The Christian Armory, Book 1 · Chapter 17
CHAP. XVII. Of the extraordinary euilles, which euen the bodies of Gods Saints are in this world (many times) subiect vntounto.
Question.
WHat are the extraordinarie euils vntounto which the bodies of men are subiect and liable?
A. Two especially, to wit witchcraft and possession.
Q. What is withcraft?
A. It is a wicked Art or practise,Perkins. seruing for the working of wonders, by the assistance of Satan, so farre forth as God shall in iustice permit.
Q Whether that Gods children can be annoied, or hurt by the practises of witches and enchanters?
A. Yes, why not? For first (as shall be afterwards more particularly shewed in the doctrine of possession) S…tan transported the holy body of Christ from place to place: hee smote Job with sore boiles from the sole of the foote vntounto the crowne of his head; he slew his (religious) children, Job 1.19. and he bowed together a daughter of Abraham eightéene yéeres,Luk. 13.16. so that she could not lift vp her selfe.
Eccles. 9.2Secondly, all outward things may come alike, both to the good and to the bad.
Thirdly, God will let his children hauehave a taste of satans might and malice, that they should beware of his subtill practises, and should desire strength from God, and depend vponupon his power and prouidence only.
Lastly, God doth hereby either manifest and correct spirituall pride, or some hidden sinne in his seruants; or else hee doth quicken and reuiue the latent and hidden graces of the heart, that they may be thankfull to God for them, and féele them increased and confirmed in themselues.
Q What vse is to be made hereof?
A. First, hereby it is apparant, that they are wholly deceiued, who hauehave a strong imagination that their faith is so mighty and perfect, that all the witches in the world, and all the diuels in hell cannot hurt them nor shake it.
Secondly, it behoueth Gods children neuer to presume of outward security from any temptation, but to prepare and arme themselues against it; and if Satan by his instruments at any time (by Gods permission) afflict and torment them, they must know that it is onelyonly for the triall of their faith and patience,Matth 5.10, 11, 12. and therefore the end cannot but be good and glorious.
Q. Why doth God suffer his children thus to be tormented?
A. First, that he may (for the time) try their faith, and likewise exercise their patience.
Secondly, that he may at length (either by life or death) wholly deliuer them, and then giuegive Satan the greatest soile, when he looketh for the greatest victory and aduantage.
Q. What vse and application is to be made of this point?
A. First, we must beware that we doe not censure all, or any, thus tormented, with the blacke note and marke of a reprobate, séeing that Gods children are liable (sometimes) to the hurt of witchcraft, as well as the wicked and profan… people.
Secondly, we must be content that Satan should goe about to winnow vsus as wheat,Luk. 22.31.32. for he shal not preuaile against our faith: well may the chaffe be parted and diuided from the wheat, but the wheat and the sauing grace of God shall neuer be driuen out of our hearts.
Lastly, the more Satan bestirreth himselfe to annoy and displeasure vsus,Iam 47. let vsus the more v…liantly and vehemently by the word of God, by faith, and praier, resist him, then he will flie from vsus, and we shall foile him.
Q Why doth Satan by his instrume…ts, endeuor rather to annoy Gods children then those that are wicked?
A. Because he hath the wicked fast in his hold, and if he should (ordinarily) torment them he might possibly estrange them from him, and so lose them. But as for the godly, they hauehave escaped his hands, and therefore he laboureth to recouer them: they are as the Merchants ship, fraught and laden with great riches and pretious commodities and therefore he striueth either to take them, or else to drowne and sinke them.
Q. What meanes and remedies are there to preuent and cure the practises of witchcraft?
A. There is one soueraigne and principall preseruatiue, and th… is, to bee within the couenant of grace, made and confirmed in the Gospel by the bloud of Christ, touching remission of sinnes and euerlasting life; for to such on one appertaine the promises of the blessed presence of Gods spirit, and of the presence and speciall protection of his holy Angels,Psal. 92.10. to pitch their ten…s about them,Num. 23.23. and to preserue their soules and bodies from the power and practises of Satan and his instruments, (namely) so far forth as is expedient for them.
