home saith he as accused of a frivolous matter And yet for all that the Magistrates of Orleance were so bold with him as to hang him up within a short time after for the same or the very like offence In which example is to be seen the nature and as it were the disease of this cause wherein I say the simpler and undiscreetor sort are alwayes more hasty and furious in judgments than men of better reputation and knowledge Nevertheless Eunichius saith that these three things to wit what is to be thought of Witches what their Incantations can do and whether their punishment should extend to death are to be well considered And I would saith he they were as well known as they are rashly believed both of the learned and unlearned And further he saith That almost all Divines Physicians and Lawyers who should best know these matters satisfying themselves with old custom have given too much credit to these fables and too rash and unjust sentence of death upon Witches But when a man pondreth saith he that in times past all that swarved from the Church of Rome were judged Hereticks it is the less marvel though in this matter they be blind and ignorant And surely if the Scripture had been longer suppressed more absurd fables would have sprung up and been believed Which credulity though it is to be derided with laughter yet this their cruelty is to be lamented with tears For God knoweth many of these poor wretches had more need to be releived than chastised and more meet were a Preacher to admonish them than a Jaylor to keep them and a Physician more necessary to help them than an Executioner or Tormentor to hang or burn them For proof and due tryal hereof I will requite Danaeus his tale of a Man-witch as he termeth him with another Witch of the same sex or gender Cardanus from the mouth of his own Father reporteth That one Bernard a poor servant being in wit very simple and rude but in his service very necessary and diligent and in that respect dearly beloved of his Master professing the Art of Witchcraft could in no wise be disswaded from that profession perswading himself that he knew all things and could bring any matter to pass because certain Countrey-people resorted to him fof help and counsel as supposing by his own talk that he could do somewhat At length he was condemned to be burned which torment he seemed more willing to suffer than to lose his estimation in that behalf But his Master having compassion upon him and being himself in his Princes favour perceiving his conceit to proceed of Melancholy obtained respit of execution for twenty dayes In which time saith he his Master bountifully fed him with good fat meat and with four eggs at a meal as also with sweet Wine which diet was best for so gross and weak a body And being recovered so in strength that the humor was suppressed he was easily won from his absurd and dangerous opinions and from all his fond imaginations and confessing his error and folly from the which before no man could remove him by any perswasions having his pardon he lived long a good member of the Church whom otherwise the cruelty of judgement should have cast away and destroyed This history is more credible than Sprengers fables or Bodins bables which reach not so far to the extolling of Witches Omnipotency as to the derogating of God's glory For if it be true which they affirm that our life and death lyeth in the hand of a Witch then is it false that God maketh us to live or die or that by him we have our being our terme of time appointed and our dayes numbred But surely their Charmes can no more reach to the hurting or killing of Men or Women that their imaginations can extend to the stealing and carrying away of Horses and Mares Neither hath God given remedies to sickness or griefs by Words or Charms but by Hearbs and Medicines which he himself hath created upon earth and given Men knowledge of the same that he might be glorified for that therewith he doth vouchsafe that the Maladies of Men and Cattel should be cured c. And if there be no affliction nor calamity but is brought to pass by him then let us defie the Devil renounce all his works and not so much as once think or dream upon this supernatural power of Witches neither let us prosecute them with such despight whom our fancy condemneth and our reason acquitteth our evidence against them consisting in impossibilities our proofs in unwritten verities and our whole proceedings in doubts and difficulties Now because I mislike the extream cruelty used against some of these silly souls whom a simple Advocate having Audience and Justice might deliver out of the hands of the Inquisitors themselves it will be said That I deny any punishment at all to be due to any Witch whatsoever Nay because I bewray the folly and impiety of them which attribute unto Witches the power of God these Witchmongers will report that I deny there are any Witches at all and yet behold say they how often is the word Witch mentioned in the Scripture Even as if an Idolater should say in the behalf of Images and Idols to them which deny their power and godhead and inveigh against the reverence done unto them How dare you deny the power of Images seeing their names are so often repeated in the Scriptures But truly I deny not that there are Witches or Images but I detest the Idolaters opinions conceived of them referring that to God's work and ordinance which they impute to the power and malice of Witches and attributing that honour to God which they ascribe to Idols But as for those that in very deed are either Witches or Conjurors let them hardly suffer such punishment as to their fault is agreeable and as by the grave judgement of law is provided A Catologue of AUTHORS used in this Book Forain Authors AELianus Actius Albertus Crantzius Albertus Magnus Albumazar Alcoranum Franciscanorum Alexander Trallianus Algerus Ambrosius Andradias Andraeas Gartnerus Andraeas Massius Antonius Sabellicus Apollonius Tyanaeus Appianus Apuleius Archelaus Argerius Ferrarius Aristoteles Arnoldus de Villa nova Artemidorus Athanasius Averroës Aagustinus episcopus Hip. Augustinus Nipus Avicennas Aulus Gellius Barnardinus de bustis Bartholomaeus Anglicus Berosus Anianus Bodinus Bordinus Brentius Calvinus Camerarius Campanus Cardanus Pater Cardanus Filius Carolus Gallus Cassander Cato Chrysostomus Cicero Clemens Cornelius Agrippa Cornelius Nepos Cornelius Tacitus Cyrillus Danaeus Demetrius Democritus Didymus Diodorus Siculus Dionysius Areopagita Diascorides Diurius Dodonaeus Durandus Empedocles Ephesius Erasmus Roterodamus Erasmus Sarcerius Erastus Eudoxus Eusebius Caesariensis Fernelius Franciscus Petrarcha Fuchsius Galenus Gerropius Gallasius Gemma Phrysius Georgius Pictorius Gofridus Goschalcus Boll Gratianus Gregorius Grillandus Guido Bonatus Gulielmus de sancto Clodoaldo Gulielmus Parisiensis Hemingius Heraclides Hermes Trismegistus Hieronymus
deceived taking Christ to be a Spirit when he walked on the Sea And why might not they be deceived herein as well as in that they thought Christ had spoken of a temporal Kingdom when he preached of the Kingdom of Heaven Which thing they also much misconceived as likewise when he did bid them beware of the leaven of the Pharisees they understood that he spake of material bread CHAP. V. Why Apollo was called Pytho whereof those Witches were called Pythonists Gregory his Letter to the Devil BUt to return to our Oracle of Apollo at Delphos who was called Pytho for that Apollo slue a Serpent so called whereof the Pythonists take their name I pray you consider well of this tale which I will truly rehearse out of the Ecclesiastical history written by Eusebius wherein you shall see the absurdity of the opinion the cosenages of these Oracles and the deceived mind or vain opinion of so great a Doctor bewrayed and deciphered altogether as followeth Gregory Neocaesariensis in his journey and way to pass over the Alpes came to the Temple of Apollo where Apollo's Priest living richly upon the revenues and benefit proceeding from that Idol did give great entertainment unto Gregory and made him good chear But after Gregory was gone Apollo waxed dumb so as the Priests gains decayed for the Idol growing into contempt the Pilgrimage ceased The Spirit taking compassion on the Priests case and upon his grief of mind in this behalf appeared unto him and told him flatly that his late guest Gregory was the cause of all his misery For saith the Devil he hath banished me so that I cannot return without a special license or pasport from him It was no need to bid the Priest make haste for immediately he took post-horse and galloped after Gregory till at length he overtook him and then expostulated with him for his discourtesie proffered in recompence of his good chear and said that if he would not be so good unto him as to write his Letter to the Devil in his behalf he should be utterly undone To be short his importunity was such that he obtained of Gregory his Letter to the Devil who wrote unto him in manner and form following word for word Permitto tibi redire in locum tuum agere qua consuevisti which is in English I am content thou return into thy place and do as thou wast wont Immediately upon the receipt of this Letter the Idol spake as before And here is to be noted that as well in this as in the execution of all their other Oracles and Cosenages the answers were never given Ex tempore or in that day wherein the question was demanded because forsooth they expected a Vision as they said to be given the night following whereby the cosenage might the more easily be wrought CHAP. VI. Apollo who was called Pytho compared to the Rood of Grace Gregories Letter to the Devil confuted WHat need many words to confute this fable For if Gregory had been an honest man he would never have willingly permitted that the people should have been further Cosened with such a lying spirit or if he had been half so holy as Eusebius maketh him he would not have consented or yielded to so lewd a request of the Priest nor have written such an impious Letter no not though good might have come thereof And therefore as well by the impossibility and folly contained therein as of the impiety whereof I dare excuse Gregory you may perceive it to be a lye Me thinks they which still maintain that the Devil made answer in the Idol of Apollo c. may have sufficient perswasion to revoke their erroneous opinions in that it appeareth in record that such men as were skilful in Augury did take upon them to give Oracles at Delphos in the place of Apollo of which number Tisanius the son of Antiochus was one But vain is the answer of Idols Our Rood of grace with the help of little S. Rumbal was not inferior to the Idol of Apollo for these could not work eternal miracles but manifest the internal thoughts of the heart I believe with more lively shew both of humanity and also of Divinity then the other As if you read M. Lamberts book of the perambulation of Kent it shall partly appear But if you talk with them that have been beholders thereof you will be satisfied herein And yet in the blind time of Popery no man might under pain or damnation nor without danger of death suspect the fraud Nay what Papists will yet confess they were Idols though the wiers that made their eyes gogle the pins that fastened them to the posts to make them seem heavy were seen and burnt together with the Images themselves the knavery of the Priests bewrayed and every circumstance thereof detected and manifested CHAP. VII How divers great Clerks and good Authors have been abused in this matter of spirits through false reports and by means of their credulity have published lies which are confuted by Aristotle and the Scriptures PLutarch Livy and Valerius Maximus with many other grave Authors being abused with false reports write that in times past beasts spake and that Images could have spoken and wept and did let fall drops of blood yea and could walk from place to place which they say was done by procreation of spirits But I rather think with Aristotle that it was brought to pass Hominum sacerdotum deceptionibus to wit by the cosening art of crafty Knaves and Priests And therefore let us follow Isaiah's advice who saith When they shall say unto you enquire of them that have a spirit of Divination and at the Soothsayers which whisper and mumble in your ears to deceive you c. enquire at your own God c. And so let us do And here you see they are such as run into corners and cosen the people with lies c. for if they could do as they say they could not aptly be called lyers neither need they to go into corners to whisper c. CHAP. VIII Of the Witch of Endor and whether she accomplished the raising of Samuel truly or by deceipt the opinion of some Divines hereupon THe Woman of Endor is comprised under this word Ob for she is called Pythonissa It is written in 1 Sam. 28. that she raised up Samuel from death and the other words of the text are strongly placed to inforce his very resurrection The mind and opinion of Jesus Sirach evidently appeareth to be that Samuel in person was raised out from his grave as if you read Eccl. 46.19 20. you shall plainly perceive Howbeit he disputeth not there whether the story be true or false but only citeth certain verses of 1 Sam. 28. simply according to the letter perswading to manners and the imitation of our vertuous predecessors and repeating the examples of divers excellent men namely of Samuel even as the text it self urgeth the
upon the rack or torture their apparel must be changed and every hair in their body must be shaven off with a sharp razor Item If they have charms for taciturnity so as they feel not the common tortures and therefore confess nothing then some sharp instrument must be thrust betwixt every nail of their fingers and toes which as Bodin saith was King Childeberts devise and is to this day of all others the most effectual For by means of that extreme pain they will saith he confess any thing Item Paulus Grillandus being an old doer in these matters wisheth that when Witches sleep and feel no pain upon the torture Domine labia mea aperies should be said and so saith he both the torments will be felt and the truth will be uttered Et sic ars deluditur arte Item Bodin saith that at the time of examination there should be a semblance of great ado to the terrifying of the Witch and that a number of instruments ginns manacles ropes halters fetters c. be prepared brought forth and laid before the examinate and also that some be procured to make a most horrible and lamentable cry in the place of torture as though he or she were upon the rack or in the tormentors hands so as the examinate may hear it whiles she is examined before she her self be brought into the prison and perhaps saith he she will by this means confess the matter Item There must be subborned some crafty spy that may seem to be a prisoner with her in the like case who perhaps may in conference undermine her and so bewray and discover her Item If she will not yet confess she must be told that she is detected and accused by other of her companions and although in truth there be no such matter and so perhaps she will confess the rather to be revenged upon her adversaries and accusers CHAP. III. Matters of Evidence against Witches IF an old woman threaten or touch one being in health who dieth shortly after or else is infected with the Leprosie Apoplexie or any other strange disease it is saith Bodin a permanent fact and such an evidence as condemnation or death must insue without further proof if any body have mistrusted her or said before that she was a Witch Item If any come in or depart out of the chamber or house the doors being shut it is an apparent and sufficient evidence to a witches condemnation without further tryal which thing Bodin never saw If he can shew me that feat I will subscribe to his folly For Christ after his resurrection used the same not as a ridiculous toy that every Witch might accomplish but as a special miracle to strengthen the faith of the Elect. Item If a woman bewitch any bodies eyes she is to be executed without further proof Item If any inchant or bewitch mens Beasts or Corn or flie in the air or make a Dog speak or cut off any mans members and unite them again to men or childrens bodies it is sufficient proof to condemnation Item Presumptions and conjectures are sufficient proofs against Witches Item If three witnesses do but say Such a woman is a Witch then it is a clear case that she is to be executed with death Which matter Bodin saith is not only certain by the Canon and Civil Laws but by the opinion of Pope Innocent the wisest Pope as he saith that ever was Item The complaint of any one man of credit is sufficient to bring a poor woman to the rack or pully Item A condemned or infamous persons testimony is good and allowable in matters of Witch-craft Item A Witch is not to be delivered though she endure all the tortures and confess nothing as all other are in any criminal cases Item Though in other cases the depositions of many women at one instant are disabled as sufficient in law because of the imbecility and frailty of their nature or sex yet in this matter one woman though she be a party either accuser or accused and be also infamous and impudent for such are Bodins words yea and already condemned she may nevertheless serve to accuse and condemn a Witch Item A witness uncited and offering himself in this case is to be heard and in none other Item A captial Enemy if the enmity be pretended to grow by means of Witchcraft may object against a Witch and none exception is to be had or made against him Item Although the proof of perjury may put back a witness in all other causes yet in this a perjured person is a good and lawful witness Item The Proctors and Advocates in this case are compelled to be witnesses against their Clients in none other case they are to be constrained thereunto Item None can give evidence against Witches touching their assemblies but Witches only as Bodin saith none other can do it Howbeit Ri. Ga. writeth that he came to the God-speed and with his sword and Buckler killed the Devil or at the last he wounded him so sore that he made him stink of Brimstone Item Bodin saith that because this is an extraordinary matter there must herein be extraordinary dealing and all manner of wayes are to be used direct and indirect CHAP. IV. Confessions of Witches whereby the are condemned SOme Witches confess saith Bodin that are desirous to dye not for glory but for despair because they are tormented in their life time But these may not be spared saith he although the law doth excuse them The best and surest confession is at strife to her ghostly father Item If she confess many things that are false and one thing that may be true she is to be taken and executed upon that confession Item She is not so guilty that confesseth a falshood or a lye and denyeth a truth as she that answereth by circumstance Item An equivocal or doubtful answer is taken for a confession against a Witch Item Bodin reporteth that one confessed that he went out or rather up in the air and was transported many miles to the Fairies dance only because he would spy unto what place his wife went to hagging and how she behaved her self Whereupon was much ado among the Inquisitors and Lawyers to discuss whether he should be executed with his wife or no But it was concluded that he must die because he bewrayed not his wife the which he forbare to do Propter reverentiam honoris familiae Item If a woman confess freely herein before question be made and yet afterward deny it she is nevertheless to be burned Item They affirm that this extremity is herein used because not one among a thousand Witches is detected And yet it is affirmed by Sprenger in M. Mal. that there is not so little a Parish but there are many Witches known to be there CHAP. V. Presumptions whereby Witches are condemned IF any womans Child chance to dye at her hand so as no body knoweth how
