Creed Church. They like not Creeds, because they would have no Forms of Faith, as they have none of Prayer, though there be more reason for the one than for the other.

IF

XXXIII

Damnation

F the Physician sees you eat any thing that is not good for your Body, to keep you from it, he cries 'tis Poison; if the Divine sees you do any thing that is hurtful for your Soul, to keep you from it, he cries you are damned.

2. To preach long, loud, and Damnation, is the way to be cried up. We love a Man that damns us, and we run after him again to save us. If a Man had a sore Leg, and he should go to an Honest Judicious Chirurgeon, and he should only bid him keep it warm, and anoint with such an Oil (an Oil well known) that would do the Cure, haply he would not much regard him, because he knows the Medicine beforehand an ordinary Medicine. But if he should go to a Surgeon that should tell him, your Leg will Gangrene within three days, and it must be cut off, and you will die, unless you do something that I could tell you, what listening there would be to this Man! Oh, for the Lord's Sake, tell me what this is; I will give you any content for your pains.

WHY haveland? The old Answer is, the

HY have we none possessed with Devils

Protestants the Devil hath already, and the Papists are so Holy, he dares not meddle with them. Why then, beyond Seas, where a Nun is possest, when a Huguenot comes into the Church, does the Devil hunt him out? The Priest teaches him; you never saw the Devil throw up a Nun's coats; mark that, the Priest will not suffer it, for then the People will spit at him.

2. Casting out Devils is mere Juggling; they never cast out any but what they first cast in. They do it where, for Reverence, no Man shall dare to examine it; they do it in a Corner, in a Mortise-hole, not in the Market-place. They do nothing but what may be done by Art; they make the Devil fly out of the Window in the Likeness of a Bat or a Rat; why do they not hold him? Why in the Likeness of a Bat, or a Rat, or some Creature that is? Why not in some shape we paint hin in, with Claws and Horns? By this trick they gain much, gain upon Men's Fancies, and so are reverenced; and certainly if the Priest deliver me from him that is my most deadly Enemy, I have all the reason in the World to reverence him. Objection. But if this be Juggling, why do they punish Impostors? Answer. For great reason, because they do not play their part well, and for fear others

Devils should discover them; and so all of them thought to be of the same Trade.

3. A Person of Quality came to my Chamber in the Temple, and told me he had two Devils in his Head (I wondered what he meant), and just at that time, one of them bid him kill me: [with that I begun to be afraid, and thought he was mad]. He said he knew I could cure him, and therefore entreated me to give him something; for he was resolved he would go to no body else. I perceiving what an Opinion he had of me, and that 'twas only Melancholy that troubled him, took him in hand, warranted him, if he would follow my directions to cure him in a short time. I desired him to let me be alone about an hour, and then to come again, which he was very willing to. In the meantime I got a Card, and lapped it up handsome in a Piece of Taffata, and when he came, gave it him to hang about his Neck; withal charged him, that he should not disorder himself neither with eating or drinking, but eat very little of Supper, and say his Prayers duly when he went to Bed, and I made no Question but he would be well in three or four Days. Within that time I went to Dinner to his House, and asked him how he did. He said he was much better, but not perfectly well, for in truth he had not dealt clearly with me. He had four Devils in his head, and he perceived two of them were gone, with that which I had given him, but the other two troubled him still. Well, said I, I am glad two of them are gone; I make no doubt but to get away the other two

likewise. So I gave him another thing to hang Devils about his Neck. Three Days after he came to me to my Chamber and profest he was now as well as ever he was in his Life, and did extremely thank me for the great Care I had taken of him. I fearing lest he might relapse into the like Distemper, told him that there was none but myself and one Physician more, in the whole Town, that could cure Devils in the Head, and that was Dr. Harvey (whom I had prepared), and wished him, if ever he found himself ill in my Absence, to go to him, for he could cure his Disease as well as myself. The Gentleman lived many Years and was never troubled after.

XXXV

Self Denial

IS much the Doctrine of the times, that 'TIS Men should not please themselves, but deny themselves every thing they take delight in; not look upon Beauty, wear no good Clothes, eat no good Meat, &c. which seems the greatest Accusation that can be upon the Maker of all good things. If they be not to be used, why did God make them? The truth is, they that preach against them cannot make use of them theirselves, and then again, they get Esteem by seeming to contemn them. But yet, mark it while you live, if they do not please themselves as much as they can; and we live more by Example than Precept.

ADUEL may still be granted in some Cases

by the Law of England, and only there. That the Church allowed it Anciently, appears by this: in their public Liturgies there were Prayers appointed for the Duellists to say; the Judge used to bid them go to such a Church and pray, &c. But whether is this Lawful? If you grant any War Lawful, I make no doubt but to convince it. War is Lawful, because God is the only Judge between two that are Supreme. Now if a Difference happen between two Subjects, and it cannot be decided by Human Testimony, why may they not put it to God to Judge between them, by the Permission of the Prince? Nay, what if we should bring it down, for Argument's sake, to the Swordmen?

One

gives me the Lie, 'tis a great disgrace to take it; the Law has made no Provision to give Remedy for the Injury, (if you can suppose any thing an Injury for which the Law gives no Remedy): why am not I in this Case Supreme, and may therefore right myself?

2. A Duke ought to fight with a Gentleman. The Reason is this: the Gentleman will say to the Duke, 'tis True you hold a higher Place in the State than I: there's a great distance between you and me, but your Dignity does not Privilege you to do me an Injury; as soon as ever you do me an Injury, you make yourself my equal; and