sir we also our selues would gladly see that same Iesus whom the world so egerly affecteth and followeth Andrew no sooner perceiued their sute but he acquainted Phillip therewith and they both together propounded the whole matter to Iesus Now then Iesus considering in the zeale of those greekes how all nations affected his preaching and miracles and came flocking vnto him he answered Andrew and Philip thus I perceiue by all signes that the very hower it selfe is now come wherein the sonne of man must be glorified in the actuall manifestation of his effectuall power vpon satan by his sufferings and death Which his said death I assure you must now necessarily succeed to the actuall accomplishment of that actuall conquest a very liuely resemblance whereof you may plainely behold in the wheate corne Which vnlesse it doth fall into the ground and die abideth alone but if it doe die it bringeth foorth abundance of fruit And euen so if this body of mine were once wrapped within the bowels of the earth by the dart of death there would vndoutedly spring many moe branches from thence as from that liuing roote which quickneth many to eternall life Neither let any be so dismaied with the sight of my death as that therefore they themselues would not gladly vndeâ—goe the like shame of the crosse For whosoeuer is so taken vp with the loue of this life as he would not for my sake be throughly willing to put ouer the same to the extreamest aduentures of all that man without question shall loose his life Whereas they that for my sake doe make themselues ready to forgoe if neede so require their very life in this world they shal be sure to preserue the same to eternall life Yea and euen you also your selues whom I haue especially chosen my ministers to declare my said death to the world if in your said ministery you desire to serue me aright you likewise must willingly follow me your Lord and Maister now leading this dance vnto death For wheresoeuer I am there must my ministers willingly be Neither haue I any other purpose in suffering death for you but to giue you an example to follow my steps Wherein if you readily serue me assure your selues that then my father in heauen will honour you highly In deed this corporall death I confesse is extreamely fearefull to flesh and bloud For euen my very soule I assure you is so intollerably tormented with the terrours thereof as I would earnestly entreate my father that the approching hower of this my death might presently passe away were it not that euen therefore I came vnto this hower In consideration of which my determined death I will the more earnestly endeuour my selfe to vndergoe with patience the whole bickering whatsoeuer by crying incessantly vnto my father and saying Oh father glorifie thy owne name in these my appointed sufferings Moreouer to the end you may plainely perceiue the fruits of my praier you your selues shal be eare witnesses of my father his answere from heauen saying My son I haue both glorified it before in thy conception thy birth thy baptisme thy fasting thy preaching and miracles and I will now glorify it againe in thy death and resurrection because therein shal be actually effected the finall ouerthrow of satan his kingdom And howsoeuer the people here present may happely imagine this sound from heauen to be but a thunder or some voice of an Angel at the most yet I assure you it is the very thundring speech of my father himselfe Neither came this voice onely because of my selfe but for your sakes especially To teach you assuredly that euen now is the iudgement and reformation of this world because euen now must the prince of this world be actually cast foorth from thence as touching his actuall possession Yea and this so glorious a conquest ouer satan must euen now be actually effected by the power of my death wherein if I were once lift vp from the earth and fastned withall vpon the crosse I would then actually determine the actuall dominion of the diuel yea and would effectually draw his captiuated prisoners vnder my princely regiment Now all this haue I purposely spoken vnto you to shew you before hand what death I must die that so soone as you perceiue me to giue vp the ghost you may then certeinely assure your selues that the whole worke of your redemption from satan from death and from hell is actually effected finished Thus much for analysing the text it selfe Wherin you haue heard the occasion coherence proceeding and the orderly conclusion of all the premisses Lycanthropus The exposition is plaine in my simple conceite let vs therefore now heare the testimonie of writers for further confirmation thereof Orthodoxus You shall And first to begin with Augustine he saith that by the iudgement of the world we must there vnderstand not the iudgement of damnation which is reserued to the last day but the iudgement of discretion which consisteth wholie in reforming the worlde by the expelling of Satan For the diuell saith he possessed mankinde and held them guiltie of punishment through the handwriting of sinne He did dominier in the harts of Infidels and drewe them being deceiued and captiuated to worship the creature by forsaking the Creator Howbeit through that selfesame faith of Christ which by his death and resurrection was actually established and through his precious bloud which was shedde for remission of sinnes a thousand beleeuers being then actually freed from the power of the diuell were effectually coupled to the bodie of Christ and by the operation of his spirit became liuely members of his mysticall bodie For so Christ expounds himselfe in the very next words saying Now is the prince of this worlde cast foorth Vnderstanding by the particle now that which was then to bee done at his death not that which he was finally to accomplish at the generall iudgement The Lord therefore foresawe that worke which he knewe should be effected after his death and glorification namely that many thousands throughout the world should faithfully beleeue in his death From whose harts the diuel who worketh effectually in theÌ„ before should actually be driuen out by Christs death and finally be subdued through faith in his name Exorcistes The diuell then it should seeme by your speech was neuer driuen foorth from the patriarkes before the passion of Christ. Orthodoxus Not so For Christ was the Lambe slaine from the beginning of the world Neither speake we in this place of the effectual but of the actuall conquest which he made ouer Satan Yea and this I further auouch that euen as the particle now in an especiall regard of Christes actuall conquest respecteth especially the verie hower of his death so surely in some consideration also of Christs effectuall eonquest the said particle now may likewise haue a more speeiall reference to
