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spirit_n	body_n	lord_n	soul_n	15,609	5	5.1843	4	true

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A10802	A treatise of witchcraft VVherein sundry propositions are laid downe, plainely discouering the wickednesse of that damnable art, with diuerse other speciall points annexed, not impertinent to the same, such as ought diligently of euery Christian to be considered. With a true narration of the witchcrafts which Mary Smith, wife of Henry Smith glouer, did practise: of her contract vocally made between the Deuill and her, in solemne termes, by whose meanes she hurt sundry persons whom she enuied: which is confirmed by her owne confession, and also from the publique records of the examination of diuerse vpon their oathes: and lastly, of her death and execution, for the same; which was on the twelfth day of Ianuarie last past. By Alexander Roberts B.D. and preacher of Gods Word at Kings-Linne in Norffolke.	Roberts, Alexander, d. 1620.	1616 (1616)	STC 21075; ESTC S115983	56,918	90

man according to Gods owne heart Acts 13. 22. is by Sathan stirred vp to number the people 1. Chron. 21. 1. and that incuriosity and the pride of his heart onelie to know the multitude of his subiects 2. Sam. 24. 2 Whereas the Law appoynteth another end Exod. 30. 12. which hee had now forgotten the maintenance of the Ministerie and worshippe of God And a daughter of Abraham is bound of the diuell eighteene whole yeeres had a spirit of Infirmity was bowed together and could in no wise lift vp herselfe Lu. 13. 11. 16. a grieuous calamity in respect of the author the continuance and the effect But to handle this poynt a little more distinctly It shall not be amisse to open first some reasons why God doth giue this power to the diuel ouer the righteous his children sometimes as also vpon the wicked and disobedient to his will And in the second place why Witches haue the like leaue graunted vnto them Therefore for his children The first reason of his permission is his inscrutable wisedome who out of euill bringeth good so Paul had a minister of Sathan to buffet him to keepe him in humility that hee might not waxe proude and high-minded in regard of those great mysteries which were reuealed when hee was taken into the third heauen 2. Corint 12. 4. Thus his tentation was a medicine preseruatiue preuenting the disease of his soule which otherwise hee might haue falne into for both himselfe and the rest of the Apostles though they were chosen vessells yet were they also fraile and brittle wandring yet in the flesh vpon earth not triumphing securely in heauen Second It is proceeding from his mercy and goodnes for the trial of faith obedience and constancy in such as belong to God whereof there is an excellent patterne and vnparaleld in Iob 1. 13. 14. c. for by this triall is made a proofe to examine whether wee doe continue firme vpon our square and vnshaken or no and be not remoued eyther by the seeming wonders of the diuell or of his seruants and associats And therefore the Apostle pronounceth him blessed who endureth temptation for when hee is tryed hee shall receiue the crowne of life which the Lord hath promised to them that loue him Iames 1. 12. for he is faithfull and wil not suffer vs to be tempted aboue that we are able but with the temptation also make away to escape c. 1. Cor 10. 13. Third Wee are admonished alwayes to stand in a readines and be armed for to fight prepared to withstand the diuell knowing that God doth oftentimes giue him leaue to assault vs. Therefore we haue need to be furnished in all points for we wrastle not against flesh and blood but against principalities against powers against the rulers of the darkenesse of this world against spirituall wickednesses in high places Ephes. 6. 11. 12. And 〈◊〉 Pet. 5. 8. 9. be sober and vigilant because your aduersary the diuell as a roaring Lyon walketh about seeking whom he may deuoure He is no weake assaylant and therefore heere by the Apostle are noted in him foure things First his power a Lyon Second his hatred and wrath in the word roaring Third his subtilty walking about obseruing euery oportunity and occasion to hurt vs Fourth his cruelty deuoure no contentment but in our ruine and vtter destruction Fourth God would haue vs get the victorie against Sathan and take knowledge that Christ on our side fighteth for vs through whom we triumph and so are made more vndoubtedly assured of our saluation and this is that which hee promised The Seed of the woman shall bruise the head of the Serpent Gen. 3. 15. And the Apostle confirmeth God shall tread downe Sathan vnder your feete Rom. 16. 20. God suffereth the diuell to preuaile against the wicked yet in the most Holy there is no iniustice 2. Chron. 19. 