of Rome but might also have made the Pope that now is content with our Christmas and Easter-day and not to have gathered the minutes together and reformed it so as to shew how falsly he and his predecessors whom they say could not err hath observed it hitherto And truly this and the dancing of the Sun on Easter-day morning sufficiently or rather miraculously prove that computation which the Pope now beginneth to doubt of and to call in question CHAP. V. The Opinion of Fascius Cardanus touching Spirits and of his Familiar Devil FAscius Cardanus had as he himself and his son Hierome Cardanus report a familiar Devil consisting of the fiery Element who so long as he used Conjuration did give true answers to all his demands but when he burned up his Book of Conjurations though he resorted still unto him yet did he make false answers continually He held him bound twenty and eight years and loose five years And during the time that he was bound he told him that there were many Devils or Spirits He came not always alone but sometimes some of his fellows with him He rather agreed with Psellus then with Plato for he said they were begotten born died and lived long but how long they told him not howbeit as he might conjecture by the Devils face who was 42 years old and yet appeared very young he thought they lived two or three hundred years and they said that their souls and ours also died with their bodies They had Schools and Universities among them but he conceived not that any were so dull headed as Psellus maketh them But they are very quick in credit that beleive such fables which indeed is the ground-work of Witchcraft and Conjuration But these Histories are so gross and palpable that I might be thought as wise in going about to confute them as to answer the stories of Fryer Rush Adam Bell or the golden Legend CHAP. VI. The Opinion of Plato concerning Spirits Devils and Angels what Sacrifices they like best what they fear and of Socrates his familiar Devil PLato and his followers hold that good Spirits appear in their own likeness but that evil Spirits appear and shew themselves in the form of other bodies and that one Devil reigneth over the rest as a Prince doth in every perfect Common-wealth overmen Item they obtain their purposes and desires only by intreaty of men and women because in nature they are their inferiors and use authority over men none otherwise than Priests by vertue of their function and because of Religion wherein they say they execute the Office of God Sometimes they say that the fiery Spirits or supreme Substances enter into the purity of the mind and so obtain their purpose sometimes otherwise to wit by vertue of holy Charms and even as a poor man obtaineth for Gods sake any thing at a Princes hand as it were by importunateness The other sort of Devils and defiled souls are so conversant on earth as that they do much hurt unto earthly bodies specially in leachery Gods and Angels say they because they want all material and gross substance desire most the pure Sacrifice of the Mind The grosser and more terrestrial Spirits desire the grosser Sacrifices as Beasts and Cattel They in the middle or mean Region delight to have Frankincense and such mean stuffe offered unto them and therefore say they it is necessary to Sacrifice unto them all manner of things so the same be slain and dye not of their own accord for such they abhor Some say that Spirits fear wonderfully vain threats and thereupon will depart as if you tell them that you will cut the Heavens in pieces or reveal their secrets or complain of them to the gods or say that you will do any impossibility or such things as they cannot understand they are so timerous as they will presently be gone and that is thought the best way to be rid of them But these be most commonly of that sort or company which are called Principatus being of all other the most easie to be conjured They say Socrates had a familiar Devil which Plato relyeth much upon using none other argument to prove that there are such Spirits but because Socrates that would not lye said so and partly because that Devil did ever disswade and prohibit not only in Socrates his own cases but sometimes in his friends behalf who if they had been ruled might through his admonition have saved their lives His Disciples gathered that his Devil was Saturnal and a principal fiery Devil and that he and all such as do naturally know their Devils are only such as are called Daemonii viri otherwise coseners Item they say That fiery Spirits urge men to contemplation the airy to business the watery to lust and among these there are some that are Martial which give fortitude some are Jovial giving wisdom some Saturnal always using disswasion and dehorting Item some are born with us and remain with us all our life some are meer strangers who are nothing else but the souls of men departed this life c. CHAP. VII Plato's nine Orders of Spirits and Angels Dionysius his Division thereof not much differing from the same all disproved by learned Divines PLato proposeth or setteth forth nine several orders of Spirits besides the spirits and souls of men The first Spirit is God that commandeth all the residue the second are those that are called Ideae which gave all things to all men the third are souls of heavenly bodies which are mortal the fourth are Angels the fift Archangels the sixt are Devils who are ministers to infernal powers as Angels are to supernal the seventh are half Gods the eighth are Principalities the ninth are Princes From which division Dionysius doth not much swerve saving that he dealeth as he saith only with good Spirits whom he likewise divideth into nine parts or offices The first he calleth Seraphim the second Cherubim the third Thrones the fourth Dominations the fift Vertues the sixt Powers the seventh Principalites the eighth Archangels the ninth and inferiour sort he calleth Angels Howbeit some of these in my thinking are evil Spirits or else Paul gave us evil counsel when he willed us To fight against Principalities and Powers and all spiritual wickedness But Dionysius in that place goeth further impropriating to every Countrey and almost to every person of any accompt a peculiar Angel as to Jewry he assigneth Michael to Adam Razael to Abraham Zekiel to Isaac Raphael to Jacob Peliel to Moses Metraton c. But in these discourses he either followed his own imaginations and conceits or else the corruptions of that age Nevertheless I had rarher confute him by Mr. Calvin and my Kinsman M. Deering than by my self or mine own words For Mr. Calvin saith That Dionysius herein speaketh not as by hearsay but as though he had slipped down from Heaven and told of things which he had
alas these poor women go not about to defend any impiety but after good admonition repent Thirdly They would have them executed for seducing the people But God knoweth they have small store of Rhetorick or art to seduce except to tell a tale of Robin Good-fellow to be deceived and seduced Neither may their age or sex admit that oppinion or accusation to be just for they themselves are poor seduced souls I for my part as else-where I have said have proved this point to be false in most apparent sort Fourthly as touching the accusation which all the Writers use herein against them for their carnal copulation with Incubus the folly of mens credulity is as much to be wondered at and derided as the others vain and impossible confessions For the Devil is a Spirit and hath neither flesh nor bones which are to be used in the performance of this action And since he also lacketh all instruments substance and seed engendred of bloud it were folly to stay overlong in the confutation of that which is not in the nature of things And yet must I say somewhat herein because the opinion hereof is so strongly and universally received and the fables hereof so innumerable whereby M. Mal. Bodin Hemingius Hyperius Danaeus Erastus and others that take upon them to write herein are so abused or rather seek to abuse others as I wonder at their fond credulity in this behalf For they affirm undoubtedly that the Devil playeth Succubus to the man and carryeth from him the seed of Generation which he delivereth as Incubus to the Woman who many times that way is gotten with child which child will very naturally they say become a Witch and such a one they affirm Merlin was CHAP. XX. A request to such readers as are loath to hear or read fithy and bawdy matters which of necessity are here to be inserted to pass over eight Chapters BUt insomuch as I am driven for the more manifest bewraying and displaying of this most filthy and horrible error to stain my paper with writing thereon certain of their beastly and baudy assertions and examples whereby they confirm this their doctrine being my self both ashamed and loath once to think upon such filthiness although it be to the condemnation thereof I must intreat you that are the readers hereof whose chast ears cannot well endure to hear of such abominable Lecheries as are gathered out of the books of those Witch-mongers although Doctors of Divinity and otherwise of great authority and estimation to turn over a few leaves wherein I say I have like a Groom thrust their bawdy stuffe even that which I my self loath as into a stinking corner howbeit none otherwise I hope but that the other parts of my writing shall remain sweet and this also covered as close as may be BOOK IV. CHAP. I. Of Witchmongers opinions concerning evil Spirits how they framethemselves in more excellent sort than God made us JAmes Sprenger and Henry Institor in M. Mal. agreeing with Bodin Barth Spineus Danaeus Erastus Hemingius and the rest do make a bawdy Discourse labouring to prove by a foolish kind of Philosophy that evill Spirits cannot only take earthly formes and shapes of men but also counterfeit hearing seeing c. and likewise that they can eat and devour meats and also retain digest and avoid the same and finally use divers kinds of activities but specially excel in the use and art of Venery For M. Mal. saith that the eyes and ears of the mind are far more subtil then bodily eyes or carnal ears Yea it is there affirmed that as they take bodies and the likeness of members so they take minds and similitudes of their operations But by the way I would have them answer this question Our minds and souls are spiritual things If our corporal ears be stopped what can they hear or conceive of any external wisdom And truly a man of such a constitution of body as they imagine of these Spirits which make themselves c. were of far more excellent substance c. than the bodies of them that God made in paradise and so the devils workman-ship should exceed the handy-work of God the Father and Creator of all things CHAP. II. Of bawdy Incubus and Succubus and whether the action of Venery may be performed between Witches and Devils and when Witches first yielded to Incubus HEretofore they say Incubus was fain to ravish Women against their wils until Anno 1400. but now since that time Witches consent willingly to their desires insomuch as some one Witch exercised that trade of Lechery with Incubus twenty or thirty dayes together as was confessed by forty and eight Witches burned at Ravenspurge But what goodly fellows Incubus begeteth upon these Witches is proved by Thomas of Aquine Bodin M. Mal. Hyperuis c. This is proved first by the Devils cunning in discerning the difference of the seed which falleth from men Secondly by his understanding of the aptness of the women for the receipt of such seed Thirdly by his knowledge of the constellations which are friendly to such corporal effects And lastly by the excellent complexion of such as the Devil maketh choice of to beget such notable personages upon as are the causes of the greatness and excellency of the child thus begotten And to prove that such bawdy doings betwixt the Devil and Witches is not fained S. Augustine is alledged who saith That all superstitious arts had their beginning of the pestiferous society betwixt the Devil and Man Wherein he saith truly for that in paradise betwixt the Devil and Man all wickedness was so contrived that man ever since hath studied wicked arts yea and the Devil will be sure to be at the middle and at both ends of every mischief But that the Devil ingendreth with a Woman in manner and form as is supposed and naturally begetteth the wicked neither is it true nor Augustines meaning in this place Howbeit M. Mal. proceedeth affirming That all Witches take their beginning from such filthy actions wherein the Devil in likeness of a pretty Wench lyeth prostitute as Succubus to the man and retaining his nature and seed conveyeth it unto the Witch to whom he delivereth it as Incubus Wherein also is refuted the opinion of them that hold a Spirit to be unpalpable M. Mal. saith There can be rendred no infallible rule though a probable distinction may be set down whether Incubus in the act of Venery do alwayes power seed out of his assumed body And this is the distinction Either she is old and barren or young and pregnant If she be barren then doth Incubus use her without decision of seed because such seed should serve for no purpose And the Devil avoideth superfluity as much as he may and yet for her pleasure and condemnation together he goeth to work with her But by the way if the Devil were so compendious what should he need to
elsewhere I have more largely repeated Whosoever believeth that any creature can be made or changed into better or worse or transformed into any other shape or into any other similitude by any other than by God himself the Creator of all things without all doubt is an Infidel and worse than a Pagan and therewithal this reason is rendred to wit Because they attribute that to a Creature which only belongeth to God the Creator of all things CHAP. IV. A summary of the former fable with a Refutation thereof after due examination of the same COncerning the verity or probability of this enterlude betwixt Bodin M. Mal. the Witch the Asse the Mass the Merchants the Inquisitors the Tormentors c. First I wonder at the miracle of Transubstantiation Secondly At the impudency of Bodin and James Sprenger for affirming so gross a lie devised belike by the Knight of the Rhodes to make a fool of Sprenger and an asse of Bodin Thirdly That the Asse had no more wit than to kneel down and hold up his forefeet to a piece of starch or flowre which neither would nor could nor did help him Fourthly That the Mass could not reform that which the Witch transformed Fiftly that the Merchants the Inquisitors and the Tormentors could not either severally or joyntly do it but refer the matter to the Witches courtesie and good pleasure But where was the young mans own shape all these three years wherein he was made an Asse It is a certain and general rule that two substantial forms cannot be in one subject simul semel both at once which is confessed by themselves The form of the beast occupied some place in the air and so I think should the form of a man do also For to bring the body of a man without feeling into such a thin airy nature as that it can neither be seen nor felt it may well be unlikely but it is very impossible for the air is inconstant and continueth not in one place so as this airy creature would soon be carried into another region as elsewhere I have largely proved But indeed our bodies are visible sensitive and passive and are indued with many other excellent properties which all the Devils in hell are not able to alter neither can one hair of our head perish or fall away or be transformed without the special providence of God Almighty But to proceed unto the probability of this story What luck was it that this young fellow of England landing so lately in those parts and that old woman of Cyprus being both of so base a condition should both understand one anothers communication England and Cyprus being so many hundred miles distant and their languages so far differing I am sure in these dayes wherein traffick is more used and learning in more price few young or old Mariners in this Realm can either speak or understand the language spoken at Salamim in Cyprus which is a kind of Greek and as few old women there can speak our language But Bodin will say You hear that at the Inquisitors commandement and through the Tormentors correction she promised to restore him to his own shape and so she did as being thereunto compelled I answer that as the whole story is an impious fable so this assertion is false and disagreeable to their own doctrine which maintaineth That the Witch doth nothing but by the permission and leave of God For if she could do or undo such a thing at her own pleasure or at the commandement of the Inquisitors or for fear of the Tormentors or for love of the party or for remorse of conscience then is it not either by the extraordinary leave nor yet by the like direction of God except you will make him a confederate with old Witches I for my part wonder most how they can turn and tosse a mans body so and make it smaller and greater to wit like a Mouse or like an Asse c. and the man all this while to feel no pain And I am not alone in this maze for Danaeus a special maintainer of their follies saith That although Augustine and Apulcius do write very credibly of these matters yet will he never believe that Witches can change men into other formes as Asses Apes Wolves Bears Mice c. CHAP. V. That the body of a Man cannot be turned into the body of a Beast by a Witch is proved by strong Reasons Scriptures and Authorities BUt was this Man an Asse all this while or was this Asse a Man Bodin saith his reason only reserved he was truly transubstantiated into an Asse so as there must be no part of a man but reason remaining in this Asse And yet Hermes Trismegistus thinketh he hath good authority and reason to say Aliud corpus quam humanum non capere animam humanam nec fas esse in corpus animae ratione carentis animam rationalem corruere that is An humane soul cannot receive any other than an humane body nor yet can light into a body that wanteth reason of mind But S. James saith The body without the spirit is dead And surely when the soul is departed from the body the life of man is dissolved and therefore Paul wished to be dissolved when he would have been with Christ The body of man is subject to divers kinds of Agues sicknesses and infirmities whereunto an Asses body is not inclined and mans body must be fed with bread c. and not with hay Bodins Asse-headed man must either eat hay or nothing as appeareth in the story Man's body also is subject unto death and hath his dayes numbred If this fellow had died in the mean time as his hour might have been come for any thing the Devils the Witch or Bodin knew I marvel then what would have become of this Asse or how the Witch could have restored him to shape or whether he should have risen at the day of Judgement in an Asses body and shape For Paul saith that that very body which is sown and buried a natural body is raised a spiritual body The life of Jesus is made manifest in our mortal flesh and not in the flesh of an Asse God hath endued every man and every thing with his proper nature substance form qualities and gifts and directeth their wayes As for the wayes of an Asse he taketh no such care howbeit they have also their properties and substance several to themselves For there is one flesh saith Paul of men another flesh of beasts another of fishes another of birds And therefore it is absolutely against the ordinance of God who hath made me a man that I should flie like a Bird or swim like a fish or creep like a worm or become an Asse in shape insomuch as if God would give me leave I cannot do it for it were contrary to his own order and decree and to the constitution of any body which he hath
matter according to the deceived mind and imagination of Saul and his Servants And therefore in truth Sirach spake there according to the opinion of Saul which so supposed otherwise it is neither Heresie nor Treason to say he was deceived He that weigheth well that place and looketh it advisedly shall see that Samuel was not raised from the dead but that it was an illusion or cosenage practised by the Witch For the souls of the righteous are in the hands of God according to that which Chrysostom saith Souls in a certain place expecting judgement and cannot remove from thence Neither is it Gods will that the living should be taught by the dead Which things are confirmed and approved by the example of Lazarus and Dives where it appeareth according to Deut. 18. that he will not have the living taught by the dead but will have us stick to his Word wherein his will and testament is declared Indeed Lyra and Dionysius incline greatly to the latter And Lyra saith That as when Balaam would have raised a Devil God interposed himself so did he in this case bring up Samuel when the Witch would have raised her Devil which is a probable interpretation But yet they dare not stand to that opinion least they should impeach S. Augustines credit who they confess remained in judgement and opinion without contradiction of the Church that Samuel was not raised for he saith directly That Samuel himself was not called up And indeed if he were raised it was either willingly or per force if it were willingly his sin had been equal with the Witches And Peter Martyr me thinks saith more to the purpose in these words to wit This must have been done by Gods good will or per force of art magick it could not be done by his good will because he forbad it nor by art because Witches have no power over the godly Where it is answered by some that the commandement was only to prohibit the Jews to aske counsel of the dead and so no fault in Samuel to give counsel We may as well excuse our Neighbours wife for consenting to our filthy desires because it is only written in the Decalogue Thou shalt not desire thy neighbours wife But indeed Samuel was directly forbidden to answer Saul before he dyed and therefore it was not likely that God would appoint him when he was dead to do it CHAP. IX That Samuel was not raised indeed and how Bodin and all Papists dote herein and that souls cannot be raised by Witchcraft FUrthermore it is not likely that God would answer Saul by dead Samuel when he would not answer him by living Samuel and most unlikely of all that God would answer him by a Devil that denyed to do it by a Prophet That he was not brought up per force the whole course of the Scripture witnesseth and proveth as also our own reason may give us to understand For what quiet rest could the souls of the elect enjoy or possess in Abrahams bosome if they were to be plucked from thence at a Witches call and commandement But so should the Devil have power in heaven where he is unworthy to have any place himself and therefore unmeet to command others Many other of the Fathers are flatly against the raising up of Samuel namely Tertullian in his book De anima Justin Martyr In explicatione quae 25. Rabanus In epistolis ad Bonos Abat Origen In historia de Bileamo c. Some other dote exceedingly herein as namely Bodin and all Papists in general also Rabbi Sedias Hajas and also all the Hebrews saving R. David Kimchi which is the best writer of all the Rabbins though never a good of them all But Bodin in maintenance thereof falleth into many absurdities proving by the small faults that Saul had committed that he was an elect for the greatest matter saith he laid unto his charge is the reserving of the Amalekites cattel c. He was an elect c. confirming his opinion with many ridiculous fables and with this argument to wit his fault was too little to deserve damnation for Paul would not have the incestuous man punished too sore that his soul might be saved Justin Martyr in another place was not only deceived in the actual raising up of Samuels soul but affirmed that all the souls of the Prophets and just men are subject to the power of Witches And yet were the Heathen much more fond herein who as Lactantius affirmeth boasted that they could call up the souls of the dead and yet did think that their souls dyed with their bodies Whereby is to be seens how alwayes the world hath been abused in the matters of Witchcraft and Conjuration The Necromancers affirm that the spirit of any man may be called up or recalled as they term it before one year be past after their departure from the body Which C. Agrippa in his book De occulta Philosophia saith may be done by certain natural forces and bonds And therefore corpses in times past were accompanied and watched with lights sprinkled with holy water perfumed with incense and purged with prayer all the while they were above ground otherwise the Serpent as the Masters of the Hebrews say would devour them as the food appointed him by God Gen. 3. alledging also this place We shall not all sleep but we shall be changed because many shall remain for perpetual meat to the Serpent whereupon riseth the contention between him and Michael concerning the body of Moses wherein Scripture is alledged I confess that Augustine and the residue of the Doctors that deny the raising of Samuel conclude that the Devil was fetcht up in his likeness from whose opinions with reverence I hope I may dissent CHAP. X. That neither the Devil nor Samuel was raised but that it was a meer cosenage according to the guise of our Pythonists AGain if the Devil appeared and not Samuel why is it said in Eccl. that he slept for the Devil neither sleepeth nor dyeth But in truth we may gather that it was neither the Devil in person nor Samuel but a circumstance is here described according to the deceived opinion and imagination of Saul Howbeit Augustine saith that both these sides may easily be defended But we shall not need to fetch an exposition so far off for indeed me thinks it is Longe petita nor to descend so low as hell to fetch up a Devil to expound this place For it is ridiculous as Pompanacius saith to leave manifest things and such as by natural reason may be proved to seek unknown things which by no likelihood can be conceived nor tryed by any rule of reason But insomuch as we have liberty by S. Augustines rule in such places of Scripture as seem to contain either contrariety or absurdity to vary from the letter and to make a godly construction agreeable to the word let us confess that Samuel was not raised for that
