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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A19798	A dialogue of witches, in foretime named lot-tellers, and novv commonly called sorcerers VVherein is declared breefely and effectually, vvhat soueuer may be required, touching that argument. A treatise very profitable ... and right necessary for iudges to vnderstande, which sit vpon lyfe and death. Written in Latin by Lambertus Danæus. And now translated into English.; De venificis quos olim sortilegos, nunc autem vulgo sortarios vocant, dialogus. English	Daneau, Lambert, ca. 1530-1595?; Twyne, Thomas, 1543-1613, attributed name.	1575 (1575)	STC 6226; ESTC S109219	58,911	164

such kindes of witches in the world which we cal diuelish sorcerers Answere mée Anthony doe you agrée with the most holy word of God Anthony God forbid Theophilus that I should disagrée from the same Theop. Therin do you wel for as we are taught in the second Epistle of S. Peter the first Chapter and xix verse The scripture wherin the word of God is contayned is the most sure light and truth which is also inspired from aboue as witnesseth S. Paul in the second Epistle to Timothe the third chapter and xvi verse which notwithstanding the Atheistes of our age do despise and contemne Anthony From those do I vtterly disagrée Theophilus and through the grace of God do I throughly beléeue and yéeld to that holie word Theophil The same woord of God which you acknowledge confesse to be most certen most true hath confirmed that of auncient tyme there haue bin of this kinde of Satanicall witches and Sorcerers which declareth sufficiently that there are certen such witches Looke in the olde testament in the xviii chapter of Deuteronomie looke in the xxvii Chapter and ix verse of Ieremie vpon which place Sainct Ierome thus writeth And Malefici which we may call VVitches or suche as obey the illusions of the diuell whiche are called in the Hebrue tongue Cassaphim Read● Micheas the .v Chapter .xii. verse where as suche witches are ioyned with deuinours and Magicians Reade the .lviii. Psalme and the .viii. verse Read Nahum the Prophete the .iii. Chapter .iiii. verse and such other lyke plac●s And if also you would haue the same prooued vnto you out of the new testament which is the second part of holy Scripture Reade the Epistle of Sainct Paul to the Galathians the third Chapter and first verse Likewyse the .v. Chapter and .xx. verse whereby the most approued and best learned Interpretours both olde new do as it were by one consent agrée that there be certen sorcerers which by diuellish meanes practizes doe hurt the myndes bodies liues of men Anthony You haue recited vnto me very many places which at leasure I will reade at home and conferre together Theophil As touching other aucthours aswell ecclesiasticall as profane wryters who so would recite them all shal see they be infinite proouing affirming notwithstanding all of them that there are certen sorcerers of which I think it not necessary to recite all but onely certen of them Anthony You must studie to be briefe for my part I wil be content with a few Theophil Of ecclesiasticall wryters in nūber of whom I comprehend those bookes of holy Scripture which are called Apocryphi I must first bring foorth for wytnesse the booke of Wisedom the .xij. chap. .iiij. verse Bicause they vsed fortune telling and vvitchcraft sayth he speaking of the Cananites and vvicked sacrifices Secondly the counsel of Carthage also the secōd of Cōstantinople which was in Trullū the .lx. article Wheras namely plainly mēcion is made of these kinde of witches their wickednesse is termed deadly witchcraft Thirdly I wil bring forth Aurelius Augustine to witnesse cheefly in his CC. .vij. sermon of the time which he maketh with great affection against such kinde of men whom also he calleth enchaunters shewing howe they worke their f●ates by ayde of the Diuell making some that are in health to be sicke some that are sick to be whole Moreouer the same August in the .7 treatise vpō the gospel of s. Iohn doth plainly accurse al such which work by enchātmētz bindings other strange meanes of our enemie which is the Diuel therby hurting both men other thinges And fourthly to conclude Trithemius Abbot of Spanhem hath writtē set forth an whole boke of the same argument wherin he answereth vnto those questiōs which wer propoūded vnto him by Maximiliā emperour of the Germanes great graūdfather vnto him which liueth at this presēt What besides this wil you heare Anthony other testimonies of other men yea lawes thēselues Ther is an aūciēt wel known law of the .12 tables which punishid these witches who as was said could remoue corne frō one field into another of which law Plynie writeth in the 28. booke of the natural history the .2 chap. Is ther not also another Romane law of lesse antiquitie thē the lawes of y 12. tables called Lex Cornelia which