7. But First Herein is the declaration of his iustice whereby hee punisheth obstinate sinners those who prouoke him to wrath and will not repent And thus it is sayd of the Aegiptians whom no plagues could soften that hee cast vpon them the fiercenes of his anger and indignation and trouble by sending euill Angels among them Psalm 78. 49. And when Saul had neglected the commandement of God an euill spirit from the Lord troubled him 1. Sam. 16. 14. Thus Ahab seduced by his false prophets descendeth into the battaile and is slaine contemning the words of Michaiah in whose mouthes the diuell was a lying spirit who sent of the Lord perswaded him and preualled 1. Kin. 22. 22. 23. 24. Second By affiiction in the body or goodes God would quicken them vp to seeke the saluation of their soules And so Paul gaue ouer a seandalous and incestuous person vnto the diuell that he might be induced to forsake his sin liue chastely heereafter and be an edifying example to those whom he had offended and this kinde of discipline was more soueraigne then any other could haue beene because mans nature abhorreth Sathan and trembleth with feare once to conceiue that he should fall into his power and hands and this is that which he writeth aduising the Corinthians to deliuer him vnto Sathan for the destruction of the flesh that the spirit may be saued in the day of the Lord Iesus 1. Cor. 5. 5. And in this sort he speaketh of two other deceiuers and blasphemers Hymenaeus and Alexander I haue deliuered them vnto Sathan that they may learne not to blaspheme 1. Timothie 1. 20. therfore this giuing ouer was not to destruction but for correction The last poynt propounded was That witches haue power granted to vex Gods owne children aswell as others and preuaile ouer them and that we doe enquire so farre as we may and is iustifiable of the causes thereof which may be these First 〈◊〉 This is permitted vnto them for the experience of their faith and integrity so that by this meanes their loue towards God which lay hidden in the heart is now made manifest To be quiet and patient in prosperity when we may enioy benefites at our owne pleasure is a matter easily to be performed But to endure the fire of Tribulation that is the proofe of a stedfast Christian and in losses and sickenesse procured by such to bee silent and submit our selues this is the note of a faithfull man to choose rather obeying the law of God to beare the infirmity of the body then to ouer-flow in riches and enioying health and strength offend the Lord. Second this maketh a difference betweene the wicked and the godly for thus the holy Apostle speaketh of the righteous that by many afflictions they must enter into the kingdome of heauen Act. 14. 22. And all that will liue godly in Christ Iesus suffer tribulations 2. Timoth. 3. 12. for whom the Lord loueth he doth chasten Prouer. 3. 12. It is a Christians glory to vndergoe for

thousand wayes to chasten disobedient man and whole treasures full of vengeance by his Angels Diuels Men Beasts For the whole nature of things is ready to reuenge the wrong done vnto the creator It were but fruitlesse labour and ill spent to bestow long time in confirming this so manifest a truth and not much better then set vp a candle to giue the Sunne light when it shineth brightest in mid-heauen yet to satisfie those who doubt hereof I will giue a small touch of an example or two Curius Sidius the Roman Generall in a battell against Salebus Captaine of the Moores in want of water obtained such abundance of raine from Heauen by Magicall inchantments that it not onely sufficed the thirst of his dstiressed Souldiers but terrified the enemies in such sort supposing that God had sent helpe as of their owne accord they sought for conditions of peace and left the field The narration of Olaus ● Magnus which he maketh of his Northerne Wisards and Witches would seeme to be meere fictious and altogether incredible as of Ericus who had the winde at command to blow alwayes from that quarter to which he would set his hat Or Hagbert who could shew herselfe in any shape higher or lower as she pleased at one time so great as a Giant at another as little as a Dwarfe by whose Diabolicall practises mighty Armies haue beene dicomfited and sundry others except the truth hereof were without contradiction approued by the experience of our owne Nauigators who trade in Finland Denmarke Lapland Ward-house Norway and other Countries of that Climate and haue obtained of the inhabitants thereof a certaine winde for twenty dayes together or the like fixed period of time according to the distance of place and strings tied with three knots so that if one were loosed they should haue a pleasant gale if the second a more vehement blast if the third such hideous raging tempests that the Mariners were not able once to looke out to stand vpon the hatches to handle their tackle or to guide the helme with all their strength and are somtimes violently carried back to the place from whence they first loosed to sea and many more hardy then wise haue bought their triall full deere opening those knots and neglecting admonition giuen to the contrary Apuleius ascribeth to Pamphile a Witch of Thessalia little lesse then diuine power to effect strange wonders in heauen in earth in hell to darken the starres stay the course of riuers dissolue mountains and raise vp spirits this opinion went for currant and vncontrouled And without all question the Diuell can do this and much more when God letteth him loose For he is stiled The Prince of the world Ioh. 12. 