_Maister R. Scot,[†] according to your request, I have drawne out

certeine abuses worth the noting, touching the worke you have in hand;

things which I my selfe have seene within these xxvi. yeares, among

those which were counted famous and skilfull in those sciences. And

bicause the whole discourse cannot be set downe, without nominating

certeine persons, of whom some are dead & some living, whose freends

remaine yet of great credit: in respect therof, I knowing that mine

enimies doo alreadie in number exceed my freends; I have considered

with my selfe, that it is better for me to staie my hand, than to

commit that to the world, which may increase my miserie more than

releeve the same. Notwithstanding, bicause I am noted above a great

manie others to have had some dealings in those vaine arts and wicked

practises; I am therefore to signifie unto you, and I speake it in the

presence of God, that among all those famous and noted practisers, that

I have beene conversant withall these xxvi. yeares, I could never see

anie matter of truth to be doone in those wicked sciences, but onelie

meere cousenings and illusions. And they, whome I thought to be most

skilfull therein, sought to see some things at my hands, who had spent

my time a dozen or fourteen years, to my great losse and hinderance,

and could never at anie time see anie one truth, or sparkle of truth

therein. Yet at this present I stand worthilie condemned for the same;

for that, contrarie to my princes lawes, and the lawe of God, and

also to mine owne conscience, I did spend my time in such vaine and

wicked studies and practises: being made and remaining a spectacle

for all others to receive warning by. The Lord grant I may be the

last (I speake it from my hart) and I wish it, not onlie in my native

coūtrie, but also through the whole face of the earth, speciallie

among Christians. For mine owne part I lament my time lost, & have

repented me five yeares past: at which time I sawe a booke, written in

the old Saxon toong, by one Sir John Malborne a divine of Oxenford,

three hundred yeares past; wherein he openeth all the illusions &

inventions of those arts and sciences: a thing most worthie the noting.

I left the booke with the parson of Slangham in Sussex, where if you

send for it in my name, you may have it. You shall thinke your labour

well bestowed, and it shall greatlie further the good enterprise you

have in hand: and there shall you see the whole science throughlie

discussed, and all their illusions and cousenages deciphered at large.

Thus craving pardon at your hands for that I promised you, being

verie fearefull, doubtfull, and loth to set my hand or name under any

thing that may be offensive to the world, or hurtfull to my selfe,

considering my case, except I had the better warrant from my L. of

Leicester, who is my verie good Lord, and by whome next under God (hir

Majestie onelie excepted) I have beene preserved; and therefore loth

to doo any thing that may offend his Lordships eares. And so I leave

your Worship to the Lords keeping, who bring you and all your actions

to good end and purpose, to Gods glorie, and to the profit of all

Christians. From the bench this 8. of March, 1582. Your Worships poore

and desolate friend and servant, T. E._

♦Marke the summe and scope of this letter.♦

♦[†] [This letter in Rom.]♦

♦S. John Malbornes booke detecting the devises of conjuratiō, &c.♦

I sent for this booke of purpose, to the parson of _Slangham_, and

procured his best friends, men of great worship and credit, to deale

with him, that I might borrowe it for a time. But such is his follie

and superstition, that although he confessed he had it; yet he would

not lend it: albeit a friend of mine, being knight of the shire would

have given his word for the restitution of the same safe and sound.

The conclusion therefore shall be this, whatsoever heeretofore hath

gone for currant, touching all these fallible arts, whereof hitherto I

have written in ample sort, be now counted counterfet, and therefore

not to be allowed no not by common sense, much lesse by reason, which

should sift such cloked and pretended practises, turning them out of

their rags and patched clowts, that they may appeere discovered, and

shew themselves in their nakednesse. Which will be the end of everie

secret intent, privie purpose, hidden practise, and close devise, have

they never such shrowds and shelters for the time: and be they with

never so much cautelousnesse and subtill circumspection clouded and

shadowed, yet will they at length be manifestlie detected by the light,

according to that old rimed verse:

♦The author his conclusion.♦

_Quicquid nix celat, solis calor omne revelat:_

_What thing soever snowe dooth hide,

Heat of the sunne dooth make it spide._

♦_Andrœas Gartnerus Mariæmontanus. Eng. by Ab. Fle._♦

And according to the verdict of Christ, the true Nazarite, who never

told untruth, but who is the substance and groundworke of truth it

selfe, saieng; _Nihil est tam occultum quod non sit detegendum_,

Nothing is so secret, but it shall be knowne and revealed.

♦Matt. 10, 26.

Mark 4, 22.

Luke. 8, 17.

[*]And. 12, 2,♦

♦[*] [= and]♦

¶ _The xvi. booke._

The first Chapter.

_A conclusion, in maner of an epilog, repeating manie of the

former absurdities of witchmongers conceipts, confutations

thereof, and of the authoritie of James Sprenger and Henrie

Institor inquisitors and compilers of M. Mal._

Hitherto you have had delivered unto you, that which I have conceived

and gathered of this matter. In the substance and principall parts

wherof I can see no difference among the writers heereupon; of

what countrie, condition, estate, or religion so ever they be; but

I find almost all of them to agree in unconstancie, fables, and

impossibilities; scratching out of _M. Mal._ the substance of all their

arguments: so as their authors being disapproved, they must coine new

stuffe, or go to their grandams maids to learne more old wives tales,

whereof this art of witchcraft is contrived. But you must know that

_James Sprenger_, and _Henrie Institor_, whome I have had occasion

to alledge manie times, were coparteners in the composition of that

profound & learned booke called _Malleus Maleficarum_, & were the

greatest doctors of that art: out of whom I have gathered matter and

absurditie enough, to confound the opinions conceived of witchcraft;

although they were allowed inquisitors and assigned by the pope, with

the authoritie and commendation of all the doctors of the universitie

of _Collen_, &c: to call before them, to imprison, to condemne, and to

execute witches; and finallie to seaze and confiscate their goods.

♦The compilers or makers of the booke called A Mallet to braine

witches.♦

These two doctors, to mainteine their their[*] credit, and to cover

their injuries, have published those same monsterous lies, which have

abused all Christendome, being spread abroad with such authoritie, as

it will be hard to suppresse the credit of their writings, be they

never so ridiculous and false. Which although they mainteine and stirre

up with their owne praises; yet men are so bewitched, as to give credit

unto them. For proofe whereof I remember they write in one place of

their said booke, that by reason of their severe proceedings against

witches, they suffered intollerable assaults, speciallie in the night,

many times finding needdels sticking in their biggens, which were

thither conveied by witches charmes: and through their innocencie and

holinesse (they saie) they were ever miraculouslie preserved from hurt.

Howbeit they affirme that they will not tell all that might make to

the manifestation of their holines: for then should their owne praise

stinke in their owne mouthes. And yet God knoweth their whole booke

conteineth nothing but stinking lies and poperie. Which groundworke and

foundation how weake and wavering it is, how unlike to continue, and

how slenderlie laid, a child may soone discerne and perceive.

♦[*] [_sic_]♦

♦No marvel that they were so opinionative herein, for God gave them

over into strong delusions.♦

The second Chapter.

_By what meanes the common people have beene made beleeve in

the miraculous works of witches, a definition of witchcraft,

and a description thereof._

The common people have beene so assotted and bewitched, with whatsoever

poets have feigned of witchcraft, either in earnest, in jest, or else

in derision; and with whatsoever lowd liers and couseners for their

pleasures heerein have invented, and with whatsoever tales they have

heard from old doting women, or from their mothers maids, and with

whatsoever the grandfoole their ghostlie father, or anie other morrow

masse preest had informed them; and finallie with whatsoever they have

swallowed up through tract of time, or through their owne timerous

nature or ignorant conceipt, concerning these matters of hagges and

witches: as they have so settled their opinion and credit thereupon,

that they thinke it heresie to doubt in anie part of the matter;

speciallie bicause they find this word witchcraft expressed in the

scriptures; which is as to defend praieng to saincts, bicause _Sanctus,

Sanctus, Sanctus_ is written in _Te Deum_.

And now to come to the definition of witchcraft, which hitherto I

did deferre and put off purposelie: that you might perceive the true

nature thereof, by the circumstances, and therefore the rather to allow

of the same, seeing the varietie of other writers. Witchcraft is in

truth a cousening art, wherin the name of God is abused, prophaned and

blasphemed, and his power attributed to a vile creature. In estimation

of the vulgar people, it is a supernaturall worke, contrived betweene

a corporall old woman, and a spirituall divell. The maner thereof

is so secret, mysticall, and strange, that to this daie there hath

never beene any credible witnes therof. It is incomprehensible to the

wise, learned or faithfull; a probable matter to children, fooles,

melancholike persons and papists. The trade is thought to be impious.

The effect and end thereof to be sometimes evill, as when thereby

man or beast, grasse, trees, or corne, &c; is hurt: sometimes good,

as whereby sicke folkes are healed, theeves bewraied, and true men

come to their goods, &c. The matter and instruments, wherewith it is

accomplished, are words, charmes, signes, images, characters, &c: the

which words although any other creature doo pronounce, in maner and

forme as they doo, leaving out no circumstance requisite or usuall for

that action: yet none is said to have the grace or gift to performe

the matter, except she be a witch, and so taken, either by hir owne

consent, or by others imputation.

♦The definition or description of witchcraft.♦

♦The formal cause.♦

♦The finall cause.♦

♦The materiall cause.♦

The third Chapter.

_Reasons to proove that words and characters are but bables,

& that witches cannot doo such things as the multitude

supposeth they can, their greatest woonders prooved trifles,

of a yoong gentleman cousened._

That words, characters, images, and such other trinkets, which are

thought so necessarie instruments for witchcraft (as without the

which no such thing can be accomplished) are but bables, devised by

couseners, to abuse the people withall; I trust I have sufficientlie

prooved. And the same maie be further and more plainelie perceived by

these short and compendious reasons following.

First, in that the _Turkes_ and infidels, in their witchcraft, use both

other words, and other characters than our witches doo, and also such

as are most contrarie. In so much as, if ours be bad, in reason theirs

should be good. If their witches can doo anie thing, ours can doo

nothing. For as our witches are said to renounce Christ, and despise

his sacraments: so doo the other forsake _Mahomet_, and his lawes,

which is one large step to christianitie.

♦A necessarie sequele.♦

It is also to be thought, that all witches are couseners; when mother

_Bungie_, a principall witch, so reputed, tried, and condemned of

all men, and continuing in that exercise and estimation manie yeares

(having cousened & abused the whole realme, in so much as there came to

hir, witchmongers from all the furthest parts of the land, she being

in diverse bookes set out with authoritie, registred and chronicled

by the name of the great witch of _Rochester_, and reputed among all

men for the cheefe ringleader of all other witches) by good proofe

is found to be a meere cousener; confessing in hir death bed freelie,

without compulsion or inforcement, that hir cunning consisted onlie

in deluding and deceiving the people: saving that she had (towards

the maintenance of hir credit in that cousening trade) some sight in

physicke and surgerie, and the assistance of a freend of hirs, called

_Heron_, a professor thereof. And this I know, partlie of mine owne

knowledge, and partlie by the testimonie of hir husband, and others

of credit, to whome (I saie) in hir death bed, and at sundrie other

times she protested these things; and also that she never had indeed

anie materiall spirit or divell (as the voice went) nor yet knew how

to worke anie supernaturall matter, as she in hir life time made men

beleeve she had and could doo.

♦_Probatum est_, by mother Bungies confessiō that al witches are

couseners.♦

The like may be said of one _T._ of _Canturburie_, whose name I will

not litterallie discover, who wonderfullie abused manie in these parts,

making them thinke he could tell where anie thing lost became: with

diverse other such practises, whereby his fame was farre beyond the

others. And yet on his death bed he confessed, that he knew nothing

more than anie other, but by slight and devises, without the assistance

of anie divell or spirit, saving the spirit of cousenage: and this did

he (I saie) protest before manie of great honestie, credit, & wisedome,

who can witnesse the same, and also gave him good commendations for his

godlie and honest end.

