by witchcraft but it is a merueilous thing to sée in what feare men are and yet will not imbrace y â— wholsome remedy which the Lord hath prescribed they séeke many meanes that with cost and trauell but yet they are neuer the better for if they finde some ease vnto the body it is with the losse of y â— soule the deuill himselfe did inuent those medicines which they fly vnto for God neuer appointed them is he so foolishe as to make weapons against himself if they be vexed or hanted with a spirit as they vse to say a witch driue him out it is the deuil y t driueth him out if he be indéede driuen out But the trueth is he is not for Satan doth not driue out Satan Put the case that one deuill did expell another what comfort could it be vnto the possessed more then this that a weaker deuill is driuen out of him to giue place to a stronger For the stronger deuill would neuer expell the weaker vnlesse it were to enter there himselfe To let this passe it will be demaunded where there is any remedie prescribed by the Lord against witcherie The Lord saith he would raise vp a Prophet vnto the people Deut. 18. Those which giue eare vnto him shalbe safe Some man will say that is but in this one poynt that he shall not be deceiued by such as wrought by the deuil nor led into error But where is there any remedie mentioned to preserue a man from the bodily harmes done by Witches I aunswer that it were a straunge thing for the holy Scriptures to appoynt a medicine for such a disease as it neuer mentioneth The word of the Lord doth neuer mention that Witches can hurt the bodie at all therfore it doth no where prescribe any remedie for that which is not The malignant spirits or wicked deuils doe hurt both bodies and soules and therefore there is a way taught how to be frée from theÌ„ They haue no increase of power by a Witch but only thus much that for the iust vengeaunce of God vpon the vngodly the is glad to bee sent and obteyneth power but he that is armed against them alone is armed against both witch and them Against them there is no power can preuaile but the power of God Therefore when the holy Apostle doth set men in battell against deuils he willeth them to be strong in the Lord and in the power of his might This mightie power of God is made ours onely by faith For which cause S. Iohn saith that faith is our victorie He that beléeueth doth ouercome the world which cannot bee vnlesse he doe ouercome the prince of the world This faith is the free gift of God but yet because he hath ordeyned outward meanes to come vnto it we are willed to take vnto vs all the whole armour of God wherein this might consisteth And to the end that the exhortation may the more affect vs Saint Paule doth expresse the whole matter vnder the likenesse and termes of warre For thereby appeareth that there is néede of Gods power that we may escape out of the great perrill The Apostle as a chiefe Captaine in the Lords Armie doth stirre vp and prepare all Christian souldiers He sheweth who be the enemies He declareth their terror in sundrie respects But yet vndoubted victorie vnto all those which followe his prescript All the power of God wherewith wee resist and ouercome the deuill is conueyed into vs by faith alone But because he speaketh as of a souldier in his compleat armour he applieth but one part vnto faith and the rest vnto those things which doe goe vnseperably with faith The souldier had his head and all parts of his bodie with his legges and feete armed then had he his sword in his right hand and his shield in the left Euen so in this spirituall armour applyed by similitude vnto the soule here is armour for the head for the feet and legges and for al the whole bodie and then the shield of faith to hold foorth in the one hand and the spirituall sword which is the word of God in the other hand The summe of the whole is that by faith in the Gospell of Iesus Christ we are armed with power of grace with true knowledge and light with sincere integritie of heart and with a godly life with zeale with patience and with all other heauenly vertues so that the fierie darts of the deuill neither in tempting vnto filthie sinnes nor yet in damnable heresies and opinions can fasten vpon vs. If wee want the true faith wee want grace we be not in Christ we haue not his spirit This faith is grounded vpon the word of God for the word is sent to bee preached that men may heare and beléeue If men bée ignorant in the word of God they cannot haue power to resist the deuill they haue no sword to fight with him Christ our great Captaine hath left vnto vs an example which we ought to follow when he resisted the deuill For at euery temptation he draweth foorth this same spirituall sworde and saith it is written and so woundeth Satan therewith that he taketh the foyle Moreouer as men are to bee armed with the power of GOD so are they continually to pray for by faithfull prayer