because thou hast denyed thy faith thy health and salvation For thy great disobedience thou art worthy to be condemned Therefore let the divine trinity thrones dominions principats potestats virtutes cherubim and seraphim and all the soules of saints both of men and women condemn thee for ever and be a witnesse against thee at the day of judgement because of thy disobedience And let all creatures of our Lord Jesus Christ say thereunto Fiat fiat fiat Amen And when he is appeared in the crystall stone as is said before bind him with this bond as followeth to wit I conjure thee spirit N. that an appeared to me in this crystall stone to me and to my fellow I conjure thee by all the royall words aforesaid the which did constrain thee to appeare therein and their vertues I charge thee by them all that thou shall not depart out of this crystall stone untill my will being fulfilled thou be licensed to depart I conjure and bind thee spirit N. by that omnipotent God which commanded the angell S. Michaâ—ll to drive Lucifer out of the heavens with a sword of vengeance and to fall from joy to paine and for dread of such paine as he is in I charge thee spirit N. that thou shalt not goe out of the crystall stone nor yet to alter thy shape at this time except I command thee otherwise but to come unto me at all places and in all houres and minutes when and wheresoever I shall call thee by the vertue of our Lord Jesus Christ or by any conjuration of words that is written in this book and to shew me and my friends true visions in this crystall stone of any thing or things that we would see at any time or times and also to goe and fetch me the fairy Sibylla that I may talk with her in all kinde of talk as I shall call her by any conjuration of words contained in this book I conjure thee spirit N. by the great wisdome and divinity of his Godhead my will to fulfill as is aforesaid I charge thee upon pain of condemnation both in this world and in the world to come Fiat fiat fiat Amen I conjure thee spirit N. in this crystall stone by God the father by God the son Jesus Christ and by God the Holy Ghost three persons and one God and by their vertues I conjure thee spirit that thou do goe in peace and also to come again to me quickly and to bring with thee into that circle appointed Sibylia fairie that I may talk with her in those matters that shall be to her honour and glory and so I change thee declare unto her I conjure thee spirit N. by the bloud of the innocent lamb the which redeemed all the world by the vertue thereof I charge thee thou spirit in the crystal stone that thou do declare unto her this message Also I conjure thee spirit N. by all angels and archangels thrones dominations principats potestates virtues cherubim and seraphim and by their vertues and powers I conjure thee N. that thou do depart with speed and also to come again with speed and to bring with thee the fairie Sibylia to appeare in that circle before I doe read the conjuration in this booke seven times Thus I charge thee my will to be fulfilled upon pain of everlasting condemnation Fiat fiat fiat Amen Then the figure aforesaid pinned on thy brest rehearse the words therein and say ✚ Sorthie ✚ Sorthia ✚ Sorthios ✚ then begin your conjuration as followeth here and say I conjure thee Sibylia O gentle virgine of fairies by the mercy of the Holy Ghost and by the dreadfull day of doom and by their vertues and powers I conjure thee Sibylia O gentle virgin of fairies and by all the angels of ♃ and their characters and vertues and by all the spirits of ♃ and ♀ and their characters and vertues and by all the characters that be in the firmanent and by the king and queen of fairies and their vertues and by the faith and obedience that thou bearest unto them I conjure thee Sibylia by the bloud that ran out of the side of our Lord Jesus Christ crucified and by the opening of heaven and by the renting of the Temple and by the darknesse of the Sunne in the time of his death and by the rising up of the dead in the time of his resurrection and by the Virgin Mary Mother of our Lord Jesus Christ and by the unspeakable name of God Tetragrammaton I conjure thee O Sibylia O blessed and beautifull Virgine by all the riall words aforesaid I conjure thee Sibylia by all their vertues to appeare in that circle before me visible in the form and shape of a beautifull woman in a bright and white vesture adorned and garnished most fair and to appeare to me quickly without deceit or tarrying and that thou faile not to fulfill my will and desire effectually For I will choose thee to be my blessed virgin and will have common copulation with thee Therefore make hast and speed to come unto me and to appear as I have said before To whom be honor and glory for ever ever Amen The which done and ended if thee come not repeat the conjuration till they doe come for doubtlesse they will come And when shee is appeared take your censers and incense her with frankincense then bind her with the bond as followeth I doe conjure thee Sibylia by God the Father God the Son and God the Holy Ghost three persons and one God and by the blessed virgine Mary mother of our Lord Jesus Christ and by all the whole and holy company of heaven and by the dreadfull day of doome and by all angels and archangels thrones dominations principates potestates virtutes cherubim and seraphim and their vertues and powers I conjure thee and binde thee Sibylia that thou shalt not depart out of the circle wherein thou art appeared nor yet to alter thy shape except I give thee licence to depart I conjure thee Sibylia by the bloud that ran out of the side of our Lord Jesus Christ crucified and by the vertue hereof I conjure thee Sibylia to come to me and to appeare to me at all times visibly as the conjuration of words leadeth written in this book I conjure thee Sibylia O blessed Virgine of fairies by the opening of heaven and by the renting of the Temple and by the darknesse of the Sun at the time of his death and by the rising of the dead in the time of his glorious resurrection and by the unspeakable name of God ✚ Tetragrammaton ✚ and by the king and queen of fairies and by their vertues I conjure thee Sibylia to appeare before the conjuration be read over four times and that visibly to appeare as the conjuration leadeth written in this book and to give mee good counsell at all times and to come by treasures hidden in the earth and all other things
M. Mal. and the residue of that crew doe expound this word Diabolus for Dia say they is Duo and Bolus is Morsellus whereby they gather that the divell eateth up a man both body and soul at two morsels Whereas in truth the wicked may be said to eat up and swallow down the divell rather then the divell to eat up them though it may well be said by a figure that the divell like a roaring lion seeketh whom he may devoure which is meant of the soul and spirituall devouring as very novices in religion may judge CHAP. XXXIII Against fond witchmongers and their opinions concerning corporall divels NOw how Brian Darcies he spirits and she spirits Titty and Tifâ—â— Suckin and Pidgin Liard and Robin c. his white spirits and blacke spirits gray spirits and red spirits divell tode and divell lambe 〈◊〉 cat and divels dam agree herewithall or can stand consonant with the word of God or true philosophy let heaven and earth judge It 〈◊〉 mean time let any man with good consideration peruse that book 〈◊〉 by W. W. and it shall suffice to satisfie him in all that may required touching the vanities of the witches examinations confessions and executions where though the tale be told only of the accusers part without any other answer of theirs than their adversary â—â—teth down mine assertion will be sufficiently proved true And 〈◊〉 it seemeth to be performed with some kind of authority I will say 〈◊〉 more for the confutation thereof but referre you to the book it selfe whereto if nothing be added that may make to their reproach I 〈◊〉 warrant nothing is left out that may serve to their condemnation 〈◊〉 whether the witnesses be not single of what credit sex and age they â—â— namely lewd miserable and envious poor people most of them 〈◊〉 speak to any purpose being old women and children of the age of 4 5 6 7 8 or 9. years And note how and what the witches confesse and see of what weight and importance the causes are whether their confessions be not wonne through hope of favour and extorted by flattery or threats without proof But in so much as there were not past seventeen or eighteen condemned at 〈◊〉 at S. Osees in the county of Essex being a whole parish though of no great quantity I will say the lesse trusting that by this time there remain not many in that parish If any be yet behind I doubt not but 〈◊〉 Darcie will find them out who if he lack aid Richard Gallis of Windsor were meet to be associated with him which Gallis hath set forth another book to that effect of certain witches of Windsor executed at Abiâ—â—ton But with what impudency and dishonesty he hath finished it with what lies and forgeries he hath furnished it what folly and frenzy he hath mered in it I am ashamed to report and therefore being but a two penny book I had rather desire you to buy it and so to peruse it than to fill my book with such beastly stuffe CHAP. XXXIIII A conclusion wherein the Spirit of spirits is described by the illumination of which spirit all spirits are to be tryed with a confutation of the Pneumatomachi flatly denying the divinity of this Spirit TOuching the manifold signification of this word Spirit I have elsewhere in this brief discourse told you my minde which is a word nothing differing in Heb. from breath or wind For all these words following to wit Spiritus Ventus Flatus Halitus are indifferently use by the Holy Ghost and called by this Hebrew word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the sacred scripture For further proof whereof I cite unto you the words of Isay For his spirit or breath is as a river that overfloweth up to the neck c. in which place the prophet describeth the comming of God in heat and indignation unto judgment c. I cite also unto you the words of Zaccharie These are the four spirits of the heaven c. Likewise in Genesis And the spirit of God moved upon the waters Moreover I cite unto you the words of Christ The spirit or wind bloweth where it listeth Unto which said places infinite more might be added out of holy writ tending all to this purpose namely to give us this for a note that all the sayings above cited hath many more that I could alleadge where mention is made of spirit the Hebrew text useth no word but one to wit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifieth as I said Spiritum ventum flatum halitum which may be Englished Spirit wind blast breath But before I enter upon the very point of my purpose it shall not bee misse to make you acquainted with the collection of a certaine Schoole divine who distinguisheth and divideth this word Spirit into six significations saying that it is sometimes taken for the air sometimes for the bodies of the blessed sometimes for the souls of the blessed sometimes for the power imaginative or the minde of man and sometimes for God Again he saith that of spirits there are two sorts some created and some uncreated A spirit uncreated saith he is God himselfe and it is essentially taken and agreeth unto the three persons notionally to the Father the Son and the Holy Ghost personally A spirit created is a creature and that is likewise of two sorts to wit bodily and bodilesse A bodily spirit is also of two sorts for some kinde of spirit is so named of spiritualnesse as it is distinguished from bodilinesse otherwise it is called Spiritus a spirando id est a stando of breathing or blowing as the winde doth A bodilesse spirit is one way so named of spiritualnesse and then it is taken for a spirituall substance and is of two sorts some make a full and compleat kind and is called compleat or perfect as a spirit angelicall some doe not make a full and perfect kind and is called incompleat or unperfect as the soule There is also the spirit vitall which is a certaine subtill or very fine substance necessarily disposing and tending unto life There be moreover spirits naturall which are a kind of subtill and very fine substances disposing and tending unto equall complexions of bodies Again there be spirits animall which are certain subtill and very fine substances disposing and tempering the body that it might be animated of the form that is that it might be perfected of the reasonable soul. Thus far he In whose division you see a philosophicall kinde of proceeding though not altogether to be condemned yet in every point not to be approved Now to the spirit of spirits I mean the principall and holy spirit of God which one defineth or rather describeth to be the third person in trinity issuing from the Father and the Son no more the charity dilection love of the Father and the Son than the Father is the charity dilection and love of the Son and Holy
spirits and not swarve in judgement it followeth therefore that the spirit of blindnesse and error doth seduce them so that it is no marvell if in the alienation of their minds they take falsehood for truth shadowes for substances fansies for verities c. for it is likely that the good spirit of God hath forsaken them or at leastwise absented it selfe from them else would they detest these divelish devices of men which consist of nothing but delusions and vain practices whereof I suppose this my book to be a sufficient discovery It will be said that I ought not to judge for he that judgeth shall be judged Whereto I answer that judgement is not to be understood of three kind of actions in their proper nature whereof the first are secret and the judgement of them shall appertain to God who in time will disclose whatsoever is done in covert and that by his just judgement The second are mixed actions taking part of hidden and part of open so that by reason of their uncertainty and doubtfulnesse they are discussable and to be tryed these after due examination are to have their competent judgement and are incident to the magistrate The third are manifest and evident and such as doe no lesse apparently shew themselves than an inflammation of bloud in the body and of these actions every private man giveth judgement because they be of such certainty as that of them a man may as well conclude as to gatâ—er that because the sun is risen in the east Ergo it is morning he is come about and is full south Ergo it is high noon he is declining and closing up in the west Ergo it is evening So that the objection is answered Howbeit letting this passe and spiritually to speak of this spirit which whiles many have wanted it hath come to passe that they have proved altogether carnall and not savouring heavenly divinity have tumbled into worse than philosophicall barbarisme and these be such as of writers are called Pneumatomachi a sect so injurious to the holy spirit of God that contemning the sentence of Christ wherein he foretelleth that the sin against the holy spirit is never to be pardoned neither in this world nor in the world to come they do not only deny him to be God but also pull from him all being and with the Sadduces maintain there is none such but that under and by the name of holy spirit is meant a certain divine force wherewith our minds are moved and the grace and favour of God whereby we are his beloved Against these shamelesse enemies of the holy spirit I will not use materiall weapons but syllogisticall charmes And first I will set downe some of their paralogismes or false arguments and upon the neck of them infer fit confutations grounded upon sound reason and certain truth Their first argument is knit up in this manner The holy spirit is no where expressely called God in the scriptures Eâ—go he is not God or at leastwise he is not to be called God The antecedent of this argument is false because the holy spirit hath the title or name of God in the fift of the Acts. Again the consequent is false For although he were not expressely called God yet should it not thereupon be concluded that he is not very God because unto him are attributed all the properties of God which unto this doe equally belong And as we deny not that the father is the true light although it be not directly written of the father but of the sonne He was the true light giving light to every man that commeth into this world so likewise it is not to be denyed that the spirit is God although the scripture doth not expressely and simply note it sithence it ascribeth equall things thereunto as the properties of God the works of God the service due to God and that it doth interchangeably take the names of Spirit and of God oftentimes They therefore that see these things attributed unto the holy spirit and yet will not suffer him to be called by the name of God do as it were refuse to grant unto Eve the name of Homo whom notwithstanding they confesse to be a creature reasonable and mortall The second reason is this Hilarie in all his twelve books of the Trinity doth no where write that the holy spirit is to be worshiped he never giveth thereunto the name of God neither dares he otherwise pronounce thereof than that it is the spirit of God Besides this there are usuall prayers of the church commonly called the Collects whereof some are made to the Father some to the Sonne but none to the holy spirit and yet in them all mention is made of the three persons Hereunto I answer that although Hilarie doth not openly call the holy spirit God yet doth he constantly deny it to be a creature Now if any aske me why Hilarie was so coy and nice to name the holy spirit God whom he denieth to be a creature when as notwithstanding between God and a creature there is no mean I will in good sooth say what I think I suppose that Hilary for himself thought well of the godhead of the holy spirit but this opinion was thrust and forced upon him of the Pneumatomachi who at that time rightly deeming of the son did erewhiles joine themselves to those that were sound of judgement There is also in the ecclesiasticall history a little book which they gave Liberius a bishop of Rome whereinto they foisted the Nicene creed And that Hilarie was a friend of the Pneumatomachi it is perceived in his book De synodis where he writeth in this manner Nihil autem mirum vobis videri dâ—bet fratres charissimi c. It ought to seem no wonder unto you dear brethren c. As for the objection of the prayers of the church called the collects that in them the holy spirit is not called upon by name we oppose and set against them the songs of the church wherein the said spirit is called upon But the collects are more ancient then the songs hymnes and anthems I will not now contend about ancientnesse neither will I compare songs and collects together but I say thus much only to wit that in the most ancient times of the church the holy spirit hath been openly called upon in the congregation Now if I be charged to give an instance let this serve In the collect upon trinity sunday it is thus said Almighty and everlasting God which hast given unto us thy servants grace by the confession of a truth to acknowledge the glory of the eternall trinity and in the power of the divine Majesty to worship the unity we beseech thee that through the stedfastnesse of this faith we may evermore be defended from all adversity which livest and reignest one God world without end Now because that in this collect where the trinity
is expressely called upon the names of persons are not expressed but almighty and everlasting God invocated who abideth in trinity and unity it doth easily appear elsewhere also that the persons being not named under the name of almighty everlasting God not only the father to be understood but God which abideth in trinity and unity that is the father the sonne and the Holy-ghost A third objection of theirs is this The sonne of God oftentimes praying in the gospels speaking unto the father promiseth the holy spirit and doth also admonish the apostles to pray unto the heavenly father but yet in the name of the sonne Besides that he prescribeth them this forme of prayer Our father which art in heaven Ergo the father only is to be called upon and consequently the father only is that one and very true God of whom it is written Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God and him only shalt thou serve Whereto I answer first by denying the consequent The son prayed to the father only Ergo the father only is of us also to be prayed unto For the sonne of God is distinguished of us both in person and in office he as a mediator maketh intercession for us to the father and although the sonne and the holy spirit do both together receive and take us into favour with God yet is he said to intreat the father for us because the father is the fountain of all counsels and divine works Furthermore touching the forme of praying described of Christ it is not necessary that the fathers name should personally be there taken sith there is no distinction of persons made but by the name of father indefinitely wee understand God or the essence of God the father the sonne and the Holy-ghost For this name hath not alwaies a respect unto the generation of the sonne of God but God is called the father of the faithfull because of his gracious and free adopting of them the foundation whereof is the son of God in whom we be adopted but yet so adopted that not the father only receiveth us into his favour but with him also the sonne and the holy spirit doth the same Therefore when we in the beginning of prayer do advertise our selves of Gods goodnesse towards us we doe not cast an eye to the father alone but also to the sonne who gave us the spirit of adoption and to the holy spirit in whom we cry Abba Father And if so be that invocation and prayer were restrained to the father alone then had the saints done amisse in calling upon invocating and praying to the son of God and with the son the holy spirit in baptisme according to the forme by Christ himselfe assigned and delivered Another objection is out of the fourth of Amos in this manner For lo it is I that make the thunder and create the spirit and shew unto men their Christ making the light and the clouds and mounting above the high places of the earth the Lord God of hosts is his name Now because it is read in that place shewing unto men their Christ the Pneumatomachi contended that these words are to be understood of the holy spirit But Ambrose in his book De spiritu sancto lib. 2. cap. 7. doth rightly answer that by spirit in this place is meant the wind for if the prophets purpose and will had been to speak of the holy spirit he would not have begunne with thunder nor have ended with light and clouds Howbeit the same father saith If any suppose that these words are to be drawn unto the interpretation of the holy spirit because the prophet saith Shewing unto men their Christ he ought also to draw these words unto the mystery of the Lords incarnation and he expoundeth thunder to be the words of the Lord and spirit to be the reasonable and perfect soul. But the former interpretation is certain and convenient with the words of the prophet by whom there is no mention made of Christ but the power of God is set forth in his works Behold saith the prophet he that formeth the mountains and createth the wind and declareth unto man what is his thought which maketh the morning darknesse and walketh upon the high places of the earth the Lord God of hosts is his name In this sort Santes a right skilfull man in the Hebrew tongue translateth this place of the prophet But admit this place were written of the holy spirit and were not appliable either to the wind or to the Lords incarnation yet doth it not follow that the holy spirit is a creature because this word of Creating doth not alwaies signifie a making of something out of nothing 〈◊〉 Eusebius in expounding these words The Lord created me in the beginning of his wayes writeth thus The prophet in the person of God saying Behold I am he that made the thunder and created the spirit and shewed unto men their Christ this word created is not so to be taken as that it is to be concluded thereby that the same was not before For God hath not so created the spirit sithence by the same he hath shewed and declared his Christ unto all men Neither was it a thing of late beginning under the sonne but it was before all beginning and was then sent when the apostles were gathered together when a sound like thunder came from heaven as it had been the comming of a mighty wind this word Created being used for sent downe for appointed ordained c. and the word thunder signifying in another kind of manner the preaching of the gospels The like saying is that of the Psalmist A clean heart create in me O God wherein he prayed not as one having no heart but as one that had such a heart as needed purifying as needed perfecting and this phrase also of the scripture that he might create two in one new man that is that he might join couple or gather together c. Furthermore the Pneumaâ—omachi by these testimonies insuing endeavour to prove the holy spirit to be a creature Out of Iohn the 1. cha By this word were all things made and without it nothing was made Out of the 1 Cor. 8. We have one God the father even he from whom are all things c we in him and one Lord Jesus Christ through whom are all things and we by him Out of the 1. Coloss. By him were all things made things in heaven and things in earth visible and invisible c. Now if all things were made by the sonne it followeth that by him the holy spirit was also made Whereto I answer that when all things are said to be made by the sonne that same universall proposition is restrained by Iohn himself to a certain kind of things Without him saith the evangelist was nothing made that was made Therefore it is first to be shewed that the holy spirit was made and then will we conclude out
