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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A03468	A treatise against vvitchcraft: or A dialogue, wherein the greatest doubts concerning that sinne, are briefly answered a Sathanicall operation in the witchcraft of all times is truly prooued: the moste precious preseruatiues against such euils are shewed: very needful to be knowen of all men, but chiefly of the masters and fathers of families, that they may learn the best meanes to purge their houses of all vnclean spirits, and wisely to auoide the dreadfull impieties and greate daungers which come by such abhominations. Hereunto is also added a short discourse, containing the most certen meanes ordained of God, to discouer, expell, and to confound all the Sathanicall inuentions of witchcraft and sorcerie.; Treatise against witchcraft.	Holland, Henry, 1555 or 6-1603.	1590 (1590)	STC 13590; ESTC S104153	71,772	90

hoc modo Deus incogitantiae argueretur ac silegem tulisset de rebus quae nullae sunt Surely it were gracelesse boldnes to denie that the artes of magicke haue euer beene practised for so God might be argued to want iudgement as if he had giuen a Law of things which haue no beeing Nowe to be short concerning this treatise which here I offer thee good Reader albeit I cannot teach thee as I would to discouer and to auoide the Sathanicall delusions of witchcraft so variable so straunge and so secret are Sathans practises yet that good which I purposed I haue I trust in some part performed Whatsoeuer I haue written in all humble submission I offer it to the Censure and iudgement of all the godly learned in the Church of God I was the more bolde to publish this discourse for that but few haue written to any purpose any thing which may giue light in this argument in the english tongue master George Gifford onely excepted vnto whom we are much bound in the Lorde An other cause which mooued me is the continuall trafficke and market which the rude people haue with witches For like as the old heathen as Tulli saieth de reb maiorib semper aut delphis oraculum aut ab Hammone aut à Dodona petebant that is in their greatest affaires sought alwaies after the master witches and in common affaires hid their common auguries so likewise our blockish Christians they haue their common base witches and their master coniurers vnto whom they ride and goe in all their neede some twentie some thirtie some fortie miles and what is moste lamentable such is their brutish ignorance they thinke it not vnlawfull for them so to doe Wherefore I doe here also humbly request all those whome God hath blessed with knowledge and giftes to discerne in any measure these hid and horrible abhominations that they would with all their might helpe to vncouer them The ministers of Christ must both in doctrine and conuersation oppose themselues vnto the ministers of Antichrist Th● doctrine of the Gospell which we professe is flat contrarie we knovv vnto all the principles of poperie so let our conuersation also be vnto the practise of all the Romish prelates The monkes the friers and all of the shauen ministerie were not in any account for learning which made not an open profession of these sciences and of the Popes themselues sundry of them attained their popedome by these holy meanes as Sylvester the 2. Benedictus the 8. Geegorie the seuenth Iohn 20. 21. Alexander the 6. if we may credit their ovvne Platina and others Our enimies then worshipping the beast and his image and bearing these brandes of sorcery vvitchcraft idolatrie and all impietie in their handes and foreheads let vs with all might avoide them for without repentance the scripture hath forewarned they shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God which is poured into the cuppe of his wrath and shall bee tormented in fire and brim stone which is the second death Accept what I haue written good reader or of thy curtesie giue it free passage vnto others FAREWEL Thine in Christ Iesus HENRY HOLLAND CHAP. I. Of the witches mentioned in Scripture where is shewed by euident demonstrations how they had a reall conference confederacy with Satā himselfe by whom they practised wrought their abominatiōs Theophilus Mysodaemon WHat sayest thou Mysodaemon is it not strange that men at this day make so small account to discouer and auoid the moste horrible and dreadfull sinnes of witchcraft Mysodaemon I would gladly heare somwhat of you concerning this argument for the common sort of men indeed doe lightlie regard this sinne and the rather because some men as they say of learning and reputation affirme that this art being rightly discouered containeth nothing but cousenage and secret practises of wicked men and foolish women which are full of restles melancholick imaginations Theoph. True it is they say so indeed but how prooue they all such strong affirmations they speake much and fill volumes of many bookes but prooue litle soundly of that which they haue vainely and wickedly conceiued for when their proofe is out of the Scripture they neuer faile to wrest and bend that blessed word most prophanely to their owne purpose And as for other learned men which haue written painefulle of this argument they are all without difference scorned