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 â—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 foundâ— 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 theâ—â— 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
they learne of the Diuel to do it and haue made a league and agréement with the diuel as the aboue named Lottellers to be short haue wholy addicted them selues to Satan lyke as those Lottellers haue â–ª it is so come to passe that the common sort of people not beyng very scrupulous or precise in wordes do tearme al such Lottellers and Sorcerers which by lots do tel things to come through instrucâ—ion of the Diuel or such as kil men or beastes with poyson or sorceries which the Diuell deliuereth vnto them because both sortes haue geuen themselues ouer to Satan and vse his help Thus of one part the whole kinde tooke his name and of one word wel knowne the other was deriued So that the whole nation and rablement of witches that they might béecome more odious among mâ—n as it is worthie were chiefly called by the name of Sorcerers For so were they tearmed after that the gospell began to be knowne to the world at which time the whole rable of Satanicall deuinours became very odious as it deserued among all men as it is declared the first of Sam. y xv chapter xxiii verse Moreouer in the applying of this name there is no puritie or proprietie of the latine tongue to bée loked for For these witches began first at that time to be called by the names of Sortilegi or Sortiarij when the Gothes inuaded Italy and the proprietie of the Latine tongue was wholy growen out of vse So that it is thought that the Italians frequented this woord first before all other in that signification when as Italy became barbarous and not vsing more the Latine tongue which by the tytle De Sortilegis in the Decretals appeareth albeit S. Augustine séemeth to vse it in some place folowing the custome of his tyme and the signification knowne to the Christians The same may also bée gathered out of the last Canon thrée thâ—â—tie the first question where though barbarously yet plainly they bée called Sortiaâ—iâ— â—orcerers Otherwise no man doubteth that it is one thing to intoxicate a man another thing to inchaunte another thing which the Grecians call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 another 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 although both bée done by the craft of Diuel Through all the region of Sauoy Daulphin witches are called Eryges either of the gréeke word Erynius which signifieth madnes of mind and a greedie desire to slea men or rather as some suppose of this word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which in the Poet â—heocritus signifieth certen deadly and vnluckie birdes Anthony By what names then I pray you did the auntient auctours of the pure latine toongue tearme these witches Theophâ—l They called men witches Maleficos and the women that were geuen to such artes they tearmed Veneficas Sagas â—hessalas Magas â—amias and Striges al which wordes may bée obserued out of the good and pure writer of the Latine tongue Horatius Flaccus in the first booke of verses the xxvii Ode in his â—podes the xvii Ode the first booke of Sermons the viii satyre Such an one in his tyme was one Canidia such an one was Circe of whom Homer writeth in the tenth booke of Odissea such an one was Medea of whoÌ„ Ouid speaketh in the seuenth booke of Metamorphosis To be short such an one was shée of whom Lucane writeth in the sixth booke of Pharsalidos with many mo of whom mencion is made in sundry histories whiche writers last before cited although they bée Poetes yet in this point faigned they or deuised nothing beside the truth but such thinges as they sawe were knowne and frequented in their time But to passe ouer Poets Caesar in the first booke of the coÌ„mentaries of the French warres maketh mencion of the Germane Uirgines and Cornelius Tacitus in the second booke of Chronacles mencioneth one Martinae which killed the Emperour Germanicus by such kinde of witchcraft intoxication Anth. Now do I vnderstand Theophilus who are called sorcerers why they so be called by what name they be properly termed if we will speake true latine But forasmuch as we must follow the custome of the multitude let vs call these diuellish witches Sorcerers their witchcraft let vs call enchauntment and them which by them are hurt let vs call enchaunted that our disputation may bée vnderstood of all men concerning all which thinges I demaunde of you whether this sort of men were before the natiuitie of Christ or whether they first began and came to knowledge since the passion of Christ Theophil The word Sorcerer was first found and inuented since the byrth of Christ but the thing it self and those kynd of witches were knowne long before the birth of christ Neyther may you thinke friend Anthony that Christ that came to destroy the workes of the Diuell gaue vnto him more power ouer men then he had before or that these kindes of most detestable witchcraft were before that tyme vnknowne or else since that tyme were first brought into the world Such thinges can not be thought much lesse spoken without horrible