their own Now this prestigiousnesse or illusion whether freely from themselves or as it were forced by others is a signe of their impotency as well as their fallacy and either of them are a sufficient argument to exclude them utterly from a power of working Miracles And therefore if they will needs be contending for the devils power in and by Magicians Astrologers Necromancers Conjurers Witches c. We leave both them theirs to their lyingwonders 6. Whether there be any such secrets in Nature as whereby to work Miracles Although it be confest that there are sundry admirable secrets hidden in Natures bosome yet we must professe that her hand is here shortned Because it is the nature of a Miracle to exceed Natures power It must be above besides against Nature and not particular onely but universal or whole created Nature Though a Miracle be wrought in Nature yet it must be quite beyond Natures principles law order Nature of it self must not so much as incline or dispose to it Yea it must be in the very nature of the thing to be otherwise then the Miracle hath made it Alwayes the more alien the effect is to Nature and the more remore from Natures order the greater is the Miracle and the more to be admired Wherefore we conclude against those Mirions who would make themselves to be Natures Apes that not onely any particular nature is not able to worke a Miracle besides or against the order of whole Nature but the vertue even of whole Nature is not able to worke a Miracle upon any particular nature whatsoever 7. Whether Miracles may be wrought by Art The flat Negative is to be concluded upon these Arguments 1. Art cannot exceed Nature Now Nature in all her mirables is but Miracles Ape and Art is but Natures Ape what then are the Magical Mirabilaries at most but Apes of Art 2. The strength of Art is acquisite the vertue of Miracles is infused 3. An Art operates onely according to reason and knowledge but a Miracle altogether above them 4. Art effects nothing but according to ordinary rules observations experiments customs but a Miracle is so extraordinary that it were no Miracle except it were effected contrary to all these 5. Art for the most part is of necessaries a Miracle for the most part is of contingents 6. If Art served to worke Miracles then were the power of them acquisite arbitrary of mans will and industry yea one man might do Miracles as well as another 7. None of Gods servants ever wrought Miracles by Art 8. If it were in the Artists power it should be a Miracle to one man and not to another 9. Prophane men and the greatest tempters of God the Devil and Nature should so do most Miracles 10. Art rather serves to prevent many things for seeming Miraculous because it helps to finde out the suddain cause For either it lets to understand the cause or not if it doth not then it is no Art if it doth then it is no Miracle 8. Whether it be lawful necessary convenient not onely for the working of Miracles but for the finding out of Mirables to operate either by Art or violence against the order plac't in Nature Doubtlesse it is no further lawful then it may be either necessary or convenient That is probably and directly tending to some publike or private use or benefit Nature may have many pretty mirables which they title Admired Auditions Natural history Mirables of the world Occult Miracles of Nature Occult Philosophie subtilities and varieties of things secrets mysteries memorables unheard of curiosities c. Yet for all that are they not such as Magicians fain or fable in animals plants herbs stones c. Nor are they a many of them so mirable in themselves as either to mens fancies or ignorances Her actives and passives simpathies and antipathies are so occult and profound as who can tell where to finde them or how to apply them so as to urge Nature by the help of Art to worke wonders Who can do such a thing especially make it his trade profession ostentation so to do and not be subject to or guilty of tempting God provoking the Devil tormenting Nature abusing the creature losing time disparaging himself and deluding the world It is for none but God to worke absolutely against the order of whole created Nature because he could have instituted another order of Nature And all things are subject to him not so much from a necessity of Nature and second causes as according to the absolutenesse of his own power and liberty of his own will And it is for none to undertake to alter the order of particular Nature but in by under and for God yea I may say according to God and not otherwise As. 1. God acteth not against the order of nature in any particular of it save onely upon just and weighty causes how then dare prophane men offer to do such a thing joculatorily jugglingly to make sport and pastime or yet for no other end or use but vain and idle experiments sake or onely to feed or satisfie vain and presumptuous curiosity 2. God though he may act against that order which one creature hath to another yet acts he not against that order which the creature hath to himself For should he act against the order of nature as it depends upon himself he should so act against himself in like manner neither ought man to act against the order of nature or of the creature so far forth as it depends upon God nor yet so far forth as it is not intended by God to be serviceable and useful unto men 3. God acts not against the law and course of nature so as to violate his own great Law so that of his wisdome goodnesse