habet de Magia that is Astrology that is not mixed nor intermeddleth with Magicke Wherby is necessarily concluded that Astrology may be and sometimes is impure and defiled with Magicke and Sorcerie In other places of the same worke he maketh a difference betweene Astrologers simply and such as with Astrologie ioined Magicke And out of Brentius he reciteth these words Non negat Hierimias eam partem Astrologiae quae sequitur manifest as naturae rationes that is the Prophet Ieremy doth not deny or condemne that part of Astrology which is guided by manifest reason or cause in nature Hereby then is vnauoidably concluded that the Prophet of God cōdemneth that part of Astrology which exceedeth causes reason in nature that necessarily must needs be Sorcery and Magicke As it is not obscure that some men vnder the colour of Astrology haue practised Magicke and Sorcery so is it no lesse euident that many others vnder the pretense of aduising and counselling in Physicke of curation or prognostication of diseases haue likewise exercised the same diuelish practice That this hath beene no new vpstart custome the multitude of diseases which ancient times doe register to haue been cured by enchaunted Spels and words and Magicke skill doth plentifully witnesse The most ancient father of all Physicke and Physicions the in comparable worthy founder of Method and Art Hippocrates Dioscorides Theophrastus with other succeeding Ancients do generally all acknowledge the force and power of Magicall curation Galen in his younger time gaue no credit thereto but in the more aged experience of right obseruatiō he doth acknowledge it I will not stuffe this small Treatise with the particular citation of euery Author Later Physicians also of the best and most choyse note doe herein with former ages consent and concurre and experience doth confirme all truth in both Whosoeuer is acquainted with books and reading shal euery where meet a world of the wonders of cures by words by lookes by signes by figures by characters and ceremonious rites As what the practice of former ages hath beene is manifest so what our age and later time doth herein afford is almost no where in this kingdome obscure The neerest vnto that impudence which here in this our time doth produce and set forth is that history of a Germane Witch reported in the Malleus Maleficarum There was as the Author of that worke sayth sometime a Sorceresse in Germany who vsually cured not only all that were bewitched but all kinde of diseased people so farre beyond all power or course of Art and Nature and with such facility that all vse of the Art of Physicke or of Physicions was altogether for a time neglected and forsaken while people from all Countries both neere and remote in such numbers and frequence resorted vnto her that the Gouernour of that Countrey imposing vpon euery man one penny that resorted vnto her thereby raised himselfe a mighty treasure What others among the most ancient Authors that are not Physicians do publish concerning the power of incantations in the curing of diseases is needlesse to write Hee that hath read any few lines of old Homer or of diuers other aged Poets shall finde plentifull record hereof Herodotus is not silent herein But to omit all their needlesse testimonies Physicians of these last times of the most eminent note worth whose pennes are yet scarce drie doe witnesse the truth hereof from their owne knowledge sight and experience Aboue the rest Fernelius de Abditis rerum causis is worthy any mans paines or view Let vs now lastly see what may bee collected out of the booke of God concerning the power of the Diuell in curing diseases from whom all these inferiour Agents Witches and Sorcerers do deriue their power and skill If it bee in his power where God doth permit to induce diseases it must needes be in his power to cease or calme diseases because both causing and curing consist in the vertue and force of the same meanes He therefore that knoweth how and by what cause the disease is induced doth necessarily vnderstand that by the remouall of that cause it is cured and according to that rule can equally as well by the remouall of that cause cure as by the induction of the cause bring sickenesse For this reason it is a maxime in Physicke infallible that hee is the most excellent Physician who knoweth best the causes of diseases and who vpon the knowledge of their true causes doth found the right method of their curation That the Diuell doth both know the causes of diseases and also how by them to procure and produce diseases is manifest by the history of Iob vpon whom hee brought that grieuous generall botch and byle ouer all his body Iob. chap. 2. verse 7. That he did this by the force of causes in nature must needes be euident first because hee is a creature and subiect and limited by nature vnto and within her lists and therefore is not able absolutely and simply without causes and meanes in nature to produce any effects in nature although our ignorance of his power and knowledge because it so farre excelleth our power or nature doth call all his workes iustly supernaturall Secondly for that byles and botches are knowne naturall diseases and therefore had naturall causes although haply vnknowne to any man and beyond the nature of knowledge or skill in man These reasons of the Diuels impossibility to worke those effects without nature are thus yet more briefly and cleerely made infallible Of nothing simply to produce any thing vnto a true being and existence is the sole and