And on the other side this name [symbols]

♦The fashion or forme of the conjuring knife, with the names theron to

bee graven or written.♦

]

_A type or figure of the circle for the maister and his

fellowes to sit in, shewing how and after what fashion it

should be made._

[Illustration]

This is the circle for the maister to sit in, and his fellowe or

fellowes, at the first calling, sit backe to backe, when he calleth the

spirit; and for the fairies make this circle with chalke 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.

The xv. Chapter.

_The making of the holie water._[*]

_Exorciso[†] te creaturam salis, per Deum vivum ✠ per Deum ✠ verum ✠

per Deum sanctum ✠ per Deum qui te per Elizœum prophetam in aquam mitti

jussit, ut sanaretur sterilitas aquæ, ut efficiaris sal exorcisatus

in salutem credentium; ut sis omnibus te sumentibus sanitas animæ &

corporis, & effugiat atque discedat ab eo loco, qui aspersus fuerit

omnis phantasia & nequitia, vel versutia diabolicæ fraudis, omnisq;

spiritus immundus, adjuratus per eum, qui venturus est judicare vivos &

mortuos, & sæculum per ignem, Amen. Oremus:_

♦_Absque exorcismo sal non sit sanctus._♦

♦[*] [These Rom.]♦

♦[†] [_Lat. in small Ital._]♦

_Immensam clementiam tuam, omnipotens ceterne Deus, humiliter

imploramus, ut hanc creaturam salis, quam in usum generis humani

tribuisti, bene✠dicere & sancti✠ficare tua pietate digneris, ut sit

omnibus sumentibus salus mentis & corporis, ut quicquid ex eo tactum

fuerit, vel respersum, careat omni immundicia, omniq; impugnatione

spiritualis nequitiæ, per Dominum nostrum Jesum Christum filium tuum,

qui tecum vivit & regnat in unitate spiritus sancti, Deus per omnia

sæcula sæculorum, Amen._

To the water saie also as followeth.

_Exorciso te creaturam aquæ in nomine ✠ patris ✠ & Jesu Christi filii

ejus Domini nostri, & in virtute spiritus ✠ sancti ✠ ut fias aqua

exorcisata, ad effugandam omnem potestatem inimici, & ipsum inimicum

eradicare & explantare valeas, cum angelis suis apostatis, per virtutem

ejusdem Domini nostri Jesu Christi, qui venturus est judicare vivos &

mortuos, & sæculum per ignem, Amen. Oremus:_

_Deus, qui ad salutem humani generis maxima quæque sacramenta in

aquarum substantia condidisti, adesto propitius invocationibus nostris,

& elemento huic multimodis purificationibus præparato, virtutem tuæ

bene✠dictionis infunde, ut creatura tua mysteriis tuis serviens, ad

abigendos dæmones, morbosq; pellendos, divinæ gratiæ sumat effectum,

ut quicquid in domibus, vel in locis fidelium hæc unda resperserit,

careat omni immundicia, liberetur à noxa, non illic resideat spiritus

pestilens, non aura corrumpens, discedant omnes insidiæ latentis

inimici, & si quid est, quod aut incolumitati habitantium invidet aut

quieti, aspersione hujus aquæ effugiat, ut salubritas per invocationem

sancti tui nominis expetita ab omnibus sit impugnationibus defensa,

per Dominum nostrum Jesum Christum filium tuum, qui tecum vivit &

regnat, in unitate spiritus sancti Deus per omnia sæcula sæculorum,

Amen._

Then take the salt in thy hand, and saie putting it into the

water, making in the maner of a crosse.

_Commixtio salis & aquæ pariter fiat, in nomine patris, & filii, &

spiritus sancti, Amen. Dominus vobiscum, Et cum spiritu tuo, Oremus: ¶

Deus invictæ virtutis author, & insuperabilis imperii rex, ac semper

magnificus triumphator, qui adversæ dominationis vires reprimis, qui

inimici rugientis sævitiam superas, qui hostiles nequitias potens

expugnas; te Domine trementes & supplices deprecamur ac petimus, ut

hanc creaturam salis & aquæ aspicias, benignus illustres, pietatis tuæ

rore sancti fices, ubicunq; fuerit aspersa, per invocationem sancti

tui nominis, omnis infestatio immundi spiritus abjiciatur, terrórq;

venenosi serpentis procul pellatur, & præsentia sancti spiritus nobis

misericordiam tuam poscentibus ubiq; adesse dignetur, per Dominum

nostrum Jesum Christum filium tuum, qui tecum vivit & regnat in unitate

spiritus sancti Deus per omnia sæcula sæculorum, Amen._

♦_Oratio ad Deum ut sali exorcisato vires addat._♦

Then sprinkle upon anie thing, and saie as followeth.

_Asperges me Domine hyssopo, & mundabor, lavabis me, & supra nivem

dealbabor. Miserere mei Deus, secundum magnam misericordiam tuam,

& supra nivem dealbabor. Gloria patri, & filio, & spiritui sancto:

Sicut erat in principio, & nunc, & semper, & in sæcula sæculorum,

Amen. Et supra nivem dealbabor, asperges me, &c. Ostende nobis Domine

misericordiam tuam, & salutare tuum da nobis; exaudi nos Domine sancte,

pater omnipotens, æterne Deus, & mittere dignare sanctum angelum tuum

de cælis, qui custodiat, foveat, visitet, & defendat omnes habitantes

in hoc habitaculo, per Christum Dominum nostrum, Amen, Amen._

♦_Oratio, in qua dicenda, exorcista sese sacri laticis aspergine debes

perrorare._♦

The xvi. Chapter.

_To make a spirit to appeare in a christall._

I doo conjure thee _N._ by the father, and the sonne, and the

Holie-ghost, the which is the beginning and the ending, the first and

the last, and by the latter daie of judgement, that thou _N._ doo

appeare, in this christall stone, or anie other instrument, at my

pleasure, to mee and to my felow, gentlie and beautifullie, in faire

forme of a boy of twelve yeares of age, without hurt or damage of anie

of our bodies or soules; and certeinlie to informe and to shew me,

without anie guile or craft, all that we doo 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 fier, Amen.

Also I conjure and exorcise thee _N._ by the sacrament of the altar,

and by the substance therof, by the wisedome of Christ, by the sea,

and by his vertue, by the earth, & 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, & by the holie names of

God, _Tetragrammaton, El, Ousion, Agla_, and by all the other holie

names of God, and by their vertues, by the circumcision, passion, and

resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ, by the heavines of our ladie the

virgine, and by the joy which she had when she sawe hir sonne rise

from death to life, that thou _N._ doo appeare in this christall stone,

or in anie other instrument, at my pleasure, to me and to my felow,

gentlie, and beautifullie, and visiblie, in faire forme of a child of

twelve yeares of age, without hurt or damage of anie of our bodies or

soules, and trulie to informe and shew unto me & to my felow, without

fraud or guile, all things according to thine oth and promise to me,

whatsoever I shall demand or desire of thee, without anie hinderance or

tarrieng, and this conjuration be read of me three times, upon paine

of eternall condemnation, to the last daie of judgement: _Fiat, fiat,

fiat_, Amen.

♦Marke how consonant this is with poperie, &c.♦

And when he is appeared, bind him with the bond of the dead above

written: then saie as followeth. ¶ I charge thee _N._ by the father, to

shew me true visions in this christall stone, if there be anie treasure

hidden in such a place _N._ & wherin it lieth, and how manie foot from

this peece of earth, east, west, north, or south.

♦For hidden treasure.♦

The xvii. Chapter.

_An experiment of the dead._

First go and get of some person that shalbe put to death, a promise,

and sweare an oth unto him, that if he will come to thee, after his

death, his spirit to be with thee, and to remaine with thee all the

daies of thy life, and will doo thee true service, as it is conteined

in the oth and promise following. Then laie thy hand on thy booke, and

sweare this oth unto him. I _N._ doo sweare and promise to thee _N._ to

give for thee an almesse everie moneth, and also to praie for thee once

in everie weeke, to saie the Lords praier for thee, and so to continue

all the daies of my life, as God me helpe and holie doome, and by the

contents of this booke. Amen.

♦Promises & oths interchangeablie made betweene the conjuror & the

spirit.♦

Then let him make his oth to thee as followeth, and let him saie after

thee, laieng his hand upon the booke. ¶ I _N._ doo sweare this oth to

thee _N._ by God the father omnipotent, by God the son Jesus Christ,

and by his pretious bloud which hath redeemed all the world, by the

which bloud I doo trust to be saved at the generall daie of judgment,

and by the vertues therof, I _N._ doo sweare this oth to thee _N._

that my spirit that is within my bodie now, shall not ascend, nor

descend, nor go to anie place of rest, but shall come to thee _N._ and

be verie well pleased to remaine with thee _N._ all the daies of thy

life, and so to be bound to thee _N._ and to appeare to thee _N._ in

anie christall 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

bodie, streightwaie to be at your commandements, and that in and at all

daies, nights, houres, and minutes, to be obedient unto thee _N._ being

called of thee by the vertue of our Lord Jesu Christ, & out of hand to

have common talke with thee at all times, and in all houres & minuts,

to open and declare to thee _N._ the truth of all things present, past,

and to come, and how to worke the magike art, and all other noble

sciences, under the throne of God. If I doo not performe this oth and

promise to thee _N._ but doo flie from anie part thereof, then to be

condemned for ever and ever. Amen.

♦Note the penaltie of breaking promise with the spirit.♦

Also I _N._ doo sweare to thee by God the Holie-ghost, and by the great

wisedome that is in the divine Godhead, and by their vertues, and by

all the holie angels, archangels, thrones, dominations, principats,

potestats, virtutes, cherubim and seraphim, and by all their vertues

doo I _N._ sweare, and promise thee to be obedient as is rehearsed.

And heere, for a witnesse, doo I _N._ give thee _N._ my right hand, and

doo plight thee my faith and troth, as God me helpe and holiedoome. And

by the holie contents in this booke doo I _N._ sweare, that my spirit

shall be thy true servant, all the daies of thy life, as is before

rehearsed. And here for a witnesse, that my spirit shall be obedient

to 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 saie all faithfull soules and spirits, Amen, Amen.

Then let him sweare this oth [*]three times, and at everie time kisse

the booke, and at everie time make marks to the bond. Then perceiving

the time that he will depart, get awaie the people from you, and get

or take your stone or glasse, or other thing in your hand, and saie

the _Pater noster_, _Ave_, and _Credo_, and this praier as followeth.

And in all the time of his departing, rehearse the bonds of words; and

in the end of everie bond, saie oftentimes; Remember thine oth and

promise. And bind him stronglie to thee, and to thy stone, and suffer

him not to depart, reading thy bond 24 times. And everie daie when you

doo call him by your other bond, bind him stronglie by the first bond:

by the space of 24 daies applie it, & thou shalt be made a man for ever.

♦[*] Three times, in reverence (peradventure) of the Trinitie,

P. F. S S.♦

_Now the Pater noster, Ave, and Credo must be said, and then

the praier immediatlie following._

O God[†] of _Abraham_, God of _Isaac_, God of _Jacob_, God of

_Tobias_; the which diddest deliver the three children from the hot

burning oven, _Sidrac_, _Misac_ and _Abdenago_,[‡] and _Susanna_ from

the false crime, and _Daniel_ from the lions power: even so O Lord

omnipotent, I beseech thee, for thy great mercie sake, to helpe me in

these my works, and to deliver me this spirit of _N._ that he may be

a true subject to me _N._ all the daies of my life, and to remaine

with me, and with this _N._ all the daies of my life. O glorious God,

Father, Sonne, and Holie-ghost, I beseech thee to help me at this time,

and to give me power by thine holie name, merits and vertues, wherby I

may conjure & constreine this spirit of _N._ that he may be obedient

unto me, and may fulfill his oth and promise, at all times, by the

power of all thine holines. 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

kingdoms, & in the divinitie of thine everlasting Godhead, to whom be

all honour and glorie, now and for ever and ever, Amen, Amen.

