Selected quad for the lemma: religion_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
religion_n	christian_a	church_n	profess_v	3,448	5	8.0722	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A03468	A treatise against vvitchcraft: or A dialogue, wherein the greatest doubts concerning that sinne, are briefly answered a Sathanicall operation in the witchcraft of all times is truly prooued: the moste precious preseruatiues against such euils are shewed: very needful to be knowen of all men, but chiefly of the masters and fathers of families, that they may learn the best meanes to purge their houses of all vnclean spirits, and wisely to auoide the dreadfull impieties and greate daungers which come by such abhominations. Hereunto is also added a short discourse, containing the most certen meanes ordained of God, to discouer, expell, and to confound all the Sathanicall inuentions of witchcraft and sorcerie.; Treatise against witchcraft.	Holland, Henry, 1555 or 6-1603.	1590 (1590)	STC 13590; ESTC S104153	71,772	90

for their God his arts for Gods word would haue Athisme to come in place of pure religion Wherfore if they erre of ignorance they erre dangerously against the very foundation of Christian religion if they erre of malice they are the very imps limmes of Satan and seeing that they seeme to turne such honourable personages from faith and religion and from true obedience vnto the worde of the Lord as Elimas the sorcerer sought to turne Sergius Paulus that prudent man when he desired to heare the word of God from the faith let them vnderstand that Paul may thunder more iustly against them professing Christianity in the Church as he did against that vile Pagan sorcerer in this maner O full of all subtiltie all mischiefe the child of the deuill and enimy of all righteousnes wilt thou not cease to peruert the straight waies of the Lord The ground and the mother of all good lawes is the law of god and all other lawes do giue attendance therupon and haue their being to this end to keep and preserue the holy lawes of God inuiolable and if they want this scope as the learned say they are vnnecessary in the Church or common wealth The lawes of god are most sharp against this sinne and punish it with death as all other sinnes of the first table were punished the words of the lawe are these Exod. 20. 18. Thou shalt not suffer a witch to liue Againe Lev. 20. 27. if a man or a woman haue a spirit of diuination or sooth saying in them they shall dye the death they shall stone them to death their blood shall be vpon them Againe Deut. 18. 10 11. many kinds of magitians are numbred which the Lorde straightly chargeth should not be left to liue in the land These lawes of God did the forenamed godly kings their iudges rulers and magistrates most religiousllie and zealouslie obey and put in practise and wherfore Christian princes iudges c. ought not with greater care loue zeale religion do the same vnder the gospel no man liuing shal euer be able with any sensible reason to prooue vnto vs. Wherfore such iudges as are so sharp sighted in the lighter sinnes of the 2. table and as it were blind in the disobedience of the first are as M. Beza Danaeus Bodin say truly great contēners of God thēselues therefore the greater account shall they make Bodin cōplaineth in these wordes Equidem saepe miratus sum cur à multis principib quaestiones institutae iudices extra ordinem dati delegatique fierent in fures quaestores aerarios faeneratores viarū obsessores per quos tamen turpissima summè horrenda impiaque magorū facta manserunt impunita This lawyer as you see wondreth at the custome of some countries where he knoweth the iudges and magistrates are very sharp against theeues robbers vsurers and such like common sinnes but to passe ouer the most horrible sinnes of sorcerie vnpunished M. Beza also complaineth against this negligence in magistrates as we haue before shewed Danaeus saith that to make lawes doth belong appertain to kings princes notwithstanding he wisheth albeit lawes might seem to be wāting that the honourable iudges magistrates c. would punish magitians sorcerers for sundry other sorts of sin which they do impiously commit Bodin numbreth their sinnes in this order First they renounce God and all true religion 2. they blaspheme prouoke his diuine maiesty with vnspeakable contempt 3. they beleeue in the deuill adore him sacrifice vnto him 4. they offer their children vnto deuils 5. they sweare vnto Satan promise to bring as many as they can vnto his seruice professiō 6. they inuocate Satan in their praiers