we may certainly know the same we ought to content and frame our selves faithfully to believe the words and sense there delivered unto us by the high Spirit which is the Holy Ghost who is Lord of all spirits alwayes considering that evermore spirits are spoken of in Scripture as of things spiritual though for the help of our capacities they are sometime more grossly and corporally expressed either in Parables or by Metephors than indeed they are As for example and to omit the History of Job which elsewhere I handle it is written The Lord said Who shall entice Ahab that he may fall at Ramoth Gilead c. Then came forth a spirit and stood before the Lord and said I will go entice him And the Lord said Wherewith And he said I will go and be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his Prophets Then he said Go forth thou shalt prevail c. This story is here set forth in this wise to bear with our capacities and specially with the capacity of that age that could not otherwise conceive of spiritual things than by such corporal demonstrations And yet here is to be noted that one spirit and not many or divers did possess all the false Prophets at once Even as in another place many thousand Devils are said to possess one man yet it is also said even in the self same place that the same man was possessed only with one Devil For it is there said that Christ met a man which had a Devil and he commanded the foul spirit to come forth of the man c. But Calvin saith Where Satan or the Devil is named in the singular number thereby is meant that power of wickedness that standeth against the Kingdom of justice And where many Devils are named in the Scriptures we are thereby taught that we must fight with an infinite multitude of enemies lest despising the fewness of them we should be more slack to enter into battel and so fall into security and idleness On the other side it is as plainly set down in the Scripture That some are possessed with the Spirit of God as that the others are endued and bound with the spirit of the Devil Yea sometimes we read That one good Spirit was put into a great number of persons and again That divers Spirits rested in and upon one man and yet no real or corporal spirit meant As for example The Lord took of the spirit that was upon Moses and put it upon the seventy Elders and when the Spirit rested upon them they prophesied Why should not this be as substantial and corporal a spirit as that wherewith the Maid in the Acts of the Apostles was possessed Also Elisha intreated Elias that when he departed his spirit might be double upon him We read also that the Spirit of the Lord came upon Othniel upon Gideon Jeptha Samson Balaam Saul David Ezekiel Zachary Amasay yea it is written that Caleb had another spirit than all the Israelites beside and in another place it is said that Daniel had a more excellent spirit than any other So as though the spirits as well good as bad are said to be given by number and proportion yet the quality and not the quantity of them is alwayes thereby meant and presupposed Howbeit I must confess that Christ had the Spirit of God without measure as it is written in the Evangelist John But where it is said that spirits can be made tame and at commandment I say to those gross conceivers of Scripture with Solomon who as they falsly affirm was of all others the greatest Conjuror saith thus in express words No man is lord over a spirit to retain a spirit at his pleasure CHAP. XVII Whether Spirits and Souls can assume bodies and of their Creation and Substance wherein Writers do extreamly contend and vary SOme hold opinion that Spirits and Souls can assume and take unto them bodies at their pleasure of what shape or or substance they list of which mind all Papists and some Protestants are being more gross than another sort which hold that such bodies are made to their hands Howbeit these do vary in the Elements wherewith these spiritual bodies are composed For as I have said some affirm That they consist of fire some think of air and some of the Stars and other celestial powers But if they be celestial then as Peter Martyr saith must they follow the circular motion and if they be elementary then must they follow the motions of those Elements of which their bodies consist Of air they cannot be for air is Corpus homogeneum so as every part of air is air whereof there can be no distinct members made For an organical body must have bones sinews veins flesh c. which cannot be made of air Neither as Peter Martyr affirmeth can an anybody receive or have either shape or figure But some ascend up into the clouds where they find as they say divers shapes and forms even in the air Unto which objection Peter Martyr answereth saying and that truly That Clouds are not altogether air but have a mixture of other elements mingled with them CHAP. XVIII Certain Popish Reasons concerning Spirits made of Air of Day-Devils and Night-Devils and why the Devil loveth no Salt in his Meat MAny affirm upon a fable cited by M. Mal. that Spirits are of air because they have been cut as he saith in sunder and closed presently again and also because they vanish away so suddenly But of such Apparitions I have already spoken and am shortly to say more which are rather seen in the imagination of the weak and diseased than in verity and truth Which sights and apparations as they have been common among the unfaithful so now since the preaching of the Gospel they are most rare And as among faint-hearted people namely women children and sick folks they usually swarmd so among strong bodies and good stomachs they never used to appear as elsewhere I haved proved which argueth that they were only phantastical and imaginary Now say they that imagine Devils and Spirits to be made of air that it must needs be that they consist of that element because otherwise when they vanish suddenly away they should leave some earthy substance behind them If they were of water then should they moisten the place where they stand and must needs be shed on the floor If they consisted of fire then would they burn any thing that touched them and yet say they Abraham and Lot washed their feet and were neither scalded nor burnt I find it not in the Bible but in Bodin that there are Day-Devils and Night-Devils The same fellow saith That Deber is the name of that Devil which hurteth by night and Cheleb is he that hurteth by day howbeit he confesseth that Satan can hurt both by day and night although it be certain
as trouble private houses and are set to oversee Cross-wayes and Cities Larvae are said to be spirits that walk only by night Genii are the two Angels which they supposed were appointed to wait upon each man Manes are the spirits which oppose themselves against men in the way Daemones were feigned gods by Poets as Jupiter Juno c. Virunculi terrei are such as was Robin Good-fellow that would supply the office of Servants specially of Maids as to make a fire in the morning sweep the house grind Mustard and Malt draw Water c. these also rumble in houses draw latches go up and down stairs c. Dii geniales are the gods that every man did sacrifice unto at the day of their birth Tetrici be they that make folk afraid and have such ugly shapes which many of our Divines do call Subterranei Cobali are they that follow men and delight to laugh with tumbling juggling and such like toyes Virunculi are Dwarfs about three handfuls longs and do no hurt but seem to dig in minerals and to be very busie and yet do nothing Guteli or Trulli are spirits they say in the likeness of women shewing great kindness to all men and hereof it is that we call light women trulls Daemones montani are such as work in the minerals and further the work of the labourers wonderfully who are nothing afraid of them Hudgin is a very familiar Devil which will do no body hurt except he receive injury but the cannot abide that nor yet be mocked he talketh with men friendly sometimes visibly and sometimes invisibly There go as many tales upon this Hudgin in some parts of Germany as there did in England of Robin Good-fellow But this Hudgin was so called because he alwayes wore a Cap or a Hood and therefore I think it was Robin Hood Fryer Rush was for all the world such another fellow as this Hudgin and brought up even in the same School to wit in a Kitchin in so much as the self same tale is written of the one as of the other concerning the Skullion which is said to have been slain c. for the reading whereof I referr you to Fryer Rush his story or else to John Wierus De praestigiis Daemonum There were also Familiares Daemones which we call Familiars such as Socrates and Caesar were said to have and such as Feats sold to Doctor Burcot Quintus Sertorius had Diana her self for his familiar and Numa Pompilius had Aegeria but neither the one nor the other of all these could be preserved by their familiars from being destroyed with untimely death Simon Samareus boasted that he had gotten by Conjuration the soul of a little child that was slain to be his familiar and that he told him all things that were to come c. I marvel what priviledge souls have which are departed from the body to know things to come more than the Souls within Mans Body There were spirits which they called Albae mulieres and Albae Sybillae which were very familiar and did much harm they say to women with child and to suckling children Denmus as a Devil is worshipped among the Indians in Calecute who as they think hath power given him of God to judge the Earth c. his Image is horribly pictured in a most ugly shape Thevet saith that a Devil in America called Agnan beareth sway in that Country In Ginnie one Grigrie is accounted the great Devil and keepeth the Woods these have Priests called Charoibes which prophesie after they have lien by the space of one hour prostrate upon a wench of twelve years old and all that while say they he calleth upon a Devil called Hovioulsira and then cometh fourth and uttereth his prophesie For the true success whereof the people pray all the while that he lieth groveling like a lecherous knave There are a thousand other names which they say are attributed unto Devils and such as they take to themselves are more ridiculous than the names that are given by others which have more leisure to devise them In little Books containing the cosening possessed at Maidstone where such a wonder was wrought as also in other places you may see a number of counterfeit Devils names and other trish trash CHAP. XXII Of the Romans chief gods called Dii selecti and of other Heathen gods their Names and Offices THere were among the Romans twenty idolatrous gods which were called Dii selecti sive electi chosen gods whereof twelve were male and eight female whose names do thus follow Janus Saturnus Jupiter Genius Mercurius Apollo Mars Vulcanus Neptunus Sol Orcus and Vibar which were all he-gods Tellus Ceres Juno Minerva Luna Diana Venus and Vesta were all she-gods No man might appropriate any of these unto himself but they were left common and indifferent to all men dwelling in one Realm Province or notable City These Heathen Gentiles had also their Gods which served for sundry purposes as to raise Thunder they had Statores Tonantes Feretrii and Jupiter Elicius They had Cantius to whom they prayed for wise children who was more apt for this purpose than Minerva that issued out of Jupiters own brain Lucina was to send them that were with childe safe delivery and in that respect was called the mother of Childwives Opis was called the mother of the Babe new born whose image women with child hanged upon their girdles before their bellies and bare it so by the space of nine moneths and the Midwife alwayes touched the child therewith before she or any other layed hand thereon If the child were well born they sacrificed thereunto although the mother miscarried but if the child were in any part unperfect or dead c. they used to beat the image into powder or to burn or drown it Vagianus was he that kept their children from crying and therefore they did alwayes hang his picture about Babes necks for they thought much crying in youth portended ill fortune in age Cuninus otherwise Cunius was he that preserved as they thought their children from misfortune in the Cradle Ruminus was to keep their dugs from corruption Volumnus and his wise Volumna were gods the one for young men the other for maids that desired marriage for such as prayed devoutly unto them should soon be marryed Agrestis was the god of the fields and to him they prayed for fertility Bellus was the god of War and warriers and so also was Victoria to whom the greatest Temple in Rome was built Honorius was he that had charge about Inkeepers that they should well intreat Pilgrimes Berecinthia was the mother of all the gods Aesculanus was to discover their mines of Gold and Silver and to him they prayed for good success in that behalf Aesculapius was to cure the sick whose Father was Apollo and served to keep weeds out of the Corn. Segacia was to make seeds to grow Flora preserved the Vines from frosts
should say to our Lady-Church And in the Church-yard he saw a great many dead men and some of them he knew of whom he asked What the matter was c. who answered That the Hangman was slain and the Devil challenged his soul the which our Lady said was her and the Judge was even at hand coming thither to hear the cause and therefore said they we are now come together The Priest thought he would be at the hearing hereof and hid himself behind a tree and anon he saw the judicial seat ready prepared and furnished where the Judge to wit Jesus Christ sate who took up his mother unto him Soon after the Devils brought in the Hangman pinnioned and proved by good evidence that his soul belonged to them On the other side our Lady pleaded for the Hangman proving that he at the hour of death commended his soul to her The judge hearing the matter so well debated on either side but willing to obey for these are his words his mothers desire and loath to do the Devils any wrong gave sentence that the Hangmans soul should return to his body until he had made sufficient satisfaction ordaining that the Pope should set forth a publick form of Prayer for the Hangmans soul It was demanded who should do the errand to the Popes Holiness Marry quoth our Lady that shall yonder Priest that lurketh behind the tree The Priest being called forth and injoyned to make relation hereof and to desire the Pope to take the pains to do according to this decree asked by what token he should be directed Then was delivered unto him a Rose of such beauty as when the Pope saw it he knew his message was true And so if they do not well I pray God we may CHAP. XXVII A Confutation of the Fable of the Hangman of many other feigned and ridiculous Tales and Apparitions with a reproof thereof BY the tale above mentioned you see what it is to worship the Image of our Lady For though we kneel to God himself and make never so humble Petitions unto him without faith and repentance it shall do us no pleasure at all Yet this Hangman had great friendship shewed him for one point of courtesie used to our Lady having not one dram of faith repentance nor yet of honesty in him Nevertheless so credulous is the nature of man as to believe this and such like fables yea to discredit such stuffe is thought among the Papists flat heresie And though we that are Protestants will not believe these toyes being so apparently Popish yet we credit and report other appearances and assuming of bodies by souls and spirits though they be as prophane absurd and impious as the other We are sure the holy Maid of Kent's Vision was a very cosenage but we can credit imprint and publish for a true possession or history the knavery used by a cosening varlot at Maidstone and many other such as that was We think souls and spirits may come out of Heaven or Hell and assume bodies believing many absurd tales told by the Schoolmen and Romish Doctors to that effect but we discredit all the stories that they and as grave men as they are tell us upon their knowledge and credit of souls condemned to Purgatory wandering for succour and release by Trentals and Masses said by a Popish Priest c. and yet they in probability are equal and in number far exceed the other We think that to be a lye which is written or rather fathered upon Luther to wit That he knew the Devil and was very conversant with him and had eaten many bushels of Salt and made jolly good cheer with him and that he was confuted in a desputation with a real Devil about the abolishing of private mass Neither do we believe this report That the Devil in the likeness of a tall man was present at a Sermon openly made by Carolostadius and from this Sermon went to his house and told his son that he would fetch him away after a day or twain as the Papists say he did indeed although they lie in every point thereof most maliciously But we can believe Platina and others when they tell us of the appearances of Pope Benedict the eight and also the ninth how the one rode upon a black Horse in the Wilderness requiring a Bishop as I remember whom he met that he would distribute certain money for him which he had purloined of that which was given in Alms to the poor c. and how the other was seen a hundred years after the Devil had killed him in a Wood of an Hermite in a Bears-skin and an Asses-head on his shoulders c. himself saying that he appeared in such sort as he lived And divers such stuffe rehearsed by Platina Now because S. Ambrose writeth that S. Anne appeared to Constance the daughter of Constantine and to her Parents watching at her Sepulchre and because Eusebius and Nicephorus say That the Pontamian Virgin Origen's Disciple appeared to S. Basil and put a Crown upon his head in token of the glory of his martyrdom which should shortly follow and because Hierome writeth of Paul's appearance and Theodoret of S. John the Baptist and Athanasius of Ammons c. many do believe the same stories and miraculous appearances to be true But few Protestants will give credit unto such shameful fables or any like them when they find them written in the Legendary Festival Rosaries of our Lady or any other such Popish Authors Whereby I gather that if the Protestant believe some few lyes the Papists believe a great number This I write to shew the imperfection of man how attentive our ears are to hearken to tales And though herein consists no great point of faith or infidelity yet let us that profess the Gospel take warning of Papists not to be carryed away with every vain blast of doctrine but let us cast away these prophane and old Wives fables And although this matter have passed so long with general credit and authority yet many grave Authors have condemned long since all those vain Visions and Apparitions except such as have been shewed by God his Son and his Angels Athanasius saith That souls once loosed from their bodies have no more society with mortal men Augustine saith That if souls could walk and visit their friends c. or admonish them in sleep or otherwise his Mother that followed him by Land and by Sea would shew her self to him and reveal her knowledge or give him warning c. But most true it is that is written in the Gospel We have Moses and the Prophets who are to be hearkened unto and not the dead CHAP. XXVIII A Confutation of Johannes Laurentius and of many others maintaining these fained and ridiculous Tales and Apparitions and what driveth them away of Moses and Elias appearance in Mount Tabor FUrthermore to prosecute this matter in more words if I say