proper worke of an infinite Creator and impossible vnto any creature Therefore the Diuell being a creature could not bring those diseases vpon Iob but by created meanes preexisting in created nature in which he is contained and limited And thus much concerning that kinde of Witch and Sorcerer which is enquired at concerning the curing and issue of diseases which we will conclude with this note that all learned men of the best experience haue obserued that in those cures by Witches and Sorcerers the Diuell hath neuer perfectly healed but for a time or els where he hath seemed most perfectly to cure it hath been for a reseruation of the body by him cured vnto a greater and further mischiefe in time to succeede Besides this kind of Witch by meanes vnknown to man or by a supernaturall vertue in knowne means aboue beyond their nature vndertaking to cure the sick or to foretell the euent and issues of diseases there is also another kind which doth vndertake to bee enquired at for extraordinary reuelation of such diseased persons as are bewitched or possessed by the Diuell This kinde is not obscure at this day swarming in this kindom wherof no man can be ignorant who lusteth to obserue the vncontrouled liberty license of open ordinary resort in all places vnto wise-men
man sodainely surprised with an extraordinarie ordinarie fashion or shape of madnesse or phrensie wherein he vttered and reuealed things hidden and of profound science and reuelation not onely aboue the pitch and power of naturall capacitie and the forgerie of fained extasie but really in true and vpright iudgement and vnpartiall discerning beyond all question and exception supernaturall The sequel after made it good These examples are sufficient vnto men that are wise and with whom reason hath authoritie I doe not affect vnaduised multiplication herein suspecting many histories and reports of diuers Authors The possibilitie of those which are here produced beside the vnstained credit of the Author is apertly confirmed by the holy Scripture where in the Lunatike the Diuell manifested himselfe by actions onely proper and appropriate vnto the power of a Spirit such was his casting the Lunatike into the fire and into the water his violent rending and tearing him which were things impossible vnto the power and nature of the Lunatike himselfe or of his disease alone The man possessed among the Gadarens Math. 8. Mark 5. Luk. 8. likewise doth establish the same who was knowne and seene euidently not to be simply or solely diseased by those vndoubted workes and that finger of the Diuel when he easily brake in peeces those iron chaines wherewith the Lunatike was bound so that no force thereof whatsoeuer could hold or binde him as also when he vttered and spake that more then humane vnderstanding and reuelation of Iesus Christ to be the Sonne of God a knowledge as yet vncommunicated vnto mankinde and vnto reason impossible Concerning the second way of detection subiect vnto the Physicion alone namely when naturall remedies aptly applyed are attended with supernaturall consequences contrary to their nature or aboue the same out of the former Author and fore-named place there is an example also without farther straggling of vnquestioned estimation A certaine man there mentioned vehemently burning and thirsting and by intolerable heate compelled to seeke any mitigation or extinction of his heate and thirst in want of drinke or other fitting liquor happened to finde an Apple in the moisture and naturall iuice whereof hoping the vsuall short refreshing of the tongue he after the first tasting thereof immediately found not onely that which was contrarie to the nature of an Apple greater burning and thirst then before but had instantly his mouth and iawes so fast closed and sealed vp thereby that he hardly escaped strangling The reasonable doubt of the latitation of the Diuel in this faire harmelesse and vsuall remedie of the tongues thirst and drinesse was afterward made more euident and manifest by the sodaine and swift obsession of his minde with frightful visions wherof as in the disposition temper substance or qualitie of his braine or body there was no ground or cause so in the Apple it selfe was no other pernicious mixture but that the Diuel as with Iudas Sop though wholesome and sauing in it selfe so in this medicinall fruit entred and possessed where God permitted The like may be said of other both outward inward remedies which by a Magick power are and may be oft interrupted turned and bent vnto a vse contrarie to their nature For this cause Hyppocrates himselfe in his booke de sacro morbo de natura muliebri doth acknowledge many accidents as also diseases and remedies themselues to be diuine as hauing their cause and being aboue the course of nature When therefore fitting vnto any cause matter or humour in the body according to true Art and Reason discouered apt and fit remedies are aptly fitly by the iudicious Physicion applyed notwithstanding contrary to the nature and custome of such remedies they haue extraordinary vnusuall and iustly wondred effects is there not iust matter of doubt concerning an vnusuall and an extraordinarie cause answerable thereto The deepe and mysticall contingents in this kinde and their hidden reason and cause the vnlearned man or hee that is not exercised in difficult discoueries cannot discerne nor can the intricate and perplexed implications therein of doubts and ambiguities possibly become intelligible in euery ordinary apprehension yet by the former