The Sinful Shameful Lying and Ridiculous Discourse of Samuel Harshnet, Treatise · Book 1 · Chapter 10
OF CHAP. 10.
Of M. Dar. and M. M…res conceit: that Sathan being caſt out of one, doth preſently after ſeeke to rep…ſſ…ſſ him.
M. Darrell like a kinde … with the diſpoſſ…ſion of any:pag. 53 but for … Care therein, he may be thought to haued … …mmendation. For his perſwaſion to ſuch … that they ſhould vſe all diligence and circump…lim, that ſathan did not againe reenter in to …. Th… his perſwation hath eur bene drawne from a poſition, which he … that Sathan beinge expelled out of man, doth ſeeke prſently after to reenter into him againe:pag: … and that it is commonly a very h…rd matter to withſtand him, by reaſon of his ſubt…tly, allui…ng … by promiſe…, and terrifying of them by threatnings. And a little … in the ſcriptures.
… (ſaith Chriſt)math 1…43 is … from where I came and when he is come, he … Then he goeth, & taketh vntounto then … and they enter in, and dwell there: and the end of that man is wisſe then the begning. Euen ſo ſhall all it be with this generation. This place of ſcripture is indeede metapharicall as appeareth by the…e wordes, euen ſo it ſhall be with this wicked genera…: and is vſed by our Sauiour, to illuſtrate and plainly ſet forth the miſerable (future) eſtate of the Iewes, if they continued in their ſinns. The metaphore is this. As it is with a man which hath an vncleane ſpirit caſt out of him, if notwithſtandinge that great mercy of god receyued, he continue in, or returne to his former ſinnes, whereby it cōe to paſſe that the diuell returning and ſeeking to enter into him again, doe indeede enter in, which he certainly will, if he finde his old gueſt ſuch, and that with ſeauen other ſpirits worſe then himſelfe, the end of that man ſhall be worſe then his begining, miſerable therefore and fearefull▪ euen ſo ſhall it be with this people of the Iewes, who being in their bloud and filthynes,Exodus 1925. Deut. 32 9. Exodus. 19. 4. Zech, 2. 8. Romans 3, 2. Romans 9, 4, god waſhed and clenſed and made them his peculiar people, and * cheif treaſure aboue all people, ſo as they were the lord…s, portion and Iacob the lot of his inheritance, and hath * carryed them vponupon eagles winges, being ſo tender ouer them, that * he that toucheth them, toucheth the apple of his eye, and * hath committed to them his oracles, ſo as * to them apperteyneth the adoption, and the glory, and the couenants, and the giuing of the lawe, and the ſeruice of god, and the promiſes: if this people now hauing bene made partaker of theſe and many other vnſpeakable mercies of god, ſhall returne to their former filthineſſe for their intollerable vnthankfulnes their laſt eſtate ſhall be very miſerable, and worſe then their firſt: which ſcripture as our fathers before vsus ſo we at this day ſee fulfilled before our eyes, in that as it was ſaid to Cain, they are caſt out frō their owne land, which flowed with mylke and honney, and are vagabonds and runagates in the earth, & ſo their eſtate farr worſe, euen ſeauen folde worſe, then euer before. From this ſcripture I collect theſe things. Firſt and cheifly, that the diuell beinge caſt out of men, ſeeketh to enter agayne into them. 2. That he deſireth the recouery of that pray he hath loſt. (that is the poſſeſſing againe of the ſaid party) aboue many other prayes. 3. that he doth recouer and repoſſeſſe ſuch as giuegive themſelues to the ſeruice of ſint…e, and otherwiſe can not. 4. That in this caſe the vncleane ſpirit en reth not in alone, but with more and worſe. 5. that the end or laſt eſtate of ſuch i… all be worſe then their fiſt. Nowe what though this ſeripture be vſed by the Lord as a metaphor or ſimilitude to illuſtrate and th…r thing may we not therefore gather theſe things from hence? or is there no truth (trow we) in the metaphors themſelues vſed by our Sauiour? Yf the ſalt (ſaith Chriſt) hauehave loſt his ſau…er, math 5. math. 13. 3…. gal. 5. 9. pron …. …, pron 728.it is good for nothing: men doe not light a candle and put it vnderunder a buſhell, but on a cā al…ſtick, and it giueth light vntounto all that are in the houſe. * The kingdome of heau…n is like vntounto leauen, which a woman taketh and lydeth in three pecks of meale, till all be leauened. In like manner. S. Paule * A little …auen haueneth the whole lump. * Goe to the piſmire O ſluggard, (ſayth Sal…mon) behould her wayes, ſhe pr…pareth her meate in the ſummer, & gath reth her ſoode in the harueſt. He that goeth vponupon coales, his feete ſhall be burnt.
