blest is to keep the Commandements of God and from vers 15. to the end of the Chapter the only way to be accurst is to disobey God and break his Commandements And whereas Balaam was blamed and afterward slain for teaching this Doctrin so plain to Balak who abused it to insnare Israel yet God hath taught us the same Doctrin that we might know with Israel and by Israels example that nothing can hurt us but sin So we may conclude of Balaam that he was a Prophet and yet acted the part of a Prophet and a Witch both at once at least a Prophet in that his Doctrine was true a Witch in that hee taught Balak to play the Witch that is to draw the people to Idolatry according to the First description which is the very essence of Witchcraft and although God would have this thing come to pass for our instruction yet this was the errour of Balaam That hee had laid open to Balak the way to bewitch he people and in this only he transgressed he did that which God had not commanded him as some other Prophets did besides him 1 King 13.18 19 22. To this Sixth description of a Witch in the text is referred that place in Jerem. 23.10 so commonly falsly interpreted as falsly translated Because of Oathes the Land mourneth as if it were meant of common Swearing which although Swearing be a wicked thing yet what room is there in that place for Swearing unless yee will bring it in abruptly by head and shoulders what coherence is there Tremelius ttanslateth it thus The Land is full of Adulterers and because of Execrations the Land mourneth Execrations is there taken for Incantations being by a Synechdoche put for all kind of Witchcraft being an inseparable companion of Idolatry Adulterers are taken for Idolaters in a Spiritual sense and the false Prophets that used these Incantations to seduce the people are spoken of vers 1 11 13. who being false Prophets or Witches had defiled the Land with their several seducing Witchcrafts leading the people to Idolatry and in this practice of Charming Execrations they were seducers of the people to repose confidence in ungrounded and unwarranted composures of words to bring things to pass which words so composed are meer Incantations or Charms In this Sixth description of a Witch in the text or under the term of a Charmer is contained Conjurers who are Witches only in this sense That they pretend that by vertue of words they can do many things and amongst the rest that they can by vertue of words command the Devil which yet is but a meer cheating delusion to deceive poor Idolatrous people who do more credit the vertue of words than they credit the truth of Gods Word which foolish practice is sufficiently confuted Acts 19.13 certain Exorcists or Conjurers did take upon them to name over them that had evil Spirits the name of the Lord Jesus saying I adjure you by Jesus whom Paul preacheth and the Evil Spirits answered and said Jesus I acknowledge and Paul I know but who are yee Paul and the rest of the Apostles did indeed cast out Devils in the Name of Jesus but not by the bare naming of Jesus but by the spirit and power of Jesus but if words could have done it then those Conjurers might as well have done it and then every one that could but imitate the Apostles and the Prophets and speak the same words or the like might work Miracles but God will have it known otherwise as appeareth in this place of the Acts aforesaid That no words spoken but the power of God bringeth things to pass This was the manner of Idolatrous Heathen to repose great confidence in Charms and they that studied this practice of making and composing of Charms to seduce the people to this kinde of Idolatry were Witches according to this Sixth description in the text Utens incantatione If we do but read of the Heathen we may see in many places how they Idolized Charms or Incantations Plutarch saith That Aganice the Daughter of Hegetoris Thesali being skilful in the course of the Planets fore-told to certain credulous people an Eclipse of the Moon and they had such confidence in Charms that when they saw it came to pass they beleeved that Aganice had with Charms plucked the Moon from heaven Like to that in Virgil Eclog. 8. Carmina vel Coelo possunt deducere Lunam Carminibus Circe socios mutavit Ulyssis Frigidus in pratis cantando rumpitur anguis Inchantments pluck out of the Skie The Moon though she be placed high Dame Circes with her Charms so fine Ulysses Mates did turn to Swine The Snake with Charms is burst in twain In meadows where she doth remain Notwithstanding the Prophet David telleth us That the deaf Adder heareth not or regardeth not the voyce of the most skilful user of Charms Psal 58.5 where he alludeth with deriding to the vain conceit of the Heathen who reposed such confidence in Charms and imputed such power to words This Heathenish Witchcraft to cause people thus to Idolize Charms is still practised by the Pope and his Train their whole form of Religion both in publike worship and common practice consisting of Charms of all sorts and of that very specifical difference of Incantation or Charming which is called Conjuring and if we look in the Masse-book and if you search Durandus you may finde Charms abundance and he that is loath to take so much paines let him but look Mr. Scots discovery of Witchcraft