description of a Witch in the text Ariolus a South-sayer The Ninth term of Description THe Ninth term of Description is Necromantis a Necromancer that is in the sense of the Hebrew Consulens mortuos one that seeketh counsel of the dead as Tremellius noteth in the margent This is the last term set down by Moses in the text describing a Witch and this term implyeth the pretence in the impostures used by the foresaid Oraclers and South-sayers as in the Seventh and Eighth description is amply set down and that the world might fully understand the delusion of Witches Moses here setteth down this last and more full expression or term of description of a Witch Necromantis which is all one with the former and in regard of Predictions was called in the Second description Vtens Divinatione a Diviner in regard of the imposture of giving Oracles from a hollow Cave in the earth with a Bottle was called Ob in the Hebrew translated Python by Tremellins that is an Oracle or an Oracler according to the sense of Plutarch de defect orac and in regard of the imposture of counterfeiting a voyce of another by harring in their throats was called Ariolus or Hariolus in regard of the asking counsel of the dead was called Necromantis or consulens mortuos one that asketh counsel of the dead and in regard of the Charms and Conjurations that they used in calling up the souls and spirits of the dead they were Charmers or Conjurers The Seventh and Eighth terms of description do imply the impostures which these deluding Witches used in their Oracling Divinations this Ninth term of description implieth their pretence which they had in those cousening impostures that is they pretended that they consulted with the souls of them that were departed this life and thereby could tell things to come or things hidden and this was one pretence of all that were Oraclers or South-sayers according to which pretence they were called Necromancers according to that place in Isa. 8.19 very fitly rehearsed again in this description in Tremellius translation For when they shall say unto you Ask counsel of Oraclers and South-sayers that whisper and that mutter should not a people ask counsel of their God shall they ask counsel of the dead for them that are living And this pretence of these Witches is manifest not only in the Scriptures but in common Wrlters where we may read the Tenents and the Opinions of the Heathen concerning this matter Plutarch de defec orac sheweth their opinions and vain conceits That the souls of men that were departed this life were of more excellent perfection than the souls of men in the prison of the body and these were by those vain Heathen called Genii which Genii or departed souls say they being of such perfection and having likewise familiarity with the gods would when they were sought unto by men living here come and inspire them to give Divinations which they could easily do by reason of their perfect estate after this life These were by some of the Heathen called and esteemed gods and were among the Romans called Manes that is Infernal gods or souls of men to whom they offered Sacrifices called Inferiae The Pythonist or Witch of Endor did act her part so subtilly that she did not only pretend inspiration from the Soul of Samuel but to satisfie Sauls insatiable blindness in his demand that she could call him up and make him appear to her both Body and Soul united again to prophesie again to Saul which thing indeed was acted by her according to the silliness of Sauls demand as appeareth more fully in the Seventh description who after the Spirit of God had forsaken him was given over to beleeve such foolish fancies of faithless and ignorant people as silly Women and Children and fools are inclined to beleeve unto this day that people after their death can walk and frequent the Houses and Gardens and Orchards where they have used to be in their life time which thing is a meer fancy of faithless and ignorant people and cannot be brought to pass by either Witch or Devil either really or in appearance for it was a Miracle once done by the power of Christ at his suffering upon the Cross that many of the bodies of the Saints that were departed rose and appeared unto many in the holy City Mat. 27.52 53. from whence the Centurion acknowledged Christ to be the Son of God knowing that such things could not be done but by the mighty power of God and he that readeth over the foresaid Book of Plutarch shall easily finde that one of the chief grounds of Oracles and Divinations was this vain conceit of the Heathen that wanted the light of the Scriptures that the souls of dead men did give answers to them that had knowledge in the Art of seeking of Oracles which Art indeed was only a craft of working impostures to delude the people as is set down more at large in the Seventh and Eighth descriptions and from this old conceit of the Heathen and practice of these deluding Witches of ancient times hath