justice in disposing the creature neither ought men so to do beyond the great Law of using the creature aright and to those very ends for which God ordained it For it can never be lawful or warrantable so to transgresse natures order as to abuse the creature in any kinde Now do they not know that the creature may as well be spiritually and speculatively abused by superstition and curiosity as practically and carnally by violence or sensuality 9. Why amongst all the Miracles that Christ wrought against the Devils among men and in the other creatures he did work none at all from or by the heavenly bodies the stars Besides the reason above mentioned why he refused to shew a signe from heaven this may now be added above all the rest It was because there now was a greater Miracle wrought upon the earth then ever was wrought in the Heavens Even the mysterious Miracle or miraculous Mystery of God and Man Doing such works upon earth as whereat the Angels and whole powers of heaven might well stand amazed with admiration Indeed there was a wonder in Heaven a star a new star at his birth and another wonder in Heaven an Eclipse of
by the Elements Aeromancy or divining by the ayr Pyromancy by fire Hydromancy by water Geomancy by earth Theomancy pretending to divine by the revelation of the Spirit and by the Scriptures or word of God Daemonomancy by the suggestions of evill Daemons or Devills Idolomancy by Idolls Images Figures Psychomancy by mens souls affections wills religious or morall dispositions Antinopomancy by the entrails of men women and children Theriomancy by Beasts Ornithomancy by Birds I cthyomancy by Fishes Botanomancy by herbs Lithomancy by stones Cleromancy by lotts Oniromancy by dreams Onomatomancy by names Arithmancy by numbers Logarithmancy by Logarithmes Sternomancy from the breast to the belly Gastromancy by the sound of or signes upon the belly Omphelomancy by the navell Chiromancy by the hands Paedomancy by the feet Onychomancy by the nayles Cephaleonomancy by brayling of an Asses head Tuphramancy by ashes Capnomancy by smoak Livanomancy by burning of Frankincence Carromancy by melting of Wax Lecanomancy by a basin of water Catoxtromancy by looking-glasses Chartomancy by writing in papers Macharomancy by knives or swords Chrystallomancy by glasses Dactylomancy by rings Coseinomancy by seives Axinomancy by Sawes Cattabomancy by vessells of brasse or other metall Roadomancy by starrs Spatalamancy by skins bones excrements Sciomancy by shadowes Astragalomancy by dice Oinomancy by Wine Sycomancy by Figgs Typomancy by the coagulation of cheese Alphitomancy by meal flower or branne Crithomancy by grain or corn Alectromancy by Cooks or Pallen Gyromancy by rounds or circles Lampadomancy by candles and lamps And in one word for all Nagomancy or Necromancy by inspecting consulting and divining by with or from the dead The question is not about the difference of all these from the first to the last in matter instruments ceremonies or circumstances but whether they be not of like maleficall sorcery for main substance and formality And whether divining by the Starres and Planets be not a cause enclining and disposing at least an occasion inviting and encouraging what through imitation estimation toleration to all these sorts of sorcerous divination and the like 2. Whether there be any kind of Magick simply so naturall or laudably so arted as many serve to abstract it from the maleficall and diabolicall For though there be many occult qualities and miracles of nature and actives and passives there which perfectly known and fitly applyed might help to work wonders without either tempting of God or the Devill yet because of the difficulty of such things and not that alone but their uselessnesse and because of mens ignorance and for all that their curiosity and because of the Arts insufficiencie and besides that the fallacie and chiefly because of Satans privie suggestions and delusory seducements the study and search after these things proves very confused indiscerned unsafe and pernicious And because of all these the abuse of this astro-magicall art is as palpable as the practice but the use as occult as the Art it self But especially as touching the practice of this art if there be an artifice of doing wholly separate from malefice why then are the same things done by those that are altogether ignorant of the art so they have but a saith and why without such a faith is nothing to be done by the Art it self How many things have been done by all manner of Magicians that can have no naturall causes no true rules of art no power or comprobation from God and therefore must needs be acted by a confederation and familiarity with some evill spirit How many things have they presumed to predict or foretell which neither divine wisdome is pleased to reveal neither is it ordinarily for humane reason or art to find out but must only be done by a demoniacall sagacity or suggestion what sounds and syllables and words and sentences doe they murmure or pronounce and that to the very inanimates whom words can in no wise effect or move or else are so barbarous and insignificant as that if they were uttered to the intelligent they cannot conceive them their extent or use Now by whose invention is it that such words should be most operative in magick art that are operative upon no understanding How many rites solemnities ceremonies preparations doe they use which have naturally no force or vertue to