nay it is most certaine if they be not renewed by faith and repentance they shall fall both the sorts of them into the pit of euerlasting destruction By all this it is plaine that if we transgresse the commaundements of God in committing of any sinne it is not ignorance that shall excuse For then would not the Lord haue commanded sacrifice to be offered for the same as he doth in the 4. cap. of Leuit. ver 2 and 3. in these words Speake vnto the children of Israel saying if any shall sinne through ignorance in any of the commandements of the Lord which ought not to be done but shall doe contrary to any of them If the priest that is annointed doe sinne according to the sinne of the people then shall he offer for his sinne which he hath sinned a young bullocke without blemish vnto the Lord for a sinne offering The which law is repeated also in the Epistle to the Heb. cap. 9. vers 7. And the prophet Abacuck maketh a solemne prayer for ignorances in the 3. cap. of his prophesie Furthermore the same is manifest in the whole course of the scriptures by the punishment that hath beene laid vpon such like offenders as we may perceiue by the 17. cap. of the second booke of the King where when the Lord had cast out the ten tribes of Israell with their king out of their owne country for their wicked abominations that Shalmaneser had caried them away captiue with him he sent other of his own natiue people to supply their roome in ludea who because they were Gentiles and had not beene brought vp in true religion therefore it is said in the 25 and 26. verses of the same chapter That at the beginning of their dwelling there they feared not the Lord therefore the Lord sent lyons among them which slew them wherefore they came to the king of Ashur saying the nations which thou hast remooued and placed in the cities of Samaria know not the manner of the God of the land whereupon the king commaunded to send vnto them a priest of the Israelites to instruct them as it followeth in the next vers of the same chapter And in the prophet Esa. cap. 5. vers 13. the Lord hath these words Therefore my people goeth into captiuity because they haue no knowledge Out of which two places we may note that the Lord doth not onely not hold guiltles those offendours which haue the greatest meanes of knowledge in religion as were the Israelites in times past as it appeareth by the 13. cap. of the Epistle to the Rom. where it is said by Saint Paul that to them were committed the oracles of God euen as the Gospel of Christ Iesus is now vnto vs Gentiles but also doth punish those to whome it is not graunted to haue such oportunity to learne And truely no maruaile For if we account it lawfull for an earthly prince to punish those whosoeuer which doe dwell within his dominion if they offend against his lawes being once set forth though they doe it of ignorance why should not the king of kings and Lord of Lords exact the like obedience vnto his lawes set downe in his holy word of all those whome it pleaseth him to place in his visible church and kingdome heere vpon earth For the Lord hath giuen vs his word as a law wherein he hath set down whatsoeuer he would haue done learned or beleeued and likewise what he would haue vs to eschew as the Apostle Saint Paul doth say in the 1. epistle to Tim. cap. 3. vers 16. 17. that the whole scripture is giuen by inspiration of God and is profitable to teach to improoue to correct and to instruct in righteousnesse that the man of God may be perfect and prepared vnto all good workes So that whatsoeuer God would haue vs to know or doe it is contained in the same Howbeit we must as our Sauiour Christ saith Iob. 5. cap. v. 39. search the scriptures It is not enough for vs negligently and carelesly and as it were superficially to read them but we must with all diligence reuerence humility study them and as the prophet Dauid did meditating therein day and night conferring of one place with another and considering the drift of the holy Ghost in euery of them and aboue all things vsing humble and hearty prayer vnto God that he would graunt vs his holy spirit which may so enlighten vs that we may see those wonderfull things which are contained in his lawes that we may conceiue aright of the truth in his sacred word For as Saint Peter 2. epist. cap. 1. vers 20. saith no prophesie in the scripture is of any priuate interpretation that a man may expound it according to his owne mind and imagination but holy men of God did speake as they were directed and ledde by the holy Ghost as it followeth there in the next vers who as he is the onely author and inditer of the Scripture so he is the onely interpreter of the same as being alone priuie to his owne meaning And therefore the Euangelist Saint Iohn in his first epistle cap. 4. vers 1. doth bidde vs not to beleeue euery spirit but to try the spirits whether they be of God or not as if he should haue said There are many which will make a great shew of