TO THE CHRISTIAN AND VVELL AFFECTED REA∣DER, IOHN DARRELL MINISTER OF THE VVORD, WISHETH ALL GRACE AND HAPPINES: WITH a iudgment to d••cerne betwixt thinges that differ, betwene that which is true and false, good and evill.

In the dayes of Henrie the second of Fraunce, father to Charles, the great massacrer and murderer of Godes Sayntes, when the Sunne∣••ine of the Gospell beganne to breake forth in that kingdome, and the name of Hugonot as a by-word of reproch was giuen to the profes¦sors thereof: in the very entrie as it were of those troubles and hurlie burleyes for religion, it is recorded of the Italian weomen and credu∣lous popularitie of that countrie, that hearing of the great sturre that was then risen about those Hugonotes, they would needes knowe of their gostlye fathers and holy inquintinge Fryers, what those French Hugonotes were: vnto whom that deuoute and Pop-holy generation (not vnlike themselues) made this wholesome and catholike answere: That they were not men forsooth, but vglye and monstrous shapes of men, headed like Dragons, faced like Dogges: eared like Swine, snoured like Ser∣pents, with Boares tuskes and Asses iawes, yea such as would eate and do∣uoure vp their owne mothers, &c. wherevpon the poore weomen and si∣ly multitude, neuer requyringe nor examining the matter any farther, fell straight to a kinde of hissing & clapping their hands, with most bit¦ter out cries and hatfull exclamations against them, with fie on them wretches, fie on them wretches. Now even thus good reader (and no better then thus) fareth it with me at this instant. The name & sound of Darrell, of his imprisonment, and the cause therof, hath in a man∣ner possessed & overspread the whole land. why, what is he saith one? what is the matter saith another? Answere is made presently and rea∣dilye by our two English Inquisiters. Samuell Harsnet and his master, togeather with such others, whom they with theire crooked conuey∣ances haue be witched, that Darrell is forsooth a cogger, a cousener, a Iugler, an Exorcist, a counterfeite, a deuill-flinger, a deuill-driuer, a Se∣ducer, a deceiuer, an Impostor, and I know not what: that of an impious simplicitie he holdeth it lawfull to lye, cogge and faine, so it be to a good end, (as his fauorits tearme it,) to the glory of God, in which regard he hath tak¦en vpon him to be deeplye seene in the mysterie of deuils, and hath playd his publike prize in this iuglinge science, casting out more deuils by prayer and fasting after a good dinner perhaps, then euer any? of the Apostlee did at so full a season. And this in effect not onely the streetes and Tavernes haue ronge off, but (as I haue bene informed) the very benches and Page  [unnumbered] Seates of Iustice haue sounded with the noyse of this Darrell, the deuil driuer, and of the counterfeite trickes that he should teach. VVherein notwithstandinge I thanke God, when they haue thundered out the vttermost they can against me, I may truly say (and that with the testi¦monie of mine owne hart and conscience) that I am iust so guiltie of the thinge they charge me with, as the fore-recited French Hugonotes were of all that rablement wherewith they were so besmeared and de pictured by that Italian munckish fraternitie. For if it be true that the had heades like dragous, faces like dogges, eares like swine, snoutes like serpentes, and that they would eate vp their mothers, &c. Then is it also true I confesse, that Darrell is such a mounstrous vile fellow as is heere layd forth and described. But alas good reader this is no new thinge: looke backe to ages past and thou shalt find it to be an old inueterate ouerworne practise of sathan, newly furbished and set abroach againe by his instrumentes, to paint out the professors of the gospell in the most ougly deformed shape they can deuise: (as we see by our Saui∣our Christ and his Apostles and so consequently by his ministers spe∣cially:) not that they be such indeede as they are despitfully featured out, but to this end, to make them more odiously enuied and maliti∣ously hated of the world, which is the speciall marke the enimy shoot∣eth at.