they shall obtaine a continuall supplie of grace to ouercome the new and fresh assalts of the deuill We are to giue thanks also vnto God at all tymes for his benefites to depend vppon his prouidence to commend vnto his keeping both our soules and bodies and all that we possesse Thus shall the deuill haue no power for to hunt vs but if the Lord doe giue him leaue to afflict vs yet shal it be no further then may tend vnto our good For all things worke together for good vnto those which doe loue God Let it mooue vs to seeke increase of faith by often hearing of Gods word taught let it driue vs vnto continuall meditation in the same and vnto a godly life For all those which despise the glorious Gospell of Christ or the publishing of the same and most especially such as fight against it doe to their power set vp the kingdome of the deuill and bring in all witcherie The light of the Gospell doth beate him downe and therefore when Christ sent foorth his Disciples at the first to preach and they returning reioyced that euen the deuilles were made subiect vnto them he saith I saw Satan fall downe from heauen like lightning The Lord send abroad the light of his truth to throw downe Satan and to driue away darknes from the mindes of the people Amen FINIS Deut. 18. â—… Thes. 2. Geu 6. Icch â—…3 6 Mich. 3. Psalm 8. Psalm 19 Gen. 30. Eccl. 10. I Sam. 28 Esay 29. 2 Pet. 2. Iude. Ephes. Psalm 34. Heb. 1. Reuel 21. 1. Pet. 5. Mat. 12. Mat. 12. Gen. 3. 2. Cor. 4. â—… Cor. 10. Reuel 20. 2. Thes. 2. Reuel 1â—… Reuel 12. Ephes. 2. Rom. â—… Ephes. 6. 2. Cor. 12. Iohn 5. Psal. 29. Luke 24. â—… Sam. 28. 1. Cro. 10. 2. Cor. 12. Gen. 3. Exod. 8. Act. 16. Gen. 3. 〈◊〉 19. Iohn 20. Luke 24. Epheâ—… 2. â—… Cor 4. Rom. 8.
after a sort caried vp hard to it and see those things which common sense doth not attaine It is verifyed vppon all which the Prophet sayth the heauens declare the glory of God For what minde is so blunt but doth conceiue that the diuine power is great and glorious which made set in order and susteineth such a worke The rudest sort do find that the course of the Sunne and the Mone do order the dayes and the nightes moneths and yeares Winter and Sommer Who perceiueth not what great power the Sunne hath with his cherishing heate to cause thinges to grow the Mone beareth a great sway in the waters Diuers other thinges there be which are manifest to the simple But how farre beyond al these goe the learned Astronomers which do come nigh to gather the distance and withall the wonderfull greatnes of the celestiall bodies and their incomprehensible swiftnesse incomprehensible I say vnto man When from these they turne their cies towardes the Creator How can they but bee amazed at the consideration of his greatnes they see the seuerall courses of planets and their motions and the same fixed by an â—…changeable decree how can they cease wondring at the wisedome of God who hath so skilfully fashioned them all that which is secrete vnto others as the influences powers is apparant in some measure vnto them Mens death eather for the time or for the maner is not subiect to the stares much lesse vertue or vice 〈◊〉 ingendred in mens myndes by them The Astronomers do very grosly erre in these predictions about windes showrs but yet no doubt there bee many thinges which depend much vpon the course of the heauens which is no derogation to the prouidence of God who hath ordayned and doth vse them as instruments for the same Great operations in the bodies of men and beasts as al skilful phisitions do find come from the planets And no doubt the deuil tooke occasion hereby for to lead men further in these thinges then they should haue gone The third is called Menachesh Nachash signifyeth to coniecture from whence the same is deriued Laban when he intreated Iacob to abide still with him doth vse that woord I haue saith he coniectured or found by experiments that God hath blessed me for thy sake For hee felt that his cattle did increase and thriue vnder his hand Ioseph when hee had caused his siluer cup to be put into the sacke of his brother Beniamin and vpon search being found in the same speaketh after the same maner and sayth he did deuine or coniecture by that cup what manner of men they were It seemeth that the word was vsed indifferently and often times taken in good part When it is taken in euill part it semeth to note such as in Latine are called Augures A kind of sooth sayiers which did coniecture and prophesie by the voices and by the flying of Birdes by the intrals of beasts other like obseruations These were common among the heatheÌ„ had in great estimation For the wiser sort did beleeue that the Gods as they vse to say did vse the tonges of birdes as theire interpreters to make thinges knowen vnto men The like for the flying of birds which they did obserue when they went about any matter Hereupon some were accompted luckie and some vnlucky