adored Serpents Of farre greater probabilitie was the conceite of the Assyrians Chaldeans and other Easterne nations who affirmed as appeareth by the writings of Pherecides Syrus that the great God of heauen hath chased away all the Diuels from thence whose captaines name was Ophianus that is to say in latine Serpertinus these Ophites haue in this as Lactantius well answereth the Idolaters much abused themselues mistaking black for white and the Prince of Diuels for the Prince of men who is God alone All this digression tendeth to no other end then to declare that the true intendment of that old Serpent the Diuel was to make himselfe to bee adored as a God which doth clearly appeare in the whole progresse of those temptations which he vsed against Christ Iesus for the last assault he reserued these words which were indeed the very marke and scope whereunto he leuelled all his temptations Si cadens adoraueris me From hence it ariseth that he hath caused Temples to be built for him Altars to be erected feasts to be ordeined Priests to be interteined and Sacrifices to bee presented vnto him because he seeth that God hath ordeined the same for his seruice not as S. Augustine well sheweth that hee is pleased with the smell of the rost proceeding from these creatures or the like but because hee is much delighted that the honours which are due vnto God should be mis-applyed vnto him Wherein he seedeth himselfe with a fantasticall shew of contentment to see himselfe in apparence honoured for a God although he be damned and tortured for euermore Daemones non cadauerinis nidoribus saith S. Augustine sed diuinis honoribus gaudent To maintaine himselfe in this state and greatnesse he could not deuise a readier way then to speake familiarly to men and to tell them those things which were secret and hidden and this hee doth by way of Oracles the first whereof we may tearme the Oracle of the Serpent speaking vnto Eue. For what importeth it whether hee entered into the body of a Serpent or into a statue of marble This hindereth not but that a man may well say that the first Oracle was when hee spake vnto the first woman And therefore doth Tertullian iustly place the first woman in the first catalogue of hereticks because to speake so familiarly vnto the Diuell was an apostacy After the stood Oracles began to be more frequent and had their originall from the posterity of Cham whereupon it came that the most auncient Oracle which wee find in Authors is Oraculum Hammonium as if we should say Oraculum Chammonium for the name of Cham is written in Hebrew with a strong aspiration and therefore our translatour rather maketh it Cham then Ham although it be all one in sense and the very name doth sufficiently shew that the antiquity and originall of Oracles after the flood came from Cham who was cursed of God and of his father and this inuention of worshipping the Diuell was found out by him to build vp the city of the Diuell as Cain had formerly begun to oppugne the city of God built by Abel and continued vntill Noah We also see in the Scripture that wicked Kings did send vnto the Oracles of the Gentiles as vnto Acharon and other places to haue their doubts and questions resolued and answered Thus Satan hath not forgotten his old wont but as hee would at the first haue inuaded Gods honour by predictions of hidden and future things vnto the first woman Apperientur saith he oculi vestri eritis sicut Dij scientes bonnm malum so now also would hee continue his cosenage amongst men who haue a naturall desire and curiositie to know secret and future things which they drew from Adams depraued nature who desired to become as God knowing that the property of God is to diue into all hidden euents especially to vnderstand mens thoughts and things to come The Scripture teacheth vs these two points the first in Ieremy Inscrutabile est cor hominis quis cognoscet illud Ego Dominus probans renes corda And for the second point Esay saith Annunciate nobis quae ventura sunt dicemus quia dij estis vos So that if we shall more narrowly sist into the passages of histories we shall find that Oracles tended to no other end then to beget an admiration in men and to relish and giue contentment vnto that pride which naturally is rooted in them Yet the truth is that the Diuels neuer vnderstood either the one or the other of these points of knowing things hidden or to come which we will a little enlarge that the curious of these times may know how much they abuse themselues in thinking that they are able to attaine vnto the knowledge of these two things either by a secret league or familiarity with the Diuell or otherwise by superstitions and Magick For the first Diuines haue learnedly laboured in the same grounding their discourses vpon that sentence of Ieremy and vpon the saying of S. Paul Nemo scit quid sit in homine nisi spiritus hominis qui in ipso est and Dauid also doth often appropriat that vnto God alone Scrutans corda renes Deus So that man alone doth by nature know what hee thinketh in his heart which no other substance can search into but God onely This is well verified in the history of Nabuchodonosox who when hee had forgotten his dreame would haue had his southsayers to diuine what it was but it was told him that he demanded an impossibility Sermo enim quem tu quaeris res grauis est neo reperietur quisquam qui indicet illum in conspectu Regis exceptis dijs quorum non est cum hominibus conuersatio Where it is very obseruable that hee had assembled not onely Philosophers and Astrologers but Magicians also as the text expresly declareth and although it be certaine that these Magicians had contracted secret familiarity with wicked spirits whom peraduenture they might conceite to be Gods yet doe they set a distance and difference betwixt the Gods that doe sometimes conuerse with men and those who hold no traffick or intercourse with them nay they doe confesse that those who familiarly conuerse with men can by no meanes vnderstand that which is hidden in mens hearts but in the end Daniel gaue the resolution of it saying Mysterium quod Rex interrogat sapientes magi areoli aruspices
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