that these Apparitions of Souls are but knaveries and cosenages they object that Moses and Elias appeared in Mount Tabor and talked with Christ in the presence of the principal Apostles yea and that God appeared in the bush c. As though Spirits and Souls could do whatsoever it pleaseth the Lord to do or appoint to be done for his own glory or for the manifestation of his Son miraculously And therefore I thought good to give you a taste of the Witchmongers absurd opinions in this behalf And first you shall understand that they hold That all the souls in heaven may come down and appear to us when they list and assume any body saving their own otherwise say they such souls should not be perfectly happy They say That you may know the good souls from the bad very easily For a damned soul hath a very heavy and sowre look but a Saints soul hath a cheerful and a merry countenance these also are white and shining the other cole black And these damned souls also may come up out of Hell at their pleasure although Abraham made Dives believe the contrary They affirm That damned Souls walk oftenest next unto them the souls of Purgatory and most seldom the souls of Saints Also they say That in the old Law souls did appear seldom and after dooms-day they shall never be seen more in the time of grace they shall be most freequent The walking of these souls saith Michael Andr. is a most excellent argument for the proof of Purgatory for saith he those souls have testified that which the Popes have affirmed in that behalf to wit that there is not only such a place of punishment but that they are released from thence by Masses and such other satisfactory works whereby the goodness of the Mass is also ratified and confirmed These heavenly or purgatory souls say they appear most commonly to them that are born upon Ember-dayes and they also walk most usually on those Ember-dayes because we are in best state at that time to pray for the one and to keep company with the other Also they say That souls appear oftenest by night because men may then be at be at best leisure and most quiet Also they never appear to the whole multitude seldom to a few and most commonly to one alone for so one may tell a lye without controlment Also they are oftenest seen by them that are ready to die as Trasilla saw Pope Foelix Ursine Peter and Paul Galla Romana S. Peter and as Musa the maid saw our Lady which are the most certain appearances credited and allowed in the Church of Rome Also they may be seen of some and of some other in that presence not seen at all as Ursine saw Peter and Paul and yet many at that instant being present could not see any such sight but thought it a lye as I do Michael Andraeas confesseth That Papists see more Visions than Protestants he saith also That a good soul can take none other shape than of a man marry a damned soul may and doth take the shape of a Black-moor or of a Beast or of a Serpent or specially of an Heretick The Christian signs that drive away these evil souls are the cross the Name of Jesus and the relicks of Saints in the number whereof are Holy-water Holy-bread Agnus Dei c. For Andrew saith That notwithstanding Julian was an Apostate and a betrayer of Christian Religion yet at an extremity with the only sign of the Cross he drave away from him many such evil spirits whereby also he saith the greatest diseases and sicknesses are cured and the sorest dangers avoided CHAP. XXIX A Confutation of assuming of Bodies and of the Serpent that seduced Eve THey that contend so earnestly for the Devils assuming of bodies and visible shapes do think they have a great advantage by the words uttered in the third of Genesis where they say the Devil entered into a Serpent or Snake and that by the curse it appeareth that the whole displeasure of God lighted upon the poor Snake only How those words are to be considered may appear in that it is of purpose so spoken as our weak capacities may thereby best conceive the substance tenor true meaning of the word which is there set down in the manner of a Tragedy in such humane and sensible form as wonderfully informeth our understanding though it seem contrary to the spiritual course of Spirits and Devils and also to the nature and divinity of God himself who is infinite and whom no man ever saw with corporal eyes and lived And doubtless if the Serpent there had not been taken absolutely nor Metaphorically for the Devil the Holy Ghost would have informed us thereof in some part of that story But to affirm it sometimes to be a Devil and sometimes a Snake whereas there is no such distinction to be found or seen in the Text is an invention and a fetch methinks beyond the compass of all divinity Certainly the Serpent was he that seduced Eve now whether it were the Devil or a Snake let any wiseman or rather let the Word of God judge Doubtless the Scripture in many places expoundeth it to be the Devil And I have I am sure one wise man on my side for the interpretation hereof namely Solomon who saith Through envie of the Devil came death into the world referring that to the Devil which Moses in the letter did to the Serpent But a better Expositor hereof needeth not than the Text it self even in the same place where it is written I will put enmity between thee and the woman and between thy seed and her seed he shall break thy head and thou shalt bruise his heel What Christian knoweth not that in these words the mystery of our redemption is comprised and promised Wherein is not meant as many suppose that the common seed of women shall tread upon a Snakes-head and so break it in pieces c. but that special seed which is Christ should be born of a woman to the utter over-throw of Satan and to the redemption of mankind whose heel or flesh in his members the Devil should bruise and assault with continual attempts and carnal provocations c. CHAP. XXX The Objection concerning the Devils Assuming of the Serpents Body answered THis word Serpent in holy Scripture is taken for the Devil The Serpent was more subtil than all the Beasts of the field It likewise signifieth such as be evil speakers such as have slandering tongues also Hereticks c. They have sharpened their tongues like Serpents It doth likewise betoken the death and Sacrifice of Christ As Moses lifted up the Serpent in the Wilderness so must the Son of man be lifted up upon the Cross Moreover it is taken for wicked men O ye Serpents and generation of Vipers Thereby also is signified as well a wise as a subtil man
Spirit into six significations saying that it is sometimes taken for the air sometimes for the bodies of the blessed sometimes for the souls of the blessed sometimes for the power imaginative or the mind of man and sometimes for God Again he saith That of spirits there are two sorts some created and some uncreated A spirit uncreated saith he is God himself and it is essentially taken and agreeth unto the three Persons notionally to the Father the Son and the Holy Ghost personally A spirit created is a creature and that is likewise of two sorts to wit bodily and bodiless A bodily spirit is also of two sorts for some kind of spirit is so named of spiritualness as it is distinguished from bodiliness otherwise it is called Spiritus a spiriando id est a flando of breathing or blowing as the wind doth A bodiless spirit is one way so named of spiritualness and then it is taken for a spiritual substance and is of two sorts some make a full and compleat kind and is called compleat or perfect as a spirit angelical some do not make a full and perfect kind and is called incompleat or unperfect as the soul There is also the spirit vital which is a certain subtil or very fine substance necessarily disposing and tending unto life There be moreover spirits natural which are a kind of subtil and very fine substances disposing and tending unto equal complexions of bodies Again there be spirits animal which are certain subtil and very fine substances disposing and tempering the body that it might be animated of the form that is that it might be perfected of the reasonable soul Thus far he In whose division you see a Philosophical kind of proceeding though not altogether to be condemned yet in every point not to be approved Now to the Spirit of spirits I mean the principal and holy Spirit of God which one defineth or rather describeth to be the third Person in the Trinity issuing from the Father and the Son no more the charity dilection and love of the Father and the Son than the Father is the charity dilection and love of the Son and Holy Ghost Another treating upon the same argument proceedeth in this reverent manner The holy Spirit is the vertue or power of God quickning nourishing fostering and perfecting all things by whose only breathing it cometh to pass that we both know and love God and become at the length like unto him which Spirit is the pledge and earnest penny of grace and beareth witness unto our heart whiles we cry Abba Father This Spirit is called the Spirit of God the Spirit of Christ and the Spirit of him which raised up Jesus from the dead Jesus Christ for that he received not the Spirit by measure but in fulness doth call it his Spirit saying When the Comforter shall come whom I will send even the Holy Spirit he shall testifie of me This Spirit hath divers Metaphorical names attributed thereunto in the Holy Scriptures It is called by the name of water because it washeth comforteth moistneth softeneth and maketh fruitful with all godliness and vertues the mindes of men which otherwise would be unclean comfortless hard dry and barren of all goodness whereupon the Prophet Isaiah saith I will pour water upon the thirsty and floods upon the dry ground c. Wherewithal the words of Christ do agree He that believeth in me as saith the Scripture out of his belly shall flow rivers of waters of life And elsewhere Whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never be more athirst Other places likewise there be wherein the Holy Spirit is signified by the name of water and flood as in the 13. of Isaiah the 29. of Ezek. the 146. Psalm c. The same Spirit by reason of the force and vehemency thereof is termed fire For it doth purifie and cleanse the wholeman from top to toe it doth burn out the soil and dross of sins and setteth him all in a flaming and hot burning zeal to prefer and further Gods glory Which plainly appeared in the Apostles who when they had received the Spirit they spake fiery words yea such words as were uncontrollable in somuch as in none more than in them this saying of the Prophet Jeremy was verified Nunquid non verba mea sunt quasi ignis Are not my words even as it were fire This was declared and shewed by those fiery tongues which were seen upon the Apostles after they had received the Holy Spirit Moreover this Spirit is called annointing or ointment because that as in old time Priests and Kings were by annointing deputed to their office and charge and so were made fit and serviceable for the same even so the elect are not so much declared as renewed and made apt by the training up of the Holy Spirit both to live well and also to glorifie God Whereupon dependeth the saying of John And ye have no need that any should teach you but as the same ointment doth teach you It is also called in Scripture The Oil of gladness and rejoycing whereof it is said in the Book of Psalms God even thy God hath annointed thee with the Oil of joy and gladness c. And by this goodly and comfortable name of Oil in the Scriptures is the mercy of God oftentimes expressed because the nature of that doth agree with the property and quality of this For as Oil doth float and swim above all other liquors so the mercy of God doth surpass and over-reach all his works and the same doth most of all disclose it self to miserable man It is likewise called the Finger of God that is the might and power of God by the vertue whereof the Apostles did cast out Devils to wit even by the finger of God It is called the Spirit of Truth because it maketh men true and faithful in their vocation and for that it is the touch-stone to try all counterfeit devices of mans brain and all vain Sciences prophane Practices deceitful Arts and circumventing Inventions such as be in general all sorts of Witchcrafts and Inchantments within whose number are comprehended all those wherewith I have had some dealing in my Discovery to wit Charms or Incantations Divinations Augury Judicial Astrology Nativity-casting Alchymistry Conjuration Lot-share Popery which is meer paltry with divers other not one whereof no nor altogether are able to stand to the tryal and examination which this Spirit of Truth shall and will take of those false and evil spirits Nay they shall be found when they are laid into the balance to be lighter than vanity very dross when they once come to be tryed by the fervent heat of this Spirit and like chaffe when this Spirit bloweth upon them driven away with a violent whirlwind such is the perfection integrity and effectual operation of this Spirit whose working as it is manifold so it is marvellous and
of hardned dough in the form of a man into the pit the Image was Crowned with Lawrell then she threw in some of the shrub called Bdellium This done with a sword she ran frantickly up and down cutting her self and with a Lawrell branch sprinkled of her blood into the fire at length whispering at her Sons ear she caused him to arise and questioning him of the fortune of his Brother what was become of him he answered dubiously speaking prosperity to two persons that secretly beheld her and telling her That suddain death for her impiety attended her which came to passe ere she left the place after all these predictions the Carcase ceased to answer any more and tumbled groveling on the ground again 11. And although by most men as also by the Author in his foregoing Discovery it is constantly believed that the Witch of Endor raised not Samuel nor the Ghost of Samuel as not beleeving that there is an Astral Spirit or Ghost belonging unto every Man yet it is very probable that by her conjurations she caused his Sydereal Spirit to appear which is possible to be effected and hath been often done as Weaver in his Funeral Monuments records of Edward Kelly who in the Park of Walton Ledale in the County Lancaster with one Paul Waring Invocated a Devil and afterwards digg'd up the Corps of a poor man that had been buried that very day in a place near the same called Law Church-yard whom he compelled by Incantations and Conjurations to speak and utter prophetical words concerning the master of one of his Assistants 12. According to the state and condition wherein a person dyes so is it with their Astral Spirit for if they died in perfect peace and had come through the valley of true Repentance being dead to this Life before it left them then their starry Spirit doth enter into rest in its proper source or quality at the instant of their Decease nor is it possible for all the Conjurations in Hell to cause them to return or appear again 13. But some might object That Samuel was an Holy Prophet and attaind unto a perfect Life which is thus to be answered that before Christ came into the world none of the most Holy Prophets of God did ever attain to that degree of blessednesse that the Christians after Christ possessed for in the time of the Law a covering or vail was spread over the faces of all people and something there was that letted or hindred their souls from any plain and perfect vision and fruition of God otherwise then through types and shaddows which partition wall the end of Christs Incarnation was to break down 14. In the writings of Plato there be many strange Relations of the apparitions of Souls of their torments and purgations of the cause of their returning what their nature is what their substance and property is and what their food and nourishment is but he mistakes the Soul for the Astral Spirit for the Soul in its returning and apparition is farr different if a Holy Soul appear it is to persons like it self and that in sleep warning them of dangers and discovering heavenly secrets unto them And if a Damned Soul appear it is likewise to such as are of a nature like it self whom it instigates asleep teaching them notorious Villanies in Dreams and provoking them to every wicked cogitation 15. The sect of Pythagoras have strange and antick opinions concerning Souls and Ghosts or starry Spirits whom they alledge to be frequently converted into Gods or Daemons or Demi-Gods and Heroes as the Platonicks do And that there is a continual traduction and transmigration of Souls from one to another till they attain to be deify'd at last and then that they do frequently appear to those that be like themselves instructing and forewarning them It was also the belief of many wise and antient Philosophers that the Oracles were from such Daemons as had been the Ghosts or Souls of wise and excellent men as Apollo's Oracle and the Oracle of Pallas or Minerva which opinions have much of reason and probability 16. It is also the opinion of some that the particular Spirits of famous men do after the death of the body take up some particular habitations near such places Cities Towns or Countries as they most do affect as Tutelaries and Guardians unto them Which is reported by Vopiscus of Apollonius Thyaneus That when his City Thyana was taken by Aurelianus the Emperour and when he was in his Tent pondering furiously how to destroy the same the Ghost of Apollonius appeared unto him saying Aurelianus if thou desirest to be a Conquerour suppose not to slay these my Citezens Aurelianus if thou wilt be a Ruler shed no innocent blood Aurelianus be meek and gentle if thou wouldst be a Conquerour 17. I have heard many wonderful Relations from Lunaticks or such as are almost natural fools who have asserted That being for many daies together conversant amongst Faeries in Woods Mountains and Caverns of the Earth they have feasted with them and been magnificently Entertaind with variety of dainties where they have seen several of their Neighbours or Familiar Acquaintance in the habit they were wont to weare notwithstanding they were know to have been dead some years before 18. And many Learned Authors have also insisted upon this particular alledging That when such as the Faeryes have brought into their Society do feast and junket with them though they have a real and perfect knowledge of their neighbours and acquaintance amongst the rest yet their Language they are not able to understand neither do these Acqaaintance of theirs acknowledge or take notice of them at all but do either sit both they and all the rest in a profound and tedious silence or else discourse in a most stupendious kinde of Gibberish not intelligible to strangers 19. But more particularly to illustrate this conjecture I could name the person who hath lately appeared thrice since his Decease at least some Ghostly being or other that calls it self by the name of such a person who was dead above an hundred years agoe and in his life time accounted as a Prophet or Praedicter by the assistance of Sublunary Spirits And now at his appearance did also give out strange Praedictions concerning Famine and Plenty Warrs and Bloodshed and the end of this world 20. By the affirmation of the person that had Communication with him the last of his Appearances was on this following manner I had been said he to sell a Horse at the next Market Town but not attaining my price as I returned home by the way I met this man aforesaid who began to be familiar with me asking what news and how affairs moved throughout the Country I answered as I thought fit withall I told him of my Horse whom he began to cheapen and proceeded with me so far that the price was agreed upon so he turned
and Latine Poets all together to be sleighted in this particular for many verities are inter-woven with their fictions they speak of vocal Forrests as Dodona of Talkative Rivers as Seamander of sensitive Fountains as Arethusa Menippa and Aegle Which more credible Historians have partly confirmed in the Relation of Dodona asserting that the trees do seem to speak by reason of the various Apparitions Phantasms that attend the Forrest And also in the Story of the River Scamander which is sayd at this day to afford plenty of spectres and prophetical Spirits that have nightly conversation with the Turkish Sailers coming by that way with Gallyes into the Mediterranean 21. The like is reported of a Castle in Norweigh standing over a Lake wherein a Satyr appeareth sounding a Trumpet before the death of any Souldier or Governour belonging to the same t is sayd to be the Ghost of some murdered Captain that hath become so Fatal and Ominous to his Successors But with more probability may be called a Spectre proper to the place according to the Constellation 22. And it hath been the conjecture of eminent speculators that from the Loins of such arise the numerous brood of Elves Faeryes Lycanthropi And Pigmyes sometimes visible sometimes invisible in Green-Land and the adjacent rocks where they have no concomitants but bears and scurvy-grass to mix and make merry withal except they pass from thence to the Northern parts of America where they shall find their off-spring adored for Gods and Goddesses by the ignorant Inhabitants about new Albion and as far South as Mexico as is amply related in the discourses of Drake Cortes and Purchas concerning the conquest and discovery of these Territoryes 23. By Apparitions upon the water many have been tempted to leap into the Sea in pursuit thereof till they were drowned of which spectres there is a sort called by Psellus Ordales who do appear like Ducks or other Water fouls till they by fluttering upon the water do entice their followers to pursue them so farr that many perish in the attempt which doth greatly delight these faithless Spirits who as we have said before do long to accompany their Astral Spirits after their decease An Example of this kinde I my self knew besides the numerous relations I have had from the mouths of others which confirm the opinions of the antient Magicians concerning these water Spirits that of all the rest they are the most deceitful and dangerous like the flattering Seas and swift gliding Torrents that when they have wonn any thing to admire and sound them do carry them violently into the abysse of their own Element 24. But we will leave the waters and insist a little on the nature of Igneous or Fiery Spirits that inhabit the Mountains in Hecla Aetna Propo Champ and Poconzi Where the Courts and Castles of these puissant Champions are kept The opinion of some is That they are not Astral but Infernal Spirits and Dâ—mned Souls that for a term of years are confined to these burning Mountains for their Iniquities Which opinion although it be granted yet we may assert That for the most part the apparitions sounds noices clangors and clamors that are heard about the Mountan Hecla in Island and other places are the effects of separated Starry beings who are neither capable of good nor evill but are of a middle vegetative nature and at the dissolution of the Media Natura shall be again reduced into their primary Aether 25. And from natural Causes it may be easily demonstrated That there is great Correspondence betwixt such substances and the Element of fire by reason of the Internal Flagrat and Central Life proceeding from the Quintessence or one only Element which upholds them in Motion Life and Nourishment As every natural and supernatural being is upheld and maintain'd out of the self-same root from whence it had its original or rise So the Angels feed upon the Caelestial Manna The Devils of the fruits of Hell which is natural to their appetite as trash for swine the Astral beings of the source of the stars the Beasts Birds or Reptiles of the fruits of the Earth and the gas of the Air the fishes of the blass of the Water But more particularly every thing is nourished by its Mother as Infants at the Breast either by exhausting or fomentation 26. Such Spirits are very officious in the burnings of Towns or Cole-pits delighting much to dance and exult amidst the flames and become Incendiaries worse then the material Cause of the Combustion often tempting men in drukenness to burn their own Houses and causing Servants carelesly to sleep that such unlucky accidents may happen As the Story of Kzarwilwui a Town in Poland doth confirm which was reduced to ashes by three of these pestilentious Animals called Saggos Broundal and Baldwin who after many open Threatnings for six months together that they would destroy the City and Citizens did on a dark and stormy night set all on fire on a suddain in twenty or thirty several places which irrecoverably destroyed the Inhabitants 27. As for the nourishment of fiery Spirits it is radical heat and the influence of the Aery Region their sport and pastime consisteth for the most part in tumbling and fooling one with another when the flames are most impetuous and violent in the Mountains And it is likewise credited by some that their office is to cruciate and punish some Evil Livers retaining and tormenting their Souls or Astral Spirits for many years after the Bodies decease which is too empty a notion to be hearkened unto by any that are well informed of their natures 28. Neither is it to be wondered at that they are so much delighted with the fiery quality in regard of their affinity and appropriation with infernal spirits whose state and being is altogether damnable and deplorable for although they have not the ability of attaining either the Heavenly or Infernal quality by reason that they are utterly voyd of the innermost Center and may be rather called bruits then rational Animals yet because they belong to the outermost principle such is their innate Affinity and Unity with the dark World or infernal Kingdome that they do often become the Devils Agents to propagate his works upon the face of the Earth 29. By the Instigations of infernal Spirits they are often sent to terrifie men with nocturnal visions in the likeness of monstrous Beasts or Ghosts of their deceased Friends They are moreover often abetted to tempt and provoke melancholy people to execute themselves besides innumerable wayes they have of executing the pleasures of iniquous Spirits through malicious Instigations and secret Stratagems projected by them to the destruction of mortal men especially when the work to be effected by the Devil is too too hard for his subtle and spiritual nature to bring to pass because the same belongs to the Astral source or outward principle to which
