by witchcraft but it is a merueilous thing to sée in what feare men are and yet will not imbrace y â— wholsome remedy which the Lord hath prescribed they séeke many meanes that with cost and trauell but yet they are neuer the better for if they finde some ease vnto the body it is with the losse of y â— soule the deuill himselfe did inuent those medicines which they fly vnto for God neuer appointed them is he so foolishe as to make weapons against himself if they be vexed or hanted with a spirit as they vse to say a witch driue him out it is the deuil y t driueth him out if he be indéede driuen out But the trueth is he is not for Satan doth not driue out Satan Put the case that one deuill did expell another what comfort could it be vnto the possessed more then this that a weaker deuill is driuen out of him to giue place to a stronger For the stronger deuill would neuer expell the weaker vnlesse it were to enter there himselfe To let this passe it will be demaunded where there is any remedie prescribed by the Lord against witcherie The Lord saith he would raise vp a Prophet vnto the people Deut. 18. Those which giue eare vnto him shalbe safe Some man will say that is but in this one poynt that he shall not be deceiued by such as wrought by the deuil nor led into error But where is there any remedie mentioned to preserue a man from the bodily harmes done by Witches I aunswer that it were a straunge thing for the holy Scriptures to appoynt a medicine for such a disease as it neuer mentioneth The word of the Lord doth neuer mention that Witches can hurt the bodie at all therfore it doth no where prescribe any remedie for that which is not The malignant spirits or wicked deuils doe hurt both bodies and soules and therefore there is a way taught how to be frée from theÌ„ They haue no increase of power by a Witch but only thus much that for the iust vengeaunce of God vpon the vngodly the is glad to bee sent and obteyneth power but he that is armed against them alone is armed against both witch and them Against them there is no power can preuaile but the power of God Therefore when the holy Apostle doth set men in battell against deuils he willeth them to be strong in the Lord and in the power of his might This mightie power of God is made ours onely by faith For which cause S. Iohn saith that faith is our victorie He that beléeueth doth ouercome the world which cannot bee vnlesse he doe ouercome the prince of the world This faith is the free gift of God but yet because he hath ordeyned outward meanes to come vnto it we are willed to take vnto vs all the whole armour of God wherein this might consisteth And to the end that the exhortation may the more affect vs Saint Paule doth expresse the whole matter vnder the likenesse and termes of warre For thereby appeareth that there is néede of Gods power that we may escape out of the great perrill The Apostle as a chiefe Captaine in the Lords Armie doth stirre vp and prepare all Christian souldiers He sheweth who be the enemies He declareth their terror in sundrie respects But yet vndoubted victorie vnto all those which followe his prescript All the power of God wherewith wee resist and ouercome the deuill is conueyed into vs by faith alone But because he speaketh as of a souldier in his compleat armour he applieth but one part vnto faith and the rest vnto those things which doe goe vnseperably with faith The souldier had his head and all parts of his bodie with his legges and feete armed then had he his sword in his right hand and his shield in the left Euen so in this spirituall armour applyed by similitude vnto the soule here is armour for the head for the feet and legges and for al the whole bodie and then the shield of faith to hold foorth in the one hand and the spirituall sword which is the word of God in the other hand The summe of the whole is that by faith in the Gospell of Iesus Christ we are armed with power of grace with true knowledge and light with sincere integritie of heart and with a godly life with zeale with patience and with all other heauenly vertues so that the fierie darts of the deuill neither in tempting vnto filthie sinnes nor yet in damnable heresies and opinions can fasten vpon vs. If wee want the true faith wee want grace we be not in Christ we haue not his spirit This faith is grounded vpon the word of God for the word is sent to bee preached that men may heare and beléeue If men bée ignorant in the word of God they cannot haue power to resist the deuill they haue no sword to fight with him Christ our great Captaine hath left vnto vs an example which we ought to follow when he resisted the deuill For at euery temptation he draweth foorth this same spirituall sworde and saith it is written and so woundeth Satan therewith that he taketh the foyle Moreouer as men are to bee armed with the power of GOD so are they continually to pray for by faithfull prayer they shall obtaine a continuall supplie of grace