The Sinful Shameful Lying and Ridiculous Discourse of Samuel Harshnet, Title page – To the reader
A DETECTION OF THAT SINNFVL SHAM| FVL LYING, AND RIDICVLOVS DISCOVRS, OF SAMVEL HARSHNET. ENTITVLED: A DISCOVERIE OF THE FRAVVDVLENT PRACTISES OF IOHN DARRELL WHEREIN IS MANIFESTLY AND APPARANTLY SHEWED IN THE EYES OF THE WORLD NOT only the vnlikelihoode, but the flate impoſſibilitie of the pretended counterfayting of William Somers, Thomas Darling, Kath. Wright, and Mary Couper, togeather with the other 7. in Lancaſhire, and the ſuppoſed teaching of them by the ſaide Iohn Darrell.
Pſalme. 7. 14.
Behold, He ſhall travaile with wickednes: for he hath conceiued miſchiefe, but he ſhall bring fourth a lye.
IMPRINTED 1600.
TO THE CHRISTIAN AND VVELL AFFECTED READER, IOHN DARRELL MINISTER OF THE VVORD, WISHETH ALL GRACE AND HAPPINES: WITH a iudgment to d…cerne betwixt thinges that differ, betwene that which is true and falſe, good and evill.
In the dayes of Henrie the ſecond of Fraunce, father to Charles, the great maſſacrer and murderer of Godes Sayntes, when the Sunne…ine of the Goſpell beganne to breake forth in that kingdome, and the name of Hugonot as a by-word of reproch was giuen to the profeſſors thereof: in the very entrie as it were of thoſe troubles and hurlie burleyes for religion, it is recorded of the Italian weomen and credulous popularitie of that countrie, that hearing of the great ſturre that was then riſen about thoſe Hugonotes, they would needes knowe of their goſtlye fathers and holy inquintinge Fryers, what thoſe French Hugonotes were: vntounto whom that deuoute and Pop-holy generation (not vnlike themſelues) made this wholeſome and catholike anſwere: That they were not men forſooth, but vglye and monſtrous ſhapes of men, headed like Dragons, faced like Dogges: eared like Swine, ſnoured like Serpents, with Boares tuſkes and Aſſes iawes, yea ſuch as would eate and dououre vp their owne mothers, &c. wherevpon the poore weomen and ſily multitude, neuer requyringe nor examining the matter any farther, fell ſtraight to a kinde of hiſſing & clapping their hands, with moſt bitter out cries and hatfull exclamations againſt them, with fie on them wretches, fie on them wretches. Now even thus good reader (and no better then thus) fareth it with me at this inſtant. The name & ſound of Darrell, of his impriſonment, and the cauſe therof, hath in a manner poſſeſſed & overſpread the whole land. why, what is he ſaith one? what is the matter ſaith another? Anſwere is made preſently and readilye by our two Engliſh Inquiſiters. Samuell Harſnet and his maſter, togeather with ſuch others, whom they with theire crooked conueyances hauehave be witched, that Darrell is forſooth a cogger, a couſener, a Iugler, an Exorciſt, a counterfeite, a deuill-flinger, a deuill-driuer, a Seducer, a deceiuer, an Impoſtor, and I know not what: that of an impious ſimplicitie he holdeth it lawfull to lye, cogge and faine, ſo it be to a good end, (as his fauorits tearme it,) to the glory of God, in which regard he hath taken vponupon him to be deeplye ſeene in the myſterie of deuils, and hath playd his publike prize in this iuglinge ſcience, caſting out more deuils by prayer and faſting after a good dinner perhaps, then euer any? of the Apoſtlee did at ſo full a ſeaſon. And this in effect not onelyonly the ſtreetes and Tavernes hauehave ronge off, but (as I hauehave bene informed) the very benches and Seates of Iuſtice hauehave ſounded with the noyſe of this Darrell, the deuil driuer, and of the counterfeite trickes that he ſhould teach. VVherein notwithſtandinge I thanke God, when they hauehave thundered out the vttermoſt they can againſt me, I may truly ſay (and that with the teſtimonie of mine owne hart and conſcience) that I am iuſt ſo guiltie of the thinge they charge me with, as the fore-recited French Hugonotes were of all that rablement wherewith they were ſo beſmeared and de pictured by that Italian munckiſh fraternitie. For if it be true that the had heades like dragous, faces like dogges, eares like ſwine, ſnoutes like ſerpentes, and that they would eate vp their mothers, &c. Then is it alſo true I confeſſe, that Darrell is ſuch a mounſtrous vile fellow as is heere layd forth and deſcribed. But alas good reader this is no new thinge: looke backe to ages paſt and thou ſhalt find it to be an old inueterate ouerworne practiſe of ſathan, newly furbiſhed and ſet abroach againe by his inſtrumentes, to paint out the profeſſors of the goſpell in the moſt ougly deformed ſhape they can deuiſe: (as we ſee by our Sauiour Chriſt and his Apoſtles and ſo conſequently by his miniſters ſpecially:) not that they be ſuch indeede as they are deſpitfully featured out, but to this end, to make them more odiouſly enuied and malitiouſly hated of the world, which is the ſpeciall marke the enimy ſhooteth at.
