riches and such like temporall benefits which soone passe away and oftentimes as I haue prooued before are cause of the vtter ruine of him that hath them What madnes is it then for vs in regard of such momentany and transitory things in going to such kind of men to procure gods iust iudgement to fall vpon owne heads vnto our eternall destruction Yea and sometimes euen in this life God layeth his punishment vpon such offenders as I haue said before and as it is manifest by the first chapter of the second booke of the King where the Lord affirmeth by the mouth of Elias that because that Abaziah had sent vnto Baalzebub the God of Ekron concerning the recouery of his health Therefore he should not come off from his bedde where he did lie but should most certainely die And we haue a most fearefull example of king Saul of the iudgement of God against this sinne The which if it be duly weighed and considered according to all the circumstances thereof it will be sufficient to ouerthrow all excuses of going vnto sorcerers as it will appeare by the history therof set downe in the scripture For whereas in the 28. cap. of the first booke of Samuel vers 3. It is said that Saul had put away the sorcerers and the south-sayers out of the land It followeth in the next two vers That the Philistims assembled themselues and came and pitched in Shunem And Saul assembled all Israel and they pitched in Giboa And when Saul saw the host of the Philistims he was afraid his heart was sore astonied Now Saul being in this miserable extremity at the first vsed gods ordinary meanes and as it is in the 6. vers he asked counsell of the Lord. And because the Lord did not answer him neither by dreames nor by Vrim nor yet by prophets The which were meanes whereby often times it pleased God to reueale his will vnto men in those daies Therefore Saul being thus beset with his enemies and seeing that God did not vouchsafe albeit he had sought vnto him in some measure as he thought to instruct him any waies what he was to doe in this case whether to yield or to ioyne battell with the Philistims neither what successe he should haue in this busines Therfore I say as one that would not or peraduenture as he thought that could not stay the Lords leisure he resolued to leaue off seeking any more vnto him but to the diuell therupon he went to Endor to aske counsell of asorceresse which dwelt there as it followeth in the same chapter But what was the end of this act of his Truly a most miserable destruction both of himselfe as also of many of the Israelites his subiects as appeareth most notably both in the 31. chapter of this booke and likewise in the 10. chapter of the first booke of the Chronicles where it is said that the Philistims compelled the Israelites to flie slue his three sonnes Ionathan Abinadab and Melchisna and draue Saul into such a streight that he killed himselfe for feare with his owne sword and the Philistims finding his body dead amongst the rest of the slaine hung it vp reprochfully vpon the wall of their city Bethsan And least any should thinke that this punishment did not happen for seeking vnto such wicked and abominable sorcerers it is said in the 13. and 14. verses of the aforesaid 10. chapt of the first booke of the Chroni that Saul dyed for his transgression that he committed against the Lord euen against the word of the Lord which he kept not And in that he sought and asked Counsell of a familiar spirit and asked not of the Lord therefore the Lord slewe him and turned the kingdome vnto Dauid the sonne of Ishay Heere in this historie we may plainely perceiue that no cause or occasion can free from punishment or make the going vnto sorcerers tollerable For then might Saul haue had some excuse who sought not for helpe of them vntill he was in such distresse and daunger both of his owne life and of his peoples that hee sawe as it seemed to him no other way or meanes of escape neither did hee goe vnto them vntill hee had first asked counsaile of the Lord and that hee had as it were refused to heare or answer him in this his extremity by any meanes allowable as it is heere said Neither by dreames nor by Vrim nor by Prophets And yet notwithstanding it is saide in this 10. chapter of the first booke of Chronicles that because he sought and asked counsaile of a familiar spirit and asked not of the Lord therefore the Lord slue him c. Where we see that verified which is spoken in the 18. cap. of Ezechiel vers 24. viz. If the righteous turne away from his righteousnes and commit iniquitie and doe according to all the abominations that the wicked man doth shall he liue all the righteousnes that he hath done shall not be mentioned but in his transgression that he hath committed and in the sinnes that he hath sinned in them shall hee die For albeit Saul is said in the 28. chap. of the first booke of Samuel vers 6. That Saul asked counsell of the Lord and the Lord