to ouercome the new and fresh assalts of the deuill We are to giue thanks also vnto God at all tymes for his benefites to depend vppon his prouidence to commend vnto his keeping both our soules and bodies and all that we possesse Thus shall the deuill haue no power for to hunt vs but if the Lord doe giue him leaue to afflict vs yet shal it be no further then may tend vnto our good For all things worke together for good vnto those which doe loue God Let it mooue vs to seeke increase of faith by often hearing of Gods word taught let it driue vs vnto continuall meditation in the same and vnto a godly life For all those which despise the glorious Gospell of Christ or the publishing of the same and most especially such as fight against it doe to their power set vp the kingdome of the deuill and bring in all witcherie The light of the Gospell doth beate him downe and therefore when Christ sent foorth his Disciples at the first to preach and they returning reioyced that euen the deuilles were made subiect vnto them he saith I saw Satan fall downe from heauen like lightning The Lord send abroad the light of his truth to throw downe Satan and to driue away darknes from the mindes of the people Amen FINIS Deut. 18. â—… Thes. 2. Geu 6. Icch â—…3 6 Mich. 3. Psalm 8. Psalm 19 Gen. 30. Eccl. 10. I Sam. 28 Esay 29. 2 Pet. 2. Iude. Ephes. Psalm 34. Heb. 1. Reuel 21. 1. Pet. 5. Mat. 12. Mat. 12. Gen. 3. 2. Cor. 4. â—… Cor. 10. Reuel 20. 2. Thes. 2. Reuel 1â—… Reuel 12. Ephes. 2. Rom. â—… Ephes. 6. 2. Cor. 12. Iohn 5. Psal. 29. Luke 24. â—… Sam. 28. 1. Cro. 10. 2. Cor. 12. Gen. 3. Exod. 8. Act. 16. Gen. 3. 〈◊〉 19. Iohn 20. Luke 24. Epheâ—… 2. â—… Cor 4. Rom. 8.
named Iiddegnoni Iadang is to know from wheÌ„ce this word semeth to be deriued For such as deale with deuils do know many things which other men can not know so far as God doth permit vnto the deuil to reueale this kind is commonly ioyned with Shoel Ob and therefore thought to differ litle from the same For they both wrought with the Deuill as doe the Witches and also the Coniurers Either of them no doubt may verie wel set forth both our Witches and Coniurers though there seem to be great difference betweene them which is no more in déed but the craft of the deuill His auntient manner of practise with Shoelob and Iiddegnoni haue bene detected and therefore he hath turned thinges into an other forme but the matter is the same Coniurer goeth one way to work the witch an other the one as it seemeth for on purpose the other for an other but yet the cheife end is all one The eyght and last is called Doresh el hammethim that is as much as to say on which enquireth at the dead This kind of witch was called of the grecians Necromantes that is one which vseth diuinations by the dead And the art it self was called Necromancia I sée not how this could much differ froÌ„ Bagnalath Ob which tooke vpon her to fetch vp the soules of dead men These were so called not that they were able by any meanes to featch vp the soule of any man either good or bad But the deuill feined him selfe to be the soule of such or such a body and handled the matter so that they could perceiue none other Thus much may suffice for the names vsed in the holy scriptures There be other but no doubt the same indeed with some of these Now to proceed forward and to shew what any of these did or could doe by soceries it is requisit in the first place to speake of the cheife doeâ—… which is the deuill The nature of deuils described with there operations and effectes The 4 Chapter THe Deuils being the principall agents chiefe practisers in witchcrafts and sorceryes It is much to the purpose to descrybe and set theÌ„ for wheree by we shall bee the better instructed to see what he is able to do in what maner and to what ende purpose At y â— beginning as Gods word doth teach vs they were createdholy Angels full of power glory They sinned they were cast downe from heauen they were vtterly depriued of glory and â—…reserued for iudgement This therfore this change of theirs did not destroy nor take away their former faculties but vtterly corrupt peruert and depraue the same the essence of spirits remayned not onely but also power vnderstanding such as is in Angels y â— heaueÌ„ly Angels are very mighty strong far aboue all earthly creatures in the whole world The infernall angels are for their strength called principalityes powers those blessed ones applye all their might to set vp aduaunce the glgry of God to defend succour his children the deuils bend all their force against God agaynst his glory his truth his people And this is done with such fiercenes rage cruelty that the holy ghost paynteth them out vnder the figure of a great red or fiery dragon roaring lyon in very deed any thing comparable to theÌ„ He hath such power and autority indeede that hee is called the God of the world His kingdome is bound and inclosed within certayne limits for he is y e prince but of darknes but yet