the application of natural Causes but by the assistanc of tha Devil by virtue of an agreement made with him Mag. Vniverse Pag. 1. Lib. 1. in Proleg Chap. 7. he establishes these sorts of Covenants as certain distinguishing them into two kinds those which are made expresly with intention and of deliberated purpose And those which are tacitely made But we shall hereafter hear Sennertus explaining himself more at large upon this subject However we find in the same place as well as in Schotus's Books this Maxime established as certain Quod Magicae hujus vis omnis nititur pacto vel tacite vel expresso cum Demone ut probat Delrius c. That all the force of this Magick depends on an agreement made tacitely or expresly with the Devil as Delrius proves it c. Sect. 16. This Author says further That from the consideration of the ends the Magicians have viz. to act marvelous things by the Devils power chiefly proceed three sorts of Witchcraft for they have sometimes no other end but to acquire the Art and Industry of producing miraculous effects for their proper advantage or pleasure or that of others they sometimes endeavour to discover things to come or to know things past and such present at are secret and hidden and cannot be discovered by any human power sometimes they have no other end but to acquire the Power the Art and the Means to hurt Men. This is not the place to tell what the Papists believe Magicians are able to do and what in effect they do because in the preceding Chapter one has seen what is the power that Popery attributes to the Devil who are likewise capable to effect by the Ministry of Men that is to say of Wizards and Witches according to the conditions of their Leagues all that they effect themselves Sect. 17. It will not be however besides the purpose to cite Bodin who tells you in very precise terms the Second Book Chap. 4. how Men expresly make Leagues with the Devil And I grant that if it be true that they are such as he says I am obliged to hold with him these People for the most execrable of all Men since they renounce God and his worship if they are in the Communion of the Church or that they abjure their Faith if they acknowledge not the true God or if they are of some particular Sect and ingaged in Superstitions which is done in an express Covenant to acknowledge the Devil and to adore none but him He adds a little after Sometimes the express Obligation is but verbal and without any writing but sometimes it is also confirmed by writing for the Devil resolving to be sure of them who seek him before he proposes any Covenant between him and them he makes them give a promise in writing if they can write and sign it with their own Blood He adds further that this obligation is made either for two years or for a longer time And as if the Devil feared that those that are wholly obliged to him should come to retract this he is not contented to make them renounce God in terms very precise but besides he makes an impression upon them CHAP. XXI That several means are practised against Attacks and the Illusions of the Devil and Magicians Sect. 1. I Know not whether I must put the rest I have to say upon the account of the Papists only there being but very few of our Profession who do not believe it as they do as I shall shew in the next Chapter I shall report only in this what means Popery affords to avoid all sorts of Devils and Specters and to divert them from us The First means consists in the resistance which is sufficient against their Malice The Second consists in the finding out of those that are guilty of these Abominations And the Third in the Punishments that these People are thought to deserve Schottus shall furnish me with that which I have to say touching the first of these means And I shall take from other Writings what I am to relate concerning the second and third to which I shall joyn that which may be learned by experience Sect. 2. Our Author who warrants that which he says rejects divers means and establishes many others we must hear him as well upon those which he rejects as those he establishes See these he rejects 1. Malignant Injuries and Outrages never drive away Spirits but some insulting terms that are made use of in Exorcisms which have been introduced into the Church contribute very much to expel them pag. 304. 2. Neither Pike nor Sword nor any other sort of Arms will oblige them to retire pag. 305. 3. Neither Fire nor Light that are not Consecrated have any virtue for this purpose p. 308. 4. Neither will they withdraw though they find the Doors and Windows open before them p. 308. 5. Though 't is the Opinion of many People who are of the Author's Profession that Spirits may be driven away by Smoak by Perfumes by certain Herbs and by Blows with Stones they hold nevertheless That no natural Virtue that may be in material Subjects can act directly upon Spirits and that by consequence there are no sensible subjects such as those as have been just now mentioned which may always expel Spirits from the places where they are nor drive them far from Men pag. 308. and 312. Sect. 3. On the contrary he holds that the means following are absolutely effective 1. At first he stablishes two against which there is nothing to say which are a stedfast Faith and an ardent Prayer p. 214 215. for they are conform to the Maxims of Scripture This sort of Devils cannot be cast out but by Prayers and Fastings St. Matth. 17.20 21. 2. But he establishes five others which are invented purely by Popery First The Relicks of Holy Bodies or to say better of those who are taken for such Secondly The Sign of the Cross Thirdly Holy Water Fourthly Agnus Dei that is the Lamb of God imprinted upon a little round figure of Wax and consecrated by the Pope They have says Schottus a ready virtue and efficacious virtutem praestantissimam to put the Devil to flight p. 322. Fifth To pronounce the name of Jesus and to call upon the Virgin Mary his Mother p. 324. All these means are explained every one in particular in the same place They are also described but a little more abridged although in the same sense by John Davidi Jesuit in his Book Intituled the Buckler printed at Balduc in the year 1619. I shall report his own Words lest the Roman Catholicks should accuse me of imposing upon them See what he writes in the 10th Chapter Amongst the Consecrated things which have power against the ambushes of the Enemy we must rank these here Holy Water which is every Sunday consecrated in the Church and has its name from that Consecration The Baptismal Water that is Consecrated on the Vigils of Easter and
proof of his power being well examined in its whole extent attribute to him the least part in the evils which by the Providence of God happen'd to that Holy Man As to the Angel of Satan which tormented St. Paul I place him in the same rank with the fight against Michael that is in uncertainty there being no ground to pretend to a perfect understanding of this passage and therefore I look upon it as insufficient to prove any thing which is the matter of the 25th Chapter But as the Possest are universally alledg'd for a certain proof of the great power of the Devil and that we read so many times in Scripture that the evil Spirits have been cast out by our Saviour Jesus Christ I beslow five Chapters upon examining what is in it I see that the term of Diabolus which we Translate Devil is not found in any of the passages in which those Relations are contained but only that of Daemon which I illustrate in the 26th Chapter In the 27th I shew that the most dangerous diseases especially those of the Head were usually ascribed to Demons or even call'd by the name of Demons and in the 28th that our Saviour Jesus Christ has not changed the usual way of speaking but made use of them according to the custom of that time neither did he always immediately confute all the errors in the 29th and 30th Chapters so that the cure of Daemonia was not properly an expulsion of Devils but a miraculous cure of incurable Diseases I come after to other passages of Scripture where neither the names of Devil Satan or Demon are made use of but those of the Prince of the World Prince of the power of the air Prince of this Age of Lordships Powers Dominions and the like And I shew that there is not the least cause to apply them to the Devil but that the Stile of Scripture leads us of it self to understand by all these names a certain order of persons Having then examined all I could not conclude that the Scripture considered truely and without prejudice attributes to the Devil this power and these operations which the prevention of Commentators and Translators discovers in it I grant it has been very troublesom to me to be obliged to take this party and to confute and censure very famous Men and most approved interpreters It even seemed to me that I exposed my self very much because I know that a more advantageous opinion is had of those that are not known and that a Prophet is neither esteemed in his own time nor in his own Country For this Reason I did first resolve not to meddle with those of Scripture where I found my self constrain'd to go from the expositions ordinarily received But at last considering that my work would appear but imperfect and that they would not fail to object those famous passages to which I should be then obliged to answer I at last prevailed with my self to venture in the main Sea and to fly before none that came to attack me further I do not believe that any one can shew me that the interpretations that I make are founded upon the light of reason and humane understanding or upon any other particular proposition I should have asserted such as this is said to be that a Spirit cannot act upon a body nor upon other Spirits I have made use of for this effect but of the ordinary means that the knowledge of Languages afford us so there is no more unjust accusation then that which is raised against me upon this subject And therefore when I compare with the analogy of the whole Scripture with the grounds of our Divinity and with the rules of true Piety whatever is ordinarily published concerning the understanding of the Devil his power his operations his apparitions in divers places in the World his Dominion and the Kingdom which he raises against that of Jesus Christ I conclude not only that they are not grounded upon these three principles but also being considered with all the necessary attention they appear contrary to them In this place I begin to enter into dispute and to draw my conclusion from arguments which the Scripture and reason furnishes me with having by the means heretofore established upon those two principles searched after the ways how plainly and without equivocation to understand the state of the questions which properly and particularly cocern the Devil This is not then the point in question to dispute of the meaning of those passages which mention the fall of Man or speak of Angels some of whom appeared to Abraham and others wrestled with Jacob or of the tentation of Our Lord Christ in the desert nor of the sense of those that say David was tempted by Satan and that Job was tormented by him and the like places but the Chief point the scope of all this search is to know what to believe concerning the Devil Upon this I bestow the five last Chapters and in the three first of these five which are the 32th 33th and 34th I am not afraid of calling Reason to my assistance after having shewn that the Scripture is silent upon this subject for I presume to have made appear in the 32th Chapter that the apparitions of Evil Spirits are contrary to true Reason and that the Holy Scripture affords no proofs of it Afterwards in the 33th Chapter I show that the knowledge that the Devil may have as well of things Natural as Civil and above all of things Spiritual which concern our Salvation is nothing of what is believed I rest as yet upon the same foundation of Scripture and Reason to prove the Empire of the Devil is but a Chimera and that he has neither such a Power nor such an Administration as is ordinarily ascribed to him which is contained in the 34th Chapter At last after having treated of all those things with all possible exactness I come to the conclusion of my second Book where I shew the importance of this examination by reason of the great value the vulgar put upon the Devil and his Operations in the World My Opinion is that these sorts of Discourses shake the Grounds of the Doctrine of our Salvation and cause a great damage to Piety in divers occasions I demonstrate the first of these things in the 35th Chapter and the second in the 36th As to the Doctrine I prove in this place what I have asserted in the first Chapter of my Book viz. that the common Opinion concerning the Devil is opposite to the proofs that Jehova is God and that Jesus is the Messiah and that the Books of the Prophets and Apostles are the Word of God In what concerns Piety I shew that the Service of God is thereby greatly weakened that the Filial fear is very much diminished by that they have of the Devil that the esteem that the holy Angels deserve is almost destroyed that the glory and virtue of the miracles of
Romulus who frightfully imagined to see the Ghost of his Brother Remus after he had killed him If those Narrations were true such Spirits might be called terrifying Spirits Ovid in the Fifth Book of the Fasti plainly says what must be understood by that Name Mox etiam Lemures animas dixere silentum The Soul of the Dead had the Name of Lemures Sect. 16. The Lares or perhaps the Geniues are called by Macrobius in his Third Book of the Saturnalia Chap. 4. Penates that is Born together Quasi penes nos natos For as that Author pursues 't is by them that we breath by them that we have our Body and by them that our Soul subsists But 't is better to call them Gods and Governors of Countries to distinguish them from the Lares who were particular to each Family as they were both distinguished from the Geniuses and look'd upon as taking care of the exteriour of Man as the Geniuses did of the interior However it must be confess'd that there is but Confusion and Darkness to be met with in the Books of the Heathens concerning those Names and their pretended Signification they having not well known themselves what they Worshipped as Gods or as Spirits neither need we take much trouble in unravelling what they themselves knew not since the memory both of them and of their Daemons is long since extinguished upon Earth This being the Lot of the Heathens and of their Gods Jeremiah cap. 10. Sect. 17. Whether this last sort of Gods or Spirits were called Genii Manes Penates or Lemures it plainly appears that they believed the Immortality of the Soul which Opinion being confounded with that of Daemons gave occasion to contrive those sorts of Spirits Plato in his Book Of the Soul Entituled Phaedo induces Socrates speaking near his Death in these Words Above all the Soul must be immortal and unperishable and consequently it must go to live 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in invisible places or as others pretend to infer from the Etymology of the Word in agreeable Places Marcilius Ficinus has Translated it in Latin apud Manes by the surviving Spirits as I have named them above but a little after he Translates apud Inferos in the Subterraneous Places which proceed from that they placed the Soul of the Deceased under the Earth Cicero in the first Book of the Tusculan Questions Sect. 26. shows both in these Words We believe that the Souls survive because all our Reasonings lead us to that Opinion Reason ought also to teach us where they are whence Ignorance has taken occasion to invent subterraneous places because Bodies being put into the Earth and cover'd with Earth humo whence comes humari to be Buried thereof it has been believed that the Dead still live under the Earth Now 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is the same word which the Interpreters of the New Testament sometimes Translate by that of Hell sometimes by that of Grave none of which agrees with the Sense of Socrates or that of Plato For at the end of the forementioned Book Socrates derides Crito who asked him how he would be buried He believes says he That I am that dead Body which he shall see anon signifying that they might indeed Bury his Dead Body but as to him that is his Soul he should pass 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to the assur'd Felicity of the Blessed which very much differs from the Grave or Hell And therefore 't is certain that Socrates who spake so believed the Soul to be Immortal and that Plato who writ his Words was of the same persuasion Sect. 18. But