Againe, who will mainteine, that common witchcrafts are not cousenages,

when the great and famous witchcrafts, which had stolne credit not

onlie from all the common people, but from men of great wisdome and

authoritie, are discovered to be beggerlie slights of cousening

varlots? Which otherwise might and would have remained a perpetuall

objection against me. Were there not [*] three images of late yeeres

found in a doonghill, to the terror & astonishment of manie thousands?

In so much as great matters were thought to have beene pretended to

be doone by witchcraft. But if the Lord preserve those persons (whose

destruction was doubted to have beene intended therby) from all other

the lewd practises and attempts of their enimies; I feare not, but

they shall easilie withstand these and such like devises, although

they should indeed be practised against them. But no doubt, if such

bables could have brought those matters of mischeefe to passe, by the

hands of traitors, witches, or papists; we should long since have beene

deprived of the most excellent jewell and comfort that we enjoy in this

world. Howbeit, I confesse, that the feare, conceipt, and doubt of

such mischeefous pretenses may breed inconvenience to them that stand

in awe of the same. And I wish, that even for such practises, though

they never can or doo take effect, the practisers be punished with all

extremitie: bicause therein is manifested a traiterous heart to the

Queene, and a presumption against God.

♦[*] J. Bodin in the preface before his booke of _Dæmonomania_

reporteth this by a conjuring preest late Curat of Islington: hee also

sheweth to what end: read the place you that understād Latine.♦

But to returne to the discoverie of the aforesaid knaverie and

witchcraft. So it was that one old cousener, wanting monie, devised or

rather practised (for it is a stale devise) to supplie his want, by

promising a yoong Gentleman, whose humor he thought would that waie be

well served, that for the summe of fourtie pounds, he would not faile

by his cunning in that art of witchcraft, to procure unto him the love

of anie three women whome he would name, and of whome he should make

choise at his pleasure. The yoong Gentleman being abused with his

cunning devises, and too hastilie yeelding to that motion, satisfied

this cunning mans demand of monie. Which, bicause he had it not

presentlie to disbursse, provided it for him at the hands of a freend

of his. Finallie, this cunning man made the three puppets of wax, &c:

leaving nothing undone that appertained to the cousenage, untill he had

buried them, as you have heard. But I omit to tell what a doo was made

herof, and also what reports and lies were bruted; as what white dogs

and blacke dogs there were seene in the night season passing through

the watch, mawgre all their force and preparation against them, &c.

But the yoong Gentleman, who for a litle space remained in hope mixed

with joy and love, now through tract of time hath those his felicities

powdered with doubt and despaire. For in steed of atchieving his love,

he would gladlie have obteined his monie. But bicause he could by no

meanes get either the one or the other (his monie being in hucksters

handling, and his sute in no better forwardnes) he revealed the whole

matter, hoping by that meanes to recover his monie; which he neither

can yet get againe, nor hath paied it where he borrowed. But till

triall was had of his simplicitie or rather follie herein, he received

some trouble himselfe hereabouts, though now dismissed.

♦Note this devise of the waxen images found of late neere London.♦

The fourth Chapter.

_Of one that was so bewitched that he could read no scriptures

but canonicall, of a divel that could speake no Latine, a

proofe that witchcraft is flat cousenage._

Here I may aptlie insert another miracle of importance, that happened

within the compasse of a childes remembrance, which may induce anie

resonable bodie to conceive, that these supernaturall actions are but

fables & cousenages. There was one, whom for some respects I name

not, that was taken blind, deafe, & dumbe; so as no physician could

helpe him. That man (forsooth) though he was (as is said) both blind,

dumbe & deafe, yet could he read anie canonicall scriptures; but as

for apocrypha, he could read none: wherein a Gods name consisted the

miracle. But a leafe of apocrypha being extraordinarilie inserted among

the canonicall scriptures, he read the same as authentike: wherein his

knaverie was bewraied. Another had a divell, that answered men to all

questions, marie hir divell could understand no Latine, and so was she

(and by such meanes all the rest may be) bewraied. Indeed our witching

writers saie, that certeine divels speake onelie the language of that

countrie where they are resiant, as French, or English, &c.

♦A strange miracle, if it were true.♦

♦There the hypocrite was overmatcht for all his dissembled gravitie.♦

Furthermore, in my conceipt, nothing prooveth more apparentlie

that witchcraft is cousenage, and that witches instruments are but

ridiculous bables, and altogither void of effect; than when learned

and godlie divines, in their serious writings, produce experiments

as wrought by witches, and by divels at witches commandements: which

they expound by miracles, although indeed meere trifles. Whereof they

conceive amisse, being overtaken with credulitie.

The fift Chapter.

_Of the divination by the sive and sheeres, and by the booke

and key, Hemingius his opinion thereof confuted, a bable to

know what is a clocke, of certeine jugling knacks, manifold

reasons for the overthrowe of witches and conjurors, and

their cousenages, of the divels transformations, of Ferrum

candens,[*] &c._

♦[*] [Latin in Ital.]♦

To passe over all the fables, which are vouched by the popish doctors,

you shall heare the words of _N. Hemingius_, whose zeale & learning

otherwise I might justlie commend: howbeit I am sorie and ashamed to

see his ignorance and follie in this behalfe. Neither would I have

bewraied it, but that he himselfe, among other absurdities concerning

the maintenance of witches omnipotencie, hath published it to his

great discredit. Popish preests (saith he) as the _Chaldæans_ used

the divination by sive & sheeres[*] for the detection of theft,

doo practise with a psalter and a keie fastned upon the 49. psalme,

to discover a theefe. And when the names of the suspected persons

are orderlie put into the pipe of the keie, at the reading of these

words of the psalme [If thou sawest a theefe thou diddest consent unto

him][†] the booke will wagge, and fall out of the fingers of them

that hold it, and he whose name remaineth in the keie must be the

theefe. Hereupon _Hemingius_ inferreth, that although conjuring preests

and witches bring not this to passe by the absolute words of the

psalme, which tend to a farre other scope; yet sathan dooth nimblie,

with his invisible hand, give such a twitch to the booke, as also in

the other case to the sive and the sheeres, that downe falles the booke

and keie, sive and sheeres, up starts the theefe, and awaie runneth the

divell laughing, &c.

♦_Heming. in lib. de superst. magicis._♦

♦[*] [p. _262_]♦

♦[†] [[] in text]♦

♦The greatest clarkes are not the wisest men.♦

But alas, _Hemingius_ is deceived, as not perceiving the conceipt, or

rather the deceipt hereof. For where he supposeth those actions to be

miraculous, and done by a divell; they are in truth meere bables,

wherein consisteth not so much as legierdemaine. For everie carter

may conceive the slight hereof: bicause the booke and keie, sive

and sheeres, being staied up in that order, by naturall course, of

necessitie must within that space (by meanes of the aire, and the pulse

beating at the fingers end) turne and fall downe. Which experience

being knowne to the witch or conjuror, she or he doo forme and frame

their prophesie accordinglie: as whosoever maketh proofe thereof shall

manifestlie perceive it. By this art, practise, or experience, you

shall knowe what it is a clocke, if you hold betweene your finger and

your thumbe a thred of six or seven inches long, unto the other end

whereof is tied a gold ring, or some such like thing: in such sort as

upon the beating of your pulse, and the mooving of the ring, the same

may strike upon either side of a goblet or glasse. These things are

(I confesse) witchcraft, bicause the effect or event proceedeth not

of that cause which such couseners saie, and others beleeve they doo.

As when they laie a medicine for the ague, &c: to a childs wrists,

they also pronounce certeine words or charmes, by vertue whereof (they

saie) the child is healed: whereas indeed the medicine onelie dooth

the feate. And this is also a sillie jugglers knacke, which wanteth

legierdemaine, whom you shall see to thrust a pinne, or a small knife,

through the head and braine of a chicken or pullet, and with certeine

mysticall words seeme to cure him:[*] whereas, though no such words

were spoken, the chicken would live, and doo well enough; as experience

teacheth and declareth.

♦A naturall reason of the former knacke.♦

♦[*] [p. _346_.]♦

Againe, when such as have mainteined the art and profession of

conjuring, and have written thereupon most cunninglie, have published

recantations, and confessed the deceipts thereof, as _Cornelius

Agrippa_ did, whie should we defend it? Also, when heathen princes,

of great renowne, authoritie, & learning, have searched, with much

industrie and charge, the knowledge & secrecie of conjuration and

witchcraft, & finallie found by experience all to be false and vaine

that is reported of them, as _Nero_, _Julianus apostata_, and

_Valence_ did; whie should we seeke for further triall, to proove

witchcraft and conjuration to be cousenage?

♦_C. Agripp. in lib. de vanit. scient. & in epistola ante librum de

occulta philosophia._♦

♦_Plin. lib. natural. hist. 30. cap. 1._♦

♦_Pet. Mart. in locis communibus._♦

Also, when the miracles imputed unto them, exceed in quantitie,

qualitie and number, all the miracles that Christ wrought here upon

earth, for the establishing of his gospell, for the confirmation of

our faith, and for the advancement of his glorious name; what good

christian will beleeve them to be true? And when Christ himselfe saith;

The works that I doo, no man else can accomplish; whie should we thinke

that a foolish old woman can doo them all, and manie more?

Also, when Christ knew not these witches, nor spake one word of them

in all the time of his being here upon earth, having such necessarie

occasion (if at leastwise they with their familiars could doo as he

did by the spirit of God, as is constantlie affirmed) whie should

we suppose that they can doo as they saie, but rather that they are

deceivers[?[*]] When they are faine to saie, that witches wrought not

in that art, all those thirtie three yeares that Christ lived, and that

there were none in _Jobs_ time, and that the cousening oracles are now

ceased; who seeth not that they are witlesse, and madde fooles that

mainteine it? When all the mischeefes are accomplished by poisons and

naturall meanes, which they affirme to be brought to passe by words,

it manifesteth to the world their cousenage. When all the places of

scripture, which witchmongers allowe for the proofe of such witches,

are prooved to make nothing for their purpose, their own fables & lies

deserve small credit. When one of the cheefe points in controversie;

to wit, execution of witches, is grounded upon a false translation;

namelie, You shall not suffer a witch to live (which is in Latine,[†]

_Veneficam non retinebitis in vita_) where the word in everie mans

eare soundeth to be a poisoner, rather than a worker of miracles, and

so interpreted by the seventie interpretors, _Josephus_, and almost

of all the _Rabbins_, which were _Hebrues_ borne: whie should anie of

their interpretations or allegations be trusted, or well accounted

of? When working of miracles is ceased, and the gift of prophesie

also; so as the godlie, through invocation of the holie spirit, cannot

performe such wonderfull things, as these witches and conjurors by

the invocation of divels and wicked spirits undertake, and are said

to doo; what man that knoweth and honoureth God will be so infatuate

as to beleeve these lies, and so preferre the power of witches and

divels before the godlie endued with Gods holie spirit? When manie

printed bookes are published, even with authoritie, in confirmation

of such miracles wrought by those couseners, for the detection of

witchcraft; and in fine all is not onelie found false, and to have

beene accomplished by cousenage, but that there hath beene therein

a set purpose to defame honest matrones, as to make them be thought

to be witches: whie should we beleeve _Bodin_, _M. Mal. &c_: in their

cousening tales and fables? When they saie that witches can flie in

the aire, and come in at a little coane,[‡] or a hole in a glasse

windowe, and steale awaie sucking children, and hurt their mothers; and

yet when they are brought into prison, they cannot escape out of the

grate, which is farre bigger: who will not condemne such accusations or

confessions to be frivolous, &c? When (if their assertions were true)

concerning the divels usuall taking of shapes, and walking, talking,

conferring, hurting, and all maner of dealing with mortall creatures,

Christs argument to _Thomas_ had beene weake and easilie answered; yea

the one halfe, or all the whole world might be inhabited by divels,

everie poore mans house might be hired over his head by a divell, he

might take the shape and favor of an honest woman, and plaie the witch;

or of an honest man, and plaie the theefe, and so bring them both,

or whome he list to the gallowes: who seeth not the vanitie of such

assertions? For then the divell might in the likenes of an honest man

commit anie criminall offense; as _Lavater_ in his nineteenth chapter

_De spectris_ reporteth of a grave wise magistrate in the territorie

of _Tigurie_, who affirmed, that as he and his servant went through

certeine pastures, he espied in a morning, the divell in likenes of one

whome he knew verie well, wickedlie dealing with a mare. Upon the sight

whereof he immediatlie went to that fellowes house, and certeinlie

learned there, that the same person went not out of his chamber that

daie. And if he had not wiselie boolted out the matter, the good honest

man (saith he) had surelie beene cast into prison, and put on the

racke, &c.