Q. How may a man be certified that he is in the couenant of grace?
A. By a liuely faith, applying to himselfe the sauing promises of God in Christ and by the fruits of it, in true repentance and obedience.
Q Deliuer some generall restauratiues and remedies against the practises of witchcraft.
A. They that are annoied by witches and the practises of withcraft, must practise thrée duties. First, they must note that sinne is the true and proper cause of it,1. Sam. 15. as may appeare in Saul vexed with an euill spirit,1. Tim. 1.20 in Hymeneus and Alexander, (for their pestilent errors) giuen vp vntounto Satan; and in the incestuous Corinthian, 1. Cor. 5.5. And therefore they must neuer rest, vntill that they hauehave found out this sinne, and withall wounded and slaine it.
Secondly, they must shew forth by hearty praier and fasting, their faith whereby they rely on Gods méere mercy; and herein they must pray absolutely for the pardon of their sinnes, but conditionally for deliuerance from the hurts and torments of witches and sorcerers, for they are but temporall euils.
Lastly, they must comfort themselues in this, that the diuell and his instruments, are but Gods executioners, who directeth their practises to his childrens good, and that he being a most wise God, and a louing father in Christ, will not suffer them to be tried and exercised aboue their ability, but will in his good time, either in this life, or in the end of this life, by death eternally deliuer them, and put them in present possession of euerlasting ease and happinesse.
Q. What is possession?
A. It is when the diuell is manifestly present, either in the whole body, or in some part of it; so that he hath the power and gouernment of it. As for examples sake, when he possesseth the instrument of the voice, as the tongue, and withall maketh the party possessed to speake strange languages, which formerly he neuer either heard or vnderstood, and when he causeth the party possessed to giuegive notice of secrets, and of things done farre off
Q. Whether is there any possession in th…se daies or no?
A. Though possession by euill spirits is in these daies of truth but rare, and of few noted, yet there is, and will be such. And this the Writers of the Centuries doe record to hauehave fallen out in eueryevery age, and frequent experience in our own kingdome doth also confirme it.
Secondly, the causes of possession, namely sinne as the meritorious cause of it, and the demonstration and execution of Gods iustice as the finall cause, cease not: for sinne is as rife, yea more raging then euer heretofore; and God is as iust to punish sinne, as at any time, and then why should there not be possession an effect of it?
Thirdly, the proper signes and symptomes of possession, namely lowd crying of the party possessed,Mark. 9 26 renoing of his body, and his lying dead at the point of his dispossession, are in these daies descried and obserued:Mar. 9.24. and why is there not then the thing signified?
Lastly, the ordinary meanes of expelling Satan, namely praier and fasting remaine, and why not possession?
Obiection.
Q But the miraculous and extraordinary gift of eiecting euill spirits out of the possessed, is now altogether ceased, Ergo, there is now no reall and bodily possession.
A. The argument followeth not: for though possession in our daies be farre more rare then in Christ and the Apostles times, & the miraculous gift of casting them out (by miracle) be ceased, yet there is an ordinary course remaining and left to the Church, namely, praier and fasting;Mark. 9.2… and not without good reason; for there is no temptation but God hath prouided a remedy for it, and much more for such an extraordinary affliction. …nd hereupon when the Disciples of Christ hauing iointly receiued power and authority to cast out diuels; and when they assaying to cast out Satan out of one of the Scribes sonnes, and because satan yéelded not at first, and they beganne to doubt of the sufficiencie of their authority, they had no successe; for the gift of miraculous faith, was for the time interrupted: hereupon Christ referreth them to the ordinary meanes, namely praier and fasting.
Obiection.
But God hath made promises to his children, Iam 4 7.that Satan shal hauehave no power ouer them.
A. All temporall blessings (whereof this is one) are promised with condition, namely, so farre forth as may stand with Gods good pleasure, and the good of his children, and not otherwise: but it is his decrée, and for his childrens profit, sometimes to be bewitched and annoied by Satans instruments.
