to thee N. and to appeare to thee N. in any crystall stone glasse or other mirror and so to take it for my resting place And that so soone as my spirit is departed out of my body straightway to be at your commandements and that in and at all days nights houres and minutes to be obedient unto thee N. being called of the eâ—by the vertue of our Lord Jesuâ— Christ and our of hand to have common talke with thee at all times and in all houres and minutes to open and declare to thee N. the truth of all things present past and to come and how to worke the magick art and all other noble sciences under the throne of God If I do not performe this oath and promise to thee N. but doe flie from any part thereof then to be condemned for ever and ever Amen Also I N. do sweare to thee by God the Holy ghost and by the great wisedome that is in the divine Godhead and by their vertues and by all the holy angels archangels thrones dominations principats poteslaus virtutes cherubim and seraphim and by all their vertues do I N. sweare and promise thee to be obedient as is rehearsed And here for a witnesse do I N. give thee N. my right hand and do plight thee my faith and troth as God me helpe and holydome And by the holy contents in this booke do I N. sweare that my spirit shall be thy true servant all the dayes of thy life as is before rehearsed and here for a witnesse that my spirit shal be obedient unto thee N. and to those bonds of words that be written in this N. before the bonds of words shall be rehearsed thrise else to be damned for ever and thereto say all faithfull soules and spirits Amen Amen Then let him sweare this oath three times and at every time kisse the book and at every time make marks to the bond Then perceiving the time that he will depart get away the people from you and get or take your stone or glasse or other thing in your hand and say the Pater noster Ave and Credo and this prayer as followeth And in all the time of his departing rehearse the bonds of words and in the end of every bond say oftentimes Remember thine oath and promise And bind him strongly to thee and to thy stone and suffer him not to depart reading thy bond 24. times And every day when you do call him by your other bond bind him strongly by the first bond by the space of 24. dayes apply it and thou shalt be made a man for ever Now the Pater noster Ave and Credo must be said and then the prayer immediately following O God of Abraham God of Isaac God of Iacob God of Tobias â—he which diddest deliver the three children from the hot burning oven Sidrac Misac and Abednago and Susanna from the false crime and Daniel from the lions power even so O Lord omnipotent I beseech thee for thy great mercy sake to helpe me in these my works and to deliver me this spirit of N. that he may be a true subject unto me N. all the dayes of my life and to remaine with me and with this N. all the dayes of my life O glorious God Father Sonne and Holy ghost I beseech thee to help me at this time and to give me power by thy holy name merits and vertues wherby I may conjure and constraine this spirit of N. that he may be obedient unto me and may fulfill his oath and promise at all times by the power of all thine holinesse This grant O Lord God of hosts as thou art righteous and holy and as thou art the word and the word God the beginning and the end sitting in the thrones of thine everlasting kingdomes and in the divinity of thine everlasting Godhead to whom be all honour and glory now and for ever and ever Amen Amen CHAP. XVIII A bond to binde him to thee and to thy N. as followeth IN conjure and constraine the spirit of N. by the living God by the true God and by the holy God and by their vertues and powers I conjure and constraine the spirit of thee N. that thou shalt not ascend nor descend out of thy body to no place of rest but onely to take thy resting place with N. and with this N. all the dayes of my life according to thine oath and promise I conjure and constraine the spirit of N. by these holy names of God ✚ Tetragrammaton ✚ Adonay ✚ Agla ✚ Saday ✚ Sabaoth ✚ planabothe ✚ panthon ✚ craton ✚ vcupmaton ✚ Deus ✚ homo ✚ omnipotens ✚ sempiternus ✚ ysus ✚ terra ✚ unigenitus ✚ salvator ✚ via ✚ vila ✚ manus ✚ sons ✚ origo ✚ filius ✚ and by their vertues and powers I conjure and constraine the spirit of N. that thou shalt not remaine in the fire nor in the water in the aier nor in any privy plaâ—e of the earth but onely with me N. and with this N. all the dayes of my life I charge the spirit of N. upon paine of everlasting condemnation remember thine oath and promise Also I conjure the spirit of N. and