there were others who tho' they were of the same opinion yet having not acquired so much insight into the State of Souls separated from their Bodies invented Transmigrations and Purifications The Druids so famous amongst the Ancient Gauls held together the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Transmigration of Souls with their Immortality For they unanimously taught according to the Testimony of Caesar Book 8. Chap. 18. Non interire animas sed ab aliis post mortem transire ad alios Souls die not but that after Death they pass from one to another The antient Egyptians were of the same Opinion and Herodotus writes that they were the first who taught the Immortality of the Soul For says he their sentiment is that the Soul being deprived of the Body passes into another Body which is then born and after she has thus walked through all sorts of Bodies upon Earth in the Sea and in the Air she at last returns into a human Body Thence it was that Pythagoras had his Doctrine which he brought over into Greece whence it passed into Italy Lactantius explains the Opinions of that Philisopher in his Seventh Book de Proemio Chap. 8. In these words Pythagoras as foolishly asserted that the Souls passed into other Bodies from the Bodies of Men into those of Beasts and from those of Beasts into those of Men again and that his own had formerly been that of Euphorbius Plato and several others have partly followed him which we shall be obliged frequently to mention hereafter Sect. 19. But Socrates as Plato relates in the forementioned Treatise which contains his last Words leads the Souls to some places where they shall be Blessed or Tormented without Bodies He sends those who shall have done Good into the Upper and Aetherial Regions where he believes the most pure part of this Orb to be and where the Soul shall Eternally live without the Body in an unexpressible Felicity Whereas he condemns those of the Wicked to the Tartarus which is a deep and frightful Abyss where they shall be punish'd according to their Deserts From that Gulf of Torments he draws four Rivers to which he gives as many Names very fit to express his Notion viz. Oceanus a precipitate Torrent Acheron a Torrent of Torments Pyriphlegeton Conflagration and Cocytus Bemoaning Here Sinners who have not been altogether incorrigible are to be purged with many Pains and Vexations more or less longer or shorter according to their Deserts There you have the original of Purgatory or of that purging Fire still believed by the Roman Church However Socrates gives out that Narration but for a Chimaera For before he begins it he calls it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a pretty Fable worth hearing and at the end he says But no Man of Sense ought to maintain that Opinion so as I have related though I esteem it rational and just to show that it goes very near so in reference to our Souls and their Habitations since it plainly appears that the Soul is immortal These Words of a Dying Man who exhorts those that were present to be at all times ready for Death persuade me more and more of what I have already said that the Heathens express'd themselves variously upon these Matters and that they speak otherwise when they consider them in reference to Religion than when they conceive them in relation
to this that Christ is acknowledged by the Mahometans for a great Prophet and honoured in that quality whereas he is horribly blasphemed by the Jews For these reasons I say that the Mahometans are halfe nearer to us than the modern Jews But what need we any farther proof since as to this matter it is plain that the Jews are less from Paganism than the Mahometans as shall appear by the proof I shall produce Sect. 2. As long as we have had to do with Heathens only we needed but to make an inquiry after their Opinions concerning their Gods the Spirits and the Souls But here the Question is not concerning the plurality of Gods for thô formerly the Jews have been extraordinarily inclined to Idolatry they have now such a great aversion for Polytheism ever since 2300 years that they are returned from the Babylonian Captivity that they will acknowledge but one Person in the Divine Unity They believe by the light of the Holy Writ that this only God is Almighty and sufficient to himself and to all things which he has created of nothing and governs and maintains alone Amongst his Creatures they reckon Angels and Men and think that the last have a Soul more excellent than that of Bruits tho' far inferior to the Angelical Perfection Such has been in all times the belief of the Jews and so farr is more agreeable to the Christian Faith then that of the Mahometans as we shall say hereafter Sect. 3. But the state of the Jewish Religion whilst the first Temple stood must be well distinguished from that into which it is insensibly fall'n The Jews of that time were Orthodox save only those who suffer'd themselves to be carried into Idolatry and undoubtedly they had no other Opinion of the Angels Demons and Souls of Men but what the Holy Writings still teach us so that if we still look upon them as different from us it is because we consider those of latter times when their State was in its fall and Christianity in its growth But tho' they be now divided into two Sects that of the Carraijim who only follow the Holy Writ and that of the Rabbanim who adhere to the Traditions of their Doctors there is yet but the latter which deserves to come into consideration the number of the former being altogether inconsiderable they being a remainder of the Sadduces which are hardly known in Europe whereas the other may be called the posterity of the Pharisees Sect. 4. Tho' we design only to insist upon the latter yet a more particular difference may be observed betwixt the Ancient Jews and the Modern By the Ancient Jews I understand here those that lived in the time of our Saviour of his Apostles or a little after Philo who was the Learnedst and Wisest is of an Opinion not far from that of Plato when he says that the Stars are animated and that they move circularly by their own intelligence Ben Maimon is in that point of his Sentiment of which he has made an abridgement in these words All the Stars and Celestial Orbs have a Soul Knowledge Vnderstanding and a lasting Life knowing him by whose Word the Vniverse was made Each of those â—reatures according to his Excellency and Dignity praisâ—s and glorifies his Author following the example of the Angels but as they know God so they understand what they are themselves as well as the Angels who however are above them Their Knowledge being inferior to that of the Angels and superior to that of Men This is to be read in the Book of that Author Entituled Of the Grounds of Faith Sect. 5. If we come more particularly to examine their Opinions as to the Spirits whether Angels or Human Souls we shall not find the Ancient and Modern Writers agree well together Philo who is amongst the former believes That the Air is full of Spirits the most perfect of whom never assumed Bodies but go to and fro ascend and descend from Heaven upon Earth for the service of the Great God That there are others inferior in Dignity to the first who take on Bodies of which they are deprived by death and into which some of them return But others being wearied of this life go up higher and live there in peace But there are others the most pure and excellent of all who have a sublime and Divine Vnderstanding despise Terrestrial and perishing things are the Ministers of the Almighty and as the Ears and Eyes of the Great God those see and hear everything The Philosophers call them Genii and the Holy Writ names them most properly Angels that is to say Messengers for they are really Messengers who carry to Children the Orders of their Father and to the Father the Prayers of his Children wherefore it is said of them that they ascend and descend This is contained in the Book of Dreams written by Philo. Sect. 6. If you now desire to hear the Jews of the latter times and their Opinions upon the Nature of Angels Vorstius will tell you most truly in his Annotations upon the Grounds of the Faith written by Maimonides that they do not perfectly agree together For some believe That those Spirits have been created of the most subtile Elements as Rabbi Juda relates it in his Book Entituled Cusri Chap. 4. Sect. 4. Others as the Author of the Book Jezira hold as the same Rabbi Juda assures us that the Angels proceeded from the Holy Ghost We find also in the Book Chagiga fol. 14. That by the word of God administring Angels are created every day But Maimonides speaks of his own more wisely upon this subject and generally upon all others The Angels says he in Chap. 2. Sect. 4 Have an Essence that subsists without Matter not having Bodies but being Essences distinguished from one another Sect. 7. Upon this difference of the Angels in the opinion of the Jews I think it better to propose what has been said by the same Author than to quote any other because there is none amongst them that may be compar'd to him either for Learning or Judgment as not intending to impute to them more foolish Doctrines than those that are admitted by their most authentick Writers Thus then Maimonides expresses this Opinion When the Prophets say that they have seen the Angels as a fire and with wings they speak after the manner of the Prophets and by a simile designing only to shew that they are neither corporeal nor heavy In this sense it is that God himself is called a Consuming fire viz. improperly thus likewise this passage must be understood he makes the Winds his Angels or as it is in some Translations The Spirits for the Hebrew word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ruach having those two significations of Spirits and of Winds And therefore the Angels being material are essentially distinguished betwixt themselves as by degrees the one being above the other to which the Author applies these words For a higher than that high takes
which issued the Demons 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 pag. mihi 44. St. Athanasius who was of the same mind explains those two things more at large in his Ambassy As to the first he says That God created the Angels to take care of the Affairs of Men that are under their direction so that God takes indeed a genâ—â—ral view of all things but as to the particular Inspection he has left it to the Angels constituted over them As to the second he speaks the same Language with the others that the love of Women made some Angels fall into Apostasie whence proceeded a sort of Demons Sect. 6. Justin that enters more into particulars as to what concerns Demons declares that he knows none that has that Divine Power of preserving and rewarding such as obey him and therefore that he knows none likewise that has the power to avenge himself upon the Disobedient and Rebels This he teaches in his 42th Question having said before in the 40th That a Wicked Spirit that has been once expell'd cannot torment him any more whom he had before possess'd In the aforesaid 42th Question he says That when a possess'd seems to break his Bands and Fetters it is the Demon that does it who has that strength himself but cannot communicate it to the Body of any Man This is very particular and it will be fit to call it to mind again in another place wherefore I desire the Reader to observe and remember it Sect. 7. Irenaeus explains himself but obscurely concerning the State of Souls after this Life when he says at the end of his Book That they go to an invisible place God has prepared for them But Justin in his second Apology pag. mihi 58. explaining himself more at large goes also more out of the common road for he affirms that the Souls of the Dead have some power over the living saying That Men being seized and cast down by the Souls of the deceased are ordinary call'd possest and furious It must be observ'd here that having spoken immediately before of human Souls separated from their Bodies 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 though the Latin Interpreter has used two different Words viz. first Animae the Souls and then Manes the Ghosts Mention iâ—â—ade of the latter in his second Chapter of this Book S. 14. But in my Opinion the same word cannot be taken in two different Senses at the end of one period and the beginning of the following He must therefore ascribe to the Soul of the deceased of whom he undoubtedly speaks in his first period all the Operations upon the living which the Heathens used to attribute to other Spirits call'd Demons for he there speaks of the Heathens Sect. 8. Origen who lived in the third Age had strange Notions concerning the Angels sometimes he gives them a Nature but equal to that of Men For Writing of the Light which St. John in his first Chapter says to be our Saviour he seems to believe that it was equally communicated to Man and Angels as may be seen more at large in his third Volume on St. John But in another place he makes so great a distinction betwixt Angels and Men that going from the first of Creatures endued with Reason to the last he puts the Angels as betwixt God and Men For he teaches on 1 Sam. 28. that the first Creatures are those which the Holy Writ names Gods The second those that we call'd Thrones and the third those that bear the name of Principalities Afterwards he calls in Question Whether Man is the last of rational Creatures or whether such Creatures as dwell upon Earth amongst which he ranks all the Demons or at least part of them are inferiour to Men that 's his Opinion in his first Vol. St. John Sect. 9. He again intimates elsewhere that as Men who have had the fear of God in this life become Angels after their Death as 't is read in St. Matth 22.30 though there it is not properly they become Angels but they shall be like Angels So that the present Angels might formerly have been Men Moreover he imagines that Angels and Men may dispute which are more perfect establisting betwixt the Nature of those two Subjects the same difference which our Saviour puts between the first and the last St. Matth. 19.30 and ch 20.16 he ascribes to Angels not only the Subregency of the World in his tenth Homil. upon Jeremiah and constitutes as well as other Doctors Guardian Angels upon that Principle but he persuades himself that their Virtues and Devotions may increase as those of Men proportionably to those of the Persons they keep Afterwards he destines some to watch over little Children and others over the Adult grounding his Opinion upon St. Matt. ch 18.10 where mention is made of the Angels of little Children that see the face of their Heavenly Father Sect. 10. He has this particular Opinion concerning the Stars that they may have Light and Intelligence and though he expresses not himself so plainly upon that yet 't is a necessary consequence of his Principles for upon the Words in the Hebrews 2.9 That Christ has tasted Death for all He says first that by that all must not simply be understood all Men but whatever is capable of Reason 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and amongst those 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rational Creatures he reckons the Stars a little after and upon that foundation he is not afraid of making our Lord not only the Redeemer of Men but also of Stars that have likewise sin'd because 't is said the Stars are not pure in his sight Job 25.5 he repeates the same at the end of his 2d Volume upon St. John denying however that their Influences should hurt Men notwithstanding what is read of Lunaticks Matth. 17.14 15. Writing upon Genesis he likewise rejects Astrology to which he believes that some Angels having forgotten their Duty have persuaded Men to addict themselves Sect. 11. Tertullian in his second Book against Marcion says as to the original of Devils He has made the Angels that are Spirits now in as much as the Devil was made by God he is an Angel and belongs to his Maker but inasmuch as he has not been made by God viz. as a Devil or a Slanderer it follows that he has made himself so by forsaking God and withall deceiving himself That Language is somewhat obscure Origen speaks not better for in his first part upon St. John he seems to recite a Riddle concerning the Dragon as having been one of the first created by God in a Bodily shape and before Man He strains the Words of God to Job ch 40 v. 15. for he takes them as they are now read in the Greek Bibles as though there was this or that Dragon whereas the Hebrew Text has Behemoth that signifies a great Beast Translating the Verse thus This is the beginning of what God formed which he mad for a matter of laughter to his Angels Sect.