31. A strong man armed Luke 11. 21 Principality a ruler of darknesse spirituall wickednesse in high places Ephes. 6. 12. Thus he dismaied the heart of Saul when he had broken the Commandement of God with dreadfull feare and enraged his minde with bloudy fury 1. Sam. 16 14. Entred into Iudas prouoked him to betray his maister dispaire and hang himselfe Math. 27. 3. filled the heart of Ananias and Saphira with dissimulation Act. 5. 3. possessed the bodies of many really as is manifest in the History of the Gospell Our Sauiour Christ assureth vs that a daughter of Abraham was bound for 18 yeares by Sathan with such a spirit of infirmitie as bowed together shee could in no wise lift vp her selfe Luk. 13. 11. 16. He spake out of the Pythonesse Acts 16. 17. brought downe fire from heauen and consumed Iobs sheepe 7000. and his seruants raised a storme strooke the house wherein his sonnes and daughters feasted with their elder brother smote the foure corners of it with the ruine whereof they all were destroyed and perished and ouerspread the body of that holy Saint their father with botches y and biles from the sole of his foot to the crowne of his head 〈◊〉 And hee wil haue his seruants Wisards Witches coadiutors with him and maketh them fit instruments to the performance of all wicked exploits and this is when God pleaseth of which I shall haue occasion to speake more afterward to giue leaue for his wil is the first supreme and principal cause of all things and nothing can be done visibly in this Common-wealth here below of the creatures but is decreed and determined so to be first in the high Court of Heauen according to his vnsearchable wisedome and iustice disposing punishments and rewards as seemeth good vnto himselfe So Pharaos Magitians could turne water into bloud their roddes into serpents produce frogges c. But when it came to the base vermine to make lice they were pusled and acknowledged their imbecillity confessing Digitus Dei est Gods finger is here Exod. 18. 19. For if they could effect and bring to passe all mischieuous designements without his sufferance it would inferre a weakenesse and conclude a defect of power in him as not sufficient to oppose their strength supplant their force and auoid their stratagems And we must not imagine that the practitioners of these damnable Arts of which sexe soeuer be they men or women do performe those mischifes which they effect by their owne skill or sucl●… meanes as they vse of which sort bee the bones of dead mens skuls Toades Characters Images c. But thorugh the cooperation of the Diuell who is by nature subtile by long experience instructed swift to produceth strange works to humane vnderstanding admirable Yet he will haue those his vassals perswaded of some great benefit bestowed vpon them whereby they are inabled to helpe and hurt whom how and when they list and all to indeere them by making them partakers in his villany being strongly bound in his seruice stedfastly continued in the same might more grieuously ofsend God and bring iust condemnation vpon themselues And for the greater and more forceable inticing allurement hereunto hee promiseth to giue and doe many things for their sakes and reueale to them hidden secrets and future euents such e as he himselfe purposeth to doe or knoweth by naturall signes shall come to passe So then to conclude in f euery Magicall action there must be a concurrence of these three First the permitting will of God Secondly the suggestion of the Diuell and his power cooperating Thirdly the desire and consent of the Sorcerer and if ● any of these be wanting no trick of witch-craft can be performed For if God did not suffer it neither the Diuell nor the Witch could preuaile to do any thing no not so much as to hurt one bristle of a Swine And if the Diuell had not seduced the minde of the wicked woman no such matter would haue beene attempted And againe if hee had not the Witch to bee his instrument the Diuell were debarred of his purpose And as these euill spirits are in themselues different in power

