smart of their priuie match or by such continuall tampering with them sometimes by vgly apparitions to terrifie them eftsoones to keepe them watchfull by continuall employments Is there not I say more hope euen of the recouerie of such then of many thousands in the world who are lulled asleepe in securitie and fatted vp without all sense of danger euen to vtter destruction Oh that we were wise to vnderstand these things to Trie the spirites and choose the good and perfect way Is not the Prophet a snare vpon Mispath and profound to deceiue Is it not iust with God that because wee haue not receiued the trueth therefore to giue vs vp to strong delusions to beleeue lies 2. Thess. 2. 11. 12. Well this we may learne by this impudencie of Sathan in abusing the place of Gods worship and drawing his Proselites hither for their further confirmation in their subiection vnto him And are we not yet further taught hereby to make a profession to our God of our subiection to him and that publikely when wee shall be called hereunto further by the magistrate to giue an account of our hope or by the Minister to approue our profiting by the word or by our Christian brother to confirme him therein nay ought we not to stop the mouthes of the wicked by acknowledging our soueraigne Lord the great God of heauen and earth seeing the wicked are not ashamed to honour their master the diuel glorying in this that they are the damned crue c. shall not euen these silly deceiued soules rise vp in iudgement against such monsters that are drawne to that through feare or ignorance or hope of present release seeing these wittingly and malitiously as it were defie God with an high hand blaspheme and treade vnder foot the blood of the couenant acknowledging willingly and with great applause their subiection to Satan Nay shall not our Politike and State-christians bee condemned by these poore and base creatures who vpon necessitie and through faire promises onely are brought to this subiection Surely when I obserue the wisedome of the flesh in many great mightie of the world that eyther come to the house of God only to receiue honor to maintaine credit and outward esteem or else to hedge in some profit and suck some aduantage hereby or else rather to honour the word by their presence for this is vsually the best end then to be humbled and reformed thereby rather I say to controule the ordinaunces of the mightie God then to be brought in subiection vnder the power thereof may I not conclude that heerein they rather publish their homage unto Sathan then testifie any obedience vnto the Lord Are not these the very stratagems of Satan to ensnare vnstable soules by causing them thus to abase the word thus to peruert the holie ends therof are not the wicked hereby iustly giuen vp to the illusions of Satan for the profaning of Gods ordinance do they not by these abuses testifie their obeisance vnto the Diuell while they pretēd the honor of god doe they not in seeking their owne honor abase that which belongs to the Lord approue themselues to be imps of that king of Feare who in all things seeketh to robbe God of his glorie And what else may wee deeme of the high mysterie of carnall wisedome chalenging Preheminence ouer the word of God in determining Lawes besides or contrary to it confining suiting it to it crooked Rules binding and loosing it for the satisfying of it lusts Is not this a plaine badge of of that man of sinne that some of perdition Is not this an apparant euidence of it subiection to Satan And if wee shall scanne the mystery of that sublimated policie that nowadayes he is not a wise man who is not a seruant vnto men submitting himselfe to be new moulded fashioned according to the lust of his Patron This blasphemously chalēging him as his proper creature the creature reioicing as in his soueraigne creator conforming heart and hand simply to his deuotions May we not see Satan here aduāced as god of this world in the children of disobedience May wee not conclude that such absolute subiection as is giuen vnto man is wholy taken from God and giuen to the Diuell And what may wee deeme of the common Idolatrie of all sorts One makes the wedge of golde his hope An other makes his mistris the soueraigne of his heart this makes his belly his god the other sacrifices to his net c. Are not all these in effect sacrificers vnto the Diuell Is not subiection and homage performed vnto him euen in them all What shall we thinke of the generall and ordinarie seruice of God in these dayes the most feare him with their Lippes but their hearts are far from him the best vsually serue him but by halfes they cannot be Saints God must beare with thē in some sin they must liue therefore they must strain a litle they are but flesh and