of the Ancient Christians they are explained more at large Chap. 15 Sect. 7 12 23 26. In the mean while I find not that they have asserted any thing contrary to the Opinion of the others Sect. 9. It is convenient to say also something of Purgatory the spring of a vast number of Apparitions and Witchcrafts 1 Whether the Jews Mahometans and ancient Christians speak clearly upon that subject or obscurely and doubtful yet they all agree in establishing a purging Fire or some such other Pain to be endured Such are the Pains which the Devils of Torments inflict upon the Jews at the time of Gilgul or the Revolution of Souls Chap. 12. Sect. 20. The Mahometans are not remote from that Opinion Ch. 14. S. 11. but the Christians Ch. 15. Sect. 27 28 34. or at least part of them have blown up that Fire from under the Ashes though the others whose number is far greater have not the least inclination to credit it 2. However those that are not altogether remote from them reject not wholly the Apparitions of the Souls separated from their Bodies nor their various Operations to which Justin and Irenaeus have traced out the way for them as we have seen Ch. 15. S. 7. Sect. 10. But neither the Jews nor the Mahometans carry Exorcisms and Conjurations to so great a height as the Christians in the mean while they all agree in this 1. That they are powerful upon the Spirits by the means of Names Words and Signs that they have so much virtue as to force them to answer to cast them out or to turn them off The Practices of the Jews Ch. 13. Sect. 6.11 Those of the Mahometans Ch. 14. Sect. 14 18. and the Declaration of the Christian Writers Ch. 16. Sect. 5.10 make it sufficiently evident that their Opinions are not much different as to this Point though the last bring not them into Practice 2. The Reader shall not find in my Quotations a very particular explication of Magick properly so call'd which as 't is supposed causes so many disturbances to Men upon Earth unless it be this that since on the one side the evils produced by those wicked Spirits are granted and on the other their obedience to Exorcists it is easie to infer that all the damage that Magicians cause by the help of the Devil must likewise be ascribed to them Sect. 11. When we compare all these things together we see the Heathens and Jews delivering their Opinions as from hand to hand to the Mahometans and Christians so that we easily perceive that both Jews and Christians have by degrees and insensibly received the Opinions of the Heathens by whom they were surrounded amongst whom they were mixed and from whom the Christians are descended And that the last have also borrowed much from the Jews who have delivered to them the Sacred Writings with most of their particular Interpretations that have been greedily swallow'd down and since increased to a great excess As to the Mahometans whose Law is a mixture of Heathen Jewish and Christian Doctrines and more composed of what is evil in them all than of what is good and therefore stored with more Errors than Truth It is not strange they should have so much agreement with those of the Nations we speak of We may observe hereafter how all these Opinions have insensibly been cherished and increased by Popery and have issued not only for the same Spring but also from another whence Mahomet has drawn something for the making up of his System But as I have ended the 11th Chapter of this Book with the Opinion of the Epicures I think it convenient to make a particular Chapter of those of the Manichees CHAP. XVIII That the Doctrines ascribed to the Manichees are a mixture of all the preceeding and the original of the Opinions most common at this day S. 1. IF it were absolutely requisite to know the Opinions of the ancient Hereticks at least of those that are call'd so we would be at the same Pains as those that endeavour to discover them For their own Books that were then condemned being lost 't is not reasonable blindly to believe whatever their Adversaries say of them whose Zeal for the Truth was often mixed with human Passions So that they may sometimes impute to their Antagonists Opinions that were not so bad as they gave out either misunderstanding or wresting them Perhaps St. Austin has increased the number of Heresies to a hundred for fear he should diminish that of seventy which Epiphanius had before established in his Preface and 57th Chapter of the Heresies For if Celsus could mark in the most remote Antiquity and from the first times that we have any knowledge of Books but 100 principal Doctors of Heathenism each of whom made not a particular Sect but only followed the footsteps of his Predecessors how can it be imagin'd that Christianity that has the Word of God for it's Rule should have been in much less time more divided than Paganism that was founded on such weak and uncertain Grounds Sect. 2. St. Austin it seems should be chiefly consulted as to the Doctrine of the Manichees since he himself had been infected with their poison and has particularly treated of that matter in his 46 Ch. of the Heresies however I shall do it with great caution by the Reasons just now alledged besides that these words of his Preface Ad quod vult Deum made him extreamly suspected for he says that in his little Book of Heresies he shows a way Vnde possit omnis haeresis quae nota est quae ignota vitari To avoid all Heresies whether known or unknown For how can one provide himself against what is unknown and consequently signifies nothing nay I may boldly say that what is unknown cannot be called Heresy since whatever deserves that name must be known or perhaps St. Austin's meaning must be understood in this sense that discovering the nature and Genius of such Heresies as are already known he has furnished us with light and weapons against those that are yet unknown but may become manifest hereafter However this being not the place to insist longer upon this Reasoning we shall return to our subject The same Father in his Book against the Manichees imputes to them some things Quantumlibet negent ad se pertinere Thô they deny them ever so much But as he treats not distinctly enough of all their Opinions especially those that belong to our design I shall rather follow Danaeus who has gathered the chief points of their belief as well out of the Book of St. Austin before quoted and the rest of his works as out of many other Authors from whom I shall only relate what may be subservient to our subject Sect. 3. As to God and the Spirits they are said First To have established two principles contrary to each other one of which was good and the Author and Original of all good and the
that it might be done but the Frost continuing my Book thus imperfect was publisht and came without my knowledge into the hands of many People in Friezeland It was therefore only seen by piece-meal and without coherency which gave occasion to some of the Readers and others that had heard of it publickly to pass heard judgments upon it even some intended as I am informed to make me explain my self more precisely had I not done it in the Book it self For at last when they read it intire and in order they all agreed I had given all the explications that could be wisht either as to the Reasons that had moved me to write it or as to to the scope I proposed to my self which appears in the Preface and in the first Chapter of the Book or as to the necessity and usefulness of its publishing which I have shown in the same Chapter and the last but one They were just the places that were wanting for which Reason I wrote to the Bookseller of Leeuwarden and forbad him to give out any Copy of this Book until the whole was compleat Besides during the Frost I had time to add two Chapters to the end of the Second Book and to enlarge the Preface in order to inform the Reader of my Opinions and the purity of my intentions which has not proved altogether fruitless for I have heard that most of those that have read the Preface and the work afterwards have been satisfied as they have told one another and my self whereas those that had taken upon them to criticise it had read but some loose parcels of it or had not read it at all or perhaps had not so much as vouchsafed to read it Things remained a while in that state every one enquiring after the Reason that hindered the publishing of my Book and how it happened that I had none my self since it had been sold in Friezeland for some time The Thaw came at last and many Persons arrived with News of the Edition of my Book but brought no Copies along with them save some privately and as stolen goods then every body wondered a Book should have been put out in these Provinces and it should not be found in Holland where the Author lived and not only my Brother Pastors should not have seen it but I should say I had none my self to present them with At last I received 26 Copies of it from Leeuwarden but had scarce one for my self my friends came and took them away themselves as they were sowed and most of those that ask'd for them could not get 'em unless they came just when they were sow'd up So greedy Men are of Novelties especially when they can hardly get ' em Nitimur in vetitum semper cupimusque negata So much we love and seek what is deny'd However it be the Book could not be exposed to Sale before the 11th day of March A long time after I had sent the last Sheets to Leeuwarden to Mr. Nauta Bookseller who had had the Book perfect in his hands for a long time A Bookseller ask'd 50 Copies from him and thought to receive them speedily but had none sent to him In the mean while I find my self much perplext I was desir'd during two Months by my best Friends to communicate this Work to them which they had never seen and had heard commended for this reason I wrote to Mr. Nauta I would take all the Copies upon me and pay them at such reasonable rates that he would be satisfied with it he need but to send them to me without delay with the first Vessel Then I thought to consult with my Friends whether I should sell the two First Books that had already appear'd imperfect in Friesland and elsewhere or whether I should keep them until the whole Work was finished The first seem'd to be the best Advice to avoid the suspicion that I durst not publish my Book or that I was forced to suppress it because of many things that were spread abroad to discredit it however the last counsel suited better with my inclinations I conceived that a Work that was at first but a smal Treatise thô it had since been much enlarged would be more favourably received and prove of greater use if it were given compleat at the same time to the publick that the design and cohering of it might be better seen its Doctrines be more easily comprehended and the happy effects it was able to produce be more plainly perceived which is chiefly done by the last Part. But as the causes before alledged had already once smother'd this design so they did it again this time for perceiving by the Letters of Mr. Nauta it was impossible to agree with him as to the price and that it was unlikely he should ever do it I was at last forced to give up the Book to him that I might with the Blessing of God pursue my design So having altogether broken with that Bookseller I have agreed some Months since with another of this City Mr. Daniel Vanden Dalen to put divers Presses going upon it and re-print the whole Work revised and corrected that I might incessantly publish all the four Parts one after another in the form in wnich the Reader now sees them For as to the 750 Copies which Mr. Nauta had printed of the two First Books and are most of them still upon his hands they being an inconsiderble number that could not go very far and the hasty Edition of the Book being as yet imperfect seem'd to give room to a new Edition that the Pulick might be more speedily satisfied I therefore here present the Reader with the First Book enlarged with a new Chapter that I thought necessary to add at the end I hope with the Blessing of God that the three others shall successively appear every Month and I persuade my self that the reading of the First Parts will excite some Curiosities for the later and that altogether may invite the Reader to a serious consideration upon the Contents and capacitate him to judge more soundly of this matter than he did while this Treatise appear'd but in part and confusedly This is what I had to say as to this Edition that was made in such an extraordinary manner and publish'd without my knowledge I come now to treat of my scope and what has obliged me to embrace the Opinions I assert in this Book In all my Studies I was always inclin'd not to rest upon probabilities but to search into the whole matter and to get a clear and distinct knowledge of what I should know Besides many strange things had happen'd to me in Friesland upon the first Writings I had publish'd and experience had assured me how little one ought to relye upon the Judgment of Men especially when what they are accustomed to teach is call'd in question For is it not wonderful that my Book upon the Catechism should have been unanimously condemn'd in Friesland
our Saviour Jesus are very much lessened that the vanity of Man is maintained and increased and that the comfort of the humble is cut off or at least suffers a great diminution That is whatever is contained in my second Book An Abridgment of the Third Book After having thus simply treated of what concerns Spirits and particularly the Devil according to the knowledge that sound Reason can furnish us with according to that which may be drawn from the word of God where Reason ceases I pass still following the order and division established in my first Book to those Men who according to the common sentiment have communication with Spirits especially with the Devil The same order to which I have kept in my second Book is also observed in this for in the eight first Chapters I make an exact scrutiny of all which may contribute to clear the subject I treat of and afterwards in the seven last I shew what light the inquiry has afforded me and how far one can rely upon what I have discovered I propose at first the true state of the question shewing that the query is not Whether Magick is possible for I grant it but whether there is a Magick which by the virtue of agreement made between Men and the Devil may discover hidden things predict those that are to come and produce effects above the force of nature This is discust in the first Chapter Following the distinction that I have already heretofore many times set down I make in the first and second Chapters the search required and that first by the light of Reason which I divide it into two parts in the first I examine whether it be possible to conceive that Men have any commerce with Spirits that the one and the other may rely upon mutual help or that they may act one upon another In the second part I examine whether there is Reason to believe that there may be express compacts between them that they may mutually contract and reciprocally perform the conditions of their Covenants I expresly deny the first of these founded upon the Reasons alledged Book 2. Chap. 2. and I unfold a little more precisely in the 2 Chapter of this what is contained in the first which I defend against the arguments of Glanvil an English Author I bestow the third Chapter upon confuting those compacts of the Magicians with the Devil as ridiculous and altogether incredible and I answer at the same time several objections and shifts of Glanvil convincing him by his own Reasons that are sufficient for that purpose I pass afterwards to the Scripture as to an upper School from the 4th Chapter to the 7th I undertake it over from the beginning to the end to find out with the utmost exactness what it discovers to us upon this point and upon all it's dependencies either by it's expressions or by the examples it affords us Than I begin to establish what we may believe of it according to Scripture As an Introduction to this examination I relate all the names it gives to that sort of People to their trade and art and I compare the difference to be found between the translations of our own Interpreters as well as between the translation of others This examination is but general but afterwards I come to particulars whether the Scripture speaks of that sort of People of their trade and arts so as it is ordinarily supposed This I do from the fifth Chapter to the 12th but finding it expresses not it self as they give out I examine what sort of People they can be and what the Scripture really says of them from the 13 Chap. to the 17th I discuss the first of these as well by Scripture as Reason and proceed by degrees searching first whether these of whom the Scripture speaks have a particular communication with the Devil whether they make their predictions and enchantments by his undertaking or by his power and at last whether they have between them covenants for that purpose The passages of Scripture which I examine upon this subject are of three sorts some contain Histories of that kind of People and of their Witchcrafts which I show in the 5th 6th and 7th Chapters viz. In the 5th all the enchantments of the Egyptians in the 6th those of Bilsa those of the Priests of the Philistins and of the Witch of Endor and many others by whom the idolatrous Kings of Israel fell into great Sins especially when they came to the Court of Babylon and in the 7th Chapter the enchantment of Simon and Elimas who are called enchantors those of the maid servant which was in the Town of Philippi who had a Spirit of Pithon and those of the seven Brothers Exorcists Afterwards I come to the examination of the names of words of actions and circumstances as well by themselves as comparing the Dutch translations of the Scripture with those which have been made in divers Languages by different Translators and by comparing with the texts the explications which are given by so many different interpreters All the passages where those things are contained being examined very attentively give cause to conclude that the Magicians or Enchanters have been very mischeivous People whose Doctrine and morals were very much corrupted but they do not furnish any probable argument to assert that these People had a particular communication with the Devil The second Order of the passages of the Holy Writ upon this subject consists of those that contain the express Laws which condemn that sort of People and forbid them the exercise of their Function which I examine in the 8th and 9th Chapters But I find no other Reasons for those Prohibitions and the punishments inflicted upon them but their Idolatry and Cheats both of which are Criminal and not becoming the People of God The third Order consists in those Reasonings and Proverbial Expressions dispersed through the whole Scripture that have relation to those things either to the Persons themselves or to their ways I examine therefore whether nothing can be understood in those places whence some consequence may be drawn to illustrate the subject in hand But having bestowed the whole tenth Chapter upon it I find nothing more than before Now as in the third Chapter I have examined by the light of Reason whether there is cause to believe the possibility of the communication of Men with the Devil by express Covenants I do here the same by that of the Holy Writ For in the two following Chapters I run it over again and insisting upon all the passages where the least mention is made of Alliances or Compacts that are not made with God but against Him sinfully and with an evil design I find not so much as one that speaks of those Agreements made with the Devil or any thing like it Upon this I bestow the 11th Chapter In the 12th I run over again the whole Scripture from the beginning to the end From the
