worse they are And till you have perused my Book ponder this in your mind to wit that Sagae Thessalae Striges Lamiae which words and none other being in use do properly signifie our Witches are not once found written in the old or new Testament and that Christ himself in his Gospel never mentioned the name of a Witch And that neither he nor Moses ever spake any one word of the Witches bargain with the Devil their hagging their riding in the Air their transferring of Corn or Grass from one field to another their hurting of Children or Cattel with words or charms their bewitching of Butter Cheese Ale c. nor yet their transubstantiation insomuch as the writers hereupon are not ashamed to say That it is not absurd to affirm that there were no Witches in Jobs time The reason is that if there had been such Witches then in being Job would have said he had been bewitched But indeed men took no heed in those dayes to this doctrine of Devils to wit to these fables of Witchcraft which Peter saith shall be much regarded and hearkned unto in the latter dayes Howbeit how ancient soever this barbarous conceit of Witches Omnipotency is Truth must not be measured by Time for every old Opinion is not sound Verity is not impaired how long soever it be suppressed but is to be searched out in how dark a corner soever it lye hidden for it is not like a cup of Ale that may be broached toe rathe Finally time bewrayeth old errors and discovereth new matters of truth Danaeus himself saith that this question hitherto hath never been handled nor the Scriptures concerning this matter have never been expounded To prove the antiquity of the cause to confirm the opinion of the ignorant to inforce mine Adversaries Arguments to aggravate the Punishment and to accomplish the Confusion of these old women is added the vanity and wickedness of them which are called Witches the arrogancy of those which take upon them to work Wonders the desire that people have to hearken to such miraculous matters unto whom most commonly an impossibility is more credible than a verity the ignorance of natural causes the ancient and universal hate conceived against the name of a Witch their ill-favoured faces their spiteful words their curses and imprecations their charmes made in rime and their beggery the fear of many foolish folk the opinion of some that are wise the want of Robin Good-fellow and the Fairies which were wont to maintain that and the common peoples talk in this behalf the authority of the Inquisitors the learning cunning consent and estimation of Writers herein the false translations and fond interpretations used specially by Papists and many other like causes All which toyes take such hold upon mens fancies as thereby they are led and enticed away from the consideration of true respects to the condemnation of that which they know not Howbeit I will by God's grace in this my Book so apparently decipher and confute these Cavils and all other their Objections as every Witchmonger shall be abashed and all good men thereby satisfied In the mean time I would wish them to know that if neither the estimation of God's Omnipotency nor the tenor of his Word nor the doubtfulness or rather the impossibility of the case nor the small proofs brought against them nor the rigor executed upon them nor the pitty that should be in a Christian heart nor yet their simplicity impotency or age may suffice to suppress the rage or rigor wherewith they are oppressed yet the consideration of their sex or kind ought to move some mitigation of their punishment For if nature as Pliny reporteth hath taught a Lyon not to deal so roughly with a Woman as with a Man because she is in body the weaker vessel and in heart more inclined to pitty which Jeremiah in his Lamentations seemeth to confirm what should a Man do in this case for whom a Woman was created as an help and comfort unto him In so much as even in the law of Nature it is a greater offence to stay a Woman than a Man not because the Man is not the more excellent creature but because a Woman is the weaker vessel And therefore among all modest and honest persons it is thought a shame to offer violence or injury to a Woman in which respect Virgil saith Nullum memorabile nomen Foeminea in poena est God that knoweth my heart is witness and you that read my Book shall see that my drift and purpose in this enterprise tendeth only to these respects First that the glory and power of God be not so abridged and abased as to be trust into the hand or lip of a lewd old Woman whereby the work of the Creator should be attributed to the power of ae Creature Secondly that the Religion of the Gospel may be seen to stand without such peevish trumpery Thirdly that lawful favour and Christian compassion be rather used towards these poor souls than rigor and extremity Because they which are commonly accused of Witchcraft are the least sufficient of all other persons to speak for themselves as having the most base and simple education of all others the extremity of their age giving them leave to dote their poverty to leg their wrongs to chide and threaten as being void of any other way of revenge their humor Melancholical to be full of imaginations from whence chiefly proceedeth the vanity of their confessions as that they can transform themselves and others into Apes Owls Asses Dogs Cats c. that they can flie in the Air kill Children with Charms hinder the coming of Butter c. And for so much as the Mighty help themselves together and the poor Widows cry though it reach to heaven is scarce heard upon earth I thought good according to my poor ability to make intercession that some part of common rigor and some points of hasty judgement may be advised upon For the world is now at that stay as Brentius in a most godly Sermon in these words affirmeth that even as when the Heathen persecuted the Christians if any were accused to believe in Christ the common people cryed Ad Leonem So now if any Woman be she never so honest be accused of Witchcraft they cry Ad Ignem What difference is between the rash dealing of unskilful people and the grave counsel of more discreet and learned persons may appear by a tale of Danaeus his own telling wherein he opposeth the rashness of a few Townsmen to the counsel of a whole Senate preferring the Folly of the one before the Wisdom of the other At Orleance on Loyre saith he there was a Man-witch not only taken and accused but also convicted and condemned for Witchcraft who appealed from thence to the high Court of Paris Which accusation the Senate saw insufficient and would not allow but laughed thereat lightly regarding it and in the end sent him
in Latin is called Filia vocis in Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in English the Daughter of speech CHAP. VI. Of Prophesies conditional whereof the Prophesies in the old Testament do intreat and by whom they were published Witchmongers answers to the objections against Witches supernatural actions CHrist and his Apostles prophesied of the calamities and afflictions which shall grieve and disturb the Church of God in this life also of the last day and of the signes and tokens that shall be shewed before that day and finally of all things which are requisite for us to foreknow Howbeit such is the mercy of God that all Prophesies Threatnings Plagues and Punishments are annexed to conditions of Repentance as on the other side corporal blessings are tyed under the condition of the cross and castigation So as by them the mysteries of our salvation being discovered unto us we are not to seek new signes and miracles but to attend to the doctrine of the Apostles who preached Christ exhibited and crucified for our sins his Resurrection Ascension and thereby the Redemption of as many as believe c. The Prophesies in the old Testament treat of the continuance the government and the difference of Estates or the distinction of the four Monarchies of their order decay and instauration of the changes and ruines of the Kingdoms of Juda Israel Aegypt Persia Graecia c. and specially of the coming of our Saviour Jesus Christ and how he should be born of a Virgin and where of his Tribe Passion Resurrection c. These Prophesies were published by Gods special and peculiar Prophets endued with his particular and excellent gifts according to his promise I will raise them up a Prophet out of the midst of their Brethren I will put my words in his mouth c. Which though it were specially spoken of Christ yet was it also spoken of those particular Prophets which were placed among them by God to declare his will which were also figures of Christ the Prophet himself Now if Prophesie be an extraordinary gift of God and a thing peculiar to himself as without whose special assistance no creature can be a Prophet or shew what is to come Why should we believe that those lewd persons can perform by Divinations and Miracles that which is not in humane but in Divine power to accomplish Howbeit when I deny that Witches can ride in the Air and the miraculous circumstance thereof by and by it is objected to me That Enoch and Elias were rapt into the heavenly bodily and Habacuck was carryed in the Air to feed Daniel and so falsly oppose a Devils or a Witches power against the virtue of the holy Ghost If I deride the Poets opinions saying that Witches cannot Coelo deducere Lunam fetch the Moon from Heaven c they tell me that at Joshuah's battel the sun stayed and at the passion of Christ there was palpable darkness If I deny their cunning in the exposition of Dreams advising them to remember Jeremiah's connsel not to follow or credit the expositors of Dreams they hit me in the teeth with Daniel and Joseph for that the one of them expounded Pharaoh the Aegyptian Kings the other Nebuchadnezzar the Persian Kings dream If I say with Solomon That the dead know nothing and that the dead know us not neither are removeable out of Abrahams bosome c. they produce the story of Samuel wherein I say they set the power of a Creature as high as the Creator If I say that these Witches cannot transubstantiate themselves nor others into beasts c. they cite the story of Nebuchadnezzar as though indeed he were made a material beast and that also by Witchcraft and strengthen that their assertion with the fables of Circe and Ulysses his companions c. CHAP. VII What were the Miracles expressed in the old Testament and what are they in the new Testament and that we are not now to look for any more Miracles THe Miracles expressed in the old Testament were many but the end of them all was one though they were divers and differing in shew as where the sacrifices of Moses Elias and Solomon being abundantly wet were burnt with fire from heaven c. The variety of tongues at the building of Babylon Isaacs birth of Sarah being by nature past children the passage through the Red-sea Daniels foretelling of the four Monarchies in the fourth whereof he apparently foresheweth the coming of the Lord. All these and many other which are expressed in the old Testament were merciful instructions and notable miracles to strengthen the faith of Gods people in their Messias If you had gone to Delphos Apollo would have made you believe with his Amphibological answers that he could have foretold you all these things The Miracles wrought by Christ were the raising up of the dead which many would impute to the woman of Endor and also to our Witches and conjurors the restoring of the lame to limbs the blinde to sight the dumb to speech and finally the healing of all diseases which many believe our Witches can do yea and as they themselves will take it upon them As for casting out of Devils which was another kind of Miracles usual with Christ Witches and Conjurors are said to be as good thereat as ever he was and yet if you will believe Christs words it cannot be so for he saith Every Kingdom divided against it self shall be brought to nought c. If Satan cast out Satan he is divided c. and his Kingdom shall not endure c Peters Chains fell off in Prison so did Richard Gallisies fetters at Winsor marry the Prison doors opened not to Richard as they did to Peter Elias by special grace obtained rain our Witches can make it rain when they list c. But sithhence Christ did these Miracles and many more and all to confirm his truth and strengthen our faith and finally for the conversion of the people as appeareth in John 6.7 12. insomuch as he vehemently reproved such as upon the sight of them would not believe saying Wo be to thee Corazin wo be to thee Bethsaida if the miracles had been done in Tyre and Sidon which have been done in you they had a great while ago repented c. Let us settle and acquit our Faith in Christ and believing all his wonderous works let us reject all these old wives fables as lying vanities whereof you may finde in the Golden Legend M. Mal. and specially in Bodin miraculous stuffe enough to check all the Miracles expressed in the old and new Testament which are of more credit with many bewitched people then the true Miracles of Christ himself Insomuch as they stand in more awe of the menacies of a Witch then of all the threatnings and curves pronounced by God and expressed in his Word And thus much touching the word Kasam BOOK X. CHAP. I. The interpretation of this
be now transferred from Delphos to Rome Page 91 CHAP. VI. Where and wherein Coseners Witches and Priests were wont to give Oracles and to work their feats Page 92 BOOK IX CHAP. I. THe Hebrew word Kasam expounded and how far a Christian may conjecture of things to come Page 93 CHAP. II. Proofs by the Old and New Testament that certain Observations of the Weather are lawful Page 94 CHAP. III. That certain Observations are indifferent certain ridiculous and certain impious whence that cunning is derived of Apollo end of Aruspices ibid. CHAP. IV. The Predictions of Soothsayers and lewd Priests the Prognostications of Astronomers and Physitians allowable Divine Prophesies holy and good Page 95 CHAP. V. The diversity of true Prophets of Urim and the Prophetical use of the twelve Pretious Stones contained therein of the Divine Voice called Eccho Page 96 CHAP. VI. Of Prophesies conditional whereof the Prophesies in the Old Testament do intreat and by whom they were published Witchmongers answers to the Objections against Witches supernatural actions ibid. CHAP. VII What were the miracles expressed in the Old Testament and what are they in the New Testament and that we are not now to look for any more miracles Page 97 BOOK X. CHAP. I. THe Interpretation of the Hebrew word Onen of the vanity of dreams and Divinations thereupon Page 99 CHAP. II. Of Divine Natural and Casual Dreams with the different causes and effects ibid. CHAP. III. The Opinion of divers old Writers touching Dreams and how they vary in noting the causes thereof Page 100 CHAP. IV. Against Interpreters of Dreams of the ordinary cause of Dreams Hemingius opinion of Diabolical Dreams the Interpretation of Dreams ceased ibid. CHAP. V. That neither Witches nor any other can either by words or herbs thrust into the mind of a sleeping man what cogitations or dreams they list and whence Magical dreams come Page 101 CHAP. VI. How men have been bewitched cosened or abused by Dreams to dig and search for Money Page 102 CHAP. VII The art and order to be used in diging for Money revealed by Dreams how to procure pleasant Dreams of morning and midnight dreams ibid. CHAP. VIII Sundry Receipts and Ointments made and used for the transportation of Witches and other miraculous effects an instance thereof reported and credited by some that are learned ibid. CHAP. IX A confutation of the former follies as well concerning Ointments Dreams c. as also the assembly of Witches and of their Consultations and Bankets at sundry places and all in Dreams Page 103 CHAP. X. That most part of Prophesies in the Old Testament were revealed in Dreams that we are not now to look for such Revelations of some who have dreamt of that which hath come to pass that Dreams prove contrary Nebuchadnezzar's rule to know a true Expositor of Dreams Page 104 BOOK XI CHAP. I. THe Hebrew word Nahas expounded of the art of Augury who invented it how slovenly a Science it is the multitude of Sacrifices and Sacrificers of the Heathen and the causes thereof Page 106 CHAP. II. Of the Jews Sacrifice to Moloch a discourse thereupon and of Purgatory ibid. CHAP. III. The Canibals cruelty of Popish Sacrifices exceeding in tyranny the Jews or Gentiles Page 107 CHAP. IV. The superstition of the Heathen about the Element of Fire and how it grew in such reverence among them of their corruptions and that they had some inkling of the godly Fathers doings in that behalf ibid. CHAP. V. Of the Roman Sacrifices of the estimation they had of Augury of the Law of the Twelve Tables Page 108 CHAP. VI. Colledges of Angurers their Office their number the signification of Augury that the practisers of that Art were coseners their profession their places of Exercise their Apparel their Superstition ibid. CHAP. VII The times and seasons to exercise Augury the manner and order thereof of the Ceremonies thereunto belonging Page 109 CHAP. VIII Upon what signs and tokens Augurers did prognosticate Observations touching the inward and outward parts of Beasts with notes of Beasts behaviour in the slaughter-house ibid. CHAP. IX A Confutation of Augury Plato his reverend opinion thereof of contrary events and false predictions Page 110 CHAP. X. The cosening Art of Sortilege or Lotary practised especially by the Egyptian vagabonds of allowed lots of Pythagoras his lot c. ibid. CHAP. XI Of the Cabbalistical Art consisting of Traditions and unwritten Verities learned without Bock and of the Division thereof Page 111 CHAP. XII When how and in what sort Sacrifices were first ordained and how they were prophaned and how the Pope corrupteth the Sacraments of Christ Page 112 CHAP. XIII Of the Objects whereupon the Augurers used to prognosticate with certain cautions and notes Page 113 CHAP. XIV The division of Augury persons admittable into the Colledges of Augury of their Superstition ibid. CHAP. XV. Of the common peoples fond and sustitious Collections and observations Page 114 CHAP. XVI How old Writers vary about the Matter the Manner and the Means where things augurifical are moved Page 115 CHAP. XVII How ridiculous an Art Augury is how Cato mocked it Aristotle's reason against it fond Collections of Augurers who allowed and who disallowed it Page 116 CHAP. XVIII Fond Distinctions of the Heathen Writers concerning Augury Page 117 CHAP. XIX Of Natural and Casual Augury the one allowed and the other disallowed ibid. CHAP. XX. A Confutation of Casual Augury which is meer Witchcraft and upon what uncertainty those Divinations are grounded ibid. CHAP. XXI The Figure-casters are Witches the uncertainty of their Art and of their contradictions Agrippa's sentence against Judicial Astrologie Page 118 CHAP. XXII The subtilty of Astrologers to maintain the credit of their Art why they remain in credit certain impieties contained in Astrologers assertions Page 119 CHAP. XXXIII Who have power to drive away Devils with their only presence who shall receive of God whatsoever they ask in Prayer who shall obtain everlasting life by means of Constellations as Nativity-casters affirm Page 120 BOOK XII CHAP. I. THe Hebrew word Haber expounded where also the supposed secret force of Charms and Inchantments is shewed and the efficacy of words is divers wayes declared Page 121 CHAP. II. What is forbidden in Scriptures concerning Witchcraft of the operation of words the superstition of the Cabalists and Papists who createth Substances to imitate God in some cases is presumption words of Sanctification ibid. CHAP. III. What effect and offence Witches Charms bring how unapt Witches are and how unlikely to work those things which they are thought to do what would follow if those things were true which are laid to their charge Page 122 CHAP. IV. Why God forbad the practice of Witchcraft the absurdity of the law of the Twelve Tables whereupon their estimation in miraculous actions is grounded of their wonderous works Page 123 CHAP. V. An instance of one arraigned upon the law of the Twelve Tables whereby the said law is proved