religion and godlinesse and will seeme as though they had warrant from God for all their dealings when as it is nothing so Wherefore beleeue note uery one vntill you haue first madetriall and examined their actions by the touch-stone of the scriptures whether God be the author of them or not The which precept if the prophet spoken of in the 13. cap. of the first booke of the King had obserued he had done well but because he did not so but beleeued the false tale of the old Prophet and came backe again contrary to the cōmandement of God and did eate and drinke in Bethel by his procuremēt when as the Lord had said vnto him that he should neither eate bread nor drinke water there Therefore the Lord said that his body should not come into the sepulchre of his fathers which came to passe presently for he was slaine of a lyon in the way as he returned home and so was brought againe to Bethel and there buried Whereas if hee had first examined the truth of the olde Prophets speech he had no doubt neuer fallen into that daunger For he had a sufficient warrant from God afore for that which he did vpon the which he might safely haue relyed if hee would haue gone forward according vnto the same and not haue hearkened to the deceitfull words of the said olde Prophet vnlesse the Lord himself had giuen him another contrary commaundement as otherwhiles he doth in particular cases as it may appeare by Genesis chap. 22. where after that God had giuen Abraham in charge to sacrifice his sonne Isaacke in the 2. verse of the same chapter afterward it is said that the angel of the Lord did bidde him not to doe it when he had prooued his faith and obedience therein till which time he could by no meanes be drawne from executing the former commaundement of God Euen so wee seeing that we are forbidden by the word of God to goe or seeke vnto any witches inchaunters charmers or any such like vaine and superstitious practisers and seeing that ignorance will not excuse vs as hath beene before declared it behooueth vs to trie and examine the dealings of euery one in this case whether they be of God or not by their calling in this behalfe by their meanes they vse and by the ende whereat they aime and by all other waies and meanes which it shall please God to minister by his holy spirit out of his word before wee giue credite vnto them whatsoeuer shew they make of religion and godlines in this point lest the Lord in his wrath lay vpon vs all those plagues punishments threatned in his word as hath beene said before against such persons There are many other things which might be fitly and profitably gathered noted out of this text which I haue willingly omitted both because they haue beene sufficiently handled at large by other men and also because it was my only purpose at the beginning to vtter that which I thought meetest concerning sorcery and such other like wicked vaine and diuellish abominations before spoken of It remaineth therefore now to exhort euery good Christian to consider diligently to make vse of it and to desire almighty God that he would make it profitable which hath beene said both to his owne glorie and to our eternall comfort in Christ Iesus to whom with the Father and the Holy Ghost bee all honour praise and thanksgiuing now and euermore Amen FINIS
THE ANATOMIE OF SORCERIE VVHEREIN THE WICKED IMPIEtie of Charmers Inchanters and such like is discouered and confuted BY IAMES MASON Master of Artes. Printed at London by IOHN LEGATTE Printer to the Vniuersitie of Cambridge 1612. And are to be sold in Pauls Church-yard at the signe of the Crowne by Simon Waterson To the Reader THou maiest maruaile gentle reader what hath moooued mee after so many zealous and learned Diuines to take in hand this treatise against sorcery Wherfore I haue thought it good to certifie thee in some measure of my meaning herein It was my chance to fall into communication with a notable supporter of those wicked vanities which are spoken against in this booke who not contented to practise the same himselfe went about to perswade others thereunto and to that end had framed reasons and arguments to vphold his assertion Which when I heard and vnderstood considering that he was a man of place and some learning and therefore might preuaile the more in this mischieuous deuise I determined to search out what authors had written concerning that matter But finding them all that I could hit vpon to be more occupied in making inuectiues against sorcerie in generall then in particular setting downe what it was or wherein it consisted thereby leauing a dare open to these vaine and wicked men to creepe out at by reason the chiefe grounds were not taken away whereon they stand Therefore I resolued to make some treatise of mine own And because I thought I should haue thereby fit occasion both to answer his arguments and also to speake of other matters very meete and necessarie in this case I made choice of this text in the Actes of the Apostles