least Witch-craft therefore being a matter both of weight and death cannot according vnto Gods word bee iudged but by testimony of witnesses whatsoeuer is witnessed must necessarily bee subiect to sense since no man can witnesse ought whereof there is not sense From hence then it is ineuitably concluded that the workes of Witches are no other way to bee discerned or iudged but by the common way of discouery by deedes and workes apparent to sense and the testimony thereof Let men then bee perswaded and contented since God hath alotted and allowed vnto the nature and power of man no other way in this onely warranted true way to seeke the discouery to finde the footing path and steppings of Witch-craft as of all other things which by the Decree of God are reuealed vnto man and subiect vnto the knowledge of man It may bee here demanded whether Almighty God doth not extraordinarily and miraculously at some time discouer this so abominable sinne of Witch-craft aswell as by ordinary meanes leaue it vnto discouerie This doubt shall more fitly in more due place be hereafter at large discoursed It hath now beene here manifested that there is or can bee no other ordinary tryall of Witch-craft then that which is common vnto all other detections of trueth and also that all derections subiect vnto the discouerie of man as hath beene before cleared are drawne and deriued either from Sense or Reason or likely probability raised from both Before I doe proceed farther for his more facill vnderstanding I doe admonish the Reader that hee distinguish what is meant by the supernaturall workes namely whatsoeuer is effected in vpon or by any corporall substances or sublunarie bodies which is aboue the nature and power of those bodies or sublunâ—rie substances They are not supernaturall in regard of those spirituall substances which are the proper agents and vnto whom such workes are no more then naturall but in regard of those bodily substances vpon which in which or by which those spirituall substances doe worke as meerely their patients and being in themselues or owne nature depriued of any such possibilitie CHAP. IIII. Of the workes of Witches and Diuels BEfore wee proceed further to treate concerning matter of Witch-craft according to the former waies of discouery and inuestigation it will be needfull to distinguish who is the true Author cause and immediate workman of the supernaturall workes which by Sorcery and Witch-craft are compassed or brought to passe All created substances indowed with powers and vertue from God their Creator are either bodily or corporall substances or spirituall or mixt and betweene both Bodily and corporall substances are the heauens the celestiall bodies of the Starres of the Sunne of the Moone the bodies of the elements and all elementarie substances from them deriued and composed Spirituall substances are either Angels or Diuels or soules of men after death separated from their bodies Mixed substances partly Spirituall partly bodily are mankinde compounded of a naturall body and vnderstanding soule Hence it commeth to passe that man by his vnderstanding Spirit doth together with Angels Spirits and Diuels participate and vnderstand many things as the Scripture reuealed the History and Creation of the whole world many truths of God the grounds of Reason the principles of Nature many generall rules and obseruations and infinite particular obiects of many things past present and to come But for that this vnderstanding Soule is depressed and imprisoned in this life by the body by the passions diseases and manifold incumbrances thereof and cannot extend or inlarge it selfe further vnto any portion of knowledge then thorow the narrow windowes closures parts and organs of the body therefore must necessarily the knowledge of man be much inferiour vnto that measure of knowledge which Spirits being of a more subtill essence and free from the burden and incumbrance of an earthly tabernacle or prison doe in a more large extent inioy As is said of the difference of knowledge in Spirits beyond the power and nature of man so may be said from the same reason of the difference of the workes of spirits farre inlarging and extending their vertue and power beyond the power and force of men The workes of men are confined within the power and nature of these sublunarie bodies vnto which they are annexed and tyed The workes of Spirits are limited to no corporall substance or body but spaciously compasse the whole and vniuersall body of the sublunary or inferiour world as the Diuell doth witnesse of himselfe Iob 1. verse 7. and are not tied vnto any particular place but rule generally therin and in all places by the permission of God as is euident Eph. 2. ver 2. where the Diuell is called the Prince that ruleth in the ayre euen the Spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience and likewise Ephes 6. verse 12. where he is called the Prince of darknesse of this world From these vndoubted grounds it is necessarily inferred that both all knowledge exceeding the knowledge of man must needs issue from the knowledge of Spirits and also that all workes exceeding and transcendent aboue the power and nature of corporall substances must necessarily be the force of Spirits It may now be demaunded how the workes of good Spirits