♦[†] [This par. in smaller type.]♦

♦[‡] [sic]♦

The xviii. Chapter.

_A bond to bind him to thee, and to thy N. as followeth._

I _N._ conjure and constreine the spirit of _N._ by the living God, by

the true God, and by the holie God, and by their vertues and powers

I conjure and constreine the spirit of thee _N._ that thou shalt not

ascend nor descend out of thy bodie, to no place of rest, but onelie

to take thy resting place with [*]_N._ and with this _N._ all the

daies of my life, according to thine oth and promise. I conjure

and constreine the spirit of _N._ by these holie names of God _✠

Tetragrammaton ✠ Adonay ✠ Agla ✠ Saday ✠ Sabaoth ✠ planabothe ✠ panthon

✠ craton ✠ neupmaton ✠ Deus ✠ homo ✠ omnipotens ✠ sempiternus ✠ ysus

✠ terra ✠ unigenitus ✠ salvator ✠ via ✠ vita ✠ manus ✠ fons ✠ origo

✠ filius ✠_ and by their vertues and powers I conjure and constreine

the spirit of _N._ that thou shalt not rest nor remaine in the fier,

nor in the water, in the aier, nor in anie privie place of the earth,

but onelie with me _N._ and with this _N._ all the daies of my life.

I charge the spirit of _N._ upon paine of everlasting condemnation,

remember thine oth and promise. Also I conjure the spirit of _N._ and

constreine thee by the excellent name of Jesus Christ, Α and Ω, the

first and the last; for this holie name of Jesus is above all names,

for [†]unto it all knees doo bow and obey, both of heavenlie things,

earthlie things, and infernalles. Nor is there anie other name given

to man, whereby we have anie salvation, but by the name of Jesus.

Therefore by the name, and in the name of Jesus of _Nazareth_, and by

his nativitie, resurrection and ascension, and by all that apperteineth

to his passion, and by their vertues and powers, I doo conjure and

constreine the spirit of _N._ that thou shalt not take anie resting

place in the ☉ nor in the ☽ nor in ♄ nor in ♃ nor in ♂ nor in ♀ nor

in ☿ nor in anie of the twelve signes, nor in the concavitie of the

clouds, nor in anie other privie place, to rest or staie in, but onelie

with me _N._ or with this _N._ all the daies of my life. If thou be

not obedient unto me, according to thine oth and promise, I _N._ doo

condemne the spirit of _N._ into the pit of hell for ever, Amen.

♦Note the summe of this obligation or bond.♦

♦[*] [_i.e._ me]♦

♦[†] Scripture as well applied of the conjuror, as that of satan in

tempting Christ, Matth. 4, 6.♦

I conjure and constreine the spirit of _N._ by the bloud of the

innocent lambe Jesus Christ, the which was shed upon the crosse, for

all those that doo obeie unto it, and beleeve in it, shall be saved

and by the vertue thereof, and by all the aforesaid riall names and

words of the living God by mee pronounced, I doo conjure and constreine

the spirit of _N._ that thou be obedient unto me, according to thine

oth and promise. If thou doo refuse to doo as is aforesaid, I _N._

by the holie trinitie, and by his vertue and power doo comdemne the

spirit of _N._ into the place whereas there is no hope of remedie, but

everlasting condemnation, and horror, and paine upon paine, dailie,

horriblie, & lamentablie 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._ obeie me _N._ as is afore rehearsed; else

I _N._ doo condemne the spirit of _N._ into the pit of everlasting

condemnation; _Fiat, fiat_, Amen. Also I conjure thee, and constreine

the spirit of _N._ by all angels, archangels, thrones, dominations,

principats, potestats, virtutes, cherubim & seraphim, & by the foure

evangelists, _Matthew_, _Marke_, _Luke_, and _John_, and by all things

conteined in the old lawe 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 constreine the spirit of _N._ stronglie, to have common

talke with me, at all times, and in all daies, nights, houres, and

minuts, and to talke in my mother toong plainelie, that I may heare it,

and understand it, declaring the truth unto me of all things, according

to thine oth and promise; else to be condemned for ever; _Fiat, fiat_,

Amen.

♦Note what sore penalties the spirit is injoined to suffer for

disobedience.♦

♦[*] [? which _or_ that]♦

Also I conjure and constreine the spirit of _N._ by the [†]golden

girdle, which girded 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 holie names and words of God almightie, by me

pronounced: _Fiat_, Amen.

♦[†] There is no mention made in the gospels that Christ was woorth a

golden girdle.♦

Also I conjure, constreine, command, and bind the spirit of _N._ by

the two edged sword, which _John_ saw proceed out of the mouth of God

almightie: except thou be obedient as is aforesaid, the sword cut thee

in peeces, and condemne thee into the pit of everlasting paines, where

the fier goeth not out, and where the worme dieth not; _Fiat, fiat,

fiat_, Amen.

♦Bugs words.♦

Also I conjure and constreine the spirit of _N._ by the throne of

the Godhead, and by all the heavens under him, and by the celestiall

citie new _Jerusalem_, and by the earth, by the sea, and by all things

created and conteined therein, and by their vertues and powers, and by

all the infernalles, and by their vertues and powers, and all things

conteined therein, and by their vertues and powers, I conjure and

constreine the spirit of _N._ that now immediatlie thou be obedient

unto me, at all times hereafter, and to those words of me pronounced,

according to thine oth and promise: [*]else let the great cursse

of God, the anger of God, the shadowe and darknesse of everlasting

condemnation be upon thee thou spirit of _N._ for ever and ever,

bicause thou hast denied thine health, thy faith, and salvation, for

thy great disobedience thou are worthie to be condemned. Therefore

let the divine trinitie, angels, and archangels, thrones, dominations,

principats, potestates, 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 daie of judgement, condemne the spirit

of _N._ for ever and ever, and be a witnesse against thee, bicause of

thy great disobedience, in and against thy promises, _Fiat, fiat_, Amen.

♦[*] Is it possible to be greater than S. Adelberts cursse? _See in

Habar. lib. 12. ca. 17: pag. 263, 264, 265._♦

Being thus bound, he must needs be obedient unto thee, whether he will

or no: proove 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 anie thing, and in the houre of ♃ for peace and concord,

in the houre of ♂ to marre, to destroie, and to make sicke, in the

houre of the ☉ to bind toongs and other bonds of men, in the houre

of ♀ to increase love, joy, and good will, in the houre of ☿ to put

awaie enimitie or hatred, to know of theft, in the houre of the ☽ for

love, goodwill and concord, ♄ lead ♃ tinne ♂ iron ☉ gold ♀ coppar ☿

quicksilver ☽ silver, &c.

The xix. Chapter.

_This bond as followeth, is to call him into your christall stone,

or glasse, &c._

Also I doo conjure thee spirit _N._ by God the father, by God the

sonne, and by God the holie-ghost, Α and Ω, the first and the last,

and by the latter daie of judgement, of them which shall come to

judge the quicke and the dead, and the world by fier, and by their

vertues and powers I constreine thee spirit _N._ to come to him that

holdeth the christall stone in his hand, & to appeare visiblie, as

hereafter foloweth. Also I conjure thee spirit N. by these holie names

of God _✠ Tetragrammaton ✠ Adonay ✠ El ✠ Ousion ✠ Agla ✠ Jesus ✠ of

Nazareth [cross]_ and by the vertues thereof, and by his nativitie,

death, buriall, resurrection, and ascension, and by all other things

apperteining unto his passion, and by the [*]blessed virgine Marie

mother of our Lord Jesu Christ, and by all the joy which shee had

when shee saw hir sonne rise from death to life, and by the vertues

and powers therof I constreine thee spirit _N._ to come into the

christall stone, & to appeare visiblie, as herafter shalbe declared.

Also I conjure thee _N._ thou spirit, by all angels, archangels,

thrones, dominations, principats, potestats, virtutes, cherubim and

seraphim, and by the ☉ ☽ ♄ ♃ ♂ ♀ ☿, and by the twelve signes, and by

their vertues and powers, and by all things created and confirmed in

the firmament, and by their vertues & powers I constreine thee spirit

_N._ to appeare visiblie in that christall stone, in faire [†]forme

and shape of a white angell, a greene angell, a blacke angell, a man,

a woman, a boie, a maiden virgine, a white grehound, a divell with

great hornes, without anie hurt or danger of our bodies or soules,

and trulie to informe and shew unto us, true visions of all things in

that christall stone, according to thine oth and promise, and that

without anie hinderance or tarrieng, to appeare visiblie, by this

bond of words read over by mee three times, upon paine of everlasting

condemnation; _Fiat, fiat_, Amen.

♦[*] A popish supplement.♦

♦[†] Belike he had the gift to appeare in sundrie shapes, as it is

said of _Proteus in Ovid lib. metamor. 8. fab. 10_: and of _Vertumnus;

lib. metamor. 14. fab. 16._♦

_Then being appeared, saie these words following._

I conjure[*] thee spirit, by God the father, that thou shew true

visions in that christall stone, where there be anie _N._ in such a

place or no, upon paine of everlasting condemnation, _Fiat_, Amen. Also

I conjure thee spirit _N._ by God the sonne Jesus Christ, that thou doo

shew true visions unto us, whether it be gold or silver, or anie other

metals, or whether there were anie or no, upon paine of condemnation,

_Fiat_, Amen. Also I conjure thee spirit _N._ by God the Holie-ghost,

the which dooth sanctifie all faithfull soules and spirits, and by

their vertues and powers I constreine thee spirit _N._ to speake, open,

and to declare, the true waie, how we may come by these treasures

hidden in _N._ and how to have it in our custodie, & who are the

keepers thereof, and how manie there be, and what be their names, and

by whom it was laid there, and to shew me true visions of what sort and

similitude they be, and how long they have kept it, and to knowe in

what daies and houres we shall call such a spirit, _N._ to bring unto

us these treasures, into such a place _N._ upon paine of everlasting

condemnation ✠[.] Also I constreine thee spirit _N._ by all angels,

archangels, thrones, dominations, principats, potestats, virtutes,

cherubim & seraphim, that you doo shew a true vision in this christall

stone, who did conveie or steale away such a _N._ and where it is, &

who hath it, and how farre off, and what is his or hir name, and how

and when to come unto it, upon paine of eternall condemnation, _Fiat_,

Amen. Also I conjure thee spirit _N._ by the ☉ ☽ ♄ ♃ ♂ ♀ ☿ and by all

the characters in the firmament, that thou doo shew unto me a true

vision in this christall stone, where such _N._ and in what state he

is, and how long he hath beene there, and what time he will be in such

a place, what daie and houre: and this and all other things to declare

plainelie, in paine of hell fier; _Fiat_, Amen.

♦[*] [This par. is in small type.]♦

Note that the spirit is tied to obediēce under paine of condemnation

and hell fier.♦

_A licence to depart._

Depart[*] out of the sight of this christall stone in peace for

a time, and readie to appeare therein againe at anie time or times

I shall call thee, by the vertue of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by

the bonds of words which are written in this booke, and to appeere

visiblie, as the words be rehersed. I constreine thee spirit _N._

by the divinitie of the Godhead, to be obedient unto these words

rehearsed, upon paine of everlasting condemnation, both in this world,

and in the world to come; _Fiat, fiat, fiat_, Amen.

♦[*] [This in still smaller.]♦

The xx. Chapter.