Q Whether those that were vexed by euill spirits, in the time that Christ liued on the earth, or in any age sithence, were onelyonly obsessed and outwardly tormented by Satan, or possessed by the substantiall inherence of him in their bodies.
A. (No doubt) they were tormented both waies. Touching obsession, there is no question; and touching possession, it is apparant by these and the like arguments. First, by a distinct voice heard out of the person possessed, differing from his owne naturall voice.
Secondly, by the speaking of the hardest languages, which the party possessed neuer formerly vnderstood.
Thirdly, our blessed Sauiour Christ cast out a diuell out of a man, and bad him enter in no more.
Math. 12.43.44.Fourthly, the vncleane spirit being gone out of a man, and finding no test elsewhere, purposeth and endeuoureth to returne into his house from whence he came: Ergo, he was formerly in it.
Lastly, (a few words satisfie men not conceited or contentious) the experience of most ages, and the iudgement of the most Orthodox Diuines proueth it.
Q. Whether that Gods children may be at any time, or are in these daies possessed by euill spirits?
Eccl. 9.2.A. Yea truly; first in these outward things, al may fall alike to the good & bad.
Secondly, Satan by Gods permission, had power ouer the blessed body of our Sauiour Christ, and transported it from place to place,Mat. 4.8. viz. from the wildernesse to a wing of the temple in Ierusalem.
Thirdly, Satan infected Iobs body with lothsome and pestilent botches and boiles, yea and ouerturned the house wherein Iobs children were vponupon them, and so crushed and squéesed them in péeces.
Fourthly, holy and blessed Paul was buffeted by satan.
Fifthly,2. Cor. 12.7 a daughter of Abraham was troubled eightéene yéeres with a spirit of infirmity; for Satan so bowed her, that she could not lift vp her head.
Sixthly, the woman of Canaan her daughter was vexed with a diuell.Mat. 15.21.22.
Seuenthly, the child of a true beléeuer was by satan possessed.
Eighthly, the experience of all ages and times (more or lesse) verifieth and iustifieth the truth of this assertion.
Lastly, fatherly and temporary chas…isements yet remaine; but possession is (to Gods children) but a temporary & fatherly chastisement.
Q. What generall comforts and directions are there against possession?
A. First Satans both nature and power is restrained, limitted, and bounded: for touching his nature, he is but a creature, and finite both in knowledge and power. And as touching his power, (though it be very great) yet he is so bridled and restrained by the decrée, & will of God, that he cannot put in execution all his naturall power, to the hurt and annoiance of any whatsoeuer.
Secondly, sundry of Gods saints, as Iob, and a daughter of Abraham, that was bound by satan eightéene yéeres: yea and our blessed Sauiours body, was subiect (for the time) to satans malice, and yet all happily escaped, and were deliuered: Christ by his owne power foiled him, and the other were conquerors in and through Christ.
Thirdly, that in Gods children, possession by satan onelyonly annoieth the body, which is as it were the outward wall or the circumference; but he can neuer win or ouercome the castles of our hearts, nor attaine vntounto the center of our conscience.
Lastly, that possession by euill spirits, is (to the beléeuers) but a temporary chastisement, and shall determine in death, (if not long before) espe…ally, if publike and priuate praiers and fastings be (according to Christ his ordinance) vsed.
Q. What duties are the possessed to performe?
A. They must heartily pray vntounto, and call vponupon God in Christ, to checke satan, and to restrain his power and malice, and (consequently) to deliuer them and theirs: and in the meane time, they must patiently beare that particular affliction, and wait Gods leasure vntill he deliuer them. Iob 13. Heb. 11.17.
Secondly, they must hauehave recourse to God in his word, in which he promiseth them his presence, and protection in their greatest dangers. Psal. 91.10.11. Zach. 2.51. Esay 66.12. Num. 23.25.
Thirdly,Mat. 17.21. there must praier and fasting of the Church be vsed for them: for so Christ hath ordained and commanded. Marke 3.29. Psal. 37.34.