cōdēneth greuously punisheth the same kind of people Among the Emperours of Constātinople Leo in a certen cōstitution of his which is the 6● doth the same Finally Virgil a man wel seene in al kind of knowlege both in the .3 Eclogue also in the .8 testifieth that there are such that I may ouerpas Troilus de Malueto a great Lawier and Martin Arlaeus a Deuine with me and those welnigh innumerable which liued in later tyme then the aboue named testifying al for a trueth that there are some of this kinde of detestable diuellish witches These be witnesses sufficiēt or els I know not what is sufficient Anthony Yea surely they be moe witnesses then I would wel de●ier But gētle Theophilus I pray you put me out of this one doubt which much troubleth me Theophilus What is that Anthony This forsooth for that S. Ierome a man of no small accompt in his Commentaries vpon the Epistle of S. Paul to the Galathians the .iii. Chap. first verse which place you alleaged erewhile for cōfirmation of your opinion séemeth flatly to deny that Paul euer ment that there were any Sorcerers notwithstanding that hée wryteth thus O ye foolish Galathians vvho hath bevvitched you But therein S. Paul speaketh according to the common custome of men and vulgare opinion not that he beléeued or knewe that there were any such at all Theophil Truely Anthony you haue perfectly recited without booke the m●aning of S. Ierome and surely at the first Ierome in déede séemeth to be of the same opinion but afterwarde vpon the same he addeth a nother thing and straightwayes chaūgeth his opinion which that you may the better perceiue I haue here copied foorth the whole place Bewitching sayth sainct Ierome is sayde properly to hurt infantes and such as are but of tender yeares and not perfectly able to goe alone VVhereuppon a certen heathen wryter hath sayd I know not sure what eie bewitched hath my tēder Lambes This whether it were truely spokē or not God knoweth For it may be that Diuell● may be redy to accomplish this wickednes turning thē away from their good workes● vvhom soeuer they see to beegin or to procede in fulfilling the worke of god So that this may be the cause that we suppose this exāple to haue been taken vpon the opinion of the common people By which woordes it appeareth how doubtfull vncerten that man was in this poynt being also in some other places of the same commentaries very sharply iustly blamed as namely by Augustine of s. Paules lye that no man may think it

other questions that you shall demaund Anthony I much reioyce with my self that I fynde you so frendly towardes mee and I much desire Theophilus to heare these thinges of you Howbeit yeeld this much to the slownesse of my vnderstandyng not to preuent mee but gently and orderly to answere vnto all thinges as I shal require them Theophil I will doo so Anthony And I am the more gladder that I haue founde the occasion to heare and learne sumwhat of you touching so necessarie a matter since this question now a dayes is very much disputed vppon being almost no sort of men by whom it is not tos●ed but so diuers●y that almost they agrée nothing togither whyle some folow this and some that opinion peremptorely determining of the same more often vpon rashnesse of wit then w●ight of reason Moreouer the matter being of no smale accompt I am aff●arde least if I should erre in it I might be deceyued through lacke of skill in so profitable a question Theoph. I hold with your iudgement since I haue séene sundry so doubtfull and vncerten in this behalfe that they haue twise chaunged their opinion in one day and in the afternoone haue bin of contrary iudgement to that which themselues thought true in the morning And I haue séene some so ernest in denying it and so hard of beléef for want of knowledge that neither sufficient witnesses neyther constant confessing of their owne crime and acknowledging and detesting of the same by those that haue bin conuicted thereof could bring them from their erronious minde and in fine induce them to beleue that there are sorcerous witches Wherefore I thinke it very necessary to determine what is to be folowed therein Anthonie I longe therefore to heare your opinion Howbeit such as came from Paris and reported these tidinges vnto vs shewed vs moreouer that a certen Spanish Iesuite named Maledonatus a man as you perceaue of euyll name and as bad lucke had disputed and entreated so curiously of all this whole argument that he had weried his hearers were they neuer so desirous of these matters proposyng this theame openly and publishing a Booke wherin he professeth that he will intreate of Deuilles Theophil For my part my fréend Anthony I first protest that I will not at all in this though it be a profitable question lay as it were foorth vnto you the way vnto these vayne babling proofes and curious disputations For curiositie aryseth of vanitie and is the mother of debate and