Now the principall thinge that is charged vpon me, (and which I haue all this while denied, and still denye) is, teachinge to counterfeite. But what is this, that Darrell should thus teach to counterfeite? why no∣thinge els forsooth, but a reall entrance and possession of the deuill of and into the bodies of men, to be dispossessed and remooued thence by fasting and prayer, and all to grace and make good the hipocriticall fasting and exercise of the puritans, which otherwise (without some such fetches and deuises) wou¦ld prooue starke naught. This then we see is the sinne, if it be true. And suerly allow it to be true and to be such indeede as they haue layde it forth to be with all his circumstances, I my selfe will subscribe & ioyne with them in the condemnation of it to the bottome of hell, and the sinner to the very depth of the graue, as wherin (if it be rightly examī¦ed and weighed,) is closlye shut vp and included not onely the disho∣nor of God and disgrace of his workes, but a foule and detestable a∣buse of Godes church and a mocking of Gods people, with a scorne∣full and shameles contempt both of magistracy and ministerie. And can not the wisdome and maiestie of the state of England finde out a∣due punishment and correction for so wretched and greiuous an enor¦mitie as this? no question but it can, may, and ought, if the partie were once orderlye and by law convicted. But as it was not the manner of Romanes in auntient time for fauor to deliuer any mā to death before Page  [unnumbered] the partie accused had his accusers before him, & leaue to defend him selfe: so is it not the manner of the Honorable Courtes of Iustice in England, to proceed to sentence before conviction, or to punishment before apparant proofe. And this is it that hath and doth make me more confident in defense of myne owne innocencie, and the equitie of my cause, even the reuerent opinion and estimation that I haue of the ordinarie courtes of Iustice in this land, before whom whensoe∣uer I shalbe called, I know it is not a hundred of such lying and libel¦ling discourses as this of Samuell Harsnetes, that shall any way swaye them, either to sentence or censure the meanest of her Maiesties sub¦iectes without euidence and proofe.

But my fault they will needes haue to be double: one an error in my Iudgment, the other a plaine knacke of knauery (for I can call it no bet¦ter) in my practise. For the first my simple Iudgment (as I haue alrea¦dy both by word & writting made knowne) is this: That as the bodies of men may really be possessed of Sathan in this age as well as in former times: so the ordinarie way and meanes of their dispossession and deliuer∣ance is prayer, or prayer and fastinge. This is (in effect) all that I hold, and contend for. wherin I willinglye referre and submitt my selfe to the godly learned of our Church. I challeng no power to worke mi∣racles, nor guift aboue others to cast out deuils. I haue not vsed any adiuration: all which are fathered vpon me, but I condemned the same in others. And now before the Lord and men I doe vtterly & from my soule renounce them, as heeretofore I haue often done with my tongue & pen: what grosse and dangerous error then doe I main∣taine? For the other that is my knacke or packe of knauery in teachinge to counterfeite, and fayning a dispossession by prayer, when their were no such things performed: I cannot be perswaded (for all this impudent & shameles discourse of S Harsnetes, so bedecked and adorned with my L. of Londons flowers) that they themselues in their consciences doe be leeue this knacke of knauerie against me in that sort as they haue sett it downe.* The reasons that induce me so to thinke be these.

First,* because they would not suffer Somers or rather the deuill in him to doe his trickes, though they were sundrie times desired pub∣liklye and priuatly that he might doe them for the better endinge of the controuersie, and that he offered to doe the same.

Secondly, their manner of proceeding against me contrarie to the ordinarie course of iustice and equitie:* yea such as heathens and infidels would blush and be ashamed to vse: as appeareth by the par∣ticulars in the treatise following. Now what neede they to haue vsed any such extraordinarie and vnlawfull proceedings, If they were per∣swaded of the truth of that which they pretended against me, or that Page  [unnumbered] they had any iust matter or sound and cleare euidence to convince me by? nay if they weare not in themselues perswaded, that Darrell would cleare himselfe of teaching to counterfeite, if he should be admitt¦ed to a proceeding according to the lawes of the Realme in such cases prouided?