constraine thee by the excellent name of Jesus Christ A and Ω the first and the last for this holy name of Jesus is above all names for unto it all knees doe bow and obey both of heavenly things earthly things and infernals Nor is there any other name given to man whereby we have any salvation but by the name of Iesus Therefore by the name and in the name of Jesus of Nazareth and by his nativity resurrection and ascension and by all that appertaineth to his passion and by their vertues and powers I do conjure and constraine the spirit of N. that thou shalt not take any resting place in the ☉ not in the ☽ nor in ♄ nor in ♃ nor in ♂ nor in ♀ nor in ☿ nor in any of the twelve signes nor in the concavity of the clouds nor in any other privie place to rest or stay in but onely with me N. or with this N. all the dayes of my life If thou be not obedient unto me according to thine oath and promise I N. do condemne the spirit of N. into the pit of bell for ever Amen I conjure and constraine the spirit of N. by the bloud of the innocent lambe Jesus Christ the which was shed upon the crosse for all those that do obey into it and beleeve in it shall be saved and by vertue thereof and by all the aforesaid riall names and words of the living God by me pronounced I do conjure and constraine the spirit of N. that thou do be obedient unto me according to thine oath and promise If thou refuse to do as is aforesaid I N by the holy Trinity and by his vertue and power do condemne the spirit of N. into the place whereas there is no
trifling vanity as in most horrible executions as the revenger of a doting old womans imagined wrongs to the destruction of many innocent children and as a supporter of her passions to the undoing of many a poor soul. And I see not but a witch may as well inchant when she will as a lier may lie when he list and so should we possesse nothing but by a witches licence and permission And now forsooth it is brought to this point that all devils which were wont to be spiritual may at their pleasure become corporal and so shew themselves familiarly to witches and conjurors and to none other and by them only may be made tame and kept in a box c. So as a malicious old woman may command her devil to plague her neighbor he is afflicted in manner form as she desireth But then cometh another witch and she biddeth her devil help and he healeth the same party So as they make it a kingdome divided in it self and therefore I trust it will not long endure but will shortly be overthrown according to the words of our Saviour Omne regnum in se divisum desolabitur Every kingdome divided in it self shall be desolate And although some say that the devil is the witches instrument to bring her purposes and practises to passe yet others say that she is his instrument to execute his pleasure in any thing and therefore to be executed But then methinks she should be injuriously dealt withall and put to death for anothers offence for actions are not judged by instrumental causes neither doth the end and purpose of that which is done depend upon the mean instrument Finally if the witch do it not why should the witch die for it But they say that witches are perswaded and think that they do indeed those mischifs have a will to perform that which the devil committeth and that therefore they are worthy to dy By which reason ev'ry one should be executed that wisheth evil to his neighbor c. But if the will should be punished by man according to the offence against God we should be driven by thousands at once to the slauterhouse or butchery For whosoever loatheth correction shall die And who should escape execution if this lothsomnesse I say should extend to death by the civil lawes Also the reward of sin is death Howbeit every one that sinneth is not to be put to death by the Magistrate But my Lord it shall be proved in my book and your Lordship shall trie it to be true as well here at home in your native country as also abrode in your several circuits that besides them that be Veneficae which are plaine poisoners there will be found among our witches only two sorts the one sort being such by imputation as so thought of by others and these are abused and not abusors the other by acceptation as being willing so to be accounted these be meer couseners Calvine treating of these magicians calleth them couseners saying that they use their juggling knacks only to amase or abuse the people or else for fame but he might rather have said for gain Erastus himself being a principal writer in the behalf of witches omnipotency is forced to confes that these Greek words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 