1582. you shall see that he affirmeth that all those tortures are far too light and their rigour too mild and that in that respect he impudently exclameth against our Magistrates who suffer them to be but hanged when murtherers and such malefactors be so used which deserve not the hundreth part of their punishments But if you will see more folly and lewdness comprised in one lewd book I commend you to Ri. Ga. a Windsor-man who being a mad-man hath written according to his frantick humor the reading whereof may satisfie a wise man how mad all these Witch-mongers dealings be in this behalf CHAP. IX A conclusion of the first Book wherein is fore-shewed the tyrannical cruelty of Witchmongers and Inquisitors with a request to the reader to peruse the same ANd because it may appear unto the world what treacherous and faithless dealing what extreme and intolerable tyranny what gross and fond absurdities what unnatural and uncivil discourtesie what canker'd and spiteful malice what outragious and barbarous cruelty what lewd and false packing what cunning and crafty intercepting what bald and peevish interpretations what abominable and devilish inventions and what flat and plain knavery is practised against these old women I will set down the whole order of the inquisition to the everlasting inexcusable and apparent shame of all Witch-mongers Neither will I insert any private or doubtful dealings of theirs or such as they can either deny to be usual or justly cavil at but such as are published and renewed in all ages since the commencement of Popery established by Laws practised by Inquisitors priviledged by Princes commended by Doctors confirmed by Popes Councels Decrees and Canons and finally be left of all Witch-mongers to wit by such as do attribute to old women and such like creatures the power of the Creator I pray you therefore though it be tedious and intolerable as you would be heard in your miserable calamities so hear with compassion their accusations examinations matters given in evidence confessions presumptions interrogatories conjurations cautions crimes tortures and condemnations devised and practised usually against them BOOK II. CHAP. I. What testimonies and witnesses are allowed to give evidence against reputed Witches by the report and allowance of the Inquisitors themselves and such as are special writers herein EXcommunicate persons partakers of the fault infants wicked servants and run-awaies are to be admitted to bear witness against their dames in this matter of Witch-craft because saith Bodin the champion of Witch-mongers none that be honest are able to detect them Hereticks also and Witches shall be received to accuse but not to excuse a Witch And finally the testimony of all infamous persons in this case is good and allowed Yea one lewd person saith Bodin may be received to accuse and condemn a thousand suspected Witches And although by law a capital enemy may be challenged yet James Sprenger and Henry Institor from whom Bodin and all the writers that ever I have read do receive their light authorities and arguments say upon this point of Law that the poor friendless old woman must prove that her capital enemy would have killed her and that he hath both assaulted and wounded her otherwise she pleadeth all in vain If the judge ask her whether she have any capital enemies and she rehearse other and forget her accuser or else answer that he was her capital enemy but now she hopeth he is not so such a one is nevertheless admitted for a witness And though by law single witnesses are not admittable yet if one depose she hath bewitched her Cow another her Sow and the third her Butter these saith M. Mal. and Bodin are not single witnesses because they agree that she is a Witch CHAP. II The order of examination of Witches by the Inquisitors WOmen suspected to be Witches after their apprehension may not be suffered to go home or to other places to seek sureties for then saith Bodin the people would be worse willing to accuse them for fear lest at their return home they work revenge upon them In which respect Bodin commendeth much the Scottish custome and order in this behalf where he saith a hollow piece of wood or a chest is placed in the Church into the which any body may freely cast a little scroll of paper wherein may be contained the name of the Witch the time place and fact c. And the same chest being locked with three several locks are opened every fifteenth day by three Inquisitors or officers appointed for that purpose which keep three several keys And thus the accuser need not be known nor shamed with the reproach of slander or malice to his poor neighbour Item There must be great perswasions used to all men women and children to accuse old women of witch-craft Item There may alwaies be promised impunity and favour to Witches that confess and detect others and on the contrary there may be threatnings and violence practised and used Item The little children of Witches which will not confess must be attached who if they be craftily handled saith Bodin will confess against their own mothers Item Witches must be examined as suddenly and as unawares as is possible the which will so amaze them that they will confess any thing supposing the devil hath forsaken them whereas if they should first be committed to prison the devil would tamper with them and inform them what to do Item The Inquisitor judge or examiner must begin with small matters first Item They must be examined whether their parents were Witches or no for Witches as these Doctors suppose come by propagation And Bodin setteth down this principle in Witchcraft to wit Si saga sit mater sic etiam est filia howbeit the law forbiddeth it Ob sanguinis reverentiam Item The examiner must look stedfastly upon their eyes for they cannot look directly upon a mans face as Bodin affirmeth in one place although in another he saith that they kill and destroy both men and beasts with their looks Item She must be examined of all accusations presumptions and faults at one instant left Satan should afterwards disswade her from confession Item A Witch may not be put in prison alone lest the Devil disswade her from confession through promises of her indemnity For saith Bodin some that have been in the goal have proved to fly away as they were wont to do when they met with Diana and Minerva c. and so brake their own necks against the stone-walls Item If any deny her own confession made without torture she is nevertheless by that confession to be condemned as in any other crime Item The Judges must seem to be in a pitiful countenance and to bemoan them saying that It was not they but the Devil that committed the murther and that he compelled them to do it and must make them believe that they think them to be innocents Item If they will confess nothing but
saith he these things which they report of themselves are but meer illusions Psellus addeth hereunto that certain magical hereticks to wit the Eutychyans assemble themselves every Good-friday at night and putting out the candles do commit incestuous adultery the father with the daughter the sister with the brother and the son with the mother and the ninth moneth they return and are delivered and cutting their children in pieces fill their pots with their bloud then burn they the carkasses and mingle the ashes therewith and so preserve the same for Magical purposes Cardanus writeth though in mine opinion not very probably that these excourses dancings c. had their beginning from certain Hereticks called Dulcini who devised those feasts of Bacchus which are named Orgia whereunto these kind of people openly assembled and beginning with riot ended with this folly Which feasts being prohibited they nevertheless haunted them secretly and when they could not do so then did they it in cogitation only and even to this day saith he there remaineth a certain image or resemblance thereof among our melancholick women CHAP. IV. That there can no real league be made with the devil the first author of the league and the weak proofs of the adversaries for the same IF the league be untrue as are the residue of their confessions the Witchmongers arguments fall to the ground for all the writers herein hold this bargain for certain good and granted and as their only maxim But surely the indentures containing those covenants are sealed with butter and the labels are but bables What firm bargain can be made betwixt a carnal body and a spiritual Let any wise or honest man tell me that either hath been a party or a witness and I will believe him But by what authority proof or testimony and upon what ground all this geer standeth if you read M. Mal. you shall find to the shame of the reporters who do so vary in their tales and are at such contrariety and to the reproach of the believers of such absurd lies For the beginning of the credit hereof resteth upon the confession of a baggage young fellow condemned to be burnt for Witchcraft who said to the Inquisitors of likelihood to prolong his life if at leastwise the story be true which is taken out of Nider If I wist quoth he that I might obtain pardon I would discover all that I know of Witchcraft The which condition being accepted and pardon promised partly in hope thereof and partly to be rid of his wife he said as followeth The novice or young disciple goeth to some Church together with the mistress of that profession upon a Sunday morning before the conjuration of holy water and there the said novice renounceth the faith promiseth obedience in observing or rather omitting of ceremonies in meetings and such other follies and finally that they do homage to their young master the Devil as they covenanted But this is notable in that story that this young Witch doubting that his wives examination would bewray his knavery told the Inquisitor that in truth his wife was guilty as well as he but she will never I am sure quoth he though she should be burned a thousand times confess any of these circumstances And this is in no wise to be forgotten that notwithstanding his contrition his confession and his accusation of his own wife contrary to the inquisitors promise and oath he and his wife were both burned at a stake being the first discoverers of this notable league whereupon the fable of Witchcraft is maintained and whereby such other confessions have been from the like persons since that time extorted and augmented CHAP. V. Of the private league a notable tale of Bodins concerning a French Lady with a confutation THe manner of their private league is said to be when the Devil invisible and sometimes visile in the midst of the people talketh with them privately promising that if they will follow his counsel he will supply all their necessities and make all their endeavours prosperous and so beginneth with small matters whereunto they consent privily and come not into the fayries assembly And in this case me thinks the Devil sometimes in such external or corporal shape should meet with some that would not consent to his motions except you will say he knoweth their cogitations and so should be bewrayed They also except they were idiots would spie him and forsake him for breach of covenants But these bargains and these assemblies do all the writers hereupon maintain and Bodin confirmeth them with a hundred and odd lies among the number whereof I will for divers causes recite one There was saith he a noble Gentlewoman at Lions that being in bed with a lover of hers suddenly in the night arose up and lighted a candle and when she had done she took a box of ointment wherewith she annointed her body and after a few words spoken she was carried away Her bed-fellow seeing the order hereof leapt out of his bed took the candle in his hand and sought for the Lady round about the chamber and in every corner thereof But though he could not find her yet did he find her box of ointment being desirous to know the vertue thereof besmeered himself therewith even as he perceived her to have done before And although he was not so superstitious as to use any words to help him forward in his business yet by the vertue of that ointment saith Bodin he was immediately conveyed to Lorrein into the assembly of Witches Which when he saw he was abashed and said In the name of God what make I here And upon those words the whole assembly vanished away and left him there alone stark naked and so was he fain to return to Lions But he had so good a conscience for you may perceive by the first part of the history he was a very honest man that he accused his true lover for a Witch and caused her to be burned And as for his adultery neither M. Mal. nor Bodin do once so much as speak in the dispraise thereof It appeareth throughout all Bodins book that he is sore offended with Cornelius Agrippa and the rather as I suppose because the said C. Agrippa recanted that which Bodin maintaineth who thinketh he could work wonders by Magick and specially by his black Dog It should seem he had pretty skill in the Art of Divination For though he wrote before Bodin many a year yet uttereth he these words in his book De vanitate scientiarum A certain French protonotary saith he a lewd fellow and a cosener hath written a certain fable of miracle done at Lions c. What Bodin is I know not otherwise than by report but I am certain this his tale is a fond fable and Bodin saith it was performed at Lions and this man as I understand by profession is a civil Lawyer CHAP. VI. A disproof of their