that grand Witch that Whore of Rome the Pope and his train derived her notable Witchcraft whereby she hath deluded the world teaching people to invocate the souls of Saints departed as likewise to conjure them Let but the Reader look back to the Sixth term of description a Charmer and there he may read of a notable peece of Necromancy acted by two Popish Doctors at Orleance in France with their devillish Conjurations These Roman Witches are the Necromancers of these latter Ages according to this Ninth description these are the Inchanters of these latter Ages as is fully demonstrated in the Sixth description these are the Jugling Witches of these latter Ages in the Christian world as is fully demonstrated in the Fifth description and therefore it is said of this Purple Whore Revel 18.23 with thy Witchcrafts all Nations were deceived And he that will be zealous for God in obeying the command given in Exod. 22.18 Suffer not a Witch to live must leave his fond ignorant course of teaching people to hang up poor and widows and aged and lame helpless people and must bend his devotion against that Whore of Rome as all the world ought to do as also against the Mahometan Witches among the Turks Therefore it were a good Law in England if duly kept That no Jesuite or Popish Priest should be suffered to live in any part of these Dominions because these Witches are they that bewitch the people where they be tollerated by their several deluding impostures leading the people to Idolatry and also to the undermining of Governments So much for the Ninth term of description of a Witch in the text a Necromantist one that asketh counsel of the dead The false Prophets of ancient times having their several impostures and pretences whereby they seduced the people to vain Idolatry which was abominable to Gods eyes are here
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 heard in a secret Wainscot over the Arches of the Church a great rumbling noyse the Moncks with the said Doctors presently began to Conjure and to ask if it were not some spirit of some body lately dead and if it wer they conjured the same Spirit to rumble again by way of answer which it did then they charged him by their Conjurations to answer by rumbling and knocking whose spirit it was they named many that had formerly been dead and buried and the Spirit would not answer by rumbling and knocking when they named them but at last to bring their purpose to pass they named the Maiors Wife and then the Spirit rumbled exceedingly and made a fearful noyse this they acted several times that it might be known in the City so that many people came to the hearing and witnessing of this strange Wonder but at the last they by their Conjurations had made the Spirit so tame as it made them answer by knocking to any thing they desired it should answer always when it answered not by knocking then they concluded the thing was not so as they asked or demanded but otherways when it knocked then that was an affirmative to the thing asked at last they made the Spirit confess by that manner of answering That it was the departed Soul of the Maiors Wife and that she was damned for holding the Heresie of Luther and that she desired that her Body might be taken up again and buried in some other place for that place was not fit for the body of the Damned being a Consecrated place But the Maior being wise and full of courage so handled the matter that he with the help of some of the City that loved him well caused the place to bee searched where the noyse was the Moncks did take the matter grievously and would have resisted it being at a time of the holy Conjuring but yet the Maior causing a search found there a young Boy placed there by these Popish Doctors on purpose to act the part of a Spirit as formerly related and upon examination he confessed the whole imposture to the shame and confusion of the Actors and Contrivers thereof who were by the Laws which were then and there free notwithstanding the Popish Tyranny censured to be carried to the place of Execution there to confess their deluding Witchcraft Let the Reader take special notice that the Actors and Contrivers of this notable peece of Witchcraft were Witches in a three-fold sense First In their bringing to pass their cheating imposture by consederating with a young Boy to act the part of a Spirit they were Juglers according to the first term of description Secondly In their Charms and Conjurations whereby they charged the Spirit to answer them they were Inchanters and Conjurers according to this Sixth term of description Thirdly In their consulting with the spirit of the dead the Maiors Wife they were Necromancers according to the Ninth term of description This Imposture may be paralleled with that of the Witch of Endor from this cousening Witchcraft of the Popish crue our common Wizards have learned their craft of cousening the people making them beleeve they can Conjure up the