Assemblies and of their Bargain THat the joyning of hands with the Devil the kissing of his bare buttocks and his scratching and biting of them are absurd lies every one hauing the gift of reason may plainly perceive insomuch as it is manifest unto us by the word of God that a spirit hath no flesh bones nor sinews whereof hands buttocks claws teeth and lips do consist For admit that the constitution of a Devils body as Tatian and other affirm consisteth in spiritual congelations as of fire and air yet it cannot be perceived of mortal creatures What credible witness is there brought at any time of this their corporal visible and incredible bargain saving the confession of some person diseased both in body and mind wilfully made or injuriously constrained It is marvel that no penitent Witch that forsaketh her trade confesseth not these things without compulsion Me thinketh their covenant made at Baptism with God before good witnesses sanctified with the Word confirmed with his Promises and established with his Sacraments should be of more force then that which they make with the Devil which no body seeth or knoweth For God deceiveth none with whom he bargaineth neither doth he mock or disappoint them although he dance not among them The oath to procure into their league and fellowship as many as they can whereby every one Witch as Bodin affirmeth augmenteth the number of fifty bewrayeth greatly their indirect dealing Hereof I have made trial as also of the residue of their cousening devises and have been with the best or rather the worst of them to see what might be gathered out of their counsels and have cunningly treated with them thereabouts and further have sent certain old persons to indent with them to be admited into their society But as well by their excuses and delaies as by other circumstances I have tried and found all their trade to be meer cosening I pray you what bargain have they made with the Devil that with their angry looks bewitch lambs children c. Is it not confessed that it is natural though it be a lye What bargain maketh the Sooth-sayer which hath his several kinds of Witchcraft and Divination expressed in the Scripture Or is it not granted that they make none How chanceth it that we hear not of this bargain in the Scriptures CHAP. VII A Confutation of the Objection concerning Witches Confessions IT is confessed say some by the way of objection even of these women themselves that they do these and such other horrible things as deserveth death with all extremity c. Whereunto I answer that whosoever considerately beholdeth their confessions shall perceive all to be vain idle false inconstant and of no weight except their contempt and ignorance in religion which is rather the fault of the negligent Pastor than of the simple woman First if their confession be made by compulsion of force or authority or by peswasion and under colour of friendship it is not to be regarded because the extremity of threats and tortures provokes it or the quality of fair words and allurements constrains it If it be voluntary many circumstances must be considered to wit whether she appeach not her self to overthrow her neighbour which many times happeneth through their cankered and malicious melancholick humour then whether in that same melancholick mood and frantick humor she desire not the abridgement of her own daies Which thing Aristotle saith doth oftentimes happen unto persons subject to melancholick passions and as Bodin and Sprenger say to these old women called Witches which many times as they affirm refuse to live threatning the Judges that if they may not be burned they will lay hands upon themselves and so make them guilty of their damnation I my self have known that where such a one could not prevail to be accepted as a sufficient witness against himself he presently went and threw himself into a pond of water where he was drowned But the law saith Volenti mori non est habenda fides that is His word is not to be credited that is desirous to dye Also sometimes as elswhere I have proved they confess that whereof they were never guilty supposing that they did that which they did nor by means of certain circumstances And as they sometimes confess impossibilities as that they fly in the air transubstantiate themselves raise tempests transferr or remove corn c. so do they also I say confess voluntarily that which no man could prove and that which no man would guess nor yet believe except he were as mad as they so as they bring death wilfully upon themselves which argueth an unsound mind If they confess that which hath been indeed committed by them as poysoning or any other kind of murther which falleth into the power of such persons to accomplish I stand not to defend their cause Howbeit I would wish that even in that case there be not too rash credit given nor too hasty proceedings used against them but that the causes properties and circumstances of every thing be duly considered and diligently examined For you shall understand that as sometimes they confess they have murthered their neighbours with a wish sometimes with a word sometimes with a look c. so they confess that with the delivering of an apple or some such thing to a woman with child they have killed the child in the mothers womb when nothing was added thereunto which naturally could be noysome or hurtful In like manner they confess that with a touch of their bare hand they sometimes kill a man being in perfect health and strength of body when all his garments are betwixt their hand and his flesh But if this their confession be examined by Divinity Philosophy Physick Law or Conscience it will be found false and insufficient First for that the working of miracles is ceased Secondly no reason can be yielded for a thing so far beyond all reason Thirdly no receipt can be of such efficacy as when the same is touched with a bare hand from whence the veins have passage through the body unto the heart it should not annoy the person and yet retain vertue and force enough to pierce through so many garments and the very flesh incurable to the place of death in another person Cui argumento saith Bodin nescio quid responderi possit Fourthly no law will admit such a confession as yieldeth unto impossibities against the which there is never any law provided otherwise it would not serve a mans turn to plead and prove that he was at Berwick that day that he is accused to have done a murther in Canterbury for it might be said he was conveyed to Berwick and back again by inchantment Fifthly he is not by conscience to be executed which hath no sound mind nor perfect judgement And yet forsooth we read that one mother Stile did kill one Saddocke with a touch on the shoulder for not keeping promise
stroke we stricken bee If hard at hand and near in place Then ruddy colour fils the face Thus much may seem sufficient touching this matter of Natural Magick whereunto though much more may be annexed yet for the avoiding of tediousness and for speedier passage to that which remaineth I will break off this present Treatise And now somewhat shall be said concerning Devils and Spirits in the discourse following The Contents of the Chapters in the Sixteen Fore-going BOOKS BOOK I. CHAP. I. AN Impeachment of Witches power in Meteors and Elementary Bodies tending to the rebuke of such as attribute too much unto them Page 1 CHAP. II. The inconvenience growing by mens credulity herein with a reproof of some Church-men which are inclined to the common conceived opinion of Witches omnipotency and a familiar example thereof Page 3 CHAP. III. Who they be that are called Witches with a manifest declaration of the cause that moveth men so commonly to think and Witches themselves to believe that they can hurt Children Cattel c. with words and imaginnations and of cosening Witches Page 4. CHAP. IV. What miraculous actions are imputed to Witches by Witchmongers Papists and Poets Page 5 CHAP. V. A Confutation of the common conceived opinion of Witches and Witchcraft and how detestable a sin it is to repair to them for counsel or help in time of affliction Page 7 CHAP. VI. A further confutation of Witches miraculous and omnipotent power by invincible Reasons and Authorities with disswasions from such fond credulity ibid. CHAP. VII By what means the name of Witches becometh so famous and how diverssly people be opinioned concerning them and their actions Page 8 CHAP. VIII Causes that move as well Witches themselves as others to think that they can work impossibilities with answers to certain objections where also their punishment by law is touched Page 9 CHAP. IX A conclusion of the first Book wherein is foreshewed the tyrannical cruelty of Witchmongers and Inquisitors with a request to the Reader to peruse the same Page 10 BOOK II. CHAP. I. WHat Testimonies and Witnesses are allowed to give evidence against reputed Witches by the report and allowance of the Inquisitors themselves and such as are special writers herein Page 11 CHAP. II. The order of Examination of Witches by the Inquisitors ibid. CHAP. III. Matters of evidence against Witches Page 13 CHAP. IV. Confessions of Witches whereby they are condemned Page 14 CHAP. V. Presumptions whereby Witches are condemned ibid. CHAP. VI. Particular Interrogatories used by the Inquisitors against Witches Page 15 CHAP. VII The Inquisitors tryal of Weeping by Conjuration Page 16 CHAP. VIII Certain cautions against Witches and of their tortures to procure Confession ibid. CHAP. IX The fifteen Crimes laid to the charge of Witches by Witchmongers specially by Bodin in Demonomania Page 18 CHAP. X. A Confutation of the former surmised Crimes patched together by Bodin and the only way to escape the Inquisitors hands Page 19 CHAP. XI The Opinion of Cornelius Agrippa concerning Witches of his pleading for a poor woman accused of Witchcraft and how he convinced the Inquisitors Page 20 CHAP. XII What the fear of death and feeling of torments may force one to do and that it is no marvel though Witches condemn themselves by their own Confessions so tyrannically extorted Page 21 BOOK III. CHAP. I. The Witches bargain with the Devil according to M. Mal. Bodin Nider Daneus Psellus Erastus Hemingius Cumanus Aquinas Bartholomeus spineus c. Page 22 CHAP. II. The order of the Witches homage done as it is written by lewd Inquisitors and peevish Witchmongers to the Devil in person of their Songs and Dances and namely of Lavolta and of other Ceremonies also of their Excourses Page 23 CHAP. III. How Witches are summoned to appear before the Devil of their riding in the air of their accompts of their conference with the Devil of his supplies and their conference of their farewell and sacrifices according to Daneus Psellus c. Page 24 CHAP. IV. That there can no real league be made with the Devil the first Author of the league and the weak proofs of the Adversaries for the same ibid. CHAP. V. Of the private league a notable table of Bodin concerning a French Lady with a confutation Page 25 CHAP. VI. A Disproof of their Assemblies and of their Bargain Page 26 CHAP. VII A Confutation of the Objection concerning Witches Confession Page 27 CHAP. VIII What folly it were for Witches to enter into such desperate peril and to endure such intolerable torments for no gain or commodity and how it comes to pass that Witches are overthrown by their Confessions Page 28 CHAP. IX How Melancholy abuseth old women and of the effects thereof by sundry examples Page 29 CHAP. X. That voluntary Confession may be untruly made to the undoing of the Confessors and of the strange operation of Melancholy proved by a familiar and late example Page 30 CHAP. XI The strange and divers effects of Melancholy and how the same humor abounding in Witches or rather old women filleth them full of marvellous imaginations and that their Confessions are not to be credited Page 31 CHAP. XII A Confutation of Witches Confessions especially concerning the League Page 32 CHAP. XIII A Confutation of Witches Confessions concerning making of Tempests and Rain of the natural cause of Rain and that Witches or Devils have no power to do such things Page 33 CHAP. XIV What would ensue if Witches Confessions or Witchmongers opinions were true concerning the effects of Witchcraft Inchantments c. Page 34 CHAP. XV. Examples of foreign Nations who in their Wars used the assistance of Witches of Eybiting Witches in Ireland of two Archers that shot with Familiars Page 35 CHAP. XVI Authors condemning the fantastical Confessions of Witches and how a Popish Doctor taketh upon him to disprove the same Page 36 CHAP. XVII Witchmongers Reasons to prove that Witches can work Wonders Bodin's tale of a Friseland Priest transported that imaginations proceeding of Melancholy do cause illusions Page 37 CHAP. XVIII That the Confession of Witches is insufficient in civil and common Law to take away life What the sounder Divines and Decrees of Councels determin in this case ibid. CHAP. XIX Of four capital crimes objected against Witches all fully an swered and confuted as frivolous Page 39 CHAP. XX. A request to such Readers as loath to hear or read filthy and bawdy matters which of necessity are here to be inserted to pass over eight Chapters Page 40 BOOK IV. CHAP. I. OF Witchmongers opinions concerning evil Spirits how they frame themselves in more excellent sort than God made us Page 41 CHAP. II. Of bawdy Incubus and Succubus and whether the action of Venery may be performed between Witches and Devils and when Witches first yielded to Incubus ibid. CHAP. III. Of the Devils visible and invisible dealing with Witches in the way of lechery Page 42 CHAP. IV. That the power of generation is both outwardly
most horrible executions as the revenger of a doting old womans imagined wrongs to the destruction of many innocent children and as a supporter of her passions to the undoing of many a poor soul And I see not but a Witch may as well inchant when she will as a lyer may lye whey he list and so should we possess nothing but by a Witches licence and permission And now forsooth it is brought to this point that all Devils which were wont to be spiritual may at their pleasure become corporal and to shew themselves familiarly to Witches and Conjurors and to none other and by them only may be made tame and kept in a box c. So as a malicious old Woman may command her Devil to plague her neighbor and he is afflicted in manner and form as she desireth But then cometh another Witch and she biddeth her Devil help and he healeth the same party So as they make it a kingdome divided in it self and therefore I trust it will not long endure but will shortly be overthrown according to the words of our Saviour Omne regnum in se divisum desolabitur Every kingdom divided in it self shall be desolate And although some say that the Devil is the Witches instrument to bring her purposes and practices to pass yet others say that she is his instrument to execute his pleasure in any thing and therefore to be executed But then methinks she should be injuriously dealt withal and put to death for anothers offence for actions are not judged by instrumental causes neither doth the end and purpose of that which is done depend upon the mean instrument Finally if the Witch do it not why should the Witch die for it But they say that Witches are perswaded and think that they do indeed those mischiefs and have a will to perform that which the Devil committeth and that therefore they are worthy to die By which reason every one should be executed that wisheth evil to his neighbour c. But if the will should be punished by man according to the offence against God we should be driven by thousands at once to the slaughterhouse or butchery For whosoever loatheth correction shall die And who should escape execution if this lothsomness I say should extend to death by the Civil Laws Also the reward of sin is death Howbeit every one that sinneth is not to be put to death by the Magistrate But my Lord it shall be proved in my book and your Lordship shall try it to be true as well here at home in your native countrey as also abroade in your several circuits that besides them that be Veneficae which are plain Poysoners there will be found among our Witches only two sorts the one sort being such by imputation as so thought of by others and these are abused and not abusers the other by acceptation as being willing so to be accounted and these be meer Coseners Calvin treating of these Magicians calleth them Coseners saying That they use their Jugling knacks only to amase or abuse the people or else for Fame but he might rather have said for Gain Erastus himself being a principal writer in the behalf of Witches omnipotency is forced to confess that these Greek words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 are most commonly put for illusion false-packing cosenage fraud knavery and deceit and is further driven to say That in ancient time the learned were not so blockish as not to see that the promises of Magicians and Inchanters were false and nothing else but knavery cosenage and old wives fables and yet defendeth he their flying in the air their transferring of Corn or Grass from one field to another c. But as Erastus disagreeth herein with himself and his friends so is there no agreement among any of those Writers but only in cruelties absurdities and impossibilites And these my Lord that fall into so manifest contradictions and into such absurd asseverations are not of the inferiour sort of Writers neither are they all Papists but men of such account as whose names give more credit to their cause then their writings In whose behalf I am sorry and partly for reverence suppress their fondest errors and foulest absurdities dealing specially with them that most contend in cruelty whose feet are swift to shed blood Striving as Jesus the son of Sirach saith and hasting as Solomon the son of David saith to pour out the blood of the Innocent whose heat against these poor wretches cannot be allayed with any other liquor then blood and therefore I fear that under their wings will be found the blood of the souls of the poor at that day when the Lord shall say Depart from me ye blood-thirsty men And because I know your Lordship will take no counsel against innocent blood but rather suppress them that seek to imbrew their hands therein I have made choice to open their case to you and to lay their miserable calamity before your feet following herein the advice of that learned man Brentius who saith Si quis admonuerit Magistratum ne in miseras illas mulierculas saeviat eum ego arbitror divinitus excitatum that is If any admonish the Magistrate not to deal too hardly with these miserable wretches that are called Witches I think him a good instrument raised up for this purpose by God himself But it will perchance be said by Witchmongers to wit by such as attribute to Witches the power which appertaineth to God only That I have made choice of your Lordship to be a Patron to this my Book because I think you favour mine opinions and by that means may the more freely publish any error or conceit of mine own which should rather be warranted by your Lordships authority then by the Word of God or by sufficient argument But I protest the contrary and by these presents I renounce all protection and despise all friendship that might serve to help towards the suppressing or supplanting of Truth knowing also that your Lordship is far from allowing any injury done unto Man much more an enemy to them that go about to dishonour God or to embeazel the title of his immortal glory But because I know you to be perspicuous and able to see down into the depth and bottome of Causes and are not to be carryed away with the vain perswasion or superstition either of Man Custom Time or Multltude but moved with the authority of Truth only I crave your countenance herein even so far forth and no further then the law of God the law of Nature the law of this Land and the rule of Reason shall require Neither do I treat for these poor people any otherwise but so as with one hand you may sustain the good and with the other suppress the evil wherein you shall be thought a Father to Orphans an Advocate to Widows a Guide to the Blind a Stay to the Lame a Comfort and Countenance to the honest a