♦[*] [text (.)]♦

♦Note that during all Christs time upon earth, which was 33. yeares,

witches were put to silence, &c.♦

♦[†] [Not in Vulg.]♦

♦[‡] [= crack]

[Cf. p. _91_.]♦

The like storie we read of one _Cunegunda_, wife to _Henrie_ the second

emperor of that name, in whose chamber the divell (in the likenes of a

yoongman, with whome she was suspected to be too familiar in court) was

often seene comming in and out. How beit, she was purged by the triall

_Candentis ferri_, and prooved innocent: for she went upon glowing iron

unhurt, &c. And yet _Salomon_ saith; Maie a man carrie fier in his

bosome, and his clothes not be burned? Or can a man go upon coles,

& his feete not scortched? And thus might the divell get him up into

everie pulpit, and spred heresies, as I doubt not but he dooth in the

mouth of wicked preachers, though not so grosselie as is imagined and

reported by the papists and witchmongers. And because it shall not

be said that I beelie them, I will cite a storie crediblie reported

by their cheefest doctors; namelie _James Sprenger_, and _Henrie

Institor_, who saie as followeth, even word for word.

♦But Christs argument was undoubted: _Ergo, &c._♦

♦I marvell for what purpose the magistrate went to that fellowes house.♦

♦_Albertus Crantzius in lib. 4. metropolis. cap. 4._♦

♦Prov. 6.♦

♦_Mal. malef. par. 2. quæ. 1. cap. 9._♦

The sixt Chapter.

_How the divell preached good doctrine in the shape of a

preest, how he was discovered, and that it is a shame (after

confutation of the greater witchcrafts) for anie man to give

credit to the lesser points thereof._

On a time the divell went up into a pulpit, and there made a verie

catholike sermon: but a holie preest comming to the good speed, by

his holinesse perceived that it was the divell. So he gave good eare

unto him, but could find no fault with his doctrine. And therefore

so soone as the sermon was doone, he called the divell unto him,

demanding the cause of his sincere preaching; who answered: Behold I

speake the truth, knowing that while men be hearers of the word, and

not followers, God is the more offended, and my kingdome the more

inlarged. And this was the strangest devise (I thinke) that ever anie

divell used: for the apostles themselves could have done no more.

Againe, when with all their familiars, their ointments, &c: whereby

they ride invisiblie, nor with all their charmes, they can neither

conveie themselves from the hands of such as laie wait for them; nor

can get out of prison, that otherwise can go in and out at a mouse

hole[*]; nor finallie can save themselves from the gallowes, that can

transubstantiate their own and others bodies into flies or fleas, &c:

who seeth not, that either they lie, or are beelied in their miracles?

When they are said to transfer their neighbors corne into their owne

ground, and yet are perpetuall beggers, and cannot inrich themselves,

either with monie or otherwise: who is so foolish as to remaine longer

in doubt of their supernaturall power? When never any yet from the

beginning of the world till this daie, hath openlie shewed any other

tricke, conceipt, or cunning point of witchcraft, than legierdemaine

or cousenage: who will tarrie any longer for further triall? When both

the common law and also the injunctions doo condemne prophesieng, &

likewise false miracles, and such as beleeve them in these daies: who

will not be afraid to give credit to those knaveries? When heereby they

make the divell to be a god that heareth the praiers, and understandeth

the minds of men: who will not be ashamed, being a christian, to be

so abused by them? When they that doo write most franklie of these

matters, except lieng _Sprenger_ & _Institor_, have never seene any

thing heerin; insomuch as the most credible proofe that _Bodin_

bringeth of his woonderfull tales of witchcraft, is the report of his

host at an alehouse where he baited: who will give further eare unto

these incredible fables? When in all the new testament, we are not

warned of these bodilie appearances of divels, as we are of his other

subtilties, &c: who will be afraid of their bugs? When no such bargaine

is mentioned in the scriptures, why should we beleeve so incredible and

impossible covenants, being the ground of all witchmongers religion,

without the which they have no probabilitie in the rest of their

foolish assertions? When as, if any honest mans conscience be appealed

unto, he must confesse he never saw triall of such witchcraft or

conjuration to take effect, as is now so certeinlie affirmed: what

conscience can condemne poore soules that are accused wrongfullie,

or beleeve them that take upon them impiouslie to doo or worke those

impossible things? When the whole course of the scripture is utterlie

repugnant to these impossible opinions, saving a few sentences, which

neverthelesse rightlie understood, releeve them nothing at all: who

will be seduced by their fond arguments? When as now that men have

spied the knaverie of oracles, & such pelfe, and that there is not one

oracle in the world remaining: who cannot perceive that all the residue

heeretofore of those devises, have beene cousenages, knaveries, and

lies? When the power of God is so impudentlie transferred to a base

creature, what good christian can abide to yeeld unto such miracles

wrought by fooles? When the old women accused of witchcraft, are

utterlie insensible, and unable to saie for themselves; and much lesse

to bring such matters to passe, as they are accused of: who will not

lament to see the extremitie used against them? When the foolisher sort

of people are alwaies most mistrustfull of hurt by witchcraft, and the

simplest and dotingest people mistrusted to doo the hurt: what wise man

will not conceive all to be but follie? When it were an easie matter

for the divell, if he can doo as they affirme, to give them great store

of monie, and make them rich, and dooth it not; being a thing which

would procure him more disciples than any other thing in the world:

the wise must needs condemne the divell of follie, and the witches

of peevishnesse, that take such paines, and give their soules to the

divell to be tormented in hell fier, and their bodies to the hangman to

be trussed on the gallowes, for nichels in a bag.

♦He should rather have asked who gave him orders and licence to preach.♦

♦[*] [pp. _91, 222_.]♦

♦_John. Bodin._♦

♦Yet manie that beare the shew of honest men are verie credulous

heerein.♦

♦Witches are cōmonlie verie beggers.♦

The seventh Chapter.

_A conclusion against witchcraft, in maner and forme of

an Induction._

By this time all kentishmen know (a few fooles excepted) that Robin

goodfellowe is a knave. All wisemen understand that witches miraculous

enterprises, being contrarie to nature, probabilitie and reason,

are void of truth or possibilitie. All protestants perceive, that

popish charmes, conjurations, execrations, and benedictions are not

effectuall, but be toies and devises onelie to keepe the people blind,

and to inrich the cleargie. All christians see, that to confesse

witches can doo as they saie, were to attribute to a creature the

power of the Creator. All children well brought up conceive and spie,

or at the least are taught, that juglers miracles doo consist of

legierdemaine and confederacie. The verie heathen people are driven to

confesse, that there can be no such conference betweene a spirituall

divell and a corporall witch, as is supposed. For no doubt, all the

heathen would then have everie one his familiar divell; for they would

make no conscience to acquaint themselves with a divell that are not

acquainted with God.

♦A generall conclusion against them whō the subject of this book

concerneth♦

I have dealt, and conferred with manie (marrie I must confesse papists

for the most part) that mainteine every point of these absurdities.

And surelie I allow better of their judgements, than of others, unto

whome some part of these cousenages are discovered and seene: and yet

concerning the residue, they remaine as wise as they were before;

speciallie being satisfied in the highest and greatest parts of

conjuring and cousening; to wit, in poperie, and yet will be abused

with beggerlie jugling, and witchcraft.

The eight Chapter.

_Of naturall witchcraft or fascination._

But bicause I am loth to oppose my selfe against all the writers

heerin, or altogither to discredit their stories, or wholie to deface

their reports, touching the effects of fascination or witchcraft; I

will now set downe certeine parts thereof, which although I my selfe

cannot admit, without some doubts, difficulties and exceptions, yet

will I give free libertie to others to beleeve them, if they list; for

that they doo not directlie oppugne my purpose.

Manie great and grave authors write, and manie fond writers also

affirme, that there are certeine families in _Aphrica_ which with their

voices bewitch whatsoever they praise. Insomuch as, if they commend

either plant, corne, infant, horsse, or anie other beasts, the same

presentlie withereth, decaieth and dieth. This mysterie of witchcraft

is not unknowne or neglected of our witchmongers, and superstitious

fooles heere in _Europa_. But to shew you examples neere home heere

in _England_, as though our voice had the like operation: you shall

not heare a butcher or horssecourser cheapen a bullocke or a jade,

but if he buie him not, he saith, God save him; if he doo forget it,

and the horsse or bullocke chance to die, the fault is imputed to the

chapman. Certeinelie the sentence is godlie, if it doo proceed from a

faithfull and a godlie mind: but if it be spoken as a superstitious

charme, by those words and syllables to compound with the fascination

and misadventure of infortunate words, the phrase is wicked and

superstitious, though there were farre greater shew of godlinesse than

appeereth therein.

♦_Isigonus. Memphradorus. Solon, &c. Vairus. J. Bodinus. Mal. malef._♦

The ninth Chapter.

_Of inchanting or bewitching eies._

Manie writers agree with _Virgil_ and _Theocritus_ in the effect of

witching eies, affirming that in _Scythia_, there are women called

_Bithiæ_, having two balles or rather blacks in the apple of their

eies. And as _Didymus_ reporteth, some have in the one eie two such

balles, and in the other the image of a horsse. These (forsooth) with

their angrie lookes doo bewitch and hurt not onelie yoong lambs, but

yoong children. There be other that reteine such venome in their

eies, and send it foorth by beames and streames so violentlie, that

therewith they annoie not onlie them with whom they are conversant

continuallie; but also all other, whose companie they frequent, of what

age, strength, or complexion soever they be: as _Cicero_, _Plutarch_,

_Philarchus_, and manie others give out in their writings.

♦With the like propertie were the old Illyrian people indued: if we

will credit the words of Sabinus grounded upon the report of Aul. Gell.♦

This fascination (saith _John Baptista Porta Neapolitanus_) though it

begin by touching or breathing, is alwaies accomplished and finished

by the eie, as an extermination or expulsion of the spirits through

the eies, approching to the hart of the bewitched, and infecting the

same, &c. Wherby it commeth to passe, that a child, or a yoong man

endued with a cleare, whole, subtill and sweet bloud, yeeldeth the

like spirits, breath, and vapors springing from the purer bloud of the

hart. And the lightest and finest spirits, ascending into the highest

parts of the head, doo fall into the eies, and so are from thence sent

foorth, as being of all other parts of the bodie the most cleare,

and fullest of veines and pores, and with the verie spirit or vapor

proceeding thence, is conveied out as it were by beames and streames

a certeine fierie force; whereof he that beholdeth sore eies shall

have good experience. For the poison and disease in the eie infecteth

the aire next unto it, and the same proceedeth further, carrieng with

it the vapor and infection of the corrupted bloud: with the contagion

whereof, the eies of the beholders are most apt to be infected. By this

same meanes it is thought that the cockatrice depriveth the life, and a

woolfe taketh awaie the voice of such as they suddenlie meete withall

and behold.

♦_J. Bap. Neapol. in lib. de naturali magia._♦

♦_J. Bap. Neapol. in lib. de naturali magia._♦

♦This is held of some for truth.♦

Old women, in whome the ordinarie course of nature faileth in the

office of purging their naturall monethlie humors, shew also some

proofe hereof. For (as the said _J.B.P.N._ reporteth, alledging

_Aristotle_ for his author) they leave in a looking glasse a certeine

froth, by meanes of the grosse vapors proceeding out of their eies.