the twelfth Book the ninth Chapter and so forwards where he hath neatly set forth the Witchcraft of the Pope and his Train in the manner of their several Charms though not exemplifying the tenth part of them I will also shew you three or four of them which Master Scot hath also rehearsed with many more The first shall be the Amulet that Pope Leo said he had from an Angel who did bid him take it to a certain King going to Battel and the Angel said that whosoever carried that Writing about him and said every day three Pater nosters three Avies and one Creed shall not that day bee conquered of his enemies nor be in any other danger ghostly or bodily but shall be protected by vertue of these holy Names of Jesus Christ written with the four Evangelists and the Crosses between them ✚ Jesus ✚ Christus ✚ Messias ✚ Soter ✚ Emanuel ✚ Sabbaoth ✚ Adonai ✚ Unigenitus ✚ Majestas ✚ Paracletus ✚ Salvator noster ✚ Agiros Iskiros ✚ Agios ✚ Athanatos ✚ Gasper ✚ Melchior ✚ Balthasar ✚ Matthaeus ✚ Marcus ✚ Lucas ✚ Johannes Another Charm of Pope Leo sent to a King having the like vertues in it being read or carried about a man being in an Epistle written by St. Saviour in these words The Cross of Christ is a wonderful defence ✚ The Cross of Christ be always with me ✚ The Cross is it which I do always worship ✚ The Cross of Christ
Jugler is in the Scripture sence let every one consider seriously who be the Juglers of this and former Ages that ought to be put to death by the Law of Moses we might think that no man were so silly and foolish to think that it is meant common Juglers who play their Tricks in Fayers and Markets nor Gentlemen who sometimes in imitation of them do in sport play Tricks of slight of hand or legerdemain with confederates or without for it is most certain and true that if it bee rightly understood that these do a great deal of good that recreation tending rightly to the illumination of people of all sorts to shew them the vanity and ridiculousness of those delusions and lying Wonders by which men were so easily deluded in old times by Pharaohs Magicians by Simon Magus and Elimas the Sorcerer and now adays by our professed Wizzards or Witches commonly called Cunning Men or good Witches who will undertake to shew the face of the Thief in the Glass or of any other that hath done his Neighbour wrong privily when as they do all by Jugling delusions and are themselves right Witches that cause men to seek to the Devil for help that will undertake and promise to unwitch people that are as fools commonly say bewitched these common sporting Juglers also may illuminate people to see the Jugling Witchcraft of Popish Priests in causing Rhoods to move their eyes and hands in compassion to peoples prayers of which you may read more fully afterward Yet in Queen Elizabeths time as appeareth in Mr. Scots Discovery of Witchcraft in the fifteenth Book Chap. 42. there was a Master of Arts condemned only for using himself to the study and practise of the Jugling craft how justly I will not controvert but this I say That if a man may not study and practise the discovery of Chears without being a Cheater nor the discovery of Witchcraft without being accounted a Witch it is the way for Witches and Cheaters to play their pranks and no man able to tax them or accuse them or to say who they are that are Witches and this foolish nice censuring and ignorant condemning hath bred great and general ignorance of this subject of Witchcraft which God himself describeth so often in the Scriptures for people to know and avoyd the practise of seducing or being seduced by it but for that Master of Arts before named the Lord of Leicester having more wisdom in some things than some had did protect him for a time after he was condemned but what became of him is not mentioned but yet if he had been a Jugler or practiser of that Craft to this end to withstand the Prophets when they wrought true Miracles as Pharaohs Juglers withstood Moses or if he were one that practised it to seduce the people after lying delusions to magnifie himself as a false Prophet like Simon Magus in the Acts or to cause people to ascribe miraculous power to him or to seek to the Devil as our common Deceivers called good Witches do he was deservedly condemned but to study Witchcraft and actually to demonstrate it by practise to shew how easily people were and may be deluded by it seeing God hath commanded Witches to be put to death and what they were or are is not now a days fully understood no not by the Learned is no more deserving death than for Master Scot to write a book in the discovery of it or for a Minister to discover to the people the danger of an Idol to which Witchcraft is necessarily joyned as an upholder and companion or for a Minister to shew the secret and dangerous nature and several windings of Sin and Satan for the essence of a Witch is not in doing false Miracles or any other Witchcraft by demonstration or discovery but in seducing people from God and his Truth As for example Pharaohs Magicians in that they did throw down their stafle and made it seeme to be turned into a Serpent to the end to withstand Moses and to seduce the Aegyptians they were absolute Witches but if any man now do the very same or had then done it to discover the Jugling