been abbess now twelve years, began to receive some remorse of her former practices; and, growing to a detestation of her horrible society with that evil spirit, found means freely to discover to the Visitors of her Order, all the whole carriage of this abominable and prodigious wickedness: although some credible, wise, and learned persons have reported, that she, perceiving the nuns to have taken secret notice of her foul pranks, lest she should run into a deserved condemnation, did, under the favour of those laws which give pardon to selfaccusing offenders, voluntarily confess her monstrous villainy and impiety. This confession blanked many of her favourers and admirers; and seemed so strange, that it was held fit not to believe it, without strict and legal examinations and proceedings. Magdalen was close imprisoned in her convent; and, being called to question, confessed all this mystery of iniquity. Yet still her Moor continued his illusions: for, while she was fast locked up in her cell, with a strong guard upon her doors; the nuns were no sooner come into the quire, towards morning, to say their matins, than this deputy-apparition of Magdalen took up her wonted stall, and was seen devoutly tossing her beads amongst her sisters; so as they thought the Visitors had surely freed her of the crimes objected, upon her vehement penitence: but, hearing that Magdalen was still fast caged in her prison, they acquainted the Visitors with what they had seen, the morning before; who, upon full examination, found, that she had never looked out of the doors of her gaol. The process was at last sent up to Rome; whence, since the confession was voluntary, she had her absolution.

A story of great note and use, for many occasions; and too well known to the world, to admit of either denial or doubt, and ratified, as by the known consent of the time, so by the faithful records of Zuingerus, Bodin, Reney, Goulartius. Lord God, what cunning conveyances are here of the foul spirit! what subtle hypocrisy! what powerful illusions! enough to make sanctity itself suspected; enough to shame the pretence of miracles. He can, for an advantage, be a holy Nun, as well as an ugly Moor: he can be as devout at Matins, Sacraments, Processions, as the best: what wonder? when he can, at pleasure counterfeit, an Angel of Light? In that glorious form did he appear to Simon Stylites of old; to Gertrude of Westphalia, not without the entertainment of her joy and devotion: till Hermanus of Arnsburgh descried the fraud; and taught her to avoid it, by a means no less advantageous to that ill spirit, than her former devotion. Yea, yet higher, to Pachomius, and to Valens the monk, as Palladius reports, he durst appear and call for adoration; and had it, under the form of the Lord of Life, blessed for ever.

How vain is the observation of those authors, who make this

the difference, betwixt the apparitions of good angels and evil: That the good make choice of the shapes, either of beautiful persons, or of those creatures which are clean and hurtless; as of the shape of a lamb to Clement, or a hart to Eustace, or a dove to Gummarus: whereas the evil put themselves into the forms of deformed men, or of harmful and filthy beasts; as of a goat to the assembly of witches, of hogs in the churches of Agatha profaned by the Arians; of serpents, dragons, toads, and other loathsome and terrible creatures, to St. Hilary and Anthony, as Athanasius and Jerome, in their suppositious relations, have reported: and that, if at any time he take upon him the shape of a man, yet it is with some notable defect and incongruity of limbs; as with a right-foot cloven, or with a whole hoof; never entirely human: when we see that the very glory of angels escapes not their counterfeisance. We know how easy it is for the Almighty to ordain some such mark to be set upon the false shapes of evil spirits, for their better discovery: but why should we rather suppose this to be done, in the case of human bodies, than of heavenly angels? why more, in the resemblance of men, than of all other creatures; since their deceit may be no less dangerous, in either.

But as for these visible devils, they are, in these days, very rare; and, where they have appeared, have wont to work more affright, than spiritual prejudice. Evil spirits are commonly most pernicious to the soul, when they are least seen; not caring so much for our terror, as our seduction.

O God, they are crafty; but thou art wisdom itself: they are malicious; but thou art goodness. Let thy goodness and wisdom ever protect and safeguard us: so shall we be, not more wretched and unsafe in ourselves, than we shall be in thee secure and happy.

SECT. VII.

THE VEHEMENCE OF SATAN'S LAST CONFLICTS.

THESE spirits, because such are neither capable of sleep or weariness; as they are therefore ever busy and restless in their assaults, so their last conflicts used to be most vehement: whether it be, for that, now, the soul is passing out of their reach, as we find they did most tear and torture the demoniac, when they saw themselves upon the point of their ejection; or, whether it be, for that the painful agonies of death yield them more hopes of advantage, since the soul, while it is struggling with those last pangs, must needs have her powers distracted in her resistances. Cruelty, where it would prevail, will be sure to lay most load upon the weakest.

Est hæc res mirabilis, nunquam visos esse damones utroque pede humano ullibi apparuisse. Forner. de Ang. Ser. ix.

Hereupon it is, that holy men have been most careful to arm themselves strongliest, against those last onsets; and to bend all the forces of their souls, upon their safe dissolution. The holy sister of St. Basil, and Melania, whom St. Jerome magnifies for their sanctity, beseech God, with great fervency, that those envious spirits may not hinder them in their last passage and devout Bernard, to the same purpose, when he drew near his end, sues to his friend for his earnest prayers, that the heel of his life might be kept safe from the Serpent; so as he might not find where to fix his sting.

Hence it is, that, in former times, good souls have been so provident to hearten themselves against the faint pulse of their death-beds, with that vitiacum sacrum, the strongest spiritual cordial of the Blessed Eucharist: which hath yielded them such vigour of heavenly consolation, that they have boldly defied all the powers of darkness; and, in spite of all those assaults, have laid themselves down in peace.