Which commeth so to passe, bicause those vapors or spirits, which so

abundantlie come from their eies, cannot pearse and enter into the

glasse, which is hard, and without pores, and therefore resisteth:

but the beames which are carried in the chariot or conveiance of the

spirits, from the eies of one bodie to another, doo pearse to the

inward parts, and there breed infection, whilest they search and seeke

for their proper region. And as these beames & vapors doo proceed from

the hart of the one, so are they turned into bloud about the hart of

the other: which bloud disagreeing with the nature of the bewitched

partie, infeebleth the rest of his bodie, and maketh him sicke: the

contagion wherof so long continueth, as the distempered bloud hath

force in the members. And bicause the infection is of bloud, the fever

or sicknes will be continuall; whereas if it were of choler, or flegme,

it would be intermittent or alterable.

♦_Non est in speculo res quæ speculatur in eo._♦

The tenth Chapter.

_Of naturall witchcraft for love, &c._

But as there is fascination and witchcraft by malicious and angrie eies

unto displeasure: so are there witching aspects, tending contrariwise

to love, or at the least, to the procuring of good will and liking.

For if the fascination or witchcraft be brought to passe or provoked

by the desire, by the wishing and coveting of anie beautifull shape or

favor, the venome is strained through the eies, though it be from a

far, and the imagination of a beautifull forme resteth in the hart of

the lover, and kindleth the fier wherewith it is afflicted. And bicause

the most delicate, sweete, and tender bloud of the belooved doth there

wander, his countenance is there represented shining in his owne bloud,

and cannot there be quiet; and is so haled from thence, that the bloud

of him that is wounded, reboundeth and slippeth into the wounder,

according to the saieng of _Lucretius_ the poet to the like purpose and

meaning in these verses:

♦Nescio quis oculus teneros mihi fascinat agnos, saith _Virgil_: and

thus Englished by _Abraham Fleming_:

_I wote not I

What witching eie

Doth use to hant

My tender lams

Sucking their dams

And them inchant,_

♦

_Idque petit corpus, mens unde est saucia amore,

Námque omnes plerúnque cadunt in vulnus, & illam

Emicat in partem sanguis, unde icimur ictu;

Et si cominùs est, os tum ruber occupat humor:_

_And to that bodie tis rebounded,

From whence the mind by love is wounded,

For in a maner all and some,

Into that wound of love doo come,

And to that part the bloud doth flee

From whence with stroke we striken bee,

If hard at hand, and neere in place,

Then ruddie colour filles the face._

♦_Englished by Abraham Fleming._♦

Thus much may seeme sufficient touching this matter of naturall

magicke; whereunto though much more may be annexed, yet for the

avoiding of tediousnes, and for speedier passage to that which

remaineth; I will breake off this present treatise. And now somewhat

shall be said concerning divels and spirits in the discourse

following.

_A Discourse upon divels and spirits,

and first of philosophers opinions, also the

maner of their reasoning hereupon;[*]

and the same confuted._

♦[*] [This line Ital.]♦

The first Chapter.

There is no question nor theme (saith _Hierome Cardane_) so difficult

to deale in, nor so noble an argument to dispute upon, as this of

divels and spirits. For that being confessed or doubted of, the

eternitie of the soule is either affirmed or denied. The heathen

philosophers reson hereof amongest themselves in this sort. First,

they that mainteine the perpetuitie of the soule, saie that if the

soule died with the bodie; to what end should men take paines either

to live well or die well, when no reward for vertue nor punishment for

vice insueth after this life, the which otherwise they might spend in

ease and securitie? The other sort saie that vertue and honestie is

to be pursued, _Non spe præmii, sed virtutis amore_, that is, Not for

hope of reward, but for love of vertue. If the soule live ever (saie

the other) the least portion of life is here. And therefore we that

mainteine the perpetuitie of the soule, may be of the better comfort

and courage, to susteine with more constancie the losse of children,

yea and the losse of life it selfe: whereas, if the soule were mortall,

all our hope and felicitie were to be placed in this life, which manie

Atheists (I warrant you) at this daie doo. But both the one and the

other missed the cushion. For, to doo anie thing without Christ, is

to wearie our selves in vaine; sith in him onelie our corruptions are

purged. And therefore the follie of the Gentils, that place _Summum

bonum_ in the felicitie of the bodie, or in the happines or pleasures

of the mind, is not onelie to be derided, but also abhorred. For, both

our bodies and minds are intermedled with most miserable calamities:

and therefore therin cannot consist perfect felicitie. But in the

word of God is exhibited and offered unto us that hope which is most

certeine, absolute, sound & sincere, not to be answered or denied

by the judgement of philosophers themselves. For they that preferre

temperance before all other things as _Summum bonum_, must needs

see it to be but a witnesse of their naturall calamitie, corruption

and wickednes; and that it serveth for nothing, but to restraine the

dissolutenes, which hath place in their minds infected with vices;

which are to be bridled with such corrections: yea and the best of

them all faileth in some point of modestie. Wherefore serveth our

philosophers prudence, but to provide for their owne follie and

miserie; whereby they might else be utterlie overthrowne? And if their

nature were not intangled in errors, they should have no need of such

circumspection. The justice whereof they speake, serveth but to keepe

them from ravine, theft, and violence: and yet none of them all are so

just, but that the verie best and uprightest of them fall into great

infirmities, both dooing and suffering much wrong and injurie. And what

is their fortitude, but to arme them to endure miserie, greefe, danger,

and death it selfe? But what happinesse or goodnesse is to be reposed

in that life, which must be waited upon with such calamities, and

finallie must have the helpe of death to finish it? I saie, if it be so

miserable, why doo they place _Summum bonum_ therein? S. _Paule_ to the

_Romans_ sheweth, that it cannot be that we should atteine to justice,

through the morall and naturall actions and duties of this life:

bicause that never the Jewes nor the Gentiles could expresse so much in

their lives, as the verie lawe of nature or of _Moses_ required. And

therefore he that worketh without Christ, doth as he that reckoneth

without his host.

♦_H. Card. lib. de var. rer. 16. cap. 93._♦

♦The Platonists and Stoiks.♦

♦The Epicureans and Peripatetiks.♦

♦_Summum bonum_ cannot consist in the happines of the bodie or mind.♦

♦Morall tēperance.♦

♦Morall prudence.♦

♦Morall justice.♦

♦Morall fortitude.♦

♦Rom. 2.♦

The second Chapter.

_Mine owne opinion concerning this argument, to the disproofe of

some writers hereupon._

I for my part doo also thinke this argument, about the nature &

substance of divels and spirits, to be so difficult, as I am persuaded

that no one author hath in anie certeine or perfect sort hitherto

written thereof. In which respect I can neither allow the ungodly and

prophane sects and doctrines of the _Sadduces_ & _Peripatetiks_, who

denie that there are any divels or spirits at all; nor the fond &

superstitious treatises of _Plato_, _Proclus_, _Plotinus_, _Porphyrie_;

nor yet the vaine & absurd opinions of _Psellus_, _Nider_, _Sprenger_,

_Cumanus_, _Bodin_, _Michaël_, _Andræas_, _Janus Matthæus_,

_Laurentius Ananias_, _Jamblichus_, _&c_: who with manie others write

so ridiculouslie in these matters, as if they were babes fraied with

bugges; some affirming that the soules of the dead become spirits, the

good to be angels, the bad to be divels; some that spirits or divels

are onelie in this life; some, that they are men; some, that they are

women; some, that divels are of such gender as they list themselves;

some, that they had no beginning, nor shall have ending, as the

_Manicheis_ mainteine; some, that they are mortall & die, as _Plutarch_

affirmeth of _Pan_; some, that they have no bodies at all, but receive

bodies, according to their phantasies & imaginations; some, that their

bodies are given unto them; some, that they make themselves. Some saie

they are wind; some, that they are the breath of living creatures;

some, that one of them begat another; some, that they were created of

the least part of the masse, whereof the earth was made; and some, that

they are substances betweene God and man, and that of them some are

terrestriall, some celestiall, some waterie, some airie, some fierie,

some starrie, and some of each and everie part of the elements, and

that they know our thoughts, and carrie our good works and praiers to

God, and returne his benefits backe unto us, and that they are to be

worshipped: wherein they meete and agree jumpe with the papists; as if

you read the notes upon the second chapter to the _Colossians_, in the

Seminaries testament printed at _Rhemes_, you shall manifestlie see,

though as contrarie to the word of God as blacke to white, as appeareth

in the _Apocalypse_, where the angell expresselie forbad _John_ to

worship him.

♦The question about spirits doubtfull and difficult.♦

♦_Plotinus._ The Greks. _Laur. Ananias._♦

♦The Manicheis.♦

♦_Plutarch._♦

♦_Psellus. Mal. malef._

Avicen, and the Caballists.♦

♦The Thalmudists.♦

♦_Psellus, &c._♦

♦The Platonists.♦

♦The Papists.♦

♦Apoc. 19. 10

Ibid. 22. 8. 9.♦

Againe, some saie that they are meane betwixt terrestriall and

celestiall bodies, communicating part of each nature; and that although

they be eternall, yet that they are mooved with affections: and as

there are birds in the aire, fishes in the water, and wormes in the

earth; so in the fourth element, which is the fier, is the habitation

of spirits and divels. And least we should thinke them idle, they

saie they have charge over men, and governement in all countries and

nations. Some saie that they are onelie imaginations in the mind of

man. _Tertullian_ saith they are birds, and flie faster than anie fowle

of the aire. Some saie that divels are not, but when they are sent; and

therefore are called evill angels. Some thinke that the divell sendeth

his angels abrode, and he himselfe maketh his continuall abode in hell,

his mansion place.

♦The Sadduces.♦

The third Chapter.

_The opinion of Psellus touching spirits, of their severall orders,

and a confutation of his errors therein._

_Psellus_ being of authoritie in the church of _Rome_, and not

impugnable by anie catholike, being also instructed in these

supernaturall or rather diabolicall matters by a monke called _Marcus_,

who had beene familiarlie conversant a long time, as he said, with a

certeine divell, reporteth upon the same divels owne word, which must

needs understand best the state of this question, that the bodies of

angels and divels consist not now of all one element, though perhaps

it were otherwise before the fall of _Lucifer_; and that the bodies

of spirits and divels can feele and be felt, doo hurt and be hurt: in

so much as they lament when they are stricken; and being put to the

fier are burnt, and yet that they themselves burne continuallie, in

such sort as they leave ashes behind them in places where they have

beene; as manifest triall thereof hath beene (if he saie truelie) in

the borders of _Italie_. He also saith upon like credit and assurance,

that divels and spirits doo avoid and shed from out of their bodies,

such seed or nature, as whereby certeine vermine are ingendered; and

that they are nourished with food, as we are, saving that they receive

it not into their mouthes, but sucke it up into their bodies, in such

sort as sponges soke up water. Also he saith they have names, shapes,

and dwelling places, as indeed they have, though not in temporall and

corporall sort.

♦_Psellus de operatione dæmonum, cap. 8._♦

♦Such are spirits walking in white sheetes, &c.♦

♦_Psellus, ibid. cap. 9._♦

♦_Idem. cap. 10._♦

Furthermore, he saith, that there are six principall kind of divels,

which are not onelie corporall, but temporall and worldlie. The first

sort consist of fier, wandering in the region neere to the moone, but

have no power to go into the moone. The second sort consisting of aire,

have their habitation more lowe and neere unto us: these (saith he)

are proud and great boasters, verie wise and deceitfull, and when they

come downe are seene shining with streames of fier at their taile. He

saith that these are commonlie conjured up to make images laugh, and

lamps burne of their owne accord; and that in _Assyria_ they use much

to prophesie in a bason of water. Which kind of incantation is usuall

among our conjurors: but it is here commonlie performed in a pitcher or

pot of water; or else in a violl of glasse filled with water, wherin

they say at the first a litle sound is heard without a voice, which is

a token of the divels comming. Anon the water seemeth to be troubled,

and then there are heard small voices, wherewith they give their

answers, speaking so softlie as no man can well heare them: bicause

(saith _Cardane_) they would not be argued or rebuked of lies. But

this I have else-where more largelie described and confuted. The third

sort of divels _Psellus_ saith are earthlie; the fourth waterie, or of

the sea; the fift under the earth; the sixt sort are _Lucifugi_, that

is, such as delight in darkenes, & are scant indued with sense, and so

dull, as they can scarse be mooved with charmes or conjurations.