Thirdly, their very writtinge against me in this case in that man∣ner as they haue done,* is sufficient in the iudgment of the wise to dis∣cry and discouer the guiltines of their consciences this way. For what a test were it to punish treason or rebellion by Booke-writting? I will∣inglye confesse the sinne they charge me with (if it be true) to be as bad as rebellion, and to deserue more then the pillorie, yea a shame∣full and a reprochfull death to the terror of others. And if they can proue the thinges published against me in that printed Libell of S. Harsnetes, they shall neede no Iurie to passe vpon me, neither will I craue any fauour but iustice with seueritie. Seeinge then the punishe not nor neuer went about to punish this supposed offence according to the weight and desert thereof: nay haue bene so farr from that, as within 14. dayes after the publishinge of the booke made against me, they offered me libertie vpon condition I would promise not to pre¦ach of possessiō nor dispossession: nor in my publike preaching iusti∣fie the possession and dispossessinge of the persons controverted nor deale any more in the dispossessinge of any: and yet haue publiklye made it knowne for so haynous and notorious a crime, what doth this argue but that inwardly in theire owne soules, they doe not be∣leiue their owne lible?

Fourthly, their often and ordinarie bringinge in the testimonie of Somers against me in theire saide booke, (able to make a horse to spue) whensoeuer they are at a stand and can by no meanes writhe nor wrest in that which they would faine make good (being vtterlye voyd of all honest course of defence) then forsooth comes in M.* Som¦ers dropping out of M Harsnets budget as an authenticall witnes. And what doth more argue the guiltines of ther consciēces, the despratēes of their cause, & the shamlesnes of their defence then this? That they are not abashed to suppresse the examinations of sundry honest men, wise men and gentlemen of good place, taken by Comission from the Arch. B. of Yorke as thinges of no account: and instead of them to tell vs a tale of Robin-hood, or rather if you will, of Robin the deuill, alias, William Somers? why alas, are they so simple or sottish to ima∣gine, that any man that is well in his wittes, will beleeue this or that because Somers saith it, that infamous and notorious lyer, counterfeit, blasphemer, and forsworne wretch?

Fiftly, theire winkinge at theire 7. Lancashire counterfeits, and Page  [unnumbered] smoth passing by them not punishinge them, albeit 6. of them were in the same family, nor any of those 4. whom they haue deait with, and say vpon their examination haue confessed that they haue coun¦terfeted, no not Somers their principall supposed counterfeite: but fa∣uoured, intertained, countenaunced, ••erished and made much of him though most vile and infamous, and such as they must needes know to haue scarce any match in lewdnes and iniquitie: as if counter∣feiting and blaspheming were a prayse or but a spirt of youth in him, and teaching to counterfeite onely odious in me. Now whence com∣meth this stealing by the 7. and impunitie of all, but from t•e consci¦ence of man, tening him that they are no counterfeits, and therfore it is best to let them alone, and not to punish all these innocentes: Lest they in their innocencie denying constantlye to haue counterfeited, and exclaming against them, should bring them to great shame.