fruitlesse toile studie busines alwaies worthyly condemned by good men euen as it is written in the 18. Chapter and the second verse of the Prouerbs A foole shal not please him selfe in his vnderstanding but when his hart shal be opened But for this purpose I haue entred into this matter to the end I might drawe if it were possible this opinion out of the myndes of many wherby they stand in denial how that ther are no Sorcerers at all or that they can hurt or destroy nothyng Wherefore such men do fauour them and are afrayd if haply they shall come into their hands to condemne and punish them although they be manifestly cōuicted to be witches and are prooued by diabolicall and sorcerous artes to haue done much mischief Wherfore vnlesse very necessitie at this present moued and vrged mée therto ▪ I would not vtter one word touching that point For it behoueth vs to imitate the auncient Christians who vtterly banished all kynde of curious knowledge out of their scooles and assembles and threwe their vnprofitable bookes into the fyre which was done in s. Paules tyme in the lesser Asia as it is mencioned by Sainct Luke in the Actes the ix Chapter and xix verse And surely if wée will confesse the truth there be many farre more profitable questions and those more beséeming a Christian man howbeit peraduenture not so plausible to the vaine conceipt of our iudgment since we be al of this gréedie desire that wée would reach aboue the heauens and search out all things that are beneath the bottome of hell Anthony I perceyue what it is that you mistrust and with what feare you begin to handle this matter doubting least they which shall heare or reade the same shal séeme hereafter rather therby to fynde or take occasion of farther follie then godlinesse such I meane as they bee which desire to heare these thinges not thereby the more to confirme themselues in the feare of God and submit themselues vnder his mightie hand and with humble thankes and great admiration of mynde in respect of so good and gratious a God to aduance the goodnesse of our heauenly father towardes mankynde in that he preserueth vs from the most daungerous and secret subtelties of the Diuell and his members the Sorcerers but rather that there is a most large field thereby opened vnto them wherein they may runne and wander fréely farre without the true boundes of fayth who well deserue to bée accoumpted in the number of those which alwayes séeke and neuer learne alwayes doubting but neuer determining The second Epistle to Timothe the third Chapter and seuenth verse Theoph. You say trueth frende Anthony for there is nothing more daungerous nor hurtfull then to giue a foole occasion to continue in his follie or a curious fellowe in curious quiddities In this poynt therefore frende Anthonie I craue pardon of you in that I declare perticularly how manie and what sortes of Diuels there bée howe they differ what is their state what bée their coolours and of what humors they consist finally what dealinges they haue among themselues and many such other trif●ing matters which by them is most exquisitely and diligently handled which would be accompted of the more subtile sort among the scholastical Doctors For my part surely I am not accustomed willingly to dispute of diuels and their ministers the sorcerers whom I abhor and detest notwithstanding as most lothsome monsters sauadge beastes Neither will I haue any societie or league with them I acknowledge that through the benefit of almightie God their artes practizes are so far knowne vnto mée as we may only haue vnderstanding thereof by the most holy word of god That if any heathen man or the philosopher Iamblicus with his monstrous religion if Proclus or if the coulde christian Psellus haue waded any thing déeper into the knowledge of these things with more diligēce sought out the secretes of diuels and written therof then I do intend I enuie not at it and I easyly yeeld vnto them the knowledge of such vglie matters so that I may kepe the knowledge of true godlinesse and dayly increase therin which is the only saluation of mankynde by which as Sainct Iohn saith in the seuententh Chapter and third verse wée do know the true God and him whom he sent Iesus Christ. Anthony Truely Theophilus I doe not wish to haue the knowledge of any such things but after a modest sort