Forms themselves because many of them are not only facil but also of mighty power when they are seasonably applyed So that to describe distinctly by what means Magicians kill cure or conquer were to strengthen the hands of the Envious against their Neighbours Lives and Fortunes And therefore the Readers must rest contented with what is here related of the Nature of Astral or Infernal Spirits FINIS The Contents of the Chapters in The Discourse concerning Devils and Spirits BOOK I. Chap. I. THE Philosophers opinions concerning Devils and Spirits their manner of reasoning thereupon and the same confuted Page 1 Chap. II. Mine own opinion concerning this argument to the disproof of some writers hereupon Page 2 Chap. III. The opinion of Psellus touching spirits of their several Orders and a confutation of his errors therein Page 3 Chap. IV. More absurd assertions of Psellus and such others concerning the actions and passions of spirits his definition of them and of his experience therein Page 4 Chap. V. The opinion of Fascius Cardanus touching spirits and of his familiar devil Page 5 Chap. VI. The opinion of Plato concerning spirits devils and angels what sacrifices they like best what they fear and of Socrates his familiar devil Page 6 Chap. VII Plato's nine orders of spirits and angels Dionysius his division thereof not much differing from the same all disproved by learned Divines Page 7 Chap. VIII The commencement of devils fondly gathered out the 14. of Isaiah of Lucifer and of his fall the Cabalists the Talmudists and Schoolmens opinions of the creation of angels ibid. Chap. IX Of the contention between the Greek and Latine Church touching the fall of angels the variance among Papists themselves herein a conflict between Michael and Lucifer Page 8 Chap. X. Where the battell between Michael and Lucifer was sought how long it continued and of their power how fondly Papists and Infidals write of them how reverently Christians ought to think of them Page 9 Chap. XI Whether they became devils which being angels kept not their vocation in Jude and Peter of the fond opinions of the Rabbins touching spirits bugs with a confutation thereof Page 10 Chap. XII That the Devils assaults are spiritual and not temporal and how grossly some understand those parts of the scripture Page 11 Chap. XIII The equivocation of this word Spirit how diversly it is taken in the Scriptures where by the way is taught that the Scripture is not always literally to be interpreted nor yet All gorically to be understood Page 12 Chap. XIV That it pleased God to manifest the power of his Sonne and not of witches by miracles Page 13 Chap. XV. Of the possessed with devils Page 14 Chap. XVI That we being not throughly informed of the nature of devils and spirits must satisfie our selves with that which is delivered us in the Scriptures touching the same how this word Devil is to be understood both in the singular and plural number of the Spirit of God and the Spirit of the devil of tame spirits of Ahab ibid. Chap. XVII Whether spirits and souls can assume bodies of their creation and substance wherein Writers do extremely contend and vary Page 15 Chap. XVIII Certain Popish reasons concerning spirits made of air of day devils and night devils and why the devil loveth no salt in his meat Page 16 Chap. XIX That such devils as are mentioned in the scriptures have in their names their nature and qualities expressed with instances thereof ibid Chap. XX. Divers names of the devil whereby his nature and disposition is manifested Page 17 Chap. XXI That the Idols or gods of the Gentiles are devils their diverse names and in what affairs their labours and authorities are employed wherein also the blind superstition of the heathen people is discovered Page 18 Chap. XXII Of the Romans chief gods called Dii selecti and of other heathen gods their names and offices Page 19 Chap. XXIII Of divers gods in divers Countreys Page 20 Chap. XXIV Of Popish provincial gods a comparison between them and heathen gods of physical gods and of what occupation every Popish god is ibid. Chap. XXV A comparison between the heathen and Papists touching their excuses for idolatry Page 22 Chap. XXVI The conceipt of the heathen and the Papists all one in Idolatry of the Councel of Trent a notable story of a hangman arraigned after he was dead and buryed c. Page 23 Chap. XXVII A confutation of the fable of the hang-man of many other feigned and ridiculous tales and apparitions with a reproof thereof Page 24 Chap. XXVIII A confutation of Johannes Laurentius and of many others maintaining these faigned and ridiculous tales and apparitions and what driveth them away of Moses and Elias their appearance in mount Tabor Page 25 Chap. XXIX A confutation of assuming of bodies and of the serpent that seduced Eve Page 26 Chap. XXX The objection concerning the devils assuming of the serpents body answered ibid. Chap. XXXI Of the Curse rehearsed Gen. 3. and that place rightly expounded Calvins opinion of the devil Page 27 Chap. XXXII Mine own opinion and resolution of the nature of spirits of the devil with his properties Page 28 Chap. XXXIII Against fond Witchmongers and their opinions concerning corporal devils Page 29 Chap. XXXIV A conclusion wherein the Spirit of spirits is described by the illumination of which spirit all spirits are to be tryed with a confutation of the Pneumatomachi flatly denying the divinity of this Spirit Page 30 BOOK II. Chap. I. OF Spirits in general what they are and how to be considered also how far the power of Magitians and Witches is able to operate in Diabolical Magick Page 39 Chap. II. Of the good and evil Daemons or Genii whether they are what they are and how they are manifested also of their names powers faculties offices how they are to be considered Page 42 Chap. III. Of the Astral Spirits of Men departed what they are and why they appear again and what witchcraft may be wrought by them Page 45 Chap. IV. Of astral spirits or separate daemons in all their distinctions names natures and places of habitations what may be wrought by their assistance Page 49 Chap. V. Of the Infernal Spirits or devils damned souls treating what their natures names powers are Page 56 Chap. VI. Of the nature force forms of charms periapts amulets pentacles conjurations ceremonies c. Page 66 Chap. VII Being the conclusion of the whole wherein divers ancient spells charms incantations and exorcisms are briefly spoken of Page 68 THE END Apoc. 4.11 Rom. 8 Act. 5. Apoc. 2. Luk. 16. Dan. 2.28 47 Psal 72. 136. Jerem. 5. Job 5. 36. Sam. 12. 1 King 8. 2 King 3. Isai 5. Zac. 10. 14. Amos 4 7. Job 1. Isai 42.8 Prov. 5. Insti lib. 5 cap. 8. sect 6. Item upon Deut. c. 18 Lib. de lamiis pag. 5. Isa 59.7 Rom. 3.15 Eccles 27.5 Prov.
through weakness of mind and body are shaken with vain dreams and continual fear The Scythians being a stout and a warlike Nation as divers writers report never see any vain sights or spirits It is a common saying A Lyon feareth no Bugs But in our childhood our Mothers maids have so terrified us with an ugly Devil having horns on his head fire in his mouth and a tail in his breech eyes like a bason fangs like a Dog claws like a Bear askin like a Niger and a voyce roaring like a Lyon whereby we start and are afraid when we hear one cry Bough and they have so frayed us with Bul-beggers Spirits Witches Urchens Elves Hags Fairies Satyrs Pans Faunes Sylens Kit with the canstick Tritons Centaures Dwarfes Gyants Imps Calcars Conjurers Nymphes Changelings Incubus Robin Goodfellow the Spoorn the Mare the man in the Oak the Hell-wain the firedrake the Puckle Tom-thombe Hob-goblin Tom-tumbler Boneless and such other Bugs that we are afraid of our own shadows insomuch that some never fear the Devil but in a dark night and then a polled Sheep is a perilous beast and many times is taken for our Fathers soul specially in a Churchyard where a right hardy man heretofore scant durst passe by night but his hair would stand upright For right grave writers report that spirits most often and specially take the shape of women appearing to Monks c. and of Beasts Dogs Swine Horses Goats Cats Hares of Fowles as Crowes night Owles and shreek Owles but they delight most in the likeness of Snakes and Dragons Well thanks be to God this wretched and cowardly infidelity since the Preaching of the Gospel is in part forgotten and doubtless the rest of those illusions will in short time by Gods grace be detected and vanish away Divers writers report that in Germany since Luthers time Spirits and Devils have not personally appeared as in times past they were wont to do This argument is taken in hand or the ancient Fathers to prove the determination and ceasing of Oracles For in times past saith Athanasius Devils in vain shapes did intricate men with their illusions hiding themselves in waters stones woods c. But now that the word of God hath appeared those sights Spirits and mockeries of Images are ceased Truly if all such Oracles as that of Apollo c. before the coming of Christ had been true and done according to the report which hath been brought through divers ages and from far Countries unto us without Priestly fraud or guil or as the spirits of Prophesie and working of Miracles had been inserted into a Idol as hath been supposed yet we Christians may conceive that Christs coming was not so fruitless and prejudicial in this point unto us as to take away his spirit of Prophesie and Divination from out of the mouth of his elect people and good Prophets giving no answer of any thing to come by them nor by Urim nor Thummim as he was wont c. And yet to leave the Devil in the mouth of a Witch or an Idol to Prophesie or work Miracles c. to the hinderance of his glorious Gospel to the discountenance of his Church and to the furtherance of Infidelity and false religion whereas the working of Miracles was the only or at least the most special means that moved men to believe in Christ as appeareth in sundry places of the Gospel and specially in John where it is written That a great multitude followed him because they saw his Miracles which he did c. Nay is it not written That Jesus was approved by God among the Jews with miracles wonders and signes c. And yet if we confer the Miracles wrought by Christ and those that are imputed to Witches Witches miracles shall appear more common and nothing inferior unto his CHAP. XVI Witches Miracles compared to Christs that God is the creator of all things of Apollo and of his names and portraiture IF the Witch of Endor had performed that which many conceive of the matter it might have been compared with the raising up of Lazarus I pray you is not the converting of water into milk as hard a matter as the turning of water into wine And yet as you may read in the Gospel That Christ did the one as his first miracle so may you read in M. Mal. and in Bodin that Witches can easily do the other yea and that which is a great deal more of Water they can make Butter But to avoid all cavils and least there should appear more matter in Christs miracle then the others you shall finde in M. Mal. that they can change water into Wine and What is it to attribute to a Creature the power and work of the Creator if this be not Christ saith Opera quae ego facio nemo potest facere Creation of substance was never granted to Man nor Angel Ergo neither to Witch nor Devil for God is the only giver of life and being and by him all things are made visible and invisible Finally this woman of Endor is in the Scripture called Pythonissa whereby it may appear that she was but a very cosener for Pytho himself whereof Pythonissa is derived was a counterfeit And the original story of Apollo who was called Pytho because he killed a Serpent of that name is but a Poetical fable for the Poets say he was the God of Musick Physick Poetry and Shooting In heaven he is called Sol in earth Liber Pater in hell Apollo He flourisheth alwayes with perpetual youth and therefore he is painted without a beard his picture was kept as an Oracle-giver and the Priests that attended thereon at Delphos were coseners and called Pythonists of Pytho as Papists of Papa and afterwards all Women that used that trade were named Pythonissae as was this Woman of Endor But because it concerneth this matter I will briefly note the opinions of divers learned men and certain other proofs which I finde in the Scripture touching the ceasing of Miracles Prophesies and Oracles BOOK VIII CHAP. I. That Miracles are ceased ALthough in times past it pleased God extraordinarily to shew Miracles amongst his people for the strengthening of their faith in the Messias and again at his coming to confirm their faith by his wonderful doings and his special graces and gifts bestowed by him upon the Apostles c. yet we ordinarily read in the Scriptures That it is the Lord that worketh great wonders Yea David saith That among the dead as in this case of Samuel God himself sheweth no wonders I find also That God will not give his glory and power to a creature Nicodemus being a Pharisee could say That no man could do such Miracles as Christ did except God were with him according to the saying of the Prophet to those Gods and Idols which took on them the power of God Do either good or ill if you can c.
it with the same and brandishing the same in his right hand he shall begin to conjure the Spirit on this following manner I Exorcize and Conjure thee thou great and powerful Balkin Lord of Glauron Lord of Luridan and of fifteen hundred Legions Lord of the Northern Mountains and of every Beast that dwells thereon by the holy and wonderful Names of the Almighty Iehovah Athanato ✚ Aionos ✚ Dominus sempiternus ✚ Aletheios ✚ Saday ✚ Iehovah Kedesh El gabor ✚ Deus fortissimus ✚ Anaphexaton Amorule Ameron ✚ ✚ ✚ Panthon ✚ Craton ✚ Muridon ✚ Iah Iehovah Elohim pentasseron ✚ ✚ trinus et unus ✚ ✚ ✚ ★ I Exorcize and Conjure I Invocate and Command thee thou aforesaid Spirit by the powers of Angels and Archangels Cherubim and Seraphim by the mighty Prince Coronzon by the blood of Abel by the righteousness of Seth and the Prayers of Noah by the voyces of Thunder and dreadful day of Judgment by all these powerful and royal words abovesaid that without delay or malitious intent thou do come before me here at the circumference of this consecrated Circle to answer my proposals and desires without any manner of terrible form either of thy self or attendants but only obediently fairly and with good intent to present thy self before me this Circle being my defence through his power who is Almighty and hath sanctified the same In the Name of the Father Son and Holy Ghost Amen After the Magician hath thrice repeated this Conjuration Let him immediately set the fire before him and put the Rozin thereon to fumigate at the appearance of the conjured Spirits and at the instant of their appearance he shall hold the Censer of fire in his left hand and the Sword in his right still turning round as the Spirits do For in a little space after the Invocation is repeated he shall hear the noise of Thunders and perceive before him in the Valley a mighty storm of Lightning and Rain after a while the same will cease and an innumerable company of Dwarfs or Pigmies will appear mounted upon Chamelions to march towards the Circle surrounding the same Next comes Balkin with his Attendants he will appear like the god Bacchus upon a little Goat and the rest that follow will march after him afoot Assoon as they come near the Circle they will breath out of their mouths a mist or fog which will even obscure the light of the Moon and darken the Magician that he cannot behold them nor himself yet let him not be discomfited or afraid for that fog will be quickly over and the Spirits will run round the Circle after Balkin their Lord who rides upon a Goat they will continue to surround the Circle till the Magician begin the form of obligation or binding their Leader or King in this form with the Sword in his right hand the Fire and Rozin burning before him I conjure and bind thee Balkin who art appeared before me by the Father by the Son and by the Holy Ghost by all the holy Consecrations I have made by the powerful Names of Heaven and of Earth and of Hell that I have used and uttered in calling upon thee by the Seals which thou here beholdest and the Sword which I present unto thee by this sanctified Girdle and all the sanctified and potent things aforesaid That here thou remain peaceably and of thy present shape before the Northern quarter of this Circle without injury to me in body soul or fortune but on the contrary to answer faithfully unto my demands and not hence to remove till I have licenced thee to depart In the Name of the Father Son and holy Spirit Amen When he is thus obliged he will alight from his Goat and cause his Attendants to remove further into the Valley then will he stand peaceably before the Circle to answer the Magician After this the Magician shall begin to demand into his own possession a Familiar to build or pull down any Castle or strong hold in a night and that this Familiar bring with him the Girdle of Conquest or Victory that the Magician being girded with the same may overcome all enemies whatsoever And further the Spirit is able to inform him of all questions concerning Thunder and Lightning the Motions of the Heavens the Comets and Apparitions in the air Pestilence and Famine noxious and malevolent blasts as also of the Inhabitants of the Northern Pole and the wonders undiscovered throughout the world Likewise if the Exorcist inquire concerning the habitations of starry Spirits he will readily answer him describing their orders food life and past-time truly and exactly After the Magician hath satisfied himself with inquiries and curious questions unto the Spirit there will come from amongst the company a little Spirit of a span long like a little Ethiop which the great King Balkin will deliver unto the Exorcist to continue as a Familiar with him as long as his life shall last This familiar the possessor may name at it pleaseth him The three last who had this Spirit into possession were three Northern Magicians the first Honduros a Norwegian who called it Philenar and commanded it at his pleasure with a little Bell. After him Benno his eldest Son injoy'd the same under the same name And Swarkzar a Polonian Priest was the last who enjoy'd it under the Name of Muncula all which names were imposed upon it according to the pleasure of the Masters and therefore the naming of this familiar is left to the discretion of the Exorcist Now when the Master hath taken this familiar into his custody and service the Spirit Balkin will desire to depart being wearied if the action continue longer then an hour Therefore the Magician must be careful to dismiss him in this following form Because thou hast diligently answered my demands and been ready to come at my first call I do here licence thee to depart unto thy proper place without injury or danger to man or Beast depart I say and be ever ready at my call being duly exorcized and conjured by sacred Rites of Magick I charge thee to withdraw with quiet and peace and peace be continued betwixt me and thee In the Name of the Father Son and Holy Ghost Amen Then the Spirits company will begin to march about their Prince and in a formal Troop will march along the Valley whilest the Magician repeateth Pater Noster c. until the Spirits be quite out of sight and vanished This is a compleat form of conjuring the aforesaid Spirit according to the Rules of Vaganostus the Norwegian CHAP. X. The exposition of Iidoni and where it is found whereby the whole Art of Conjuration is deciphered THis word Iidoni is derived of Iada which properly signifieth to know it is sometimes translated Divinus which is a Diviner or Soothsayer as in Deut. 18. Levit. 20. sometimes Ariolus which is one that also taketh upon him to foretel things to come and is found Levit. 19.