easie and familiar example euery man may gesse and coniecture at the most abstruse The subtilty of the Diuell doth easily deceiue a vulgar thought and in the cloudes and mists of doubts and difficulties beguileth vsually the dimme sight and disquisition The learned Physicion notwithstanding possessing true iudgement and learning who doth and can warily obserue and distinguish first the wonders of nature vnknowne vnto euery mediocrity of knowing secondly the true wonders aboue nature in due collation with nature to bee knowne doth not easily or rashly with vulgars erre or runne mad in the confusion of vaine and idle scruples The wonders of nature are such naturall diseases as are seene in their wondred and admired shapes or mixture to haue a great likenesse or deceiuing identity with such maladies as are inflicted by the Diuell The wonders aboue nature are such diseases as are truly and vndoubtedly knowne and proued to haue no consistence or power of consistence or cause in sublunary nature Of the first I will heere cite no particular examples because I haue both formerly in a former Manuall deliuered briefly some of their generall descriptions denyed by no man that in ancient time was or at this time is a iudicious and learned Physician as also diuers of their particular Histories in the persons of some sicke men knowne vnto my selfe Of the second it is heere needlesse to propound any more particulars then those aboue mentioned which I esteeme for the generall illustration sufficient In true and right decision distinction of the one from the other multiplicity of consideration and circumspection ought diligently attend the intricate maze and labyrinth of error and illusion in their deceiueable likenesses whereby the Diuell for his owne aduantage and the perdition of seduced and beguiled men doth sometimes cunningly hide his owne workes and the diuelish practices of Witches and Sorcerers from their due detection and punishment sometimes to insnare the guiltlesse and innocent doth iugglingly seem to do those things which Nature doth iustly challenge not as his but as her owne in iust ballance weighed It is most certaine that the Diuell cannot possibly mixe himselfe or his power with any inferior nature substance or body but the alteration by the coniunction of so far discrepant natures in the vnchangeable decree of the vniuersall nature of all things necessarily and vnauoidably produced must needs witnes and manifestly detect it in the great and mighty oddes This is very euident and apparent in all the supernaturall workes of the Diuell before mentioned in the generall discourse of this small Treatise or worke whether such as were declared manifest to sense or such as were euident to reason whether such as were affected by the Diuell himselfe with the consent or contract of a Sorcerer or Witch
which vsually and for the most part is seene and obserued to come to passe If any man not rightly apprehending reason make a doubt or question of any such possible exquisitnes let him consider and behold it by an easie example In an inequalitie of one and the same Vermiculant pulse where the beginning of the same distension is quicker the next continuation or middle part is flower and the beginning of the end thereof ending almost before it begin it must needs be very difficult nay almost impossible vnto the first view of Sense or Reason or to a common iudgement or learning to diuide really and distinguish this one short small motion into two or three distinct times and parts of motion the space so very short the faculty of mouing so low and weake and the mouing it selfe almost altogether in an insensible exiguitie and an indiuisible degree of lownesse We see oft-times a common vulgar cannot in his reason conceiue it much lesse by his sense at all perceiue it Neither is it found easie to euery man though learned therein yea or educate thereto either perfectly to apprehend the general Idea of such a motion or at all in the first proofes and tryals of his sense or hand to deprehend any particular Notwithstanding the Physicion that exquisitely discerneth and iudgeth doth both in reason see that euery single smallest motion hath his diuers distinct diuision of parts and also by his discerning wary iudicious and exercised touch doth apertly detect and discouer it And thus hath been proued by seuerall instances taken in the Art of Physike in steade of all other Arts and Sciences for auoiding tediousnesse and confusion that all knowledge all Art all Science whatsoeuer giuen vnto man hath no other entrance meanes or wayes thereto but thorow Sense or Reason or prudent and artificiall coniecture sagacitie and exquisitenesse of iudging and discerning thereby And that it may the better appeare that beyond these waies and lights the Physicion cannot sinde any knowledge or discouery of Diseases let vs view some particular examples of some Diseases for this cause vndiscouerable and not to be detected and therewith consider the impossibilitie of discouerie to consist solely herein namely for that they are remoued from any capacitie of Sense or Reason and from the reach of all artificiall search scrutiny and accurate insight deriued from both which is the highest straine of humane Vnderstanding In the generall it cannot be denied except of such whose vnderstandings are extremely blinde that it is impossible that those diseases should or can bee at all so much as suspected and therefore much lesse knowne which yeeld no shew no signe no indication of themselues There