detestation of such like impieties But here may you say lieth there a déepe question because I impose the name of miracle both to the works of God and the prestigious illusion of the deuill confounding them in name which are different in nature To which I answer not without authoritie that the deuils actions are vnproperly miracles Gods trulie the one done by preparation the other sodainly the one to delude the other to confirme the one to hinder the other to profit man Those then that worke by the diuell do miracles vnproperlie and herein are the true confounded with the false in denomination because we cannot distinguish of the sodainnes in performance or the spéedinesse in execution Some suppose and define a miracle to be an vnaccustomed action wrought aboue the power of nature wherin there are two things to be considered one that it excéed the abilitie of nature the other that it surpasse common custome Where vpon it followeth that the creation of a humane soule is not properlie a miracle for although the creation thereof excéed the power of nature yet since it is a thing accustomed and God createth souls daily it may not rightly be called a miracle Againe a child borne with seuen fingers a man with two heads a woman with soure armes and such like cannot in right bée held miraculous for although such creations are vnaccustomed yet excéed they not the power of nature because from naturall causes there may follow such like effects to conclude therefore positiuelie of miracles and their natures I assure you that things done sodainly by assistance of Diuine vertue for confirmation of truth and demonstration of Gods power and wisdome for erudition of the faithfull and conuersion of the reprobat are rightlie miracles but matters wrought with intention of deceit fruits of subtile insinuation these are the improper miracles of magicians who contended with Moises and Aaron before Pharao done secundum rem as the schoolemen say but not secundum modum There is a question likewise what magicians do in performing their miracles namely whether they prepare the matter only or induce the form likewise to which may be answered that they prepare the matter only haue no power to inform for as fathers are not held the creators of their childreÌ„ nor husbandmeÌ„ the makers of their fruit though in creating of these gods power inwardly works by admission and sufferáce of their exterior motioÌ„s so neither is it lawful to think that good or euill angels create or magicians the ministers of them informe but to him only may creation be ascribed by whose power and word allthinges were created Again in working things miraculous this is to be noted that the impious only worketh by permission the vertuons by impression and assistance the good are enabled by God to performe the bad induced by the diuell to deceiue God only likewise is said to do miracles by authoritie angels and holy men dispositiuely bad men and magicians permissiuely neither is it to be wondered that magicians raise stormes choak an increase procure abortion and such like things which the blessed do not because this power is restrained in the saints for feare least weakened by pernicious error they should be deceiued supposing there were greater gifts in such like effects then in the works of Iustice wherby the soule is enlightned and eternal life gained And therefore Christ said to his Disciples Luke 10. Reioice not in this because spirits are subiect vnto you but reioice because your names are written in heauen There is likewise a controuersie among the learned debated by many arguments whether magicians by the power of the deuill may locally chaunge or spéedily transfer the bodies of men or beasts and the rather because it hath beene deliuered by tradition and confirmed by the mistaken that old women hath béene transported by spirits from place to place magiciaÌ„s from countrey to countrey and scholers from Paris to Rome on these grounds there are many opinions some ascribing these works to the illusion of the sences other vtterly denieng any such abilities notwithstanding the reformed opinions are that both Deuils and Magicians their Ministers may remoue and transfer the bodies of men from place to place because it is manifest in Iobs children where euill spirits ouerthrow the house on their heads againe hauing power to adhibit corporall séeds to produce some certaine effects it followeth they haue power to remoue bodies because rightly effects cannot be produced except locall motion be made admitted There is likewise a question why women are soonest troubled and more oftentimes deceiued by the Diuell then men be To which the answer is for two causes First by reason of their credulitie next because of their frailtie and infirmity Their credultie appeareth in that they were first and soonest tempted their fragility in that they are more prone to lust and therefore Peter called women the weaker vessels because they are soonest wrought And because carnall desire is the aime of Magicians and women by nature are more flexible it commonly falleth out that there are more women witches thaÌ„ men Beside for their credulities sake Paul permitteth them