blood they do what they can God must be mercifull to them in this c. Do they not in all these shew themselues seruants to him whom yet they obey euen the prince of darkenes the great deceiuer of their soules Is not Satan the lord of their harts while they serue God but with their lips doth he not hereby hold their hearts faster bound vnto him in that hee giueth way to their bodily seruice nay will he not haue their tongues also at his deuotion at a pinch to curse the same God whom they seeme to blesse or to slaunder their brethren and condemne thē of hypocrisie because they labor to serue God in spirit truth And is not Sathans cunning the more dangerous in that he is content to hold the wicked but by one string Is not their state more dāgerous that while they seem to haue escaped the pollutions of the world to make a faire shew in the flesh as if they were good Christians glorious sepulchres yet eyther inwardly they are full of rotten bones or else one dead flie will be sufficient to corrupt all the ointment of the Apothecarie easily may Satan recouer his full possession againe euen by reason of that one traitor which they shall nourish in their bosomes Shall he not reenter with seuen worse spirits and so the later end of that man shall be worse then the beginning The dog shall returne to his vomite and the swine vnto the mire of which he was cleansed and so become twice dead and pluckt vp by the roots euen two-fold more the child of perdition then euer he was before O that wee were wise to discerne our selues whose we are and whom we serue how long shall we halt betweene two opinions If God be Lord deseruing all seruice at our hands inabling vs by his spirit to offer vp our bodies and soules
these Witches 1 That here they may receiue the punishment of their grosse hypocrisie and prophanenesse for their former abuse of Gods holy ordinances and bodily seruice lip-labour c. where they committed the sin 2 That here they may be hastened to the participating of this punishment by being prouoked to fearefull blasphemy and renouncing of that God whom formerly they serued and so might bee more iustly subiected to the power of Satan SECTIO II. And may wee not heere learne many profitable things Doth not our gracious God tender some light vnto vs out of this darknesse Yea surely 1 Our Prophanenes is reproued that abuse and defile the house of God with our bodily seruice vaine thoughts and speeches rather like a company of deuils then the Saints of God 2 Our superstition is condemned in ascribing holinesse and perfection to the place of Gods Worship as if the place did sanctifie our seruice or sheild vs from danger as if we were free from Satan when once wee haue got the Church ouer our backes As if no prayers were auaileable but what were offered vp here Doth not Satan hereby take away the benefite of priuate prayer which indeed as the life and touch-stone of the publike Doth he not prouoke vs hereby to rob God of his glorie in ascribing that vnto the place which is proper onely to his Maiesty Doth he not vtterly frustrate preuent all spirituall worship of the heart as if the performing of a little lip-labour in the house of God would serue the turne wee need not stand vpō any inward touch or feeling it shal suffice that we haue offered vp the sacrifice of our lips before the Lord. Surely when I cōsider the practise of the time namely when we come to the house of God which is appointed for publicke prayer to be performed iointly by the whole Congregation we then fall to mumbling our priuate deuotions yea when the publick Exercises are in hand so that for the presēt we neither can ioine with thē nay rather indeed do disturbe giue offence to the Congregation in not consenting with them mee thinkes euen Satans Proselites may heere condemne vs who cary themselues more regularly in the house of God to serue the deuill then wee here to the seruice of God These wretches I warrant you are kept from sleeping they spare not their bloud to please the deuill they are contented to submit themselues to any base office heerevnto Nothing can keep vs waking not though Iesus Christ bee crucified among vs daily though we are partakers of his bloud yet wee will not kisse the Son of Righteousnesse we cannot so much as shed a teare in testimony of our renouncing of sinne and Satan whereas these wretches spare not their deerest bloud to shew their homage vnto Satan 4 And are we not hereby taught now to feare our selues most when we are before the Lord in his Sanctuarie because Satan will now be one with vs both to hinder vs in the seruice of God that we shall not profite or else to puffe vs with Pride as if wee had deserued much heereby and then to accuse vs of presumption that so hee may driue vs to despaire