Lastly, they must to their holy professions, ioyne practises of good works and newnes of life, and then all things will goe well with them in the end.
Q. What duties are the friends of the possesed, and his neighbours, and those that attend vponupon him, to performe vntounto him?
Rom. 12.15.A. First, they must condole and grieue with him, as members of one and the same spirituall body.1 Cor. 12.25.
Secondly, they must visit him, and by praiers make intercession to God for him;Iam. 5.15. for so God hath commanded; and the praier of a righteous man auaileth much, if it be feruent.
Esa. 8.20.Thirdly, they must aduertise him that he in no wise send to wizards, nor flie to any vnlawfull meanes;2 Kin. 1.3. & 4. for this is not the meanes to expell satan, but to entertaine and also to strengthen him.
Lastly, because in possession, God doth either correct some euill in the party possessed, or make triall of his faith, his friends must endeuor to bring him to repentance for his sinnes, and this being done, to perswade the said party to wait constantly and patiently for the good time of his happy deliuerance.
THE SECOND BOOKE, Wherein are contained soueraigne and most sweet consolations, directions, and remedies against such inward or outward euils, crosses, afflictions, which properly and peculiarly concerne Gods Church and Children.
LONDON Imprinted by William Hall for Iohn Stepneth. 1611.
TO THE RIGHT Honourable his very good. Lord, the L. HARINGTON, Baron of EXTON; and to the right Noble and Vertuous the LADIE HARINGTON his wife, & my singular good LADIE, Grace, Mercy and Peace.
HAuing (Right Honourable) in the former booke treated of such publike and priuate troubles, vexations, losses and calamities that are common to Gods children with the wicked; and hauing (according to my measure) sorted out, and set downe such plaine and compendious rules, directions, and consolations, as may seeme most fit and necessary; I hauehave in this second Booke propounded in order those doubts, distresses, griefes, scandals, trials and afflictions, which did specially and properly concerne Gods Saints and seruants: (for many are the troubles of the righteous, and the better Christian the more tried and afflicted) & I hauehave withall expressed and drawn out of Gods booke such certaine resolutions, vndoubted conclusions, and choice comforts, as (I hope) will giuegive good satisfaction and contentment to eueryevery good Christian. And hoping that through Gods blessing this small worke may doe much good, I hauehave beene willing to make it common, and for many iust and waighty reasons me mouing, doe deuote and consecrate it to your Honours. For, first, your Honours being Pillers in Gods house, and goodly Cedars in the Lebanon of his Church militant, beare your parts in affliction, and therefore the comforts do appertaine vntounto you; you share in the conflicts, and why not in the conquests?
Secondly, this my discourse being a subiect and matter of religion and learning, who hauehave greater interest in it, then such a noble Theophilus, & honourable Sunamite, who both doe so much fauour, further, and wish well to learning and godlinesse?
Thirdly, in whom doe might and meekenesse, honour and humility, greatnesse and gratiousnes, more happily concur, then in your Honours?
Lastly, hauing receiued so many great and vndeserued fauours from your Honours, as the Roote, and from your noble ofspring, as the blessed branches; I could finde no better meanes to manifest my humble dutie, and to testifie my thankfull heart, then by dedicating, and commending these my labours to your patronages.
Vouchsafe therefore not onelyonly to peruse my meditations, but also to approue them; that the Author may receiue the greater encouragemēt, & the fragrant perfume of your fauourable disposition, may more amply enlarge, and make knowne it selfe. But fearing to bee offensiue and tedious, and assuring my selfe of your Honourable acceptation; I doe here most heartily sue and supplicate to God the Father of our Lord Iesus Christ, to blesse the bright Morning Starre, that Princely charge vnderunder your careful tuition, and herein to respect and reward your faithfull seruice, and watchfull attendance, to remember in goodnesse all your kindnes shewed to his Church and childrē, to continue you long in health, to encrease you in all grace and honour, and to replenish your hearts with all hope and comfort.
Your Honours in all dutie, most affectionate, THOMAS DRAXE.