A Whip for the Devil, or, The Roman conjuror discovering the intolerable folly, prophaneness and superstition of the papists in endeavouring to cast the Devil out of the bodies of men and women by him possest ... / all faithfully collected from their own authors, with pleasant notes and observations intermixt.

The eighth Document.

AN Exorcist ought to make it his busi∣ness to understand the subtilties of Devils entring into humane Bodies, that he may be the better able to deal with them at their own weapons. Know then that most Devils, having taken up their Quarters, love to lye very private, and to keep themselves either from speaking or trembling, for fear of being discovered, or that he may seem to the Priest to be the more stout and undaunted; yet if he be by the power of Sacred words constrained to tremble, he is careful however of speak∣ing according to the mind of the party pos∣sessed. Or if he be compelled to speak

from within, he is very cautious of speak∣ing through the mouth of the Demoniac. And therefore it behoves the Priest to ad∣monish the Party to tell him truly what the Devil mutters in his belly; and fre∣quently to adjure the Devil to answer to Interrogatories. But when after a great deal of do he is at length brought to speak outwardly, then he does all he can to di∣vert the Demoniac from hearing or under∣standing the words which are read. He also strives to disturb the attention and devotion of the Priest, either with bawdy discourse, crying, scolding, or acting the Tumbler. And therefore it behoves the Priest, well knowing his Tricks, to com∣mand him to desist from this or from that action, and to leave his babooning. Some∣times if it happens to be a young Woman that is to be exorcised, he feigns himself sick, and then the Woman desires the Priest to touch her face, or handle her breasts, to feel harder, yet harder, on purpose to put voluptuous fancies into the Priests mind; sometimes at the Devils instigation she de∣sires the Priest to ease her Torments, but laying his cheek to hers, or his lips to hers, meerly, wicked Devil as he is, to debauch an honest vertuous Priest of the Church of Rome. And therefore it behoves a Romish

Priest to be chast of his Eyes, chast of his hands, and indeed of every member, especi∣ally when he meets with the Devil & a Wo∣man together. Sometimes the damn'd De∣vil plays at Bo-peep with the Priest; so that when the Priest asks him the name of the Principal Devil of the Company, he tells him his own, and conceals the names of his Companions, which as he pretends he dares not name, because they are bawdy or beastly, which you will; which may be sometimes true, but is ten times oftner false. So that the Priest knows not where to have the Devil. But he is well enough served to expect Truth from a common Lyar.

Therefore when the Priest finds himself thus abused by one, let him command him to stand by, and call another to his Cate∣chism, commanding him to speak, and not be afraid of the other, and command∣ing the other not to disturb him. If nei∣ther by this means the Priest can find out the truth, then let the Priest be as jocose as the Devil is surly, and call the rest co∣ram nobis by contemptible names; as, You Tom-Fool, you Hell-Baker, you Sirrah, Hell-Cook, and the like; for this will make 'em open their jaws, or the Devil's in 'em.

Sometimes when the Devil finds the Priest too hard for him, he sends for his Accomplices, either to animate him, or assist him with their presence; a common thing for one friend to chear up another in distress. In this case the Priest must make it his business to know what Enemies his Antagonist hath either in Heaven or Hell, and then to invoke his Enemies the Saints; to conjure up his Enemies the De∣vils; and lay his commands upon the De∣vils his Friends.

Sometimes the Devil is so wearied with talking to the Priest, that he endeavours to sneak out of the mouth of the party pos∣sessed, to rest himself either in the parties heart or under his neck. And then it be∣hoves the Priest to fetch him back with a Sisarara, and keep him waking above board. To this purpose these words are very prevalent, Ecce Crucem Domini, (for though the Devil be unwilling to speak Latin, yet he understands Latin very well) making the sign of the Cross at the same time upon the head or forehead of the par∣ty. Or else let the Priest utter these words, Usque quo, Domine, obliviscêris me? Com∣manding the Devil to make an answer, which many times, without any other Ex∣orcism, works a very good effect.

Sometimes when a poor Soul thinks he is rid of his troublesom Guests, there are some that will stay behind in a corner, as it were to keep possession, and let in the rest at their return. To avoid this Sham, it behoves the Priest to lay his commands upon the Corporal of the Gang, to take all his Tribe along with him. It behoves also the party freed to fortifie all the ave∣nues of his body with the Padlocks of Pray∣er and Fasting for many months together; and if he be a married person, let him per∣swade his wife to continency, till he hath made all fast, according to the Proverb, Fast bind, fast find. But if the woman be of another temper, let her not act for lust's sake, and then she may do it with the Priest himself; for the Devil will never come near him.

In Conjuration, when the Priest begins to perceive the Serpent tremble under his consecrated hand, let him presently de∣mand his name, and the names of his Com∣panions, the time and cause of his En∣trance, as before; and write every thing down in a piece of paper, that if the De∣vil should afterwards grow obstinate, he may burn the said paper with consecrated Fire. For these are great affronts to the Devil, as being done to his disgrace, and

putting him in mind of Hell. When the Priest hath drawn the Devil to a Confessi∣on, let him cause him to ratifie it, by put∣ting his paw to it, if he can. When he hath so done, and that he finds the Devil ready to march, Iet the Priest be sure not to give him leave, till he hath got an abso∣lute promise from him, to take all his ragged Regiment with him, and never to return again. Above all things, let the Priest be careful never to let the Devil rest a quiet minute, but be sure to worry him with continual importunity, reading, and imperious Commands; and let him never enter into disputes with him, or fall to talk of stories with him, especially amorous; for by that means the Priest wastes his Spi∣rits, and the Devil recovers his strength.