the producing of the effect not yet can any way prepare the matter to the receiving thereof What sacrifices immolations consecrations prostrations adorations invocations execrations imprecations attestations comminations exorcisms adjurations c. And none of all these commanded by God and therefore not done to him how easy is it then to suspect by whom all these are suggested and for whom they are intended 3. Whether if be in Magick and Astrologie that the art hath power over the heavenly bodies or the heavenly bodies power over the art not the first because for the Art to have power over the heavenly bodies so as to stop or turn the course of the stars or by odes and incantations to fetch down the moon from her orb as the old Magicians have boasted this is beyond the power of a Devill or an Angell and were not only against the particular order of nature but would utterly confound the whole course of it And by conjurations or confections so to prepare the matter as to allure or force down influences and to make it by art capable and sufficient both to receive and retain them this were to mingle heaven and earth to subjugate the superiour bodies to their inferiors to preferre accidents to substances and turn the whole universe upside down Not the second for not only the speculations but also the practicks of their art a many of them are meerly intellectuall rationall arbitrary over which the stars and planets can have no power The stars are corporall things arts or sciences are mentall how come these then to impress and impose upon one another All power is from action all action is from forms all forms are either naturall or artificiall now by what third kind of form doe the stars and the Art worke one upon another And how agree their proper forms to act upon a third subject How can the stars or the Art in introducing forms and producing effects work either naturally by art or artificially by nature Can a naturall form give principles of life and motion to an artificiall matter or an artificiall to a naturall matter which way then will they have these two to conspire or consent either for the operating between themselves or upon a third 4 Whether that power which Magicians Necromancers conjurers inchanters insultingly boast of against Devils and evill spirits by way of coaction and compulsion be not indeed by way of invocation and subjection For though Christ and his Apostles subdued Devils and ejected them by a divine and extraordinary power but as for meer men and the vilest of men since God hath denyed them the singular gift who hath taught them the triviall art of acting over or commanding evill
as our English word founds aptest or her apish and accidental sports by confusedly shadowing one kinde of creature in another And causing them to rise and fall in their own mud like the imperfect animals in Nilus without any further hurt or help to the whole universe save that men may consider that He who made all things of nothing can make any thing resemble every thing and that Christians might learn to blesse their Creator for their more perfect formation But idle-witted and fantastical men have fancied figures and faces in stones and roots like as we have done of late on Tobacco-box lids and therewith have fraught their studies as Papists have done their Sacraries with Reliques or as women have deckt their closets with shells Neither is the vanity all but they have superstitiously nay and forcerously made these umbrages of creatures to be the tutilaries of Kingdoms Nations Countries Cities persons from devils thunders tempests shipwracks pestilences poysons serpents vermine and who knows what 12. Whether a diabolical compact and familiarity may not justly be there suspected where praestigious things are apparent and yet miracles are denyed the Law affords no precept the Gospel hath made no promise Nature hath no power Art hath no principles the means have no warrant and the end hath no profit no profit neither to Church nor Common-wealth 13. What is the difference betwixt those that call themselves Magicians Mathematicians Astrologers Prognosticators Diviners and those that are called Soothsayers Necromancers Conjurers Inchanters Sorcerers Wizzards and Witches Is this all the difference that the one is guilty of a compact or covenant the other not Why there is an implicite covenant as well as an explicite and one leading to the other and by how many of both parties hath even an explicite covenant been confessed Or that one is arted the other unlearned What good of an art without a gift the more learned in an evil art the more to be abhorred Let them both see to it whether the main of their learning be not of a delusive suggestion rather then of a diligent acquisition Or that one is imperious over the Devil wheras the other is his supplyant The Devil smiles alike at the pride and at the humility of a superstition And can no more be enjoyned then he can be entreated And will yield that either of them shall openly command so they will but secretly implore Or that the one operates by the celestial the other by terrestrial imps Hath not idolatry and superstition and why not witchcraft been committed by things in Heaven as well as things on earth Me thinks a Magician operates by the baser imp of the two For a Witch works by a living dog cat mouse rat c. But he by a dead one configured constellated written painted ingraven Or that Witches are for the most part female but they male Oh! the