Surely seeing wee cannot be free from Sathans snares neither the house of God wil protect vs nor our owne houses can shield vs but Sathan wil be closing to rob God of his glorie and vs of the comfort of any publique duety shall not this send vs to the searching of the heart shall it not teach vs to worship God in spirit that so Sathan may not bee acquainted with what we are about and so may not interrupt vs or if hee guesse at our purposes may be yet confounded in that our hearts are best knowne to the Lord It is our comfort vnspeakable before our God that hereby wee desire to worship him in truth because as our hearts witnesse with the truth of our endeuours so doe they also witnesse for God against vs the imperfection of them that the Lord may be iustified when he iudgeth Psal. 5 1. 4. 5. That Sathan may be preuented and confounded by this iudging of our selues that heereby wee may be daily prouoked to perfection by labouring to be found in Christ not hauing our owne righteousnesse and so may grow vppe in him to perfect holinesse Philip. 3. 13. Shall not this teach vs to trie our publike worship by this touch-stone of the heart and not the place Shall it not weane vs from the loue of this world seeing no place so holy no meanes so sacred but by Sathans policie they may be abused Shall it not prouoke vs to hunger after our dissolution that so we may freely and continually glorifie our GOD in his blessed kingdome Doeth not this condemne that pompous and carnall decking of the house of God rather to please the eie then affect the heart rather as a Pallace for the god of this world to reuel in and prey vpon new-fangled and silly soules then a place of spirituall worship for the great GOD of Heauen and Earth Certainely when I obserue some occupying the place of Gods worshippe and thence deliuering vnto Gods people Chaffe in stead of Wheat nay sometimes poyson in lieu of wholesome foode making merchandise of the word of God c. may I not conclude that these are the diuells factors bartering their owne and their peoples soules vnto him for alitle vaine credite and for a few shekells of siluer and morsels of bread heerein farre worse then the diuell himselfe that whereas he meanes plaine dealing to drawe them to damnation these notwithstanding pretend to shew them a nearer way to Heauen promising libertie when themselues are slaues to corruption and so nouzling in securitie and excluding repentance do thereby cary their people in a dreame vnto hell 2. Pet. 2. 19. 20. And when I consider on the other side that faithfull teachers who labour by enforcing the Lawe to bring the people to a sight of their sinnes and so to a denyall of themselues that they may hunger after Christ Iesus being loaden with the burthen of their sinnes That such I say are notwithstanding traduced as Preachers of damnation no better then Satans harbengers to driue silly soules through despaire into the very snare and pitte of destruction Me thinks I obserue heere a farre more dangerous practise of Sathan then this with these Nouices to renownce their Baptisme euen to cause the people of God vtterly to reiect the true means of their saluation namely Christ Iesus In that he will not suffer them to see what neede they haue of him by humbling them with the Law that so they might bee forced out of themselues to relie wholie on his sacrifice for the pardon of their sinnes Is there not more hope of the saluation euen of these Witches that are thus kept sensible of their wofull estate either by the
SATHAN TRANSFORMED into an Angell of Light expressing his dangerous Impostures vnder glorious shewes Emplified Specially in the Doctrine of Witch-craft and such sleights of Satan as are incident thereunto Very necessary to discerne the speci-Plague raging in these dayes and so to hide our selues from the snare thereof LONDON Printed by Barnard Alsop 1622. To the right worshipfull Alderman Holiday the worthy Gouernour of the East Indian Merchants together with the prouident Treasures and graue Committees and the rest of the aduenturers in that famous trade All things pertaining to life and godlinesse RIght worthy and beloued in our Lord Iesus Christ It is the wonderfull mercy and exceeding patience of our gratious God towards vs of this sinfull Nation that in the middest of such fearfull stormes and bloody garboyles deuouring our neighbors round about vs wee of this Iland though as it were enuironed round about with such tempestuous seas do yet notwithstanding enioy such temperate seasons as not onely to eate the fruite of our owne labours but to be enabled moreouer out of our aboundance to entertaine and releeue our distressed neighbours And is not the wisedome of God admirable herein to warne vs to looke home when our neighbours