Angels Archangels Thrones Dominations Principates Potestates Virtutes Cherubim and Seraphim and by all their virtues do I N. swear and promise thee to be obedient as is rehearsed And here for a witness do I N. give thee N. my right hand and do plight thee my faith and troth as God me help and holydome And by the holy contents in this Book do I N. swear that my spirit shall be thy true servant all the days of thy life as is before rehearsed and here for a witness that my Spirit shall 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 thrice else to be damned for ever and thereto say all faithful souls and spirits Amen Amen Then let him swear this Oath three times and at every time kiss 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 glass 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. days 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 Jacob God of Tobias the which didst 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 help 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 days of my life and to remain with me and with this N. all the dayes of my life O glorious God Father Son and Holy Ghost I beseech thee to help me at this time and to give me power by thy holy Name Merits and vertues whereby I may conjure and constrain 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 holiness 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 Kingdoms and in the divinity of thine everlasting Godhead to whom be all honour and glory now and for ever und ever Amen Amen CHAP. XXVII A Bond to bind him to thee and to thy N. as followeth I Conjure and constrain 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 constrain the Spirit of thee N. that thou shalt not ascend nor descend out of thy body to no place of rest but only to take thy resting place with N. and with this N. all the days of my life according to thine Oath and promise I conjure and constrain thee Spirit of N. by ehese holy Names of God ✚ Tetragrammaton ✚ Adonay ✚ Agla ✚ Saday ✚ Sabaoth ✚ Planabothe ✚ Panthon ✚ Craton ✚ Neupmaton ✚ Deus ✚ homo ✚ omnipotens ✚ sempiternus ✚ ysus ✚ terra ✚ unigenitus ✚ salbator ✚ via ✚ vita ✚ manus ✚ sons ✚ origo ✚ filius ✚ and by their vertues and powers I conjure and constrain the Spirit of N. that thou shalt not remain in the fire nor in the water in the air nor in any privy place of the earth but only with we N. and with this N. all the dayes of my life I charge thee Spirit of N. upon pain of everlasting condemnation remember thine Oath and promise Also I conjure the spirit of N. and constrain thee by the excellent Name of Jesus Christ Α and Ω the first and the last for this holy Name of Jesus is above all names for unto it all knees do 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 Jesus 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 constrain the Spirit of N. that thou shalt not take any resting place in the ☉ nor in the ☽ nor in ♄ nor in ♃ nor in ♂ nor in ♀ nor in ☿ nor in any of the twelve signs nor in the concavity of the Clouds nor in any other privy place to rest or stay in but only with me N. or with this N. all the days of my life If thou be not obedient unto me according to thine Oath and promise I N. do condemn the spirit of N. into the pit of hell for over Amen I Conjure and constrain the spirit of N. by the blood of the innocent Lamb Jesus Christ the which was shed upon the Cross for all those that do obey unto it and believe in it shall be saved and by vertue thereof and by all the aforesaid royal names and words of the living God by me pronounced I do conjure and constrain 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 condemn the spirit of N. into the place whereas there is no hope of remedy but everlasting condemnation and horror and pain upon pain daily horribly and lamentably the pains there to be augmented so thick as the starrs in the Firmament and as the gravel sand in the Sea except thou Spirit of N. obey me N. as is afore rehearsed else I N. do condemn the spirit of N. into the pit of everlasting condemnation Fiat fiat Amen Also I conjure thee and constrain the spirit of N. by all Angels Archangels Thrones Dominations Principates Potestates Virtutes Cherubim and Seraphim and by the four Evangelists Matthew Mark Luke and John and by all things contained in the old Law and the new and by their vertues and by the twelve Apostles and by all Patriarchs Prophets Martyrs Confessors Virgins Innocents and by all the elect and chosen is and shall be which followeth the Lamb of God and by their vertues and powers I conjure and constrain the spirit of N. strongly to have common talk with me at all times and in all days nights hours and
minutes and to talk in my mother tongue plainly that I may hear it and understand it declaring the truth unto me of all things according to thine oath and promise else to be condemned for ever Fiat fiat Amen Also I conjure and constrain the spirit of N. by the golden Girdle which girdeth the loins of our Lord Jesus Christ so thou spirit of N. be thou bound and cast into the pit of everlasting condemnation for thy great disobedience and unreverent regard that thou hast to the holy names and words of God Almighty by me pronounced Fiat Amen Also I conjure constrain command and by the spirit of N. by the two-edged Sword which John saw proceed out of the mouth of God Almighty except thou be obedient as is aforesaid the Sword cut thee in pieces and condemn thee into the pit of everlasting pains where the fire goeth not out and where the worm dyeth not Fiat fiat fiat Amen Also I conjure and constrain the spirit of N. by the Throne of the Godhead and by all the Heavens under him and by the celestial City new Jerusalem and by the Earth by the Sea and by all things created and contained therein and by their vertues and powers and by all the infernals and by their vertues and powers and by all things contained therein and by their vertues and powers I conjure and constrain the spirit of N. than now immediately thou be obedient unto me at all times hereafter and to those words of me pronounced according to thine oath and promise else let the great curse of God the anger of God the shadow and darkness of everlasting condemnation be upon thee thou spirit of N. for ever and ever because thou hast denyed thine health thy faith and salvation for the great disobedience thou art worthy to be condemned Therefore let the divine Trinity Angels and Archangels Thrones Dominations Principates Potestates Virtutes Chrumbim and Seraphim and all the souls of the Saints that shall stand on the right hand of our Lord Jesus Christ at the general Day of Judgment condemn the spirit of N. for ever and ever and be a witness against thee because of thy great disobedience in and against thy promises Fiat fiat Amen Being thus bound he must needs be obedient unto thee whether he will or no prove this And here followeth a bond to call him to your N. and to shew you true visions at all times as in the hour of ♄ to bind or inchant any thing and in the hour of ♃ for peace and concord in the hour of ♂ to marre to destroy and to make sick in the hour of the ☉ to bind tongues and other bonds of men in the hour of ♀ to increase love joy and good will in the hour of ☿ to put away enimity or hatred to know of theft in the hour of the ☽ for love good will and concord ♄ lead ♃ tin ♂ iron ☉ gold ♀ copper ☿ quick-silver ☽ silver c. CHAP. XXVIII This Bond as followeth is to call him into your Crystal-stone or Glass c. ALso I do conjure thee spirit N. by God the Father by God the Son and by God the Holy Ghost Α and Ω the first and the last and by the latter day of Judgement of them which shall come to judge the quick and the dead and the world by fire and by their vertues and powers I constrain thee spirit N. to come to him that holdeth the Crystal-stone in his hand and to appear visibly as hereafter followeth Also I conjure thee Spirit N. by these holy Names of God ✚ Letragrammaton ✚ Adonay ✚ El ✚ Ousion ✚ Agla ✚ Iesus ✚ of Nazareth ✚ and by the vertues thereof and by his nativity death burial resurrection and ascension and by all other things appertaining unto his passion and by the blessed Virgin Mary Mother of our Lord Jesus Christ and by all the joy which she had when she saw her Son rise from death to life and by the vertues and powers thereof I constrain thee Spirit N. to come into the Crystal-stone and to appear visibly as hereafter shall be declared Also I conjure thee N. thou Spirit by all Angels Archangels Thrones Dominations Principates Potestates Virtutes Cherubim and Seraphim and by the ☉ ☽ ♄ ♃ ♂ ♀ ☿ and by the twelve signes and by their vertues and powers and by all things created and confirmed in the Firmament and by their vertues and powers I constrain thee Spirit N. to appear visibly in that Crystal-stone in fair form and shape of a white Angel a green Angel a black Angel a Man a Woman a Boy a maiden Virgin a white Greyhound a Devil with great horns without any hurt or danger of our bodies or souls and truly to inform and shew unto us true visions of all things in that Crystal-stone according to thine Oath and Promise and that without any hinderance or tarrying to appear visibly by this Bond of words read over by me three times upon pain of everlasting condemnation Fiat fiat Amen Then being appeared say these words following I Conjure thee Spirit by God the Father that thou shew true visions in that Crystal-stone where there be any N. in such a place or no upon pain of everlasting condemnation Fiat Amen Also I conjure thee Spirit N. by God the Son Jesus Christ that thou do shew true visions unto us whether it be gold or silver or any other metals or whether there were any or no upon pain of condemnation Fiat Amen Also I conjure thee Spirit N. by God the Holy Ghost the which doth sanctifie all faithful souls and spirits and by their vertues and powers I constrain thee Spirit N. to speak open and to declare the true way how we may come by these treasures hidden in N. and how to have it in our custody and who are the keepers thereof and how many there be and what be their names and by whom it was laid there and to shew me true visions of what sort and similitude they be and how long they have kept it and to know in what dayes and hours we shall call such a Spirit N. to bring unto us these treasures into such a place N. upon pain of everlasting condemnation ✚ Also I constrain thee Spirit N. by all Angels Archangels Thrones Dominations Principates Potestates Virtutes Cherubim and Seraphim that you do shew a true vision in this Crystal-stone who did convey or steal away such a N. and where it is and who hath it and how far off and what is his or her name and how and when to come unto it upon pain of eternal condemnation Fiat Amen Also I conjure thee Spirit N. by the ☉ ☽ ♄ ♃ ♂ ♀ ☿ and by all the Characters in the Firmament that thou do shew unto me a true vision in this Crystal-stone where such N. and in what state he is and how long he hath been there and
remedies it appeareth that there were not with Christ good and perfect men For the pillars of the faith to wit Peter James and John were absent Neither was there fasting and praying without the which that kind of Devils could not be cast out For the fourth point to wit the fault of the Exorcist in faith may appear for that afterwards the Disciples asked the cause of their impotency therein And Jesus answered it was for their incredulity saying Thut if they had as much faith as a grain of mustard seed they should move mountains c. The fift is proved by Vitas Patrum the lives of the Fathers where it appeareth that S. Anthony could not do that cure when his Scholar Paul could do it and did it For the proof of the sixth excuse it is said that though the fault be taken away thereby yet it followeth not that alwayes the punishment is released Last of all it is said That it is possible that the Devil was not conjured out of the party before Baptism by the Exorcist or the midwife hath not baptized him well but omitted some part of the Sacrament If any object There was no Exorcist in the primitive Church It is answered That the Church cannot now erre And S. Gregory would never have instituted it in vain And it is a general rule that who or whatsoever is newly exorcised must be rebaptized as also such as walk or talk in their sleep for say they call them by their names and presently they wake or fall if they climb whereby it is gathered that they are not truly name in Baptism Item they say It is somewhat more difficult to conjure the Devil out of one bewitched then out of one possessed because in the bewitched he is double in the other single They have a hundred such beggerly foolish and frivolous notes in this behalf CHAP. XXXV Other gross absurdities of Witchmongers in this matter of Conjurations SUrely I cannot see what difference or distinction the Witchmongers do put between the knowledge and power of God and the Devil but that they think if they pray or rather talk to God till their hearts ake he never heareth them but that the Devil doth know every thought and imagination of their minds and both can and also will do any thing for them For if any that meaneth good faith with the Devil read certain conjurations he cometh up they say at a trice Marry if another that hath no intent to raise him read or pronounce the words he will not stirr And yet J. Bodin confesseth That he is afraid to read such Conjurations as John Wierus reciteth lest belike the Devil would come up and scratch him with his foul long nails In which sort I wonder that the Devil dealeth with none other then Witches and Conjurors I for my part have read a number of their Conjurations but never could see any Devils of theirs except it were in a Play But the Devil belike knoweth my mind to wit that I would be loth to come within the compass of his claws But lo what reason such people have Bodin Bartholomeus Spineus Sprenger and Institor c. do constantly affirm that Witches are to be punished with more extremity than Conjurors and sometimes with death when the other are to be pardoned doing the same offence because say they the Witches make a league with the Devil and so do not Conjurors Now if Conjurors make no league by their own confession and Devils indeed know not our cogitations as I have sufficiently proved then would I weet of our Witchmongers the reason if I read the Conjuration and performe the Ceremony why the Devil will not come at my call But oh absurd credulity Even in this point many wise and learned men have been and are abused whereas if they would make experience or duly expend the cause they might be soon resolved specially when the whole Art and Circumstance is so contrary to Gods Word as it must be false if the other be true So as you may understand that the Papists do not only by their doctrin in Books and Sermons teach and publish Conjurations and the order thereof whereby they may induce men to bestow or rather cast away their money upon Masses and Suffrages for their souls but they make it also a parcel of their Sacrament of orders of the which number a Conjuror is one and insert many forms of Conjurations into their Divine Service and not only into their Pontificals but into their Masse-books yea into the very Canon of the Masse CHAP. XXXVI Certain Conjurations taken out of the Pontifical and out of the Missal BUt see yet a little more of Popish Conjurations and confer them with the other In the Pontifical you shall find this Conjuration which the other Conjurours use as solemnly as they I conjure thee thou creature of Water in the Name of the Fa ✚ ther of the So ✚ n and of the Holy ✚ Ghost that thou drive away the Devil from the bounds of the just that he remain not in the dark corners of this Church and Altar ✚ You shall find in the same title these words following to be used at the hollowing of Churches There must a cross of ashes be made upon the pavement from one end of the Church to the other one handful broad and one of the Priests must write on the one side thereof the Greek Alphabet and on the other side the Latin Alphabet Durandus yieldeth this reason thereof to wit It representeth the union in faith of the Jews and Gentiles And yet well agreeing to himself he saith even there That the Cross reaching from the one end to the other signifieth that the people which were in the head shall be made the tail A Conjuration written in the Masse-book Fol. 1. I Conjure thee O creature of Salt by God by the God ✚ that liveth by the true ✚ God by the holy ✚ God which by Elizacus the Prophet commanded that thou shouldest be thrown into the Water that it thereby might be made whole and sound that thou Salt here let the Priest look upon the Salt mayst be conjured for the health of all believers and that thou be to all that take thee health both of body and soul and let all phantasies and wickedness or Diabolical craft or deceipt depart from the place whereon it is sprinkled as also every unclean Spirit being conjured by him that judgeth both the quick and the dead by fire Resp Amen Then followeth a Prayer to be said without Dominus vobiscum but yet with Oremus as followeth Oremus ALmighty and everlasting God we humbly desire thy clemency here let the Priest look upon the Salt that thou wouldest vouchsafe through thy piety to bl ✚ ess and sanc ✚ tifie this creature of Salt which thou hast given for the use of mankind that it may be to all that receive it health of mind and body so as
fire about with them alwayes in so much as they say they leave ashes evermore where they stand Surely she made in her Prayer an unreasonable request but the date of her Patent is out for I believe that whosoever at this day shall burn a pound of good Candles before her shall be never the better but three pence the worse But now we may find in St. Margarets life who it is that is Christs wife whereby we are so much wiser than we were before But look in the life of S. Katherine in the golden Legend and you shall find that he was also marryed to S. Katherine and that our Lady made the marriage c. An execellent authority for Bigamie Here I will also cite another of their notable stories or miracles of authority and so leave shaming of them or rather troubling you the Readers thereof Neither would I have written these fables but that they are authentick among the Papists and that we that are Protestants may be satisfied as well of Conjurors and Witches miracles as of others for the one is as gross as the other CHAP. XLVI A pleasant Miracle wrought by a Popish Priest WHat time the Waldenses Heresies began to spring certain wicked men being upheld and maintained by Diabolical vertue shewed certain signs and wonders whereby they strengthened and confirmed their Heresies and perverted in Faith many faithful men for they walked on the water and were not drowned But a certain Catholick Priest seeing the same and knowing that true signs could not be joyned with false doctrine brought the body of our Lord with the Pix to the Water where they shewed their power and vertue to the people and said in the hearing of all that were present I conjure thee O Devil by him whom I carry in my hands that thou exercise not these great Visions and Phantasies by these men to the drowning of this people Notwithstanding these words when they walked still on the water as they did before the Priest in a rage threw the body of our Lord with the Pix into the River and by and by so soon as the Sacrament touched the Element the Phantasie gave place to the Verity and they being proved and made false did sink like lead to the bottom and were drowned the Pix with the Sacrament immediately was taken away by an Angel The Priest seeing all these things was very glad of the Miracle but for the loss of the Sacrament he was very pensive passing away the whole night in tears and mourning in the morning he found the Pix with the Sacrament upon the Altar CHAP. XLVII The former Miracle confuted with a strange story of St. Lucy HOw glad Sir John was now it were folly for me to say How would he have plagued the Devil that threw his God in the River to be drowned But if other had had no more power to destroy the Waldenses with Sword and Fire than this Priest had to drown them with his conjuring Box and cosening Sacraments there should have been many a life saved But I may not omit one fable which is of authority wherein though there be no Conjuration expressed yet I warrant you there was cosenage both in the doing and telling thereof You shall read in the lesson on Saint Lucies dayes that she being condemned could not be removed from the place with a teem of Oxen neither could any fire burn her insomuch as one was fain to cut off her head with a Sword and yet she could speak afterward as long as she list And this passeth all other miracles except it be that which Bodin and M. Mal. recite out of Nider of a Witch that could not be burned till a scroll was taken away from where she hid it betwixt her skin and flesh CHAP. XLVIII Of Visions Noises Apparitions and imagined Sounds and of other Illusions of wandering Souls with a confutation thereof MAny through Melancholy do imagine that they see or hear Visions Spirits Ghosts strange Noises c. as I have already proved before at large Many again through fear proceeding from a cowardly nature and complexion or from an effeminate and fond bringing up are timerous and afraid of Spirits and bugs c. Some through imperfection of sight also are afraid of their own shadows and as Aristotle saith see themselves sometime as it were in a Glass And some through weakness of body have such imperfect imaginations Drunken men also sometimes suppose they see trees walk c. according to that which Solomon saith to the drunkards Thine eyes shall see strange visions and marvellous appearances In all ages Monks and Priests have abused and bewitched the world with counterfeit Visions which proceeded through idleness and restraint of marriage whereby they grew hot and lecherous and therefore devised such means to compass and obtain their loves And the simple people being then so superstitious would never seem to mistrust that such holy men would make them Cuckholds but forsook their beds in that case and gave room to the Clergy Item little children have been so scared with their mothers maids that they could never after endure to be in the dark alone for fear of bugs Many are deceived by Glasses through Art Perspective Many hearkening unto false reports conceive and believe that which is nothing so Many give credit to that which they read in Authors But how many Stories and Books are written of walking Spirits and Souls of men contrary to the Word of God a reasonable volum cannot contain How common an opinion was it among the Papists that all souls walked on the earth after they departed from their bodies In so much as it was in the time of Popery a usual matter to desire sick people on their death-beds to appear to them after their death and to reveal their estate The Fathers and ancient Doctors of the Church were too credulous herein c. Therefore no marvel though the common simple sort of men and least of all that women be deceived herein God in times past did send down visible Angels and Appearances to men but now he doth not so Through ignorance of late in Religion it was thought that every Church-yard swarmed with souls and Spirits but now the Word of God being more free open and known those conceits and illusions are made more manifest and apparent c. The Doctors Councels and Popes which they say cannot err have confirmed the walking appearing and raising of Souls But where find they in Scriptures any such doctrine And who certified them that those appearances were true Truly all they cannot bring to pass that the lyes which have been spread abroad herein should now begin to be true though the Pope himself subscribe seal and swear thereunto never so much Where are the souls that swarmed in times past Where are the Spirits Who heareth their noises Who seeth their Visions Where are the Souls that made such moan for Trentals whereby to be