vnderstanding and subtiltie so can their seruants do more or lesse through their meanes I conclude with that memorable speech of a most noble and learned man The Diuell is the Author and principall of all that euill which the Witch or Wisard committeth not thereby to make them more powerfull but to deceiue them by credulity and ouer-light beliefe and to get himselfe a companion of his impiety cruelty and hatred which he beareth both to God and man and also of eternall damnation for indeed it is his worke which the foolish and doating wisards coniecture is brought to passe by the words and inchantments which they vtter and is very busie thus to colour his proceedings which neuer come abroad in their owne likenesse because he enuieth the blessed estate of man and his eternall saluation purchased by the perfect obedience of Christ the Redeemer and hateth that Image of God which hee beholdeth in him much like the Panther who when hee cannot get hold of the man himselfe is so inflamed with rage that he teareth his picture in peeces violently which is cast vpon the ground to hinder his pursuit of the hunter who hath carried away his whelpes And so as Lactantius speaketh these vncleane sprits cast from heauen wander vp and downe the earth compasse land and sea seeking to bring men to destruction as a con fort of their owne desperate and irrecouerable estate The fourth Proposition HAuing shewed before that the practise of Witches receiueth the being and perfection from that agreement which is made betweene them and the Diuell it now followeth necessarily that we do enquire whether it bee possible that there may be any such agreement and league betweene them The cause of doubt ariseth from the diuersity or disparity of their natures the one being a corporall substance the other spirituall vpon which ground some haue sopposed that no such contract can passe But we are to hold the contrary assirmatiue both de esse and de posse that that there may be and is notwithstanding this difference of essence a mutuall contract of the one with the other for we read of undry leagues between God his people and some with great solemnitie of ceremonies vsed in the same a Genesis 15. 9. 17. and Deut. 5. 2. and in many other like places yet is hee a simple essence free from all diuision multiplication composition accidents incorporeall spirituall and inuisible But in Angelicall creatures though there be no Physicall composition of matter and forme or a soule and a body yet is there a metaphysicall being substances consisting of an act and possibility subiect and accidents And further betweene a spirit and a man there is communication of the vnderstanding and will the faculties and actions where of must concurre in euery couenant which is nothing else but the consent of two or more persons about the thing And when the Diuell durst in expresse tearmes tender a contract to our blessed Sauiour tempting him in the wildernesse shewing him the kingdomes of the world and the glory thereof offered them with this condition All these will I giue thee if thou wilt fall downe and worship me Mat. 4. 9. How much more then will hee aduenture vpon man weake wicked and easie to be seduced An●…o can doubt but that these bee the solemne and formall words of a bargaine D●… vt des do vt facias I giue this for to haue that giuen I bestow this to haue such or such a thing done for me Now this couenant is of two sorts secret or manifest secret when one indeuoureth or intendeth to do any thing by such meanes which neither in nature nor by institution hauo power to produce the purposed effects or be conioyned as necessary with other which can bring the same to passe Expresse wherein consent is giuen either by writing and words or making such signes whereby they renounce God and deuote themselues slaues and vassals vnto the Diuell hee promising that vpon such condition they shall doe wonders know future euents helpe and hurt at their pleasure and others like vnto these An example whereof wee may obserue in Siluester the second one of the holy Fathers of Rome who did homage to the Diuell his Lord and made fidelity to liue at his will and appoyntment vpon condition to obtaine what he desired by which meanes he got first the Bishopricke of Rhemes after of Rauenna and at the last the Papacie of Rome Which Sea though it will yeeld good plenty of such like presidents and we may finde them in authenticall records of Histories yet I content my selfe with this one The formall tearmes of this couenant as they bee set downe by some are most dreadfull and the seuerall poynts these To renounce God his Creato●…●…nd that promise made in Baptisme To deny Iesus Christ and refuse the benefites of his obedience yea to blaspheme his glorious and holy name To worship the Deuill repose all confidence and trust in him To execute his commaundements To vse things created of God for no end but to the hurt and destruction of others And lastly to giue himselfe soule and body to that deceitfull and infernall spirit who on the other part appeareth to them in the shape of a man which is most common or some other creature conferreth familiarly and bindeth himselfe by many promises that at all times called for he will presently come giue counsell further their desires answer any demaund deliuer from prison and out of all dangers bestow riches wealth pleasure and what not and all without any labour and paines-taking in a word to become seruiceable to their will accomplish all their requests And this is that which the Prophet Esay speaketh chap. 28. 