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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A19295	The mystery of witch-craft Discouering, the truth, nature, occasions, growth and power thereof. Together with the detection and punishment of the same. As also, the seuerall stratagems of Sathan, ensnaring the poore soule by this desperate practize of annoying the bodie: with the seuerall vses therof to the Church of Christ. Very necessary for the redeeming of these atheisticall and secure times. By Thomas Cooper.	Cooper, Thomas, fl. 1626.	1617 (1617)	STC 5701; ESTC S108665	124,670	401

not enough for that man of sinne to strengthen himselfe from the vsurped power of Heauen chalenging the keyes to●pen 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 Negr●mancie 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 heereby 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 reuerend 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 aboue all that is called God behold he aduanceth himselfe aboue the great Kings and Potentates of the earth and is furthered heereto especially by this Art of Coniuration For hereby being acquainted with the secrets of all estates gayned he oportunitie to preuent or confound their determinations By this meanes hee many times casts bones among them that tearing deuouring each other they might both in the end become his prey By this was hee able secretly to remoue the greatest opposite and yet by the secret conueyance thereof to keep the credit of his Holinesse yea to gaine the opinion of diuine power and assistance By this meanes whosoeuer banded openly against him was like to take the foyle And thus heereby nouzeling the world in ignorance and infidelity excluded them by this meanes the protection of the Lord and so they became a prey vnto Antichrist The bondage of Egypt must lie vpon their necks these cruell taske-maisters must encrease their burdens withdraw their means that so at length the oppressed world might grone to the Lord who in his mercy hath in some measure released the yoake of the oppressor in restoring light vnto the world and authoritie to the magistrate And so now it is come to passe that thogh in places of ignorance witchcraft aboundeth because as yet the strong man keepes possession yet where the light of the Gospell hath once taken footing as at the comming of Christ the Oracles ceased so Satan falls downe like lightning at the preaching of the Gospel and the grosenesse of Witchcraft is well cleared and banished only bicause though the Gospel be offred vnto al yet seeing al receiue not the knowlege of the truth Therefore it is iust with God to giue vp men to strong delusions to beleeue lies and so Satan becomes not only a lying spirit in the mouth of the Prophets to deceiue vnstable soules but taking euen seuen spirits worse as the doctrine of the Gospell decayes in it purity and so becomes a Broker to profanenesse so together with corruption of Doctrine Popish delusions crept in againe to beguile and enthrall vnstable soules And among these Delusions Witch-craft not the least hath againe got some life and power where the Gospel hath beene reuealed And that 1 By being defended and iustified by godlesse men as if there were no such thing that it is but a conceit 2 Being detected yet is it not punished thorowly The Blesser escapes and the silly people that run to this white Diuell are let alone Which as it may teach the wise to see the plague and hide himselfe so it may resolue vs concerning the places where Witches haunt vsually either in places of ignorance and there in more grosse and sensible manner or else in Places of knowledge abused where Hypocri●ie and carnall wisedome hath thrust out the power of synceritie There Satan returnes with seuen worse spirits Witch-craft is embraced and countenanced of men So much the more dangerously by how much now Witches are become great Professors and followers of the Word haue attained some knowledge and pretend great holinesse and honestie whereby as it appeareth that Satan is now transformed into an Angell of light so are wee informed heereby the rather to arme our selues against such cunning and desperate policies which now especially are plotted to the ensnaring of our soules CHAP. XI Of the diuers kinds of Witches and their effects

it selfe 1 By selfe loue and high conceipt of our owne deseruing which being not answered but rather crossed herein that he that hath most is neuer cōtēted he that hath lesse enuies him that hath more heerevpon Satan laies the foundation of this Art in the heart of man as heereby being perswaded that hee shall worke wonders both to relieue his pouertie and aduance his credit as exceeding all in this though hee come short in other things and hereby compassing the height of his desire Thus did many Popes aduance themselues as Syluester 2. Benedict 8. and Hildebrand This selfe conceit staies not here but as outwardly it affects to bee as a God among men by honour and promotions so doth it also inwardly affect and desire some such meanes whereby it may raigne in the consciences of men And to this end knowing men to affect nouelties doth it therefore in Curiositie search after knowledge and hidden Mysteries which being not supplyed by nature and ordinary meanes are therfore not vnwillingly sought by this forbidden skill And that the rather because hereby being enabled to confirme such new-found knowledge with strange wonderful euents by this meanes doth more strongly bind the conscience detaine in obedience Although all is done by no other meanes but 2 The assistance of the deuill wherby it is further distinguished from all other Arts which produce their effects by vertue of their owne ground not any outward helpe As also especially seuering heereby the wonders that are wrought by this Art those True Miracles that are wrought by Diuine Power These are such as are wrought by the power of God simply either aboue or contrary to nature as Exod. 14. 21. Exod. 6. 7. 8. those miracles done before Pharaoh by Moses and Iosh. 10. 