A Brief Apology Proving the Possession of William Sommers, Text
That William Sommers did not counterfeite a poſſeſſion, but was in deed ſtranglie and ſnpernaturally afflicted by the operation of Sathan (as we verely thinke) actuallie poſſeſſing him.
IN the Goſpell there are diuers ſignes ſet downe of Sathan his actuall poſſeſſing one, as aMark. 5. 5. Luke 9. 39.cryinge, bMark 9. 18.gnaſhinge the teeth, cMark. 9. 18. 20.vvallowing, dMark 9. 18, 20. Luke 9. 39.foming, eMar. 17. 25. Mar. 9: 22.extraordinarie & fMar. 5. 3. 4. Actes 19. 16.ſupernaturall ſtrength, gMar. 5. 1, 2, 5, 6, 7. Act. 16 16, 17. Mar. 1. 25, 26. & 9. 26 Act. 8. 7.ſupernaturall knowledge, with ſundrie others to the number of 18. but theſe and euerie of the reſt, hauehave bene ſeene in Sommer, it muſt needes therfore be, that Sathan poſſeſſed him: for vvhere the proper ſigne, or ſignes of a thing is, there is alſo the thing ſignified thereby: where ſmoke is, there is fier.
That he was diſpoſſeſſed, the ſignes thereof confirme: which are, Crying aloude, renting ſore, & lying as dead: theſe vvere ſeene and heard at the inſtant of his deliuerance.
Against this it is obiected, That he hath onelyonly counterfeited a poſſeſſion, being therevnto ſchooled by me.
To the former part thereof I aunſwere, That ſundrie of theſe thinges, vvhichwhich hauehave ben done, or rather ſuffred by him, are ſuch, as are impoſſible to be counterfeited, that is to bee done by any arte of man how cūning ſoeuer he be: as the extraordinarie & ſupernaturall Actions or paſſions of his body, ſtrength and knowledge.
1 The maner of Som. handling during his poſ.There hath bene ſeene and felt a ſwelling vvhichwhich did run through all the partes of his body: in ſome parte Supernaturall actions or paſſions.of his body it was of the bignes of an egge, in ſome other bigger or leſſen: being now in the one arme, it vvould be foorth with in th' other, and ſo of the leggs: it was ſeen in his forehead and other partes of his face, yea in his tongue. Being in his eye or toe, & he vttering theſe wordes, I will goe out at his eye, or, I will goe out at his toe, it was ſeene preſentlie to vaniſh, or remoue out of that place.
2 When this Swelling was in his arme or leggs & made any ſtay there, as often it did, then, and during that tyme, the ſame member was as heauy and inflexible as ſo much yron.
3 His body was of that exceedinge waight, that diuers at once could ſcarſly lift him.
4 He fomed aboundantly (like vntounto the horſſe) and that for an houre togither, ſo as it roped downe all along on his breſt, and yet euer and anon vvas vviped away.
5 In his fit neither did the temples of his head, nor the pulſes of his handes beate or moue.
6 He lay for the ſpace of an houre as if he had bene dead, cold as yee, his face and handes blacke, no breath being perceyued to come from him.
7 Being oftentymes caſt into the fier, vvith his handes ſometymes in the fire, ſometymes his face, lyeing there alſo a while, He vvas not burnt at all.
8 He did ſpeake diſtinctlie vvith a continuall ſpeach for a quarter of an houre, his mouth being ſhut cloſe.
9 He ſpake with his mouth wide open, yea his tongue tetorted into his throate, and namely theſe words: Ego ſum Deus, ego ſum Rex: that is, J am God, I am King. Whichhe retortinge vvas vſuall vvith him, and ſo done, as no parcell of his tongue was to bee ſeene in his mouth.
10 He was in his fitts without feeling to the iudgment of thoſe which ſawe him. Pinnes being thruſt deepe into ſundrie parts of his body (ſometimes vp to the head,) he ſtirred not at all, neither did any blood iſſue at the places ſo pricked.
Supernaturall ſtrength.His Strength was often ſuch, that 3. 4. 5. ſometymes 6. men could not rule him. Three men for an houre togither ſweating & labouring much, he ſtrugling with them, was not perceiued to pant, or blow: yea ſcarſelio to take breath: he holding his finger vpright: a man of great ſtregth could not bend it towards the palme of his hande, nor holde and keepe it downo when it was bended.