the verie hower it selfe of that his said death Because howsoeuer the efficacie of that his effectuall conquest hath from the beginning of the world beene alwaies effectuall yet the vertue and power thereof did more effectually shewe foorth it selfe at the death and resurrection of Christ then euer before And euen thus is that place to be vnderstood which Christ elsewhere propoundeth saying that the holy Ghost was not yet giuen because Christ was not yet glorified Not that the holy Ghost was neuer giuen to the fathers before for holy men of God spake euer as they were mooued by the holy Ghost but that hee was neuer so vniuersally nor so effectually giuen as after when he was in all abundance powred forth vpon the Apostles vpon old men and children Euen so the diuell in like manner he was vndoubtedly cast foorth of the fathers from time to time by the effectuall conquest of Christ but yet neuer so vniuersally nor so effectually driuen forth as after that actuall conquest of Christ on the crosse Exorcistes If the diuell be now so vniuersally and so effectually cast foorth from the faithfull as your selfe doe auouch then the faithfull it seemes are now free from temptations Orthodoxus That foloweth not For howsoeuer the diuell his actual possession be actually expelled yet ceaseth he not stil to assault to tempt the children of God Howbeit it is one thing to raigne inwardly and another to assault outwardly For the best defenced cities of all are eftsoones of the enimie besieged yea and somtimes verie hotly assaulted Notwithstanding though the diuel doth daily cast foorth his fierie darts we are spiritually armed with the complete armour of God Yea and if at any time we hap to be wounded the Physicion hee is euer at hand to cure our soules For what pray we for else when we say Forgiue vs our trespasses but onely that our woundes may be healed And what other thing else doe we aske when we say Lead vs not into temptation but that he which besiegeth and assaulteth vs outwardly may neuer breake in vpon vs on any side neither yet by any fraude or force may be able to conquer a fresh So then albeit the diuell doth practise his policies daily against vs yet forsomuch as he hath nowe no abiding place in that hart where faith is resiant he may fitly be saide to be both actually and effectually now cast foorth Hitherto Augustine Exorcistes Proceede in propounding the rest of your writers Orthodoxus I will Next therefore for Chrysostome he saith Nowe shall the prince of this world be cast foorth that is saith he be tumbled downe headlong For the diuell who before that time did domineir and beare the whole swaie in the world shall nowe be ouerthrowne and violently cast foorth as it were with a sling at the passion of Christ. Againe Theophilact vpon these wordes Now is the iudgement of this world writeth thus This saith he doth fitly accord with the premisses For the father protesting before from heauen that he would glorifie his name againe Christ sheweth heere the maner how his said name should be glorified Namelie when as by casting foorth the prince of this world the worlde should be iudged that is reuenged of satan For this casting forth is a metaphor taken from such as being iustly condemned in iudgements are actually cast foorth from the tribunall seate Or by this casting foorth may be vnderstoode the exiling of satan into the externall darkenesses because now he hath lost his dominion ouer the faithfull Neither shall hee euer be permitted to raigne as before within men I meane either in their mindes or their mortall bodies for I will saith Christ now draw all men vnto my selfe Howbeit because men cannot posâ—iblie be brought vnto me all the while they are captiuated and fast bound by that tyrant Hauing therefore thus actually conquered satan cast him foorth and broken a sunder the yron barres of his power by my death I will now effectually draw all men vnto me in despite of his teeth Againe Lyra saith thus Now is the iudgement of this world that is the iudgement for this worlde Because saith he the world nowe by the definitiue sentence of God and through the power of Christs death is actually deliuered from the power of the diuell And therefore it foloweth that now the prince of this worlde shall be cast foorth by the passion of Christ. By the power of which passion is set open vnto vs the gate vnto glory so that the diuell can now no more hinder the saints from the consequution of glorie as he did in times past although it be permitted him still to tempte for the triall and exercise of all the elect Againe Hugo saith thus Now is the iudgement of this world because saith Christ the diuell by my death and passion being now actually destroied many poore soules shall be deliuered from him And a little after he saith Nowe shall the prince of this world be cast foorth that is be actually driuen out of the harts of men by the death and passion of Christ. Againe the master of the sentences doth plainly auouch that the diuels they haue not nowe the selfesame power ouer men which they enioyed before the comming of Christ. Againe Ludulph saith thus Nowe is the iudgement of this world nowe that is euen in this verie time of my passion is the iudgement not of condemnation but of discretion Of this world that is for this world against satan because now shal this world be iudged seperated and deliuered from the power of darkenes that is from the dominion of the diuel And this is that iudgement of discretion whereby verie many are plainely discerned and seperated now from the power of the enimy For since the verie time of Christes death the faithfull beleeuers are apparantly espied from the obstinate infidels And then after he sheweth the effect of that selfesame iudgement which concerneth the world saying thus Now the prince of this world the diuell I meane who from Adam hitherto hath borne the whole swaie in this world shall be cast foorth that is from the elect and shall loose his power of drawing men after him anie more After all this our Sauiour saith Ludulph declareth the maner of his death and resurrection in this sort And I if I were once lift vp would draw all men vnto me As if he shoulde saie thus That selfesame loue which I shew forth by my death it hath in it a certaine attractiue vertue or power of drawing mens mindes vnto me euen as the Adamant stone hath in it selfe an hidden force to draw yron vnto it Againe Bucer saith thus Things amisse in iudgements are vsually corrected and changed Nowe then the diuell that strong armed man carefullie keeping his pallace before time did quietly exercise his tyrannie ouer the world But being nowe to be actually cast