sweare by his name 7. they commit incestuous adulteries for Satan telleth thē that none can proue a perfect magitian or sorcerer but such a one as is of the father the daughter or the mother the son whereupon Catullus wrote these verses Nam magus ex matre gnato gignatur oportet Si vera est Persarum impia religio The right magitian by the sonne of mother is begotte Sayth Persian faith if that be true t is Satans birde I wotte 8. They cōmit horrible murders kil yong infants 9. al sorcerers for the most part exercise poison to kill with poison is far more heinous then simple murder for so the law speaketh grauius est occidere veneno quam ferro 10. they kill mens cattel c. 11. lastly the witches as themselues confesse cōmit abominatiōs filthines with their deuils when they ly with their husbands Aug. saith that to denie this is great impudency These sinnes here named euery one euē the lest deserueth a most exquisite death as can be deuised for all such sinners are cōmanded to be stoned to death which kinde of death was a most dreadful death among the Iews And surely it is well known by common experience that al professed sorcerers c. are guiltie of many most monstrous impieties for this cause the law saith simply Mechasephath Lo tichieth let not a witch liue expressing vnto vs how expedient it is that iustice be speedily exercised against these vile kind of men And thus far I thought good to shew how wise and religious magistrates haue doe and may proceed against the discouery of the most horrible and detestable sinnes of witchcraft or ●●●ery not for that I can or would teach any our honourable wise learne● magistrates their duties in this pointe but to let the common sort of Christians see what the lawe of God commandeth and what diligence good Magistrates haue vsed in elder times against these euils Wherefore if we which professe Christ Iesus in this cleare Sunne shine of the gospell be found more remisse colde backward in performing these duties to God and his Church that I may say more we seeme to come to farre behind those noble presidents in the loue of 〈◊〉 hatred of sinne and behinde I feare if wee so persist shall wee come ●nto the kingdome efheauen To conclude therefore let vs all as many as haue the place of inferiours in this Christian common wealth pray mightely vnto God so to illuminate our superiours the wise and honourable magistrates our godly learned ministers with his holy word to know his will and so to enflame their hearts with his holy spirit that they may moste diligently put the same in practise as for the discouery confusion extirpation of al sinnes so more particularly most carefully of these most horrible dreadfull detestable sinnes of witchcraft and sorcery c. that so God may be purely worshipped his saints comforted his greatest enemies either conuerted to their good or confounded with their deuills to their endlesse shame and confusion So be it Vnto the King euerlasting immortall inuisible vnto

Lords wrath Theoph. That they are for the greater light offered men doe reiect the greater shal be their condemnation Mysodaemon But alas it greeueth me to thinke how these witches children as the Prophet calleth them of our time beleeue not that sorcerers and coniurers are so euill Theophilus They erre greeuouslie because God hath giuen them ouer in his iustice for the contempt of his word for they consider but their figures glasses circles periapts other vayles of witches profession and so did Saule he looked vpon the woman and was caried away with a strong imagination and liking of her artes he vewed Samuels old mantle gray heare and listened vnto his iollie graue speeches c. And yet it is said the Lorde slew him for this sinne The people therefore of our time hauing the same drift and purpose with Saule that is with full sayle seeking after Sathan if he may be found must be subiect to the like if God giue not repentance or the greater condemnation Mysodaemon And may not the Magistrate prouide against this euill Theophilus The Almightie God chargeth him so to doe Deu. 18. 9 10 11. Lev. 20. 