Covenant of God with Abraham to our Saviour and examining whether from whatever has been said upon that subject there is any occasion to infer that the Devil may likewise on his part make his detestable Compacts I demonstrate that the Opinion which supposes such Contracts between the Devil and Men by vertue of which they are said to have perform'd all their Witchcrafts can by no means consist with what is contained in the Doctrine of the Holy Scripture nor with the Dispensation of God's Covenant as well before the Law as under the Law and much less under the Gospel Thus I plainly shew that the vulgar Opinion of Magick and of its Dependencies by no means proceed from the Sacred Writings but on the contrary is altogether opposed to it Afterwards we must consider what the Scripture says concerning those that practise that Art and what Testimony it gives of their Actions This I do two ways in the five following Chapters The first by offering in the 13th and 14th the lively Picture which the Holy Writ gives of those Men in several places and the second by showing what Opinion must be had of them according to the Character given them But expounding to the Reader the force of those things I make yet this distinction That I first offer the Persons to his view that he may know what might be expected from them what their aim may be why they were interrogated and on what the great Men and the vulgar bestow their time Afterwards in the 14th Chapter I consider them in themselves with their Arts and Crafts showing the Reasons that moved the People especially the Kings even those of Israel to be infatuated by them Afterwards 't is required to know what Judgment must be made of them according to the Holy Writ which I show in the three following Chapters In the 15th I assert that in whatever they did they shewed neither real Power nor Virtue that they knew nothing of what they ventur'd to foretel or to discover as very much concealed and that in reality they effected nothing of what they boasted of or of what they undertook to effect but that they applied themselves to deceive by outward semblances wherein consisted the chief part of their Art In the mean while as the Holy Scripture â—â—ms by its Expressions in some places to ascribe a great vertue to Conjurations and Enchantments I examine in the 16th Chapter what is the Sense of those places and I conclude that after an attentive Meditation it will not be found that it says upon that subject what it appears at first to say All these things being thus enquired into it remains to show wherein properly consists all the Evil why those Men with their Arts especially the Israelites that had a hand in their Crafts are so defamed in the Bible why since that time they have been in as great hatred amongst Christians who have mortally detested them and punished them with the utmost rigour And lastly for what Reason the Laws have been so severe against them and prohited all their Arts as well under the Old Testament as under the New This is the Enquiry of the 17th Chapter I have hitherto spoken only of those who pretend to a Converse with the Devil and to be in a Covenant with him I add in this place a Chapter which is the 18th where I mention those to whom he is an Enemy whose Mind is supposed to be troubled or their Body to be tormented by him those are the possest as they are ordinarily call'd but I enlarge not much upon that subject having already fully clear'd it in my second Book from the 26th Chapter to the 30th where it came to pass Having thus ended the first part of my third Book I show what Judgment must be made of all those things which I consider in two Respects First I establish from the 19th to the 20th Chapter what may rationally be thought of it and in the last Chapter I show what is the Duty of a Christian and how he ought to behave himself in such occasions A double judgment may be formed upon this subject First concluding that the Vulgar Opinion is altogether groundless and condemnable as appears by the 19th 20th and 22th Chapters Secondly By establishing what must be held of it Concerning that first and common Opinion As in the Writings made against my second Book some expressions of our Liturgy have been objected I show in the 19th Chapter how weak are the Grounds upon which are founded the principal Doctors whose Doctrines are in short in Voetius and that the Proofs they alledge are not taken from the Sense of the Holy Writ well examined and searcht into but only from the external sound of Words if I may so speak upon which we are wont to insist as well as upon the Idea's that first offer themselves to us when we consider them but superficially To which I add that Liturgies must be understood in the Sense of the Scripture from whence they are drawn and to which they relate in all those places where 't is spoken of the Temptations and Seductions of the Devil Spiritual Combats Witchcraft Predictions Enchantments and even in all others where the agreeableness of Style and the Series of Idea's has caused something to be added that seems to have a relation to it But moreover in the 20th Chapter I demonstrate that the Errors spread amongst the vulgar concerning the Works of the Devil and his Adherents are absolutely opposite to the same Liturgies even so far that amongst the Doctors of the Reformed Church none but those that are of my Opinion can pretend to conform in this point to what they subscribed when they took Orders which I understand only as to the Doctrine and Truth I show again in the 21th Chapter that this Opinion makes very bold attempts upon Piety that it diminishes the veneration due to God that it extreamly weakens Faith and Charity and that it exposes Christianity to the attacks of the Unfaithful and that it causes great distractions and prophanations in our Prayers Lastly I proceed further and to come to a conclusion I discover in the 22th Chapter what must be believed of all these things and in the 23th I declare what must be done But as in the 32th Chapter of the 2d Book I have treated of apparitions in general I speak here of presages and predictions in particular examining what is possible or not as to these things and to what causes they must be ascribed These causes according to the Proofs I have related in this place are natural but the Devil meddles not with them I propose my thoughts in the same manner upon the Conjuring up of Ghosts the divinations of the pretended Magicians and all sorts of apparitions and possessions which are said to be caused by their malice by Virtue of the compacts they have contracted with the Devil and lastly I show what sort of Magick is practicable in
more largely explains in the forementioned place Equity says he Eternally attends him which is the Avenger of those that forsake the Law of God but happy is he who sticks to it and follows it constantly Sect. 4. But how advantageously soever they may speak of the supream Deity it nevertheless appears that they do not ascribe to him Independency nor the immediate direction of all things since they divided the Government of the World betwixt several Gods to each of whom they assigned his particular share 'T is very probable that the Caldees and Persians observing how Human affairs were often here below obnoxious to considerable changes which proceeded from Heaven took occasion from thence to contrive two supream Deities proceeding from that First being one of whom they called Oromasdes and gave him the direction of Heaven to the other named Arimanius they ascribed that of the Earth The Romans afterwards gave them the Greek names viz. to the former that of Jupiter and to the latter that of Pluto whom they at First look't upon as the God of the Earth And because all the wise held for a certain Truth that the Heavens surpass the Earth in perfection they placed the supream Deity in Heaven and the other Gods under it each according to his Dignity And as they conceived that the Soveraign God could never cease from being good so Jupiter who had the Empire of the Heavens was in great credit amongst them but Pluto the God of Hell obtain'd but an ill name Sect. 5. It is here methinks the proper place to distinguish the Doctrines of the Pagans into such as had either Religion or Nature for their object In the latter they enquired after the First and Second Causes of all things of their Motion and Changes without any reference to Religion Thus came upon the Stage Plato with his Idea's and Aristotle with his Intelligencies Plato called Idea's the principles that flow from the Divine Nature that subsists with him and by which all things subsist each of them being as an Engraven Image of him from whom they all proceed so that they all partake of the Nature of their Original and are such as the principal from whence they flow When I confer the sentiment of Pythagoras contained in the words of Socrates related in the Parmenis with what Plutarch sayes in his First Book Chap. the 10th of the Opinions of Philosophers and Laertius in the Life of the same Pythagoras as also Cicero in the First Book of the Tusculan Questions Fifty Eight wherein he explains the meaning of that Philosopher it seems to me that nothing can be better nor more plainly expressed concerning this subject As for Aristotle his Opinion was that there are substances distinct and separate from matter who put the Heavens into Motions supposing Heaven it self 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Body in a continual and restless motion that the Stars are of an Eternal Nature and that whâ—t moveth must be more durable and precede that which is moved Thence he inferr'd that there are as many permanent and immoveable substances This is what he teaches in his Metaphysicks Book the 14th cap. 18. And what is called by his Latin Interpreters Intelligencies Sect. 6. But when they proceed to Religion there arise still among them more considerable differencies which may be plainly perceived in the Book of Plutarch Entituled The Opinions of Philosophers and elsewhere in the same Author as also in the Book which Apuleius a Platonist more Ancient than Plutarch has written of the Life of Socrates The sum of what he says comes to this that the Deitie is divided into Four as into some Degrees that descend from high to low and that the three last Degrees are again subdivided into several others which they call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gods Demons and Heroes Plato sayes Apuleius has divided the whole Nature into three with relation to Spirits in particular believing that there are Gods Superior Middle and Inferior Of which Three sorts of Gods it is convenient to say somthing Sect. 7. As to the Superior or Celestial Gods he sayes that their habitation is in Heaven that they are Immaterial and Eternal of their own Nature but that there are some which are in some sort visible in the Stars though others cannot be perceived by corporal Eyes but only by those of the Understanding After he has distinguished those Deities into Sexes like Mankind that is into Gods and Goddesses he mentions these 12 viz. Jupiter Apollo Vulcan Mars Neptune Mercury who are Six Gods Juno Diana Venus Ceres Vesta Minerva who are as many Goddesses The dignity of these Celestial Gods notwithstanding the liberty which the Poets often took to contrive other Accounts of them 't was esteem'd too high that it should allow them to descend and converse with Men though they govern'd their affairs each in his Jurisdiction But the same Plato believes the Stars are but improperly called Gods and only in reference to the Divine and Immutable conduct that is observable in them The names of the fixed Stars which are reckon'd amongst the visible Gods are contain'd in this Verse Arcturum pluviasque Hyadas geminosque Triones But leaving those Gods to Plato of whose making they were the Stars which are called by Ignorance Planets or erring Stars were also accounted amongst the Gods the Sun was called Apollo and the Moon Diana to which these Five were joyned Saturn Jupiter Mars Venus called also the Morning and Evening Star and Mercury though they appear but ordinary Stars Another source of the Pagan Errors in their Divinity is the Conformity betwixt the name of some Stars and those of their invisible Gods they believed that there were Deities in the Stars who acted by them or that the Stars were Gods who having life in themselves communicated it to other Creatures as it was believed by Alomen whose Opinion is related in Clemens Alexandrinus Sect. 8. We may still perceive some Remains of that Opinion in the names of the Days of the Week in the English French and Dutch Tongues as well as in Latin for they still name by one of the Seven Planets that Day on which they believe them to have a particular Influence As Lunae Dies Lundi Munday Maanday Martis Dies Mardi Duigsday an Abbreviation of Dyssenday which is still in use in Zealand and Brabant Mercury Dies Mecred Wednesday Woonsdag from Wodensday the Day of Woden the name of Mercury amongst the Ancient Germans and Dutch because he was the God of Merchants and the Messenger of the Gods Jovis Dies Jeudi Thursday Donderdag because Jupiter was esteem'd the God of Thunder Veneris Dies Vandredi Friday Vrydag from Freda the Ancient name of Venus in the Dutch and Saxon Tongue whence it comes that the Frisons called that Day Freed and whence undoubtedly comes the Dutch word Vryen to Court a Woman Saturni Dies Samedi Saturday Saterdag Solis Dies Sunday Sondag but in the
French Tongue it has lost it's Ancient name in remembrance of the Resurrection of our Lord and is called Dimanche from Dies Dominica Sect. 9. Let us proceed from the Gods to the Demons or Spirits of a meaner Order Thales of Milet taught if we believe Plutarch 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that the World is full of Spirits namely the Air which they inhabit and the Earth in which they converse amongst Men the Greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 comes from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I know as signifying one that is very Learned because they believed that those Demons knew whatever is important to Men either for their Happiness or Misery and that they were as the Mediators of Men towards the Gods And 't is observable that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 likewise signifies to Mediate so that the Demons import so much as Mediators And therefore they have also been called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Mediators and Directors of Men and have been placed according to the Opinions of the Heathens betwixt the Heavens and the Earth viz. in the Air and consequently betwixt the Gods and Men. Sect. 10. Though the Opinions were divided as to their Nature yet they agreed in these principal points that they were Spirits that they were Mortal and however that they were no Gods as Plato writes in his Timoeus which explaining more at large in his Convivium he says that the Demons have a Nature which is the Mene betwixt God and Men 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But what virtue have they That of explaining and declaring to Men what things belong to the Gods which are their Commands and how Sacrifices must be performed As also that of offering to the Gods what comes from Men viz. their Prayers and Sacrifices so that they being in the middle comprehend the Nature of both as binding and uniting the whole together Sect. 12. As to their Administration Plato explains it thus From them come to us Predictions Auguries the worship of Sacrifices Conjurations Orations and the whole Art of Magick The Deitie meddles not with Men but those Spirits are the Directors of all the communication and converse of the Gods with us either wakeing or sleeping The Demons therefore being by their Nature Mediators betwixt the Gods and Men and being besides Spirits and almost Gods could not be better called then Spirits of a middle Order in relation to their Nature or Mediating Gods in reference to their Functions in how great consideration those Spirits were and what was the Sentiment of the Antients concerning them may be learned from St. Chrysostome Tom. 6. Less 66. Entituled Against those that say that the Demons direct the Affairs of Men. Sect. 12. But what will be most useful to observe was that there were Demons of a Superiour and others of an Inferior Order and that some were esteemed Good and others Wicked 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Good and favourable whereas the other were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Evil Spirits or by a more particular explication of their Qualities 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Wicked dangerous Enemies Cruel However these Demons either good or bad were not believed of all Nations to be of the same Dignity There were some amongst whom 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 imported as much as Deity and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Divine even in Plato the Soveraign God is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the greatest Demon. However the general use was to distinguish the Gods from the Demons as has been already observed and as Aeschines expresses it in his Clesias O Earth Gods Demons and Men whoever ye be that desire to know the Truth and therefore Plato in the place already quoted may rightly say 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that those learned and middle Spirits are in great numbers and several kinds But 't is not necessary to speak more of it for perhaps it would only induce us into several errors there is so much uncertainty in Plato and others that have written upon it they are so much opposed against one another and even to themselves Sect. 13. As to the Heroes they were extraordinary Men and so far above the vulgar that every where especially amongst the Romans they used to consecrate and deifie them after their Death which was called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Canonization Herodian in his Fourth Book Chap 2. makes a particular Description of that Ceremony with all the Circumstances of it on occasion of the Death of the Emperor Severus Besides we generally find in the writing of the Ancients that they paraell'd them with the Demons Plutarch relates in his Opinions of the Philosophers Chap. 8. Book First That Thales Plato and the Stoicks believ'd that the Demons were Spiritual substances and that the Heroes were Souls separated from the Body which were good or bad as Men had been Virtuous or Vitious this was especially the Doctrine of Pythagoras who in all things that relate to Religion has had more Disciples then any of the Ancient Heathens and is yet the most followed by those that are not Christians He teaches that those Demons and Heroes brought in Dreams Diseases and Cure to Men and even to Cattle and labouring Beasts according to the Testimony of Diogenes Laertius confirm'd by Plato and not contradicted by Aristotle Sect 14. Apuleius in the Book formerly quoted more particularly demonstrates that the powers which put the natural passions of Men into motion which govern them and Lord it over them as also the Souls separated from the Body are called Gods and Demons or Spirits that the Soul born with the Body dies not however with it and that she bears the name of Genius when they are separated from each other This meaning cannot methinks be better express'd than by naming those Souls Associated Spirits or Spirits peculiar to one subject since every Man has one within himself The others that is those that are separated from the Body or the Souls of the Deceased are commonly called Manes as though remaining because they remain of â—â—â—â—â—st after the Body for Which reason I shall name them Surviving Spirits However as to the Latin word it seems rather to be derived from Manis an Ancient obsolete Term which signifies fine and good as immanis imports as much as Vgly and Cruel because the Manes were ordinarily taken for Benevolent Spirits Sect. 15. Some of this last sort remained in the House of the deceased to watch over his Successors and were called Lares or Domestick Gods but the others err'd at random and as Exiles according as they had deserved by their wicked Life They could cause but vain Fears to virtuous Persons but to the vitious a just Terrour and all sorts of Pains They were called Lares Night Phantasms and Spectra Diogenes writes that most of those things were taught in the School of Plato as it still appears by his Book Entituled Phoedo They had also the name of Lemures which is supposed to come from Remures and this from Remus Brother to