blasphemie against christ And if it should chaunce that any were of that opinioÌ„ he might be refuted with an argument more cléere theÌ„ noone light For both Moises also the whole olde testament which was before the birth of Christ doth beare most euident record that there were witches as in the xviii of Deut. the xii chapter of the booke of wisdom For Satan hath alwayes bin like himself and as we fynde him at this day so all ages haue seene and fealt him who inflamed and enforced the children of vnbeleefe to reuenge their priuate iniuries and one brother to commit vniust slaughter vpon another bicause as S. Iohn writeth in the viii chapter and xliiii verse He was a murtherer from the beginning And thus much touching the originaâ—l and vnderstanding of this word Sortiarius Sorcerer The second Chapter VVhether there be any Sorcerers that is to say of this sort of satanicall vvitches Anthony BUt you promised Theophilus that you would proue by sure and firme reasons that there are Sorcerers in the world that is to say of the order and kinde of diuelish witches Theo. I promised in deed so to do I am redy if it please you to performe the same Anthony Doo so then for I could neuer think it to be so vnto this preseÌ„t neither yet can beleue it vnlesse you persuade mée Theophil I will doo myne endeuour for the foundacioÌ„ wherof this I say There are thrée only meanes places to proue any thing yea although it seeme altogether incredible which thrée thinges be these Aucthoritie of men experience of the thing reason founded vpon vpright iudgement of mynd which places wil all confirme our opinion not one only although one were sufficient And first as touching aucthoritie there are playne and euident testimonies to be gathered out of holy scriptures and also out of other aucthours most euidently coÌ„firming that there are
playnely as I can Anthony I pray you say on then Theophil The first kinde of day nable deuination which may be gathered out of the forenames places taketh name of those which of the Hebrewes are câ—lled Cosemim and of the Latines Diuiâ—â— deuinours Those are they which by secret and priuie conference with the Diâ—ell â–ª do deuine and prophesie of thinges that 〈◊〉 happen being of all others the most craftiest and sâ—btellest For in any caâ—e they wyll not be desâ—ryed or knowne â—isseâ—bling as though theâ— came to knowledge thereof by some wyse coniâ—â—ture or by inspiration fâ—om God and not foretâ—lling what shall â—appen by any damnable doctrine 〈◊〉 couering their secret enterâ—ourse which they haue with the Diuell Whereuppon it commeth to passe that this word â—osemim is taken in the Scripture in the better part for wyse and skilfull men as it appeareth in the third Chapter of Esai The seconde kynde of Deuinours are called of y Hebrues Aobot of the Latines or rather Gretians Lythomei we Frenchmen suppose those men to bee of that sort which are thought to haue of their owne some domestical or familiar diuell The same openly and without dissimulation do talke and conferre with the Diuell vsing him as it were a seruant in fulfilling their commaundementes so that they be altogither conuersant with hym And they were called Aobot for that through instinct and motion of their Diuel they deuine what shall follow yéelding foorth of their belly as it were out of a pot or bottle an obscure confused voyce like as the Lhythomissa did out of the place of the Oracle at Delphos very lothsomely and horribly The other six sortes of Deuination doe in this poynt differ from the residue that albeit they be accomplished by the help and meanes of Satan yet in these folowing Satan himself in person neyther dealeth nor talketh with them which do deuine as we sayd he dâ—th in the first twayne but by the mediation of some other thing or else by vsing certen signes and tokens which notwithstanding hée commaundeth to bée done and sheweth how to do them The third kynd of Deuinours are they whom the Latines termâ— Necromantici Necromancers who by the dead by helpe means of the Deuil do desire to know thinges to come Which kynd although most absurd and impossible was frequented in Homers time wherof he maketh mencion in the xi booke of his Odisâ—ea â–ª Wherin although Satan beare all the stroke yet coloureth hee his owne name therin working his feats vnder pretence and by meanes of some other person The fourth kynde are those which of the Hebrues are called Megonin from whâ—Ì„â—â— perhaps the Magi or Magicians maâ— seeme to haue taken their name howbeit those whom we call Magi are oâ— another sort and of the latines Astrologians Mathematicians The same suppose that they can foretel thinges to come by obseruation of certen signes places and starres and by their position and aspectes as they call them Lyke as in foretyme the Augures or Soothsayers of Roome describing diuiding the ayre into certen quarters and regions gathered their profecies therof euen as the Iudiciarie Astrologians do at this day The first kinde the HebriciaÌ„s name Menachesim and the Latines Magi Magicians who haue also learned their deuination of the Diuel by certen figures charecters and lines dâ—awen by mumbling certen superstitious wordes touching the