foorth from the harts of so many as dedicate their names vnto Christ this Christ by the verie power of his death hath actually conquered his tyrannie And therefore the holie Ghost saith truely that nowe is the iudgement of this world that is euen now and foorthwith shal the reformation thereof be effected Againe Musculus vpon these wordes Now is the iudgement of this world saith thus The Lord in these words doth seeme to vnfold the meaning of that heauenly voice which spake thus a little before I haue glorified my name alreadie and wil glorifie it againe For what is it else to illustrate the name of God in this world but to beate downe and destroy the kingdome of Satan the prince of this world And because this ouerthrow of Satan was to be actually effected by that selfesame death which Christ did then suffer for the redemption of the world therefore he saith not there shall be a iudgement of this world but now is the iudgement of this world Neither saith he the prince of this world shall be but now is cast out Againe maister Caluin vpon these words Now is the iudgment of this world writeth thus By the worde iudgement some vnderstand the reformation and some the condemnation of the world the first accordeth better with the purpose of Christ because the world by his death was then to be brought into a lawfull order For the Hebrew word Mishpat which is here interpreted iudgement betokeneth a right and a lawfull constitution of things Howbeit we haue to consider that without Christ there is nothing in the world but meere confusion Although therefore that Christ before by his preaching and miracles began to erect the kingdome of God yet for all that his verie death it selfe was the true beginning of a rightly compounded state and the full restauration of the worlde Notwithstanding this withall would be noted namely that the worlds reformation it cannot possiblie be effected but the kingdome of satan must first be abolished but flesh and what else soeuer withstandeth the iustice of God must first be subdued Christ therefore pronounceth the prince of this world to be nowe cast foorth because all dissipation and deformitie proceedeth from him For so long as satan doth exercise his tyrannie so long there doth violently breake foorth all maner of iniquitie So then Satan is no sooner cast foorth but the world is forthwith recalled from her reuolted estate to the well ordered kingdome of Christ. Againe Hemingius vpon these words the holy Ghost shall reprooue the world of iudgement because the prince of this world is iudged already saith thus The world that made a mock of Christ and willed him if he were the sonne of God to come downe from the crosse by the holy ghost who fell vpon the disciples at the feast of Pentecost was flatly conuinced that in so doing they iudged vniustly of Christ. For the holy ghost saith Christ shall then cause them to vnderstand and perceiue in deed that I hauing conquered the diuel by my death and resurrection do now exercise by your ministery an absolute authority ouer the world in that none are now able to withstand the wisedome which speaketh so effectually in euery of you This saith Hemingius is the very sence of this place if especially we refer as we ought the fulfilling therof to the efficacy and power of the holy ghost apparantly resting vpon the Apostles at the feaste of Pentecost To be short Gualter vpon these words they brought vnto Christ a Demoniack saith thus There were many such no doubt in the daies of Christ because the prince of this world was not yet cast foorth Who grew so much the more raging mad by how much he perceiued that fatal hower very neerely approche wherein he knew he must needs be cast foorth from the possession which he had so long time vniustly vsurped Loe Exorcistes these be the writers which for the present I haue purposely produced to prooue the exposition I gaue of these words Now is the iudgment of this world now shall the prince of this world be cast foorth Exorcistes Whatsoeuer you say or whomsoeuer you produce for proofe of your purpose I passe not this exposition you giue is strange and something more then that which hath been vsually receiued Orthodoxus Be it so It ouerthrowes not you see but rather confirmes the ordinary receiued exposition in that it shewes directly some actuall accomplishment of that actuall conquest concerning satans dominion Yea and this actuall conquest satan himselfe so actually felt as he was foorthwith enforced to acknowledg the same saying thus Ah what haue we to doe with thee o Iesus of Nazareth art thou come to destroy vs Not meaning therein satan his essentiall destruction but the actuall annihilating of his actuall dominion as hath been handled before And this also according to the determinate councell of God who had certeinely decreed the actuall breaking of the serpents head by the promised seede of the woman The which promised seede did purposely take flesh and bloud that he might in the flesh destroy through death him that had power ouer death that is the diuell as was shewed before Exorcistes Why should you so confidently applie this destruction of Satan to the actuall determination also of his essentiall possession and not rather to the onely effectuall weakening of that his spirituall dominion as it is vsually expounded of others Orthodoxus Because the holie Ghost ouer and besides the effectuall weakening of Satan his spirituall dominion speaketh directly there of the actuall accomplishment of something else by the verie act of Christs death The which actuall accomplishment of something else may at no hand be vnderstood either of the essence of Satan or of his power of obsession but onely of that his temporarie power of actuall possession as hath beene handled at large Yea and that selfesame actuall determination of Satan his said temporarie power of actuall possession it was so mightily feared so actually and so sensibly felt of the diuell as it made him with a bitter exclamation to burst foorth and say Ah art thou come to destroy vs As if Satan should sorrowfully exclaime in this sort Oh thou the promised seede that must actually breake my head Thou Iesus of Nazareth Thou sonne of the liuing God Thou that by the verie act of thy approching death art appointed to destroy me that had power ouer death Ah woe woorth thee Oh what haue I to doe with thee Art thou come to vndertake the actuall destruction of my actuall possession Art thou come now with force and armes to enter my house to depriue me of this my speciall armour wherein I trusted and euen actually to cast me forth of that my pallace or house which I haue hetherto possessed in peace Yea and therewithall likewise to weaken my whole spirituall dominion for euer Exorcistes But why
