described Witchcraft is a wicked Arte seruing for the working of wonders by the assistance of the Deuill so farre forth as God shall in iustice permit Sect. I. I say it is an Arte because it is commonly so called and esteemed amongst men and there is reason why it should be thus tearmed For as in all good and lawfull arts the whole practise thereof is performed by certaine rules and precepts and without them nothing can be done so Witchcraft hath certaine superstitious grounds and principles whereupon it standeth and by which alone the seats and practises thereof are commonly performed If it be demaunded what these rules be and whence they had their beginning considering that euery Arte hath reference to some author by whom it was originally taught and deliuered I answer that they weare deuised first by Satan and by him reuealed to wicked and vngodly persons of auncient times as occasion serued who receiuing them from him became afterward in the iust iudgement of God his instruments to report and conuey them to others from hand to hand For manifestation whereof it is to be considered that God is not onely in generall a Soueraigne Lord and King ouer all his creatures whether in heauen or earth none excepted no not the deuills themselues but that he exerciseth also a speciall kingdome partly of grace in the Church militant vpon earth and partly of glorie ouer the Saints and Angels members of the Church triumphant in heauen Now in like manner the Deuill hath a kingdome called in Scripture the kingdom of darknes whereof himselfe is the head and gouernour for which cause he is tearmed the Prince of darknes the God of this world ruling and effectually working in the hearts of the children of disobedience Againe as God hath enacted Laws whereby his kingdome is gouerned so hath the deuill his ordinances whereby he keepeth his subiects in awe and obedience which generally and for substance are nothing else but transgressions of the very lawe of God And amongst theÌ„ all the precepts of Witchcraft are the very chiefe and most notorious For by them especially he holds vp his kingdome and therefore more esteemeth the obedience of them then of other Neither doth he deliuer them indifferently to euery man but to his owne subiects the wicked and not to them all but to some speciall and tried ones whome he most betrusteth with his secrets as beeing the fittest to serue his turne both in respect of their willingnesse to learne and practise as also for their abilitie to become instruments of the mischiefe which he intendeth to others If it be here asked whence the deuill did fetch and conceiue his rules I answer out of the corruption and deprauation of that great measure of knowledge he once had of God and of all the duties of his seruice For that beeing quite depraued by his fall he turnes the same to the inuenting and deuising of what he is possibly able against God and his honour Hereupon well perceiuing that God hath expressely commanded to renounce and abhorre all practises of Whitchcraft he hath set abroach this art in the world as a maine pillar of his kingdome which notwithstanding is flatly and directly opposed to one of the maine principall lawes of the kingdome of God touching the seruice of himselfe in spirit and truth Againe the reason why he conueies these vngodly principles and practises from man to man is because he finds in experience that things are farre more welcome and agreeable to the common nature of mankinde which are taught by man like vnto themselues then if the deuill should personally deliuer the same to each man in speciall Hereupon he takes the course at first to instruct some fewe onely who beeing taught by him are apt to conuey that which they know to others And hence in probabilitie this deuillish trade had his first originall and continuance Sect. II. In the second place I call it a wicked art â—o distinguish it from allâ—good and lawfull aâ—â—s taught in schooles of learninâ— which 〈◊〉 they are warâ—antable by the word of God so are they no lesse profitable and necessary in the Church Againe to shewe the nature and qualiâ—ie of 〈◊〉 that it is a most vngracious and wicked art as appearâ—th by the Scriptures For when Saul had broken the expresse commandement of God in sparing Agag and the best things Samuel tells him thâ—t rebellion and disobedience is as the sinne of Witchcraft that is a most horrible and 〈…〉 like vnto that wicked capitall and 〈◊〉 sinne 1. Sam. 15. 