of Iohn that if he were made he was made of the sonne The scripture doth no where say that the holy spirit was made of the father or of the sonne but to proceed to come and to be sent from them both Now if these universall proposition are to suffer no restraint it shall follow that the father was made of the son than the which what is more absurd and wicked Again they object out of Matth. 11. None knoweth the sonne but the father and none the father but the sonne to wit of and by himself for otherwise both the angels and to whomsoever else it shall please the sonne to reveal the father these do know doth the father and the son Now if so be the spirit be not equall with the father and the sonne in knowledge he is not only unequall and lesser than they but also no God for ignorance is not incident unto God Where to I answer that where in holy scripture we do meet with universall propositions negative or exclusive they are not to be expounded of one person so as the rest are excluded but creatures or false gods are to be excluded and whatsoever else is without or beside the essence and being of God Reasons to prove and confirme this interpretation I could bring very many whereof I will adde some for example In the seventh of Iohn it is said When Christ shall come none shall know from whence he is notwithstanding which words the Jewes thought that neither God nor his angels should be ignorant from whence Christ should be In the fourth to the Galatians A mans covenant or testament confirmed with authority no body doth abrogate or adde any thing thereunto No just man doth so but tyrants and truce-breakers care not for covenants In Iohn eight Jesus was left alone and the woman standing in the midst And yet it is not to be supposed that a multitude of people was not present and the disciples of Christ likewise but the word Solus alone is referred to the womans accusers who withdrew themselves away every one and departed In the sixt of Mark when it was evening the ship was in the midst of the sea and he alone upon land he was not alone upon land or shore for the same was not utterly void of dwellers but he had not any of his disciples with him nor any body to carry him a shipboard unto his disciples Many phrases or for 〈◊〉 speeches like unto these are to be found in the sacred scriptures and 〈◊〉 â—â—thors both Greek and Latine whereby we understand that neither universall negative nor exclusive particles are strictly to be urged but to be explained in such sort as the matter in hand will bear When as therefore the son alone is said to know the father and it is demanded whether the holy spirit is debarred from knowing the father out of other places of scriptures judgement is to be given in this case In some places the holy spirit is counted and reckoned with the father and the son jointly wherefore he is not to be separated Elsewhere also it is attributed to the holy spirit that he alone doth know the things which be of God and seattheth the deep secrets of God wherefore from him the knowing of God is not to be excluded They do yet further object that it is not convenient or fit for God after the manner of suters to humble and cast downe himself but the holy spirit doth so praying and intreating for us with unspeakable groans Rom. 8. Ergo the holy spirit is not God Whereunto I answer that the holy spirit doth pray and intreat insomuch as he provoketh us to pray and maketh us to groan and sigh Oftentimes also in the scriptures is that action or deed attributed unto God which we being stirred up and moved by him doe bring to passe So it is said of God unto Abraham Now I know that thou fearest God and yet before he would have sacrificed Isaac God knew the very heart of Abraham and therefore this word Cognovi I know is as much as Cognoscere feci I have made or caused to know And that the spirit to pray and intreat is the same that to make to pray and intreat the apostle teacheth even there writing that we have received the spirit of adoption in whom we cry Abba Father Where it is manifest that it is we which cry the Holy-ghost provoking and forcing us thereunto Howbeit they goe further and frame this reason Whosoever is sent the sache is inferior and lesser than he of whom he is sent and furthermore he is of a comprehensible substance because he passeth by locall motion from place to â—lace but the holy spirit is foot of the father and the sonne Iohn 14.15 16. It is powred forth and shed upon men Acts 10. Ergo the holy spirit is lesser than the Father and the Sonne and of a comprehensible nature and consequently not very God Whereto I answer first that he which is sent is not alwayes lesser than he that sendeth to prove which position any mean wit may inferre many instances Furthermore touching the sending of the holy spirit we are here to imagin no changing or shifting of place For if the spirit when he goeth from the Father and is sent changeth his place then must the Father also be in a place that he may leave it and goe to another And as for the incomprehensible nature of the spirit hee cannot leaving his place passe unto another Therefore the sending of the spirit is the eternall and unvariable will of God to doe something by the holy spirit and the revealing and executing of this will by the operation and working of the spirit The spirit was sent to the Apostles which spirit was present with them sith it is present every-where but then according to the will of God the Father hee shewed himselfe present and powerfull Some man may say if sending be a revealing and laying open of presence and power then may the Father be said to be sent because hee himself is also revealed I answer that when the spirit is said to be sent not only the revealing but the order also of his revealing is declared because the will of the Father and of the Son of whom he is sent going before not in time but in order of persons the spirit doth reveal himself the father and also the Son The Father revealeth himself by others the Son and the Holy Spirit so that his will goeth before Therefore sending is the common work of all the three persons howbeit for order of doing it is distinguished by diverse names The Father will reveal himself unto men with the son and the spirit and be powerfull in them and therefore is said to send The sonne doth assent unto the will of the Father and will that to bee done by themselves which God will to be done by them these are said to be sent And because
the will of the Son doth goe before the spirit in order of persons he is also said to send the Spirit Yet for all this they alleadge that if the spirit had perfection then would he speak of himself and not stand in need alwayes of anothers admonishment but he speaketh not of himselfe but speaketh what he heareth as Christ expressely testifieth Iohn 16. Ergo he is unperfect and whatsoever he hath it is by partaking and consequently he is not God Whereto I answer that this argument is stale for it was objected by heretiques long agoe against them that held the true opinion as Cyrill saith who answereth that by the words of Christ is rather to be gathered that the Son and the Spirit are of the same substance For the spirit is named the minde of Christ 1 Cor. 2. and therefore he speaketh not of his own proper will or against his will in whom and from whom he is but hath all his will and working naturally proceeding from the substance as it were of him Lastly they argue thus Every thing is either unbegotten or unborn or begotten and created the spirit is not unbegotten for then he were the father and so there should be two without beginning neither is he begotten for then he is begotten of the father and so there shall be two sons both brothers or he is begotten of the son and then shall he be Gods nephew than the which what can be imagined more absurd Ergo he is created Whereto I answer that the division or distribution is unperfect for that member is omitted which is noted of the very best divine that ever was even Jesus Christ our Saviour namely to have proceeded or proceeding That same holy spirit saith he which proceedeth from the Father Which place Nazianzen doth thus interpret The spirit because he proceedeth from thence is not a creature and because he is not begotten he is not the son but because he is the mean of begotten and unbegotten he shall be God c. And thus having avoided all these cavils of the Pneumatomachi a sect of heretiques too too injurious to the holy spirit insomuch as they seeke what they can to rob and pull from him the right of his divinity I will all christians to take heed of their pestilent opinions the poison whereof though to them that â—e resolved in the truth it can do little hurt yet to such as stand upon a wavering point it can doe no great good Having thus far waded against them and overthrown their opinions I must needs exhort all to whom the reading hereof shall come that first they consider with themselves what a reverend mystery all that hitherto hath been said in this chapter concerneth namely the spirit of sanctification and that they so ponder places to and fro as that they reserve unto the holy spirit the glorious title of divinity which by nature is to him appropriate esteeming of those Pneumatomachi or Theomachi as of swine delighting more in the durty draffe of their devices than in the fair fountaine water of Gods word yea condemning them of grosser ignorance than the old philosophers who though they favoured little of heavenly theology yet some illumination they had of the holy divine Spirit marry it was somewhat misty dark lanâ—e and limping neverthelesse what it was and how much or little soever it was they gave thereunto a due reverence in that they acknowledged and intituled it Animam mundi The soul or life of the world and as Nazianzen witnesseth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The mind of the universall and the outward breath or the breath that cometh from without Porphyrie expounding the opinion of Plato who was not utterly blind in this mystery saith that the divine substance doth proceed and extend to three subsistencies and beings and that God is chiefly and principally good next him the second creator and the third to be the soule of the world for he holdeth that the divinity doth extend even to this soul. As for Hermes Trismegistus he saith that all things have need of this spirit for according to his worthinesse he supporteth all he quickeneth and susteineth all and he is derived from the holy fountaine giving breath and life unto all and evermore remaineth continuall plentifull and unemptyed And here by the way I give you a note worth reading and considering namely how all nations in a manner by a kinde of heavenly influence agree in writing and speaking the name of God with no more than foure letters As for example the Egyptians doe call him Theut the Persians call him Syre the Iews expresse his unspeakable as well as they can by the word Adonai consisting of foure vowels the Arabianâ— call him Alla the Mahometists call him Abdi the Greeks call him Theos the Latines call him Deus c. This although it be not so proper to our present purpose yet because we are in hand with the holy spirits deity is not altogether impertinent But why God would have his name as it were universally bounded within the number of four letters I can give sundry reasons which requires too long a discourse of words by digression and therefore I will conceal them for this time These opinions of philosophers I have willingly remembred that it might appear that the doctrine concerning the Holy Spirit is very ancient which they have taken either out of Moses writings or out of the works of the old fathers published and set forth in books though not wholly fully and perfectly understood and known and also that our Pneumatomachi may see themselves to be more doltish in divine matters than the heathen who will not acknowledge that essentiall and working power of the divinity whereby all things are quickned which the heathen did after a sort see after a sort I say because they separated the soul of the world which they also call the begotten mind from the most soveraign and unbegotten God and imagined certain differences of degrees and as Cyrill saith did Arrianize in the Trinity So then I conclude against these Pneumatomachi that in so much as they imitate the old gyants who piling up Pelion upon Ossa and them both upon Olympus attempted by scaling the heavens to pull Iupiter out of his throne of estate and to spoil him of his principality and were notwithstanding their strength whereby they were able to carry huge hills on their shoulders overwhelmed with those mountaines and squeized under the weight of them even to the death so these Pneumatomachi being enemies both to the holy Spirit and no friends to the holy church for then would they confesse the Trinity in Unity and the Unity is Trinity and consequently also the deity of the holy Spirit deserve to be consumed with the fire of his mouth the heat whereof by no meanes can be slacked quenched or avoided For there is nothing more unnaturall nothing more monstrous then against
other I doe call upon thee â—â— beseech thee O Lord Jesus Christ by thy nativity and baptisme thy crosse and passion by thine ascension and by the comming of the 〈◊〉 ghost by the bitternes of thy soule when it departed from the body thy five wounds by the bloud and water which went out of thy body thy vertue by the sacrament which thou gavest thy disciples the day before thou sufferedst by the holy trinity and the inseparable unity by blessed Mary thy mother by thine angels arch-angels prophets patriarchs and by all thy saints and by all the sacraments which are made in thine honor I doe worship and beseech thee to accept these prayers conjurations and words of my mouth which I will use I require thee O Lord Jesus Christ that thou give me thy vertue and power over all thine angeâ—â— which were throwne downe from heaven to deceive mankind to draw them to me to tie and bind them and also to loose them to gather them together before me and to command them to do all that they can and that by no meanes they contemne my voyce or the words of my mouth but that they obey me and my sayings and feare me I beseech thee by thine humanity mercy and grace and I require thee Adony Amay Horia Vege dova Mitaâ— Hel Suranat Ysion Ysesy and by all thy holy names and by all thine holy he saints and the saints by all thine angels and archangels powers dominations and verâ—ues and by that name that Solomon did bind the divels and shut them up Elbrach Ebanher Agle Goth Ioth Othie Venoch Nabrat and by all thine holy names which are written in this booke and by the vertue of them all that thou enable me to congrerate all thy spirits throwne downe from heaven that they may give me a true answer of all my demands and that they satisfie all my requests without the hurt of my body or soule or any thing else that of mine through our Lord Jesus Christ thy sonne which liveth and reigneth with thee in the unity of the Holy ghost one God world without end Oh father omnipotent oh wise sonne oh Holy ghost the searcher of hearts oh you three in persons one true Godhead in substance which drift spare Adam and Eve in their sinnes and oh though sonne which diedst for their sinnes a most filthy death sustaining it upon the holy 〈◊〉 oh thou most mercifull when I flie unto thy mercy and beseech thee by all the means I can by these thy holy names of thy sonne to 〈◊〉 A and Q and all other his names grant me thy vertue and power that I may be able to cite before me thy spirits which where thrown downe from heaven and that they may speak with me and dispatch by and by without delay and with a good will and without the hurt of my body soule or goods c. as is contained in the book called Annulus S. Lomonis Oh great and eternall vertue of the highest which through disposition these being called to judgement Vaichâ—on Stimulamaton Esphares Tetragrammaton Olioraâ— Cryon Esytion Existion Eâ—iona Onela Brasim Noym Messias Soter Emanuel Sabbath Adonay I worship thee I invocate thee I imploy thee with all the strength of my mind that by thee my present prayers consecrations and conjurations be hollowed and wheresoever wicked spirits are called in the vertue of thy names they may come together from every coast and diligently fulfill the will of me the exorcist Fiat fiato fiat Amen CHAP. V. A confutation of the manifold vanities conteined in the precedent chapters specially of commanding of divels HE that can be perswaded that these things are true or wrought indeed according to the assertion of conseners or according to the supposition of witch mongers and papists may soone be brought to beleeve that the moone is made of green cheese You see in this which is called Salomons conjuration there is a perfect inventary registred of the number of divels of their names of their offices of their personages of their qualities of their powers of their properties of their kingdomes of their governâ—rs of their orders of their dispositions of their 〈◊〉 of their submission and of the wayes to bind or loose them with a note what wealth learning office commodity pleasure 〈◊〉 they can give and may be forced to yeeld in spight of their hearts to 〈◊〉 forsooth as are cunning in this art of whom yet was never seen 〈◊〉 rich man or at least that gained any thing that way or any 〈◊〉 man that became learned by that meanes or any happy man 〈◊〉 could with the helpe of this art either deliver himselfe or his 〈◊〉 from adversity or adde unto his estate any point of felicity yet 〈◊〉 men in all worldly happineâ—se must need exceed all others 〈◊〉 things could be by them accomplished according as it is presupposed 〈◊〉 if they may learne of Marbas all secrets and to cure all diseases and Furcas wisdome and to be cunning in all mechanicall arts and change any mans shape of Zepar if Bune can make them rich and eloquent if Beroâ—h can tell them of all things present past and to 〈◊〉 if Asmodie can make them go invisible and shew them all hidden treasure if Salmacke will afflict whom they list and Allocer can procure the 〈◊〉 of any woman if Amy can provide them excellent familiars if 〈◊〉 can make them understand the voyce of all birds and beasts and 〈◊〉 and Bifrons can make them live long and finally if Orias could proâ—â— unto them great friends and reconcile their enemies and they 〈◊〉 end had all these at commandement should they not live in all world honor and felicity whereas contrariwise they lead there lives in all oâ—â—quy misery and beggery and in fine come to the gallowes as thou they had chosen unto themselves the spirit Valefer who they say 〈◊〉 all them with whom he entereth into familiarity to no better end than the gibbet or gallowes But before I proceed further to the confuâ—â—tion of this stuffe I will shew other conjurations devised more lately and of more authority wheâ—ein you shall see how fooles are trained to beleeve these absurdities being wonne by little and little to such credulity For the author hereof beginneth as though all the cunning of conjurors were deâ—â—ved and fetcht from the planetary motions and true course of the 〈◊〉 celestiall bodies c. CHAP. VI. The names of the Planets their characters together with the twelve signes of the zodiake their dispositions aspects and government with other observations The disposition of the Planets The aspects of the Planets ☌ Is the best aspect with good planets and the worst with evill âš¹ Is a meane aspect in goodnese or badnesse â–³ Is very good in aspect to good planets and hâ—rteth not in evill â–¡ This aspect is of enimity not full perfect ☠This aspect is of enimity most perfect How the day is divided or