_When to talke with spirits, and to have true answers to find out

a theefe._

The daies and houres of ♄ ♂ ☿ and the ☽ is best to doo all crafts of

necromancie, & for to speake with spirits, and for to find theft, and

to have true answer thereof, or of anie other such like. ¶ And in the

daies and houres of ☉ ♃ ♀ is best to doo all experiments of love, and

to purchase grace, and for to be invisible, and to doo anie operation,

whatsoever it be, for anie thing, the ☽ being in a convenient signe. ¶

As when thou laborest for theft, see the moone be in an earthie signe,

as ♉ ♍ ♑, or of the aier, as ♊ ♎ ♒. ¶ And if it be for love, favor or

grace, let the ☽ be in a signe of the fier, as ♈ ♌ ♐, and for hatred,

in a signe of the water, as ♋ ♏ ♓. For anie other experiment, let the

☽ be in ♈. ¶ And if thou findest the ☉ & the ☽ in one signe that is

called in even number, then thou maiest write, consecrate, conjure, and

make readie all maner of things that thou wilt doo, &c.

♦This is condemned for ranke follie by the doctors: as by _Chrysos.

sup. Matth. Gregor. in homil. sup. Epiphan. Domini_; and others.♦

_To speake with spirits._

Call[*] these names, _Orimoth_, _Belimoth_, _Lymocke_, and say thus:

I conjure you up by the names of the angels _Satur_ and _Azimor_,

that you intend to me in this houre, and send unto me a spirit called

_Sagrigrit_, that hee doo fulfill my commandement and desire, and that

also can understand my words for one or two yeares, or as long as I

will, &c.

♦[*] [This par. in the second-sized type.]♦

The xxi. Chapter.

_A confutation of conjuration, especiallie of the raising,

binding and dismissing of the divell, of going invisible, and

other lewd practises._

Thus farre have we waded in shewing at large the vanitie of

necromancers, conjurors, and such as pretend to have reall conference

and consultation with spirits and divels: wherein (I trust) you

see what notorious blasphemie is committed, besides other blind

superstitious ceremonies, a disordered heap, which are so far from

building up the endevors of these blacke art practitioners, that they

doo altogether ruinate & overthrow them, making them in their follies

and falshoods as bare and naked as an anatomie. As for these ridiculous

conjurations, last rehearsed, being of no small reputation among the

ignorant, they are for the most part made by _T. R._ (for so much of

his name he bewraieth) and _John Cokars_, invented and devised for

the augmentation and maintenance of their living, for the edifieng of

the poore, and for the propagating and inlarging of Gods glorie, as in

the beginning of their booke of conjurations they protest; which in

this place, for the further manifestation of their impietie, and of the

witchmongers follie and credulitie, I thought good to insert, whereby

the residue of their proceedings may be judged, or rather detected.

For if we seriouslie behold the matter of conjuration, and the drift

of conjurors, we shall find them, in mine opinion, more faultie than

such as take upon them to be witches, as manifest offenders against

the majestie of God, and his holie lawe, and as apparent violators of

the lawes and quietnesse of this realme: although indeed they bring no

such thing to passe, as is surmised and urged by credulous persons,

couseners, liers, and witchmongers. For these are alwaies learned, and

rather abusers of others, than they themselves by others abused.

♦All the former practises breeflie confuted.♦

♦See the title of the booke, with the authors intent, in a marginall

note, pag. 393. [of this book.]♦

But let us see what appearance of truth or possibilitie is wrapped

within these mysteries, and let us unfold the deceipt. They have made

choice of certeine words, whereby they saie they can worke miracles,

&c. And first of all, that they call divels & soules out of hell

(though we find in the scriptures manifest proofes that all passages

are stopped concerning the egresse out of hell) so as they may go

thither, but they shall never get out, for _Ab inferno nulla est

redemptio_, out of hell there is no redemption. Well, when they have

gotten them up, they shut them in a circle made with chalke, which is

so stronglie beset and invironed with crosses and names, that they

cannot for their lives get out; which is a verie probable matter. Then

can they bind them, and lose them at their pleasures, and make them

that have beene liers from the beginning, to tell the truth: yea, they

can compell them to doo anie thing. And the divels are forced to be

obedient unto them, and yet cannot be brought to due obedience unto God

their creator. This done (I saie) they can worke all maner of miracles

(saving blew miracles) and this is beleeved of manie to be true:

♦Luk. 16. &c.♦

♦An ironicall confutation.♦

_Tam credula mens hominis, & arrectæ fabulis aures,_

_So light of beleefe is the mind of man,

And attentive to tales his eares now and than._

♦_Englished by Abraham Fleming._♦

But if Christ (onelie for a time) left the power of working miracles

among his apostles and disciples for the confirmation of his gospell,

and the faith of his elect: yet I denie altogether, that he left that

power with these knaves, which hide their cousening purposes under

those lewd and foolish words, according to that which _Peter_ saith;

With feined words they make merchandize of you. And therfore the

counsell is good that _Paule_ giveth us, when he biddeth us take heed

that no man deceive us with vaine words. For it is the Lord only that

worketh great woonders, and bringeth mightie 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.

♦2. Pet. 2. Ephes. 5. Ps. 72, & 78.♦

♦Sap. 16. Ecclus. 43.♦

But put case the divell could be fetched up and fettered, and loosed

againe at their pleasure, &c: I marvell yet, that anie can be so

bewitched, as to be made to beleeve, that by vertue of their words,

anie earthlie creature can be made invisible. We thinke it a lie,

to saie that white is blacke, and blacke white: but it is a more

shamelesse assertion to affirme, that white is not, or blacke is not at

all; and yet more impudencie to hold that a man is a horsse; but most

apparent impudencie to saie, that a man is no man, or to be extenuated

into such a quantitie, as therby he may be invisible, and yet remaine

in life and health, &c: and that in the cleare light of the daie, even

in the presence of them that are not blind. But surelie, he that

cannot make one haire white or blacke, 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 therinto by God the creator of all

things.

♦To denie the subsistence or naturall being of a thing materiall and

visible is impudēcie.♦

If they saie that the divell covereth them with a cloud or veile, as

_M. Mal. Bodin_, & manie other doo affirme; yet (me thinkes) we should

either see the cover, or the thing covered. And though perchance they

saie in their harts; Tush, the Lord seeth not, who indeed hath blinded

them, so as seeing, they see not: yet they shall never be able to

persuade the wise, but that both God and man dooth see both them and

their knaverie in this behalfe. I have heard of a foole, who was made

beleeve that he should go invisible, and naked; while he was well

whipped by them, who (as he thought) could not see him. Into which

fooles paradise they saie[*] he was brought, that enterprised to kill

the prince of Orenge.

♦Ezec. 8. & 9.

Isai. 6, & 26 and 30.♦

♦[*] John Jauregui servant to Gasper Anastro both Spaniards. Ann. Dom.

1582. March 18. after dinner upon a sundaie this mischeefe was doone.

Read the whole discourse hereof printed at London for Tho: Chard and

Will: Brome bookesellers.♦

The xxii. Chapter.

_A comparison betweene popish exorcists and other conjurors, a

popish conjuration published by a great doctor of the Romish

church, his rules and cautions._

I see no difference betweene these and popish conjurations; for they

agree in order, words, and matter, differing in no circumstance, but

that the papists doo it without shame openlie, the other doo it in

hugger mugger secretlie. The papists (I saie) have officers in this

behalfe, which are called exorcists or conjurors, and they looke

narrowlie to other cousenors, as having gotten the upper hand over

them. And bicause the papists shall be without excuse in this behalfe,

and that the world may see their cousenage, impietie, and follie to be

as great as the others, I will cite one conjuration (of which sort I

might cite a hundred) published by _Jacobus 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 knaverie and cousenage in the

highest degree. Marke the cousening devise hereof, and conferre the

impietie with the others.

♦_Jac. de Chusæ in lib. de apparitionib. quorundam spirituum._♦

First (forsooth) he saith it is expedient to fast three daies, and

to celebrate a certeine number of masses, and to repeate the seven

psalmes penitentiall: then foure or five preests must be called to the

place where the haunt or noise is, then a candle hallowed on candlemas

daie must be lighted, and in the lighting thereof also must the seven

psalmes be said, and the gospell of S. _John_. Then there must be a

crosse and a censer with frankincense, and therewithall the place must

be censed or perfumed, holie water must be sprinkled, and a holie

stoale must be used, and (after diverse other ceremonies) a praier to

God must be made, in maner and forme following:

♦Observations for the exorcising preest.♦

O Lord Jesus Christ, the knower of all secrets, which alwaies

revealest all hoalsome and profitable things to thy faithfull children,

and which sufferest a spirit to shew himselfe in this place, we beseech

thee for thy bitter passion, &c: vouchsafe to command this spirit, to

reveale and signifie unto us thy servants, without our terror or hurt,

what he is, to thine honour, and to his comfort; _In nomine patris,

&c._ And then proceed in these words: We beseech thee, for Christs

sake, O thou spirit, that if there be anie of us, or among us, whom

thou wouldest answer, name him, or else manifest him by some signe. Is

it frier _P._ or doctor _D._ or doctor _Burc._ or sir _Feats_, or sir

_John_, or sir _Robert_: _Et sic de cæteris circunstantibus_. For it

is well tried (saith the glosse) he will not answer everie one. If the

spirit make anie sound of voice, or knocking, at the naming of anie

one, he is the cousener (the conjuror I would saie) 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 wouldest thou have? Wantest thou any suffrages, masses, or

almes? How manie masses will serve thy turne, three, six, ten, twentie,

thirtie, &c? By what preest? Must he be religious or secular? Wilt thou

have anie fasts? What? How manie? How great? And by what persons? Among

hospitalles? Lepres? Or beggars? What shall be the signe of thy perfect

deliverance? Wherefore liest thou in purgatorie? And such like. This

must be doone in the night.

♦Memorandum that he must be the veriest knave or foole in all the

companie.♦

If there appeare no signe at this houre, it must be deferred untill

another houre. Holie water must be left in the place. There is no feare

(they saie) that such a spirit will hurt the conjuror: for he can

sinne no more, as being in the meane state betweene good and evill,

and as yet in the state of satisfaction. [*]If the spirit doo hurt,

then it is a damned soule, and not an elect. Everie man may not be

present hereat, speciallie such as be weake of complexion. They appeare

in diverse maners, not alwaies in bodie, or bodilie shape (as it is

read in the life of S. _Martine_, that the divell did) but sometimes

invisible, as onelie by sound, voice, or noise. Thus farre _Jacobus de

Chusa_.

♦These spirits are not so cunning by daie as by night.♦

♦[*] For so they might be bewraied.♦

♦For so the cousenage may be best handled.♦

But bicause you shall see that these be not emptie words, nor

slanders; but that in truth such things are commonlie put in practise

in the Romish church, I will here set downe an instance, latelie and

truelie, though lewdlie performed: and the same in effect as followeth.

The xxiii. Chapter.

_A late experiment, or cousening conjuration practised at

Orleance by the Franciscane Friers, how it was detected, and

the judgement against the authors of that comedie._

In the yeare of our Lord 1534. at _Orleance_ in _France_, the Maiors

wife died, willing and desiring to be buried without anie pompe or

noise, &c. Hir husband, who reverenced the memoriall of hir, did even

as she had willed him. And bicause she was buried in the church of the

[*]_Franciscans_, besides her father and grandfather, and gave them

in reward onelie six crownes, whereas they hoped for a greater preie;

shortlie after it chanced, that as he felled certeine woods and sold

them, they desired him to give them some part thereof freelie without

monie: which he flatlie denied. This they tooke verie greevouslie. And

whereas before they misliked him, now they conceived such displeasure

as they devised this meanes to be revenged; to wit, that his wife was

damned for ever. The cheefe workemen and framers of this tragedie were

_Colimannus_, and _Stephanus Aterbatensis_, both doctors of divinitie;

this _Coliman._ was a great conjuror, & had all his implements in a

readines, which he was woont to use in such busines. And thus they

handled the matter. They place over the arches of the church, a yoong

novice; who about midnight, when they came to mumble their praiers, as

they were woont to do, maketh a great rumbling, and noise. Out of hand

the moonks beganne to conjure and to charme, but he answered nothing.