Prophet to wit I will cause the Prophets and unclean spirits to depart out of the land and when any shall yet Prophesie his parents shall say to him Thou shalt not live for thou speakest lyes in the name of the Lord and his Parents shall thrust him through when he Prophesieth c. No no the foretelling of things to come is the only work of God who disposeth all things sweetly of whose counsel there hath never yet been any man And to know our labours the times and moments God hath placed in his own power Also Phavorinus saith That if these cold Prophets or Oraclers tell thee of prosperity and deceive thee thou art made a miser through vain expectation if they tell thee of adversity c. and lye thou art made a miser through vain fear And therefore I say we may as well look to hear Prophesies at the Tabernacle in the bush of the Cherubin among the clouds from the Angels within the Ark or out of the flame c. as to expect an oracle of a Prophet in these dayes But put the case that one in our Common-wealth should step up and say he were a Prophet as many frantick persons do who would believe him or not think rather that he were a lewd person See the Statutes Eliz. 5. whether there be not laws made against them condemning their arrogancy and cosenage so also the canon laws to the same effect Chap. III. That Oracles are ceased TOuching Oracles which for the most part were Idols of silver gold wood stones c. within whose bodies some say unclean spirits hid themselves and gave answers as others say that exhalations rising out of the ground inspire their minds whereby their Priests gave out Oracles so as spirits and winds rose up out of that soil and indued those men with the gift of Prophesie of things to come though in truth they were all devices to cosen the people and for the profit of Priests who received the Idols answers over night and delivered them back to the idolaters the next morning you shall understand that although it had been so as it is supposed yet by the reasons and proofs before rehearsed they should now cease and whatsoever hath affinity with such miraculous actions as Witchcraft Conjuration c. is knocked on the head and nailed on the cross with Christ who hath broken the power of Devils and satisfied Gods justice who also hath troden them under his feet and subdued them c. At whose coming the Prophet Zachary saith That the Lord will cut the names of Idols out of the Land and they shall be no more remembred and he will then cause the Prophets and unclean spirits to depart out of the land It is also written I will cut off thine Inchanters out of thine hand and than shalt have no more Soothsayers And indeed the Gospel of Christ hath so laid open their knavery c. that since the preaching thereof their combes are cut and few that are wise regard them And if ever these Prophesies came to take effect it must be upon the coming of Christ whereat you see the Devils were troubled and fainted when they met him saying or rather exclaming upon him on this wise Fili Dei cur venisti nos cruciare ante tempus O thou Son of God why comest thou to molest us or confound us before our time appointed which he indeed prevented and now remaineth he our defender and keeper from his claws So as now you see here is no room left for such guests Howbeit you shall hear the opinion of others that have been as much deceived as your selves in this matter and yet are driven to confess that God hath constituted his Son to beat down the power of Devils and to satisfie Gods justice and to heal our wound received by the fall of Adam according to Gods promise in Genesis 3. The seed of the woman shall tread down the serpent or the Devil Eusebius in his first book De praedicatione Evangelii the title whereof is this That the power of Devils is taken away by the coming of Christ saith All answers made by Devils all Soothsayings and Divinations of men are gone and vanished away Item he citeth Porphyry in his book against Christian Religion wherein these words are rehearsed It is no marvel though the Plague be so hot in this City for ever since Jesus hath been worshipped we can obtain nothing that good is at the hands of our Gods And of this defection and ceasing of Oracles writeth Cicero long before and that to have happened also before his time Howbeit Chrysostome living lone since Cicero saith That Apollo was forced to grant that so long as any relike of a Martyr was held to his nose he could not make any answer or Oracle So as one may perceive that the Heathen were wiser in this behalf then many Christians who in times past were called Oppugnatores incantamentorum as the English Princes are called Defensores fidei Plutarch calleth Boeotia as we call bablers by the name of Many words because of the multitude of Oracles there which now saith he are like to a spring or fountain which is dryed up If any one remained I would ride five hundred miles to see it but in the whole world there is not one to be seen at this hour Popish cosenages excepted But Plutarch saith That the cause of this defection of Oracles was the Devils death whose life he held to be determinable and mortal saying they dyed for very age and that the divining Priests were blown up with a Whirle-winde and sunk with an earthquake Others imputed it to be the sight of the place of the Planets which when they passed over them carryed away that art with them and by revolution may return c. Eusebius also citeth out of him the story of Pan which because it is to this purpose I will insert the same and since it mentioneth the Devils death you may believe it if you list for I will not as being assured that he is reserved alive to punish the wicked and such as impute unto those Idols the power of Almighty God CHAP. IV. A tale written by many grave Authors and believed by many wise men of the Devils death Another story written by Papists and believed of all Catholicks approving the Devils honestly conscience and courtesie PLutarch saith That his Countreyman Epitherses told him that as he passed by Sea into Italy many passengers being in his boat in an evening when they were about the Islands Echinadae the wind quite ceased and the ship driving with the tide was brought at last to Pax and whilest some slept and others quaft and othersome were awake perhaps in as ill case as the rest after supper suddainly a voyce was heard calling Thamus in such sort as every man marvelled This Thamus was a Pilot born in Aegypt unknown to many that were in the ship wherefore being
yet are the other divinations more vain and foolish Howbeit Plato thinketh a Common-wealth cannot stand without this Art and numbereth it among the liberal Sciences These fellows promised Pompy Cassius and Caesar that none of them should die before they were old and that in their own houses and in great honour and yet they all died clean contrarily Howbeit doubtless the Heathen in this point were not so much to be blamed as the sacrificing Papists for they were directed hereunto without the knowledge of Gods promises neither knew they the end why such Ceremonies and Sacrifices were instituted but only understood by an uncertain and slender report that God was wont to send good or ill success to the children of Israel and to the old Patriarchs and Fathers upon his acceptance or disallowance of their Sacrifices and Oblations But men in all ages have been so desirous to know the effect of their purposes the sequel of things to come and to see the end of their fear and hope that a silly Witch which hath learned any thing in the Art of cosenage may make a great many jolly fools CHAP. X. The cosening Art of Sortilege or Lottery practised especially by Aegyptian Vagabonds of allowed Lots of Pythagoras his Lot c. THe counterfeit Aegyptians which were indeed cosening Vagabonds practising the Art called Sortilegium had no small credit among the multitude Howbeit their Divinations were as was their fast and loose and as the Witches cures and hurts and as the Sooth-sayers answers and as the Conjurers raising up of spirits and as Apollo's or Grace's Oracles and as the Jugglers knacks of Legierdemain and as the Papists Exorcisms and as the Witches charms and as the counterfeit Visions and as the coseners Knaveries Hereupon it was said Non inveniatur inter vos Menahas that is Sortilegus which were like to these Aegyptian coseners As for other lots they were used and that lawfully as appeareth by Jonas and others that were holy men and as may be seen among all Common-wealths for the deciding of divers Controversies c. wherein thy neighbour is not misused nor God any way offended But in truth I think because of the cosenage that so easily may be used herein God forbad it in the Common-wealth of the Jews though in the good use thereof it was allowed in matters of great weight as appeareth both in the Old and New Testament and that as well in doubtful cases and distributions as in Elections and Inheritances and pacification of variances I omit to speak any thing of the Lots comprised in Verses concerning the luck ensuing either of Virgil Homer or any other wherein fortune is gathered by the sudden turning unto them because it is a childish and ridiculous toy and like unto childrens play at Primus secundus or the game called The Philosophers Table but herein I will refer you to the bable it self or else to Bodin or to some such sober Writen thereupon of whom there is no want There is a Lot also called Pythagora's Lot which some say Aristotle believed and that is where the characters of letters have certain proper numbers whereby they divine through the proper names of men so as the numbers of each letter being gathered in a sum and put together give victory to them whose sum is the greater whether the question be of Warr Life Matrimony Victory c. even as the unequal number of vowels in proper names portendeth lack of sight halting c. which the God-fathers and God-mothers might easily prevent if the case stood so CHAP. XI Of the Cabalistical Art consisting of Traditions and Unwritten Varieties learned without Book and of the Division thereof HEre is also place for the Cabalistical Art consisting of unwritten Verities which the Jews do believe and brag that God himself gave to Moses in Mount-Sinai and afterwards was taught only with lively voyce by degrees of succession without writing until the time of Esdras even the Scholars of Archippus did use Wit and Memory in stead of Books They divide this in twain the one expoundeth with Philosophical reason the Secrets of the Law and the Bible wherein they say that Solomon was very cunning because it is written in the Hebrew Stories that he disputed from the Cedar to Libanus even to the Hysope also of Birds Beasts c. The other is as it were a Symbolical Divinity of the highest Contemplation of the divine and angelike vertues of holy names and signs wherein the letters numbers figures things and arms the pricks over the letters the lines the points and the accents do all signifie very profound things and great secrets By these Arts the Atheists suppose Moses wrote all his Miracles and that hereby they have power over Angels and Devils as also to do miracles yea and that hereby all the miracles that either any of the Prophets or Christ himself wrought were accomplished But C. Agrippa having searched to the bottom of this Art saith it is nothing but superstition and folly Otherwise you may be sure Christ would not have hidden it from his Church For this cause the Jews were so skilful in the Names of God But there is none other Name in Heaven or Earth in which we might be saved but Jesus neither is that meant by his bare Name but by his vertue and goodness towards us These Cabalists do further brag that they are able hereby not only to find out and know the unspeakable mysteries of God but also the secrets which are above Scripture whereby also they take upon them to Prophesie and to work Miracles yea hereby they can make what they list to be Scripture as Valeria Proba did pick certain Verses out of Virgile alluding them to Christ And therefore these their Revolutions are nothing but Allegorical Games which idle men busied in Letters Points and Numbers which the Hebrew tongue easily suffereth devise to delude and cosen the simple and ignorant And this they call Alphabetary or Arithmetical Divinity which Christ shewed to his Apostles only and which Paul saith he speaketh but among perfect men and being high mysteries are not to be committed unto writing and so made popular There is no man that readeth any thing of this Cabalistical Art but must needs think upon the Popes cunning practices in this behalf who hath In scrinio pectoris not only the Exposition of all Laws both Divine and Humane but also Authority to add thereunto or to draw back there-from at his pleasure and this may he lawfully do even with the Scriptures either by addition or substraction after his own pontifical liking As for example He hath added the Apocrypha whereunto he might as well have joyned S. Augustine's Works or the course of the Civil Law c. Again he hath diminished from the Decalogue or Ten Commandements not one or two words but a whole Precept namely the second which it hath pleased him to dash out with
And never think that a poor old woman can alter supernaturally the notable course which God hath appointed among his creatures If it had heen Gods pleasure to have permitted such a course he would no doubt have both given notice in his word that he had given such power unto them and also would have taught remedies to have prevented them Furthermore if you will know assured means and infallible Charms yielding indeed undoubted remedies and preventing all manner of Witchcrafts and also the assaults of wicked Spirits then despise first all cosening knavery of Priests Witches and coseners and with true faith read the sixt chapter of St. Paul to the Ephesians and follow his counsel which is ministred unto you in the words following deserving worthily to be called by the name ensuing The Charm of Charms FInally my Brethren be strong the Lord and in the power of his might Put on the whole armour of God that you may stand against the assaults of the Devil For we wrestle not against flesh and blood but against Principalities and Powers and against worldly Governours the Princes of the darkness of this world against spiritual wickednesses which are in the high places For this cause take unto you the whole armour of God that you may be able to resist in the evil day and having finished all things stand fast Stand therefore having your loins girded about with verity and having on the brestplate of righteousness c. as followeth in that Chapter verses 15 16 17 18. 1 Thess 5. 1 Pet. 5. Vers 8. Ephes 1. and else-where in the holy Scripture Otherwise IF you be unlearned and want the comfort of friends repair to some learned godly and discreet Preacher If otherwise need require go to a learned Physitian who by learning and experience knoweth and can discern the difference signs and causes of such diseases as faithless men and unskilful Physitians impute to Witchcraft CHAP. XXIII A Confutation of the force and vertue falsely ascribed to Charms and Amulets by the Authorities of ancient Writers both Divines and Physitians MY meaning is not that these words in the bare letter can do any thing towards your ease or comfort in this behalf or that it were wholesome for your body or soul to wear them about your neck for then would I wish you to wear the whole Bible which must needs be more effectual than any one parcel thereof But I find not that the Apostles or any of them in the Primitive Church either carryed St. John's Gospel or any Agnus Die about them to the end they might be preserved from bugs neither that they looked into the four corners of the house or else on the roof or under the threshold to find matter of Witchcraft and so to burn it to be freed from the same according to the Popish rules Neither did they by such and such Verses or Prayers made unto Saints at such or such hours seek to obtain grace neither spake they of any old Women that used such Trades Neither did Christ at any time use or command holy Water or Crosses c. to be used as terrours against the Devil who was not affraid to assault himself when he was on Earth And therefore a very vain thing it is to think that he feareth these trifles or any external matter Let us then cast away these prophane and old Wives Fables For as Origen saith Incatationes sunt Demonum irrisiones idololatriae fex animarum infatuatio c. Incantations are the Devils sport the dregs of Idolatry the besotting of souls c. Chrysostome saith there be some that carry about their necks a piece of a Gospel But is it not daily read saith he and heard of all men But if they be never the better for it being put into their ears hour shall they be saved by carrying it about their necks And further he saith Where is the vertue of the Gospel In the figure of the letter or in the understanding of the sense If in the figure thou dost well to wear it about thy neck but if in the understanding then thou shouldst lay it up in thine heart Augustine saith Let the faithful Ministers admonish and tell their people that these Magical Arts and Incantations do bring no remedy to the Infirmities either of Men or Cattel c. The Heathen Philosophers shall at the last day confound the infidelity and barbarous foolishness of our Christian or rather Antichristian or prophane Witchmongers For as Aristrtle saith that Incantamenta sunt muliercularum figmenta Inchantments are womens figments So doth Socrates who was said to be cunning herein affirm that Incantationes sunt verba animas decipientia humanas Incantations are words deceiving humane souls Others say Inscitia pallium sunt carmina maleficium Incantatio The cloak of Ignorance are Charms Witchery and Incantation Galen also saith that such as impute the Falling-evil and such like diseases to divine matter and not rather to natural causes are Witches Conjurers c. Hippocrates calleth them arrogant and in another place affirming that in his time there were many deceivers and coseners that would undertake to cure the Falling-evil c. by the power and help of Devils by burying some Lots or Inchantments in the ground or casting them into the Sea concludeth thus in their credit that they are all Knaves and Coseners for God is our only defender and deliverer O notable sentence of a Heathen Philosopher BOOK XIII CHAP. I. The signification of the Hebrew word Hartumim where it is found written in the Scriptures and how it is diversly translated whereby the Objection Pharaohs Magicians is afterward answered in this Book also of Natural Magick not evil in it self HArtumim is no natural Hebrew word but is borrowed of some other Nation howbeit it is used of the Hebrews in these places to wit Gen. 4.1.8.24 Exod. 7.13 24. 8.7.18 9.11 Dan. 1.20 2.2 Hierome sometimes translateth it Conjectores sometimes Malefici sometimes Arioli which we for the most part translate by this word Witches But the right signification hereof may be conceived in that the Inchanters of Pharaoh being Magicians of Aegypt were called Hartumim And yet in Exodus they are named in some Latine Translations Venefici Rabbi Levi saith it betokeneth such as do strange and wonderful things naturally artificially and deceitfully Rabbi Isaac Natar affirmeth that such were so termed as amongst the Gentiles professed singular wisdom Aben Ezra expoundeth it to signifie such as know the secrets of Nature and the quality of Stones and Hearbs c. which is attained unto by Art and specially by Natural Magick But we either for want of speech or knowledge call them all by the name and term of Witches Certainly God endueth bodies with wonderful graces the perfect knowledge whereof man hath not reached unto and on the one side there is amongst them such mutual love society and consent and