23. Sect. III. Thirdly I â—dde teâ—â—ing to the working or producing of wonders wherein is noted the proâ—er ende of this art whereby I put a further difference betweene it and others that are godly and lawfull Now if question be mooued why man should desire 〈◊〉 Witchcraft to worke wonders 〈…〉 the true and proper cause is 〈…〉 first temptation whereby the deuill preuailed against our first parents had inclosed within it many sinnes for the eating of the forbidden fruit was no small or single offence but as some haue taught contained in it the breach of euery commandement of the Morall lawe Amongst the rest Satan laboured to bring them to the sinne of discontentment whereby they sought to become as Gods that is better then God had made them not resting content with the condition of men 〈◊〉 his sinne was then learned and could neuer since bâ— forgotten but continually is deriued from them to al their posterâ—ie and now is become so common a corruption in the whole nature of flesh and blood that there is scarce a man to be found vvho is not originally tainted therevvith as he is a man This corruption shevves it selfe principally in tvvo things both vvhich are the maine causes of the practises of Witchcraft First in mans outwardestâ—â—e for lie beeing naturally possessed with a loue of himselfe and an high conceit of his owne deseruing when he liues in base and low estate whether in regard of pouertie or want of honour and reputation which he thinkes by right is due vnto him he then growes to some measure of griefe and sorrow within himselfe Hereupon he is mooued to yeeld himselfe to the deuill to be his vassall and scholler in this wicked art supposing that by the working of some wonders he may be able in time to releeue his pouerty and to purchase to himselfe credit and countenance amongst men It were easie to shew the truth of this by examples of some persons who by these meanes haue risen from nothing to great places and preferments in the world In stead of all it appeareth in certain Popes of Rome as Syluester the second Benedict the eight Alexander the sixt Iohn the â—0 and twentie one c. who for the attayning of the Popedom as histories record gaue theÌ„selues to the deuil in the practise of witchcraft that by the working of wonders they might rise froÌ„ one step of honour to
and so behaued themselues And the Histories of men in former ages haue recorded strange testimonies of some that haue been thus turned into wolues lyons dogges birds and other creatures which could not be really in substance but onely in appearance and phantasie corrupted and so these records are true For God in his iust iudgement may suffer some men so to be bewitched by the deuill that to their conceit thâ—y may seeme to be like these bruit beaste though indeede they remaine true 〈◊〉 still For it iâ— a worke surmounting the deuills power to change the substance of any one creature into the substance of another By this kind of delusion the Church of Rome in the times of blindnesse and ignorance hath taken great aduantage and much encreased her riches and honour For there be three points of the religion of that Church to wiâ—â—e Rurgatorie Inuocation of 〈◊〉 Saints and honouring of Reliques whereby she hath notably inriched her selfe all which had their first foundation from these and such like Satanicall impostures For the onely way whereby they haue brought the common sort to yeeld vnto them both for beleefe and practise hath beene by deluding their outward senseâ— with false apparitions of ghosts and soules of men walking and ranging abroad after their departure and such likeâ— wherby simple persons ignorant of their fetches and delusions haue beene much affrighted aâ—d caused thorough extremitie of feare and dread to purchase their owne peace and securitie by many and great expenses And indeede these were the strongest arguments that euer they had and which most preuailed with the common people as is manifest in stories of all nations and ages where such deceits haue taken place though oftentimes by the iust iudgement of God they were taken in their craft and their featâ— reuealed The second kind of illusion is of the minde whereby the deuill deceiues the minde and makes a man thinke that of himselfe which is not true Thus experience teacheth that he hath deluded men both in former and latter times who haue auouched and professed themselues to be kings or the sonnes of Kings Yea some haue holden themselues to be Christ some to be Elias some to be Iohn the Baptist and some extraordinarie Prophets And the like conceiâ—s haue entred into the minds of sundrie Witches by the suggestion and perswasion of the deuill To whome when they haue wholly resigned their soules and bodies they haue beene mooued to beleeue things impossible touching themselues as that they haue indeed beene changed into other creatures as catts birds mise c. The inquisitions of Spaine other countries wherein these and such like things are recorded touching Witches really metamorphosed into such creatures cannot be true considering that it is not in the power of the deuill thus to change substaÌ„ces into other substaÌ„ces And those conuersions recorded by them were onely Satans illusions wherewith the mindes of Witches were possessed and nothing else which though they were extraordinarie as the rest of this kinde are yet they went not beyond the power of nature The second sort of the deuills wonders are reall workes that is such as are indeede that which they seeme and appeare to be These howsoeuer to men that knowe not the natures of things nor the secret and hidden causes thereof they may seeme very strange and admirable yet they are no true miracles because they are not aboue and beyond the power of nature If it be here alleadged that the deuils workes are not reall and true actions because the holy Ghost calleth them Lying wonders 2. Thes. 2. 