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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
cause_n	wonder_n	word_n	work_v	62	3	6.3214	4	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A03468	A treatise against vvitchcraft: or A dialogue, wherein the greatest doubts concerning that sinne, are briefly answered a Sathanicall operation in the witchcraft of all times is truly prooued: the moste precious preseruatiues against such euils are shewed: very needful to be knowen of all men, but chiefly of the masters and fathers of families, that they may learn the best meanes to purge their houses of all vnclean spirits, and wisely to auoide the dreadfull impieties and greate daungers which come by such abhominations. Hereunto is also added a short discourse, containing the most certen meanes ordained of God, to discouer, expell, and to confound all the Sathanicall inuentions of witchcraft and sorcerie.; Treatise against witchcraft.	Holland, Henry, 1555 or 6-1603.	1590 (1590)	STC 13590; ESTC S104153	71,772	90

be said out of the booke of God against this bold 〈◊〉 what were Pharaos coniurers in the court of Egipt Nebuchadue 〈◊〉 wise men in Babylon but coozeners and porseners poiseners of all others haue no place nor free accesse vnto princes and coozeners are most vnfit to be their counsellers so as all those Egiptian and Babilonian witches were as lerome writeth Habuisse Babylonem omnemque Chaldaeam incantatorum c. studium c. Danielis Prophetae lectio probat qui ad eorum consilia cunctareges Babilonios fecisse Comm●●●rat The kings of Babilon c. saith he did all things after the aduise and councels of there inchanters Againe what was the Pythonist at Philippi had not shee a reall conference with Sathan for she got her master great aduantage with her continuall practise of divination To be short I can not see but hee that can doe the greater may doe the lesse Non mirum est saith P. Martyr si exteriores hominum oculos perstringat cum antea occupauit oculos mentis It is no marueile that he hold fast shut the eyes of the body which so blindeth the eyes of the minde He that can worke so mightely by suggestion in the children of disobedience may also haue both a real possession of thē conference with thē Lastly wee must not so fondly confound diabolicall naturall magicke which so many learned men in al ages haue clearely distinguished This shift beeing thus vncouered they shelter themselues vnder a second refuge which is this The witches of our time can work at no hand so as the witches mentioned in the Scripture haue done Against this conclusion we may reason on this manner If our Witches Coniurers c. can not work the like as Iannes Iambres did the witch of Endor c. the defect must be eyther in Sathan or the witch or both first for Sathan bee wants at this day neither will nor might to doe the like First no will for he see● his kingdome will not last long and therefore now towards the end of the world he is and will be more and more enuious and deceitfull working all the wonders that euer he can to blinde infidels 2. Thes. 2. 9. 10. and to deceiue if it were possible the very elect us our Sauiour hath forewarned vs. Secondly no strength he is elder indeede but not weaker The God the princes and gouernours of this world with whome we wrestle wax not weaker as we doe nor the red dragon wil not cease to make warre with the Saints as long as the world endureth Againe he is rather more wise in experience and knowledge of all naturall causes and therefore more readie in his artes then euer he hath beene And wherefore then Sathan for his part will not or can not practise those former artes it is impossible to be prooued and doe not we know that Sathan hath multiplied rather then shortened the number of his artes for we read and vnderstand that before and since the Gospel was published he hath had great varietie in all ages of false artes for the practises of his sciences Secondly for his copartner the witch Man or Woman I would learne what wantes they haue at this day more then in former times that by Sathans helpe they can not produce the like lying woonders I am sure the wicked also in the worlde and the reprobates towardes the ende waxe worse and worse and therefore in any wise ma●● iudgement are more fitte for this sinne for the more vncleane a man is the more apt is he for Sathans seruice But they obiect they can not haue at this day such knowledge in naturall causes as Iannes and Iambres had c. I answer that Sathan as he regardes not characters figures wordes periapts c. so doeth hee not a mans knowledge to make him his vassale to worke his woonders vnlesse it be for this end to vaile and couer his delusions as sundrie Sathanicall Astrologers in Chalde and Egipt haue done And in very truth there are in this age as wise in knowledge of all tongues Philosophie liberall artes c. as the learned know since the Gospell was preached as euer was in any age in Christendome Wherefore if there was by meanes of naturall knowledge and humane industrie a Sathanicall operation in witchcraft in elder times I say there may be the like at this day and vnto the worldes end The last and most miserable refuge is this Our witches