Devil to give them Oracles according to the matter that they seek to the Wizard to be resolved of and can conjure him down again at their pleasure As for example I will give you a true story but whether you beleeve it or not it will serve to illustrate the manner of their deceivings A Butcher in Essex having lost Cattel hee resolved hee would go to a Cunning man to know what was become of his Cattel and so went to a notable cousening Knave that was as common people say skilful in the Black Art and this deceiving Witch seeing his opportunity of gaining a Fee for the purpose in hand used his Conjurations in a room contrived for his usual impostures and presently came in a Confederate of his covered over with a Bulls Hide and a pair of horns on his head the poor Butcher sitting and looking in a Glass made for that purpose in which hee was to behold the Object more terrible and not so easily discovered as if he had looked right upon it for he was charged by the Conjurer not to look behind him for if he did the Devil would be outragious this confederate or counterfeit Devil after the Conjurers many exorcising Charms or Conjurations willed the Butcher to look East and West North and South to finde his Cattel the Butcher sought much to finde his Cattel according to the Devils counsel but yet perceiving after much seeking and not finding that it was a meer peece of Knavery returned to the Conjurer again and desired him to call up the Devil once again which he did as formerly but the Butcher had appointed his Boy to stand near hand without the house with a Mastiff Dogge and at the Butchers whistle the Boy as he was appointed let go the Dogge which came in presently to his Master and seised upon the Knave in the Bulls hide the Conjurer cried out as likewise the Devil For the love of God take off your Dogge Nay said the Butcher fight Dogge fight Devil if you will venture your Devil I will venture my Dogge but yet after much intreaty he called off his Dogge but wittily discovered the cheating craft of Conjuring He that acteth the part as this Conjurer did with the same intent to deceive and to make silly people beleeve and repose confidence in words that is in Charms and Conjurations to command the Devil and to keep him in awe is a seducing Witch as he was but he that acteth the same part and causeth people to wonder at him and to think that hee hath really conjured the Devil to this intent only to shew to the world in a sporting way how easily people are and have been deceived is no Witch but may be an instructer and inlightner of silly people according to the Fifth description of Jugling delusions in Pag. 42. And truly if people were not so much naturally given to vain credulity or beleeving of Lyes that sort of Conjurers so commonly prated of by silly people had not been heard of in the world had not these deluders learned this cousening craft from the Popish rout whereby they delude silly people making them beleeve they do things really by vertue of words as by the naming of the Trinity and the several names of God and of Christ and by naming of Angels Arch-Angels and the Apostles just the same with Popish Conjurations whereas their doings as likewise the Popes are all but cheating impostures for if Conjuring Charms could keep the Devil in awe why did hee not submit to the Conjurers Acts 19.13 Another notable true Relation of what happened in a Town in England wherein is plainly
Inquisitions before mentioned sent out by the Pope have for the confirmation of their villanous Doctrins Inventions set forth great Volumes of horrible lyes and impossibilities and also for the hiding of their unparalleled cruelty from the ears of the world of which sort are Iames Sprenger Henry Institor in malleo maleficarum also Nider and Cumanus Daneus Hyperius Hemingius but most of all Bodâ—nus and Bartholomaeâ—â— Spineus I do not say that all these dyed Papists and lest their authority should fail in deceiving the world in this Doctrin of Devils some great Scholars of the Popish rout have approved and affirmed the matter to be true in some causes writing of fascination and of that sort are Thomas Aquinas and Suares In which Authors although they were learned men whosoever readeth their discourse of this subject shall finde nothing at all proved either by Scripture or Philosophical argument but they take it for granted and undoubted truth confirmed by tradition that Fascination or Witchcraft is an Art of killing and afflicting Men and Cattel and upon this Hypothesis they take in hand to dispute upon it not whether it be true or not but how it may be done as they conceive for say they Eâ— si agens non potest diffundere actionem suam usque ad rem distantem fit tamen ut aer proximus inficiatur usque ad certam distantiam perveniat sic noceat alteri if this subject the force of fascination had been first proved by them then this their reason had had some seeming force in it but because it can no way