9. I answer that they are called Lying wonders not in respect of the workes themselues for they were workes truely done and effected but in regard of the deuills end and purpose in working theÌ„ which is to lie vnto men and by them to deceiue The truth of which point will appeare in the viewe of some particular examples First we read in the historie of Iob that Satan brought downe fire from heauen which burnt vp Iobs sheep and seruants and caused a mightie winde to blowe downe the house vpon his children as they were feasting to destroy them Againe he smot the bodie of Iob with botches and boyles All these were true reall works very strange admirable and yet no miracles because they exceeded not the compasse of nature For first when he cast downe the fire from heauen he did not create the fire of nothing for that is a worke proper to God alone but applied creature to creature and therefore produced such a matter as was fit to make fire of If it be demanded how he is able to doe this we must remember that his knowledge in naturall causes is great and therefore he was not ignorant of the materiall cause of fire which beeing throughly knowne and founde out Satan brought fire vnto it and so putting fire to the matter of fire he brought it downe by his power and agilitie from heauen vpon the cattell and seruants of Iob. Againe the winde which blewe downe the house where his sonnes and daughters were eating and drinking was not created by the deuill but he knowing well the matter wherof winds are generated naturally added matter to matter and thence came the winde whereunto he ioynes himselfe beeing a spirit of a swift and speedie nature and so makes it for his own purpose the more violent and forcible Thirdly he smote Iobs bodie with sore boyles from the crowne of his head to the sole of his foote Now this may seeme strange that he should haue such power ouer mans body as to cause such diseases to breed in it Therefore we are further to vnderstand that his knowledge extendeth it selfe to the whole frame and disposition of mans bodie whereby it comes to passe that the causes of all diseases are well knowne vnto him and he is not ignorant hoâ—e the humours in the bodie may be putrified and what corrupt humours will breede such and such diseases and by what meanes the aire it selfe may be infected hereupon preparing his matter and applying cause to cause he practised vpon the bodie of Iob and filled him with grieuous sores Another example of Satans reall workes is this By reason of his great power and skill he is able to appeare in the forme and shape of a man and resemble any person or creature and that not by deluding the senses but by assuming to himselfe a true body His power is not so large as to create a bodie or bring againe a â—oule into a bodie yet by his dexteritie and skill in naturall causes he can worke wonderfully For he is able hauing gathered together fit matter to ioyne member to member and to make a true bodie either after the likenes of man or some other creature and hauing so done to enter into it to mooue and stirre it vp and downe and therein visibly and sensibly to appeare vnto man which though it be a strange worke and
Apollo at Delphos of Iupiter Trophonius in Boeotia and the rest where the Deuill gaue the answer sometimes one way and sometimes another Secondly Satan by obseruation perceiueth that man vpon a weake and ignorant minde is prone superstitiously to dote vpon the creatures attributing some diuine operation or vertue to them without any ground of Gods word or common vnderstanding and consequently disposed to worship God in some worke of man or to ioyne to the sâ—me worship the inuentions of man which he hath not commanded Vpon which ground he made the Heathen to dote vpon their wisemen to regard Soothsayers and them that wrought with Spirits The Chaldean Philosophers renowmed for their superstitions and Magicall courses to make the Heauens fatalium Legum Tabulam ascribing that to the vertue of the Starres which was knowne and done by Satanicall operation The Magicians of Persia to admit of corruptions in their auncient good learning and to giue themselues vpon reading the fabulous writings of the Chaldean Sorcerers to the sludie of vnlawfull Arts inuented by himselfe both before and after the times of Daniel the Prophet Lastly the â—ncient Romanes vpon a superstitious doâ—age neuer to vndertake any businesse of weight â—isi auspicatò vnlesse they had luckie consent and warrant from the Colledges of their Augurors erected by Romulâ—u Thirdly there is a naturall Distemper in the minde of man shewing it selfe in these particulars That he cannot endure to stand in feare of imminent daunger That he swells in an high conceit of his owne deserts specially when he is in