shall be knowne and distinguished from the workes of euill Spirits and diuels since both their workes proceede from the same nature substance and spirituall essence common vnto them both This shall appeare by the consideration of the orders and sorts of good Spirits expressed in holy Scripture and their properties besides which all other are necessarily euill and therefore diuels like vnto whom likewise by iust consequent must be their workes the one reciprocally discouering the other All good Spirits are either Angels and Messengers of God specially sent with his holy embassage to speciall holy men for speciall holy ends as was the Seraphin sent vnto Isaiah the 6. Chapter verse 6. and as were the Angels vnto the Shepheards when our Sauiour was borne or as were the Angels which were sent vnto the Patriarches of olde or els tutelar Angels ordinarily commanded to guide protect and defend the Elect and chosen children of God as is manifest both by the testimony of our Sauiour Math. 18. verse 10. See that you despise not saith our blessed Sauiour one of these little ones For I say vnto you that in heauen their Angels alway behold the face of my Father which is in heauen And by that Text also Heb. 1. vers 14. Are they not all ministring Spirits saith the Apostle speaking of Angels sent forth to minister for their sakes who shall be heires of saluation Beside these orders of good and holy Spirits neither hath the holy Scripture neither hath the light of reason or nature or obseruation knowne or discouered any other All the workes likewise and employments of these good Spirits are all and euer obserued to be like themselues holy good freely seruing and ministring
generall power of Nature he can doe nothing Therefore to conclud this point he cannot be able to commaund or compasse any generation aboue the power of Nature whose power is more vniuersall and greater then his We will then hence conclude that aboue and beyond the vniuersall Nature and course of all generation hee cannot make a true transmutation of the substance of any one creature into another It was before prooued that it is impossible for him to doe it by creation It is here manifest that he cannot doe it by any course of true generation There can be no real transmutation of one substance into another without either a creation or generation Wee will therefore conclude with the saying of Saint Augustine de Ciuitate Dei lib. 18. cap. 18. Nec sane Daemones naturas creant sed specie tenus quae à Deâ— crâ—ata sunt commutant vt videantur esse quae non sunt that is diuels cannot create any nature or substance but in iuggling shew or seeming onely whereby with false shaddowes and outward induced shapes couering those things which are created of God by these commutations they cause them to seeme that which they are not indeed Concerning other manifest iugglings and illusions of the Diuell diuers authors haue giuen diuers examples but that which aboue all the rest doth most palpably detect him herein is a history related by Ioannes Baptista Porta in his second booke De Magia naturali He there witnesseth that vpon the Diuels suggestion a Witch beleeued firmely and perswaded her selfe that all the night she had rid in the ayre ouer diuers great Mountaines and met inconuenticles of other Sorceresses when the same night the mentioned Authour himselfe with others had watched and seene her all that imagined time of her transuection in the ayre to be within her chamber profoundly sleeping yea had smitten her made her flesh blue with strokes and could not a wake her nor perswade her afterward when shee was a waked that they had so vsed her or at all had either seene or beheld her Thus preualent was the iuggling power of the Diuell S. Austine de Ciuitate Dei lib. 18. doth deliuer an History concerning the father of one Praestantius who lying in a deep traunce so profoundly that no meanes could awake him did dreame as when he awaked he did report that hee was transformed into an Asse and carried bagges or burdens of come into a campe of Souldiers At the same time in the same manner such a like Asse as hee in dreame imagined himselfe did bring such burdens into the same campe From these examples may bee iustly drawne a plaine demonstration of the Diuels palpable iuggling and illusion which also may serue for confirmation together with the reasons before annexed vnto my former answer concerning the Diuels seeming or deceitfull presentation of the reall body of Pythagoras in two distant places at once in the same point of time And from all these conioined and conferred may be truely inferred and collected that the Diuell as hee doth many supernaturall workes really so he doth many other by illusion and beguiling the imagination These his iugglings notwithstanding are things also supernaturall and tricks onely possible to Spirits and impossible to man For it is impossible to man to frame so liuely a seeming presence of man in one place that it shall not bee discerned otherwise then the very same true presence real substance which is really in another place as also to fasten such dreames as were before mentioned vpon men and according to those dreames to cause the things dreamed by the witnesse and testimony of other beholders to bee brought to passe in so liuely likenesse and