6 27. for these sinnes are said to goe a whoaring from God and fall into a most dreadfull apostacie and therefore the Lord will haue them cut off from among his people The Apostle saith That euill doers are not onely worthy of death but as many also as consent vnto them or fauour them Wherupon one writeth thus Iuxta Pauli doctrinam eiusdem impietatis reus peragitur eisdem paenis obnoxius est apud Deum qui artem exercet magicam qui ex ea remedium petit that is According to Saint Paules doctrine he which practiseth witchcraft and he that seeketh helpe therby are both alike guiltie of the same impietie and before God subiect to the same punishment CHAP. IIII. Wherefore the Lorde doeth permit the sinnes of witchcraft in our time who are in most daunger thereby and what are the most soueraigne preservatiues against witchcraft Mysodaemon Theophilus THE people say Theophilus that witches can kill and make aliue whome they please wherefore doeth Almightie God suffer witches to hurt and to destroy man and beast on this manner for surely I thinke they can doe much indeede Theophilus The multitude is in this grosse errour Mysedaem that witches haue power to turne the world vpside down at their pleasure but the trueth is it is nothing so for as I taught thee before they are but Sathans instruments and can not worke these wonders without him and as for Sathans power also it is limited by the Lord. for he can do nothing but where and when the Lord sends him when therefore he is sent for the execution of Gods iustice he perswades his witches that he can drive heauen and earth together at his pleasure and they perswade the wicked worlde that they can likewise worke wonders whereas neither they nor Sathan him selfe by them can take away the least haire from the greatest sinner vpon earth but when God permits them for as the Lord by his speciall loue mercie and prouidence doeth embrace all his Saintes so likewise his generall prouidence and mercie saith the Prophet is ouer all his workes Thus much in effect hath M. Beza written the last yeere in his commentarie vpon Iob in these wordes Caeterum ostendit etiam hic locus impuros illos spiritus non temerè ab Apostolo vocari aeris principes sicuti summum illum lovem horum daemonum principem Graeci Latini multis propterea epithet is cognominarunt 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 fulguratorem tonantem vocantes qui tamen vel minimum quiddam in caelo vel in terra movere nisi Deo concedente non possunt sed Dominū quiddem illorum opera quoties ipsi libuit in huiusmodi excitandis tempestatibus vti ipsos verò donec in abissum mittantur in aere in alijs mundi partibus versantes nulla remagis quàm omni rerum confusione hominum praesertim exitio gaudentes Adde etiam omnium naturalium causarum ad excitandas omnes eius generis impressiones requisitarum summè peritos quàm facillimè quàm libentissimè Deo concedenti vel etiam imperanti suam in his rebus operam praestare constat sagarum etiam magorum omnis generis adhibito interventu And then he addeth a confirmation of his assertion concerning witches and a great complaint against negligent Magistrates on this manner Quadere cùm tam apertè tam multis tam certis sacrarū literarum testimonijs omnium seculorum apud omnes gentes historijs cōstet mirū est ac penè incredibile adhuc inter Christianos praesertim magistratus ac Iudices inveniri qui vana futilia haec esse omnia existiment Which thing saith he speaking of witchcraft seeing that it is so apparantly knowen by so many and so certaine testimonies of holy Scripture and by the histories of all times among all nations it is to be wondered and in a manner incredible that as yet there are found among Christians and especially among magistrates and iudges which doe suppose all these things to be but vaine and fabulous But to returne againe to thy demand Mysodaemon wherefore God permitteth witchcraft in these our daies as for the causes of this permission if thou wouldest knowe them they are many in number but I will commend vnto thee foure principally for thine instruction Myso-daemon VVhat then is the first cause of this permission Theophilus The euill artes and workes of Sathan by witchcraft are for a signe of the contempt and fall of men from the Gospell and syncere profession of religion wheresoeuer they be either suffered or maintained we see and knowe by daily experience that men haue but small measure of the pure light of God in that place Mysodaemon This is to be seene most true in poperie where all superstition and magicall artes are bred professed and maintained and what is the second cause Theophilus The seconde cause why God suffereth Sathan thus to triumph by his artes and to rule ouer infidels is that he might fatherly forewarne his Saintes to passe their dwelling here in feare and with all diligence to avoyde the contagion of the wicked with whome they haue any conversation Mysodaemon And what is the third Theophilus The third cause of this permission is that by these delusions of the deuill God might in iustice punish them which would not receiue his trueth for the Apostle saith that they which will not beleeue the truth God will send them strong delusions that they may beleeue lyes Myso-daemon It is most true we see for such as hunt after our doating witches are most sottish idiottes of all the people who when they bee stung by Sathan runne foorthwith to be cured by him what nowe is the fourth cause Theophilus The tryall of Gods Saintes for GOD permitteth all