lower estate then he would be That he will not beare a wrong done without reuenge That he rests not satisfied with the measure of knowledge receiued but affecteth the searching of things secret and not reuealed When the minde is possessed with these troubled passions with care to helpe it selfe then comes the Deuill and ministreth occasion to vse vnlawfâ—ll means in the generall and forceth the minde by continuall suggestion to determine it selfe in particular vpon his owne crafts It was the case of Saul and of Nebuchadnetsar It caused many of the Heathen Philosophers to go from Athens to Memphis from Grecia to Syria from men on earth to wicked Spirits in hell to get more illumination at the hands of the Prince of darkenesse It mooued sundrie â—â—al-contented Priests of Rome to aspire vnto the chaire of Supremacie by Diabolicall assistance yea to exercise Magicall arts when they were Popes and thereby to manifest indeed that they were not the true Successors of Simon Peter but heyres of the vertues of Simon that Magus who bewitched the people of Samaria and professed to doe that by the great power of God which he wrought by the ayde and assistance of the Deuill If any doe thinke it strange that Satan should in this sort oppose himselfe to the kingdome of God and maintaine his owne principalitie by such vngodly arts and exercises They must knowe that this and all other euills come to passe euen by the will of God who hath iustly permitted the same To punish the wicked for their horrible sinâ—es as Saul for his wickednesse To auenge himselfe vpon Man for his ingratitude who hauing the truth reuealed vnto him will not beleeue or obey it To waken and rowze vp the godly who are sleeping in any great sinnes or infirmities Lastly to trie and prooue his people whether they will cleaue to him and his word or seeke vnto Satan and wicked Spirits Now from the consideration of the premisses we conclude it a necessarie thing for the Church and people of God to be acquainted with the dealing of Satan in this kinde that knowing his subtill deuises they may learne to auoyd them For which purpose this Treatise was first framed and now exhibited to your Lordship The iust commendation whereof aboue others formerly divulged touching this Argument appeareth herein that it serueth to the full opening and declaration of Satans Methode in the ground and practises of Witchcraft Wherein among many other remarkable points it may please you to take speciall notice of these particulars I. That they doe grossely erre who either in expresse tearmes denie that there be Witches or in effect and by consequent auouching that there is no league betweene them and the Deuill or affirming they can doe no such miraculous workes as are ascribed to them The former issueth plainly our of the bodie of the Discourse And for the latter That there is a Couenant betweene them either explicite in manner and forme or implicite by degrees of superstitious proceeding in the vse of meanes insufficient in themselues is plainely taught and confirmed in the same That Witches may and doe worke wonders is euidently prooued howbeit not by an omnipotent power as the 〈…〉 hath vnlearnedly and improperly teaâ—◠〈◊〉 but by the assistance of Satan their Princâ—â—â—â—ho is a powerfull Spirit but yet a Creatuâ—â—â— well as they And the Wonders wrough◠〈◊〉 them are not properly and simply miracles but workes of wonder because they exceede the ordinarie power and capacitie of men especially such as are ignorant of Satans habilitie and the hidden causes in nature whereby things are brought to passe II. That the Witch truely conuicted is to be punished with death the highest degree of punishment and that by the Lawe of Moses the equitie whereof is perpetuall Yea euen the better Witch of the two in common reputation because both are equally enemies to God and all true religion and it is well knowne by true experience that all professed Sorcâ—rers are guiltie of many most monstrous impieties III. That the Miracles of the Popish Church at this day are indeed either no Miracles or false and deceitfull workes Touching corporall presence in the Sacrament which they affirme to be by miracle If it were true then miracles were not yet ceased but should still be as ordinarie in the Church as are the Sacraments A point not onely confuted in the latter part of this Treatise but also by the testimonie of purer Antiquitie Augustine saith That miracles were once necessarie to make the world beleeue the Gospel but he that now seekes a signe that he may beleeue is a wonder yea â— monster in nature Chrysostome conclude◠〈◊〉 on the same grounds that there is now in the Church no necessitie of working Miracles and calles him a false Prophet that now takes in hand to worke them Againe if there be a miracle in the Sacrament it is contrarie to the nature of all those that were wrought either by Moses and the Prophets or by Christ and his Apostles For they were apparent to the eye but this is insensible and therfore neither of â—orce to mooue admiration nor to conuince the minde of man and make him to beleeue As for those which are pretended to be wrought by Saints in that church if we make recourse to the Primitiue times wherein