similitude as cannot bee discerned and discouered otherwise then the very same that they were in dreame likewise beleeued From hence it doth also follow very necessarily that what man soeuer shall vndertake these supernaturall iuglings which are onely possible in the power of Spirits of the Diuell alone is thereby as truely conuinced to bee a Witch or Sorcerer as he that vndertaketh any of the former reall supernaturall workes or any other of the like kinde because they are both and all alike proper onely to the diuell and wherein man can haue no property or power but by and through him Let vs now then againe returne vnto the Diuels reall supernaturall performances and workes vnto Sorcerers from whence by the way of answer vnto the former doubt concerning Pythagoras his supposed realty of being at once in two places we haue hitherto onely digressed It is written as a thing vsuall vnto many famous Magicians Sorcerers and Witches vnto the view and sight of some admitted spectators to raise resemblances of the dead which seemeth a thing vndoubted by the Witch of Endor raising Samuel the Prophet vnto Saul the King before mentioned In this kinde those famous and renowned Witches Medea and Circe in old and ancient times are reported to excell Hence among the Heathen had Necromancie the reason of the name and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is diuination by calling vp or raising the dead Later times haue not been behinde former times in the record of the like but to adde reason to inforce the truth of report herein I will answer an obiection which may bee made Whether in these apparitions there be onely illusion and imagination or some thing truely and really visible vnto the outward sense As touching the reall raising of the dead it is impossible vnto the limited power of the Diuell either in the substance of body or soule to reduce or bring the dead back into this world or life or sense againe because in death by the vnchangeable and vnalterable decree of God in his holy Writ the body returneth into dust from whence it came and the Soule to God who gaue it Notwithstanding since the outward shape and figure and proportion of any substance and not the substance it selfe or creature is the true and naturall obiect of the eye according to the Philosopher who truely saith Res non videntur sed rerum species that is the substances or things themselues are not offered nor come vnto the sight but only their shape and outward figure as also for that common sense and experience doe teach vs that it is a thing absurd and impossible that all those bodies and substances which in infinite number wee dayly see and behold really and materially in their corporall substances and dimensions should be contained in the small body of the eye for these causes I say it is possible according to reason that the Diuell in these supposed apparitions of the bodies and substances of dead men may present true reall and naturall obiects certaine and assured vnto the eye and sight if hee can onely present thereto the outward liuely pourtraitures and shapes of the substances or bodies though the bodies themselues be away That the Diuell can doe this is no doubt For if
secret and hidden Apostemations and 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 exquisite 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 yeare 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 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 therein 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 remooued 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 stomacke 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 stomacke toward the bottome bruised and full of blacke iuice or humour Christophorus Schillincus opening the body of a childe after death reporteth that hee 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 stomack which was impossible by any art or exquisitnesse of vnderstanding to bee conceiued or suspected if nature it selfe working it out thorow the body and substance of the stomacke vnto the outward view and Sense had not so discouered it I will not here mention the generation of wormes 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 vntill they haue prooued themselues vnto the sight Many diseases of these kindes being fearefull and terrible accidents and afflictions vnto the body yet for the most part are neuer detected because they haue not onely no proper tâ—ue certaine likely but no possible meanes or way of indication or notice at all in any reason or vnderstanding of humane Art or Science without which the most exquisite and Scientificall Clarkes are altogether disabled and must necessarily bee ignorant Thus hath beene at large manifested that nothing can bee vnto the Physician in his Art and Science knowne which either by outward Sense or inward is not apparent or by likely and artificiall coniecture from both is not detected or discerned The like might bee vrged concerning the trials of Lawe and Iustice and inquisitions of offences and errors against the Law which are the diseases of a Common-weale as the former of the body of man Many offences against the Lawe are apparent vnto the outward Sense as sight or hearing and therefore being witnessed by hearers or beholders are without doubt or difficultie