answered him not Yet because hee left off that good course which hee had begunne and afterward went vnto a sorcerer it was all one as if he had not asked counsaile of the Lord at all He ought rather to haue repented him of his sinnes and to haue turned vnto the Lord by faithfull and heartie prayer and amendment of life and then no doubt the Lord would haue hearkened vnto him and haue graunted his petition so soone and so farre forth as he had thought it meetest and best for him at least wise in the world to come This knew king Dauid very well and that was the cause that mooued him in the 2. booke of Sam. cap. 15. when as Absolon his sonne pursued him with an host of men and brought him vnto such a distresse that he was compelled to flie for the safegard of his life to yield himselfe in all humanity vnto the meere mercy and goodnesse of God and to waite the Lords leisure as it appeareth in the 25. and 26. vers of the same chapter by the words which he spake vnto Zadok the high priest who had brought the Arke of God out of the city in that flight saying vnto him the said Zadok Carry the Arke of God againe into the citie If I shall finde fauour in the eyes of the Lord he will bring me againe and shew me both it and the tabernacle thereof But if he thus say I haue no delight in thee behold heere I am let him doe to me as seemeth good in his eies So that this was his resolution to depend vpon the mercifull prouidence of God whatsoeuer it should please God to doe with him He did not as king Saul had done before him who sought for helpe and
it were light out of darknesse and therefore foreseeing that God would turne this their wicked act into his owne glory and the furtherance of the Gospell therefore Satan being as it were in a rage for this their vnseasonable vsing of the name of the Lord Iesus in their charmes at such a time and in such a place as they did deale thus with them Whereas at other times when it might haue serued his owne turne better no doubt he would haue beene so farre from hurting them for such an act that he would haue seemed to yield vnto them therein that thereby he might the better haue confirmed his wicked craft of magicke and sorcery Nay it is to be doubted that euen at this time he would haue giuen place at the aforesaid words vttered by the sorcerers if the wonderfull prouidence of God had not ouer-ruled him who by this act had determined to glorifie the Gospel of his sonne Christ Iesus as it may appeare by the 17 18 and 19 verses following where it is set downe That after this was knowne both Iewes and Gentiles which dwelt at Ephesus magnified the name of the Lord Iesus confessing their sinnes And among the rest those that had vsed vaine and curious artes that is charmes inchantments coniuring and other magicall deuises came moreouer and brought their vaine books and burned them in the sight of the people The worth of them being counted came at the least rate to about eight hundred pounds For hereby they were driuen to consider more deepely of the infinit power of the Godhead of Christ Iesus to tame the vnbridled rage and malice of Satan and also the wicked vanitie of magicall conceits whereby these sorcerers could bring nothing to passe and finally the punishment of the same which albeit it may seeme not to be so great to be beaten and wounded yet whosoeuer shall weigh the circumstances of the text shall finde that it was no ordinarie kinde of combate that did driue the beholders into such a maze But it was such an one no doubt as the like had not bin seene in their time And it is very likely that they did further conceiue by this example of the iust iudgment of God threatned against such in the scriptures wherein the spirit of God doth mightily inueigh against this kinde of wickednes as in the 10. chapter of Leuiticus vers 27. he commaundeth that they should be put to death in these words If a man or a woman haue a spirit of diuination or sooth-saying in them they shall die the death their blood shall be vpon them And likewise in the 22 cap. of Exodus vers 18. he saith Thou shalt not suffer a witch to liue And the Lord himselfe saith in the 3. cap. of the prophet Malachy vers 5. that he will come in iudgement and that he will be a swift witnesse against the south-sayers Wherefore the good king Iosiah in the feare of the Lord tooke away all that had familiar spirits and the sooth-sayers as it is in the second booke of the King cap. 23. vers 24. But it may be that some men will obiect and say that these places seeme to be vnderstood of those onely which haue made as it were a real contract or haue priuate conference with the diuell the which is a thing that themselues will confesse to be abominable But as for all those which vse any other kind of conceit or deuise whether by word character or otherwise so it be not manifestly wicked and blasphemous they will defend their doings therein to be good or at least wise