Then being required to give a signe, whether he were a dumme spirit or

no, he beganne to rumble againe: which thing they tooke as a certeine

signe. Having laid this foundation, they go unto certeine citizens,

cheefe men, and such as favoured them, declaring that a heavie chance

had happened at home in their monasterie; not shewing what the matter

was, but desiring them to come to their mattens at midnight. When these

citizens were come, and that praiers were begunne, the counterfet

spirit beginneth to make a marvellous noise in the top of the church.

And being asked what he meant, and who he was, gave signes that it was

not lawfull for him to speake. Therefore they commanded him to make

answer by tokens and signes to certeine things they would demand of

him. Now was there a hole made in the vawt, through the which he might

heare and understand the voice of the conjuror. And then had he in his

hand a litle boord, which at everie question, he strake, in such sort

as he might easilie be heard beneath. First they asked him, whether he

were one of them that had beene buried in the same place. Afterwards

they reckoning manie by name, which had beene buried there; at the

last also they name the Maiors wife: and there by and by the spirit

gave a signe that he was hir soule. He was further asked, whether he

were damned or no; and if he were, for what cause, for what desert, or

fault; whether for covetousnes, or wanton lust, for pride or want of

charitie; or whether it were for heresie, or for the sect of _Luther_

newlie sproong up: also what he meant by that noise and stirre he kept

there; whether it were to have the bodie now buried in holie ground to

be digged up againe, and laid in some other place. To all which points

he answered by signes, as he was commanded, by the which he affirmed

or denied anie thing, according as he strake the boord twise or thrise

together. And when he had thus given them to understand, that[†] the

verie cause of his damnation was _Luthers_ heresie, and that the bodie

must needs be digged up againe: the moonks requested the citizens,

whose presence they had used or rather abused, that they would beare

witnesse of those things which they had seene with their eies; and that

they would subscribe to such things as were doone a few days before.

The citizens taking good advise on the matter, least they should offend

the Maior, or bring themselves in trouble, refused so to doo. But the

moonks notwithstanding take from thence the sweete bread, which they

called the host and bodie of our Lord, with all the relikes of saintes,

and carrie them to another place, and there saie their masse. The

bishops substitute judge (whome they called Officiall) understanding

that matter, commeth thither, accompanied with certeine honest men, to

the intent he might knowe the whole circumstance more exactlie: and

therefore he commandeth them to make conjuration in his presence; and

also he requireth certeine to be chosen to go up into the top of the

vawt, and there to see whether any ghost appeered or not. _Stephanus

Aterbatensis_ stiffelie denied that to be lawfull, and marvellouslie

persuading the contrarie, affirmed that the spirit in no wise ought to

be troubled. And albeit the Official urged them verie much, that there

might be some conjuring of the spirit; yet could he nothing prevaile.

♦A cousening conjuration.♦

♦[*] Of this order read noble stuffe in a booke printed at

_Frankeford_ under the title of _Alcoran. Franciscanorum_.♦

♦Note how the Franciscans cannot conjure without a confederate.♦

♦O notorius impudencie! with such shamelesse faces to abuse so

worshipfull a companie.♦

♦[†] The confederate spirit was taught that lesson before.♦

♦For so might the confederate be found.♦

Whilest these things were dooing, the Maior, when he had shewed the

other Justices of the citie, what he would have them to doo, tooke

his journie to the king, and opened the whole matter unto him. And

bicause the moonks refused judgement upon plea of their owne lawes and

liberties, the king choosing out certeine of the aldermen of _Paris_,

giveth them absolute and full authoritie to make inquirie of the

matter. The like dooth the Chancelor maister _Anthonius Pratensis_

cardinall and legat for the pope throughout _France_. Therefore, when

they had no exception to alledge, they were conveied unto _Paris_, and

there constrained to make their answer. But yet could nothing be wroong

out of them by confession, whereupon they were put apart into divers

prisons: the novice being kept in the house of maister _Fumanus_, one

of the aldermen, was oftentimes examined, and earnestlie requested to

utter the truth, but would notwithstanding confesse nothing; bicause he

feared that the moonks would afterwards put him to death for staining

their order, and putting it to open shame. But when the judges had made

him sure promise that he should escape punishment, and that he should

never come into their handling, he opened unto them the whole matter as

it was doone: and being brought before his fellowes, avouched the same

to their faces. The moonks, albeit they were convicted, and by these

meanes almost taken tarde[*] with the deed doing; yet did they refuse

the judges, bragging and vaunting themselves on their priviledges, but

all in vaine. For sentence passed upon them, and they were condemned

to be carried backe againe to _Orleance_, and there to be cast in

prison, and so should finallie be brought foorth into the cheefe

church of the citie openlie, and from thence to the place of execution,

where they should make open confession of their trespasses.

♦An obstinate and wilfull persisting in the denieng or not confessing

of a fault committed.♦

♦[*] [= tarred]♦

Surelie this was most common among moonks and friers, who mainteined

their religion, their lust, their liberties, their pompe, their wealth,

their estimation and knaverie by such cousening practises. Now I

will shew you more speciall orders of popish conjurations, that are

so shameleslie admitted into the church of _Rome_, that they are not

onelie suffered, but commanded to be used, not by night secretlie,

but by daie impudentlie. And these forsooth concerne the curing of

bewitched persons, and such as are possessed; to wit, such as have a

divell put into them by witches inchantments. And herewithall I will

set downe certeine rules delivered unto us by such popish doctors, as

are of greatest reputation.

♦A parecuasis or transition of the author to matter further purposed.♦

The xxiiii. Chapter.

_Who may be conjurors in the Romish church 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 betweene holie

water and conjuration._

_Thomas Aquinas_ saith, that anie bodie, though he be of an inferior

or superior order, yea though of none order at all (and as _Gulielmus

Durandus 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

preest may saie masse in a house unconsecrated. But that is (saith

_M. Mal._) rather through the goodnesse and licence of the pope, than

through the grace of the sacrament. Naie, there are examples set downe,

where some being bewitched were cured (as _M. Mal._ taketh it) without

any conjuration at all. Marrie there were certeine _Pater nosters_,

_Aves_, and _Credos_ said, and crosses made, but they are charmes, they

saie, and no conjurations. For they saie that such charmes are lawfull,

bicause there is no superstition in them, &c.

♦_In 4 dist. 23. sent._♦

And it is woorth my labour, to shew you how papists define

superstition, and how they expound the definition thereof. Superstition

(saie 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

authoritie, is superstitious: as to adde or joine anie hymnes to the

masse, to interrupt anie diriges, to to[*] abridge anie part of the

creed in the singing thereof, or to sing when the organs go, and not

when the quier singeth, not to have one to helpe the priest to masse:

and such like, &c.

♦_Et glos. super illo ad coll. 2._♦

♦[*] [_sic_]♦

These popish exorcists doo manie times forget their owne rules. For

they should not directlie in their conjurations call upon the divell

(as they doo) with intreatie, but with authoritie and commandement.

Neither should they have in their charmes and conjurations anie

unknowne names. Neither should there be (as alwaies there is) anie

falshood conteined in the matter of the charme of conjuration, as (saie

they) old women have in theirs, when they saie; The blessed virgine

passed over _Jordan_, and then S. _Steven_ met hir, and asked hir, &c.

Neither should they have anie other vaine characters, but the crosse

(for those are the words:) and manie other such cautions have they,

which they observe not, for they have made it lawfull elsewhere.

♦_Mendaces debent esse memores, multò magis astuti exorcistæ._♦

But _Thomas_ their cheefe piller prooveth their conjuring and charmes

lawfull by S. _Marke_, who saith; _Signa eos qui crediderunt_; And, _In

nomine meo dæmonia ejicient, &c_: whereby he also prooveth that they

maie conjure serpents. And there he taketh paines to proove, that the

words of God are of as great holinesse as relikes of saints, whereas

(in such respect as they meane) they are both alike, and indeed nothing

woorth. And I can tell them further, that so they maie be carried, as

either of them maie doo a man much harme either in bodie or soule.

♦_Tho. Aquin. super. Marc. ultim._♦

♦Mark, 16, 17♦

But they proove this by _S. Augustine_, saieng; _Non est minus verbum

Dei, quàm corpus Christi_: whereupon they conclude thus; By all mens

opinions it is lawfull to carrie about reverentlie the relikes of

saints; _Ergo_ it is lawfull against evill spirits, to invocate

the name of God everie waie; by the _Pater noster_, the _Ave_, the

nativitie, the passion, the five wounds, the title triumphant, by the

seven words spoken on the crosse, by the nailes, &c: and there maie

be hope reposed in them. Yea, they saie it is lawfull to conjure all

things, bicause the divell maie have power in all things. And first,

alwaies the person or thing, wherein the divell is, must be exorcised,

and then the divell must be conjured. Also they affirme, that it is as

expedient to consecrate and conjure porrage and meate, as water and

salt, or such like things.

♦A trimme consequent♦

♦_Mal. malef. par. 2. quæ. 2._♦

The right order of exorcisme in rebaptisme of a person possessed or

bewitched, requireth that exsufflation and abrenunciation be doone

toward the west. Item, there must be erection of hands, confession,

profession, oration, benediction, imposition of hands, denudation and

unction, with holie oile after baptisme, communion, and induition of

the surplis. But they saie 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 bodie a holie candle of the length of Christ, or of the crosse

whereupon he died, which for monie maie be had at _Rome_. _Ergo_ (saith

_M. Mal._) this maie be said; I conjure thee _Peter_ or _Barbara_ being

sicke, but regenerate in the holie water of baptisme, by the living

God, by the true God, by the holie God, by the God which redeemed thee

with his pretious bloud, that thou maiest be made a conjured man, that

everie fantasie and wickednesse of diabolicall deceipt doo avoid and

depart from thee, and that everie uncleane spirit be conjured through

him that shall come to judge the quicke and the dead, and the world

by fier, Amen: _Oremus_, &c. And this conjuration, with _Oremus_, and

a praier, must be thrise repeated, and at the end alwaies must be

said; _Ergo maledicte diabole recognosce sententiam tuam, &c._ And

this order must alwaies be followed. And finallie, there must be

diligent search made, in everie corner, and under everie coverlet and

pallet, and under everie threshhold of the doores, for instruments of

witchcraft. And if anie be found, they must streight-waie be throwne

into the fier. Also they must change all their bedding, their clothing,

and their habitation. And if nothing be found, the partie that is to

be exorcised or conjured, must come to the church rath in the morning:

and the holier the daie is, the better, speciallie our Ladie daie.

And the preest, if he be shriven himselfe and in perfect state, shall

doo the better therein. And let him that is exorcised hold a holie

candle in his hand, &c. Alwaies provided, that the holie water be

throwne upon him, and a stoale put about his necke, with _Deus in

adjutorium_, and the Letanie, with invocation of saints. And this order

maie continue thrise a weeke, so as (saie they) through multiplication

of intercessors, or rather intercessions, grace maie be obteined, and

favor procured.

♦Rites, ceremonies, and relikes of exorcisme in rebaptising of the

possessed or bewitched.♦

♦Memorandum that this is for one bewitched.♦

♦Note the proviso.♦

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 learne whether the partie be not

excommunicate, and so for want of absolution, endure this vexation.

_Thomas_ sheweth the difference betwixt holie water and conjuration,

saieng that holie water driveth the divell awaie from the externall and

outward parts; but conjurations from the internall and inward parts;

and therefore unto the bewitched partie both are to be applied.

♦_Tho. Aquin. supr. dist. 6._♦

The xxv. Chapter.

