Selected quad for the lemma: death_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
death_n	law_n	sin_n	transgression_n	7,400	5	10.9794	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A01718	A discourse of the subtill practises of deuilles by vvitches and sorcerers By which men are and haue bin greatly deluded: the antiquitie of them: their diuers sorts and names. With an aunswer vnto diuers friuolous reasons which some doe make to prooue that the deuils did not make those aperations in any bodily shape. By G. Gyfford.	Gifford, George, d. 1620.	1587 (1587)	STC 11852; ESTC S103141	49,907	72

headlong into y ● pits of filthy sins which doo drowne men in destruction Wee sée that it is a most clere case that God ordreth all by his good prouidence The witch can doo nothing for the deuill which is farre greater then she can doo nothing But the wicked world full of all contempt of God doth deserue that the deuill should haue power to worke many feates to the end they may haue strang delusion and the efficacie of error come vpon them This doth S. Paul set foorth 2. Thess. 2. For there wee may sée that Satan hath libertie giuen him to shewe his efficacie with the power of lying Signes and woonders If Satan coulde make no shew or appearance of woonders by doing things which are beyond the reach of man to counterfait why should it bee called a power and efficacie and why should they be called signes and lying woonders Our Sauiour him selfe Math. 24. vers 24. doth shew that there should arise false Christs and false Prophets and should giue great signes and woonders I conclude therefore that as the righteous God doth permit suffer the deuill for the wickednes of the world to shew foorth an efficacie and power By giuing signes and woonders y ● is such things as men are not able to doo therefore doo account them woonders though they be no true woonders in déed nor wrought vnto a good end but to establish false religion so doth he let loose the same deuill or suffer him to doo many things by Witches and Coniurers that the despisers of the holy religion may bee seduced There hath bene meere cosinage in most of the popish miracies For if they had bene done as they report they should haue bene miracles in deede and the deuill is able to doo no miracle but to make a shew by illusion yet were they belieued by occasion of those shewes which hee made at some times In like maner there are straunge woonders reported of Witches and Coniurers they haue bene belieued as also many counterfaite things because he hath power at many times giuen vnto him to torment men because he doth make his vaine apparitions The sharp punishment appointed in the word of God for such as worke with the deuill and the true cause of the same and that it is no godly zeale but furious rage wherewith the common sort are caried against witches Chapt. 10. THe Lord God did by Moses appoint and prescribe penalties for the offences and transgressions of his holy lawes These were not all of one kind but according to the degrée of the trespasse was the punishmēt lesse or greater Some sinnes are more horrible then others and doo more prouoke the displeasure of God vnto such he appointed the sharpest penalty that is to say death without mercy Among these were such as fell into Apostasie from the law of Moses as wee may see Hebrue 10. vers 28. Or such as did persuade others vnto Apostasie Deut. 23. vers 5. The murthe●…er might not be redeemed Numb 35. vers 31. The selfe same seuerity is required against such as worke by the deuill or that dealt with familiare spirites for it is sayd thou shalt not suffer a Witch to liue Exod. 22. Mechashshepha by the tropesinecdo●…he is in this place being but one kinde put for al that practise deuilishe arte For it is very vaine and friuolouse to take it that death should bee appointed as to a murtherer with poyson For in another place namely Leuit. 20. vers 27. The Lord doth take two other kindes where he appoynteth the penaltie of death These be his words the man or the woman in whom there shall be Ob or Iiddegnoni shall dye the death Out of which places we may collect the true cause of this seueritie to bée in very déede the familiaritie with deuils The deuils be the vtter enemies of GOD which seeke by all meanes to dishonor him and to deface his glorie How can any then vse familiaritie with them vse their helpe or seeke vnto them but he committeth a monstrous enormitie and such as deserueth a thousand deathes Moreouer the Witch the Coniurer the Enchaunter the Sorcerer and the rest are the cause of foule errors and much wickednesse much horrible abusing Gods holy and sacred name and therefore are woorthie to dye This being the true cause why God doth abhorre such as it is manifest we may easily sée the grosse error of the blind multitude in this behalfe For they hold that witches should bee put to death and not onely that but are inflamed with a wonderfull rage and fury to haue it accomplished I call it rage not zeale because it is not to a right end For if they were so zealous of it for Gods honor it were a merueilous good thing but in déed it is not for any zeale of God y ● they be so forward but for an other consideration Thieues and murtherers say they be put to common deaths how much more sharp death tormēts are witches worthy to haue laid vpon them But aske them why Oh say they the witches send their spirits and kill and lame men they kill young infantes they kill cattle they ●…aise winds tempests they be the very plagues of men Here is a false cause for where doo we euer finde in the holy scriptures that Witches or Coniurers haue such things layd vnto their charge I haue shewed the priuy packing which Satan vseth in this behalfe When men are once so be witched as to thinke who can liue in safety while witches remaine they run with madnesse to séeke all meanes to put them to death not onely them but all such as are suspected They run to Coniurers to know if they be not witches who they suspect They examine witches to know whether their spirites haue not told them how many witches be within certaine miles of them who they be The Lord doth not alow one witnesse being a man in a cause of death to be sufficient but these would alow the accusation of one deuill if he accuse xl persons they thinke it a merueilouse charitable deede where there is one that hath bene suspected for witchery to hi●… or entice children to accus●… them to practise with some subtill maide which faineth her self to be bewitched to get some matter of accusation Many Iurers neuer weigh the force of the euidence which is brought but as if they had their oth for coniectures or likelihoodes they are oftentimes very forward to finde guilty being sicke of the same disease that the accusers be But some man will reply demaund why the people should not be so earnest to séeke their death rooting out why should it be reputed as a fault they doo it of a good minde to the glory of God In déed if it could be shewed that they doo it in regard of Gods glorie it were of a good minde much to be commēded but it is manifestly to be prooued that Gods