wise in naturall causes and holdeth the blind in matters of religion The Apostle answereth because he would not that Gods glorious gospell should shine vnto them for then he should be discouered Acts the 13. 8. mention is made of one of these Sathanicall wizards whome Satan vsed as his instrument to hinder the worke of the ministerie of Paul and Barnabas in the conuersion of the deputie Sergius Paulus a prudent man For thus it is written that great man desired to heare the worde of God but Elimas that sorcerer withstood them and sought to turne awaie the deputie from the faith for by the conuersion of such a man Sathans kingdome shoulde haue beene sore weakned Sathan hath his synagogue wherein his ministers continuallie fight against this holy ministerie of Christ. Revelat. 2. 9. 3. 9. 2. 15. In Theodosius the Emperours time the yeare of our L. 396. the young Valentinian Emperour of Rome was strangled and one Engenius an enimy to Christian religion sought the Empire who was perswaded thereunto by one of these wizardly prophets for he was promised faithfully by a great professor of these artes that he should both get the victorie against Theodosius and extinguish all the light of Christian religion but both praedictions prooued false to his confusion But Satan sometimes would preach the gospell him selfe and he seemeth to loue it and to delight to heare it sounding else wherefore would his wicked exorcistes and coniurers so often chatter it vnto him And by the maid which had the spirit of diuination at Philippi he cried or made her speake these men are the seruants of the most high Godwhich shewe vnto vs the way of salvation And in the Gospell it is written they doe most honourably speake of Christ thou art Christ the very sonne of God I answere those wicked exorcists and coniurers delight Satan much in abusing with their prophane lippes the holy worde of God for the truth is he nothing regardeth the outwarde letter of the worde no more then their characters signes crosses figures c. but this he will haue them doe the more to blinde them and others and to keepe men in the externall lippe seruice least men shoulde vnderstand the powerfull working vertue of that holie word and the graces of true religion Therefore our sauiour the Apostle in the forenamed place knowing right well his purpose charge him to keepe silence for he must not fight or minister in that campe which is ordained of God to batter and beat downe all the houldes and corners of his kingdome The deuill in the oracle of Apollo would giue Iulian the Apostata no answere when he sacrificed vnto him vntill he had giuen him occasion to persecute the christians and to abuse the sepulchres of the Saintes and martyrs Ruff. 1. booke cha 35. of the fall of this oracle these verses were thus written Ve ve mihi tripodes lugete perijt Apollo Perijt quoniam ardens mihi vim infert caeleste numen And Eusebius the Historigrapher mentioneth alike cause for he writeth that many saylers as they passed by the Isles called Echinades heard a voice in the ayer crying often Thamans Thamans this was the pilots name and saying vnto him that when he did passe by Pelodis he should sound these wordes the great Pan is dead whereupon the words being so spoken in that place there followed a hideous noise without the visible appearance of any thing The same storie is in Plutarch Now what that caeleste numen that is magnus Pan did signifie diuerse men haue diuerslie coniectured Cicero likewise as all heathen writers speaketh great and glorious wordes in the commendation of this oarcle but is vtterly ignorant what should bee the cause of that silence which it came vnto in his time He coniectureth only with Plutarch that those exhalations wherewith it was thought Apollo inspired his priestes and oracle were by age consumed Potest autem vis illa terrae quae mentem pythiae diuino afflatu concitabat euanuisse vetustate But the holy Prophet Zacharie will teach vs the true cause of the confusion of these oracles as it is before shewed 4. Arg. Bodin the ciuilian seeing that the gospell published and preached after Christes institution hath this strong arme and