immediately dispatched sentensed and adiudged Many also are euident to reason which therefore are held and reputed inuincibly and infallibly to conuince Many offences also there are neither manifest to Sense nor euident to reason against which onely likelihood and presumptions doe arise in iudgement whereby notwithstanding through narrow search and sifting strict examination circumspect curious view of euery circumstance together with euery materiall moment and oddes thorowly and vnto the depth and bottome by subtill disquisition fadomed the learned prudent and discerning Iudge doeth oft detect and bring vnto light many hidden intestine and secret mischiefes which vnsensibly and vnobseruedly would otherwise oppresse and subuert the Common-weale When by none of these wayes of extrication the trueth can possibly be gained the wise and vpright Iudge vnto necessitie in want of due warrant vnto iust proceeding doeth with patience and sobrietie submit For this cause as may be seene vpon records many cases iustly necessarily and vnauoidably stand perpetually inscrutable vndecided and neuer determined as certaine proofes euidences of the limitation and annihilation of mans knowledge in many things of this life Almightie God oft-times decreeing to hide some trueth from the fight of man and detaining it in his owne secret will and pleasure CHAP. III. Whether Witch-craft haue any other wayes or meanes of inuestigation then these before mentioned and what is the true inuestigation IT hath beene at large before declared how God and Nature haue limited and confined all knowledge of man within certaine wayes and bounds out of which and beyond which it cannot passe as also for that cause that no iustifiable Art or true Science whatsoeuer doeth or can exceed those restraints There haue bin also diuers examples produced of the necessitie of mans ignorance in the impossibilitie of much
in the Aire Plato saith are presidents of diuination of miracles and of Chaldaike Magicke The Spirits in the earth and vnder the earth are such as appeare in the shape of Dogges and Goates and the like moouing men vnto foule and vnlawfull lusts as Ianus Jocobus Boissardus in his tractate de Magia genijs doth testifie The same Authour vnto this purpose citeth Saint August lib. 2. Super Genesiâ— ad literam confirming that Spirits doe vse the helpe of Aerie bodies or substances that they may appeare vnto men Vnto this opinion of the apparitions of Spirits variety of story likewise doth bring forth faith and credit I will not mention the apparition which happened vnto Athenâ—dorus the Philosopher reported by Pliny nor Brutus his Genius after the death of Iulius Caesar appearing and speaking vnto him nor those representations which in the shape of men appeared vnto Lucius Domitius returning toward Rome as Suetonius reporteth adding for confirmation of truth in the Historie that the apparition touching his beard it instantly changed from the former perfect blacke vnto a liuely yellow and thereupon he was afterward sirnamed Oenobarbus I will not farther cite ancient timeâ— herein Let vs come vnto later daies and writers It is reported by Iohn de Serres the French Chronicler that the late renoâ—med K. of France Henry the 4. being in his hunting sports a Diuell or Spirit presented vnto the Kings eares and his whole company a great cry of hounds and winding of hornes The King commanded Count Soissons to goe see who it was wondering who durst interrupt his game The Earle still issuing forward toward the noise still heard it but seemed nothing neerer vnto it though desiring to come neerest vnto it At length a bigge blacke man presented himselfe in the thickest of the bushes and speaking vnto the Earle some few words sudainly vanished There could be no deceit in so many eares and witnesses nor can the obiection of a meere imagination stand vncontrouled of the iust reproofe of want of wit and good manners in doubt or deniall of so faire and so well aduised due testimonies Master Fox in the life of Martin Luther doth relate the apparition and conference of the Diuell with a yong man who vpon contracts agreed betweene the Diuell and himselfe deliuered vnto the Diuell his bond for conditioned performances Speede in his Chronicle and relation of the passage of many affaires within the time of Henry the 4. doth make mention of the apparition of the Diuell in the habite of a Minorite Fryer at Danbury Church in Essex with such thundring lightning tempests and fire-bals that the â—le of the Church brake and halfe the Chancell was carried away I will not further recite infinite Histories and Reports which may seeme to depend vpon the obscure or doubted credit of superstitious factions or partiall Authors but of such onely as by the common consent of times and generall voice of all Writers exact credit and esteeme Iâ— this kinde what a multitude of Examples doth the whole current and streame of all Writers of all ages afford Who almost that readeth any ancient classicall Author can auoide the common mention of fained gods and godesses of the field of the woods of the mountaines of houses of desarts of riuers of springs and the like offering themselues vnto men and people sometimes in one shape sometimes in another requiring worship ceremonies and rites some in one manner some