But if Christ (onelie for a time) left the power of working mi/racles432. among his apostles and disciples for the confirmation of his gospell, and the faith of his elect: yet I denie altogether, that he left that power with these knaves, which hide their cousening purposes under those lewd and foolish words, according to that which Peter saith; 2. Pet. 2.
Ephes. 5.
Ps. 72, & 78. With feined words they make merchandize of you. And therfore the counsell is good that Paule giveth us, when he biddeth us take heed that no man deceive us with vaine words. For it is the Lord only that worketh great woonders, and bringeth mightie things to passe.Sap. 16.
Ecclus. 43. It is also written, that Gods word, and not the words of conjurors, or the charmes of witches, healeth all things, maketh tempests, and stilleth them.
But put case the divell could be fetched up and fettered, and loosed againe at their pleasure, &c: I marvell yet, that anie can be so bewitched, as to be made to beleeve, that by vertue of their words, anie earthlie creature can be made invisible. We thinke it a lie, to saie that white is blacke, and blacke white: but it is a more shamelesse assertion to affirme, that white is not,To denie the subsistence or naturall being of a thing materiall and visible is impudēcie. or blacke is not at all; and yet more impudencie to hold that/313. a man is a horsse; but most apparent impudencie to saie, that a man is no man, or to be extenuated into such a quantitie, as therby he may be invisible, and yet remaine in life and health, &c: and that in the cleare light of the daie, even in the presence of them that are not blind. But surelie, he that cannot make one haire white or blacke, whereof (on the other side) not one falleth from the head without Gods speciall providence, can never bring to passe, that the visible creature of God shall become nothing, or lose the vertue and grace powred therinto by God the creator of all things.
If they saieEzec. 8. & 9.
Isai. 6, & 26 and 30. that the divell covereth them with a cloud or veile, as M. Mal. Bodin, & manie other doo affirme; yet (me thinkes) we should either see the cover, or the thing covered. And though perchance they saie in their harts; Tush, the Lord seeth not, who indeed hath blinded them, so as seeing, they see not: yet they shall never be able to persuade the wise, but that both God and man dooth see both them and their knaverie in this behalfe. I have heard of a foole, who was made beleeve that he should go invisible, and naked; while he was well whipped by them, who (as he thought) could not see him. Into which fooles paradise they saie** John Jauregui servant to Gasper Anastro both Spaniards. Ann. Dom. 1582. March 18. after dinner upon a sundaie this mischeefe was doone. Read the whole discourse hereof printed at London for Tho: Chard and Will: Brome bookesellers. he was brought, that enterprised to kill the prince of Orenge./
The xxii. Chapter.433.
A comparison betweene popish exorcists and other conjurors, a popish conjuration published by a great doctor of the Romish church, his rules and cautions.
SEE no difference betweene these and popish conjurations; for they agree in order, words, and matter, differing in no circumstance, but that the papists doo it without shame openlie, the other doo it in hugger mugger secretlie. The papists (I saie) have officers in this behalfe, which are called exorcists or conjurors, and they looke narrowlie to other cousenors, as having gotten the upper hand over them. And bicause the papists shall be without excuse in this behalfe, and that the world may see their cousenage, impietie, and follie to be as great as the others, I will cite one conjuration (of which sort I might cite a hundred) published by Jacobus de Chusa,Jac. de Chusæ in lib. de apparitionib. quorundam spirituum. a great doctor of the Romish church, which serveth to find out the cause of noise and spirituall rumbling in houses, churches, or chappels, and to conjure walking spirits: which evermore is knaverie and cousenage in the highest degree. Marke the cousening devise hereof, and conferre the impietie with the others.
Observations for the exorcising preest.First (forsooth) he saith it is expedient to fast three daies, and to celebrate a certeine number of masses, and to repeate the seven psalmes penitentiall: then foure or five preests must be called to the place where the haunt or noise is, then a candle hallowed on candlemas daie must be lighted, and in the light/ing314. thereof also must the seven psalmes be said, and the gospell of S. John. Then there must be a crosse and a censer with frankincense, and therewithall the place must be censed or perfumed, holie water must be sprinkled, and a holie stoale must be used, and (after diverse other ceremonies) a praier to God must be made, in maner and forme following:
O Lord Jesus Christ, the knower of all secrets, which alwaies/434. revealest all hoalsome and profitable things to thy faithfull children, and which sufferest a spirit to shew himselfe in this place, we beseech thee for thy bitter passion, &c: vouchsafe to command this spirit, to reveale and signifie unto us thy servants, without our terror or hurt, what he is, to thine honour, and to his comfort; In nomine patris, &c. And then proceed in these words: We beseech thee, for Christs sake, O thou spirit, that if there be anie of us, or among us, whom thou wouldest answer, name him, or else manifest him by some signe. Is itMemorandum that he must be the veriest knave or foole in all the companie. frier P. or doctor D. or doctor Burc. or sir Feats, or sir John, or sir Robert: Et sic de cæteris circunstantibus. For it is well tried (saith the glosse) he will not answer everie one. If the spirit make anie sound of voice, or knocking, at the naming of anie one, he is the cousener (the conjuror I would saie) that must have the charge of this conjuration or examination. And these forsooth must be the interrogatories, to wit: Whose soule art thou? Wherefore camest thou? What wouldest thou have? Wantest thou any suffrages, masses, or almes? How manie masses will serve thy turne, three, six, ten, twentie, thirtie, &c? By what preest? Must he be religious or secular? Wilt thou have anie fasts? What? How manie? How great? And by what persons? Among hospitalles? Lepres? Or beggars? What shall be the signe of thy perfect deliverance? Wherefore liest thou in purgatorie? And such like. This must be doone in the night.
These spirits are not so cunning by daie as by night. If there appeare no signe at this houre, it must be deferred untill another houre. Holie water must be left in the place. There is no feare (they saie) that such a spirit will hurt the conjuror: for he can sinne no more, as being in the meane state betweene good and evill, and as yet in the state of satisfaction. *If* For so they might be bewraied. the spirit doo hurt, then it is a damned soule, and not an elect. Everie man may not be present hereat, speciallie such as be weake of complexion. They appeare in diverse maners, not alwaies in bodie, or bodilie shapeFor so the cousenage may be best handled. (as it is read in the life of S. Martine, that the divell did) but sometimes invisible, as onelie by sound, voice, or noise. Thus farre Jacobus de Chusa.