Reply to John Deacon, Title page – Dedication
THE REPLIE OF IOHN DARRELL, TO THE ANSWER OF IOHN DEACON, AND Iohn Walker, concerning the doctrine of the Poſſeſſion and Diſpoſſeſsion of Demoniakes.
Eccleſiaſtes 4. 1.
I turned, and conſidered all the oppreſsions that are wrought vnderunder the ſun, and behold, the teares of the oppreſſed, & none comforteth them: and loe the ſtrength is of the hand of them that oppreſſe them, and none comforteth them.
Imprinted 1602.
TO THE RIGHT REVEREND FATHERS AND BRETHREN, the Paſtors and Teachers in the Church of England, Grace and peace be multiplied in our Lord Ieſus Chriſt.
IT had bene to be wiſhed (right Reuerend & beloued in our Lord Ieſus Chriſt) that ſome queſtion ariſing of late, as you know, concerning Diſpoſſeſsion of diuels in theſe times by faſting and prayer, the ſame might hauehave bene propounded, examined, and decided in your lawful aſſembly. For your ſenſes being exerciſed in the knowledge of God his truth, and your minds enlightened with continuall practiſe of the Church, would eaſily hauehave diſcerned the ſtampe of the Sanctuarie: and this iudiciall determination of yours, woulde (no doubt) either hauehave preuented, or ſtayed at leaſt much violent proceeding, manie impious aſſertions, and great diſtractions among the people, which not able to iudge of the ſubſtance of things, ſtand amazed at the vaine ſound and multitude of words. But as this happineſſe hath bin much wiſhed in like caſe heretofore, ſo neuer could it be leſſe hoped for then now, when our ſinnes hauehave breathed new life into the dead carkeſſe of Antichriſt, whereby hee ſtartles vp on his feete afreſh, and begins to ſtrout amongſt vsus againe in terrible ſort. yet notwithſtanding your ioint conſents cannot be had, I thought it meet to offer this Reioynder to your conſiderations ſeuerally, holding it moſt requiſite that you the ſame parties ſhould alſo heare Truth ſpeake in her iuſt defence, before whom, and to whom, ſhee hath beene ſlaundered moſt ſhamefully. But what Truth is able to pleade for her ſelfe ſhall more fully appeare in the Treatiſe following: now onelyonly ſhe craueth, that as Gregorie Nazianzen iudged of Iulian by the wagging of his head, ſo by theſe two Epiſtles of theirs, one to your ſelues, the other to the Reader, it would pleaſe you to regard of what diſpoſition theſe Anſwerers bee.
In their Epiſtle to you (reuerend brethren) you ſhall beholde them falſe in pretence, vntrue in their words▪ and ridiculouſly arrogant. For pretence, they make ſhew of great promptneſſe with all humilitie to ſubmit their opinions to your graue and learned cenſures. And who would not eſteeme this lowlineſſe, as if the men were lately deſcended from heauen? But alas, they know your publike cenſure is not to be feared: more waightie occaſions hauehave not hetherto procured it: and what any of you ſhall pronounce priuately, wil be but one Doctors opinion with them. Their practiſe makes this plaine in their Diſcourſes, where teſtimonie as cleare as the ſunne light alleaged, how the Church both ancient, and preſent hath demeaned her ſelfe in like actions, they not hauing one word of probabilitie to reply, would ſhift off the matter with ſhameleſſe outfacing. Is it likely nowe (worthie Fathers and Brethren) theſe men would reuerence your authoritie, who reiect without bluſhing the authoritie of them, whom all the learned deſeruedly reuerence? This profeſsion then is but a meere abuſe, ſeruing onelyonly for a maske to hide the deformity of their natural countenance. And as they would carrie a faire colour of that, they neuer purpoſe to doe, ſo alſo they be no leſſe vntrue in reporting things alreadie paſt. They tell you, How inſolently we denied the Chriſtian conference they prefered vsus: whereas they neuer profered me any: and as for M. Moore, they comming to him, promiſing to confer the next morning, neuer came to him afterwards: thinking it better to cracke their credit in breaking that promiſe, then to ſtand to their word, & receiue a foyle in the bickering. So they talk of a new conference with me, offered to my ſpeciall friends: when neither friend not foe kuew where I was: when alſo had they knowne, and ſignified vntounto me this profered conference, I might with ſmall ſecuritie to my perſon hauehave conferred with them, notwithſtanding their profered bond. Whereby you may ſee that occaſion was rather ſought to blind the world with, then that any conference was ſoundly intended. In like manner they affirming, that