to the enquiry after Natural things but at the same time they show that they were not very certain of what they said nor of What they believed CHAP. IV. That those Opinions are the Source and Basis of the Art of Divination THE Opinions of the Heathens concerning Spirits being thus explained in short will give us an easie understanding of whatever is read in their Books concerning their Customs and Practises upon this Subject and the Arts that arose from them These Arts were directed to two ends to which Man is always inclined of himself that is to know much and to do much Divination was used to acquire an unlimited Knowledge and Magick to produce wonderful effects Our present design necessarily requires to speak clearly and distinctly of both Sect. 2. As to the First we find in the Authors and in several others that every one was eager to obtain the favour of the Gods whether great or little and that they earnestly sought to please the good Spirits and to turn off the evil To this end they built Temples establish'd Forms of Prayer consecrated Priests offer'd Sacrifices instituted Festivals and Games of all sorts Besides that they used several means to discover the designs and inclinations of the Gods together with the happiness and misfortune of Men to which they supposed to attain either by the Knowledge they might receive from the help of the Demons the communication of the Penates of the Remures by the means of Oracles Conjurations and Witchcraft or by the observation of the influence of the Stars the motions of the Air the dreams of sleeping Persons by conjuring up Ghosts by inchantments for which they made use of Carcasses by Prognosticks drawn from the days of the year the hours of the day or the meeting of Men and Beasts Whatever was practised as to this point amongst the Romans was called Divination that properly signifies an exercise of things concerning God of which Cicero has written a particular Book Polydore Virgil in his first Book Chap. 24. relates in what consisted all those Arts. Wherefore I shall extract out of that Author and several others what is necessary for the understanding of this matter Sect. 3. There were two sorts of Divinations Anciently in use amongst the Greeks and the Romans the one was rightly called Natural but the other Artificial they held for a Natural Divination what ever a particular free and voluntary Action of the Mind of Man without the help of Reason or any Conjecture or Prognostick portended as future as it often happens in a Dream and even without Sleeping in the Fits of a raving Fever thence the Goddesses called Furies had their Name and 't was believ'd that some Priests and even the Sybil Erythrea had begun to utter their Oracles in such Paroxysins Jupiter Hammon and Apollo of Delphos gave their Answers in such a way and by such sort of People of which their Priests themselves boasted And as those Persons were esteem'd sincere and to act in the course of Nature the vulgar ascribed to their affected furor what a long Observation and a frequent experience caused them to discover or to foretell upon concealed or future things The chief and most famous of those divining Arts were Astrology the Art of Haruspices or foreteling by the inspection of the Bowels of sanctified Beasts besides Auguries and casting of Lots Sect. 4. Astrology was called by the Greeks a Conjecture drawn from the Stars so that Astrologers may be named Divines by the Stars the communication of the Gods with the Stars of which mention has been made before the operations of those Celestial Bodies and the influences upon the inferior part of the World and upon Men and even upon one another gave occasion to believe that from thence may be drawn conjectures useful for Mankind but I shall not inlarge upon this point further because I treat of it as far as 't is necessary in my Examination of Councils Chap. 8. where is to be seen what rank is to be given to those that are called Genethliaci or Planetarii which we usually call Fortune-tellers who by the inspection of the Stars especially of the Planets in the instant that a person was born foretell what inclinations what fortune he shall have and of what sort of death he shall dye which Art is not yet abolish'd in the World but because there will be occasion to speak of it afterwards I shall present the Reader only with a short account of the three others Sect. 5. Donatus derives the Word Haruspices and Haruspicina from Haruga a Sacrifice and Exta Entrailes it being the Art of foretelling future things by the inspection of the Entrails of Beasts that were sacrificed to the false Gods as thô those Gods had imprinted some signs on the Bowels of the Victims that were offer'd to them To this sort belong the Case recited by Apian in his second Book of the Wars of Alexandria and by Cicero namely that no Heart was found in an Ox which Julius Caesar sacrificed the first day that he sate on the Golden Seat wherefore the Diviners told him that such a sitting could not prove happy to him Sect. 6. To those Arts M. Tullius adds two others viz. that of Prodigies and that of Lightning Prodigies Ostenta comes from Ostendendo to shew to signifie because when something extraordinay in Nature offer'd it self to the sight they drew presages from it as it was done if we believe Herodotus in his 7th Book when a Mare was big with a Hare at the time of the invasion of Greece by Xerxes for from thence the Divines conjectured that his powerful Army should flye before the Grecians as a Hare before the Hunter Such accidents were also called Portenta Monstra Prodigia Signs and Monsters Such also were Thunders and Lightnings Fulmina and Fulgura as Virgil says De caelo tactas memini praedicere quercus The thunder'd Oaks foretold me that event Auspicium Auspice and Augurium Augury the former so call'd from viewing the flight of the Birds and the latter from observing their Song and Cry made the whole imployment of those that were called Auspices and Augures they were very famous amongst the Antient for at Rome that sort of Divination was preferr'd before all the others and the College of Augures was extreamly reverenced No Affair of importance was undertaken without consulting them to know whether it should succeed or not That so much exalted Art observed the Birds three ways in their Flight in their Singing and their Eating As to their Flight they made their observations upon the Praepetes that is on swift flying Birds as to the Singing they drew their conjectures from Oscines or Singing Birds and as to Eating they observed the young Chickens Amongst the 4th sort is ranked the case of the Emperor Augustus from whose hands an Eagle took a piece of Bread whilst he was yet a Child carried it into the Air whence softly coming down she let
of the first operating by the last and that they hold the Celestial Bodies for Gods because they act upon the sublunary which are of a particular and necessary use to Mankind Thus the Heathens endeavour each according to his fancy to acknowledge a Deity in Heaven and to adore it upon Earth Sect. 8. The immortality of the Soul the punishment of the wickâ—d and the rewards of pious Men after this Life are generally believed in Peru but not the Resurrection of the dead says Montanus pag. 307. However 't is strange that a People who have such a gross Religion and such material Gods should nevertheless believe that the Soul subsists tho' they hear nothing of it after the death of the Body and that they could not imagine that the Body which subsists still for some time before their Eyes though without Life can return to its first State as Trees Herbs and Plants which dye and revive Sect. 9. The Statues of their Gods that are of many strange Figures and some very frightful are used to utter Oracles in their Pagodes Some says Montanus give their Answers as formerly did the Diabolical Oracles of Delphos and Dodona he calls them Diabolical following the common Opinion that the Oracles of the Heathens were not pronounced by God but by the Devil But it may be seen in the Book of Anthony Vandale of Oracles how little ground that Opinion has and we shall also treat of it in its proper place Sect. 10. As to their practices no people is so much esteemed in Peru as those we call Exorcistâ— Magicians and Diviners because they discover private Robberies even such as are committed in very remote Countreys and foretell good or bad fortune which happâ—â—s saith Montanus by their converse with wicked Spirits in dark places They declared to the Spaniards the victories their Country-men obtained or the Battles they lost in the Low Countries the very same day that they were fought There are also in Peru many She Diviners who shut themselves in their Houses where they make themselves drunk with Chica mixed with the Herb Vilca till they fall down on the place and when they awake and come to themselves again they answer all the Questions that are proposed to them Sect. 11. The Cannibals who take the Name of Caraibes and dwell to the North of Southern America acknowledge the Sun for their Soveraign God but in the mean while each Bâ—ie or Priest has his own which he calls out to himself in the most frightful Nights by Songs or inchanted Verses in the midst of the smoak of Tobacco The Devil says Montanus but I would rather say the Spirit utters his Oracles by the means of dead bones wrap'd up in Cotton Those Heathens have at all times but especially in case of death much to endure from the Piais or Magicians but methinks Montanus had express'd himself better had he said Priests rather then Magicians One of the greatest disturbances they cause is that when they are consulted they persuade People that such or such has caused them to interrogate such a deceased which incites the nearest Relations of the deceased to avenge themselves of those that have disturbed his Rest by that action Sect. 12. Montanus adds to this also The Caraibes follow a most strange Opinion concerning the Soul every one believes to have as many Souls as beatings of the heart The chief of which is still the Heart it self which after the death goes to Icheiri or the God that is particular to him where he lives in the same condition that he has done upon Earth for which reason they kill the Servants upon the Tomb of their Masters to go and Minister to them in the other World The other Souls that consist in Beatings of the Heart have two sorts of abode The Maboias wander in Deserts and Woods and the Ormiceous keep along the Sea and overturn Vessels The Souls of warlike Heroes go into the fortunate Islands where the Arouages are their Slaves Bloâ—dy Cruel Mâ—n go out of this life eternally to wander in dry Wildernesses behind high Mountains to carry the Yoak of the Arouages a People that was expell'd out of its ancient abode if we believe the account that is given of their Destruction From all this it appears that this Nation acknowledges almost no other God but their own Souls of which they have very near the same Sentiments that the ancient Greeks had of their Demons and Heroes Sect. 13. Richard Blome an English Author has published of late in his America a large account of the Opinions and Practices of the Carabes where he speaks of the Isle of St Vincent They have says he some Natural Notion of a Deity or Supream Being but who is too much pleased with the enjoyment of the Soveraign Happiness to disturb himself with the Wicked Actions of Men and whose Goodness is so great that he is averse from avenging himself of his Enemies when they refuse to pay the Honour due to him They likewise believe that there are good and bad Spirits and that the Good are Gods each of whom has his particular Admistration but that the Vniverse was not created by them tho' every one of them may be the Creator of the Country where he is venerated and which he governs Sect. 14. They never call upon their Gods but to let them come to them which is done by the Ministry of the Priests and for the 4 following reasons First to be aveng'd for some injury received Secondly to be cured of their Diseases Thirdly to learn the success of the War Fourthly to expel the great Devil or rather the wicked God Mapoia whom they never adore Thence may be inferr'd that they believe good and bad Spirits besides they acknowledge the immortality of the Soul which Opinion is the Original of Demons and Heroes since as they suppose they are the Souls of the Deceased which they call to their assistance against their Enemies Sect. 15. The Description of their Witchcraft is to be found in the same place after this manner When their Priests call upon many of their Gods together they seem to dispute and quarrel with one another so far as to come to blows somtimes they hide themselves amongst Dead bones which they draw out of Graves and wrap up in Cotton whence they utter their Oracles They use that Witchcraft to bewitch their Enemies for which purpose the Witches must have somthing that has belong'd to the party to be bewitched the Spirit seizes sometimes upon the body of those Women whence they give formal answers to whatever is proposed to them They serve up Meat to those Spirits in places separated from the Commerce that is kept with them The Boy or Priest that has brought it being gone out they hear the Dish move and the Devil according to Blome or the God according to that People moves the Jaws and makes a great noise as if he chewed the Meat that has been served to him
notice of it and there are yet higher than they are Not that they are placed one above the other as it is done amongst Men but as we ordinarily say of two wise persons that one is wiser than the other and that the Cause is more excellent than the Effect So that he pretends that God himself has produced those of the first Dignity who have brought for h those of the second and these those of the third and so forth Sect. 8. Jewish Authors ordinarily establish ten Degrees or Orders who are distinguished by their Names in the same Maimonides and in the Book Midrasch Bereshjit descending from the highest degree to the lowest 1. Chayos Hakkodesch 2. Ofanim 3 Oralim 4. Chasmalim 5. Seraphim 6. Malachim or Angels 7. Elohim 8. Bene Elohim 9. Cherubim 10. Yschim The signification of most of the Names is very uncertain and far fetcht However I shall translate them as briefly as I can and as I can best guess by the explications they have given of them 1. Living Holily 2. Quick 3. Powerful in strength 4. Flames of Fire 5. Gâ—owing Sparks 6. Messengers 7. Gods 8. Sons of God 9. Images of the Temple 10. Men. 'T is believed that the first are so called because they are originally Holy in a more excellent manner than Men and that by their influence they are the cause of the life of all the Creatures inferior to them which God has created by their Ministry The name of Men may have been given to the last because 't is supposed that they use sometimes to appear by the order of God in a human shape They only also saith Maimonides were those who spoke by the Prophets and are in the nearst degree to the human Knowledge Sect. 9. That 's the difference which is amongst them I shall yet set down in the words of the same Author how those ten Orders are distinguished from God and Men. All those living Beings says he know the Creator in an excellent degree of knowledge each in reference to his Order and not in relation to his Excellency For which reason the first Degree cannot conceive the Creator such as he is in himself because their Vnderstanding is too short to attain unto him However they approach nearer to him than the Beings of an inferior Order and each of these Orders unto the 10th knows the Creator more perfectly than Men who are composed of Matter and Form Sect. 10. The Cabbalists who have traced out the way to the Magick of the Jews are not contented with these Ten Orders but divide all the Creatures into four Circles The 1st is the Circle of the exhalations Avilos called otherwise Zephiros Lights so much exalted in all ages by the Jewish Doctors who will not have them called either Creatures or Essences of the Creator but perfections distinct from him as Manasse Ben-Israel explains it more particularly putting them into parallel with the Ideas of Platâ— and esteeming them to be the Principles of all things He counts 10 of this Order the Crown the Science Prudence Majesty Valour Beauty Victory Glory Foundation and Kingdom They name the second Circle that of the Creation in which are the Angels separated and distinct from all Corporality and divided into 10 Orders the names of which are set down Sect. 8. They place in the third Circle Jetzira that is the forms amongst which they reckon such Angels as have any communication with Bodies The 4th Circle contains all the other Creatures named Alchiia or compounded Beings Sect. 11. If I would relate more at large whatever the Jews have written of the Angels and the Opinion of each of their particular Doctors there would not be much agreement betwixt what I shoul say and what has already been said they differ so much from one another However here follow the Thoughts of some of their Ring-leaders They speak of three sorts of Angels the first is altogether free from Matter and there are four Troops of that sort which have each their Captain that stands at one of the corners of the Throne of God Michael is on the Right Gabriel on the Left Vriel before and Raphael behind This we learn from Rabbi Eliezer in his 4th Chapter Those Names have a very pregnant Sense Michael that is unless it be God Gabriel God is my Strength Vriel God is my Light Raphael God is my Physitian They never appear'd to the Eyes of Man nor in a human shape unless in a Vision and to the Prophets only The good Angels whom God employs in the Administration of the World are in the second Rank They have often appeared to the Prophets in an human shape they dwell above the Coelestial Orbs and are called the Army of Heaven But the Devils or Schediim that are the wicked Angels or as they use to speak Kacodaimones the Bad Demons of whom mention has been made Chap. 2. Sect. 12. have their abode under the Moon and are the Executioners of God's Wrath and Judgments But as to this last sort we must more particularly enquire after the Belief of the Jews Sect. 12. They call the Devils Angels of Destruction or Death Satanim Satans or Adversaries Philo that was Contemporary with the Apostles will best teach us what they think of it Thus he writes in his Book of the Giants Moses used to call Angels what the other Philosophers name Genii Here he takes the â—â—rd Genii in too large a Sense or he confines that of Angels to too strict a Signification according to that which has been observed before Chap. 2. S. 13 14. They are pursues that Author the Souls that fly into the Air which none ought to account a Fable and therefore it gives a more particular explication of it As we ordinarily say that there are good and bad Spirits and good and bad Souls it is the same with the Angels Some of them are called good and are Messengers that go to and fro from God to Men and from Men to God who are unreproachable and constant in their excellent Ministry but on the contrary there are others that are Prophane and Execrable and may well be call'd Damnable without fear of Lying Sect. 13. The Jews report very differently the originâ—l of Spirits Manasse Ben Israel asserts That they were produced by God himself on the second day of the Creation Prob. 23. Rabbi Eliezer relates their fall in these words Chap. 13. The Administring Angels say to God eternally Blessed O Lord God of the Vniverse What is Man that thou should'st put such value upon him What is he besides Vanity For he can but somewhat reason upon Terrestrial Things God answer'd do you pretend that I only desire to be Exalted and Glorified by you here above I am the same there below that I am here Who is it amongst you that can call all the Creatures by their Names There was not one amongst them that could do it Whereupon Adam rose and named all the Creatures by their