and so much the rather for that it was a place alleadged by the aforesaid partie himselfe that so I might as it were vna fidelia duos parietes dealbare That is as we say stoppe two gappes with one bush both answering to the aduersaries reasons and likewise opening the meaning of the said place to all such simple and true meaning Christians as should heare or reade the same Howbeit at the first I had no such purpose as to make it common to all but onely to such of my friends and acquaintance to whom I meant to commit it and my selfe should thinke good Notwithstanding afterward at my aforesaid friends request who did beare me in hand that it would be profitable to the Church of God if it should come abroad into the open view of the world at the last I yielded as thou seest God graunt that it may worke that effect which I wish for the which if I shall perceiue it shall encourage me to imploy my studies hereafter for thy further benefit In the meane while I commit thee to the tuition of him who is able to doe more then we can wish or desire And so I bid thee heartily farewell Iames Mason Act. cap. 19. the 11 12 13 14 15 and 16. verses 11. And God wrought no small miracles by the hand of Paul 12. So that from his bodie were brought vnto the sicke napkins or hand-kerchefes and the diseases departed from them and the euill spirits went out of them 13. Then certaine of the vagabond Iewes exorcists tooke in hand to name ouer them which had euill spirits the name of the Lord Iesus saying we adiure you by Iesus whome Paul preacheth 14. And there were certaine sonnes of Sceua a chiefe priest of the Iewes about seauen which did this 15. And the euill spirit answered and said Iesus I acknowledge and Paul I know but who are ye 16. And the man in whome the euill spirit was ranne on them and ouer came them and preuailed against them so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded WHen our Sauiour Christ Iesus was to depart out of this world as pertaining to his bodily presence and to ascend vp into heauen he commaunded his Apostles to preach the Gospel promising that he would ratifie the same with signes and wonders as appeareth cap. 16. of Marke The fulfilling of which promise as in many other places so in this chapter it is most notably set downe For wheras before the spirit of God had shewed the preaching of Saint Paul as also his confutation of the aduersaries of the Gospel in disputation in these words hee declareth how God confirmed the same by miracles especially in the 11. and 12. verses Then followeth the peruerse emulation thereof by the wicked coniurers in the 13. and 14. verses And lastly the effect or punishment of this their practise in the 15. and 16. verses For the first The miracles which Saint Paul is here said to worke are set downe first generally in the 11. verse and afterward in the 12. verse the same is amplified by particulars In the generall we must obserue two things viz. The chiefe efficient cause of miracles which is God And the instrumentall cause which in this place is the Apostle Saint Paul But before we enter into the particular discourse of these points we must consider the coherence of these words with those which went before and that is insinuated by this word and in greeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is a copulatiue coniunction ioyneth these words with the former as if he should haue said that not only the Gospel was preached by the Apostle Saint Paul but also the same was ratified and confirmed of God by miracles And truly if we looke throughout the whole booke of God we shall finde the working of miracles alwaies annexed vnto the word to giue credit and authoritie thereunto and to confirme the vocation of those that are setters forth of the same So the Lord furnished Moses with a most excellent gift of working miracles but hee first appointed him to deliuer his will vnto Pharaoh for the bringing of the children of Israel out of Egypt The like may be said of Iehosuah and Samuel and also of all the rest of the Prophets in the olde Testament which for breuity sake I omit to name leauing them to your owne consideration to examine the truth in this case As for the Apostles and Disciples of our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ I thinke no man wil denie but that they were indued with the gift of working miracles to this end that thereby their calling might the better be confirmed and the Gospel of Christ magnified Neither can the contrarie bee prooued in any of the holy men of God which haue wrought miracles And Saint Paul in the first Epistle to the Corinthians cap. 12. vers 7. saith that this gift of working miracles is giuen to profit and edifie the Church and not for any mans priuate vse as it may be necessarily gathered out of the circumstance of that place The which if it be so thē most abominable are the dealings of those most cursed blessers commonly called wise cunning men and women who hauing no publike calling either ordinarie or extraordinarie whereby