buildeth high towers full of weapons and also Castles and Cities he inflicteth men thirty dayes with wounds both rotten and full of maggots at the Exorcists commandement he provideth good familiars and hath dominion over Fifty Legions Sidonay aliàs Asmoday a great King strong and mighty he is seen with three heads whereof the first is like a Bull the second like a man the third like a Ram he hath a Serpents tail he belcheth flames out of his mouth he hath feet like a Goose he sitteth on an infernal Dragon be carryeth a launce and a flag in his hand he goeth before others which are under the power of Amaymon When the Conjuror exerciseth this office let him be abroad let him be wary and standing on his feet if his cap be on his head he will cause all his doings to be bewrayed which if he do not the Exorcist shall be deceived by Amaymon in every thing But so soon as he seeth him in the form aforesaid he shall call him by his name saying Thou art Asmoday he will not deny it and by and by he boweth down to the ground he giveth the ring of virtues he absolutely teacheth Geometry Arithmetick Astronomy and handicrafts To all demands he answereth fully and truly he maketh a man invisible he sheweth the places where treasure lyeth and gardeth it if it be among the Legions of Amaymon he hath under his power Seventy two Legions Gaap aliàs Tap a great President and a Prince he appeareth in a meridional sign and when he taketh humane shape he is the guide of the four principal Kings as mighty as Bileth There were certain Necromancers that offered sacrifices and burnt offerings unto him and to call him up they exercised an art saying that Solomon the wise made it which is false for it was rather Cham the son of Noah who after the flood began first to invocate wicked Spirits He invocated Bileth and made an Art in his name and a book which is known to many Mathematitians There were burnt offerings and sacrifices made and gifts given and much wickedness wrought by the Exorcist who mingleth therewithal the holy Names of God the which in that Art are everywhere expressed Marry there is an Epistle of those names written by Solomon as also write Helias Aierosolymitanus and Helisaeus It is to be noted that if any Exorcist have the Art of Bileth and cannot make him stand before him nor see him I may not bewray how and declare the means to contain him because it is an abomination and for that I have learned nothing from Solomon of his dignity and office But yet I will not hide this to wit that he maketh a man wonderful in Philosophy and all the Liberal Sciences he maketh love hatred insensibility consecration and consecration of those things that are belonging unto the domination of Amaymon and delivereth familiars out of the possession of other Conjurors answering truly and perfectly of things present past and to come and transferreth men most speedily into other Nations he ruleth Sixty six Legions and was of the order of Potestates Shax aliàs Scox is a dark and great Marquess like unto a Stork with a hoarse and subtil voyce he doth marvellously take away the sight hearing and understanding of any man at the commandement of the Conjuror he taketh away money out of every Kings house and carryeth it back after 1200 years if he be commanded he is a horse-stealer he is thought to be faithful in all commandements and although he promise to be obedient to the Conjuror in all things yet he is not so he is a lyer except he be brought into a triangle and there he speaketh divinely and telleth of things that are hidden and not kept of wicked Spirits he promiseth good familiars which are accepted if they be not deceivers he hath Thirty Legions Procel is a great and strong Duke appearing in the shape of an Angel but speaketh darkly of things hidden he teacheth Geometry and the Liberal Arts he maketh great noises and causeth the waters to roar where are none he warmeth waters and distempereth baths at certain times as the Exorcist appointeth him he was of the order of Potestates and hath Forty eight Legions under his power Furcas is a Knight and cometh forth in the similitude of a cruel Man with a long beard and a hoary head she sitteth on a pale horse carrying in his hand a sharp weapon he perfectly teacheth practick Philosophy Rhetorick Logick Astronomy Chiromancy Pyromancy and their parts there obey him Twenty Legions Murmur is a great Duke and an Earl appearing in the shape of a Souldier riding on a Griffin with a Dukes crown on his head there go before him two of his Ministers with great trumpets he teacheth Philosophy absolutely he constraineth souls to come before the Exorcist to answer what he shall ask them he was of the order partly of Thrones and partly of Angels and ruleth Thirty Legions Caim is a great President taking the form of a Thrush but when he putteth on mans shape he answereth in burning ashes carrying in his hand a most sharpe sword he maketh the best disputers he giveth men the understanding of all birds of the lowing of bullocks and barking of Dogs and also of the sound and noise of waters he answereth best of things to come he was of the order of Angels and ruleth Thirty Legions Raum or Raim is a great Earl he is seen as a Crow but when he putteth on humane shape at the commandement of the Exorcist he stealeth wonderfully out of the Kings house and carryeth it whether he is assigned he destroyeth Cities and hath great despite unto dignities he knoweth things present past and to come and reconcileth friends and foes he was of the order of Thrones and governeth Thirty Legions Halphas is a great Earl and cometh abroad like a Stork with a hoarse voyce he notably buildeth up Towns full of amunition and weapons he sendeth men of war to places appointed and hath under him Twenty six Legions Focalor is a great Duke cometh forth as a man with wings like a Griffin he killeth men and drowneth them in the waters and overturneth ships of war commanding and ruling both Winds and Seas And let the Conjuror note that if he bid him hurt no man he willingly consenteth thereto he hopeth after 1000 years to return to the seventh Throne but he is deceived he hath Three Legions Vine is great King and an Earl he sheweth himself as a Lyon riding a black Horse and carryeth a Viper in his hand he gladly buildeth large Towres he throweth down stone walls and maketh waters rough At the commandement of the Exorcist he answereth of things hidden of Witches and of things present past and to come Bifrons is seen in the similitude of a Monster when he taketh the image of man he maketh one wonderful cunning in Astrology absolutely
except thou Spirit N. do come and appear visibly in this Crystal-stone in my presence here immediately as it is aforesaid Let the great curse of God the anger of God the shadow and darkness of death and of eternal condemnation be upon thee Spirit N. for ever and ever because thou hast denyed thy faith thy health and salvation For thy great disobedience thou art worthy to be condemned Therefore let the divine Trinity Thrones Dominions Principates Potestates Virtutes Cherubim and Seraphim and all the souls of Saints both of men and women condemn thee for ever and be a witness against thee at the day of judgment because of thy disobedience And let all creatures of our Lord Jesus Christ say thereunto Fiat Fiat fiat Amen And when he is appeared in the Crystal-stone as is said before bind him with this bond as followeth to wit I conjure thee Spirit N. that art appeared to me in this Crystal-stone to me and to my fellow I conjure thee by all the royall words aforesaid the which did constrain thee to appear therein and their vertues I charge thee by them all that thou shall not depart out of this Crystal-stone until my will being fulfilled thou be licened to depart I conjure and bind thee Spirit N. by that omnipotent God which commanded the Angel S. Michael to drive Lucifer out of the Heavens with a Sword of vengeance and to fall from joy to pain and for dread of such pain as he is in I charge thee Spirit N. that thou shalt not go out of the Crystal-stone nor yet to alter thy shape at this time except I command thee otherwise but to come unto me at all places and in all hours and minutes when and wheresoever I shall call thee by the vertue of our Lord Jesus Christ or by any Conjuration of words that is written in this Book and to shew me and my friends true visions in this Crystal-stone of any thing or things that we would see at any time or times and also to go and fetch me the fairy Sibylia that I may talk with her in all kind of talk as I shall call her by any Conjuration of words contained in this Book I conjure thee Spirit N. by the great wisdom and divinity of his Godhead my will to fulfill as is aforesaid I charge thee upon pain of condemnation both in this world and in the world to come Fiat fiat fiat Amen This done go to the place fast by and in a fair Parlor or Chamber make a ✚ ✚ ✚ Sorthie Sorthia Sorthios circle with chalk as hereafter followeth and make another circle for the fairy Sibylia to appear in four foot from the circle thou art in and make no names therein or cast any holy thing therein but make a circle round with chalk and let the Master and his fellow sit down in this circle the Master having the Book in his hand his fellow having the Crystal-stone in his right hand looking in the Stone when the Fairy doth appear The Master also must have upon his brest this figure here written in Parchment and begin to work in the new of the ☽ and in the hour of ♃ the ☉ and the ☽ to be in one of inhabiters signes as ♋ ♠♓ This bond as followeth is to cause the Spirit in the Crystal-stone to fetch unto thee the fairy Sibylia All things fulfilled begin this bond as followeth and behold for doubtles they will come before thee before the Conjuration be read seven times I conjure thee spirit N. in this Crystal-stone by God the Father by God the Son Jesus Christ and by God the Holy Ghost three Persons and one God and by their vertues I conjure thee spirit that thou do go in peace and also come again to me quickly and to bring with thee into that circle appointed Sibylia Fairie that I may talk with her in those matters that shall be to her honour and glory and so I charge thee declare unto her I conjure thee spirit N. by the blood of the innocent Lamb the which redeemed all the world by the vertue thereof I charge thee thou spirit in the Crystal-stone that thou do declare unto her this message Also I conjure thee spirit N. by all Angels and Archangels Thrones Dominations Principates Potestates Virtutes Cherubim and Seraphim and by their vertues and powers I conjure thee N. that thou do depart with speed and also to come again with speed and to bring with thee the fairie Sibylia to appear in that circle before I do read the Conjuration in this Book seven times Thus I charge thee my will to be fulfilled upon pain of everlasting condemnation Fiat fiat fiat Amen Then the figure aforesaid pinned on thy brest rehearse the words therein and say ✚ Sorthie ✚ Sorthia ✚ Sorthios ✚ then begin your Conjuration as followeth here and say I conjure thee Sibylia O gentle Virgine of Fairies by the mercy of the Holy Ghost and by the dreadful day of doom and by their vertues and powers I conjure thee Sibylia O gentle Virgine of Fairies and by all the Angels of ♃ and their characters and vertues and by all the spirits of ♃ and ♠and their characters and vertues and by all the characters that be in the Firmament and by the King and Queen of Fairies and their vertues and by the faith and obedience that thou bearest unto them I conjure thee Sibylia by the blood that ran out of the side of our Lord Jesus Christ crucified and by the opening of Heaven and by the renting of the Temple and by the darkness of the Sun in the time of his death and by the rising up of the dead in the time of his Resurrection and by the Virgin Mary Mother of our Lord Jesus Christ and by the unspeakable Name of God Letragramaton I conjure thee O Sibylia O blessed and beautiful Virgin by all the royall words aforesaid I conjure thee Sibylia by all their vertues to appear in that circle before me visibly in the form and shape of a beautiful woman in a bright and white vesture adorned and garnished most fair and to appear to me quickly without deceit or tarrying and that thou fail not to fulfil my will and desire effectually For I will choose thee to be my blessed Virgin and will have common copulation with thee Therefore make hast and speed to come unto me and to appear as I have said before To whom be honour and glory for ever and ever Amen The which done and ended if she come not repeat the Conjuration till they do come for doubtless they will come And when she is appeared take your censers and incense her with frankincense then bind her with the bond as followeth I do conjure thee Sibylia by God the Father God the Son and God the Holy Gost three Persons and one God and by the blessed Virgin Mary Mother of our Lord Jesus Christ and by all the
whole and holy company of Heaven and by the dreadful day of doom and by all Angels and Archangels Thrones Dominations Principates Potestates Virtutes Cherubim and Seraphim and their vertues and powers I conjure thee and bind thee Sibylia that thou shalt not depart out of the circle wherein thou art appeared nor yet to alter thy shape except I give thee licence to depart I conjure thee Sibylia by the blood that ran out of the side of our Lord Jesus Christ crucified and by the vertue hereof I conjure thee Sibylia to come to me and to appear to me at all times visibly as the Conjuration of words leadeth written in this Book I conjure thee Sibylia O blessed Virgin of Fairies by the opening of Heaven and by the renting of the Temple and by the darkness of the Sun at the time of his death and by the rising of the dead in the time of his glorious Resurrection and by the unspeakable Name of God ✚ Tetragrammaton ✚ and by King and Queen of Fairies and by their vertues I conjure thee Sibylia to appear before the Conjuration be read over four times and that visibly to appear as the the Conjuration leadeth written in this Book and to give me good counsel at all times and to come by treasures hidden in the earth and all other things that is to do me pleasure and to fulfil my will without any deceit or tarrying nor yet that thou shalt have any power of my body or soul earthly or ghostly nor yet to perish so much of my body as one hair of my head I conjure thee Sibylia by all the royal words aforesaid and by their vertues and powers I charge and bind thee by the vertue thereof to be obedient unto me and to all the words aforesaid and this bond to stand between thee and me upon pain of everlasting condemnation Fiat fiat fiat Amen CHAP. XVIII A License for Sibylia to go and come by at all times I Conjure thee Sibylia which art come hither before me by the commandement of thy Lord and mine that thou shalt have no power in thy going or coming unto me imagining any evil in any manner of wayes in the earth or under the earth of evil doings to any person or persons I conjure and command thee Sibylia by all the royal words and vertues that be written in this Book that thou shalt not go to the place from whence thou camest but shalt remain peaceably invisibly and look thou be ready to come unto me when thou art called by any conjuration of words that be written in this Book to come I say at my commandement and to answer unto me truly and duly of all things my will quickly to be fulfilled Vade in pace in Nomine Patris Filii Spiritus Sancti And the holy ✚ cross ✚ between thee and me or between us and you and the Lion of Juda the root of Jess the kindred of David be between thee and me ✚ Christ cometh ✚ Christ commandeth ✚ Christ giveth power ✚ Christ defend me ✚ and his innocent blood ✚ from all perils of body and soul sleeping and waking Fiat fiat Amen CHAP. XIX To know of Treasure hidden in the Earth WRite in paper these characters following on the Saturday in the hour of ☽ and lay it where thou thinkest Treasure to be if there be any the paper will burn else not And these be the characters This is the way to go invisible by these three Sisters of Fairies IN the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost First go to a fair Parlor or Chamber and an even ground and in no loft and from people nine dayes for it is the better and let all thy cloathing be clean and sweet Then make a Candle of Virgin Wax and light it and make a fair fire of Charcoles in a fair place in the middle of the Parlour or Chamber Then take fair clean water that runneth against the East and set it upon the fire and if thou washest thy self say these words going about the fire three times holding the Candle in thy right hand ✚ Panthon ✚ Craton ✚ Muriton ✚ Bisecognaton ✚ Siston ✚ Diaton ✚ Maton ✚ Tetragrammaton ✚ Agla ✚ Agarion ✚ Tegra ✚ Pentessaron ✚ Tendicata ✚ Then rehearse these names ✚ Sorthie ✚ Sorthia ✚ Sorthios ✚ Milia ✚ Achilia ✚ Sibylia ✚ In Nomine Patris et Filii et Spiritus Sancti Amen I conjure you three sisters of Fairies Milia Achilia Sibylia by the Father by the Son and by the Holy Ghost and by their vertues and powers and by the most merciful and living God that will command his Angel to blow the trump at the day of Judgment and he shall say Come come come to judgment and by all Angels Archangels Thrones Dominations Principates Potestates Virtutes Cherubim and Seraphim and by their vertues and powers I conjure you thre sisters by the vertue of all the royal words aforesaid I charge you that you do appear before me visibly in form and shape of fair women in white vestures and to bring with you to me the Ring of Invisibility by the which I may go invisible at mine own will and pleasure and that in all hours and minutes In Nomine Patris Filii Spiritus Sancti Amen Being appeared say this bond following O blessed Virgins ✚ Milia ✚ Achilia ✚ I conjure you in the Name of the Father in the Name of the Son and the Name of the Holy Ghost and by their vertues I charge you to depart from me in peace for a time And Sibylia I conjure thee by the vertue of our Lord Jesus Christ and by the vertue of his flesh and precious blood that he took of our blessed Lady the Virgin and by all holy company in Heaven I charge thee Sibylia by all the vertues aforesaid that thou be obedient unto me in the Name of God that when and what time and place I shall call thee by this foresaid Conjuration written in this Book look thou be ready to come unto me at all hours and minutes and to bring unto me the Ring of Invisibility whereby I may go invisible at my will and pleasure and that at all hours and minutes Fiat fiat Amen And if they come not at the first night then do the same the second night and so the third night until they do come for doubtless they will come and lie thou in thy bed in the same Parlor or Chamber And lay thy right hand out of the bed and look thou have a fair silken Kercher bound about thy head and be not afraid they will do thee no harm For there will come before thee three fair women and all in white cloathing and one of them will put a Ring upon thy finger wherewith thou shalt go invisible Then with speed bind them with the bond aforesaid When thou hast this Ring on thy finger look in