_The seven reasons why some are not rid of the divell with all

their popish conjurations, why there were no conjurors in the

primitive church, and why the divell is not so soone cast out

of the bewitched as of the possessed._

The reason why some are not remedied for all their conjurations, the

papists say is for seven causes. First, for that the faith of the

standers by is naught; secondlie, for that theirs that present the

partie is no better; thirdlie, bicause of the sinnes of the bewitched;

fourthlie, for the neglecting of meete remedies; fiftlie, for the

reverence of vertues going out into others; sixtlie, for the purgation;

seventhlie, for the merit of the partie bewitched. And lo, the first

foure are proved by _Matthew_ the 7. and _Marke_ the 4. when one

presented his sonne, and the multitude wanted faith, & the father

said, Lord help mine incredulitie or unbeleefe. Wherupon was said, Oh

faithlesse and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you? And

where these words are written; And Jesus rebuked him, &c. That is to

saie, saie they, the possessed or bewitched for his sinnes. For by the

neglect of due remedies it appeereth, that there were not with Christ

good and perfect men: for the pillers of the faith; to wit, _Peter_,

_James_, and _John_ were absent. Neither was there fasting and praier,

without the which that kind of divels could not be cast out. For the

fourth point; to wit, the fault of the exorcist in faith maie appeare;

for that afterwards the disciples asked the cause of their impotencie

therin. And Jesus answered, it was for their incredulitie; saieng that

if they had as much faith as a graine of mustard seed, they should

move mountaines, &c. The fift is prooved by _Vitas patrum_, the lives

of the fathers, where it appeereth that S. _Anthonie_ could not doo

that cure, when his scholar _Paule_ could doo it, and did it. For the

proofe of the sixt excuse it is said, that though the fault be taken

awaie therby; yet it followeth not that alwaies the punishment is

released. Last of all it is said, that it is possible that the divell

was not conjured out of the partie before baptisme by the exorcist,

or the midwife hath not baptised him well, but omitted some part of

the sacrament. If any object that there were no exorcists in the

primitive church, it is answered, that the church cannot now erre. And

saint _Gregorie_ would never have instituted it in vaine. And it is

a generall rule, that who or whatsoever is newlie exorcised, must be

rebaptised: as also such as walke or talke in their sleepe; for (saie

they) call them by their names, and presentlie they wake, or fall if

they clime: whereby it is gathered, that they are not trulie named in

baptisme. Item they saie, it is somewhat more difficult to conjure the

divell out of one bewitched, than out of one possessed: bicause in the

bewitched, he is double; in the other single. They have a hundred such

beggerlie, foolish, and frivolous notes in this behalfe.

♦1♦

♦2♦

♦3♦

♦4♦

♦5♦

♦6, 7♦

♦Proper proofes of the former seven reasons.♦

♦Why there were no conjurors in y^e primitive church with other subtill

points.♦

The xxvi. Chapter.

_Other grosse absurdities of witchmongers in this matter of

conjurations._

Surelie I cannot see what difference or distinction the witchmongers

doo put betweene the knowledge and power of God and the divell; but

that they think, if they praie, or rather talke to God, till their

hearts ake, he never heareth them; but that the divell dooth knowe

everie thought and imagination of their minds, and both can and also,

will doo any thing for them. For if anie that meaneth good faith with

the divell read certeine conjurations, he commeth up (they saie) at a

trice. Marrie if another that hath none intent to raise him, read or

pronounce the words, he will not stirre. And yet _J. Bodin_ confesseth,

that he is afraid to read such conjurations, as _John Wierus_ reciteth;

least (belike) the divell would come up, and scratch him with his

fowle long nailes. In which sort I woonder that the divell dealeth

with none other, than witches and conjurors. I for my part have read

a number of their conjurations, but never could see anie divels of

theirs, except it were in a plaie. But the divell (belike) knoweth my

mind; to wit, that I would be loth to come within the compasse of his

clawes. But lo what reason such people have. _Bodin_, _Bartholomeus

Spineus_, _Sprenger_, and _Institor_, &c: doo constantlie affirme,

that witches are to be punished with more extremitie than conjurors;

and sometimes with death, when the other are to be pardoned doing the

same offense: bicause (say they) the witches make a league with the

divell, & so doo not conjurors. Now if conjurors make no league by

their owne confession, and divels indeed know not our cogitations (as

I have sufficientlie prooved) then would I weet of our witchmongers

the reason, (if I read the conjuration and performe the ceremonie) why

the divell will not come at my call? But oh absurd credulitie! Even in

this point manie wise & learned men have beene & are abused: wheras,

if they would make experience, or dulie expend the cause, they might

be soone resolved; specially when the whole art and circumstance is so

contrarie to Gods word, as it must be false, if the other be true. So

as you may understand, that the papists do not onlie by their doctrine,

in bookes & sermons teach & publish conjurations, & the order thereof,

whereby they may induce men to bestowe, or rather cast awaie their

monie upon masses and suffrages for their soules; but they make it also

a parcell of their sacrament of orders (of the which number a conjuror

is one) and insert manie formes of conjurations into their divine

service, and not onelie into their pontificals, but into their masse

bookes; yea into the verie canon of the masse.

♦A conjuror then belike must not be timerous or fearefull.♦

♦Where a witch cureth by incantation, and the conjuror by conjuration.♦

The xxvii. Chapter.

_Certaine conjurations taken out of the pontificall and out of

the missall._

But see yet a little more of popish conjurations, and conferre

them with the other. In the [*]pontificall you shall find this

conjuration, which the other conjurors use as solemnelie as they: I

conjure thee thou creature of water in the name of the fa✠ther, of

the so✠nne, and of the Holie✠ghost, that thou drive awaie the divell

from the bounds of the just, that he remaine not in the darke corners

of this church and altar. ❇ You shall find in the same title, these

words following, to be used at the hallowing of churches. There must a

crosse of ashes be made upon the pavement, from one end of the church

to the other, one handfull broad: and one of the priests must write

on the one side thereof the Greeke alphabet, and on the otherside the

Latin alphabet. _Durandus_ yeeldeth this reason thereof; to wit, It

representeth the union in faith of the Jewes and Gentiles. And yet well

agreeing to himselfe he saith even there, that the crosse reaching from

the one end to the other, signifieth that the people, which were in the

head, shalbe made the taile.

♦[*] _Tit. de ecclesiæ dedicatione._♦

♦_Ibidem, fol. 108._♦

♦_Durand. de ecclesiæ dedicatione lib. 1. fol. 12._♦

¶ _A conjuration written in the masse booke. Fol. 1._

I conjure thee O creature of salt by God, by the God ✠ that liveth,

by the true ✠ God, by the holie ✠ God, which by _Elizæus_ the prophet

commanded, that thou shouldest be throwne into the water, that it

thereby might be made whole and sound, that thou salt [here let the

preest 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

bodie and soule; and let all phantasies and wickednesse, or diabolicall

craft or deceipt, depart from the place whereon it is sprinkled; as

also everie uncleane spirit, being conjured by him that judgeth both

the quicke and the dead by fier. _Resp_: Amen. Then followeth a praier

to be said, without _Dominus vobiscum_; but yet with _Oremus_; as

followeth:

♦_In Missali. fol. 1._♦

♦The maner of conjuring salt.♦

¶ _Oremus._

Almightie and everlasting God, we humblie desire thy clemency [here let

the preest looke upon the salt] that thou wouldest vouchsafe, through

thy pietie, 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 bodie; so as whatsoever shall be touched

thereby, or sprinkled therewith, may be void of all uncleannesse, and

all resistance of spirituall iniquitie, through our Lord, Amen.

♦A praier to be applied to the former exorcisme.♦

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 holie

commixtion of the bodie and bloud of our Lord Jesus Christ, let it

be made to me, and to all the receivers thereof, health of mind and

bodie, and a wholesome preparative for the deserving and receiving of

everlasting life, through our Lord Jesus, Amen.

The xxviii. Chapter.

_That popish priests leave nothing unconjured, a forme of

exorcisme for incense._

Although the papists have manie conjurations, so as neither water,

nor fier, nor bread, nor wine, nor wax, nor tallowe, nor church, nor

churchyard, nor altar, nor altar cloath, nor ashes, nor coles, nor

belles, nor bell ropes, nor copes, nor vestments, nor oile, nor salt,

nor candle, nor candlesticke, nor beds, nor bedstaves, &c; are without

their forme of conjuration: yet I will for brevitie let all passe, and

end here with incense, which they doo conjure in this sort ✠.[*] I

conjure thee most filthy and horrible spirit, and everie vision of

our enimie, &c: that thou go and depart from out of this creature of

frankincense, with all thy deceipt and wickednes, that 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 Holie-ghost; so as wheresoever this incense or

frankincense shall remaine, that there thou in no wise be so bold as to

approch or once presume or attempt to hurt: but what uncleane spirit

so ever thou be, that thou with all thy craft and subtiltie avoid and

depart, being conjured by the name of God the father almightie, &c. And

that wheresoever the fume or smoke thereof shall come, everie kind and

sort of divels may be driven awaie, and expelled; as they were at the

increase[†] of the liver of fish, which the archangell _Raphaell_

made, &c.

♦[*] [? sort. ✠]♦

♦A conjuration of frankincense set foorth in forme.♦

♦[†] [_read_ incense, _Tobit_, viii. 2, 3.]♦

The xxix. Chapter.

_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 certeine generall rules and lawes, as

to absteine from sinne, and to fast, as also otherwise to be cleane

from all pollusions, &c: and even so likewise have the other conjurors.

Some will saie that papists use divine service, and praiers; even so

doo common conjurors (as you see) even in the same papisticall forme,

no whit swarving from theirs in faith and doctrine, nor yet in ungodlie

and unreasonable kinds of petitions. Me thinks it may be a sufficient

argument, to overthrow the calling up and miraculous works of spirits,

that it is written; God onelie knoweth and searcheth the harts, and

onelie worketh great woonders. The which argument being prosecuted

to the end, can never be answered: insomuch as that divine power is

required in that action.

♦Papists and conjurors cousening compeers.♦

♦1. Sam. 16, 7.

1. Reg. 8, 39.

Jere. 17, 10.

Psal. 44, 21.

Psal. 72, 18.♦

And if it be said, that in this conjuration we speake to the spirits,

and they heare us, & therefore need not know our thoughts and

imaginations: I first aske them whether king _Baell_, or _Amoimon_,

which are spirits reigning in the furthest regions of the east (as they

saie) may heare a conjurors voice, 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.

Secondlie, whether those spirits be of the same power that God is, who

is everiewhere, filling all places, and able to heare all men at one

instant, &c. Thirdlie, whence commeth the force of such words as raise

the dead, and command divels. If sound doo it, then may it be doone by

a taber and a pipe, or any other instrument that hath no life. If the

voice doo it, then may it be doone by any beasts or birds. If words,

then a parret may doo it. If in mans words onlie, where is the force,

in 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 poison of destruction in them. Why then doo they conjure

holsome creatures; as salt, water, &c: where no divels are? God looked

upon all his works, and sawe they were all good. What effect (I praie

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 commonlie to be wrought. By that

you may see what conjurors can doo.

♦Sap. 1. 14.

Ecclesi. 9.

Gen. 1.♦

♦Act. 19.♦

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 toongs: if they shall drinke any

deadlie thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall take awaie serpents,

they shall laie 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.

♦Mark 16. 17.♦

But as in another place I have prooved, 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 undoo with one divell, that which another divell hath doone. If one

divell could cast out another, it were a kingdome divided, and could

not stand. Which argument Christ himselfe maketh: and therfore I maie

the more boldlie saie even with Christ, that they have no such power.

For [*]besides him, there is no saviour, [†]none can deliver out

of his hand. Who but hee can declare, set in order, appoint, and tell

what is to come? He destroieth the tokens of soothsaiers, and maketh

the conjecturers fooles, &c. He declareth things to come, and so cannot

witches.

♦[*] Isai. 43. 11.♦

♦[†] verse. 13.

cap. 44.

verse. 7.

verse. 25.♦

There is no helpe in inchanters and soothsaiers, and other such vaine

sciences. For divels are cast out by the finger of God, which _Matthew_

calleth the spirit of God, which is the mightie power of God, and not

by the vertue of the bare name onelie, being spoken or pronounced: for

then might everie wicked man doo it. And _Simon Magus_ needed not then

to have proffered monie to have bought the power to doo miracles and

woonders: for he could speake and pronounce the name of God, as well as

the apostles. Indeed they maie soone throwe out all the divels that are

in frankincense, and such like creatures, wherein no divels are: but

neither they, nor all their holie water can indeed cure a man possessed

with a divell, either in bodie or mind; as Christ did. Naie, why doo

they not cast out the divell that possesseth their owne soules?