house is on fire and to make it our owne case what is common to vs with others Is not his mercy vnspeakeable that seeing charitie couereth a multitude of sinnes and much is forgiuen to those that loue much therefore wee may haue hope of Gods longer forbearance indulgence towards vs so long as we regard the afflictions of Ioseph by our brotherly affections beare one anothers burthen Surely though the sickle must be put in when the haruest is ripe and there are too many signes among vs that the regions are white vnto the haruest yea that the Deere is gone out to go through the land yet euen here I haue obserued these meanes to stay the execution First when there are some remaining to stand in the gap to turne away the wrath Secondly when the Lord is iustified and approued by his word And thirdly when by our compassion and prudence wee doe communicate with the afflictions of our brethren and so voluntarily suffer with them in their distresses Wherein as we haue speciall cause to blesse our gratious God for his good hand with our worthy Nehemiah in this holy worke so are wee wisely to secure our selues in succouring others and doing good while wee haue time to the houshold of faith Shall not Sathan and his instruments herein otherwise condemne vs who if euer heretore do speedily combine them selues against the Lord and his annoynted whose maine policy it is in these latter dayes to disunite the hearts of Christians and to weaken their hands that they may more speedily and easily make prey of them Doe not his croaking frogges those infernall Iebusites compasse land and sea to this end creeping into the chambers yea into the harts of Princes both to exasperate such as are auerse against the poore mēbers of Christ and also alienate euen the well affected from the maintenance of the common faith And doe wee thinke that they haue left any stone vnrowled to compasse the same can we imagine but that these spirits of diuels haue waded into the depth of their fathers methods and as she in the Poet When heauen will affoord no helpe shee 'le moue the infernall powers so in despite of heauen these limbs of Sathan haue now failed to employ the powers of darkenesse for the more effectuall deluding of the children of disobedience And are not these the times wherein if it were possible the very elect may bee seduced and ensnared hereby Is not the wisdome and iustice of God admirable herein that when the Foole saith in his heart there is no God the Atheist dreams of no other hell but to bee in debt and affliction and so plots by all meanes to build his heauen on earth by wallowing in all excesse of riot and vanitie as hereby he reapes such wages of his error as is meet euen to be giuen vp to a reprobate sense and so not onely to all monstrous and desperate wickednesse but euen to maintaine and secure the same against all future reckonings as if he had made a couenent with hell and were at an agreement with death so is he iustly taken in his owne craftinesse and most wonderfully arrested by the power of hell to the apparant confusion of his imagined happinesse and while hee dreames of no other heauen but to doe what hee list in earth hee is not onely therein restrained by the power of heauen to the confusiō of his present hopes for the good of the Saints but also iustly caught in the snares of his owne wickednesse by the power of hell as to beginne and seale hereby vnto him eternall vengeance and to hasten him thereto so that the righteous may more wonderfully escape of our trouble when the wicked are falne into the pit they digged for them Surely as it is a righteous thing with God that they that doe not receiue the loue of the truth shall be giuen vp to strong delusions to beleeue lies so if euer satan were transformed into an Angell of light and so more effectually by his lies and subtilties did deceiue vnstable soules If euer the sure word and wonderfull workes of God were outfaced and suppressed by the sleights and forgeries of the God of this world the experience here of is most notorious in our times to instance in this particular being the subiect of our experience how mightily the Lord hath iustified his word both auouching in these dayes the truth of this doctrine of Witchcraft as also euidencing the power thereof in dissoluing the workes of Satan as experience hath made it manifest so we haue had not onely the great Patrones and friends of the Church confirming the same but euen the Churches verie enemies haue beene enforced to acknowledge no lesse And yet such hath been the efficacy of delusion that this very same most glorious truth vpon other respects as it hath found hard measure among fained friends so it hath also thereby beene traduced and peruerted by it enemies And surely we