The Sinful Shameful Lying and Ridiculous Discourse of Samuel Harshnet, Treatise · Floating text – Book 1
As in all ages there hauehave bene ſome which hauehave gainſaid the holy doctrins of god reuealed in his word, ſo likewiſe there hauehave not wanted ſuch as hauehave reſiſted the works which he hath wrought befor the children of men.Exod. 7. 11. Againſt the wonderfull works wrought in Egipt by Moſes did thoſe ſor…erers Iannes and Iambres riſe vp, and ſet themſelues with all their diueliſh arte and power. VVhen the holy ghoſte fell vponupon the Apoſtles in the forme of clouen tongues like fire, euen of thoſe which were eye & eare witneſſes thereof, there were ſome that mocked them,act. 2. 13. ſaying that they were full of newe wyne. The Apoſtle Paule hauing caſt the diuell out of the Pythoniſſe, her maiſters were offended therewith: caught him & Sylas his aſſociate, and drew them before the maieſtrates: who vponupon theire incenſinge, commaunded them to priſon, act. 16. 18.and to be beaten with rods: wherevpon they were beaten fore, caſt into an inward priſon or dungeon: and theire feete made faſt in the ſtockes. VVhen there was brought to Chriſt Ieſus one poſſeſſed with a diuel, blind, and dumbe, and that he had healed him, ſo that hee which was blind and dumb, math. 12. 24.both ſpake and ſawe: all the people (it is ſaid) were amaſed, and ſaid, is not this that ſonne of Dauid? And vponupon the ſame worke wrought vponupon an other at an other time, the multitud marueiled ſaying, The like was neuer ſeene in Iſrael. But the Phariſes reſiſted as other workes of his,math. 9. 23. ſo both theſe and ſaid: he caſteth out diuels, through Beclzebub the prince of diuels. In a word, the mockinges and ſcourgings, the baniſhments, the bonds and impriſonments, the puttinge to death of Chriſt Ieſus, the Prophets, and his Apoſtles doe teſtify, how the word and workes of god hauehave bene from time to time reſiſted. Euen ſo it is now: God hauing wrought diuers rare and greate workes, there hauehave bene ſome found to withſtand them: and to bear the world in hand that all is but connterfeyting and notorious cofenage. Among theſe the chief are D. Ban…xoft B. of London and Samuell Harſnet his chaplaine and Examiners whoſe labour day and night it hath bene for the ſpace almoſt of two yeares and in that time hauehave they applyed and abuſed theire wit and authority, to perſwade this to the world, and to this end hauehave they publiſhed a booke called a-Diſcourie. 2. tim. 3. 8.But as Paule ſaith of Iannes and Iamhres that withſtood Moſes, and of certaine men in his time of corrupt mindes, repr…bat concerning the faith, which did then reſiſt the truth: euen ſo & the ſame ſay. I o… theſe men: They ſhall preuaile no longer, for their madnes ſhall be euident vntounto all men, as theirs alſo was.
Herevnto ſerueth as the former treatiſe, wherein the truth is declared, and theſe workes publiſhed and made knowne to the world, (for the declaration of the truth, is a conviction of the falſhood) ſo the treatiſe following: wherein the DISCOVERY is fully I truſt anſwered and the euill name rayſed vp, and giuen out againſte theaſe workes, viz. of counterfeyting, and my teaching (the ſome or twoe parts of that booke) taken away. And when the ſord ſhall yet further purſue the manifeſtation of theſe workes, diſcloſing that which is now couered, and making that knowne which now is hyd, which I doubt not but in due time he will:pſal. 10. 14. mark. 4. 22. 1. tim. 5. 24. verſe 25. Then will their filthines and madnes be euident indede. And for our further aſſurance …crein, we may remember, it is written Thou (Lorde) behouldeſt miſcheif and wrong, that thou maiſt take it into thine handes. And againe: There is nothing hyd that ſhal not be op…ned neyther is there a ſecret but that it ſhall come to light. And againe to this purpoſe it is ſaid by the Apoſtle: Some mens ſinnes are open before hand, and goe before vntounto iudgment: but ſome mens followe after. Likewiſe, alſo the good workes are manifeſt before hand, & they that are otherwiſe cannot be hyd. wherby it is playne that howſoener the ſinnes of ſome men are for a time in this world vnknowne, as hauinge bene committed in ſecret and in the darkneſſe, yet the Lorde in his time will bring them to light, and manifeſt them to the world: and on the other ſide, though the good workes of ſome be not for a time through the ſlaunders of ſome manifeſt and knowne to the world to be ſuch, yet it ſhall not alwaies be ſoe, they ſhall not alwayes be hyd, but in an other time god will reueale them, to be that indede they are.