are most commoly put for illusion false packing cousenage fraud knavery and deceipt is further driven to say that in ancient time the learned were not so blockish as not to see that the promises of magicians and inchanters were false and nothing else but knavery cousenage old wives fables yet defendeth he their flying in the aire their transferring of corn or gras from one field to another c. But as Erastus disagreeth herein with himself and his friends so is there no agreement among any of those writers but only in cruelties absurdities impossibilies And these my Lord that fall into so manifest contradictions and into such absurd asseverations are not of the inferior sort of writers neither are they all papists but men of such account as whose names give more credit to their cause then their writings In whose behalfe I am sorry and partly for reverence suppress their fondest errors foulest absurdities dealing specially with them that most contend in cruelty whose feet are swift to shed blood striving as Iesus the son of Sirach saith hasting as Solomon the son of David saith to pour out the blood of the Innocent whose heat against these poor wretches cannot be allaied with any other liquor then blood And therfore I fear that under their wings will be found the blood of the souls of the poor at that day when the Lord shall say Depart from me ye bloud-thirsty men And because I know your Lordship will take no councel against innocent bloud but rather suppres them that seek to imbrew their hands therein I have made choise to open their case to you to lay their miserable calamity before your feet following herein the advise of that learned man Brentius who saith Si quis admonuerit Magistratum â—e in miseras illas mulierculas saeviat eum ego arbitror divinitus excitatum that is If any admonish the Magistrate not to deale too hardly with these miserable wretches that are called witches I think him a good instrument raised up for this purpose by God himself But it will perchance be said by witchmongers to wit by such as attribut to witches the power which appertaineth to God only that I have made choise of your Lordship to be a Patrone to this my book because I think you favor mine opinions and by that means may the more freely publish any error or conceit of mine own which should rather be warranted by your Lordships authority then by the word of God or by sufficient argument But I protest the contrary and by these presents I renounce all protection and despise all friendship that might serve to help towards the suppressing or supplanting of truth knowing also that your Lordship is far from allowing any injury done unto man much more an enemy to them that go about to dishonor God or to embeazel the title of his immortal glory But because I know you to be perspicuous and able to see down into the depth and bottome of causes are not to be carried away with the vain perswasion or superstition either of man custome time or multitude but moved with the authority of truth only I crave your countenance herein even so far forth no further then the law of God the law of nature the lawe of this land the rule of reason shall require Neither do I treat for these poore people any otherwise but so as with one hand you may sustaine the good and with the other suppresse the evill wherein you shall be thought a father to orphanes an advocate to widowes a guide to the blind a stay to the lame a comfort countenance to
particular example to prove so generall an argument And againe if it were by Gods speciall providence and appointment then why should it not be done by the hand of God as it was in the story of Iob Or if it were Gods speciall purpose and pleasure that there should be so extraordinary a matter brought to passe by the hand of the devill could not God have given to the wicked angell extraordinary power and cloathed him with extraordinary shape whereby he might be made an instrument able to accomplish that matter as he did to his angell that carried Abacuck to Daniell and to them that he sent to destroy Sodome But you shall understand that this was done in a vision and not in verity of action So as they have a very cold pull of this place which is the speciall peece of Scripture alledged of them for their transportations Heare therefore that Calvine saith in his commentary upon that place in these words The question is whether Christ were carried aloft indeed or whether it were but in a vision Many affirme very obstinately that his body was truely and really as they say taken up because they think it too great an indignity for Christ to be