not hurtfull To these I answer that let them looke into the booke of God and they shall finde the one as well as the other to be condemned as namely in the 18. cap. of Deut. the spirit of God hath these words viz. Let none be found among you that maketh his sonne or his daughter to goe through the fire or that vseth witchcraft or a regarder of times or a marker of the flying of foules or a sorcerer or a charmer or that counselleth with spirits or a sooth-sayer or that asketh counsell of the dead For all that doe such things are abomination vnto the Lord and because of those abominations the Lord thy God doth cast them out before thee c. VVhere we may euidently see and perceiue a difference to be made betweene the one and the oother and that not onely contracts counselling and conference with spirits is forbidden but also all other kinds of vaine friuolous and superstitious artes are counted abominable vnto the Lord as namely witchcraft the original words do signifie him which vseth diuining of which sort are those which will tell of things lost stolne or conueied away and other such like hidden and secret things Secondly regarders of times as they are which will haue one time more lucky then another To be borne at one hower more vnfortunate then at another To take a iourney or any other enterprise in hand to be more dangerous or prosperous at one time then at another As likewise if such a festiuall day fall vpon such a day of the weeke or such like we shall haue such a yeare following and many other such like vaine speculations set downe by our astrologians hauing neither footing in gods word nor yet natural reason to support them But being grounded onely vpon the superstitious imagination of mans braine Wherefore this kinde is much spoken against in the booke of God as I haue somewhat touched before The next are the markers of the flying or noise of foules as they which prognosticate death by the croaking of rauens or the hideous crying of owles in the night Or some misfortune if a hare do crosse a man with many other such like vaine and wicked toyes By sorcerers in this place seemeth to be vnderstood those wicked persons which take in hand to hurt any man in his body or goods wherefore the old translation termeth them maleficos as it were harme-doers or workers of mischiefe And because these kind of people doe oftentimes vse crafty and cunning sleights to bring their matters to passe therfore they are by Tremellius called Praestigiatores of their iugling trickes of leger demaine whereby the senses of men being deluded they would seeme to doe one thing when as they doe another and that by another meanes then in shew they pretend And of this sort seeme our witches to be among vs whose doings in this behalfe it would belong and needles to recount seeing that they be so well knowne by common speach and experience As for Inchanters and Charmers for they are both one I haue spoken somewhat before although not all that might be said to that purpose These are they which by vsing of certaine conceited words characters circles amulets and such like vaine and wicked trumpery by gods permission doe worke great maruailes as namely in causing of sicknesse as also in curing diseases in mens bodies And likewise binding
vpon the feete girdle and crowne of the said Diana the which if a man did vse hauing written them out and carrying them about him hee should haue good lucke in all his businesses and hereof sprung the prouerbe Ephesiae literae where one vseth any thing which bringeth good successe And it is very likely that a great part of those bookes which are said to be burned in this 19 chapter of the Actes were filled with such like vaine and friuolous deuices Of which sort we haue an infinite number also vsed amongst vs as namely in Palmestry where mens fortunes are tolde by looking on the palmes of the hands and also by foredeeming of euill lucke by pulling on the shooe awry or by the falling of salt toward one and likewise of good lucke if drinke be spilled vpon a man or if he finde olde iron And furthermore by erecting of a figure to tell of stolne goods By the turning of a sieue to shew who hath bewitched one By curing diseases with certaine words or characters or such like with many more foolish and superstitious vanities needles heere to recite seeing that by these fewe we may easily iudge of the rest All which are an abomination vnto the Lord in so much as hee ouerthroweth and rooteth out whole countries because of the same as hee did the Chananites before the children of Israel according as it is set downe in the afore-said 18. cap. of Deuteronomy vers 13. 