It is in the ſecond place to be obſerued, that as ſathan hath euer vſed by his inſtruments to reſiſt the doctrines & workes of god that thereby he might kepe god from his glory and prayſe, and man from beleuing and profiting by them: ſo the principall meanes wherby he hath preuayled in all times, hath bene the ſlaundering of thoſe whom the Lord hath therein vſed as inſtruments: for the old ſerpent knoweth full well, that the credit & good name of men being taken away be the doctrines they teach neuer ſo true and wholſome, & the work wherein they were vſed neuer ſo profitable and to be admired, they will not be receaued. Neither is he ignorant hereof that let the ſlander be neuer ſo manifeſtly or palpably ſalfe, yet the world will beleue it and run…e away with it as currant, if once it be rayſed vp & ſpread abroad: for he knoweth that there is not one wiſe man of a thowſand, who vſeth to conſider of a thing and heare what can be ſaide of both ſydes,pro. 14. 15. before he imbrace it as a truth: and that the fooliſh will beleue eueryevery thinge. act 24 5, act. 17. 6.Hence it is that in theſe caſes it is his firſt and chiefe labour to raiſe vp and ſpread abroad ſlanders. By this meanes he preuailed aganſt Paule ſtirring vp ſome to affirme that he was a peſtilent fellowe, a moouer of ſedition that he ſubuerted the ſtate of the world: and was an enemy to the ſtate (as we ſpake now of ſome) a tra…tor, doing againſt the decree of Caeſar. Yea of Chriſt himſelfe the diuell by his inſtruments gaue it out, that he was a Deceauer, and worſe then ſo a Coniurer: caſtinge out diuels through the prince of diuels. By the ſame meanes that auncient ſlaunderer,mat… 17. a 3. R…t…. 12. 9. and accuſer of the bretheren day and night, both to god and men, who thereby deceaueth all the world, hath hitherto mightely prevayled againſt the workes of god wee ſpeake of: ſpreadinge abroade that Maiſter More and I, eſpecially my ſelfe: are Deceauors, Impoſters, cozoning marchants, that I hauehave taught ſome (I knowe not yet howe many) to counterfeyt. But as S. Paule notwithſtandynge the aforeſaide accuſations, was nither ſeditious nor traytor, but one that practiſed and taught the contrary: and Chriſt was no Deceauer but one in whoſe tongue was found uo guile, neither caſte out deuilles by the prince of diuels, but came to deſtroy the works of the diuell, euē ſo we in lik māner notwithſtanding that we are thus accuſed to be deceiuers & coſoners, and I knowe not what, and my ſelf to hauehave taught Somers and others to counterfeyt: yet it ſhall by gods grace appeare by the ſequell, that we are no ſuch men indeede, and that my ſelfe is not (I thanke god) guilty of any ſuch abomynation, as mine aduerſaryes moſt vniuſtly lay vponupon me. where by the way we may learne thus much, that it is not inough for one to be accuſed, for then innocency it ſelfe (Chriſt Ieſus I meane) ſhould not goe vncondemned. Therefore as in all other accuſations and euill reportes of our neighbours brought vntounto our eares, ſo in this concerning Somers and mee, if we deſire to auoyde the iuſtifying of the wicked, and condemning of the iuſt, both which are an abomination vntounto the Lord: we muſt examine whither the things alleadged to that end by the Diſcouerer doe throughly proue the ſame or no: otherwiſe they be but empty words diſcouering the mallice of the Diſcouerer. To the furtherance wherof this may ſerue that heere followeth, wherevnto we will now by gods grace proceede.