be proved by firm Argument they quote History for it and so pass on to their hypothetical disputes about the reason of it and that they may make the matter seem true one quotes anothers authority for it and Suarez quoteth Thomas Aquinas and Pliny and Pliny citeth Hogonus and Niphodorus and Apollonides for his Authors that among the Triballians and Illyrians and Scythians there be certain Women that can kill with their eye-sight whom they look wishfully upon mark but how first things are reported by Travellers who may lye by authority then Pliny gathereth their several reports into the Volume of his Natural History whom all men may see was abused by being too credulous of other mens reports and yet Suarez is forced to use Plinies Pen to prove that which cannot be proved or defended by reason and having no better Argument he saith further Sunt qui negant illam vim fascinationis sed non est cur experientiam à Philosophis medicis comprobatam feré communi sensu receptam negemus by which Argument a man may as well prove that Idols were gods because they were approved in their time by men of all Arts and Sciences Et ferè communi sensu recepta and further according to Plinies report he saith that these women do kill but by some poysonous quality of their Natural complexion and inward humours of their bodies communicated to the vital spirits and by the action of the minde brought to the eye-sight and from thence infecting the party whom they look upon and this he saith expresly cometh naturally to pass and of inbred natural causes in the Witches bodies but mark how this fellow although notable for learning hath wildered himself in searching out the reason of a meer vain supposition and erroneous tradition that Witches can kill by looks for whereas he giveth this reason that Witches have inward natural poyson whereby they naturally kill others what an absurdity is this to say that any Creature can by its natural quality be contrary or destructive to its own species for a Viper cannot poyson a Viper nor a Toad cannot poyson a Toad for their nature is one and not contrary to its own species Secondly whereas he reasoneth that this poyson is communicated from the humours to the vital spirits and by the action of the minde brought to the eye-sight It is most absurd in Philosophy for what Physician or Philosopher doth not acknowledge that the vital spirits once poysoned do suffocate the Heart the fountain of Life as is often seen in the Pestilence whereby the Witch her self must needs perish and is also often seen in those who having but the Natural humours of their own bodies corrupt the vital spirits are debilitated and cannot operate but the party decayeth and soon perisheth because the heart cannot abide any corrupt poyson or contrary temperature to its own nature Thirdly whereas he saith this poyson is sent from the Witch by the force of seeing this also is an absurdity in Philosophy for all sound Philosophers do acknowledge that Oculus non vidit emittendo vim suam videndi ad objectum visibile sed recipiendo species visibiles ab objecto how then can the sight if it were poyson hurt any way the party upon whom it only looketh Fourthly whereas he saith that Witches do kill by their natural complexion and inward humour being naturally poyson what an absurdity ariseth from hence in Divinity To conceive that God should make men and women naturally poyson and destructive to others and yet should make a Law that such should be put to death yea cruel death for being such as God made them in their nature and complexion Surely if man had stood in the manner in which he was made God had not punished him with death Now after he hath thus intrapped himself in his Discourse by seeking out a reason of that which is not but only conceived to be by credulous people he falleth off from his own weak reasons to the reason that Thomas Aquinas giveth and that is That sometimes this Fascination is wrought by a secret compact with the Devil but how can these Reasons accord one with the other for if it be natural to the Witch to bewitch others what needeth she then to seek help of the Devil to do that which she can do by nature For Deus est author Naturae and sure the Devil cannot make more perfect or forceable that which God hath made but such is the nature of all these Popish Writers that when they cannot strongly enough maintain a Lye they father their Lyes upon their Master the Father of Lyes and are forced after all their vain argumentation to use his name to uphold a Lye and although they were great Scholars have rather intangled themselves with folly in reasoning and with so manifest errour whereby they have exposed themselves to the lash of common Censure than to forsake their Popish darkness which they are ingaged to defend What shall not be done to bring the Popes ends to pass what Lyes what foolish Fictions what impossibilities can the Heart of man devise that these together have not affirmed for truth unto the World to infect the Nations with Heresie or Atheism whereby to destroy the Christian Church And for further confirmation of the matter they have devised among other Tortures to make people confess that they