Hilarius Hippocrates Homerus Horatius Hostiensis Hovinus Hypertus Jacobus de Chusa Carthusianus Jamblichus Jaso Pratensis Innocentius 8. Papa Johannes Anglicus Johannes Baptista Neapolitanus Johannes Cassianus Johannes Montiregrus Johannes Rivius Josephus ben Gorion Josias Rimlerus Isidorus Isigonus Juba Julius Maternus Justinus Martyr Lactantius Lavaterus Laurentius Ananias Laurentius à Villavicentio Leo II. Pontifex Lex Salicarum Lex 12. Tabularum Legenda Aurea Legenda longa Coloniae Leonardus Vairus Livius Lucanus Lucretius Ludovicus Coelius Lutherus Macrobius Magna Charta Malleus Maleficarum Manlius Marbacchius Marbodeus Gallus Marsilius Ficinus Martinus de Arles Mattheolus Melancthonus Memphradorus Michael Andraeas Musculus Nauclerus Nicephorus Nicolaus 5. Papa Nider Olaus Gothus Origenes Ovidius Panormitanus Paulus Aegineta Paulus Marsus Persius Petrus de Appona Petrus Lombardus Petrur Martyr Peucer Philarohus Philastrius Brixiensis Philodorus Philo Judaeus Pirkmairus Platina Plato Plinius Plotinus Plutarchus Polydorus Virgilius Pomoerium sermonum Quadragesimalium Pompanatius Pontificale Ponzivibius Popphyrius Prochus Propertius Psellus Ptolomeus Pythagoras Quintilianus Rabbi Abraham Rabbi Ben Ezra Rabbi David Kimhi Rabbi Josuah Ben Levi. Rabbi Isaac Natar Rabbi Levi. Rabbi Moses Rabbi Sedajas Hajas Robertus Carocullus Rupertus Sabinus Sadoletus Savanorola Scotus Seneca Septuaginta interpretes Serapio Socrates Solinus Speculum exemplorum Strabo Sulpitius Severus Synesius Tatianus Tertullianus Thomas Aquinas Themistius Theodoretus Theodorus Bizantius Theophrastus Thucydides Tibullus Tremelius Valerius Maximus Varro Vegetius Vincentius Virgillius Vitellius Wierus Xantus Historiographus English Authors BArnaby Googe Beehive of the Romish Church Edward Deering Geoffrey Chaucer Giles Alley Gnimelf Maharba Henry Haward John Bale John Fox John Malborn John Record Primer after York use Richard Gallis Roger Bacon Testament Printed at Rhemes T. E. a nameless Authour 467. Thomas Hills Thomas Lupton Thomas Moore Knight Thomas Phaer T. R. a nameless Authour 393. William Lambard W. W. a nameless Authour 542. THE DISCOVERY OF Witchcraft BOOK I. CHHP. I. An impeachment of Witches power in Meteors and Elementary Bodies tending to the rebuke of such an attribute too much unto them THe Fables of Witchcraft have taken so fast hold and deep root in the heart of man that few or none can now adaies with patience indure the hand and correction of God For if any adversity grief sickness loss of children corn cattel or liberty happen unto them by and by they exclaim upon Witches As though there were no God in Israel that ordereth all things according to his will punishing both just and unjust with griefs plagues and afflictions in manner and form as he thinketh good but that certain old women here on earth called Witches must needs be the contrivers of all mens calamities and as though they themselves were innocents and had deserved no such punishments Insomuch as they stick not to ride and go to such as either are injuriously termed Witches or else are willing so to be accounted seeking at their hands comfort and remedy in time of their tribulation contrary to Gods Will and Commandement in that behalf who bids us resort to him in all our necessities Such faithless people I say are also perswaded that neither hail nor snow thunder nor lightning rain nor tempestuous winds come from the Heavens at the commandement of God but are raised by the cunning and power of Witches and Conjurers insomuch as a clap of thunder or a gale of wind is no sooner heard but either they run to ring bells or cry out to burn Witches or else burn consecrated things hoping by the smoak thereof to drive the Devil out of the air as though spirits could be fraid away with such external toies howbeit these are right inchantments as Brentius affirmeth But certainly it is neither a Witch nor Devil but a glorious God that maketh the thunder I have read in the Scriptures that God maketh the blustering tempests and whirl-winds and I find that it is the Lord that altogether dealeth with them and that they blow according to his will But let me see any of them all rebuke and still the sea in time of tempest as Christ did or raise the stormy wind as God did with his word and I will believe in them Hath any Witch or Conjurer or any creature entred into the treasures of the snow or seen the secret places of the hail which God hath prepared against the day of trouble battel and war I for my part also think with Jesus Sirach that at Gods only commandement the snow falleth and that the wind bloweth according to his will who only makeh all storms to cease and who if we keep his ordinances will send us rain in due season and make the land to bring forth her increase and the trees of the field to give their fruit But little think our Witch-mongers that the Lord commandeth the clouds above or openeth the doors of heaven as David affirmeth or that the Lord goeth forth in the tempests and storms as the Prophet Nahum reporteth but rather that Witches and Conjurers are then about their business The Marcionists acknowledged one God the Author of good things and another the ordainer of evil but these make the Devil a whole God to create things of nothing to know mens cogitations and to do that which God never did as to transubstantiate men into beasts c. Which thing if Devils could do yet followeth it not that Witches have such power But if all the Devils in Hell were dead and all the Witches in England were burned or hanged I warrant you we should not fail to have rain hail and tempests as now we have according to the appointment and will of God and according to the constitution of the Elements and the course of the Planets wherein God hath set a perfect and perpetual order I am also well assured that if all the old women in the world were Witches and all the Priests Conjurers we should not have a drop of rain nor a blast of wind the more or the less for them For the Lord hath bound the waters in the clouds and hath set bounds about the waters until the day and night come to an end yea it is God that raiseth the winds and stilleth them and he saith to the rain and snow Be upon the earth and it falleth The wind of the Lord and not the wind of Witches shall destroy the treasures of their pleasant vessels and dry up the fountains saith Oseas Let us also learn and confess with the Prophet David that we our selves are the causes of our afflictions and not exclaim upon Witches when we should call upon God for mercy The Imperial law saith Brentius condemneth them to death that trouble and infect the air but I affirm saith he that it is neither in the power of Witch nor Devil so to do but in God only Though besides Bodin and all the Popish Writers in general it please Danaeus Hyperius Hemingius Erastus
Divinity Dost thou use to draw poor guiltless women to the rack by these forged devises Dost thou with such sentences judge others to be Hereticks thou being more a Heretick than either Faustus or Donatus Be it as thou sayest Dost thou not frustrate the grace of Gods Ordinance namely Baptism Are the words in Baptism spoken in vain Or shall the Devil remain in the child or it in the power of the Devil being there and then consecrated to Christ Jesus in the Name of the Father the Son and the Holy-Ghost And if thou defend their false opinions which affirm that Spirits accompanying with women can ingender yet dotest thou more than any of them which never believed that any of those Devils together with their stoln seed do put part of that their seed or nature into the creature But though indeed we be born the children of the Devil and damnation yet in baptism through grace in Christ Satan is cast out and we are made new creatures in the Lord from whom none can be separated by another mans deed The Inquisitor being hereat offended threatned the Advocate to proceed against him as a supporter of Hereticks or Witches yet nevertheless he ceased not to defend the silly woman and through the power of the Law he delivered her from tho claws of the bloudy Monk who with her accusers were condemned in a great sum of money to the Charter of the Church of Mentz and remained infamous after that time almost to all men But by the way you must understand that this was but a pety Inquisitor and had not so large a Commission as Cumanus Sprenger and such other had nor yet as the Spanish Inquisitors at this day have For these will admit no Advocates now unto the poor souls except the Tormentor or Hangman may be called an Advocate You may read the sum of this Inquisition in few words set out by M. John Fox in the Acts and Monuments For Witches and Hereticks are among the Inquisitors of like reputation saving that the extremity is greater against Witches because through their simplicity they may the more boldly tyrannize upon them and triumph over them CHAP. XII What the fear of death and feeling of torments may force one to do and that it is no marvel though Witches condemn themselves by their own confessions so tyrannically extorted HE that readeth the Ecclesiastical histories or remembreth the persecutions in Queen Maries time shall find that many good men have fallen for fear of persecution and returned unto the Lord again What marvel then though a poor woman such a one as is described elsewhere and tormented as is declared in these latter leaves be made to confess such absurd and false impossibilities when flesh and bloud is unable to endure such trial Or how can she in the midst of such horrible tortures and torments promise unto her self constancy or forbear to confess any thing Or what availeth it her to persevere in the denial of such matters as are laid to her charge unjustly when on the one side there is never any end of her torments on the other side if she continue in her assertion they say she hath charms for taciturnity or silence Peter the Apostle renounced cursed and forsware his master and our Saviour Jesus Christ for fear of a wenches menaces or rather at a question demanded by her wherein he was not so circumvented as these poor Witches are which be not examined by girles but by cunning Inquisitors who having the spoil of their goods and bringing with them into the place of judgement minds to maintain their bloudy purpose spare no manner of allurements threatnings nor torments until they have wrung out of them all that which either maketh to their own desire or serveth to the others destruction Peter I say in the presence of his Lord and Master Christ who had instructed him in true knowledge many years being forewarned not passing four or five hours before and having made a real league and a faithful promise to the contrary without any other compulsion than as hath been said by a question proposed by a girl against his conscience forsook thrice denied and abandoned his said Master and yet he was a man illuminated and placed in dignity aloft and neerer to Christ by many degrees than the Witch whose fall could not be so great as Peters because she never ascended half so many steps A Pastors declination is much more abominable than the going astray of any of his sheep as an Ambassadours conspiracy is more odious than the falshood of a common person or as a Captains treason is more mischievous than a private souldiers mutiny If you say Peter repented I answer that the Witch doth so likewise sometimes and I see not in that case but mercy may be imployed upon her It were a mighty temptation to a silly old woman that a visible Devil being in shape so ugly as Danaeus and others say he is should assault her in manner and form as is supposed or rather avowed specially when there is promise made that none shall be tempted above their strength The poor old Witch is commonly unlearned unwarned and unprovided of counsel and friendship void of judgement and discretion to moderate her life and communication her kind and gender more weak and frail than the masculine and much more subject to melancholy her bringing up and company is so base that nothing is to be looked for in her specially of these extraordinary qualities her age also is commonly such as maketh her decrepite which is a disease that moveth them to these follies Finally Christ did clearly remit Peter though his offence was committed both against his divine and humane nature yea afterwards he did put him in trust to feed his sheep and shewed great countenance friendship and love unto him And therefore I see not but we may shew compassion upon these poor souls if they shew themselves sorrowful for their misconceipts and wicked imaginations BOOK III. CHAP. I. The Witches bargain with the Devil according to M. Mal. Bodin Nider Danaeus Psellus Erastus Hemingius Cumanus Aquinas Bartholomaeus Spineus c. THat which in this matter of Witchcraft hath abused so many and seemeth both so horrible and intolerable is a plain bargain that they say is made betwixt the devil and the Witch And many of great learning conceive it to be a matter of truth and in their writings publish it accordingly the which by Gods grace shall be proved as vain and false as the rest The order of their bargain or profession is double the one solemn and pulick the other secret and private That which is called solemn or publick is where Witches come together at certain assemblies at the times prefixed and do not only see the Devil in visible form but confer and talk familiarly with him In which conference the Devil exhorteth them to observe their fidelity unto him promising them long life and prosperity
weakness both of body and brain the aptest persons do meet with such melancholick imaginations with whom their imaginations remain even when their senses are gone Which Bodin laboureth to disprove therein shewing himself as good a Physician as elsewhere a Divine But if they may imagine that they can transform their own bodies which nevertheless remain in the former shape how much more credible is it that they may falsly suppose they can hurt and infeeble other mens bodies or which is less hinder the coming of butter c. But what is it that they will not imagine and consequently confess that they can do especially being so earnestly perswaded thereunto so sorely tormented so craftily examined with such promises of favour as whereby they imagine that they shall ever after live in great credit and wealth c. If you read the executions done upon Witches either in times past in other countreys or lately in this land you shall see such impossibilities confessed as none having his right wits will believe Among other like false confessions we read that there was a Witch confessed at the time of her death or execution that she had raised all the tempests and procured all the frosts and hard weather that hapned in the Winter 1565. and that many grave and wise men believed her CHAP. X. That voluntary confessions may be untruly made to the undoing of the confessors and of the strange operation of melancholy proved by a familiar and late example BUt that it may appear that even voluntary confession in this case may be untruly made though it tend to the destruction of the confessor and that melancholy may move imaginations to that effect I will cite a notable instance concerning this matter the parties themselves being yet alive and dwelling in the parish or Sellenge in Kent and the matter not long sithence in this sort performed One Ade Davie the wife of Simon Davie husband-man being reputed a right honest body and being of good parentage grew suddenly as her husband informed me and as it is well known in these parts to be somewhat pensive and more sad than in times past Which thing though it grieved him yet he was loth to make it so appear as either his wife might be troubled or discontented therewith or his neighbours informed thereof lest ill husbandry should be laid to his charge which in these quarters is much abhorred But when she grew from pensiveness to some perturbation of mind so as her accustomed rest began in the night season to be withdrawn from her through sighing and secret lamentation and that not without tears he could not but demand the cause of her conceit and extraordinary mourning But although at that time she covered the same acknowledging nothing to be amiss with her soon after notwithstanding she fell down before him on her knees desiring him to forgive her for she had grievously offended as she said both God and him Her poor husband being abashed at this her behaviour comforted her as he could asking her the cause of her trouble and grief who told him that she had contrary to Gods Law and to the offence of all good Christians to the injury of him and specially to the loss of her own soul bargained and given her soul to the Devil to be delivered unto him within short space Whereunto her husband answered saying Wife be of good cheer this thy bargain is void and of none effect for thou hast sold that which is none of thine to sell sith it belongeth to Christ who hath bought it and deerly paid for it even with his bloud which he shed upon the Cross so as the Devil hath no interest in thee After this with like submission tears and penitence she said unto him Oh husband I have yet committed another fault and done you more injury for I have bewitched you and your children Be content quoth he by the grace of God Jesus Christ shall unwitch us for none evil can happen to them that fear God And as truly as the Lord liveth this was the tenor of his words unto me which I know is true as proceeding from unfained lips and from one that feareth God Now when the time approached that the Devil should come and take possession of the woman according to his bargain he watched and prayed earnestly and caused his wife to read Psalms and Prayers for mercy at Gods hands and suddenly about mid-night there was a great rumbling below under his chamber-window which amazed them exceedingly For they conceived that the Devil was below though he had no power to come up because of their fervent Prayer He that noteth this womans first and second confession freely and voluntarily made how every thing concurred that might serve to add credit thereunto and yield matter for her condemnation would not think but that if Bodin were fore-man of her Inquest he would cry Guilty and would hasten execution upon her who would have said as much before any Judge in the World if she had been examined and have confessed no less if she had been arraigned thereupon But God knoweth she was innocent of any of these crimes howbeit she was brought low and pressed down with the weight of this humor so as both her rest and sleep were taken away from her and her fansies troubled and disquieted with despair and such other cogitations as grew by occasion thereof And yet I believe if any mishap had insued to her husband or his children few Witchmongers would have judged otherwise but that she had bewitched them And she for her part so constantly perswaded her self to be a Witch that she judged her self worthy of death insomuch as being retained in her chamber she saw not any one carrying a faggot to the fire but she would say it was to make a fire to burn her for Witchery But God knoweth she had bewitched none neither insued there any hurt unto any by her imagination but unto her self And as for the rumbling it was by occasion of a sheep which was flayed and hung by the wals so as a Dog came and devoured it whereby grew the noise which I before mentioned and she being now recovered remaineth a right honest woman far from such impiety and ashamed of her imaginations which she perceiveth to have grown through melancholy CHAP. XI The strange and divers effects of Melancholy and how the same humor abounding in Witches or rather old women filleth them full of marvellous imaginatians and that their confessions are not to be credited BUt in truth this Melancholick humor as the best Physitians affirm is the cause of all their strange impossible and incredible confessions which are so fond that I wonder how any men can be abused thereby Howbeit these affections though they appear in the mind of man yet are they bred in the body and proceed from this humor which is the very dregs of bloud nourishing and feeding those places from