not to teach least being themselues deceiued they should peruert others and therefore a father said Quia semel mulier virum edocuit cuncta peruertit idcuco nequaquaÌ„ haec habeat velum docendi de caeteris potestatem Father quoth Frumentarius it is happie that women are absent for should they heare what you speake you might perhaps féele more then you wish You deceiue your selfe quoth Anthony for should they heare their infirmitie they would take little cause to presume so much on their excellencie This is beside the teâ—â— said Asterius Let vs returne to our purpose and resolue vs good Hermit whether Diuels or inchanters may alterate bodies in respect of their qualities procure sicknesse inflict infirmities and restore health By their owne vertue answered Anthony neither can Diuels or Magicians either in naturall or materiall things immeadiatly induce any forme either by procuring health or inducing sicknesse by vrging heat or increasing cold and the reason is because if they could induce one forme they might induce all and by that meanes both nature and the whole world should be subiect vnto them but since it is manifest that God hath not subiected the whole world to the good and blessed angels It followeth that by no meanes or reason it may be thought that the matter of these visible things in the world and of the world should be subiect to the beck and seruice of the transgressiue and accursed angels Another conclusion is that magicians can miraculously change both the matter and natures of bodies applying the séeds of things and ioining actiue with passiue and the reason is that euen as art which imitateth nature can effect diuers things which nature it selfe cannot so deuils can do many things which are beyond mans reach aboue al art and besides the accustomed course
and wanting faith to assist the report of heauenlie things they want power to conceiue ought but earthlie thinges men choaked by the world are drowned in the world the obscure man holds his countrie a Paradise because he knowes no other and Mopsa with hir bleared eie is as déere to Nisus as Phillis with her faire face to Amintas world lie mens delight is tied to their knowledge and what they sée they commend what they heare they suspect They onlie that know the world trulie trust it not in well knowing it by faith they apprehend things vnséene and by the spirit are assured of their vncertainties Christ by becomming man prooueth that nothing is vnpossible to God by partaking infirmity nourisheth our saiths we that know his sufferance excéedeth our senses must cōclude that onlie faith must apprehend his Deitie To them that beléeue he maketh all things possible the holie Ghost helpeth them who bréedeth charitie their charitie inflameth them which norisheth faith their faith assureth them being grounded in charitie To them that beléeue not that which they sée not he giueth ouer to trust in that which they should not in blindnes they liue in obstinacie they continue desperat they die O Metrodorus beléeue antiquitie for as by many discents our progenies are maintained so by memorable reports the truth retaineth his perfection To beléeue onlie that which we haue séene is to condemne al that which our fathers haue obserued and to tie all thinges to our sences is to confesse we haue no liuing and reasonable souls Thus far prosecuted old Anthonie his persuasions and so fruitfully listened Metrodorus to his sound reasons that the one reioiced to sée the others conformitie and the other applauded the Hermits zeale and industrie Thus he that came to obiect was taught to learn and he that presumed too much on his owne power was learnt to know his weakenesse Meane while Asterius inflamed with the selfe same fire willing to disconer his wound to the end he might recouer medicine Thus kindlie saluted Anthonie who as willingly listened Father qd he since desperate cures assure the Phisitions cunning and fruitfull persuasion shewes the orators forcible eloquence I will cast off feare and become forward knowing thy perfection by experience and disclose the infirmities of my mind that they may be healed with the happie cordials of thy counsailes Do so my sonne said Anthonie and let me heare thée that I may know thée Asterius thus incouraged after a déepe sigh began this solemne discourse Those that haue heard of Asterius O Hermit haue either named him with feare or followed him with admiration for that Magitian am I who by my charmes haue tied the cloudes restrained showers enchanted trées made barren women tired the fish in the sea bound the birds in the aire forcing nature to submit to my art and all science to be subiect to my incantations in Rome the learned fauoured me the Senators winckt at me the commons presēted me the maidens visited me none durst prouoke me For which causes waxing prowd and by pride foolish obstinate it chanced that some strise grew betwixt me and Sixtus then Bishop of Rome whom the Romans honoured for his holinesse and I hated for his vertues His contention with me was to dissuade from magicke my arguments against him were fatall exorcismes his purpose to reclaime me from sinne My practise to desraud him of life