be true Theophilus Wherin then doe you disagrée from me Anthony Antho. Forsooth in these thrée thinges First in this that the Sorcerers say and you likewise folowing the truthe of their confession doe affirme the same that verely and corporally they bée present in those assemblies which are called by Satan Secondly where you say that they bee caried by Satan vnto those places Thirdly in that whiche you sayde laste that they can intoxicate men without any mingling of poyson For I can not perswade my selfe that any thing can possibly be by méere voyces wordes figures or charecters hurte holpen poysoned or intoxicated Theophilus I will answere you orderly to these thrée poyntes And as touching the first Doe you not thinke Anthony that Sorcerers doe méete togither and be present in those their diuelishe conuenticles and Synagogues notwithstanding that they vaunt themselues thereof How I pray you then doe you thinke it is Anthony Onely in cogitation of mind and illusion of the Diuell like as in our sléepe we thinke that we haue seene many thinges and to haue beene in suche places where we neuer were and many times that we haue talken with those that are very farre of from vs yea perhaps more than two hundred miles The like whereof happeneth to Sorcerers through crafte of the Diuel who sundry times also deludeth vs in other matters in so muche that oftentimes we thinke that we see touche and feele thinges whiche in deede we neither see nor feele And that you shal not thinke that I am of this opinion without sufficient reason I haue many excellent learned and auncient men of myne opinion Throughout all the discourse of this question you haue often commended Sainct Augustine But he in place where he intreateth of the chaunged shapes of men as in the .xviii. booke de Ciuitate Dei teacheth howe thinges that are beléeued and supposed doo so come to passe in déede for as much as therein that power of the minde which is one of the chiefe fiue and is termed the Phantasie and resteth in the foremost part of the brayne I meane the phantasie is hurt and disturbed by Satans meanes and the outwarde senses buried and by him maruelously troubled Why then should we not so thinke of the méeting and presence of Sorcerers And if drunken men when hote vapours ascende out of their stomackes into their brayne suppose they see such thinges as be absent and if the sickenesse of melancholie doe persuade many thinges to those that are sicke of that disease whiche they neyther doe sée nor are present we may thinke and define that these thinges happen to Sorcerers by illusion of Satan who is of greater force than any of the aboue named causes to trouble the vertues and powers of the minde and not to thinke that in déede such thinges be present or that them selues be in place where they suppose For Satan is able to hurt binde the powers of the minde and strength of the body as Thomas Aquinas teacheth and as before him S. Augustine in the .vii. booke of Genesis vpon the letter the .xi. Chapter hath written Besides this the same S. Augustine in a certayne Epistle of his vnto his familiar friend Nebridius which is the .lxxii. in number distinguisheth the thrée kinds of our fantastical sightes and appearances The first kinde is of them whiche our fantasie or imagination conceaueth of thinges whiche we haue seene The seconde kinde is of thinges whiche our fantasie it selfe hath founde out the lyke whereof it neuer see nor hearde of before The thirde kynde is of thinges whyche our imagination conceaueth and deuiseth vppon the wordes and reporte of other And these ●oyes and imaginations of Sorcerers are of the second kinde namely when our fantasie of herselfe deuiseth and imagineth many thinges Which that I may more substantially confirme vnto you out of the same Authour the same S. Augustine in the hundred and one Epistle to Euodius of straunge sightes writeth that when those sightes are so liuely and effectually represented vnto vs that wee thinke verely wee haue seene them for all that our soules doe not wander out of our bodies neyther goe abroade in those places wherein wee thought our selues conuersaunt but they remayne within our bodies euen in the same moment wherein they behelde those thinges so euidently so that it happeneth by meanes of the obiectes that we see them In the meane season our bodely senses are asleepe within vs so that they can by no meanes be awaked while wee bee occupied in this sighte whereby it happeneth that afterwarde wee beeing awaked suppose that wee talked and dranke and eate and sawe all those thinges The reason is because the liuely and effectuall fourme of all those thinges was represented vnto our mynde wherewith wee were then busied And examples heereof are commonly to bee found● in the same Sainct Augustine For in the hundred Epistle he maketh mention of a certayne Phisition of Carthage called Gennadius who doubting whether after this life there were another to bée hoped for sawe the companies of Aungels and hearde the●● singing so playnely in his sleepe that hee thoughte hee was in heauen whose body notwithstanding lay all the while in the bedde and remayned in the Chamber as hee him selfe afterwarde confessed Likewise in the .xviij. booke De Ciuitate Dei the .xviij. Chapter hee telleth of another who affirmed for a truth that he conferred with a certen Platonicall Philosopher in his sléepe concerning Platoes writinges of whom hee learned the Authours meaning in a certayne place whiche