deceit of it hee is no Witch but a teacher and instructer of the people So again for another example he that goeth behinde a Rhood or other Popish Image and draweth the secret Wiers that causeth the eyes and hands of the Image to move to the end to delude and seduce the people to Idolatry by admiration of it as Popish Priests do he is an absolute Witch but he that goes behind it and acteth the same part and then cometh out and sheweth people the Imposture and sheweth them the Wyers and secret delusions is not a Witch but a discoverer of a Witch that did it to the end to seduce and a Teacher and illuminator of the people See more in the Sixth description But we must know that in Queen Elizabeths time the Protestant Religion being then in its minority when as Popery was but only suppressed and not worn out of the memory nor out of the hearts and affections of men that yet in outward shew were Protestants it was a brief tenent in the Universities that he that did but study and contemplate upon this subject of Witchcraft was a dealer with unlawful and vain Science and ought to be censured for a Witch and by this subtill tradition they feared all Students that no man dared to search into the bowels and secrets of that Craft least as they knew full well thereby he should discover to the World the secret Impostures of the Popish Religion which is altogether upheld by Witchcraft of which Religion many stood daily in expectation to have it set on foot as brief as ever when as they hoped the times would change Hath God given nine several descriptions of Witchcraft at once Deut. 18.10 11. and reiterated them in many places of Scripture that we might take notice who and what they are with the Mystery of iniquity and delusions that they practised and shall not we study and contemplate upon it by this vain tradition were many of their devillish Witchcrafts concealed and came not to light for many years to the view of the world example of that Popish Idol Cheapside Crosse which stood for many years like the Golden Image of Nebuchadnezzar few men knowing the jugling Witchcraft that was therein untill at the command of the Parliament it being pulled down there were found therein the severall slights to move the Arms Eyes and Heads of the Images and the Pipes to convey the water to make the Images shed tears in compassion to the peoples prayers and to convey Milk into the breasts of the Image of the Virgin Mary that the poor deluded people seeing such lying Wonders as Images of Gold to move to weep and shed tears in abundance and Milk to drop out of the Virgins breasts through her earnest labouring with her Son to hear and grant
the Scriptures such a word as Striges lamiae Incubus and Succubus or any word of such signification or importance what were Pharaoh his Magicians but deluders of Pharaoh and the People could they by the help of Satan do any thing truly were they real Miracles did not their madness come to light 2 Tim. 3.9 what spirit had the Maid that followed Paul Act. 16.16 which is said to have the spirit of Python was it more than a cousening spirit of Divination for gain yet still you will say the word Python hath been interpreted by many one that had a familiar spirit imagine they had a familiar spirit although it is but a weak Argument to ground an opinion upon the bare signification of a word except you will have it a seducing lying spirit such a one as was in Ahabs Prophets yet I say answer me these Four Questions First Tell we where a Witch did or could kill a man in Scripture What did Saul go to the Pythonist of Endor for was it that she might help him kill the Philistians or meerly for Augury or Divination what did Pharaoh call his Witches the Magicians before him for was it to kill any Man or Beast by their cunning or meerly to work lying Wonders and dissemble the Miracles that God wrought by Moses so that they might withstand Moses and the truth and blinde Pharaohs eyes because God would harden his heart tell me where you finde in all the Scriptures that a Witch did or could kill a man by Witchcraft shew me in all the Law of Moses concerning the condemning of men or women for Murther that a Murtherer was called a Witch or a Witch a Murtherer Deut. 19. and other places of Scripture are there not several Rules set down for the trying of Murther shew me one that intimateth the Witching of Men or Cattel to death Secondly Shew me in all the Scriptures where Witches are spoken of that a Witch was a secret person or unknown to the World that should need to be tried by blinde circumstances and presumptions and superstitions or by privie Marks or by Teats or Biggs by sinking or swimming or by confessions were not Pharaohs Witches called Prastigiatores magi openly known did not Pharaoh call them together without privie search or inquiry did not Saul banish all the Witches as people openly known and professing the Art of Augury and their several cousening practices when Saul inquired for a Witch did not his servants presently tell him there was one at Endor was she not known without privie search or prime marks Did not the Maid in the Acts that was said to have the spirit of Python or to be a Pythonist follow Paul crying openly did not Simon Magus act his Delusions openly to seduce the people as likewise