diſpoſſeſſion in theſe times by faſting & prayer be miracles: that they bee vrged as neceſſary to ſupport our Relgion: that there is no difference between them wrought in the church of god amongst vsus, & theſe done in Antichriſts kingdom: that the dealers, in theſe actions are to be matched with Bròwniſts & Hackets: are aſſertions of ſuch nature as might with good reaſon, were they true, enrage your meek & patient ſpirits with indignation: ſpecially whē you heare their principal end in publiſhing theſe Counſels of God lately reuealed vntounto them concerning theſe incricate queſtions (for ſo they Anſwer. page 95ſpeake of theſe fancies or rather frenſies of theirs in the Treatiſe following) was forſooth to accompliſh the peace of Ieruſalem. Are nouelties peaceable? Innouations fit for quiet? Doctrines neuer heard of before, procurers of concord? O bleſſed peacemakers, which would ſoulder vp the breaches and diſagreements of Ieruſalem with latelie reucaled counſels. Thus they dare toyour faces poure forth their vntruths, not onelyonly in matter of faith, wherein none but ſome ſpeciall perſons could conuict them: but alſo in doctrines, whoſe falſhood your ſelues are beſt able of all other to deſcry as ſoone as you heare them. And is not their arrogancy worthy to be laughed at (but that your manner is rather to bewaile mens folly) when they would be Magiſtri ſententiarum, & hauehave their Diſcourſes Dictates for young ſtudents in diuinitie? It were hanſom ſure to behold a Sow ſit with a diſtaffe teaching the fine Ladies to ſpin: that the Crow ſhould inſtruct the young Nighttingales to ſing▪ and that the Conduites in Cheape ſhould be fed from the publike draynes & ſinkes of the citie. But could they bee content to be directours only to the younger ſtudents? Theſe myſteries of theirs are an infallible truth, as they ſay, & Counſels of god lately reuealed vntounto them, as you heard euen now. And therfore your ſelues, learned Fathers, though much trauelled in the ſacred ſciptures, greatly read in ancient writers, & acquainted with later monuments of knowledge & experience of all kinde, yet hitherto in theſe poyntes you know nothing: & if you purpoſe hereafter to vnderſtand any thing, you muſt ſucke it onelyonly from the breaſts of theſe late Reuelations. In which regarde it may very well bee, theſe Anſwerers could greatly reioyce (as alſo they profeſſe) if it might pleaſe any of you to cōfute them, becauſe they thinke theſelues on ſo ſure a ground, & are tickled, as it ſeemeth with an imagination of that glory, which they ſuppoſe they ſhould gaine by your foile & diſcredit. Whether they wil accept ſuch a labour in good part or no, you ſhall hauehave experience by this I hauehave performed. Their former pretences make me to feare this outſide of theirs is but ouercaſt with their wonted perietting.
In the Epiſtle to the Reader they ſay that I hauehave very vncharitably endeuoured to wound S. H. (whom els where they call S. Harſnet vntounto death for his dutifull Diſcouerie. I maruell they are not aſhamed to call it a dutifull diſcorerie, ſeeing the drift of it is, to proue, that I taught Sommers to counterfeit, wherof themſelues acquit me, as ye ſhall heare forthwith. What dutie performed he to God or man, in ſlaundering the rare workes of god, & his neightbour? Or do they in commending ſuch a Diſcouerie. It is true that by my Detection I endeuoured to wound S. H. mortally, ſo as he ſhould neuer be able to riſe vp any more for counterſeiting & my teaching to counterfeit: but not with ſword, nor ſpeare, onelyonly with the dart of Truth. And I thinke it is as true that I hauehave wounded him to death. Had not his wounds bene mortall, or at leaſtwiſe incurable, they had beene healed by this, and we had ſeene him the ſecond time in the field. Otherwiſe we muſt deem him for a coward, that encountreth not his enemie being often chalenged. This is the excellency & power of truth that ſhee ſubdueth all thoſe that riſe vp in armes againſt her, & they that take part with her, do at lēgth triūph gloriouſly, as being more thē conquerors. They blame my …āphlets as ful of vnſound & abſurd poſitions. I wil not confirme in this place, what is els where ſet down, but refer to your Iudgement whether by the former Suruery, & the following Reply it doth not appeare that many ſuch poſitions hauehave iſſued from their owne heads, & that this charge may be turned vponupon their owne pates. For mater, they charge my writings with want of Methode: to bee alſo ſchiſmaticall