can do such impossibilities one of the most devillish cruelties that hath been devised among men and that is to keep the poor accused party from sleep many nights and days thereby to distemper their brains and hurt their fancies at length to extort confession from them and then to bring their own confession as an evidence against them and if they cannot make them confess they torture one of their little Children to make it accuse their Parents and that they call confession this trick will tame any wilde Beast and make it tractable or any wilde Hawk and make it tame and come to your fist how much more may it make men or women yeeld to confess Lyes and impossibilities And if that device will not serve then they shave them and search narrowly all parts of their bodies where they think modest men will not be forward to look to see the truth of the matter and there they report that they have found the Devils privie Marks and Biggs for the Devil to suck them a most devillish Lye and invention unless they can shew me Scripture for it but I can shew them Scripture against it Iob. 1.3 Without God was nothing made that was made who then made those Biggs or Teats and who made the bodies of those Devils called Imps Also what Scripture saith that Biggs or privie Marks are signs or trials of Witches yet I deny not but sometimes are found fleshy Warts and other preter-natural tumours written of by Physick Authors as diseases of the body and among other devices as Master Scot in his discovery affirmeth who was zealous for Gods truth and took more pains than ordinary to search and confute those impious Writers they have set down certain signs whereby to suspect and apprehend Witches which are these First If they will not fast on Fridays Secondly If they fast on Sundays Thirdly If they spettle at the time of Elevation Fourthly If they refuse Holy Water Fifthly If they despise Crosses Sixthly If they deny any of the seven Sacraments These are great suspicions that they are Witches for the Devil say they chooseth them by these signs being steps to the reformed Religion apprehend them bring them to the Tormentor but if they see any of these signs they will easily finde other holes enough in their Coates to condemn them Then they cast them into the water to see whether they will sink or swim a meer Jugling delusion to blinde peoples eyes for he that hath been used to the Art of Swimming may know that few men or women being tied hand and feet together can sink quite away till they be drowned or if he lay them flat on their back and hold up their feet with a string their fore-part will not sink and therein they can use Jugling to blinde the peoples eyes for difference sake for when they will save any man or woman they will let loose the string which they hold in their hand and let their feet sink first and then all their body will sink then they cry out to the people Look you now and see the difference betwixt an honest man or woman and a Witch take her out she is an honest woman yea verily for sometimes she is one of their own confederates Yet whereas some may object that some of them that are cast fairly into the water without holding up their feet with a string do sink more than others and some again do swim more than others although none do sink quite away without any part appearing above water The reason of this difference is easie to conceive to men of knowledge for First There is difference of constitution in peoples bodies some are heavie of temper and they sink most some again are more light of temper fuller of vital spirits and they sink not so much Secondly we must observe the Systole and Diastole of breathing some happen to fall into the water when their bodies are full of breath and they swim most some happen to fall into the water when their breath is out of their bodies before they can draw it up again and they sink most Some are kept long fasting in watching and torment and then are cast into the water when their bowels and veins are empty of food and filled with Wind and these swim more than those that are filled with nourishment or perhaps they are kept fasting so long that they have scarce any life left and then they happen to sink most but if they do it must not serve their turn for the cruel Inquisitor will still torment them till he extort confession if the party live long enough for his cruelty to take place Some again are Women cast into the water with their Coates tied close toward their feet and Men with their apparrel on and for this they pretend modesty but who knoweth not that their apparrel will carry them above water for a time Some again are Women whose bodies are dilated with bearing of Children and do always after remain