15. to make a couenant with death and an agreement with hell The consent of the ancient Fathers if there were any doubt might be added to the further clearing of this conclusion For Cyprian directly affirmeth that all those who vse magicall Arts make a couenant with the Diuell yea he himselfe while he practized the same before his calling to the light and true knowledge of God was bound vnto him by an especiall writing whereunto some subscribe with their owne bloud which was a vse among diuers nations and a most sure bond of constant friendship and inuiolable consociation But herein these seduced wretches are deceiued for these promises which he makes are treacherous and the obseruances whereunto he enioyneth and perswadeth them as powerfull in producing such or such effects meere deceipts and haue no qualitie in them to that purpose but respecteth his owne ends which are one of these foure First to the mouing of them to the breaking of Gods law Secondly to adore him with diuine worship and sacred rites Thirdly to weaken their hope and faith in God Fourthly to couer his owne fraud and treachery that it may not be perceiued And when they

finde this Impostor failing in the performance of his vowed promises then he wanteth not his shifts as that these defects are not to be imputed to him or the weakenesse of the Art but their owne negligence or ignorance who haue not exactly obserued such directions and in that manner they were deliuered or mistooke his meaning which is commonly deliuered in ambiguous tearmes such as will admit a double construction and herein appeareth the lamentable and woefull blindnesse of man who is contented to swallow vp and excuse many of his lies by one truth fore-told which hath casually come to passe whereas in other matters they make light account of yea cōtemne infinit truths if they shall finde by long search and diligent inquiry but one falshood Wherefore it behooueth vs to be carefull Centinels ouer our selues for that our grand aduersary proud enuious and not standing in the truth reposeth all his possibility of victory in lies and out of this poysoned sinke deuiseth all kinde of deceits that so hee might depriue man of that happy and blessed estate which he lost by pride and draw him into the society of his owne damnation therefore it is a needfull caueat giuen by one of the ancient Fathers Our enemy is old against whom wee fight sixe thousand yeares fully compleat are passed since he began to oppose himselfe against vs but if wee obserue the commandements of God and continue stedfast in faith apprehending Iesus Christ then shall we be able to withstand all his violent assaults and ouer-come him because Christ in whom we trust is inuincible The fifth Proposition THE Diuell can assume to himselfe a body and frame a voyce to speake with and further instruct and giue satisfaction to those who haue submitted themselues vnto him and are bound to his seruice For he lost not by his transgression and fall his naturall endowments but they continued in him whole and perfect as in the good Angels who abide in that obedience and holinesse wherein they were created from whence a reason confirmatiue may bee thus framed Good Angels can take vnto themselues bodies as Genes 18. 2. Iudg. 13. 3. 6. therefore the euill also Thus the Diuell hath appeared to some in the forme of a Man cloathed in purple wearing a crowne vpon his head to others in the likenesse of a Childe sometime he sheweth himselfe in the forme of foure-footed beastes foules creeping things roaring as a Lyon skipping like a Goat barking after the manner of a dogge and the like But it is obserued by some that he cannot take the shape of a Sheepe or Doue though of an Angell of light 2. Cor. 11. 14. And further most of the learned doe hold that those bodies wherein they doe appeare are fashioned of the aire though it is not to be denied but they can enter into other as the Diuell did into the Serpent deceiuing Eue Gen. 3. 