from him as he was man Now if Christ as he is man cannot worke a true miracle then no meere creature can doe it no not the Angels themselues and consequently not Satan it beeing a meere supernaturall worke performed onely by the omnipotent power of God § 2. The second sort of wonders are lying and deceitfull which also are extraordinarie workes in regard of man because they proceed not from the vsuall and ordinarie course of nature and yet they be no miracles because they are done by the vertue of nature and not aboue or against nature simply but aboue and against the ordinarie course thereof and these are properly such wonders as are done by Satan and his instruments examples whereof wee shall see afterwards If any man in reason thinke it not likely that a creature should be able to worke extraordinarily by naturall means he must remember that though God hath reserued to himselfe alone the power of abolishing and changing nature the order whereof he set and established in the creation yet the alteration of the ordinarie course of nature he hath put in the power of his strongest creatures Angels and deuills That the Angels haue receiued this power and doe execute the same vpon his command or permission it is manifest by Scripture and the proofe of it is not so necessarie in this place But that Satan is able to doe extraordinarie workes by the helpe of nature which is the question in hand it shall appeare if we consider in him these things First the Deuil is by nature a spirit therfore of great vnderstanding knowledge capacitie in all naturall things of what sort qualitie coÌ„dition soeuer whether they be causes or effects whether of a simple or mixt nature By reason whereof he can search more deeply narrowly into the grounds of things then all corporall creatures that are clothed with flesh and blood Secondly he is an auncient spirit whose skil hath beene confirmed by experience of the course of nature for the space almost of sixe thousand yeares Hence he hath attainted to the knowledge of many secrets and by long obseruation of the effects is able to discern and iudge of hidden causes in nature which man in likelyhood cannot come vnto by ordinarie meanes for want of that opportunitie both of vnderstaÌ„ding and experience Hereupon it is that whereas in nature there be some properties causes and effects which man neuer imagined to be others that men did once know but are now forgot some which men knewe not but might know and thousands which can hardly or not at all be known all these are most familiar vnto him because in themselus they be no wonders but only misteries and secrets the vertue and effect whereof he hath sometime obserued since his creation Thirdly he is a spirit of wonderfull power and might able to shake the earth and to confound the creatures inferiour to him in nature and condition if he were not restrained by the omnipotent power of God And this power as it was great by his creation so it is not impayred by his fall but rather increased and made more forcible by his irreconciliable malice he beareth to mankind specially the seede of the woman Fourthly there is in the deuil an admirable quicknes and agilitie proceeding from his spirituall nature whereby he can very speedily and in a short spoce of time conuay himselfe and other creatures into places farre distant one from another By these â—ower helpes Satan is inabled to doe strange workes Strange I say to man whose knowledge since the fall is mingled with much ignorance euen in naturall things whose experience is of short continuance and much hindered by forgetfulnes whose agilitie by reason of his grosse nature is nothing if he had not the helpe of other creatures whose power is but weaknes and infirmity in comparison of Satans 〈◊〉 if their be any further doubt how Satan can by these helpes worke wonders we may be resolued of the truth thereof by considering three other things First that by reason of his great knowledge and skill in nature he is able to apply creature to creature and the causes efficient to the matter and therby bring things to passe that are in common conceit impossible Secondly he hath power to mooue them not onely according to the ordinary course but with much more speed and celeritie Thirdly as he can apply and mooue so by his spirituall nature he is able if God permit to conuey himselfe into the substance of the creature without any penetration of dimensions and beeing in the creature although it be neuer so solide he can worke therein not onely according to the principles of the nature thereof but as farre as the strength and abilitie of those principles will possibly reach and extend themselues Thus it appeareth that the deuill can in generall worke wonders § 3. Now more particularly the deuills wonders are of two sorts Illusions or reall actions An illusion is a worke of Satan