Now the principall thinge that is charged vponupon me, (and which I hauehave all this while denied, and ſtill denye) is, teachinge to counterfeite. But what is this, that Darrell ſhould thus teach to counterfeite? why nothinge els forſooth, but a reall entrance and poſſeſſion of the deuill of and into the bodies of men, to be diſpoſſeſſed and remooued thence by faſting and prayer, and all to grace and make good the hipocriticall faſting and exerciſe of the puritans, which otherwiſe (without ſome ſuch fetches and deuiſes) would prooue ſtarke naught. This then we ſee is the ſinne, if it be true. And ſuerly allow it to be true and to be ſuch indeede as they hauehave layde it forth to be with all his circumſtances, I my ſelfe will ſubſcribe & ioyne with them in the condemnation of it to the bottome of hell, and the ſinner to the very depth of the graue, as wherin (if it be rightly examī ed and weighed,) is cloſlye ſhut vp and included not onelyonly the diſhonor of God and diſgrace of his workes, but a foule and deteſtable abuſe of Godes church and a mocking of Gods people, with a ſcornefull and ſhameles contempt both of magiſtracy and miniſterie. And can not the wiſdome and maieſtie of the ſtate of England finde out adue puniſhment and correction for ſo wretched and greiuous an enormitie as this? no queſtion but it can, may, and ought, if the partie were once orderlye and by law convicted. But as it was not the manner of Romanes in auntient time for fauor to deliuer any mā to death before the partie accuſed had his accuſers before him, & leaue to defend him ſelfe: ſo is it not the manner of the Honorable Courtes of Iuſtice in England, to proceed to ſentence before conviction, or to puniſhment before apparant proofe. And this is it that hath and doth make me more confident in defenſe of myne owne innocencie, and the equitie of my cauſe, even the reuerent opinion and eſtimation that I hauehave of the ordinarie courtes of Iuſtice in this land, before whom whenſoeuer I ſhalbe called, I know it is not a hundred of ſuch lying and libelling diſcourſes as this of Samuell Harſnetes, that ſhall any way ſwaye them, either to ſentence or cenſure the meaneſt of her Maieſties ſubiectes without euidence and proofe.
But my fault they will needes hauehave to be double: one an error in my Iudgment, the other a plaine knacke of knauery (for I can call it no better) in my practiſe. For the firſt my ſimple Iudgment (as I hauehave already both by word & writting made knowne) is this: That as the bodies of men may really be poſſeſſed of Sathan in this age as well as in former times: ſo the ordinarie way and meanes of their diſpoſſeſſion and deliuerance is prayer, or prayer and faſtinge. This is (in effect) all that I hold, and contend for. wherin I willinglye referre and ſubmitt my ſelfe to the godly learned of our Church. I challeng no power to worke miracles, nor guift aboue others to caſt out deuils. I hauehave not vſed any adiuration: all which are fathered vponupon me, but I condemned the ſame in others. And now before the Lord and men I doe vtterly & from my ſoule renounce them, as heeretofore I hauehave often done with my tongue & pen: what groſſe and dangerous error then doe I maintaine? For the other that is my knacke or packe of knauery in teachinge to counterfeite, and fayning a diſpoſſeſſion by prayer, when their were no ſuch things performed: I cannot be perſwaded (for all this impudent & ſhameles diſcourſe of S Harſnetes, ſo bedecked and adorned with my L. of Londons flowers) that they themſelues in their conſciences doe be leeue this knacke of knauerie againſt me in that ſort as they hauehave ſett it downe.1 The reaſons that induce me ſo to thinke be theſe.
Firſt,as men proph… ly call them. becauſe they would not ſuffer Somers or rather the deuill in him to doe his trickes, though they were ſundrie times deſired publiklye and priuatly that he might doe them for the better endinge of the controuerſie, and that he offered to doe the ſame.