needeth hereof no other nor better proofe then the enumeration of some particular diseases of this kinde Are not diuers secret and hidden Apostemations other inward collections of vicious matter in the body dayly Seminaries of vnexpected and wondred shapes of corruption and putrifaction which lying long hidden in the body and by an insensible growth taking deepe roote in the end sodainely breake forth beyond all possible expectation or thought of the most excellent exquisie and subtill circumspection and disquisition For a briefe confirmation hereof Hollerius doth mention a man the cause of whose disease while he liued being vnknowne to Physicions and Art after his decease his guts were found gangrened and perished and therein things viewed like vnto Water-snakes and his Liuer full of schirrose knots There happened vnto my selfe this yeere last past a Patient a very worthy Gentleman who being extremely vexed with the Strangury Disurie and Ischurie together with pissing of blood in great abundance and the stone who by the vse and accommodation of remedies found much ease mitigation of paines and qualification of the extremitie of all the former accidents Notwithstanding for that there were certaine indications of an Vlcer in the body or capacitie of the Bladder his recouerie was not expected but after his decease in the dissection of his body his Bladder was found rotten broken and black without any manifest matter therin as cause thereof or so much as one stone although hee had formerly and immediately before auoided many stones at seuerall times This I produce being fresh in memory as an instance of impossibilitie of knowledge vnto a Physicion in many and frequent cases For how could the fracture or colour of his Bladder while the Patient was liuing by any exquisitenesse of Art or vnderstanding be knowne in any possibilitie meanes or power of man although all the other accidents aboue mentioned were vndoubtedly by certaine indications and signes discouered I might here deliuer many other like Examples out of mine owne knowledge I will onely call to remembrance one more I was of late yeares Physicion vnto a right Noble Lady the cause of whose apparent dangerous estate diuers learned and famous Physicions conioyned with my selfe could neuer discouer In the dissection of her body after her decease her heart was found inclosed with a shining rotten gelly and the very substance of the heart of the same colour In the same Lady an intolerable paine about the bottome of her stomack by fits depriued her of all ease by day and of rest by night and could neuer be either knowne in the cause or remoued in the accident by any meane or remedy but after death in the dissection of her body before mentioned a black round gelly as bigge as a Tenice ball did manifest it selfe in that place where in her life the intolerable paine was seated and fixed Of this euill discoloration of her heart of the matter and euill colour of that matter wherewith her heart was inuironed as also of that collected gelly in her stomake what possible knowledge thinke you or exquisite vnderstanding or art of man could euer in her life time giue any notice or information Like vnto this is that which Hollerius in the 21. of his rare obseruations doth mention In a sicke man perplexed in a strange manner from an vnknowne cause in his life after his death his liuer and epiploon did appeare corrupted and putrified his stomake toward the bottome bruised and full of blacke iuice or humour Christophorus Sillineus opening the body of a childe after death reporteth that he saw in the small veines running thorow the substance of the liuer many small scrauling wormes then liuing Beniuenius doth make mention of a woman tormented grieuously by a needle in her stomake which was impossible by any art or exquisitnesse of vnderstanding to be conceiued or suspected if nature it selfe working it out thorow the body and substance of the stomake vnto the outward view and sense had not so discouered it I will not here mention the generation of worms stones and the like in the guts gall heart longs and other parts of which no art or excellence of knowledge can possibly take notice vntil they haue proued themselues vnto the sight Many diseases of these kindes
Witches and Sorcerers it seemeth in reason a thing whereunto the Diuell is not vnable First for that it appeareth within the power of a Spirit by the history of the Prophet Habacue whom the Angel carried by the hayre of the head out of Iudea into Babylon The naturall faculties and properties of a Spirit giuen in their creation and by their essentiall formes vnited vnto them the Diuell doth participate with all other Spirits whatsoeuer though in his fall from heauen he lost their true happinesse and perfect fruition in the face and fauour of GOD his Creator Secondly for that there are vndoubted examples in holy Scripture of the diuels power in the locall translation not onely of bodies inanimate as fire windes tempests houses as is apparent on the history of Iob and of animate bodies also or bodies of brute creatures as is euident in the herds of swine which he carried headlong into the Sea but likewise of the bodies of men as is cleere in the Gospel where it is said that the Diuell did cast the bodies of the possessed into the middest of the people If the Diuel could cast or carrie their bodies the distance there expressed whatsoeuer or how little so euer it was it doth manifestly proue his power in the locall motion of mens bodies although the full