O God, I know Satan can want no malice nor will to hurt. I should be his, if I looked for favour from him. He must and will do so much of his worst to me, as thou wilt permit. Whether thou wilt be pleased to restrain him, or strengthen me, thy will be done. Oh, lead me not into temptation; and, when thou doest so, shew thyself strong in my weakness: arm me, for my last brunt: stand by me, in my last combat; make me faithful to the death, that thou mayest give me a crown. of life.

SECT. VIII.

OF OUR CARRIAGE TOWARD WICKED SPIRITS; AND THE WAYS OF OUR PREVALENCE AGAINST THEM.

WE have seen what the carriage of the Evil Spirits is to us : it were fit, we should ask in what terms we must stand towards them.

That we must maintain a perpetual hostility against them, cannot be doubted; and, whatever acts may tend toward the securing of ourselves, and the abating of the kingdom and power of darkness, those must be exercised by us, to the uttermost. Justly, do we scorn to be beholden to that deadly enemy, in receiving courtesies from him. Favours from such hands, are both sins and curses.

He, that can so easily transform himself, will seem to do good. What cures doth he often work! what discoveries of thefts! what remedies of diabolical operations and possessions, by the agency of witches, wizards, magicians! what an ordinary traffic doth he hold of charms, spells, amulets! Ignorance and superstition are willing enough to be befriended by such

pernicious helps; whereby that subtle spirit both wins and kills the soul, while he cures the body.

It is not easy for a man, where he receives a benefit to suspect an enmity: but, withal, it is no less than stupidity, when we find a good turn done us, not to enquire whence it came; and, if we find it to proceed from a mischievous intent of further hurt, not to refuse it.

That there have been diseases remedied, wounds healed, blood stanched, thorns plucked out, serpents stupified, winds procured, by charms, is so notorious, that whoso would doubt of it should make himself a wonder of incredulity: now then, by what power do we think these things done?

Natural, it cannot be: for there is no such efficacy in words or characters, being but of mere device and arbitrary imposition, as may produce real effects.

Preternatural then, it must be; and if so, then either divine or diabolical. Of God, it cannot be: where hath he given warrant to any such practice? where any promise to concur with it? nay, how oft hath he testified his prohibitions and detestation of these courses! Needs must it therefore be, by devilish operation; whose agent, witches and sorcerers are ; and whose means of working, are these superstitious inventions, which, by a secret compact, receive their force and success from those infernal powers.

Let those then, that have given to Satan their souls, take favours from him for their bodies: let us, that defy the author, abhor the courtesy. Mine enemy offers me a rich garment: I know it is poisoned; else, he would not give it me: shall I take it, because it is rich; or refuse it, because it is infectious? Let me be sick, rather than receive help from such hands: let my goods be lost, rather than my soul hazarded: let me die, rather than owe my life to my Maker's enemy.

SECT. IX.

HOW WE ARE TO PROCEED AGAINST EVIL SPIRITS.

WE may not yield to that Evil One. Our next thought must be, how to oppose him.

Our skilful Leader hath prescribed a spiritual panoply, both for defence and victory: The helmet of salvation; the breastplate of righteousness; the girdle of verity; the sword of the Spirit; and above all, the shield of faith, wherewith we may be able both to quench and beat back the fiery darts of that wicked one. These, well put on and well managed, shall both secure us, and foil our adversary.

But the art of repelling several temptations, is a long work, and worthy of a just volume. How we ought to deal with evil

spirits, in their bodily apparitions and possessions, may be seasonable for our present enquiry.

Whereas, then, there is pretended to be only a double way of proceeding for their ejection; the one by pact, the other by command as the former is disclaimed, by all faithful Christians; so the other is wont to be challenged and practised, by some, who lay no small claim to holiness.

This we call exorcism or conjuration: a course so well approved of the Churches of the Roman Correspondence, as that they make this office one of the seven stairs, whereby they ascend to their highest order: but so disrelished by us, that we ordinarily place conjurers in the same rank of sorcerers, and professors of the black and damned arts; although, indeed, upon a strict inquisition, we shall find them far different; for conjuration or exorcism implies a kind of force and violence, whereas those, that are in league with Satan, go on as upon a set match in a way cursedly amicable.

This latter is heinously sinful; as being directly against the Divine Law, and a professed affront to the Majesty of God: the former, unjustifiable; as being without divine warrant.

It is most true, that the disciples of Christ and their primitive successors ejected devils, by command; and could rejoice to see those evil spirits subjected to their over-ruling charge: but, withal, the same persons healed all diseases, were perfect poison proof, spake divers languages.

Why should any in these latter times challenge a right of succession in one of these, and not claim it in the other? All these were given, with one and the same breath; continued, by the same power; called in and stinted, by the same providence, with their fellow-miracles.

And, if still this privilege were ordinarily left in the Church, it were not a work for puisnes and novices, but for the greatest masters and most learned and eminently-holy doctors, which the times can possibly yield.

And, if this were really done, as is commonly vaunted by them; yet, with how much difference from the apostolic practice and issue! With them of old, there was no more but a word of command, and an instant ejection: here, what a world of business! what sprinkling! what censing! what blessings of herbs, and other ingredients of suffumigation! what variety of direful ceremonies! and, when all is done, the success shuts up no otherwise, than in just suspicion or censure.

Not that free scope is given, in these last times, without any check, to the tyranny of evil spirits. The good providence of the Highest hath not left us unfurnished with means of our freedom and deliverance. Whilst we can pray, we cannot be remediless. When the disciples' power stuck at the dispossession of a demoniac, they heard from our Saviour, This kind