in another doing strange and admired workes oft-times sometimes pleasantly encountring people sometimes menacing Herevpon grew the multitude and varietie of names giuen vnto them according to the seuerall manners shapes gestures and places which they vsed as Fauni Satyri Nymphae Empusa Lemares All Christians who know God his word and truth and thereby beleeue one onely true God must needs assure themselues that all these were euill Spirits and Diuels That such were all times ages histories and records of times with one vniuersall consent confirme That they were manifestly seene knowen and familiarly by the outward senses discerned and distinguished cannot bee denied by the seuerall descriptions of their manners assumed shapes and gestures And thus briefely auoiding the tediousnesse of the multitude of vncertaine particular examples giuen by priuate men I haue by vndoubted and vncontrouled references vnto ages and successions of continued histories from one vnto another manifested how among the heathen the Diuell hath apparently offered himselfe vnto the outward sense without the association of a Witch or Sorcerer Which was likewise before prooued by instances out of the holy Scripture In all these the Diuell hath affected to counterfeit the apparitions of the blessed Angels of God vnto his holy seruants thereby to make himselfe like or equal vnto God in ignorant and vnbeleeuing hearts CHAP. VI. Workes done by the Diuell with respect vnto Couenant with Man IT now followeth to giue examples of such supernaturall workes as are offered by the Diuell wherein man hath an interest and propertie by contract with the Diuel as also to shew that these workes are manifest in like manner vnto the outward sense Vnto this proofe out of holy Scripture behold the Witch of Endor Did not Saul contract with her and she promise vnto Saul to bring vp Samuel vnto him Did not Saul see the vision raised by her or at least speake thereto and receiue answer there-from 1. Sam. 28.8 were not then his eyes and eares those two outward senses certaine witnesses of her Sorcerie Behold also the Sorcerers of Egypt Did not Phaeraoh see and view with his eyes those great and mighty Sorceries water turned into blood rods into Serpents Frogges caused to issue out vpon the face of the earth And as the holy Scripture doth afford vs these examples so are the histories of all ages people and countries fraught with the like as manifest to sense as these and as apparently detecting and pointing out the Sorcerer and Sorcery Liuy reporteth in those ancient dayes of Rome that the Romane Claudia a vestall Virgin did shew her selfe in act able alone with ease and facilitie to draw a mighty ship by a small line or girdle which was in the weight and greatnesse vnmoueable against the force and power of many strong men assisted by the strength of cattell accustomed to draw mighty and heauy burdens That this was an act supernaturall and aboue and beyond any naturall vertue or force in her Nature is madnesse to doubt That in this supernaturall act also she had a propertie by her allowance and likeing thereof expressed by her voluntarie action of vndertaking and drawing who can make doubt The act was supernaturall and aboue her power and nature her good will allowance and voluntary putting the act in practice did proue her consent if not contract with that power and nature superiour vnto her owne which is vndoubtedly Sorcery and Witch-craft To this purpose saith Binâ—fieldiuâ— Explicat in praelud 5. Requiritar in
vnlikely casualtie then in rash attempts and prosecutions voide of counsell or likely reason For although sometimes those things which seeme most likely and probable doe happen to prooue false yet doth nature and reason teach and inioyne vs rather to giue credit thereto and experience doth manifest that the cause of deception therein for the most part doth consist in the weakenesse of mans iudging thereof aright For in iudging of probabilities are great oddes some things onely seeme probable to such as are wise learned expert subtill some vnto the most exquisite Iudges alone some to euery vulgar some to the choise and best sort of Vulgars and not vnto all and in these differences doth necessarily breede much error and mistaking Notwithstanding the vertue and force of probabilitie it selfe simply doth not deceiue or vsually faile but as it is diuersly and differently conceiued by men that oft prooueth false which seemed likely Vatem hunc perhibemus optimum saith Cicero qui bene conijciet that is we auouch and affirme that man to be the best Prophet or prognosticator of issues to come or happen who hath the power and skill of right and true coniecture which euer consisteth in the exquisite perpension of probable inducements What is among men more admired or more worthy to be admired then this art this skill this power Who doth not know what vse also what benefit doth arise thereby both vnto the true warrant and allowance of action and also vnto the maintenance and iustification of right opinion in counsels and deliberation As in all other faculties and sciences the excellencie and necessitie thereof doth brightly shine so most apertly vnto common obseruation it doth prooue and manifest it selfe in the two seuerall professions of the Logician and the Oratour The