Supernaturall knowledge.His Knowledge vvas ſuch, that by vettue therof he told of thoſe things vvhichwhich were done and ſpoken diuers myles of him at the ſame inſtant they fel out, and foretold things to come. From hence alſo it was that diuinelike he continued his ſpeach in expounding the Creed for an houre togither.
Herevnto adde that moſt rare accident, That vnderunder the Couerlet where he lay, there were certayne thinges ſometime foure or fiue at one inſtant ſtirring & mouing vnderunder our handes as if they had ben kittlings, whelpes, or ſuch liuing creatures: the couerlet being fuddenly caſt vp, they vaniſhed away: but thrown downe, they vvere preſently there againe, and this continued about tenne dayes and nights by tymes.
The firſt of theſe hath bin depoſed by 11. the Teſte ſome by 4. by 5. and ſome by more or leſſe witneſſes, theſe few excepted where this marke (x) is, which notwithſtanding are as true as the reſt, and to be depoſed.
There are beſides theſe diuers others, as the drawing of his mouth awry, ſometimes to th' one eare, ſometimes to th' other: the ſetting of his face againſt his backe: a violent beating of his face & head to the groūd, and the caſting of him ſelf headlong againſt the vvalles, and poſtes of the houſe, ſo as one would hauehave thought hee would hauehave ſpoyled or bruiſed him ſelfe greatlie thereby, yet receyued he no hurt at all: the gatheringe of him ſelf of a rouud heape, & boū ſing vp a good height being ſo geathered, a ſtraunge voice which was ſenſibly heard to come out of his bodye: his vnnatural ſwelling, his body being twice ſo bigge as naturallie it is, and his ſtrange wallowing or ſwift rowling of him ſelfe, with his body ſtretched out to his full length.
If theſe things, moſt ſtraunge and admirable, can bee done by any humaine ſkill, I denie not but that hee may be a counterfeite: but vntill that ſhall appeare, I muſt needs ſubſcribe them to ſome ſupernatural power, & that is the Deuill: for ſome cauſe of theſe rare effects muſt be had, & that muſt be either naturall or ſupernaturall, but a naturall cauſe hereof can not be giuen, of neceſſitie therefore there muſt bee ſome ſupernaturall, which was an euill ſpirit poſſeſſing him, for the reaſon aforeſaid.
Againſt theſe impoſſibilities much is ſaide, but let the ſame be well examined by the premiſſes as a rule, and it will manifeſt the ſame maketh nothing againſt vsus.
Obiection, That Som. Cō ſeſſeth hee did conuterfeit.But the mayne thing that is obiected for the proofe of his diſſembling is his owne confeſſion.
Anſwere.Thereto I anſwere, that no man cū feſſing or reporting any impoſſibilitie, of him ſelf is to be credited, whiche Sommers doeth in this report of him ſelfe. If Som. ſhould ſaye that he (by good footemanſhip) hath gone on foote in one day from Barwick to Douer, none would beleue him: why then doe any credit him in this his confeſſion? for it is no more poſſible for him to goe that iourney in that time, then by his owne will & power to doe thoſe things which are about ſpecified, which he in ſaying he hath coūterfeited affirmeth he hath done. If this be a certayne trueth, that theſe thinges hee could not poſſibly doe, which all men may graunt, then foraſmuch as 20. witneſſes or therabout, hauehave vponupon their oathes aſcribed the ſame vntounto him, or ſome other power in, or by him, it muſt neceſſarilie and inevitablie followe, that if they hauehave ſworne truely, and the hundred ſaye truly which daylie beare witnes therto, and are readie to depoſe the ſame, if they might be called, then he is a Iyar in ſaying he counterfeited: Chuſe nowe whether you will beleeue W. Som. or this other companie. If he ſay crvelie, they are perjured: for vppon their oathes they hauehave avouched theſe things by him, which can not poſſibly be coūterfeited. And if they ſweare truely, he lyeth … he diſſembled. And here we … … member that the queſtiō is not …ther Som. did (or ſuffered) the thing aboue ſpecified, as vvhether he had ſuch a variable ſwelling, running vp and downe along his body, and ſo of the reſt. For that ſuch thinges vvere ſeene in him, is alreadie depoſed by many: that therfore is out of all queſtion, & moſt true, except they be periured, which is moſt vncharitable to conceiue, and daungerous to affirme, but the ſtate of our controuerſie or queſtion is vvhether Som. himſelf by ſome ſleight or cunninge of his, did thē: or (that being impoſſible) ſome other power in or by him: they therfore that goe from this point, ſpeake nothing to the matter or againſt it.