Angels Archangels Thrones Dominations Principates Potestates Virtutes Cherubim and Seraphim and by all their virtues do I N. swear and promise thee to be obedient as is rehearsed And here for a witness do I N. give thee N. my right hand and do plight thee my faith and troth as God me help and holydome And by the holy contents in this Book do I N. swear that my spirit shall be thy true servant all the days of thy life as is before rehearsed and here for a witness that my Spirit shall be obedient unto thee N. and to those bonds of words that be written in this N. before the bonds of words shall be rehearsed thrice else to be damned for ever and thereto say all faithful souls and spirits Amen Amen Then let him swear this Oath three times and at every time kiss the Book and at every time make marks to the bond Then perceiving the time that he will depart get away the people from you and get or take your stone or glass or other thing in your hand and say the Pater noster Ave and Credo and this Prayer as followeth And in all the time of his departing rehearse the bonds of words and in the end of every bond say oftentimes Remember thine Oath and promise And bind him strongly to thee and to thy stone and suffer him not to depart reading thy bond 24 times And every day when you do call him by your other bond bind him strongly by the first bond by the space of 24. days apply it and thou shalt be made a man for ever Now the Pater noster Ave and Credo must be said and then the Prayer immediately following O God of Abraham God of Isaac God of Jacob God of Tobias the which didst deliver the three children from the hot burning oven Sidrac Misac and Abednago and Susanna from the false crime and Daniel from the Lions power even so O Lord Omnipotent I beseech thee for thy great mercy sake to help me in these my works and to deliver me this Spirit of N. that he may be a true subject unto me N all the days of my life and to remain with me and with this N. all the dayes of my life O glorious God Father Son and Holy Ghost I beseech thee to help me at this time and to give me power by thy holy Name Merits and vertues whereby I may conjure and constrain this Spirit of N. that he may be obedient unto me and may fulfill his Oath and promise at all times by the power of all thine holiness This grant O Lord God of Hosts as thou art righteous and holy and as thou art the Word and the Word God the beginning and the end sitting in the Thrones of thine everlasting Kingdoms and in the divinity of thine everlasting Godhead to whom be all honour and glory now and for ever und ever Amen Amen CHAP. XXVII A Bond to bind him to thee and to thy N. as followeth I Conjure and constrain the Spirit of N. by the living God by the true God and by the holy God and by their vertues and powers I conjure and constrain the Spirit of thee N. that thou shalt not ascend nor descend out of thy body to no place of rest but only to take thy resting place with N. and with this N. all the days of my life according to thine Oath and promise I conjure and constrain thee Spirit of N. by ehese holy Names of God ✚ Tetragrammaton ✚ Adonay ✚ Agla ✚ Saday ✚ Sabaoth ✚ Planabothe ✚ Panthon ✚ Craton ✚ Neupmaton ✚ Deus ✚ homo ✚ omnipotens ✚ sempiternus ✚ ysus ✚ terra ✚ unigenitus ✚ salbator ✚ via ✚ vita ✚ manus ✚ sons ✚ origo ✚ filius ✚ and by their vertues and powers I conjure and constrain the Spirit of N. that thou shalt not remain in the fire nor in the water in the air nor in any privy place of the earth but only with we N. and with this N. all the dayes of my life I charge thee Spirit of N. upon pain of everlasting condemnation remember thine Oath and promise Also I conjure the spirit of N. and constrain thee by the excellent Name of Jesus Christ Α and Ω the first and the last for this holy Name of Jesus is above all names for unto it all knees do bow and obey both of heavenly things earthly things and infernals Nor is there any other Name given to man whereby we have any salvation but by the Name of Jesus Therefore by the Name and in the Name of Jesus of Nazareth and by his Nativity Resurrection and Ascension and by all that appertaineth to his Passion and by their vertues and powers I do conjure and constrain the Spirit of N. that thou shalt not take any resting place in the ☉ nor in the ☽ nor in ♄ nor in ♃ nor in ♂ nor in ♀ nor in ☿ nor in any of the twelve signs nor in the concavity of the Clouds nor in any other privy place to rest or stay in but only with me N. or with this N. all the days of my life If thou be not obedient unto me according to thine Oath and promise I N. do condemn the spirit of N. into the pit of hell for over Amen I Conjure and constrain the spirit of N. by the blood of the innocent Lamb Jesus Christ the which was shed upon the Cross for all those that do obey unto it and believe in it shall be saved and by vertue thereof and by all the aforesaid royal names and words of the living God by me pronounced I do conjure and constrain the spirit of N. that thou do be obedient unto me according to thine Oath and promise If thou refuse to do as is aforesaid I N. by the holy Trinity and by his vertue and power do condemn the spirit of N. into the place whereas there is no hope of remedy but everlasting condemnation and horror and pain upon pain daily horribly and lamentably the pains there to be augmented so thick as the starrs in the Firmament and as the gravel sand in the Sea except thou Spirit of N. obey me N. as is afore rehearsed else I N. do condemn the spirit of N. into the pit of everlasting condemnation Fiat fiat Amen Also I conjure thee and constrain the spirit of N. by all Angels Archangels Thrones Dominations Principates Potestates Virtutes Cherubim and Seraphim and by the four Evangelists Matthew Mark Luke and John and by all things contained in the old Law and the new and by their vertues and by the twelve Apostles and by all Patriarchs Prophets Martyrs Confessors Virgins Innocents and by all the elect and chosen is and shall be which followeth the Lamb of God and by their vertues and powers I conjure and constrain the spirit of N. strongly to have common talk with me at all times and in all days nights hours and
fire about with them alwayes in so much as they say they leave ashes evermore where they stand Surely she made in her Prayer an unreasonable request but the date of her Patent is out for I believe that whosoever at this day shall burn a pound of good Candles before her shall be never the better but three pence the worse But now we may find in St. Margarets life who it is that is Christs wife whereby we are so much wiser than we were before But look in the life of S. Katherine in the golden Legend and you shall find that he was also marryed to S. Katherine and that our Lady made the marriage c. An execellent authority for Bigamie Here I will also cite another of their notable stories or miracles of authority and so leave shaming of them or rather troubling you the Readers thereof Neither would I have written these fables but that they are authentick among the Papists and that we that are Protestants may be satisfied as well of Conjurors and Witches miracles as of others for the one is as gross as the other CHAP. XLVI A pleasant Miracle wrought by a Popish Priest WHat time the Waldenses Heresies began to spring certain wicked men being upheld and maintained by Diabolical vertue shewed certain signs and wonders whereby they strengthened and confirmed their Heresies and perverted in Faith many faithful men for they walked on the water and were not drowned But a certain Catholick Priest seeing the same and knowing that true signs could not be joyned with false doctrine brought the body of our Lord with the Pix to the Water where they shewed their power and vertue to the people and said in the hearing of all that were present I conjure thee O Devil by him whom I carry in my hands that thou exercise not these great Visions and Phantasies by these men to the drowning of this people Notwithstanding these words when they walked still on the water as they did before the Priest in a rage threw the body of our Lord with the Pix into the River and by and by so soon as the Sacrament touched the Element the Phantasie gave place to the Verity and they being proved and made false did sink like lead to the bottom and were drowned the Pix with the Sacrament immediately was taken away by an Angel The Priest seeing all these things was very glad of the Miracle but for the loss of the Sacrament he was very pensive passing away the whole night in tears and mourning in the morning he found the Pix with the Sacrament upon the Altar CHAP. XLVII The former Miracle confuted with a strange story of St. Lucy HOw glad Sir John was now it were folly for me to say How would he have plagued the Devil that threw his God in the River to be drowned But if other had had no more power to destroy the Waldenses with Sword and Fire than this Priest had to drown them with his conjuring Box and cosening Sacraments there should have been many a life saved But I may not omit one fable which is of authority wherein though there be no Conjuration expressed yet I warrant you there was cosenage both in the doing and telling thereof You shall read in the lesson on Saint Lucies dayes that she being condemned could not be removed from the place with a teem of Oxen neither could any fire burn her insomuch as one was fain to cut off her head with a Sword and yet she could speak afterward as long as she list And this passeth all other miracles except it be that which Bodin and M. Mal. recite out of Nider of a Witch that could not be burned till a scroll was taken away from where she hid it betwixt her skin and flesh CHAP. XLVIII Of Visions Noises Apparitions and imagined Sounds and of other Illusions of wandering Souls with a confutation thereof MAny through Melancholy do imagine that they see or hear Visions Spirits Ghosts strange Noises c. as I have already proved before at large Many again through fear proceeding from a cowardly nature and complexion or from an effeminate and fond bringing up are timerous and afraid of Spirits and bugs c. Some through imperfection of sight also are afraid of their own shadows and as Aristotle saith see themselves sometime as it were in a Glass And some through weakness of body have such imperfect imaginations Drunken men also sometimes suppose they see trees walk c. according to that which Solomon saith to the drunkards Thine eyes shall see strange visions and marvellous appearances In all ages Monks and Priests have abused and bewitched the world with counterfeit Visions which proceeded through idleness and restraint of marriage whereby they grew hot and lecherous and therefore devised such means to compass and obtain their loves And the simple people being then so superstitious would never seem to mistrust that such holy men would make them Cuckholds but forsook their beds in that case and gave room to the Clergy Item little children have been so scared with their mothers maids that they could never after endure to be in the dark alone for fear of bugs Many are deceived by Glasses through Art Perspective Many hearkening unto false reports conceive and believe that which is nothing so Many give credit to that which they read in Authors But how many Stories and Books are written of walking Spirits and Souls of men contrary to the Word of God a reasonable volum cannot contain How common an opinion was it among the Papists that all souls walked on the earth after they departed from their bodies In so much as it was in the time of Popery a usual matter to desire sick people on their death-beds to appear to them after their death and to reveal their estate The Fathers and ancient Doctors of the Church were too credulous herein c. Therefore no marvel though the common simple sort of men and least of all that women be deceived herein God in times past did send down visible Angels and Appearances to men but now he doth not so Through ignorance of late in Religion it was thought that every Church-yard swarmed with souls and Spirits but now the Word of God being more free open and known those conceits and illusions are made more manifest and apparent c. The Doctors Councels and Popes which they say cannot err have confirmed the walking appearing and raising of Souls But where find they in Scriptures any such doctrine And who certified them that those appearances were true Truly all they cannot bring to pass that the lyes which have been spread abroad herein should now begin to be true though the Pope himself subscribe seal and swear thereunto never so much Where are the souls that swarmed in times past Where are the Spirits Who heareth their noises Who seeth their Visions Where are the Souls that made such moan for Trentals whereby to be
assertions their presumptions to work miracles their characters their strange names their diffuse phrases their counterfeit holiness their Popish ceremonies their foolish words mingled with impiety their barbarous and unlearned order of construction their shameless practices their paltery stuffe their secret dealing their beggarly life their bargaining with fools their cosening of the simple their scope and drift for money doth bewray all their Art to be counterfeit cosenage And the more throughly to satisfie you herein I thought good in this place to insert a Letter upon occasion sent unto me by one which at this present time lieth as a prisoner condemned for this very matter in the Kings-bench and reprieved by her Majesties mercy through the good mediation of a most noble and vertuous personage whose honourable and godly disposition at this time I will forbear to commend as I ought The person truly that wrote this letter seemeth unto me a good body well reformed and penitent nor expecting any gains at my hands but rather fearing to speak that which he knowetn further in this matter lest displeasure might ensue and follow The Copy of a Letter sent unto me R. S. by T. E. Master of Arts and practiser both of Physick and also in times past of certain vain Sciences now condemned to die for the same wherein he openeth the truth touching these deceits Master R. Scot according to your request I have drawn out certain abuses worth the noting touching the work you have in hand things which I my self have seen within these xxvi years among those which were counted famous and skilful in those Sciences And because the whole discourse cannot be set down without nominating certain persons of whom some are dead and some living whose friends remain yet of great credit in respect thereof I knowing that mine Enemies do already in number exceed my friends I have considered with my self that it is better for me to stay my hand than to commit that to the world which may increase my misery more than relieve the same Notwithstanding because I am noted above a great many others to have had some dealings in those vain Arts and wicked practices I am therefore to signifie unto you and I speak it in the presence of God that among all those famous and noted practisers that I have been conversant withall these xxvi years I could never see any matter of truth to be done in those wicked Sciences but only meer cosenings and illusions And they whom I thought to be most skilful therein sought to see some things at my hands who had spent my time a dozen or fourteen years to my great loss and hindrance and could never at any time see any one truth nor sparkle of truth therein Yet at this present I stand worthily condemned for the same for that contrary to my Princes Laws and the Law of God and also to mine own Conscience I did spend my time in such vain and wicked studies and practices being made and remaining a spectacle for all others to receive warning by The Lord grant I may be the last I speak it from my heart and I wish it not only in my native Countrey but also through the whole face of the earth specially among Christians For mine own part I lament my time lost and have repented me five years past at which time I saw a Book written in the old Saxon tongue by one Sir John Malborn a Divine of Oxonford three hundred years past wherein he openeth all the illusions and inventions of those Arts and Sciences a thing most worthy the noting I left the Book with the Parson of Slangham in Sussex where if you send for it in my name yon may have it You shall think your labour well bestowed and it shall greatly further the good enterprize you have in hand and there shall you see the whole Science throughly discussed and all their illusions and cosenages deciphered at large Thus craving pardon at your hands for that I promised you being very fearful doubtful and loth to set my hand or name under any thing that may be offensive to the world or hurtful to my self considering my case except I had the better warrant from my L. of Leicester who is my very good Lord and by whom next under God her Majestie only excepted I have been preserved and therefore loth to do any thing that may offend his Lordship ears And so I leave you Worship to the Lord keeping who bring you and all your actions to good end and purpose to Gods glory and to the profit of all Christians From the Bench this 8. of March 1582. Your Worships poor and desolate friend and servant T.E. I sent for this Book of purpose to the Parson of Slangham and procured his best friends men of great worship and credit to deal with him that I might borrow it for a time But such is his folly and superstition that although he confessed he had it yet he would not lend it albeit a friend of mine being Knight of the Shire would have given his word for the restitution of the same safe and sound The conclusion therefore shall be this whatsoever heretofore hath gone for currant touching all these fallible Arts whereof hitherto I have written in ample sort be now counted counterfeit and therefore not to be allowed no not by common sense much less by reason which should sift such cloaked and pretended practices turning them out of their rags and patched clowts that they may appear discovered and shew themselves in their nakedness Which will be the end of every secret intent privy purpose hidden practice and close device have they never such shrowds and shelters for the time and be they with never so much cautelousness and subtil circumspection clouded and shadowed yet will they at length be manifestly detected by the light according to that old rimed verse Quicquid nix celat solis calor omne revelat Englished by Abraham Fleming What thing soever Snow doth hide Heat of the Sun doth make it spide And according to the verdict of Christ the true Nazarite who never told untruth but who is the substance and ground-work of truth it self saying Nihil est tam occultum quod non sit detegendum Nothing is so secret but it shall be known and revealed BOOK XVI CHAP. I. A Conclusion in manner of an Epilogue repeating many of the former Absurdities of Witchmongers Conciets Confutation thereof and of the Authority of James Sprenger and Henry Institor Inquisitors and Compilers of M. Mal. HItherto you have had delivered unto you that which I have conceived and gathered of this matter In the substance and principal parts whereof I can see no difference among the Writers hereupon of what Countrey Condition Estate or Religion soever they be but I find almost all of them to agree unconstancy fables and impossibilities scratching out of M. Mal. the substance of all their arguments so as