strigae lamiae our witches are not once mētioned in Scripture our old woman c. you shall not reade in the Bible of any such Witches This if they could haue graunted that God worde might not fight against them they know then they might easilie triumph for the weapons of God are so mightie to cast downe these holdes that no arte nor power of Sathan or inuention of man may withstand thē but where they strike downe must all high proude things the proud reason of man Sathan himselfe and al his kingdome Albeit the Scripture giueth vs no such historicall relations of the witches of our time yet are they mentioned there both in generall and speciall manner in general where all the sinnes of idolatrie and blasphemie are condemned in speciall where the like sinnes are named M. Cicero disputeth in his booke of Divination of the beeing of the old Auguries and magicall divinations of his time where after he hath distinguished them into two kindes naturall and artificiall Vnto the naturall belong all those divinations which we may call meere diabolicall as coniurations and al the practise of Pythonistes which haue an expresse league and confederacie with Sathan vnto the artificiall appertaine all those artes which men saith hee haue learned by long obseruation Astrologie Palmistrie and such like these we say are mixt diabolicall and belong vnto the secret couenant and confederacie which Sathan hath with witches In the ende he concludeth on this manner Quid est igitur cur dubitandum sit quin sint ea quae disputaui verissima si ratio mecum facit si eventa si populi si nationes si graeci si barbari si maiores etiam nostri si denique hoc semperita putatum est si summi philosophi si poetae si sapientissimi viri qui res publicas constituerunt qui vrbes condiderunt an dum bestiae loquantur expectamus hominum consentiente authoritate contenti non sumus If this Heathen could confirme by such reasons this conclusion how much more boldly may wee doe the same hauing not onely all these his arguments with vs but also the heauenly Oracles of God the light the lawes the examples and the iudgements in Gods worde denounced against these sinnes which the Scripture hath recorded for our instruction Wherefore I conclude with Master Calvine Certè sacrilega esset Audacia negare vnquam in vsu fuisse artes magicas quia

but cousenage wherefore did this cousenage cease when the gospell shined for cousening hypocrites are in the Church and will bee foreuer where the gospell is preached And wherefore must the deuill in Constantines time creepe as it were into some hollow caues was it be cause cousenage creeps in corners for Euseb. saith Apollinem autem id temporis ex antro quodam tenebricoso recessu non ex sacerdotis ore hoc or aculum aedidisse ferunt Mysodaemon Well I am content to yeild I knowe not what strength my reason hath if that storie bee not there to be found What haue you a nie examples which hath practised this kind of witchcraft Theoph. The witch of Endor is saide to be one of this sort for she is called 1. Sam. 28. v. 7. Bagnalah Aob married to Aob or possessing Aob or as the common translation is hauing Aob that is a familiar spirit And here My sodaemon before I do any further answer thee note what obseruations that place of scripture offereth vnto vs in this question of witchcraft for our instruction First obserue there the great feare this vile kind of witches are in for she was very loth least her practise should be publikely noted espied known v. 9. 10. Secondly how the deuil perswades witches he must be coniured out of hell out of the earth frō among the dead by characters figures pe●iaptes c. that his vassals might be the more studious to serue him on that maner that mē might haue his witches for their art in the more estimatiō v. 11. 12. Thirdly how Satan can transfrome himself before his witch as he please for v. 13. she saith I saw gods or an excellent person which thē appeareth forth with in the form of old Samuel himself Fourthly what Satan desireth most of his witches such as consult with them namely to adore him as a God as Saul did the deuill in the presence of the witch v. 14. Lastly how bold Satan is somtimes in predictions either when he hath some warrant of gods word or is sent of God to execute his iustice vpon in sidels For this deuill speaking thus boldly of Saules death it is like he knew gods purpose concerning him for where hee wanteth knowledge hee is commonly most doubtfull in his prophesies as those latine rimes of Apollos oracle can teach vs. Misodaemon But Ecclesiasticus saith it was very Samuel himselfe which did appeare in that place Chap. 46. v. 19. 20. Theoph. So doth Iosephus also in his antiquities for the most Iews of those times did imagin ther might be had some conferēce with spirits and soules of men but both haue erred in this point Myso-daemon It is most vnlikely of all that God would answer Saul by a deuil that denied to doe it by a Prophet Theo. Not so Mysodaemon I can returne this weapon vpon thine own head For therefore was it more like to be Satan because God had denied to answere him by dreams by Vrim by the Prophets 1. Sam. 28. 