What moved Sō. to ſay that he did counterfeit a poſſeſſion.Secondlie, the meanes wherby this cōfeſſion was cōpaſſed, are to be conſidered of: Firſt thorough the malice of ſome, Som. was charged (but moſt vniuſtly) to hauehave bewitched one Sterland to death, wherevpon he was called before the Maior & Aldermen of Notingham, by thē for a time impriſoned, ſo as his father in lawe entered bond for his appearāce at the Aſſiſes.
2 To this ende Sathan viſibly appearing vntounto him (as his vſuall maner is to thoſe he poſſeſſeth) ſometime promiſed him golde, and that he would be at hand to do thoſe things for him hee had done howſoeuer hee would hauehave him, if he would ſay he had coū terfeited: at other times threatned to pul him in pieces if he would not ſay ſo. 3. For the obteyning therof Couper and Shepherd (two moſt lewd and euil diſpoſed perſons) threatned him: the one to whippe him, the other to pinch him with a paire of pincers, as appeareth both by Som. cōfeſſion and their own vpō their oathes before 12 Commiſſioners. Theſe baytes thus layd by Satan & wicked men, caught him, for preſently after & not before, he made the curſed cōfeſſion of coū terfeiting: & no maruell, theſe things well conſidered, though he vſed his tongue againſt the trueth and God him ſelfe and the great worke which he had wrought for him, ſeeing that thereby he ſhould not only eſcape (as he no doubt thought) that which Sathan threatned, and hauehave that he promiſed, which hee hath hitherto performed: but alſo to avoid the preſent puniſhment. his keepers threatned to inflict vponupon him, &, vvhichwhich was moſt of all, thereby he ſhould ſaue his life: for he in ſaying hee had diſſembled, vvas thereby freed from all ſuſpition (or rather that malicious & falſe accuſation) of witchcraft, and thervpon made not ſo much as any appearance before the Iudge of Aſſiſe: Whereas vndoubtedly if hee had ſtoode to the trueth, and neuer acknowledged any coūterfeiting, he had bene arraigned and ſore layd at for his life. Now the prouerbe is, life is ſweet: and who (almoſt) will not make a lye for the ſauing of his life? If then any aſke the queſtion why he ſhould ſay he counterfeited, if it were not ſo? he hath his aunſwere heere, for hereby wee may plainlie ſee, that there vvas in carnall reaſon much to lead him to that confeſſion, though it was altogither againſt the trueth.
3. As before ſo after he had made this wretched confeſſion, and ſtoode in it for the ſpace of a monethmonth, he acknowledged that hee neuer counterfeited, yea in wretched maner he hath betaken him ſelfe body and ſoule to the Deuill, if euer he diſſembled, and this he did for x. dayes, during which time the worke of God was manifeſt, and that by the cōfeſſion of the greateſt adverſarie. Nowe ſeeing he hath ſaid both wayes, and varied ſo often, euen foure times. For firſt he ſaid and proteſted, that he did not coūterfeit, thē, that he did diſſemble, after again that he did not, and laſtlie, he ſaith & faceth it out, that he did counterfeit: Why ſhould we rather beleue him affirming then denying, ſeeing (I ſay) he hath ſaide both wayes and alike times of both: yea vvho that is vviſe will giuegive credit to ſuch a double and falſe tongue? Conſidering alſo hovve notoriouſlie wicked he is: For take him at the beſt, and as him ſelf and others would faine hauehave you: He is an infamous deceauer, hauing faigned to be poſſeſt with a Deuill, and thereby (if it were ſo) prophaned the holy vvorde of God, and the holy exerciſe of prayer and faſting: beſides he is as notorious a lyar as euer was heard or read of, and by conſequent the child of the Deuill, yea not onelyonly a lyar but a forſworn wretch, for he hath ſworn both wayes: laſtlie, he is an horrible blaſphemer, for hee hath ſaide that there is no God, and ſometimes theſe wordes, I am God, as is depoſed. Theſe things cōſidered, doe not they greatlie forget themſelues which wil hauehave Will. Som. a counterfeiter, and my ſelf to hauehave taught him, becauſe Will. So. ſaith ſo? Is it not a ſtraūge thing that vvhatſoeuer this graceles boy ſaith ſhalbe held for trueth: If he ſaye hee hath Counterfeited, it muſt bee ſo, though God and men affirme the cō trarie, and reaſon it ſelfe ſay, it is not poſſible ſo to be. When he for pretēce hereof alleadgeth many falſe, fooliſh, and abſurd things, not once worthie the hearing or aunſwering, they are received for true & invincible arguments therof. If he ſay, Jo. Dorrell. taught him, and for ſhew thereof alleadge many thinges as falſe as falſe can be, which Io. Dorrell offereth, and is as vvell able to proue them falſe, as to proue it true that euer hee was in the Gatehouſe, yet that muſt needs be true. In a vvord, if Som. and he alone ſay many thinges for his diſſembling a poſſeſſion, and my ſchooling him, though againſt him, & that he ſaith, Many, euen hundreds affirme the cō trarie, & aboue 20. hauehave ſworne that which proueth the ſame, and among thoſe ſome were learned & reverend men, of great wiſdome and godlines: yet behold Will. Som. is beleeued before them all, What marvaile is it thē though he be credited and his word, & oath receiued before myne, thogh I be a Miniſter of Chriſt Ieſus, & ſuch (by the grace of God) as they vvhichwhich ſeeking advantage againſt me, can finde none: yet in a worde you ſhall heare what I ſay in myne ovvne defence.