within his sayd dominion which is in ignorance of God he exerciseth a mighty tyrany our Sauiour compareth him to a strong man armed which kepeth his castle And what shall we saie for the wisedome and vnderstanding of Angels which was giuen them in their creatioÌ„ was it not far aboue that which men can reach vnto When they became diuels euen those reprobate angels their vnderstanding was not taken awaie but turned into malicious craft and subtiltie He neuer doth any thing but of an euill purpose and yet he can set such a colour that the Apostle saith he doth change himselfe into the likenesse of an angell of light For the same cause he is called the old serpent he was subtill at the beginning but he is now growne much more subtill vp long experience and continuall practise he hath searched out and knoweth all the waies that may be to deceiue So that if God should not chaine him vp as it is set forth Reuel 20. his power and subtiltie ioined together would ouercome and seduce the whole world There be great multitudes of infernall spirits as the holy scriptures doe euerie where shew but yet they doe so ioine together inone that they be called the diuell in the singular number They doe all ioine together as our sauiour teacheth to vphold one kingdome For though they can not loue one another indeede yet the hatred they beare against God is as a band that doth tye them together The holie angels are ministring spirits sent foorth for their sakes which shall inherit the promise They haue no bodilie shape of themselues but to set foorth their speedinesse the scripture applieth it selfe vnto our rude capacitie and painteth them out with wings When they are to rescue and succour the seruants of God they can straight waie from the high heauens which are thousands of thousands of miles distant from the earth bee present with them Such quicknesse is also in the diuels for their nature being spirituall and not loden with any heauie matter as our bodies are doth affoord vnto them such a nimbleues as we can not conceiue By this they flie through the world ouer sea and land and espie out al aduantages and occasions to doe euill Now to declare what these malignant wicked diuels haue effected brought to passe or what great successe they haue attained would be a long and tedious piece of worke A few short sentences of the word of God onely to note the same may suffise in this behalfe he preuailed by his great craft against our first parents he is called the prince of this world and the God of this world The Gentiles did worship diuels since the comming of our Sauiour Christ when hee was bound for a thousand yeares being let loose againe hee seduced the world yea he was the means and it was by the efficacie of his power that Antichrist the Pope and his false religion was set vp And so all the world woondered and followed the beast for so the holy ghost termeth Antichrist and they worshipped the beast and they woorshipped the dragon which gaue power to the beast This seemeth horrible and monstrous that all nations of the world should worship the diuell doubtlesse they neuer meant it but when they forsooke the true worship prescribed in the holie word and imbraced idolatrie and woorship deuised by man whatsoeuer intent they had
God laieth to their charge that they woorshipped diuels What victories the diuell hath gotten at other times in the world doth sufficiently appeare by this that he is described with seuen crownes He hath raised vp all kinds of heretikes he hath stirred vp sore persecutions against the Church and caused the seruants of God to be cruelâ—…ie murthered Thus much touching Diuels Deuils haue no power to hurt mens bodies or goods but vpon speciall leaue giuen vnto them The 5. Chapter THe reprobat angels are mightie fierce and subtill as we haue brieflie noted They be instrumentes of Gods vengance and executioners of his wrath they doe not exercise power and authoritie which is absolute and at their owne will and appointment but so farre as God letteth foorth the chaine to giue them scope Touching the reprobat which despise the waies of God and are disobedient we are taught that God in righteous vengeance giueth theÌ„ ouer into their hands for they would not loue his lawes nor honour him as their God therfore they come vnder the tirannie of wicked diuels which worke in them with power their harts do they harden their eies euen the eies of their minds do they blind they kindle and stir vp in them all filthie lusts and carrie them headlong into foule and abhominable sinnes Here is their throne and kingdome not that they be able to carrie these so far as they would but as euery one doth more grieuously prouoke God so are they plunged y â— deeper either into monstrous heresies or abhominable wickednesse for God giueth them ouer into a reprobat mind some indeed are caried further thaÌ„ other into the depth of impietie because God letteth him more stronglie inuade them and taketh