1. which if it continuing pure and in the owne nature hath neither colour nor figure yet condensed receiueth both as wee may behold in the clouds which resemble sometime one sometime another shape and so in them is seene the representation of Armies fighting of beasts and Birds houses Cities and sundry other kinds of apparations Histories of all can witnesse of the Diuels appearance in human shape thus a Pseudo Moses or Messias in Crete perswaded the Iewes that it was he who brought their Fathers the Israelites out of Egypt and led them through the Red Sea and would conduct them also out of that land vpon the waters into Iudea But many following his counsell perished the rest admonished by that destruction turned back accusing their folly and when they made enquiry for this guide to haue rewarded him according to his desert was no where to be found whereof they conceiued hee was a Diuell in Mans likenesse And such an one was that merry but malicious spirit who walked for a long time in Saxony and was very seruiceable clothed in country apparrell with a cappe on his head delighted to conuerse and talke with the people to demaund questions and answer what he was asked hurting none except iniured before and then declared himselfe a right diuell in reuenge The late Discoueries and Nauigations made into the west Indies can furnish vs with abundant testimonies hereof in which the mindes of the Inhabitants are both terrified their bodies massacred by his visible sight and cruell tortures yet which is the opinion of many learned he cannot so perfectly represent the fashion of a mans body but that there is some sensible deformity by which hee bewrayeth himselfe as his feete like those of an Ox a Horse or some other beasts clouen houed his hands crooked armed with clawes or talants like a vulture or some one mis-shapen part wherein though hee delight in the shape of man as most fitting for company and conference is demonstrated the great and tender loue of God toward vs who hath so branded this deceiuer that hee may bee discerned euen of those who are but of meane capacity and so consequently auoyded And as in his body assumed so in his speech there is a defect for it is weake small whispering imperfect And thus it is reported of Hermolaus Barbarus who inquiring of a spirite the signification and meaning of a difficult word in Aristotle he hard a low hissing and murmuring voyce giuing answere And this hee doth of set purpose that so his sophisticall doubtfull words might be the lesse perceiued Neither can this seeme strange to any that the Diuell should speake who brought a voyce from Trees to salute Apollonius and inspired that talkatiue Oke in Dodona famous for the Oracles vttered there in Heroicall verse to the Grecians and to euery nation in his owne language Chaldeans Egyptians Armenians and other people who were led by him and depended vpon his resolution And thus the Image of Memnon when the Sunne did shine vpon it and his beames touched the lips thereof which was at the arising in the East speake vnto them who were present And considering as hath beene mentioned before that there passeth betweene the Witch and her Diuell a compact as with a Maister and a Seruant it must therefore consist vppon prescript tearmes of commaunding and obeying and then of necessity is required a conuersing together and conference whereby the same couenant may be ratified The sixt Proposition GOd giueth both the diuell and his seruants the witches power sometimes to trouble his owne children so Christ our blessed Sauiour was by Sathan carryed from place to place Math. 4. 5. Iob in strange manner afflicted and his children slaine through his power whom none can conceiue but were Gods seruants religiously brought vp in his feare and their father hath an honourable testimonie from the mouth of God himselfe Iob 1. ver 8. Dauid a

extraordinarily moued and absolued the offender Or else when by their pleasantnesse with delight they slide into the hearts of men and rauish their affections and thus it was with Augustine as he acknowledgeth of himselfe that being at Milaine where he was baptized by S. Ambrose when he heard the harmony which was in singing of the Psalmes the words pierced his eares the truth melted his heart his passions were moued and showers of teares with delight fell from his eyes But these effects are wrought onely in such who vnderstand that which is spoken but neither of both these properties are to bee found in the Charmes of Wisards besides that they are conceiued and expressed in monstrous and vnknowne tearmes not intelligible and without signification and therefore the effects they produce being supernaturall must proceed from that secret compact at the least made with the Diuell Fourthly these charmes are meere mockeries and grosse abuses both of God and Men his creatures I will giue you a taste of one or two whereby you may iudge of the rest for they came all out of one shoppe and are fashioned in one forge and haue the same workman or Artificer An old woman crauing helpe for bleare eyes had deliuered a Billet of Paper to weare about her necke in which was written The Diuell pull out thine eyes and recouered Another tied a scroule to a sicke man full of strange Characters with which were intermingled a few names of Diuels as Lucifer Sathan Belzebub Oriens Behal Mammon Beuflar Narthin Oleasar c. and other of this sort but what manner of blessing this was and how likely to be medicinable a Christian truely instructed in Gods word knoweth and the Lord who is the father of mercies and God of all comfort preserue vs from such blasphemies