before he vnderstoode not In the booke which is intituled Vitae Patrum the life of the Fathers it is written of a certayne father who not in the night nor in a dreame but at midde day and broade light when he behelde with his eyes his owne daughter it seemed to him that he sawe a Cowe whiche notwithstanding others and especially Macharius acknowledged and testified that it was a humane creature and a Uirgin What Theophilus haue not you your self somtime read in the xvj booke De Diebus Genialibus whiche are written by Alexander Neopolitanus the .xxi. Chapter of a certeyne accused person who thought that he wente downe to hell whereof he reported to the Iudge moste euident testimonies For he discouered and opened a certayne secrete of his whiche was knowne to no man What in the xxvi Canon of Bishop the .v. question whiche was copied foorth of the Counsell of Aquilea is it not there openly pronounced that all these voyces and imaginations of Sorcerers are but vayne showes meere toyes and illusions of the mynde whyche Satan chyefe workeman of suche trumperie representeth vnto them theyr bodyes notwithstandyng remayning styll in the same place In conclusion that I may at length shut vp all this place these bée the wordes either of S. Augustine or whosoeuer els was aucthour of that booke which is intituled De spiritu litera where in the 28. chapter he writeth thus VVherefore

trust in him and wonder at him and worship him in respect of his great power when as in déed it is he that caryeth them and beareth them on his shoulders whither as they should goe Anthony But let him that list Theophilus get him such a seruant for my part surely I refuse him and with all my hart I renounce him Theophil And so doo I also Anthony but are you persuaded in that which I haue tolde you Anthony Almost truely But I pray you answere mée to my third obiection and this doubt which troubleth my mynde Theophil What is that Anthony It séemeth vnto mée that Sorcerers can not intoxicate any vnlesse they cast in minister poyson vnto them For it séemeth vnto mee incredible that they cā hurt only by meere enchaūtments figures wordes hallowinges curfinges or charecters vnlesse they mingle poison therwith But if Satan geue them the poyson which they mingle or teach them how to mingle it then doo I not doubt but that they may easily intoxicate And I doo not deny but that Satan is passing skilfull in such kinde of witchcraft and Sorcery For hee knoweth excellent well the nature and properties of all thinges created which S. Augustine witnesseth in the third booke De Diuinatione Daemonum But surely I can not persuade my self that hee can intoxicate or hurt any man without poyson powder or roote For as for wordes numbers figures a certen fourme of woordes with certen peculiar mumblinges of prayers in prescribed order of wordes with charecters were not deuised to inuenim men but plainly vnto other maner purposes lyke as father Irenaeus plainly prooueth in the second booke the xl xliij chapters which vaine opinion of some not only that good Christian father but also Aristotle an Ethnick writer in some place laugheth at much lesse ought wee Christians allow it Moreouer this matter is ruled ouer by most certen demonstrations of naturall Philosophie namely that there can no action be done without a meane comming betwéene and applied to the extreame and outwarde partes of the thing suffering As for example If you shoue mée your hande toucheth me when I waxe warme against the fyre first the fyre warmeth the ayre then the ayre warmeth mée which commeth not to passe that any meane cōmeth betwéene when there is any intoxication or inchaunting committed by wordes or charecters or figures or any fourme or order of wordes And therefore Pliny a writer well séene in all kinde of learning in the xxviij booke ij chapter of the history of nature plainly denieth with mee that there can no such thing be done Theophil You séeme vnto mee Anthony to be now a great deale better learned then before in the beginning of our communicatiō where you made mencion only of your knowledge which you gathered out of the grammer schoole but now you declare your self to be a profound natural Philosopher by reasō wherof I haue the harder conflict with you yet will I answere vnto your question will you deny that Anthony which is written in the 58. Psalme the v. vi verse of the Serpent which is thus expressed In them the poyson and the breath of Serpentes doo appeare Yea like the Adder that is deafe and fast doth stoppe her eare Bicause shee wil not heare the voice of one that charmeth well No though he were the chief of choice and did therin excell Anthony No not so Theophil Then can you not deny but that Magitians and Sorcerers doo worke their feates doo hurt by soundes wordes and enchauntmentes Anthony But they can not doo so but by some meane Theophil That is true which you say For there commeth betwéene