14. And afterward when the Israelites had committed the like offence the Lord laid the like punishment vpon them as it is manifest in the second booke of the Kings cap. 17 vers 17. where it is said that they made their sonnes and their daughters to passe through the fire and vsed witchcraft and inchauntment yea solde themselues to doe euill in the sight of the Lord to anger him wherefore the Lord was exceeding wroth with Israel and put them out of his sight And if he deale so with whole nations yea with his owne peculiar people among whom no doubt some were godly and religious and abhorred the aforesaid sinnes what shall those particular men look for which do practise the same and take pleasure therein truely nothing else but the heauie and iust iudgement and vengeance of God to be laid vpon them for this their wickednes yea sometimes euen in this world either vpon themselues or vpon their posterity but especially eternall damnation in the world to come with the diuell whome they serue as it appeareth in the 21. chapter of the Apoc. vers 8. where it is said that the fearefull and vnbeleeuing and the abominable and murtherers and whoremongers and sorcerers and idolaters and all lyers shall haue their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone which is the second death Neither let those which goe and seeke to such vaine wizzards and superstitious sorcerers for counsaile helpe thinke to escape the like punishment For the Lord in the 19. chapter of Leuiticus vers 31. forbiddeth the going vnto such in these words You shall not regard them that worke with spirits neither soothsayers ye shall not seeke to them to be defiled by them I am the Lord your God As if hee should haue said see that ye make no account of magitians inchaunters soothsayers or any such like vaine persons and much lesse goe and seeke vnto them for helpe or counsaile lest ye be defiled therewith for it is no better then spirituall fornication for I am the Lord your God which doe abhorre all such vncleanenes who also am able and will surely punish the same And therefore hee saith in the 20. chapter of Leuiticus vers 6. If any turne after such as worke with spirits and after soothsayers to goe a whoring after them then will I set my face against that person will cut him off from among his people The which place albeit it seemeth to be meant of earthly punishment only when as God doth root them so out that there remaineth no memoriall of them as it were in this world that may sound to the good credit of them or theirs Yet it may be vnderstood also of their eternall destruction For euen as Abraham Isaac and Iacob are said Genesis cap. 25. vers 8. cap. 35. vers 29. cap. 49. vers 33. to be gathered vnto their people when they departed this life that is to be receiued into the fellowship of the Saints of God which were gone before them into heauen So those which seeke vnto sorcerers inchanters and such like when they are said to be cut off from among their people may thereby be vnderstood to be for euer separated from the company of the faithfull and to be cast out into hell with the diuel his angels And no maruel though this heauie iudgement bee laid vpon them for there seemeth to be no more difference in effect betwixt them that seeke to the afore-said sorcerers and other such like superstitious practisers then is betwixt a thiefe and him that is accessarie vnto his felony or a traytour and him that consenteth thereunto For although they bee not chiefe and principall actours in this wicked busines yet by seeking vnto such persons they shew their loue and liking of those means which the afore-said persons dovse and that they doe giue their consent thereunto and doe allowe of the same But what of that will some say Indeede if so be that we knew those whome wee seeke vnto to be such as you would beare vs in hand they were then your comparison might well holde But seeing that we are ignorant thereof nay we doe rather take them to be contrarie and their meanes which they vse to be good and lawfull and therfore we are of this opinion that wee may goe vnto them without offence to God albeit vnto others which are not so perswaded of them wee thinke that they doe amisse if they goe vnto such for whatsoeuer is not of faith is sinne To these I answer That herein their knowledge and iudgement is very shallow for the principle and ground which they would seeme to stand vpon in this point is taken out of the 14. chapter of the Epistle to the Romanes and is to bee vnderstood of things indifferent onely as the circumstance of that whole chapter doth set downe vnto vs of which sort are meates and drinkes and the obseruation of festiuall daies The which things albeit of themselues they be neither good nor bad yet in regard of the person and the minde or intent of him that vseth them they may sometimes bee otherwise For he that in vsing them is not fully setled in conscience but is in doubt whether the vse thereof be lawfull or not doth greatly offend and the reason is alleadged in the 23. verse of the same chapter where it is said that Whatsoeuer is not of faith is sinne Now it is certaine by the 10. chapter of this Epistle that true faith is grounded vpon