ravine theft and violence and yet none of them all are so just but that the very best and uprightest of them fall into great infirmities both doing and suffering much wrong and injury And what is their fortitude but to arm them to indure misery grief danger and death it self But what happiness or goodness is to be reposed in that life which must be waited upon with such calamities and finally must have the help of death to finish it I say if it be so miserable why do they place Summum bonum therein S. Paul to the Romans sheweth that it cannot be that we should attain to justice through the moral and natural actions and duties of this life because that never the Jews nor the Gentiles could eâ—press so much in their lives as the very law of Nature or of Moses required And therefore he that worketh without Christ doth as he that reckoneth without his host CHAP. II. Mine own opinion concerning this Argument to the disproof of some Writers hereupon I For my part do also think this Argument about the Nature and Substance of Devils and Spirits to be so difficult as I am perswaded that no one Author hath in any certain or perfect sort hitherto written thereof In which respect I can neither allow the ungodly and prophane sects and doctrines of the Sadduces and Peripateticks who deny that there are any Devils or Spirits at last nor the fond and superstitious Treatises of Plato Proclus Plotinus Porphyrie or yet the vain and absurd opinions of Psellus Nider Sprenger Cumanus Bodin Michael Andreas Janus Matchaeus Laurentius Ananias Jambilchus who with many others write so ridiculously in these matters as if they were babes frayed with bugges Some affirming That the souls of the dead become spirits the good to be Angels the bad to be Devils Some That Spirits or Devils are only in this life Some That they are men Some That they are women Some That Devils are of such gender as they list themselves Some That they had no beginning nor shall have ending as the Manichees maintain Some That they are mortal and die as Plutarch affirmeth of Pan Some That they have no bodies at all but receive bodies according to their phantasies and imaginations Some That their bodies are given unto them Some That they make themselves Some say They are wind Some That they are the breath of living creatures Some That one of them begat another Some That they were created of the least part of the mass whereof the Earth was made and some That they are substances between God and Man and that of them some are Terrestrial some Celestial some Watery some Airy some Firy some Starry and some of each and every part of the Elements and that they know our thoughts and carry our good Works and Prayers to God and return his benefits back unto us and that they are to be worshipped wherein they meet and agree jump with the Papists as if you read the notes upon the second chapter to the Colossians in the Seminaries Testament printed at Rhemes you shall manifestly see though as contrary to the Word of God as black to white as appeareth in the Apocalypse where the Angel expresly forbad John to worship him Again some say That they are mean betwixt Terrestrial and Celestial bodies communicating part of each nature and that although they be eternal yet that they are moved with affections and as there are Birds in the air Fishes in the water and Worms in the earth so in the fourth Element which is the fire is the habitation of Spirits and Devils And lest we should think them idle they say They have charge over men and Government in all Countries and Nations Some say That they are only imaginations in the mind of man Tertullian saith They are Birds and fly faster then any fowl of the air Some say That Devils are not but when they are sent and therefore are called evil Angels Some think That the Devil sendeth his Angels alroad and he himself maketh his continual abode in Hell his Mansion place CHAP. III. The opinion of Psellus touching Spirits of their several Orders and a Confutation of his Errors therein PSellus being of authority in the Church of Rome and not impugnable by any Catholick being also instructed in these supernatural or rather Diabolical matters by a Monk called Marcus who had been familiarly conversant a long time as he said with a certain Devil reporteth upon the same Devils own word which must needs understand best the state of this question That the bodies of Angels and Devils consist not now of all one element though perhaps it were otherwise before the fall of Lucifer and That the bodies of Spirits and Devils can feel and be felt do hurt and be hurt in so much as they lament when they are striken and being put to the fire are burnt and yet that they themselves burn continually in such sort as they leave ashes behind them in places where they have been as manifest tryal thereof hath been if he say truly in the borders of Italy He also saith upon like credit and assurance That Devils and Spirits do avoid and shed from out of their bodies such seed or nature as whereby certain vermin are ingendered and that they are nourished with food as we are saving that they receive it not into their mouths but suck it it up into their bodies in such sort as sponges soke up waser Also he saith They have names shapes and dwelling places as indeed they have though not in temporal and corporal sort Furthermore he saith That there are six principal kind of Devils which are not only corporal but temporal and worldly The first sort consist of fire wandering in the Region neer to the Moon but have no power to go into the Moon The second sort consisting of air have their habitation more low and neer unto us These saith he are proud and great boasters very wise and deceitful and when they come down are seen with streams of fire at their tail He saith That these are commonly conjured up to make Images laugh and Lamps burn of their own accord and that in Assyria they use much to prophesie in a Bason of Water Which kind of Incantation is usual among our Conjurors but it is here commonly performed in a Pitcher or Pot of water or else in a Vial of Glass filled with water wherein they say at the first a little sound is heard without a voyce which is a token of the Devils coming Anon the water seemeth to be troubled and then there are heard small voyces wherewith they give their answers speaking so softly as no man can well hear them because saith Cardan they would not be argued or rebuked of lyes But this I have elsewhere more largely described and confuted The third sort of Devils are earthly the fourth watery or of the Sea
The fift under the Earth The sixt sort are Lucifugi that is such as delight in darkness and are scant indued with sense and so dull as they can scarse be moved with Charms or Conjurations The same man saith That some Devils are worse than other but yet that they all hate God and are enemies to man But the worser moity of Devils are Aquei Subterranei and Lucifugi that is watery under the Earth and shunners of light Because saith he these hurt not the souls of men but destroy mens bodies like mad and ravening beasts molesting both inward and outward parts thereof Aquei are they that raise tempests and drown Seafaring men and do all other mischiefs on the water Subterranei and Lucifugi enter into the Bowels of men and torment them that they possâ—ss with the phrinsie and the falling evill They also assault them that are miners or pioners which use to work in deep and dark holes under the earth Such Devils as are earthy and airy he saith enter by subtilty into the minds of men to deceive them provoking men to absurd and unlawful affections But herein his Philosophy is very unprobable for if the Divel be earthy he must needs be palpable if he palpable he be must needs kill them into whose bodies he entereth Item if he be of earth created then must he also be visible and untransformable in that point for Gods creation cannot be annihilated by the creature So as though it were granted that they might add to their substance matter and form c. yet it is most certain that they cannot diminish or alter the substance whereof they consist as not to be when they list spiritual or to relinquish and leave earth water fire air or this and that element whereof they are created But howsoever they imagine of water air or fire I am sure earth must alwayes be visible and palpable yea and air must alwayes be invisible and fire must be hot and water must be moist And of these three latter bodies specially of water and air no form nor shape can be exhibited to mortal eyes naturally or by the power of any creature CHAP. IV. More absurd Assertions of Psellus and such others concerning the actions and passions of Spirits his definition of them and of his experience therein MOreover the same Author saith That Spirits whisper in our minds and yet not speaking so lowd as our ears may hear them but in such sort as our souls speak altogether when they are dissolved making an example by lowd speaking afar off and a comparison of soft whispering neer at hand so as the Devil entreth so neer to the mind as the Ear need not hear him and that every part of a Devil or Spirit seeth heareth and speaketh c. But herein I will believe Paul better then Psellus or his Monk or the Monks Devil For Paul saith If the whole body were an eye where were hearing If the whole body were hearing where were smelling c. Whereby you may see what accord is betwixt Gods Word and Witchmongers The Papists proceed in this matter and say That these Spirits use great knavery and unspeakable bawdery in the breach and middle parts of man and woman by tickling and by other lecherous devices so that they fall jump in judgment and opinion though very erroneously with the foresaid Psellus of whose doctrine also this is a parcel to wit That these Devils hurt not Cattel for the hate they bear unto them but for love of their natural and temperate heat and moisture being brought up in deep dry and cold places Marry they hate the heat of the Sun and the Fire because that kind of heat dryeth too fast They throw down stones upon men but the blows thereof do no harm to them whom they hit because they are not cast with any force for saith he The Devils have little and small strength so as the stones do nothing but fray and terrifie men as scare-crows do Birds out of the Corn-fields But when these Devils enter into the pores then do they raise wonderful tumults in the body and mind of man And if it be a subterrene Devil it doth writhe and bow the possessed and speaketh by him using the spirit of the Patient as his instrument But he saith that when Lucifugus possâ—ssâ—th a man he maketh him dumb and as it were dead and these be they that are cast out saith he only by Fâ—sting and Prayer The same Psellus with his mates Bodin and the penners of M. Mal. and others do find fault with the Physitians that affirm such infirmities to be curable with diet and not by inchantments saying That Physitians do only attend upon the body and that which is perceiveable by outward sense and that as touching this kind of divine Philosophy they have no skill at all And to make Dâ—vels and Spirits seem yet more corporal and terrene he saith That certain Devils are belonging to certain Countries and speak the language of the same Countries and none other some the Assyrian some the Chaldaean and some the Persian tongue and that they feel stripes and fear hurt and specially the dint of the Sword in which respect Conjurors have Swords with them in their Circles to terrifie them and that they change shapes even as sodainly as men do change colour with blushing fear anger and other moods of the mind He saith further That there be brute beasts among them and yet Devils and subject to any kind of death insomuch as they are so foolish as they may be compared to Flies Fleas and Worms who have no respect to any thing but their food not regarding or remembring the whole from out of whence they came last Marry Devils compounded of Earth cannot often transform themselves but abide in some one shape such as they best like and most delight in to wit in the shape of Birds or Women and therefore the Greeks call them Neidas Nereidas and Dreidas in the feminine gender which Dreidae inhabited as some write the Islands beside Scotland called Druidae which by that means had their denomination and name Other Devils that dwell in dryer places transform themselves into the masculine kind Finally Psellus saith They know our thoughts and can prophesie of things to come His definition is That they are perpetual mindes in a passible body To verifie these toyes he saith That he himself saw in a certain night a man brought up by Aletus Lybius into a Mountain and that he took an hearb and spat thrice into his mouth and anointed his eyes with a certain Ointment so as thereby he saw great troops of Devils and perceived a Crow to flie into his mouth and since that hour he could prophesie at all times saving on Good-friday and Easter-sunday If the end of this tale were true it might not only have satisfied the Greek Church in keeping the day of Easter together with the Church
For by that means men should have good occasion and opportunity to flie from him and to run to God for succour as the manner is of all them that are terrified though perchance they thought not upon God a long time before But in truth we never have so much cause to be afraid of the Devil as when he flatteringly insinuateth himself into our hearts to satisfie please and serve our humours enticing us to prosecute our own appetites and pleasures without any of these external terrours I would weet of these men where they do find in the Scriptures that some Devils be spiritual and some corporal or how these earthy or watery Devils enter into the mind of man Augustine saith and divers others affirm That Satan or the Devil while we feed allureth us with gluttony he thrusteth lust into our generation and sloth into our exercise into our conversation envie into our traffick avarice into our correction wrath into our government pride he putteth into our hearts evil cogitations into our mouthes lyes c. When we wake he moveth us to evils works when we sleep to evil and filthy dreams he provoketh the merry to loosness and the sad to despair CHAP. XII That the Devils assaults are Spiritual and not Temporal and how grossly some understand those parts of the Scripture UPon that which hitherto hath been said you see that the assaults of Satan are spiritual and not temporal in which respect St. Paul wisheth us not to provide a corselet of Steel to defend us from his claws but biddeth us Put on the whole armour of God that we may be able to stand against the invasions of the Devil For we wrestle not against flesh and blood but against principalities powers and spiritual wickedness And therefore St. Peter adviseth us To be sober and watch for the Devil goeth about like a roaring Lion seeking whom he may devour He meaneth not with carnal teeth for it followeth thus Whom resist ye stedfast in the faith And again St. Peter saith That which is spiritual only discerneth spiritual things for no carnal man can discern the things of the spirit Why then should we think that a Devil which is a Spirit can be known or made tame and familiar unto a natural man or contrary to nature can be by a Witch made corporal being by God ordained to a spiritual proportion The cause of this gross conceipt is that we hearken more diligently to old Wives and rather give credit to their fables than to the Word of God imagining by the tales they tell us that the Devil is such a Bulbegger as I have before described For whatsoever is proposed in Scripture to us by Parable or spoken figuratively or significatively or framed to our gross capacities c. is by them so considered and expounded as though the bare letter or rather their gross imaginations thereupon were to be preferred before the true sense and meaning of the Word For I dare say that when these blockheads read Jothams Parable in the ninth of Judges to the men of Sichem to wit that The trees went out to anoint a King over them saying to the Olive-tree Reign thou over us who answered and said Should I leave my fatness c. they imagine that the wooden Trees walked and spake with a mans voyce or else that some spirit entred into the Trees and answered as is imagined they did in the Idols and Oracles of Apollo and such like who indeed have eyes and see not ears and hear not mouths and speak not c. CHAP. XIII The Equivocation of this word Spirit how diversly it is taken in the Scriptures where by the way is taught that the Scripture is not alwayes literally to be interpreted nor yet allegorically to be understood SUch as search with the the Spirit of Wisdom and Understanding shall find that Spirits as well good as bad are in the Scriptures diversly taken yea they shall well perceive that the Devil is no horned beast For sometimes in the Scriptures Spirits and Devils are taken for infirmities of the body sometimes for the vices of the mind sometimes also for the gifts of tither of them Sometimes a man is called a Devil as Judas in the sixt of John and Peter in the 16. of Matthew Sometimes a Spirit is put for the Gospel sometimes for the mind or soul of man sometimes for the wil of man his mind and councel sometimes for Teachers and Prophets sometimes for zeal towards God sometimes for joy in the Holy Ghost c. And to interpret unto us the nature and signification of spirits we find these words written in the Scripture to wit The Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him The Spirit of counsel and strength The Spirit of wisdom and understanding The spirit of knowledg and the fear of the Lord. Again I will pour out my Spirit upon the house of David c. The Spirit of grace and compassion Again Ye have not received the spirit of bondage but the Spirit of adoption And therefore St. Paul saith To one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit to another the gift of healing to another the gift of faith by the same Spirit to another the gift of prophesie to another the operation of great works to another the discerning of spirits to another the diversity of tongues to another the interpretation of tongues and all these things worketh one and the self-same Spirit Thus far the words of St. Paul And finally Isaiah saith that The Lord mingled among them the spirit of errour And in another place The Lord hath covered you with a spirit of slumber As for the spirits of divination spoken of in the Scripture they are such as was in the woman of Endor the Philippian woman the wench of Westwell and the holy maid of Kent who were indued with spirits or gifts of divination whereby they could make shift to gain money and abuse the people by sleights and crafty inventions But these are possessed of borrowed spirits as it written in the Book of Wisdom and spirits of meer cosenage and deceipt as I have sufficiently proved elsewhere I deny not therefore that there are Spirits and Devils of such substance as it hath pleased God to create them But in what place soever it be found or read in the Scriptures a Spirit or Devil is to be understood spiritually and is neither a corporal nor a visible thing Where it is written That God sent an evil spirit between Abimelech and the men of Sichem we are to understand that he sent the spirit of hatred and not a Bulbegger Also where it is said If the Spirit of jealousie come upon him it is as much as to say If he he be moved with a jealous mind and not that a corporal Devil
that all the creatures of God are good and again when God in the creation of the world saw all that he had made was good the Devil is not comprehended within those words of commendation For it is written that he was a murtherer from the beginning and abode not in the truth because there is no truth in him but when he speaketh a lye he speaketh of his own as being a lyer and the father of lyes and as John saith a sinner from the beginning Neither was his creation so far as I can find in that week that God made man and those other creatures mentioned in Genesis the first and yet God created him purposely to destroy I take his substance to be such as no man can by learning define nor by wisdom search out M. Deering saith Tha◠Paul himself reckoning up principalities powers c. addeth Every name that is named in this world or in the world to come A clear sentence saith he of Paul 's modesty in confessing a holy ignorance of the state of Angels which name is also given to Devils in other places of the Scripture His essence also and his form is also so proper and peculiar in mine opinion unto himself as he himself cannot alter it but must needs be content therewith as with that which God hath ordained him and assigned unto him as peculiarly as he hath given to us our substance without power to alter the same at our pleasures For we find not that a spirit can make a body more than a body can make a spirit the Spirit of God excepted which is Omnipotent Nevertheless I learn that their nature is prone to all mischeif for as the very signification of an Enemy and as an accuser is wrapped up in Satan and Diabolus so doth Christ himself declare him to be in the thirteenth of Matthew And therefore he brooketh well his name for he lyeth dayly in wait not only to corrupt but also to destroy mankind being I say the very tormentor appointed by God to afflict the wicked in this world with wicked temptations and in the world to come with Hell fire But I may not here forget how M. Mal. and the residue of that crew do expound that word Diabolus for Dia say they is Duo and Bolus is Morsellus whereby they gather that the Devil eateth up a man both body and soul at two morsels Whereas in truth the wicked may be said to eat up and swallow down the Devil rather than the Devil to eat up them though it may well be said by a figure that the Devil like a roaring Lion seeketh whom he may devour which is meant of the soul and spiritual devouring as very novices in Religion may judge CHAP. XXXIII Against fond Witchmongers and their opinions concerning corporal Devils NOw how Brian Darcies he-he-spirits and she-spirits Titty and Tiffin Suckin and Pidgin Liard and Robin c. his white-spirits and black-spirits gray-spirits and red-spirits Devil-toad and Devil-lambe Devils-cat and Devils-dam agree herewithal or can stand consonant with the Word of God or true Philosophy let Heaven and Earth judge In the mean time let any man with good consideration peruse that Book published by W.W. it shall suffice to satisfie him in all that may be required touching the vanities of the Witches Examinations Confessions and Executions where though the tale be told only of the accusers part without any other answer of theirs than their Adversary setteth down mine assertion will be sufficiently proved true And because it seemeth to be performed with some kind of authority I will say no more for the confutation thereof but referr you to the Book it self whereto if nothing be added that may make to their reproach I dare warrant nothing is left out that may serve to their condemnation See whether the witnesses be not single of what credit sexe and age they are namely lewd miserable and envious poor people most of them which speak to any purpose being old women and children of the age of 4 5 6 7 8 or 9. years And note how and what the Witches confess and see of what weight and importance the causes are whether their confessions be not won through hope of favour and extorted by flattery or threats without proof But in so much as there were not past seventeen or eighteen condemned at once at S. Osees in the County of Essex being a whole Parish though of no great quantity I will say the less trusting that by this time there remain not many in that Parish If any be yet behind I doubt not but Brian Darcie will find them out who if he lack aid Richard Gallis of Windsor were meet to be associated with him which Gallis hath set forth another Book to that effect of certain Witches of Windsor executed at Abington But with what impudency and dishonesty he hath finished it with what lyes and forgeries he hath furnished it what folly and frenzy he hath uttered in it I am ashamed to report and therefore being but a two-penny Book I had rather desire you to buy it and so to peruse it than to fill my Book with such beastly stuffe CHAP. XXXIV A Conclusion wherein the Spirit of spirits is described by the illumination of which Spirit all spirits are to be tryed with a Confutation of the Pneumatomachi flatly denying the divinity of this Spirit TOuching the manifold signification of this word Spirit I have elsewhere in this brief discourse told you my mind which is a word nothing different in Heb. from breath or wind For all these words following to wit Spiritus Ventus Platus Halitus are indifferently use by the Holy Ghost and called by this Hebrew word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the sacred Scripture For further proof whereof I cite unto you the words of Isaiah For his Spirit or Breath is as a River that overfloweth up to the neck c. in which place the Prophet describeth the coming of God in heat and indignation unto judgement c. I cite also unto you the words of Zacharie These are the four Spirits of the Heaven c. Likewise in Genesis And the Spirit of God moved upon the waters Moreover I cite unto you the words of Christ The Spirit or Wind bloweth where it listeth Unto which said places infinite more might be added out of holy Writ tending all to this purpose namely to give us this for a note that all the sayings above cited with many more that I could alledge where mention is made of spirit the Hebrew Text useth no word but one to wit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifieth as I said Spiritum ventum flatum halitum which may be Englished Spirit wind blast breath But before I enter upon the very point of my purpose it shall not be amiss to make you acquainted with the collection of a certain School Divine who distinguisheth and divideth this word