reiected and railed vpon in moste vile manner Their best proofe is from their owne braine and most wicked experience and yet some wise men as they say beleeue them Mysodaemon Surely Theophilus I can not myselfe be anie way perswaded that the common sorte of our witches worke by the deuill or haue any conference with him for so I remember Bodin others define a witch to be one that wittingly willingly vseth deuilish artes to atteine that hee purposeth therefore 〈…〉 women are no witches for they haue no such artes alack● poore fooles they are no seducers but rather poore seduced soules Theoph. I see Mysodaemon you haue read ouer some of their great volumes can you so pretely bemone our old witches true it is manie of the common sort I beleeue well are not right witches indeed notwithstanding they are guiltie of other most vile sinnes and most worthie of death Mysodaemon As for other sinnes as coosnage poisoning and such like I will not couer them our witches are full of such practises but that these seely women haue anie artes to coniure the deuill or to conuey him into a boxe as they say to raise tempests to kill and make aliue I thinke all these are but vaine surmises of credulous and foolish people Theoph. Satan is full of delusions and filleth the mindes eies and eares of such as the Lorde hath iustlie giuen ouer vnto his handes for the contempt of the truth to beleeue lies he is a flying serpent and not so narrowly inclosed albeit hee perswadeth his vassals by such vaine delusions least wanting his presence they should bee discouraged in his seruice But let vs come vnto the purpose that there haue bene are and may be such Sathanicall witches which worke indeed many wonders by the help and ministrie of Satan Mysodaemon I knowe not where to turne mee in this controuersie for they say the scripture hath not answered this question wee haue no scripture against our vvitches or which can discouer them Theoph. If the scripture will not suffice and serue vs for this purpose let vs impute that to our weakenes and not to the want of that most perfect booke of God which is said to be so sufficient that it is able to make the man of God absolute And hath not the Scripture prophesied of the chaunge of Empyres of the variable state of the Church before and after Christes incarnation of Antichrist his comming his miracles c. And doe we not finde all those diuine and propheticall predictions

superstitious magicke in all sorceries whatsoeuer And following this distinction of diabolicall confederacies we may not vnfitly distinguish also their artes for the better manifestation of the trueth on this manner Some be meere diabolical some mixt diabolicall meere diabolicall as of Pythonists and all such as are of the open league mixt as all other which vse any other meanes appointed by Sathan for their practise and are of the second and third kinde of confederacie Mysodaemon I pray you then vnto which league belong the common sort of our witches which seeme indeede to worke by the deuill so wicked are their liues so deuelish are their inuentions and such dreadfull euents follow them and yet haue no manifest operation by Sathan to their owne knowledge as most of them say in the very houre of death Theophilus They doe belong therefore no doubt to the second or third kinde of confederacie and they worke secretly by the deuill Quanquam haec ipsinon advertant norint Albeit they neither perceiue nor know this thing Mysodaemon But you haue not one syllable in all the Scriptures of God to prooue any such league or couenant betweene Sathan and witches Theophilus We haue not indeede any such wordes or phrases and yet may we truely conclude that there are such things by Scripture for the Scripture shewing vs the great readines and acquaintance of Sathan with the enchaunters of Egypt the Pythonist of Endor and Philippi doe therein significantly giue vs to vnderstande that there was some precontract and confederacie betweene them for Sathan will neuer worke in such manner but with whome hee hath some league and acquaintance Mysodaemon And what can you say of our witches oyntments for I remember Ioh. Bap. Neap. did prooue by his owne experience that this was but meere coosenage and a fable in witchcraft as we may read in his little booke of naturall magicke lib. 2. cap. 26. Theophilus First as for the strength of any oyntmentes to worke any magicall inuentions I answer Mysodaemon it is none at all For oyntments can mooue Sathan no more then figures crosses circles periaptes the superstitious mutterings of holy wordes and such like abhominations Secondly that they haue notwithstanding such stuffe in their practise I am induced to beleeue for that Sathan wants not in his seruice as is before saide all the apish imitations of Gods religion that can be deuised by new found and forged sacraments Againe Mysodaemon if this making of oyntementes of the fatte of young children seeme so straunge vnto thee vnderstande this that albeit the deuill little regardeth such oyntementes yet is hee right glad to behould and see the murder and bloodshedding of young infantes for wherefore else did the Heathen kill and sacrifice their children vnto Moloche and that thou maiest vnderstande also what that abhominable practise was David