not wrought by anie supernaturall but onely by naturall meanes These latter they may for their strangenes be fitly called a woonder but no woondrous worke because they be effected by meere naturall meanes and so my distinction your may see it is currant Physiologus Were you not shameles you would blush for very shame thus shamelesly to brand the holie Ghost with a lie and all to vphold your Legerdemaines which cannot possiblie stande of themselues but must needes be vnderpropped eftsoones withlying distinctions For whereas you would make signes and woonders two distinct or seuerall matters because of the distinctiue particle or put downe in the text and thereupon would haue vs imagine that by signes are ment miracles and by woonders is vnderstood a woonder forsooth but no woondrous worke may it please you to coÌ„sider a little better with you selfe how that the holy Ghost in that place doth vse those selfesame two words not as seuerall matters distinct in themselues but rather as meere Synonyma that is words of one and the selfesame signification exegetically put downe the one to explane or expresse the other according to that in the Psalme where the Prophet saith thus Remember the maruellous workes which the Lord hath done his woonders and the iudgements of his mouth Putting downe the woonders and iudgements of his mouth to shew what he meant by the maruellous workes rehersed before As if he should say thus would you willingly know what I meane by the miraculous or maruellous workes of the Lord I meane al those his woonders and iudgements which so expresly and after such a speaking manner doe declare his extraordinarie working power to the great admiration and woonder of all the beholders thereof Howbeit because the disiunctiue particle or is so pretious a pearle in your eies what say you to that place in Exodus where the verie selfesame words are expresly put downe to the selfesame purpose with that in Deuteronomie albeit not disiunctiuely but rather copulatiuely thus And I will multiply eth-oththai veeth-mopthai that is my signes and my woonders Here the holy Ghost he vseth you see the copulatiue and and not the disiunctiue particle or and yet to one and the selfe purpose with the text you insist vpon which plainely declareth that signes and woonders they are no such seuerall matters distinct in themselues but were synonyma the one put downe to expresse the other Exorcistes If signes and woonders be mere synonyma and indifferently put downe for a miracle then Dauid it should seeme he became a miracle especially then when he was reputed the woonder of men according to his owne testimony telling vs plainely that he became a monster vnto many which by your exposition must be vnderstood a miracle to many Howbeit the purpose of Dauid was only to expresse his present distressed estate by the word mopheth declaring plainely vnto vs that he was no lesse abhorred of wicked men then if he had been a monster in nature By the which it is very apparant that something may truely be termed a woonder and yet the same no woondrous work Physiologus You doe very absurdly abuse the word mopeth it selfe and most grosly mistake the true meaning of Dauid in that portion of scripture For first the word mopeth there it doth not necessarily conclude that Dauid was simply a monster but rather it noteth vnto vs that he was generally reputed with many as an admirable signe or token of the extraordinary care of God towards all the chosen in Christ. And so much the letter â—caph prefixed before mopeth and making it kemopeth very plainely importeth vnto vs. For that letter it is as euery one knoweth right well a letter of similitude or likenesse and therefore it must be translated in like sort euen as euen so as it were in like manner and so foorth Whereupon you may plainely perceiue if you please that the reading it ought to be thus I became as it had been a miraculous signe or token to many Not that the prophet was simply so but rather esteemed so yea such a one in respect and after a sort Neither was it the purpose of Dauid in that place to make any mention at all of any his present distressed estate but rather to expresse the admirable mercies of God concerning his extraordinary working power in so miraculously protecting the person and state of Dauid As if he should say O Lord thou hast with such faithfulnesse and truth preserued thy poor seruant from time to time that very many in an onely consideration of my miraculous deliuerances doe not onely admire at thy extraordinary power in protecting my person but which more is they are mightely mooued by the example of thy manifold mercies in me to depend altogether vpon thy wonderfull prouidence That this is the true meaning of the word mopeth there not onely the verie coherence of that scripture it selfe but also the other like places where that selfesame word is purposely applied to any mans person doth plainely declare Howbeit if by the word mopeth we must necessarily vnderstand a bare woonder forsooth but no woondrous worke doe shew me your opinion concerning another text in Ioel. Where the Lord saith he will shew woonders in the heauens and in the earth bloud fire and pillers of smoake The sunne shall be turned into darkenes and the moone into bloud before the great day of the Lord come Doe tell me I beseech you whether these woonders in heauen and in earth this bloud this fire these pillers of smoake whether I say this turning of the sunne into darkenes and the moone into bloud are not euerie of them to be esteemed verie woondrous workes I hope you dare not verie certaine I am you may not denie them for such and yet the holy Ghost notwithstanding this your new-coyned distinction he vseth the verie selfe same word mopeth which you simply translate a woonder but no woondrous worke saying thus I will shew mopthim that is woonders in heauen and in earth Moreouer where as the Lord in Ezechiel obserueth the verie selfesame word mopeth which you simply esteeme as a wonder but not a woondrous worke the verie purpose and coherence of that scripture it selfe verie plainely declareth that it may not especially in that place be wel translated a woonder but rather a foreshewing signe or token of Israels captiuitie among the Caldeans saying thus I haue constituted or ordeyned thee ki-mopeth nethattiack lebeth Israell that is to say a foreshewing signe or token to the house of Israel And a little after in the eleuenth verse thus say thou vnto them emor ani mopethkem that is I am your foreshewing signe or token as I haue done so shall it be done vnto them they shall goe into bondage and captiuitie By all the premisses then it is verie apparant that those two words signes and woonders which your selfe would seeme to distinguish