6. againe Saul was now fast bound in Satans snares for his disobedience against the word of God therefore no maruell though Satan was bold to visit him on that maner Mysodaemon When Saul had told her that he would haue Samuell brought vp shee departed from his presence into her closet vvhere doubtlesse she had her familiar spirit towit some lewdcraftie priest ergo all that play was but a priestly cousenage Theoph. I tel the truly Mysodaemon this doubtlesse of the craftie preeste is a magicall glose out of thine owne braine and clean beside the text Mysodaemon The counsell giuen to Saule by that Samuel greatly disagreeth from Sathans nature and purpose Theoph. If you will aduisedly consider all the circumstances of this text you shall soone espie that all that Samuels counsels and words were wicked diuelish tended most to perswade Saul his companie to idolatre and for the confirmation of these artes Againe it is certen the deuill can speake sugred words and mean Sathanically as the deuill in the Gospel the Pythonist at Philippi at Ephesus and els where Myso-daemon This is straunge Theophilus and yet for all thou canst say of this place there are some as I heare that cha●lenge all the learned men in the world vpon the adventure of their liues to prooue eyther here in this witch or in any other one piece of a miracle such as Christ did Theoph. There challenge is but a bold vndiscreete and witles bragge And as for witches miracles Danaeus and others saie right well that they may more properly be called Sathanicall woonders which the deuill can with greater facility effect saith he then the cunningest man because he excelleth in nature in swiftnes of motion and in knowledge Of these wicked wonders the Scripture speaketh 2. Thess. 2. 9. Revel 16. 14. Sathans woonders are produced of natural causes not supernatural as Christs were Myso-daemon Now doe but shew me the iudgement of some learned Authors which will testifie also that this witch hath a reall conference with Sathan himselfe and I shal be satisfied and resolued in one point wherein Theophilus I haue a long time greatly doubted Theoph. 1. Brentius on this manner writeth vpon this place Apertè significat Scriptura quòd Sathan nō perse tantū verumetiam per organa suae quae sunt incantatores malificae hominib malefaciat The Scripture speaketh plainly that Sathan doth not only hurt himselfe but worketh also by his instruments such as inchaunters and witches are And then he addeth Colloquium ipsum cum Saule perspicuè testatur non fuisse verum Samuelem sed Sathanam effigie Samuelis apparentem The conference which Saule plainely testifieth that this was not the true Samuel but Sathan hims●lfe who appeared in Samuels likenes 2. Another saith thus Saule consulit venificam seupithonissam manes ex orco educentem i. confugit ad Diabolum Saule asked counsell of a witch which coniured spirits out of hell that is he fled for helpe to the Devill 3. To be short and that one may speake for many Peter Martyr vpon that place hauing shewed many mens iudgements addeth in the end his owne and saith manifestly it was a deuill Then he concldeth in these wordes Scio istas rationes non adeo firmas esse vt possint persuadere homini pertinaci I know saith he these arguments are not so strong that they ca● perswade a stubborn wit 4 Hemingius is of the same iudgement 5 Danaeus is of the same iudgement 6 Tremellius writeth of this kinde thus Lev. 20. 27. Pythones diabolicis artibus reliquos à dei cultu sui sanctificatione avocant Pythonists seduce others by Sathanicall artes c. Mysodaemon I pray you haue you euer heard reade or euer seene any one example of this kinde in these times Theoph. I read and heare of many but I come not yet

there is great difference betweene heathenish and Christian magike Ill● daemones hi sanctos invocant illi prophanis hi sacris verbis vtuntur illi characteres ignotos hi signaculum crucis vsurpant The heathens called vpon deuils the Christians pray vnto Saints they vsed prophane terms but these vse holy words they practised vnknowen characters but these are full of crosses in there witchcraft Therefore the witches in the Church are more wicked then the Heathen Witches for these abuse the Worde and Sacramentes of God Mys. I say not so but I reason thus Myracles are ceased Ergo All the miraculous works of witchcraft are ceased consequently I say that our witches can in no wise worke so as those witches mentioned in Scripture haue done Theophilus I answer thee first For thine argument the consequent followeth nine myles behinde the Antecedent For as thou hast hard partly before the witches spokē of in Scripture wrought no miracles but as the Scripture saith lying wonders For all true miracles haue supernatural causes and so haue not the deceitfull delusions of the deuill Mysodaemon You haue not heard all that I can say for I tell you my reason stands vpon good ground and hath great strength Oracles as you know are ceased and no doubt whatsoeuer hath affinitie with such miraculous actions as witchcraft coniuration c. it is knocked on the head and nayled on the crosse with Christ who hath broken the power of the deuills What say you to this Theophilus Theophilus Surely I can but wonder Mysodaemon that any should teach you by speach or