OF THE EPISTLE.
This caſting out of diuels is (ſaith he) now diſcouered to be but a pure play, conteyning two principall parts of a vyce and a diuell, one ſhift deuyſed to to helpe this vyce of the ſtage, that he might not be hiſſed at of all the world is: that to caſt out a diuel, is no ſuch great matter, as men make account of beinge but mirandum et non miraculum, in the nature of a wonder, and not of a miracle.
Thinkeſt thou (Chriſtian Reader) that this Diſcouerer (or rather Maſker comminge thus to play his part on the ſtage) meaneth good ſooth, that behaueth himſelf ſo ridiculouſly in the very entrance of ſo waighty a matter: or that his intent is to bleare thy eyes of vnderſtāding, with his colours of rhetorike, fyne quipps, & multitud of wordes & depoſitions: leaſt you ſhould ſe theſe works of god to his glory & your comfort. But to come to the point: S. H. is very ignorant if he cānot ſee a difference betwene mirandum & miraculum for by mirandum is ment only athing admiratione dignum worthy admiration, or to be admired, of which number who knoweth not therbe many works which be not miraculous. Ther was ſmal cauſe then why he ſhould ſport himſelfe therewith and call it heere a ſhift, a miſerable ſhift, and a little after a ſlyſilly ſhift, Auguſt liber 3. de …r…ta. D…neus opuſ. 39 p. 1. c.ſeinge Auguſtine, and after him Danaeus a man of great learning, put an apparant difference betwene mirum & miraculum, a wonder, & a miracle. According to whoſe iudgments I may well terme that election of ſpirits we ſpeake of, mirum a wonder and deny it to be miraculum a myracle. Now if it ſo fall out that the Diſcouerers procedings be anſwerable to his begining: his booke to his epiſtle, & his dealing concerning the matter of fa…t, to this in matter of doctrine: then may his booke be rightly called a Diſcouerye, not of a pure play, but of his owne inward and ſecret corruption (aſwell mallice as ignorance) which no doubt he greatly deſireth ſhoulde be couered. But let vsus heare what he ſaith further againſt this ſilly ſhift of mine.
What dull conceites (ſaith he) had the rulers of the Iewes, that they could not ſee this ſlyſilly ſhift, to depraue the miracles of our Sauiours Chriſt, and to tell the people there was no iuſt cauſe they ſhould beleeue,pag. 4. that our Sauiour was the ſonne of God: in doing ſuch mighty miracles among them: the cheif one whereof was caſting out of diuels: by reaſon that action was but mirandum, et non miraculum, a ſtrange thing for ſilly people to wonder at, and not a myracle, to inforce them to beleue.
The Diſcouerer might hauehave remembred that I doe not affirme that the caſting out of diuels performed by Chriſt, was by faſting & prayer, and ſo miranda, et non miracula: but the contrary (euen there where I treate hereof) to both theſe. in my apologieTo caſt out diuels (ſay I) by aword, ſo as one no ſooner commaundeth the ſpirit to goe out, but forthwith he departeth as Chriſt and his Apoſtles did, is not only a myracle, but of them the greateſt: but by the meanes of prayer and faſting to dryue out Sathan, or rather to intreat Chriſt (to whome all power is giuen in heauen and in earth) to caſt Sathan forth, is mirandum, non miraculum.
Had theſe words of mine bene ſpoken to the Phariſes could thoſe dull conceyted Rulers of the Iewes hauehave the…ce taken occaſion to hauehave depraued our Sauiour his caſting out of diuels? Sure one wold thinke they ſerued rather to the magnifying thereof. Now if the Diſcouerer could proue, that Chriſt did caſt forth wicked ſpirits by faſtinge and prayer, or yet his Apoſtles, then indeede for as much as I houlde all eiection performed by them to be miraculous and yet houlde that it is no myracle, when Sathan is expelled by prayer and faſting, he ſhoulde conuince mee otherwiſe he doth but tryfle and abuſe his Reader in cauſing him to ſpend his houres in ſuch vayne ydle and vnprofitable diſcourſe as concerneth nothinge the matter in queſtion neyther toucheth his aduerſary any thing at all.