away my cogitations are violently taken from me I meane morashe lebabi the possessions of my hart That is those happie and comfortable cogitations which my soule in a good conscience by the blessing of God did chalenge to it selfe by a peculiar right or possession In like maner from iarash ariseth the word morashah which signifieth properly such a kinde of possession as people enioy by a certaine peculiar right as appeareth in Deuteronomie where the people say thus Moses commanded vs a law morashah kehillath Iaakob I meane a peculiar inheritance for the congregation of Iaakob That is such an inheritance as shall passe by an hereditarie right or possession among the house of Israel from generation to generation The like vse of this word morashah doth euidently appeare by those seuerall quotations of scripture which we haue purposely put downe in the Margine By all which it is verie apparant that albeit the holy Ghost should haue purposely vsed any one of these Hebrew words to expresse your pretended possession of Diuels yet could you not haue concluded from thence any such an essentiall inherencie of Diuels in the bodies of men as you would beare vs in hand Licanthropus But doth not the Greeke word which the Septuagint vseth to expresse the word iarash import so much Orthodoxus Nothing lesse I assure you For from that word iarash ariseth orizo and orixomai which signifies to bound or determine the territories and possessions of land From thence also is deriued these following nownes namely orion and orismos which signifieth a bondarie a definition or constitution Also this word exorizo that is to exterminate or to disherite Also exorismos which betokenth an exile or banishment From whence also ariseth verie fitly the inheriting or dishinheriting or rather if you please the possessing and dispossessing of heirs The Gretians in like sort they vse another word called cleronomia which signifies properly an inheritance or rule of possessions Briefly albeit the holy Ghost in the new testament hath sundry words to set out the possession of things as appeareth by the places put downe in the Margine yet could no one of them all haue fitted your turne or possibly haue extended it selfe to this your pretended purpose By all the premisses then it is verie apparant that if the holy Ghost had euer determined to establish your supposed essentiall possession of Diuels he wanted not proper and significant wordes to expresse his said purpose Albeit notwithstanding if he had purposely put downe any one of these wordes either Hebrew or Greeke to import a possession vnto vs yet woulde no one of them all in any congruent speech haue euer beene able to auouch that essentiall inherencie of Diuels in the bodies of men which your selfe woulde fondly conclude from our English translation without any warrant at all from the originall text Lycanthropus Though none of the Euangelistes haue precisely put downe in any one of those places no such word at all as may properly expresse the essentiall possession of spirits and Diuels perhaps yet they haue some other word else equiualent therewith in sence Orthodoxus Perhaps no and without al peraduenture they haue not For the very word it selfe which the holie Ghost obserueth in euerie of those your quoted Scriptures is Daemonizoménoi which with all true interpretours both Latine Italian French and English is ordinarily and vsually translated Demoniakes that is men Diuillished I meane actually afflicted tormented or vexed with Diuels But no one of them all did euer translate it thus namely men essentially possessed with Diuels inherently in them Yea this very word Daemonizoménos is not onely so translated but is so also vnderstood of the most iudiciall and soundest Diuines For not any one of them all do vnderstand the same of essentiall possessions but euery of them do take it to signifie onely some such extraordinarie actual affliction vexation or torment as Satan himselfe by the speciall appointment of God doth effectiuely inflict vpon men for a time If you haplie doe call the truth of that which I speake into question let their seuerall writings be exactly considered and then tell me whether any one of them all do vnderstand by Demoniakes any such persons as are essentially possest with a Diuell inherently in them as your selfe very fondly imagine and not such rather as by the extremitie of those their actuall torments are become outragiouslie furious cruell and quite out of order Thus then by all the premisses it is very apparant you see that neither by a proper significant terme nor by any other word else equiualent therewith neither yet by the translations of learned Interpretours or the exquisite iudgement of soundest Diuines you may from those your quoted scriptures in any possible or congruent order vndertake to conclude as you doe the essentiall possession of spirits and Diuels but must necessarilie take them onelie for such Demoniakes or diuellished persons as are actually afflicted tormented or vexed by Satan Lycanthropus Why then shoulde the translatour so presumptuously put downe the word possession if no such thing be apparant in all the originall Orthodoxus That there is no such matter there as your selfe supposeth you haue sufficiently heard before Neither did the translatour himselfe as it seemes intend any such essentiall possessions but onely an actuall vexation by Satan howsoeuer he did to careleslie put downe the word possession as a worde more familiar amongst vs. No surely it is certaine the Euangelist himselfe he neuer entended such essentiall possessions by the word Daemonizoménoi but onely an actuall affliction vexation or torment And therefore the other two Euangelistes Marke and Luke reporting with Mathewe those selfesame stories concerning the aforesaide Demoniakes they vse not the worde possessed at all But those whom Mathewe intituleth Demoniackes Marke termeth a man hauing an vncleane spirite and Luke he saith there mette Christ a man who had a Diuel a long time Making it a matter meerely indifferent and alone in effect to be a Demoniacke and to haue a Diuel or an vncleane spirite as for the word possessed they neuer vse it neither is the same found throughout the originall applyed to Diuels And vndoubtedlie these words possession or possessed being carelesly thrust into the texte hand ouer head by our English translators is not the leaste occasion that the whole world by a common receiued errour from hand to hand hath beene so vniuersallie possessed with manie grosse errours concerning the Diuel his supposed possession in man Moreouer whereas you boldely affirme that the Euangelist Mathew in euery place els where like occasion is offered doth vsuallie obserue the selfesame phrase that is not so For speaking of the woman of Canaans Demoniacke daughter he saith not haue mercy on me for my daughter is pitifully possessed but my daughter is miserably vexed with a Diuel Exorcistes What then I pray you doth your selfe vnderstand by the Diuel his power of possession Orthodoxus By