♦_Idem ibid. cap. 11._♦

♦Oh hethenish, nay oh papisticall follie!♦

♦The opinions of all papists.♦

♦A cousening knaverie.♦

♦_H. Card. lib. de var. rer. 16. cap. 93._♦

The same man saith, that some divels are woorse than other, but yet

that they all hate God, and are enimies to man. But the woorser moitie

of divels are _Aquei_, _Subterranei_, and _Lucifugi_;[*] that is,

waterie, under the earth, and shunners of light: bicause (saith he)

these hurt not the soules of men, but destroie mens bodies like mad and

ravening beasts, molesting both the inward and outward parts thereof.

_Aquei_ are they that raise tempests, and drowne seafaring men, and

doo all other mischeefes on the water. _Subterranei_ and _Lucifugi_

enter into the bowels of men, and torment them that they possesse with

the phrensie, and the falling evill. They also assault them that are

miners or pioners, which use to worke in deepe and darke holes under

the earth. Such divels as are earthie and aierie, he saith enter by

subtiltie into the minds of men, to deceive them, provoking men to

absurd and unlawfull affections.

♦Divels of diverse natures, and their operations.♦

♦[*] [These three Ital.]♦

But herein his philosophie is verie unprobable, for if the divell be

earthie, he must needs be palpable; if he be palpable, he must needs

kill them into whose bodies he entereth. Item, if he be of earth

created, then must he also be visible and untransformable in that

point: for Gods creation cannot be annihilated by the creature. So as,

though it were granted, that they might adde to their substance matter

and forme, &c: yet is it most certeine, that they cannot diminish or

alter the substance whereof they consist, as not to be (when they list)

spirituall, or to relinquish and leave earth, water, fier, aier, or

this and that element whereof they are created. But howsoever they

imagine of water, aier, or fier, I am sure earth must alwaies be

visible and palpable; yea, and aier must alwaies be invisible, and fier

must be hot, and water must be moist. And of these three latter bodies,

speciallie of water and aier, no forme nor shape can be exhibited to

mortall eies naturallie, or by the power of anie creature.

♦The former opinion confuted.♦

The fourth Chapter.

_More absurd assertions of Psellus and such others, concerning

the actions and passions of spirits, his definition of them,

and of his experience therein._

Moreover, the same author saith, that spirits whisper in our minds,

and yet not speaking so lowd, as our eares may heare them: but in such

sort as our soules speake together when they are dissolved; making

an example by lowd speaking a farre off, and a comparison of soft

whispering neere hand, so as the divell entreth so neere to the mind as

the eare need not heare him; and that everie part of a divell or spirit

seeth, heareth, and speaketh, &c. But herein I will beleeve _Paule_

better than _Psellus_, or his monke, or the moonks divell. For _Paule_

saith; If the whole bodie were an eie, where were hearing? If the whole

bodie were hearing, where were smelling, &c. Whereby you may see what

accord is betwixt Gods word and witchmongers.

♦_Psellus lib. de operat. dæm. cap. 12._♦

♦If this were spoken of the temptations, &c. of satan, it were

tollerable.♦

♦1. Cor. 12.♦

The papists proceed in this matter, and saie, that these spirits use

great knaverie and unspeakeable bawderie in the breech and middle parts

of man and woman, by tickeling, and by other lecherous devises; so that

they fall jumpe in judgement and opinion, though verie erroniouslie,

with the foresaid _Psellus_, of whose doctrine also this is a parcell;

to wit, that these divels hurt not cattell for the hate they beare unto

them, but for love of their naturall and temperate heate and moisture,

being brought up in deepe, drie and cold places: marie they hate the

heate of the sun and the fier, bicause that kind of heate drieth too

fast. They throwe downe stones upon men, but the blowes thereof doo

no harme to them whome they hit; bicause they are not cast with anie

force: for (saith he) the divels have little and small strength, so as

these stones doo nothing but fraie and terrifie men, as scarecrowes doo

birds out of the corne feelds. But when these divels enter into the

pores, than doo they raise woonderfull tumults in the bodie and mind

of man. And if it be a subterrene divell, it dooth writh and bow the

possessed, and speaketh by him, using the spirit of the patient as his

instrument. But he saith, that when _Lucifugus_ possesseth a man, he

maketh him dumbe, and as it were dead: and these be they that are cast

out (saith he) onelie by fasting and praier.

♦_Psellus. ibid. cap. 13._♦

♦If a babe of two yeeres old throwe stones from Powles steeple, they

will doo hurt, &c.♦

♦Howbeit I thinke the spirit of tentation to be that divell; &

therefore Christ biddeth us watch and praie, least we be temted, &c.♦

The same _Psellus_, with his mates _Bodin_ and the penners of _M.

Mal._ and others, doo find fault with the physicians that affirme

such infirmities to be cureable with diet, and not by inchantments;

saieng, that physicians doo onlie attend upon the bodie, & that which

is perceiveable by outward sense; and that as touching this kind of

divine philosophie, they have no skill at all. And to make divels and

spirits seeme yet more corporall and terrene, he saith that certeine

divels are belonging to certeine countries, and speake the languages

of the same countries, and none other; some the _Assyrian_, some the

_Chaldæan_, & some the _Persian_ toong, and that they feele stripes,

and feare hurt, and speciallie the dint of the sword (in which respect

conjurors have swords with them in their circles, to terrifie them) and

that they change shapes, even as suddenlie as men doo change colour

with blushing, feare, anger, and other moods of the mind. He saith yet

further, that there be brute beasts among them, and yet divels, and

subject to anie kind of death; insomuch as they are so foolish, as they

may be compared to flies, fleas, and wormes, who have no respect to any

thing but their food, not regarding or remembring the hole from out of

whence they came last. Marrie divels compounded of earth, cannot often

transforme themselves, but abide in some one shape, such as they best

like, and most delight in; to wit, in the shape of birds or women: and

therefore the Greeks call them _Neidas_, _Nereidas_, and _Dreidas_

in the feminine gender; which _Dreidæ_ inhabited (as some write) the

ilands beside _Scotland_ called _Druidæ_, which by that meanes had

their denomination and name. Other divels that dwell in drier places

transforme themselves into the masculine kind. Finallie _Psellus_

saith they know our thoughts, and can prophesie of things to come. His

definition is, that they are perpetuall minds in a passible bodie.

♦_Psel. in operat. dæm. cap. 14._♦

♦_Idem. cap. 17_♦

♦Beastlike divels.♦

♦But _Psellus_ sawe nothing himselfe.♦

To verefie these toies he saith, that he himselfe sawe in a certeine

night a man brought up by _Aletus Libius_ into a mountaine, and that

he tooke an hearbe, and spat thrise into his mouth, and annointed his

eies with a certeine ointment, so as thereby he sawe great troopes

of divels, and perceived a crowe to flie into his mouth; and since

that houre he could prophesie at all times, saving on good fridaie,

and easter sundaie. If the end of this tale were true, it might not

onelie have satisfied the Greeke church, in keeping the daie of easter,

togither with the church of _Rome_; but might also have made the pope

(that now is) content with our christmas and easter daie, and not to

have gathered the minuts together, and reformed it so, as to shew how

falselie he and his predecessors (whome they saie could not erre) have

observed it hitherto. And trulie this, and the dansing of the sunne on

easter daie morning sufficientlie or rather miraculouslie proveth that

computation, which the pope now beginneth to doubt of, and to call in

question.

♦Probable and likelie stuffe.♦

The fift Chapter.

_The opinion of Fascius Cardanus touching spirits, and of his

familiar divell._

_Fascius Cardanus_ had (as he himselfe and his sonne _Hierome Cardanus_

report) a familiar divell, consisting of the fierie element, who, so

long as he used conjuration, did give true answers to all his demands:

but when he burned up his booke of conjurations, though he resorted

still unto him, yet did he make false answers continuallie. He held him

bound twentie & eight yeares, and loose five yeares. And during the

time that he was bound, he told him that there were manie divels or

spirits. He came not alwaies alone, but sometimes some of his fellowes

with him. He rather agreed with _Psellus_ than with _Plato_: for he

said they were begotten, borne, died, and lived long; but how long,

they told him not: howbeit as he might conjecture by his divels face,

who was 42. yeares old, and yet appeared verie yoong, he thought they

lived two or three hundred yeares; and they said that their soules and

ours also died with their bodies. They had schooles and universities

among them: but he conceived not that anie were so dull headded, as

_Psellus_ maketh them. But they are verie quicke in credit, that

beleeve such fables, which indeed is the groundworke of witchcraft and

conjuration. But these histories are so grosse and palpable, that I

might be thought as wise in going about to confute them, as to answer

the stories of Frier _Rush_, Adam Bell, or the golden Legend.

♦_Fasc. Card. operat. de dæmon._♦

The sixt Chapter.

_The opinion of Plato concerning spirits, divels and angels,

what sacrifices they like best, what they feare, and of

Socrates his familiar divell._

_Plato_ and his followers hold, that good spirits appeare in their

owne likenesse; but that evill spirits appeare and shew themselves in

the forme of other bodies; and that one divell reigneth over the rest,

as a prince dooth in everie perfect commonwelth over men. Item, they

obteine their purposes and desires, onelie by intreatie, of men and

women; bicause in nature they are their inferiors, and use authoritie

over men none otherwise than priests by vertue of their function, and

bicause of religion, wherein (they saie) they execute the office of

God. Sometimes they saie that the fierie spirits or supreme substances

enter into the puritie of the mind, and so obteine their purpose;

sometimes otherwise, to wit, by vertue of holie charmes, and even as a

poore man obteineth for Gods sake anie thing at a princes hand as it

were by importunatnesse.

♦The Platonists opinion.♦

The other sort of divels and defiled soules are so conversant on

earth, as that they doo much hurt unto earthlie bodies, speciallie in

lecherie. Gods and angels (saie they) bicause they want all materiall

and grosse substance, desire most the pure sacrifice of the mind. The

grosser and more terrestriall spirits desire the grosser sacrifices; as

beasts and cattell. They in the middle or meane region delight to have

frankincense, and such meane stuffe offered unto them: and therefore

(saie they) it is necessarie to sacrifice unto them, all maner of

things, so the same be slaine, and die not of their owne accord: for

such they abhorre. Some saie that spirits feare woonderfullie vaine

threats, and thereupon will depart; as if you tell them that you will

cut the heavens in peeces, or reveale their secrets, or complaine of

them to the gods, or saie that you will doo anie impossibilitie, or

such things as they cannot understand; they are so timerous, as they

will presentlie be gone: and that is thought the best waie to be rid of

them. But these be most commonlie of that sort or companie, which are

called _Principatus_, being of all other the most easie to be conjured.

♦What kind of sacrifices each spirit liketh best.♦

They saie _Socrates_ had a familiar divell: which _Plato_ relieth

much upon, using none other argument to proove that there are such

spirits, but bicause _Socrates_ (that would not lie) said so; and

partlie bicause that divell did ever dissuade and prohibit, not onelie

in _Socrates_ his owne cases, but sometimes in his freends behalfe;

who (if they had beene ruled) might through his admonition have saved

their lives. His disciples gathered that his divell was Saturnall, and

a principall fierie divell; and that he, and all such as doo naturallie

know their divels, are onlie such as are called _Dæmonii viri_,

otherwise, Couseners. Item, they saie that fierie spirits urge men to

contemplation, the aierie to busines, the waterie to lust; and among

these there are some that are Martiall, which give fortitude; some are

Joviall, giving wisedome; some Saturniall, alwaies using dissuasion and

dehorting. Item, some are borne with us, and remaine with us all our

life; some are meere strangers, who are nothing else but the soules of

men departed this life, &c.