spongiously hollow more apt to swim than to sink especially tied hands and feet together to bring their bodies into a round and apt fashion to swim They that are used to the Art of swimming in the water might easily discover these to be but Delusions and Juglings if they were not too credulous and yet with these hath poor England been bewitched and deceived as also with the former of keeping the accused from sleep till they confess and these delusions have been impiously acted here in England of late in Essex and Suffolk by a wicked Inquisitor pretending authority for it to the cutting off of fourteen innocent people at Chelmâ—ford Assizes and about an hundred at Berry Assizes whereof one was a Minister neer Fremingham of about fourscore years age wherein this Inquisitor hath laid such a president for the Popes Inquisition if times of Popish Tyranny should again come in from which God in his mercy defend us as would not easily be removed when although we have no Laws in England to try people upon Life and Death by any Inquisition or Inquisitor in that manner yet it may then bee said was it Law then when the Law was in your hands and is it not Law now but if such times of tyrannous Inquisition come do they that have had a hand in this president think they shall escape it or their Posterity There is already a president for killing of Ministers for Witches Also some credulous people hearing of the Condemnation of those people have published a Book wherein they report such impossibilities to be done by them as I hope no wise man will beleeve wherein also Hoy the Gaoler is brought in for a Witness a fellow that is not fit to bear the Office of a Gaoler nor any other Office in a Christian Common-wealth who also wanted Vails and thought the more Prisoners were executed the more he should gain and yet it is reported his Testimony was taken as an Evidence against them although
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 likeness by any but by the Creator himself is assuredly an Infidel and worse than a Pagan So much for the words of the Council Yet here is to be noted that this great general Council that thought these people beleeved and confessed such things to be true in their apprehension did not then know the inhuman cruelty that was used upon those people by the cruel Inquisitors to compel and extort confession for their own gain they being maintained by the spoyl of such people being condemned Now for the Scriptures do but mark how those that maintain and report the power of VVitches have equalled their supernatural power with the Miracles of the Prophets of Christ and his Apostles it was the Miracle of Miracles that the Virgin Mary conceived with childe without a man they say a VVitch may do the same by Incubus as Bodin and other Popish VVriters affirm and that such a childe will naturally become a VVitch such a one they say Merlin was no but you say these were Atheists we beleeve not so But some will say the Devil can condense a body and lye carnally with a woman in the shape of a man but not beget yet it was a Miracle that Angels appeared to Abraham in the shape of men Gen. 18.2 yet they will say no but we beleeve the Devil may assume and raise a dead body for a time and so appear to a woman and lye with her and yet it was a Miracle at the suffering of Christ upon the Cross that dead bodies were raised for a time and appeared to many Matth. 27.52 yet a poor VVench was executed at the Assizes at Chelmsford who was compelled by the Inquisitor by keeping her from sleep and with promises and threatnings to confess that she was married to the Devil and that he lay with her six times in a mans shape no but yet some will say the Devil can take upon him an apparent Body and so may talk with a woman and seem to lye with her in shape of a man and so she shall be hanged for things seeming so yet it was a Miracle that Moses and Elias appeared to the Apostles in a Vision Matth. 17.3 Further Christ saith A Spiriâ— hath not flesh and bones Luke 24.39 and yet some say the Devil can condense a body some say he can assume a body some say he can have an apparent body thus do they make the Word of God of no validity by their groundless traditions for if the Devil can have so much as an apparent body what validity was in the words of Christ to take away the doubt of the Disciples when they supposed they saw a Spirit Where also is that foolish Doctrin of Imps sucking of men and women-Witches become Are those Imps bodies or spirits if bodies then who made them Without God was nothing made Joh. 1.3 if spirits then spirits can have bodily shape and flesh and bones and thus you make the words of Christ of none effect by your traditions Christ dispensed Devils to enter into the Herd of Swine and they went Mark 5.12 they say a Witch can do more she can send the Devil into men and women and children and cattel to kill them and to witch them to death God said to Satan All that Job hath is