sheweth that complaining because this horrible idolatrie crept into the Church for he saith They offered their sonnes and daughters vnto deuills And that the deuill stirreth Sathanicall magitians to offer these bloody sacrifices vnto him the ecclesiasticall stories of Maxentius and Iulian and others can testifie vnto vs. For of the one it is said Contulit se magicis studijs ad incantationem iam mulieres praegnantes discidit iam infantium recens natorum viscera inquisiuit arcano quodammodo daemones advocauit He gaue himselfe to the studie of magick for inchantment and then he ript women with child and sought diuinations in the entrals of young infants and called or coniured deuils secretly And of the other it is written Antiochiae verò aiunt multas arcas in regia refertas humanis capitibus inventas esse multisque in puteis cadavera humana There were found at Antioche as they say many chestes full of deade mens sculles and many dead corses were found in wells and a little before his death in the Persian warre it is said in the same place that he ript an other woman with child to practise vpon her his diuinations and then he hung her by the heare purposing to learne more by her dead bodie at his returne but therein he fayled albeit his deuils told him the contrarie Againe Plinie writing of Nero and his magicke saith thus of him Homines etiam immolare gratissimum ei fuit He was most delighted to sacrifice men vnto deuills Apollo taught his witches to sacrifice a noble Virgin to stay the plague among the Lacedemonians Polyxena Priamus daughter and Iphigenia Agamemnons were both sacrificed to Sathan in like manner The witches of Scithia offered men in sacrifice vnto Diana The witches of Fraunce vnto Mercurie The witches of Africa vnto Saturne And what was Diana Mercurie Saturne but Sathan and his fellowes which coloured and shrowded them selues vnder such names and titles as Mirandula saith rightwell among the blinde and prophane Gentiles The Romane witches taught the old Romanes to sacrifice two men yeerely to appease the Gods and to cast them into Tyber In Cyprus also they sacrificed a man vnto Apollo To conclude Baals witches shew plainly how greatly Sathan delighteth himself to see mens blood shed in his seruice for it is written of them They cryed loud and cut them selues as the manner was with kniues and launces till the blood gushed out vpon them And this hath is and euer will be the ende of all spirituall whoredome with Sathan in witchcraft The like effects could I shew by examples of corporall whoredome also for these two kinds of pollutions as they haue great affinitie in nature and in filthie practises accompanie one the other so for this ende in murder and bloodshedding they haue not much varied but euer in all ages offered Sathan these bloodie sacrifices vnder sundrie and diuerse pretenses as it is by the continuall obseruation of wise men truly testified vnto vs. Mysodaemon No doubt Theophilus if Sathan haue that bloodie purpose in witches oyntments he will vse all the meanes he can to worke his wonders by such oyntments indeede for the scripture telleth vs that he is a roaring lyon seeking without rest whom he may deuoure and destroy both in bodie and soule But least I wearie you Theophilus in these things wherein I know you be not greatly delighted I pray you let me heare in a word what can be saide of lycanthropeia transformation of men and women into wolfes and cattes c. for these things are cleane contrarie against nature and must be meere poeticall fables if the trueth be tryed Theophilus Truely my greatest delight in this conference Mysodaemon is to helpe thee what I can to come vnto the knowledge of the trueth to make thee more able to auoyde if God so please all the daungers of these Sathanicall delusions for I may speake truely as another doeth for mine owne part Equidem de diabolis eorumque ministris sortiarijs lubenter disputare non soleo c. eatenus

haue often the name of Iesus and of the holy Trinitie they crosse themselues at each worde they vse also certain words of the Cannon of the masse Gloria in excelsis omnis spiritus laudet Dominum à porta inferi credo videre bona Domini c. so farre Bodin They haue vsed also exorcists scratchings many other meanes c. but all in vaine for it is most certen that so seeking to scare away the deuill and his artes from their bodies and their goods he had greater hold and possession of their soules for so doing they prooued his vassals themselues and instruments for the execution of his owne will and pleasure 2. Proposition or Minor That the holy ministerie of Gods word is ordained of God for this purpose wee may see it if aduisedly we consider the Lordes words Deut. 18. 