Demonology and Theology, Chapter 3
CHAP. III.
A particular parallell of our times with that in the 1 Tim. 4.1. that men ſhall give heed to ſeducing Spirits, and Doctrines of Devils.
SSould ſeeme that in the laſt times there ſhal be ſeducing Spirits, and their Doctrines, as wel as the Spirit of truth and his Doctrines: And as Satan is called a lying ſpirit, ſo hee is ſayd to be a lying spirit in the mouth of Ahabs foure hundred falſe Prophets, for one Michaia that ſpake by the spirit of truth; ſo that mens spirits are alſo ſayd to be lying ſpirits; or ſpirits or error, 1 John 4.1. prompted, no doubt; alſo by Satan. The Parallell of theſe times to our times in this ſuits thus: Men, yea nominal Profeſſors: Firſt, are Levellers, which was the Devils Doctrine to Adam. Secondly, Familiſts, ſaying that men are Deified, and God is the Creature, which alſo was in effect the Devils Doctrine. Thirdly, are much given to heed and beleeve Diabolicall Magick and Divinations (under the notion of lawfull Mathematicks, and laudable Art) to tel, and foretel things which God doth not, and nature cannot declare, or Predict. I ſpeake not againſt proper lawful Art, which I am ingaged to honour; but againſt ſuch practiſes as are above Art, and belong to Diabolical aſſiſtances; whereby, many in theſe dayes are at laſt decoyed into the Circle of the Devils power of prevailing ſuggeſtions, and bewitched Obſeſſion, if not alſo moſt probably, by what I could tel you, unto poſſeſſion. In Revel. 12. Verſ. 10, 11, 12. in the type of the laſt times afore Chriſts appearance, tis ſayd, Now is the Kingdome of our God, and the power of his Chriſt; and the Saints overcome by the blood of the Lamb. But immediately afore ſhal be a Woe to the Inhabitants of the Earth, for the Devill is come downe unto you: I ſay, immediately AFORE; becauſe tis ſayd, firſt, That the Devill and Satan were caſt out: And then it followes, Now is ſalvation and the Kingdome of our God, and his Chriſt. Secondly, tis ſayd, The Devil is come downe, having great wrath, becauſe hee knoweth he hath but a ſhort time. * And Maſter Perkins ſhewes in his Booke of Witchcraft, that a man that doth confidently beleeve, that upon ſuch Figures, Circles, and the like Diabolical traditions, he ſhal be told ſuch and ſuch things, not knowing any divine, or natural reaſon WHEREFORE it ſhould be ſo, may be in an implicit Covenant with the Devil.. It is not enough for a right knowledge by Art, to know, That it ſhal be ſo; but to know juſtly why, and wherefore it ſhall be ſo. The knowledge of wherefore promiſeth Art. But the knowledge of onelyonly THAT it ſhal be ſo, may be ſuſpected of farr worſe. And doubtleſſe ſome good men in theſe times, whoſe returne to the truth, witneſſe their goodneſſe (of which we have but rare examples) have been really bewitched; being forced with an irreſiſtable ſtrange power, to ſay and doe thoſe abſurd, yea and wicked words and things, as I am loath to mention, though I am certaine of them. By their owne confeſſion we may apparantly gather the Devil was in it, becauſe of their blaſphemies, and withal ſtrong temptations to uncleanneſſe, though the Lord graciouſly kept them from yeelding to them. Theſe things we have partly from their Books, and partly from their confeſſions. To confirme this of the Devils bewitching in a ſort, with ſtrange deluſions, ſome good people by parling with Satan at firſt (as Eve did) when he begins to preſent his cozening phantaſmes, heare a true and ſtrange Story of Luther; who being at prayer, on that the Papiſts cal Good-Friday, the Devil repreſents on the Wal, over againſt the fixing of his eyes in his devotion, a moſt exact pourtracture of a Crucifix, limbing forth to the life, Chriſt hanging naked on the Croſſe, with his five paſſion wounds, and drops of blood pendent, and as diſtilling from their Orifices: Luther at firſt aſtoniſhed hereat, quickly recovering his ſpirits, did not (as now it would by many, as I perceive by their narrative of what ſights they have ſeen) take it for a revelation, but zealouſly like a prudent ſound Saint, burſt out into words to this effect, Avant, I defie thee, thou curſed Devill; I know no picture of Chriſt but his Word and Sacraments. At which words Satan having loſt his deſigne, withdrew his painted Cloth, I meane his repreſented phantaſie-fopperies. Upon this, a good Woman a while after in Germanie, having a ſtrange Viſion (as She imagined) and therein as She conceived, a revelation, diverſe godly Miniſters, and among them Luther, were ſent for; when they came, the Woman endeavoured to ſhew them a ſtrange repreſentation upon the Wal, which Shee (as Shee ſayd) ſaw, but they could not. Luther importunes the Woman to bid defiance to it, and to ſpit upon the place, in token of her abhorrence; which at laſt, after much importunity, Shee did: Whereupon Shee cryed out, O now it is turned into a Serpent, or great Snake; O now ſaith Shee, it creeps up upon my arme to my ſhoulder; O now, ſaith Shee, it bites me by the eare and ſome drops of blood fell; but whether Luther ſaw the blood, Luthers Story doth not expreſly tell me. After which the Woman was quieted. I leave the Reader to make application; whom I could tel other certaine relations of apparitions, as was imagined of fire on the Wal, whiles a moſt godly Miniſter was praying, to comfort another Miniſter, that at that time conceived ſomthing did ſtroke downe the Bedd-clothes upon him as he was in his Bedd. All which artifices the Devil wil uſe in theſe laſt times, to ſee if he can draw away people from the ſure Word of God, to other phantaſtical revelations. Which Word, Peter ſaith in Epiſt. 2. Chap. 1. Verſ. 19. is more ſure to us, then a voyce from Heaven. Compare Gal. I. v. 8. The Devil in the laſt times wil uſe extreame diligence with all his devices, 2 Cor. 2.11. Tranſforming himſelfe into an Angell of light, and making HIS MINISTERS ſo to doe, 2 Cor. 11. that he himſelfe, and they may BEWITCH men from the truth, Gal. 3.1.
So that as there are ſeducing spirits of Devils, ſo of Men, 1 John 4.1. of which next, that we may take in all that this expreſſion of 1 Tim. 4. 1. may comprehend. Men-ſeducing-ſpirits are ſuch as pretend much of the ſpirit, either of Propheſie, or of holy illumination in knowledge (both of them in that 1 John 4.1. & 3.) but by their lips and lives it appeares, they are carryed to their opinions, or practiſes with a lying ſpirit: So in that 1 John 4. And that parallel place of our other Apoſtle under conſideration, Viz. Jude, Verſ. 19. Senſuall, not having the ſpirit: that is, They make boaſts of having the ſpirit, but indeed are quite contrary to having the ſpirit, for they are ſenſuall: They are ſo in their notions, and ſo in their actions; they are not ſpiritualized, but are carnal. So moſt ſadly in theſe dayes: The Seekers pretend the ſpirit, but lay aſide thoſe Ordinances that are appointed by the ſpirit, and wherein is heard the voice of the ſpirit, both from God to us, and in us to God. The Shakers pretend the ſpirit, but act in a fleſhly manner of quivering, interrupting one another, whiles both pretend to be moved by the ſpirit. The Familiſts pretend the ſpirit, yet refuſe a Chriſt come in the fleſh, who was moſt full of the ſpirit, and is the communicator of the ſpirit. The Ranters pretend the ſpirit, yet curſe, and ſweare, and Whore, moſt fleſhlily.