power to worke the same But his owne glorie as I said and the edification of his Church and therefore when the Apostles at any time sawe that the aforesaid kinde of miracles serued not so fitly for that purpose they tooke a contrarie course as appeareth in the Actes 5. chapter where it is said that Ananias and Saphira his wife fell downe dead at the speech of S. Peter when he tolde them of their wicked dissimulation and hypocrisie before God in selling of a certaine possession and bringing part of the price vnto the Apostles to the vse of the Church pretending that they had brought the whole By which example the people were mooued to glorifie God for his iust iudgement vpon these hypocrites and also were put in feare lest at any time the like offence should lay hold vpon them Whereas if he had not done thus it might haue bin a meanes to make them goe on still in their wickednesse and to haue encouraged others to haue done the like In like manner in the Actes 13. chapt when Saint Paul caused Bariesu to be stricken blinde for resisting the preaching of the Gospel by Saint Paul wee see what effect it wrought in the conuersion of Sergius Paulus For truely all the spirituall giftes of God giuen and graunted vnto his Apostles and ministers in regard of their said calling and function is for the edification of the Church and not for the destruction thereof as Saint Paul saith in the 2. Epist Cor. cap. 10. vers 8. in these words If I should boast of my selfe somewhat more of our authoritie or power which the Lord hath giuen vs to edifie and not to destroy it should not be to my shame Howsoeuer somtimes they seeme to doe otherwise yet it is but as the Physition or Chirurgion who doe not alwaies applie milde mollifying medicines but somtimes biting corrosiues according to the nature and condition of the disease yea somtimes they cut off a member for feare of infecting the rest as the Poet singeth Omnia tentanda sed immedicabile vulnus Enserescindendum est ne pars sincera trahatur So Paul in the 3. chap. of the 1. Epist. Cor. verse 5. deliuered the man that had committed incest vnto Satan as he saith to the destruction of the flesh that the spirit might be saued in the day of the Lord Iesus But of this I haue spoken somewhat afore wherefore I will go forward to the particular discussing of the aforesaid two sorts of miracles And first of the miraculous gift of healing because that is first placed in the text And the diseases departed from them It is not heere particularly set downe what kinde of diseases were healed by the Apostle but it is certaine by the circumstance of the place that hee cured all whatsoeuer for curing whereof he sent napkins and partlets and it agreeth very well to the commission which our Sauiour Christ gaue to his Apostles in the 10. chapter of the Gospel after Saint Matthew verse 1. where it is said that he gaue power vnto his disciples to heale euery disease and euery infirmity that is all maner of diseases which the spirit of God did mooue them to take in hand and this is confirmed by their continuall practise throughout the whole new Testament wherein we cannot finde especially after the ascension of our Sauiour Christ that they euer failed in healing any disease whatsoeuer which they tooke vpon them to cure For this extraordinarie power of healing is not a naturall facultie but a diuine gift of God supernaturally inspired by his holy spirit to whome nothing is impossible and all and euery thing is of like easines yea that which to vs seemeth nay and is indeede most hard and difficult is soonest brought to passe when as God will haue his glorie shewed in a speciall manner thereby as in this kinde of healing Wherefore they which pretend this miraculous gift of healing and cannot or doe not cure all but some certaine of those diseases which they take in hand are greatly to be suspected of which sort are those which amongst vs are called wise and cunning folkes whereof some can cure but some one or a fewe particular diseases as for example they which haue a charme for the toothach a prayer or a blessing for a Fistula and such like Others doe professe the curing of all diseases and yet neither of them both doth alwaies and at all times performe that which they pretend in this behalfe no not in those diseases in curing wherof they would seeme to be most expert The reason is this when diseases cannot be cured by naturall meanes then are they past the diuells reach to heale and therefore his instruments must needes faile therein To make this more plaine wee must note that amongst all the diseases set downe by the Physitions in their treatises some are curable and some are vncurable I call those curable which nature either of her selfe alone or by the helpe of medicines is able to worke out and expell Of this sort we see many examples by daily experience which nature cureth if shee bee strong and the cause of the disease