glory is not regarded For if the people did regard Gods glory they would hate witchchraft shew their vehemency against it because his dishonor is much procured thereby as when men go for help vnto his enimy but we sée they hate not that But if a man or child be sick they run vnto a witch they hate not y ● ioyning in compact with deuils when as they runne for help vnto them they haue somewhat lost or stole they doo by by fly vnto deuils they make account that those be good witches do no harme But in very déed they be as euill as other witches for they haue felowship with deuills which is the chiefe fault for those dāmages which they ascribe vnto witches are not in their hand to giue power to the deuill for to doo Then if they did it for loue of God they would hate these also but we sée they doo not only alow them but make of them God cōmandeth in his law that all that haue familier spirits should be put to death yet I say the faithles people doo make much of them alow of them Moreouer there be none more extreme haters of witches then such as be infected with a kinde of witchcraft them selues for what are they but witches if a man looke well into y ● matter which haue their night spell and so many charmes deuises to auoide the daungers of witchcraft or to vnwitch none are more furious agaynst witches then these such as of all others are y ● readiest to run for help vnto the deuill therefore I may boldly affirme that it is of a mad rage and not of a good zeale that the most are carried withall against witches which ought to teach men wisedome discreation warines when they be for to deale in such matters especially when as it doth concerne life or death What manner of persons are fittest for the deuill to make his instruments in witchcraft sorceries and who are subiect vnto his harmes Chapt. 11. WHen Satan at the first enterprised the ruine and destruction of man he did not vnaduisedly set vp on the worke but in great subtilty chose him a fit instrument for the purpose euen the serpent who was more subtill then any beast of the field He is now an old serpent long practised and hath increased his subtilty by much approoued experience He doth not nowe attempt his wicked worke but 〈◊〉 all y ● fittest waies meanes that hée can hée doth obserue time place with all other circumstances and looke of what sort soeuer his worke shalbe he séeketh cōuenient persons as matter to work vpon he chuseth out fit instruments to worke withall when he raiseth vp some heresie to destroy y ● true faith which is with subtill shew to be defended he suggesteth not the same into the minde of a blunt vnlearned foole which is able to say litle but if it be possible he espieth out a subtil minde which is also proud vaine glorious stiffe to maintain any purpose Likewise when he will séeme by witchcraft he doth not hope to draw a godly man well instructed in Gods word into his net to make him a witch for he is not subiect vnto his illusions there is light in him which the darknes can not smother What then he séeketh for vngodly persons which are blind full of infidelity ouerwhelmed drowned in dark ignorance If there be aboue all these a melancholike constitution of body his impressions print the déeper in the minde If they be fell and giuen to anger ready to reuenge they be so much the fitter pouerty also will help in some respect When such a person is mooued with furie shee curseth biddeth a vengeance light vpon him with whom she is displeased she biddeth the deuill all the deuills in hell take him the wicked spirit who inflamed her heart is ready at hand and if he haue power to hurt y ● party giuen him of God or sée any probability that he shal haue or know any disease ready to breake forth in some likenes or w t some voice doth demaūd what he shall doo it may the woman doth think it very strange at the first is a fraid to heare a thing like a cat speak but this feare in time is remooued The cōiurer is one that hath a mind addicted vnto curiosity vaine estimation he taketh him selfe by déep skill power to rule ouer deuils therfore though he appeare fierce terrible before him it is not amisse nay it confirmeth him y ● more Now for conuenient matter to work vpon I cōfesse y ● the deuils are instrumēts which God vseth not only to be executioners of vengeance vpon the reprobate to plague y ● wicked but also to assault to tēpt to vex to chastise his déere children and therefore they haue sometimes leaue to afflict some of these in body or substance but y ● is rare when it is so Gods holy seruaunts doo looke vp vnto him confesse their sinnes with humble hearts séeking fauour and release at his hands as Iob did they turne not their eyes vnto witches they cry not out vpon them as if they were the cause you heare not these wish they were rooted out because they feare hurt by thē but they abhor the sin and in zeale of Gods glory desire that due execution may be done vpon them The deuil then by his witches coniurers preuaileth not amonge these hee doth preuaile among an other sort of men greatly he hath power giuen him to plague to vex many of them they haue no power of true liuely faith to withstand him they bee full of all darknes ignorance the heauenly light power of Gods holy word is not abiding in them marke it who will he shall finde this most true that y ● greatest part of those which cry out y t they are bewitched that run vnto witches for help that vse their charmes séeke so many waies to vnwitch are euen as ignorant as far from zeale loue of y ● gospel as full of vices as the very witches them selues so that y ● deuil doth euen with as much ease seduce lead these men into errors by witches coniurers finding them in y ● dark as he doth allure the poore siley old woman to be a witch and the Idolatro●…s adulterous masse-priest to be a coniurer Thus much may suffice to shew what persons y ● deuil doth make choise of to be his instruments and what maner of persons he deceiueth hurteth by them The true remedy whereby men are deliuered from all feare and daunger of witchcraft Chapt. 12. MEn are glad to finde a medicine that will driue away rid them off an ague how much gladder would they bee to finde a present remedy to preserue them safe frée from the feare off all imagined hurt and danger which cometh