wherby he deludeth or deceiueth man And it is two-fold either of the outward senses or of the minde An illusion of the outward senses is a worke of the deuil wherby he makes a man to thinke that he heareth seeth feeleth or toucheth such things as indeede he doth not This the deuill can easily doe diuers waies euen by the strength of nature For example by corrupting the instruments of sense as the humor of the eye c. or by altering and changing the ayre which is the meanes whereby we see and such like Experience teacheth vs that the deuill is a skilfull practitioner in this kind though the means whereby he worketh such feats be vnknowne vnto vs. In this manner Paul affirmeth that the Galatians were deluded wheÌ„ he saith O foolish Gâ—latians who hath bewitched you Gal. 3. 1. Where he vseth a word borrowed from the practise of witches and sorcerers who vse to cast a miste as it were before the eyes to dazle them and make things to appeare vnto them which indeede they doe not see and the ground of Pauls comparison is that which hee takes for a graunted truth that there be such delusions whereby mens senses are and may be corrupted by Satanicall operation Thus againe the deuill by the Witch of Endor deceiued Saul in the appearance of Samuel â— Sam. 28. making him beleeue that it had beene Samuel indeed whereas it was but a mere counâ—erfeit of him as shal appeare hereafter Againe the deuill knowing the constitutions of men and the particular diseases whereunto they are inclined taks the vantage of some and secondeth the nature of the disease by the coÌ„currence of his owne delusion thereby corrupting the imagination and working in the minde a strong perswasion that they are become that which in truth they are not This is apparant in that disease which is tearmed Lycanthropia where some hauing their brains possessed and distempered with melancholy haue verily thought themselues to bee wolues
besides the ordinarie course of nature yet it is not simply aboue the power thereof For a third instance The deuill is able to vtter a voice in plaine words and speach answerable to mans vnderstanding in any language Not that he can take vnto himselfe beeing a spirit an immeadiate power to speake or frame a voyce of nothing without meanes but knowing the naturall and proper causes and meanes by which men doe speake by them he frames in himselfe the voyce of a man and plainely vtters the same in a knowne language In this manner he abused the tongue and mouth of the serpent when in plaine words he tempted Eue to eate the forbidden fruit Now it is to be remembred here that when the deuill speakes in a creature it must be such a creature as hath the instruments of speach or such whereby speach may be framed and vttered not otherwise for it was neuer heard that he spake in a stocke or a stone or any created entity that had not the meanes and power of vttering a voice at least in some sort it beeing a worke peculiar to the Creator to giue power of vtterance where it is not by creation Againe when he frameth a voice in a creature he doth it not by giuing immediate power to speake for that he cannot doe and the creature abused by him remaineth in that regard as it was before But it beeing naturally fitted and disposed to vtter a voice though not perfectly to speake as a man he furthereth and helpeth nature in it and addeth to the facultie thereof a present vse of words by ordering and ruling the instruments to his intended purposes And to conclude this point looke what strange workes and wonders may be truely effected by the power of nature though they be not ordinarily brought to passe in the course of nature those the deuill can do so farre forth as the power of nature will permit he is able to worke true wonders though for a false and euill ende Here a question is mooued by some whether the deuil can change one creature into another as a man or woman into a beast for some notwithstanding the doctrine alreadie taught are of opinion that he can turne the bodies of Witches into other creatures as hares cattes and such like Ans. The transmutaâ—ion of the substance of one creature into another as of a man into a beast of what kind soeuer is a worke simply aboue the power of nature and therefore cannot be done by the deuil or any creature For it is the proper worke of God alone as I haue said to create to change or abolish nature It is obiected that such chaÌ„ges haue beene made For Lots wiâ—e was turned into a pillar of salt Gen. 19. 26. Ans. It is true but that was done by the mightie power of God neither can it be proued that any creature Angel or other was euer able to doe the like But it is further said that king Nabuchadnezzar was turned inâ—o a beast and did eate grasse with the beasts of the field Dan. 4. 