away his graces and gifts but yet he raigneth in them all in as much as they be void of the power of grace to resist him and are caried captiues by him vnto eternall damnation These wicked fiends doe also set vpon the faithfull and elect people of God for God vseth them also as instruments for their triall they tempt and trie them they doe wrestle and fight against them they buffet them euery way seeking to annoy and molest them both in bodie and soule God indeed turneth all vnto the good of these Hee letteth him haue power and scope no further vpon them than he giueth strength and power of grace to resist at the least so farre that the wicked one can not cause them to sinne vnto death This then being out of al controuersie that his power euen in that wherein it is greatest and where he seemeth to haue his chiefe right is limited how shall it be deemed but that touching the bodies of both men and beasts or of anie other creature he can doe nothing but vpon speciall leaue and commission graunted vnto him He can not doe violence to the bodie of a poore swine naie he can not at his pleasure kill so much as a seelie flie When God will haue him to touch anie creature either man beast fish foule tree corne or whatsoeuer he flieth vpon it and maketh the greatest shew that he can These things are we plainlie taught in the holie scriptures not onelie by those which were possessed with diuels and were greeuouslie tormented in bodie but also by destroying both men and cattell In the booke of Iob the first chapter we are plainely taught first that the diuell could not touch Iob nor any thing that was his then that hauing leaue he slew his children destroied his seruants and cattell and plagued him in his bodie with sores the holie ghost doth so manifestlie teach that the diuell did this that to denie it is flat impietie and the vaine and friuolous cautls to prooue the contrarie not woorth the answering The holie ghost doth applie himselfe in that place to our rude capacitie It is very true and so doth he in manie places of the holy scriptures doth it follow therefore that the things were not We are not capable of things spirituall and therefore they be set forth vnder the forme of things corporall and visible We may not imagine that deuils thrust in themselues amongst the holie angels into the glorious presence of God in heauen Neither must we suppose that GOD talketh with the diuell and he with him but these and such like things are borrowed to set before vs things inuisible God vseth the diuels by his prouidence to accomplish the woorke which he determineth eyther in wrath vpon the wicked or for chastisement and tryall of his Children What could more fitly expresse the same then to liken him to a king which hath seruants officers for euery purpose who came before him to giue an account what they haue done and to receiue commaundement what they shall doe God limitteth their boundes he restraineth he enlargeth them at his good pleasure But how Satan doth knowe where leaue is giuen him we cannot conceiue For as it is sayd God tolde him all that he hath is in thy hand for vs hee is brought in speaking in this wise thou hast hedged about him and about all that he hath Yea but Iob saith God did all And Iob saith very true but Iob did knowe God did it by appointing the Diuell to doe it He knew that the theeues and murtherers which slewe his seruaunts and draue away his cattell were stirred vp by the Deuill he stayeth not aboute them nor yet about the Deuill but looketh and addresseth himselfe vnto him which hath rule ouer men and Deuils shall we say then God did it therefore the Deuill did it not It may be obiected that if the Deuill did those thinges then is hee able to raise vp mighty windes tempestes lightning and thunders If hee sent that mighty winde which did throwe downe the house vpon Iobs Children if he cast downe that fire vppon the Cattell and Seruauntes Why may not men thinke that vpon leaue he can do the other I answere that the scripture ascribeth the Windes the Tempests the Haile and the mighty Thunders and Lightnings vnto God euen as works peculier to his Maiestie by which he doth set forth his magnificence and glory Because he alone hath created them the deuils are not able to create any thing though neuer so smal much lesse those greate thinges He seeth right well the matter whereof they consiste and how they are by the naturall course which God hath set brought foorth vpon leaue graunted vnto him he is able in some sorte to collect the matter of them or being prepared by the Lorde to make them more violent he doth couet also in the darkest tempestes in the moste raging windes and terrible crackes of thunder to conuey himselfe into the storme to come with it and to shew some terrour of his presence 〈◊〉 if 〈◊〉 graunted he appeareth vnto some in an vglye shape or renteth vp trees And this he doth to bring men in beliefe that all those terrible thinges wherein there is so