continuall might against Sathan and all his inuentions writeth on this manner quam●brem vt mala haec vitari possint legem Dei s●●pe oportet praedicari metum eius summis medijs infimis inculcari ante omnia fidem in cum imprimi Wherefore saith be to avoid these euills meaning Sathanicall artes of magick and witchcraft the lawe of God must be often preached the feare of god beaten into mens minds of high meane and lowe estate and aboue all things they must haue faith in good wrought in them Again in the same page he commendeth this good meanes in these wordes Hic maximus hic pulcherrimus hic facillimus omnino modus eijciendiè rep magos artes magicas maleficia malignos spiritus tantisper enim dum hic blasphemia illic 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 obtinet nulla plane spes ostenditur malignos spiritus magos pestem bella famem que depellendi that is this is the greatest speaking of the preaching of the gospell the fairest the easiest meanes to cast out magitians the artes of magicke sorceries and euill spirits out of the common wealth for as long as blasphemie and Atheisme reigneth here and there there is no hope to driue away euill spirits coniurers plagues warre and famine out of the land 5. Arg. That good meanes whereby God wrought the subuersion of the temples and all the deuils artes at Ephesus Actes Chap. 19. verse 20. 26. at Corinthus the 1. Corinth Chap. 10 vers 20. and else where is the best meanes left vs also for the same end and purpose namely the confusion of Sathanicall men and the discouerie of their abmhominable practises But that first conquest against Sathan and his ministers c. was by the Lordes good ministry ergo The Assumption THe ministerie of the gospell gaue the deuill and his oracles a great fall in Dioclesius time and therefore Satan stirred that tyrant by all meanes to persecute the Christians This writeth Eusebius The oracle of Apollo in Dioclesius time gaue answere out of a hollow caue and not out of any temple by the ministrie of his priestes after the old wonted manner for the deuill said that iusti homines in terris certen iust men on the earth were such lets vnto him that he could not speake as in former times Then began this tyrant to enquire who those men were and his priestes answering that they were the Christians he sought after them with all his persecutions much like to this was the persecution of Petrus Flistedius and Adolphus and Larebachus by the popish diuines of Colen to stay the sweating sicknesse Actes and monum pag. 885. The

Persians were full of professed magitians and coniurers who fearing the ouerthrowe of their kingdome by Maruthus a godly B. of Mesopotamia who was sent indeed to Persia for that purpose from the Emperour of Rome as writeth Socrates They laboured with all their artes against the preaching of the gospell perswading their king Isdigerdes not to receiue the Christian religion the faith which was preached vnto him Notwithstanding the gospell consumed them and beat downe their kingdom in that kings daies And therefore in the next kings raigne they were so enuious against the professors of the gospell that as saith the same author they murdered the Christiās with al the Persian torments that could bee deuised They continued also the same fury against the Christians in that land in Sapors time another king of that kingdome who was in like maner prouoked vnto his sauadge and furious crueltie by the same vile enemies of the gospell 6. Arg. experience Looke by what meanes the magicke the witchcraft of elder time the diuinations the sorcerie the faries the goblins the hegges c. which came vnto the Church with the rotten mist of popery were discouered and put to flight from amongst vs not many yeare past by the same good meanes may the remnants of these diabolicall delusions be discouered cut off at this time present But it is knowne by the good experience of all countries round about vs where the beames of the gospell haue shined in this latter age togitherwith our owne that this glorious ministerie of God the publishing and preaching I say of the gospel of Iesus Christ hath scattered that vnsauerie miste of Sathan wherein he couered all his delusions c. therefore the conclusion followeth Assumption Eusebius for elder times writeth that Simon magus the sorcerer of Samaria was a great aduersarie to the faith and withstoode the Apostles and their doctrine and how that he was discouered with his artes confounded by the ministerie of Gods worde For the saith Verum diuina supra caelestis gratia ministris suis opem ferens per illorum