light or if shee be weake or the cause of the disease stubborne by the meanes of physicke Now these kindes of griefes the forcerers can and do heale and for as much as some diseases are more difficult then other yea some are so hardly cured as that fewe euen of the best sort of Physitions except God his especiall assistance can heale them whose cure notwithstanding is wrought by these forcerers Here therefore Satan in these his ministers is greatly honoured who in regard of the subtilty of his nature and his long experience as I haue said before doth more readily finde out the disease with all the circumstances thereunto belonging as also a fit remedie therof then most men can doe and yet for all that the disease by man if hee could hitte vpon the right methode and that by naturall meanes not vncurable for that disease is vncurable from which the partie grieued by no naturall meanes or medicines can be recouered of which kinde the Physitions doe account all deepe wounds in the braine heart or liuer also the deuiding of the sinewes asunder which are deriued from the braine or spirituall marrow to any limme or member of the body to giue sense and moouing thereunto whether it bee by a wound rupture or any such like causeth a palsie which is vncurable So is deafenes if it haue continued from the birth as also blindnes according to that which the blinde man saith to the Pharisies in the Gospel after Saint Iohn cap. 9. vers 32. Since the world beganne was it not heard that any man opened the eyes of one that was borne blinde The like may bee said of them that could neuer smell An vlcer or sore that is deepe in the liuer is counted vncurable and so is an absolute and exquisite hardnes without sense or feeling in
are infused and wherewith they are mixed and the greeke word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 betokeneth the same thing Neither do I see wherefore Satan should vse naturall meanes in the parties before specified and such like rather then supernaturall if it had not past his reach seeing that he doth for the most part endeauour to couer his dealing as much as he can that it may not be espied As he did when he laid his hand vpon Iob as it apeareth in the first chapter of his booke And therefore it is to be thought that he made vse in the aforesaid persons of those naturall meanes which came first into his minde and were nearest at hand for that present time And as concerning the second kind of miracle which S. Paul is heere said to worke by napkins and partlets sent vnto the parties grieued To wit the casting out of diuels the same is to be iudged and said which hath beene spoken of the miracle of healing both in regard of the outward and also of the inward meanes of the same For as for the inward which is the onely meanes It is the power and spirit of God alone and as for the outward manner it maketh as I said before nothing to the working of the miracle Wherefore they are all in a mighty errour which thinke that Satan can be cast out by certaine set and conceited words or characters as they vse in magicke For we must not thinke that the diuell is either so simple or so weake if God permit him to vse his strength as to be as it were blowne out with the winde or sound of words or so timorous that he may be fraied away with the sight of figures or characters when as he durst tempt our first parents in their state of innocency Gen. cap. 3. Nay he was not afraide to set vpon our Sauiour Christ as it is in the 4. cap. of Saint Luk. although he was God albeit in the forme of man Phil. cap. 2. vers 6. And S. Peter likeneth him to a roaring lyon in his first epist. and cap. 5. And our Sauiour Christ in the 12. cap. of S. Mathewes Gospell seemeth to compare him to a strong man which will not yield till a stronger then he compelleth him Indeede sometime he will faine as though he were forcibly dispossessed by the vaine trickes of magitians and coniurers but it is onely to this end that he may thereby the more strengthen and enlarge his owne kingdome by bringing into detaining men in this wicked errour to thinke that such things are brought to passe by magicall conceits when as the diuell goeth out of himselfe euen as when we see two men pulling at a thing one of them contrary to the other and the stronger will seeme to be forced to yield and so letteth goe his hold but it is when he seeth his most aduantage to giue his aduersary the greater fall Euen so Satan albeit he may sometime seeme to be forced yet indeed and in truth it is but policy thereby to worke the more harme For he is not constrained to go out by any such vaine follies or by any other howsoeuer vsed but onely by the meere power and finger of God as it will appeare by that which followeth in the text Then certaine of the vagabond Iewes exorcistae Heere in this verse we see the effect of those miracles which Paul is said to worke in this place in the wicked sorcerers who when the Apostle had preached the