♦Isai. 46. 10.

cap. 47. vers. 12. 13, &c.♦

♦Luke. 11. 20.

Matt. 12. 28.

Acts, 8. 19.♦

Let me heare anie of them all speake with new toongs, let them drinke

but one dramme of a potion which I will prepare for them, let them cure

the sicke by laieng on of hands (though witches take it upon them,

and witchmongers beleeve it) and then I will subscribe unto them. But

if they, which repose such certeintie in the actions of witches and

conjurors, would diligentlie note their deceipt, and how the scope

whereat they shoote is monie (I meane not such witches as are falselie

accused, but such as take upon them to give answers, &c: as mother

_Bungie_ did) they should apparentlie see the cousenage. For they are

abused, as are manie beholders of jugglers, which suppose they doo

miraculouslie, that which is doone by slight and subtiltie.

♦Monie is the marke whereat al witches & conjurors doo aime.♦

But in this matter of witchcrafts and conjurations, if men would rather

trust their owne eies, than old wives tales and lies, I dare undertake

this matter would soone be at a perfect point; as being easier to be

perceived than juggling. But I must needs confesse, that it is no

great marvell, though the simple be abused therein, when such lies

concerning those matters are mainteined by such persons of account,

and thrust into their divine service. As for example: It is written

that S. _Martine_ thrust his fingers into ones mouth that had a divell

within him, and used to bite folke; and then did bid him devoure them

if he could. And bicause the divell could not get out at his mouth,

being stopt with S. _Martins_ fingers, he was faine to run out at his

fundament. O stinking lie!

♦S. Martins cōjuration: _In die sancti Martini. lect. 1._♦

The xxx. Chapter.

_That it is a shame for papists to beleeve other conjurors

dooings, their owne being of so litle force, Hipocrates his

opinion herein._

And still me thinks papists (of all others) which indeed are most

credulous, and doo most mainteine the force of witches charmes, and of

conjurors cousenages, should perceive and judge conjurors dooings to be

void of effect. For when they see their owne stuffe, as holie water,

salt, candles, &c: conjured by their holie bishop and preests; & that

in the words of consecration or conjuration (for so[*] their owne

doctors terme them) they adjure the water, &c: to heale, not onelie

the soules infirmitie, but also everie maladie, hurt, or ach of the

bodie; and doo also command the candles, with the force of all their

authoritie and power, and by the effect of all their holie words, not

to consume: and yet neither soule nor bodie anie thing recover, nor

the candles last one minute the longer: with what face can they defend

the others miraculous workes; as though the witches and conjurors

actions were more effectuall than their owne? _Hippocrates_ being but

a heathen, and not having the perfect knowledge of God, could see

and perceive their cousenage and knaverie well enough, who saith;

They which boast so, that they can remoove or helpe the infections of

diseases, with sacrifices, conjurations, or other magicall instruments

or meanes, are but needie fellowes, wanting living; and therefore

referre their words to the divell: bicause they would seeme to know

somewhat more than the common people. It is marvell that papists doo

affirme, that their holie water, crosses, or bugges words have such

vertue and violence, as to drive awaie divels: so as they dare not

approch to anie place or person besmeered with such stuffe; when as it

appeareth in the gospell, that the divell presumed to assault and tempt

Christ himselfe. For the divell indeed most ernestlie busieth himselfe

to seduce the godlie: as for the wicked, he maketh reckoning and just

accompt of them, as of his owne alreadie. But let us go forward in our

refutation.

♦[*] To wit, _Vincent. dominica in albis: in octa. pasch. sermone. 15.

Durand. de exorcist._♦

The xxxi. Chapter.

_How conjurors have beguiled witches, what bookes they carie

about to procure credit to their art, wicked assertions

against Moses and Joseph._

Thus you see that conjurors are no small fooles. For whereas witches

being poore and needie, go from doore to doore for releefe, have they

never so manie todes or cats at home, or never so much hogs doong and

charvill[*] about them, or never so manie charmes in store: these

conjurors (I saie) have gotten them offices in the church of _Rome_,

wherby they have obteined authoritie & great estimation. And further,

to adde credit to that art, these conjurors carrie about at this daie,

bookes intituled under the names of _Adam_, _Abel_, _Tobie_, & _Enoch_;

which _Enoch_ they repute the most divine fellow in such matters.

They have also among them bookes that they saie _Abraham_, _Aaron_

and _Salomon_ made. Item they have bookes of _Zacharie_, _Paule_,

_Honorius_, _Cyprian_, _Jerome_, _Jeremie_, _Albert_, and _Thomas_:

also of the angels, _Riziel_, _Razael_, and _Raphael_; and these

doubtlesse were such bookes as were said to have beene burnt in the

lesser Asia. And for their further credit they boast, that they must

be and are skilfull and learned in these arts; to wit, _Ars Almadell_,

_ars Notoria_, _ars Bulaphiæ_, _ars Arthephii_, _ars Pomenar_,[†] _ars

Revelationis_, _&c._ Yea, these conjurors in corners sticke not (with

_Justine_) to report and affirme, that _Joseph_, who was a true figure

of Christ that delivered and redeemed us, was learned in these arts,

and thereby prophesied and expounded dreames: and that those arts came

from him to _Moses_, and finallie from _Moses_ to them: which thing

both _Plinie_ and _Tacitus_ affirme of _Moses_. Also _Strabo_ in his

cosmographie maketh the verie like blasphemous report. And likewise

_Apollonius_, _Molon_, _Possidonius_, _Lisimachus_, and _Appian_ terme

_Moses_ both a magician and a conjuror: whom _Eusebius_ confuteth with

manie notable arguments. For _Moses_ differed as much from a magician,

as truth from falshood, and pietie from vanitie: for in truth, he

confounded all magicke, and made the world see, and the cunningest

magicians of the earth confesse, that their owne dooings were but

illusions, and that his miracles were wrought by the finger of God. But

that the poore old witches knowledge reacheth thus farre (as _Danæus_

affirmeth it dooth) is untrue: for their furthest fetches that I can

comprehend, are but to fetch a pot of milke, &c: from their neighbors

house, halfe a mile distant from them.

♦[*] [See p. _117_.]♦

♦A fowle offense to backbite y^e absent, & to beelie the dead.♦

♦Acts. 19.♦

♦[†] [? _Pomonæ_]♦

♦_Just. lib. 16._♦

♦_Plin. lib. 30. cap. 2._♦

♦_Strab. lib. 16._♦

♦_Dan. in dialog. de sortiariis._♦

The xxxii. Chapter.

_All magicall arts confuted by an argument concerning Nero,

what Cornelius Agrippa and Carolus Gallus have left written

thereof, and prooved by experience._

Surelie _Nero_ prooved all these magicall arts to be vaine and fabulous

lies, and nothing but cousenage and knaverie. He was a notable prince,

having gifts of nature enow to have conceived such matters, treasure

enough to have emploied in the search thereof, he made no conscience

therein, he had singular conferences thereabout; he offered, and would

have given halfe his kingdome to have learned those things, which

he heard might be wrought by magicians; he procured all the cunning

magicians in the world to come to _Rome_, he searched for bookes also,

and all other things necessarie for a magician; and never could find

anie thing in it, but cousenage and legierdemaine. At length he met

with one _Tiridates_, the great magician, who having with him all his

companions, and fellowe magicians, witches, conjurors, and couseners,

invited _Nero_ to certeine magicall bankets and exercises. Which when

_Nero_ required to learne, he (to hide his cousenage) answered that he

would not, nor could not teach him, though he would have given him his

kingdome. The matter of his refusall (I saie) was, least _Nero_ should

espie the cousening devises thereof. Which when _Nero_ conceived, and

sawe the same, and all the residue of that art to be vaine, lieng and

ridiculous, having onelie shadowes of truth, and that their arts were

onelie veneficall; he prohibited the same utterlie, and made good and

strong lawes against the use and the practisers thereof: as _Plinie_

and others doo report. It is marvell that anie man can be so much

abused, as to suppose that sathan may be commanded, compelled, or tied

by the power of man: as though the divell would yeeld to man, beyond

nature; that will not yeeld to God his creator, according to the rules

of nature. And in so much as there be (as they confesse) good angels

as well as bad; I would know whie they call up the angels of hell, and

not call downe the angels of heaven. But this they answer (as _Agrippa_

saith.) Good angels (forsooth) doo hardlie appeare, and the other are

readie at hand. Here I may not omit to tell you how _Cor. Agrippa_

bewraieth, detecteth, and defaceth this art of conjuration, who in

his youth travelled into the bottome of all these magicall sciences,

and was not onelie a great conjuror and practiser thereof, but also

wrote cunninglie _De occulta philosophia_. Howbeit, afterwards in his

wiser age, he recanteth his opinions, and lamenteth his follies in

that behalfe, and discovereth the impietie and vanities of magicians,

and inchanters, which boast they can doo miracles: which action is

now ceased (saith he) and assigneth them a place with _Jannes_ and

_Jambres_, affirming that this art teacheth nothing but vaine toies

for a shew. _Carolus Gallus_ also saith; I have tried oftentimes, by

the witches and conjurors themselves, that their arts (especiallie

those which doo consist of charmes, impossibilities, conjurations, and

witchcrafts, whereof they were woont to boast) to be meere foolishnes,

doting lies, and dreames. I for my part can saie as much, but that I

delight not to alledge mine owne proofes and authorities; for that mine

adversaries will saie they are parciall, and not indifferent.

♦Tiridates the great magician biddeth the emperor Nero to a banket, &c.♦

♦Nero made lawes against conjurors and conjurations.♦

♦_C. Agrip. lib. de vanitat. scient._♦

The xxxiii. Chapter.

_Of Salomons conjurations, and of the opinion conceived of his

cunning and practise therein._

It is affirmed by sundrie authors, that _Salomon_ was the first

inventor of those conjurations; and thereof _Josephus_ is the first

reporter, who in his fift booke _De Judæorum antiquitatibus_, cap. 22.

rehearseth soberlie this storie following; which _Polydore Virgil_,

and manie other repeat verbatim, in this wise, and seeme to credit the

fable, whereof there is skant a true word.

_Salomon_ was the greatest philosopher, and did philosophie about all

things, and had the full and perfect knowlege of all their proprieties:

but he had that gift given from above to him, for the profit and

health of mankind: which is effectuall against divels. He made also

inchantments, wherewith diseases are driven awaie; and left diverse

maners of conjurations written, whereunto the divels giving place are

so driven awaie, that they never returne. And this kind of healing is

very common among my countrimen: for I sawe a neighbour of mine, one

_Eleazer_, that in the presence of _Vespasian_ and his sonnes, and the

rest of the souldiers, cured many that were possessed with spirits. The

maner and order of his cure was this. He did put unto the nose of the

possessed a ring, under the seale wherof was inclosed a kind of roote,

whose verture _Salomon_ declared, and the savour thereof drewe the

divell out at his nose; so as downe fell the man, and then _Eleazer_

conjured the divell to depart, & to return no more to him. In the meane

time he made mention of _Salomon_, reciting incantations of _Salomons_

owne making. And then _Eleazer_ being willing to shew the standers by

his cunning, and the wonderfull efficacie of his art, did set not farre

from thence, a pot or basen full of water, & commanded the divell that

went out of the man, that by the overthrowing thereof, he would give

a signe to the beholders, that he had utterlie forsaken and leaft the

man. Which thing being doone, none there doubted how great _Salomons_

knowledge and wisedome was. Wherin a jugling knacke was produced, to

confirme a cogging cast of knaverie or cousenage.

