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
make one body to beare the likenes of another it is but a colour But some man wil say what reason is there to shew that they can doe so much being of an essence inuisible We may not staye heere within the limites of our owne reason which is not able to reach vnto or to comprehend what way Deuils should be able to haue such operations We may not I say measure their nimblenes power subtilties in working by our owne vnderstanding or capacitie But we must looke what the holy scripture doth testifie in this behalfe and therin rest and stay our selues We haue a manifest proofe Exod. 7. that the Deuill can take a bâ—…dily shape For when Aaron had cast downe his staffe and it was turned into a Serpent the Enchaunters of Egypt cast downe their staues and they became Serpents which was indeede but in shewe and appearance which the Deuil made for he deluded the senses both in hiding the forme of the staues which indeede were not any way changed and also in making a shewe of such bodies as were not this was done openly in y â— cleare light for otherwise it might be thought to be a meere illusion For we see that men in extreame sickenes thinke they heare a voyce and see a shape which none other in presence eyther heareth or seeth some are so melancholike that they imagin they heare and see that which they doe not for Sathan deludeth the phantasie so â—…ore that the partye doth suppose that his very outward senses do perceaue the matter but here was no such thing but all which were with Pharao thinke theâ—…e 〈◊〉 very Serpents indeede sauing that Moses and Aaron did knowe it was the iugling of the Deuill King Saule when God had forsaken him and being in distresse sought vnto a Witch He is desirous to talke with Samuell which was dead for he annainted him to be king ouer Israell He requesteth of the witch that she would bring him vp she taketh the matter vpon her there commeth vp one which taketh vpon him to be Samuell and the Scripture calleth him so Saul and the witch take it to be so He appeareth in a bodily shape vseth goodly plaine speeche It was not the true but a false and counterfeit Samuel euen a wicked Deuill For he handleth the matter very cunningly but yet in diuers things bewrayeth himselfe He was content that Saull should fall downe and worship him which the true Samuell would neuer haue suffered He doth not rebuke him for seeking vnto a witch which the scripture condemneth And the Lord imputeth it vnto Saull for one of the sinnes for which he did destroy him In which place the Lord saith he sought to consult with Ob. This is out of doubt that the holy Ghost is far from calling the soul of Samuel Ob. and as for the woman she is not called Ob but Bagnalath Ob on which possesseth Ob. Nowe let vs consider his speeche why saith he hast thou disquieted me by calling me vp Marke what subtilty there is in these fewe wordes This is most certaine that the soules of righteous men are not subiect to the call of a witch but the crafty Deuil would make men belieue that they be and euen drawen foorth and troubled or disquieted For his speeche is Lammah Hirgaztanâ—… which is as much as to say wherefore hast thou caused me to shake or be disquieted with feare It is deriued of Ragaz which is to shake and tremble Would the true Samuell make men belieue that the witch with her Ob. had such power to fetch him vp If it were Samuel indeed why did he not rather say that God sent him Againe the common error was that the soules of the righteous were in some place beneath in the earth where the witches familier spirite could come and bring them vp and for this cause also this counterfeite Samuell saith he had made him come vp Abrahams bosome was Paradise and S. Paule was taken vp into the thirde heauen and that he saith was Paradise Then Samuell must haue come downe and not haue come vp We see then that his speeche â—…endeth to confirme wicked and abhominable errors which may suffice to prooue that it was a Deuill Furthermore Moses doth shew that at the beginning the Deuill did talke with Eua vsing the serpent for his instrument If he could then immediately after his fall vse speech shall we doubt that he cannot now Is it not apparaÌ„tly set forth in the gospell that Deuils came out of many crying and saying what haue we to do with Iesus c. S. Luke Act. 19. doth shew that certain did take vpon them to name ouer those which had vncleane spirites the name of the Lord Iesus saying we adiure you by Iesus whom Paule preacheth and he saith that the euill spirite made answere and said Iesus I know and Paule I knowe but who are yee I conclude therfore out of these places of scripture that Deuils can take a bodily shape and vse speeche An answere vnto certaine friuolous reasons which some doe make to proue that the Deuils did not make those apparitions that he cannot appeare in any bodily shape The 