whence proceed fears cogitations superons fastings labours and such like This maketh sufferance of torments and as some say fore sight of things to come and preserveth health as being cold and dry it maketh men subject to leanneses and to the Quartane Ague They that are vexed therewith are destroyers of themselves stout to suffer injuries fearful to offer violence except the humor be hot They learn strange tongues with small industry as Aristotle and others affirm If our Witches phantasies were not corrupted nor their wills confounded with this humor they would not so voluntarily and readily confess that which calleth their life in question whereof they could never otherwise be convicted J. Bodin with his Lawyers Physick reasoneth contrarily as though melancholy were furthest of all from those old women whom we call Witches deriding the most famous and noble Physitian John Wier for his opinion in that behalf But because I am no Physitian I will set a Physitian to him namely Erastus who hath these words that these Witches through their corrupt phantasie abounding with melancholick humors by reason of their old age do dream and imagine they hurt those things which they neither could nor do hurt and so think they know an Art which they neither have learned nor yet understand But why should there be more credit given to Witches when they say they have made a real bargain with the Devil killed a Cow bewitched Butter infeebled a Child fore-spoken her neighbour c. than when she confesseth that she transubstantiateth her self maketh it rain or hail flyeth in the air goeth invisible transferreth Corn in the Grass from one field to another c. If you think that in the one their confessions be sound why should you say that they are corrupt in the other the confession of all these things being made at one instant and affirmed with like constancy or rather audacity But you see the one to be impossible and therefore you think thereby that their confessions are vain and false The other you think may be done and see them confess it and therefore you conclude Aposse ad esse as being perswaded it is so because you think it may be so But I say both with the Divines and Philosophers that that which is imagined of Witchcraft hath no truth of action or being besides their imagination the Witch for the most part is occupied in false causes For whosoever desireth to bring to pass an impossible thing hath a vain and idle and childish perswasion bred by an unsound mind for Sanae mentis voluntas voluntas rei possibilis est The will of a sound mind is the desire of a possible thing CHAP. XII A Confutation of Witches Confessions especially concerning their League BUt it is objected that Witches confess they renounce the faith and as their confession must be true or else they would not make it so must their fault be worthy of death or else they should not be executed Whereunto I answer as before that their confessions are extorted or else proceed from an unsound mind Yea I say further that we our selves which are sound of mind and yet seek any other way of salvation than Christ Jesus or break his Commandements or walk not in his steps with a lively faith c. do not only renounce the faith but God himself and therefore they in confessing that they forsake God and imbrace Satan do that which we all should do As touching that horrible part of their confession in the league which tendeth to the killing of their own and others children the seething of them and the making of their potion or pottage and the effects thereof their good fridayes meeting being the day of their deliverance their incests their return at the end of nine moneths when commonly women be neither able to go that journey nor to return c. it is so horrible unnatural unlikely and unpossible that if I should behold such things with mine eyes I should rather think my self dreaming drunken or some way deprived of my senses than give credit to so horrible and filthy matters How hath the Oyl or Pottage of a sodden child such vertue as that a staffe anointed therewith can carry folk in the air Their potable liquor which they say maketh Masters of that faculty Is it not ridiculous And is it not by the opinion of all Philosophers Physitians and Divines void of such vertue as is imputed thereunto Their not fasting on fridayes and their fasting on sundays their spitting at the time of elevation their refusal of Holy-water their despising of superstitious Crosses c. which are all good steps to true Christianity help me to confute the residue of their confessions CHAP. XIII A Confutation of Witches Confessions concerning making of Tempests and Rain of the natural cause of Rain and that Witches or Devils have no power to do such things ANd to speak more generally of all the impossible actions referred unto them as also of their false Confessions I say that there is none which acknowledgeth God to be only Omnipotent and the only worker of all Miracles nor any other indued with mean sense but will deny that the Elements are obedient to Witches and at their Commandement or that they may at their pleasure send Rain Hail Tempests Thunder Lightning when she being but an old doting woman casteth a flint-stone over her left shoulder towards the West or hurleth a little Sea-sand up into the Element or wetteth a Broom-sprig in water and sprinkleth the same in the air or diggeth a pit in the earth and putting water therein stirreth it about with her finger or boileth Hogs bristles or layeth sticks across upon a bank where never a drop of water is or buryeth Sage till it be rotten all which things are confessed by Witches and affirmed by writers to be the means that Witches use to move extraordinary Tempests and Rain c. We read in M. Maleficarum that a little Girl walking abroad with her Father in his land heard him complain of drought wishing for rain c. Why Father quoth the child I can make it rain or hail when and where I list He asked where she learned it She said of her Mother who forbad her to tell any body thereof He asked her how her Mother taught her She answered that her Mother committed her to a Master who would at any time do any thing for her Why then said he make it rain but only in my field And so she went to the stream and threw up water in her Masters name and made it rain presently And proceeding further with her father she made it hail in another field at her fathers request Hereupon he accused his wife and caused her to be burned and then he new christened his child again which circumstance is common among Papists and Witch-mongers And howsoever the first part hereof was proved there is no doubt but the latter part
was throughly executed If they could indeed bring these things to pass at their pleasure then might they also be impediments unto the course of all other natural things and Ordinances appointed by God as to cause it to hold up when it should rain and to make midnight of high noon and by those means I say the Divine power should become servile to the will of a Witch so as we could neither eat nor drink but by their permission Me thinks Seneca might satisfie these credulous or rather idolatrous people that run a whore-hunting either in body or phansie after these Witches believing all that is attributed unto them to the derogation of Gods glory He saith that the rude people and our ignorant predecessors did believe that rain and showers might be procured and stayed by Witches charms and inchantments of which kind of things that there can nothing be wrought it is so manifest that we need not go to any Philosophers School to learn the confutation thereof But Jeremy by the Word of God doth utterly confound all that which may be devised for the maintenance of that foolish opinion saying Are there any among the gods of the Gentiles that send rain or give showers from Heaven Art not thou the self same our Lord God We will trust in thee for thou doest and maketh all these things I my therefore with Brentius boldly say that it is neither in the power of Witches nor Devils to accomplish that matter but in God only For when exhalations are drawn and lifted up from out of the earth by the power of the Sun into the middle region of the air the coldness thereof constraineth and thickeneth those vapours which being become clouds are dissolved again by the heat of the Sun whereby Rain or Hail is ingendred Rain if by the way the drops be not frozen and made hail These circumstances being considered with the course of the whole Scripture it can neither be in the power of Witch or Devil to procure rain or fair weather And whereas the story of Job in this case is alledged against me wherein a Witch is not once named I have particularly answered it else-where And therefore thus much only I say here that even there where it pleased God as Calvin saith to set down circumstances for the instruction of our gross capacities which are not able to conceive of spiritual communication or heavenly affairs the Devil desireth God to stretch out his hand and touch all that Job hath And though he seemeth to grant Satans desire yet God himself sent fire from heaven c. Whereby it is to be gathered that although God said He is in thine hand it was the Lords hand that punished Job and not the hand of the Devil who said not Give me leave to plague him but Lay thine hand upon him And when Job continued faithful notwithstanding all his afflictions in his children body and goods the Devil is said to come again to God and to say as before to wit Now stretch out thine hand and touch his bones and his flesh Which argueth as well that he could not do it as that he himself did it not before And be it here remembred that M. Mal. and the residue of the Witchmongers deny that there were any Witches in Jobs time But see more hereof elsewhere CHAP. XIV What would ensue if Witches confessions or Witchmongers opinions were true concerning the effects of Witchcraft Inchantments c. IF it were true that Witches confess or that all Writers write or that Witchmongers report or that fools believe we should never have Butter in the chearn nor Cow in the close nor Corn in the field nor fair weather abroad nor health within doors Or if that which is contained in M. Mal. Bodin c. or in the Pamphlets late set forth in English of Witches executions should be true in those things that Witches are said to confess what creature could live in security Or what needed such preparation of wars or such trouble or charge in that behalf No Prince should be able to raign or live in the Land For as Danaeus saith that one Martin a Witch killed the Emperour of Germany with witchcraft so would our Witches if they could destroy all our Magistrates One old Witch might over-throw an Army Royal and then what needed we any Guns or wild-fire or any other Instruments of war A Witch might supply all wants and accomplish a Princes will in this behalf even with out charge or bloud-shed of his people If it be objected that Witches work by the Devil and Christian Princes are not to deal that way I answer that Princes disposed to Battel would not make Conscience therein specially such as take unjust wars in hand using other helps devises and engines as lawful and devillish as that in whose Camp there is neither the rule of Religion or Christian order observed insomuch as ravishments murthers blasphemies and thefts are there most commonly and freely committed So that the Devil is more feared and better served in their Camps than God Almighty But admit that souldiers would be scrupulous herein the Pope hath authority to dispense therewith as in like case he hath done by the testimony of his own authors and friends Admit also that throughout all Christendom was were justly maintained and Religion duly observe in their Camps yet would the Turk and other Infidels cut our throat or at least one anothers throats with the help of their Witches for they would make no conscience thereof CHAP. XV. Examples of foreign Nations who in their wars used the assistance of Witches of eye-biting Witches in Ireland of two Archers that shot with familiars IN the wars between the Kings of Denmark and Sueveland 1563. the Danes do write that the King of Sueveland carryed about with him in Camp four old Witches who with their charms so qualified the Danes as they were thereby disabled to annoy their Enemies insomuch as if they had taken in hand any enterprise they were so infeebled by those Witches as they could perform nothing And although this could have no credit at the first yet in the end one of these Witches was taken Prisoner and confessed the whole matter so as saith he the threads and the line and the characters were found in the highway and water-plashes The Irishmen addict themselves wonderfully to the credit and practise hereof insomuch as they affirm that not only their children but their cattel are as they call it eye-bitten when they fall suddenly sick and tearm one sort of their Witches eye-biters only in that respect yea and they will not stick to affirm that they can rime either man or beast to death Also the West-Indians and Muscovites do the like and the Huns as Gregory Turonensis writeth used the help of Witches in time of war I find another story written in M. Mal. repeated by Bodin that one souldier called Pumher
Anno Dom. 1542. when Sultan-Solimon reigned there was such force and multitude of these kind of Wolves in Constantinople that the Emperour drave together in one flock 150 of them which departed out of the City in the presence of all the people To perswade us the more throughly herein he saith That in Livonia yearly about the end of December a certain Knave or Devil warneth all the Witches in the Countrey to come to a certain place if they fail the Devil cometh and whippeth them with an Iron rod so as the print of the lashes remains upon their bodies for ever The captain Witch leadeth the way through a great pool of water many millions of Witches swim after They are no sooner passed through that water but they are all transformed into Wolves and fly upon and devour both Men Women Cattel c. After twelve dayes they return through the same water and so receive humane shape again Item that there was one Bajanus a Jew being the Son of Simeon which could when he list turn himself into a Wolf and by that means could escape the force and danger of a whole Army of men Which thing saith Bodin is wonderful but yet saith he it is much more marvellous that men will not believe it For many Poets affirm it yea and if you look well into the matter saith he you shall find it easie to do Item he saith that as natural Wolves persecute beasts so do these Magical Wolves devour men women and children And yet God saith to the People I trow and not to the Cattel of Israel If you observe not my commandements I will send among you the beasts of the field which shall devour both you and your cattel Item I will send the teeth of beasts upon you Where is Bodins distinction now become He never saith I will send Witches in the likeness of Wolves c. to devour you or your cattel Nevertheless Bodin saith it is a clear case for the matter was disputed upon before Pope Leo the seventh and by him all the matters were judged possible and at that time saith he were the transformations of Lucian and Apuleius made canonical Furthermore he saith that through this art they are so cunning that no man can apprehend them but when they are asleep Item he nameth another Witch that as M. Mal. saith could not be caught because he would transform himself into a mouse and run into every little hole till at length he was killed coming out of the hole of a jam in a window which indeed is as possible as a Camel to go through a needles eye Item he saith that divers Witches at Vernon turned themselves into Cats and both committed and received much hurt But at Argentine there was a wonderful matter done by three Witches of great wealth who transforming themselves into three Cats assaulted a Faggot-maker who having hurt them all with a faggot-stick was like to have been put to death But he was miraculously delivered and they worthily punished as the story saith from whence Bodin had it After a great many other such beastly fables he inveyeth against such Physitians as say that Lycanthropia is a disease and a transformation Item he maintaineth as sacred and true all Homers fables of Circe and Ulysses his companions inveying against Chrysostome who rightly interpreteth Homers meaning to be that Ulysses his people were by the harlot Circe made in their brutish manners to resemble Swine But least some Poets fables might be thought lyes whereby the Witchmongers arguments should quail he maintaineth for true the most part of Ovids Metamorphosis and the greatest absurdities and impossibilities in all that book marry he thinketh some one tale therein may be fained Finally he confirmeth all these toyes by the story of Nebuchadnezzar And because saith he Nebuchadnezzar continued seven years in the shape of a beast therefore may Witches remain so long in the form of a beast having in all the mean time the shape hair voice strength agility swiftness food and excrements of beasts and yet reserve the minds and souls of Women or Men. Howbeit St. Augustine whether to confute or confirm that opinion judge you saith Non est credendum humanum corpus daemonum arte vel potestate in bestialia lineamenta converti posse We may not believe that a mans body may be altered into the lineaments of a beast by the Devils art or power Item Bodin saith that the reason why Witches are most commonly turned into Wolves is because they usually eat children as Wolves eat cattle Item that the cause why other are truly turned into Asses is for that such have been desirous to understand the secrets of Witches Why Witches are turned into Cats he alledgeth no reason and therefore to help him forth with that paraphrase I say that Witches are curst queans and many times scratch one another or their neighbours by the faces and therefore perchance are turned into Cats But I have put twenty of these Witchmongers to silence with this one question to wit Whether a Witch that can turn a Woman into a Cat c. can also turn a Cat into a Woman CHAP. II. Absurd reasons brought by Bodin and such others for confirmation of Transformations THese examples and reasons might put us in doubt that every Asse Wolf or Cat that we see were a Man a Woman or a Child I marvel that no man useth this distinction in the definition of a man But to what end should one dispute against these creations and recreations when Bodin washeth away all our arguments with one word confessing that none can create any thing but God acknowledging also the force of the Canons and embracing the opinions of such Divines as write against him in this behalf Yea he doth now contrary to himself elsewhere affirm that the Devil cannot alter his form And lo this is his distinction Non essentialis forma id est ratio sed figura solum permutatur The essential form to wit reason is not changed but the shape or figure And thereby he proveth it easie enough to create men or beasts with life so as they remain without reason Howbeit I think it is an easier matter to turn Bodines reason into the reason of an Asse than his body into the shape of a Sheep which be saith is an easie matter because Lots wife was turned into a stone by the Devil Whereby he sheweth his gross ignorance As though God that commanded Lot upon pain of death not to look back who also destroyed the City of Sodome at that instant had not also turned her into a salt stone And as though all this while God had been the Devils drudge to go about this business all the night before and when a miracle should be wrought the Devil must be fain to do it himself Item he affirmeth that these kind of Tranfigurations are more common with them in the West