30. Ans. There is no such matter his substance was not changed so as his bodie became the bodie of a beast indeede but his condicions onely were altered by the iudgement of God vpon his minde whereby he was so farre forth bereaued of humane sense and vnderstanding Againe for his behauiour and kinde of life he became altogether bruitish for the time and excepting onely his outward forme and shape no part of humanitie could appeare in him but that he retained his humane bodie still it is euident by his owne words vers 31. when he saith And mine vnderstanding was restored to me which argueth plainly that the hand of God was vpon him in some kind of madnesse and furie and therefore that there was not a change of his bodie and substance but a strange and fearefull alteration in his minde and outward behauiour And though such a transmutation should be granted yet it makes nothing for the purpose considering it was the worke of God onely and not of the deull And thus we see what kind of wonders the deuil can bring to passe The meditation of which point may teach vs tvvo things First that the working of wonders is not a thing that will commend man vnto God for the deuill himselfe a wicked spirit can worke them And many shall alledge this in the day of iudgement that they haue by the name of God cast out deuils and done many great woâ—ks to whome notwithstanding the Lord will say I neuer knewe you depart from me yee workers of inâ—quitie Matth. 7. 22. 23. It behooueth vs rather to get vnto our selues the precious gifts of faith repentance and the feare of God yea to go before others in a godly life and vpright conuersâ—tion then to excell in effecting of strange workes When the seauentie Disciples came to our Sauiour Christ with ioy and tolde him that euen the deuills were subdued vnto them through his name Luk. 10. 17. he counsells them not to reioyce in this that wicked spirits were sâ—bdued vnto them but rather because their names were written in heauen vers 20. Indeed to be able to worke a wonder is an excellent gift of God and may minister matter of reioycing when it proceedeth from God but seeing the deuill receiued this power by the gift of creation our speciall ioy must not be therein but rather in this that we are the adopted sonnes of God in which priuiledge the deuill hath no part with vs. And therefore the Apostle 1. Cor. 13. making a comparison of the gifts of the spirit as of speaking diuers tongues of prophecying and working miracles with loue in the end wisheth men to labour for the best gifts which are faith hope and loue because by these we are made partakers of Christ on whom we ought to set our hearts and in whome we are commanded â—lwaies to reioyce Phil. 4. 4. Secondly we learne from hence not to beleeue or receiue a doctrine now or at any time because it is confirmed by wonders For the deuill himselfe is able to confirme his errours and Idolatrous seruices by strange and extraordinarie signes by which vsually he laboureth to auouch and verisie the grossest points of falshood in matter of religion On the contrarie we must not reiect or contemne a doctrine because it is not thus confirmed This was a maine fault in the Iewes who would not receiue the word preached by Christ vnlesse he shewed them a signe from heauen Indeed in the primitiue Church it pleased God to confirme that doctrine which the Apostles taught by great signes and miracles but now that gift is ceased and the Church hath no warrant to expect any further euidence of the religion it professeth and enioyeth by arguments of that kinde yea rather it hath cause to suspect a doctrine taught for the wonders sake whereby men labour to auouch it Sect. V. The last clause in the description is
this so farre forth as God in iustice suffereth which I adde for two causes First â—o shew that God for iust causes permiâ—teâ—h the Arts of Magicke Witchcraft and the practises thereof Now this he doth in his prouidence either for the triall of his children or for the punishment of the wicked First therefore God permits these wicked Arts in the Church to prooue whether his children wil steadfastly beleeue in him and seeke vnto his word or cleaue vnto the deuill by seeking to his wicked instruments This Moses plainely forewarned the Church of God of in his time Deuter. 13. v. 1. If there arise among you a Prophet or a dreamer of dreames and giue thee a signe or wonder v. 2. and the signe and wonder which he hath told thee come to passe saying Let vs goe after other gods which thou hast not knowne and serue them v. 3. thou shalt not hearken to the words of that Prophet c. Againe God suffereth them for the punishment of vnbeleeuers and wicked men for oftentimes God punisheth one sinne by an other as the antecedent sinnes by the consequent This Paul plainely sheweth speaking of the daies of Antichrist that because men receiued not the loue of the truth therefore God would send vpon them strong illusions that they should beleeue lies And we may resolue our selues that for this very cause God suffereth the practises of Witchcraft to be so rise in these our daies to punish the ingratitude of men who haue the truth reuealed vnto them and yet will not beleeue and obey the same but tread it vnder their feete that all they might be condemned which beleeued not the truth but