matter they enquire of Thus practize they their Aâ—te by certen secret signes and priuie woordes which theyr wicked maister the Diuell hath taught them Such are the Hydromantij or water sorcerers and of this sort was that deuination by a cuppe or pot whereof there is made mencion in the .v. verse of the xliiii Chapter of Genesis The sixt kinde the Hebricians terme Idegonim and in Latine are called Ariolj which tell men what good fortune shal betide them These promise to foretell out of thinges that happen by chaunce not sought or fayned by theyr owne industrie which neuerthelesse procéedeth out of the same schoole of Satan Such are at this day dreame readers palmesters taking vppon them to tell whatsoeuer shall chaunce by the deliniamenâ—s and lines of the hand Such in olde time were the interpretours of lightning and Thunder and such as profesied by the intrayles of beastes offered in Sacrifice or els of the singing or féeding of Byrdes who were also termed Extispues intraill priâ—rs and Osciues that is telling what shal come by â—â—nging of byrds These all would séeme to leane vnto a probable coÌ„iecture not to depeÌ„d vpoÌ„ any vaine superstitioÌ„ The .vii. kind the HebriciaÌ„s name Mecasephin the latines cal theÌ„ Prestigiatores et Fascinatâ—â—â—s that is iuglers witches Thâ—se work by enchauÌ„tmeÌ„ts mere ligierdâ—main deceuing the eiesight bewitch men semâ—ng to reprâ—seÌ„t shew vnto them such things as they promise yet deceuiÌ„g theÌ„ such were Pharaos enchauÌ„ters which are also called by the same name in the .vii. chap. .xi. verse of Exodus Finally the .viii. last kind of deuinours are those which the Hebrewes cal Chobarim Deuteron the .18 chap. the .11 verse the latines cal theÌ„ Sortilegi fortunetellers which somtime in certen places méete with Satan woorke much wickednes Thus you sée how auÌ„cient all these kinds of diuilish diuinors be wheÌ„ce those which we cal now Sortiarij sorcerers procéeded and were first so named Anthony But Theophilus who so listeth examine it to the vttermost shall perceiue that there is very great differeÌ„ce betwéene Sortilegi fortunetellers and Sortiarij sorcerers euen in their very vsual and proper significations For I remember very well when I was yet a childe and went to scoole I learned of my maister that they were called in Latine Sortilegi which dyd not hurt with any poyson but rather by casting certen lottes gathered the euent of future thinges as namely with Beanes Dice or square sticks marked or by some verse of a Poet not turned vnto but offring it self and read by chaunce which as hee wonted to report hapned once to â—eptimius Seuerus Emperour of the Romanes For being in hand to vsurpe the Empire and desirous to know what should be the euent of his attempt he sought his lot out of Virgil where by chaunce he lighted vpon this verse which is in the sixt booke of Aeneidos Remember Romane thou thy Realms to rule with empire iust as Lampridius writeth in his lyfe But those whom wée call Sorcerers for the more parte do not deuine but only intoxicate and priuily sâ—ea with poison being therto instructed by Satanical artes Yet if somtyme they chaunce to foretell thinges to come they do it not by lottes as they did in old tyme but only by the Diuels reuealing Theophil These things which you tell Anthony are most true and in dede if wee will say the verie truth those whom wee call Sorcerers cannot be called lottellers but rather diuellish witches and enchaunters But forasmuch as when they do any harme after such manner
knowe or cure And these sorcerers dooe cruelly rage vpon all men of all genders ages orders without choice or exception What shall I saye more The seruantes and plouwmen if they bée angrie will intoxicate their maisters And as for beastes and cattell they poyson them to death sundrie wayes and if they be disposed they will not kill them forthwith but make them swell or make them leane and pine away in such wise that there is nothing worse or more hurtfull then their wickednesse Moreouer they will enchaunt wilde beastes and make them stand still that you may take them in your hand as it is written in the lviii psalme the v. verse as the Serpentes and Aspes Although S. Augustine in the xi booke of Gene. vpon the letter the xxviii chapter writeth that it may be done by Satan most easily vpon a Serpent or Snake bicause that by his conference and familiaritie with the Serpent at the beginning mankinde was seduced as if this were the serpentes punishment in recompence of his seruice to bée more subiect and bounde at the call commaundement of Satan Howbeit experience it self teacheth that that which is done in him may likewise be done by sorcerers in all other liuing thinges For the holy scripture in the third of Genesis doeth not set downe vnto vs that the serpent is more addicted or subiect to Satan then the other beastes In fine all this reason and disputation of S. Augustine in my iudgement is ouer subtile And as for Herbes Trées with their berries and fruites and all such like thinges truely they may be by them intoxicated which that notable saying of Virgil procéeding from dayly experience sheweth in the viii Ecloge These herbes once in Pontus which did