world that doth more transplant the Crownes and Kingdomes of the Princes of the Earth especially of christian Princes then to tollerate by any indulgence or conniuencie whatsoeuer an impiety so derogatory from God and Christ his Sonne and to let it spread in the middest of the Church Hence Dauid concludeth according to the Hebrew phrase Kâ—sse the Sonne least hee bee angry and ye perish in the way â—hen his wrath shall suddenly burne To kisse and to worship the Sonne is to adore Christ Iesus with all purity and sincerenesse of heart who will haue no fellowship or alliance with Beliall as S. Paul teacheth We are not to imitate those of Geneua before mentioned but wee are to execute the rigour and extremity of iustice vpon those that are guilty of this crime because it is agaiâ—st the diuine Maiesty and directly contrary to the first commandement of the law although it be true withall that this art cannot bee practised without the endamâ—agement of our neighbours as shall heereafter appeare by their depositions But the honour of God must take vp the first consideration and wee are not to inuert and misplace things or as the common saying is put the cart before the horse Yet it is not to be maruelled that the practise of Geneua runneth thus for besides their rage in depressing as much as in them lies the honour of God and his Saints which was foretold in the Reuelation that they should blaspheme God his tabernacle the humanity of Christ Iesus and them that dwelt in heauen they haue the property that all Hereticks naturally haue to loue Magicians and Sorcerers as appeareth by the fiâ—st Hâ—retick Simon Magus mentioned in the Acts of the Apostles and by the rest that followed after him as Irenaeus and others do declare it The Turkes as I conceiue doe not much esteeme these Arts but the Sarazens did permit that men should teach this impietie publikely about a thousand yeeres after Christ. And if Antichrist bee to proceed from the â—urkes whereof there is great likelihood then is their Monarchie pointed out vnto vs by Babylon and the sauage beast that was to receiue great power strength from the great Dragon by vertue whereof hee might worke wonders euen to make fire to descend from heauen all which he should doe through the power of the Diuell shadowed out vnder the nature of the Dragon Touching the meanes which such kinde of people vse in their witchcrafts there can bee no certaine number set of them for they are infinite and the Diuell is so craftie and malicious withall that as it is said of a naughty fellow Habet mille technas mille nocendi artes He inuenteth euery day new deuises the more to please him whom hee most desireth to hold fast in his gripe and seeing that some are delighted with one thing and some with another he fitteth all according to their seuerall humours And put case that these seuerall manners of Charmes be not hurtfull vnto the body yet doe they defile and staine the soule of the Sorcerer because they are euer tyed vnto superstition which is a kinde of Idolatrie Neuerthelesse the Diuell striueth as much as hee can to practise those charmes which are hurtfull vnto men as bloodshed and murther but when he meeteth with any as sometimes he doth whose consciences are scrupulous to commit murther or otherwise to hurt mens persons hee then is contented to applie himselfe vnto them that at the least hee may gaine vnto him their beguiled soules And it is probable since there are so many diuersities of them mentioned in the Hebrew Bible that as the Diuels in the Scriptures take their denominations from the effects that are obserued in them so haue the Sorcerers their diuersities of names from the diuersities of effects and charmes which they ordinarily practise Thus the Magicians of Pharaoh to make their charmes more powerfull besides the roddes which they had in their hands to shew themselues equall vnto Moyses they also vsed whether secretly or openly it is not expressed certaine plates of red-hot iron newly forged and their charmes in the 7. chapter of Exodus are called by the word Lahatim which signifieth burning plates and so is the flaming sword called which the Cherubin brandished in his hand in the fourth chapter of Genesis which is the particular obseruation of Rabby Dauid Quimhi And from hence we may gather an excelleÌ„t morall since as S. Paul teacheth vs the Magicians in this historie did represent Heretikes as Moyses did shadow forth the Catholike Doctors Moyses did remaine contented with the rod which he held in his hand the catholike Doctor doth shake the rod of Gods word ouer those that doe transgresse against the same The Heretike likewise holdeth the rod of Gods word in his hand but hee cannot preuaile with it except hee also vnsheath that flaming sword which betokeneth warre and the effusion of blood And it may well be that they mingled the blood of men in the tempering and making of such swords which is in these daies practised and hath been vsuall in former times amoÌ„gst the Theraphins But let vs descend to other passages In the 19. and 20. chapters of Leuiticus these Magicians are called by this word Aob which signifieth a pitcher or a barrell And it might be there were a kinde of Sorcerers which did vse such vessels as many doe in these daies who cast certaine names into a vessell or bason full of water to diuine and presage of something In the 18. of Deuteronomy they are called Menahhesh which importeth as much as to vse Serpents and it is probable enough that they vsed Serpents in their charmes as wee haue heretofore noted of the Romanes who did the like ro rid Rome of the plague Aben Ezra doth thinke that it was nothing but certaine figures and characters of Serpents which such people did vse in their charmes and inchantments King Manasses who was the greatest Sorcerer of the world was accused to bee Mecasheph which word is deriued from a verbe that signifieth to paint or by imbellishing the face with colours to attract and deceiue men which is the propertie of wanton women as Rabby Dauid Quimhi saith in his Comment vpon Nahum and thereupon Aben Ezra who together with Quimhi is quoted by Sanctes Pagninus and by Munsterus doth declare that these are Sorcerers who make a shew that they transshape things and by this meanes doe grossely abuse those men whom they doe blinde with their apparitions and so make them beleeue they see that which indeed they doe not see like vnto those loose and light women who set a glosse of whitenes vpon their face which is not indeed in their persons There is another word in the 3. of Michah that also expresseth these Magicians and that is Quassam which Dauid Quimhi as is to be supposed by the passages already alleaged doth interprete to signifie all manner
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