plainely vnto vs what you meane by the termes of ordinarie and continually working Orthodoxus My meaning is that if actuall possession as the Exorcist affirmeth be now in these daies of the Gospell an infirmitie inflicted perpetually vpon the Church as are also those other diseases contained iointly with it in one and the same commission the same vndoubtedly as are all the rest woulde be much more ordinarie with vs then now it is I meane it would bemuch more frequent and often at manie moe times in manie moe places and among manie moe persons then we see it to be Yea and it would vndoubtedly be so much more ordinarie then anie of the rest by how much more malitiously the diuel compasseth the earth and goeth continually about seeking whom to deuour Whereas the actuall possession which Exorcistes pretendeth is a thing now a daies so vnwoonted and so rare in experience as verie hardly it is heard of in twentie yeeres space Yea and when the same is generally supposed to be presently apparant in some yet the same euen then is so vncerteinlie knowne vnto men as the verie parties themselues of their owne knowledge are vnable to say they be possessed of diuels neither if they were not earnestly perswaded vnto it by some of the Exorcistes trade would they euer imagine any possession at all And therefore howsoeuer you dreame of the perpetuitie of actuall possession the same you see cannot truely be saide to be ordinarie but rather an extraordinarie and supernaturall matter surmounting the order and course of nature Philologus Surely sir I am iust of your minde that if actuall possession were now as ordinarie with diuels as are diseases with men such and so great is their malice we should foorthwith haue the whole world actually possessed at least Exorcistes That foloweth not For howsoeuer the actuall possession of diuels be perpetually ordinarie in these daies of the Gospell yet is the same no further effectuall then God hath appointed Orthodoxus Perceiue you not the absurditie of your speech in auouching a perpetuall action without an effect Howbeit because you relie so much vpon the perpetuitie of actuall possession I doe argue further against you thus Whatsoeuer power our sauiour Christ hath vndoubtedly determined long since no man may now hold the same in opinion nor conscionablie auouch the perpetuitie thereof But that extraordinarie power which concernes the actuall possession of diuels Christ hath determined long since therefore that extraordinarie power of actuall possession no man may now hold in opinion nor conâ—cionablie auouch the perpetuitie thereof Exorcistes Prooue your assumption Orthodoxus I prooue it directly from a proportionable respect of the two maine endes of such a possession namely the declaration of Christs Deitie the confirmation of his glorious Gospell both which two endes are determined long since and therefore the extraordinarie possession of diuels which were especially for those two ends it also is vndoubtedly ceased The determination of the latter I meane the confirmation of the glorious Gospell shall heereafter be handled at large when we come to entreat of the ceasing of miracles in the meane time this I doe boldly auouch namelie that the extraordinarie possession for the other maine â—nd namely the declaration of the glorious deitie is long since by Christ determined Exorcistes When where hath Christ determined the extraordinarie possession of diuels concerning that speciall end Orthodoxus Euen then and there where he telleth vs plainely that nowe is the iudgement of this world now shall the prince of this worlde be cast out Foretelling directly vnto vs that immediately after his death and resurrection the extraordinarie actuall power of satans possession should receiue a full and finall subuersion as a thing now meerely superfluous to worke vpon for any further declaration of his glorious Deitie Exorcistes Good sir by your leaue you do greatly mistake the meaning of that Scripture For Christ by the aduerbe of time or particle now doth not precisely and purposely restraine the final determination of actuall possession vnto any predeterminate or speciall time but thereby doth rather insinuate the perpetuall efficacie of that his own effectuall working power which by the powerfull preaching of his glorious Gospell should after his death successiuely shew it selfe vpon Satan to the verie ende of the world Orthodoxus I perceiue you need no Gentleman vsher for you can take leaue without leaue to censure the exposition I giue of that Scripture by quallifying the literall sense of the particle now Which in that place you say importeth no predeterminate or speciall time but onely hath reference vnto the successiue working power of Christ executed by the powerful preaching of the gospel to the end of the world In deed I do willingly graâ—t that the effectuall working power of Christ neither doth nor may possibly determine to the end of the world for hee must effectually reigne till he hath actually subiected all his enimies vnder his feete But withall I do flatly denie the continuance of satan his power of actuall possession to the end of the world neither may such manner of inference be possiblie enforced from thence For what a dalliance is this Christ his effectuall working power must successiuely shewe foorth it selfe vpon satan to the end of the world therefore the actuall possession of satan must not nor may not determine to the end of the world As though if the actuall possession of diuels should now finalliâ— cease and determine the effectuall power of Christ could finde nothing at all in satan to worke vpon But tell me I pray you had not the diuell at the first of all a power of possession and a power of obsession permitted vnto him And was and is he not industrious enough in the execution of both from time to time Let continuall experience speake in this point Now then if the effectual working power of Christ hath actually fully subdued the first may therefore the efficacy of that his said power remaine now vtterly idle from time to time notwithstanding any the fiery assaults or harmes which might grow from the latter I suppose nothing lesse For remember you not that old saying It is as much to keepe an hold as was before to win the hold Hence therefore it is very apparant that as the effectuall working power of Christ hath extraordinarily and actually shewed foorth it selfe vpon satan by suppressing for euer his power of actuall possession so surely the efficacy of that his said power must now successiuely shew foorth it sefe vpon satan to the end of the world by repelling his power of obsession I meane by withstanding his outragious assaults his cunning circumuentions his subtile tentations and by quenching the force of his fiery darts for euer through the powerfull preaching of his glorious gospel So then howsoeuer the continuance of Christs power be granted vnto you yet vnlesse you be able withall very substantially to prooue the