7. Chapter THere is nothing almost so plaine but that there may be cauils made against it and some probable shewe of reason such therfore as take vpon them to maintaine that Witches and coniurers doe nothing by the helpe of Deuils and that spyrites can take no visible shape deuise all the shiftes which they are able to auoid those testimonies of scripture which I haue alleaged It is necessary therfore that ere I proceede any further 〈◊〉 the futility and vanity be shewed of the chiefe reasons which are brought for that purpose First touching the Enchaunters of Egypt might it not be that they made Serpents indeede by naturall Magicke for they which do know the secretes of nature may do things straunge meruellous To this I answere that if Iannes and Iambres did by their skil in the secrete power of nature turne their staues into very serpents I know few of the miracles of Christ which they might not eyther doe or as greate Christ turned water into Wine If those Enchaunters had bene there and by naturall Magicke had turned their staues into serpents who woulde not or might not iustly haue affirmed their miracle to be the greater The workes which Christ did beare witnes of him as he saith to declare that he was the sonne of god How could this testimonie bee infallible if so greate thinges might bee wrought by the power of nature we see then it is against pietie to bring such a thing in question any way to beate it into mens heads Againe if those Magicians had such skill to worke by nature they must needs go beyond nature her selfe which were a foule absurdity to bee anye way graunted for they could bring forth serpents at an instant and she can not bring forth the least
shee gaue them What likenes they had What were their names Whether they were hees or shees and how many men they had killed Some haue bene hanged and haue at the gallowes confessed the whole matter Who is able to declare the brutish errors and foule sinnes which multitudes are led into by this craftye dealing of the dealing of the Deuil For my selfe I do not thinke that I can shew the tenth part But yet I see so much as may make any Christian hart bleede to beholde I will endeuor to open the collusion of Satan and his purpose in this thing so far as I can with the follies which the blinde multitude fall into and do not espie the same First then for the maner The poore old witch pined with hunger goeth abroad vnto some of her neighbours and there begge a little milke which is denied Shee threatneth that she will be euen with them Home shee returneth in great fury cursing and raging Forth shee calleth her spirite and willeth him to plague such a man Away goeth hee Within few howres after the man is in such torment that he can not tell what hee may doe Hee doth thinke himselfe vnhappy that he was so foolish to displease her What shal wee say vnto these things Is here no packing Is not here first of all a way taken by the wiely and wicked serpent to bring men in beliefe that hee is not nigh them nor medleth not vnlesse his dame send him Hee goeth about like a roaring Lyon seeking whom he may deuour as Saint Peter sayth Shall wee bee so sottish to beleeue that hee lyeth at the witches house hee is a mighty tyrant if God do suffer him that hee beyng a spirite do take vpon him the shape of some little vermin as cat or weasill it is but to deceiue He lyeth and sleepeth in warme wool the witch doth giue him milke or a chicken and hee doth eate these are vain illusions what needeth hee such thinges he resteth not hee eateth not he slepeth not How much greater folly is it to enquire of his sexe as though there were hee deuils and shee deuils But to come nigher vnto this tragedie Doth not shee send him yes shee doth send him which did send her first Who put into her heart to begge of that man had hee no stroke in the matter that hee would denie her request are they not for the most part in as great blindnes and infidelity almost as the witch is which are bewitched hee knoweth well ynough where hee maketh his match Shee doth furiously rage and curse doth not the deuil worke it in her heart wel the man is tormented indeede who doth that here is great cunning Sometime he doth it some tyme he maketh a shew that he doth it when it is not so when hee doth it who geueth him the power did the witch they bee voide of reason which thinke so Had hee power and lay still while shee sent him not minding to do any thing vnlesse hee were requested what foole can imagine that How is this thing then doubtles this wicked deuill either did know that God had geuen him power and so did stirre vp and set on the witch or else he did see great likelihood that God would giue him leaue to torment the man in his body or his goods because of his wicked life and infidelity For hee is neuer wearie but secketh all occasions And we haue so flat testimonies of Gods word that where God gaue him leaue