Eliâ—as the Sorcerer were not the Witchcrafts of Jezabel known to be her delusions that she wrought by the Priests of Baal to seduce the people were not the Witchcrafts of Manasses open actions that made Juda and Jerusalem to go astray where then do we read of a Witch by suspicion or to be tried by presumptions or suspicions or privie marks or other signs that are mans invention whence came this darkness and blinde errour but from the Pope that grand Witch that hath bewitched all Nations we search for Witchcrafts and abominations in a poor womans wooden dish and Christ telleth us they are all in a cup of Gold in the hand of the great Whore Revel 17.4 Thirdly Shew me in all the Scriptures where Witchcraft went without Idolatry Isa 19.3 and had not a necessary dependance on Idolatry Nahum 3.4 Look again Deut. 18.10 11. where all sorts of Witches are spoken of why were they to be cut off and destroyed the reason is immediatly given vers 14. because they defiled the Nations in seducing them unto Spiritual VVhoredom and the Nations were destroyed for seeking and making inquiry after their Divinations or South-sayings or Oracles whereas inquiries ought to be to Gods Prophets vers 15. Was not this Sauls Idolatry when he sought to the Witch of Endor 1 Chro. 10.13 14. was not this the sin of Manasses where he is blamed for using Witchcrafts when he made Juda and Jerusalem go astray to Idols 2 Chron. 33.9 were not the Witchcrafts and VVhoredoms of Jesabel set down as two inseparable companions her Witchcraft being the upholding of the Idol Priests of Baal that by Witchcraft seduced the people to Idolatry were not Pharaohs Magicians seducers of Pharaoh and the people from God was not Simon Magus the like but alas how and where have those poor souls that are commonly hanged for Witches seduced the people to Idolatry who hath been led after them for Divinations and Southsayings many indeed have been led after Southsayers but they are termed good Witches and whereas they as Witches ought to dye many have been put to death by their devillish false accusations and if the Witch of Endor were now living amongst us we should call her a good VVitch so blinde are the times Fourthly Shew me in all the Law of God against Adulterous uncleaneness where Moses writeth of several kindes of uncleaneness as man with man man with beast woman with beast and many more the least intimation of uncleanness by Incubus or Succubus what did Moses forget this Yet because this opinion hath been so upheld by reports and imaginations and by the extorted confession or people that have been condemned in that kinde and sometime by the voluntary confession of despairing melancholly people that have been troubled in minde and wish rather to dye than to live although Volenti mori non est adhibenda fides Yet I intreat you to run over these several places of Scripture with me a little and see how this opinion of VVitches power agreeth with the Scriptures yea how flat contrary it is to Gods Word and the grounds of our Christian faith Yet first because some men will not understand the Scriptures in any other sense than as their own Expositors have done be it right or wrong therefore I refer them that will seek farther than the Scriptures to the words of a general Counsel which Mr. Scot in his Discovery hath alleged as followeth Concil Acqui in decret 26. the words of the Council It may not be omitted that certain wicked VVomen following Satans provocations being seduced by the illusion of the Devil beleeve and profess that in the night time they ride abroad with Diana the Goddess of the Pagans or else with Herodias with an innumerable multitude upon certain Beasts and pass over many Countries and Nations in the silence of the night and do whatsoever these Ladies or Fairies command c. let all Ministers therefore in their several Cures preach to Gods people so as they may know all those things to be false and whosoever beleeveth that any Creature can be made by them or changed into better or worse or be any way transformed into any other kinde or
is true health ✚ The Cross of Christ doth loose the bands of death ✚ The Cross of Christ is the truth and the way ✚ I take my journey upon the Cross of the Lord ✚ The Cross of Christ beateth down every evil ✚ The Cross of Christ giveth all good things ✚ The Cross of Christ taketh away pains everlasting ✚ The Cross of Christ save me ✚ O Cross of Christ be upon me before and behind me ✚ because the ancient enemy cannot abide the sight of thee ✚ The Cross of Christ save me keep me govern me and direct me ✚ Thomas bearing the note of thy Divine Majesty ✚ Alpha ✚ Omega ✚ first and last ✚ midst ✚ and end ✚ beginning ✚ and first begotten ✚ Wisdome ✚ and Vertue ✚ This is still a common practice among the Papists to carry Charms about them to make them Shot-free when they go to Warre as also hath been found by experience in the late Irish Warres before the Cessation of Arms proclaimed by King Charls many of the poor Idolatrous Irish Rebels being found slain with Charms in their pockets composed by the Popish Clergy the Witches of these latter times Another to be said in time of Sickness first let the Party sprinckle himself with Holy Water and then say this Charm following Aqua benedicta sit mihi salus vita Let