to thee N. and to appeare to thee N. in any crystall stone glasse or other mirror and so to take it for my resting place And that so soone as my spirit is departed out of my body straightway to be at your commandements and that in and at all days nights houres and minutes to be obedient unto thee N. being called of the eâ—by the vertue of our Lord Jesuâ— Christ and our of hand to have common talke with thee at all times and in all houres and minutes to open and declare to thee N. the truth of all things present past and to come and how to worke the magick art and all other noble sciences under the throne of God If I do not performe this oath and promise to thee N. but doe flie from any part thereof then to be condemned for ever and ever Amen Also I N. do sweare to thee by God the Holy ghost and by the great wisedome that is in the divine Godhead and by their vertues and by all the holy angels archangels thrones dominations principats poteslaus virtutes cherubim and seraphim and by all their vertues do I N. sweare and promise thee to be obedient as is rehearsed And here for a witnesse do I N. give thee N. my right hand and do plight thee my faith and troth as God me helpe and holydome And by the holy contents in this booke do I N. sweare that my spirit shall be thy true servant all the dayes of thy life as is before rehearsed and here for a witnesse that my spirit shal be obedient unto thee N. and to those bonds of words that be written in this N. before the bonds of words shall be rehearsed thrise else to be damned for ever and thereto say all faithfull soules and spirits Amen Amen Then let him sweare this oath three times and at every time kisse the book and at every time make marks to the bond Then perceiving the time that he will depart get away the people from you and get or take your stone or glasse or other thing in your hand and say the Pater noster Ave and Credo and this prayer as followeth And in all the time of his departing rehearse the bonds of words and in the end of every bond say oftentimes Remember thine oath and promise And bind him strongly to thee and to thy stone and suffer him not to depart reading thy bond 24. times And every day when you do call him by your other bond bind him strongly by the first bond by the space of 24. dayes apply it and thou shalt be made a man for ever Now the Pater noster Ave and Credo must be said and then the prayer immediately following O God of Abraham God of Isaac God of Iacob God of Tobias â—he which diddest deliver the three children from the hot burning oven Sidrac Misac and Abednago and Susanna from the false crime and Daniel from the lions power even so O Lord omnipotent I beseech thee for thy great mercy sake to helpe me in these my works and to deliver me this spirit of N. that he may be a true subject unto me N. all the dayes of my life and to remaine with me and with this N. all the dayes of my life O glorious God Father Sonne and Holy ghost I beseech thee to help me at this time and to give me power by thy holy name merits and vertues wherby I may conjure and constraine this spirit of N. that he may be obedient unto me and may fulfill his oath and promise at all times by the power of all thine holinesse This grant O Lord God of hosts as thou art righteous and holy and as thou art the word and the word God the beginning and the end sitting in the thrones of thine everlasting kingdomes and in the divinity of thine everlasting Godhead to whom be all honour and glory now and for ever and ever Amen Amen CHAP. XVIII A bond to binde him to thee and to thy N. as followeth IN conjure and constraine the spirit of N. by the living God by the true God and by the holy God and by their vertues and powers I conjure and constraine the spirit of thee N. that thou shalt not ascend nor descend out of thy body to no place of rest but onely to take thy resting place with N. and with this N. all the dayes of my life according to thine oath and promise I conjure and constraine the spirit of N. by these holy names of God ✚ Tetragrammaton ✚ Adonay ✚ Agla ✚ Saday ✚ Sabaoth ✚ planabothe ✚ panthon ✚ craton ✚ vcupmaton ✚ Deus ✚ homo ✚ omnipotens ✚ sempiternus ✚ ysus ✚ terra ✚ unigenitus ✚ salvator ✚ via ✚ vila ✚ manus ✚ sons ✚ origo ✚ filius ✚ and by their vertues and powers I conjure and constraine the spirit of N. that thou shalt not remaine in the fire nor in the water in the aier nor in any privy plaâ—e of the earth but onely with me N. and with this N. all the dayes of my life I charge the spirit of N. upon paine of everlasting condemnation remember thine oath and promise Also I conjure the spirit of N. and constraine thee by the excellent name of Jesus Christ A and Ω the first and the last for this holy name of Jesus is above all names for unto it all knees doe bow and obey both of heavenly things earthly things and infernals Nor is there any other name given to man whereby we have any salvation but by the name of Iesus Therefore by the name and in the name of Jesus of Nazareth and by his nativity resurrection and ascension and by all that appertaineth to his passion and by their vertues and powers I do conjure and constraine the spirit of N. that thou shalt not take any resting place in the ☉ not in the ☽ nor in ♄ nor in ♃ nor in ♂ nor in ♀ nor in ☿ nor in any of the twelve signes nor in the concavity of the clouds nor in any other privie place to rest or stay in but onely with me N. or with this N. all the dayes of my life If thou be not obedient unto me according to thine oath and promise I N. do condemne the spirit of N. into the pit of bell for ever Amen I conjure and constraine the spirit of N. by the bloud of the innocent lambe Jesus Christ the which was shed upon the crosse for all those that do obey into it and beleeve in it shall be saved and by vertue thereof and by all the aforesaid riall names and words of the living God by me pronounced I do conjure and constraine the spirit of N. that thou do be obedient unto me according to thine oath and promise If thou refuse to do as is aforesaid I N by the holy Trinity and by his vertue and power do condemne the spirit of N. into the place whereas there is no
hope of â—â—ehiedy but everylasting condemnation and honor and paine upon paine daily horribly and lamentably the paines there to be augmented so thicke as the stars in the firmament and as the gravell sand in the sea except thou spirit of N. obey me N. as is afore rehearsed else I N. do condemne the spirit of N. into the pit of everlastâ—ng condemnation Fiat fiat Amen Also I conjure thee and constraine the spirit of N. by all angels archangels thrones dominations principats porestats virtutes cherubim and seraphim and by the foure evangelist Matthew Marke Luke and Iohn and by all things contained in the old law and the new and by their vertues and by the twelve apostles and by all patriarchs prophets martyrs confessors virgins innocents and by all the elect and chosen is and shall be which followeth the lambe of God and by their vertues and powers I conjure and constraine the spirit of N. strongly to have common talke with me at all times and in all dayes nights houres and minutes and to talke in my mother tongue plainely that I may heare it and understand it declaring the truth unto me of all things according to thine oath and promise else to be condemned for ever Fiat fiat Amen Also I conjure and constraine the spirit of N. by the golden girdle which girdeth the loines of our Lord Jesus Christ so thou spirit of N. be thou bound and cast into the pit of everlasting condemnation for thy great disobedience and unreverent regard that thou hast to the holy names and words of God almighty by me pronounced Fiat Amen Also I conjure constraine command and binde the spirit of N. by the two edged sword which Iohn saw proceed out of the mouth of God almighty except thou be obedient as is aforesaid the sword cut thee in peeces and condemne thee into the pit of everlasting paines where the fire goeth not out and where the worme dieth not Fiat fiat fiat Amen Also I conjure and constraine the spirit of N. by the throne of the Godhead and by all the heavens under him and by the celestiall city new Ierusalem and by the earth by the sea and by all things created and contained therein and by their vertues and powers and by all the infernalls and by their vertues and powers and by all things contained therein and by their vertues and powers I conjure and constraine the spirit of N. that now immediatly thou be obedient unto me at all times hereafter and to those words of me pronounced according to thine oath and promise else let the great curse of God the anger of God the shadow and darkenesse of everlasting condemnation be upon thee thou spirit of N. for ever and ever because thou hast denied thine health thy faith and salvation for the great disobedience thou art worthy to be condemned Therefore let the divine trinity angels and archangels thrones dominations principats â—potestaâ—es virtutes cherubim and seraphim and all the soules of the saints that shall stand on the right hand of our Lord Jesus Christ at the generall day of judgement condemne the spirit of N. for ever and ever and be a witnesse against thee because of thy great disobedience in and against thy promises Fiat fiat Amen Being thus bound he must needs be obedient unto thee whether he will or no prove this And here followeth a bond to call him to your N. and to shew you true visions at all times as in the houre of ♄ to bind or inchant any thing and in the houre of ♃ for peace and concord in the houre of ♂ to marre to destroy and to make sicke in the houre of the ☉ to bind tongues and other bonds of men in the houre of ♀ to increase love joy and good will in the houre of ☿ to put away enimity or hatred to know of theft in the houre of the ☽ for love goodwill and concord ♄ lead ♃ tinne ♂ iron ☉ gold ♀ copper ☿ quicksiver ☽ silver c. CHAP. XIX This bond as followeth is to call him into your crystall stone or glasse c. ALso I do conjure thee spirit N. by God the father by God the sonne and by God the holy ghost A and Ω the first and the last and by the latter day of judgement of them which shall come to judge the quicke and the dead and the world by fire by their vertues and powers I constraine thee spirit N. to come to him that holdeth the crystall stone in his hand and to appeare visibly as hereafter followeth Alsoâ— I conjure thee spirit N. by these holy names of God ✚ Tetragrammaton ✚ Adonay ✚ El ✚ Ousion ✚ Agla ✚ Iesus ✚ of Nazareth ✚ and by the vertues thereof and by his nativity death buriall resurrection and ascension and by all other things appertaining unto his passion and by the blessed virgin Mary mother of our Lord Jesus Christ and by al the joy which she had when she saw her sonne rise from death to life and by the vertues and powers thereof I constraine thee spirit N. to come into the crystall stone and to appeare visibly as hereafter shall be declared Also I conjure thee N. thou spirit by all angels archangels thrones dominations principats potestats virtues cherubim and seraphim and by the ☉ ☽ ♄ ♃ ♂ ♀ ☿ and by the twelve signes and by their vertues and powers and by al things created and confirmed in the firmament and by their vertues and powers I constraine thee spirit N. to appeare visibly in that crystall stone in faire forme and â—hape of a white angell a greene angell a blacke angell a man a woman boy a maiden virgine a white grayhound a divell with great hornes without any hurt or danger of our bodyes or soules and truly to imforme and shew unto us true visions of all things in that crystall stone according to thine oath and promise and that without any hindrance or tarrying to appeare visibly by this bond of words read over by 〈◊〉 three times upon paine of everlasting condemnation Fiat fiat Amen Then being appeared say these words following I conjure thee spirit by God the father that thou shew true visions in that crystall stone where there be any N. in such a place or no upon paine of everlasting condemnation Fiat Amen Also I conjure thee spirit N. by God the sonne Iesus Christ that thou doe shew true visions unto us whether it be gold or silver or any other metals or whether there were any or no upon paine of condemnation Fiat Amen Also I conjure thee spirit N. by God the Holy ghost the which doth sanctifie all faithfull soules and spirits and by their vertues and powers I constraine thee spirit N. to speake open and to declare the true way how we may come by these treasures hidden in N. how to have it in our custody who are the keepers thereof and how many there
lady having not one dramme of faith repentance nor yet of honesty in him Neverthelesse so credulous is the nature of man as to beleeve this and such like fables yea to discredit such stuffe is thought among the papists flat heresie And though we that are protestants will not beleeve these toies being so apparently popish yet we credit and report other appearances and assuming of bodies by souls and spirits though they be as prophane absurd and impious as the other We are sure the holy maid of Kents vision was a very cousenage but we can credit imprint and publish for a true possession or history the knavery used by a cousening varlot at Maidstone and many other such as that was We think soules and spirits may come out of heaven or hell and assume bodies beleeving many absurd tales told by the schoolemen and Romish doctors to that effect but we discredit all the stories that they and as grave men as they are tell us upon their knowledge and credit of soules condemned to purgatory wandering for saccour and release by trentals and masses said by a popish priest c. and yet they in probability are equall and in number farre exceed the other We think that to be a lie which is written or rather fathered upon Luther to wit that he knew the divell and was very conversant with him and had eaten many bushels of salt and made jolly good cheere with him and that he was confuted in a disputation with a reall divell about the abolishing of private masse Neither do we beleeve this report that the divell in the likenesse of a tall man was present at a sermon openly made by Carolostadius and from this sermon went to his house and told his sonne that he would fetch him away after a day or twain as the papists say he did indeed although they lie in every point thereof most maliciously But we can beleeve Platina and others when they tell us of the appearances of pope Benedict the eight and also the ninth how the one rode upon a black horse in the wildernesse requiring a bishop as I remember whom he met that he would disribute certain money for him which he had purloined of that which was given in almes to the poor c. and how the other was seen a hundred years after the divell had killed him in a wood of an heremite in a bears skinne and an asses head on his shoulders c. himselfe saying that he appeared in such sort as he lived And diverse such stuffe rehearsed by Platina Now because S. Ambrose writeth that S. Anne appeared to Constance the daughter of Constantine and to her parents watching at her sepulchre and because Eusebius and Nicephorus say that the Pontamian virgine Origens disciple appeared to S. Basil and put a crown upon his head in tokâ—n of the glory of his martyrdome which should shortly follow and because Hierome writeth of Pauls appearance and Theodoret of S. Iohn the Baptist and Athanasuis of Ammons c. many do beleeve the same stories and miraculous appearances to be true But few protestants will give credit unto such shamefull fables or any like them when they finde them written in the Legendary Festivall Rosaries of our Lady or any other such popish authors Whereby I gather that if the protestant beleeve some few lies the papists beleeve a great number This I write to shew the imperfection of man how attentive our ears are to hearken to tales And though herein consist no great point of faith or infidelity yet let us that professe the gospell take warning of papists not to be carryed away with every vain blast of doctrine but let us cast away these prophane and old wives fables And although this matter have passed so long with generall credit and authority yet many grave authors have condemned long since all those vain visions and apparitions except such as have been shewed by God his sonne and his angels Athanasius saith that soules once loosed from their bodies have no more society with mortall men Augustine saith that if soules could walk and visit their friends c. or admonish them in sleep or other-wise his mother that followed him by land and by sea would shew her self to him and reveal her knowledge or give him warning c. But most true it is that is written in the gospell We have Moses and the prophets who are to be hearkened unto and nor the dead CHAP. XXVIII A confutation of Iohannes Laurentius and of many others maintaining these fained and ridiculous tales and apparitions and what driveth them away of Moses and Helias appearance in mount Thabor FUrthermore to prosecute this matter in more words if I say that these apparitions of soules are but knavaries and cousenages they object that Moses and Helias appeared in mount Thabor and talked with Christ in the presence of the principal apostles yea and that God appeared in the bush c. As though spirits and souls could do whatsoever it pleaseth the Lord to do or appoint to be done for his owne glory or for the manifestation of his sonne miraculously And therefore I thought good to give you a taste of the witchmongers absurd opinions in this behalf And first you shal understand that they hold that all the soules in heaven may come down and appear to us when they list and assume any body saving their owne otherwise say they such souls should not be perfectly happy They say that you may know the good souls from the bad very easily For a damned soul hath a very heavy and sowre look but a saints soul hath a cheerfull and a merry countenance these also are white and shining the other cole black And these damned souls also may come up out of hell at their pleasure although Abraham made Dives beleeve the contrary They affirme that damned souls walk oftenest next unto them the souls of purgatory and most seldome the souls of saints Also they say that in the old law souls did appear seldome and after dooms day they shal never be seen more in the time of grace they shall be most frequent The walking of these souls saith Michael Andr. is a most excellent argument for the proof of purgatory for saith he those souls have testified that which the popes have affirmed in that behalfe to wit that there is not only such a place of punishment but that they are released from thence by masses and such other satisfactory works whereby the goodnesse of the masse is also ratified and confirmed These heavenly or purgatory souls say they appear most commonly to them that are born upon ember daies and they also walk most usually on those ember daaes because we are in best state at that time to pray for the one and to keep company with the other Also they say that soules appear oftenest by night because men may then be at best leisure and most
the person of the deity I mean the spirit of sanctification to oppose mans power mans wit mans policy c. which was well signified by that poeticall fiction of the giants who were termed Anguipedes Snakefooted which as Ioachimus Cameravius expoundeth of wicked counsellours to whose filthy perswasions tyrants doe trust as unto their feet and Iames Sadolet interpreteth of philosophers who trusting over much unto their own wits become so bold in challenging praise for their wisdome that in fine all turneth to folly and confusion so I expound of heretikes and schismatikes who ' either by corrupt doctrine or by maintaining precise opinions or by open violence c. assay to overthrow the true religion to break the unity of the church to deny Caesar his homage and God his duty c. and therefore let Iovis fulmen wherewith they were slain assure these that there is Divina ultio due to all such as dare in the ficklenesse of their fancies arrear themselves against the holy spirit of whom sith they are ashamed hereupon earth otherwise they would confidently boldly confesse him both with mouth and pen he will be ashamed of them in heaven where they are like to be so farre from having any society with the saints that their portion shall be even in full and shaken measure with miscreants and infidels And therefore let us if we will discerne and try the spirits whether they be of God or no seek for the illumination of this inlightning spirit which as it bringeth light with it to discover all spirits so it giveth such a fiery heat as that no false spirit can abide by it for fear of burning Howbeit the holy spirit must be in us otherwise this prerogative of trying spirits will not fall to our lot But here some will peradventure move a demand and do aske how the holy spirit is in us considering that Infiniti ad infinitum nulla est proportio neque loci angustia quod immensum est potest circumscribi of that which is infinite to that which is finite there is no proportion neither can that which is unmeasurable be limited or bounded within any précinct of place c. I answer that the most excellent father for Christs sake sendeth him unto us according as Christ promised us in the person of his apostles The comforter saith he which is the holy spirit whom my father will send in my name And as for proportion of that which is infinite to that which is finite c. I wil in no case have it thought that the holy spirit is in us as a body placed in a place terminably but to attribute thereunto as duly belongeth to the deity an ubiquity or universall presence not corporally and palpably but effectually mightily mystically divinely c. Yea and this I may boldly adde that Christ Jesus sendeth him unto us from the father neither is he given us for any other end but to inrich us abundantly with all good gifts and excellent graces and among the rest with the discerning of spirits aright that we be not deceived And here an end FINIS The summe of every chapter contained in the sixteene books of this discovery with the discourse of divels and spirits annexed thereunto The first Booke AN impeachment of witchespower in meteors and elementary bodies tending to the rebuke of such as attribute too much unto them Pag. 1. The inconvenience growing by mens credulity herein with a reproofe of some churchmen which are inclined to the common conceived opinion of witches oâ—nipotency and a familiar example thereof pag. 3. Who they be that are called witches with a manifest declaration of the cause that moveth men so commonly to thinke witches themselves to beleeve that they can hurt children cattell c. with words and imaginations and of cousening witches pag. 5. What miraculous actions are imputed to witches by witchmongers papists and poets pag. 6. A confutation of the common conceived opinion of witches and witchcraft and how detestable a sinne it is to repaire to them for counsell or helpe in time of affliction pag. 8. A further confutation of witches miraculous and omnipotent power by invincible reasons and authorities with dissuasions from such sond credulity pag. 9. What meanes the name of witches becommeth so famous and how diversly people be opinioned concerning them and their actions pa. 10. Causes that move as well witches themselves as others to thinke that they can work impossibilities with answers to certaine objections where also their punishment by law is touched pag. 11. A conclusion of the first book wherein is foreshewed the tyrannicall cruelty of witchmongers and inquisitors with a request to the reader to peruse the same pag. 12. The second Booke WHat testimonies and witnesses are allowed to give evidence against reputed witches by the report and allowance of the inquisitors themselves and such as are speciall writers herein Pag. 13. The order of examination of witches by the inquisitors ibid. Matters of evidence against witches pag. 15. Confessions of witches whereby they are condemned pag. 16. Presumptions whereby witches are condemned pag. 17. Particular interrogatories used by the inquisitors against witches pa. 18. The inquisitors triall of weeping by conjuration pag. 19. Certaine cautions against witches and of their tortures to procure confession pag. 20. The 15. crimes laid to the charge of witches by witchmongers specially by Bodin in Demonomania 22. A confutation of the former surmised crimes patched together by Bodin and the only way to escape the inquisitors hands pag 23. The opinion of Cornelius Agrippa concerning witches of his pleading for a poore woman accused of witchcraft and how he convinced the inquisitors pag. 24. What the feare of death and feeling of torments may force one to do and that it is no marvell though witches condemne themselves by their owne confessions so tyrannically extorted pag. 33. The third Book THe witches bargaine with the divell according to M. Mal. Bodin Nâ—der Daneus Psellus Brastus Hemingius Cumanus Aquinas Bartholomeus Spineus c. Pag. 35. The order of the witches homage done as it is written by lewd inquisitors and peevish witchmongers to the divell in person of their songs and danses and namely of Lavolta and of other ceremones also of their excourses pag. 36. How witches are sommoned to appeare before the divell of their riding in the air of their accompts of their conference with the divell of his supplies and their conference of their farewell and sacrifices according to Daneus Psellus c. 37 That there can no real league be made with the divell the first author of the league and the weake proofes of the adversaries for the same 38. Of the private league a notable table of Bodin concerning a French lady with a confutation pag. 39. A disproofe of their assemblies and of their bargaine pag. 40. A confutation of the objection concerning witches confessions pag. 41. What folly it were for witches