♦Of Socrates his private divell or familiar spirit.♦

The seventh Chapter.

_Platos nine orders of spirits and angels, Dionysius his

division thereof not much differing from the same, all

disprooved by learned divines._

_Plato_ proposeth or setteth foorth nine severall orders of spirits,

besides the spirits and soules of men. The first spirit is God that

commandeth all the residue; the second are those that are called

_Ideæ_, which give all things to all men; the third are the soules of

heavenlie bodies which are mortall; the fourth are angels; the fift

archangels; the sixt are divels, who are ministers to infernall powers,

as angels are to supernall; the seventh are halfe gods; the eight are

principalities; the ninth are princes. From which division _Dionysius_

dooth not much swarve, saving that he dealeth (as he saith) onelie with

good spirits, whome he likewise divideth into nine parts or offices.

The first he calleth Seraphim, the second Cherubim, the third thrones,

the fourth dominations, the fift vertues, the sixt powers, the seventh

principalities, the eight archangels, the ninth and inferior sort he

calleth angels. Howbeit, some of these (in my thinking) are evill

spirits: or else _Paule_ gave us evill counsell, when he willed us to

fight against principalities, and powers, and all spirituall wickednes.

♦_Dionys. in cælest. hierarch. cap. 9. 10._♦

♦Ephes. 6.♦

But _Dionysius_ in that place goeth further, impropriating to everie

countrie, and almost to everie person of anie accompt, a peculiar

angell; as to _Jewrie_, he assigneth _Michael_; to _Adam_, _Razael_; to

_Abraham_, _Zakiel_; to _Isaach_, _Raphael_; to _Jacob_, _Peliel_; to

_Moses_, _Metraton_, &c. But in these discourses he either folowed his

owne imaginations and conceipts, or else the corruptions of that age.

Nevertheles, I had rather confute him by M. _Calvine_, and my kinseman

M. _Deering_, than by my selfe, or mine owne words. For M. _Calvine_

saith, that _Dionysius_ herein speaketh not as by hearesaie, but as

though he had slipped downe from heaven, and told of things which he

had seene. And yet (saith he) _Paule_ was rapt into the third heaven,

and reporteth no such matters. But if you read M. _Deering_ upon the

first chapter to the _Hebrues_, you shall see this matter notablie

handled; where he saith, that whensoever archangell is mentioned in

the scriptures, it signifieth our saviour Christ, and no creature.

And certeine it is that Christ himselfe was called an angell. The

names also of angels, as _Michael, Gabriel, &c_: are given to them

(saith _Calvine_) according to the capacitie of our weakenesse. But

bicause the decision of this question is neither within the compasse

of mans capacitie, nor yet of his knowledge, I will proceed no further

to discusse the same, but to shew the absurd opinions of papists

and witchmongers on the one side, and the most sober and probable

collections of the contrarie minded on the other side.

♦_Dionys. in cælest. hierarch._♦

♦_J. Calv. lib. instit. 1. c. 14._♦

♦Edw. Deering, in lect. upon the Hebrues reading. 6.♦

♦Mal. 3. 1.♦

The eight Chapter.

_The commensement of divels fondlie gathered out of the 14.

of Isaie, of Lucifer and of his fall, the Cabalists the

Thalmudists and Schoolemens opinions of the creation of

angels._

The witchmoongers, which are most commonlie bastard divines, doo

fondlie gather and falselie conceive the commensement of divels

out of the fourteenth of _Isaie_; where they suppose _Lucifer_ is

cited, as the name of an angell; who on a time being desirous to be

checkemate with God himselfe, would needs (when God was gone a litle

asside) be sitting downe, or rather pirking up in Gods owne principall

and cathedrall chaire; and that therfore God cast him and all his

confederates out of heaven: so as some fell downe from thence to the

bottome of the earth; some having descended but into the midle region,

and the taile of them having not yet passed through the higher region,

staied even then & there, when God said, Ho. But God knoweth there is

no such thing ment nor mentioned in that place. For there is onlie

foreshewed the deposing and deprivation of king _Nabuchadnez-zar_, who

exalting himselfe in pride (as it were above the starres) esteemed his

glorie to surmount all others, as farre as _Lucifer_ the bright morning

starre shineth more gloriouslie than the other common starres, and was

punished by exile, untill such time as he had humbled himselfe; and

therefore metaphoricallie was called _Lucifer_.

♦Isai. 14.♦

But forsooth, bicause these great clarkes would be thought methodicall,

and to have crept out of wisedomes bosome, who rather cralled out of

follies breeches; they take upon them to shew us, first, whereof these

angels that fell from heaven were created; to wit, of the left side of

that massie moold, whereof the world was compounded, the which (saie

they) was _Putredo terræ_, that is, the rottennesse of the earth.

The _Cabalists_, with whome _Avicen_ seemeth to agree, saie that one

of these begat another: others saie, they were made all at once.

The Greekes doo write that angels were created before the world. The

Latinists saie they were made the fourth daie, when the starres were

made. _Laurence Ananias_ saith, they were made the first daie, and

could not be made the fourth daie, bicause it is written; _Quando facta

sunt sidera, laudaverunt me angeli_: so as (saith he) they were made

under the name of the heavens.

♦The opinion of the Thalmudists.♦

♦_Laur. Anan. lib. de natur. dæm. 1._♦

♦_Crœavit[*] cælum & terram._♦

♦[*] [_Creavit_]

[Gen. 1. 1. Vulg.]♦

There is also a great question among the schoolemen, whether more

angels fell downe with _Lucifer_, or remained in heaven with _Michael_.

Manie having a bad opinion of the angels honesties, affirme that the

greater part fell with _Lucifer_: but the better opinion is (saith

_Laurentius Ananias_) that the most part remained. And of them that

thinke so, some saie the tenth part were cast downe, some the ninth;

and some gather upon _S. John_, that the third part were onelie damned;

bicause it is written, that the dragon with his taile plucked downe

with him the third part of the starres.

♦_Lau. Anan. lib. de natur. dæm. 1._♦

The ninth Chapter.

_Of the contention betweene the Greeke and Latine church

touching the fall of angels, the variance among papists

themselves herein, a conflict betweene Michael and Lucifer._

There was also another contention betweene the Greeke church and the

Latine; to wit, of what orders of angels they were that did fall with

_Lucifer_. Our schoolemen saie they were of all the nine orders of

angels in _Lucifers_ conspiracie. But bicause the superior order was

of the more noble constitution and excellent estate, and the inferior

of a lesse worthie nature, the more part of the inferior orders

fell as guiltie and offenders with _Lucifer_. Some saie the divell

himselfe was of the inferior order of angels, and some that he was

of the highest order: bicause it is written, _In cherubim extentus

& protegens posui te in monte sancto Dei_. And these saie further,

that he was called the dragon, bicause of his excellent knowledge.

Finallie, these great doctors conclude, that the divell himselfe was

of the order of seraphim, which is the highest, because it is written,

_Quomodo enim manè oriebaris Lucifer?_[*] They of this sect affirme,

that _Cacodæmones_ were they that rebelled against _Jove_; I meane

they of _Plato_ his sect, himselfe also holding the same opinion. Our

schoolemen differ much in the cause of _Lucifers_ fall. For some said

it was for speaking these words, _Ponam sedem meam in aquilone, &

similis ero altissimo_:[†] others saie, bicause he utterlie refused

felicitie, and thought scorne therof; others saie, bicause he thought

all his strength proceeded from himselfe, and not from God; others

saie that it was, bicause he attempted to doo that by himselfe, and

his owne abilitie, which he should have obteined by the gift of

another; others saie, that his condemnation grew hereupon, for that he

challenged the place of the Messias; others saie, bicause he detracted

the time to adore the majestie of God, as other angels did; others

saie, bicause he utterlie refused it. _Scotus_ and his disciples saie

that it was, bicause he rebelliouslie claimed equall omnipotencie with

God: with whom lightlie the _Thomists_ never agree. Others saie it was

for all these causes together, and manie more: so as hereupon (saith

_Laurentius Ananias_) grew a wonderfull conflict betweene _Michaël_ and

the good angels on the one side, and _Lucifer_ and his freends on the

other: so as, after a long and doubtfull skirmish, _Michaël_ overthrew

_Lucifer_, and turned him and his fellowes out of the doores.

♦_Lau. Anan. lib. de natur. dæm. 1._♦

♦[*] [Isai. 14. 12]♦

♦I will settle my selfe in the north, and will be like the highest.♦

♦[†] [Isai. 14. 13, 14]♦

♦_Laur. Anan. lib. de natur. dæm. 1._♦

The tenth Chapter.

_Where the battell betweene Michael and Lucifer was fought, how

long it continued, and of their power, how fondlie papists

and infidels write of them, and how reverentlie Christians

ought to thinke of them._

Now where this battell was fought, and how long it continued, there

is as great contention among the schoolemen, as was betwixt _Michaël_

and _Lucifer_. The _Thomists_ saie this battell was fought in the

mpereiall[*] heaven, where the abode is of blessed spirits, and the

place of pleasure and felicitie. _Augustine_ and manie others saie,

that the battell was fought in the highest region of the aier; others

saie, in the firmament; others in paradise. The _Thomists_ also saie

it continued but one instant or pricke of time; for they tarried but

two instants in all, even from their creation to their expulsion.

The _Scotists_ saie, that betweene their production and their fall,

there were just foure instants. Nevertheles, the greatest number of

schoolemen affirme, that they continued onelie three instants: bicause

it stood with Gods justice, to give them three warnings; so as at the

third warning _Lucifer_ fell downe like led (for so are the words) to

the bottome of hell; the rest were left in the aire, to tempt man.

The _Sadduces_ were as grosse the other waie: for they said, that by

angels was ment nothing else, but the motion that God dooth inspire in

men, or the tokens of his power. He that readeth _Eusebius_ shall see

manie more absurd opinions and asseverations of angels: as how manie

thousand yeares they serve as angels, before they come to the promotion

of archangels, &c.

♦[*] [_sic_]♦

♦_Instans, viz. punctum temp. nempe individuum Nunc._♦

♦_Euseb. in ecclesi. histor._♦

_Monsieur Bodin_, _M. Mal._ and manie other papists gather upon the

seventh of _Daniel_, that there are just ten millians of angels in

heaven. Manie saie that angels are not by nature, but by office.

Finallie, it were infinite to shew the absurd and curious collections

hereabout. I for my part thinke with _Calvine_, that angels are

creatures of God; though _Moses_ spake nothing of their creation,

who onelie applied himselfe to the capacitie of the common people,

reciting nothing but things seene. And I saie further with him, that

they are heavenlie spirits, whose ministration and service God useth:

and in that respect are called angels. I saie yet againe with him,

that it is verie certeine, that they have no shape at all; for they

are spirits, who never have anie: and finallie, I saie with him, that

the scriptures, for the capacitie of our wit, dooth not in vaine paint

out angels unto us with wings; bicause we should conceive, that they

are readie swiftlie to succour us. And certeinlie all the sounder

divines doo conceive and give out, that both the names and also the

number of angels are set downe in the scripture by the Holie-ghost, in

termes to make us understand the greatnesse and the manner of their

messages; which (I saie) are either expounded by the number of angels,

or signified by their names.