Theſe are metaphors and yet in them and a thouſand more in holy ſcripture, there is a certaine and vndoubted truth. That is ſayde heere of going vponupon coales, of the Piſmire, leauen, and the reſt with infinite more of the like kinde, is very true▪ notwithſtanding the ſame is metaphorically ſpoken, yea let the Diſc. ſhew but one metaphor in all the ſcriptures, wherein there is not a certaine and vndoubted truth: how can it then poſſibly be that this ſpoken of the vncleane ſpirit going out of a man, ſhould be vntrue, becauſe it is metaphorically? That this is ſpoken metaphorically, hindreth not at all the truth therof. And wheras the Diſc. pretendeth as though I did only rely vponupon the metaphoricall place, and had no other proofe, for that I ſo confidently affirme as touching the returne of the diuell, and ſeeking to enter againe into him out of whome he is gon, he is deceaued: for a moſte pregnante proofe hereof there is (as hath bene already ſhewed) in the 9. of Mark where Chriſt Ieſus being about to caſt the diuell out of one, and knowinge the aforeſaid metaphore to be moſt true, and that the vncleane ſpirit being gone out of man will returne, and ſeeke to enter into the ſame man againe, forbiddeth him ſo to doe, I meane, the reentring or repoſſeſſīg of the ſaid party, it may be the rather becauſe he was a child: I charge thee (ſaith he to the ſpirite) come out of him, vers 15.and enter no more into hī. Albeit then one teſtimony of the Lord Ieſus might aboundantly ſuffice, yet behould a double teſtimony of his for the further confirmīg of vsus in this truth: why then doth this ſeeme ſome ſtrange or newe doctrine, or odd conceite, not onlye to the Diſc. but to manye other that abhorre the counterfeyting he contendeth for, ſeeinge it hath ſuch warrant, and is ſo playnlie ſet downe in the ſcriptures? me think … we tooked into the nature of the diuell and how heſt…d … towardes god and man, this ſhould not … that he … the poſſeſſion thereof, yet will he not pre…ently giuegive ouer all … thereto, and ſeeke no … the … or any … he can compalle the poſſeſſion againe, … doe he … it not, yet it is cleare he will … gen…rally true, ſo ſpecially if it be a … the vſurper taketh great pleaſure to … in, and he alſo one o… great … and hating dead … and much more wicked and … are … and powers) being as vſurpers caſt out … mea, the gloribus temples for the holy … all poſſible meanes to enter into them … VVe all knowe and confeſſe, that ſathā … of the ſoule of man, which he poſſeſſeth ſo long as we continue the … of disobedience, he doth more egerly beſett it, and … of it, then euer he did before: and this beſide, … the holy ſcripture teacheth vsus, eueryevery conuert knoweth to be true … owne experience. Nowe why ſhould not the ſame ſpirit take the ſame courſe preſently after his election out of that other part of man, his body … meane: ſeing not only the ſcriptures, but the parties … ſo … out of their owne experience ſignifye … there was iuſt cauſe I thinke to per … as I did, and is ſet downe before. And … there for the Diſc. to condemne the reaſon (among others) of the … required of them viz. becauſe … And yet behoulde how he boaſteth as if the truth were firmly & vndoubtedly of his ſide, and as if he had anſwered all that men hauehave to ſay in two wordes,pag. …. viz. that the ſcripture wee relye vppon, is a metaphoricall place. But M. Darrell (ſaith he) and his frendes will peraduenture be better prouided in this poynt heereafter. How Dar. is prouided he nowe ſeeth: And by that time S. H. is prouided for obiections, I truſt Dar. will be ſufficiently prouided for anſwers vntounto them. And thus much for anſwer to the obiections made againſt my opinions, which ſomtimes I deliuered to the B. of London, little thinking that the ſame ſhoulde hauehave bene publiſhed to the worlde. It remayneth that I proceede to the matter of fact charged againſt mee: in which two poynts the diſcouery conſiſteth.