birds And how the deuil did play to delâ—… men by the intrals of beasts who knoweth the thing is not now in practise but yet some reliques dregs of this kind of witch craft if I may so cal it do remaine among vs. For some wil gather by the chattring of pyes that they shal haue gestes come vnto them The rauen he sitteth vpon the steeple and cryeth which way doth he looke sayth one from thence ye shal haue an eie ere it be long Another goeth abrode early in the morning a hare crosseth his way a very vnlucky signe he taketh it to be and looketh not to speede well that day Frends meet together make mery some one at vnwares doth turn down the salt the man or the woman towards whom it falleth doth blush and take litle comfort of the dainty banquet For that is taken to be a grieuous euil sign of mishap that will follow Heauy newes is brought vnto some that her father or her mother or her brother is dead I did euen looke for such a matter saith she for my nose this day did sodainly break forth a bleeding Thus hath the deuill crept into the mindes of vnbeleeuing people and causeth them to turne their eies from God These things must we condemne but we must take heed that we do not withal disalow those things which are to be approued For no doubt as we see by experience fowls beasts do foreshew some things but yet by a natural cause The goose and the ducke diuers other water fowles do diue and wash them and make a great sturre against raine The crow he cryeth otherwise then ordinary Other fowles there be which do flocke together and come vp from the sea when a cold blast is toward The cow though shee bee not very nimble nor taketh great pride in her running yet setâ—…eth vp her taile about shee goeth the fields The litle gnat foundeth her trompet giueth warning of a shower What shall wee say to these a number such like that they be as the heathen said the interprters of the gods no verely but there is a natural cause and that is this the disposition of the ayre is changed that do these fowles beasts feel in their bodies which maketh them so to deale that ther is such a change in the disposition of the aire though common sense in men do not perceiue it yet many things do shew What maketh the salt to bee wet but that the moysture of the ayre doth dissolue it what maketh the marble stone to sweat against raine but euen the moisture of the aire which it draweth to it what maketh the soot to fal downe by lumps gobs out of the chimney but the moist ayre against rayne doth loosen it If any man wil yet doubt how the sowls or beasts should feele the change of the ayre in their bodies hee may see it is not a thing strange For a man whose arme or his leg hath bene broken or that hath had some mayme or sore bruse in his bodye doth feel a great ache against rayne this doth come of the alteration of the air And thus wee see it behoueth men to discerne betweene such things as haue a natural cause therby do after a sort foreshew things those which haue no cause in nature but are to be reiected The 4 is called Mechashshepha It is deriued from Cashaph which is found in the holy scriptures that is 2 cron 33. 6. what the word doth properly signify or from whence it is drawen can no man tel More then this that it is vsed for a kind of
named Iiddegnoni Iadang is to know from wheÌ„ce this word semeth to be deriued For such as deale with deuils do know many things which other men can not know so far as God doth permit vnto the deuil to reueale this kind is commonly ioyned with Shoel Ob and therefore thought to differ litle from the same For they both wrought with the Deuill as doe the Witches and also the Coniurers Either of them no doubt may verie wel set forth both our Witches and Coniurers though there seem to be great difference betweene them which is no more in déed but the craft of the deuill His auntient manner of practise with Shoelob and Iiddegnoni haue bene detected and therefore he hath turned thinges into an other forme but the matter is the same Coniurer goeth one way to work the witch an other the one as it seemeth for on purpose the other for an other but yet the cheife end is all one The eyght and last is called Doresh el hammethim that is as much as to say on which enquireth at the dead This kind of witch was called of the grecians Necromantes that is one which vseth diuinations by the dead And the art it self was called Necromancia I sée not how this could much differ froÌ„ Bagnalath Ob which tooke vpon her to fetch vp the soules of dead men These were so called not that they were able by any meanes to featch vp the soule of any man either good or bad But the deuill feined him selfe to be the soule of such or such a body and handled the matter so that they could perceiue none other Thus much may suffice for the names vsed in the holy scriptures There be other but no doubt the same indeed with some of these Now to proceed forward and