hee tormented the bodies of men that such as affirme hee can not plague that way shew themselues ouer bold agaynst the truth Wee see then it must needes bee one of these 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hee tormenteth 〈◊〉 man For God did geue him power but hee would for many causes be set on by the witch where shee could not increase his power or else he doth coniecture that the Lord will giue him leaue when he is sent because the people are worthy to bee seduced and lead into vile errors sometyme he seemeth to do that which hee doth not and that is with much subtilty For hee seeth the humours in the bodies of men and beasts Hee seeth the rootes and causes of diseases and when they wil come foorth Hee stirreth his dame or rather his poore vassâ—…l and setteth her in quarell with that man Shee sendeth him the man falleth lame or into some languishing sicknes his hogges or his kyne do die Ther was natural cause of lamenes of sicknes and death which the Lord sent and Satan would haue it layd vpon him The witch seeth such effectes follow and gathereth for certaynty that shee did it The man calleth to mynd how hee displeased her and how shee did threaten him and now is sure shee did it These are part of his wayes let vs looke further He is a bloody murtherer and delighteth to draw men into periury and cruelty Hee seeketh therefore to bring many such vnto their death for witchcraft as are no witches Some woman doth fal out bitterly with her neighbour there followeth some great hurt either that God hath permitted the deuil to vex him or otherwise There is a suspicion conceiued Within fewe yeares after shee is in some iarre with an other Hee is also plagued This is noted of all Great fame is spread of the matter Mother W. is a witch She hath bewitched goodman B. Two hogges which died strangely or else hee is taken lame Wel mother W doth begin to bee very odious terrible vnto many her neighbours dare say nothing but yet in their heartes they wish shee were hanged Shortly after an other falleth sicke and doth pine hee can haue no stomacke vnto his meaâ—…e nor hee can not sleepe The neighbours come to visit him Well neighbour sayth one do ye not suspect some naughty dealing did yee neuer anger mother W truly neighbour sayth he I haue not liked the woman a long tyme. I can not tell how I should displease her vnlesse it were this other day my wife prayed her and so did I that shee would keepe her hennes out of my garden Wee spake her as fayre as wee could for our liues I thinke verely shee hath bewitched me Euery body sayth now that mother W is a witch in deede and hath bewitched the good man B. Hee can not eate his meate It is out of all doubt for there were which saw a weasil runne from her housward into his yard euen a little before hee fell sicke The sicke man dieth and taketh it vpon his death that he is bewitched then is mother W apprehended and sent to prison shee is arrayned and condemned and being at the gallows taketh it vppon her death that shee is not gylty and doubtles some are put to death not beyng gylty Now let vs see what the deuil hath gayned by this practise For though at sometymes the coniectures fall out right yet many times there is innoceÌ„t blood shed which is a greuous sin The iury commit periury
headlong into y â— pits of filthy sins which doo drowne men in destruction Wee sée that it is a most clere case that God ordreth all by his good prouidence The witch can doo nothing for the deuill which is farre greater then she can doo nothing But the wicked world full of all contempt of God doth deserue that the deuill should haue power to worke many feates to the end they may haue strang delusion and the efficacie of error come vpon them This doth S. Paul set foorth 2. Thess. 2. For there wee may sée that Satan hath libertie giuen him to shewe his efficacie with the power of lying Signes and woonders If Satan coulde make no shew or appearance of woonders by doing things which are beyond the reach of man to counterfait why should it bee called a power and efficacie and why should they be called signes and lying woonders Our Sauiour him selfe Math. 24. vers 24. doth shew that there should arise false Christs and false Prophets and should giue great signes and woonders I conclude therefore that as the righteous God doth permit suffer the deuill for the wickednes of the world to shew foorth an efficacie and power By giuing signes and woonders y â— is such things as men are not able to doo therefore doo account them woonders though they be no true woonders in déed nor wrought vnto a good end but to establish false religion so doth he let loose the same deuill or suffer him to doo many things by Witches and Coniurers that the despisers of the holy religion may bee seduced There hath bene meere cosinage in most of the popish miracies For if they had bene done as they report they should haue bene miracles in deede and the deuill is able to doo no miracle but to make a shew by illusion yet were they belieued by occasion of those shewes which hee made at some times In like maner there are straunge woonders reported of Witches and Coniurers they haue bene belieued as also many counterfaite things because he hath power at many times giuen vnto him to torment men because he doth make his vaine apparitions The sharp punishment appointed in the word of God for such as worke with the deuill and the true cause of the same and that it is no godly zeale but furious rage wherewith the common sort are caried against witches Chapt. 