in thine hand Job 1.12 and Job himself all but his life Job 2.6 they say God permitteth a Witch to do more to send Satan to destroy a mans goods and cattel and children and life and all thus they deliver for Doctrin the traditions of men Iob said The Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away blessed be the name of the Lord and acknowledged Gods hand in all things neither tempted he God foolishly But if one should be so afflicted now adays instead of acknowledging Gods sovereign hand all the poor Wives and Widows in a Country must be called Coram nobis as being accused to have done it Christ saith Revel 1.18 I have the keys of Hell and Death but they say God giveth the keys of Death likewise sometimes to an old Witch man or woman and permits them to witch men to death Christ saith A Sparrow falleth not to the ground without Gods providence Matth. 10 29. but they say God layeth his providence sometimes at the feet of an old Witch and permitteth her to send the Devil to destroy men and cattel some will say A VVitch cannot hurt a godly man but only a wicked man and yet God saith he is the Author of all affliction that cometh to the wicked Levit. 26. from the fourteenth verse to the thirty fourth Also the Scripture saith The Lord killeth and maketh alive 1 Sam. 2.6 maketh poor and maketh rich and in Deut. 32.39 There is no God with me I kill and give life I wound and make whole but they say God permitteth an old VVitch to send the Devil to kill and make poor and wound and a good VVitch can heal again by unwitching God did shut up every wombe of the House of Abimelech that they bare no children Gen. 20.18 they say a VVitch can do the same God permits it and make men and women barren Christ gave his Disciples power over Devils to cast them out Luke 9.1 they say a VVitch can send a Devil into men and cattel to afflict them and a good VVitch can cast them out by unwitching notwithstanding Christ saith Matth. 12.25 Every kingdom divided against it self is brought to desolation yet they say that is done by consent of the Devil when a good VVitch unwitcheth a man thus do they make the words of Christ of none effect by their traditions Christ came and appeared unto his Disciples and vanished away again invisible Luke 24.31 they say a VVitch can go invisible by the help of the Devil especially if one of the Ladies of the Fairies will but lend her Giges invisible ring Christ was lifted up into the Air and taken up out of their sight Acts 1.9 and Bodinus and other Popish VVriters affirm that a VVitch can be lifted away in the Air by drinking the broth of a sodden Infant but poor Germany that beleeved these Doctrins and in that confidence executed many people for VVitches was compelled afterward to boyl their children to quell their hunger and found by sad experience that there was no such vertue in that woful Liquor God said to Moses Go up into the mountain and dye Deut. 32.49,50 and he did so Chap. 34. vers 5. they say a VVitch can do so at the word of the Devil and dye when she lift to escape hanging and what is a more common report when a poor woman is laid in prison and there dyeth by grief and hard usage than to report the Devil promised her she should not be hanged and was as good as his word for she dyed in prison
to get the mastery of the Spirit of truth and whether this Work was either composed by King Iames or by the Bishop may be very well suspected or rather by some Scotish man blinded by some Scotish Mist who desired to set forth his own Tenents for the upholding of Popish errours and Popish Writers sufficiently confuted before by Scot in his Discovery of Witchcraft he not being able any whit to answer Scot in his Discourse laboureth to uphold false Tenents and Doctrins by the authority of a King because he could not finde any thing in the Scriptures to uphold them or to answer Scot as wee may read in the Preface that his whole aime is at Scot whom he falsly chargeth with the Tenent and Affirmation That there is no such thing as Witchcraft whereas Scot in all his whole Book saith no such thing but only that Witchcraft is a craft of deceiving and seducing the people and not of killing and making barren and raising Winds and such like Inventions he that readeth that Preface and seeth how Scot is first and chiefly aimed at in the whole Work might presently expect that in the Work he should finde Scot notably confuted or at the least in some way answered but reading over the VVork he shall finde not one thing or other answered at all but only a bare affirmation of such Tenents without any ground or warrant of the Scripture which Tenents were confuted by Scot by the Scriptures so that for any man to answer that Work of the Author at large were only to do that which Scot hath already done in confuting Bodinus and others and whereas this Author pretendeth a refutation of Scot he hath done nothing else but written again the same Tenents that Bodinus and others