made Yea the spirits themselves have their laws and limits prescribed beyond the which they cannot pass one hairs breadth otherwise God should be contrary to himself which is far from him Neither is Gods omnipotency hereby qualified but the Devils impotency manifested who hath none other power but that which God from the beginning hath appointed unto him consonant to his nature and substance He may well be restrained from his power and will but beyond the same he cannot pass as being Gods minister no further but in that which he hath from the beginning enabled him to do which is that he being a spirit may with Gods leave and ordinance viciate and corrupt the spirit and will of man werein he is very diligent What a beastly assertion is it that a man whom God hath made according to his own similitude and likeness should be by a Witch turned into a beast What an impiety is it to affirm that an Asses body is the temple of the holy Ghost Or an Asse to be the child of God and God to be his Father as it is said of man Which Paul to the Corinthians so divinely confuteth who saith That our bodies are the members of Christ in the which we are to glorifie God for the body is for the Lord and the Lord is for the body Surely he meaneth not for an Asses body as by this time I hope appeareth in such wife as Bodin may go hide him for shame especially when he shall understand that even into these our bodies which God hath framed after his own likeness he hath also breathed that spirit which Bodin saith is now remaining within an Asses body which God hath so subjected in such servility under the foot of man of whom God is so mindful that he hath made him little lower then Angels yea than himself and crowned him with glory and worship and made him to have dominion over the works of his hands as having put all things under his feet all Sheep and Oxen yea Wolves Asses and all other beasts of the field the fouls of the air the fishes of the sea c. Bodins Poet Ovid whose Metamorphosis makes so much for him saith to the overthrow of this phantastical imagination Os homini sublime dedit coelumque videre Jussit erectos ad sydera tollere vultus The effect of which verses is this The Lord did set mans fade so hie That he the heavens might behold And look up to the starry skie To see his wonders manifold Now if a Witch or a Devil can so alter the shape of a man as contrarily to make him look down to hell like a beast Gods works should not only be defaced and disgraced but his ordinance should be wonderfully altered and thereby confounded CHAP. VI. The Witchmongers Objections concerning Nebuchadnezzar answered and their error cerning Lycanthropia confuted MAlleus Maleficarum Bodin and many other of them that maintain Witchcraft triumph upon the story of Nebuchadnezzar as though Circes had transformed him with her sorceties into an Ox as she did others into Swine c. I answer that he was neither in body nor shape transformed at all according to their gross imagination as appeareth both by the plain words of the text and also by the opinions of the best Interpreters thereof but that he was for his beastly government and conditions thrown out of his Kingdom and banished for a time and driven to hide himself in the Wilderness there in exile to lead his life in a beastly sort among beasts of the field and fowles of the air for by the way I tell you it appeareth by the text that he was rather turned into the shape of a fowl than of a beast until he rejecting his beastly conditions was upon his repentance and amendment called home and restored unto his Kingdom Howbeit this by their confession was neither Devils nor Witches doing but a miracle wrought by God whom alone I acknowledge to bring to pass such works at his pleasure Wherein I would know what our Witch-mongers have gained I am not ignorant that some write that after the death of Nebuchadnezzar his son Evilmerodath gave his body to the ravens to be devoured least afterwards his father should arise from death who of a beast became a man again But this tale is meeter to have place in the Cabalistical art to wit among unwritten verities than here To concude I say that the transformations which these Witch-mongers do so rave and rage upon is as all the learned sort of Physitians affirm a disease proceeding partly from melancholy whereby many suppose themselves to be Wolves or such ravening beasts For Lycanthropia is of the ancient Physitians called Lupina melancholia or Lupina insania J. Wierus declareth very learnedly the cause the circumstance and the cure of this disease I have written the more herein because hereby great Princes and Potentates as well as poor Women and Innocents have been defamed and accounted among the number of Witches CHAP. VII A special Objection answered concerning Transportations with the consent of divers Writers thereupon FOr the maintenance of Witches Transportations they object the words of the Gospel where the Devil is said to take up Christ and to set him on a pinnacle of the Temple and on a mountain c. which if he had done in manner and form as they suppose it followeth not therefore that Witches could do the like nor yet that the Devil would do it for them at their pleasure for they know not their thoughts neither can otherwise communicate with them But I answer that if it were so grossely to be understood as they imagine it yet should it make nothing to their purpose For I hope they will not say that Christ had made any ointments or entred into any league with the Devil and by vertue thereof was transported from out of the Wilderness unto the top of the temple at Jerusalem or that the Devil could have masteries over his body whose soul he could never lay hold upon especially when he might with a beck of his finger have called unto him and have had the assistance of many legions of Angels Neither as I think will they presume to make Christ partaker of the Devils purpose and sin in that behalf If they say This was an action wrought by the special providence of God and by his appointment that the Scripture might be fulfilled then what gain our Witchmongers by this place First for that they may not produce a particular example to prove so general an argument And again if it were by Gods special providence and appointment then why should it not be done by the hand of God as it was in the story of Job Or if if it were Gods special purpose and pleasure that there should be so extraordinary a matter brought to pass by the hand of the Devil could not God have given to the wicked Angel
speak more wisely than so For a temporal judge saith not to the hangman I give thee leave to hang this offender but commandeth him to do it But the maintainers of Witches omnipotency say Do you not see how really and palpably the Devil tempted and plagued Job I answer first that there is no corporal or visible Devil named nor seen in any part of that circumstance secondly that it was the hand of God that did it thirdly that as there is no community between the person of a Witch and the person of a devil so was there not any conference or practise between them in this case And as touching the communication betwixt God and the Devil behold what Calvin saith writing or rather preaching of purpose upon that place whereupon they think they have so great advantage When Satan is said to appear before God it is not done in some place certain but the Scripture speaketh so to apply it self to our rudeness Certainly the Devil in this and such like cases is an instrument to work Gods will and not his own and therefore it is an ignorant and an ungodly saying as Calvin judgeth it to affirm that God doth but permit and suffer the Devil For if Satan were so at his own liberty saith he we should be overwhelmed at a sudden And doubtless if he had power to hurt the body there were no way to resist for he would come invisibly upon us and knock us on the heads yea he would watch the best and dispatch them whilest they were about some wicked act If they say God commandeth him no body impugneth them but that God should give him leave I say with Calvin that the Devil is not in such favour with God as to obtain any such request at his hands And whereas by our Witchmongers opinions and arguments the Witch procureth the Devil and the Devil asketh leave of God to plague whom the Witch is disposed there is not as I have said any such corporal communication between the Devil and a Witch as Witchmongers imagine Neither is God moved at all at Satans sute who hath no such favour or grace with him as to obtain any thing at his hands But M. Mal. and his friends deny that there were any Witches in Jobs time yea the Witchmongers are content to say that there were none found to exercise this art in Christs time from his birth to his death even by the space of thirty three years If there had been any say they they should have been there spoken of As touching the authority of the book of Job there is no question but that it is very canonical and authentick Howbeit many Writers both of the Jews and others are of opinion that Moses was the Author of this book and that he did set it as a looking-glass before the people to the intent the children of Abraham of whose race he himself came might know that God shewed favour to others that were not of the same line and be ashamed of their wickedness seeing an uncircumcised Painime had so well demeaned himself Upon which argument Calvin though he had written upon the same saith that forasmuch as it is uncertain whether it were Res gesta or Exempli gratia we must leave it in suspense Nevertheless saith he let us take that which is out of all doubt namely that the holy Ghost hath indited the book to the end that the Jews should know that God hath had a people alwayes to serve him throughout the World even of such as were no Jews nor segregated from other nations Howbeit I for my part deny not the verity of the story though indeed I must confess that I think there was no such corporal interlude between God the Devil and Job as they imagine neither any such real presence and communication as the Witchmongers conceive and maintain who are so gross herein that they do not only believe but publish so palpable adsurdities concerning such real actions betwixt the Devil and man as a wise man would be ashamed to read but much more to credit As that S. Dunstan lead the Devil about the house by the nose with a pair of pinsors or tongs and made him rore so lowd as the place rung thereof c. with a thousand the like fables without which neither the art of Popery nor of Witchcraft could stand But you may see more of this matter elsewhere where in few words which I thought good here to omit least I should seem to use too many repetitions I answer effectually to their cavils about this place CHAP. IX What several sorts of Witches are mentioned in the Scriptures and how the word Witch is there applyed BUt what sorts of Witches soever M. Mal. or Bodin say there are Moses spake only of four kinds of impious Coseners or Witches whereof our Witchmongers old women which dance with the Fairies e. are none The first were Praestigiatores Pharaonis which as all Divines both Hebrews and others conclude were but Coseners and Juglers deceiving the Kings eyes with illusions and sleights and making false things to appear as true which nevertheless our Witches cannot do The second is Mecasapha which is she that destroyeth with poyson The third are such as use sundry kinds of Divinations and hereunto pertain these words Kasam Onen Ob Idoni The fourth is Habar to wit when Magicians or rather such as would be reputed cunning therein mumble certain secret words wherein is thought to be great efficacy These are all Coseners and Abusers of the people in their several kinds But because they are all termed of our translators by the name of Witches in the Bible therefore the lyes of M. Mal. and Bodin and all our old Wives tales are applyed unto these names and easily believed of the common people who have never hitherto been instructed in the understanding of these words In which respect I will by Gods grace shew you concerning the signification of them the opinion of the most learned in our age specially of Johannes Wierus who though he himself were singularly learned in the tongues yet for his satisfaction and full resolution in the same he sent for the judgement of Andraeas Massius the most famous Hebrician in the World and had in it such sense and order as I mean to set down unto you And yet I give you this note by the way that Witchcraft or Inchantment is diversly taken in the Scriptures sometimes nothing tending to such end as it is commonly thought to do For 1 Sam. 15.23 it is all one with Rebellion Jesabel for her idolatrous life is called a Witch Also in the new Testament even S. Paul saith the Galathians are bewitched because they were seduced and led from the true understanding of the Scriptures Item sometimes it is taken in good part as the Magicians that came to worship and offer to Christ and also where Daniel is said to
be an Inchanter yea a principal Inchanter which title being given him in divers places of that story he never seemed to refuse or dislike but rather intreateth for the pardon and qualification of the rigor towards other Inchanters which were meer coseners indeed as appeareth in the second Chapter of Daniel where you may see that the King espyed their fetches Sometimes such are called Conjurers as being but Rogues and lewd people would use the name of Jesus to work miracles whereby though they being faithless could work nothing yet is their practice condemned by the name of Conjuration Sometimes Juglers are called Witches Sometimes also they are called Sorcerers that impugne the Gospel of Christ and seduce others with violent perswasions Sometimes a Murtherer with poyson is called a Witch Sometimes they are so termed by the very signification of their names as Elymas which signifies a Sorcerer Sometimes because they study curious and vain arts Sometimes it is taken for wounding or grieving of the heart Yea the very word Magus which is Latin for a Magician is translated a Witch and yet it was heretofore alwayes taken in the good part And at this day it is indifferent to say in the English tongue She is a Witch or She is a wise Woman Sometimes observers of Dreams sometimes Soothsayers sometimes the observers of the flying of fowls of the meeting of toads the falling of salt c. are called Witches Sometimes he or she is called a Witch that take upon them either for gain or glory to do miracles and yet can do nothing Sometimes they are called Witches in common speech that are old lame curst or melancholike as a nick name But as for our old Women that are said to hurt children with their eyes or Lambs with their looks or that pull down the Moon out of heaven or make so foolish a bargain or do such homage to the Devil you shall not read in the Bible of any such Witches or of any such actions imputed to them BOOK VI. CHAP. I. The exposition of this Hebrew word Chasaph wherein is answered the Objection contained in Exod. 22. to wit Thou shalt not suffer a Witch to live and of Simon Magus Acts 8. CHasaph being an Hebrew word is latined Veneficium and is in English Poysoning or Witchcraft if you will so have it The Hebrew sentence written in Exod. 22. is by the 70 Interpreters translated thus into Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which in Latin is Veneficos sive Veneficas non retinebitis in vita in English You shall not suffer any Poysoners or as it is translated Witches to live The which sentence Josephus an Hebrew born and a man of great estimation learning and fame interpreteth in this wise Let none of the children of Israel have any poyson that is deadly or prepared to any hurtful use If any be apprehended with such stuffe let him be put to death and suffer that which he meant to do to them for whom he prepared it The Rabbins exposition agreeth herewithal Lex Cornelia differeth not from the sense to wit that he must suffer death which either maketh selleth or hath any poyson to the intent to kill any man This word is found in these places following Exod. 22.18 Deut. 18.10 2 Sam. 9.22 Dan. 2.2 2 Chron. 33.6 Esay 47.9 12. Malach. 3.5 Jerem. 27.10 Mich. 5.2 Nah. 3.4 bis Howbeit in all our English translations Chasaph is translated Witchcraft And because I will avoid prolixity and contention both at once I will admit that Veneficae were such Witches as with their poysons did much hurt among the children of Israel and I will not deny that there remain such unto this day bewitching men and making them believe that by vertue of words and certain Ceremonies they bring to pass such mischiefs and intoxications as they indeed accomplish by poysons And this abuse in cosenage of people together with the taking of Gods name in vain in many places of the Scripture is reproved especially by the name of Witchcraft even where no poysons are According to the sense which St. Paul used to the Galathians in these words where he sheweth plainly that the true signification of Witchcraft is cosenage O ye foolish Galathians saith he who hath be witched you to wit cosened or abused you making you believe a thing which is neither so nor so Whereby he meaneth not to ask of them who hath with Charmes c. or with poysons deprived them of their health life cattel or children c. but whom hath abused or cosened them to make them believe lyes This phrase is also used by Job 15. But that we may be throughly resolved of the true meaning of this phrase used by Paul Gal. 3. let us examine the description of a notable Witch called Simon Magus made by St. Luke There was saith he in the City of Samaria a certain man called Simon which used Witchcraft and bewitched the people of Samaria saying that he himself was some great man I demand in what other thing here do we see any Witchcraft than that he abused the people making them believe he could work miracles whereas in truth he could do no such thing as manifestly may appear in the 13 and 19 ver of the same chap. where he wondered at the miracles wrought by the Apostles and would have purchased with mony the power of the holy Ghost to work wonders It will be said the people had reason to believe him because it is written That he of long time had bewitched them with Sorceries But let the bewitched Galathians be a warning both to the bewitched Samaritans and to all other that are cosened or bewitched through false Doctrine or Legierdemain least while they attend to such fables and lyes they be brought into ignorance and so in time be led with them away from God And finally let us all abandon such Witches and Coseners as with Simon Magus set themselves in the place of God boasting that they can do miracles expound dreams foretel things to come raise the dead c. which are the works of the holy Ghost who only seacheth the heart and reins and only worketh great wonders which are now stayed and accomplished in Christ in whom who so steadfastly believeth shall not need to be by such means resolved or confirmed in his Doctrine and Gospel And as for the unfaithful they shall have none other miracle shewed unto them but the sign of Jonas the Prophet And therefore I say whatsoever they be that with Simon Magus take upon them to work such Wonders by Soothsaying Sorcery or Witchcraft are but lyers deceivers and coseners according to Syrachs saying Sorcery Witchcraft Soothsaying and Dreams are but vanity and the Law shall be fulfilled without such lies God commanded the people That they should not regard them that wrought with Spirits nor Soothsayers for the estimation that was attributed to them offended God CHAP. II.