Logician in his discrepations and questions concerning doubts and ambiguities by the diligence of subtill dispute from the light of probabilitie rectifieth the vnstable fluctuation of vnconstant opinion and produceth through mature disquisition and raciocination what is most safe most consonant with truth to hold affirme or be perswaded The Oratour in his coniecturall state or questions in his pleas of doubtfull and controuersed facts or rights wherein oft-times probabilitie and likelihood seeme to stand equall and vnpartiall vnto both parts notwithstanding by mature acute and seasonable pressing and vrging that which is most like most reasonable and consonant with right with law and equitie in the end doth bring into light and discouer what is most equall vpright and worthy to be credited or respected What euictions of truth and right what conuictions of guilt and errour doe dayly issue from hence common experience doth prooue and demonstrate Thus much briefely prefixed in generall concerning the necessitie light and truth of probabilities it now remaineth to consider the vse and power thereof likewise in our particular proposed subiect of Witch-craft which common sense doth not onely iustifie as in all other subiects but the word of vndoubted truth Almightie God in case of Idolatrie doth not onely publish and proclaime his detestation of that great sinne it selfe but therewith doth include whatsoeuer hath any probabilitie of respect or reference thereto whether in affection and inclination or in ceremonie or superstitious shew This is euident Deut. 18. verse 9. where he first forbiddeth his people so much as to imitate or doe after the manners of the Gentiles and afterward particulariseth their making their sonnes and daughters to passe thorow the fire Likewise Leuit. 19.27 28. where he forbiddeth as much as the cutting of his peoples heads or the corners of their heads round or maâ—ring the tufts of their beards or marking or cutting of their flesh as was the manner of Infidels and Gentiles in their mourning and lamenting of the dead Likewise Deut. 16.21 where he forbiddeth so much as the planting of any groues of trees neere his Altar because it was the custome inuention manner and resemblance of Idolaters As in case of Idolatrie so in case of Witch-craft which is likewise a kinde of Idolatry because the worship of Diuels Almightie God in those places of holy Writ where he publisheth and proclaimeth his high displeasure against Witches and Sorcerers with that abominable sinne it selfe doth also condemne as abominable First in generall all kinde of shew of affection liking inclination or respect thereof Secondly any customes fashions rites ceremonies superstitions or gestures from thence deriued or belonging thereto The first is manifest Leuit. 19. verse 31. There the Prophet from their God Iehouah doth charge his people that they doe not so much as turne toward or decline toward Sorcerers or South-sayers vouchsafe to aske any question or to respect them and Leuit. 20. verse 6. he giueth iudgement and sentence of death against that soule that doth but turne or looke toward them The second is likewise manifest Isaiah 8. verse 19. where Almightie God noteth the superstitious peepings whisperings and mutterings of Sorcerers and according to those gestures doth with reproch terme them whisperers mutterers and peepers and Deut. 18. verse 10 11. he rehearseth their mumblings and charmings and their superstitious marking the flying of fowles and Leuit. 19. verse 26. he noteth their vaine and ceremonious obseruing of times If then Almightie God be so strict that he will not endure or tolerate so much as a friendly looking toward Sorcerers the least respect giuen vnto them or so much as a demand of a question at their hands any inclination toward them any their ceremonies rites or superstitions yea so small a matter as their very outward gestures how can religious zeale or the duty of man toward God his Creator esteeme any of these or the like or the least of them lesse then sufficient matter of probable doubt presumption religious iealousie and suspicion against such men as doe or dare presume to imitate to practise or vse them As the holy Scripture hath pointed out some few gestures manners and rites of Sorcerers for an example and light vnto all other of the same kinde so hath the daily obseruations of succeeding times added infinite more which haue doe and still may encrease multiply and be added and newly inuented and put on new different shapes and fashions according to the fancie of the contractors therein which are the Diuell and man possessed by him in whose powers and will according to the nature qualitie and conditions of their contract dependeth and consisteth the variation or innouation of ceremonious rites For this cause among Authors and records both of elder and later times wee reade of such diuersities and numbers of superstitions litations dedications performances and a diabolicall solemnities As therefore we haue manifested such superstitious rites ceremonies and gestures of Sorcerers as the holy Scripture hath noted and deciphered so let vs propound some other by after-times and other Authors obserued Some haue vsed in their intention or execution of their Diabolicall workes or in the way of prelusion