rer 10. cap. 93. Divels of divers natureâ— and their operations The former opinion confuted Psellus lib. de operat daem cap. 12. If this were spoken of the tentations c. of satan it were tolerable 1. Cor. 12. Psellus ibid. cap. 13. If a babe of two yeares old throw stones from Pawles steeple they will do hurt c. Howbeit I think the spirit of tentation to be that divel therefore 〈…〉 Christ biddeth us watch and pray lest we be tempted c. Psel in operat daem cap. 14. Idem cap. 17. Beast like divels But Psâ—llus saw nothing himself Probable and likely stuffe Fasc Card. operat de daemon The Platonists opinion What kind of sacrifices each spirit liketh best Of Socrates his private divell or familiar spirit Dionys. in coelest hâ—rearch cap. 9.10 Ephes. 6. Dionys. in coelest hierarch I. Calv. lib. inslit 1. c. 14. Edw. Deering in lect upon the Hebrews reading 6. Mal 3.1 Isai. 14. The opinion of the Thalmudists Laur. Anan lib. de natur daem 1 Creavit coelum terraâ— Laur. Anan lib. denatur daem 1. Lau. Anan lib. de naâ—ur dem 1. Laur. Anan lib. de natur dam. 1. Instans viz. punctum temp nâ—mpe indivi duum Nunc. Euseb. in ecclâ—s histor 1.0000000 Iohannes Cassianus in confessione theolog tripart I. Cal lib. inslit 1. cap. 14. sect 8. Mich. And. â—hes 107. 101. Idem thes 103 108. Luk 15.7 Luk 16.23 I. Cal. lib. instit 1. cap. 14.2 Reg. 16.17 Jud. vers 6. 2 Pet. 2.4 Mal. malef par 2. quae 1. cap. 2.3 Mal. malef par 2. cap. 1. quaest 1. Mich. And. Laur. Anan Mal. malef c. Author lib. Zeor hammor in Gen. 2. The grosse dulnesse of many at the hearing of a spirit named Aug. in ser. 4. Greg. 29 sup Iob. Leo pont ser. 8 Nativit Ephe. 6.11 12. 2 Tim. 2.8.9 Idem ibid. 1 Cor. 2.14 Judg. 9.7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14. a Exod. 31.1 b Acts 8.19 Gal. 3. c John 6. Matth. 16. d 1 Cor. 3. Gal. 3. 1 Cor. 2. 2 Cor. 7. e Luk. 9. 1 Cor. 5. Philip. 1. 1 Thes. 5. f 1 John 4. g 1 Tim. 4. h Ephes. 5. Isai. 11.2 Zach. 12.10 Rom. 1.15 1 Cor. 12.8 9 10. 1 Cor. 12.11 Isai. 19.14 Isai. 29. 1 Sam. 28. Hest. 16. Sap. 15.13 29. Judg. 9.23 Num. 5.14 Luk. 13.11 Mark 16.9 Levit. 26. Prov. 24. Luk. 17. Matth. 8.16 Luk. 4.36 Luk. 7.21 John 8.11 Luk. 8.14 Levit. 14 7 8. Luk. 7.17.4 John 9. Mat. 4.17 c. Mat. 15.28 Mat. 12.22 Mal. males quaest 5. pa. 1. * A maxime in philosophy as the sun in aridis fiecis Ioseph de antiquitat Iud. item de bello Iud. lib. 7. c. 35. Num. 27.16 1 Reg. 18 verse 23. verse 4. Luke 8.27 28. Mark 5.9 Luk. 8. I. Cal. lib. inflit lib. 1 cap 14. sect 14. Numb 11. Ibid. ver 25. Acts 16. 2 Reg. 2. Judg. 3.10 a Judg. 11.39 b Ibid. 14.6 c Ibid. 14.6 d Numb 24.2 e 1 Sam. 16.13 f 1 Sam. 18.14 g Ezek. 11.5 h 2 Chron. 14. i 1 Chro. 12 18 k Numb 14. l Dan. 5.11 Joh. 3.34 Eccles. 8. For every naturall motion is either circular or elementary Gen. 18.19 I. Bod. lib. de daem 3. ca. 4. Exod. 12.29 Psal. 104.20 I. Bod. lib. de dem 3. ca. 5. Levit. 1. 2 Reg. 13. Mat. 10 12. Mark 3. Luk. 11. a 2 Reg. 19. b 2 Reg. 17. c Ose. 9.11 Numb 25. Deut. 3. 4. Josu 22. d 2 Reg. 17. e Numb 21. 1 Reg. 11. 2 Reg. 23. f Judg. 16. 1 Mac. 10. g 1 Reg. 11. 2 Reg. 23. h 2 Reg. 23. 1 Chron. 20. Jerem. 49. Ioseph lib. de antiquit Iudae or 6. cap. 14. 1 Sam. 7. 2 Reg. 23. Psal. 96. a Ioh 40. Job 3. Isai 27. b Matth. 6. Matth. 4. c. Marc. 16. James 2. d Matth. 4. John 8. Apoc. 12. e Apoc. 9. f Mark 5. Luk. 8. g Ephes. 2. h John 8.12.14.16 i Job 41. k 1 Pet. 5. l John 8. m 1 John 3. n Act. 16. o Ose. 4. p Psal. 34. 1 Chron. 21. q Prov. 17. r 2 Cor. 12. s Apoc. 9. t Apoc. 12. u Job 41. x Gen. 3. y Apoc. 12. z Isai. 27. Isai. 13.24 Psalm 96. Iuno and Minerva Cousening gods or knaves Terra aqua aer ignis sol Luna Hudgin of Germany and Rush of England 1 Wier lib. de praest daem 1. cap. 23. Bawdy priests in Ginnie Looke in the word Ob lib. 7. cap 3. A good god and goddesse for women The names of certaine heathenish gods their peculiar offices A very homely charge Beasts biâ—ds vermine fishes herbs and other trumpeâ—y worshipped as gods Inperiall godâ— and their assistants The number of gods among the gentiles 1. Reg. 20. 2. Chr. 32. 1. Cor. 16. Iudg. 3. 2 Chr. 33. 2. Reg. 23 c. Popish gods of nations Parish gods or popish idols Se the golden Legend for the life of S. Bridget He saints and she saints of the old stamp with their peculiar vertues touching the cuting of diseases * For the French pox or the common kind of pox or both This would be known New saints Divos vocant Grammatici cos qui ex hominibus dii facti sunt Cic. de natuf deorum The papists see a moth in the eye of others but no beam in their owne The idolatrous councell of Trent Exempl 4. But our Lady spied him well enough as you shal read The priests arse made buttons Our B. ladies favour Greg. 4. dialog cap. 51. Alexand lib. 5. cap. 23. lib. 2. cap. 9. c. Greg. lib. 4. dialog ca. 40. idem cap. 55. and in other places elsewhere innumerable Micha And. thes 151. Alex. ab Alexand lib. 4. genealog dierum chap. 19. Plutarch oratione ad Apoll onium Item Rasiliens in epist. Platina de vitis pontisicum Nauclerus 2. generat 35. Ambr. ser. 90. de passione Agn. Euseb. lib. eccles hist. 5. Niceph. lib. 5. cap. 7. Hieronym in vita Pau. Theodor lib. hist. 5. ca. 24. Aâ—han in vita Antho. * Melawoth in Calendar Manlii 23. April Marbach lib. de miracul adversus Ins. Iohannes Rivius de veter superstit Athan. lib. 99. quae 11. August de cura pro mortu ca. 13. Luk. 16. Matth. 17. Luk 9. Iohan. Laur. lib. de natur demon Mich. Andr. thes 222 c. Idem thes 235. 136. Idem thes 226. Th. Aq. 1 pa. quae 89. ar 8. Gregor in dial 4. Mich. And. thes 313.316.317 Idem thes 346. Leo. serm de jejuniis 10. mens Gelas. in epistola ad episc Mich. Andâ— thes 345. Greg. dial 4. cap. 1.12.14 Mich. And. thes 347. Greg. dial 4. cap. 11. Mich. And. thes 347. Mich. And. thes 341. Ide thes 388. Ide thes 411. Mal. malef 1. Bod. c. Mich. And thes 412. Idem thes 414. Gen. 3.14 15. Gen. 3.1 1 Cor. 11.3 Sap. 2.24 Gen. 3.1 Psal. 139.4 Num. 8 9. John 3 14. Maâ— 23.33 Mat. 10.16 I. Cal. in Genes cap. 3.1 Idem ibid. Idem ibid. Idem ibid. Mat. 10.16 Isai. 30.6 Mat. 3.12 13. Luk. 3. c. Gen. 3. Family of love I. Cal. lib. instit 1. cap. 14. sect 18 I. Cal. lib. inst 1. cap. 14. sect 13. Aug. de cura prâ— mort c. P. Mart. in loc com 9 sect 14. a 1 Sam. 22. Luk. 8. John 8. Ephes. 6. 2 Tim. 2. 1 Pet. 5. b Coloss. 1. v. 16. 1 Cor. 10. Matth. 8. 10 Luke 4. c â—ap 1. Apocal. 4. d 1 Tim. 4.4 e Gen. 1. f Gen. 8.44 1 Joh. 3.8 Is 54.16 Edw. Deering in his reading upon the Hebr. 1. reading the 6. Ephes. 6.12 Col. 2.16 Matth. 25. 1 Pet. 5. Idem ibid. Mat. 25.41 Mal. malef par 1. que 5. The etymon of the word Diabolus The book of W. W. published At S. Osees 17. or 18. witches condemned at once Isai. 30.28 Zach. 6.5 Gen. 1.2 John 3.8 Eras. Sarcer in dictio Scholast doctr liâ— S. Erasm. Sar. in lib. loc lit praedictis Laurent a Villavicentio in phrasib s. script lit S. pag. 176. Rom. 8.15 2 Cor. 6.5 John 15.26 Isai. 44. John 7.38 John 4.14 Jer. 23.29 1 John 2.10 Psal. 44. Cyâ—ill in Evang Ioh. lib. 3. cap. 14. Exod. 8. The holy spirit can abide nothing that is carnall and unclean Isai. 29.10 Isai. 19.14 Ro. 1.21 23. Deut. 28.28 29. A question An answer A great likelihood no doubt Judgement distinguished * Josias Simlerus li. 4. ca. 5. adversus vileres novos Antiâ—â—initarios c. 1 Objection The scripture doth never call the holy spirit God * The 1. answer A refutation of the antecedent c. 2 Objection Hilarie doth not call the spirit God neither is he so named in the common Collects * The 2. answer Hilarius lib. 12. de Triade The place is long and therefore I had rather referre the reader unto the book than to insert so many lines Collecta in die domin sanctae Trinit 3 Objection The spirit is not to be prayed unto but the father only * 3. Answer The consequent is denied 4 Objection Amos saith that the spirit was created * 4. Answer Spirit in this place signifieth wind To create is not him to be made that was not Euseb. Caesariens lib. 3. adversus Marcemull 5 Objection All things were made by the son Ergo the spirit was also made by him * 5. Answer Universal propositions or speeches are to be restrained 6 Objection The spirit knoweth not the father and the sonne * 6. Answer How exclusive propositions or speeches are to be interpreted 7 Objection The spirit prayeth for us 7 Answer The spirit doth provoke us to pray 8 Objection The spirit is sent from the father and the sonne 8 Answer How the spirit is sent 9 Objection The spirit speaketh not of himself * The 9. answer Cyrill lib. 13. the saur cap. 3. 10 Objection * 10 Answer The spirit proceedeth * Such were the Arrians 〈…〉 amosatenians c. Sus magis in coeno gaudet quam fonte sereno The heathenish philosophers acknowledged the holy spirit Cyrill lib. 1. contra Intianum Marsilius Ficinus in arg in Cratys Plot. Ovid. lib. metamorph 1. sab 5 de gigantib coeâ—nm obsident Iacob Sadol in lib. de laud. philosoph inscrip Phedius Peter Mart. in loc com part 2. cap. 18. sect 33. pag. 628. John 14.26 John 16.14 14.16
into mans shape and that thereby witch-craft was naturally ingraffed into this child as a disease â—at commeth by inheritance C. Agrippa replying against the inquisitors folly and superstitious blindnesse said O thou wicked Priest Is this thy divinity Dost thou use to draw poor guiltlesse women to the rack by these forged devises Dost thou with such sentences judge others to be heretikes thou being a more heretike than either Faustus or Donatus Be it as thou sayest doest thou not frustrate the grace of Gods ordinance namely baptisme Are the words in baptisme spoken in vaine Or shall the devill remaine in the child or it in the power of the devill being there and then consecrated to Christ Jesus in the name of the Father the Son and the Holy Ghost And if thou defend their false opinions which affirme that spirits accompanying with women can ingender yet dotest thou more than any of them which never beleeved that any of those devils together with their stolne seed do put part of that their seed or nature into the creature But though indeed we be borne the children of the devill and damnation yet in baptisme through grace in Christ Satan is cast out and we are made new creatures in the Lord from whom none can be separated by another mans deed The inquisitor being hereat offended threatned the advocate to proceed against him as a supporter of hereticks or witches yet neverthelesse he ceased not to defend the silly woman and through the power of the law he delivered her from the clawes of the bloody monke who with her accusers were condemned in a great summe of money to the charter of the church of Meniz and remained infamous after that time almost to all men But by the way you must understand that this was but a petty inquisitor and had not so large a commission as Cumanus Sprenger and such other had nor yet as the Spanish inquisitors at this day have For these will admit no advocate now unto the poor soules except the tormentor or hangman may be called an advocate You may read the summe of this inquisition in few words set out by M. Iohn Fox in the acts and monuments For witches and hereticks are among the inquisitors of like reputation saving that the extremity is greater against witches because through their simplicity they may the more boldly tyrannize upon them and triumph over them CHAP. XII What the fear of death and feeling of torments may force one to do and that it is no marvell though witches condemne themselves by their own confessions so tyrannically extorted HE that readeth the ecclesiasticall histories or remembreth the persecutions in Qeen Maries time shall find that many good men have fallen for fear of persecution and returned unto the Lord again What marvell then though a poor woman such a one as is described elsewhere and tormented as is declared in these latter leaves be made to confesse such absurd and false impossibilities when flesh and bloud is unable to endure such triall Or how can she in the middest of such horrible tortures and torments promise unto her selfe constancy or forbeare to confesse any thing Or what availeth it her to persevere in the deniall of such matters as are laid to her charge unjustly when on the one side there is never any end of her torments on the other side if she continue in her assertion they say she hath charmes for taciturnity or silence Peter the Apostle renounced cursed and forsware his master and our Saviour Jesus Christ for fear of a wenches menaces or rather at a question demanded by her wherein he was not so circumvented as these poor witches are which be not examined by girles but by cunning inquisitors who having the spoile of their goods and bringing with them into the place of judgement minds to maintain their bloody purpose spare no manner of allurements threatnings nor torments untill they have wrung out of them all that which either maketh to their own desire or serveth to the others destruction Peter I say in the presence of his Lord and master Christ who had instructed him in true knowledge many years being forewarned noâ— passing four or five houres before and having made a reall league and â— faithfull promise to the contrary without any other compulsion than as hath been said by a question proposed by a girle against his conscience forsooke thrice denyed and abandoned his said Master and yet he was a man illuminated and placed in dignity aloft and neerer to Christ by many degrees than the witch whose fall could not be so great as Peters because she never ascended halfe so many steps A pastors declination is much more abominable than the going astray of any of his sheepâ— as an ambassadors conspiracy is more odious than the falshood of a common person or as a captains treason is more mischeevous than a private souldiers mutiny If you say Peter repented I answer that the witch doth so likewise sometimes and I see not in that case but mercy may be imployed upon her It were a mighty temptation to a silly old woman that a visible devill being in shape so ugly as Danaeus and others say her is should assault her in manner and forme as is supposed oâ— rather avowed specially when there is promise made that none shall be tempted above their strength The poor old witch is commonly uâ—â—learned unwarned and unprovided of counsell and friend-ship void 〈◊〉 judgement and discretion to moderate her life and communication heâ— kind and gender more weak and fraile than the masculine and mucâ— more subject to melancholy her bringing up and company is so baâ—â— that nothing is to be looked for in her specially of these extraordinary qualities her age also is commonly such as maketh her decrepite which is a disease that moveth them to these follyes Finally Christ did cleerly remit Peter though his offence were committed both against his divine and humane nature yea afterwards he 〈◊〉 put him in trust to feed his sheep and shewed great countenance friendship and love unto him And therefore I see not but we may shew compassion upon these poor soules if they shew themselves sorrowful for their misâ—â—ceipts and wicked imaginations The thrid Book CHAP. I. The witches bargain with the devill according to M. Mal. Bodin Nider Danaeus Psellus Erastus Hemingius Cumanus Aquinas Bartholomaeus Spineus c. THat which in this matter of witch-craft hath abused so many and seemeth both so horrible and intolerable is a plain bargain that they say is made betwixt the devil and the witch And many of great learning conceive it to be a matter of truth and in their wiritings publish it accordingly the which by God grace shall be proved as vaine and false as the rest The order of their bargain or profession is double the one solemne and publike the other secret and private That which is called solemne or publike is where witches
the threatnings and curses pronounced by God and expressed in his word And thus much touching the word Kasam The tenth Book CHAP. I. The interpretation of this Hebrew word Onen of the vanity of dreams and divinatiâ—ns thereupon ONEN differeth not much from Kasam but that it is extended to the interpretation of dreames And as for dreames whatsoever credit is attributed unto them proceedeth of folly and they are fooles that trust in them for why they have deceived many In which respect the prophet giveth us good warning not to follow nor harken to the expositors of dreames for they come through the mâ—â—titude of businesse And therefore those witches that make men beleeve they can prophesie upon dreames as knowing the interpretation of them and either for money or glory abuse men and women thereby are meere couseners and worthy of great punishment as are such witchmongers as beleeving them attribute unto them sâ—chdivine power 〈◊〉 onely belongeth to God as appeareth in Jeremy the prophet CHAP. II. Of divine naturall and casuall dreames with their differing causes and effects MAcrobius recounteth five differences of images or rather imaginations exhibited unto them that sleepe which for the most part do figniâ—ie somewhat in admonition There be also many subdivisions made hereof which I think needlesse to rehearse In Jasper Peâ—cer they are to be seene with the causeâ— and occasions of dreames There were woâ—â— to be delivered from God himselfe oâ— his angels certaine dreames and visions unto the prophets and holy fathers according to the saying of Joel I will poure my spirit upon all flesh your young men shall dream dreames and your old men shall see visions These kind of dreames I say were the admonishments and forewarnings of God to his people as that of Joseph to abide with Mary his wife after she was conceived by the Holy Ghost as also to convey our Saviour Christ into Aegypt c. the interpretation whereof are the peculiar gifts of God which Joseph the patriarch and Daniel the prophet had most specially As for physical conjectures upon dreames the scriptures improve them not for by them the physitians many times do understand the state of their patients bodies For some of them come by meanes of choler flegme melancholy or blood and some by love surfet hunger thirst c. Galen and Boetius were said to deale with devils because they told so justly their patients dreames or rather by their dreames their special diseases Howbeit physical dreames are natural and the cause of them dwelleth in the nature of man For they are the inward actions of the mind in the spirits of the braine whilest the body is occupied with sleepe for as touching the minde it selfe it never sleepeth These dreams vary according to the difference of humors vapors There are also casual dreams which as Solomon saith come through the multitude of businesse For as a looking-glasse sheweth the image or figure thereunto opposite so in dreames the phantasie and imagination informes the understanding of such things as haunt the outward sense Whereupon the poet saith Somnia ne cures nam mens humana quod optat Dum vigil at sperans per somnum cernit id ipsum Regard no dreames for why the mind Of that in sleepe a view doth take Which it doth wish and hope to find At such time as it is awake CHAP. III. The opinion of divers old writers touching dreames and how they vary in noting the causes thereof SYnesius Themistius Democritus and others grounding themselves upon examples that chance hath sometimes verified perswade men that nothing is dreamed in vaine affirming that the heavenly influencies do bâ—ing forth divers formes in corporal matters and of the same influencies visions and dreames are printed in the fantastical power which is instrumental with a celestial disposition meete to bring forth some effect especially in sleepe when the mind being free from bodily cares may more liberally receive the heavenly influencies whereby many things are knowne to them sleeping in dreames which they that wake cannot see Plato attributeth them to the formes and ingendred knowledges of the soule Avicen to the last intelligence that moveth the moone through the light that lighteneth the fantasie in sleepe Aristotle to the phantastical sense Averroës to the imaginative Albert to the influence of superior bodies CHAP. IV. Against interpreters of dreames of the ordinary cause of dreamer Hemingius his opinion of diabolical dreames the interpretation of dreames ceased THere are bookes carried about concerning this matter under the name of Abraham who as Philo In lib. gigantum saith was the first inventor of the exposition of dreames and so likewise of Solomon and Daniel But Cicero In lib. de divinatione confuteth the vanity and folly of them that give credit to dreames And as for the interpreters of dreams as they know not before the dreame nor yet after any ceatainty yet when any thing afterwards happeneth then they apply the dreame to that which hath chanced Certainly men never lightly faâ—le to dreame by night of that which they meditate by day and by day they see divers and sundry things and conceive them severally in their minds Then those mixed conceits being laid up in the closet of the memory strive together which because the phantasie cannot discerne nor discusse some certaine thing gathered of many conceits is bred and contrived in one together And therefore in my opinion it is time vainly employed to study about the interpretation of dreames He that list to see the folly and vanity thereof may read a vaine treatise set out by Thomas Hill Londoneâ— 1568. Lastly there are diabolical dreames which Nicholaus Hemingius devideth into three sorts The first is when the devil immediately of himselfe he meaneth corporally offereth any matter of dreame Secondly when the devil sheweth revelations to them that have made request unto him therefore Thirdly when magicians by art bring to passe that other men dreame what they will Assuredly these and so all the rest as they may be used are very magicall and devilish dreames For although we may receive comfort of minde by those which are called divine dreames and health of body through physical dreames yet if we take upon us to use the office of God in the revelation or rather the interpretation of them or if we attribute unto them miraculous effects now when we see the gifts of prophesie and of interpretation of dreames and also the operation of miracles are ceased which were special and peculiar gifts of God to confirme the truth of the word and to establish his people in the faith of the Messias who is now exhibited unto us both in the testament and also in the blood of our Saviour Jesus Christ we are bewitched and both abuse and offend the majesty of God and also seduce delude and cousen all such as by our perswasion and their own light beleefe give us