the Falling-sickness and all Feavers Gowts Fluxes Fistula's issues of blood and finally whatsoever care even beyond the skill of himself or any other foolish Physitian is cured and perfectly healed by words of Inchantment Marry M. Ferrarius although he allowed and practised this kind of Physick yet he protesteth that he thinketh it none otherwise effectual than by the way of constant opinion so as he affirmeth that neither the Character nor the Charm nor the Witch nor the Devil accomplish the cure as saith he the experiment of the Tooch-ach will manifestly declare wherein the cure is wrought by the confidence or diffidence as well of the Patient as of the Agent according to the Poets saying Nos habitat non Tartara sed nec sidera caeli Spiritus in nobis qui viget illa facit Englished by Abraham Fleming Not hellish furies dwell in us Nor Stars with influence heavenlys The spirit that lives and rules in us Doth every thing ingeniously This saith he cometh to the unlearned through the opinion which they conceive of the Characters and holy words but the learned that know the force of the mind and imagination work miracles by means thereof so as the unlearned must have external helps to do that which the learned can do with a word only He saith that this is called Homerica medicatio because Homer discovered the blood suppressed by words and the infections healed by or in mysteries CHAP. XIII Of the Effects of Amulets the drift of Argerius Ferrarius in the commendation of Charms amp c. four sorts of Homerical Medicines and the choyce thereof of Imagination AS touching mine opinion of these Amulets Characters and such other bables I have sufficiently uttered it elsewhere and I will bewray the vanity of the superstitious trifles more largely hereafter And therefore at this time I only say that those Amulets which are to be hanged or carried about one if they consist of Herbs Roots Stones or some other metal they may have divers medicinable operations and by the vertue given to them by God in their creation may work strange effects and cures and to impute this vertue to any other matter is Witchcraft And whereas A. Ferrarius commendeth certain Amulets that have no shew of Physical operation as a nail taken from a Cross Holy-water and the very sign of the Cross with such like Popish stuffe I think he laboureth thereby rather to draw men to Popery than to teach or perswade them in the truth of Physick or Philosophy And I think thus the rather for that he himself seeth the fraud hereof confessing that where these Magical Physitians apply three seeds of three-leaved grass to a Tertian Ague and four to a Quartain that the number is not material But of these Homerical medicines he saith there are four sorts whereof Amulets Characters and Charms are three howbeit he commendeth and preferreth the fourth above the rest and that he saith consisteth in illusions which he more properly calleth stratagems Of which sort of illusions he alledgeth for example how Philodotus did put a Cap of Lead upon ones head who imagined he was headless whereby the party was delivered from his disease or conceit Item Another cured a woman that imagined that a Serpent or Snake did continually gnaw and tear her entrails and that was done only by giving her a Vomit and by foisting into the matter vomited a little Serpent or Snake like unto that which she imagined was in her belly Item Another imagined that he alwayes burned in the fire under whose bed a fire was privily conveyed which being taken out before his face his fansie was satisfied and his heat allayed Hereunto pertaineth that the Hickot is cured with sudden fear or strange news yea by that means Agues and many other strange and extream diseases have been healed And some that have lien so sick and sore of the Gowt that they could not remove a joynt through sudden fear of fire or ruin of houses have forgotten their infirmities and griefs and have run away But in my tract upon melancholy and the effects of imagination and in the discourse of Natural Magick you shall see these matters largely touched CHAP. XIV Choice of Charms against the Falling-Evil the biting of a mad Dog the stinging of a Scorpion the Tooth-ach for a Woman in Travel for the Kings-Evil to get a Thorn out of any member or a Bone out of ones Throat Charms to be said Fasting or at the gathering of Herbs for sore Eyes to open Locks against Spirits for the Bots in a Horse and specially for the Duke of Alba's Horse for sower Wines c. THere be innumerable Charms of Conjurers bad Physitians lewd Chirurgians Melancholick Witches and Coseners for all diseases and griefs specially for such as bad Physitians and Chirurgians know not how to cure and in truth are good stuffe to shadow their ignorance whereof I will repeat some For the Falling-Evill TAke the sick man by the hand and whisper these words softly in his Ear I conjure thee by the Sun and Moon and by the Gospel of this day delivered by God to Hubert Giles Cornelius and John that thou rise and fall no more Otherwise Drink in the night at a Spring water out of a skull of one that hath been slain Otherwise Eat a Pig killed with a knife that slew a man Otherwise as followeth Ananizapta ferit mortem dum laedere quaerit Est mala mors capta dum dicitur Ananizapta Ananizapta Dei nunc miserere mei Englished by Abraham Fleming Ananizapta smiteth death Whiles harm intendeth he This word Ananizapta say And death shall captive be Ananizapta O of God Have mercy now on me Against the biting of a Mad-Dog PUt a silver Ring on the finger within the which these words are graven ✚ Habay ✚ habar ✚ hebar ✚ and say to the person bitten with a mad Dog I am thy Saviour lose not thy life and then prick him in the nose thrice that at each time he bleed Otherwise take Pills made of the skull of one that is hanged Otherwise write upon a piece of bread Irioni khïriora esser khuder feres and let it be eaten by the party bitten Otherwise O Rex gloriae Jesu Christe veni cum pace In nomine Patris max. in nomine Filii max. in nomine Spiritus sancti prax Gasper Melchior Balthasar ✚ prax ✚ max ✚ Deus I max ✚ But in troth this is very dangerous insomuch as if it be not speedily and cunningly prevented either death or phrensie insueth through infection of the humor left in the wound bitten by a mad Dog which because bad Chirurgians cannot cure they have therefore used foolish cosening Charms But Dodonaeus in his Herbal saith that the herb Alysson cureth it which experiment I doubt not will prove more true then all the Charms in the world Bat where he saith That the same hanged at a mans Gate or Entry preserveth him and his
bonum Thou shalt not do evil that good may come thereof Lombertus saith that Witchcraft may be taken away by that means whereby it was brought But Gofridus inveyeth sore against the oppugners thereof Pope Nicholas the fifth gave indulgence and leave to Bishop Miraties who was so bewitched in his privities that he could not use the gift of Venery to seek remedy at Witches hands And this was the clause of his dispensation Ut ex duolus malis fugiatur majus that of two evils the greater should be avoided And so a Witch by taking his doublet cured him and killed the other Witch as the story saith which is to be seen in M. Mal. and divers other Writers CHAP. XX. Who are Priviledged from Witches what bodies are aptest to be bewitched or to be Witches why women are rather Witches than men and what they are NOw if you will know who and what persons are priviledged from Witches you must understand that they be even such as cannot be bewitched In the number of whom first be the Inquisitors and such as exercise publick justice upon them Howbeit a Justice in Essex whom for divers respects I have left unnamed not long since thought he was bewitched in the very instant whiles he examined the Witch so as his leg was broken thereby c. which either was false or else this rule untrue or both rather injurious unto Gods Providence Secondly such as observe duly the Rites and Ceremonies of the holy Church and worship them with reverence through the sprinkling of holy Water and receiving consecrated Salt by the lawful use of Candles hallowed on Candlemas-day and green leaves consecrated on Palm-sunday which things they say the Church useth for the qualifying of the Devils power are preserved from Witchcraft Thirdly some are preserved by their good Angels which attend and wait upon them But I may not omit here the reasons which they bring to prove what bodies are the more apt and effectual to execute the art of fascination And that is first they say the force of celestial bodies which indifferently communicated their vertues unto Men Beasts Trees Stones c. But this gift and natural influence of fascination may be increased in man according to his affections and perturbations as through anger fear love hate c. For by hate saith Varius entereth a fiery inflammation into the eye of man which being violently sent out by beams and streams c. infect and bewitch those bodies against whom they are opposed And therefore he saith in the favour of women that is the cause that women are oftner found to be Witches than men For saith he they have an unbridled force of fury and concupiscence naturally that by no means it is possible for them to temper or moderate the same So as upon every trifling occasion they like brute beast fix their furious eyes upon the party whom they bewitch Hereby it cometh to pass that whereas women having a marvellous sickle nature what grief soever happeneth unto them immediately all peaceableness of mind departeth and they are so troubled with evill humours that outgo their venemous exhalation ingendered through their ill-favoured dyet and increased by means of their pernicious excrements which they expel Women are also saith he monethly filled full of superfluous humors and with them the melancholike blood boileth whereof spring vapours and are carried up and conveyed through the nostrils and mouth c. to the bewitching of whatsoever it meeteth For they belch up a certain breath wherewith they bewitch whomsoever they list And of all other women lean hollow-eyed old beetle-browed women saith he are the most infectious Marry he saith that hot subtil and thin bodies are most subject to be bewitched if they be moist and all they generally whose veins pipes and passages of their bodies are open And finally he saith that all beautiful things whatsoever are soon subject to be bewitched as namely goodly young men fair women such as are naturally born to be rich goodly Beasts fair Horses rank Corn beautiful Trees c. Yea a friend of his told him that he saw one with his eye break a precious stone in pieces And all this he telleth as soberly as though it were true And if it were true honest women may be Witches in despight of all Inquisitors neither can any avoid being a Witch except she lock herself up in a chamber CHAP. XXI What Miracles Witchmongers report to have been done by Witches words c. Contradictions of Witchmongers among themselves how Beasts are cured hereby of bewitched Butter a Charm against Witches and a counter-Charm the effect of Charms and words proved by L. Varius to be wonderful IF I should go about to recite all Charms I should take an infinite work in hand For the Witching Writers hold opinion that any thing almost may be thereby brought to pass and that whether the words of the Charm be understandable or not it skilleth not so the Charmer have a steddy intention to bring his desire about And then what is it that cannot be done by words For L. Varius saith that old women have infeebled and killed Children with words and have made women with child miscarry they have made men pine away to death they have killed Horses deprived Sheep of their Milk transformed Men into Beasts flown in the air tamed and stayed wild Beasts driven all noisome Cattel and Vermine from Corn Vines and Herbs stayed Serpents c. and all with words Insomuch as he saith that with certain words spoken in a Bulls ear by a Witch the Bull hath fallen down to the ground as dead Yea some by vertue of words have gone upon a sharp sword and walked upon hot glowing coals without hurt with words saith he very heavy weights and burthens have been lifted up and with words wild Horses and wild Bulls have been tamed and also mad Dogs with words they have killed Worms and other Vermin and stayed all manner of Bleeding and Fluxes with words all the diseases in mans body are healed and wounds cured Arrows are with wonderful strangeness and cunning plucked out of mens bones Yea saith he there be many that can heal all bitings of Dogs or stingings of Serpents or any other poyson and all with nothing but words spoken And that which is most strange he saith that they can remedy any stranger and him that is absent with that very Sword wherewith they are wounded Yea and that which is beyond all admiration if they stroke the Sword upwards with their fingers the party shall feel no pain whereas if they draw their finger downwards thereupon the party wounded shall feel intolerable pain with a number of other cures done altogether by the vertue and force of words uttered and spoken Where by the way I may not omit this special note given by M. Mal. to wit that holy Water may not be sprinkled upon bewitched Beasts but must
things are decided by those means which being honestly meant may be lawfully used But I have said already somewhat hereof in general and therefore also the rather have suppressed the particularities which in truth are meer juggling knacks whereof I could discover a great number Chap. XXXIV Desperate or dangerous Juggling-knacks wherein the simple are made to think that a silly Juggler with words can hurt and help kill and revive any creature at his pleasure and first to kill any kind of Pullen and to give it life again TAke a Hen a Chick or a Capon and thrust a Nail or a fine sharp pointed Knife through the midst of the head thereof the edge towards the bill so as it may seem impossible for her to escape death then use words and pulling out the Knife lay Oats before her c. and she will eat and live being nothing at all grieved or hurt with the wound because the Brain lyeth so farre behind in the head as it is not touched though you thrust your Knife between the combe and it and after you have done this you may convert your speech and actions to the grievous wounding and present recovering of your own self To Eat a Knife and to fetch it out of any other place TAke a Knife and contain the same within your two hands so as no part be seen there of but a little of the point which you must so bite at the first as noise may be made therewith Then seem to put a great part thereof into your mouth and letting your hand slip down there will appear to have been more in your mouth then is possible to be contained therein Then send for drink or use some other delay until you have let the said Knife slip into your lap holding both your fists close together as before and then raise them so from the edge of the Table where you sit for from thence the Knife may most privily slip down into your lap and instead of biting the Knife knable a little upon your nail and then seem to thrust the Knife into your mouth opening the hand next unto it and thrust up the other so as it may appear to the standers by that you have delivered your hands thereof and trust it into your mouth then call for drink after countenance made of pricking and danger c. Lastly put your hand into your lap and taking that Knife in your hand you may seem to bring it out from behind you or from whence you list * But if you have another like Knife and a Confederate you may do twenty notable wonders hereby as to send a stander by into some Garden or Orchard describing to him some tree or herb under which it sticketh or else some strangers sheath or pocket c. To thrust a Bodkin into your Head without hurt TAke a Bodkin so made as the haft being hollow the blade thereof may slip thereinto assoon as you hold the point upward and set the same to your forehead and seem to thrust it into your head and so with a little sponge in your hand you may bring out blood or wine making the beholders think the blood or the wine whereof you may say you have drunk very much runneth out of your fore-head Then after countenance of pain and greif pull away your hand suddenly holding the point downward and it will fall so out as it will seem never to have been thrust into the haft but immediately thrust that Bodkin into your lap or pocket and pull out another plain Bodkin like the same saving in that conceit To thrust a Bodkin through your Tongue and a Knife through your Arm a pitiful sight without hurt or danger MAke a Bodkin the blade thereof being sundred in the middle so as the one part be not near to the other almost by three quarters of an inch each part being kept asunder with one small bought or crooked piece of Iron of the fashion described hereafter in place convenient Then thrust your tongue betwixt the foresaid space to wit into the bought left in the Bodkin blade thrusting the said bought behind your teeth and biting the same and then it shall seem to stick so fast in and through your tongue that one can hardly pull it out * Also the very like may be done with a Knife so made and put upon your Arm and the wound will appear the more terrible if a little blood be poured thereupon To thrust a piece of Lead into one Eye and to drive it about with a stick between the skin and flesh of the fore-head until it be brought to the other Eye and there thrust out PUt a piece of Lead into one of the neather lids of your Eye as big as a tag of a point but not so long which you may do without danger and with a little juggling stick one end thereof being hollow seem to thrust the like piece of Lead under the other Eye-lid but convey the same indeed into the hollowness of the stick the stopple or peg thereof may be privily kept in your hand until this feat be done Then seem to drive the said piece of Lead with the hollow end of the said stick from the same eye and so with the end of the said stick being brought along upon your forehead to the other eye you may thrust out the piece of Lead which before you had put thereinto to the admiration of the beholders * Some eat the Lead and then shove it out of the eye and some put put it into both but the first is best To cut half your Nose asunder and to heal it again presently without any Salve TAke a Knife having a round hollow gap in the middle and lay it upon your Nose and so shall you seem to have cut your Nose half asunder Provided alwayes that in all these you have another like Knife without a gap to be shewed upon the pulling out of the same and words of Inchantment to speak blood also to bewray the wound and nimble conveyance To put a Ring through your Cheek THere is another old knack which seemeth dangerous to the Cheek for the accomplishing whereof you must have two Rings of like colour and quantity the one filed asunder so as you may thrust it upon your Cheek the other must be whole and conveyed upon a stick holding your hand thereupon in the middle of the stick delivering each end of the same stick to be holden fast by a stander by Then conveying the same cleanly into your hand or for lack of good conveyance into your lap or pocket pull away your hand from the stick and in pulling it away whirle about the Ring and so will it be thought that you have put thereon the Ring which was in your Cheek To cut off ones Head and to lay it in a Platter c which the Jugglers call the decollation of John Baptist TO shew a most notable execution by this