and Enigmaticall. Touching the Methode, I hope your patience hath beene contented with the order of the Doctrine, diuided into three ſeverall branches & each part proſecuted firſt with reaſons confirming it: & after by remoouing ſuch doubtes as might ſeeme to weaken it. And as for Schiſme, I teach no Latelie reuealed counſels, nor my Dialog. Diſcourſ. Epiſt. to the Reader in the beginning.priuate opinion concerning the poſſeſſion & diſpoſſeſsion of diuels. Both which theſe men confeſſe they do, but what hath ben reuealed and held from the beginning & confirmed euer ſince by cōtinual conſent: whereas if their doctrines be their owne priuate opinions, and Latelie reuealed, they bee New. If New, not eſtabliſhed by agreement of Scriptures & the Church▪ & if not eſtabliſhed, it is ſchiſme at the leaſt, for any thing I can conceiue, to publiſh & maintein them. Concerning Enigmatiall handling, your owne profiting by reading may beſt be Iudge. It was not my purpoſe, neyther, is it my skill to write ridles: Yet becauſe they complaine of darkenes I hauehave now ſo indeuored my ſelfe, that I hope they may ſpell my meaning, if they put on their ſpectacles Moreouer they accuſe the ſpirit wherwith my pamphlets are indited, to be ſenſuall & deuilish, as giuen to Rayling, Contradiction, & Diſobedience. Horrible, indeed is the ſinne of Rayling. But iuſt & plaine reprouing with theſe men is railing: Curing is killing, & whatſoeuer ſmarteth in the ſore, is deadly Iob. 24. 17.poyſon. The morning to the adulterer, is as the ſhadow of death. The vlcerous patient crveth out on eueryevery touch of the Chirurgion, as Tit. 1. 12.at moſt rough & vnaduiſed handling. It is no meruail if the Cretians can not endure to be told, they are lyars, eu…l beaſts & ſ…w bellies & that ſharpe reproofe be reuiled by ſuch, as altogether in tollerable, barbarous, and inhumane. Yet further behold I beſeech you in themſelues, how deſtitute they are of Gods feare in this behalfe: how voyd of the common wiſedom of men: & how ſtrongly poſſeſſed with that ſelf ſame itching diſeaſe they charge me withall. It is great want of reuerence towards god to defame others falſely, & that againſt their owne conſcience, as they doe me moſt opprobriouſly throughout their whole treatiſes. It is exceeding ſolly to prouoke him by forged crimes, which can repay them againe with moſt true crimes, with publike crimes, with hainons crimes. And is it not an incurable itching which muſt needes be clawing, till thier own fleſh be rent from their bones? Theſe mens deſire of ſcratching was ſo hot, that poſſibly they could not hold their fingers, though they were guilty to them ſelues, how deare it might coſt them: wherein notwithſtanding I hauehave ſpared them, being aſhamed in playne tearmes to vtter that which they hauehave not bene aſhamed to do. Concerning the Contradictions they would thruſt vponupon me, you will eaſily perceiue in the Reply, how partly they ſpring from their owne ignorance, as if I cal▪a▪thing Ordinary and ſupernaturall, then muſt there needs be a Contradiction: partly from their adding, detracting, and changing my words at thēir pleaſure, which they hauehave done aduiſedly and purpoſely, whereby their ſin is increaſed. And as for Diſobedience by my ſtriring againſt the ſentence of the High Commiſſion: is it a rebellious and vnruly proceeding according to the commandement & example of Chriſt Ieſus to iuſtifie the works of Matt. 12. 25. 30▪god being ſlaundered, or yet for one-to complaine of wrong. For marke I beſeech you how in this place they affirming, that by due order of law wee were conuented, conuicted, apprehended, impriſoned, by ſentence of Iuſtice defintiuely condēned for groſſe malefactors, & adiudged to priſon: yet in their Diſcourſes hauehave giuen this teſtimonie of me, that they did not ſo much as ſuſpect any precompacted cōſederacy Diale. Diſ. pag. 352.betweene me and the boy, that all acquainted with my former ſynceritie and vpright cariage are free from ſuch a perſwaſion… that the graceles boy did graceleſly counterfet, and my ſelf did only erre… iudgement, and not of any purpoſe in practiſe at all. By the witnes therfore of theſe mē if the high Cōmiſsion paſſed any ſuch ſeutence againſt vsus they did vsus open iniurv: & I truſt oppreſſed inuocents may hauehave this libertie at leaſt to bewaile their greife. But neither hath the Commiſſion awarded any ſuch ſentence, and theſe men hauehave done a double notable wrong in…ſlauncering both the Commiſtion, and vsus.
