Book 15, Chapter 25: The seven reasons why some are not rid of the divell with all their popish conjurations, why there were no conjurors in the primitive church, and why the divell is not so soone cast out of the bewitched as of the possessed
1 The reason why some are not remedied for all their conjurations, the papists say is for seven causes. First, for that the faith of the standers by is naught; secondlie, for that theirs that present the partie is no better; thirdlie, bicause of the sinnes of the bewitched; fourthlie, for the neglecting of meete remedies; fiftlie, for the reverence of vertues going out into others; sixtlie, for the purgation; seventhlie, for the merit of the partie bewitched. And lo, the first foure are proved by Matthew the 7. and Marke the 4. when one presented his sonne, and the multitude wanted faith, & the father said, Lord help mine incredulitie or unbeleefe. Wherupon was said, Oh faithlesse and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you? And where these words are written; And Jesus rebuked him, &c. That is to saie, saie they, the possessed or bewitched for his sinnes. For by the neglect of due remedies it appeereth, that there were not with Christ good and perfect men: for the pillers of the faith; to wit, Peter, James, and John were absent. Neither was there fasting and praier, without the which that kind of divels could not be cast out. For the fourth point; to wit, the fault of the exorcist in faith maie appeare; for that afterwards the disciples asked the cause of their impotencie therin.
2 And Jesus answered, it was for their incredulitie; saieng that if they had as much faith as a graine of mustard seed, they should move mountaines, &c. The fift is prooved by Vitas patrum, the lives of the fathers, where it appeereth that S. Anthonie could not doo that cure, when his scholar Paule could doo it, and did it. For the proofe of the sixt excuse it is said, that though the fault be taken awaie therby; yet it followeth not that alwaies the punishment is released. Last of all it is said, that it is possible that the divell was not conjured out of the partie before baptisme by the exorcist, or the midwife hath not baptised him well, but omitted some part of the sacrament. If any object that there were no exorcists in the primitive church, it is answered, that the church cannot now erre. And saint Gregorie would never have instituted it in vaine. And it is a generall rule, that who or whatsoever is newlie exorcised, must be rebaptised: as also such as walke or talke in their sleepe; for (saie they) call them by their names, and presentlie they wake, or fall if they clime: whereby it is gathered, that they are not trulie named in baptisme. Item they saie, it is somewhat more difficult to conjure the divell out of one bewitched, than out of one possessed: bicause in the bewitched, he is double; in the other single.
3 They have a hundred such beggerlie, foolish, and frivolous notes in this behalfe.
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