made subject to Satans illusions But this objection is easily washed away For it is no absurdity to grant all this to be wrought through Gods permission or Christs voluntary subjection so long as we yeeld not to think that he suffered these temptations inwardly that is to say in mind or soul. And that which is afterwards set down by the Evangelist where the devill shewed him all the kingdoms of the world and the glory of the same and that to be done as it is said in Luke in the twinkling of an eye doth more agree with a vision than with a reall action So farre are the very words of Calvin Which differ not one syllable nor five words from that which I had written herein before I looked for his opinion in the matter And this I hope will be sufficient to overthrow the assertions of them that lay the ground of their transportations and flying in the air hereupon He that will say that these words to wit that Christ was taken up c. can hardly be applied to a vision let him turne to the prophesie of Ezechiel and see the selfe same words used in a vision saving that where Christ is said to be taken up by the devill Ezechiel is taken up and lifted up and carried by the spirit of God and yet in a vision But they have lesse reason that build upon this sandy rock the supernaturall frame of transubstantiation as almost all our witching writers do For Sprenger and Institor say that the devill in the liknesse of a falcon caught him up Danaeus saith it was in the similitude of a man others say of an angell painted with wings others invisible Ergo the devill can take say they what shape he list But though some may cavil upon the devills transforming of himselfe yet that either devill or witch can transforme or transubstantiate others there is no tittle nor colour in the Scriptures to helpe them If there were authority for it and that it were Past all peradventure lo what an easie matter it is to resubstantiate an asse into a man For Bodin saith upon the word of Apuleius that if the asse eat new roses anise or bay-leaves out of spring-water it will presently returne him into a man Which thing Sprenger saith may be done by washing the asse in fair water yea he sheweth an instance where by drinking of water an asse was turned into a man CHAP. VIII The witch-mongers objection concerning the history of Ioh answered THese witch-mongers for lack of better arguments do many times object Ioâ— against me although there be never a word in that story which either maketh for them or against me insomuch as there is not the name of a witch mentioned in the whole book But I pray you what witchmonger now seeing one so afflicted as Iob would not say he were bewitched as Iob never saith For first there came a messenger unto him and said Thy oxen were plowing and thy asses were feeding in their places and the Sabeans came violently and took them yea they have slain thy servants with the edge of the sword but I onely am escaped to tell thee And whilest he was yet speaking another came and said The fire of God is fallen from the heaven and hath burnt up thy sheep and thy servants and devoured them but I onely am escaped to tell thee And whilest he was yet speaking another came and said The Chaldeans set out their bands and fell upon thy camels and have taken them and have slain thy servants with the edge of the sword but I onely am escaped alone to tell thee And whilest he was yet speaking came another and said Thy sonnes and thy daughters were eating and drinking wine in their elder brothers house and behold there came a great wind from beyond the wildernesse and smote the four corners of the house which fell upon thy children and they are dead and I onely am escaped alone to tell thee Besides all this he was smitten with biles from the sole of his foot to the crown of his head If any man in these daies called Iob should be by the appoinment or hand of God thus handled as this Job was I warrant you that all the old women in the country would be called Coran nobis warrants would be sent out on every side publike and private inquiry made what old women lately resorted to Iobs house or to any of those places where these misfortunes fell If any poor old woman had chanced within two or three months to have borrowed a courtesie of seasing or to have fetcht from thence a pot of milke or had she requireâ— some almes and not obtained it at Iobs hand there had been argument enough to have brought her to confusion and to be more certain to have the right witch apprehended figures must have been cast the sive and sheares must have been set on worke yea rather than the witch should escape a conjurer