by writing such blacke diuinitie in this bright shining light of the Gospel For babes in Christianitie vnderstande that Christ on his crosse hath so farrefoorth broken the power of sinne as that it shall neuer haue strength to the condemnation of his elect But hee neuer ment so to take away sinne as that it should haue no beeing in the world much lesse to knocke in the head as thine Author saith the sinnes of Sathan reprobates for they are predestinate al to burne in that lake which is prepared for the deuill and his angels And wherefore doeth he not reason thus Sinne is brayned and nayled on the crosse with Christ Ergo witchcraft murder theft c. is ceased It is because then his argument should appeare before the sonne to be a most impious Anabaptisticall reason as it is indeede howsoeuer hee coloureth it Mysodaemon Wherefore then haue Oracles ceased as Plutarch and Eusebius and others write and it is knowen true by experience for there temples are fallen and there is no more mention made of them Theophilus True it is indeede Eusebius saith they fell in Constantines time and before when the Gospel began to be published and the word of God had free passage among the Gentiles but thinke not albeit at this day these Oracles are not heard nor these artes so publiquely professed and maintained as among the olde Gentiles they haue beene that therefore Sathan is dead or his wonders ceased but the rather thus we are to iudge because Sathan can not haue such Temples nowe erected for his seruice since the Gospell came vnto the Gentiles that he is more besturring him selfe in another more secret manner wheresoeuer the light of Christ is wanting for so he doeth indeede as afterwardes shal be shewed Mysodaemon Againe Theophilus I pray you giue me leaue to speake what I can for our old women for I am greatly agreeued to see the rude multitude so cruell against them and some Iudges so mercilesse as to put these poore innocents to death I reason thus by law against this vniust crueltie I say shee is iniuriouslie dealt withall if shee be the deuills instrument in practising his will my reasons are 1. Shee is put to death for an others offence 2. Actions are not iudged by instrumentall causes and therefore I conclude these olde women may not dye for Witchcraft This is Lawyers Logicke I tell you Theophilus What can you say to this Theophilus First as for the ignorant people they are caried away in deede with many fonde opinions concerning witches the Lorde graunt his Saintes his Worde and Spirit that they may truely discerne the delusions of Sathan and avoide them and as for thine argument if it be lawyers inventions I tell the truelie they be bad aduocates in an euill cause They reason as if they would haue the Honourable Iudges to hang the deuill and to suffer the witches to escape The same reason may serue anabaptisticallie applied for a libertie vnto all finne for why may not the Thiefe and the Adulterour say the like the Witch therefore muste dye as accessarie to the cause for the Iudges can not apprehende the head master of this euill the flying serpent Mysodaemon I will see what may be saide in their behalfe before wee intreate any further of them what if I reason thus Christ did clearely remit Peter though his offence were committed both against his diuine and humane Person yet afterwardes hee did put him in trust to feede his sheepe c. and therefore wee see not but wee may shewe compassion vpon these poore soules if they shewe them selues sorowfull for their misconceites and wicked imaginations Theophilus This reason is vnsufficient and very anabaptisticall for it wrings out of the civill Magistrates hande all his power and iurisdiction Shall euery penitent malefactour be deliuered from a temporall punishment farewell then all execution of iustice But vnderstande here Mysodaemon that where God remitteth his secret iustice pardoneth sinnes in Christ there must not the ciuill Magistrate be remisse in bodily punishment and iustice except he haue an extraordinary warrant and reuelation from God for his direction The lawe is Thou shalt not suffer a witch to liue vnlesse the iudge haue warrant to repeale this law from Iesus Christ as Peter had all witches lawfully convicted must haue their punishments answerable to their demerits Againe thou dost not well to call our witchcraft misconceite wicked imagination for I tell thee it is more But thou art ouer hastie to make as yet such apologies for witches for these pointes should be discussed in the end of our conference But goe on demaund what thou wilt and I will answer thee as I can Mysodaemon Pardon me this disorder Theophilus I will be as briefe as I can I pray you answer me but a few questions Danaeus Bodin Hemingius and others would haue witches punished if the evidence against them for ●sorcerie be not manifest for their known idolatry blasphemie apostasie seducing of others c. I say the Magistrates ought not to yeeld to this counsell Theophilus Wherefore Mysodaemon Mysodaemon First I prooue they are no idolators for this is a true definition of idolatrie They are idolators which doe externall worship to idols or straunge gods Now the witches haue no such visible sight of Sathan