That Io. Dor. did not teach Som. to counterfeit.Firſt, beſides that vponupon myne oath I hauehave denyed that I taught him, which indeed ſhould ſuffice both the law of God, and that lavv by which I am to be iudged (except there were ſome further proofe then Som. accuſation, as there is not) I affirme and reaſon for my ſelfe thus: That foraſmuch as the aforeſaid ſtraunge accidents which were ſeene in him, cannot poſſiblie bee taught or learned by any, It is impoſſible therefore that I ſhould hauehave inſtructed him therin. 2. He was ſo ſtraungly handled a monethmonth before I ſet eye on him, how thē is it poſſible that he ſhould hauehave bin taught by me? For wheras it is alleadged againſt me, that for 4. yeares or more he & I had our ſecret meetings (let that be proued that to my knowledge I euer ſawe him before the ſift of Nouember 1597. which was but 2. dayes before his diſpoſſeſſion) and I refuſe no puniſhment: and before I did ſee him, I was importuned therevnto by diuers letters, whereof one came from the Maior. I am able alſo to prove by good witnes that I vvas not deſired thither by any direct or indirect meanes from my ſelfe: nowe let euerie one iudge, whither it is not likely that I would not hauehave winded my ſelfe into the action by ſome deviſe or other, if I had had any ſuch abomination in hand as is layde to my charge. Moreouer, Som. ſaieth, that when he, to this ſaid end, repayred to me (I meane, to be taught) hee came frō one Mr Grayes of Langly (with whō as he ſaith he then dwelt) to Aſhby de la zouche, where I then dwelt, as hee affirmeth, & in a parke there we met, and this our meeting began about 4. yeares paſt. Now the trueth is that he was gone 2. or 3. yeres frō Mr. Grayes, before I came to dwell at Aſhby, & 5. yeres before our pretended meeting, for it is ix. yeares or therabouts, ſince he went frō M. Grayes, and but 6. yeres ſince I went to Aſhby. And during my aboade at Aſhby, he neuer dwelled in that coūtrie wherein Aſhby ſtandeth, nor nearer it, then Notinghā is, which is 14. miles diſtant, and frō whence he himſelf doth not ſay yt euer he came to me: Thus then the caſe ſtādeth, the lying youth having charged me with inſtructing him, and beeing charged thervpon of neceſſitie where & when we met to that end, and not knowing what place to name, at length he bethought him of his dwellinge ſometimes with the aforeſaid gentlemā, & mine at Aſhby: & having none other he named the aforeſaid place, becauſe then as he thought, we dwelt within 5. miles one of another, but therin he was deceiued, as is alredy by oth proved: this his accuſatiō therfore is manifeſtly falſe. But admit he had dwelt with Mr Gray when I dwelt at Aſhby, doth that ſo greatly cōfirme our meeting in the parke, and my inſtructing him there: & yet beſides his bare oth (who is ſuch as wee heare, and hath ſworne the cōtrarie) there is nothing to ſtrengthen his accuſation but this, yea, this is all that is layde to my chardge, ſaue that he addeth that vpō the 6. and 7. of November 97. at Nottingham I acted his trickes vntounto him, which I hauehave offred (and ſtill doe) to diſproue by a multitude of witneſſes. And is it not to bee vvondred at, that ſuch an open and notorious lyar, as this boy is, ſhould prevaile ſo long and ſo farre againſt a Preacher of the Goſpell, by ſo palpable a lye and falſe accuſation as this is. Further more So. Som. varieth in his teſtimonie.his owne tale herein doeth ſo varie, that his accuſatiō can deſerve no credite at all, for to ſome hee reported that he beeing at Nottingham, vexed with a ſtrange collike, through much going into the water, I ſhould dome to him thither from Aſhby, and perſwade him to ſay that hee was poſſeſſed, & that ſo we firſt became acquainted. To others he ſaid, that the firſt time that he became acquainted with mee, was when I was with Katherino Wright in Darbiſhire, whiche was about 12. yeares paſt, at which time he was ſome 8. yeres old, vnfit as any mā would thinke, to communicate ſuch a matter vntounto. Furthermore he tolde the Biſhop of London (as it may apappeare by one of the articles) that our firſt meeting & acquaintance was in the ſtreetes at Aſhby, I talking with 2. ſtrangers, and that about Katherine Wright forſooth, who departing vpō his comming, we tvvo (as he ſaieth) vvent into the fieldes togither. And now he ſaieth, that our firſt acquaintance Mai. Dorrell known to be a man that haū teth no alehouſes.was in an alehouſe at Aſhby, among other boyes: Which allegacions as they ſeuerallie confute one another, ſo I am wel able (helped by circumſtances) to confute thē all: wherin if I faile, yea further if I make not myne innocencie and righteouſneſſe heerein manifeſt as the day light at midday, ſo that I may be hearde and hauehave leave to produce my proofes, as I truſt in time I ſhall, then let me bee held guiltie, & dealt with accordinglie. In the meane ſeaſon I vvill vſe 2. reaſons more in the defence both of the vvork of God, and my ſelfe. If So. counterfeited, & was inſtructed thervnto by me, thē in all reaſon the ſame is true of Th. Darling of Burton, & of thoſe 7. in Lancaſhire, for they were Seauen diſpoſſeſſed in Lanc. by M. Dorrels miniſterie.al handled alike, & I dealt with them all, and they vvere all helped by the ſame meanes, that is, prayer & faſting but that is not ſo, as God and they wil beare me vvitnes: yea, it is a thing abhorring frō cōmon ſenſe, ſo to conceyue of thē; Som. therefore hath nor counterfeited, nor I inſtructed him. That Th. Darling was no counterfeit.Againſt thoſe 7. in Lācaſhire nothing is obiected, but of Darling it is ſaide that he alſo coūterfeited. I anſwere, that that cā not poſſibly be: for in the booke which is printed concerning him, it is reported that hee (being a boy of 13. yeares of age) was of that ſtrength that 2. ſtrong men could not hold him downe, or rule him. And in another place, that 3. men could ſcarſlie doe it, which is impoſſible to coū terfeit, for no man can add any thing to his ſtrength by coūterfeiting. 2. It is ſaid here in ſundrie places, that his armes & ſhoulder bones were in manie of his fitts thruſt out of ioint, and indeed this hath bene ſeene and felte many a tyme, and by manie who are readie to depoſe it. Nowe beſides the painfulnes, how is it poſſible that he ſhould thruſt his bones out of their iointes, and in againe, and preſentlie after vſe his armes all one, as if no ſuch thinge had bene done, I can not conceyue nor thinke anie other. 3. It is there reported, in his traunces hee vttered certaine ſpeeches there mencioned, with his mouth wide open, Tho. Darring bewitched.whiche is impoſſible to be donne by man. Moreouer, the Witch Alice Goodridge by name, ſundry times confeſſed, that ſhe miſtaking Tho. Darling for one Sherrats boy, ſent her familiar or ſpirit in forme of a dogge (partie coloured, redd and white) called Mynny, to torment him in his bodie, and that ſhe had cauſed his vexation: & further that at hir ſending of him, ſhe ſtreyned all hir body, & vomited, bidding hir Minny to goe and doe ſo to the boy, who returning, ſaide, hee had done ſo. Now the trueth is, that beſides the child was moſt fearfullie tormented in and thorough all the partes of his body, he was much troubled with vomiting, & making ſhew thereof. It is alſo to be remembred, that ſhee named the tyme, place, occaſion, and the vvordes ſhee vſed, when ſhee ſent the Deuil to vexe and torment him in his body, as appeareth pag. 26. Herevpō this Alice Goodridge vvas cōmitted to Derby gaole, indited, arraigned, by the Iurie foūd guiltie thereof, and by the Iudge ſentence Verdictes and iudgements at common lawe impcached.giuen of hir to impriſonment: vvhere ſhortly after ſhee died. Theſe things conſidered to ſay that Darling coūterfeited, is not only to denie the trueth of the booke printed, vvhichwhich (for the ſubſtance of it) hath ben offred to be confirmed by the oathes of a great many, as is ſtill, if by authoritie Inquire whether the Biſh. of L. be not in a Premunire, 27. E. cap. 1.they ſhalbe therevnto called, but to cōdemne alſo beſides the Iurie, the Iudge, if not