Thus his zeale working one way my enuie another way at last wée met in an appointed place where he falling to praiers and I to practise if I troubled the aire with clouds he cléered the skie with orisons brieflie coniuring vp a Deuill vnder purpose that violently he should driue him away Sixtus by his praiers bound him on his authoritie exiled me My banishment confirmed by Senate allowed by the people desired by the godlie I came into Egypt purposing to find thée out that by some debate of learning I might know the dignities of magicke for so delightfull is the emperie ouer nature the knowledge of the stars the commanding of spirits the manner of exorcisme that in stéed of forsaking them men rather earnestlie affect them if therefore thou hold it pietie O Anthonie and these gentlemen estéeme it wonne time that bewraieth truths let vs sit and confer first of the nature of diuels then consequently of the inclination of the stars the workes of Astrologie and the power of Magicke That I may be either bettered in my knowledge or no more bewitched with these calamities What quoth Frumentarius the Indian is it possible there should be diuels where neither Aristotle the maister nor the Peripateticks his scholers euer knew them for they ascribe to the planets that which we attribute to the seinds to the celestiall bodies what you to the infernall spirits to causes naturall what you to miraculous Tis true my friend quoth Anthonie that philosophers thought so but since we know there are effects aboue nature as to recite verses scite authority and repeat latine in a ignorant demoniaque it followeth that their allegations are found and our foundations sound neither was the Stragerite only more ignorant in this point but some Christians haue shewed lesse iudgement for confessing there are deuils they yet differ in this that not taking diuels as we mean they suppose them to be the souls of men to whom it may be answered according to corrected doctrin that the soule being a bodilesse substance cannot be translated into the substance of the diuell being incorporeate other errors there be rather to be wincked at then be written suffered by diuine pollicie to take head first to extinguish mane presumption next to confirme truths authoritie Upon what conclusion then shall our faith rest said Frumentarius where authorities are so different reasons so dissident Upon truth quoth Anthonie which being it selfe is neuer deceiued What proueth more there are diuels then the prohibition to sacrifice to them Leuit. 17 What sheweth their sacrifice to be more impious thē the impiety vrged against the Israelites in that practise Deut. 32. Hieroboam sacrificed to Deuils in Iob in Tobie in the Euangelists the proofes are manifest in that cause that therefore which is manifest by demonstration néedeth no proofe blind Philosophie confirmes them and shall we suspect them Oracles approue them shall we denie them That there are deuils O Hermit said Metrodorus no man suspecteth it but respect of the authoritie of their names and the prescript of their power therein lieth our question And I shall resolue thée Metrodoius qd Anthonie in these difficulties The Diuel hath diuers denominations according to his diuers workings he is called Diabolos of Dia which is Duo and Bolos which is Morcellus as he that desireth to swallow two morcels the body and soule The Hebrewes terme him Diabolus quasi deorsum sluens The Gréeks a calumner or accuser the Latines Angelus malus for his bad tidings He is likewise called Sathan because an
in retaining and constant in obseruing That thou oughtest to take counsaile request it at Gods hand Iames teacheth thée where he saith If any of you lacke wisdome let him aske it of God Iacob 10. and Paule in his Epistle to the Colossians saith Whatsoeuer you doe either in word or déed doe it in the name of our Lord Iesus Christ giuing thanks to God the father For as Iames saith Euery best gift and euery perfect gift is from aboue descending from the father of lights with whom is no transmutation nor shadowing of alteration in demanding counsaile therefore at Gods hands thou must both be deuout and prouident to the end thou maist desire nothing at his hands but y t which shall stand with iustice and be correspondent to honestie and if so thou doe doubtlesse whatsoeuer thou wilt thou shalt obtaine For Christ faith whatsoeuer you shall aske of my father in my name he shal giue it you which thou maist thus vnderstand if thou be iust and demand iustly otherwise if thou desire vnlawfull things the iudgement shal light on thy selfe and the peruerse counsaile destroy thine own soule for as Iesus the sonne of Sirac saith he that worketh vngodly counsailes they shall returne and ouer whelme himself neither shall he know from whence they happen vnto him For if in the law of common freindship it be held both iniustice and iniurie either to request dishonest things or accomplish them being demanded much more in Gods cause who is our perfect friend and only kéeper of our soules ought we to be respectiue and therefore as Cato saith Quod iustum estpetito vel quod videatur honestum Nam stultum est petere quod possit iure negari