growe these poysons vile To mee did Maeris giue for many growe in Pontus soile Likewise And Corne fieldes into other place I saw them to remooue Uppon which place Seruius Honoratus a very wel learned interpretour as also Pliny in the place which I haue before alleaged doe shewe what punishment was apointed by lawe of the xii tables against them that had enchaunted corne fieldes And as touching Ayre water what may be more easily corrupted theÌ„ they so that those elementes shall neither bée holsome nor profitable to any yea rather pestiferous hurtfull For sufficient proofe whereof may bee that only some pestilent smell or vapour doth in such wise infect an whole regioÌ„ through which it breatheth the most gréeuous and infectious diseases are thereby engendred Did you neuer I pray you here talke what hath chauÌ„ced in Campania a part of Italy and how the whole regioÌ„ in which the place called Auernus which is a hollow caue vnder ground froÌ„ which a lothsome hot stinking sauor issueth forth sendeth abroad his exhalation is so noysome that the birdes which flye néere to it doo fall downe dead with the only stinck of the place what shal I say of Mare mortuum or the dead sea which is so called in Iudaea whose breath is so pestilent hurtful that all the coast néere about lyeth waste and forlorne the trées are scorched the ground is barren vnfruteful by reason of the sauour Anthony I remember I haue read al these thinges but tell mée if there were euer any mencion made in any history that the Ayre was corrupted by this kinde of people Theophil Yea mary first in the history of Calisthus Nicephorus the ecclesiasticall writer who in the xiiii booke the xviii chapter telleth how the Percian Magicians to thintent they would make the Christian religion odious vnto their King caused a rotten stinking and pestilent smell to ryse out of that place in which Maruthas bishop of the Christian Church the other christian Percians met togither to make their prayers vnto God. Anthony Why the ayre moueth continually and is alwayes through blowne and driuen about with the winde that it cannot foister nor staÌ„d still which mouing causeth that such infection can neuer bréed in the ayre Theophil The water lykewise runneth continually which notwithstanding you will graunt may bée corrupted And looke by what meanes the water may bée corrupted by the same also may be the ayre bicause that filthie sauour is dispersed and spred abroad through them both which naturall elementes are thinne and vnable to resist For both of them are easily corrupted by reason that they do soone admit and yeeld to the external qualitie As for example the self same water wil be soone hot and soone colde the ayre in one day is hot in the same warme and cold which thing we doe most euidently perceiue in the spring and Autumpne For the selfsame ayre is then found in the morning colde at noone hot and at euening warme And the ayre being more thin and liquide then the water and more vnable to resist is sooner and more easily affected by externall and agent qualities Anthony Surely there are some that cannot beléeue that these can doe such thinges but rather that through great folly and ostentation of their arte and abilitie they craftely make bragges thereof to make men afrayd of them or else that through madnesse they boast of it for that some of them being troubled with Melancholicke diseases haue some times imagined that they could doe the like Theophil In déede I confesse Anthony that God first wrought the same who by this meanes and by these men as his instruments punisheth the synnes of men but notwithstanding I deny that which they affirme that these thinges are alwayes false dreames of diseased myndes when Sorcerers say they infect the ayre which in déed they doo so often and truely which may thus be prooued First that no cogitation or imagination of another man can be fealt and perceyued of vs neyther can actually as they say hurt our bodie Imagine that you had killed mée and suppose it in your mynde as earnestly as you can shall my good health therefore be altered or in any poynt diminished Surely not at all For no mans false or vaine imagination is able to infect or bring diseases vpon any other mans body But we féele how sorcerers effectually bring diseases we sée also howe they haue caused plagues those most gréeuous with other such like effectes which cannot be denyed Moreouer in the midst of their paines tormentes they confesse they haue done such things specially when they be lead to executioÌ„ for such crimes Finally the consent agréement which is found among theÌ„ al confirmeth our opinion For in vayne cogitations fansies of the mynde there cannot be one selfsame voyce but one man may imagine a diuerse thing from another For euery mynde hath his owne proper action neither is it possible that among so many mâ—n and dispersed abrode in so many places one whole conformitie and consent of vaine cogitations not agréeing in place tyme nor maner of dooing could concord agrée or be correspondent vnlesse these thinges chaunced so and were in déed