Secondly, their manner of proceeding againſt me contrarie to the ordinarie courſe of iuſtice and equitie:2 yea ſuch as heathens and infidels would bluſh and be aſhamed to vſe: as appeareth by the particulars in the treatiſe following. Now what neede they to hauehave vſed any ſuch extraordinarie and vnlawfull proceedings, If they were perſwaded of the truth of that which they pretended againſt me, or that they had any iuſt matter or ſound and cleare euidence to convince me by? nay if they weare not in themſelues perſwaded, that Darrell would cleare himſelfe of teaching to counterfeite, if he ſhould be admitted to a proceeding according to the lawes of the Realme in ſuch caſes prouided?
Thirdly, their very writtinge againſt me in this caſe in that manner as they hauehave done,3 is ſufficient in the iudgment of the wiſe to diſcry and diſcouer the guiltines of their conſciences this way. For what a teſt were it to puniſh treaſon or rebellion by Booke-writting? I willinglye confeſſe the ſinne they charge me with (if it be true) to be as bad as rebellion, and to deſerue more then the pillorie, yea a ſhamefull and a reprochfull death to the terror of others. And if they can proue the thinges publiſhed againſt me in that printed Libell of S. Harſnetes, they ſhall neede no Iurie to paſſe vponupon me, neither will I craue any fauour but iuſtice with ſeueritie. Seeinge then the puniſhe not nor neuer went about to puniſh this ſuppoſed offence according to the weight and deſert thereof: nay hauehave bene ſo farr from that, as within 14. dayes after the publiſhinge of the booke made againſt me, they offered me libertie vponupon condition I would promiſe not to preach of poſſeſſiō nor diſpoſſeſſion: nor in my publike preaching iuſtifie the poſſeſſion and diſpoſſeſſinge of the perſons controverted nor deale any more in the diſpoſſeſſinge of any: and yet hauehave publiklye made it knowne for ſo haynous and notorious a crime, what doth this argue but that inwardly in theire owne ſoules, they doe not beleiue their owne lible?
Fourthly, their often and ordinarie bringinge in the teſtimonie of Somers againſt me in theire ſaide booke, (able to make a horſe to ſpue) whenſoeuer they are at a ſtand and can by no meanes writhe nor wreſt in that which they would faine make good (being vtterlye voyd of all honeſt courſe of defence) then forſooth comes in M. 4Somers dropping out of M Harſnets budget as an authenticall witnes. And what doth more argue the guiltines of ther conſciēces, the deſpratēes of their cauſe, & the ſhamleſnes of their defence then this? That they are not abaſhed to ſuppreſſe the examinations of ſundry honeſt men, wiſe men and gentlemen of good place, taken by Comiſſion from the Arch. B. of Yorke as thinges of no account: and inſtead of them to tell vsus a tale of Robin-hood, or rather if you will, of Robin the deuill, alias, William Somers? why alas, are they ſo ſimple or ſottiſh to imagine, that any man that is well in his wittes, will beleeue this or that becauſe Somers ſaith it, that infamous and notorious lyer, counterfeit, blaſphemer, and forſworne wretch?
Fiftly, theire winkinge at theire 7. Lancaſhire counterfeits, and ſmoth paſſing by them not puniſhinge them, albeit 6. of them were in the ſame family, nor any of thoſe 4. whom they hauehave deait with, and ſay vponupon their examination hauehave confeſſed that they hauehave counterfeted, no not Somers their principall ſuppoſed counterfeite: but fauoured, intertained, countenaunced, …eriſhed and made much of him though moſt vile and infamous, and ſuch as they muſt needes know to hauehave ſcarce any match in lewdnes and iniquitie: as if counterfeiting and blaſpheming were a prayſe or but a ſpirt of youth in him, and teaching to counterfeite onelyonly odious in me. Now whence commeth this ſtealing by the 7. and impunitie of all, but from t…e conſcience of man, tening him that they are no counterfeits, and therfore it is beſt to let them alone, and not to puniſh all theſe innocentes: Leſt they in their innocencie denying conſtantlye to hauehave counterfeited, and exclaming againſt them, ſhould bring them to great ſhame.
