riches, and worldlie
commoditie. Such as though riche, yet burnes in a desperat desire of
reuenge, hee allures them by promises, to get their turne satisfied to
their hartes contentment. It is to be noted nowe, that that olde and
craftie enemie of ours, assailes none, though touched with any of these
two extremities, except he first finde an entresse reddy for him, either
by the great ignorance of the person he deales with, ioyned with an euill
life, or else by their carelesnes and contempt of God: And finding them in
an vtter despair, for one of these two former causes that I haue spoken
of; he prepares the way by feeding them craftely in their humour, and
filling them further and further with despaire, while he finde the time
proper to discouer himself vnto them. At which time, either vpon their
walking solitarie in the fieldes, or else lying pansing in their bed; but
alwaies without the company of any other, he either by a voyce, or in
likenesse of a man inquires of them, what troubles them: and promiseth
them, a suddaine and certaine waie of remedie, vpon condition on the other
parte, that they follow his advise; and do such thinges as he wil require
of them: Their mindes being prepared before hand, as I haue alreadie
spoken, they easelie agreed vnto that demande of his: And syne settes an
other tryist, where they may meete againe. At which time, before he
proceede any further with them, he first perswades them to addict
themselues to his seruice: which being easely obteined, he then discouers
what he is vnto them: makes them to renunce their God and _Baptisme_
directlie, and giues them his marke vpon some secreit place of their
bodie, which remaines soare vnhealed, while his next meeting with them,
and thereafter euer insensible, how soeuer it be nipped or pricked by any,
as is dailie proued, to giue them a proofe thereby, that as in that doing,
hee could hurte and heale them; so all their ill and well doing
thereafter, must depende vpon him. And besides that, the intollerable
dolour that they feele in that place, where he hath marked them, serues to
waken them, and not to let them rest, while their next meeting againe:
fearing least otherwaies they might either forget him, being as new
Prentises, and not well inough founded yet, in that fiendlie follie: or
else remembring of that horrible promise they made him, at their last
meeting, they might skunner at the same, and preasse to call it back. At
their thirde meetin