De Diebus Genialibus writeth of a certayne Monke called Thomas commonly accompted a credible person who was wōt to tel that if it had hapned him to be much offended with any of his brother Monkes in that heate of mynde had withdrawen himselfe into the desart that then Satan would appeare vnto him in the lykenesse of a man and would goe foorth talking with him a great way persuading him to doo many thinges And at length when they were come vnto a great streames side in the same desart he told how Satan would take him vp vppon his shoulders carry him ouer to the further side of the water Whereby it appeareth that it is no new thing if Satan doe cary any to thintent to win them or to binde them more firmely vnto him Anthony But it séemeth scarse possible that he can carry a man so soone specially the place being so farre distant where as they say they doe meete Theophil I haue tolde you before what is playnly wrytten of Christe in the .iiij. of Luke the fift verse that he was in a moment brought vy Satan to Ierusalem and al the kingdomes in the world shewen vnto him Wherefore Anthony I sée no cause at all why you should so long doubt of this matter since the celeritie quicknesse of this carryar satan is so great and his power and force in workeing so nimble For none of all those thinges can let him which hinder vs whē we make spéed about any thing Neither is it so harde or paynefull to him to pearce the ayer when he runneth as it is vnto vs For he is of a most fine and subtile nature after the maner of Angels and not of a bodily substance for that he is a spirit And therefore Sainct Augustine in his booke De Diuinatione Daemonum the third Chapter wryteth of him that hée surpasseth the most swiftest men in runninge or any other beast yea the birdes themselues Whose opinion Thomas Aquinas folowing in the Summe of quest C.x. the third question wryteth that these grosse bodies doe geue place vnto Satan through which therefore he conueyeth himself with more expedition bicause they shall not lette or hinder him And that you may bée no longer in doubt of this matter Anthony nor varyable in your mynde I wyl bring foorth vnto you also both sayinges and examples of profane wryters that you may not suppose that this hath béen of later times receyued and beléeued only of Christians For is there any thing I pray you more notorious in al histories of the Romanes than the sodayne taking away of Romulus first authour and founder of the Citie of Rome Who in sight of many witnesses was taken away by Satan for the horrible deuinations superstitions theftes and stealing of women whiche he had instituted and commaunded And albeit others write otherwise of his death yet Plutarche an author of great credite and amongest all Greeke and Latin writers euer accompted the moste diligent and trustiest reporteth thus of him namely that for a truthe vppon a day he was by Satan taken vp into the ayre and carried away all the people of Rome béeing present and beholding it Which that it was done by Satan the sundry circumstances of the matter whiche by him are there recited doe sufficiently declare For before this was done there arose a great storme and tempest in the ayre with darknesse as it had béene nighte and also horrible thunder in so muche that all the people which was assembled béeing amazed in these terrible accidences most fearfully ran thence away which is a most euident example of the carrying away of a mans bodie by Satan which that it may be done the same Plutarch setteth foorth and confirmeth by twoo examples namely by Aristeus Proconesiensis and Cleomedes Astipaleensis For Aristeus was taken away by a Diuell out of a fullers shoppe and in a moment caried into a citie in Italy called Crotona standing in Calabria where hee talked with many men And Cleomedes being of bodie as huge bigge as a Giaunt and a fierce man who hauing miserably cruelly slaine certen children and being therfore narrowly and diligently pursued after by their fathers was driuen to such extremitie that with much a doo he shut himself vp in a cheast which cheast being founde and broken vp by the angry fathers of the children notwithstanding Cleomedes was not found there for hee was immediately caried away from thence by a diuel I would here bring forth the carying away of Alexander surnamed Sextus Pope of Rome which is in euery mans mouth and is constantly reported to haue bin done by Satā But I am affeard least you should thinke that I doo it in hatred of the Popes vnto whō truely I beare little good will wherefore vpon all these thinges it may be concluded that it is an easie matter vnto Satan who is of his owne nature an Angell to take vp our bodies and to carry them elswhere and that in a moment In confirmation whereof I can recite vnto you that which is written in the story of Susan the xxxv verse of Habacuc for it is written there how hee was carried in a moment foorth of Iudaea into Babilon by an Angel. But I suppose now that you are wholy become of mine opiniō Anthony In déed Theophilus you haue brought my minde now something in suspense but you haue not yet throughly persuaded mée which you shall doo if you will also satisfie this my last demaund Tel mée I pray you if it bee true which you haue sayd why Satā willeth thē whom he will carry to vse certen oyntmentes