their Authors being disapproved they must coin new stuffe or go to their Grandams maids to learn more old wives Tales whereof this Art of Witchcraft is contrived But you must know that James Sprenger and Henry Institor whom I have bad occasion to alledge many times were co-partners in the composition of that profound and learned Book called Malleus Maleficarum and were the greatest Doctors of that Art out of whom I have gathered matter and absurdity enough to confound the opinions conceived of Witchcraft although they were allowed Inquisitors and assigned by the Pope with the authority and commendation of all the Doctors of the University of Collen c. to call before them to imprison to condemn and to execute Witches and finally to seize and confiscate their goods These two Doctors to maintain their credit and to cover their injuries have published those same monstrous lyes which have abused all Christendom being spread abroad with such authority as it will be hard to suppress the credit to their Writings be they never so ridiculous and false Which although they maintain and stir up with their own praises yet men are so bewitched as to give credit unto them For proof whereof I remember they write in one place of their said Book that by reason of their severe proceedings against Witches they suffered intolerable assaults specially in the night many times finding Needles sticking in their Biggens which were thither conveyed by Witches charms and through their innocency and holiness they say they were ever miraculously preserved from hurt Howbeit they affirm that they will not tell all that might make to the manifestation of their holiness for then should their own praise stink in their own mouths And yet God knoweth their whole Book containeth nothing but stinking lyes and Popery Which ground-work and foundation how weak and wavering it is how unlike to continue and how slenderly laid a child may soon discern and perceive CHAP. II By what means the Common People have been made believe in the Miraculous Works of Witches a definition of Witchcraft and a description thereof THe common people have been so assorted and bewitched with whatsoever Poets have faigned of Witchcraft either in earnest in jest or else in derision and with whatsoever lowd liers and coseners for their pleasures herein have invented and with whatsoever tales they have heard from old doting women or from their mothers maids and with whatsoever the Grandfool their ghostly Father or any other Morrow-Mass Priest had informed them and finally with whatsoever they have swallowed up through tract of time or through their own timerous nature or ignorant conceit concerning these matters of Hags and Witches as they have so setled their opinion and credit thereupon that they think it Heresie to doubt in any part of the matter specially because they find this word Witchcraft expressed in the Scriptures which is as to defend praying to Saints because Sanctus Sanctus Sanctus is written in Te Deum And now to come to the definition of Witchcraft which hitherto I did defer and put off purposely that you might perceive the true nature thereof by the circumstances and therefore the rather to allow of the same seeing the variety of other Writers Witchcraft is in truth a cosening Art wherein the Name of God is abused prophaned and blasphemed and his power attributed to a vile creature In estimation of the vulgar people it is a supernatural work contrived between a corporal old Woman and a spiritual Divel The manner thereof is so secret mystical and strange that to this day there hath never been any credible witness thereof It is incomprehensible to the wise learned or faithful a probable matter to children fools melancholick persons and Papists The trade is thought to be impious The effect and end thereof to be sometimes evil as when thereby Man or Beast Grass Trees or Corn c. is hurt sometimes good as whereby sick folks are healed Theeves bewrayed and true men come to their Goods c. The matter and instruments wherewith it is accomplished are words charms signs images characters c. The which words although any other creature do pronounce in manner and form as they do leaving out no circumstance requisite or usual for that action yet none is said to have the grace or gift to perform the matter except she be a Witch and so taken either by her own consent or by others imputation CHAP. III. Reasons to prove that words and Characters are but Bables and that Witches cannot do such things as the multitude supposeth they can their greatest wonders proved trifles of a young Gentleman cosened THat Words Characters Images and such other trinkets which are thought so necessary Instruments for Witchcraft as without the which no such thing can be accomplished are but bables devised by coseners to abuse the people withal I trust I have sufficiently proved And the same may be further and more plainly perceived by these short and compendious reasons following First In that the Turks and Infidels in their Witchcraft use both other words and other characters than our Witches do and also such as are most contrary In so much as if ours be bad in reason theirs should be good If their Witches can do any thing ours can do nothing For as our Witches are said to renounce Christ and despise his Sacraments so do the other forsake Mahomet and his Laws which is one large stept to Christianity It is also to be thought that all Witches are Coseners when Mother Bungie a principal Witch so reputed tryed and condemned of all men and continuing in that exercise and estimation many years having cosened and abused the whole Realm in so much as there came to her Witchmongers from all the furthest parts of the Land she being in divers Books set out with authority registred and chronicled by the name of the great Witch of Rochester and reputed among all men for the chief ring-leader of all other Witches by good proof is found to be a meer cosener confessing in her death-bed freely without compulsion or inforcement that her cunning consisted only in deluding and deceiving the people saving that she had towards the maintenance of her credit in that cosening trade some sight in Physick and Surgery and the assistance of a friend of hers called Heron a professor thereof And this I know partly of mine own knowledge and partly by the testimony of her husband and others of credit to whom I say in her death-bed and at sundry other times she protested these things and also that she never had indeed any material Spirit or Devil as the voyce went nor yet knew how to work any supernatural matter as she in her life time made men believe she had and could do The like many be said of one T. of Canterbury whose name I will not literally discover who wonderfully abused many in these parts making them think
stroke we stricken bee If hard at hand and near in place Then ruddy colour fils the face Thus much may seem sufficient touching this matter of Natural Magick whereunto though much more may be annexed yet for the avoiding of tediousness and for speedier passage to that which remaineth I will break off this present Treatise And now somewhat shall be said concerning Devils and Spirits in the discourse following The Contents of the Chapters in the Sixteen Fore-going BOOKS BOOK I. CHAP. I. AN Impeachment of Witches power in Meteors and Elementary Bodies tending to the rebuke of such as attribute too much unto them Page 1 CHAP. II. The inconvenience growing by mens credulity herein with a reproof of some Church-men which are inclined to the common conceived opinion of Witches omnipotency and a familiar example thereof Page 3 CHAP. III. Who they be that are called Witches with a manifest declaration of the cause that moveth men so commonly to think and Witches themselves to believe that they can hurt Children Cattel c. with words and imaginnations and of cosening Witches Page 4. CHAP. IV. What miraculous actions are imputed to Witches by Witchmongers Papists and Poets Page 5 CHAP. V. A Confutation of the common conceived opinion of Witches and Witchcraft and how detestable a sin it is to repair to them for counsel or help in time of affliction Page 7 CHAP. VI. A further confutation of Witches miraculous and omnipotent power by invincible Reasons and Authorities with disswasions from such fond credulity ibid. CHAP. VII By what means the name of Witches becometh so famous and how diverssly people be opinioned concerning them and their actions Page 8 CHAP. VIII Causes that move as well Witches themselves as others to think that they can work impossibilities with answers to certain objections where also their punishment by law is touched Page 9 CHAP. IX A conclusion of the first Book wherein is foreshewed the tyrannical cruelty of Witchmongers and Inquisitors with a request to the Reader to peruse the same Page 10 BOOK II. CHAP. I. WHat Testimonies and Witnesses are allowed to give evidence against reputed Witches by the report and allowance of the Inquisitors themselves and such as are special writers herein Page 11 CHAP. II. The order of Examination of Witches by the Inquisitors ibid. CHAP. III. Matters of evidence against Witches Page 13 CHAP. IV. Confessions of Witches whereby they are condemned Page 14 CHAP. V. Presumptions whereby Witches are condemned ibid. CHAP. VI. Particular Interrogatories used by the Inquisitors against Witches Page 15 CHAP. VII The Inquisitors tryal of Weeping by Conjuration Page 16 CHAP. VIII Certain cautions against Witches and of their tortures to procure Confession ibid. CHAP. IX The fifteen Crimes laid to the charge of Witches by Witchmongers specially by Bodin in Demonomania Page 18 CHAP. X. A Confutation of the former surmised Crimes patched together by Bodin and the only way to escape the Inquisitors hands Page 19 CHAP. XI The Opinion of Cornelius Agrippa concerning Witches of his pleading for a poor woman accused of Witchcraft and how he convinced the Inquisitors Page 20 CHAP. XII What the fear of death and feeling of torments may force one to do and that it is no marvel though Witches condemn themselves by their own Confessions so tyrannically extorted Page 21 BOOK III. CHAP. I. The Witches bargain with the Devil according to M. Mal. Bodin Nider Daneus Psellus Erastus Hemingius Cumanus Aquinas Bartholomeus spineus c. Page 22 CHAP. II. The order of the Witches homage done as it is written by lewd Inquisitors and peevish Witchmongers to the Devil in person of their Songs and Dances and namely of Lavolta and of other Ceremonies also of their Excourses Page 23 CHAP. III. How Witches are summoned to appear before the Devil of their riding in the air of their accompts of their conference with the Devil of his supplies and their conference of their farewell and sacrifices according to Daneus Psellus c. Page 24 CHAP. IV. That there can no real league be made with the Devil the first Author of the league and the weak proofs of the Adversaries for the same ibid. CHAP. V. Of the private league a notable table of Bodin concerning a French Lady with a confutation Page 25 CHAP. VI. A Disproof of their Assemblies and of their Bargain Page 26 CHAP. VII A Confutation of the Objection concerning Witches Confession Page 27 CHAP. VIII What folly it were for Witches to enter into such desperate peril and to endure such intolerable torments for no gain or commodity and how it comes to pass that Witches are overthrown by their Confessions Page 28 CHAP. IX How Melancholy abuseth old women and of the effects thereof by sundry examples Page 29 CHAP. X. That voluntary Confession may be untruly made to the undoing of the Confessors and of the strange operation of Melancholy proved by a familiar and late example Page 30 CHAP. XI The strange and divers effects of Melancholy and how the same humor abounding in Witches or rather old women filleth them full of marvellous imaginations and that their Confessions are not to be credited Page 31 CHAP. XII A Confutation of Witches Confessions especially concerning the League Page 32 CHAP. XIII A Confutation of Witches Confessions concerning making of Tempests and Rain of the natural cause of Rain and that Witches or Devils have no power to do such things Page 33 CHAP. XIV What would ensue if Witches Confessions or Witchmongers opinions were true concerning the effects of Witchcraft Inchantments c. Page 34 CHAP. XV. Examples of foreign Nations who in their Wars used the assistance of Witches of Eybiting Witches in Ireland of two Archers that shot with Familiars Page 35 CHAP. XVI Authors condemning the fantastical Confessions of Witches and how a Popish Doctor taketh upon him to disprove the same Page 36 CHAP. XVII Witchmongers Reasons to prove that Witches can work Wonders Bodin's tale of a Friseland Priest transported that imaginations proceeding of Melancholy do cause illusions Page 37 CHAP. XVIII That the Confession of Witches is insufficient in civil and common Law to take away life What the sounder Divines and Decrees of Councels determin in this case ibid. CHAP. XIX Of four capital crimes objected against Witches all fully an swered and confuted as frivolous Page 39 CHAP. XX. A request to such Readers as loath to hear or read filthy and bawdy matters which of necessity are here to be inserted to pass over eight Chapters Page 40 BOOK IV. CHAP. I. OF Witchmongers opinions concerning evil Spirits how they frame themselves in more excellent sort than God made us Page 41 CHAP. II. Of bawdy Incubus and Succubus and whether the action of Venery may be performed between Witches and Devils and when Witches first yielded to Incubus ibid. CHAP. III. Of the Devils visible and invisible dealing with Witches in the way of lechery Page 42 CHAP. IV. That the power of generation is both outwardly
and inwardly impeached by Witches and of divers that had their genitals taken from them by Witches and by the same means again restored Page 43 CHAP. V. Of Bishop Sylvanus his leachery opened and covered again how Maids having yellow hair are most cumbred with Incubus how married Men are bewitched to use other mens wives to refuse their own Page 44 CHAP. VI. How to procure the dissolving of bewitched love also to enforce a man how proper soever he be to love an old hag and of a bawdy tricky of a Priest in Gelderland ibid. CHAP. VII Of divers Saints and holy persons which were exceeding bawdy and lecherous and by certain miraculous means became chast Page 45 CHAP. VIII Certain Popish and Magical cures for them that are bewitched in their Privities ibid. CHAP. IX A strange cure done to one that was molested with Incubus Page 46 CHAP. X. A Confutation of the former follies touching Incubus which by examples and proofs of like stuffe is shewed to be flat knavery wherein the carnal copulation with spirits is overthrown Page 47 CHAP. XI That Incubus is a natural disease with remedies for the same besides magica cures herewithal expressed Page 48 CHAP. XII The censure of G. Chaucer upon the knavery of Incubus Page 49 BOOK V. CHAP. I. OF Transformations ridiculous examples brought by the Adversaries for the confirmation of their foolish doctrin Page 50 CHAP. II. Absurd reasons brought by Bodin and such others for confirmation of Transformations Page 52 CHAP. III. Of a Man turned into an Ass and returned again unto a man by one of Bodins Witches S. Agust opinion thereof Page 53 CHAP. IV. A Summary of the former Fable with a Refutation thereof after due Examination of the same Page 54 CHAP. V. That the body of a man cannot be turned into the body of a beast by a Witch is proved by strong Reasons Scriptures and Authorities Page 55 CHAP. VI. The Witchmongers Objections concerning Nebuchadnezzar answered and their error concerning Lycanthropia confuted Page 57 CHAP. VII A special objection answered concerning Transportations with the consent of divers Writers thereupon Page 58 CHAP. VIII The Witchmongers Objection concerning the History of Job answered Page 59 CHAP. IX What several sorts of Witches are mentioned in the Scriptures and how the word Witch is there applyed Page 61 BOOK VI. CHAP. I. THe Exposition of this Hebrew word Chasaph wherein is answered the Objection contained in Exod. 22. to wit Thou shalt not suffer a Witch to live and of Simon Magus Act. 8. Page 63 CHAP. II. The place of Denteronomie Expounded wherein are recited all kind of Witches also their opinions confuted which hold that they can work such miracles as are imputed unto them Page 64 CHAP. III. That women have used poysoning in all ages more then men and of the inconvenience of poysoning Page 66 CHAP. IV. Of divers poysoning practices otherwise called Veneficia committed in Italy Genua Millen Wittenberge also how they were discovered and executed Page 67 CHAP. V. A great objection answered concerning this kind of Witchcraft called Veneficium Page 68 CHAP. VI. In what kind of confections that Witchcrafty which is called Veneficium consisteth of Love-cups and the same confuted by Poets ibid. CHAP. VII It is proved by more credible Writers that Love-cups rather ingender death through venom than love by art and with what toys they destroy Cattel and procure love Page 69 CHAP. VIII J. Bodin triumphing against J. Wier overtaken with false Greek and false interpretation thereof Page 70 BOOK VII CHAP. I. OF the Hebrew word Ob what it signifieth where it is found of Pythonisses called Ventriloquae who they be and what their practices are experience and examples thereof shewed Page 71 CHAP. II. How the lewd practice of the Pythonist of Westwel came to light and by whom she was examined and that all her Diabolical speech was but ventriloquie and plain cosenage which it proved by her own confession Page 73 CHAP. III. Bodin's stuffe concerning the Pythonist of Endor with a true story of a counterfeit Dutchman Page 74 CHAP. IV. Of the great Oracle of Apollo the Pythonist and how men of all sorts have been deceived and that even the Apostles have mistaken the nature of spirits with an unanswerable argument that spirits can take no shapes Page 75 CHAP. V. Why Apollo was called Pytho whereof those Witches were called Pythonists Gregory his Letter to the Devil Page 76 CHAP. VI. Apollo who was called Pytho compared to the Rood of Grace Gregories Letter to the Devil confuted Page 77 CHAP. VII How divers great Clarks and good Authors have been abused in this matter of Spirits through false reports and by means of their credulity have published lies which are confuted by Arist and the Scrip. ibid. CHAP. VIII Of the Witch of Endor and whether she accomplished the raising of Samuel truly or by deceit the opinion of some Divines hereupon Page 78 CHAP. IX That Samuel was not raised indeed and how Bodin and all Papists dote herein and that souls cannot be raised by Witchcraft Page 79 CHAP. X. That neither the Devil nor Samuel was raised but that it was a meer cosenage according to the guise of our Pythonists Page 80 CHAP. XI The Objection of the Witchmongers concerning this place fully answered and what circumstances are to be considered for the understanding of this story which is plainly opened from the beginning of 1 Sam. 28 to the 12. verse ibid. CHAP. XII 12 13 14. 