perpetuity of satan his actuall possession you speake nothing at all to the purpose Exorcistes Sir howsoeuer I may seeme vnable to mannage the common sence which men giue of that place I perceiue no reason as yet of your owne exposition Orthodoxus Let vs therefore labour the clearing thereof by this folowing order First let vs carefully examine those places of scripture which both before and after the manifestation of Christ in the flesh do purposely entreate of his effectuall working power vpon satan The next let vs more exactly analyze that portion of scripture which we propounded euen now to prooue the final determination of satan his power of actuall possession And then lastly let vs endeuour to confirme our said exposition by the testimony of writers both old and new All this beeing fully effected the truth of the matter will breake foorth I doubt not like the Sun in his strength Lycanthropus A very excellent order I pray you proceed in the same Orthodoxus With very good will First therefore concerning those seuerall scriptures which purposely handle the effectuall working power of Christ before his manifestation in the flesh we haue to consider that the Lord God immediately after the fall of man did for the comfort of the godly and terrour of satan foretell to them both that the seed of the woman should bruse the serpents head In which place he precisely puts downe one speciall act to be actually effected by Christ vpon satan namely the actual subduing of his actual dominion vnderstood in that place by the serpents head and purposely refers the actuall accomplishment thereof to the future time saying thus The seed of the woman not doth or hath but rather shall bruse the serpents head That is in processe of time shall euen actually ouercome the said power of the diuel hauing also therein a more speciall relation to the very death of our sauiour Christ vnderstood in that place by the brusing of his heele Now then from the due consideration hereof I doe argue thus namely that euen as howsoeuer the diuell may be said to wage war with Christ and his members from time to time yet there was one special time predetermined of God wherein the said diuel was actually to bruse the heele of our sauiour and that vndoutedly was the very tiâ—e of Christ his suffering vpon the crosse whereupon the diuel accordingly did put into Iudas his hart to betray his maister so surely howsoeuer Christ and his members may be said to infringe effectually the diuel his tyrannicall power from time to time to the end of the world yet was there one speciall time foreappointed of God wherein Christ alone was actually to breake the serpents head and that vndoubtedly was the very selfesame time wherein Satan brused his heele I meane the verie time of Christs sufferings when he said it is finished Exorcistes Why doe you so exactly restraine the conquest of Christ ouer Satan vnto the onely time of his sufferings sith he was the lambe slaine from the beginning of the world Orthodoxus I restraine not the efficacie but the very act of Christs conquest to the onely time of his suffrings Moreouer although it be truely said that Christ was the Lambe slaine from the beginning of the world yet that must not be vnderstoode of anie actuall but of an effectuall sacrificing of Christ to so manie as in all ages and times doe apprehend the efficacie of his said sacrifice by a liuely faith which is the victorie whereby they ouercome the world If therefore you vnderstand the aforesaid place of an actuall sacrificing of Christ from the beginning to the end of the world then surely your speech is not onely to to absurd but withal it crosseth directly the holie Ghost elsewhere who telleth vs plainly that if an actuall sacrificing of Christ be there vnderstood then Christ must often haue suffred from the worlds foundation Besides that it doth quite ouerthrowe the dignitie of Christ his priesthood aboue the Leuitical priesthood which is there set foorth by many comparisons thus The Leuiticall high priest he sacrificed in a corruptible tabernacle but Christ in the tabernacle of his owne bodie He sacrificed with strange bloud but Christ with his owne bloud He entred into the sanctuary made with hands but Christ into heauen it self He appeared before the materiall Arke but Christ before God his father He euerie yeere once iterated his sacrifice whereas Christ offering himselfe but once for al abolished sinne altogither as wel of the former as of the ages to come Then after all this he renders a reason why Christ could actually but once be sacrificed namely because he could actually but once be crucified And in the end he coÌ„fidently concludes that howsoeuer Christ was but once actually sacrificed yet the vertue and efficacie of his said sacrifice did and doth effectually extend it selfe to the sinnes which were before and to the sinnes which succeeded his sufferings So then notwithstanding whatsoeuer you obiect you may plainely perceiue that euen as albeit Christ his said sacrifice hath euer beene and euer shal be effectual from time to time yet there was one speciall time foreappointed of God wherein his said sacrifice was actually effected so surely that although the effectuall working power of Christ hath beene and is euer effectuall from time to time against the power of actuall possession yet there was vndoubtedly one speciall time wherein the saide power of actuall possession was by Christ actually annihilated and that was the verie time of Christ his manifestation in the flesh when as by the verie force of his suffrings he brake the serpents head Hereunto also the Euangelist Luke verie aptly accordeth saying When a strong armed man keepeth his house the things that he possesseth are in peace but when a stronger then he commeth vpon him and ouercommeth him he taketh from him all his armour wherein he trusted and deuideth the spoiles The Euangelist there doth allegorically depaint vnto vs the condition dominion and practise of satan For by the strong armed man he meaneth the diuell By his house he vnderstandeth generally the world and more particularly the parties actually possessed By peaceable possession the power and swaie of his tyrannicall dominion By the stronger he vnderstandeth Christ that victorious lyon of the tribe of Iudah By the binding of him the irrecouerable weakening of his power of obsession By the taking away of the armour wherein he trusted the vtter annihilating of his power of possession Lastly by deuiding the spoiles he meaneth the timely restauration of all poore possessed soules to the kingdome and seruice of Christ according to that which Christ saith now is the iudgement of this world Vnderstanding thereby the iudgement of discretion not the iudgement of damnation as if Christ should say thus Now is that selfesame time of the worlds reformation at hand wherein shall