and oyles when there is no néed of them Theoph. I perceiue you are an earnest defender of your opinion since you stick thus vpon euery questiō howbeit I wil declare vnto you that which you require And first you must not think that Satā willeth all sorcerers to vse those ointments For he commaundeth but certen of thē to doo that whō he perceiueth to be either fearfull to venture or more deintie then that they can abide his horrible touching of thē like as are women and certē men also For by those confections wherewith he willeth them to bée oynted he benūmeth their senses that they shall feele no payne while they are carried or stand in horrour of his handes or of his bearing of them For those oyntmentes or oyles are of no effect nor any thing appertayning to the mouing of thē or to their iourney but he commaundeth it to be done eyther by the meanes to detayne or kéepe them from thinking how he handleth them or surely if they auayle any thing they auaile in this respect that by meanes therof the bodily senses are layd a sléepe and in the meane while Satan him self carrieth them Howbeit Satan also therin shooteth at another marke namely to imitate and falsly to coūterfeit the holy sacraments of the church ordeined by god wherby the miserable sorcerers may learne accustome themselues to
alwayes haue theÌ„ 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 theÌ„ 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 notwithstaÌ„ding 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 theÌ„ only they may be stayâ—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 SataÌ„ 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 coÌ„trary 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 MiruÌ„ a wonder which is also called of GreciaÌ„s 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is one thing MiraculuÌ„ 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 coÌ„mon â–ª 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 caÌ„not 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 certeÌ„ 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 Syracuâ—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 excelleÌ„t theÌ„ we men caÌ„ in respect that his streÌ„gth wit is much better theÌ„ 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
appeareth in the scripture in the third Chapter of Exod. At Rome also certen Emperours gaue them selues to the studie of Magicke and vsed the helpe of Sorcerers The Emperour Nero as Suetonius wryteth in his lyfe was accompted one of the chéefest among the professours of Magicke howbeit afterwarde perceauinge the vanitie of that Arte he forsooke and mislyked of that studie as C. Plinius wryteth Adrian also the Emperour which was after Nero as Dion the historician wryteth in his lyfe applyed the same study and vsed the ayde of Sorcerers against the Dropsie whereinto he was fallen The whole nation of Hunnes as I haue before alleaged out of Gregorius Turonensis when they went to batteyll vsed their helpe thereby to get the victory Sainct Cypriane himselfe who afterwarde became a Christian and was Byshop of Carthage before that he was conuerted to the fayth of Christ it is read of him how earnestly and diligently he was addicted to that studie which afterwarde through the great goodnesse of god he forsooke and renounced Which examples doe all of them sufficiently declare what great accompt the heathen people and such as knew not the true God made of the faculties and knowledge of these men or rather in what price and estimacion their damnable and wicked deceptfulnesse was had being of all men commonly vsed But after that by meanes and reason of this arte there were found many vaine absurde and horrible thinges to be committed very gréeuous to be seene both for the inuocation of Diuells and for the sundry straunge gestures superstitions of these men the Christian faith increasing by little little it came to passe that afterward it was not lawful by lawes set forth to the contrary by the Emperours of Rome for men commonly to vse the helpe of Sorcerers vnlesse some publique or priuate commoditie enforced them thertoo Wherfore in Iustinians Code the ix booke xviii title iiii lawe it is thus written which lawe is set forth by Constantine the great Their science is to bee punished and worthely to bee restrained by most seuere lawes who vsing the arte of Magicke are found to haue practized any thing against the health of men or to mooue chast mindes vnto lechery As for such remedies as are found to be auaylable to the health of mans bodie are not restrained or forbiddeÌ„ or godly prayers which are made in the fieldes that men may not be affeard of showres falling vpon their rype Grapes or that they be shaken with winde or beaten with Hayle or els such whereby no mans health or estimation bee impayred but rather their dooinges furthered that the giftes of God and labours of men be not destroyed Dated the x. of the Kalend. of Iune at Aquileia Crispus and Constantinus being Consuls Anthony This is a straunge lawe Theophilus wicked and little Christian like if Constantine the Christian Emperour were the first that made and published the same Theophil Uerely Anthony I suppose the