Names which the Administring Angels seeing said among themselves Let us consult together how we shall do to make Adam Sin against his Creator otherwise he is like to become our Master Sammael who was a great Prince in Heaven she has been before mentioned Ch. 12. S. 8. was present at this Council with the Saints of the first Order and the Seraphins of six Troops Sammael chose some of the twelve Orders to accoâ—â—â—â—ny him and came down below to visit all the Creatures whom God eternally Blessed had created He found none so cunning and so proper to deceive as the Serpent The Author comes afterwards to the Seduction and Fall of Man upon which he tells as many Stories as he has already done So was the Seduction of Man the cause of the fall of the Devil Afterwards he relates how God punished Adam Eve and the Serpent and imposed on each of them his proper Pain He call'd them all three before him charged by his Sentence Adam with nine Curses and condemn'd him to Death but he precipitated Sammael and his whole Troop from the Heavens the abode of his Holiness He cut off the Feet of the Serpent for it had before the shape of a Camel and Sammael rode upon him and he cursed it above all other Beasts and living Creatures That 's the Fall of the Devil according to the Opinion of the Jews for we must not charge this Story upon Eliezer alone The Targums that contain the most ordinary and received explications of their best Doctors mention this Fable in several places Sect. 14. They give yet another original to the Demon feigning him to be issued from Lilis That 's saith Manasse the Name of the Wife of the Devil who according to the Opinion of some had been the Wife of Adam 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Lilit Is a word to be found in the Holy Scripture Isa 34 14. which our Interpreters translate Satyr the French Lutin and the Dutch Duyuell but we must hear Rabbi Elisha who in his Thisbi has set up the whole Legend We find in some Writings that for one hunderd and thirty years during which Adam abstained from his Wife there came she Devils to him who grew big with Child and brought forth Devils Spirits Hobgoblins and Night Phantasms I find again in other places that the Devils have been brought forth by four Mothers Lilis Naome Ogera and Macholas We likewise read in the Book of Ben Syra Quest 60. that Nebuchadnezar asking him why most Children died within the eighth day of their Birth he answer'd because Lilis kill'd them of which matter there is more largely treated in the same place but I shall not write more of it because I dont credit it By that Narration may be seen how gross the Fictions of the Jewish Doctors are since there are Men amongst 'em who cannot believe them how apt soever that Nation may be to be imposed upon Sect. 15. But as if those four she Devils had not been sufficient to People the World with wicked Spirits they have invented a third sort from what is mention'd Gen. 6.2 That the Sons of God seeing the Daughters of Men that they were fair took for Wives such as they liked From very ancient times the Jews by those Sons of God understand the Angels Wherefore Josephus says in his first Book of the Jewish Antiquities Chap. 4. That several Angels of God mixing themselves with Women begot a very insolent Generation He even knows the Names of those Angels that were carried to that excess of Letchery Aza and Azael were the chiefest amongst them being both enamour'd with the Beauty of Naema Cain's Daughter Thence proceeded the Giants mention'd in the same place of the Holy Writ who as we may infer from that Narration must have been half Devils and half Men. Asmodee the wicked Spirit of Sara Daughter to Raguel of whom mention is made in the Book of Tobit was likewise issued from that Marriage but others affirm him to be Sammael If it be asked how Spirits have the faculty of Generating Eliezer explains that difficulty in his 22th Chapter When they were thrown down from their Holy abode their strength and shape became like to that of Men. Sect. 16. But not to fill up this Book with Tales they had rather imagine as some Heathens have done Chap. 2. S. 12. that those wicked Spirits are half Angels and half Men. Whereupon Vorstius in his Notes upon Rabbi Eliezer relates the following words taken from Rabbi Scheem Toob in that place where Rabi Nitron speaks of Lilis The power of the Devils Night Phantasms and Wicked Spirits which we sometimes see in a human shape proceeds from the concourse of that Chief of theirs and as to their state the Opinion of the Learned is that they resemble Men as much as they do Angels because on the one side they are not such a subtle substance as those of the other Spirits and on the other they are not composed of such a gross matter as that of Men. If we desire to know why those cursed Creatures are called by the Jewish Doctors sometimes Spirits and sometimes Male and Female as tho' they were Men the same Toob will tell us in his 5th Chapter as Vorstius relates in the 22th Chapter of Rabi Eliezer where he speaks of a second Order of Spirits consider'd as distinguished into ten Orders From that Order proceeds in the Universe two sorts of Spirits of Error or Satyrs who behave themselves like Men who appear to them in their Dreams in the shape of handsome Women transforming themselves now into Men then Women Sect. 17 'T is now time to learn their Opinion concerning human Souls at least if they understand themselves distinctly enough to inform us of it For it already appears from what I have quoted out of Philo Sect. 12. that the most Learned do not stick to an accurate distinction betwixt Angels and Souls And Josephus that famous Historian almost as ancient as that other Author says in his seventh Book of the Wars of the Jews Chap. 25. That the Spirits called Daemons are those of the worst of Men who fall upon the living and kill them if not hindred from it Thence it appears that he ascribes something Corporeal to those Spirits so much the more that he fancies that they may be expell'd by the Root Baaras or by some other formerly shewed by Solomon as the same Author intimates in his eighth Book of the Jewish Antiquities But I am to make a large mention of that sort of Enchantment in the following Chapter Sect. 18. The Book which the learned Hoornbeck has written against the Jews contains in short their Opinions as to the Nature and Original of Souls Their Opinion says he Pag. 319. is that the Souls were all created together with the Light the first day of the Creation and not only that they were Created together but by Couples the Soul of a Man and that of a Woman so that
tbem who eagerly addicted themselves to Magick by which they got afterwards into great reputation and that the expounding of Dreams was a pretence they made use of to commit a vast number of Deceits and Villanies We see continues that learned Author in the Book Maarsar Shemi fol. 45. Col. 2 3. That Rabbi Joseph Ben Calpata Rabbi Ismael Ben. Jose Rabbi Lazarus and Akiba made it their whole business many of their expoundings are related in the place I have quoted out of Lightfoot and from several things contained therein it may be infer'd that they instructed their Disciples in those Arts. In the Book Shabbat fol. 3. Col. 2. mention is made of a Phantasm that appeared to one of their Bigots whilst he was meditating the Law and fol. 8. Col. 2. fol. 14. Col. 3. all sorts of Conjurations are treated of some to cure Wounds others against the sting of Serpents against Theft and even against Enchantments this I have Collected from the Second part of the works of Lightfoot page 147. where many other things of that nature are to be found but not necessary to relate and much less to extract out of the own Books of the Jews Sect. 3. However it will not be besides the purpose to add what the same Lightfoot has gather'd from several of their writings especially from the Book Sanhedrin concerning their Bathkol or the Daughter of the Voice which is the name the Jews gave to the Echo pretending it was an Oracle that under the Second Temple supplyed the want of the Vrim and Thummim with which the First Temple was honoured This is known by all that are but a little acquainted with the Jewish affairs and have read some of their writings but here are proofs that show they made use of Bathkool Divinations Rabbi Jochanan and Rabbi Simeon designing to consult Bathkool to go and see Rabbi Samuel the Babylonian they pass'd before the School and heard a Boy reading what is contained 1 Sam. Chap. 25. verse 1. Samuel is Dead They observ'd that and found that the Samuel they sought was Dead Here follows another story Rabbi Jonah and Rabbi Josah went to visit Rabbi Acha while he lay sick they said let us hear what Bathkool will say and immediatly they heard a Voice of a Woman that said to her Neighbor The Candle goes out to which the Neighbor answer'd Pray don't let it go out nor extinguish the light of Israel Lightfoot Tom. 2. p. 167. It is as sure that those words proceeded from Bathkool as it is certain that Elijah is present at the Circumcision of the Children of the Jews as 't is commonly believed among them and as all the learned know Sest 4. But besides those singularities we may take notice that all their Witchcraft is founded upon two grounds the influences of the Stars and thy apparitions of Spirits the reason of the former ground is that thô they esteem not the Celestial lights to be Gods yet they ascribe to them a particular virtue working upon and influencing Human Actions as well external as internal senses We have already heard Philo and Ben. Maimon upon that matter 'T is very usual with them to say The Planets make such a one Wise or Rich as Buxtorf relates it in his Lexicon Talmudicum out of the Books of the Sabbath these are happy influences or Constellations that are called Mazzal-toob but Mazzal-ra is a malignant Star under which one is born or whose virtue influences him all his Life Buxtorf says again upon the Authority of the same Book That the Planet of the Day of ones Birth influences him not but only that of the Hour And even we find in that Book which is the Genius of every Man according to the Planet under which he 's born He who is born under the Sun will be handsom free not dissembling but of an unconstant humour Under Venus he 'll be rich and letcherous Under Mercury skilful and of a good memory Under the Moon sickly and unstedfast Under Saturn unfortunate Under Jupiter just and Under Mars happy Which is the same with all the other Constellations In the mean while it is commonly said That there is no Planet in Israel because all the Jews seem to be born under one Planet being all of the same Genius and Conduct therefore we must conclude that those distinctions concern only strangers and that Israel has the skill of foretelling their good and bad Fortune However they are much disturb'd when the Moon is Eclipsed because they take that accident as an ill presage to them which is an evident proof of the unstedfastness of the Jewish Nation Sect. 5. As to the Spirits Manasse Ben Israel discovering the true ground of the Jewish Divinations leads us to the wicked Spirits saying That some of them are skilful and shrew'd and others foolish and dull The most skilful flying from one corner of the World to the other sometimes learn what is to happen For this Reason he acknowledges page 18. That several Conjure up those Spirits and do wonders by help of the black Art We read even in some Cabbalistical Books as in Pirke Chalos and Ratsiel and in some others the names of those Spirits and the form of the Conjurations used for that purpose There are also to be found all the presages that may be drawn from the various sorts of Apparitions If those Sprits appear to a Man alone they forebode nothing good if they appear to two persons together they presage nothing ill but it never happens that they shew themselves to three in a company Sect. 6. The ways and means they use for their Witchcraft and Divinations are to be observed in the Ceremonies of their Feasts and the whole course of their ordinary Life Every one knows that Marriage is the lawful way to beget Children which makes them believe one must needs know how to preserve himself in that occasion from the wicked Spirits There is none but has read the Book of Tobit how he expel'd the Devil Asmodee by the inspiration of the Angel Raphael and how they took together a Fish which as some suppose was a Pike as to the Heart and Liver says Raphael if the Demon or wicked Spirit disturbs any Person whether Man or Woman he needs but make a perfume before him and the party shall be no more vexed Chap. 6. v. 7. When he was marryed with Sara he remembred the words of Raphael and took the Ashes of the perfumes put the Heart and the Liver of the Fish thereupon and made a smoke with it which when the Evil Spirit had smelt he fled into the utmost parts of Egypt and the Angel bound him there Chap. 8. v. 23. Sect. 7. If that Narration is esteem'd Apochryphal by the Protestants that of Josephus deserves not a better name when in the Second Chap. of the 8th Book of his Jewish Antiquities he deduces the Original of Magick from Solomon and lays the foundation of it upon the wisdom
of that King nay he asserts That God himself had inspired him with that Art so powerful against Demons for says he He has made use of Witchcraft to expel diseases and has left in his writings forms of Conjurations by which the Devils that molest mankind are so far banished that they never dare come back again And that sort of cure is now in great request amongst our Nation It consisted according to the description given of it in the use of some certain Root which they seal'd up and put under the Nostrils of the possessed At the same time they uttered the name of Solomon and the words of his Conjuration and so was the Devil forced to flie He declares to have been an Eye-witness himself of an operation of this nature made in the presence of the Emperor Vespasian and his Sons on the Person of one Eliezer We will examine in our 4th Book how the sight of Josephus was then disposed but in the mean while we could wish he had explained to us whether this Root is the same with that he mentions in the 28th Chap. of the 7th Book of the Jewish Antiquities which he calls Baaras because of the place where it grows since he also ascribes to this last the wonderful virtue of expelling Demons for according to his relation one needs but touch the possess'd with it and the Devil is forced to run away but of this more in the 4th Book Sect. 8. Here follows how the present Jews are molested all their Life by the wicked Spirits and how they beware of them When a Child comes into the World the terrour of Lilis comes with him to seize upon the Spirits of the Parents because that Lilis intends to kill the Boys within 8 days of their birth and the Girls within the 21th The remedy of the German Jews to preserve themselves from that danger is To draw circular lines with Chalk or Charcoles upon the 4 Walls of the Chamber wherein the Woman lies and to write upon each Circle Adam Eve let Lilis be gone they also write upon the Door of the Chamber the names of the three Angels that preside over Physick Senoi Sansenoi and Saumangelof as Lilis her self taught them when she hoped to drown them all in the Sea This is related by Elias in his Book entituled Thisbi to which he gives no great credit as he himself witnesses I cannot omit what Buxtorf says in his Lexicon Talmudicum concerning the weapons wherewith they arm themselves against Phantoms A Vail spread over the Face hinders the Phantasm from knowing him that is frighted but if God judges that he deserves to be terrified for his sins he causes the vizard to fall down that the Ghost may see and bite him Sect. 9. But what terrour soever the Devil causes to them they nevertheless believe that if they take their opportunity they may prevent his endeavours without trouble To this the choice of days is of great use and they have so great a regard for them that they do no longer deserve the reproach that was cast upon them of Not understanding the signs of times The same Buxtorf in his School of the Jews will supply us with a specimen of that Custom At the great day of propitiations they appease Sammael with a present for on that only day in the whole Year he is allowed by a compact with God to accuse Israel of their transgressions Besides they believe themselves so cunning as to cheat the Devil The First means they use for that purpose is to blow upon the Corn withall their strength from morning to night fancying to make Sammael forget the quality of it by the fright they cast upon him The First Day of the Year is also fit to put another cheat upon him for as on that day God sits in judgment for the examination of Sins they endeavour to hinder their Enemy from bringing his accusations against them by concealing from him the date of the Day The subtilty they use in that occasion is that they forbear to read either the begining or the end of the Law as Sammael supposes that they shall do that Day and thus they never fail to catch him They also abstain as much as they can on the 17th day of the Month Tammus that answers to our June and the 9th of the following Month on which falls their Second fast to go from home and especially avoid to make any journey of 4 or 5 Miles or to appear in a Court of Justice because that time is the reign of a wicked Spirit call'd Ketelmeriri bitter Destruction a name drawn from Deut. Chap. 32. v. 24. Where Moses however speaks of quite other matters Sect. 10. The Cabbala chiefly uses such Witchcraft as is made by numbers and Letters and is in great request amongst the Jews It even teaches to apply to it the sacred word of God and withal some sentences and discourses or only some proper words and particular names to which the Jews ascribe a great Virtue whether they attribute it to the power of the apparition of absent bodies or of incorporeal substances or whether they presume to effect by that means strange and wonderful things Malka Scheva or the Queen of Sheba that went to visit King Solomon in his glory has been often conjured up as they fancy and has appeared to the superstitious In short as to what concerns the other extraordinary effects which they boast to produce they are held for great forcerers even by Christians over credulous in this point for there are Germans who look upon them as Men that can stop conflagrations and quench Fire by throwing upon it some bewitch'd things that can draw two or several sorts of Wine out of the same Vessel and are capable of producing many other wonders Sect. 11. To speak of the other uses they make of names in Witchcraft it must be granted that they make no more difficulty to mix the name of God with it than that of the Devil The famous name of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that which we use to read Jehovah when punctuated is multiplied by their Doctors by 12 42 and the 72 Letters which they dispose and make words of them and apply them to Witchcraft For that Reason they call it Shem Hamphorash a name explained or divided They believe it to have a great Virtue by him Moses kill'd the Egyptian by him Israel was preserv'd from the hand of the destroying Angel in the Wilderness and by him Jesus Christ expel'd wicked Spirits Thus they blaspheme the Second Person of the Holy Trinity not being able to deny his power It is easy to be inform'd of all these things in their own writings and by their own consent The name of the Devil is likewise of much force to his great loss and sorrow That force proceeds from the 4 Hebrew Letters that compose this name with the Article perfixed to it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hassatan that make up just