10. THe Lord God did by Moses appoint and prescribe penalties for the offences and transgressions of his holy lawes These were not all of one kind but according to the degrée of the trespasse was the punishmeÌ„t lesse or greater Some sinnes are more horrible then others and doo more prouoke the displeasure of God vnto such he appointed the sharpest penalty that is to say death without mercy Among these were such as fell into Apostasie from the law of Moses as wee may see Hebrue 10. vers 28. Or such as did persuade others vnto Apostasie Deut. 23. vers 5. The murtheâ—…er might not be redeemed Numb 35. vers 31. The selfe same seuerity is required against such as worke by the deuill or that dealt with familiare spirites for it is sayd thou shalt not suffer a Witch to liue Exod. 22. Mechashshepha by the tropesinecdoâ—…he is in this place being but one kinde put for al that practise deuilishe arte For it is very vaine and friuolouse to take it that death should bee appointed as to a murtherer with poyson For in another place namely Leuit. 20. vers 27. The Lord doth take two other kindes where he appoynteth the penaltie of death These be his words the man or the woman in whom there shall be Ob or Iiddegnoni shall dye the death Out of which places we may collect the true cause of this seueritie to bée in very déede the familiaritie with deuils The deuils be the vtter enemies of GOD which seeke by all meanes to dishonor him and to deface his glorie How can any then vse familiaritie with them vse their helpe or seeke vnto them but he committeth a monstrous enormitie and such as deserueth a thousand deathes Moreouer the Witch the Coniurer the Enchaunter the Sorcerer and the rest are the cause of foule errors and much wickednesse much horrible abusing Gods holy and sacred name and therefore are woorthie to dye This being the true cause why God doth abhorre such as it is manifest we may easily sée the grosse error of the blind multitude in this behalfe For they hold that witches should bee put to death and not onely that but are inflamed with a wonderfull rage and fury to haue it accomplished I call it rage not zeale because it is not to a right end For if they were so zealous of it for Gods honor it were a merueilous good thing but in déed it is not for any zeale of God y â— they be so forward but for an other consideration Thieues and murtherers say they be put to common deaths how much more sharp death tormeÌ„ts are witches worthy to haue laid vpon them But aske them why Oh say they the witches send their spirits and kill and lame men they kill young infantes they kill cattle they â—…aise winds tempests they be the very plagues of men Here is a false cause for where doo we euer finde in the holy scriptures that Witches or Coniurers haue such things layd vnto their charge I haue shewed the priuy packing which Satan vseth in this behalfe When men are once so be witched as to thinke who can liue in safety while witches remaine they run with madnesse to séeke all meanes to put them to death not onely them but all such as are suspected They run to Coniurers to know if they be not witches who they suspect They examine witches to know whether their spirites haue not told them how many witches be within certaine miles of them who they be The Lord doth not alow one witnesse being a man in a cause of death to be sufficient but these would alow the accusation of one deuill if he accuse xl persons they thinke it a merueilouse charitable deede where there is one that hath bene suspected for witchery to hiâ—… or entice children to accusâ—… them to practise with some subtill maide which faineth her self to be bewitched to get some matter of accusation Many Iurers neuer weigh the force of the euidence which is brought but as if they had their oth for coniectures or likelihoodes they are oftentimes very forward to finde guilty being sicke of the same disease that the accusers be But some man will reply demaund why the people should not be so earnest to séeke their death rooting out why should it be reputed as a fault they doo it of a good minde to the glory of God In déed if it could be shewed that they doo it in regard of Gods glorie it were of a good minde much to be commeÌ„ded but it is manifestly to be prooued that Gods