of iniuſtice, yet of ſimplicitie. Beſides, if the boy conterfeited, vvhat an intollerable abuſing of Iudge, Iuſtices of peace, and Iurie is there? And vvhy is not that counterfeiting boulted out by ſome of the Wor in that Countie, and the parties therin offending puniſhed according to their deſertes? But it may be there is none ſo wiſe in that coaſt. Let them ſend then to Nottingham, and craue helpe frō ſome there: thay that foūd out Somer his diſſimulation, can (no doubt) doe aſmuch for Darling too, if they vvould but take the paines to make diligent ſearch and inquiry into it. My ſecond reaſon is this: If Som. be a coūterfeit, & I hauehave taught him, then vndoubtedly Marie Cooper his Marie Cooperſiſter is ſuch, and hath alſo confederated with vsus herein, for ſhe cannot onlie doe ſome of his tricks (as they call them) but beſides, for a time began hir fittes whē he ended his: he in like ſort following her, having their ſitts by courſe, and this they did, although they were in ſeuerall roomes, as I am able, & offer now to proue by a multitude of witneſſes. But hereof as ſhe will cleare me, ſo it hath not hitherto bin ſaid, that ſhee hath any hande in this counterfeit accuſation, why then doe any charge that vponupon me? For ſhe in all reaſon is (at leaſt) as ſurely confederate with him as I, or any private chriſtian: And therefore alſo I vndertooke not the meanes for So. his diſpoſſeſſion, till I had three other Preachers to ioyne with me: yea I am perſwaded that the faithfull prayers of the parties friends may prevaile with God in this caſe: though no Preacher be preſent, as in the diſpoſſeſſion of Thom. Darling it was evident. OnelyOnly this I holde, that one being poſſeſſed, prayer & faſting is to bee vſed for the caſting out of Sathan, as a meanes appointed of God to that end. And this I doubt not, but I am able to prove by the holy ſcriptures, & further to confirme by the teſtimonies of auncient and late Writers, and by the practiſe of the Church in all ages, & the good ſucceſſe thereof.
Caſting out of Deuils no miracle.1 And whereas many cōceyue of this matter as a Miracle, and therevppon ſpeake hardlie of it, becauſe miracles are ceaſed, they are therein (by their patiēce) as I take it, greatlie deceiued. To caſt out Deuills by a worde, ſo as one no ſooner commandeth the ſpirit to go out, but ſorthwith he departeth, as Chriſt and his Apoſtles did, is not onelyonly a miracle, but of them the greateſt: but by the meanes of prayer and faſting to drive out Sathan, or rather to intreat Chriſt (to whom all power is giuen in heauen & in earth) to caſt Sathan forth is no miracle, becauſe of the ſaid meanes, for whatſoener is brought to paſſe by meanes, is no miracle, becauſe of the ſaide meanes, be it neuer ſo wonderfull, as might bee ſhewed (but for brevities ſake) in a thouſand inſtances. This is mirandum, non miraculum, that is a wonderfull worke, but not a wonder. 2. When Satan is caſt out, the Church (or anie member of it) worketh no miracle, for that ſhee cannot in the vſing of the meanes, be aſſured to prevaile. For although the aſſurance is, or may be great in this caſe, yet vvee can not be ſure that the partie ſhalbe deliuered, the meanes being vſed, becauſe GOD is at libertie to bleſſe the meanes he hath appointed to this, or that end, and to withhold & to keepe backe his bleſſing from it: and in this latter caſe, what will anie meanes profite or prevaile. As touching my opinions herein, and matter of learning, I ſubmit my ſelfe to the iudgement of the learned, as one moſt readie to giuegive eare vntounto them, if they ſhall informe me better. And as concerning the matters of fact, and other thinges reported by mee, If I prooue them not ttue in whole and in parte, Let Som. be helde for a Counterfeit, and my ſelfe his inſtructor, and both of vsus condingely puniſhed.
Is it not the maner of the Romanes for favour to deliuer any man to death, before that he which is accuſed hauehave the accuſers before him, & hauehave place to defend him ſelf, concerning the crime.
Act. 25. 16.