except thou Spirit N. do come and appear visibly in this Crystal-stone in my presence here immediately as it is aforesaid Let the great curse of God the anger of God the shadow and darkness of death and of eternal condemnation be upon thee Spirit N. for ever and ever because thou hast denyed thy faith thy health and salvation For thy great disobedience thou art worthy to be condemned Therefore let the divine Trinity Thrones Dominions Principates Potestates Virtutes Cherubim and Seraphim and all the souls of Saints both of men and women condemn thee for ever and be a witness against thee at the day of judgment because of thy disobedience And let all creatures of our Lord Jesus Christ say thereunto Fiat Fiat fiat Amen And when he is appeared in the Crystal-stone as is said before bind him with this bond as followeth to wit I conjure thee Spirit N. that art appeared to me in this Crystal-stone to me and to my fellow I conjure thee by all the royall words aforesaid the which did constrain thee to appear therein and their vertues I charge thee by them all that thou shall not depart out of this Crystal-stone until my will being fulfilled thou be licened to depart I conjure and bind thee Spirit N. by that omnipotent God which commanded the Angel S. Michael to drive Lucifer out of the Heavens with a Sword of vengeance and to fall from joy to pain and for dread of such pain as he is in I charge thee Spirit N. that thou shalt not go out of the Crystal-stone nor yet to alter thy shape at this time except I command thee otherwise but to come unto me at all places and in all hours and minutes when and wheresoever I shall call thee by the vertue of our Lord Jesus Christ or by any Conjuration of words that is written in this Book and to shew me and my friends true visions in this Crystal-stone of any thing or things that we would see at any time or times and also to go and fetch me the fairy Sibylia that I may talk with her in all kind of talk as I shall call her by any Conjuration of words contained in this Book I conjure thee Spirit N. by the great wisdom and divinity of his Godhead my will to fulfill as is aforesaid I charge thee upon pain of condemnation both in this world and in the world to come Fiat fiat fiat Amen This done go to the place fast by and in a fair Parlor or Chamber make a ✚ ✚ ✚ Sorthie Sorthia Sorthios circle with chalk as hereafter followeth and make another circle for the fairy Sibylia to appear in four foot from the circle thou art in and make no names therein or cast any holy thing therein but make a circle round with chalk and let the Master and his fellow sit down in this circle the Master having the Book in his hand his fellow having the Crystal-stone in his right hand looking in the Stone when the Fairy doth appear The Master also must have upon his brest this figure here written in Parchment and begin to work in the new of the ☽ and in the hour of ♃ the ☉ and the ☽ to be in one of inhabiters signes as ♋ ♠♓ This bond as followeth is to cause the Spirit in the Crystal-stone to fetch unto thee the fairy Sibylia All things fulfilled begin this bond as followeth and behold for doubtles they will come before thee before the Conjuration be read seven times I conjure thee spirit N. in this Crystal-stone by God the Father by God the Son Jesus Christ and by God the Holy Ghost three Persons and one God and by their vertues I conjure thee spirit that thou do go in peace and also come again to me quickly and to bring with thee into that circle appointed Sibylia Fairie that I may talk with her in those matters that shall be to her honour and glory and so I charge thee declare unto her I conjure thee spirit N. by the blood of the innocent Lamb the which redeemed all the world by the vertue thereof I charge thee thou spirit in the Crystal-stone that thou do declare unto her this message Also I conjure thee spirit N. by all Angels and Archangels Thrones Dominations Principates Potestates Virtutes Cherubim and Seraphim and by their vertues and powers I conjure thee N. that thou do depart with speed and also to come again with speed and to bring with thee the fairie Sibylia to appear in that circle before I do read the Conjuration in this Book seven times Thus I charge thee my will to be fulfilled upon pain of everlasting condemnation Fiat fiat fiat Amen Then the figure aforesaid pinned on thy brest rehearse the words therein and say ✚ Sorthie ✚ Sorthia ✚ Sorthios ✚ then begin your Conjuration as followeth here and say I conjure thee Sibylia O gentle Virgine of Fairies by the mercy of the Holy Ghost and by the dreadful day of doom and by their vertues and powers I conjure thee Sibylia O gentle Virgine of Fairies and by all the Angels of ♃ and their characters and vertues and by all the spirits of ♃ and ♠and their characters and vertues and by all the characters that be in the Firmament and by the King and Queen of Fairies and their vertues and by the faith and obedience that thou bearest unto them I conjure thee Sibylia by the blood that ran out of the side of our Lord Jesus Christ crucified and by the opening of Heaven and by the renting of the Temple and by the darkness of the Sun in the time of his death and by the rising up of the dead in the time of his Resurrection and by the Virgin Mary Mother of our Lord Jesus Christ and by the unspeakable Name of God Letragramaton I conjure thee O Sibylia O blessed and beautiful Virgin by all the royall words aforesaid I conjure thee Sibylia by all their vertues to appear in that circle before me visibly in the form and shape of a beautiful woman in a bright and white vesture adorned and garnished most fair and to appear to me quickly without deceit or tarrying and that thou fail not to fulfil my will and desire effectually For I will choose thee to be my blessed Virgin and will have common copulation with thee Therefore make hast and speed to come unto me and to appear as I have said before To whom be honour and glory for ever and ever Amen The which done and ended if she come not repeat the Conjuration till they do come for doubtless they will come And when she is appeared take your censers and incense her with frankincense then bind her with the bond as followeth I do conjure thee Sibylia by God the Father God the Son and God the Holy Gost three Persons and one God and by the blessed Virgin Mary Mother of our Lord Jesus Christ and by all the
remedies it appeareth that there were not with Christ good and perfect men For the pillars of the faith to wit Peter James and John were absent Neither was there fasting and praying without the which that kind of Devils could not be cast out For the fourth point to wit the fault of the Exorcist in faith may appear for that afterwards the Disciples asked the cause of their impotency therein And Jesus answered it was for their incredulity saying Thut if they had as much faith as a grain of mustard seed they should move mountains c. The fift is proved by Vitas Patrum the lives of the Fathers where it appeareth that S. Anthony could not do that cure when his Scholar Paul could do it and did it For the proof of the sixth excuse it is said that though the fault be taken away thereby yet it followeth not that alwayes the punishment is released Last of all it is said That it is possible that the Devil was not conjured out of the party before Baptism by the Exorcist or the midwife hath not baptized him well but omitted some part of the Sacrament If any object There was no Exorcist in the primitive Church It is answered That the Church cannot now erre And S. Gregory would never have instituted it in vain And it is a general rule that who or whatsoever is newly exorcised must be rebaptized as also such as walk or talk in their sleep for say they call them by their names and presently they wake or fall if they climb whereby it is gathered that they are not truly name in Baptism Item they say It is somewhat more difficult to conjure the Devil out of one bewitched then out of one possessed because in the bewitched he is double in the other single They have a hundred such beggerly foolish and frivolous notes in this behalf CHAP. XXXV Other gross absurdities of Witchmongers in this matter of Conjurations SUrely I cannot see what difference or distinction the Witchmongers do put between the knowledge and power of God and the Devil but that they think if they pray or rather talk to God till their hearts ake he never heareth them but that the Devil doth know every thought and imagination of their minds and both can and also will do any thing for them For if any that meaneth good faith with the Devil read certain conjurations he cometh up they say at a trice Marry if another that hath no intent to raise him read or pronounce the words he will not stirr And yet J. Bodin confesseth That he is afraid to read such Conjurations as John Wierus reciteth lest belike the Devil would come up and scratch him with his foul long nails In which sort I wonder that the Devil dealeth with none other then Witches and Conjurors I for my part have read a number of their Conjurations but never could see any Devils of theirs except it were in a Play But the Devil belike knoweth my mind to wit that I would be loth to come within the compass of his claws But lo what reason such people have Bodin Bartholomeus Spineus Sprenger and Institor c. do constantly affirm that Witches are to be punished with more extremity than Conjurors and sometimes with death when the other are to be pardoned doing the same offence because say they the Witches make a league with the Devil and so do not Conjurors Now if Conjurors make no league by their own confession and Devils indeed know not our cogitations as I have sufficiently proved then would I weet of our Witchmongers the reason if I read the Conjuration and performe the Ceremony why the Devil will not come at my call But oh absurd credulity Even in this point many wise and learned men have been and are abused whereas if they would make experience or duly expend the cause they might be soon resolved specially when the whole Art and Circumstance is so contrary to Gods Word as it must be false if the other be true So as you may understand that the Papists do not only by their doctrin in Books and Sermons teach and publish Conjurations and the order thereof whereby they may induce men to bestow or rather cast away their money upon Masses and Suffrages for their souls but they make it also a parcel of their Sacrament of orders of the which number a Conjuror is one and insert many forms of Conjurations into their Divine Service and not only into their Pontificals but into their Masse-books yea into the very Canon of the Masse CHAP. XXXVI Certain Conjurations taken out of the Pontifical and out of the Missal BUt see yet a little more of Popish Conjurations and confer them with the other In the Pontifical you shall find this Conjuration which the other Conjurours use as solemnly as they I conjure thee thou creature of Water in the Name of the Fa ✚ ther of the So ✚ n and of the Holy ✚ Ghost that thou drive away the Devil from the bounds of the just that he remain not in the dark corners of this Church and Altar ✚ You shall find in the same title these words following to be used at the hollowing of Churches There must a cross of ashes be made upon the pavement from one end of the Church to the other one handful broad and one of the Priests must write on the one side thereof the Greek Alphabet and on the other side the Latin Alphabet Durandus yieldeth this reason thereof to wit It representeth the union in faith of the Jews and Gentiles And yet well agreeing to himself he saith even there That the Cross reaching from the one end to the other signifieth that the people which were in the head shall be made the tail A Conjuration written in the Masse-book Fol. 1. I Conjure thee O creature of Salt by God by the God ✚ that liveth by the true ✚ God by the holy ✚ God which by Elizacus the Prophet commanded that thou shouldest be thrown into the Water that it thereby might be made whole and sound that thou Salt here let the Priest look upon the Salt mayst be conjured for the health of all believers and that thou be to all that take thee health both of body and soul and let all phantasies and wickedness or Diabolical craft or deceipt depart from the place whereon it is sprinkled as also every unclean Spirit being conjured by him that judgeth both the quick and the dead by fire Resp Amen Then followeth a Prayer to be said without Dominus vobiscum but yet with Oremus as followeth Oremus ALmighty and everlasting God we humbly desire thy clemency here let the Priest look upon the Salt that thou wouldest vouchsafe through thy piety to bl ✚ ess and sanc ✚ tifie this creature of Salt which thou hast given for the use of mankind that it may be to all that receive it health of mind and body so as