the number of 364 that is of all the days of the Year but one Now the Jews pretend that by Reason of the Virtue of that number 364 included in the name of Hassatan he is deprived of the right of accusing them during a like number of days in the Year and therefore he has but one remaining in which he may do it so that if he chance to neglect that day or to be then deceived or puzled he may well be sorrowful and the Jews very glad all this is grounded upon the passage of Zacharia Chap. 3. v. 2 The Lord rebuke thee O Satan Sect. 12. They also pretend to find a great Virtue in the reckoning of Letters and their disposition into several different orders They write on the forepart of Houses and the Walls of Chambers some strange Characters of no less extraordinary names which they use to give to those Angels that are established over the plague supposing by that means to be sufficiently seâ—ure from the burning darts of that consuming scouâ—ge The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Diriroon is likewise an infallible preservative against the Pestilence when 't is written 22 or 23 times that is as many times as there are Letters in their Alphabet of which they put one every time before that word beginning with the first Letter and ending with the last They have likewise excellent remedies against Agues the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is made up of Six Letters being written 6 times in as many different files 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 leaving out a Letter of every file on the left side is in their Opinion an excellent remedy against the quartan Ague the stumbling block of the Physitians By this any one may perceive how great Virtue the Jews ascribe to Letters Characters and Names Here you have another Mystery taught in the Book Aroda Zara 'T is dangerous to drink at Night 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 why because that makes People blind but if one be dry and he drinks what then here is the remedy The Hebrew word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Shebriri that is lost sight or sudden blindness being written as it is here in the Margent and hung about the Neck cause the blindneâ—â— to go off as much as we see decrease the first Letters of this word untill they be altogether vanished and the blindness gone Those Instructions are to be found in the Lexicon Talmudicum of Buxtorf Sect. 13. By this short Specimen of their Witchcrafts may be seen the Relation that there is betwixt the Practices and Doctrines of their Rabbins contained in the fore-going Chapter from which doubtless those practices take their Original First Their opinions of the Materiality as I may say of good and bad Spirits Chap. 12. Sect. 8.10 14 15. was the cause that they ascribe to them external and visible shapes with effects of the same nature as they have been described Sect. 6.8 For material Causes act materially whereas Spiritual things are for those that are Spiritual 1 Cor. 2.13 Second It was no hard matter that the st aâ—ge Thoughts they have of Sammael Prince of the Devils and of Lilis his Mother according to some Chap. 12. Sect. 13 14 should carry them to practise Conjurations by which they hope to put Mother and Son to flight or at least to turn them off Sect. 7 8 9. Whoever is so credulous in that point is very apt to mistake in all others Third Their great and general esteem for the Cabbala that ascribes so much power to Letters Names and Numbers is the original of all the sorts of Witchcraft that are performed with Letters Numbers and Characters Sect. 10 11 12. And 't is no wonder that a Nation who has lost the vivifying Spirit of the Letters of the Holy Writ should now so curiously and with so much trouble seek the help of those Letters destitute of the Spirit of Life Fourth It must be observed that being antiently used to Prophesies Visions Vrim and Thummim they now bethought themselves of the empty sound of Bathcole and the influences of the Stars to supply the want of the advantages they had lost Sect. 14. When we recollect all those things we easily perceive that thô the Jews are not partakers of the Pagans Idolatry yet they have a near Relation to them as to the Opinions and Customs they have not drawn from the Holy Scripture Nay they go farther than the Heathens and are in a more Diametrical opposition to the Principles of their own Doctrine than the Heathens with those of their Religion for the Jews conceiving plainer than they do that there is but one Creator and Director of all sufficient to himself and having such a strong prejudice against all the Gods invented by Men and against whatever has any nearness to Idolatry 'T is not easie to forgive them their dependency upon the Stars their fear of the great Devil Sammael nor their Faith for the virtue of Words Letters Characters and Numbers since the Heathens were obnoxious to those faults only because they had not a sufficient knowledge of the Supreme Deity and did not relye so much upon him as they ought to have done whereas they trusted too much upon the Creatures which they had Deify'd themselves However our amazement will diminish if we observe that all these Doctrines have been drawn from Paganism and have been received amongst them only by an effect of the natural inclination and eagerness of that People for such Fables and Inventions without considering whether or no they were agreeable to the Rules of the Law But the utmost blindness is to persist in them to this very day without reflecting upon the State in which the Divine Justice has put them by an entire destruction of their Common-wealth and scattering of their Nation amongst the Heathens In the mean while I desire the Reader to observe that hitherto we have met with nothing of whatever is called Witchcraft Phantasms or Diabolical Apparitions but it draws its Original from Heathenism CHAP. XIV That the Doctrine of the Spirits and the exercise of Magick are also in request amongst the Mahometans Sect. 1. WE cannot say many things with great certainty concerning the Mahometans upon the matter in hand for we must learn it either in the Alcoran that is the Law of Mahomet or from the Precepts of their Doctors which very much differ from the Law As to the Alcoran I would not trust to any but my self and therefore have read it sheet by sheet from the beginning to the end but could not gather any particulars relating to our subject except that little which I shall mention hereafter Besides there are come to my hands but very few writings of the Mahometans yet I have read some very credible Christian Authors that treat of their belief whom I shall presume to make use of because every one knows that during their abode amongst those Nations they have examined very impartially and narrowly such
things as they relate Now there 's none but knows that the Doctrine and Worship of that Sect as they are contained in the Alcoran and their other Writings are involved with many Fables and Fictions which are generally received as Truth amongst them but explained in a very rational sense by the Learned which makes it that they are not so intolerable in that respect as that they are false and groundless And therefore 't is but reasonable to use this circumspection that knowing that sort of People to be Men of sense as there are many in other Sects we interpret their Fables only with relation to that which is clearly and significantly express'd in other places and in reference to the tendency they seem to have in what is related of their other Opinions Sect. 2. It is also reasonable to relate at first what is to be gathered from the Alcoran and to joyn to it afterwards what other Authors supply us with either as to the Doctrine of the Spirits taught amongst the Musulmans that is the Faithful as they love to call themselves or as to their practices in Witchcraft and Divinations But because the Book of Laws collected after the death of Mahomet by his Disciples that are the most famous Doctors of the Musulmans is not uniform as to the Order in which it is translated in several Languages for the conveniency of the Reader I design to follow the division observed by du Râ—er in his French Translation and by le Verrier in his Dutch who both divâ—de the whole work into 113 Chapters Sect. 3. First of all 't is amongst them a fundamental point repeated above a hundred times in the Book of the Law that God is but One and hath no partner in which they perfectly agree with the Jews even in reference to the Holy Trinity as has been already mention'd Chap. 12. Sect. 1. Marmol says however in the first part of his description of Africa Pag. 128. Edit Paris That the Morabites a Sect of Mahometan Arabs hold that the Heavens Stars and Elements make up but one God together The Sahis another Sect of the Turks believe that there is some Deity in the Sun and Moon because of the influence those two great Lights of the Universe have upon sublunary Creatures according to the Relation of Ricaut in his description of Turkey Book 2. Chap. 12. De la Vall in his journey Book 4. Chap. 17. says that amongst the Persians several Mahometans ascribe assisting Forms and Intelligences to the Sun Moon and Stars by which they are quickned and directed as our Bodies are by our Souls Sect. 4. In most or all the pages of the Alcoran mention is made of the Holy Angels of the wicked Devil and of the Original of Devils far more rationally than in the Books of the Jews For they make the Angels immaterial tho' they believe that they appear in a Corporeal shape as is to be read in this passage of the 5th Chapter The Angels say they are the only constant and immutable Creatures there being no others endued with such Properties Thus is this passage quoted by Levinius Varnerius in his Miscellanies who has extracted it from some other Book But this is a reasoning of the moâ—t thinking part and the best Philosophers amongst them For Mahomet himself believ'd that the Angels had been created of some certain Matter as he gives us to know in one of his Fables to be related anon He often speaks too grosly and gives us occasion to doubt whether he understands in a proper or figurative Sense what he so frequently says that the Angels go to and fro hear the Law have Beings and even are distinguish'd into Males and Females for he believes that distinction of Sexes to be found in every thing See his 52 Chap. pa. 594. He no less vilifies the Dignity of Angels ascribing the cause of the fall of some to their refusal of paying an extraordinary Honour to Adam who was wiser than they were and convers'd more familiarly with God For God taught Adam the Names of all things and Adam taught them to the Angels Chap. 2. pa. 5. Lastly the great number of Guardian Angels whom he gives to every Musulman evidently infers that one of his Disciples was look'd upon by him of greater worth than several Angels Sect. 5. Mahomet has very plainly express'd in several places of his Book of the Law his Opinion upon the Nature and Original of Devils who at the beginning were created in the rank of the Angels whence they fell for their envy Thus in the 6th Chap. Pag. 109. he introduces God speaking to him I have created and made thee I have commanded the Angels to adore Adam which they have done save only the Devil This place must be understood with the distinction brought by Levinius Varnerius out of a Turkish Book Adoration belongs to the Great God as a Worship but it may belong to others as a mark of Veneration In that Sense it is that Adam was adored by the Angels and Joseph by his Father and Brothers Mahomet proceeds relating what God said to the Devil What hinders you from adoring Adam as I have order'd you The Devil Answer'd Because I am Superior to him since thou hast created me out of Fire and Man out of Clay Hereupon I said Go out of Paradise 't is not the abode of the proud thou shalt be in the number of those that are cover'd with infamy He replyed Let me be here till the day of the Resurrection Why said he hast thou tempted me I shall said he turn Men from the right way I shall hinder them by all means from believing thy Law and even let the greatest part fall into ungratefulness I said to him Go out of Paradise thou shalt be rejected by all the world and deprived from the effects of my Mercy and I shall fill Hell with those that shall listen to thee and follow thee The same Relation is repeated in the 14 16 and 37 Chapters Pag. 293 381 and 511. And thô he mentions but one Devil as the Chief he nevertheless believes a vast number of good and wicked Angels for in the 7th Chapter he speaks of thousands of good Angels whom God sent once from Heaven to his assistance whilst he prayed he likewise mentions the Demons in the plural number as Chap. 6. We have created Hell to punish Devils and Men. Sect. 6. His distinction betwixt the state of Angels and Devils is not to be rejected in all respects such as they are towards God and the Faithful such he describes them to be one towards another Chap. 7. Pag. 198. God said to his Angels I will be with you confirm the steps of the true faithful Chap. 11.278 The Angels tremble in the presence of God Chap. 20. Pag. 360. They are not ashamed to adorâ— him And again Chapter 15. Pag. 296. God orders his Angels to go down and sends his inspiration to whom he pleases This
so the infernal Dragon cannot endure the Water of Baptism Sect. 6. He ascribes the same Virtue to the name of Jesus when in his Sermon upon Baptism speaks of mercenary Exorcists de quaestuariis exorcistis Obediunt Daemonâ—s Exorcistis c. The Demons obey Exorcists saying we know who is Christ and who is Paul and being conjured in the name of that Jesus whom Paul Preaches we withdraw It seems to St Cyprian that things ought to be so by the same reason that Baptism was valid whether administred by Paul or Judas But he ought to have considered that we have not the same certainty that these Exorcists should have received their Office from God as we are sure that he had established Judas in his Apostleship Sect. 7. Lactantius in the 4th Century will yet give us some instructions And First as to Conjurations that we treat now of he believed that they have a great efficacy for he writes in his Second Book Sect. 15. That the Devils are afraid of the Just that worship God since being conjured by them in his Name they go out of Bodies and being compell'd by their words as by stripes they not only acknowledg'd that they are Demons but also declare their Names that are found to be the same under which they are adored in Temples So that he believes that the wicked Spirit how great a Lyer soever he is cannot lye when by Conjuration he is forced to speak because the Divine Power constrains him to say the Truth for that time Sect. 8. In the mean while he sticks not to that but agrees with St. Cyprian that the modern sorcerers were able to enchant wicked Spirits and by that argument pretends to prove to Epicure and his followers that there are Spirits in the World and that Human Souls are immortal To that end he expresses himself in these words Book the 7th Sect. 13. Certainly if Democritus Epicure or Dicearchus stood by a Magician they should not make bold to maintain by their Reasons that the Soul is Mortal what could they answer If the Magician by pronouncing some Verses call'd up the Souls ' from subterraneous places making them appear to Men speak to them and foretel future things for if they still presume to persist in their error they would be forced to yeild to such real proofs and such visible effects Sect. 9. However I cannot agree to what is read in his 2 Book Sect. 14. That the Art and Power of Magicians Magorum only consists in the Inspirations they receive from the Spirits that surprize Men and deceive their Eyes by Illusions hindering them from seeing what is and making them see what is not when 't is required from them by Magicians He seem'd before to believe that the Demons actually produce some effects and here he will perswade us that there is nothing but illusion whatever it be even that very illusion is still an Operation of the Demons and consequently approve of their existence and action In the mean while he agrees with himself in this that he believes sorcerers converse with the wicked Spirit and that the Conjurations of the former force the latter to say and do what is required from them but that all the effects of Witchcraft are to be ascribed to them and not to the Magicians Sect. 10. Lactantius was perswaded that bad Spirits had a share in all those Arts that made up the practices of the Ancient Heathens and of which mention has been made Ch. 3. He even believed that they were all invented by those Spirits as appears by his own words Book 2. Ch. 16. The things that they have invented viz. The Demons are predictions by the Stars by the inspection of Victims and by the cry of Birds these are the Oracles and Enchantments in use to consult the Dead by Magick Magia and all the other Evils to which Men addict themselves either privately or openly All these things have nothing solid nor true in themselves but are received for such by the credit they borrow from the presence of their Authors who know how to impose upon the credulity of Men affecting to make a divine power appear before them of which however no profit accrues to them I might quote here some Authors of the two following Centuries but observing no change in them that deserves to be related and fearing to insist too long upon this I come to the bottom of the matter lest I should weary the Reader with unprofitable trouble CHAP. XVII That it is necessary to compare all those various Doctrines and Practices of the Jews Mahometans and Christians and to examine wherein they differ and in what they agree together Sect. 1. THE 11th Chapter of this Book was designed to compare together the Opions and practices of the various Heathens concerning Spirits The natural light that remained in our understanding notwithstanding the darkness in which it has been involv'd by Sin has been able without the help of the Holy writ to discover whether those Opinion and practices were founded upon true or false grounds We have since heard those that acknowledge the Authority of the Holy writ speak very differently by which means the light of Reason may be encreased and it's corruption better'd Let us now see what they have done as to this and how far their endeavours have attained To that end we shall First consider wherein the latter differ from the Heathens what they have retain'd of Paganism and lastly in what points they differ from each other having always regard to that difference of Doctrines and Worship or Opinions and Practices that have been set down before Sect. 2. These 3 sorts of People Jews Christians and Mahometans rejecting the plurality of Gods that were believed and adored by the Heathens and Worshiping one Only God have overthrown whatever the others had invented concerning confederate inferior and mean Gods or familiar Spirits that were born with Men and outlive them and at the same time have destroyed whatever Conjurations and Witchcrafts were grounded upon such principles by which Men presume to acquire some certain knowledge and produce some certain effects We have found nothing like amongst the Jews and Mahometans for thô they may have somthing that appears like it yet 't is quite different as we shall show hereafter And as to the Christians we see that they unanimously reject all these things and look upon them as delusions and impieties and as to what the last together with the Jews and Mahometans have retained of the Opinions and practices of the Heathens it has been taken from the Philosophy of this last Sect and accommodated to the Holy Scripture or gather'd from it by false explications This I shall now briefly show concerning the Spirits in general and the Soul of Man in particular Sect. 3. As to the Spirits in general First That Opinion that they are partly corporeal received of old by the Jews Ch. 12. Sect. 5 11 to 15 By the Mahometans Ch.