may the lesse wonder hereat if we consider wisely that as commodities are in request with many according to their diuers humours and different seasons so doth it befall the sacred truth which though it be sometimes in request when it may serue to aduance the pride of the flesh and infancie of religion yet doth it easily grow out of date when either it tends to humble the flesh or iustly challengeth lukewarmnesse and hypocrisie Which as it was the portion of the Lord and master of the Church sometimes to bee cryed vp with Hosanna eftsoones to bee cryed downe with crucifige so hath it beene the lot of the scepter of this kingdome the budding rod of Aaron sometimes to be turned into a serpent in the opinion of man as if it onely entended to
superstitious obseruation of daies and times as if some were luckie and successefull others euill and vnluckie Wherein if the successe answere our conceipt it proceedeth not from the Order in Nature or Rules of Art but from Diabolicall confidence and Diuine Iustice giuing vp to be deceiued with our owne counsels and so by degrees to grow further in league and bondage vnto Satan Now concerning prediction by dreames though it must needes bee granted that this was one of Gods Ordinances to reueale his will vnto his seruants as Numb 13. 6. Iob. 33. 15. Math. 1. 20. 2. 13. 19. Gen. 37. 7. 9. 41. 25. Dan. 9. c Yet hath Satan cunningly imitated God euen in this point also to deceiue his Proselites by Dreames and Visions and so thereby to enable them to fore-tell things to come as appeareth Deut. 13. 3. Ier. 23. 25. The Maistery will bee how wee shall discerne and distinguish betweene these Dreames To this end Let vs take notice that as there are Three sorts of dreames 1 Such as prooeed immediately from the Lord as those before and therefore called Diuine 2 Naturall dreames proceeding from naturall causes 1. As thoughts of the minde 2. Affections of the heart 3. Or constitution of the bodie according to which sutably seuerall dreames do follow To Cholericke persons dreames of Warres to Phelegmaticke of Waters Fearefull dreames to Melancholicke persons c. 2 And so also by these Dreames may we coniecture of the sinnes of the heart because what we conceiue or practise in the day will be corruptly dreamed of in the night to make vs more inexcusable 3 Diuellish Dreames framed in the braine by Satan answerable to our desires as appeareth not onely by the practise of the Gentiles who receiued their answers by Dreames but also by the practise of Heretikes as the Maniches Anabaptists Familists c. who haue beene confirmed in their diuellish errours by Reuelations and Dreames Thus as heereby it is apparant there are diuers kindes of Dreames so may wee also for our Instruction obserue many liuely differences betweene Diuine and Satanicall Dreames As First diuine Dreames concerne Generall and Necessarie things to bee knowne as the comming of Christ Reuealing of Antichrist c. but those from Sathan are either of curious or triuiall and vaine matters eyther not fit or worthie to be knowne If it shall be said That the Sybills Satans prophets spake of these things the answere is 1 That so farre as they spake of them they had their information from Satan who being acquainted with the prophecies did informe his disciples accordingly 2 Yet so as that neyther could he acquaint them with any distinct or cleare knowledge thereof but rather onely in a confused and darke manner whereby they might rather stumble then informe others to beleeue the same neyther did his prophets loue and affect the things that were reuealed but rather were constrained to publish so much as might make the times inexcusable and so had no power to benefit others thereby But in Diuine Dreames the case is cleane contrarie for in this place heere is vouchsafed vnto vs both a verie cleare and manifest reuelation of such things as concerne the good of the Church 2 The minde of Gods seruants are affected and subdued to beleeue the same 3 And they are enabled to communicate so farre vnto others as that so many as are ordained to saluation shall giue credit and obedience therevnto And the rather Because these Diuine Dreames are not onely agreeable vnto the blessed Word and so safely to bee beleeued whereas Satanicall Dreames as they are diuerse or contrary to the Word so they labour especially to withdraw from obedience therevnto 4 But especially whereas the end of Satans Enthusiasmes is to set vp Idolatry and nourish all Atheisme and securitie Deu. 13. On the contrarie Diuine Dreames aime onely at the True worship of God and further the doctrine and obedience of the Gospell 5 And heere wee are wisely also to distinguish of the Times For seeing now we haue the Gospell sufficient to reueale the will of God