and inwardly impeached by Witches and of divers that had their genitals taken from them by Witches and by the same means again restored Page 43 CHAP. V. Of Bishop Sylvanus his leachery opened and covered again how Maids having yellow hair are most cumbred with Incubus how married Men are bewitched to use other mens wives to refuse their own Page 44 CHAP. VI. How to procure the dissolving of bewitched love also to enforce a man how proper soever he be to love an old hag and of a bawdy tricky of a Priest in Gelderland ibid. CHAP. VII Of divers Saints and holy persons which were exceeding bawdy and lecherous and by certain miraculous means became chast Page 45 CHAP. VIII Certain Popish and Magical cures for them that are bewitched in their Privities ibid. CHAP. IX A strange cure done to one that was molested with Incubus Page 46 CHAP. X. A Confutation of the former follies touching Incubus which by examples and proofs of like stuffe is shewed to be flat knavery wherein the carnal copulation with spirits is overthrown Page 47 CHAP. XI That Incubus is a natural disease with remedies for the same besides magica cures herewithal expressed Page 48 CHAP. XII The censure of G. Chaucer upon the knavery of Incubus Page 49 BOOK V. CHAP. I. OF Transformations ridiculous examples brought by the Adversaries for the confirmation of their foolish doctrin Page 50 CHAP. II. Absurd reasons brought by Bodin and such others for confirmation of Transformations Page 52 CHAP. III. Of a Man turned into an Ass and returned again unto a man by one of Bodins Witches S. Agust opinion thereof Page 53 CHAP. IV. A Summary of the former Fable with a Refutation thereof after due Examination of the same Page 54 CHAP. V. That the body of a man cannot be turned into the body of a beast by a Witch is proved by strong Reasons Scriptures and Authorities Page 55 CHAP. VI. The Witchmongers Objections concerning Nebuchadnezzar answered and their error concerning Lycanthropia confuted Page 57 CHAP. VII A special objection answered concerning Transportations with the consent of divers Writers thereupon Page 58 CHAP. VIII The Witchmongers Objection concerning the History of Job answered Page 59 CHAP. IX What several sorts of Witches are mentioned in the Scriptures and how the word Witch is there applyed Page 61 BOOK VI. CHAP. I. THe Exposition of this Hebrew word Chasaph wherein is answered the Objection contained in Exod. 22. to wit Thou shalt not suffer a Witch to live and of Simon Magus Act. 8. Page 63 CHAP. II. The place of Denteronomie Expounded wherein are recited all kind of Witches also their opinions confuted which hold that they can work such miracles as are imputed unto them Page 64 CHAP. III. That women have used poysoning in all ages more then men and of the inconvenience of poysoning Page 66 CHAP. IV. Of divers poysoning practices otherwise called Veneficia committed in Italy Genua Millen Wittenberge also how they were discovered and executed Page 67 CHAP. V. A great objection answered concerning this kind of Witchcraft called Veneficium Page 68 CHAP. VI. In what kind of confections that Witchcrafty which is called Veneficium consisteth of Love-cups and the same confuted by Poets ibid. CHAP. VII It is proved by more credible Writers that Love-cups rather ingender death through venom than love by art and with what toys they destroy Cattel and procure love Page 69 CHAP. VIII J. Bodin triumphing against J. Wier overtaken with false Greek and false interpretation thereof Page 70 BOOK VII CHAP. I. OF the Hebrew word Ob what it signifieth where it is found of Pythonisses called Ventriloquae who they be and what their practices are experience and examples thereof shewed Page 71 CHAP. II. How the lewd practice of the Pythonist of Westwel came to light and by whom she was examined and that all her Diabolical speech was but ventriloquie and plain cosenage which it proved by her own confession Page 73 CHAP. III. Bodin's stuffe concerning the Pythonist of Endor with a true story of a counterfeit Dutchman Page 74 CHAP. IV. Of the great Oracle of Apollo the Pythonist and how men of all sorts have been deceived and that even the Apostles have mistaken the nature of spirits with an unanswerable argument that spirits can take no shapes Page 75 CHAP. V. Why Apollo was called Pytho whereof those Witches were called Pythonists Gregory his Letter to the Devil Page 76 CHAP. VI. Apollo who was called Pytho compared to the Rood of Grace Gregories Letter to the Devil confuted Page 77 CHAP. VII How divers great Clarks and good Authors have been abused in this matter of Spirits through false reports and by means of their credulity have published lies which are confuted by Arist and the Scrip. ibid. CHAP. VIII Of the Witch of Endor and whether she accomplished the raising of Samuel truly or by deceit the opinion of some Divines hereupon Page 78 CHAP. IX That Samuel was not raised indeed and how Bodin and all Papists dote herein and that souls cannot be raised by Witchcraft Page 79 CHAP. X. That neither the Devil nor Samuel was raised but that it was a meer cosenage according to the guise of our Pythonists Page 80 CHAP. XI The Objection of the Witchmongers concerning this place fully answered and what circumstances are to be considered for the understanding of this story which is plainly opened from the beginning of 1 Sam. 28 to the 12. verse ibid. CHAP. XII 12 13 14. 1 Sam. 28. expounded wherein is shewed that Saul was cosened and abused by the Witch and that Samuel was not raised is proved by the Witches own talk Page 82. CHAP. XIII The residue of 1 Sam. 28. expounded wherein is declared how cunningly this Witch brought Saul resolutely to believe that she raised Samuel what words are used to colour the cosenage and how all might also be wrought by Ventriloquie Page 83 CHAP. XIV Opinions of some learned men that Samuel was indeed raised not by the Witches art or power but by the special miracle of God that there are no such Visions in these our days and that our Witches cannot do the like Page 84 CHAP. XV. Of vain Apparitions how people have been brought to fear Bugs which is partly reformed by Preaching of the Gospel the true effect of Christs miracles Page 85 CHAP. XVI Witches Miracles compared to Christs that God is the Creator of all things of Apollo and of his names and portraiture Page 86 BOOK VIII CHAP. I. THat Miracles are ceased Page 85 CHAP. II. That the gift of Prophesie is ceased Page 88 CHAP. III. That Oracles are ceased Page 89 CHAP. IV. A Tale written by many grave Authors and believed by many wise men of the Devils death Another story written by Papists and beleived of all Catholikes approving the Devils honesty conscience and courtesie Page 90 CHAP. V. The Judgment of the Ancient Fathers touching Oracles and their abolishment and that they
should say to our Lady-Church And in the Church-yard he saw a great many dead men and some of them he knew of whom he asked What the matter was c. who answered That the Hangman was slain and the Devil challenged his soul the which our Lady said was her and the Judge was even at hand coming thither to hear the cause and therefore said they we are now come together The Priest thought he would be at the hearing hereof and hid himself behind a tree and anon he saw the judicial seat ready prepared and furnished where the Judge to wit Jesus Christ sate who took up his mother unto him Soon after the Devils brought in the Hangman pinnioned and proved by good evidence that his soul belonged to them On the other side our Lady pleaded for the Hangman proving that he at the hour of death commended his soul to her The judge hearing the matter so well debated on either side but willing to obey for these are his words his mothers desire and loath to do the Devils any wrong gave sentence that the Hangmans soul should return to his body until he had made sufficient satisfaction ordaining that the Pope should set forth a publick form of Prayer for the Hangmans soul It was demanded who should do the errand to the Popes Holiness Marry quoth our Lady that shall yonder Priest that lurketh behind the tree The Priest being called forth and injoyned to make relation hereof and to desire the Pope to take the pains to do according to this decree asked by what token he should be directed Then was delivered unto him a Rose of such beauty as when the Pope saw it he knew his message was true And so if they do not well I pray God we may CHAP. XXVII A Confutation of the Fable of the Hangman of many other feigned and ridiculous Tales and Apparitions with a reproof thereof BY the tale above mentioned you see what it is to worship the Image of our Lady For though we kneel to God himself and make never so humble Petitions unto him without faith and repentance it shall do us no pleasure at all Yet this Hangman had great friendship shewed him for one point of courtesie used to our Lady having not one dram of faith repentance nor yet of honesty in him Nevertheless so credulous is the nature of man as to believe this and such like fables yea to discredit such stuffe is thought among the Papists flat heresie And though we that are Protestants will not believe these toyes being so apparently Popish yet we credit and report other appearances and assuming of bodies by souls and spirits though they be as prophane absurd and impious as the other We are sure the holy Maid of Kent's Vision was a very cosenage but we can credit imprint and publish for a true possession or history the knavery used by a cosening varlot at Maidstone and many other such as that was We think souls and spirits may come out of Heaven or Hell and assume bodies believing many absurd tales told by the Schoolmen and Romish Doctors to that effect but we discredit all the stories that they and as grave men as they are tell us upon their knowledge and credit of souls condemned to Purgatory wandering for succour and release by Trentals and Masses said by a Popish Priest c. and yet they in probability are equal and in number far exceed the other We think that to be a lye which is written or rather fathered upon Luther to wit That he knew the Devil and was very conversant with him and had eaten many bushels of Salt and made jolly good cheer with him and that he was confuted in a desputation with a real Devil about the abolishing of private mass Neither do we believe this report That the Devil in the likeness of a tall man was present at a Sermon openly made by Carolostadius and from this Sermon went to his house and told his son that he would fetch him away after a day or twain as the Papists say he did indeed although they lie in every point thereof most maliciously But we can believe Platina and others when they tell us of the appearances of Pope Benedict the eight and also the ninth how the one rode upon a black Horse in the Wilderness requiring a Bishop as I remember whom he met that he would distribute certain money for him which he had purloined of that which was given in Alms to the poor c. and how the other was seen a hundred years after the Devil had killed him in a Wood of an Hermite in a Bears-skin and an Asses-head on his shoulders c. himself saying that he appeared in such sort as he lived And divers such stuffe rehearsed by Platina Now because S. Ambrose writeth that S. Anne appeared to Constance the daughter of Constantine and to her Parents watching at her Sepulchre and because Eusebius and Nicephorus say That the Pontamian Virgin Origen's Disciple appeared to S. Basil and put a Crown upon his head in token of the glory of his martyrdom which should shortly follow and because Hierome writeth of Paul's appearance and Theodoret of S. John the Baptist and Athanasius of Ammons c. many do believe the same stories and miraculous appearances to be true But few Protestants will give credit unto such shameful fables or any like them when they find them written in the Legendary Festival Rosaries of our Lady or any other such Popish Authors Whereby I gather that if the Protestant believe some few lyes the Papists believe a great number This I write to shew the imperfection of man how attentive our ears are to hearken to tales And though herein consists no great point of faith or infidelity yet let us that profess the Gospel take warning of Papists not to be carryed away with every vain blast of doctrine but let us cast away these prophane and old Wives fables And although this matter have passed so long with general credit and authority yet many grave Authors have condemned long since all those vain Visions and Apparitions except such as have been shewed by God his Son and his Angels Athanasius saith That souls once loosed from their bodies have no more society with mortal men Augustine saith That if souls could walk and visit their friends c. or admonish them in sleep or otherwise his Mother that followed him by Land and by Sea would shew her self to him and reveal her knowledge or give him warning c. But most true it is that is written in the Gospel We have Moses and the Prophets who are to be hearkened unto and not the dead CHAP. XXVIII A Confutation of Johannes Laurentius and of many others maintaining these fained and ridiculous Tales and Apparitions and what driveth them away of Moses and Elias appearance in Mount Tabor FUrthermore to prosecute this matter in more words if I say
it easily be denyd That to every man and woman while they live the natural Life there belongs a Syderial or starry Spirit which takes its original wholly from the Elemental property And according to the weaker or stronger capacity of the party it hath the longer or shorter continuance after the bodyes decease 3. Such persons as are secretly murthered and such as secretly murther themselves do most frequently appear again and wander hear the place where their Carcase is till the radical moisture be totally consumed according to the opinion of Paracelsus after the consumption whereof they can re-appear no longer but are resolv'd into their first being or Astrum after a certain term of months or years according to the vigour or force of that first attraction which was the only cause of their returning 4. The manner and seasons of their appearing are various Sometimes before the person unto whom they do belong depart this life they do by external presentations forewarn him near the time that the day of death approacheth As it is reported of Codrus Laaenus to whom an empty meager Ghost appeared at midnight signifying unto him how sad and lachrymable a Tragedy was shortly to attend him and also adding that he would visit him in the Execution thereof which proved not contrary to the words of the apparition for at the very instant when his Treacherous Wife had stab'd him at the heart on a suddain he beheld the same with preparations for his interment whilst he yet survived after the fatall wound was given 5. Sometimes the starry spirit of a person appears to his beloved Companion many hundred of miles asunder who was ignorant of the death of the party And it hath often been heard that when none of the kindred or family of the said party deceased have ever been disturbed by it or in the least been sensible of its appearing yet to some of its most intimate acquaintance it discovers it self and importunes them to perform some ceremony or other that it may be returned into rest or else discovers some treasure which was hid by the party whilest alive or else some murther which it had commited But the most frequent cause of their returning is when the party hath himself been privately murthered 6. For such is the poysonous malice and bloudy spirit of the murtherers that it sufficeth them not to have privately bereaved them of their Lives but also by certain earnest Wishes Curses and Conjurations they do afterwards adjure them that for such a term of years they shall never have power to appear again Which wishes being earnestly given forth from the hellish root in the murtherer do exceedingly torment the murthered parties spirit taking deep impression thereon so that it is alwayes in continual sorrow and anguish till the term of years be expired and till the murther be made manifest to the world after which discovery it returns to perfect rest This is well known to those that are exercised in Witchcraft and cruell Murthers though not common to those that murther but once 7. There be many Ancient families in Europe to whom the Ghost of their first Progenitor or Ancestor appears immediately before the departure of some Heir or chief in the same family which assertion is confirmed by Cardan in an Example of an Antient family in the Dukedome of Parma called the Tortells to whom there belongs an ancient Castle with a spatious Hall near the Chimney of the said Hall an old decrepit Woman for these hundreds of years is wonted to appear when any of the Family is about to dye And it is reported amongst them that the same is the Ghost of one belonging to the same name and family who for her Riches was murthered by some of her Nephews and thrown into a pit 8. Many such apparitions do for many years continue to be seen in one particular place ever watching for opportunity to discover some murther or Treasure hid And the cause of the difficulty of the said discovery consists in the nature of their substance for could they make use of the organ of the Tongue they might quickly discover it or if they had the outward benefit of Hands they might produce the said Treasure or Carcase murthered but this they are seldome able to accomplish being destitute of the outward Organs and mediation of Hands to hold withall or Tongue to vent their grievances And that this is true the manner of their appearance doth confirm it For all that they are able to effect if they have been murthered is commonly to appear near the very place where their body lies and to seem as if they sunk down or vanished in the same or else to appear in the posture of a murthered person with mangled and bloudy wounds and hair dishevel'd But it is rarely known that any such apparitions have plainly spoken or uttered by words the time of their murther with the cause the persons name or place unless the murther by circumstances hath been more then ordinary horrid and execrable then the remembrance of the same doth sometimes enable the apparition to frame a voice by the assistance of the Air and discover the fact 9. But to speake in general concerning apparitions why they are so seldome seen and why such spirits as appear can not without mans assistance accomplish their design It may easily be apprehended that all Spirits or spiritual Substances and Devills have their life breath and motion in another source or Element then this external world And as any creature whom the Element of Water hath nourished and bred can live but short while upon the Land So it s with them when they come out of their proper habitations which is the cause of the rarity of apparition it being as difficult for any spirit to manifest it self in this outward principle of the four Elements as for a man to continue with his head under water yea it is rather pain then pleasure for any spirit whether good or bad to come into this outward world 10. Great is the villany of Necromancers and wicked Magicians in dealing with the spirits of men departed whom they invocate with certain forms and conjurations digging up their Carkasses again or by the help of Sacrifices and Oblations to the infernal Gods compelling the Ghost to present it self before them how this was performed in antient times by Hags and Witches is notably described in the Aethiopian History of Heliodorus in the practice of an antient woman who coming into the Camp in the dead of night where amongst many slaughtered bodies the body of her Son was also slain whose carkase she laid before her digging a hole and making a fire on each side with the body in the midst Then taking an earthen pot from a three footed stool she poured honey out of it into the pit then out of another pot she poured milk and likewise out of the third Lastly she cast a Lump