Sixety and 〈◊〉 the thing that most moueth me thus to be per∣swaded is: their winking at, and not answering at all to the impossibi∣lities of or concerning Dacling, Katherine Wright, Mary Cooper, and the 7. in Lancashire, which are the onely thinges we al•eadge against their counterfeiting, why they neither are nor can possiblie be counter∣feites: and the silly thiftes (to blere the eies of men) they haue deu•ed and forged out of their owne braines for answere to the impossibilities presse• aga•• Somers counterfeiting, & namely to the depo•tions of the 17 pro•ing the impossibilities by oath. Heerevnto I may add the 〈…〉, and more then ridiculous proofes of my teach∣ing 4.* 〈◊〉 their 〈◊〉 •eites. For 〈…〉 stolidu•n vulgus, the foo∣lish people, which w•ll beleiue every thing (that Christ was a glutton, &c. that he had a d•uill, speciallye when they haue the phariuees telling them, that 〈◊〉 feth forth deuil, through Beelzebuh: that he is a blasphe∣mer, specially w•en the high preist saith he hath blasphemed, yee heare his blasphemie:) will vpon the producinge of these silly shiftes and ab¦surd proo•es, by a Prelate specially and his Chaplaine, hand ouer head, and of their word, rather then vpon an• diligent examination of the matter receiue these for covnterfeites, and me for their instructor: (which the B. of London and S. Harsnet knew full well, eis they woulde haue saued that labour:) yet the Prelate and his Chaplaine cannot pos¦siblie so beleeue and be perswaded in their consciences, which haue forged them to this saide end and purpose, and haue deliberatly and aduisedly wayed all things throughly concerning this matter: except you will cleane put out the eyes of their vnderstan•ingl, and depriue them of their reason,* & make them of reasonable, vnreasonable crea¦tures. Though the people of the Iewes through that silly shift of the Hie Preists and the Elders did beleiue, that Christes disciples came by Page  [unnumbered] night and stole him away, whiles the souldiers sleept, yet the hie priestes and Elders who deuised this shift for the smotheringe of Christs re∣surrection, knewe and were perswaded in their cōsciences it was not so, but far otherwise. Even so in this our case, though many of the people of England doe in their simplicitie and rash credulitie verelie beleiue that Somers & the rest haue counterfeited, & I instructed them, be cause of the silly reasons printed & published to that end by the B. of London and S. Harsnet: yet the B. & Harsnet which haue invented & de uised those sottish reasons, and framed a whole booke for the smother¦inge of the worke of God wrought vpon these persons, can not but know and be in their consciences perswaded, that they haue not coun¦terfeited, nor I taught them.

These then (good reader) with sundrie others are the speciall rea¦sons that moue me to thinke, that they themselues (what face soeuer they sett on it) doe not yet in their owne consciences betwixt god & them, constantly beleiue all that they haue thus published or rather libelled against me, beinge a thinge vnpossiblie they should. And if it fare so with the bitingest and bitterest aduersaries, I may the bolder I thinke (even by the law and rule of equitie) be an earnest suter vn∣to thee whosoeuer thou art to suspend thy iudgment, and not hasti∣ly to passe any sentence against me: & intreat thy patience christian reader and fauourable censure of me thus farr fourth, as to cause thee to stope thine eares to all vniust surmizes and odious exclamations against me, till proofe and triall haue discouered my guiltines or in∣nocencie. And this the rather I trust you will doe, if you remember and forgett not that saying of the holy ghost: he that is first in his owne cause is iust, then cometh his neighbour, and maketh inquirie of him. And that other in the same place: he that answereth, amatter before he heare it, it is follie and shame vnto him.* He that answereth, that is, taketh vpon him to iudg or determine of a matter incontrouersie, before he heare it, meaning, what can be said of both sides, it is follie and shame vnto him, that is, a poynt of follie comming from the lake of wisdome, and such as whereof one ought to be ashamed.