to shew what any of these did or could doe by soceries it is requisit in the first place to speake of the cheife doeâ—… which is the deuill The nature of deuils described with there operations and effectes The 4 Chapter THe Deuils being the principall agents chiefe practisers in witchcrafts and sorceryes It is much to the purpose to descrybe and set theÌ„ for wheree by we shall bee the better instructed to see what he is able to do in what maner and to what ende purpose At y â— beginning as Gods word doth teach vs they were createdholy Angels full of power glory They sinned they were cast downe from heauen they were vtterly depriued of glory and â—…reserued for iudgement This therfore this change of theirs did not destroy nor take away their former faculties but vtterly corrupt peruert and depraue the same the essence of spirits remayned not onely but also power vnderstanding such as is in Angels y â— heaueÌ„ly Angels are very mighty strong far aboue all earthly creatures in the whole world The infernall angels are for their strength called principalityes powers those blessed ones applye all their might to set vp aduaunce the glgry of God to defend succour his children the deuils bend all their force against God agaynst his glory his truth his people And this is done with such fiercenes rage cruelty that the holy ghost paynteth them out vnder the figure of a great red or fiery dragon roaring lyon in very deed any thing comparable to theÌ„ He hath such power and autority indeede that hee is called the God of the world His kingdome is bound and inclosed within certayne limits for he is y e prince but of darknes but yet within his sayd dominion which is in ignorance of God he exerciseth a mighty tyrany our Sauiour compareth him to a strong man armed which kepeth his castle And what shall we saie for the wisedome and vnderstanding of Angels which was giuen them in their creatioÌ„ was it not far aboue that which men can reach vnto When they became diuels euen those reprobate angels their vnderstanding was not taken awaie but turned into malicious craft and subtiltie He neuer doth any thing but of an euill purpose and yet he can set such a colour that the Apostle saith he doth change himselfe into the likenesse of an angell of light For the same cause he is called the old serpent he was subtill at the beginning but he is now growne much more subtill vp long experience and continuall practise he hath searched out and knoweth all the waies that may be to deceiue So that if God should not chaine him vp as it is set forth Reuel 20. his power and subtiltie ioined together would ouercome and seduce the whole world There be great multitudes of infernall spirits as the holy scriptures doe euerie where shew but yet they doe so ioine together inone that they be called the diuell in the singular number They doe all ioine together as our sauiour teacheth to vphold one kingdome For though they can not loue one another indeede yet the hatred they beare against God is as a band that doth tye them together The holie angels are ministring spirits sent foorth for their sakes which shall inherit the promise They haue no bodilie shape of themselues but to set foorth their speedinesse the scripture applieth it selfe vnto our rude capacitie and painteth them out with wings When they are to rescue and succour the seruants of God they can straight waie from the high heauens which are thousands of thousands of miles distant from the earth bee present with them Such quicknesse is also in the diuels for their nature being spirituall and not loden with any heauie matter as our bodies are doth affoord vnto them such a nimbleues as we can not conceiue By this they flie through the world ouer sea and land and espie out al aduantages and occasions to doe euill Now to declare what these malignant wicked diuels haue effected brought to passe or what great successe they haue attained would be a long and tedious piece of worke A few short sentences of the word of God onely to note the same may suffise in this behalfe he preuailed by his great craft against our first parents he is called the prince of this world and the God of this world The Gentiles did worship diuels since the comming of our Sauiour Christ when hee was bound for a thousand yeares being let loose againe hee seduced the world yea he was the means and it was by the efficacie of his power that Antichrist the Pope and his false religion was set vp And so all the world woondered and followed the beast for so the holy ghost termeth Antichrist and they worshipped the beast and they woorshipped the dragon which gaue power to the beast This seemeth horrible and monstrous that all nations of the world should worship the diuell doubtlesse they neuer meant it but when they forsooke the true worship prescribed in the holie word and imbraced idolatrie and woorship deuised by man whatsoeuer intent they had