must have earned a little money a circle must have been made and a devill raised to tell the truth mother Bungy must have been gon unto and after she had learned her name whom Iob 〈◊〉 suspected she would have confirmed the suspicion with atificiall accusâ—â—tions in the end some woman or other must have been hanged for it But as Iob said Dominus dedit so said he not Diabolus vel Lami◠〈◊〉 Dominus abstulit Which agreeth with the tenor of the text where 〈◊〉 is written that the devill at every of Iobs afflictions desired God to 〈◊〉 his hand upon him Insomuch as Iob imputed no part of his calamity unto devils witches nor yet unto conjurers or their inchantments aâ— we have learned now to do Neither sinned he
should we think that God would rather permit the witch to raise Samuel than that Dives could obtâ—ine Lazarus to come out of Abrahams bosome upon more likely and more reasonable conditions Well now doth this strumpet according to the guise of our cosening witches and conjurers make the matter strange unto Saul saying that he came to her in a snare c. But witches seldome make this objection saving when they mistrust that he which commeth to them will espie their jugling for otherwise where the witchmonger is simple and easie to be abused the witch will be 〈◊〉 easie to be intreated and nothing dangerous of her cunning as you see this witch was soon perswaded notwithstanding that objection because she perceived and saw that Saul was afraid and out of his wits And therefore she said unto him Whom shall I raise up As though she could hâ—â—e brought unto him Abraham Isaac or Iacob who cannot hear us therefore cannot rise at our call For it is written Look thou down from heaven and behold us c. as for Abraham he is ignorant of us and Israel knoweth us not CHAP. XII The 12 13 and 14. verses of 1 Samuel 28. expounded wherein is shewed that Saul was cosened and abused by the witch and 〈◊〉 Samuel was not raised is proved by the witches own talke THe manner and circumstance of their communication or of her conjuration is not verbatim set down and expressed in the text 〈◊〉 the effect thereof breefly touched yet will I shew you the common order of their conjuration and specially of hers at this time used When Saul had told her that he would have Samuel brought up to him she departed from his presence into her closet where doubtlesse she had her familiar to wit some lewd crafty priest and made Saul stand at the 〈◊〉 like a fool as it were with his finger in a hole to hear the cosening answers but not to see the cosening handling thereof and the counterâ—â—â—â—ing of the matter And so goeth she to worke using ordinary words oâ— conjuration of which there are sundry varieties and forms whereof I shal have occasion to repeat some in another place as you see the juglers which be inferior conjurors speak certain strange words of course to lead away the eye from espying the manner of their conveyance whilest they may induce the mind to conceive and suppose that he dealeth with spirits saying Hay fortune furie nunque credo passe passe when come you sâ—â—ra 〈◊〉 belike after many such words spoken she saith to her selfe Lo now the matter is brought to passe for I see wonderful things So as Saul hearing these words longed to know all and asked her what she saw Wherein you may know that Saul saw nothing but stood without like a momâ—â—â— whilest she plaied her part in her closet as may most evidently appear by the 21. verse of this chapter where it is said Then the woman came 〈◊〉 unto Saul Howbeit a little before she cunningly counterfeited that she saw Samuel and thereby knew it was Saul that was come unto her Whereâ—by all the world may perceive the cosening and her dissimulation For by that which hath been before said 〈◊〉 must needs be that she knew him And I pray you why should she not have suspected as well him to be 〈◊〉 before when in expresse words he required her to bring unto him Samuel as now when Samuel appeared unto her Well to the question before proposed by Saul she answereth and 〈◊〉 that she saw angels or Gods ascending up out of the earth Then 〈◊〉 she with her inchanting phrases and words of course so as â—â—reby Saul gathereth and supposeth that she hath raised a man For otherwise his question dependeth not upon any thing before spoken For then she hath said I saw angels ascending c. the next word he saith 〈◊〉 What fashion is he of Which I say hangeth not upon her last â—xpressed words And to this she answered not directly that it was Samuel but that it was an old man lapped in a mantle as though she â—â—ew not him that was the most notorious man in Israel that