10 11 19 c. Let none be among you that maketh his sonne or his daughter to go through the fire c. thē he addeth the Lord God will raise thee vp a Prophet like vnto me from among you euen of thy brethren vnto him shall yee hearken vers 19. Whosoeuer will not hearken vnto my wordes which hee shall speake in my name I will require it of him Here I say the Lord hath appointed a remedie for the sinnes of witchcraft and sorcerie the ordinarie ministerie of Gods worde published by his Prophets whereunto as many as did hearken that is receiued it with true faith and obedience they were freed from those Sathanicall inuentions named in that place for Sathans rotten mist is so scattered and discouered by the bright beaines and glorious light of Gods word that hee can not long lurke or abide the light of that place and therefore we read that in the darke countries where his arts were professed there did inhabite the most idolatrous nations of al the Gentiles as the Egiptians Chaldeans Indians Persians Cananites as prophane histories together with the booke of God plentifully doe testifie and record vnto vs. 2 Esay maketh the ministerie of Gods word of Sathans arts two professions so opposite that he that forsaketh the one and leaneth vnto the other forsaketh God embraceth the deuill refuseth the liuing seeking the dead reiecteth the law testimonie of god resteth vpon sathanical inuētions lastly hath no light in him but is ful of darknes his words are these When they shal say vnto you enquire at them that haue a spirit of diuination and at the soothsayers which whisper murmure should not a people enquire at their God frō the liuing to the dead to the law and to the testimonie or rather as another saith against the law and the testimonie if they speak not according to this word it is because there is no light in them 3 The Lord God promiseth his Church by the Prophet Zacharie that assoone as the glorious ministerie of the gospell should shine forth among men he wold therby dispel the clouds of ignorance and cut off the names of Idols out of the land that they should no more be remembred and cause the false prophets and the vncleane spirit to depart out of the land And that this was performed generally in all places wheresoeuer the powerfull ministerie of the glorious Gospel was purely receiued Ecclesiasticall histories doe testifie for times past and common experience can prooue for time present as afterward shal be shewed 2. Argument Looke by what meanes all vncleane spirits are driuen out of naturall men by the same good meanes may the spirits of sorcerie be descried confounded and cast foorth But Iesus Christ the great Lord that is stronger then that strong man worketh the first by his blessed word and spirit Ergo the second 2. Proposition or Assumption THe Apostle cōfirming the Authority of his ministery against false teachers in Corinth sheweth it to be glorious First from the efficient cause therof which was God himselfe 2. from the effects thereof which were these First for that it was able to cast down holdes meaning all the munitions of Sathan and carnall men 2. all carnall wisdome 3. all high thinges that are exalted against the knowledge of God 4 for that it is able to bring into captiuitie euery thought to the obedience of Christ. 5. and lastly from a vengeance that is an ordinarie consequent foreuer vnto the contempt of that ministerie If that ministerie be so powerfull therfore to cast out Sathan out of naturall men and to worke in them the greatest worke vnder heauen the work of regeneration by the immortall seede that it soweth abroad into mens hearts it is most certen that it may confound all artes and delusions of deuills in all sorts of men but some will not beleeue what the Scripture speaketh most clearely that Sathan so possesseth naturally men and worketh in them as Paule speaketh let such therefore listen what an auncient learned man speaketh of this point on this manner Daemonibus est super omnia genera tormentorum super omnes poenas si quem videant verbo Die operam dare scientiam diuinae legis mysteria Scripturarum intentis studijs per quirentem in hoc eorum omnis flamma est in hoc vruntur incendio possident enim omnes qui versantur in ignorantia Vnto the deuills it is a torment aboue all kindes of torments and a paine aboue all paines if they see any man reading the worde of God and with feruent studie searching the knowledge of Gods lawe and the mysteries and secrets of Scriptures herein standeth all the flame of the deuills in this fire they are tormented for they are seased and possessed of all them that remaine in ignorance 3. Argument That thing which Sathan most dreadeth most repugneth most persecuteth with all his artes and instruments worketh no dout most his ouerthrow discouerie and confusion in all this worlde Sathan hath euer withstood and feared the ministerie of the Gospel and persecuted all the ministers and professors thereof with all his might c. Therefore this is an especiall meanes and gift of God for to discouer his artes to cast downe his kingdome and to confound him all his practises The 2. Proposition or Assumption LVke 22. 31 32. Our Sauiour saith to his Apostles before his Passion Sathan desireth to winnow you as wheat this he did because the saw they were called and ordained for the great work of the Gospel the ouerthrow of his kingdome and the enlarging of Christes kingdome 1. Thess. 2. 18. We would haue come vnto you I Paule at least once or twise but Sathan hindred vs. Wherefore did Sathan hinder Paule Syluanus and Tymotheus from comming to Thessalonica by the Iewes his Limmes and those wicked vagabonds of that citie because hee feared by their ministerie some ouerthrowe of his kingdome and some grouth of Christes Church And wherefore doeth Sathan suffer naturall men to be so