extent of his power therein bee not necessarily thence collected Concerning the taking the body of our Sauiour and setting it vpon a pinacle of the Temple I will not vrge but doe conclude vpon my former reasons sufficiently and necessarily that the Diuell where God himselfe doth not countermaund or prohibite him hath power to dispose and transport our naturall bodies I will not cite a multitude of Authors herein and from them borrow needlesse examples As some may bee true so I doe not beleeue all and very few I wish trusted where the proofe doth not manifestly exceede all exception I conclude that it is possible that sometimes the supernaturall power of the Diuell in this kinde as in other before mentioned may appeare vnto outward sense manifest and the Witch or Sorcerer be found a voluntarie wihth him And as is said of this kinde so may be said of many more besides those before mentioned Concerning the manifest supernaturall workes done by Charmers who is ignorant To omit the histories of Medea Circe those old famous Hags who were seene by charmes immediately to cause graine to wither vpon the ground the current of waters to stand still the streame to runne backe against the course tempests raine thunder windes to rise and fall at their word and command for an assured testimonie of the true and reall harmes which Charmers manifestly vnto outward view and sense did vnto the ancient world is as yet extant so many hundreths of yeares the Law of the twelue Romane Tables wherein was a Decree and Statute made to preuent and restraine the manifest wrongs and iniuries of Charmers Alienas Segetes ne incantato saith the Law Alienas Segetes in-cantando ne pellexeris that is Let no man charme his neighbours graine Let no man by charmes and Incantations carry away or transport anothers graine There are many other true reports and records of other wonderfull works and supernaturall feates all alike offered vnto the outward sence Their enumeration or citation is not further needfull It is sufficient whatsoeuer or how many soeuer they be that they are workes supernaturall that they are manifest to sense that they are of the Diuell and that the Witch or Sorcerer doth manifest his guilt therein by voluntary presenting himselfe therein by manifest vndertaking any part or office in the performance or by promising and according to promise causing to come to passe The reason is infallible He that doth vndertake voluntarily doth present himselfe and doth promise and according to promise cause to be performed that which is in anothers power and impossible vnto himselfe doth thereby necessarily and vnanswerably prooue himselfe to haue an interest a power a contract with that other which for any man to haue with the Diuell is society with Diuels which is Witch-craft and Sorcerie And thus hath been declared how the supernaturall workes of the Diuell and Sorcerers may bee manifest to the outward sense and the true testimony thereof An obiection here may be made that many of the former workes may seeme manifest to the sense which indeed and truth are deceits of the imagination and illusion and therefore there can be no such certainty vnto the outward sense It is truly answered He that wanteth so much true iudgement as to distinguish when he doth see a certain true obiect offered vnto his sight from without and when he is incountred only with a resemblance thereof from within his fancie and imagination is diseased in body or mind or both and therfore is no competent Iudge or witnesse in these or any other weighty affaires For he that is in health of body and in the outward organes instruments of sense and sound in his reason iudgment vnderstanding though somtime the fogge and mist of deceiued sense or fancy ouershadow the brightnes of true vndeceiued reason for a short time in him yet it cannot so perpetually eclipse it but it will recouer his light and true splendor againe and truth wil shine more excellently in the end out of that darkenesse This is very liuely seene in the example of S. Peter Acts 12. verse 10. 12. who at first did thinke he had onely seene the Angell which God sent vnto him to deliuer him out of bonds in a dreame or vision but when afterward he was come to himselfe and his true sense and reason hee then perfectly discerned and knew that he was really deliuered out of prison by an Angel of God If men could not certainely discerne betweene that which they do really see and that they falsely imagine in visions dreames and fancie then were the life of man most miserable there could be no certainty of truth no excelling in knowledge or vnderstanding All men should be a like vnable to distinguish whether we liue in dreames only or in wakefull deed But the certain knowledge which God hath giuen vnto mankind in so infinite kindes and measures doth proue the eminence of reason and vnderstanding aboue the intanglements and depression of sense and fancie There remaineth as yet another doubt which is how those things which before were mentioned to be spirituall supernaturall can be subiect in reason vnto outward sense or be knowne thereby howsoeuer by the former examples it doth so seeme It is true that a Spirit and a Spirituall work simply in it selfe in the owne nature and substance cannot be seene by any bodily eyes or be deprehended by any outward sense Notwithstanding as they doe mixe themselues with bodily substances which are subiect to sense by accident Spirits and spirituall operations are eertainely tryed and discouered euen vnto sense For how is it