Spirit is lesser than the Father and the Son and of a comprehensible nature and consequently not very God Whereto I answer first that he which is sent is not alwayes lesser than he that sendeth to prove which position any mean wit may inferre many instances Furthermore touching the sending of the Holy Spirit we are here to imagine no changing or shifting of place For if the Spirit when he goeth from the Father and is sent changeth his place then must the Father also be in a place that he may leave it and goe to another And as for the incomprehensible nature of the Spirit he cannot leaving his place passe unto another Therefore the sending of the Spirit is the eternal and unvariable will of God to do something by the Holy Spirit and the revealing and executing of this will by the operation and working of the Spirit The Spirit was sent to the Apostles which Spirit was present with them sith it is present every where but then according to the will of God the Father he shewed himself present and powerful Some man may say If sending be a revealing and laying open of presence and power then may the Father be said to be sent because he himself is also revealed I answer that when the Spirit is said to be sent not only the revealing but the order also of his revealing is declared because the will of the Father and of the Son of whom he is sent going before not in time but in order of persons the Spirit doth reveal himself the Father and also the Son The Father revealeth himself by others the Son and the Holy Spirit so that his will goeth before Therefore sending is the common work of all the three persons howbeit for order of doing it is distinguished by divers names The Father will reveal himsâ—lf unto men with the Son and the Spirit and be powerful in them and therefoâ—â— is said to send The Son doth assent unto the will of the Father and will that 〈◊〉 be done by themselves which God will to be done by them these are said to be sent And because the will of the Son doth goe before the Spirit in order of persons he is also said to send the Spirit Yet for all this they alledge That if the Spirit had perfection then would he speak of himself and not stand in need alwayes of anothers admonishment but he speaketh not of himself but speaketh what he heareth as Christ expresly testifieth John 16. Ergo he is unperfect and whatsoever he hath it is by partaking and consequently he is not God Whereto I answer that this argument is stale for it was objected by Heretiques long ago against them that held the true opinion as Cyrill saith who answereth that by the words of Christ is rather to be gathered that the Son and the Spirit are of the same substance For the Spirit is named the minde of Christ 1 Cor. 2. and therefore he speaketh not of his own proper will or against his will in whom and from whom he is but hath all his will and working naturally proceeding from the substance as it were of him Lastly they argue thus Every thing is either unbegotten or unborn or begotten and created the Spirit is not unbegotten for then he were the Father and so there should be two without boginning neither is he begotten for then he is begotter of the Father and so there shall be two Sons both Brothers or he is begotten of the Son and then shall he be Gods Nephew than the which what can be imagined more absurd Ergo he is created Whereto I answer that the division or distribution is unperfect for that member is omitted which is noted of the very best Divine that ever was even Jesus Christ our Saviour namely to have proceeded or proceeding That same Holy Spirit saith he which proceedeth from the Father Which place Nazianzen doth thus interpret The Spirit because he proceedeth from thence is not a creature and because he is not begotten he is not the Son but because he is the mean of begotten and unbegotten he shall be God c. And thus having avoided all these cavils of the Pneumatomachi a Sect of Heretiques too too injurious to the Holy Spirit insomuch as they seek what they can to rob and pull from him the right of his divinity I will all Christians to take heed of their pestilent opinions the poison whereof though to them that be resolved in the Truth it can do little hurt yet to such as stand upon a wavering point it can do no great good Having thus farr waded against and overthrown their opinons I must needs exhort all to whom the reading hereof shall come that first they consider with themselves what a reverend mystery all that hitherto hath been said in this chapter concerneth namely The Spirit of Sanctification and that they so ponder places to and fro as that they reserve unto the holy Spirit the glorious title of Divinity which by nature is to him appropriate esteeming of those Pneumatomachi or Theomachi as of Swine delighting more in the durty draffe of their devices than in the fair Fountain water of Golds Word yea condemning them of grosser ignorance than the old Philosophers who though they favoured little of heavenly Theology yet some illumination they had of the Holy and Divine Spirit marry it was somewhat misty dark lame and limping nevertheless what it was and how much or little soever it was they gave thereunto a due reverence in that they acknowledged and intituled it Animam Mundi The soul or life of the World and as Nazianzen witnesseth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The mind of the universal and the outward breath or the breath that cometh from without Porphyrie expounding the opinion of Plato who was not utterly blind in this mystery saith That the divine substance doth proceed and extend to three subsistencies and beings and that God is chiefly and principally good next him the second Creator and the third to be the soul of the world for he holdeth that the divinity doth exttend even to this foul As for Hermes Trismegistus he saith That all things have need of this Spirit for according to his worthiness he supporteth all he quickneth and sustaineth all and he is derived from the holy Fountain giving breath and life unto all and evermore remaineth continual plentiful and unemptyed And here by the way I give you a note worth reading and considering namely how all Nations in a manner by a kind of heavenly influence agree in writing and speaking the Name of God with no more than four letters As for example the Egyptians do call him Theut the Persians call him Syre the Jews express his unspeakable name as well as they can by the word Adonai consisting of four vowels the Arabians call him Alla the Mahometists call him Abdi the Greeks call him Theos the Latines call
believed by many to Germinate and procreate one another so likewise are the infernal Spirits capable of multiplication in their power and essence according to their Orders Ranks and Thrones by means of the strong imagination in a Witch or malevolous person earnestly desiring their assistance 4. Not that the Spirits or Devils so begotten do any whit add or contribute to the number in general for as they are capable of increasing into distinct and separated substances so are they likewise again contracted and as it were annihilated when the force of that Imagination is gone which was the cause of their production The nature of a spirit whither heavenly or hellish being to dilate or contract themselves into as narrow compass as they please so that in a moment they can be as big in circumference as an hundred worlds and on a sodain reduce themselves to the compass of an atome 5. Neither are they so much limited as Tradition would have them for they are not at all shut up in any separated place but can remove millions of miles in the twinkling of an eye yet are they still where they were at first for out of their own element or quality they can never come go whither they will they are in darkness and the cause is within them not without them as one whose mind is troubled here in England can remove his Carcase from the place where it was before but should he go to the utmost bounds of the Earth he cannot leave his perplexed and tormented minde behind him 6. As for the shapes and various likenesses of Devils It is generally believed that according to their various capacities in wickedness so their shapes are answerable after a Magical manner resembling spiritually some horrid and ugly monsters as their conspiracies against the power of God were high and monstrous when they fell from Heaven for the condition of some of them is nothing but continual horrour and despair others triumph in firie might and pomp attempting to pluck God from out of his Throne but the quality of Heaven is shut from them that they can never find it which doth greatly add to their torment and misery 7. But that they are materially vexed and scorched in flames of fire is inferiour to any to give credit to who is throughly verst in their nature and existence for their substance is spiritual yea their power is greater then to be detain'd or tormented with any thing without them doubtless their misery is sufficiently great but not through outward flames for their Bodies are able to pierce through Wood and Iron Stone and all Terrestrial things Neither is all the fire or fewel of this World able to torment them for in a moment they can pierce it through and through But the infinite source of their misery is in themselves and is continually before them so that they can never enjoy any rest being absent from the presence of God which torment is greater to them then all the tortures of this world combin'd together 8. The wicked souls that are departed this life are also capable of appearing again and answering the Conjurations of Witches and Magicians for a time according to Nagar the Indian and the Pythagoreans And it cannot be easily conceived that their torment is much different stom the rest of the Devils for the Scripture saith every one is rewarded according to their works And that which a man sows that he shall reap Now as the damned Spirits when they lived on earth did heap up vanity and load their souls with iniquity as a treasure to carry with them into that Kingdom which sin doth naturally lead into so when they are there the same abominations which here they committed do they ruminate and feed upon and the greater they have been the greater is the torment that ariseth before them every moment 9. And although these Infernal Spirits are open Enemies to the very means which God hath appointed for mans salvation yet such is the degenerate and corrupted mind of mankind that there is in the same an itching after them for converse and familiarity to procure their assistance in any thing that their vain imagination suggesteth them with to effect which they inform themselves in every Tradition of Conjuration and Exorcism as also in the names natures and powers of Devils in general and are ever restless till their souls be totally devoted to that accursed and detestable nature which is at enmity with God and goodness 10. Now to proceed in the description of these Infernal Spirits and separated Daemons or Astral Beings as also of those in the Angelical Kingdom they that pertain to the Kingdom of Heaven are either Angels which are divided into their degrees and orders or else the righteous souls departed who are entred into rest And it cannot be but that the life of Angels and Souls departed is the same in Heaven as also the food that nourisheth them and the fruits that spring before them Nor is it possible for any how expert so ever in Magical Arts to compel either of them of what degree soever they be to present themselves or appear before them Although many have written large Discourses and Forms of Convocation to compel the Angels unto communication with them by Magical Rites and Ceremonies 11. It may indeed be believed that seeing there are infinite numbers of Angels they are also imployed for the glory of God and protection of mankind but not subject to Conjurations And that they accompany many righteous men Invisibly and protect Cities and Countries from Plagues War and infestings of wicked Spirits against which Principalities and Powers of Darkness it is their place to contend and war to the confusion of the Kingdom of Darkness 12. But such Spirits as belong to this outward World and are of the Elemental quality subject to a beginning and ending and to degrees of continuance These may be solicited by Conjurations and can also inform Magicians in all the secrets of Nature yet so darkly because they want the outward organ that it is hardly possible for any that hath fellowship with them to learn any manual operation perfectly and distinctly from them 13. Many have insisted upon the Natures of these Astral Spirits some alledging That they are part of the faln Angels and consequently subject to the torments of Hell at the last Judgment Others That they are the departed souls of men and women confined to these outward Elements until the Consummation Lastly others As Del rio Nagar the Indian Magician and the Platonists affirm That their nature is middle between Heaven and Hell and that they reign in a third Kingdom from both having no other judgment or doom to expect for ever 14. But to speak more nearly unto their natures they are of the source of the Stars and have their degrees of continuance where of some live hundreds some thousands of years Their
food is the Gas of the Water and the Blas of the Air And in their Aspects or countenances they differ as to vigour and cheerfulness They occupy various places of this world as Woods Mountains Waters Air fiery Flames Clouds Starrs Mines and hid Treasures as also antient Buildings and places of the slain Some again are familiar in Houses and do frequently converse with and appear unto mortals 15. They are capable of hunger grief passion and vexation they have not any thing in them that should bring them unto God being meerly composed of the most spiritual part of the Elements And when they are worn out they return into their proper essence or primary quality again as Ice when it is resolved into Water They meet in mighty Troops and wage warr one with another They do also procreate one another and have power sometimes to make great commotions in the Air and in the Clowds and also to cloath themselves with visible bodies out of the four Elements appearing in Companies upon Hills and Mountains and do often deceive and delude the observers of Apparitions who take such for portents of great alterations which are nothing but the sports and pastime of these frolick Spirits as Armies in the Air Troops marching on the Land noises and slaughter Tempest and Lightning c. 16. These Astral Spirits are variously to be considered some are beings separate and absolute that are not constitute to any work or service Others are subservient to the Angels that have dominion over the Influences of the Stars Others are the Astral Spirits of men departed which if the party deceased was disturbed and troubled at his decease do for many years continue in the source of this world amongst these airy Spirits to the great disquietness of the soul of the person to whom they belong Besides the causes are various that such Spirits rest not 1. When by Witchcraft they are inchanted and bound to wander so many years as thrice or fourtimes seven before they can be resolved into nothing 2. When the person hath been murthered so that the Spirit can never be at rest till the crime be discovered 3. When desires and lusts after Wife or Children House Lands or Money is very strong at their departure it is a certain truth that this same spirit belonging to the Starrs will be hanckering after these things and drawn back by the strong desires and fixation of the Imagination which is left behind it Nor can it ever be at rest till the thing be accomplished for which it is disturbed 4. When Treasure hath been hid or any secret thing hath been committed by the party there is a magical cause of something attracting the starry spirit back again to the manifestation of that thing Upon all which the following Chapters do insist more largely and particularly CHAP. II. Of the Good and Evil Daemons or Genii Whither they are what they are and how they are manifested also of their names powers faculties offices how thy are to be considered 1. ACcording to the disposition of the mind or soul there is a good or evil Daemon that accompanies the party visibly or invisibly and these are of such rancks and orders and names as the capacity of the persons soul is to whom they belong Their Office is said to be fore-warning the person of eminent danger sometimes by inward instinct sometimes by dreams in the night and sometimes by appearing outwardly The Daemon or Genius changeth its nature and power as the person changeth his and if from good the party degenerate to iniquity then by degrees the good Angel leaves him and an evil Daemon doth naturally succeed for each thing draws after that which is like it self 2. Magicians mention three several wayes of enjoying the society of the Bonus Genius first by intellectual association when secret and mental instigations do arise in their hearts to do this or that and to forbear the other as in the Manuscript of Nagar the Indian his own testimony of himself is to this effect My blessed Guardian Damilkar hath now so sweetly communicated himself unto me That by all the manifestations whereby a holy Daemon can attend and converse with mankind he appeareth unto me first in the intellectual way he is ever present and every moment prompts me what to act what to forbear from acting Ah had he not rushed up through the powers of my soul and suddenly warned me in my Travel to Quiansi in China through the airy Region to turn nimbly to the right hand at an instant a mighty Troop of Devils whose Leader was Grachnoek coming through that tract of air had crusht me into a thousand peices This is the first degree of its appearing 3. Then he proceedeth in the language of Sina describing the second way of its manifestation And when the deepest sleep hath over-poured we I am never without him sometimes my Damilkar stands before me like a glorious Virgin administring to me a Cup of the drink of the Gods which my Intellectual man exhausteth sometimes he brings caelestial Companies and danceth round about me and when after the weariness of the Senses through contemplation I fell into gentle sleep on the holy Mountain of Convocation which is called Adan he shewed me the motion of the Heavens the nature of all things and the power of every evil Daemon 4. Thirdly he continueth to describe the External appearance of the Genius to this effect Damilkar appears before me at my desire for my desires are as his desires When I slept a long space in my private dwelling he appeared outwardly and watering me with the dew of the fourth Heaven I awakned when he had thrice said Nankin Nagar so the time being come we mounted through the Air unto the holy Mountain of Convocation 5. In this Example the three degrees of the Apparition of the Bonus Genius or Good Daemon are excellently deciphered which is also the same in the appearance of the bad Genius and according to the deepest Magicians there be seven good Angels who do most frequently become particular Guardians of all others each to their respective capacities and also seven evil Daemons that are most frequent in association with depraved persons as Guardians to them 6. These are the seven good Angels or Daemons Iubanladace a mighty Prince in the Dominion of Thrones he cometh unto such as follow national affairs and are carryed forth unto warr and conquest he beareth alwayes a flaming Sword and is girded about having a helmet upon his head and appearing still before the party in the Air he must be sollicited and invocated with Chastity Vows Fumes and Prayers and this his is Character to be worn as a Lamin â— Yah-li-Yah one of the Powers accompanying such as are Virgins and devoted to Religion and a Hetmits life he teacheth all the names and powers of Angels and gives holy Charms against the assaults of Evil Daemons he