Sixety and … the thing that moſt moueth me thus to be perſwaded is: their winking at, and not anſwering at all to the impoſſibilities of or concerning Dacling, Katherine Wright, Mary Cooper, and the 7. in Lancaſhire, which are the onelyonly thinges we al…eadge againſt their counterfeiting, why they neither are nor can poſſiblie be counterfeites: and the ſilly thiftes (to blere the eies of men) they hauehave deu…ed and forged out of their owne braines for anſwere to the impoſſibilities preſſe… aga… Somers counterfeiting, & namely to the depo…tions of the 17 pro…ing the impoſſibilities by oath. Heerevnto I may add the …, and more then ridiculous proofes of my teaching 4.pro. 14. 15. … their … …eites. For … ſtolidu…n vulgus, the fooliſh people, which w…ll beleiue every thing (that Chriſt was a glutton, &c. that he had a d…uill, ſpeciallye when they hauehave the phariuees telling them, that … feth forth deuil, through Beelzebuh: that he is a blaſphemer, ſpecially w…en the high preiſt ſaith he hath blaſphemed, yee heare his blaſphemie:) will vponupon the producinge of theſe ſilly ſhiftes and abſurd proo…es, by a Prelate ſpecially and his Chaplaine, hand ouer head, and of their word, rather then vponupon an… diligent examination of the matter receiue theſe for covnterfeites, and me for their inſtructor: (which the B. of London and S. Harſnet knew full well, eis they woulde hauehave ſaued that labour:) yet the Prelate and his Chaplaine cannot poſſiblie ſo beleeue and be perſwaded in their conſciences, which hauehave forged them to this ſaide end and purpoſe, and hauehave deliberatly and aduiſedly wayed all things throughly concerning this matter: except you will cleane put out the eyes of their vnderſtan…ingl, and depriue them of their reaſon,math, 28. 13. & make them of reaſonable, vnreaſonable creatures. Though the people of the Iewes through that ſilly ſhift of the Hie Preiſts and the Elders did beleiue, that Chriſtes diſciples came by night and ſtole him away, whiles the ſouldiers ſleept, yet the hie prieſtes and Elders who deuiſed this ſhift for the ſmotheringe of Chriſts reſurrection, knewe and were perſwaded in their cōſciences it was not ſo, but far otherwiſe. Even ſo in this our caſe, though many of the people of England doe in their ſimplicitie and raſh credulitie verelie beleiue that Somers & the reſt hauehave counterfeited, & I inſtructed them, be cauſe of the ſilly reaſons printed & publiſhed to that end by the B. of London and S. Harſnet: yet the B. & Harſnet which hauehave invented & de uiſed thoſe ſottiſh reaſons, and framed a whole booke for the ſmotheringe of the worke of God wrought vponupon theſe perſons, can not but know and be in their conſciences perſwaded, that they hauehave not counterfeited, nor I taught them.
Theſe then (good reader) with ſundrie others are the ſpeciall reaſons that moue me to thinke, that they themſelues (what face ſoeuer they ſett on it) doe not yet in their owne conſciences betwixt god & them, conſtantly beleiue all that they hauehave thus publiſhed or rather libelled againſt me, beinge a thinge vnpoſſiblie they ſhould. And if it fare ſo with the bitingeſt and bittereſt aduerſaries, I may the bolder I thinke (even by the law and rule of equitie) be an earneſt ſuter vntounto thee whoſoeuer thou art to ſuſpend thy iudgment, and not haſtily to paſſe any ſentence againſt me: & intreat thy patience chriſtian reader and fauourable cenſure of me thus farr fourth, as to cauſe thee to ſtope thine eares to all vniuſt ſurmizes and odious exclamations againſt me, till proofe and triall hauehave discouered my guiltines or innocencie. And this the rather I truſt you will doe, if you remember and forgett not that ſaying of the holy ghoſt: he that is firſt in his owne cauſe is iuſt, then cometh his neighbour, and maketh inquirie of him. And that other in the ſame place: he that anſwereth, amatter before he heare it, it is follie and ſhame vntounto him. pro. 18. 13. 17.He that anſwereth, that is, taketh vponupon him to iudg or determine of a matter incontrouerſie, before he heare it, meaning, what can be ſaid of both ſides, it is follie and ſhame vntounto him, that is, a poynt of follie comming from the lake of wiſdome, and ſuch as whereof one ought to be aſhamed.