Gospell of our Sauiour Christ and by his power and in his name had done these said miracles for the confirmation of the same went about most wickedly to abuse his sacred name to the establishing of their magicke and sorcery For although the name which they are called by may seeme to haue no badde but an indifferent signification being vsed in the primitiue Church for those which hauing receiued the gift of working miracles from God did vse his name in casting out of diuels and the very etymologie of the word in the originall tongue doth shew the same Yet it is most euident by the circumstance of this place that these men were nothing but meere wicked magitians and namely of that sort which we cal coniurers who although there be no difference in respect of the substance of their wicked seruing of Satan in this behalfe Notwithstanding the fashion and manner of their seruice seemeth somewhat to differ For those which we call witches or sorcerers seeme to be in a more vile and slauish condition being alwaies at the diuels commaundement but these which we terme coniurers will make as though they commaunded the diuell howbeit they profit nothing thereby sauing that they serue his turne herein and sometime their own so farre forth as their practise may stand with the furtherance of Satans purpose in the same which is the enlargement of his owne kingdome Otherwise they may commaund as they say and goe without he will doe what himselfe listeth and not what they would haue him to doe The which peraduenture when these Exorcistes saw hauing eftsoones vsed their accustomed manner and ceremonies of coniuration and neuertheles many times missing of their purposes And likewise seeing and considering the Apostle Saint Paul how he neuer fayled in the working of his miracles by the name of the Lord Iesus They thought that they would make triall what they could bring to passe thereby and so as they traueliled about the country as fortune-rellers charmers inchanters and such like do with vs they tooke in hand to cast out diuels out of those which were possessed with the same by naming ouer them which had the said euill spirits the name of the Lord Iesus Marke I pray you the incredible boldnes of these wicked coniurers who not considering neither the occasion end nor authority whereby S. Paul did worke Nor their owne daunger which might ensue vnto them thereby rashly take vpon them to doe such miracles by the name of our Lord Iesus without any further direction But such is all kinde of magicke and sorcery being founded neither vpon reason nor yet vpon common sense albeit they will seeme to make an art of it For whosoeuer shal examine the truth of the grounds and principles thereof in their bookes shall finde no pith nor any sound matter worth the noting but onely foolish and vaine trickes as are circles characters and such like or words notvnderstood or vainely or wickedly applied as in abusing the name of God or his word and such like when they vse them not to that end for the which they were appointed as doe heere the aforesaid forcerers the exorcists and therfore for the most part they are frustrate of their purposes except it be sometime by God his permission that the diuell of his owne minde for causes before rehearsed doth worke the effect for them The which when the Emperour Nero saw as it is recorded in the thirtieth booke and first chapter of Plinies naturall
vnwoonted deluge or ouerflowing of waters or else the fire had consumed them For this generation was farre more sinneful and wicked then those that dwelt in Sodome Here wee see that this Iosephus who was an eye-witnes and partaker of that misery and calamity which he wrote of doth reckon magicke and iugling or charming for one of the chiefe capitall sinnes for the which the cittie of Ierusalem was destroyed And doubtlesse when men are come to this passe that they maintaine and practise magicke and sorcery it is a signe that they are come in a manner vnto the highest degree of wickednes For here they seeme to make as it were a publike profession of the religion and seruice of the diuell whereas they doe not so altogether in other sinnes except it bee in open blasphemy wherefore when this is generally practised without controlement in any cittie or countrey it cannot possibly bee but that the Lord must needes bring a vniuersall destrustruction vpon the same The which I beseech God to keepe farre from vs for I am perswaded that this kinde of wickednes albeit the good and wholesome lawes which are made against it was neuer more practised amongst vs especially for the recouery of health For many I might say most men now a daies if God doe not restore them to health when how they thinke good they will leaue Gods ordinarie meanes by physicke and will goe to sorcerers that is to the ministers of Satan which is all one as to go to Satan himselfe And although it may be that they will answer me and say that they whome they goe vnto for remedy doe