♦_Probatum est_ upon a patient before witnes: _Ergo_ no lie.♦

Another storie of _Salomons_ conjuration I find cited in the sixt

lesson, read in the church of _Rome_ upon S. _Margarets_ daie, far more

ridiculous than this. Also _Peter Lombard_ maister of the sentences,

and _Gratian_ his brother, the compiler of the golden decrees; and

_Durandus_ in his _Rationale divinorum_, doo all soberlie affirme

_Salomons_ cunning in this behalfe; and speciallie this tale; to wit,

that _Salomon_ inclosed certeine thousand divels in a brasen bowle,

and left it in a deepe hole or lake, so as afterwards the _Babylonians_

found it, and supposing there had beene gold or silver therein, brake

it, and out flew all the divels, &c. And that this fable is of credit,

you shall perceive, in that it is thought woorthie to be read in the

Romish church as parcell of their divine service. Looke in the lessons

of S. _Margarets_ daie the virgine, and you shall find these words

verbatim: which I the rather recite, bicause it serveth me for divers

turnes; to wit, for _Salomons_ conjurations, for the tale of the brasen

vessell, and for the popes conjurations, which extended both to faith

and doctrine, and to shew of what credit their religion is, that so

shamefullie is stained with lies and fables.

♦_Lib. 4 dist. 14._

_Decret. aureum. dist. 21_

_Rub. de exorcist._♦

♦_Lect. 5. & 6._♦

The xxxiiii. Chapter.

_Lessons read in all churches, where the pope hath authoritie,

on S. Margarets daie, translated into English word for word._

Holie _Margaret_ required of GOD, that she might have a conflict face

to face with hir secret enimie the divell; and rising from praier, she

sawe a terrible dragon, that would have devoured hir, but she made the

signe of the crosse, and the dragon burst in the middest.

♦_Lect. in die sanctissimæ Marg. vir. 5._♦

Afterwards, she sawe another man sitting like a Niger, having his

hands bound fast to his knees, she taking him by the haire of the head,

threw him to the ground, and set hir foote on his head; and hir praiers

being made, a light shined from heaven into the prison where she was,

and the crosse of Christ was seene in heaven, with a doove sitting

thereon, who said; Blessed art thou O _Margaret_, the gates of paradise

attend thy comming. Then she giving thanks to God, said to the divell,

Declare to me thy name. The divell said; Take awaie thy foote from my

head, that I may be able to speake, and tell thee: which being done,

the divell said, I am _Veltis_, one of them whome _Salomon_ shut in the

brasen vessell, and the _Babylonians_ comming, and supposing there had

beene gold therein, brake the vessell, and then we flew out: ever since

lieng in wait to annoie the just. But seeing I have recited a part of

hir storie, you shall also have the end therof: for at the time of hir

execution this was hir praier following.

♦_Lect. 6._♦

♦Looke in the word Iidoni, pag. 383.♦

Grant therefore O father, that whosoever writeth, readeth, or heareth

my passion, or maketh memoriall of me, may deserve pardon for all his

sinnes: whosoever calleth on me, being at the point of death, deliver

him out of the hands of his adversaries. And I also require, O Lord,

that whosoever shall build a church in the honor of me, or ministreth

unto me anie candles[*] of his just labour, let him obteine

whatsoever he asketh for his health. Deliver all women in travell that

call upon me, from the danger thereof.

♦[*] For the preests profit, I warrant you.♦

Hir praier ended, there were manie great thunderclaps, and a doove

came downe from heaven, saieng; Blessed art thou O _Margaret_ the

spouse of Christ. Such things as thou hast asked, are granted unto

thee; therefore come thou into everlasting rest, &c. Then the hangman

(though she did bid him) refused to cut off hir head: to whome she

said; Except thou doo it, thou canst have no part with me, and then

lo he did it, &c. But sithens I have beene, and must be tedious, I

thought good to refresh my reader with a lamentable storie, depending

upon the matter precedent, reported by manie grave authors, word for

word, in maner and forme following.

♦This is cōmon (they saie) when a witch or conjuror dieth.♦

The xxxv. Chapter.

_A delicate storie of a Lombard, who by S. Margarets example

would needs fight with a reall divell._

There was (after a sermon made, wherein this storie of S. _Margaret_

was recited, for in such stuffe consisted not onelie their service, but

also their sermons in the blind time of poperie:) there was (I saie)

a certeine yoong man, being a _Lombard_, whose simplicitie was such,

as he had no respect unto the commoditie of worldlie things, but did

altogither affect the salvation of his soule, who hearing how great S.

_Margarets_ triumph was, began to consider with himselfe, how full of

slights the divell was. And among other things thus he said; Oh that

God would suffer, that the divell might fight with me hand to hand

in visible forme! I would then surelie in like maner overthrow him,

and would fight with him till I had the victorie. And therefore about

the twelfe houre he went out of the towne, and finding a convenient

place where to praie, secretlie kneeling on his knees, he praied among

other things, that God would suffer the divell to appeare unto him

in visible forme, that according to the example of S. _Margaret_, he

might overcome him in battell. And as he was in the middest of his

praiers, there came into that place a woman with a hooke in hir hand,

to gather certeine hearbs which grew there, who was dumme borne. And

when she came into the place, and saw the yoong man among the hearbs

on his knees, she was afraid, and waxed pale, and going backe, she

rored in such sort, as hir voice could not be understood, and with hir

head and fists made threatning signes unto him. The yoong man seeing

such an ilfavoured fowle queane, that was for age decrepit and full of

wrinkles, with a long bodie, leane of face, pale of colour, with ragged

cloathes, crieng verie lowd, and having a voice not understandable,

threatning him with the hooke which she carried in hir hand, he thought

surelie she had beene no woman, but a divell appearing unto him in the

shape of a woman, and thought God had heard his praiers. For the which

causes he fell upon hir lustilie, and at length threw hir downe to the

ground, saieng; Art thou come thou curssed divell, art thou come? No

no, thou shalt not overthrow me in visible fight, whome thou hast often

overcome in invisible temptation.

♦_Kakozelia._♦

♦Mutuall error by meanes of sudden sight.♦

And as he spake these words, he caught hir by the haire, and drew hir

about, beating hir sometimes with his hands, sometimes with his heeles,

and sometimes with the hooke so long, and wounded hir so sore, that

he left hir a dieng. At the noise whereof manie people came running

unto them, and seeing what was doone, they apprehended the yoong man,

and thrust him into a vile prison. S. _Vincent_ by vertue of his

holines understanding all this matter, caused the bodie that seemed

dead to be brought unto him, and thereupon (according to his maner)

he laid his hand upon hir, who immediatlie revived, and he called one

of his chaplines to heare hir confession. But they that were present

said to the man of God, that it were altogether in vaine so to doo,

for that she had beene from hir nativitie dumbe, and could neither

heare nor understand the priest, neither could in words confesse

hir sinnes. Notwithstanding, S. _Vincent_ bad the priest heare hir

confession, affirming that she should verie distinctlie speake all

things unto him. And therfore, whatsoever the man of God commanded,

the priest did confidentlie accomplish and obeie: and as soone as the

priest approched unto hir, to heare hir confession, she, whome all

_Cathalonia_ knew to be dumbe borne, spake, and confessed hir selfe,

pronouncing everie word as distinctlie, as though she had never beene

dumbe. After hir confession she required the eucharist and extreame

unction to be ministred unto hir, and at length she commended hir selfe

to God; and in the presence of all that came to see that miracle, she

spake as long as she had anie breath in hir bodie. The yoong man that

killed hir being saved from the gallowes by S. _Vincents_ meanes,

and at his intercession, departed home into _Italie_. This storie

last rehearsed is found in _Speculo exemplorum_, and repeated also by

_Robert Carocul_: bishop of _Aquinas_, and manie others, and preached

publikelie in the church of _Rome_.

♦S. Vincent raiseth the dead woman to life.♦

♦S. Vincent maketh the dumbe to speake.♦

♦_Dist. 8. exempl. 17. serm. 59. cap. 20._♦

The xxxvi. Chapter.

_The storie of Saint Margaret prooved to be both ridiculous and

impious in everie point._

First, that the storie of _S. Margaret_ is a fable, may be prooved by

the incredible, impossible, foolish, impious, and blasphemous matters

conteined therein, and by the ridiculous circumstance thereof. Though

it were cruellie doone of hir to beat the divell, when his hands were

bound; yet it was courteouslie doone of hir, to pull awaie hir foot

at his desire. He could not speake so long as she troad on his head,

and yet he said; Tread off, that I may tell you what I am. She sawe

the heavens open, and yet she was in a close prison. But hir sight was

verie cleare, that could see a little dove sitting upon a crosse so

farre off. For heaven is higher than the sunne; and the sunne, when it

is neerest to us, is 3966000. miles from us. And she had a good paire

of eares, that could heare a dove speake so farre off. And she had good

lucke, that S. _Peter_, who (they saie) is porter, or else the pope,

who hath more dooings than _Peter_, had such leisure as to staie the

gates so long for hir. _Salomon_ provided no good place, neither tooke

good order with his brasen bowle. I marvell how they escaped that let

out the divels. It is marvell also they melted it not with their breath

long before: for the divels carrie hell and hell fier about with them

alwaies; in so much as (they saie) they leave ashes evermore where

they stand. Surelie she made in hir praier an unreasonable request.

But the date of hir patent is out: for I beleeve that whosoever at

this daie shall burne a pound of good candle before hir, shall be

never the better, but three pence the worsse. But now we may find

in S. _Margarets_ life, who it is that is Christes wife: whereby we

are so much wiser than we were before. But looke in the life of _S.

Katharine_, in the golden legend, and you shall find that he was also

married to _S. Katharine_, and that our ladie made the marriage, &c. An

excellent authoritie for bigamie. Here I will also cite other of their

notable stories, or miracles of authoritie, and so leave shaming of

them, or rather troubling you the readers thereof. Neither would I have

written these fables, but that they are authentike among the papists,

and that we that are protestants may be satisfied, as well of conjurors

and witches miracles, as of the others: for the one is as grosse as the

other.

♦_Secundùm Bordinum Corrigens. Quæsit. Math. tract. 1. sect. 77._♦

♦_Psellus de operatione dæmonum._♦

The xxxvii. Chapter.

_A pleasant miracle wrought by a popish preest._

What time the _Waldenses_ heresies beganne to spring, certeine wicked

men, being upheld and mainteined by diabolicall vertue, shewed certeine

signes and woonders, wherby they strengthened and confirmed their

heresies, and perverted in faith many faithfull men; for they walked

on the water and were not drowned. But a certeine catholike preest

seeing the same, and knowing that true signes could not be joined with

false doctrine, brought the bodie of our Lord, with the pix, to the

water, where they shewed their power and vertue to the people, and

said in the hearing of all that were present: I conjure thee O divell,

by him, whom I carrie in my hands, that thou exercise not these great

visions and phantasies by these men, to the drowning of this people.

Notwithstanding these words, when they walked still on the water, as

they did before, the preest in a rage threw the bodie of our Lord,

with the pix into the river, and by and by, so soone as the sacrament

touched the element, the phantasie gave place to the veritie; and they

being prooved and made false, did sinke like lead to the bottome, and

were drowned; the pix with the sacrament immediatlie was taken awaie

by an angell. The preest seeing all these things, was verie glad of

the miracle, but for the losse of the sacrament he was verie pensive,

passing awaie the whole night in teares and moorning: in the morning he

found the pix with the sacrament upon the altar.

♦_In speculo exemplorum, dist. 6. ex lib. exemplorum, Cæsariis, exempl.

69._♦

♦Memorandum, it is confessed in poperie that true miracles cannot be

joined with false doctrine: _Ergo_ neither papist, witch, nor conjuror

can worke miracles.♦

The xxxviii. Chapter.