be plainely discerned the chosen seruants of God from the confounded slaues of Satan Because now shall the prince of this world be actually cast out by the effectuall power of my death and resurrection Thus then we haue briefly heard those speciall scriptures which doe purposely point at the effectuall working power of Christ before his death Lycanthropus Let vs heare in like sort those other scriptures which doe purposely handle the said effectuall power of Christ now since his death Orthodoxus Content First therefore the holy Ghost saith thus to the Hebrewes For as much as the children are pertakers of flesh and bloud Christ also himselfe tooke part with them that he might destroy through death him that had power ouer death that is the diuell Wherein first you see he puts downe the incarnation of Christ and then next he sheweth the maine cause of his saide incarnation namely that he might destroy the diuell Now then this same destruction of the diuell it must in no wise be vnderstood of the essence but of the actions of Satan For the diuell as touching his essence or being still liueth and liue must for euer Howbeit concerning his actions I meane his tyrannicall dominion and actuall power he may verie fitly be said to be now destroied Because howsoeuer satan be accounted a prince of this world and therefore endeuoureth verie proudly to dominire ouer all yet when he came vnto Christ he found nothing at all in him that is no such matter of subiection as he happily imagined Neither could he possibly haue any power ouer him at all or no further power at the most then the brusing of Christ his heele I meane the crucifying of his flesh And this one worke of satan was that which accidentally procured his proper destruction For therefore did Christ take flesh vpon him that euen in the flesh he might conquere him who had conquered flesh and through death might destroy him that had power ouer death namely the diuell as was shewed before And this as it hath reference to the actions and not the essence of satan so shall it giue much light to the matter in hand if we precisely examine the verie word it selfe which the holy Ghost here obserueth For he saith not that Christ hath abated infringed or weakened but that he hath destroied the diuell that is that he hath vtterly cut off exiled and banished his tyrannicall dominion For so much the word tsamath importeth which signifieth to chaine vp to exterminate to driue out and in such sort to consume a thing as there remaineth no hope at all of anie possible recouerie Yea and the Greeke word catargeo portendeth fully as much Now then howsoeuer Christ may truely be said to haue destroied the diuell yet this word destruction hath not properly any reference to the essence of satan for therein he liueth and liue must for euer as hath beene declared Neither may it be fitly applied to Satan his power of obssession which is not yet vtterly destroied for thereby he assaulteth circumuenteth and tempteth men still to the end of the world And therefore it must necessarily and more especially be appropriated to his power of possession which was not onely much maimed but vtterly destroied by the death of our Sauiour although yet we denie not but that this vtter destruction both may be and is also in some sort vnderstood of the whole dominion and power of the diuell whatsoeuer All which his said powers were so mightily weakened by the sufferings and resurrection of Christ as thereby he shall neuer be able any more now to hurt the elect Because Christ taking part with them in the flesh hath destroied through death him that had power ouer death namely the diuell And hereunto accordeth that which the holy Ghost elsewhere auoucheth saying that Christ hath appeared to loosen dissolue or destroy the workes of the diuell Exorcistes That destruction is to be vnderstood of annihilating the venim and sting of sinne and death and not of a finall determining of satan his power of actuall possession Orthodoxus Herein your speech is derogatorious to the efficacie and dignitie of Christs death in that by restrayning the same as you doe to the onely annihilating of the venemous sting of sinne and of death you vtterly exclude the effectual working power thereof from the actuall determination of satan his actuall possession For consider you not what peculiar action therein the Scriptures impose vpon Christ First he hath been from the worlds foundation peculiarly appointed of God to be that promised seede which should bruse the serpents head Then next he is vndoubtedly that stronger man who was to binde the strong armed man and to deuide his spoiles Both which places as they plainly import some peculiar action to be performed by Christ so doe they vndoubtedly binde the actuall accomplishment thereof vpon his owne person alone and that also euen in the future time Then after the fulnes of time our Sauiour Christ being come in the flesh he flatly affirmeth that euen now shall the prince of this world be cast out Limitting you see the actuall effecting of that selfesame peculiar action so foretold as before vnto the present time of his sufferings Moreouer after the actuall accomplishment thereof by his death the holy Ghost else where affirmeth accordingly that he hath by death destroied him who had power ouer death and againe that Christ hath appeared to destroy the works of the diuel Both which last places of scripture as they plainely import some speciall action effected by Christ in the preter time as did those other before in the future time so surely Christ after he was come in the flesh did likewise alotte the actuall performance thereof vnto that present time of his death wherein he was actually to finish his predetermined conquest ouer satan himselfe Now then this said actuall accomplishment of some special action thus actually effected by Christ must necessarily haue a speciall reference to the finall determination either of Satan his power of possession or of his power of obsession But not of his power of obsession for therin he still assaulteth and tempteth mens minds and therefore of his power of possession as was shewed before Lycanthropus Let this suffice for the sence of those seueral scriptures which both before and since the comming of Christ do point foorth vnto vs his effectuall working power vpon satan and now I pray you analyse that selfesame scripture you propounded of late to prooue the finall determination of satan his actuall possession Orthodoxus Content Wherein you haue to consider first that our sauiour Christ in saying Now is the iudgement of this world now shall the prince of this world be cast out had an especiall regard to that earnest petition which certeine greekes a little before did personally put vp vnto Andrew saying Good