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and their illusions. Saphyres, Chrysolites, Carbuncles, &c. Que mirá virtute pollent ad Lemures, Stryges, Incubos, Genios aereos arcendos, si veterum monumentis habenda fides. Of hearbs, he reckons us Pennirial, Rue, Mint, Angelica, Piony: Rich. Argentine de præstigiis dæmonum cap. 20. addes hypericon or S. John's wort, perforata herba, which by a divine vertue drives away divels, and is therefore called fuga dæmonum all which rightly used by their suffitus, Dæmonum vexationibus obsistunt, afflictas mentes à dæmonibus relevant, & venenatis fumis, expel divels themselves, and all divelish illusions. Anthony Musa the Emperour Augustus his Physitian, cap. 6. de Betonia approves of Betony to this purpose; * the ancients used therefore to plant it in Church-yards, because it was held to be an holy hearb and good against fearful visions, did secure such places it grew in, and sanctified those persons that carried it about them. Idem fere Mathiolus in Dioscoridem. Others commend accurate musick, so Saul was helped by David's harpe. Fires to be made in such roomes where spirits haunt, good store of lights to be set up, odors, perfumes, and suffumigations, as the Angel taught Tobias, of brimstone and bitumen, thus, myrrha, briony root, with many such simples which Wecker hath collected lib. 15. de secretis cap. 15. 4 sulphuris drachmam unam, recoquatur in vitis albæ aqua, ut dilutius sit sulphur; detur ægro; nam dæmones sunt morbi (saith Rich. Argentine lib. de præstigiis dæmonum cap. ult.) Vigetus hath a far larger receipt to this purpose, which the said Wecker cites out of Wierus. 4 sulphuris, vini, bituminis, opoponacis, galbani, castorei, &c. Why sweet perfumes, fires and so many lights should be used in such places, Ernestus Burgravius Lucerna vite & mortis, and Fortunius Lycetus assignes this cause, quod his boni Genii provocentur, mali arceantur; because good spirits are well pleased with, but evil abhor them. And therefore those old Gentiles, present Mahometans, and Papists have continual lamps burning in their Churches all day and all night, lights at funerals and in their graves; lucerne ardentes ex auro liquefacto for many ages to endure (saith Lazius) ne dæmones corpus lædant; lights ever burning as those Vestall virgins, Pythonissæ maintained heretofore, with many such, of which read Tostatus in 2 Reg. cap. 6. quæst. 43. Thyreus cap. 57. 58. 62. &c. de locis infestis, Pictorius Isagog. de dæmonibus, &c. see more in them. Cardan would have the party affected wink altogether in such a case, if he see ought that offends him, or cut the aire with a sword in such places they walke and abide; gladiis enim & lanceis terrentur, shoot a pistole at them, for being aerial

* Antiqui soliti sunt hanc herbam ponere in comiteriis ideo quod, &c.

bodies>

bodies, (as Cælius Rhodiginus lib. 1. cap. 29. Tertullian, Origen, Psellas, and many hold) if stroken, they feel pain. Papists commonly injoyne and apply crosses, holy water, sanc tified beads, Amulets, musick, ringing of bells, for to that end are they consecrated, and by them baptized, Characters, counterfeit reliques, so many Masses, peregrinations, oblations, adjurations, and what not? Alexander Albertinus à Rocha, Petrus Thyreus, and Hieronymus Mengus with many other Pontificial writers, prescribe and set down several formes of exorcismes, as well to houses possessed with divels, as to dæmoniacal persons; but I am of Lemnius' mind, 'tis but damnosa adjuratio, aut potius ludificatio, a meer mockage, a counterfeit charme, to no purpose, they are fopperies and fictions, as that absurd + story is amongst the rest, of a penitent woman seduced by a Magitian in France, at S. Bawne, exorcised by Domphius, Michaelis, and a company of circumventing Friers. If any man (saith Lemnius) will attempt such a thing, without all those jugling circumstances, Astrological elections of time, place, prodigious habits, fustian, big, sesquipedal words, spels, crosses, characters, which exorcists ordinarily use, let him follow the example of Peter and John, that without any ambitious swelling terms, cured a lame man. "Acts 3. In the name of Christ Jesus rise and walke." His Name alone is the best and only charme against all such diabolical illusions, so doth Origen advise and so Chrysostome, Hæc erit tibi baculus, hæc turris inexpugnabilis, hæc armatura. Nos quid ad hæc dicemus, plures fortasse expectabunt, saith S. Austin. Many men will desire my counsel and opinion what's to be done in this behalfe; I can say no more, quam ut vera fide, quæ per dilectionem operatur, ad Deum unum fugiamus, let them fly to God alone for helpe. Athanasius in his book De variis quæst. prescribes as a present charme against divels, the beginning of the 67. Ps. Exurgat Deus, dissipentur inimici, &c. But the best remedy is to flye to God, to call on him, hope, pray, trust, rely on him, to commit our selves wholly to him. What the practise of the primitive Church was in this behalfe, Et quis dæmonia ejiciendi modus, read Wierus at large, lib. 5. de Cura. Lam. meles. cap. 38. & deinceps.

Last of all: If the party affected shall certainly know this malady to have proceeded from too much fasting, meditation, precise life, contemplation of God's judgements, (for the Divel deceives many by such means) in that other extreme he çir cumvents Melancholy it self, reading some books, Treatises,,

*Non desunt nostrâ ætate sacrificuli, qui tale quid attentant, sed à cacoda mone irrisi pudore suffecti sunt, & re infectâ abierunt. + Done into English by W. B. 1613.

hearing

hearing rigid preachers, &c. If he shall perceive that it hath begun first from some great loss, grievous accident, disaster, seeing others in like case, or any such terrible object, let him speedily remove the cause, which to the cure of this disease Navarras so much commends, avertat cogitationem à re scrupulosa, by all opposite means, art, and industry, let him laxare animum, by all honest recreations, refresh and recreate his distressed soul; let him direct his thoughts, by himself and other of his friends. Let him read no more such tracts or subjects, hear no more such fearful tones, avoid such companies, and by all means open himself, submit himself to the advice of good Physitians and Divines, which is contraventio scrupulorum, as the calls it, hear them speak to whom the Lord hath given the tongue of the learned, to be able to minister a word to him that is weary ‡, whose words are as flagons of wine. Let him not be obstinate, head-strong, peevish, wilful, self-conceited, (as in this malady they are) but give ear to good advice, be ruled and perswaded; and no doubt but such good councel may prove as prosperous to his soul, as the Angel was to Peter, that opened the iron gates, loosed his bands brought him out of prison, and delivered him from bodily thraldome; they may ease his afflicted minde, relieve his wounded soul, and take him out of the jawes of Hell itself. I can say no more, or give better advice to such as are any way distressed in this kind, than what I have given and said. Only take this for a corollary and conclusion, as thou tendrest thine own welfare in this, and all other melancholy, thy good health of body and mind, observe this short precept, give not way to solitariness and idleness. "Be not solitary, be not idle."

SPERATE MISERI,

CAVETE FELICES.

DLE

Vis à dubio liberari? vis quod incertum est evadere? Age pænitentiam dum sanus es; sic agens, dico tibi quod securus es, quod pænitentiam egisti eo tempore quo peccare potuisti. Austin.

Tom. 2. cap. 27. num. 282. + Navarrus.

FINIS

Is. 50. 4.

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