13. The causing of the Sunne to stand in the firmament The preseruation of the Three Children in the fierie furnace Dan. 3. 20. Daniel in the Lyons Den Dan 6. 23. Math. 14. Ioh. 9. these haue God truely to bee their Authour As being the onely Creator of Nature 1 And therefore to God alone belongs to restraine or extend the power thereof 2 Especially seeing this is a kind of creation whereby that is to bee made which was not before Ps. 136. 4. And therefore if the Prophets and Apostles haue done any such wonders It hath beene 1 Not by their owne power or in their owne name but by the Name and power of God 3 Hauing an especiall and extraordinarie calling thereunto Act. 3. 12. Nay though the Son of God in his Man-hood did many miracles yet this was not by the Manhood wholy though thereby the worke being wrought was dispensed acted in such such a visible manner yet the work it selfe being cōtrary to nature was effected only by the power of the God-head as in the raysing vp of the dead the man-hood vttered the voyce but the God-head fetched the soule from heauen and put it in againe vnto the body yea giues life and power to heare the voyce vttered to rise come forth Ioh. 11. Math. 10. And therefore seeing Christ as man onely could not work these miracles It followeth that whatsoeuer are wrought by men are deceitfull and counterfait And being wonders and strange effects are therefore effected by the subtiltie of Satan as being able to doe strange things aboue the ordinarie course of nature though not simply contrarie thereto which ordinarily the wit of man cannot possibly produce And that 1 Because he being a spirit is of extraordinarie knowledge and capacitie to search into the secrets of nature and there to frame strange and wonderfull things And that the rather because 2 He is ancient and full of experience and so hath encreased his knowledge and profited his practise which man by reason of his ignorance and forgetfulnesse want of opportunitie cannot possibly compasse And this 3 The rather because Satan to his knowledge and experience hath great power sufficient euen to confound all inferiour creatures if the Lord did not restraine And withall 4 Is exceeding nimble and readie in exequution being able to conuey himselfe and other creatures in a trice euen from farre distaut places 1 And so by vertue of skill being able to apply Creature to creature and the efficient causes to the matter 2 And that speedily aboue the ordinary course of nature how can he but effect admirable things 3 Especially if we consider that the Lord permitting it is possible for Satan to conuey himselfe into the substance of the creature without any penetration of dimensions and being in the creature although it bee neuer so solide he can worke therein not onely according to the Principle of the nature thereof but as farre as the strength and abilitie of those principles will possibly reach and extend themselues By this it is manifest that Satan can worke wonders and these according to his seuerall Qualities are of two sorts 1 Illusions or Reall actions Satan deceiueth 1 The senses 2 The mind The Senses are deceiued when wee thinke that wee see heare feele and what indeed wee feele not How Satan doth this see heereafter in the Sect of Iugling Galatians 3. 1. 1. Sam. 25. The Mind is deceiued when a man thinkes that of himselfe which is not true as when men thinke they are Kings or Christ Elias c. Now Reall Workes are such as are indeed what they seeme to bee which though to men that know not natures secrets may seeme strange and admirable yet are they no true Miracles but Lying Wonders in regard of the end for which they are wrought as to maintaine errour though not in respect of the worke it selfe Such were those Iob 1. So can Satan appeare in the shape of a man not deluding the sense but by assuming a true body and therein vtter a true voyce And yet he cannot Change one creature into another As a Witch into an Hare and Cat This is a meere delusion of the sense though the like was done by the mightie power of God Genesis 19. 26. Lots wife As for that of Nebuchadnezzar Dan. 4. It was no change of his substance but onely of his condition and qualities of his minde Verse 31. The Lord inflicting madnesse c. vpon him to punish his Pride And Thus may Satan worke wonders but yet with this limitation So farre forth as God in Iustice suffereth Implying thereby 1 That God suffereth this Trade to trie his children and to Punish the wicked 2. Thess. 2. 10. 11. 2 That Sathan can goe no further herein then the Lord permitteth though his malice be infinite yet his power is limited Exodus 7. 8. 1. Reg. 22. 23. And this the Lord doth 1 to confound Satan in the toppe of his Pride and restraint of his malice 2 to preserue his children from his power and crueltie 3 to humble the wicked that are his Prentices in this Art as if by their power and

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 fear 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 true Samuel would haue reproued Saul for running to Witches hee would haue exhorted him to repentance 1 And therefore though the Word call him Samuel yet this was according to that which seemed to delude Saul 2 And though Saul might bee told by the Appearance what should befall him yet might this bee done by Satan as being either acquainted by the Lord with his purpose heerein or coniecturing by Sauls case what was like to come to him for his disobedience to God As for that which the Church of Rome doates concerning the walking of dead men howsoeuer the Lord gaue power vnto his Prophets to raise the dead yet neither had this Witch any such power neither was the case necessarie why it should be at this time neither needed Satan to vse this meanes seeing he might doe the feat as well by himselfe counterfeting the shape and person of Samuel Neither may extraordinarie and miraculous working vpon speciall occasion bee traduced to warrant the ordinarie walking of persons after their deaths whose soules the Holy Ghost witnesseth to bee