Holy Water be both life and health to me Another to be said every day and upon every occasion as often as any danger or occasion shall be first let the party that would be blest cross himself with his finger making a sign of the Cross three or four times and then say these words and then without doubt he shall be safe Signum sancta crucis defendat me à malis praesentibus praeteritis futuris interioribus exterioribus That is The sign of the Holy Cross defend me from evils present past and to come inward and outward A Charm or Conjuration or an Exorcism whereby they make Holy Water in the Popish pontifical In Ecclesiae dedicatione I conjure thee thou Creature of Water in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Ghost that thou drive the Devil out of every corner of this Church and Altar so that he remain not within our precincts which are just and holy After these words spoken say they that Water so Conjured hath power and vertue to drive away the Devil and with this Holy Water they use many several Conjurations to keep the Devil in awe with it they Conjure him from their Churches and dwelling houses from their meat and drink and the very Salt upon the Table and if it were not for their continual Conjurations they make people beleeve the Devil would walk every where and kill and devour and carry away therefore they Charm and Conjure their Bells in the Steeple which they also Baptize and name by the name of some Saint or Angel and after these Ceremonies say they and after such holy names named over the Bells and the name of some Saint or Angel given to each Bel written upon them those Bells have vertue to drive away and clear the air from Devils every where within the sound of them from whence was the first beginning of passing peals that the Devils might not come near to carry away the Soul of the dying man although our Church use I confess to ring such peals only to give notice to their Neighbours who desire to see them and to pray tor them before their departure They also use Charms at Funerals perswading people that the Souls of the dead and also their Bodies would be carried away by the Devil if it were not for their charming of which foppery Bucan a learned Theologian reproveth them Loco 24. Quaestione 16. and so the poor Popish people are deluded so long as they see not the Devil in an ugly shape they think they are safe and the Devil farre enough whereas the Devil is no where more than in a Popish Charm or Conjuration and yet Master Scot hath collected in his twelfth Book so many Popish Charms as it appeareth they had Conjurations and other Charms for the Plague the Quartain Feaver the Consumption the Tooth-ache and all manner of Diseases in Men and Cattel and it appeareth still among common silly country people how they had learned Charms by tradition from Popish times for curing Cattel Men Women and Children for churning of Butter for baking their Bread and many other occasions one or two whereof I will rehearse only for brevity An old Woman in Essex who was living in my time she had lived also in Queen Maries time had learned thence many Popish Charms one whereof was this every night when she lay down to sleep she charmed her Bed saying Matthew Mark Luke and John The Bed be blest that I lye on And this would she repeat three times reposing great confidence therein because as she said she had been taught it when she was a young Maid by the Church-men of those times Another old Woman came into an house at a time when as the Maid was churning of Butter and having laboured long and could not make her Butter come the old Woman told the Maid what was wont to be done when she was a Maid and also in her Mothers young time that if it happened their Butter would not come readily they used a Charm to be said over it whilst yet it was in beating and it would come straight ways and that was this Come Butter come come Butter come Peter stands at the Gate waiting for a buttered Cake come Butter come This said the old Woman being said three times will make your Butter come for it was taught my Mother by a learned Church-man in Queen Maries days when as Church-men had more cunning and could teach people many a trick that our Ministers now a days know not Thus we may see still how the Witchcrafts of that grand Witch that Whore of Rome hath deceived all people yet I would not have any think that I accuse the old Wives for Witches for they used these Charms not to seduce but were seduced and bewitched by them to repose confidence in them but the Popish Rout the contrivers of these Charms to delude the people were the Witches those poor deluded old Wives were Idolaters Idolizing of words A Devillish practice of Conjuring Charms used by the Popish Clergy discovered at Orleance in France acted chiefly by two Popish Doctors in Divinity Colimanus and Stephanus Aterbatensis and their Knavery found out IN the place aforesaid in the year of our Lord 1534. it happened that a Maiors Wife dyed and was buried in the Church of the Franciscans her Husband giving the Popish Clergy only six Crowns at the Funeral whereas they expected a greater Prey and were much discontent it happened shortly after that as they were mumbling their Prayers in a Popish manner according to their usual custom in the Church there was