And the rather I am to intreat this fauour at thy handes, in that I hauehave not bene dealt with accordinge to the ordinarie courſe of Iuſtice of this land, but altogether againſt the haire and in the vnreaſon ableſt manner of proceeding that might be, as if it were no matter at all what violence & indignitie they offer to a man of my condition, or to ſo baſe a fellowe as Darrell is. Neither by their patience doe I thinke, that they can for their liues giuegive me an inſtance or ſhewe me the like preſident of their irregular & diſorderly proceeding againſt me, in any of the honorable ciuil cour… of the Realme, which is worthy the notinge, yea to be recorded and nayled on the poſtes of the ſtreetes to the veiw of poſteritie. One would thinke that the reuerent fathers of the Church, ſhould in their courtes and iudiciall proceedinges giuegive their children (as they would hauehave them counted) the reuerent Iudges of the land, and fathers of the common wealth, an example and pa…terne of Iuſtice and equitie: and not ſuch an example as they would abhorr and be a ſhamed to followe. I hauehave heard that amonge other the excellent graces of God vponupon her Maieſtie, this is one that doth exceedingly grace both her perſon & her goverment, namely, that in the makinge and ordaininge of her Iudges, ſhe doth among other things enioyne thē this ſpeciall charge: That what ſoeuer in equitie may be produced on the behalfe of the ſubiecte, may be patiently heard and fauourably admitted without exception or partialitie and that they ſhould not perſwade themſelues to ſitte otherwiſe in Iudgment for her ſelfe, then for her ſubiecte. which kind of equall and chriſtian procedinge if it had bene held with me, I needed not now to hauehave ſpent my time in refuting this ſhameles and malitious invectiue. what proceedinge hath bene vſed againſt me will plainly appeare by this diſcourſe followinge, and namely in my anſweare to the ſecond chapter of the firſt booke, by the quaeries or demaundes to the Diſcouerer (I meane the B. pag. 14 of the Diſcouerie.of London and S. Harſnet) iuſtifiynge the ſame, and affirminge that this cauſe hath bene examined, accordinge to the vſual courſe by the lawes of the Realme in ſuch caſes provided. And yet ſhall not the Diſcouerer be euer able to name in what one thing after my appearāce before the high commiſſion, I was dealt with according to lawe. Truly for my owne parte I can not. If he can, let him doe it. For theſe reaſons I hope good reader, that layinge aſide all partiallitie and preiudice, you will reſerue the one eare, to heare what Darrell hath to ſay for the Lord and himſelfe, and againſt counterfeiting, and teachinge Somers, Darling &c. to counterfeite: and that you will beware how you receiue a falſe report againſt your neighbour, ſpecially againſt the Lord himſelfe and his workes.
If any thinke that the charge of counterfeiting, and of my teachinge to counterfeite (the ſumme of the booke anſweared by me,) is ſo lying, ſlaunderous, abhorring to common ſence, palpable falſe, and vnpoſſible to be true, that it was altogether vnworthy the anſwearinge and convincing, or at leaſt of ſo large an anſweare and conviction as heere followeth: ſuch may remember that the Apoſtles being charged with drunckennes and to be full of newe wine, act. 2. 13 14. math. 12.Peter for them all anſweare … & conuinced that vile ſlaunder. In like ſort did our Sauiour Chriſt being charged more vily to be a coniurer, and to caſt out deuils through Belzabub, the prince of deuils. which thinges are written for our learning, even to teach vsus what to doe whē any ſuch thing falleth out. Now the larger I hauehave bene for theſe two reaſons. Firſt, I thought it fitt to anſweare to all that is contained in the Diſcouery, which ſeemeth to make more or ſelfe againſt the cauſe or my ſelfe: leaſt paſſing by ſome of this kind, it might be thought I therfore did it and purpoſly, becauſe I were not able to anſwere. Againe, I cōſidered that many hauehave already giuen an eare to counterfeitinge, and verily beleiue our Demomakes to be counterfeits: for their ſakes therfore, & that I might draw theſe preiudicate: perſons from their error to the imbracinge of the truth, it was requiſite to anſwere all that in the face made for counterfeitinge, which could not be performed in fewe wordes. Secondly, I knewe the credit of the aduerſarie was great, my owne little, beinge a baſe & contemptible perſon in the eyes of the world. That my ſelfe then and that which I contend for might be beleiued, even of this dotinge and blind generation, It was neceſſarie I ſhould not onelyonly cracke or diminiſh the credite of the a duerſarie, even with his beſt frendes, which might hauehave bene done in afew wordes: but take all credit from him, by detectinge all his filthines: for in makinge his name to rotte and ſtinke, and the counterfeit cauſe he hath in hand, their is hope that men will giuegive ſome eare vntounto me, and that I ſtriue for, be I neuer ſo meane. Now this would be beſt performed in the larger purſuite and ſtirringe deepely in the falſhods, lyes, and abſurdities of the Diſcouerer, which coulde not be donne without the multiplyinge of wordes. For the more one ſtirreth in that which is ſtinkinge and filthy, the more ſtinking ſauor it ſendeth forth. And ſo ſhall we find it to be in the ample ripping vp of this foule Diſcouery, to the Detection wherof we will now proceed, God aſſiſtinge vsus. If the falſhood of ſome be detected, and thou find out the truth by this our Detection: then open thy mouth in the defence of that truth, and aſſiſt me with thy prayers.
Thine in the Lord, Iohn Darrell.