nobler sexe abusing it self is alwayes the viler Or that Witches are poor and envious to the infesting of women children cattel c How proud are they then that dare do the like to Nations Kingdoms Princes Magistrates c. Or that Witches are violent and revengeful in their practices but Magicians are pleasant and merry in their pranks Certainly it is good neither to play with Saints nor Devils such their sports are Satans earnest Doth not the one thus act with more reluctancy and the other with more complacency For such passions may have more of enforcement and such pleasures more of assent 14. Whether the appellations of Magicians Mathematicians Astrologers Genethliaks Planetarians to say nothing of the old Chaldeans Aegyptians Gazarens Samanaeans Hierophants Beachmans Gymnosophists Thessalians Hetrurians the Cabalistical Rabbins the Greek Arithmeticks the Roman Augurizers the French Druids the English Bards c. as also Necromancers Conjurers Inchanters Charmers Wizzards Witches Sorcerers Soothsayers Sophisters Impostors Circulators loculators Juglers Gipsies Physiognomists Fortune-tellers Prognosticators Praedictors Diviners c. be not terms of a promiscuous usage And whether the community of words argue not some community of things Nay have not the holy Scriptures condemned them under these tearms or names indifferently Do not the Fathers Councells Schoolemen Casuists Divines Historians and Poets thus speak of them indiscriminately Have not the Ecclesiastical Imperial Provincial Municipal Lawes under these mixt notions and nominations decreed and doomed them alike to penalty 15. Why the Devil chuseth to have both his most solemn confederation as also the most stupendious operations that follow thereupon to be made and done under certain constellations Is it not because he would have the Starres worshipped for Gods who himself is worshipped in any thing that is not God Or that he would thus have all the malefice devolved upon heavenly bodies For what mischief he is permitted to do upon earth he would make men believe it comes from Heaven Or indeed that he would thus delude the Sorcerers themselves in perswading them that what they do they do not by fraud but by an innocent nay an exquisite Planetary Art For how many rank wharsicks have laboured to excuse their execrable Arts by accusing the malefick Stars 16. How many Magicians Astrologers and Planetary Prognosticators have had their Paredrials their Assessors and Obsessors their Consiliaries and Auxiliaries their Martinists Maisterels and Ministrels their Imps and Familiars as well as other Witches And whether have not they made the same use and employment of them as the other have done 17. Whether the Artists in Magick and Astrology denying exclaiming and cautioning against Idolatry Superstition Sorcery Witchcraft be sufficient to purge their Art and quit themselves of the same When as their very speculations are expressely coinquinated with much in all these and their practises palpably guilty of much more and that to all mens judgements but theirs that use them Therefore rather whether are not their intermingled negations and affirmations disclaimings and acclaimings vowings and disavowings cautions and concessions distinctions and confusions an Argument of a consciousnesse or conviction of something in this kinde to be greatly suspected and censured 18. How many of them that have pretended nothing but nature and natural causes and boasted Art altogether and principles of mysterious Art yet when the mystery of delusion and iniquity hath been discovered and themselves straightly examined by prudent and careful Magistrates or the day of their disastrous and unfortunate ends or execution approaching I say how many of them have then confest and cryed out upon compacts confederacies Devils delusions perdition damnation 19. Whether the superstitions of Sorcery and Witchcraft be not taught and promoted countenanced and encouraged by the Printing and permitting such multitudes of Magical books Especially the translating of them by way of Vindication and Apologie into the vulgar tongue 20. Whether such books may be read unlesse with an inimical Science not a social Conscience not with an invitatory operation but an expugnatory refutation And whether their signes and ceremonies may be used
for it self as also more efficacious to that which it desires Every one therefore that is willing to work in Magick must know the vertue measure order and degree of his own soul in the power of the universe 14. Those words are of greater efficacy then other which represent greater things as intellectual coelestial supernatural as more expresly so more mysteriously Also those that come from a more worthy tongue or from any of a more holy order for these as it were certain signes and representations receive a power of coelestial and supercoelestial things as from the vertue of things explained of which they are the vebieula so from a power put into them by the vertue of the speaker 15. Proper Names of things are very necessary in magical operations Hence Magicians say that proper Names of things are certain rayes of things every where present at all times keeping the power of things as the essence of the thing signified rules and is discerned in them and know the things by them as by proper and living images According to the properties of the influences proper Names result to things Every voyce therefore that is significative first of all signifies by the