And the rather I am to intreat this fauour at thy handes, in that I haue not bene dealt with accordinge to the ordinarie course of Iu∣stice of this land, but altogether against the haire and in the vnreason ablest manner of proceeding that might be, as if it were no matter at all what violence & indignitie they offer to a man of my condition, or to so base a fellowe as Darrell is. Neither by their patience doe I thinke, that they can for their liues giue me an instance or shewe me the like president of their irregular & disorderly proceeding against me, in any of the honorable ciuil cour••• of the Realme, which is wor¦thy Page  [unnumbered] the notinge, yea to be recorded and nayled on the postes of the streetes to the veiw of posteritie. One would thinke that the reue∣rent fathers of the Church, should in their courtes and iudiciall pro∣ceedinges giue their children (as they would haue them counted) the reuerent Iudges of the land, and fathers of the common wealth, an example and pa•terne of Iustice and equitie: and not such an exam¦ple as they would abhorr and be a shamed to followe. I haue heard that amonge other the excellent graces of God vpon her Maiestie, this is one that doth exceedingly grace both her person & her gover∣ment, namely, that in the makinge and ordaininge of her Iudges, she doth among other things enioyne thē this speciall charge: That what soeuer in equitie may be produced on the behalfe of the subiecte, may be pa¦tiently heard and fauourably admitted without exception or partialitie and that they should not perswade themselues to sitte otherwise in Iudgment for her selfe, then for her subiecte. which kind of equall and christian proced¦inge if it had bene held with me, I needed not now to haue spent my time in refuting this shameles and malitious invectiue. what proceed¦inge hath bene vsed against me will plainly appeare by this discourse followinge, and namely in my answeare to the second chapter of the first booke, by the quaeries or demaundes to the Discouerer (I meane the B.* of London and S. Harsnet) iustifiynge the same, and affirminge that this cause hath bene examined, accordinge to the vsual course by the lawes of the Realme in such cases provided. And yet shall not the Disco∣uerer be euer able to name in what one thing after my appearāce be∣fore the high commission, I was dealt with according to lawe. Truly for my owne parte I can not. If he can, let him doe it. For these rea∣sons I hope good reader, that layinge aside all partiallitie and preiu∣dice, you will reserue the one eare, to heare what Darrell hath to say for the Lord and himselfe, and against counterfeiting, and teachinge So∣mers, Darling &c. to counterfeite: and that you will beware how you re¦ceiue a false report against your neighbour, specially against the Lord himselfe and his workes.

If any thinke that the charge of counterfeiting, and of my teachinge to counterfeite (the summe of the booke answeared by me,) is so lying, slaunderous, abhorring to common sence, palpable false, and vnpossi¦ble to be true, that it was altogether vnworthy the answearinge and convincing, or at least of so large an answeare and conviction as heere followeth: such may remember that the Apostles being charged with drunckennes and to be full of newe wine,* Peter for them all answeare 〈◊〉 & conuinced that vile slaunder. In like sort did our Sauiour Christ being charged more vily to be a coniurer, and to cast out deuils through Belzabub, the prince of deuils. which thinges are written for our learn∣ing, Page  [unnumbered] even to teach vs what to doe whē any such thing falleth out. Now the larger I haue bene for these two reasons. First, I thought it fitt to answeare to all that is contained in the Discouery, which seemeth to make more or selfe against the cause or my selfe: least passing by some of this kind, it might be thought I therfore did it and purposly, be∣cause I were not able to answere. Againe, I cōsidered that many haue already giuen an eare to counterfeitinge, and verily beleiue our Demo∣makes to be counterfeits: for their sakes therfore, & that I might draw these preiudicate: persons from their error to the imbracinge of the truth, it was requisite to answere all that in the face made for counter¦feitinge, which could not be performed in fewe wordes. Secondly, I knewe the credit of the aduersarie was great, my owne little, beinge a base & contemptible person in the eyes of the world. That my selfe then and that which I contend for might be beleiued, even of this dotinge and blind generation, It was necessarie I should not onely cracke or diminish the credite of the a duersarie, even with his best frendes, which might haue bene done in afew wordes: but take all cre∣dit from him, by detectinge all his filthines: for in makinge his name to rotte and stinke, and the counterfeit cause he hath in hand, their is hope that men will giue some eare vnto me, and that I striue for, be I neuer so meane. Now this would be best performed in the larger pur¦suite and stirringe deepely in the falshods, lyes, and absurdities of the Discouerer, which coulde not be donne without the multiplyinge of wordes. For the more one stirreth in that which is stinkinge and fil∣thy, the more stinking sauor it sendeth forth. And so shall we find it to be in the ample ripping vp of this foule Discouery, to the De¦tection wherof we will now proceed, God assistinge vs. If the falshood of some be detected, and thou find out the truth by this our Detection: then open thy mouth in the defence of that truth, and assist me with thy prayers.