To ſhut vp all, they would boodwink the reader with their godly iealouſie ouer him, pretending they labour to prepaire him for one husband, and to preſent him as a pure virgin to Chriſt. But this office 1. Tim. 3.belongeth to the Biſhop that is biameles, and is the husband of one wife, &c. as S. Paul ſaith. And therfore if the Chriſtiā Reader ſhould looke for grapes from theſe thomes, he ſhould be deceaued▪ this Epiſtle then to the Reader is fraught with the ſame vertues of Cloking, of forging, of pride (though with ſome larger addition) wherwith the former, reuerend Fathers and brethren, was to you. And therefore howſoeuer they thinke, I wil anſwere them as Hildebrand did, Abbas Caſsinenſis, frater nimtum tardasti: Deere brethren, you have beene ſomewhat too ſlow in publiſhing your Dialogicall Diſcourſes: yet I doubt not, but both you, and I, will with one conſent, rather returne the contrarie to them, Et vos Disputatores nimium feſtinaſtis: And you, O Diſcourſers, hauehave made too much haſte. For had you trauelled as long, as the Elephant in bringing forth her young, yet the birth of ſuch monſtrous deuiſes, ſo ignorant, ſo erroneous, ſo ſlaunderons, ſo impious, had bene abortiue, vntimely, and too ſoon. For this cauſe I hauehave dealt more roundly and freely with them, then otherwiſe I would hauehave done with ordinarie men. They could not poſsibly be wakened out of ſo ſtrong an Apoplexie, but by burning feathers and ſhoo-ſoles vnderunder their noſes: neither would the Reader hauehave bene ſufficiently warned to eſchew their fraud, except the trumpet had ſounded ſhrill in his eares.
And whereas ſome of you, reuerend and beloued brethren, affirming, and verie truly, that their bookes were vnworthy the anſwering, did thereupon earneſtly diſſwade me from writing: I anſwere, Tit. 1. 10.So alſo was the doctrine of thoſe vaine talkers, Paul mentioneth to Titus, vnworthy to be confuted, yet the Apoſtle ſaith, Their mouthes muſt be ſtopped. And how? by conuin…ing, as there followeth. Matt. 12. 24What could be more palpablie falſe, then that of the Phariſees, Hee caſteth out diuels, through Beelzebub the Prince of diuels▪ Notwithſtanſting our Sauiour did conuince thē. Euen ſo did S. Peter thoſe who Act. 2. 13mocked, and ſaid the Apoſtles were full of new wine, when the holy Ghoſt in that wonderful maner fel vponupon them. In priuate communication, A foole is to be anſwered according to his folly: but if in pub like among the preſſe, in the higheſt places of the citie, or entrings of the gates, where wiſdomes voice ſhould be heard, a foole chance to babble, and vtter that is dangerous to the ſimple, which theſe Diſcourſers hauehave done, then is the folly of a foole to bee throughly diſcouered, and layd open to the viewe of all men. The fooliſh (of Pro. 14, 15which number are the moſt) will beleeue eueryevery thing, be it neuer ſo falſe, be it neuer ſo abſurd, neuer ſo ſottiſh & ridiculous, ſpecially if it be countenanced with Authority, as are the Dialog call Diſcourſes. For this reaſon, euen to keepe the ſimple from error, who are ſo eaſilie ſeduced, notwithſtanding the vnworthines of theſe Diſcourſes, there is cauſe ſomething ſhould be ſayd in anſwere vntounto them, by my ſelfe or other. Neither doe I doubt but theſe my rude lines will (by the bleſsing of God) be effectuall to recouer thoſe which through their verbal writings be falne from the truth, to ſtrengthen ſuch as be wauering, and to ſtabliſh them which more firmely hold the truth. If this ſucceſſe follow, I ſhall hauehave no cauſe to repent me of my paines, nor any other to account the ſame ſuperfluous.
Now therfore, brethren, I beleech you know theſe diſturbers, be not deceiued by their ouercaſting and ſmoothing. Examine what they ſay, before ye beleeue them. Anb albeit your authority is not able to bridle them (the more is our griefe, and the miſerie of our Church) yet auoid their doctrines in your ſelues, and in your people. I beſeech you alſo, as your occaſions may ſerue, admoniſh them: that yet in want of a publike degree, they may gather by you ſeuerally what is the iudgement of all, and be therby aſhamed and reclaimed, if ſo the Lord in mercy pleaſe. Litle needes ſuch conflict in theſe times wherin that antichriſt of Rome extremely rageth, as now entring his laſt triall. But we muſt hauehave fightings 2. Cor. 7. 5.without and feares within: open wars with the preiſts and leſuites, the ſeruants of Antichiriſt, and many priuate grieuances by ſuch as would bee counted of the houſhold of faith. It behooues vsus therefore brethren, to put on the armor of righteouſnes on the right 2. Cor. 6. 7hand, and on the left, that wee may manfully defend & mainteine the holy truth in all her bounds & limits vnuiolated ſyncere where by the puritie of Religion may ſtill bee continued, and all errour abandoned frō anoying either vsus or our poſteritie after vsus. The god of mercy, peace and truth confirme and eſtabliſh our heartes, that we may fight the good fight, like good ſoldiers of Ieſus Chriſt, and quit our ſelues like men: holding faith & a good conſcience, to the glory of his name, & euerlaſting comfort of our owne ſoules, through Ieſus our Lord and onelyonly Sauiour. Amen.
Your fellow ſeruant in the worke of the Goſpell. Iohn Darrell.