1 Sam. 28. expounded wherein is shewed that Saul was cosened and abused by the Witch and that Samuel was not raised is proved by the Witches own talk Page 82. CHAP. XIII The residue of 1 Sam. 28. expounded wherein is declared how cunningly this Witch brought Saul resolutely to believe that she raised Samuel what words are used to colour the cosenage and how all might also be wrought by Ventriloquie Page 83 CHAP. XIV Opinions of some learned men that Samuel was indeed raised not by the Witches art or power but by the special miracle of God that there are no such Visions in these our days and that our Witches cannot do the like Page 84 CHAP. XV. Of vain Apparitions how people have been brought to fear Bugs which is partly reformed by Preaching of the Gospel the true effect of Christs miracles Page 85 CHAP. XVI Witches Miracles compared to Christs that God is the Creator of all things of Apollo and of his names and portraiture Page 86 BOOK VIII CHAP. I. THat Miracles are ceased Page 85 CHAP. II. That the gift of Prophesie is ceased Page 88 CHAP. III. That Oracles are ceased Page 89 CHAP. IV. A Tale written by many grave Authors and believed by many wise men of the Devils death Another story written by Papists and beleived of all Catholikes approving the Devils honesty conscience and courtesie Page 90 CHAP. V. The Judgment of the Ancient Fathers touching Oracles and their abolishment and that they
ridiculous of two Witches that could do wonders ibid. CHAP. VI. Laws provided for the punishment of such Witches that work miracles whereof some are mentioned and of certain Popish laws published against them Page 124 CHAP. VII Poetical Authorities commonly alledged by Witchmongers for the proof of Witches miraculous actions and for confirmation of their supernatural power Page 125 CHAP. VIII Poetry and Popery compared in Inchantments Popish Witchmongers have more advantage herein than Protestants Page 129 CHAP. IX Popish Periapts Amulets and Charms Agnus Dei a Wastcote of Proof a Charm for the Falling-evil a writing brought to S. Leo from Heaven by an Angel the vertues of S. Saviours Epistle a Charm against Theeves a writing found in Christs wounds of the Cross c. ibid. A charm against shot or a Wastcote of Proof 130. Against the Falling-evil ibid. A Popish Periapt or Charm which must never be said but carryed about one against theeves Another amulet 131. A Papistical charm A Charm found in the Canon of the Mass Other Papistical Charms A Charm of the holy Cross 132. A Charm taken out of the Primer Page 133 CHAP. X. How to make Holy-water and the vertues thereof S. Rufin's Charm of the wearing and bearing of the Name of Jesus that the Sacrament of Confession and the Eucharist is of as much efficacy as other charms and magnified by L. Varus ibid. CHAP. XI Of the noble balm used by Moses apishly counterfeited in the Church of Rome Page 134 CHAP. XII The opinion of Ferrarius touching Charms Periapts Appensions Amulets c. Of Homerical medicines of constant opinion and the effects thereof ibid. CHAP. XIII Of the effects of Amulets the drift of Argerius Ferrarius in the commendation of charms c. four sorts of Homerical medicines and the choice thereof of imagination Page 135 CHAP. XIV Choice of charms against the Falling-evil the biting of a mad Dog the stinging of a Scorpion the Toothach for a woman in travel for the Kings-evil to get a Thorn out of any member or a bone out of ones throat Charms to be said fasting or at the gathering hearbs for sore Eyes to open Locks against Spirits for the bots in a Horse and specially for the Duke of Alba's Horse for sowre Wines c. 136. For the Falling-evil ibid. Against the biting of a mad Dog 137. Against the biting of a Scorpion Against the Toothach A charm to release a woman in Travel To heal the King or Queens-evil or any other soreness in the Throat A charm read in the Romish Church upon S. Blaze's day that will fetch a thorn out of any place of ones body A bone out of the Throat c. Lect. 3. ibid. A charm for the headach 138. A charm to be said each morning by a Witch fasting or at least before she go abroad Another Charm that Witches use at the gathering of their Medicinable Hearbs An Old Womans Charm wherewith she did much good in the Countrey and grew famous thereby ibid. Another like charme ibid. A charme to open locks 139. A charme to drive away spirits that haunt any house A pretty charme or conclusion for one possessed Another to the same effect ibid. Another charme or witchcraft for the same ibid. A charme for the bots in a horse ibid. A charme against vinegar Page 140. CHAP. XV. The inchanting of Serpents and snakes objections answered concerning the same fond reasons why charmes take effect therein Mahomets pigeon miracles wrought by an Asse at Memphis in Aegypt popish charmes against serpents of miracle-workers the taming of snakes Bodins lie of Snakes Page 141. CHAP. XVI Charmes to carry water in a sive to know what is spoken of us behind our backs for bleare eyes to make seeds to grow well of images made of wax to be rid of a witch to hang her up notable authorities against waxen images a story bewraying the knavery of Waxen images 145. A Charme teaching how to hurt whom yon list with images of wax c. ibid. CHAP. XVII Sundry spirits of charmes tending to divers purposes and first certain charmes to make taciturnity in tortures 146. Country charmes against these and all other Witchcrafts in the saying also whereof witches are vexed ibid. A charme for the choine cough For conporal or spiritual rest Charmes to find cut a thiefe 147. Another way to find out a thiefe that hath stoln any thing from you 148. To put out the thieves eye Another way to find out a thief ibid. A charme to find out or spoil a thief ibid. S. Adelberts curse or charme against thieves 149. Another inchantment Page 151. CHAP. XVIII A charme or experiment to finde out a witch 152. To spoil a thief a witch or any other enemy and to be delivered from the evill ibid. A notable charme or medicine to pull out an arrow-head or any such thing that sticketh in the flesh or bones and cannot otherwise be had out 153. Charmes against a quotidian ague ibid. For all manner of agues intermittent Periapts characters c. for agues and to cure all diseases and to deliver from all evil ibid. More charms for agues 154. For a bloody flux or rather an issue of blted Cures commenced and finished by witchcraft 155. Another witchcraft or knavery practised by the same surgeon 156. Another experiment for one bewitched Otherwise A knack to know whether you be bewitched or no Page 157. CHAP. XIX That one witchcraft may lawfully meet with another ibid. CHAP. XX. Who are priviledged from witches what bodies are aptest to be bewitched or to be witches why women are rather witches than men and what they are ibid. CHAP. XXI What miracles witchmongers report to have been done by witches words c. contradictions of witchmongers among themselves how beasts are cured hereby of bewitched butter a charme against witches and a counter charm the effect of charmes and words proved by L. Varius to be wonderful 258. A charme to find her that bewitched your kine 259. Another for all that have bewitched any kind of cattel ibid. A special charme to preserve all cattel from witchcraft Page 260. CHAP. XXII Lawful charmes rather medicinable cures for diseased cattel The charme of charmes and the power thereof ibid. The charme of charmes Otherwise Page 261. CHAP. XXIII A confutation of the force and vertue falsly ascribed to charmes and amulets by the authorities of ancient writers both Divines and Physitians ibid. BOOK XIII CHAP. I. THe signification of the Hebrew word Hartumin where it is found written in the Scriptures and how it is diversly translated whereby the objection of Pharaohs Magitians is afterwards answered in this book also of natural magick not evill in it selfe Page 163. CHAP. II. How the philosophers in times past travelled for the knowledge of natural Magick of Solomons knowledge therein who is to be called a natural Magician a distinction thereof and why it is condemned for witchcraft Page 164. CHAP. III. VVhat secrets do lie hidden
Witchmongers in this matter of Conjurations Page 268 CHAP. XXXVI Certain Conjurations taken out of the Pontifical and out of the Missal 269. A Conjuration written in the Mass Book Fol. 1. ibid. Oremus ibid. CHAP. XXXVII That Popish Priests leave nothing unconjured a form of Exorcism for Incense Page 270 CHAP. XXXVIII The Rules and Laws of Popish Exorcists and other Conjurors all one with a confutation of their whole power how St. Martin conjured the Devil ibid. CHAP. XXXIX That it is a shame for Papists to believe other Conjurors doings their own being of so little Hippocrates his opinion herein Page 272 CHAP. XL. How Conjurors have beguiled Witches what Books they carry about to procure credit to their Art wicked assertions against Moses and Joseph ibid. CHAP. XLI All Magical Arts confuted by an argument concerning Nero what Cornelius Agrippa and Carolus Gallus have left written thereof and proved by experience Page 273 CHAP. XLII Of Solomon's Conjurations and of the opinion conceived of his cunning and practice therein Page 274 CHAP. XLIII Lessons read in all Churches where the Pope hath authority on St. Margaret's day translated into English word for word Page 275 CHAP. XLIV A delicate story of a Lumbard who by St. Margaret's example would needs fight with a real Devil ibid. CHAP. XLV The story of St. Margaret proved to be both ridiculous and impious in every point Page 276 CHAP. XLVI A pleasant Miracle wrought by a Popish Priest Page 277 CHAP. XLVII The former Miracle confuted with a strange story of St. Lucy Page 278 CHAP. XLVIII Of Visions Noises Apparitions and imagined Sounds and of other Illusions of wandering Souls with a confutation thereof ibid. CHAP. XLIX Cardanus opinion of strange Noises how counterfeit Visions grow to be credited of Popish Appearances of Pope Boniface Page 279 CHAP. L. Of the Noise or Sound of Eccho of one that narrowly escaped downing thereby c. Page 280 CHAP. LI. Of Theurgie with a Confutation thereof A Letter sent to me concerning these matters ibid. The Copy of a Letter sent unto me R. S. by T.E. Master of Art and practiser both of Physick and also in times past of certain vain Sciences now condemned to die for the same wherein he openeth the truth touching those deceits Page 281 BOOK XVI CHAP I. A Conclusion in manner of an Epilog repeating mary of the former absurdities of Witchmongers conceits confutations thereof and of the authority of James Sprenger and Henry Institor inquisitors and compilers of M. Mal. Page 283 CHAP II. By what means the common people have been made believe in the miraculous works of Witches a definition of Witchcraft and a description thereof Page 284 CHAP. III. Reasons to prove that Words and Characters are but Bables and that Witches cannot do such things as the multitude supposeth they can their greatest wonders proved trifles of a young Gentleman cosened ibid. CHAP IV. Of one that was so bewitched that he could read no Scriptures but Canonical of a Devil that could speak no Latin a proof that Witchcraft is flat cosenage Page 286 CHAP V. Of the Divination by the Sive and Sheeres and by the Book and Key Hemingius his opinion thereof confuted a bable to know what is a clock of certain juggling knacks manifold reasons for the overthrow of Witches and Conjurors and their cosenages of the Devils transformations of Ferrum candens ibid. CHAP. VI. How the Devil preached good Doctrine in the shape of a Priest how he was discovered and that it is a shame after Confutation of the greater Witchcrafts for any man to give credit to the lesser points thereof Page 289 CHAP. VII A Conclusion against Witchcraft in manner and form of an Introduction Page 290 CHAP. VIII Of Natural Witchcraft or Fascination ibid. CHAP. IX Of Inchanting or Bewitching Eyes Page 291 CHAP. X. Of Natural Witchcraft for Love c. Page 292 FINIS A DISCOURSE CONCERNING The NATURE and SUBSTANCE OF Devils and Spirits IN TWO BOOKS The First By REGINAL SCOTT Esq The Second Added in this Third Impression as Succedaneous to the First and conducing to the compleating of the Whole Work LONDON Printed in the Year M.DC.LXV A DISCOURSE CONCERNING Devils and Spirits BOOK I. CHAP. I. The Philosophers Opinions concerning Devils and Spirits their manner of reasoning thereupon and the same confuted THere is no Question nor Theme saith Hierome Cardane so difficult to deal in nor so noble an argument to dispute upon as this of Devils and Spirits for that being confessed or doubted of the eternity of the Soul is either affirmed or denyed The Heathen Philosophers reason hereof amongst themselves in this sort First they that maintain the perpetuity of the Soul say That if the soul died with the body to what end should men take pains either to live well or die well when no reward for vertue nor panishment for vice insueth after this life the which otherwise they might spend in ease and security The other sort say That vertue and honesty is to be persued Non spe praemii sed virtutis amore that is Not for hope of reward but for love of vertue If the soul live ever say the other the least portion of life is here And therefore we that maintain the perpetuity of the Soul may be of the better comfort and courage to sustain with more constancy the loss of children yea and the loss of life it self whereas if the Soul were mortal all our hope and felicity were to be placed in this life which many Atheists I warrant you at this day do But both the one and the other missed the cushion For to do any thing without Christ is to weary our selves in vain sith in him only corruptions are purged And therefore the folly of the Gentiles that place Summum bonum in the felicity of the body or in the happiness or pleasures of the mind is not only to be derided but also abhorred For both our bodies and mindes are intermedled with most miserable calamities and therefore therein cannot consist perfect felicity But in the Word of God is exhibited and offered unto us that hope which is most certain absolute sound and sincere not to be answered or denyed by the judgment of Philosophers themselves For they that preferr temperance before all other things as Summum bonum must needs see it to be a witness of their natural calamity corruption and wickedness and that it serveth for nothing but to restrain the dissoluteness which hath place in their mindes infected with vices which are to be bridled with such corrections yea and the best of them all faileth in some point of modesty Wherefore serveth our Philosophers prudence but to provide for their own folly and misery whereby they might else be utterly overthrown And if their nature were not intangled in errors they should have no need of such circumspection The justice whereof they speak serveth but to keep them from