therefore we are not in these daies to build vpon Dreames so that howsoeuer they were ordinary before and vnder the Law yet now if any shall rest herein and expect resolution heereby wee are to conclude that it is rather a Satanicall illusion then any warning from the Lord and therefore at no hand to be heeded of vs. As touching Diuination by Lots heerein also wee had need to bee informed the rather because this Delusion is common and preuailing with the ignorant sort to abuse the same to wicked ends and so therein to offer sacrifice to the deuill And therefore Though there may bee some lawfull vse heereof as in Ciuill Occasions to Diuide Lands discide controuersies in a case of importance and necssity Iosh. 14. 2. Acts 1. 26. c. so the Name of God bee called vpon and his prouidence attended and obeyed in the successe thereof Yet neither are wee allowed to vse Lots in iest in triuiall and vnnecessarie meanes as to set vp Banqrouts to further Plantations c. by raysing summes of money thereby seeing this may bee obtained by other meanes Much lesse in Gaming to sport our selues hereby Especially wee are heere to beware of such Lottery as tends to resolue doubtfull things or fore-know things to come either by opening a Booke casting a Die to declare good or bad successe seeing this both implies a secret beleefe that such a feat can do it and so is a worshipping of the deuill c. seeing by no secret propertie to that meanes such things are effected it must needes follow that it is but Satans colour to hide his familiarity with the wicked Hitherto of Diuination by true creatures And doth not Satan also deceiue by forged meanes Yea certainely as first by answering in the shape of a dead man Example hereof wee haue in that answere vnto Saul where Satan deludes the King with the appearance of Samuels person when indeed it was onely the cunning of Satan resembling and counterfeiting the same As is manifest First Because the Lord had denyed to answere Saul by ordinarie lawfull meanes and therefore would not endure to haue Samuel raysed vp to answere him extraordinarily Luke 16. 2 The Bodies and soules of the Saints departed are in the hands of God resting from their labours and therefore Satan could not haue power to fetch the soule from heauen though he might preuaile to raise the bodie frō the earth which yet I see no reason for seeing the body also must rest at least frō Satans power And would Samuel think you suffer Saul to adore him Surely it is the deuill that seekes honour and homage from men as for the Saints they striue to giue all power and honor vnto God Act. 10. Reu. 22. 8. 9. Adde heerevnto that
growne in the Church For euen thus it befell with the deare Spouse of CHRIST that as her former afflictions had now fitted her to some rest which shee attayned by the meanes of Constantine so this rest and ease accompanied with outward honour and acceptance with the greatest instead of Godlie simplicitie brought in carnall pompe and wisedome of the flesh And the wisedome of the flesh being once aduaunced and grounded in the hearts of men banished presently all godlie seueritie of life and zeale for the honour of Almightie God And instead thereof brought in wil-worship and prophanenesse And did not carnall wisedome strike the chiefe stroake heerein Yea surely the Church being now taken into the Court of the Emperour and warming her selfe well by his fire as she forgets her former affliction so is she not vnwilling to remit also of her sinceritie as not being so sutable to the place and persons that now shee hath to deale withall now shee must a little become all vnto all that so shee may eyther winne others or holde her owne somewhat must be yeelded to her Patrons to shew her thankefulnesse and some Corruption must be swallowed vp to maintayne credite Now chistian liberty must be strained to be an occasion to the flesh and Authority must be deified to maintaine the same Thus the poore Church of Christ being freed from the malice of heathenish Idolatrie is corrupted by prosperitie to set vp spirituall Idolatrie Not onlie aduauncing her Patrons and Benefactours aboue what was meete but aduauncing also her selfe by their helpe aboue all that was called God and so by degrees hauing well feathered her neast and strengthned her selfe by the arme of flesh ouerthroweth cunningly the same euen with it owne weapons and aduanceth it selfe gloriously vpon the ruines and wrecke thereof And thus the Church flies into the wildernesse vpon Eagles wings by the fauour of earthly Princes being first highly aduaunced and so thereby growing to loosenes and profanenes and so iustly left to grosse errors both for the conceiuing as also for the iustifying thereof whereby it cometh to passe that corrupters of