which are the Diuels Sacrifices Fifthly the discreeter sort among the Heathen by that small glimpse of naturall reason which they had misliked of these things And therefore Cato among the rest of admonitions to the Bailiffe of his husbandry giueth this charge to aske no aduice of any Southsaier Diuiner Wisard or Natiuity Calculator And Columella vtterly forbiddeth all acquaintance with Witches wherby ignorant people are inforced to expence detestable Arts and mischieuous deeds Hippocrates doth almost like a Christian discourse of this poynt and condemne the whole practise of this Art as iniurious vnto God who onely purgeth sinnes and is our preseruer and for these fellowes who make profession of such wonder-working brandeth them for Impostors and deceiuers I conclude with that remarkeable saying of an ancient Diuine These vanities doe separate and with draw vs from God though they may seeme to haue something in them to allure and delight vs yet let no Christian entertaine them whose hope ought to be setled in God alone And if thou be in distresse or afflicted with sicknesse of body and feele no present release or comfort what then here is the tryall of thy patience haue not recourse to superstitious and vnlawfull helpers although they promise thee present remedy and when they fore-tell thee of things which doe truely according to the prediction so fall out beleeue them not follow the example of Christ who rebuked the Diuell though he called him as he was indeed the Son of God For vnder the vaile of truth he shadoweth falshood euen as if one should sweeten with honey or sugar the brimme of the Cup wherein he bringeth poyson But some will say they call vpon the name of the Lord of Sabbaoth Well but this title they giue not to God but to the Diuell therefore betake thou thy selfe to God alone craue health at his hand and follow the Apostles direction If any bee sicke among you let him call for the Elders of the Church and let him pray Iames 5. 14. The ninth Proposition and second Corrolary THere hath alwayes beene some wanton or peruerse wits who only to make triall of their skill would take in hand to defend absurd positions and commend both such things and persons which were infamous and contemptible as Phauorinus writ the praise of the Quartane Ague one of the gout blindnesse and deafnesse Lucian of a flye Erasmus of folly Synesius of baldnesse Glaucus in Plato of iniustice And among the exercises of the ancient Orators wee finde those who strained all their vnderstanding to blaze the honour of that witlesse and deformed Coward Thersites And this they haue performed with great Art and eloquence onely to shew their faculty but neuer in good earnest took such a matter in hand And therefore more deeply is hee to b●… censured who hath made himselfe an aduocate to plead the cause of Witches and defend thē as innocent And because this is a dangerous example and doth draw those who are euill affected to offend hoping for patronage of their impiety I adde for conclusion this last proposition Wisards Witches and the whole rabble of Sorcerers no kinde excepted are iustly liable to extreame punishment The arguments alleaged for proofe hereof are many I will make choyce of a few with reference to such authors in whose writings more may bee found and those which are most demonstratiue First God himselfe hath enacted that poenall statute Thou shalt not suffer a Witch to liue Exod. 22 18. and nameth here a woman practising this damnable Art for two reasons First they are more inclinable hereunto then man Secondly that though their fault may seeme as being the weaker excuseable and is in this respect extenuated by some yet is not therefore to bee spared whether of that sort which they call good or bad for so are they distinguished there be some who neuer brought harme vpon any in body goods or minde The cause of this so sharpe a doome is their compacting with the Diuell openly or secretly whereby they couenant to vse his helpe in fulfilling their desires and by this meanes make themselues guilty of horrible impiety for in this they renounce the Lord who hath created them make no account of his fauour and protection cut themselues off from the couenant made with him in baptisme from the communion of Saints the true fellowship and seruice of God and on the contrary yeeld themselues by this confederacy to Sathan as their God and therefore nothing more frequent and vsuall in their mouthes then my God will do this and that for me him they continually feare and honour And thus do at the last become professed enemies both to God and Man You may adde to this forther law that which is Leuit. 19. 26 cap. 6. You shall vse no inchantment the soule that turneth after such as haue familiar spirits and are Wisards to goe a whooring after them I will set my face against that soule and will cut him off from among his people c. Againe Deut. 18. 10. There shall not bee found