some meane and middle apt agréeable to the execution of these bewitchinges which meane is only knowne vnto Satan not vnto vs nor vnto the Sorcerers themselues So that in the end Satan bringeth that to passe which I prooue vnto you either by mingling poisō or some otherway wonderful not able to be perceiued by vs whatsoeuer it is which vnto vs semeth to be wrought only bi those figures fourmes of words and charecters Anthony After what sort is it done so I pray you Theophil First by vertue of their league and couenant Satan commeth vnto them when they coniure and call him accomplishing their requestes perfourming whatsoeuer hee promised should be done by vertue and force of those figures wordes or charecters to the end hee may séeme true and mightie and to beare them in hand that the thinges which he hath shewed them are of great power and effect By which meanes he both maketh these vayne people more beholding vnto him and enforceth them to worship him with more deuotion And thus hee manifestly transporteth vnto creatures the office and duetie of the maiestie and power of God whereby men may more willingly forsake God and amazedly cleaue vnto creatures that is to say become perfect Idolaters Moreouer hee endeuoreth by this meanes after the maner of an Ape to counterfeit and imitate the true sacramentes which God hath geuen to his church and to bring them in contempt and to make his counterfeites match vnto them finally hee turneth the force effect of the thinges which are signified vnto the signes which doo signifie them Anthony These thinges then are not wrought by woordes alone or by certen fourmes of Charecters only but by mediation of certen poysons priuely and secretly vsed by Satan him self after an vnknowne maner which he hath not taught the Sorcerers Theophil You say well Anthony For there is in Satan great craft and cunning to couer his wickednesse mischief wherfore the couenant which hee maketh with them séemeth vnto mée to be like the bargaine which twoo théeues make when they goe forth into the woddes to thintent to rob for that they may the better hide thēselues and the more easily and warely lay wayte for such as trauaile by the way Thus doo they and thus agrée they that one of them shall euermore be séene in the way the other lye hid in the woodes who notwithstanding at a certen whistle ▪ watchword whereupon they haue agréed starteth forth and murthereth the traueiler howbeit the other his fellowe who is also priuie of the fact for the most part neither séeth ne knoweth with what weapon the other doth the déede The same also may be declared vnto you by another example Noble men which beare any great hatred or malice against other are woont to retaine bold and desperate Ruffians into seruice and to haue them alwayes attending vpon them vnto whom when they shall geue a signe by some priuie meanes which none know but themselues then doo they sodeinly flye vpon those whom their Maister and Lord is fallen out withall yea many tymes though their Maisters be absent or not séeing them who notwithstanding willed thē to doo so In like maner at the signes and tokens appointed Satan is immediately present fulfilling whatsoeuer the Sorcerers will him to doo that he may

alwayes haue thē more more obedient vnto him Yea I wil moreouer say thus much that these figures charecters are of themselues but meere toyes colourable trifles to bleare mens eyes which being layd before thē by their most wicked schoolemaister doo kéepe vnto him those his wretched schollars who séeke for no other nor truer cause of that euent although in déed they be of no force to bring the thing to effect which they goe about neither doo the Sorcerers vnderstand how much they doo auaile But like as certen iuglers which would séeme to doo many straunge feates in the midst of a circle or ring of people by sundry gestures casting of the handes and with much babling and prittle prattle of wordes doo fil wéery the eares and eyes of the lookers on that they shall not perceiue how in the place of one little bal they lay down thrée or foure which they kept couertly betweene their fingers which notwithstāding is all done by nimblenes of their handes so likewise Satan representeth these vaine and friuolous colours showes of figures woordes vnto the eyes of his accomplises whom hee is willing to kéepe from the diligent inquiry of suche matters y being amoped with thē only they may be stay●d vnto him and not searche with any greater care or diligence what should bee the grounde and cause of the matter which notwithstanding are of no suche kynde or nature of causes as may bring foorthe any such effect Anthony Tell me then Theophilus by what meanes worketh Satā in déed whilest he would séeme to worke by enchauntmentes or superstitious describing of Charecters or certen fourmes of prayers Theophil I am about to doo so And to begin with all I am certen and well