Since therefore mans counsaile without Gods helpe is both weake and fruitlesse by reason that without him we may not do any thing let vs first of all séeke from him our counsaile and his iustice and all other goods shal bée annexed and tied vnto vs. Next of all thou must aske counsaile and examine it in thy selfe namely whether thy will peruert not thy reason thy superstition thy deuotion thy selfe loue thy iudgement briefly thou must chiefest of all so draw counsaile from thy selfe that thy moderation be not peruerted by rage nor thy discretion by light beliefe First take héed that neither thou thy selfe be irefull nor thy counsellor be wrothfull and that for many reasons First because the ireful man thinketh his abilitie to excéed his power and by that means he ouercommeth his owne abilitie for it is a true law that he who thineketh he can more then his nature ministers in excéeding his owne power thinketh himselfe to be imbaced secondly because the wrothfull man speaketh not according as iustice directs him but as the spléene peruerteth him Thirdly because wroth hindereth the mind whereupon the Poet saith Wroth lets the mind for feare it spie the truth In counsailes therefore and in other things thou must restraine the disturbed motions of thy soule and make thy desires obedient to the rules of loue and reason for so Tullie counsaileth when he saith Gouerne thy wrath because whē it hath power nothing may either be done rightly or consideratly for those thinges which are wrought with any perturbation can neither be done with constancie nor approoued by those that are absent wroth hath no meane neither doth interrupted furie admit any moderation For the irefull man accounteth al counsaile inconsiderat he that ouercommeth his wroth ouercommeth a great enemie and he can neuer be considerat that is sildome moderat in counsell likewise thou must auoid pleasure or cupidity least either y e one or other ouercome the sence and iudgement of either thée or thy chosen counsaile First because desire and couetousnesse is the root of all euils Paul ad Cor. Secondly because the voluptuousnes of the heart extinguisheth the light of the mind and containeth in it selfe all kind of inconuenience For Tully in his booke de Senectute saith That nature hath not giuen man more capitall or fatall enemies then the desires and pleasures of the bodie for from it spring rash and vnrefrained lusts inciting and peruerting the mind and after many enormities reckoned vp he concludeth that there is no place for vertue in the kingdome of pleasure For which cause there is nothing so detestable or pestilerous as to folow pleasure for where it taketh most head and roote there is all the light of the soule extinguished And truly pleasure is so bad that it neuer springeth except griefe forego it for as Alphonsus saith no man is delighted with drinking except he be foregréeued with thirst neither taketh any man pleasure in eating except he hath béene plagued with hunger neither affecteth any man rest except he hath béene agréeued and agrauated by labor beside this is to be noted that in euery and the least danger there is some imminent perill wherevpon the Philosopher said thus Whosoeuer is voluptuous cannot want vice Thirdly in thy counsailes other things thou must auoid and remoue couetous desire quia parat peccatum generat mortem as Iames saith Fourthly thou must auoid desire both in thy selfe and thy counsailers because all desires are the gates of hell by which we haue recourse vnto death Fiftly in thine actions and counsailes whatsoeuer thou must expell desire because it loueth nothing els but that which is vnlawsul therfore Seneca saith Ferocissima cupiditas pestis est quis solet egenos facere quos capit quia finemquerendi non inuenit alia enim cupiditas ex fine alterius nascitur Desire quoth he is a fierce plague which not only maketh thée poore when it surpriseth because it findeth no end in séeking for one desire is begotten by the issue and end of another and therefore in another place he saith he is stronger that ouercommeth his desire then hée which mastereth his enemie Sixthly desire in all affaires and actions is to be both remoued and reproued especiall to the end that infirmities may be auoided for if as it is prooued desire hath no end it deserueth and that worthily to bée dispised whereupon a father saith follow not infinit things for where is no end there can be no rest and where there is no rest there can be no peace and where there is no peace God cannot dwell for as Dauid saith His place is in peace and his habitation in Sion In counsailes likewise thou must auoid all hast and rashnesse for as in iudgement celerilie is condemned wherevpon it is wont to be said that hée is the best iudge that quickly apprehendeth and slowly iudgeth and againe he hasteth to repent him that swiftly censureth so is it written of counsaile in thy counsailes the longer thou hast deliberated thinke thou hast the righter done for the swiftest counsails are soonest repented Thou must not therefore either giue or take counsaile hastely or sodainly but with aduised deliberation and competent delay for as Seneca saith Lib de For.