doctrine in the end preuailing sincerity is banished and so Antichrist by degrees exalted aboue all that is called God not onely in wil worship and bodily seruice tyrannizing ouer the consciences of the faithlesse and rebellious generation but aduancing himselfe by lying signes and wonders thereby to maintaine the opinion of that arrogated trueth and so to subdue and hold in captiuitie the deceiued world And so as profane pompe succeeded godly simplicity so barbarous ignorance also came in place of pure and sauing knowledge that not onelie the third part of the earth was killed therewith but euen the verie Sea of Doctrine was so corrupted by that mountaine of worldly pompe and glorie cast into the same that euen the third part also of all things therein were vtterly destroyed yea Heauen it selfe euen the church of God escaped not this infection but that the Taile of the Dragon euen drew downe the Starres from Heauen Reuelation chapter 12. verse 1. Yea the Dragon himselfe set vp his very throne of darkenesse in the Temple of the Lord. That his darling the whore of Babylon might bee aduaunced thereupon aboue all that is called God and did not Satan furnish his minion at all assaies that so shee might prosper and preuaile ouer the children of vnbeliefe yea certainely it was not enough for that man of sinne to strengthen himselfe from the vsurped power of Heauen chalenging the keyes to open and shut at his pleasure but he must also wrest into himselfe all power on earth disposing of Kingdomes and deposing the mightiest at his pleasure And that hee might appeare to be the true Antichrist in all things opposing the kingdome of Iesus Christ. Behold as all things vnder earth doe bow vnto the Sonne of God the very diuells tremble and are subiect vnto him Euen so doth this Abaddon assume the power of the Dragon and so by Coniuration and Enchantments attaineth to and confirmeth his supreame authoritie And thus Witch-craft became an especiall proppe of Antichrists kingdome And that in diuers respects accordingly as that man of sinne by diuerse meanes aduaunced and confirmed himselfe And these were 1 Opinion of diuine power 2 Presumption of perfect Holinesse and so of merites 3 Maintenance of Idolatrie and 4 Outward greatnes and soueraigntie To the furthering of al which this diuelish Art stood him in great steed As For the first As Antichrist intruded into the seate of the Lord both fitting in the Temple of the Lord and raigning in the consciences of men and so exalting himselfe in voluntary worship aboue all that is called God So was hee much furthered heereunto by this Art of Negromancie As both heereby through fayned myracles and lying wonders 1 Gaining from the conceit of the deceiued people the Reputation of diuine power 2 And by the power of Satan confounding his enemies attaining to a cōceit of supreme immediate iustice As 3 Hereby relieuing extraordinarily his fauourites and so arrogating the conceit of diuine mercie And thus also by this Art gayned he an opinion of perfit Holinesse As not onelie hereby being able to bleare the eyes of the world not to discerne or not to dare to discouer his abhominable wickednesse But especially heere by being furthered to performe many glorious outsides of well-doing that hee might be applauded as the mighty power of God Acts 8. And so Withall by this meanes bewitching the hearts of the ignorant to admire the beauty of the strumpet and so to fall downe and worship her And By this Art furthering also that Deuice of canonizing of Saints for their perfect Holinesse by such forged miracles as hereby were made shew of to that end Which as it was an especiall ground and foundation of that Idolatry which beginning of a reuer end estimation and affection to holie men grew at the length not onelie to a worship of their persons being dead but of their Statues and Images also which at the first being onelie erected in memoriall of their well-doings by a thankefull world grew at length to be adored and exalted also aboue all that was called God and that especially by meanes of this diuellish Art For by this meanes these Stockes and Stones beeing made to speake and doe wonderfull things as it confounded the Image-makers who by this practize condemned their Doctrine of Images Teaching that they were but otdayned as meanes to remember the people of those persons whom they did represent and yet by this practize making the people beleeue that they were the Saints themselues so were the ignorant and heartlesse people hereby grossely deceiued and detained in this idolatrie euen by those lying wonders and signes that were wrought at these Images And thus as that man of sin attained to exceeding credit and riches in the world So that he might further exalt himselfe