had been â—er neighbour by the space of many years and upon whom while he â—â—ed every eye was fixed and whom also she knew within lesse than a maâ—ter of an hour before as by whose meanes also she came acquainted with Saul Read the text and see But she describeth his personage and the apparel which he did usually care when he lived which if they were both buried together were consumed and rotten or devoured with wormes before that time Belike â—e had a new mantle made him in heaven and yet they say Tailors are â—â—anty there for that their consciences are so large here In this countrey men give away their garments when they dy if Samuel had so done â—â— could not have borrowed it again for of likelihood it would have been â—orne out in that space except the donee had been a better husband than 〈◊〉 for the testator was dead as it is supposed two years before CHAP. XIII The residue of 1 Sam. 28. expounded wherein is declared how cunningly this witch brought Saul resolutely to beleeve that she raised Samuel what words are used to color the cosenage and how all might also be wrought by ventriloquie NOw commeth in Samuel to play his part but I am perswaded it was performed in the person of the witch her selfe or of her confederate â—e saith to Saul Why hast thou disquieted me to bring me up As though without guile or packing it had been Samuel himselfe Saul answered that â—e was in great distresse for the Philistines made warre upon him Whereâ—y the witch or her confederate priest might easily conjecture that his â—eart failed direct the oracle or prophesie accordingly especially underâ—â—anding by his present talke and also by former prophesies and doings â—â—at were past that God had forsaken him and that his people were deâ—lining from him For when Ionathan a little before overthrew the â—hilistines being thirty thousand chariots and six thousand horsemen Saul could not assemble above six hundred souldiers Then said Samuel which some suppose was Satan and as I think was â—â—e witch with a confederate for what need so farre fetches as to fetch devil supernaturally out of hell when the illusion may be here by naturall means deciphered And if you note the words well you shall â—â—â—ceive the phrase not to come out of a spiritual mouth of a devil but 〈◊〉 a lying corporall tongue of a cosener that careth neither for God no◠〈◊〉 devill from whence issueth such advice and communication as greatly 〈◊〉 greeth from Satans nature and purpose For thus I say the said 〈◊〉 speaketh Wherefore doest thou aske me seeing the Lord is gone 〈◊〉 thee and is thine enemy Even the Lord hath done unto him as he 〈◊〉 by my hand for the Lord will rent thy kingdome out
of thine hand 〈◊〉 give it to thy neighbour David because thou obeyedst the voice of 〈◊〉 Lord c. This I say is no phrase of a devil but of a cosener 〈◊〉 knew before what Samuel had prophesied concerning Sauls destruâ—â—â—â—â— For it is the devils condition to allure the people unto wickednesse 〈◊〉 not in this sort to admonishâ— warne and rebuke them for evil An◠〈◊〉 popish writers confesse that the devil would have been gone at the 〈◊〉 naming of God If it be said that it was at Gods special commandeâ—â—â—â— and will that Samuel or the devil should be raised to propound â—â—â—monition to the profit of all posterity I answer that then he 〈…〉 have done it by some of his living prophets and that Satan 〈◊〉 been so fit an instrument for that purpose After this falleth the 〈◊〉 I would say Samuel into the vein of prophecying and speakeâ—â— Saul on this wise The Lord will rent thy kingdome out of thine 〈◊〉 and give it to thy neighbour David because thâ—u obeyedst not the 〈◊〉 of the Lord nor executedst his fierce wrath upon the Amalekitesi 〈◊〉 fore hath the Lord done this unto thee this day Moreover the Lord 〈◊〉 deliver thee into the hands of the Philistines and to morrow shalt thoâ— thy sonnes be with me and the Lord shall give the host of Israel inâ—o 〈◊〉 hands of the Philistines What could Samuel have said more Me thinks the devil would have used another order encouragin◠〈◊〉 rather than rebuking him for his evil The devil is craftier than 〈◊〉 such an admonition to all posterities as should be prejudiciâ—◠〈◊〉 his kingdome and also be void of all impiety But so divine a sense maketh much for the maintenance of the witches credit and to 〈◊〉 â—â—â—vancement of her gaines Howbeit concerning the verity of this â—â—â—â—phesie there be many disputable questions first whether the 〈◊〉 were fought the next day secondly whether all his sonnes were 〈◊〉 with him item whether they went to heaven or hell together a◠〈◊〉 with Samuel they must