apparitionem ac praesentiam accensam malislammam confestim extinxit humiliata per eos ac deturbata quavis sublimitate quae secontra scientian Dei ext●llebat quapropter nec Sir●●●s obluctatio nec cuiusquam alterius eorum qui tunc prodbant Apostolicis illis temporibus subsistere potuit veritatis enim splendor ac diuinus ille sermo qui iampridem hominibus divinitus illuxeratinque terra obtinebat in Apostolis suis agebat cuncta vincebat ac superabat But the divine and celestiall grace gaue strength vnto his ministers and by their appearing and presence quenched that flame so wickedly kindled for by them were brought lowe and cast downe all high things which did lift vp themselues against the knowledge of God Therfore neither Simons rebellion nor any other which did appeare in these Apostolicall times could stand for the brightnes of the trueth that diuine word which not long before had shined from heauen ruled vpon earth and wrought in his Apostles conquered subdued all things 2 Bodin saith for his experience on this manner Sed legis divinae promulgatio vires Sathanae plurimum ener vavit quicunque populi manserunt diu infideles aut adhuc permanent ij grauissimè fuerunt infestati à spiritibus malignis adhuc dies noctesque infestantur vt fit in Norvegia Finlandia Lapenlandia alijs regionibus ad Boream sitis The publishing of Gods worde saith he hath greatly weakned Sathans power and what people soeuer haue long continued in infidelitie or soremaine as yet they haue beene are grieuously vexed of evill spirits as it is to be seene in Norway Finland Lapenland and other regions which are in the North parts Heming ius for his countrey of Denmarke can testifie sufficiently who writeth of his experience also on this wise Cum primum ante annos plus minus 40. doctrina Evangelij caepit in hoc regnoper pios ministros dei repurgari à tenebris pontificijs vindicari cessauere omnes istae diabolicae impostura Lucente etenim Evangelij clarissima luce tenebrae superstitionum evanuerunt siquidem luxillamagn● verbi coelestis fulgore suo omnes superstitiones dispulit discussit non secus atque sol oriens in Horizonte nostro tenebras noctis depellit that is when first heretofore 40. yeeres past or there abouts the Gospel began by the godly ministers of God to be diligently purged freed restored from the darknes of poperie all these deceits of the deuill ceased for when the light of the Gospel shind the clouds of superstition vanished away for that great light of the heauenly word droue away beat downe with his beames all superstition like as the sunne rising in our Horizon chaseth away the darke clouds of the night And then lest any should say that there remained yet great store of this sinne in that kingdome as there do●th also remaine some reliques of the 〈◊〉 amongst vs in England he addeth presently answereth that because men contemne refuse the good ministerie of Gods word therefore such sinnes can not be auoyded his words are these Cum ergò audimus videmus augeri quotidie eorum numerum qui seistis imposturis magicis dedunt scia●mus signum certissimum obscurati Evangelij deficientis fidei in plurimis hominibus diuina permissione nobis propositum esse that is Forasmuch as we heare and see daily that their number is encreased which giue themselues to the practise of magicall delusions let vs vnderstand that we haue giuē vnto vs a most sure token of the corruption of the Gospel of faith decreasing in most men by Gods permission Thus farre Hemingius for Denmarke P. Martyr a worthie writer speaketh of his knowledge and experience in this cause on this manner Notabimus verum Deum explodere solere commentitios vnde statim cum effet natus Christus omnia deorum oracula conticuerunt quae antea fuerant celeberima etenim cum lux ipsa qui est Christus venisset in mundum tenebraenecesse fuit vt evanescerent that is Let vs obserue how the true God chaseth away the false gods therfore when Christ was borne all the oracles of the gods ceased which were in former times most famous For when that light which is Christ came into the worlde darkenes must of necessitie haue vanished away And then reiecting Plutarchs reasons of the silence of those oracles disliking them he saith est igitur huius eventialia causa quam Plutarchus videre non potuit nimirum aduersarias potestates à Christo fraenatas that is there is therfore of this euent another cause which Plutarch could not see that is that the aduersarie powers were curbed by Christ then he addeth his own experience in these words Quod etiam hodie videmus in regionib amplect entibus Evangeliū