CHAP. X. Of M. Darrell, and M. Mores conceite: that Sathan being cast out of one, doth presentlie after seeke to repossesse him.

WHen men haue escaped any greate daunger: it is commonly the aduise of their friendes, that they should take heede of the like. And in many cases there are appointed soueraigne preseruatiues. M. Darrell like a kind friend, had neuer to deale with the dispossessing of any: but for his care therein, hee maye bee thought to haue deserued greate commendation. For his perswasions to such still haue beene, that they should vse all diligence and circumspection, that Sathan did not againe reenter into them. This his perswasion hath euer bin drawn from a position, which he stiffely holdeth, vz. that Sathan being expelled out of a man, doth seek presently after to reenter into him Page  56 again: and that it is commonly a very hard matter to withstand him, by reason of his subtelties, in alluring them by promises, & terrifying of them by threatninges. He had no sooner cast the deuill out of Katherine Wright,* but the euill spirite seeking to reenter into her, was for one time, by his assistance re∣sisted (as he himselfe confesseth). And concerning Dar∣ling, he sayeth thus: The monday after his dispossessing, I tolde him apart, that the deuill would seeke to repossesse him: and therefore counselled him to watch ouer him∣selfe,* and resist him: adding these wordes, (as Darling re∣porteth,) that peraduenture hee would appeare in the likenes of a frend, and vse all the meanes he could to per∣swade him to some euill. Touching William Somers also: presently after his pretense, that the boye was disposses∣sed, he affirmed that for a certainety, Sathan would seeke to repossesse him: making that a ground for a new worke, as afterwardes is declared.

For his saide opinion of Sathans seeking to reenter, he relyeth vpon a metaphoricall place in the scriptures:* but for his said addition of Sathans promises, and similitudes, that will not so easily be coloured. When M. Darrell & M. More were in hand with the seauen in Lancashire, and had (if you will belieue them,) dispossessed six M. More tolde them, that Sathan would surely assault eue∣ry one of them, and that both diuerse times, and by di∣uerse and sundry meanes. He will (sayeth he) appeare vnto you in some likenes or other: and hee will intreate you, that hee may enter in againe, and promise you many goodly thinges, as golde and siluer, &c: And if he cannot so preuaile, then he will threaten you to break your necks, to cast you into pits, &c. If it be here demanded how M. More knew, that Sathan would appeare vnto them in some likenes, his answere is, vz. for that he had beene tolde, that the Deuil seeking to repos∣sesse Page  57 the boy of Burton, did appeare vnto him in sondry likenesses. And concerning his knowledge, that Sathan would make such promises vnto them: hee relyeth vpon this, vz. because the nature of man is subiect to bee sedu∣ced by such offers.

If these childish answeres remayned not in record vn∣der his owne hand, would any man belieue them? doth it not giue vs iust occasion to thinke, that he tolde them such tales of a lewde purpose, thereby to draw them to pretend the like? Otherwise would a man fearing God, being in such a conflict with Sathan, (as hee pretendeth) for their dispossession, haue tolde them any such matters vpon heare-say? Or doth it carry with it any such con∣sequence, as to tell them that Sathan would allure them by promises, and threatninges, because mens natures are subiect to be seduced by such meanes?

But what should we dispute the matter with him, or examine the force of his argumentes: seeing euery thing came to passe, as he had foretolde? Remember the simi∣litudes, that the deuill departed from them, and euen in the same (as the story sayeth) they sought againe to reen∣ter into them. Besides, they attempted them also in other formes, as of a blacke Rauen, of a blacke boy,* the head bigger then the body, of a blacke rough dogge with a firebrand in his mouth, of fine white doues of a braue fellow like a Woer, of two little whelpes, that playing on the table, ran into a dish of butter; of an Ape, of a Beare with fire in his mouth, and of an hay-stacke, pro∣mising them bagges of golde and siluer; and threatning them when they so could not preuaile, to breake their neckes, to drowne them in pittes, to hang them, to breake their backs, to throw them out of the windows: &c. euen in such sort in effect, as M. More, of likelyhoode inspired with one of them, had before de∣clared. What the story reporteth of M. Moore, may also Page  58 be applyed to M. Darrell: who made great vse of these ridiculous conceits, in his practises with Somers.

Out of all question, if these absurde mates had gone on, they would haue proued as grosse deluders, as any of the popish or Iesuiticall Exorcistes, if not more grosse: For the popish sort, hauing hammered this point of Sa∣thans seeking to reenter into the same partie, out of whom hee was cast, are so farre from M. Darrell, and M. Mores opinion, as some of them holde, that those spirites, which are once cast out of men, secundo •osdem ingredi, & vexare non possunt. And those that relye vpon the place of S. Mathew, Cap. 12. doe onely inferre, that sometimes Sathan doth so seeke to reenter, but not alwayes. Besides, the Captaine or Marshall of Deuils, (who taketh vppon him to write most exactly of them in this point,) reduceth all the pla∣ces, whether the wicked spirites goe at such times, into the number of sixe, as out of one man into another: out of men into beastes out of men, into fayre and great houses (whereof it commeth, that some houses are haunted with spirits,) out of men into desert places, and out of men into hell: pretermit∣ting as a place more extraordinarie, the returning of Sa∣than, into the partie, that hee had lately possessed.

But M. Darrell and his friendes, will peraduenture bee better prouided in this point hereafter. And it were con∣uenient also, that they furnished themselues with some better proofes, for their tales of Mice, of Beares, and Bugges, threatning and promising such great matters. It may be they haue some conceite, that the Deuilles temp∣ting of Christ, will serue their turne: but assuredly for shame they dare neuer publish it.