Constantine was not fully established in the Christian fayth when hee wrote it For see how much hée ascribeth to Magicians and Sorcerers hee willeth that it shall bee lawfull for men to vse their arte so that it may bée to their commoditie which surely hee would not haue done if he had bin a perfect christian wherfore that lawe was not only afterward amended by Leo but altogether disanulled For he forbiddeth vs to vse them vpon any occasion and al the help and worke of Sorcerers he calleth disceite and dissimulatioÌ„ Which latter lawe all opinions iudgementes of men haue afterward commended for the better and hollier Augustine whose wordes are written in the Canon Admoueant .xxvi. the vij question sheweth that their helpes are meere deceits and craftes of the Diuell To conclude in the second Chapter in the title De Sortilegis in the Decretals the same is condemned the cause and reason of all which iudgmentes surely is most iust and righteous Anthony What is that Theoph. That we ought to haue no fellowship with Satan whether it be directly and mediately or els indirectly and immediately as they tearme it Neither ought we to séeke any relief by his help ayde or counsell For it is our true and only God vnto whom we must make recourse in all our afflictions For why doo we séeke helpe and succour of Belzebub since there is a god in Israel as the prophet Elias worthyly gréeued and repined at in the second booke of kinges the .j. chapter and iij. verse Wherfore we ought to cleaue vnto God to depend only vpon him that by no means we allow like of or séeke to Satan him self or to his ministers as the Sorcerers be as we be warned in the lxxxi Psalme and xi verse For wée can not serue twoo Maisters namely God and the Diuel whom we must vtterly forsake that we may entirely cleaue vnto God. Anthony But their helpes haue many tymes had happie and prosperous successe Theophil That therefore they are to be vsed your argument is very weake and féeble we must haue regard rather to the commaundement of God which forbiddeth vs in any wise to séeke vnto Sorcerers as appeareth in the xviii of Deut. the x. verse For what doth Satan worke other by that meanes then to leade vs away from the feare of the true God and to pull vs vnto him For looke whatsoeuer help we requirâ— of him to cure our bodies it redoundeth to the hurt and destruction of our soules For by this meanes men seperate them selues from God which is the true death of the â—oule Whereby it foloweth that all the help and ayde that commeth by Satan and Sorcerers is deadly poyson to the soule which aboue all thinges wee ought to eschewe yea more then we would a Dog or a Snake But whereas it is sometime alleaged that their meanes haue done some men ease and pleasure how much I pray you is it or how seldome hath it chaunced since among ten that flie to them for succour there is scarce one or not one that is reléeued or findeth help And againe the effectes are not to be weighed vpon the successe but vpon the commaundement of god For he that hath stolen oftentimes liueth in wealthier state is theft therefore to be allowed Admit then that all which séeke such remedie doo alwayes escape and well recouer and if we graunt so much yet forasmuch as the expresse word of God commauÌ„deth the contrarie we ought not accept it wheÌ„ it is offred much lesse voluntarely goe séeke it For whensoeuer we runne to any other for helpe sauing God only therin we vtter the most shamefull distrust and infidelitie of our mindes our rebellion against God and most wicked contempt of his power By which wickednes of ours we prouoke his wrath against vs and chiefly heape vpon vs eternall damnation Anthony How then I pray you may wee not by any meanes vse the helpe and ayde of Sorcerers therby to séeke any releife or ease in our afflictions Theophil Some
kynde whereof wee now speake for it was done by the hande and power of GOD and not by Satan in the second Epistle to the Corinthians the xij Chapter third verse sayeth thus And I know the same man whether in the bodie or out of the bodie I can not tell God knoweth was taken vp into Paradise and there heard vnspeakable wordes which are not lawfull for a man to vtter These as I suppose Anthony will satisfie your doubtes and I hope declare them sufficiently vnto you Anthony Yea the bodies of such are foūd to abide remayne in the selfsame chamber and bed from which they must haue bin far distant if they should personally bodily haue met in an other place Theophil You continue still in your opiniō Anthony which that I may playnly refute I deny that which you say take vnto you for a graunted veritie namely that their true bodies were found to bee in the same chamber and bed at what tyme they sayd that they were away There were rather certen counterfeit bodies placed in their steede by Satan represented lykenesses then the true bodies of the Sorcerers Doo you not remember I pray you what Michol Dauids wife did and what deuise she practized when she concealed the flight of her husband from her father Saule and his seruants which sought to sley him Haue you not read that which is written in the first of Samuel the xix chapter how shee by craft and colourable meanes