therefore say that Christians are altogether without faith God forbid that we should thinke so badly of God his people For they haue iustifying faith but that which they call the faith of miracles is alreadie ceased For seeing that the ende of working miracles was to confirme the word as Saint Paul saith 1. Cor. cap. 14. vers 22. of the miraculous gift of languages that it was a token to them that beleeue not and not to them that beleeue to prepare and mooue their mindes to the imbracing of the Gospel which Gospel beeing now a great while since sufficiently prooued and the truth therof established by miracles what needeth the continuance of the said gift amongst vs And that the gift of working miracles was but for a certaine time at the beginning onely bestowed vpon his Church as diuers other spirituall gifts were which are rehearsed in the 12. chap. of the 1. Epist. Cor. it is very manifest because that all the rest of miraculous gifts there recited are ceased out of vse at this present Wherefore the wizzards of these our daies howsoeuer they colour their legerdemaine in this behalfe yet they are farre from the true practise of working miracles giuen and accepted of God by reason that the vse thereof is ceased with the end for which it was giuen and ordained Neither are we to thinke that the hand of the Lord is shortened therby no more then it was when Manna ceased among the Israelites But the Lord knoweth and doth alwaies that which is most conuenient and profitable both for his owne glorie and for our eternall comfort Yea by his prouidence he so moderateth the particular actions of all those vpon whome hee bestoweth this grace of working miracles that they doe nothing in this behalfe but onely as he doth direct and assigne them So Moses did his miracles alwaies at God his appointment and the disciples of our Sauiour Iesus Christ could not heale the lunaticke childe in the 17. chap. of Saint Matthew Howbeit at other times they did greater wonders And the Prophet Nathan in the second booke of Samuel cap. 7. because he was not first directed by God failed in giuing counsaile vnto Dauid to build the temple Neither may wee thinke that it hath beene otherwise in this case with any other of the seruants of God For albeit it bee not expressed alwaies in the scripture yet it is out of doubt that were inwardly ledde by the spirit of God to doe euery particular miracle that they wrought euen as the disciples of our Sauiour Christ were what they should speake in the 10. chapter of Matth. where our Sauiour Christ saith vnto them Take no thought how or what ye shall speake for it shall be giuen you in that houre what ye shall say for it is not ye that speake but the spirit of your father which speaketh in you Wherefore our Sauiour Christ in the 9. chapter of the Gospel after Saint Luke findeth fault with his disciples because they would haue had fire to come downe from heauen vpon the Samaritans as Elias did procure to fall vpon the two fifties of men and their leaders in the 2. booke of the Kings cap. 1. saying that they knew not of what spirit they were as though he should haue said If that ye did know and consider as the truth is that Elias was mooued by the spirit of God to execute his iudgement vpon those men and that ye are onely ledde by your desire of reuenge ye would neuer haue motioned this matter for now ye aske ye wot not what But those that are counted cunning men amongst vs doe at no time looke for God his direction but for the opposition and coniunction of the planets with a sort of other vaine and wicked obseruations fitter for heathen men thē for those that beare the names of Christians which God hath flatly forbidden in the 18. chapter of Deuteronomy and Leuiticus cap. 19. vers 26. and by the Prophet Ieremy he saith cap. 10. Learne not the way of the heathen and bee not afraid for the signes of heauen though the heathen bee afraid of such for the customes of the people are vaine For the right vse of the starres and the motions thereof is set downe by God himselfe in the 1. cap. of Gen. vers 14 and 15. in these wordes And God said let there be lights in the firmament of heauen to separate the day from the might and let them be for signes and for seasons and for daies and yeares and let them be for lights in the firmament of heauen to giue light vpon the earth The like impietie is to be found in these men when they appoint and set downe vnto themselues and their disciples in what place such and such wonders are to be wrought As though the power of God were tied to one place more then vnto another Wherein they are like the Aramites in the 20. cap. of the 1. booke of the King when they say that the God of Israel is God of the mountaines and not of the valleies and therefore the Lord slew them with the edge of the sword Furthermore for euery particular miracle God directeth if it be done as it should be the meanes and manner how it should