A68845:406
The world possessed with devils containing three dialogues. 1. Of the Devil let loose.…The vvorlde possessed with deuils conteinyng three dialogues. 1. Of the Deuill let loose.…
The world possessed with devils containing three dialogues. 1. Of the Devil let loose. 2. Of black devils. 3. Of white devils. And of the coming of Jesus Christ to judgement, a very necessary and comfortable discourse for these miserable and dangerous days.The vvorlde possessed with deuils conteinyng three dialogues. 1. Of the Deuill let loose. 2. Of blacke deuils. 3. Of white deuils. And of the commyng of Iesus Christe to iudgement, a verie necessarie and comfortable discourse for these miserable and daungerous daies.
London: printed by John Kingston for John Perin, 1583London: printed by John Kingston for Ihon Perin, 1583
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
Toby. What sayest thou to that?
Tobie. What saiest thou to that?
Theo. First I say, that all the wicked are […] offended, when they see & perceive their judge.1 Now the ministers of the Lord are as Judges to the wicked, for that Jesus Christ condemneth them by the judgement pronounced unto them by the mouth & ministry of his servants. And therefore it is written of Ezekiel, 2that the lord sent him as judge of the people,3 whose Prophet he was. And Jesus Christ said: that he would send the holy spirit to his Apostles, which should reprove the world of sin, as a judge which condemn neth him, by the preaching of the gospel announced by the Ministers of the same. For the manner of speech that Jesus Christ useth in this place, importeth so much. And this causeth the wicked to murmur against the Ministers of the lord (as these wicked spirits) ⟨image 82⟩when they are constrained to see them & hear them.4 Furthermore, the wicked are herein like to those wicked sprites, which would always prolong the time, as the gilt which are condemned to the gallows. For, they think it won time, if they may delay it so, that they be not constrained to come to account. These devils denied not,5 but that they had well deserved to be driven out, and sent to the bottom less pit, because they could not deny it: but they feared least they should be sent thither before that time. For the wicked would never willingly appear before the Judge, & therefore can never find meet time to come to judgement. There are also many, whose con sciences bear them witness, that that which the true Ministers of the Gospel preach is troth: & that which they demand touching the reformation of the Gospel is very reasonable. At the least they can not gainsay it by the word of God, how much soever they calumniate against it. And because they have nothing else to say, they complain that the ministers are too earnest and too sharp, and that the people will not so be won. They say that they must go softly to work, & by little and little tarry a time. But in the mean time they consider not, that they and the Ministers