is to blast with Mildew Lightning and Thunder any Vegetative proper to their Planet To deprive any Animal of sight or the motion of the nerves under their Dominion And lastly bring Plagues Pestilence and Famine Storms and Tempests or on the Contrary to bring sweet and excellent Influences upon Animals or Vegetatives under their Planetary Regiment if well and honourably dignified 4. Innumerable are the Spirits that inhabit the Aiery Region germinating amongst themselvs as Magicians affirm and begetting one another after a Mystical manner It is their property to be instant in storms and boistrous weather which is said to be joy and delight unto them And in such a season they may with most facility be calld upon and make their appearance which they do accordingly to their age and youthfulness seeming young or old at their appearance answerable to their years Besides they march in mighty Troops through the Aiery Region waging warr amongst themselves and destroying one anothers beings or Existences after which they are reduced to the primary source or nature of the Starrs This is likewise to be observed that according to the Language Vigour Life and Habit of that Region wherein they live such is their Habit Language and Ability one Caterva or Company being ignorant of their Neighbours or Enemies Language so that they have need of the Assistance of such Spirits as dwell in omnibus Elementis to be their Interpreters 5. And doubtless from hence arise the various deceptions thut men are incident unto in their judgments of Apparitions perswading themselves that they are portents and foretokens of Warr and Famine when such numerous Spirits are beheld Fighting or Marching either in the Air Earth or Water whereas it is nothing else but the bare effect of the Natures and Tempers of such Aerial beings to fight and randevouse immediately after sun-set or else later in the Summer evenings which is their principal time of such Conventions And though it must be confest that such Spirits may be and are the Devils Instruments as appertaining to the Kingdom whereof he is Ruler Yet considered in themselves their Nature is wholly harmless as to ought that may be called innate Evill having nothing in them that is eternal as the Soul of Man and consequently nothing in them that is able to make them capable of enjoying Heaven or induring the torments of Hell 6. And it is believed by some that according to the motion of the spheres there are certain companies of Aerial Spirits good and bad that follow them in their motions round the earth the good distilling influences that are good and the bad such influences as are destructive to every thing that is under their Dominion It is also believed that by the assistance of Devils and damned Spirits such Aerial Spirits are given for Familiars to some Magicians add Witches with whom they are said to have actual copulation and the enjoyment of every dainty meat through their assistance being able thereby to go invisible to fly through the air and steal Treasures and Jewels from the Coffers of Princes as also carouse in Wine-sellers and Pantries of those that are most amply provided with the choisest Daynties 7. Subordinate unto these of the Air are the Terrestrial Spirits which are of several degrees according to the places which they occupy as Woods Mountains Caves Fens Mines Ruins Desolate places and Antient Buildings calld by the Antient Heathens after various names as Nymphs Satyrs Lamii Dryades Sylvanes Cobali c. And more particularly the Faeries who do principally inhabit the Mountains and Caverns of the Earth whose nature is to make strange Apparitions on the Earth in Meddows or on Mountains being like Men and Women Souldiers Kings and Ladyes Children and Horse-men cloathed in green to which purpose they do in the night steal hempen stalks from the fields where they grow to Convert them into Horses as the Story goes Besides it is credibly affirmed and beleev'd by many That such as are real Changlings or Lunaticks have been brought by such Spirits and Hobgoblins the true Child being taken away by them in the place whereof such are left being commonly half out of their wits and given to many Antick practices and extravagant fancies which passions do indeed proceed from the powerful influence of the Planet in their nativity and not from such foolish conjectures 8. Such jocund and facetious Spirits are sayd to sport themselvs in the night by tumbling and fooling with Servants aad Shepherds in Country houses pinching them black and blew and leaving Bread Butter and Cheese sometimes with them which if they refuse to eat some mischief shall undoubtedly befall them by the means of these Faeries And many such have been taken away by the sayd Spirits for a fortnight or a month together being carryed with them in Chariots through the Air over Hills and Dales Rocks and Precipices till at last they have been found lying in some Meddow or Mountain bereaved of their sences and commonly of one of their Members to boot 9. Certainly the Lares and Penates or houshold Gods of the antient Heathens were no other then such like Spirits who for several years would keep their residence in one house till upon some displeasure offered or offences done by any of the sayd Family they departed and were never afterwards heard of There are plenty of such examples to be found in Olaus magnus and Hector Boethus in his History of Scotland relating wonderful passages of Robin-good fellows and such as have been familiar amongst mankind 10. Luridan a familiar of this kinde did for many years inhabit the Island Pomonia the largest of the Orcades in Scotland suplying the place of Man-servant and Maid-servant with wonderful diligence to these Families whom he did haunt sweeping their rooms and washing their dashes and making their fires before any were up in the morning This Luridan affirmed That he was the genius Astral of that Island that his place or residence in the dayes of Solomon and David was at Jerusalem That then he was called by the Jewes Belelah and after that he remaind Long in the Dominion of Wales instructing their Bards in Brittish Poesy and Prophesies being called Vrthin Wadd Elgin And now said he I have removed hither and alas my continuance is but short for in 70 years I must resigne my place to Balkin Lord of the Northern mountains 11. Many wonderful and incredible things did he also relate of this Balkin whom he called the Lord of the Northern Mountains affirming that he was shaped like a Satyr and fed upon the Air having Wife and Children to the number of 12 thousand which were the brood of the Northern Faeries inhabiting Southerland and Catenes with the adjacent Islands And that these were the Companies of Spirits that hold continual wars with the Fiery Spirits in the Mountain Heckla that vomits fire in Islandia That their speech was antient Irish and
their dwelling the Caverns of the Rocks and Mountains which relation is recorded in the Antiquities of Pomonia 12. I have read another wonderful relation in a book de Annulis Antiquorum Concerning a young man from whom the power of Venus was taken away so that he could not Company with his new marryed Wife The Story is briefly thus Being busy at play or exercise with some of his Companions on his marriage day he put his weddng Ring on the finger of the Statue of Venus that stood besides the place least it should be lost when he had done returning to take his Ring the finger was bended inward so that he could by no means pluck off the Ring to his great amazement at which instant he forsooke the place and in the night the Image of Venus appeared unto him saying Thou hast espoused me and shalt not meddle with any other in the morning returning the Ring was gone and the finger made straight again which troubled him mightily so that he consulted with a Magician who wrote a Letter to some Principal Spirit in that Dominion to which Venus belong'd bidding the party stand watching at such a place at such an houre till he saw many troops of Spirits pass by him and describing one in a Chariot of stern and terrible Countenance to whom he bad him deliver the Letter All which he performed and after the person in the Chariot had read the contents thereof he broke out into this expression great God how long shall we be subject to the insolencies of this accursed Rascal naming the Magitian But withal calling to a most beauteous Woman from amongst the Company he charged her to deliver back the Ring which at length she did with much aversness and after that he injoyd his Marriage rites without impediment 13. Besides the innumerable Troops of Terrestrial Spirits called Faeryes there are also Nymphs of the Woods Mountains Groves and Fountains as Eagle Arethusa Io Menippa Irene c. who are sayd to be altogether of the faeminine kinde sporting and dancing and feasting amongst the trees in Woods and bathing in clean and limpid Fountains such have been seen by many and are often alluded to by the Roman and Greek Poets There is also a relation of a German Prince who being exceeding thirsty and weary with hunting and hawking lost his Company in the Woods on a suddain beheld an opening at a little hillock amongst the trees and a most beautiful Maiden offering a Golden Morn full of Liquor which he received and drunk and after rid quite away with the sayd Horn not regarding the Virgins tears who lamented after him t is sayd that having spilt some of the sayd Liquor it fetcht the hair from off his Horses skin and the horn is yet to be seen in Germany which I have been told by one that hath seen and handled it affirming That the Gold for purity cannot ba parallel'd 14. Another sort are the Incubi and Succubi of whom it is reported that the Hanns have the original being begotten betwixt these Incubi and certain Magical women whom Philimer the King of the Goths banished into the deserts whence arose that savage and untamed Nation whose speech seemed rather the mute attempts of brute Beasts then any articulate sound and well distinguished words To these Incubi are attributed the diseases of the blood called the Night-hag which certainly have a natural cause although at the instant of time when the party is oppressed it is probable that certain malevolent Spirits may mix themselvs therein and terrifie the soul and minde of the afflicted party 15. And amongst such Spirits as are resident amongst mortals there is a very froward kinde who take delight to pull down what man hath builded who have been seen at the building of strong and mighty Castles to come in the night and tumble all to the ground that the workmen had reared the day before of this sort were Horon Stilkon Glaura and Ribbolla four pestiferous and turbulent Animals that for many years infested the first founders of the Emperours Seraglio Till one of the holy Musselmans did by certain Charms and Exorcisms constrain and binde them to tell their names and the cause of their disturbing which they declared and were by him confined to destroy the mines of Copper in Hungaria 16. There is also a Relation extant in the Life of Paul the Hermit of a Satyr appearing to him in the Woods and discoursing with him that it was a mortal Creature as he and served the same God dehorting the people to worship them for demi-Gods as they had been accustomed to Like unto this is the Story of the Death of the great God Pan That a Mariner sailing by the Island of Cicilia was called by his name from the shore and by a certain voice was bid to tell the Inhabitants of the next Island that the great God Pan was dead which he obeyd and though in the next Island there were no Inhabitants yet when he approached he proclaimed towards the shoar that Pan was deceased immediately after which Proclamation he could sensibly hear most doleful and lachrymable Cryes and noyses as of those that lamented his departure 17. Ianthe is sayd by Magitians to be a water Spirit who is ever present when any are drownd in the water being delighted much in the destruction of mankinde that it may enjoy the Company of their Astral Spirits after their decease for according to the four Complexions or Constitutions of the body of Man The Astral Spirit associates it self with separated substances The Phlegmatick to the watry Spirits The Sanguine to those of the Aire The Cholerick to the Fire and the Melancholy to the Terrestrial Spirits But this is only to be supposed of such persons as dyed in discontent and restlesness 18. Of another sort are such Aquatick Animals as in former times have conversed and procreated with mankinde bearing divers Children And at length snatching all away into the watry Element again whereof there are variety of Examples in Cardanus and Bodin Of this sort was the Familiar of Paulus a Mendicant Frier called by him Florimella and entertaind as his Bed-fellow for forty years though unknown and unseen to any but himself till upon some unhandsome carriage of the Fryer his Companion accompanying him over the Danube leapt into the River and was never after seen 19. Innumerable are the reports and accidents incident unto such as frequent the seas as fisher-men and sailers who discourse of noises flashes shadows echoes and other visible appearances nightly seen and heard upon the surface of the water And as the disposition of the Heavens is according to the constellations and climates so are these spectres appropriate to particular parts and coasts from the North to the Southern pole But more especially abounding in the North about Norweigh Isleland Green Land and Nova Zembla 20. Neither are the Storyes of the Greek
these dubious Spirits do properly belong then are they frequently sollicited to mediate in such treacherous actions as the hellish Spirits have conspired against the Lives of mortal men 30. More particularly These Spirits that belong to the fiery Element are most officious in this kinde of service being naturally such as the Antecedent matter hath sufficiently demonstrated but according to the ranks and Categoryes to which they belong some of them are more inveterate and malicious in their undertakings then the rest But every kinde of Astral Spirit is obsequious to the Kingdome of darkness that the devilish Spirits can effect little or nothing without their assistance in this external principle of the Starrs and Elements upon the bodies or possessions of Mankind because their bodies are too crude and rough for the conveyance of their influence either in Dreams Raptures Philtres Charms or Constellations as the following Chapter of the nature of Infernal beings shall make plain wherein the nature and capacity of every damned Spirit is decyphered according to the truth of the antient Philosophy 31. Leave we now the Spirits of the fire to illustrate the natures of subterranean Beings whose Orders Species and Degrees are various for they consist in these distinctions viz. Spirits of men deceased Souls of men deceased separated Spirits Astral separate Spirits semi-Infernal Spirits appropriate to the Constellations where any of the seven metals viz. Saturn Jupiter Mars Sol Luna Venus Mercury are found in the bowels of the Earth and as farr as the natures of Minerals are distinct one from the other so much distant are these Subterranean Spirits in Nature and Faculty in respect of their places shapes names and qualities 32. But they are not all confined unto the metallick Kingdome for there are also Spirits of the Mountains Vallies Caves Deeps Hiata's or Chasma's of the Earth hidden Treasures Tombs Vaults and Sepultures of the Dead To the last belong the Astral Spirits of deceased Mortals that delight to hover over the antient Carcases to which they belong'd seeking still to be dissolved and diligently enquiring the Cause of their retention such are resident in silent Caves and solitary Vaults where the deceased lie till the Humidum Radicale be exciccate and totally dryd up after which their tricks are no more manifest but are utterly extinguished and annihilated 33. To the next belong such Spirits as are Protectors of hidden Treasures from a natural Cause from whence they do exceedingly envy mans benefit and accommodation in the discovery thereof ever haunting such places where money is conceal'd and retaining malevolent and poysonous Influences to blast the Lives and Limbs of those that dare to attempt the discovery thereof Peters of Devonshire with his confederates who by Conjuration attempted to dig for such defended Treasures was crumbled into Atomes as it were being reduced to Ashes with his Companions in the twinkling of an eye 34. And upon this particular we have plenty of Examples of the destruction of such as by Magical experiments have discovered hidden Treasures which instances do rather seem to prove That such as haunt these places do more nearly belong to the Infernal then to the Astral Hierarchy in regard that they are so infesting and inveterate to Mortal men that the Grand Intention of the Prince of darkness may be accomplished in their designs 35. But of all the rest such as haunt Mines and mettle men are the most pernicious and frequent from the same Cause with the former The nature of such is very violent they do often slay whole Companies of Labourers they do sometimes send inundations that destroy both the Mines and Miners they bring noxious and malignant vapours to stifle the laborious workmen briefly their whole delight and faculty consists in tormenting killing and crushing men that seek such Treasures that mankind may never partake thereof to relieve their Cares and worldly necessities 36. Such was Anaebergius a most virulent Animal that did utterly confound the undertakings of those that laboured in the richest Silver mine in Germany called Corona Rosacea He would often shew himself in the likeness of a he-goat with Golden horns pushing down the workmen with great violence sometimes like a Horse breathing flames and pestilence at his Nostrils At other times he represented a Monk in all his Pontificalilus flouting at their Labour and imitating their Actions with scorn and dedignation till by his daily and continued molestation he gave them no further ability of perseverance 37. Thus I have hinted the various distinctions and sub-distinctions of Astral Spirits proper or common illustrating their natures according to the opinions of the Learned from thence I proceed to say what the Infernal Hierarchy is and whereof it doth consist in this fifth Chapter following CHAP. V. Of the Infernal Spirits or Devils and damned Souls treating what their Natures Names and Powers are c. 1. LEaving the Astral Kingdome I will now proceed to describe the natures and distinctions of Infernal Spirits or Devils and damned Souls who are to be considered according to their ranks and orders exactly correspondent to the Quires and Hierarchies of the Angels or Celestial beings wherein I will insist upon their names shapes places times orders powers and capacities proceeding gradually from a general narration to a particular Anatomy of every sort of Spirit in its proper place and order 2. As for the Locality or Circumscription of the Kingdome of darkness it is farr otherwise to be considered then the vulgar account it who esteem the hellish habitation a distinct Chasma or Gulph in a certain place above under or in the Center of the Earth where innumerable Devils and wicked Souls inhabit who are perpetually scorched and tormented with material flames of fire This is the opinion which naturally all men are addicted and prone unto But if we will rightly consider the Kingdome of Heaven and Hell in respect of one another we must look upon the similitude of light and darkness in this outward world who are not circumscribed nor separate as to Locality from one another for when the sun arises the darkness of the night disappeareth not that it removes it self to some other place or Country but the brightness of the light overpowereth it and swallows it up so that though it disappeareth yet it is as really there as the light is 3. This is also to be considered in the description of the Habitations of good or evill beings that they are really in one another yet not comprehended of one another neither indeed can they be for the evil Spirits if they should remove ten thousand miles yet are they in the same quality and source never able to finde out or discover where the Kingdome of Heaven is to be found though it be really through and through with the dark Kingdome but in another quality which makes them strangers to one another 4. A similitude hereof we
affirighted with monstrous appearances and Ideas represented continually to their imaginations And there is not any loathsome taste in the Kingdome of this World either Animal Vegetative or Mineral which they are at any time void of being continually pestered and suffocated with filthy fumes and smoaks of hellish fruits as of Sulphurean stinks and abominations 42. Neither are the other Sences of the Touch and Smell behind in participation of the like Torments which their own iniquities do perpetually excite and create unto them besides they are ever vexing one another and if any be in the same misery with whom they had acquaintance here on eath the very Magical knowledge and perceivance or remembrance thereof doth beyond utterance or conception most miserably afflict and macerate their Souls and all their Sences 43. For the nature of their habitation is such that their torment is exceedingly aggravated thereby because the extremity of the four Elements is there converted into a whole Principle of wrath and vexation The excess of cold and heat drought and moisture are continually raging amongst them by intercourse Neither is there any light or lustre to be seen within their Courts but that which comes from their fiery Eyes as a deadly glance or glimmering being sudden fiery flashes and sparkling as the enkindling of Gunpowder or Aurum fulminans for a similitude 44. And as every kinde of Being feeds upon somewhat of its own nature property and element whither it be Plant Animal or Metalline kinde so the Devils are neither destitute of meat drink nor cloathing according to their own Kingdom and quality having fruits springing and growing before them of hellish sour and poysonous natures which are real and palpable unto them and not imaginary or typical though to us magical and invisible neither is this to be wondered at if we consider the nature of Man's Soul In Media Natura for if it feed not upon the internal and substantial Word which is the very Bread of Life it self it must of necessity ruminate on something else viz. the fruits of Iniquity which it takes in and drinketh up as the Oxe drinks water so that to the soul the sin becomes palpable glutting and satiuting yea so substantial unto the Soul as Dirt or Ink upon fair white Linnen is to our external Eyes neither can the Soul be freed from these spots till the water above the Firmament wash them away 45. Also in respect of the Astral source they are not destitute of food when they bring themselves into the same for the gas of the air and blas of the water is their nourishment while they stay here as is before alledged These influences of the air and water they take into their Limbus and convert into their own poysonous natures as of sweet and wholsome herbs the filthy Toads and other venemous Beasts do make their poyson converting them into a nature like themselves And on the contrary the poysonous herbs are converted into good and wholesome nourishment by other cleanly Beasts 46. And as the Infernal Troops are considered in respect of the four Elements they have a distinct and peculiar tone or language which they exercise and speak one amongst one another as mortals do But they have utterly lost the dignity of their sounds according to the eternal nature And are likewise totally corrupted in their pronouncing or Dialect since they fell from their first caelestial glory so that their speech is harsh doleful and terrible like the fruits they feed upon and the life they dwell in Which depravation is very apparent in the Kingdom of this World in the divided Languages of every Region according to the Constellation under which they are situated The true and magical Language of nature being hid from all the Countreys of the earth 47. But when they appear in the outward Elements they do many times express themselves in Irish Welch Latine or Russian which are the Languages most affected by them to answer unto Conjurations or Compacts So that if any Magician who is ignorant of these aforesaid Languages do at any time Raise or Exorcise such Spirits he must be mindful to confine them to his mother tongue least their gibberish prove altogether unintelligible for as every thing appears in what it most affecteth or is addicted to even so the Spirits have their distinct affections passions and postures both in word habit shape and gesture so that the Magician must be wary in Exorcizing with them that he confine them to a different place posture shape and language to answer their intentions without impediment 48. For they are very variable and unconstant in their dealings with mankind nor will they stand to any thing that hath not bound them by the obligations of Words Characters and Imprecations except the skill of the Exorcist be such that he is able to confine them into a Magical Triad which hath the certain force of obliging or compelling them to utter truth and nothing false in all their Answers or Informations But with such miserable men and women as they have made Covenants and Indentures for body soul and works with such I say they keep no faith nor are they lyable to their commands but on the contrary have them hampered and subjected to their will and power till they have terminated their lives in their destruction 49. Yet have not any of the most potent Princes in the Hellish Power the least ability to destroy the least of the sons of men without the consent of the mind and senses of the Soul for until the will of the Soul be opened unto him his threatnings sleights and stratagems are without any power or force as the nerves of a dead man Although naturally every evil Spirit boasteth as if all the world were at its command and every Soul were subject to its authority and beck with the Goods or Possessions of the external World 50. When any evil Spirit is raised up by Conjurations without League or Compact these Spirits so raised are exceeding fraudulent and deceitful as stubborn servants that do their Masters will by constraint and not by any natural act of obedience unto his Commands But with such as they have compacted they are frequent and officious imploying them as Agents for the destruction of others and their substance and being marryed unto such they are even become one with them being incorporated into them so that they are nothing different from incarnate Devils save that the spark of divine Light which was the gift of God unto repentance is not totally eradicated until the body fall away 51. From such as Covenant with these unconstant Spirits do they daily obtain Fumigations Odours and Offerings or Sacrifices of Blood Fire Wine Ointments Incense Fruits Excrements Herbs Gums Minerals and other Ingredients by which from a Magical cause they have more influence and authority over the bewitched party to insinuate into their affection peircing