be wrought either outwardly by his word or inwardly by his spirit Thus the Lord when he did send Moses to worke miracles before Pharaoh Exod. the 7 8 and 9 chapters He instructeth and telleth him after what manner he should doe them So when he ledde the children of Israel ouer Iorden by the hand of Iehosuah cap. 3. he biddeth him to command the priests that did beare the Arke of the couenant that when they came to the brinke of the waters of Iorden they should stand stil in Iorden whereby the people went ouer that riuer dry In like manner in the 6. cap. of the booke of Iehosuah the Lord declareth vnto Iehosuah what he will haue done that the walles of the citie of Iericho might fall downe before the children of Israel the which being once done the wall sell flat downe so the people went vp into the citie euery man straight before him And they tooke the city So in the 1. booke of the Kings cap. 13. assoone as the man of God had vttered the word of the Lord against the altar it claue asunder and the ashes fell out But in the 2. booke of the King cap. 4. because that Elisha did presume of himselfe without the Lord his direction to deuise a course to raise the womans child being dead to life againe by laying the staffe vpon the childes face by the hand of Gehazi his seruant therefore it tooke no effect Neither ought we to imagine by this that God is tyed to these or any other meanes of like sort For he doth the selfe same sometimes by one meanes sometimes by another as in the 4. cap. of Exod. vers 9. he biddeth Moses to powre the water of the riuer vpon the
drew him backe againe as it were through the midst of the sea and constrained him to fulfill his commaundement herein And Balaam howsoeuer before and at other times he may seeme to haue beene a sorcerer and to worke by inchantment for his owne estimation and profit Neuertheles when it pleased God to make him his minister and had inspired him with the gift of prophecy to pronounce his blessing concerning the children of Israell albeit he laboured by all meanes possible to the contrary being thereunto mooued with the desire of wealth and preferment promised to him by king Balack as it is in the 22. cap. and 23. cap. of the booke of Numbers Notwithstanding at the last he was forced to yield to gods determinatiō in blessing the Israelites whom before he endeauoured to curse Numbers cap. 24. Now they which are only Satans instruments in working wōders haue no purpose at al to glorifie god in obeiing of his precepts and in preaching of his word to the edifying of his Church For as Satan the aduersary both to God and man is the author of these miracles so will he haue his ministers to direct their actions accordingly Neither doth the Lord inforce them to make that vse of their faculty of working miracles which he appointeth to all those that are wrought by his spirit because they haue neither receiued the gift from him nor yet any commandement to doe any such thing But they are led of themselues and of their master whome they serue to aime in all their practises at other ends and work for other worldly and deuilish respects As the sorcerers of Egypt wrought miracles onely that thereby they might disgrace Moses the seruant of God and discredit his office and authority So Bariesu the sorcerer in the 13. cap. of the Act. of the Apostles endeauoured what he could to turne away Sergius Paulus from the faith of Christ which Paul preached And what was the end of Simons practises which in the 8. cap. Act. is said to haue vsed witchcraft but onely his owne gaine and worldly honour and credit as it appeareth by the circumstances of that place And although the magitians sorcerers such like people sometime do vse good and godly words in outward appearance and that as it may seeme to a good end yet at other times and that for the most part you shall find them to haue other badde worldly and wicked intents and to doe this but onely in hypocrisie to couer and colour their owne wicked dealings and that they may worke the greater mischiefe afterward as it may be gathered out of the sixteenth chapter of the Actes of the Apostles by the history of the damsell which being possessed with a spirit of diuination which seemeth to be such an one as they vse amongst vs to goe vnto to know of them their fortunes or what is become of things lost stolne or such like whereby shee inriched her maister with whome shee dwelt shee I say this damsel seeing Paul with the rest of his company passing by cryed out saying These men are the seruants of the most high God which preach vnto vs the way of salnation But to what end thinke ye did shee this to confirme the Gospel which Paul preached No for that is farre from Satan and all his ministers But rather because that shee or Satan by her and in her thought it the best course to bring to passe their purpose that whereas they neither could nor durst openly and manifestly contrary