tooke pleasure in vnrighteousnesse Secondly this last clause is added to shewe that in the practises of sorcerie and witchcraft the Deuill can doe so much onely as God permitts him and no more Doubtlesse his malice reacheth further and consequently his will and desire but God hath restrained his power in the execution of his malitious poses whereupon he cannot goe a whit further then God giues him leaue and libertie to goe The Magicians of Egypt did some wonders in shew like vnto the miracles wrought by Moses and Aaron and that for a time by changing a rodde into a serpent and water into blood and by bringing froggs through he sleight and power of the deuill but when it pleased God to determine their practises and giue them no further liberâ—ie they could not doe that which in likelihood was the meanest of all the rest the turning of the dust of the land into lice and themselues gaue the true reason thereof â—aving That this was the finger of God Exod. 8. 19. When the deuilâ— went out and became a false spirit in the mouth of all Ahabs Prophets to intise him to goe to fall at Ramoth Gâ—leâ—d he went not of his owne will but by the authoritie of God who commanded him to goe â—â—â—entise Ahab and suffered him to preuaile 1. King 22. 20. â—nd the act was not the act of Satan but of God whose instrument he was and therefore the holy Ghost saith by Miâ—aiah The Lord-hath put a lying spirit in the mouth of all these thy Prophets and the Lord hath appointed euill against thee v. 23. Hence also it was that the deuills beeing cast out of the man that had an vncleane spirit asked leaue of Christ to enter into the heard of swine and could not enter in till he had permited them Mark 5. 12 13. And we read oftentimes in the Gospel that our Sauiour cast out many deuills by his word onely thereby shewing that he was absolute Lord ouer them and that without his permission they could doe nothing And thus much touching the generall 〈◊〉 of this Art CHAP. II. The Ground of Witchcraft and of all the practises thereof THe Ground of all the practises of Witchcraft is a league or couenant made betweene the Witch and the Deuill wherein they doe mutually bind themselues each to other If any shall thinke it strange that man or woman should enter league with Satan their vtter enemie they are to know it for a most euident and certen truth that may not be called into question And yet to cleare the iudgement of any one in this point I will set downe some reasons in way of proofe First the holy Scripture doth intimate so much vnto vs in the 58. Psal. v. 5. where howsoeuer the coÌ„mon translation runneth in other tearmes yet the words are properly to be read thus which heareth not the voyce of the mutterer ioyning societies cunningly And in them the Psalmist layeth downe two points First the effect or worke of a charme muttered by the Inchanter namely that it is able to stay the Adder from sâ—inging those which shall lay hold on him or touch him Secondly the maine foundation of the charme societies or confederacies cunningly made not betweene man and man but as the words import betweene the Inchanter and the deuill The like we read Deuter. 18. 11. where the Lord chargeth his people when they come into the land of Canaan that amongst other abominations of the heathen they should beware least any were found amongst them that ioyned societie that is entred into league and compact with wicked spirits A second reason may be this it is the practise of the deuill to offer to make a bargaine and couenant with man Thus he dealt with our Sauiour Christ in the third temptation wherewith he assaulted him promising to giue vnto him all the kingdomes of the earth and the glorie of them which he shewed him in a vision if Christ for his part would fall downe and worshippe him The offer was passed on the behalfe of Satan and now to make a perfect compact betweene them there was nothing wanting but the free consent of our Sauiour vnto the coÌ„dition propounded Whereby it is manifest that the Deuill makes many couenants in the world because he findeth men and women in the most places fitted for his turne in this kind who will not let to worship him for a farre lesse matter then a kingdome And it is not to be doubted that thousands in the world had they been offered so faire as Christ was would haue beene as willing to haue yeelded vpon such conditions as the Deuill to haue offered Thirdly the common confession of all Witches and Soâ—cerers both before and since the comming of Christ doth yet more fully confirme the same For they haue confessed with one consent that the very ground-worke of all their practises in this wicked art is their league with the deuill And hence it appeareth how and whereupon it is that Sorcerers and Witches can bring to passe strange things by the helpe of Satan which other men ordinarily can not doe namely because they haue entred a league with him whereby he hath bound himselfe to them for the effecting of rare and extraordinarie workes which others not ioyned with him in the like