duke and a strong he is seen like a lion with griphens wings he maketh a man subtill and wonderfull in handicrafts philosophy and in sciences contained in books and is ruler 〈◊〉 thirty six legions Cimeries is a great marquesse and a strong ruling in the parts of Aphâ—â—ca he teacheth perfectly grammar logick and rhetorick he discovereth treasures and things hidden he bringeth to passe that a man shall seem with expedition to be turned into a souldier he rideth upon a 〈◊〉 black horse and ruleth twenty legions Amy is a great president and appeareth in a flame of fire but having taken mans shape he maketh one marvellous in astrology and in all the liberall sciences he procureth excellect familiars he bewrayeth treasure preserved by spirits he hath the government of thirty six legions 〈◊〉 is partly of the order of angels partly of potestates he hopeth after a thousand two hundreth years to returne to the seventh throne which is not credible Flauros is a strong duke is seen in the forme of a terrible strong leopard in humane shape he sheweth a terrible countenance and fiery eyeâ—◠〈◊〉 answereth truly and fully of things present past and to come if he 〈◊〉 in a triangle he lyeth in all things and deceiveth in other things and beguileth in other businesses he gladly talketh of divinity and of the creation of the world and of the fall he is constrained by divine â—â—â—tue and so are all divels or spirits to burne and destroy all the conâ—â—â—rors adversaries And if he be commanded he suffereth the conjuroâ—â— to be tempted and he hath legions under him Balam is a great and a terrible king he commeth forth with the heads the first of a bull the second of a man the third of a ram he haâ—â— a serpents taile and flaming eyes riding upon a furious beare and carrying a hawke on his fist he speaketh with a hoarse voice answering perfectly of things present past and to come he maketh man invisible and wise he governeth fourty legions and was of the order of dominitions Allocer is a strong duke and a great he commeth forth like a souldier riding on a great horse he hath a lions face very red and with flaming eyes he speaketh with a big voice he maketh a man wonderfull in astronomy and in all the liberall sciences he bringeth good familiars and ruleth thirty six legions Saleos is a great earle he appeareth as a gallant souldier riding on a crocodile and weareth a dukes crowne peaceable c. Vuall is great duke and a strong he is seen as a great and terrible dromedary but in humane forme he soundeth out in a base voice the Egyptian tongue This man above all other procureth the especiall love of women and knoweth things present past and to come precuring the love of friends and foes he was of the order of potestates and governeth thirty seven legions Haagenti is a great president appearing like a great bull having the wings of a griphen but when he taketh humane shape he maketh a man wise in every thing he changeth all metals into gold and changeth wine and water the one into the other and commandeth as many legions as Zagan Phoenix is a great marquesse appearing like the bird Phoenix having a childs voyce but before he standeth still before the conjuror he singeth many sweet notes Then the exorcist with his companions must beware he give no eare to the melody but must by and by bid him put on humane shape then will he speake marvellously of all wonderfull sciences He is an excellent poet and obedient he hopeth to returne to the seventh throne after a thousand two hundreth yeares and governeth twenty legions Sâ—olas is a great prince appearing in the forme of a night-raven before the exorcist he taketh the image and shape of a man and teacheth astronomy absolutely understanding the vertuâ—s of herbs and pretious stones there are under him twenty six legions ¶ Note that a legion is 6666. and now by Multiplication count how many legions dâ—e arise out of every particular ✚ Secretum secretorum The secret of secrets Tu operus sis secretus horum Thou that workst them be secret in them CHAP. III. The houres wherein principall divels may be bound to wit raised and restrained from doing of hurt A Maymon king of the east Corson king of the south Zimimar king of the north Goap king and prince of the west may be bound from the third houre till noone and from the ninth houre till evening Marquesses may be bound from the ninth houre till compline and from compline till the end of the day Dukes may be bound from the first houre till noone and cleare weather is to be observed Prelates may be bound in any houre of the day Knights from day dawning till sunne rising or from evensong till the sunne set A President may not be bound in any houre of the day except the king whom he obayeth be invocated nor in the shutting of the evening Counties or earâ—â— may be bound at any houre of the day so it be in the woods or â—elâ— where men resort not CHAP. IV. The forme of adjuring or citing of the spirits aforesaid to arise 〈◊〉 appeare WHen you will have any spirit you must know his name and 〈◊〉 you must also fast and be cleane from all pollution three or foâ—â— dayes before so will the spirit be the more obedient unto you 〈◊〉 make a circle and call up the spirit with great intention and boâ—â— a ring in your hand rehearse in your owne name and your company for one must alwayes be with you this prayer following and â—o spirit shall annoy you and your purpose shall take effect And note 〈◊〉 this agreeth with popish charmes and conjurations In the name of our Lord Iesus Christ the ✚ father ✚ and the sone and the Holy ghost ✚ holy trinity and unseparable unity I call upon them that thou mayest be my salvation and defense and the protection of the body and soule and of all my goods through the vertue of thy holy cross and through the vertue of thy passion I beseech thee O Lord Jesus Christ by the merits of thy blessed mother S. Mary and of all thy saints thou give me grace and divine power over all the wicked spirits 〈◊〉 which of them soever I do call by name they may come by and by 〈◊〉 every coast and accomplish my wil that they neither be hurtfull nor 〈◊〉 full unto me but rather obedient and diligent about me And through vertue streightly commanding them let them fulfill my commandement Amen Holy holy holy Lord God of sabbaoth which wilt come to 〈◊〉 the quicke and the dead thou which art A and Ω first and last King of kings and Lord of lords Ioth Aglanabrath El Abiel Anathiel 〈◊〉 Sedonel Grayes Heli Messias Tolimi Elias Ischeros 〈◊〉 Imas By these thy holy names and by all
distinguished A day naturall is the space of foure and twenty houres accounting the night withall and beginneth at one of the clocke after midnight An artificiall day is that space of time which is betwixt the rising and falling of the ☉ c. All the rest is night 〈◊〉 beginneth at the ☉ rising Hereafter followeth a table shewing how the day and the night is divided by houres and reduced to the regiment of the planets The division of the day and the planetary regiment The division of the night and the planetary regiment CHAP. VII The characters of the angels of the seven days with their names of figures scales and periapts These figures are called the scales of the earth without the which no spirit will appeare except thou have them with thee CHAP. VIII An experiment of the dead FIrst fast and pray three dayes and abstaine thee from all filthynesse go to one that is new buried such a one as killed himselfe or destroyed himselfe willfully or else get thee promise of one that shall be hanged and let him sweare an oath to thee after his body is dead that his spirit shall come to thee and do thee true service at thy commandements in all dayes houres and minuts And let no persons see thy doings but thy fellow And about eleven a clocke in the night goe to the place where he was buried and say with a bold faith and hearty desire to have the spirit come that thou doest call for thy fellow having a candle in his left hand and in his right hand a crystall stone and say these words following the master having a hazell wand in his right hand and these names of God written thereupon Tetragrammaton ✚ Adonay ✚ Agla ✚ Craton ✚ Then strike three strokes on the ground and say Arise N. Arise N. Arise N. I conjure thee spirit N. by the resurrection of our Lord Jesu Christ that thou do obey to my words and come unto me this night verily and truly as thou beleevest to be saved at the day of judgement And I will swear to the an oath by the perill of my soule that if thou wilt come to me and appeare to me this night and shew me true visions in this crystall stone and fetch me the fairie Sibylia that I may talke with her visibly and she may come before me as the conjuration leadeth and in so doing I will give thee an almesse deed and pray for thee N. to my Lord God whereby thou mayest be restored to thy salvation at the resurrection day to be received as one of the elect of God to the everlasting glory Amen The master standing at the head of the grave his fellow having in his hands the candle and the stone must begin the conjuration as followeth and the spirit will appeare to you in the crystall stone in a faire forme of a child of twelve yeares of age And when he is in feele the stone and it will be hot and feare nothing for he or she will shew many delusions to drive you from your worke Feare God but feare him not This is to constraine him as followeth I conjure thee spirit N. by the living God the true God and by the holy God and by their vertues and powers which have created both thee and me and all the world I conjure thee N. by these holy names of God Tetragrammaton ✚ Adonay ✚ Algramay ✚ Saday ✚ Sabaoth ✚ Plaâ—â—both ✚ Panthon ✚ Craton ✚ Neupuraton ✚ Deus ✚ Homo ✚ Omnipotens ✚ Simpiternus ✚ Ysus ✚ Terra ✚ Vnigeniius ✚ Salvator ✚ Via ✚ Vita ✚ Manus ✚ Fons ✚ Origo ✚ Filius ✚ And by their vertues and powers and by all their names by the which God gave power to man both to speak or think so by their vertues and powers I conjure thee spirit N. that now immediately thou doe appeare in this crystall stone visibly to me and to my fellow without any tarrying or deceipt I conjure thee N. by the excellent name of Jesus Christ A and Ω the first and the last For this holy name of Jesus is above all names for in this name of Jesus every knee doth bow and obey both of heavenly things earthly things and infernall And every tongue doth confesse that our Lord Jesus Christ is in the glory of the Father neither is there any other name given to man whereby he must be saved Therefore in the name of Jesus of Nazareth and by his nativity resurrection and ascension and by all that appertaineth unto his passion and by their vertues and powers I conjure the spirit N. that thou doe appeare visible in this crystall stone to me and to my fellow without any dissimulation I conjure thee N. by the blood of the innocent lambe Jesus Christ which was shed for us upon the crosse for all those that doe beleeve in the vertue of his bloud shall be saved I conjure thee N. by the vertues and powers of all the royall names and words of the living God of me pronounced that thou be obedient unto me and to my words rehearsed If thou refuse this to doe I by the holy trinity and by their vertues and powers doe condemne thee thou spirit N. into the place where there is no hope of remedy or rest but everlasting horror of paine there dwelling and a place where there is pain upon pain dayly horribly and lamentably thy pain to be there augmented as the starres in the heaven and as the gravell or sand in the Sea except thou spirit N. doe appeare to me and to my fellow visibly immediately in this crystall stone and in a fair form and shape of a childe of twelve yeares of age and that thou alter not thy shape I charge thee upon pain of everlasting condemnation I conjure thee spirit N. by the golden girdle which girdeth the loins of our Lord Jesus Christ so thou spirit N. be thou bound into the perpetuall paines of hell fire for thy disobedience and unreverent regard that thou hast to the holy names and words and his precepts I conjure thee N. by the two edged sword which Iohn saw proceed out of the mouth of the Almighty and so thou spirit N. be torne and cut in peeces with that sword and to be condemned into everlasting pain where the fire goeth not out and where the worm dyeth not I conjure thee N. by the heavens and by the celestiall city of Ierusalem and by the earth and the sea and by all things contained in them and by their vertues and powers I conjure thee spirit N. by the obedience that thou dost owe unto the principall prince And except thou spirit N doe come and appear visibly in this crystall stone in my presence here immediately as it is aforesaid Let the great curse of God the anger of God the shadow and darknesse of death and of eternall condemnation be upon thee spirit N. for ever and ever
sort as is elsewhere expressed already in this 〈◊〉 treatise A figure or type proportionall shewing what form must be observed and kept in making the figure whereby the former secret of inclosing a spirit in crystall is to be accomplished c. CHAP. XIII An experiment of Bealphares THis is proved the noblest carrier that ever did serve any man upon the earth and here beginneth the inclosing of the said spirit and how to have a true answer of him without any craft or harm and he will appeare unto thee in the likenesse of a fair man or fair woman the which spirit will come to thee at all times And if thou wilt command him to tell thee of hidden treasures that be in any place hee will tell it thee or if thou wilt command him to bring to thee gold or silver he will bring it thee or if thou wilt goe from one country to another he will bear thee without any harm of body or soul. Therefore he that will doe this work shall abstaine from leacherousnesse and drunkennesse and from false swearing and doe all the abstinence that he may doe and namely three dayes before he goe to work and in the third day when the night is come and when the starres doe shine and the element faire and clear he shall bath himselfe and his fellows if he have any all together in a quick welspring Then he must be cloathed in cleane white cloathes and he must have another privy place and beare him inke and pen wherewith he shall write this holy name of God Almighty in his right hand ✚ Agla ✚ and in his left hand this name ✚ ♊ â—â—◠✚ and he must have a dry thong of a lions or of a hâ—â—e skin and make thereof a girdle write the holy names of God all above and in the end ✚ A Ω ✚ And upon his brest he must have this presenâ— figure or mark written in virgin parchment as it is here shewed And it must bâ—sowed upon a peece of new linnen anâ— so made fast upon thy brest And if thoâ— wilt have a fellow to worke with thee hee must bee appointed in the same manner You must have also a bright knife that was never occupied and hee must write on the one side of the blade of the knife ✚ Agla ✚ and on the other side of the knifes blade ✚ ♊ â—â—◠✚ And with the same knife he must make a circle as hereafter followeth the which is called Salomons circle When that hee is made goe into the circle and close again the place there where thâ— wentest in with the same knife and say Per crucis hoâ— signum ✚ suâ— at procui omne malignum Et per idem signum ✚ salvetur quodque bexâ—num By the sign of the Crosse ✚ may all evill fly farre away and by the same signe ✚ may all that is good be preserved and make suffurâ—gations to thy self and to thy fellow or fellows with frankincense mâ—stike lignum aloes then put it in wine and say with good devotion in the worship of the high God Almighty all together that he may defend you from all evils And when he that is master will close the spirit he shall say towards the east with meeke and devout devotion these psalmes and prayers as followeth here in order The two and twentieth Psalm O My God my God look upon me why hast thou forsaken me and art so farre from my health and from the words of my complaint And so forth to the end of the same psalm as it is to bee found in the book This psalm also following being the fifty one psalme must be said three times ever c. HAve mercy upon me O God after thy great goodnesse according to the multitude of thy mercies doe away mine offences And so forth to the end of the same psalm concluding it with Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Ghost As it was in the beginning is now and ever shall be world without end Amen Then say this verse O Lord leave not my soul with the wicked nor my life with the bloud-thirsty Then say a Pater noster an Ave Maria and a Credo ne nos inducas O Lord shew us thy mercy and we shall be saved Lord heare our prayer and let our cry come unto thee Let us pray O Lord God almighty as thou warnedst by thine angell the three kings of Cullen Iasper Mâ—lchior and Balthasar when they came with worshipfull presents toward Bethlehem Iasper brought myrrh Melchior incense Balthasar gold worshipping the high king of all the world Jesus Gods son of heaven the second peâ—son in Trinity being born of the holy and clean virgine S. Mary queen of heaven empresse of hell and lady of all the world at that time the holy angell Gabriel warned and had the foresaid three kings that they should take another way for dread of perill that Herod the king by his ordinance would have destroyed these three noble kings that meekly sought out our Lord and Saviour As wittily and truly as these three Kings turned for dread and took another way so wisely and so truly O Lord God of thy mightifull mercy blesse uâ— now at this time for thy blessed passion save us and keep us all together from all evill and thy holy angell defend us Let us pray O Lord King of all Kings which containest the throne of heavens and beholdest all deeps weighest the hils and shuttest up with thy hand the earth hear us most meekeâ—t God and grant unto us being unworthy according to thy great mercy to have the verity and vertue of knowledge of hidden treasure by this spirit invoÌ„cated through thy help O Lord Jesus Christ to whom be all honour and glory from worlds to worlds everlastingly Amen Then say these names ✚ Helic ✚ â—ely◠✚ essejero ✚ Dâ—us â—â—ternus ✚ cloy ✚ clemen◠✚ â—eloye ✚ Deus sanctus ✚ sabâ—oti ✚ Deus exercâ—â—â—â—donay ✚ Deus mirabilis ✚ jao ✚ verax ✚ anephâ—neton ✚ Deus ineffabilis ✚ sodoy ✚ dominator dominus ✚ on sortissimus ✚ Deus ✚ qui the which wouldest be prayed unto of sinners receive we beseech thee these sacrifices of praise and our meek prayers which we unworthy doe offer unto thy divine majesty Deliver us and have mercy upon us and prevent with thy holy spirit this work and with thy blessed help to follow after that this our work begun of thee may be ended by thy mighty power Amen Then say this anon after ✚ homo ✚ sacarus ✚ Museolameus ✚ â—heruborca ✚ being the figure upon thy brest aforesaid the girdle about thee the circle made blesse the circle with holy water and sit down in the midst and read this conjuration as followeth sitting back to back at the first time I exorcise and conjure Bealphares the practiser and preceptor of this art by the maker of heavens and of earth and by his vertue
and by his unspeakable name Tetragrammaton and by all the holy sacraments and by the holy majesty and deity of the living God I conjure and exorcise thee Bealphares by the vertue of all angels archangels thrones dominations principaâ—s potestats virtures cherubim and seraphim and by their vertues and by the most truest and speciallest name of your master that you doe come unto us in faire form of man or woman kinde been visibly before this circle and not terrible by any manner of wayes This circle being our tuition and protection by the mercifull goodnesse of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ and that you doe make answer truly without craft or deceit unto all my demands and questions by the vertue and power of our Lord Jesus Christ Amen CHAP. XIIII To bind the spirit Bealphares and to loose him again NOw when he is appeared bind him with these words which follow I conjure thee Bealphares by God the father by God the son and by God the Holy Ghost and by all the holy company in heaven and by their vertues and powers I charge thee Bealphares that thou shalt not depart out of my sight nor yet to alter thy bodily shape that thou art appeared in nor any power shalt thou have of our bodies or soules eartly or ghostly but to be obedient to me and to the words of my conjuration that be written in this book I conjure thee Bealphares by all angels and archangels thrones dominations principats potestates vertutes cherubim and seraphim and by their vertues and powers I conjure and charge binde and constraine thee Bealphares by all the 〈◊〉 words aforesaid and by their vertues that thou be obedient unto me and to come and appeare visibly unto me and that in all dayes houres and minutes wheresoever I be being called by the vertue of our Lord Jesus Christ the which words are written in this book Look ready thou be to appeare unto me and to give mee good counsell how to come by treasures hidden in the earth or in the water and how to come to dignity and knowledge of all things that is to say of the magick art and of grammar dialectike rhetorike arithmeticke musick geometry and of astromomy and in all other things my will quickly to be fulfilled I charge upon pain of everlasting condemnation Fiat fiat fiat Amen When he is thus bound ask him what thing thou wilt and he will tell thee and give thee all things that thou wilt request of him without any sacrifice doing to him and without forsaking thy God that is thy maker And when the spirit hath fulfilled thy will and intent give him license to depart as followeth A license for the spirit to depart GO unto the place predestinated and appointed for thee where thy Lord God hath appointed thee untill I shall call thee again Be thou ready unto me and to my call as often as I shall call thee upon pain of everlasting damnation And if thou wilt thou mayst recite two or three times the last conjuration untill thou doe come to this â—earin In throno If he will not depart and then say In throno that thou depart from this place without hurt or damage of any body or of any deed to be done that all creatures may know that our Lord is of all power most mightiest and that there is none other God but he which is three and one living for ever and ever And the malediction of God the father omnipotent the son and the holy ghost descend upon thee and dwell alwayes with thee except thou doe depart without damage of us or of any creature or any other evill deed to be done and thou to goe to the place predestinated And by our Lord Jesus Christ I do else send thee to the great pit of hell except I say that thou depart to the place whereas thy Lord God hath appointed thee And see thou be ready to me and to my call at all times and places at mine own will and pleasure day or night without damage or hurt of me or of any creature upon pain of everlasting damnation Fiat fiat fiat Amen Amen The peace of Jesus Christ be between us and you in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost Amen Por crucis hoc ✚ signum c. Say In principio erat verbum verbum erat apud Deum In the beginning was the word and the word was with God and God was the word and so forward as followeth in the first chapter of saint Iohns Gospell staying at these words Full of grace and truth to whom bee all honour and glory world without end Amen A type or figure of the circle for the master and his fellowes to sit in shewing how and after what fashion it should be made THis is the circle for the master to sit in and his fellow or fellowes at the first calling sit back to back when hee calleth the spirit and for the fairies make this circle with chalk on the ground as is said before This spirit Bealphares being once called and found shall never have power to hurt thee Call him in the houre of ♃ or ♀ the ☽ increasing CHAP. XV. The making of the holy water EXorciso te creaturam salis per Deum vivum ✚ per Deum ✚ verum ✚ per Deum sanctum ✚ per Duem qui te per Elizaeum prophetam in aquam mitli jussit â—tâ—s naretur sterrilitas aquae ut efficiaâ—is sal exorcisaâ—us in saluum credentium ut sit omnibus te sumentibus sanitas animae corporis essugiat atque discedat ab co loco qui aspersus stâ—â—at omnis phantasia nequitia vel versutia diabolicae fraudis omnisque spiritus adjuratus per cum qui venturus est judicare vivos mo tuos saeculum perignem Amen Oremus Imunsam clementiam tuam omnipotens aeterne Deus humiliter imploramus ut hanc creaturam salis quam in usum generis humani tribuisti bene ✚ dicere sancti ✚ ficare tua prelate digneris ut sit omnibus sumentibus saâ—is menlis corporis ut quicquid ex co tactum suerit vel respersum careat omni immundicia omnique impugnatione spiritualis nequitia per Dominum nostrum Iesum Christum filium tuum qui tecum vivit regnat in unitate spiritus sancti Deus per omnia saecula saeculorum Amen To the water say also as followeth Exorciso te creaturam aquae in nomine ✚ patris ✚ Iesu Christi filii ejus Domini nostri in virtute spiritus ✚ sanct ✚ ut siat aquae exorcisata ad estisgandam omnem potestatem inimici ipsum inimicum erodicare explantare valeas cum angelis suis apostatis per virtutem ejusdem Domini nostri Iesu Christi qui venturus est judicare vivos mortuos saeculum per ignem Amen Oremus Deus qui ad