♦_10000000. Johannes Cassianus in confessione theolog. tripart._♦

♦_J. Cal. lib. instit. 1. cap. 14. sect. 8._♦

Furthermore, the schoole doctors affirme, that foure of the superior

orders of angels never take anie forme or shape of bodies, neither are

sent of anie arrand at anie time. As for archangels, they are sent

onelie about great and secret matters; and angels are common hacknies

about evere trifle; and that these can take what shape or bodie they

list: marie they never take the forme of women or children. Item they

saie that angels take most terrible shapes: for _Gabriel_ appeared

to _Marie_, when he saluted hir, _Facie rutilante, veste coruscante,

ingressu mirabili, aspectu terribili, &c_: that is, with a bright

countenance, shining attire, wonderfull gesture, and a dredful vissage,

&c. But of apparitions I have spoken somewhat before, and will saie

more hearafter. It hath beene long, and continueth yet a constant

opinion, not onelie among the papists; but among others also, that

everie man hath assigned him, at the time of his nativitie, a good

angell and a bad. For the which there is no reason in nature, nor

authoritie in scripture. For not one angell, but all the angels are

said to rejoise more of one convert, than of ninetie and nine just.

Neither did one onelie angell conveie _Lazarus_ into _Abrahams_ bosome.

And therefore I conclude with _Calvine_, that he which referreth to one

angell, the care that GOD hath to everie one of us, dooth himselfe

great wrong: as may appeare by so manie fierie chariots shewed by

_Elizæus_ to his servant. But touching this mysterie of angels, let us

reverentlie thinke of them, and not curiouslie search into the nature

of them, considering the vilenes of our condition, in respect of the

glorie of their creation. And as for the foresaid fond imaginations and

fables of _Lucifer_, _&c_: they are such as are not onelie ridiculous,

but also accomptable among those impious curiosities, and vaine

questions, which _Paule_ speaketh of: neither have they anie tittle or

letter in the scripture for the maintenance of their grosse opinions in

this behalfe.

♦_Mich. And. thes. 107. 101._

_Idem thes. 103. 108._♦

♦Luk. 15, 7.♦

♦Luk. 16, 23.♦

♦_J. Cal. lib. instit. 1. cap. 14._♦

♦2. Reg. 16. 17♦

The eleventh Chapter.

_Whether they became divels which being angels kept not

their vocation, in Jude and Peter; of the fond opinions of

the Rabbins touching spirits and bugs, with a confutation

thereof._

We doo read in _Jude_, and find it confirmed in _Peter_, that the

angels kept not their first estate, but left their owne habitation, and

sinned, and (as _Job_ saith) committed follie: and that God therefore

did cast them downe into hell, reserving them in everlasting chaines

under darkenes, unto the judgement of the great daie. But manie divines

saie, that they find not anie where, that God made divels of them, or

that they became the princes of the world, or else of the aire; but

rather prisoners. Howbeit, divers doctors affirme, that this _Lucifer_,

notwithstanding his fall, hath greater power than any of the angels

in heaven: marrie they say that there be certeine other divels of

the inferiour sort of angels, which were then thrust out for smaller

faults, and therefore are tormented with little paines, besides eternal

damnation: and these (saie they) can doo little hurt. They affirme

also, that they onelie use certeine jugling knacks, delighting thereby

to make men laugh, as they travell by the high waies: but other (saie

they) are much more churlish. For proofe heereof they alledge the

eighth of _Matthew_, where he would none otherwise be satisfied but by

exchange, from the annoieng of one man, to the destruction of a whole

heard of swine. The _Rabbines_, and namelie _Rabbi Abraham_, writing

upon the second of Genesis, doo say, that God made the fairies, bugs,

_Incubus_, Robin good fellow, and other familiar or domesticall spirits

& divels on the fridaie: and being prevented with the evening of the

sabboth, finished them not, but left them unperfect; and therefore that

ever since they use to flie the holinesse of the sabboth, seeking

darke holes in mountaines and woods, wherein they hide themselves till

the end of the sabboth, and then come abroad to trouble and molest men.

♦Jud. vers. 6. 2. Pet. 2. 4.♦

♦_Mal. malef. par. 2. quæ 1. cap. 2. 3._♦

♦_Mal. malef. part. 2. cap. 1. quæst. 1._♦

♦_Mich. And. Laur. Anan. Mal. malef. &c._♦

♦_Author. lib. Zeor hammor in Gen. 2._♦

But as these opinions are ridiculous and fondlie collected; so if we

have onelie respect to the bare word, or rather to the letter, where

spirits or divels are spoken of in the scriptures, we shall run into as

dangerous absurdities as these are. For some are so carnallie minded,

that a spirit is no sooner spoken of, but immediatlie they thinke of

a blacke man with cloven feet, a paire of hornes, a taile, clawes,

and eies as broad as a bason, &c. But surelie the divell were not so

wise in his generation, as I take him to be, if he would terrifie men

with such uglie shapes, though he could doo it at his pleasure. For by

that meanes men should have good occasion & oportunitie to flie from

him, & to run to God for succour; as the maner is of all them that are

terrified, though perchance they thought not upon God of long time

before. But in truth we never have so much cause to be afraid of the

divell, as when he flatteringlie insinuateth himselfe into our harts,

to satisfie, please, and serve our humors, entising us to prosecute our

owne appetits and pleasures, without anie of these externall terrors. I

would weete of these men, where they doo find in the scriptures, that

some divels be spirituall, and some corporall; or how these earthie

or waterie divels enter into the mind of man. _Augustine_ saith, and

diverse others affirme, that sathan or the divell while we feed,

allureth us with gluttonie: he thrusteth lust into our generation;

and sloth into our exercise; into our conversation, envie; into our

traffike, avarice; into our correction, wrath; into our government,

pride: he putteth into our harts evill cogitations; into our mouthes,

lies, &c. When we wake, he mooveth us to evill works; when we sleepe,

to evill and filthie dreames; he provoketh the merrie to loosenesse,

and the sad to despaire.

♦The grosse dulnesse of manie at the hearing of a spirit named.♦

♦_Aug. in ser. 4._

_Greg. 29. sup. Job._

_Leo pont. ser. 8. Nativit._♦

The twelfe Chapter.

_That the divels assaults are spirituall and not temporall, and how

grosselie some understand those parts of the scripture._

Upon that, which hitherto hath beene said, you see that the assaults

of sathan are spirituall, and not temporall: in which respect _Paule_

wisheth us not to provide a corselet of Steele to defend us from his

clawes; but biddeth us put on the whole armour of God, that we may be

able to stand against the invasions of the divell. For we wrestle

not against flesh and bloud; but against principalities, powers, and

spirituall wickednesse. And therefore he adviseth us to be sober and

watch: for the divell goeth about like a roring lion, seeking whome he

may devoure. He meaneth not with carnall teeth: for it followeth thus,

Whome resist ye stedfastlie in faith. And againe he saith, That which

is spirituall onelie discerneth spirituall things: for no carnall man

can discerne the things of the spirit. Why then should we thinke that

a divell, which is a spirit, can be knowne, or made tame and familiar

unto a naturall man; or contrarie to nature, can be by a witch made

corporall, being by God ordeined to a spirituall proportion?

♦Ephe. 6, 11, 12.♦

♦2. Tim. 2, 8, 9.♦

♦Idem ibid.♦

♦1. Cor. 2. 14.♦

The cause of this grosse conceipt is, that we hearken more diligentlie

to old wives, and rather give credit to their fables, than to the

word of God; imagining by the tales they tell us, that the divell

is such a bulbegger, as I have before described. For whatsoever is

proposed in scripture to us by parable, or spoken figurativelie or

significativelie, or framed to our grosse capacities, &c: is by them

so considered and expounded, as though the bare letter, or rather

their grosse imaginations thereupon were to be preferred before the

true sense and meaning of the word. For I dare saie, that when these

blockheads read _Jothans_ parable in the ninth of Judges to the men of

_Sichem_; to wit, that the trees went out to annoint a king over them,

saieng to the olive tree, Reigne thou over us: who answered and said,

Should I leave my fatnesse, &c? They imagine that the woodden trees

walked, & spake with a mans voice: or else, that some spirit entred

into the trees, and answered as is imagined they did in the idols and

oracles of _Apollo_, and such like; who indeed have eies, and see not;

eares and heare not; mouthes, and speake not, &c.

♦Judg. 9. 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14.♦

The xiii. Chapter.

_The equivocation of this word spirit, how diverslie it is

taken in the scriptures, where (by the waie) is taught that

the scripture is not alwaies literallie to be interpreted,

nor yet allegoricallie to be understood._

Such as search with the spirit of wisedome and understanding, shall

find, that spirits, as well good as bad, are in the scriptures

diverslie taken: yea they shall well perceive, that the divell is no

horned beast. For [a]sometimes in the scriptures, spirits and divels

are taken for infirmities of the bodie; [b]sometimes for the vices of

the mind; sometimes also for the gifts of either of them. [c]Sometimes

a man is called a divell, as _Judas_ in the sixt of _John_, and _Peter_

in the xvi. of _Matthew_. [d]Sometimes a spirit is put for the Gospell;

sometimes for the mind or soule of man; sometimes [e]for the will of

man, his mind and counsell; sometimes [f]for teachers and prophets;

sometimes [g]for zeale towards God; sometimes [h]for joie in the

Holie-ghost, &c.

♦[a] Exod. 31, 1♦

♦[b] Acts. 8, 19.

Gal. 3.♦

♦[c] John. 6.

Matth. 16.♦

♦[d] 1. Cor. 3.

Gal. 3.

1. Cor. 2. 2.

Cor. 7.♦

♦[e] Luke 9.

1. Cor. 5.

Philip 1.

1 Thes. 5.♦

♦[f] 1. John. 4.♦

♦[g] 1. Tim. 4.♦

♦[h] Ephes. 5.

Isai. 11, 2.♦

And to interpret unto us the nature and signification of spirits, we

find these words written in the scripture; to wit, The spirit of the

Lord shall rest upon him; The spirit of counsell and strength; The

spirit of wisedome and understanding; The spirit of knowledge and the

feare of the Lord. Againe, I will powre out my spirit upon the house

of _David_, _&c_: The spirit of grace and compassion. Againe, Ye have

not received the spirit of bondage, but the spirit of adoption. And

therefore _Paule_ saith, To one is given, by the spirit, the word of

wisedome; to another, the word of knowledge by the same spirit; to

another, the gift of healing; to another, the gift of faith by the same

spirit; to another, the gift of prophesie; to another, the operation

of great works; to another, the discerning of spirits; to another, the

diversitie of toongs; to another, the interpretation of toongs: and all

these things worketh one and the selfesame spirit. Thus farre the words

of _Paule_. And finallie, _Esaie_ saith, that the Lord mingled among

them the spirit of error. And in another place, The Lord hath covered

you with a spirit of slumber.

♦Zach. 12, 10.♦

♦Rom. 1, 15.

1. Cor. 12, 8, 9, 10.♦

♦1. Co. 12, 11.♦

♦Isai. 19, 14.♦

♦Isaie. 29.♦

As for the spirits of divination spoken of in the scripture, they are

such as was in the woman of _Endor_, the _Philippian_ woman, the wench

of _Westwell_, and the holie maid of _Kent_; who were indued with

spirits or gifts of divination, whereby they could make shift to gaine

monie, and abuse the people by slights and craftie inventions. But

these are possessed of borrowed spirits, as it is written in the booke

of Wisedome; and spirits of meere cousenage and deceipt, as I have

sufficientlie prooved elsewhere. I denie not therefore that there are

spirits and divels, of such substance as it hath pleased GOD to create

them. But in what place soever it be found or read in the scriptures,

a spirit or divell is to be understood spirituallie, and is neither a

corporall nor a visible thing. Where it is written, that God sent an

evill spirit betweene _Abimelech_, and the men of _Sichem_, we are to

understand, that he sent the spirit of hatred, and not a bulbegger.

Also where it is said; If the spirit of gelosie come upon him: it is

as much to saie as; If he be mooved with a gelous mind: and not that a

corporall divell assaulteth him. It is said in the Gospell; There was

a woman, which had a spirit of infirmitie 18. yeeres, who was bowed

togither, &c: whome Christ, by laieng his hand upon hir, delivered of

hir disease. Wherby it is to be seene, that although it be said, that

sathan had bound hir, &c: yet that it was a sicknes or disease of bodie

that troubled hir; for Christs owne words expound it. Neither is there

any word of witchcraft mentioned, which some saie was the cause thereof.