but not by any Diuelish arte nor after the maner of Sorcerers in steed of Dauids bodie placed an image laying pillowes vnder his head and trimming him with garmentes so finely and cunningly that they thought surely Dauid was there beholding the counterfeite so liuely set foorthe before their eyes So likewise Satan to the intente hee maye keepe from vs the absence of his Pupilles in steede of their true bodie whiche is awaye placeth there a false body when wee chaunce to enquire Whereby it commeth to passe that many men suppose that Sorcerers are not bodely present at their assemblies whiche themselues contende that they were at and that because they perceyu◠and finde false and counterfeite bodies like vnto them layde in their Chambers and beddes by Satan in stéede of their true bodies But surely they that iudge so are very muche abused Anthony I vnderstande what you say But I pray you resolue me in that which I proposed secondly vnto you for it séemeth vnto me impossible that Sorcerers should sometime be conueyed vnto those places by Satan which neuerthelesse you haue auouched to be true Theophilus Why Doe not you thinke that to be true which is written of Christe both in the .iiij. Chapter of Math. the .viij. verse and also the fourth Chapter of Luke the ninth verse how he was caried by Satan out of the desert vnto a pynacle of Hierusalem Temple Anthony Yea it is very true But that was done by the will of god And all that matter was extraordinary Theophilus I easely graunt you that And so likewise I say that by the same wyll of God and his iust iudgement it commeth to passe that the Diuel can touch cary and conuey Sorcerers that it may so appeare that they be altogether in his power And if Satan durst touch so holy and vndefiled a body as Christes was ouer which he could haue no power by reason of any sin If he could take the same Christ vp carry him in the Ayre the saucie presumer will not be afrayd to handle carry the bodies of Sorcerers knowing that before they haue geuen them selues vnto him both body and soule And if God haue geuen power vnto Satan ouer the soules of Sorcerers to thintent they should be lead away from the fayth he wyll much more geue him power ouer theyr bodies to handle them and cary them For God will not so soone geue vnto Satan power ouer the soules of men as ouer theyr bodies which is confirmed by the example of Iob. Iob the second Chapter the sixt verse Finally Satan wyll not alwayes take vpon him the trauayle of carrying and recarrying Sorcerers but onely at some tymes and when he will take from them all excuses of not méeting together at theyr assemblyes Anthony Me thinckes he should cast them into an horrible feare when he toucheth or handleth them Theophilus You say trueth if he appeared or met with them in his fourme of a Diuell which doubtlesse is most horrible and dreadfull but he appeareth vnto them in another shape and similitude For in respect that he is an euyll Angell he cannot be séene But like as when first he assayeth them and talketh with them he doeth it in the resemblance of a man or in some other tollerable and accustomed fourme so likewise when he meaneth to carry thē he transfigureth himselfe into the lykenes of an horse or a mule or a bird or some other liuing thing Yea sometime he caryeth thē foorth and yet they see him not For he geueth them a staffe whiche they muste put betweene their legges and at the saying of certen prayers in his name which he teacheth and commaundeth them to doe they thinke straight that the staffe carieth them thither as they would goe and so he perswadeth them that they be borne by the staffe while he himselfe dothe carrie them For beeing of the nature of Aungels yea the Prince of the ayre as sayth S. Paule to the Ephesians the .vj. chapter and .xij. verse it is no maruell if he doe that whiche we by no meanes can doe and doe it also with more agilitie and quicknesse than we can Anthony I haue heard reporte of a certayne Abbot named Bruno who in a minute of an houre was caried by the Diuell from Millayn to Rome also of one Theophilus of whom the like is reported But what thinke you hereof Theophilus doe you suppose these examples to be true Theophilus Whether the reporte which goeth on these twayne be true or not I neither knowe neither doe muche force but I confirme my selfe in mine owne opinion with this reason that if Satan through Gods sufferaunce can hurte and slay our bodies as is gathered out of the storie of Iob and others muche more by his sufferaunce can he lifte them vp carrie them handle them and vse them in all poyntes as a wolfe can a shéepe whiche he hath stolen Neither must we therfore suppose that Satan is an horse or a mule or a beast as he then appeareth vnto our eyes But if as S. Paule sayth the .ij to the Corinthians the .xij. chapter and .xiiij. verse he can transfourme him selfe into an Aungell of lighte he can muche sooner and with more facilitie put on the shape of these thinges because hee can not so easely counterfeite the man of God as he can resemble the shape of a Mule. Also Alexander Neopolitanus whom while ere you commended for a substantiall witnesse in the fourth booke and xix chapter of his worke