assured of this that Satan can doo nothing but by naturall meanes and causes For whatsoeuer hee doth eyther by him self or by his the Magicians Sorcerers it is altogither eyther illusion of their myndes and eyes or only the true effect of naturall causes As for any other thing or that is of more force hee can not doe it Anthony Can hee not also worke miracles as Sainct Paule sayeth in the second to the Thessalonians the second chapter the ix verse And Sainct Iohn in the reuelation the sixtene Chapter and fourtenth verse Theophilus What call you a miracle Anthony Anthony I call a miracle a certaine worke which is done in a natural body cōtrary to the naturall course and disposition thereof created by god As for example when iron swimmeth vpon the water as is reported in the story of Elias in the second booke of kinges the vi Chapter and vj. verse when a stone flitteth vpon the water when water is truely turned into wine when the dead are vnfeynedly restored vnto lyfe Theophil Truely you haue properly defined a miracle For as Sainct Augustine writeth y must only be called a miracle which surmounteth the power of all thinges created neither can be wrought by them So that a miracle is only the worke of Gods power being most worthely and properly to be tearmed by that name But Sainct Paule and the Reuelation in those places which you haue commended vse not this worde so strictly and precisely but rather more at large for any kinde of woorke which may séeme straunge and meruelous vnto men although it procéede from naturall meanes and causes So that this worde Miracle is oftentymes vsed for that which may more rightly bée called a woonder For as touching a Miracle Satan truely is able to worke none as you haue most properly described a Miracle Anthony Is there then any diuersitie betwéene a woonder and a Miracle Theoph. Yea very large whether you haue respect to the name or to the thing And as touching the word Mirū a wonder which is also called of Greciās 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is one thing Miraculū a Miracle called also 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 another S. Augustine so distinguisheth these words in the third booke De Trinitate So that a wonder is a worke which is not vulgare or cōmon ▪ yet that is wrought by naturall causes Howbeit they be many times vnknowne vnto vs or known to fewe only or else are done by such meanes as we men cānot vse or are not wont or haue not lerned to doo in the same or the like matter As for example sake when that great cunning workman also famous Philosopher Archytas Tarentinus shewed openly to the people a doue of wood which flue in the ayre it was a wonderful thing but it was no miracle For this motion was caused in the woodden body through certen equallitie of weight by meanes of certē lines workmanship and by so neare narrow ioyning of them that one drew foreward another so all that worke was but naturall Likewise when the same Archytas caused as it is written by Plutarch in the life of Mercellus y whilest Syracu●e in Sicilia was beséeged one lad drew after him plucked on land by an hooke a ship for burthen of monstrous weight and bignes it was a wonderfull péece of worke but no miracle For it was done by naturall meanes by deuises of rowles and turning wormes gathered out of the Mathematical rules So likewise learned Phisitions woorke many wonders and so doo handicraftes men but no miracles Therefore as touching wonders that bee so called Satan can easily and with small traueile worke many those far more excellēt thē we men cā in respect that his strēgth wit is much better thē ours yet for all this he can worke no miracles Anthony Why so Theophil For sundry causes chiefly for thrée And first in respect of the excellencie of his nature aboue ours For hée is of an Angelicall and Spirituall nature and wee are earthly and carnall by reason whereof hee can doo many thinges which we can not Secondly for his moouing and the great quicknes of dooing his actions For in a moment he can come so long a iourney as wee that are heauy and slowe can not doo the like in six dayes So that in a minute hee can passe from one place to another be it neuer so far a sunder for the ayre doth not stay nor let him Thirdly for his manifold skil in the natures of thinges and longe experience which hée hath gotten to whose if ours were compared it is but ignorance whereby it commeth to passe that hee hath the knowledge and can worke in such sort as we are not able to attaine to the lyke Anthony How chaunceth it then that as you say Satan can worke no miracles Theophilus Fyrst bicause that in woorking of miracles it behooueth to destroy take away the nature from thinges which God hath geuen them which Satan can not doo for it belongeth to god only that as hee can create and make the nature of thinges so can he also ouerthrow and destroy it Secondly that in a miracle it is