♦1. Sam. 28.

Hest. 16.♦

♦Sap. 15, 15, 19.♦

♦Judg. 9, 23.♦

♦Num. 5, 14.♦

♦Luke. 13, 11.♦

There were seven divels cast out of _Marie Magdalen_. Which is not so

grosselie understood by the learned, as that there were in hir just

seven corporall divels, such as I described before elsewhere; but that

by the number of seven divels, a great multitude, and an uncerteine

number of vices is signified: which figure is usuall in divers places

of the scripture. And this interpretation is more agreeable with Gods

word, than the papisticall paraphrase, which is; that Christ, under

the name of the seven divels, recounteth the seven deadlie sinnes

onelie. Others allow neither of these expositions; bicause they suppose

that the efficacie of Christs miracle should this waie be confounded:

as though it were not as difficult a matter, with a touch to make a

good Christian of a vicious person; as with a word to cure the ague,

or any other disease of a sicke bodie. I thinke not but any of both

these cures may be wrought by meanes, in processe of time, without

miracle; the one by the preacher, the other by the physician. But I

saie that Christs worke in both was apparentlie miraculous: for with

power and authoritie, even with a touch of his finger, and a word of

his mouth, he made the blind to see, the halt to go, the lepers cleane,

the deafe to heare, the dead to rise againe, and the poore to receive

the Gospell, out of whom (I saie) he cast divels, and miraculouslie

conformed them to become good Christians, which before were dissolute

livers; to whome he said, Go your waies and sinne no more.

♦Mark. 16, 9.♦

♦Levit. 26.

Prov. 24.

Luk. 17.♦

♦Matth. 8, 16.♦

♦Luk. 4, 36.

Luk. 7, 21.♦

♦John 8, 11.♦

The xiiii. Chapter.

_That it pleased God to manifest the power of his sonne and not of

witches by miracles._

_Jesus Christ_, to manifest his divine power, rebuked the winds, and

they ceased; and the waves of water, and it was calme: which if neither

our divines nor physicians can doo, much lesse our conjurors, and least

of all our old witches can bring anie such thing to passe. But it

pleased God to manifest the power of Christ Jesus by such miraculous

& extraordinarie meanes, providing and as it were preparing diseases,

that none otherwise could be cured, that his sonnes glorie, and his

peoples faith might the more plainelie appeere; as namelie, leprosie,

lunacie, and blindnesse: as it is apparent in the Gospell, where it

is said, that the man was not stricken with blindnesse for his owne

sinnes, nor for any offense of his ancestors; but that he was made

blind, to the intent the works of God should be shewed upon him by the

hands of Jesus Christ. But witches with their charmes can cure (as

witchmongers affirme) all these diseases mentioned in the scripture,

and manie other more; as the gowt, the toothach, &c: which we find not

that ever Christ cured.

♦Luke. 8, 14.♦

♦Levit. 14, 7, 8.

Luk. 7. 17, 4.♦

♦John. 9.♦

As touching those that are said in the Gospell to be possessed of

spirits, it seemeth in manie places that it is indifferent, or all

one, to saie; He is possessed with a divell; or, He is lunatike

or phrentike: which disease in these daies is said to proceed of

melancholie. But if everie one that now is lunatike, be possessed with

a reall divell; then might it be thought, that divels are to be thrust

out of men by medicines. But who saith in these times with the woman of

_Canaan_; My daughter is vexed with a divell, except it be presupposed,

that she meant hir daughter was troubled with some disease? Indeed we

saie, and saie truelie, to the wicked, The divell is in him: but we

meane not thereby, that a reall divell is gotten into his guts. And if

it were so, I marvell in what shape this reall divell, that possesseth

them, remaineth. Entreth he into the bodie in one shape, and into the

mind in another? If they grant him to be spirituall and invisible, I

agree with them.

♦Mat. 4, 17, &c.♦

Some are of opinion, that the said woman of _Chanaan_ ment indeed that

hir daughter was troubled with some disease; bicause it is written in

sted of that the divell was cast out, that hir daughter was made whole,

even the selfesame houre. According to that which is said in the 12.

of _Matthew_; There was brought unto Christ one possessed of a divell,

which was both blind and dumbe, and he healed him: so as, he that was

blind and dumbe both spake and sawe. But it was the man, and not the

divell, that was healed, and made to speake and see. Whereby (I saie)

it is gathered, that such as were diseased, as well as they that were

lunatike, were said sometimes to be possessed of divels.

♦Matt. 15, 28.♦

♦Matt. 12, 22.♦

The xv. Chapter.

_Of the possessed with divels._

Here I cannot omit to shew, how fondlie diverse writers; and namelie,

_James Sprenger_, and _Henrie Institor_ doo gather and note the cause,

why the divell maketh choise to possesse men at certeine times of the

moone; which is (saie they) in two respects: first, that they may

defame so good a creature as the moone; secondly, bicause the braine

is the moistest part of the bodie. The divell therefore considereth

the aptnesse and conveniencie thereof (the [*]moone having dominion

over all moist things) so as they take advantage therby, the better

to bring their purposes to passe. And further they saie, that divels

being conjured and called up, appeere and come sooner in some certeine

constellations, than in other some: thereby to induce men to thinke,

that there is some godhead in the starres. But when _Saule_ was

releeved with the sound of the harpe, they saie that the departure

of the divell was by meanes of the signe of the crosse imprinted

in _Davids_ veines. Whereby we maie see how absurd the imaginations

and devises of men are, when they speake according to their owne

fansies, without warrant of the word of God. But me thinks it is verie

absurd that _Josephus_ affirmeth; to wit, that the divell should be

thrust out of anie man by vertue of a root. And as vaine it is, that

_Ælianus_ writeth of the magicall herbe _Cynospastus_, otherwise called

_Agla[o]photis_; which is all one with _Salomons_ root named _Baaros_,

as having force to drive out anie divell from a man possessed.

♦_Mal. malef. quæst. 5. pa. 1._♦

♦[*] A maxime in philosophie, as the sunne _in aridis & siccis_.♦

♦_Joseph. de antiquitat. Jud. item de bello Jud. lib. 7. ca. 35._♦

The xvi. Chapter.

_That we being not throughlie informed of the nature of divels

and spirits, must satisfie our selves with that which is

delivered us in the scriptures touching the same, how this

word divell is to be understood both in the singular and

plurall number, of the spirit of God and the spirit of the

divell, of tame spirits, of Ahab._

The nature therfore and substance of divels and spirits, bicause in

the scripture it is not so set down, as we may certeinlie know the

same: we ought to content and frame our selves faithfullie to beleeve

the words and sense there delivered unto us by the high spirit, which

is the Holie-ghost, who is Lord of all spirits; alwaies considering,

that evermore spirits are spoken of in scripture, as of things

spirituall; though for the helpe of our capacities they are there

sometimes more grosselie and corporallie expressed, either in parables

or by metaphors, than indeed they are. As for example (and to omit the

historie of _Job_, which elsewhere I handle) it is written; The Lord

said, Who shall entise _Ahab_, that he maie fall at _Ramoth Gilead_,

_&c_? Then came foorth a spirit, and stood before the Lord, and said; I

will entise him. And the Lord said, Wherewith? And he said; I will go

and be a lieng spirit in the mouth of all his prophets. Then he said;

Go foorth, thou shalt prevaile, &c.

♦Num. 27, 16.♦

♦1. Reg. 18. verse. 23. verse. 4.♦

This storie is here set foorth in this wise, to beare with our

capacities, and speciallie with the capacitie of that age, that could

not otherwise conceive of spirituall things, than by such corporall

demonstrations. And yet here is to be noted, that one spirit, and not

manie or diverse, did possesse all the false prophets at once. Even as

in another place, manie thousand divels are said to possesse one man:

and yet it is also said even in the selfe same place, that the same man

was possessed onelie with one divell. For it is there said that Christ

met a man, which had a divell, and he commanded the fowle spirit to

come foorth of the man, &c. But _Calvine_ saith; Where sathan or the

divell is named in the singular number, thereby is meant that power of

wickednesse, that standeth against the kingdome of justice. And where

manie divels are named in the scriptures, we are thereby taught, that

we must fight with an infinite multitude of enimies; least despising

the fewnesse of them, we should be more slacke to enter into battell,

and so fall into securitie and idlenes.

♦Luke. 8. 27. 28.♦

♦Mark. 5. 9.♦

♦Luk. 8.♦

♦_J. Cal. lib. instit. lib. 1. cap. 14. sect. 14._♦

On the other side, it is as plainelie set downe in the scripture,

that some are possessed with the spirit of God, as that the other

are endued and bound with the spirit of the divell. Yea sometimes we

read, that one good spirit was put into a great number of persons;

and againe, that diverse spirits rested in and upon one man: and yet

no reall or corporall spirit meant. As for example; The Lord tooke of

the spirit that was upon _Moses_, and put it upon the seventie elders,

and when the spirit rested upon them, they prophesied. Why should not

this be as substantiall and corporall a spirit, as that, wherewith

the maid in the _Acts_ of the apostles was possessed? Also _Elisha_

intreated _Elia_, that when he departed, his spirit might double upon

him. We read also that the spirit of the Lord came upon [a]_Othniel_,

upon [b]_Gedeon_, [c]_Jeptha_, [d]_Samson_, [e]_Balaam_, [f]_Saule_,

[g]_David_, [h]_Ezechiel_, [i]_Zacharie_, [k]_Amasay_: yea it is

written, that _Caleb_ had another spirit than all the Israelits beside:

& in another place it is said, that [l]_Daniel_ had a more excellent

spirit than anie other. So as, though the spirits, as well good as bad,

are said to be given by number and proportion; yet the qualitie and not

the quantitie of them is alwaies thereby ment and presupposed. Howbeit

I must confesse, that Christ had the spirit of God without measure,

as it is written in the evangelist _John_. But where it is said that

spirits can be made tame, and at commandement, I saie to those grosse

conceivers of scripture with _Salomon_, who (as they falslie affirme

was of all others the greatest conjuror) saith thus in expresse words;

No man is lord over a spirit, to reteine a spirit at his pleasure.

♦Num. 11.♦

♦Ibid. vers. 25♦

♦Acts. 16.♦

♦2. Reg. 2.♦

♦Judg. 3. 10.♦

♦[a] Judg. 11. 39.♦

♦[b] Ibid. 14. 6.♦

♦[c] Ibid. 14. 6.♦

♦[d] Num. 24. 2.♦

♦[e] 1. Sam. 16. 13.♦

♦[f] 1. Sam. 18. 14.♦

♦[g] Ezec. 11. 5.♦

♦[h] 2. Chr. 14.♦

♦[i] 1. Ch. 12. 18.♦

♦[k] Numb. 14.♦

♦[l] Dan. 5. 11.♦

♦John. 3, 34.♦

♦Eccles. 8. [8.]♦

[Azariah is omitted in the text, and the margin references are

wrong; they are rightly given opposite]

♦[a] Judg. 3. 10.♦

♦[b] [Judg. 6. 34.]♦

♦[c] Judg. 11. [2]9.♦

♦[d] Ibid 14. 6.♦

♦[e] Num. 24. 2.♦

♦[f] [1. Sam. 11. 3.]♦

♦[g] 1. Sam. 16. 13.

1. Sam. 18. 14.♦

♦[h] Ezec. 11. 5.♦

♦[i] 2. Chr. 14. [15. 1. is Azariah.]♦

♦[k] [Zech. 24. 20.]♦

♦[l] 1. Chr. 12. 18.

Num. 14. [24.]♦

The xvii. Chapter.

_Whether spirits and soules can assume bodies, and of their

creation and substance, wherein writers doo extreamelie

contend and varie._