salutem humani generis maxima quaeque sacramenta in aquarum substantia condidisti adesto propitius invocationibus nostris elemento buic mâ—ltimodis purificationibus praeparato virtutem tuae bene ✚ dictionis insunde ut creatura tua mysteriis tuis servicas ad abigendos daemones maâ—bosque pellendos divinae gratiae sumat effectum ut quicquid in domibus vel inlocis fidelium haec unda resperserit careat omni immunditia liberetur a noxa non illic resideaâ— spiritus pestilens non aura corrumpens discedant omnes insidiâ— latentis inimici si quid est quod aut incolumitati habitantium invidet aut quieti asper sione hujus aquae effugiat ut salubritas per invocationem sancti tui nominis expetita ab omnibus sit impugnationibus desensa per Dominum nostrum Iesum Christum filium tuum qui tecum vivil regnat in unitate spiritus sancti Deus per omnia saecula saeculorum Amen Then take the salt in thy hand and say putting it into the water making in the manner of a Cross. Commixtio salis aquae pariter fiat in nomine patris filii spiritus sancti Amen Domâ—aus vâ—biscum Et cum spiritu tuo Oremus Deus mâ—cte virtutis author insuperabilâ—s imperit â—ex aâ— semper magnificus ritumâ— bator qui ad â—â—â—ae dominationis vâ—â—â—s repâ—â—mis qui inimici rugiâ—uâ— sa vitiam superas qui hostiles nequittas potens â—a pugnas te Domine trementes su plices dâ—pâ—â—â—aâ—uâ— aâ— potimus ut hanc â—râ—â—â—tâ—am salis aquae aspiâ—ias bemguus 〈…〉 es putails tuae rore sanct ✚ fices ubicunque fuâ—â—ll aspersa per invocationem sancti tui nominis omnis infestatio in mundi spiritus abâ—â—tatur terrorque venenosi se pantis procul pellatur praesevita sancti spiritus nobis 〈◊〉 tuam poscentibus ubique adesse dignetur per Dominum nostrum Ipsum â— brisium filium â—â—â—un qui â—â—cum vivit regnat in unitate spiritus sancti Deus per omnia soecula saeculerum Amen Then sprinkle upon any thing and say as followeth Asperges me Domine â—yssopo mundabor lavabis me supra niven dealbabor Miscrere mei Deus secundum magnam misericordiaum tuam supra nivem dealâ—abor Gloria patri filio spiritus sancto Sicut 〈◊〉 in principio nunc semper in saecula saeculorum Amen Et supra nivem dealbabor aspergesme c. Oslende nobis domine misâ—rcordiam tuam salutare tuum da nobis exaudi nos Domine sancte pater omnipoteus aeteâ—â—â— Deus mittere dignere sanctum angelum tuum de coelis qui custodiat soâ—â—â— visitet defendat omnes habitantes in hoc â—abitaculo per Christum Dominus nostrum Amen Amen CHAP. XVI To make a spirit to appeare in a crystall I Do conjure thee N. by the father and the sonne and the Holy ghost the which is the beginning and the ending the first and the last an by the latter day of judgement that thou N. do appeare in this crystall stone or any other instrument at my pleasure to me and my fellow gently and beautifully in faire forme of a boy of twelve yeares of age without hurt or damage of any of our bodyes or soules and certainly to informe and to shew me without any guile or craft all that we do desire or demand of thee to know by the vertue of him which shall come to judge the quicke and the dead and the world by fire Amen Also I conjured and exorcise thee N. by the sacrament of the altar and by the substance thereof by the wisdome of Christ by the sea and by his vertue by the earth and by all things that are above the earth and by their vertues by the ☉ and the ☽ by ♄ ♃ ♂ and ♀ and by their vertues by the apostles martyrs confessors and the virgins and widowes and the chast and by all saints of men or of women and innocents and by their vertues by all the angels and archangels thrones dominations principats potestats virtutes cherubim and seraphim and by their vertues and by the holy names of God Tetragrammaton El Oâ—sion Aâ—la and by all the other holy names of God and by their vertues by the circumcision passion and resurrection of our Lord Iesus Christ by the heavines of our lady the virgine and by the joy which she had when she saw her sonne rise from death to life that thou N. do appeare in this crystall stone or any other instrument at my pleasure to me and to my â—e low gently and beautifully and visibly in faire forme of a child of twelve yeares of age without hurt or damage of any of our bodyes or soules and truly to informe and shew unto me and to my fellow without fraud or guile all things according to thine oath and promise to me whatsoever I shall demand or desire of thee without any hindrance or caâ—rying and this conjuration be read of me three times upon paine of eternall condemnation to the last day of judgement Fiat fiat fiat Amen And when he is appeared bind him with the hand of the dead above written then say as followeth I charge thee N. by the father to shew me true visions in this crystall stone if there be any treasure hidden in such a place N and wherein it lieth and how many foot from this peece of earth east west north or south CHAP. XVII An experiment of the dead FIrst go and get of some person that shal be put to death a promise and sweare an oath unto him that it he will come to thee after his death his spirit to be with thee and to remaine with thee all dayes of thy life and will do thee true service as it is contained in the oath and promise following Then lay thy hand on thy booke and sweare this oath unto him I N. do sweare and promise to thee N. to give for thee an almesse every moneth and also to pray for thee once in every weeke to say the Lords prayer for thee and so to continue all the dayes of my life as God me helpe and holy doome and by the contents of this booke Amen Then let him make his oath to thee as followeth and let him say after thee laying his hand upon the booke * I N. do sweare this oath to thee N. by God the father omnipotent by God the son Jesus Christ and by his precious bloud which hath redeemed all the world by the which bloud I do trust to be saved at the generall day of judgment and by the vertues thereof I N. doe sweare this oath to thee N. that my spirit that is within my body now shall not ascend nor descend nor go to any place of rest but shall come to thee N. and be very well pleased to remaine with thee N. all the dayes of thy life and so to be bound
deceive us with vain words For it is the Lord only that worketh great wonders and bringeth mighty things to passe It is also written that Gods Word and not the words of conjurors or the charmes of witches healeth all things maketh tempests and stilleth them But put case the Divell could be fetched up and fettered and loosed again at their pleasure c. I marvell yet that any can be so bewitched as to be made to beleeve that by vertue of their words any earthly creature can be made invisible We think it a lye to say that white is black and black white but it is a more shamelesse assertion to affirm that white is not or black is not at all and yet more impudency to hold that a man is a horse but most apparent impudency to say that a man is no man or to be extenuated into such a quantity as thereby he may be invisible and yet remain in life and health and that in the cleare light of the day even in the presence of them that are not blinde But surely he that cannot make one haire white or black whereof on the other side not one falleth from the head without Gods-speciall providence can never bring to passe that the visible creature of God shall become nothing or lose the vertue and grace powred thereinto by God the creator of all things If they say that the divell covereth them with a cloud or veil as M. Mal. Bodin and many other doe affirm yet me thinks we should either see the cover or the thing covered And though perchance they say in their hearts Tush the Lord seeth not who indeed have blinded them so as seeing they see not yet they shall never be able to perswade the wise but that both God and man doth see both them and their knavery in this behalf I have heard of a fool who was made beleeve that he should goe invisible and naked while he was well whipped by them who as he thought could not see him Into which tools paradise they say he was brought that enterprised to kill the prince of Orenge CHAP. XXII A compartson betweeen popish exorcis and other conjurors a popish conjuration published by a great doctor of the Romish Church his rules and cautions I See no difference between these and popish conjurations for they agree in order words and matter differing in no circumstance but that the Papists doe it without shame openly the other doe it in hugger mugger secretly The papists I say have officers in this behalfe which are called exorcists or conjurors and they look narrowly to other cousenours as having gotten the upper hand over them And because the papists shall be without excuse in this behalfe and that the world may see their cousenage impiety and folly to be as great as the others I will cite one conjuraton of which sort I might cite a hundred published by Iacobus de Chusa a great doctor of the Romish church which serveth to find out the cause of noise and spirituall rumbling in houses churches or chappels and to conjure walking spirits which evermore is knavery and cousenage in the highest degree Mark the cousening devise hereof and confer the impiety with the others First forsooth he saith it is expedient to fast three days and to celebrate a certain number of masses to repeat the seven psalms penitential then four or five priests must be called to the place where the haunt or noise is then a candle hallowed on candlemas day must be lighted and in the lighting thereof also must the seven psalmes be said and the Gospell of St. Iohn Then there must be a crosse and a censer with frankincense and therewithall the place must be censed or perfumed holy water must be sprinkled and a holy stoal must be used and after divers other ceremonies a prayer to God must be made in manner and form following O Lord Jesus Christ the knower of all secrets which alwayes revealest all wholesome and profitable things to thy faithfull children and which sufferest a spirit to shew himself in this place wee beseech thee for thy bitter passion c. vouchsafe to command this spirit to reveale and signifie unto us thy servants without our terrour or hurt what hee is to thine honour and to his comfort In nomine patris c. And then proceed in these words Wee beseech thee for Christs sake O thou spirit that if there be any of us or among us whom thou wouldst answer name him or else manifest him by some sign Is it fryer P. or doctor D. or doctor Burc or sir Feats or sir Iohn or sir Robert Et sic de caeteris circunslamibus For it is well tryed saith the glosse he will not answer every one If the spirit make any sound of voice or knocking at the naming of any one he is the counsenour the conjuror I would say that must have the charge of this conjuration or examination And these forsooth must be the interrogatories to wit Whose soule art thou Wherefore camest thou What wouldst thou have Wantest thou any suffrages masses or almes How many masses will serve thy turn three six ten twenty thirty c By what priest Must he be religious or secular Wilt thou have any fasts What How many How great And by what persons Among Hospitals Lepers Or beggers What shall be the signe of thy perfect deliverance Wherefore liest thou in purgatory and such like This must be done in the night If there appear no sign at this hour it must be deferred untill another houre Holy water must be left in the place There is no fear they say that such a spirit will hurt the conjuror for he can sinne no more as being in the meane state between good and evill and as yet in the 〈◊〉 of satisfaction If the spirit doe hurt then it is damned soule and not an elect Every man may not be present hereat specially such as be weak of complexion They appear in divers manners not alwayes in body or bodily shape as it is read in the life of S. Martine that the divell did but sometimes invisible as only by sound voice or noise Thus 〈◊〉 Iacobus de Chusa But because you shall see that these be not empty words nor standet◠but that in truth such things are commonly put in practise in the Romish church I will here set downe an instance lately and truly though lewdly performed and the same in effect as followeth CHAP. XXIII A late experiment or cousening conjuration practised at Orleance by the Franciscan Friers how it was detected and the judgement against the authors of that comedy IN the year of our Lord 1534. at Orleance in France the Maiors wife dyed willing and desiring to be buryed without any pompe or noise c. Her husband who reverenced the memoriall of her did even as she had willed him And because she was buried in the
besides Priests a ridiculous definition of superstition what words are to be used and not used in exorcismes rebaptisme allowed it is lawfull to conjure any thing differences between holy water and conjuration THomas Aquinas saith that any body though he be of an inferior or superior order yea though of noue order at all and as Gulielmus Durendus glossator Raimundi affirmeth a woman so she blesse not the girdle or the garment but the person of the bewitched hath power to exercise the order of an exorcist or conjuror even as well as any priest may say masse in a house unconsecrated But that is saith M. Mal. rather through the goodnesse and license of the Pope than through the grace of the Sacrament Nay there are examples set down where some being bewitched were cured as M. Mal. taketh it without any conjuration at all Marry there were certain Pater nosters Aves and Credos said and crosses made but they are charmes they say and no conjurations For they say that such charms are lawfull because there is no superstition in them c. And it is worthy my labour to shew you how papists define superstition and how they expound the definition thereof Superstition say they is a religion observed beyond measure a religion practised with evill and unperfect circumstances Also whatsoever usurpeth the name of religion through humane tradition without the Popes authority is superstitious as to adde or join any hymnes to the masse to interrupt any diriges to abridge any part of the creed in the singing thereof or to sing when the organs goe and not when the quier singeth not to have one to help the priest to masse and such like c. These popish exorcists doe many times forget their owne rules For they should not directly in their conjurations call upon the divell as they doe with intreaty but with authority and commandement Neither should they have in their charmes and conjurations any unknowne names Neither should there be as alwayes there is any falshood contained in the matter of the charm of conjuration as say they old women have in theirs when they say the blessed Virgin passed over Iordan and then S. Steven met her and asked her c. Neither should they have any other vain characters but the crosse for those are the words and many other such cautions have they which they observe not for they have made it lawfull elsewhere But Thomas their chief pillar proveth their conjuring and charms lawfull by S. Mark who saith Signa cos qui crediderunt and In nomine 〈◊〉 daemonia ejicient c. whereby he also proveth that they may conjure serpents And there he taketh pains to prove that the words of God are of as great holinesse as reliques of saints whereas in such respect as they mean they are both alike and indeed nothing worth And I can tell them further that so they may be carried as either of them may doe a man much harm either in body or soul. But they prove this by S. Augustine saying Non est minus verbum Dei quam corpus Christi whereupon they conclude thus By all mens opinions it is lawfull to carry about reverently the reliques of saints Ergo it is lawfull against evill spirits to invocate the name of God every way by the Pater noster the Ave the nativitie the passion the five wounds the tiâ—e triumphant by the seven words spoken on the crosse by the nailes c. and there may be hope reposed in them Yea they say it is lawfull to conjure all things because the divell may have power in all things And first alwayes the person or thing wherein the divell is must be exorcised and then the divell must be conjured Also they affirm that it is as expedient to consecrate and conjure porrage and meat as water and salt or such like things The right order of exorcism in rebaptism of a person possessed or bewitched requireth that exsufflation and abrenunciation be done toward the west Item there must be erection of hands confession profession oration benediction imposition of hands denudation and unction with holy oil after baptism communion and induition of the surplis But they say that this needeth not where the bewitched is exorcised but that the bewitched be first confessed and then to hold a candle in his hand and in steed of a surplise to tie about his bare body a holy candle of the length of Christ or of the crosse whereupon he dyed which for mony may be had at Rome Ergo saith M. Mal. this may be said I conjure thee Peter or Barbara being sick but regenerate in the holy water of baptism by the living God by the true God by the holy God by the God which redeemed thee with his pretious bloud that thou mayst be made a conjured man that every fantasie and wickednesse of diabolicall deceipt doe avoid and depart from thee and that every uncleane spirit bee conjured through him that shall come to judge the quick and the dead and the world by fire Amen Oremus c. And this conjuration with Oremus and a prayer must be thrice repeated and at the end alwayes must bee said Ergo maledicte diabole recognosce sententiam tuam c. Therefore cursed divell know thy sentence c. And this order must alwayes be followed and finally there must be diligent search made in every corner and under every coverlet and pallet and under every threshold of the doores for instruments of witchcraft And if any be found they must straightway be throwne into the fire Also they must change all their bedding their clothing and their habitation and if nothing be found the party that is to be exorcised or conjured must come to the church rath in the morning and the holyer the day is the better specially our Lady day And the priest if he be shriven himself and in perfect state shall doe the better therein And let him that is exorcised hold a holy candle in his hand c. Alwayes provided that the holy water be throwne upon him and a stoal put about his neck with Deus in adiutorum and the Letanie with invocation of saints and this order may continue thrice a week so as say they through multiplication of intercessors or rather intercessions grace may be obtained and favour procured There is also some question in the Romish church whether the sacrament of the altar is to be received before or after the exorcisme Item in shrift the confessor must learn whether the partie be not excommunicate and so for want of absolution endureth this vexation Thomas sheweth the difference between holy water and conjuration saying that holy water driveth the divell away from the externall and outward parts but conjurations from the internall and inward parts and therefore unto the bewitched party both are to be applyed CHAP. XXV The seven reasons why some are not rid of
salt by God by the God ✚ that liveth by the true ✚ God by the holy ✚ God which by Elizaeus the prophet commanded that thou shouldest be throwne into the water that it thereby might be made whole sound that thou salt here let the preist looke upon the salt maist be conjured for the health of all beleevers and that thou be to all that take thee health both of body and soule and let all phantasies and wickednesse or diabolicall craft or deceipt depart from the place whereon it is sprinkled as also every uncleane spirit being conjured by him that judgeth both the quick and the dead by fire Resp. Amen Then followeth a prayer to be said without Dominus vobiscum bet yet with Oremus as followeth ¶ Oremus Almighty and everlasting God we humbly desire thy clemency here let the pâ—eist looke upon the salt that thou wouldest vouchsafe through thy piety to bl ✚ esse and sanc ✚ tifie this creature of salt which thou hast given for the use of mankind that it may be to all that receive it health of mind and body so as whatsoever shall be touched thereby or sprinkled therewith may be void of all uncleannesse and all resistance of spirituall iniquity through our Lord Amen What can be made but a conjuration of these words also which are written in the canon or rather in the saccaring of masse This holy commixtion of the body and bloud of our Lord Jesus Christ let it be made to me and to all the receivers thereof health of mind and body and a wholesome preparative for the deserving receiving of everlasting life through our Lord Iesus Amen CHAP. XXVIII That popish priests leave nothing unconjured a fomre of exorcisme for incense ALthough the papists have many conjurations so as neither water nor fire nor bread nor wine nor wax nor tallow nor church nor churchyard nor altar nor altar cloth nor ashes nor coales nor bells nor bell ropes nor copes nor vestmenâ—s nor oile nor salt nor candle nor candlesticke nor beds nor bedstaves are without their forme of conjuration yet I will for brevity let all passe and end here with incense which they do conjure in this sort ✚ I conjure thee most filthy and horible spirit and every vision of our enemie c that thou go and depart from out of this creature of frankincense with all thy deceipt and wickednesse tâ—at this creature may be sanctified and in the name of our Lord ✚ Jesus ✚ Christ ✚ that all they that taste touch or smell the same may receive the virtue and assistance of the Holy ghost so as wheresoever this incense or frankincense shall remaine that there thou in no wise be so bold as to approach or once presume or attempt to hurt but what uncleane spirit so ever thou be that thou with all thy crast and subtilty avoid and depart being conjured by the name of God the father almighty c. And that wheresoever the sume or smoke thereof shall come every kind and sort of divels may be driven away and expelled â—â— they were at the increase of the liver of fish which the archangell Raphael made c. CHAP. XXIX The rules and lawes of popish Exorcists and other conjurors all one with a confutation of their whole power how S. Martine conjured the divell THe papists you see have their certaine generall rules and lawes as to abstaine from sinne and to fast as also otherwise to be cleane from all pollutions c and even so likewise have the other conjurors Some will say that papists use divine service and prayers even so do common conjurors as you see even in the same papisticall forme no whit swarving from theirs in faith and doctrine nor yet in ungodly and unreasonable kinds of petitions Me thinks it may be a sufficient argument to overthrow the calling up and miraculous workes of spirits that it is written God only knoweth and sâ—aâ—cheth the hearts and only worketh great wonders The which argument being prosecuted to the end can never be answered in so much as that divine power is required in that action And if it be said that in this conjuration we speake to the spirits and they heare us and therefore need not know our thoughts and imaginations I first aske them whether king Baell or Amoimon which are spirits raigning in the furthest regions of the east as they say may heare a conjurors voyce which calleth for them being in the extreamest parts of the west there being such noises interposed where perhaps also they may be busie and set to worke on the like affaires Secondly whether those spirits be of the same power that God is who is every where filling all places and able to heare all men at one instant c. Thirdly whence commeth the force of such words as raise the dead and command divels If sounds do it then may it be done by a taber and a pipe or any other instrument that hath no life If the voyce do it then may it be done by any beasts or birds If words then a parret may do it If in mans words only where is the force in the the first second or third syllable If in syllables then not in words If in imaginations then the divell knoweth our thoughts But all this stuffe is vaine and fabulous It is written All the generations of the earth were healthfull and there is no poyson of destruction in them Why then do they conjure holsome creatures as salt water c where no divels are God looked upon all his works and saw they were all good What effect I pray you had the 7. sonnes of Sceva which is the great objection of witchmongers They would needs take upon them to conjure divels out of the possessed But what brought they to passe Yet that was in the time whilest God suffered miracles commonly to be wrought By that you may see what conjurors can do Where is such a promise to conjurors or witches as is made in the Gospell to the faithfull where it is written In my name they shall cast out divels speake with new tongues if they shall drinke any deadly thing it shall not hurt them they shall take away serpents they shall lay hands on the sicke and they shall recover According to the promise this grant of miraculous working was performed in the primitive church for the confirmation of Christs doctrine and the establishing of the Gospell But as in another place I have proved the gift thereof was but for a time and is now ceased neither was it ever made to papist witch or conjuror They take upon them to call up and cast out divels and to undoe with one divell that which another divell hath done If one divell could cast out another it were a kingdome divided and could not stand Which argument Christ himselfe maketh and therefore I may the mâ—re boldly say even with Christ that they have no such