the preaching of the Gospel yet by this means they might thinke secretly by crafty pollicy to weaken and diminish the authority of the same by bearing men in hand as it were that they were indued led by one the selfe same spirit that the Apostles were that there was no difference in their doctrine So that hereby the doctrine of the gospel might be brought into suspition The which when Paul perceiued fore-seeing the inconueniēce that might arise therby to take away al occasion of misdeeming he commanded the spirit to depart out of the said Damsel making therby as it were an open profession of the enmitie betwixt Satan him and so of the contrariety of both their doctrines and of the endes of the same So in like manner our Sauiour Christ commaunded the foule spirit to hold his peace when hee said hee was the holy one of God Mark 1. cap. and Luk. cap. 4. Now to conclude If these three notes before set downe be duely weighed and considered with a single eye and an vpright heart they will not a little helpe to discerne the true seruants of God from the instruments of the diuell in the working of miracles But alas now a daies people are more prone and readie to lay a stumbling blocke before their owne steppes and to hang a veile before their owne eyes that they may not see the truth in this behalfe feigning and framing vnto themselues reasons and arguments against the same to vpholde and maintaine magicke and sorcery in deede and in truth albeit they like not altogither of these names To the which arguments I meane God willing to answer when I come to the handling of the 13. verse of this chapter In the meane time I will proceede vnto the next which is the 12. verse So that In the which as I tolde you before the particular amplification of the miracles which God wrought by Saint Paul is set downe where wee are to obserue two things viz. The matter of these miracles or the miracles themselues and the meanes by which they were wrought But for the better explaining thereof although it be placed last in the text yet wee will speake first of the miracles themselues whereof two especiall and principall are here rehearsed to wit the healing of the diseases of the body and the dispossessing of Satan the enemy of the soule in these words And the diseases departed from them and the euill spirits went out of them These two sorts of miracles our Sauiour Christ in the 10. chap. of the Gospel after Saint Matthew and Marke cap. 6. and Luke cap. 9. when he sent them forth to preach the Gospel gaue power and authoritie vnto his twelue Apostles to worke And so likewise hauing made and appointed Saint Paul in the 9. chapter of the Actes to be an Apostle to preach his Gospel vnto the Gentiles endued him with gifts of the holy Ghost and as we see heere adorned him with the same grace of working miracles which he had bestowed vpon the other Apostles aforesaid thereby ratifying confirming his functiō ministery as he did of the rest Where we may also note that these miracles were no vaine and iugling trickes to mooue laughter amongst pleasant heads nor yet framed or deuised for those of grauer wittes to wonder at but they were wrought for the profit and commodity of mankind in this mortall life albeit that be not the chiefe end wherefore God gaue them this
with sickenes The which thing was very well vnderstood by Alurede king of the most part of this Realme of England who beeing a faire comely and a goodly personage was therewithall giuen to the vice of the flesh wherefore hee desired God to chastise him with some continuall sickenes whereby he might serue God the better and yet not be made vnapt to worldly busines wherefore by the ordinance of God he was taken with the disease called Ficus and was thereof sicke a long time And the good king Ezechias so long as the Lord exercised him vnder the crosse of troubles and sicknes walked before him in all dutifull humilitie but after that he was deliuered from them and restored to health againe he beganne as it were to be lifted vp in the pride of heart in the vanitie of his minde he shewed the Embassadours of the king of Babylon all his treasure and prouision as it is in the second booke of the Kings chap. 20. and the 32. chap. of the second booke of the Chronicles And what was it that made Dauid so grieuously to offend God in numbering of the children of Israell as it is in the second booke of Samuel cap 24. but onely prosperity health ease The which when he had more deepely considered and had seene that the Lord had alwaies called him home againe into the right way by aduersity and troubles he saith in the 119. psalme vers 71. that It was good for him that he was in trouble And againe in the 67. verse of the same psalme he saith that before he was troubled he went wrong but then did he keepe Gods words or commaundements So that oftentimes nay for the most part affliction whether it be in body or minde or goods is more