Darrell

If now I can shew out of a history of good credite against which theire can no exception be taken, as holy wordes and as vnlikely to come from Sathan, as those mentioned in the dialogues, to haue yet neuertheles bene vttered by Sathan, then I hope the Dis. will yeeld, that the holines of those speaches doth not lett, but that the same not with standinge they might proceede from the diuell. VVe read then in the divine storie,* that the Temptor saide vnto Christ, it is written, al¦leadging scripture for his purpose, (all the wordes whereof be holy.) And often thus: Iesus the sonne of the most high god. And againe, I know thee what thou art, even the holy one of god. VVhat wordes I praye you be more holy then these? and what wordes more vnlikely to come from Sathan then such as these? Sure if the Disc. had bene liuinge in that age, and present at these holy and divine speaches, he would not Page  176 haue thought they came from Sathan. Even so likewise I muze what the B. and S. Harsnet would haue sayd, if they had bene by, when that testimonie and commendation was giuen by the diuell of Paul & Si¦las, whereof we read in the actes These men (saith he) are the servantes of the most high god, which shew vnto you the way of salvation. VVhat wordes almost could be deliuered more vnlikely to proceede from the diuill, that aduersarie of mankinde, then these? for being true, a man at the first blush might imagine, that if the were the speaches of the euill spirit, then sure he was not vnwilling that men should be fau¦ed: wheras the old serpent ment theirby to hinder, and did mightelye Kinder the saluation of men, I meane the inhabitantes of Philippi: for by oft cryinge out in that manner as he did, he moued and occasion¦ed S. Paul to cast him forth of her whom he possessed, and others vp∣on that facte of the Apostle, to cast him and Silas a prophet into pri∣son, & so ordered the matter that vpon their inlargment they depart¦ed the citie: which no question wasithe thing Sathan aymed at in the commendation he gaue of Paul and Silas. So that by these and such like examples of the holy scripture we may saflye conclude, that the wicked spirit heere spoken of, did ayme sure at some evill practise & intent, when he vsed those holy words mentioned in the sayde dia∣logus howsoeuer the Disc. happely iudge otherwise, and his deponent Iesse Bee, because of the godly speaches contained in the dialogues.