their cousenages of the divels transformations of Ferrum candens c. TO passe over all the fables which are vouched by the popish doctors you shall heare the words of N. Hemingius whose zeal and learning otherwise I might justly commend howbeit I am sorry and ashamed to see his ignorance and folly in this behalf Neither would I have bewrayed it but that he himself among other absurdities concerning the maintenance of witches omnipotency hath published it to his great discredit Popish priests saith he as the Chaldaeans used the divination by sive and sheeres for the detection of theft doe practise with a psalter and a key fastened upon the 49. psalme to discover a theef and when the names of the suspected persons are orderly put into the pipe of the key at the reading of these words of the psalme If thou sawest a theef thou 〈◊〉 consent unto him the book will wagge and fall out of the fingers of them that hold it and he whose name remaineth in the key must be the theef Hereupon Hemingius inferreth that although conjuring priests and witches bring not this to passe by the absolute words of the psalm which tend to a far other scope yet satan doth nimbly with his invisible 〈◊〉 give such a twitch to the Book as also in the other case to the sive and the sheers that down-fals the book and key sive and sheeres upstarts the 〈◊〉 and away runneth the divell laughing c. But alas Hemingius is deceived as not perceiving the conceipt or rather the deceipt thereof For where he supposeth those actions to be miraculous and done by a divell they are in truth meer bables wherein coeâ—â—steth not so much as legierdemaine For every carter may conceive the sleight hereof because the book and key sive and sheeres being stayed up in that order by naturall course of necessity must within that space by means of the air and the pulse beating at the fingers end turn and fall down Which experience being known to the witch or conjuror she or hee doe form and frame their prophefie accordingly as whosoever maketh proofe thereof shall manifestly perceive it By this 〈◊〉 practise or experience you shall know what it is a clock if you 〈◊〉 between your finger and your thumb a thred of six or seven inches long unto the other end whereof is tyed a gold ring or some such like things in such sort as upon the beating of your pulse and the moving of the ring the same may strike upon either side of a goblet or glasse Theâ—â— things are I confesse witchcraft because the effect or event proceeded not of that cause which such couseners say and others beleeve they do As when they lay a medicine for the ague c. to a childs wrists they also 〈…〉 vertue whereof they say the child is healed whereas indeed the medicine only doth the feat And this is also a silly jugglers knack which wanteth legierdemaine whom you shall see to thrust a pinne or a small knife through the head and brain of a chicken or pullet and with certaine mysticall words seeme to cure him whereas though no such words were spoken the chicken would live and doe well enough as experience teacheth and declareth Again when such as have maintained the art and prosession of conjuring and have written thereupon most cunningly have published recantations and confessed the deceipts thereof as Coâ—nelius Agrippa did why should we defend it Also when heathen princes of great renown authority and learning have searched with much industry and charge the knowledge and secrecy of conjuration and witchcraft and finally found by experience all to be false and vain that is reported of them as Nero Iulianus apostata and Valence did why should we seek for further triall to prove witchcraft and conjuration to be cousenage Also when the miracles imputed unto them exceed in quantity quality and number all the miracles that Christ wrought here upon earth for the establishing of his Gospell for the confirmation of our faith and for the advancement of his glorious name what good christian will beleeve them to be true And when Christ himselfe saith The works that I doe no man else can accomplish why should we think that a foolish old woman can doe them all and many more Also when Christ knew not these witches nor spake one word of them in all the time of his being here upon earth having such necâ—ssary occasion if at leastwise they with their familiars could doe as he did by the spirit of God as is constantly affirmed why should we suppose that they can doe as they say but rather that they are deceivers When they are fain to say that witches wrought not in that art all those thirty three yeeres that Christ lived and that there were none in Iobs time and that the cousening oracles are now ceased who seeth not that they are witlesse and madde fooles that maintaine it When all the mischiefs are accomplished by poysons and naturall means which they affirm to be brought to passe by words it manifesteth to the world their cousenage When all the places of Scripture which witchmongers allow for the proof of such witches are proved to make nothing for their purpose their own fables and lies deserve small credit When one of the chief points in controversie to wit execution of witches is grounded upon a false translation namely You shall not suffer a witch to live which is in Latine Venesicam non vetinebitis in vita where the word in every mans ear soundeth to be a poisoner rather than a worker of miracles and so interpreted by the seventy interpreters Iosephus and almost all the Rabbins which were Hebrews born why should any of their interpretations or allegations be trusted or well accompted of When working of miracles is ceased and the gift of prophesie also so as the godly through invocation of the holy spirit cannot perform such wonderfull things as these witches and conjurors by the invocation of divels and wicked spirits undertake and are said to doe what man that knoweth and honoureth God will be so infatuate as to beleeve these lies and so prefer the power of witches and divels before the godly indued with Gods holy spirit When many printed bookes are published even with authority in confirmation of such miracles wrought by those couseners for the detâ—ction of witchcrafts and in fine all is not onely sound false and to have been accomplished by cousenage but that there hath been therein a set purpose to defame honest matrones as to make them be thought to be witches why should we beleeve Bodin M. Mal. c. in their cousening tales and fables When they say that witches can flie in the air and come in at a little coane or a hole in a glasse window and steal away sucking children and hurt their mothers and yet when they are brought into prison they cannot escape out of the grate which is
spirits whisper in our minds and yet not speaking so lowd as our eares may heare them but in such sort as our soules speake togâ—ther when they are dissolved making an example by lowd speaking a farre oft a comparison of soft whispering neere hand so as the divell entreth so neere to the mind as the eare need not heare him and that every part of a divell or spirit seeth heareth and speaketh c. But herein I will beleeve Paul better then Psellus or his monke or the monks divell For Paul saith if the whole body were an eye where were hearing If the whole body where hearing where were smelling c. Whereby you may see what accord is betwixt Gods word and witchmongers The papists proceed in this matter and say that these spirits use great knavery and unspeakeable bawdery in the breach and middle parts of man and woman by tickling and by other lecherous devices so that they fall jumpe in judgement and opinion though very erroniously with the foresaid Psellus of whose doctrine also this is a parcell to wit that these divels hurt not cattell for the hate they beare unto them but for love of their naturall and temperate heate and moisture being brought up in deepe dry and cold places mary they hate the heate of the sun and the fire because that kind of heate drieth too fast They throwe down stones upon men but the blowes thereof doe no harm to them whom they hit because they are not cast with any force for saith he the divell have little and small strength so as these stones do nothing but fray and terrifie men as scarecrowes do birds out of the corne fields But when these divels enter into the pores then do they raise wonderfull tumults in the body and mind of man And if it be a subterrene divell 〈◊〉 doth writhe and bow the possessed and speaketh by him using the spirit of the patient 〈◊〉 his instrument But he saith that when Lucifugus possesseth a man 〈…〉 him dumbe and as it were dead and these be they that are cast out saith he only by fasting and prayer The same Psellus with his mates Bodin and the penners of M. Maâ— and others do find fault with the physitians that affirm such infirmities to be curable with diet and not by inchantments saying that physitians do only attend upon the body and that which is perceiveable by outward sense and that as touching this kind of divine philosophy they have no skill at all And to make divels and spirits seeme yet more corporall and terrene he saith that certaine divels are belonging to certaine countries and speake the languages of the same countries and none other some the Assyrian some the Chaldaean and some the Persian tongue and that they feele stripes and feare hurt and specially the diâ—t of the sword in which respect conjurors have swords with them in their circles to terrifie them and that they change shapes even as sodainly as men doe change colour with blushing fear anger and other moods of the mind He saith yet further that there be brute beasts among them and yet divels and subject to any kind of death insomuch as they are so foolish as they may be compared to flies fleas and wormes who have no respect to any thing but their food not regarding or remembring the hole from out of whence they came last Marry divels compounded of earth cannot often transform themselves but abide in someone shape such as they best like and most delight in to wit in the shape of birds or women and therefore the Greeks call them Nâ—idas Noreidas and Dreidas in the feminine gender which Dreidae inhabited as some write the Islands beside Scotland called Druidae which by that means had their denomination and name Other divels that dwell in dryer places transforme themselves into the masculine kind Finally Psellus saith they know our thoughts and can prophesie of things to come His definition is that they are perpetuall mindes in a passible body To verify these toies he saith that he himself saw in a certain night a man brought up by Aletus Libius into a mountain and that hee took an hearb and spat thrice into his mouth and annointed his eyes with a certain ointment so as thereby he saw great troops of divels and perceived a crow to flie into his mouth and since that houre he could prophesie at all times saving on Good-friday and Easter-sunday If the end of this tale were true it might not only have satisfied the Greek-church in keeping the day of Easter together with the church of Rome but might also have made the pope that now is content with our Christmas and Easter day and not to have gathered the minutes together and reformed it so as to shew how falsly he and his predecessors whom they say could not erre hath observed it hitherto And truly this and the dansing of the sun on Easter day morning sufficiently or rather miraculously proveth that computation which the pope now beginneth to doubt of and to call in question CHAP. V. The opinion of Fascius Cardanus touching spirits and of his familiar divell FAscius Cardanus had as he himself and his son Hierome Cardanus report a familiar divell consisting of the fiery element who so long as he used conjuration did give true answers to all his demands but when he burned up his book of conjurations though he resorted still unto him yet did he make false answers continually He held him bound twenty and eight years and loose five years And during the time that he was bound he told him that there were many divels or spirits He came not alwayes alone but sometimes some of his fellows with him He rather agreed with Psellus then with Plato for he said they were begotten 〈◊〉 died and lived long but how long they told him not howbeit as he might conjecture by the divels face who was 42 years old and yet appeared very young he thought they lived two or three hundred yeares and they said that their soules and ours also died with their bodies They had schooles and universities among them but he conceived not that any were â—o dull headed as Psellus maketh them But they are very quick in credit that beleeve such fables which indeed is the ground-worke on witchcraft and conjuration But these histories are so grosse and palâ—pable that I might be thought as wise in going about to confute them as to answer the stories of Fryer Rush Adam Bell or the golden Legend CHAP. VI. The opinion of Plato concerning spirits divels and angels what sacrifices they like best what they feare and of Socrates his familiar divell PLato and his followers hold that good spirits appear in their own likenesse but that evill spirits appeare and shew themselves in the form of other bodies and that one divell reigneth over the rest as a prince doth in every perfect common-wealth over men Item they obtain their
be by a witch made corporal being by God ordained to a spiritual proportion The cause of this grosse conceipt is that we hearken more diligently to old wives and rather give credit to their fables than to the word of God imagining by the tales they tell us that the divel is such a bulbegger as I have before described For whatsoever is proposed in scripture to us by parable or spoken figuratively or significatively or framed to our grosse capacities c. is by them so considered and expounded as though the bare letter or rather their grosse imaginations thereupon were to be preferred before the true sense and meaning of the word For I dare say that when these blockheads read Iothans parable in the ninth of Judges to the men of Sichem to wit that the trees went out to annoint a king over them saying to the olive tree Reigne thou over us who answered and said Should I leave my fatnesse c. they imagine that the wooden trees walked and spake with a mans voice or else that some spirit entred into the trees and answered as is imagined they did in the idols and oracles of Apollo and such like who indeed have eyes and see not ears and hear not mouthes and speak not c. CHAP. XIII The equivocation of this word spirit how diversly it is taken in the scriptures where by the way is taught that the scripture is not alwayes literally to be interpreted nor yet allegorically to be understood SUch as search with the spirit of wisdome and understanding shal finde that spirits as well good as bad are in scriptures diversly taken yea they shal well perceive that the divel is no horned beast For sometimes in the scriptures spirits and divels are taken for infirmities of the body sometimes for the vices of the minde sometimes also for the gifts of either of them Sometimes a man is called a divel as Iudas in the sixt of Iohn and Peter in the xvi of Matthew Sometimes a spirit is put for the Gospel sometimes for the mind or soul of man sometimes for the will of man his minde and counsell sometimes for teachers and prophets sometimes for zeal towards God sometimes for joy in the Holy-ghost c. And to interpret unto us the nature and signification of spirits we find these words written in the scripture to wit The spirit of the Lord shal rest upon him The spirit of counsel and strength The spirit of wisdome and understanding The spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord. Again I will pour out my spirit upon the house of David c. The spirit of grace and compassion Again Ye have not received the spirit of bondage but the spirit of adoption And therefore Paul saith To one is given by the spirit the word of wisdome to another the word of knowledge by the same spirit to another the gift of healing to another the gift of faith by the same spirit to another the gift of prophesie to another the operation of great works to another the discerning of spirits to another the diversity of tongues to another the interpretation of tongues and all these things worketh one and the self same spirit Thus farre the words of Paul And finally Esay saith that the Lord mingled among them the spirit of errour And in another place The Lord hath covered you with a spirit of slumber As for the spirits of divination spoken of in the scripture they are such as was in the woman of Endor the Philippian woman the wench of Westwell and the holy maid of Kent who were indued with spirits or gifts of divination whereby they could make shift to gain money and abuse the people by sleights and crafty inventions But these are possessed of borrowed spirits as it is written in the book of Wisdome and spirits of meer cousenage and deceipt as I have sufficiently proved elsewhere I deny not therefore that there are spirits and divels of such substance as it hath pleased God to create them But in what place soever it be found or read in the scriptures a spirit or divel is to be understood spiritually and is neither a corporall nor a visible thing Where it is written that God sent an evil spirit between Abimelech and the men of Sichem we are to understand that he sent the spirit of hatred and not a bulbegger Also where it is said If the spirit of jealousie come upon him it is as much to say as If he be moved with a jealous minde and not that a corporal divel assaulteth him It is said in the Gospel There was a woman which had a spirit of infirmity 18. years who was bowed together c. whom Christ by laying his hand upon her delivered of her disease Whereby it is to be seen that although it be said that satan had bound her c. yet that it was a sicknesse or disease of body that troubled her for Christs own words expound it Neither is there any word of witchcraft mentioned which some sâ—y was the cause thereof There were seven divels cast out of Mary Magdalen Which is not so grossely understood by the learned as that there were in her just seven corporal divels such as I described before elsewhere but that by the number of seven divels a great multitude and an uncertain number of vices is signified which figure is usual in divers places of the scripture And this interpretation is more agreeable with Gods word than the papisticall paraphrase which is that Christ under the name of the seven divels recounteth the seven deadly sins only Others allow neither of these expositions because they suppose that the efficacy of Christs miracle should this way be confounded as though it were not as difficult a matter with a touch to make a good Christian of a vicious person as with a word to cure the ague or any other disease of a sick body I think not but any of both these cures may be wrought by means in processe of time without miracle the one by the preacher the other by the physitian But I say that Christs work in both was apparently miraculous for with power and authority even with a touch of his finger and a word of his mouth he made the blinde to see the halt to goe the lepers clean the deaf to hear the dead to rise again and the poor to receive the Gospel out of whom I say he cast divels and miraculously conformed them to become good Christians which before were dissolute livers to whom he said Go your wayes and sin no more CHAP. XIV That it pleased God to manifest the power of his Sonne and not of witches by miracles JEsus Christ to manifest his divine power rebuked the winds and they ceased and the waves of water and it was calme which if neither our divines nor physicians can do much