Phantasms which according to the opinion of the Papists are good and bad Angels or Souls of the deceased which become visible or which are understood without being seen either that they speak intelligibly or that they make only some sound and noise There is yet this difference in their Apparitions that there are some Souls which whether they manifest themselves visibly or whether they are only heard work some effects whereas there are others that operate nothing Schottus freely teaches us many things which relates to them that is First in what places Specters chiefly used to appear Secondly what Specters and Phantasms are Thirdly what they act Fourthly to whom they particularly appear Fifthly what means there are to avoid them and be rid of them Sect. 2. Those places where Phantoms appear Schottus persuades himself that there is no place in the World but that may happen However that there are some where it happens more frequently than elsewhere As 1. In Desarts and in solitary places he grounds his opinion upon Scripture Isai 33.14 Apoc. 18.2 Tob. 8.3 And confirms it by the consideration of that which hapned to our Saviour Jesus Christ himself St. Matthew Chap. 4. St. Luke Chap. 4. It is for this reason that the good St. Anthony was so hardly dealt with in the Desart by all sorts of Hobgoblings and Spirits Pag. 226. 2. If one were in the humor also to believe a sort of Water Demons our Author would very often make them appear in Ponds and Marshes Pag. 227. 3. If the Pagans have had since a long time Gods of the Groves the Christians will not deny but that there are such for they say that there are particular Phantoms in Woods and Meadows Pag. 229. 4. When they are to fight any bloody Battle or after it has been fought many Specters have often been seen in the field of Battle Pag. 230. 5. Phantasms often appear in Baths and Stoves Pag. 232. 6. Which happens also in Fortresses and Castles Pag. 234. 7. In Mines and Caverns as it has been said before concerning Mountain Gods Pag. 235. 8. There are seen more Apparitions in places where Murderers and Thieves haunt than in other places Pag. 235. 9. Holy Cloysters Churches and Temples of God's Worship are not also exempted Pag. 237. As for me I am very much perswaded that there is no place in the World where there are more Delusions and Apparitions made or rather deceitful Visions than in those places 10. So it is no marvel that the same happens to every particular person in his House Pag. 238. Sect. 3. If one asks what it is that appears or What these Fantomes are you will not fail to be immediately satisfied Sometimes they are good Angels but most frequently evil Spirits Souls of the deceased However in this occasion there is said touching Angels very little and that very uncertain fortassis etiam Angeli boni sometimes perhaps good Angels says Schotus Pag. 247. But concerning Demons he affirms very neatly and with a great assurance that they are not all alike wicked Because Phantasms are distinguished in mites tetricâ—s seu truculentos in good and cruel that which is found explained in the same place by these words taken out of Cassien touching some unpure Spirits as are ordinarily called Faunos Faunes Kabautermannakens or Hobgoblins it is notorious that they delude Men as by way of sport and pastime so that in certain places they post themselves ordinarily in the way and take them up however without tormenting the passengers they are contented to laugh at them and make raillery and play them some pleasant pranks And they seem rather to have a design to tire them than to give them any displeasure But it is also known there are others so evil and so cruel that it does not satisfie them to torment People and cruelly to tear them where they come this ought to be understood of the possessed But they will attack those who pass by altho' at the same time they are a great way off and horribly treat them See one that says he knows them very well himself and further that no body is ignorant of it he relyes upon his own perswasion and does applaud himself for it Would it not be more mischievous than the Will with a wisp himself that sets upon passengers to suspect and confute his belief However he is but a little while to be quiet for we cannot avoid troubling him and shewing his Error Fourth The Souls of the deceased are either saved or damned it is held for certain that those that are happy are often seen to appear to holy Men for their good and that they appear still The Legends contain an infinite number of examples which have been compiled from all sorts of Histories even of those which are the least worthy of credit and that are enriched with a great many new ornaments that have been lent them in compiling of the work But there are none which appear so worthy of remark as these apparitions of Souls which happen in consequence of Covenants that have been made betwixt Holy People in their life time that is when two or more have mutually promised that who should die first should appear to the other and come and tell him news of the estate he was in whether in Purgatory or in Heaven The Author makes no doubt but the thing happens as it is agreeds but he dares not decide whether such an agreement be lawful in which case he believes it must be made by a particular inspiration from God p. 333. Sect. 5. There is no more doubt of the apparitions of Souls that are damned and they are grounded upon proofs of the same certainty as the former Schottus reports an example drawn from Bencius and Delrio which appears so strong and convinceing that he expresses himself thus at the end It is a story which is confirmed by the belief generally given to it it is publickly in all places by many Books and by a great number of letters and the thing has happened in the time and place mentioned It is a Question to know if any thing may not be false or mixed with any falsity because it has been published a long time without being contradicted either in word or writing but it would be too long to treat upon this Question here it will be proper in another place However if this History be true it might confirm the sentiments of the Papists which say That the Souls of the damned appear here upon Earth to the living to present to them in a frightful manner the torments they suffer in Hell to the end they may bring them by that to repent and leave off Sinning Sect. 6. Our Jesuit is too wise to speak much himself of Purgatory he leaves that to others he held nevertheless with those of his Faith That the Souls of the deceased desire often of the living the help of their Prayers and good works and that by consequence the
alledged but to set off with some likelihood the private Opinions with which we are taken up Sect. 9. I hope that what I have just now said will easily be credited if attention be given to what follows I say that the Character of Philosophy such as is learned in the Schools pours it self upon all the Interpretations and Translations that are of the Holy Writ It was the Opinion of Aristotle that the four Elements Earth Water Air and Fire were included within one another as by Circles reaching from the Center to the highest place of the Universe So as that the Earth was the lowest being mixed with Water in its Superficies and the Air above it surrounding the Terraqueous Globe These Propositions are granted by all But that Philosopher also believes that Fire surrounds the Air as the Celestial Heavens divided into several Vaults do Fire These Vaults to which the Sun Moon and Stars are fastned and are of a subtile and incorruptible matter in themselves surround one another and turn about us every year every month and every day by the vertue of some certain Spirits call'd Assisting Forms Those that hold that Opinion for probable are very apt to be persuaded that the wicked Spirits dwell in the Air because the superiour Spheres are too pure for them When therefore those sort of Men hear St. Paul mentioning the Prince of the Power of the Air Ephes 2.1 Or the Spiritual Wickedness in high Places Ch. 6.12 they doubt not but St. Paul was of the Opinion of Aristotle and that by these words of the Holy Scripture the wicked Spirits must be understood Thus those who by reading Plato have fill'd their heads with his Demons fancy that tâ—is word is used in the Scripture in a Platonick Sense without considering that this Philosopher lived not in the time that the Holy Writ was published in which the former signification of these Terms might be chang'd as it daily happens and without so much as examining in what Sense they were taken by other Authors contemporary with the Sacred Writers whether 't is probable that other Authors whose Books are lost understood 'em in the same Sense or lastly whether the Jews in whose Tongue the Holy Scripture was written and who consequently ought to understand it best put the same signification upon them Sect. 10. What I say of the ill use made of Philosophy as to this Point must not appear strange for it extends to every thing When Copernicus began to assert by Reasons that seem'd very strong to him that the Sun is fast and unmoveable and that the Terraqueous Globe moves Those that held the Hypothesis of Ptolomey pretended to explode that Opinion by clear and formal Texts of the Holy Scripture but those that maintained it contrived Explications to those passages and wanted not plausible Reasons to set them off Thus those that after Descartes believe Man has an Idea of God in his Understanding found the same Doctrine in St. Paul and understood in that Sense these Words of his Epistle to the Romans Ch. 1.19 That which may be known of God is manifest in them for God has shewed it unto them Even some of Descartes's Followers have explained the History of the Creation in the first Chapter of Genesis according to the principles of that Philosopher that is quite contrary to the right meaning of this Narration as the Author himself confesses in his little Book Intituled Cartesius Mosaisans Sect. 11. It is the same with Divinity as with Philosophy Those that are call'd the Fathers of the Church that is her First or chief Doctors in the Primitive times the Authority of whom the Papists equal to that of the Word of God having been at first imbued with that false Philosophy did not so much as think upon freeing themselves of their prejudices by a true Interpretation and Translation of the Holy Scripture On the contrary they have pour'd their preventions over whatever they have writ for whether they treated of such Articles of Faith as were most controverted or whether they interpreted passages of the Holy Writ they have adher'd to bare speculations and apply'd them to subjects quite different from those the Sacred Writing aimed at St. Austin in the 4th and 5th Century has been fruitful in speculations and Origen in the 3d has surpass'd all the others in mis-applications remote from the scope of the Holy Pen-men as may have been observed by what has been alleag'd from them and several others concerning Spirits in the 15th Chapter Their Homilies that is their Sermons contain but few Expositions of the Holy Scripture and still fewer Translations 'T is true that Origen and St. Jerom have taken more pains than the others and been also more puzled having translated the Sacred Writings in those Ages in which the knowledge of Tongues was not much look'd after nor improv'd In the mean while what those Doctors hape propos'd upon many separate passages dispers'd thro' their Writings upon which instead of a serious examination they have put the Sense that was most favourable to their private Opinions has ever been received and taught afterwards Thus 't is happen'd long after the knowlege of Tongues not being better improv'd that their Interpretations have been admitted without contradiction only upon their own credit and look'd upon with that veneration that is commonly paid to Antiquity as tho' the World in process of time was grown younger than before By these means it is that their Doctrines concerning Spirits and especially the bad have insensibly been bequeathed as an inheritance to posterity Sect. 12. Since therefore every one is so much taken up with this Sect and pays so great a deference to those that are call'd the eminent Fathers 't is no wonder that the Papists who above all others put a high value upon them should use their Language and consecrate all their Expressions And 't is long since the Protestants have observ'd that these their Adversaries have founded the Prayers for the dead the worshiping of Saints and the like Doctrines upon some expressions of the Fathers that seem to favour them When afterwards they were compell'd to give some proof out of the Holy Scripture they found the first together with Purgatory in the 1st Epistle of St. Paul to the Corinthians Chap. 3.13 That fire shall try every Man's work 'T is almost the same with those that are bred amongst the Lutherans how great a Philosopher and how learned soever any one may be he will find no reason and much less a necessity to believe that Christ is locally and visibly ascended to Heaven but it will appear to him a necessary proposition that our Lord after his Resurrection penetrated thro' doors shut up and that his Humanity is omnipotent How learned soever one may be in the Tongues there are however frequent occasions in which it can neither be seen or conjectur'd upon what ground the learned have given to some certain words a signification that favours the
propositions they maintain rather than their true natural Sense such as 't is found in other Authors and in ordinary use of a Tongue that is so familiar to them Of these I might recite a thousand proofs if it were necessary and time would allow me Sect. 13. Besides as much as Man has taken pains to acquire uncertain and corrupted Sciences so much has he been negligent of informing himself in the best the finest and at the same time the smallest part of Sciences with which he is ordinarily less acquainted for as I have already said the Youth in the Schools run over all the Countries of the Ancient Heathens only to make a booty of Latin and Greek before they do so much as visit Christianity which is only shewn to them as at a distance they are yet of too tender a constitution to be loaden with such solid meat and too young to be mixed with such important Affairs so that they are taught almost nothing of that matter It is not thought convenient for them to know what Soul and Body are wherein consists the Essence of the Soul or that of the Angels and Devils and what knowledge and operations those Spirits are capable of and what share and administration they take here below in human Affairs No light is afforded to them that may dissipate the darkness that has been spread over their understandings in their youth nor blot out the impressions that have been made upon them as to this point by the means already mention'd so that this darkness and these impressions destitute of Antidotes do still penetrate farther Even those that follow the Principles of Descartes tho' they distinguish better than others the nature of Soul and Body as will be shown in my Second Book Chap. 1. Sect. 12 13 14. yet when they come to the operations of such Spirits as are not joyned to a Body either Angels or Devils and undertake to explain how they can act upon other Bodies either of Men or other matter they take as much freedom as they can and go as far as they can be carried by the prejudices they have imbibed with all others before they studied Scripture and Philosophy Sect. 14. That which may adorn the Human Mind with Light and form its Judgment is what is less intended to be acquired in Universities tho' they seem to be the place where such a rare thing should be gotten which most unhappily affords not the means to grow rich I mean Mathematicks and that part of natural Philosophy that discovers the nature and course of the Heavens not because they treat of our present subject but for two other reasons I shall add The first is that more certainty is to be found in Mathematicks than in all other Sciences because they are grounded upon infallible Principles such Students as are used to the certainty of these Principles will not acknowledge for truth such as are not attended with a full and entire conviction and put a little value upon such Sciences as have not the same certainty But the Second Reason is still more particular viz. That Mathematicks especially that part that treats of the knowledge of Stars manifestly discovers several things that undeniably shew the Sacred Writers accommodated themselves to the stile and capacity of the Vulgar and speak of the Heavens Earth Sun Moon and Stars not according to their own nature and as they are in themselves but according to the common notions of Men. And therefore those that are somewhat addicted to that Science credit not so easily the discourses of other Men and are not satisfied with probabilites They are not disposed to fill the Air with Spirits nor to fix them to Stars nor to confound Spirits and Stars together But the mischief is as I have already hinted that few Learned give up themselves to that part of the Sciences tho' it is the most useful and beautiful of all Sect. 15. All these prejudices with which we have been once fill'd which have been rooted in us more and more by the ways already alleag'd which have grown by the new nourishment they daily received and which have neither been banished nor weaken'd by the endeavours of a better informed Judgment all these prejudices I say are no where more sensible than in the subject we treat of And therefore we have destin'd this First Book to establish this Truth and make it very plain to the end it might be clearly perceived that all those Opinions concerning the Devils Divinations and Witchcraft draw their first Original from the Heathens who communicated them to the Jews during the Babilonian Captivity where they had more conversation with the Philosophers than in the Land of Canaan whilst they liv'd separated from all other Nations of the Earth There they insensibly took the tincture of the Heathen Doctrines and Practices at least of such as seem'd not directly opposed to their Law The first Christians springing from the middle of the Jews and Heathens kept likewise most part of the same Doctrines and intended to gain the Heathens by too great and easie a compliance with their Opinions Thus was insensibly laid the foundation on which the great aedifice of Popery is now founded and rais'd Sect. 16. Another Judgment may be pass'd upon that matter if Popery were put in parallel with Heathenism and not esteem'd the worse of these two For why should not they be held for Heathen Legends what the Pagans have published of their Miracles Oracles Gods Aërial Spectres Dreams and the like prodigies That is why do we not call 'em Lies as we rightly so name the Roman Legends Have we more reason to look upon as suspitious those wonders the relations of which are inserted almost in all the Books of the chief Roman writers and to look upon them as a branch of superstition then to deal in the same manner with those of the Heathens Whence comes it that we publickly laugh at both in our discourses and writings the sham miracles of the former as being meer delusions and trifles and that we approve both by our words and our Books the narrations that the latter make of the wonders seen amongst them and that we quote them as true thô they be of the same matter and weight with the others The antiquity of those Authors and of the times in which they have written has it so much power and efficacy and must we more easily credit stories because they are said to have happen'd a long while ago and in far remote Countries But what 's that to the main point Truth fits not it self in this manner to the inclinations of Men. Lies were anciently told as well as they are now and as well in Foreign Countries as in our own Sect. 17. It is methinks sufficiently proved by all the quotations of this Book that there are no Miracles Oracles purging Fires Apparitions of Hobgoblins or Souls Witchcraft by Letters and â—â—aracters or choice of Days either in