influence of the coelestial harmony Secondly by the imposition of man although oftentimes otherwise by this then by that But when both significations meet in any voice or name which are put upon them by the said harmony or men then that name is with a double vertue viz. Natural and arbitrary made most efficacious to act as oft as it shall be uttered in due place and time and seriously with an intention exercised upon the matter rightly dispofed and that can naturally be acted upon by it 16. In composing of verses and orations for the attracting the vertue of any star or Deity you must diligently consider what vertues any star containes as also what effects and operations and to infer them in verses by praysing extolling amplifying and setting forth those things which such a kind of star is wont to cause by way of its influence and by vilifying and dispraising those things which it is wont to destroy and hinder And by supplicating and begging for that which we desire to get and by condemning and detesting that which we would have destroyed and hindred And after the same manner he make an elegant oration and duely distinct by Articles with competent numbers and proportions 17. Moreover Magicians command that we call upon and pray by the names of the same star or name to them to whom such a verse belongs by their wonderfull things or miracles by their courses and waies in their sphere by their light by the dignity of their kingdome by the beauty and brightness that is in it by their strong and powerfull vertues and by such like as these Besides with the divers sorts of the names of the stars they command us to call upon them by the names of the Intelligences ruling over the starres themselves 18. Magicians command that in every worke there be imprecations and inscriptions made by which the Operator may expresse his affection That if hee gather an herbe or a stone he declare for what use he doth it if he make a picture he say and write to what end he maketh it 19. When thou art working any thing which belongs to any planet thou must place it in its Dignities fortunate and powerfull and ruling in the day houre and in the figure of the Heaven Neither shalt thou expect the signification of the worke to be powerfull but also thou must observe the Moon opportunely directed to this for thou shalt doe nothing without the assistance of the Moon And if thou hast more patternes of thy work observe them all c. 20. Thou shalt observe that the Angles of the Ascendant and a tenth and Seventh be fortunate as also the Lord of the Ascendent and place of the Sunne and Moon and the place of part of the Fortune and the Lord thereof and the Lord of the foregoing conjunction and prevention c. 21. Magicians advise us that in casting or in graving Images we would write upon it the name of the effect and this upon the back when evill as destruction on the belly when good as love Moreover in the forehead of the Image let be written the name of the species or individuum which the Image represents or for whom or against whom it is made Also on the breast let the name of the signe or face ascending and the Lord thereof be written also the names and characters of its Angles Moreover in making the Image they advise that prayer for the effect for which it is made bee used Now they use the Images being made diversly according to the vertues thereof Sometimes they hang them or bind them to the body sometimes they bury them under the earth or a River sometimes they hang them in a chimney over the smoak or upon a tree that they may be moved by the wind sometimes with the head upward and sometimes downward sometimes they put them into hot water or into the sire For they say as the workers of the Images do affect the Image it selfe so doth it bring the like passions upon those to whom it was ascribed as the mind of the Operator hath dictated it 22. To make one fortunate we make an image in which these are fortunate viz. the significator of the life thereof the givers of the life the signes and planets Moreover to the Ascendant the middle of the heaven and the Lords thereof be fortunate also the place of the Sunne and place of the Moon part of Fortune and Lord of conjunction or prevention made before their nativity by depressing the malignant planets But if we will make an Image to procure misery we must doe contrarywise and those which wee place here fortunate must there be infortunate by raising malignant stars Also for the destroying or prejudicing any let there be made an Image under the ascension of that man whom thou wouldst destroy and prejudice and thou shalt make unfortunate the Lord of the House of his life the Lord of the ascending and the Moon and the Lord of the house of the Moon and the Lord of the house of the Lord ascending and the tenth house and the Lord thereof c. 23 The youth to be initiated to Diaination by magick spells ought to be chosen sound without sicknesse ingenious comely perfect in his members of a quick spirit eloquent in speech that in him the divine power might be conversant as in the good houses that the minde of the youth having quickly attained experience may be restored to its divinity If therefore thou shalt be a man perfect in the sound understanding of Religion and piously and most constantly meditatest on it and without doubting believest and art such an one on whom the authority of holy Rites and Nature hath conferred dignity above others and one whom the divine powers contemn not thou