lesse our conjurors and least of all our old witches can bring any such thing to passe But it pleased God to manifest the power of Christ Jesus by such miraculous and extraordinary means providing and as it were preparing diseases that none otherwise could be cured that his sons glory and his peoples faith might the more plainly appear as namely leprosie lunacy and blindnesse as it is apparent in the Gospel where it is said that the man was not stricken with blindnesse for his owne sinnes nor for any offence of his ancestors but that he was made blinde to the intent the works of God should be shewed upon him by the hands of Jesus Christ. But witches with their charmes can cure as witchmongers affirme all these diseases mentioned in the scripture and many other more as the gout the toothach c. which we find not that ever Christ cured As touching those that are said in the Gospel to be possessed of spirits it seemeth in many places that it is indifferent or all one to say He is possessed with a divel or he is lunatick or phrentick which disease in these dayes is said to proceed of melancholy But if every one that now is lunatick be possessed with a real divel then might it be thought that divels are to be thrust out of men by medicines But who saith in these times with the woman of Canaan My daughter is vexed with a divel except it be presupposed that she meant her daughter was troubled with some disease Indeed we say and say truely to the wicked the divel is in him but we mean not thereby that a real divel is gotten into his guts And if it were so I marvel in what shape this reall divel that possesseth them remaineth Entreth he into the body in one shape and into the minde in another If they grant him to be spiritual and invisible I agree with them Some are of opinion that the said woman of Canaan meant indeed that her daughter was troubled with some disease because it is written instead of that the divel was cast out that her daughter was made whole even the selfe same houre According to that which is said in the 12. of Matthew There was brought unto Christ one possessed of a divel which was both blinde and dumbe and he healed him so as he that was blind and dumbe both spake and saw But it was the man and not the divel that was healed and made to speak and see Whereby I say it is gathered that such as were diseased as well as they that were lunatick were said sometimes to be possessed of divels CHAP. XV. Of the possessed with divels HEre I cannot omit to shew how fondly divers writers and namely Iames Sprenger and Henry Institor do gather and note the cause why the divel maketh choice to possesse men at certaine times of the moone which is say they in two respects first that they may defame so good a creature as the moon secondly because the brain is the moistest part of the body The divel therefore considereth the aptnesse and conveniency thereof the moon having dominion over all moist things so as they take advantage thereby tho better to bring their purposes to passe And further they say that divels being conjured and called up appear and come sooner in some certain constellations than in other some thereby to induce men to think that there is some godhead in the starres But when Saul was relieved with the sound of the harp they say that the departure of the divel was by means of the signe of the crosse imprinted in Davids veins whereby we may see how absurd the imaginations and devices of men are when they speak according to their owne fancies without warrant of the word oâ— God But me thinks it is very absurd that Iosiphus affirmeth to wit that the divel should be thrust out of any man by vertue of a root And as vain it is that Aelianus writeth of the magicall hearb Cynospastus otherwise called Aglaphotis which is all one with Salomons root named Raaros as having force to drive out any divel from a man possessed CHAP. XVI That we being not throughly informed of the nature of divels and spirits must satisfie our selves with that which is delivered us in the Scriptures touching the same how this word divell is to be understood both in the singular and plurall number of the spirit of God and the spirit of the divell of tame spirits of Ahab THe nature therefore and substance of divels and spirits because in the scripture it is not so set down as we may certainly know the same we ought to content and frame our selves faithfully to beleeve the words and sense there delivered unto us by the high spirit which is the Holy Ghost who is Lord of all spirits alwayes considering that evermore spirits are spoken of in scripture as of things spirituall though for the help os our capacities they are there sometime more grossely and corporally expressed either in parables or by metaphors than indeed they are As for example and to omit the history of Iob which elsewhere I handle it is written The Lord said Who shall entice Ahab that hee may fall at Ramoth Gilead c. Then came forth a spirit and stood before the Lord and said I will goe entise him And the Lord said Wherewith And he said I will goe and be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets Then he said Goe forth thou shalt prevaile c. This story is here set forth in this wise to bear with our capacities and specially with the capacity of that age that could not otherwise conceive of spirituall things than by such corporall demonstrations And yet here is to be noted that one spirit and not many or diverse did possesse all the false prophets at once Even as in another place many thousand divels are said to possesse one man and yet it is also said even in the self same place that the same man was possessed only with one divell For it is there said that Christ met a man which had a divell and hoe commanded the foul spirit to come forth of the man c. But Calvine saith Where satan or the divell is named in the singular number thereby is meant that power of wickednesse that standeth against the kingdome of justice And where many divels are named in the scriptures we are thereby taught that we must fight with an infinite multitude of enemies lest despising the fewnesse of them we should be more flack to enter into barrell and so fall into security and idlenesse On the other side it is as plainly set down in the scripture that some are possessed with the spirit of God as that the other are endued and bound with the spirit of the divell Yea sometimes we read that one good spirit was put into a great number of personâ— and again
quiet Also they never appear to the whole multitude seldome to a few and most commonly to one alone for so one may tell a lie without controlment Also they are oftenest seen by them that are ready to dye as Trasilla saw pope Foelix Vrsine Peter and Paul Galta Romana S. Peter and as Musa the maid saw our Lady which are the most certain appearances credited and allowed in the church of Rome also they may be seen of some and of some other in that presence not seen at all as Vrsine saw Peter and Paul and yet many at that instant being present could not see any such sight but thought it a lie as I doe Michael Andraeas confesseth that papists see more visions than protestants he saith also that a good soul can take none other shape than of a man marry a damned soul may and doth take the shape of a black moor or of a beast or of a serpent or specially of an heretick The christian signs that drive away these evill souls are the crosse the name of Jesus and the relickâ— of saints in the number whereof are holiwater holy bread Agnus Dei c. For Andrew saith that notwithstanding Iulian was an Apostate and a betrayer of a christian religion yet at an extremity with the only sign of the crosse he drave away from him many such evill spirits whereby also he saith the greatest diseases and sicknesses are cured and the forest dangers avoided CHAP. XXIX A confutation of assuming of bodies and of the serpent that seduced Eve THey that contend so earnestly for the divels assuming of bodies and visible shapes do think they have a great advantage by the words uttered in the third of Genesis where they say the divell entered into a serpent or snake and that by the curse it appeareth that the whole displeasure of God lighted upon the poor snake only How those words are to be considered may appear in that it is of purpose so spoken as our weak capacities may thereby best conceive the substance tenor and true meaning of the word which is there set downe in the manner of a tragedie in such humane and sensible forme as wonderfully informeth our understanding though it seem contrary to the spirituall course of spirits and divels and also to the nature and divinity of God himself who is infinite and whom no man ever saw with corporall eyes and lived And doubtlesse if the serpent there had not been taken absolutely nor metaphorically for the divell the Holy-ghost would have informed us thereof in some part of that story But to affirme it sometimes to be a divell and sometimes a snake whereas there is no such distinction to be found or seen in the text is an invention and a fetch me thinks beyond the compasse of all divinity Certainly the serpent was he that seduced Eve now whether it were the divell or a snake let any wise man or rather let the word of God judge Doubtlesse the scripture in many places expoundeth it to be the divell And I have I am sure one wiseman on my side for the interpretation hereof namely Solomon who saith Through envie of the divell came death into the world referring that to the divell which Moses in the letter did to the serpent But a better expositor hereof needeth not than the text it self even in the same place where it is written I will put enmity between thee and the woman and between thy seed and her seed he shall break thy head and thou shalt bruise his heel What christian knoweth not that in these words the mystery of our redemption is comprised and promised Wherein is not meant as many suppose that the common seed of women shall tread upon a sâ—akes head and so break it in pieces c. but that speciall seed which is Christ should be borne of a woman to the utter overthrow of satan and in the redemption of mankinde whose heel or flesh in his members the divell should bruise and assault with continuall attempts and carnall provocations c. CHAP. XXX The objection concerning the divels assuming of the serpents body answered THis word serpent in holy scripture is taken for the divell The serpent was more subtill than all the beasts of the field It likewise signifieth such as be evill speakers such as have slandering tongues also hereticks c. They have sharpned their tongues like serpents It doth likewise betoken the death and sacrifice of Christ as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wildernesse so must the son of man be lifted up upon the crosse Moreover it is taken for wicked men O ye serpents and generation of vipers Thereby also is signified as well a wise as a subtill man and in that sense did Christ himself use it saying Be ye wise as serpents c. So that by this brief collection you see that the word serpent as it is equivocall so likewise it is sometimes taken in the good and sometimes in the evill part But where it is said that the serpent was father of lies author of death and the worker of deceipt me thinks it is a ridiculous opinion to hold that thereby a snake is meant which must be if the letter be preferred before the allegory Truly Calvines opinion is to be liked and reverenced and his example to be embraced and followed in that he offereth to subscribe to them that hold that the Holy-ghost in that place did of purpose use obscure figures that the clear light thereof might be deferred till Christs comming He saith also with like commendation speaking hereof and writing upon this place that Moses doth accommodate and fitten for the understanding of the common people in a rude and grosse stile those things which be there delivereth forbearing once to rehearse the name of satan And further he saith that this order may not be thought of Moses his owne device but to be taught him by the spirit of God for such was saith he in those dayes the childish age of the church which was unable to receive higher or profounder doctrine Finally he saith even hereupon that the Lord hath supplyed with the secret light of his spirit whatsoever wanted in plainnesse and clearnesse of eternall words If it be said according to experience that certain other beasts are farre more subtill than the serpent they answer that it is not absurd to confesse that the same gift was taken away from him by God because he brought destruction to mankind Which is more me thinks than need be granted in that behalfe For Christ saith not Be ye wise as serpents were before their transgression but Be wise as serpents are I would learn what impiety absurdity or offense it is to hold that Moses under the person of poysoning serpent or snake describeth the divell that poysoned Eve with his deceiptfull words and venomous assault Whence cometh it else that the divell is called
Ghost Another treating upon the 〈◊〉 argument proceedeth in this reverent manner The holy spirit is the vertue or power of God quickning nourishing fostering and perfecting all things by whose only breathing it cometh to pass that we both know and love God and become at the length like unto him which spirit is the pledge and earnest penny of grace and beareth witness unto our heartâ— whiles wee cry Abba Father This spirit is called the spirit of God the spirit of Christ and the spirit of him which raised up Jesus from the dead Jesus Christ for that he received not the spirit by measure but in fulness doth call it his spirit saying When the comforter shall come whom I will send even the holy spirit he shall testifie of me This spirit hath divers metaphoricall names attributed thereunto in the Holy Scriptures It is called by the name of water because it washeth comforteth moiestneth softeneth and maketh fruitfull with all godliness and vertues the mindes of men which otherwise would be unclean comfortless hard dry and barren of all goodness whereupon the prophet Isay saith â— I will powre water upon the thirsty and flouds upon the dry ground c. Wherewithall the words of Christ doe agree He that beleeveth in me as saith the scripture out of his belly shall flow rivers of waters of life And elsewhere Whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never be more a thirst Other places likewise there be wherein the holy spirit is signified by the name of water and floud as in the 13. of Isay the 29. of Ezech. the 146. Psalme c. The same spirit by reason of the force and vehemency thereof is termed fire For it doth purifie and cleanse the whole man from top to toe it doth burn out the soil and dross of sins and setteth him all in a flaming and hot burning zeal to prefer and further Gods glory Which plainly appeared in the Apostles who when they had received the spirit they spake fiery words yea such words as were uncontrollable in so much as in none â—oâ—e than in them this saying of this prophet Ieremy was verified Nunquid non verba mâ—a sunt quasi ignis Are not my words even as it were fire This was dâ—clared and shewed by those fiery tongues which were seen upon the Apostles after they had reâ—ivâ—d â—â—e holy spirit Moreover this spirit is called annointing or ointment because that as in old time priests and kings were by annointing deputed to their office and charge and so were made fit and serviceable for the same even so the elect are not so much declared as renewed and made apt by the training up of the holy spirit both to live well and also to glorifie God Whereupon dependeth the saying of Iohn And ye have no need that any should teach you but as the same ointment doth teach you It is also called in Scripture The oil of gladness and rejoycing wheâ—eof it is said in the book of Psalmes God even thy God hath anointed thee with the oil of joy and gladness c. And by this goodly and comfortable name of oil in the Scriptures is the mercy of God oftentimes expressed because the nature of that doth agree with the property and quality of this For as oil doth flote and swim above all other liquors so the mercy of God doth surpass and overreach all his works and the same doth most of al disclose it self to miserable man It is likewise called the finger of God that is the might and power of God by the vertue whereof the Apostles did cast out divels to wit even by the finger of God It is called the spirit of truth because it maketh men true and faithfull in their vocation and for that it is the touchstone to try all counterfeit devices of mans braine and all vain sciences prophane practises deceitfull arts and circumventing inventions such as be in generall all sorts of witchcrafts and inchantments within whose number are comprehended all those wherewith I have had some dealing in this my discovery to wit charmes or incantations divinations augury judiciall astrology nativity casting alcumystery conjuration lotshare popery which is meer paltry with diverse other not one whereof no nor all together are able to stand to the triall and examination which this spirit of truth shall and will take of those false and evill spirits Nay they shall be found when they are laid into the balance to be lighter than vanity very drosse when they once come to be tryed by the fervent heat of this spirit and like chaffe when this spirit bloweth upon them driven away with a violent whirlewind such is the perfection integrity and effectuall operation of this spirit whose working as it is manifold so it is marvellous and therefore may and is called the spirit of spirits This spirit withdrawing it selfe from the hearts of men for that it will not inhabit and dwell where sinne hath dominion giveth place unto the spirit of errour and blindnesse to the spirit of servitude and compunction which bireth gnaweth and whetteth their hearts with a deadly hate of the gospell in so much as it grieveth their minds and irketh their ears either to hear or understand the truth of which disease properly the Pharises of old were and the papists even now are sick Yea the want of this good spirit is the cause that many fall into the spirit of perversenesse and frowardnesse into the spirit of giddinesse lying drowâ—â—nesse and dulnesse according as the prophet Isay saith For the Lord hath covered you with a spirit of slumber and hath shut up your eyes and again elsewhere Dominus miscuit in medio c. The Lord hath mingled among them the spirit of giddinesse and hath made Egypt to erre as a drunken man erreth in his vomit as it is said by Paul And their foolish heart was blinded and God gave them over unto their owne hearts lusts Which punishment Moses threatneth unto the Jewes The Lord shall smite thee with madnesse with blindnesse and amazednesse of mind and thou shalt grope at high noon as a blinde man useth to grope c. In some this word Spirit doth signifie a secret force and power wherewith our minds are moved and directed if unto holy things then is it the motion of the holy spirit of the spirit of Christ and of God if unto evill things then is it the suggestion of the wicked spirit of the divell and of satan Whereupon I inferre by the way of a question with what spirit we are to suppose such to be moved as either practise any of the vanities treated upon in this book or through credulity addict themselves thereunto as unto divine oracles or the voice of angels breaking through the clouds We cannot impute this motion unto the good spirit for then they should be able to discerne between the nature of
witchmongers in this matter of conjurations pag. 320. Certain conjurations taken out of the pontificall and out of the missal pag. 321. A conjuration written in the masse book Fol. 1. ibid. Oremus pag. 322. That popish priests leave nothing unconjured a form of exorcisme for incense ibid. The rules and lawes of popish Exorcists and other conjurors all one with a confutation of their whole power how S. Martine conjured the divell pag. 323. That it is a shame for papists to beleeve other conjurors doings their owne being of so little force Hippocrates his opinion herein pag. 325. How conjurors have beguiled witches what books they cary about to procure credit to their art wicke assertions against Moses and Ioseph pag. 326. All magicall arts confuted by an argument concerning Nero what Cornelius Agrippa and Carolus Gallus have left written thereof proved by experience pag. 327. Of Solomons conjurations and of the opinion conceived of his cunning and practise therein pag. 328. Lessons read in all churches where the pope hath authority on Saint Margarets day translated into English word for word pag. 329. A delicate story of a Lumbard who by saint Magarets example would needs fight with a reall divel 330. The story of S. Margaret proved to be both ridiculous and impious in every point pag. 331. A pleasant miracle wrought by a popish priest pag. 332. The former miracle couâ—uted with a strange story of S. Lucy pag. 333. Of visions noises apparitions and imagined sounds and of other illusions of wandering soules with a confutation thereof ibid. Cardanus opinion of strange noises how counterfeit visions grow to be credited of popish appearances of pope Boniface pag. 335. Of the noise or sound of echo of one that narrowly escaped drowning thereby c. pag. 336. Of Theurgie with a confutation therof a letter sent to me concerning these matters ibid. The copy of a letter sent unto me R. S. by T. E. Maister of art and practiser both of physicke also in times past of certaine vaine sciences now condemned to die for the same wherein he openeth the truth touching those deceits pag. 337. The xvi Book A Conclusion in manner of an epilog repeating many of the former absurdities of witchmongers conceits confutations thereof and of the authority of Iames Sprenger and Henry Institor inquisitors and compilers of M. Mal. Pa. 339. By what meanes the common people have beene made beleeve in the miraculous works of witches a definition of witchcraft and a description thereof pag. 340. Reasons to prove that words and characters are but bables and that witches cannot do such things as the multitude supposeth they can their greatest wonders proved trifles of a young gentleman cousened pag. 341. Of one that was so bewitched that â—â— could read no scriptures but canonicall of a divell that could speake no Latine a proose that witchcraft is flat cousenage pag. 343. Of the divinatioÌ„ by the sive sheeres and by the booke and key Hemingius his opinion thereof confuted a bable to know what is a clocke of certaine iuggling knacks manifold reasons for the overthrow of witches and conjurors and their cousenages of the divels transformations of Ferrum candens c. p. 344. How the divel preached good doctrine in the shape of a priest how he was discovered that it is a shame after confutatioÌ„ of the greater witchcrafts for any man to give credit to the lesser points thereof pag. 347. A conclusion against witchcraft in manner and forme of an Induction pag. 348. Of naturall witchcraft or fascination pag. 349. Of inchanting or bewitching eies ibid. Of naturall witchcraft for love c. pag. 351. A Discourse upon divels and spirits and first of philosophees opinions also the manner of their reasoning hereupon and the same confuted Pag. 352. Mine owne opinion concerning â—his argument to the disproofe of some writers hereupon pag. 353. The opinion of Psellus touching spirits of their severall orders and a confutation of his errors therein pag. 354. More absurd assertions of Psellus and such others concerning the actions and passions of spirits his definition of them and of his experience therein pag. 356. The opinion of Fascius Cardanus touching spirits and of his familiar divell pag. 357. The opinion of Plato concerning spirits divels and angels what sacrifices they like best what they feare and of Socrates his familiar divell pag. 358. Platos nine orders of spirits and angels Dionysius his division thereof not much differing from the same all disproved by learned divines pag. 359. The commencement of divels fondly gathered out of the 14. of Isaie of Lucifer and of his fall the Gabalists the Thalmudists and Schoolmens opinions of the creation of angels pag. 360. Of the contention betweene the Greeke and Latine church touching the fall of angels the variance among papists themselves herein a conflict betweene Michael and Lucifer pag. 361. Where the battell betweene Michael and Lucifer was fought how long it continued of their power how fondly papists and infidels write of them and how reverently Christians ought to think of them p. 362. Whether they became divels which being angels kept not their vocation in Jude and Peter of the fâ—nd opinions of the Rabbins touching spirits and bugs with a confutation thereof pag. 363. That the divels assaults are spirituall and not temporall and how grossely some understand and those parts of the scripture pag. 365. The equivocation of this word spirit how diversly it is taken in the scriptures where by the way is taught that the scripture is not alway as literally to be interpreted nor yet allegorically to be understoed p. 366. That it pleased God to manifest the power of his sonne and not of witches by miracles pag. 367. Of the possessed with divels pa. 368. That we being not throughly informed of the nature of divels and spirits must satisfie our selves with that which is dilivered us in the scriptures touching the same how this word divell is to be understood both in the singular plurall number of the spirit of God and the spirit of the divell of tame spirits of Ahab pag. 369. Whether spirits and soules can assume bodies of their creation and substance wherein writers do extreamely contend and vary pa. 370. Certaine popish reasons concerning spirits made of aire of day divels and night divels and why the divell loveth no salt in his meate pa. 371. That such divels as are mentioned in the scriptures have in their names their nature and qualities expressed with instances thereof p. 372. Diverse names of the divell whereby his nature and disposition is manifested pag. 373. That the idols or gods of the Gentiles are divels their diverse names and in what affaires their labours and authorities are employed wherein also the blind superstition of the heathen people is discovered ibid Of the Romans chief gods called Dii selecti and of other heathen gods their names and offices pag. 375 Of diverse goods in diverse countries