Hee procedeth. There is a place ſaith hee in the laſt of S. Mark. wherein they mightely pleaſe themſelues, and taking it as a rod of defence to mayntayne their cauſe, it proues in handling a ſerpent that deuoureth them vp, the wordes are theſe: Theſe ſignes ſhall followe them that beleue in my name they ſhall caſt out dyuells, and ſhall ſpeake with newe tounges &c.
This is a meere ſlaunder for it is as farre from mee and euer was from alleadging this ſcripture in my defence, as it is from takinge vponupon me to worke myracles, and I will as ſoone doe the one, as the other. Howe this ſcripture is to be vnderſtood of ſvch as had the myraculous faith, I hauehave ſhewed before againſt Thyreus and the papiſts peruerting it to their diſpoſieſſinge of diuels: and that it cannot be vnderſtood of all beleuers as he expoundeth it.
But to procede. In ſteede of the author his name, wee hauehave in the end of the Epiſtle theſe twoo letters S. H. ſo that men may onelyonly geſſe who hath made the diſcouerie. VVere the truth on the diſcouerers ſide, he woulde ſure in playne and full letters hauehave ſett to his nam withont ſtaggeringe, and thereby intimated thus much, Looke what I hauehave ſayd of counterfeytinge, and by Darrell or any other, I ſuch a one: am ready to iuſtifie the ſame but the diſcouerer beinge priuie to his owne falſe and corrupt dealinge. and fearinge leaſt that woulde be deſcryed and come one day to light, thought it wiſdome to conceale his name: who can tell alſo how the chriſtian magiſtrat will take this, when he ſhall perceiue how greatly God is diſhonored hereby and ſee the intollerable iniurie that is done firſt and chiefely to the Lord himſelf. who hath wrought theſe greate workes, and to whom greate glory and prayſe is due for the ſame: ſecondly to thoſe whom God (amonge others) hath vſed herein, and thoſe vponupon whom theſe workes were wrought, takinge away the good name both of all thoſe and of others that I could name, as mnch as in him lyeth, beſi…es the greuious and cauſeleſſe moleſtation of many ſubiects in the land. and the wrong doune to them both in their ſubſtance and good name. In this reſpect alſo there is cauſe why the Diſcouerer ſhoulde ſett downe two letters, rather then his name: for it is good pollicy to preuent a miſchief, and caſt for the worſt.
There is no doubt but that S. H. ſtand for Samuell Harſnet chap line to the Biſhop of London, but whither he alone, or his lord & hee hauehave diſcouered this counterfeyting and coſonage there is the queſtion. Some thinke the booke to be the Biſhops owne doing: and many thinke it to be the ioynt worke of them both. Of Harſnet I think men doubt not conſideringe the two firſt letters of his name be ſubſcribed. As touchinge his Lord and maiſter it is probable, ſeeing the booke is commonly called the Biſhop of Londons booke, & that all or part of it was made by an high Commiſſioner ſuch as the Biſhop is, as appeareth by theſe words: The author of the breif narration to drawe VSUS peraduenture from dealing with M. Darrell: pag. 14.nowe other Commiſſioner in no reaſon can it poſſibly be. For the Biſhop of London it is that hath depoſed and examyned I know not how many, and that is acquainted with eueryevery quirk and corner of this cauſe, that hath managed this matter, that hath perſwaded not only the reſt of the high Comiſſioners, but the whole land alſo as much as in him lyeth, that all is but counterfeyting and knauery: but how truly he and his chapline ſay ſo, and what reward they both deſerue at the hands of god, and men, for all the greate paines they hauehave taken in this behalfe, dooth partly appeare by the premiſſes, and will (I truſt) more fully be made manifeſt by that which followeth.