vse good meanes and godly words in these cases Yet it followeth not as I haue said before that they are therefore no sorcerers For no doubt those which Iosephus speaketh of vsed as good meanes in outward appearance and so do the sonnes of Sceua in this place But because this pertaineth not so directly to the verse which I haue in handling I will passe to the next words where I shall haue fitter occasion to speake of this matter when I come to the 15. and 16. verses In the which as I haue said before is set downe the issue or euent of the practise of these lewd sorcerers and that in two respects First in regard of that which was said vnto them in the 15. verse And secondly what was done vnto them in the 16. verse The wordes which were spoken vnto them are these Iesus I know and Paul I know but who are ye The which is an answer of the foule spirit vnto the aforenamed sorcerers being as much in effect as if hee should haue said in this manner Whereas you sorcerers the sonnes of Sceua doe charge and commaund me so straightly by the name of Iesus to goe out of this man I see no reason why ye should doe so Indeed I know Iesus to be the sonne of the eternall God yea God himselfe equall to the Father as touching his godhead and therefore of sufficient might power euen of himselfe to driue me out of possession where I am And likewise I knowe Paul to be sent and to haue lawfull power authority from him to cast me out But as for you and such as you are I acknowledge you for none such neither by your selues nor by any commission from God to commaund me to goe out but ye are onely vsurpers and presume to doe that which ye are not able to performe For although God doth bestow this grace of casting such as I am out of those men whom we haue possessed vpon some men whome it pleaseth him vpon speciall occasion yet ye are none of the number of them to whome he hath granted this gift Therefore in vaine doe ye take in hand to dispossesse me with your goodly and glorious wordes for it is not the words which is able to worke such wonders but it is onely the working power of God which bringeth such mighty things to passe as ye shall well see and so hee caused the man which hee had possessed to run vpon the said sorcerers and all to beat them and wounded them as it followeth in the next verse Thus wee may perceiue that God doth not tye his power of working miracles vnto words or characters whatsoeuer or howsoeuer vsed for then might euery one be a worker of miracles which could vse those meanes But God bestoweth that grace vpon the person and that not vpon euery one nor vpon the most part but only vpon some particular and that vpon especiall occasion as I haue said before and this place doth most euidently prooue especially in the next vers where it is said The man in whome the euill spirit was c. We must not thinke that it was this man alone heere spoken of which dealt thus with these sorcerers For could one poore silly man be able to ouercome so many being young no doubt and lusty men who as it appeareth plainely by the words of the text did not stand still and suffer themselues to be thus shamefully intreated and handled but resisted what they could For it is heere said that he ouercame them as it were in the combat and so preuailing against them did driue them out of the house both naked and wounded wherefore it was the diuell which was the chiefe actor in this fray and vsed the man possessed as an instrument to bring this matter to passe Where we see that the Lord doth oftentimes especially punish that sinne wherein men doe take most delight and thinke that it should be most for their honour commoditie or pleasure euen that doth God turne to their greatest shame and confusion and to his greater glory So our first parents when they had thought to haue gained pleasure profit and wisedome by eating of the forbidden fruit they lost themselues and their posterity with all good things els had not the Lord to the great glory of his mercy saued some of them by the promised seed of the woman And those men in the old world Genesis cap. 11. which imagined to keepe themselues from being dispersed by building of that huge tower and citie of Babylon were by the same occasion scattered into all partes of the world So the faction of Corah Dathan and Abiram dreamed of honour and preferment by resisting of Moses in the 16. cap. of the booke of Numbers but it was the cause of their euerlasting shame and ouerthrow as it is there set downe There are infinit examples in the scriptures which doe inferre the truth of this point but I will let them passe and come to the text it selfe where we may behold these sorcerers most extreamely and shamefully beaten of him euen of the diuell by whose seruice in this action they had thought to haue obtained greatest credit Neither are we hereby to gather that Satan was grieued with this profaning of the name of Christ Iesus or with this sorcery of theirs But because God bringeth as