_The former miracle confuted, with a strange storie of saint Lucie._

How glad Sir John was now it were follie for me to saie. How would he

have plagued the divell, that threw his god in the river to be drowned?

But if other had had no more power to destroie the _Waldenses_ with

sword and fier, than this preest had to drowne them with his conjuring

boxe & cousening sacraments, there should have beene many a life

saved. But I may not omit one fable, which is of authoritie, wherein

though there be no conjuration expressed, yet I warrant you there was

cousenage both in the dooing and telling thereof. ☞ You shall read in

the lesson on saint _Lucies_ daie, that she being condemned, could not

be remooved from the place with a teeme of oxen, neither could any fier

burne hir, insomuch as one was faine to cut off hir head with a sword,

and yet she could speake afterwards as long as she list. And this

passeth all other miracles, except it be that which _Bodin_ and _M.

Mal_. recite out of _Nider_, of a witch that could not be burned, till

a scroll was taken awaie from where she hid it, betwixt hir skin and

flesh.

♦_Lect. in die sanctæ Luciæ 7 & 8._♦

The xxxix. Chapter.

_Of visions, noises, apparitions, and imagined sounds, and of

other illusions, of wandering soules: with a confutation

thereof._

Manie thorough melancholie doo imagine, that they see or heare visions,

spirits, ghosts, strange noises, &c: as I have alreadie prooved before,

at large. Manie againe thorough feare proceeding from a cowardlie

nature and complexion, or from an effeminate and fond bringing up,

are timerous and afraid of spirits, and bugs, &c. Some through

imperfection of sight also are afraid of their owne shadowes, and (as

_Aristotle_ saith) see themselves sometimes as it were in a glasse.

And some through weakenesse of bodie have such unperfect imaginations.

Droonken men also sometimes suppose they see trees walke, &c: according

to that which _Salomon_ saith to the droonkards; Thine eies shall see

strange visions, and mervellous appearances.

♦See the storie of Simō Davie and Ade his wife, lib. 3. cap. 10. pag.

55, 56, 57.♦

In all ages moonks and preests have abused and bewitched the world with

counterfet visions; which proceeded through idlenes, and restraint of

marriage, wherby they grew hot and lecherous, and therefore devised

such meanes to compasse and obteine their loves. And the simple people

being then so superstitious, would never seeme to mistrust, that such

holie men would make them cuckholds, but forsooke their beds in that

case, and gave roome to the cleargie. Item, little children have beene

so scared with their mothers maids, that they could never after endure

to be in the darke alone, for feare of bugs. Manie are deceived by

glasses through art perspective. Manie hearkening unto false reports,

conceive and beleeve that which is nothing so. Manie give credit to

that which they read in authors. But how manie stories and bookes are

written of walking spirits and soules of men, contrarie to the word of

God; a reasonable volume cannot conteine. How common an opinion was

it among the papists, that all soules walked on the earth, after they

departed from their bodies? In so much as it was in the time of poperie

a usuall matter, to desire sicke people in their death beds, to appeare

to them after their death, and to reveale their estate. The fathers

and ancient doctors of the church were too credulous herein, &c.

Therefore no mervell, though the common simple sort of men, and least

of all, that women be deceived herein. God in times past did send downe

visible angels and appearances to men; but now he dooth not so. Through

ignorance of late in religion, it was thought, that everie churchyard

swarmed with soules and spirits: but now the word of God being more

free, open, and knowne, those conceipts and illusions are made more

manifest and apparent, &c.

♦Against the counterfet visions of popish preests, & other cousening

devises.♦

The doctors, councels, and popes, which (they saie) cannot erre, have

confirmed the walking, appearing, & raising of soules. But where

find they in the scriptures anie such doctrine? And who certified

them, that those appearances were true? Trulie all they cannot bring

to passe, that the lies which have beene spread abroad herein, should

now beginne to be true, though the pope himselfe subscribe, seale, and

sweare thereunto never so much. Where are the soules that swarmed in

times past? Where are the spirits? Who heareth their noises? Who seeth

their visions? Where are the soules that made such mone for trentals,

whereby to be eased of the paines in purgatorie? Are they all gone

into _Italie_, bicause masses are growne deere here in _England_?

Marke well this illusion, and see how contrarie it is unto the word of

God. Consider how all papists beleeve this illusion to be true, and

how all protestants are driven to saie it is and was popish illusion.

Where be the spirits that wandered to have buriall for their bodies?

For manie of those walking soules went about that busines. Doo you not

thinke, that the papists shew not themselves godlie divines, to preach

and teach the people such doctrine; and to insert into their divine

service such fables as are read in the Romish church, all scripture

giving place thereto for the time? You shall see in the lessons read

there upon S. _Stevens_ daie, that _Gamaliel Nichodemus_ his kinsman,

and _Abdias_ his sonne, with his freend S. _Steven_, appeared to a

certeine preest, called Sir _Lucian_, requesting him to remove their

bodies, and to burie them in some better place (for they had lien

from the time of their death, untill then, being in the reigne of

_Honorius_ the emperor; to wit, foure hundred yeeres buried in the

field of _Gamaliel_, who in that respect said to Sir _Lucian_; _Non

mei solummodo causa solicitus sum, sed potiùs pro illis qui mecum

sunt_; that is, I am not onlie carefull for my selfe, but cheefelie

for those my friends that are with me. Whereby the whole course may be

perceived to be a false practise, and a counterfet vision, or rather

a lewd invention. For in heaven mens soules remaine not in sorow and

care; neither studie they there how to compasse and get a worshipfull

buriall here in earth. If they did, they would not have foreslowed

it so long. Now therefore let us not suffer our selves to be abused

anie longer, either with conjuring preests, or melancholicall witches;

but be thankfull to God that hath delivered us from such blindnes and

error.

♦This doctrine was not onlie preached, but also prooved; note the

particular instāces following.♦

The xl. Chapter.

_Cardanus opinion of strange noises, how counterfet visions grow

to be credited, of popish appeerances, of pope Boniface._

_Cardanus_ speaking of noises, among other things, saith thus; A noise

is heard in your house; it may be a mouse, a cat, or a dog among

dishes; it may be a counterfet or a theefe indeed, or the fault may be

in your eares. I could recite a great number of tales, how men have

even forsaken their houses, bicause of such apparitions and noises: and

all hath beene by meere and ranke knaverie. And wheresoever you shall

heare, that there is in the night season such rumbling and fearefull

noises, be you well assured that it is flat knaverie, performed by some

that seemeth most to complaine, and is least mistrusted. And hereof

there is a verie art, which for some respects I will not discover.

The divell seeketh dailie as well as nightlie whome he may devoure,

and can doo his feats as well by daie as by night, or else he is a

yoong divell, and a verie bungler. But of all other couseners, these

conjurors are in the highest degree, and are most worthie of death

for their blasphemous impietie. But that these popish visions and

conjurations used as well by papists, as by the popes themselves, were

meere cousenages; and that the tales of the popes recited by _Bruno_

and _Platina_, of their magicall devises, were but plaine cousenages

and knaveries, may appeare by the historie of _Bonifacius_ the eight,

who used this kind of inchantment, to get away the popedome from his

predecessor _Cœlestinus_. He counterfetted a voice through a cane reed,

as though it had come from heaven, persuading him to yeeld up his

authoritie of popeship, and to institute therein one _Bonifacius_, a

worthier man: otherwise he threatened him with damnation. And therfore

the foole yeelded it up accordinglie, to the said _Bonifacius_, _An._

1264. of whom it was said; He came in like a fox, lived like a woolfe,

and died like a dog.

♦_H. Card. lib. de var. rer. 15. ca. 92._♦

♦Pope _Cœlestinus_ cousened of his popedome by pope _Boniface_.♦

There be innumerable examples of such visions, which when they are

not detected, go for true stories: and therefore when it is answered

that some are true tales and some are false, untill they be able to

shew foorth before your eies one matter of truth, you may replie upon

them with this distinction; to wit: visions tried are false visions,

undecided and untried are true.

♦Visions distinguished♦

The xli. Chapter.

_Of the noise or sound of eccho, of one that narrowlie escaped

drowning thereby, &c._

Alas! how manie naturall things are there so strange, as to manie seeme

miraculous; and how manie counterfet matters are there, that to the

simple seeme yet more wonderfull? _Cardane_ telleth of one _Comensis_,

who comming late to a rivers side, not knowing where to passe over,

cried out alowd for some bodie to shew him the foord: who hearing an

eccho to answer according to his last word, supposing it to be a man

that answered him and informed him of the waie, he passed through the

river, even there where was a deepe whirlepoole, so as he hardlie

escaped with his life; and told his freends, that the divell had almost

persuaded him to drowne himselfe. And in some places these noises of

eccho are farre more strange than other, speciallie at _Ticinum_ in

_Italie_, in the great hall, where it rendereth sundrie and manifold

noises or voices, which seeme to end so lamentablie, as it were a man

that laie a dieng; so as few can be persuaded that it is the eccho, but

a spirit that answereth.

♦_H. Card. lib. de subtilitat. 18._♦

♦_Idem, ibid._♦

The noise at _Winchester_ was said to be a verie miracle, and much

wondering was there at it, about the yeare 1569. though indeed a meere

naturall noise ingendered of the wind, the concavitie of the place,

and other instrumentall matters helping the sound to seeme strange

to the hearers; speciallie to such as would adde new reports to the

augmentation of the woonder.

♦Of Winchester noise.♦

The xlii. Chapter.

_Of Theurgie, with a confutation thereof, a letter sent to me

concerning these matters._

There is yet another art professed by these cousening conjurors,

which some fond divines affirme to be more honest and lawfull than

necromancie, which is called Theurgie; wherein they worke by good

angels. Howbeit, their ceremonies are altogether papisticall and

superstitious, consisting in cleanlines partlie of the mind, partlie

of the bodie, and partlie of things about and belonging to the bodie;

as in the skinne, in the apparell, in the house, in the vessell and

houshold stuffe, in oblations and sacrifices; the cleanlines whereof,

they saie, dooth dispose men to the contemplation of heavenlie things.

They cite these words of _Esaie_ for their authoritie; to wit: Wash

your selves and be cleane, &c. In so much as I have knowne diverse

superstitious persons of good account, which usuallie washed all

their apparell upon conceits ridiculouslie. For uncleanlinesse (they

say) corrupteth the aire, infecteth man, and chaseth awaie cleane

spirits. Hereunto belongeth the art of _Almadel_, the art of _Paule_,

the art of Revelations, and the art Notarie. But (as _Agrippa_

saith) the more divine these arts seeme to the ignorant, the more

damnable they be. But their false assertions, their presumptions to

worke miracles, their characters, their strange names, their diffuse

phrases, their counterfet holines, their popish ceremonies, their

foolish words mingled with impietie, their barbarous and unlearned

order of construction, their shameles practises, their paltrie stuffe,

their secret dealing, their beggerlie life, their bargaining with

fooles, their cousening of the simple, their scope and drift for monie

dooth bewraie all their art to be counterfet cousenage. And the more

throughlie to satisfie you herein, I thought good in this place to

insert a letter, upon occasion sent unto me, by one which at this

present time lieth as a prisoner condemned for this verie matter in the

kings bench, and reprived by hir majesties mercie, through the good

mediation of a most noble and vertuous personage, whose honorable and

godlie disposition at this time I will forbeare to commend as I ought.

The person truelie that wrote this letter seemeth unto me a good bodie,

well reformed, and penitent, not expecting anie gaines at my hands, but

rather fearing to speake that which he knoweth further in this matter,

least displeasure might ensue and follow.

♦Appendents unto the supposed divine art of Theurgie.♦

_The copie of a letter sent unto me R. S. by T. E.

Maister of art, and practiser both of physicke, and also

in times past, of certeine vaine sciences; now

condemned to die for the same: wherein he

openeth the truth touching these deceits._[*]

♦[*] [Lines 1, 3, 5 Rom. 2, 4 Ital.]♦