be in heaven and being with 〈◊〉 they must be in hell But although every part of this 〈◊〉 were false as that all his sonnes were not slain Ishhosheth 〈◊〉 and reigning in Israel two years after Sauls death and that the 〈…〉 not on the morrow and that wicked Saul after that he had killed 〈◊〉 selfe was not with good Samuel yet this witch did give a shrewd 〈◊〉 to the sequel Which whether it were true or false pertains 〈…〉 purpose and therefore I will 〈◊〉 it But as â—ouching the 〈◊〉 them that say it was the devil because that such things came to 〈◊〉 would â—ain know of them where they learn that devils foreknow 〈…〉 come If they say he guesseâ—h onely upon probabilities the witâ—â— may 〈◊〉 do the like But here I may not forget the decrees which conclude 〈◊〉 Samuel appeared not unto Saul but that the historiographer set fo◠〈◊〉 mind and Samuels estate and certain things which were said and seen 〈◊〉 whether they were true or false and further that it were a 〈◊〉 offence for a man to beleeve the bare words of the story And if 〈◊〉 exposition like you not I can easily frame my selfe to the opinion of â—ne of great learning expounding this place and that with great proâ—â—bility in this sort to wit that this Pythonist being Ventriloqua that 〈◊〉 Speaking as it were from the bottom of her belly did cast her selfe â—â—to a trance and so abused Saul answering to Saul in Samuels name in 〈◊〉 counterfeit hollow voice as the wench of Westwel spake whose hisâ—â—ry I have rehearsed before at large in page 94. and this is right â—â—nâ—riloquie CHAP. XIV â—â—inions of some learned men that Samuel was indeed raised not by the witches art or power but by the special miracle of God that there are no such visions in these our dayes and that our witches cannot do the like AIas and Sadajas write that when the woman saw the miracle indeed and more than she looked for of waâ— wont to do she beâ—n to cry out that this was a vision indeed and a true one not done by 〈◊〉 art but by the power of God Which exposition is farre more proâ—â—ble than our late writers judgements hereupon and agreeth with the â—â—position of diverse good divines Gelasius saith it was the very spirit 〈◊〉 Samuel and where he suffered himselfe to be worshipped it was but 〈◊〉 civil salutation and courtesie and that God did interpose Samuel as he did Elias to the messenger of Ochossas when he sent to Belzebub the god Acharon And here is to be noted that the witchmongers are set up this point for the papists say that it cannot be a devil because Jeho it is thrice of five times named in the story Upon this peece of scripâ—â—re arguments are daily devised to prove and maintain the miraculous â—â—tions of witch crafâ— and the raising of the dead by conjuâ—ations And â—r if it were true that Samuel himselfe were raised or the devil in his â—â—â—enesse and that the witch of Endor by her art and cunning did it c. it â—aketh rather to the disproofe than to the proofe of our wiâ—ches which 〈◊〉 neither do that kind of miracle or any other in any such place or â—â—mpany where their jugling and cosenage may be seen and laid open â—nd I challenge them all even upon the adventure of my life to shew â—he peece of a miracle such as Christ did truly or such as they suppose his witch did diabolically be it not with art nor confederacy whereby the colour thereof maybe made neither are there any such visions in these â—â—yes shewed Heretofore God did send his visible angels to men but now we hear â—ot of such apparitions neither are they necessary Indeed it pleased â—od heretofore by the hand of Moses and his prophets and specially by 〈◊〉 son Christ and his Apostles to worke great miracles for the establishing of the faith but now whatsoever is necessary for our salvation it â—â—â—tained in the word of God our faith is already confirmed and our 〈◊〉 established by miracles so as now to seek for them is a point of 〈◊〉 Which the papists if you note it are grealy touched withall in their lying legends appeareth But in truth our miracles are 〈◊〉 most commonly and specially of priests whereof I could cite a 〈◊〉 sand If you read the story of Bell and the Dragon you shall finde 〈◊〉 miracle of some antiquity If you will see newer devices reâ— â—â—â—tus Cardanus Baleus and specially Lavaterns c. There have 〈◊〉 some walking spirits in these parts so conjured not long since as 〈◊〉 wards they little delighted to make any more apparitions CHAP. XV. Of vaine apparitions how people have been brought to fear 〈◊〉 which is partly reformed by preaching of the gospel the true 〈◊〉 Christs miracles BUt certainly some one knave in a white sheet hath cosened and