had before written and were by Scot confuted like an obstinate Disputant that rather than he will not hold his Argument though never so foolish he will deny the Conclusion One Disputant wisely and plainly proveth that a thing is and the other foolishly saith still it is not or one proveth that a thing is not and the other foolishly still saith it is by which way of arguing a childe may hold an Argument against a learned Doctor though never so false Yet for the answering of the Tenents of this Author in that Work First he saith in his first Book as also in the Preface That Witches can by the help of the Devil cause to be brought unto them all kindes of dainty Dishes for their delicious maintenance and yet say I how many poor lean starved people have been executed in several places for Witches and for the truth of this Doctrin he bringeth no place of Scripture to prove it but only affirmeth it to bee true for these reasons First The Devil is a Thief and delighteth to steal Secondly He is a Spirit and therefore can subtilly and suddenly transport the same from whence and whither hee will by which way of argument rejecting the Scriptures a man may affirm for truth any vain imagination be it as absurd as this former as that the Devil is a Thief and therefore hath a Mountain of Gold which he hath taken out of every mans Purse and heaped up in Hell which he being a Spirit hath easily transported from the earth and therefore are so many men hastening to Hell because there is abundance of Gold But if such foolish Arguments as these were of any force what need then any Scripture to teach us the truth But if we examine the truth of this Doctrin by the Scriptures it will prove for want of ground in Scripture very phantastical and in opposition to the truth of the Scriptures very blasphemous for hereby we should yeeld still that what was done by the Angel of God in miraculous manner bringing food to Elijah 1 King 19.6 may be done by the Devil bringing variety of food to them that serve him and whereas God by a Miraculous hand brought his people through a barren Wilderness and fed them in that Wilderness the same thing might as well have been done by the Devil who saith he can bring his servants all manner of dainty dishes This that is already written were enough to disable and make voyd all the three Books of Daemonologie written by this Author but yet for the satisfaction of such as will expect a Methodical answer I will begin with his Works in order as they stand and in brief shew the vanity of them as for example he saith in his Epistle to the Reader Sorcery and VVitchcraft are different from Magick and Necromancy and yet in the first Chapter of the Second Book he saith the Maid spoken of in the sixteenth of the Acts was a VVitch because she had the spirit of Python and yet we finde in the Scripture that they that had the spirit of Python were also Necromancers how then can this distinction hold that VVitchcraft differeth from Necromancy for by that distinction a Pythonist were a VVitch and a Necromancer not a VVitch yet what was the Pythonist of Endor but a Necromancer pretending to consult with the dead and Necromancy was the pretence of all that were said to have the spirit of Python that was that they consulted with the Souls of the dead as in Plutarch and also in holy VVrit as in Isa. 8.19 it is manifest in any Tongue but our English which in Tremellius translation is to this sense for when they shall say unto you Ask counsel of those that have the spirit of Python or the imposture of Oracling and of South-sayers should not a people ask counsel of their God Shall they ask counsel of the dead for them that are living so then it is plain this distinction is wholly dissonant from Scripture and that this Author wrote not according to Scripture but by phantasy and imagination And now for his First Book and the whole discourse of it he layeth this foundation he produceth these places of Scripture to prove that there is such a thing as Witchcraft and Witches Exod. 22.18 1 Sam. 15.23 Acts 8. Acts 16. and here he never searcheth the sense and meaning of these Scriptures but proveth that Witches are which thing no man denyeth and yet mark but his proofs Exod. 22.18 which is taken for a Jugler or one that worketh false Miracles to deceive and seduce in the same sense is to be understood Acts 8.9 10. concerning Simon Magus who was a Jugler and Magician Jugling being one main part of Magick in the Scripture discourse such were Pharaohs Magicians which Magicians this Author distinguisheth from Witches and yet would prove by these places that there is such a thing as Witchcraft and Witches so likewise 1 Sam. 15.23 Rebellion is as the sin of Divination from hence hee would prove Witchcraft also and yet his distinction denieth that Necromancers whose main drift was to give Divinations by consulting with the dead are Witches and this is the sum of his first Chapter where any wise man