expedient and profitable for the children of God then worldly pleasure health or prosperity For God is said to chasten his deerest children in the 12. chapter to the Hebrewes vers 6 7 8. in these words Whome the Lord loueth he chasteneth and he scourgeth euery sonne that he receiueth If ye endure chastening God offereth himselfe vnto you as vnto sonnes for what sonne is it that the father chasteneth not If therefore ye be without correction whereof all are partakers then are ye bastards and no sonnes And Saint Paul saith in the 9. chapter of the 1. Epist. Cor. vers 27. that he beate downe his body and brought it into subiection lest by any meanes after he had preached vnto other himselfe should be reprooued The which if it be so then no maruaile though the ministers of the diuell the sorcerers are willing to procure somtimes temporall benefits of health and riches vnto men seeing as I haue said before that oftentimes they are more hurtfull then profitable vnto them And it is the soule altogither that Satan hunteth for the which that he may obtaine he careth not so much if they enioy wordly prosperity felicity for a time For as for worldly and temporal commodities they are as well common to the wicked as to the godly nay the vngodly doe most flourish in this life as wee see it daily by experience before our eyes And it is plainely prooued by diuers places of the scripture as in the 73. psalme their prosperity is described whereat the Psalmist fretted himselfe as hee saith when hee did see the prosperity of the wicked for there are no bandes in their death but they are lustie and strong they are not in trouble like other men And againe their eyes stand out with fatnes they haue more then heart can wish Here we see that they haue not riches alone but also they are lusty and strong without diseases of the body neither are they grieued in minde as other men but all things whatsoeuer yea more then heart can wish they haue and enioy as well for their pleasure as for their profit as Iob saith in the 21. cap. Wherefore doe the wicked liue and waxe olde and growe in wealth their seede is established in their sight with them and their generation before their eyes Their houses are peaceable without feare and the rodde of God is not vpon them Their bullocke gendreth and faileth not their cowe calueth and casteth not her calfe They send forth their children like sheepe and their sonnes daunce They take the tabret and harpe and reioyce in the sound of the organes They spend their daies in wealth and sodainely they goe downe to the graue As it were without any long or languishing sicknes And this happeneth not onely to themselues but euen vnto their children to whome they leaue plenty also of goods as it is in the 17. psalme where the Prophet saith that God filled their bellies with his hidde treasure and their children had enough and left the rest of their substance for their children The which prosperity of the wicked when he had set downe hee concludeth the said 17. psalme with these words saying But I will beholde thy face in righteousnes and when I awake I shall be satisfied with thine image As though he should haue said Let the wicked triumph as much as they will for they haue their portion in this life but as for me howsoeuer I be troubled and afflicted I will as neere as I can with Gods assistance so liue in godlines and holines of life now in this world as I may attaine vnto eternall ioy and felicity in the world to come For truly all earthly things are but meere vanities as the spirit of God saith by Salomon in the booke of the preacher but godlines is profitable to all things as that which hath the promise of this life and of the life to come 1. Tim. cap. 4. vers 8. Wherefore we neede not to doubt but that this will be good and profitable vnto all them which haue it rightly and soundly wrought in their heart by the spirit of God whereby they are renewed and regenerated vnto newnes of life by putting off the olde man with the deedes thereof and putting on the new man which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that made him But Satan beeing an aduersarie both to God and to all the children of men hath neuer any intent or meaning except it be in hypocrisie that either himselfe or any of his instruments the sorcerers should mooue perswade or minister any occasion vnto godlines of life whereby the soules of men might be saued in the day of the Lord but only that they should feede ford them on with temporary benefits the which by God his permission both the diuell and his seruants the sorcerers by his helpe both can and sometime will doe As the Damsell in the 16. chap. Act. vers 16. is said to bring her master great gaines by meanes of the diuellish spirit of diuination wherwith shee was possessed And Simon the sorcerer in the 8. cap. Act. is reported to haue purchased such honour by his witcherwft and magicke that the people of