and in that sense did Christ himself use it saying Be ye wise as Serpents c. So that by this brief collection you see that the word Serpent as it is equivocal so likewise it is sometimes taken in the good and sometimes in the evil part But where it is said That the Serpent was father of lyes author of death and the worker of deceit methinks it is a ridiculous opinion to hold that thereby a Snake is meant which must be if the letter be preferred before the Allegory Truly Calvin's opinion is to be liked and reverenced and his example to be embraced and followed in that he offereth to subscribe to them that hold that the Holy Ghost in that place did of purpose use obscure figures that the clear light thereof might be deferred till Christs coming He saith also with like commendation speaking hereof and writing upon this place That Moses doth accommodate and fitten for the understanding of the common people in a rude and gross style those things which he there delivereth forbearing once to rehearse the name of Satan And further he saith That this order may not be thought of Moses his own device but to be taught him by the Spirit of God for such was saith he in those dayes the childish age of the Church which was unable to receive higher or profounder doctrine Finally he saith even hereupon That the Lord hath supplyed with the secret light of his Spirit whatsoever wanted in plainness and clearness of external words If it be said according to experience That certain other Beasts are farre more subtil than the Serpent They answer That it is not absurd to confess that the same gift was taken away from him by God because he brought destruction to mankind Which is more methinks than need be granted in that behalf For Christ saith not Be ye wise as Serpents were before their transgression but Be wise as Serpents are I would learn what impiety absurdity or offence it is to hold that Moses under the person of a poysoning Serpent or Snake describeth the Devil that poysoned Eve with his deceitful worâ—s and venomous assault Whence cometh it else that the Devil is called so often The Viper The Serpent c. and that his children are called the generation of Vipers but upon this first description of the Devil made by Moses For I think none so gross as to suppose that the wicked are the children of Snakes according to the letter no more than we are to think and gather that God keepeth a Book of Life written with Pen and Ink upon Paper as Citizens record their Free-men CHAP. XXXI Of the Curse rehearsed Gen. 3. and that place rightly expounded John Calvins opinion of the Devil THe curse rehearsed by God in that place whereby Witchmongers labour so busily to prove that the Devil entered into the body of a Snake and by consequence can take the body of any other creature at his pleasure c. reacheth I think further into the Devils matters than we can comprehend it or is needful for us to know that understand not the wayes of the Devils creeping and is far unlikely to extend to plague the generation of Snakes though they had been made with legges before that time and through his curse was deprived out of that benefit And yet if the Devil should have entered into the Snake in manner and form as they suppose I cannot see in what degree of sin the poor Snake should be so guilty as that God who is the most righteous Judge might be offended with him But although I abhor that lewd interpretation of the Family of Love and such other Heretiques as would reduce the whole Bible into allegories yet methinks the creeping there is rather metaphorically or significatively spoken than literally even by that figure which is there prosecuted to the end Wherein the Devil is resembled to an odious creature who as he creepeth upon us to annoy our bodies so doth the Devil there creep into the conscience of Eve to abuse and deceive her whose seed nevertheless shall tread down and dissolve his power and malice And through him all good Christians as Calvin saith obtain power to do the like For we may not imagine such a material tragedy as there is described for the ease of our feeble and weak capacities For whensoever we find in the Scriptures that the Devil is called God the Prince of the world a strong armed man to whom is given the power of the air a roaring Lion a Serpent c. the Holy Ghost moved us thereby to beware of the most subtil strong and mighty Enemy and to make preparation and arm our selves with faith against so terrible an Adversary And this is the opinion and counsel of Calvin That we seeing our own weakness and his force manifested in such terms may beware of the Devil and may flie to God for spiritual aid and comfort And as for his corporal assaults or his attempts upon our bodies his night-walkings his visible appearings his dancing with Witches c. we are neither warned in the Scriptures of them nor willed by God or his Prophets to flie them neither is there any mention made of them in the Scriptures And therefore think I those Witchmongers and absurd Writers to be as gross on the one side as the Sadduces are impious and fond on the other which say That Spirits and Devils are only motions and affections and that Angels are but tokens of Gods power I for my part confess with Augustine That these matters are above my reach and capacity and yet so farr as God Word teacheth me I will not stick to say That they are living creatures ordained to serve the Lord in their vocation And although they abode not in their first estate yet that they are the Lords Ministers and Executioners of his wrath to try and tempt in this world and to punish the reprobate in Hell fire in the world to come CHAP. XXXII Mine own Opinion and Resolultion of the Nature of Spirits and of the Devil with his properties BUt to use few words in a long matter and plain terms in a doubtful case this is mine opinion concerning this argument First that Devils are spirits and no bodies For as Peter Martyr saith spirits and bodies are by antithesis opposed one to another so as a body is no spirit nor a spirit a body And that the Devil whether he be many or one for by the way you shall understand that he is so spoken of in the Scriptures as though there were but one and sometimes as though one were many legions the sense whereof I have already declared according to Calvins opinion he is a creature made by God and that for vengeance as it is written in Ecclus. 39. v. 28. and of himself naught though imployed by God to necessary and good purposes For in places where it is written
therefore may and is called the Spirit of spirits This Spirit withdrawing it self from the hearts of men for that it will not inhabit and dwell where sin hath dominion giveth place unto the spirit of errour and blindness to the spirit of servitude and compunction which biteth gnaweth and whetteth their hearts with a deadly hate of the Gospel in so much as it grieveth their minds and irketh their ears either to hear or understand the truth of which disease properly the Pharisees of old were and the Papists even now are sick Yea the want of this good Spirit is the cause that many fall into the spirit of perverseness and frowardness into the spirit of giddiness lying drowsiness and dulness according as the Prophet Isaiah saith For the Lord hath covered you with a spirit of slumber and hath shut up your eyes and again elsewhere Dominus miscuit in medio c. The Lord hath mingled among them the spirit of giddiness and hath made Egypt to err as a drunken man erreth in his vomit And as it is said by Paul And their foolish heart was blinded and God gave them over unto their own hearts lusts Which punishment Moses threatneth unto the Jews The Lord shall smite thee with madness with blindness and amazedness of mind and thou shalt grope at high noon as a blind man useth to grope c. In some this word Spirit doth signifie a secret force and power wherewith our minds are moved and directed if unto holy things then it is the motion of the holy Spirit of the Spirit of Christ and of God if unto evil things then is it the suggestion of the wicked spirit of the Devil and of Satan Whereupon I inferr by the way of a question with what spirit we are to suppose such to be moved as either practice any of the vanities treated upon in this Book or through credulity addict themselves thereunto as unto divine oracles or the voyce of Angels breaking through the clouds We cannot impute this motion unto the good Spirit for then they should be able to discern between the nature of spirits and not swerve in judgment it followeth therefore that the spirit of blindness and error doth seduce them so that it is no marvel if in the alienation of their minds they take falsehood for truth shadows for substances fancies for verities c for it is likely that the good Spirit of God hath forsaken them or at leastwise absented it self from them else would they detest these devillish devices of men which consist of nothing but delusions and vain practices whereof I suppose this my Book to be a sufficient discovery It will be said That I ought not to judge for he that judgeth shall be judged Whereto I answer That judgment is not to be understood of three kind of actions in their proper nature whereof the first are secret and the judgment of them shall appertain to God who in time will disclose whatsoever is done in covert and that by his just judgment The second are mixed actions taking part of hidden and part of open so that by reason of their uncertainty and doubtfulness they are discussable and to be tryed these after due examination are to have their competent judgment and are incident to the Magistrate The third are manifest and evident and such as do no less apparently shew themselves than an inflammation of blood in the body and of these actions every private man giveth judgment because they be of such certainty as that of them a man may as well conclude as to gather that because the Sun is risen in the East Ergo it is morning he is come about and is full South Ergo it is high noon he is declining and closing up in the West Ergo it is evening So that the objection is answered Howbeit letting this pass and spiritually to speak of this Spirit which whiles many have wanted it hath come to pass that they have proved altogether carnal and not savouring heavenly divinity have tumbled into worse than Philosophical barbarism and these be such as of Writers are called Pneumatomachi a Sect so injurious to the holy Spirit of God that contemning the sentence of Christ wherein he foretelleth That the sin against the Holy Spirit is never to be pardoned neither in this world nor in the world to come they do not only deny him to be God but also pull from him all being and with the Sadduces maintain there is none such but that under and by the name of holy Spirit is meant a certain divine force wherewith our minds are moved and the grace and favour of God whereby we are his beloved Against these shameless Enemies of the Holy Spirit I will not use material weapons but syllogistical charms And first I will set down some of their paralogisms or false arguments and upon the neck of them infer fit confutations grounded upon sound reason and certain truth Their first Argument is knit up in this manner The Holy Spirit is nowhere expresly called God in the Scriptures Ergo he is not God or at leastwise he is not to be called God The Antecedent of this Argument is false because the Holy Spirit hath the title or name of God in the fift of the Acts. Again the consequent is false For although he were not expresly called God yet should it not thereupon be concluded that he is not very God because unto him are attributed all the properties of God which unto this do equally belong And as we deny not that the Father is the true light although it be not directly written of the Father but of the Son He was the true light giving light to every man that cometh into this world so likewise it is not to be denyed that the Spirit is God although the Scripture doth not expresly and simply note it sithence it ascribeth equal things thereunto as the properties of God the works of God the service due to God that it doth interchangeably take the names of Spirit and of God oftentimes They therefore that see these things attributed unto the Holy Spirit and yet will not suffer him to be called by the name of God do as it were refuse to grant unto Eve the name of Homo whom notwithstanding they confess to be a creature reasonable and mortal The second reason is this Hilarie in all his twelve Books of the Trinity doth nowhere write that the Holy Spirit is to be worshipped he never giveth thereunto the name of God neither dares he otherwise pronounce thereof than that it is the Spirit of God Besides this There are usual Prayers of the Church commonly called the Collects whereof some are made to the Father some to the Son but none to the Holy Spirit and yet in them all mention is made of the three persons Hereunto I answer that although Hilarie doth not openly call the Holy Spirit God yet
doth he constantly deny it to be a creature Now if any ask me why Hilarie was so coy and nice to name the Holy Spirit God whom he denyeth to be a creature when as notwithstanding between God and a creature there is no mean I will in good sooth say what I think I suppose that Hilarie for himself thought well of the Godhead of the Holy Spirit but this opnion was thrust and forced upon him by the Pneumatomachi who at that time rightly deeming of the Son did erewhiles join themselves to those that were sound of judgment There is also in the Ecclesiastical History a little book which they gave Liberius a Bishop of Rome whereinto they foisted the Nicene Creed And that Hilarie was a friend of the Pneumatomachi it is perceived in his Book De Synodis where he writeth in this manner Nihil autem mirum vobis videri debet fratres charissimi c. It ought to seem no wonder unto you dear Brethren c. As for the objection of the Prayers of the Church called the Collects that in them the Holy Spirit is not called upon by name we oppose and set against them the Songs of the Church wherein the said Spirit is called upon But the Collects are more ancient than the Songs Hymns and Anthems I will not now contend about ancientness neither will I compare Songs and Collects together but I say thus much only to wit that in the most ancient times of the Church the Holy Spirit hath been openly called upon in the Congregation Now if I be charged to give an instance let this serve In the Collect upon Trinity Sunday it is thus said Almighty and everlasting God which hast given unto us thy servants grace by the confession of a truth to acknowledg the glory of the eternal Trinity and in the power of the divine Majesty to worship the Unity we beseech thee that through the stedfastness of this faith we may evermore be defended from all adversity which livest and reignest one God world without end Now because that in this Collect where the Trinity is expresly called upon the names of persons are not expressed but Almighty and Everlasting God invocated who abideth in Trinity and Unity it doth easily appear elsewhere also that the persons being not named under the Name of Almighty and Everlasting God not only the Father is to be understood but God which abideth in Trinity and Unity that is the Father the Son and the Holyghost A third objection of theirs is this The Son of God oftentimes praying in the Gospels speaking unto the Father promiseth the Holy Spirit and doth also admonish the Apostles to pray unto the heavenly Father but yet in the Name of the Son Besides that he prescribeth them this form of Prayer Our Father which art in Heaven Ergo The Father only is to be called upon and consequently the Father only is that one and very true God of whom it is written Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God and him only shalt thou serve Whereto I answer first by denying the consequent The Son prayed to the Father only Ergo the Father only is of us also to be prayed unto For the Son of God is distinguished of us both in Person and in Office he as a Mediator maketh Intercession for us to the Father and although the Son and the Holy Spirit do both together receive and take us into favour with God yet is he said to intreat the Father for us because the Father is the fountain of all counsels and divine works Furthermore touching the form of Praying described by Christ it is not necessary that the Fathers name should personally be there taken sith there is no distinction of persons made but by the Name of Father indefinitely we understand God or the Essence of God the Father the Son and the Holy-Ghost For this name hath not alwayes a respect unto the generation of the Son of God but God is called The Father of the faithful because of his gracious and free adopting of them the foundation whereof is the Son of God in whom we be adopted but yot so adopted that not the Father only receiveth us into his favour but with him also the Son and the Holy Spirit doth the same Therefore when we in the beginning of Prayer do advertise our selves of God's goodness towards us we do not cast an eye to the Father alone but also to the Son who gave us the Spirit of Adoption and to the Holy Spirit in whom we cry Abba Father And if so be that invocation and Prayer were restrained to the Father alone then had the Saints done amiss in calling upon invocating and praying to the Son of God and with the Son the Holy Spirit in Baptism according to the form by Christ himself assigned and delivered Another objection is out of the fourth of Amos in this manner For lo it is I that make the Thunder and create the spirit and shew unto men their Christ making the light and the clouds and mounting above the high places of the earth the Lord God of Hosts is his Name Now because it is read in that place Shewing unto men their Christ the Pneumatomachi contended that these words are to be understood of the Holy Spirit But Ambrose in his Book De Spiritu Sancto lib. 2. cap. 7. doth rightly answer That by Spirit in this place is meant the Wind for if the Prophets purpose and will had been to speak of the Holy Spirit he would not have begun with Thunder nor have ended with light and clouds Howbeit the same father saith If any suppose that these words are to be drawn unto the interpretation of the Holy Spirit because the Prophet saith Shewing unto men their Christ he ought also to draw these words unto the mystery of the Lords incarnation and he expoundeth Thunder to be the words of the Lord and Spirit to be the reasonable and perfect soul But the former interpretation is certain and convenient with the words of the Prophet by whom there is no mention made of Christ but the power of God is set forth in his works Behold saith the Prophet he that formeth the Mountains and createth the Wind and declareth unto man what is his thought which maketh the morning darkness and walketh upon the high places of the earth the Lord God of Hosts is his Name In this sort Santes a right skilful man in the Hebrew tongue translateth this place of the Prophet But admit this place were written of the Holy Spirit and were not appliable either to the Wind or to the Lords Incarnation yet doth it not follow that the Holy Spirit is a creature because this word of Creating doth not alwayes signifie a making of something out of nothing as Eusebius dxpounding these wrrds The Lord created me in the beginning of his wayes writeth thus The Prophet in the Person of God saying