at rest and can their bodies walke without their soules Indeed when the Lord was either to plant or restore a Church out of it ruine and desolation wee finde in the Word this power of raysing from the dead to haue bene exercised profitably and therefore seeing now there was no such cause for this miraculous worke it followeth to bee the delusion of Satan and not the finger of God But here me thinkes I heere some reply that if this were but a collusion of Satan blinding and deceiuing Saul why might he not also deeceiue the Witch as pretending to bee raysed vp by her that she had power of him when it might bee but some iugling trick to bleare her eyes she raised vp no deuill in Samuels likenesse but rather was meerely deluded with a conceit heereof Surely howsoeuer the Patrones of Witch-craft would gladly thus cōclude to condemnethe truth of the Word that there are Witches which worke by Familiar spirits yet doth the circumstance of the Historie plainely confound them Howsoeuer they also imply further that the Witch might suborne some man or wo●… in the likenesse of Samuel to g●… this answere seeing no meere humane vnderstanding ●onld attaine 〈◊〉 that knowledge And therefore it necessarily followeth that the Witch by vertue of the couenant with Sat●… raised him vp He by his power and skill counterfeited Samuel at an ynch by his experience and office wa● able to acquaint him with Gods wil and so as an instrument of Diuine vengeance to hasten him to his destruction And as Satan thus foretells things by meanes eyther true or counterfeit so doth hee also Diuine without meanes either possessing those that are his oracles Acts the sixteene chapter and sixteene verse or inspiring them by outward obsession with his will and councells whereby they become counterfeit prophets and reuealers of things to come such as were the Sybills c. Of all which wee are to make this vse 1 As to iudge wisely of the power and manifold cunning of Sathan 2 So to consider of the preciousnesse of the soule for which Satan takes such paines becomes such a drudge c. and to preuent the Diuell by our care and diligence not so much for the bodie and the meate that perisheth but for the poore soule that it may be saued

so in these respects vsually the Male sex haue beene trained to this Art By this they haue attained the reputation of Wisedome and Impery Succeeding Ages gaue occasion to Satan to work more closely yet to weaue his Idolatry with a finer threed For together with the knowledge of humane Arts and Sciences which resembled some sparks of diuine light brake out also at length the day Star of Righteousnesse Iesus Christ bringing with him sauing knowledge and dispelling the more grosser mystes of Heathenish Idolatrie as being no way sit to encounter therewith or at least in Policie not thinking it meete openly to oppose the same but rather by a more secret and colourable meanes by closing therewith to obscure and so by degrees to banish the same Thus became Sathan transformed into an Angell of Light and taking aduantage of the pride of Nature and vnthankef●lnesse of men that would not obey the Gospel but rather peruert it to iustifie the flesh As they were therefore giuen vp iustly by the Lord to strong delusions so is Sathan still ready at a pinch to beguile vnstable soules and insteade of the puritie and simplicitie of the Gospell to draw them by degrees into a Mysterie of Iniquitie and so in the end to most grosse and palpable Idolatrie iustifying and exceeding the most barbarous Heathens therein To this end euen so soone as the good Housholder had sowen his Seede the enuious man was readie to sowe his Tares raysing vp false apostles to withdraw the people from the Si●plicitie of the Gospell and so to prepare them by giuing libertie to the flesh to that corruption of doctrine which afterwards ouer-spread the face of the Churches And at the first assault Sathan so preuayled as that how soeuer as yet the light of Iudgement remayned with the Church as being able to dis●… of Spirites euen to discouer such as said they were Apostles yet in truth were no better then Sathans Ministers yet by reason that the flesh was willing to cast off the yoake and apt to turne the graces of God into wantonnesse heereupon zeale beganne to decay euen with the best first loue was left the bond of Perfection and so way hereby made to carnall liberty and for the maintenance thereof Corrupt doctrine by degrees was hatched and embraced whereof as the Purest times were not altogether free as may appeare by the Nicolaitans and others that went out euen from amongst the Apostles both to grosse prophanenesse and also to Doctrines of diuels for the iustifying therof So appeared heereupon the great mercie of God in casting this Iezabel into a bed of affliction and encreasing his Church graciously with those ten bloudie and desperate persecutions for the purging out of her drosse and renuing of her first loue Whereby as she wanne vnto her the hearts of her enemies so by this means she gained great friends euen the kings of the earth beganne to worship the Lord and the mightiest became nursing Fathers and foster Mothers Esay chapter 49. chapter to the distressed Church of God And now behold the great har●●st of the Gentiles being wel-neare in so the man-childe beeing borne vnto God the time was come for the further reuelation of Gods iustice for the former affliction of his Church And also to manifest yet further his great mercies vnto his Church in exercising the same with new afflictions for the preuenting of that securitie and purging out the carnallnesse which by the fauour and arme of flesh had 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 pre sently 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 sinceritio 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 ●histian 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 wilworship 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 affaies that so shee might prosper and preuaile ouer the children of vnbeliefe yea certainely it was