equalize the Devils power with the power of God by his Angel And what consequence is here If the Angel did so transport therefore the Devil doth transport and yet this is the whole scope of his fourth Chapter In the fifth Chapter his whole scope is That VVitches can make pictures of VVax or Clay and rost them and so consume the party whom they intend and can receive from the Devil stones and powders and by them cast on can Cure diseases that they can raise Storms and Tempests and do many strange things and that no man is sure to escape their VVitchcraft which as I have shewed in my second Book are not only inventions and fictions of Antichrist without ground in Scripture but flat against Scripture and the faith of Christians to beleeve And whereas he saith further The Devil can send VVitches to poyson people I answer so he may teach any man else that will undertake it for that is not any whit more essential to a VVitch than to any other murthering-minded man or woman no more than stabbing with a Knife or Dagger The scope of the sixth Chapter is That the Devil appears to VVitches and teacheth them to do mischief but yet they have not power to hurt a Magistrate but sure if VVitchcraft consisted any whit in the Art of poysoning why then is the Magistrate free for certainly many Magistrates yea Judges and Kings themselves have been poysoned hath a VVitch then less faculty in poysoning Magistrates then other men have had why then is their Craft counted so dangerous The scope of his seventh and last Chapter is that Spirits did more commonly appear in time of Popery than now and the reason thereof he giveth before he proveth it to be true that is that the Gospel hath dispelled those Spirits that were wont to appear This reason hath a smooth pretence if it were given of a true thing but the thing which he argueth upon is not true for there were no more Spirits seen in time of Popery than now and that is just none at all but there were more lyes reported by papists and in time of Popish ignorance than now and the Gospel indeed hath dispelled those Popish Errours which were wont to deceive the people more than now and who so denyeth that Spirits appear he saith they are Sadduces whereas yet there was never any such dispute among Sadduces whether Spirits did appear visible or not neither were the Pharisees that opposed the Sadduces so silly as to affirm any such thing but if any such thing were as visible apparition of Spirits doubtless at had been no Controversie for the Sadduces might have seen them as well as the Pharisoes this is the scope of his First and Second Book And here I am compelled to go back again to the third Chapter of the First Book to answer one of his Tenents which I think very material to be answered out of order because if I had taken it in order it would have spoyled my method in answering so curtly as I have done his writing being somewhat immethodical Look in his first Book the third Chapter and see how he by the bare signification of a word laboureth to ground an absurdity saying Necromancy is one that Prophesieth by the dead and that is saith he one that consulteth with the Devil assuming the body of the dead party but as I have said what Logician doth not know that it is not a legal manner of arguing but most absurd to draw a Conclusion from the bare signification of words or from what words may signifie but he that argueth truly must argue as the words are taken and not as they may signifie and also search the Original sence of the Hebrew and yet for the word it self it hath not the least signification of the Devil or that the Devil can assume a dead Body or the least signification of Prophecying by the Devil but only by the dead according to the vain Tenent of the Heathen that the Souls of the dead by reason of their perfect estate after this life could inspire men living upon the earth with knowledge of things to come in which pretence these Witches called Necromancers used Divinations or lying Prophecies as manifestly appeareth in Plutarch de defect Orac. and by Scripture as I have shewed more fully in the Ninth description in my first Book and as for that Tenent that the Devil can assume and raise a dead Body it is most absurd and blasphemous for it was by the divine miraculous power of Christ upon the Cross that the bodies of the dead were raised for a time and appeared unto many Matth. 27.52 53. from whence the Centuirion acknowledged Christ to be the Son of God knowing that such things could not be done but by the mighty Power of God yet if this absurdity were true That the Devil could assume the bodies of the dead it makes nothing to prove their common main Tenent that Witches are such people as can kill by Witchcraft for a Necromancer is only one that taketh in hand to Prophesie by the dead or to give divinations and not one that killeth or witcheth people to death neither doth it agree with this Authors distinctions to hold any such Tenent that a Necromancer is one that consulteth with the Devil assuming a dead body for he saith in his Sixth Chapter of his Second Book and also in the third Chapter of the Third Book that the Devil appeareth to Witches and they consult with him having assumed a dead body why then doth he in his former distinctions make a difference betwixt a Necromancer and a Witch And now to proceed to the Third Book as followeth He laboureth to prove in his Third Book That the Devil can appear bodily and doth commonly haunt Houses and Fields in shape of men departed this life and sometimes as Fairies sometime in manner of Browning as he calleth it that is it that by our old Wives Fables is called Robin Good-fellow and that these are true and not false Fables and for that in his first Chapter he allegeth Isa 13.21 where it is said That Zim and Ohim shall dwell in their houses and Jim shall cry in their Palaces which saith he are in the Hebrew the proper names of Devils but how erroneous this exposition is let them that can read the Hebrew text see and for them that cannot read the Hebrew text let them read the Latine translation of Junius and Tremellius which is thus Et recubabunt ferae illic implebunt domos eorum noxia animalia habitabuntque illic ululae scopes saltabunt illic clamitabitque terrificum animal in viduatis palatiis ipsius serpens in templis voluptariis That is Wilde Beasts shall lodge there and hurtful Beasts shall fill their Houses and Owls shall dwell there and Night-birds shall hop there and a Dragon shall cry in their desolate Palaces and the Serpent in their pleasant Temples Tremellius in his Marginal
of the Hebrew Consulens mortuos one that seeketh counsel of the dead as Tremellius noteth in the margent This is the last term set down by Moses in the text describing a Witch and this term implyeth the pretence in the impostures used by the foresaid Oraclers and South-sayers as in the Seventh and Eighth description is amply set down and that the world might fully understand the delusion of Witches Moses here setteth down this last and more full expression or term of description of a Witch Necromantis which is all one with the former and in regard of Predictions was called in the Second description Vtens Divinatione a Diviner in regard of the imposture of giving Oracles from a hollow Cave in the earth with a Bottle was called Ol in the Hebrew translated Python by Tremellius that is an Oracle or an Oracler according to the sense of Plutarch de defect orac and in regard of the imposture of counterfeiting a voyce of another by harring in then throats was called Ariolus or Hariolus in regard of the asking counsel of the dead was called Necromantis or consulens mortuos one that asketh counsel of the dead and in regard of the Charms and Conjurations that they used in calling up the souls and spirits of the dead they were Charmers or Conjurers The Seventh and Eighth terms of description do imply the impostures which these deluding Witches used in their Oracling Divinations this Ninth term of description implieth their pretence which they had in those cousening impostures that is they pretended that they consulted with the souls of them that were departed this life and thereby could tell things to come or things hidden and this was one pretence of all that were Oraclers or South-sayers according to which pretence they were called Necromancers according to that place in Isa 8.19 very fitly rehearsed again in this description in Tremellius translation For when they shall say unto you Ask counsel of Oraclers and South-sayers that whisper and that mutter should not a people ask counsel of their God shall they ask counsel of the dead for them that are living And this pretence of these Witches is manifest not only in the Scriptures but in common Writers where we may read the Tenents and the Opinions of the Heathen concerning this matter Plutarch de defec orac sheweth their opinions and vain conceits That the souls of men that were departed this life were of more excellent perfection than the souls of men in the prison of the body and these were by those vain Heathen called Genii which Genii or departed souls say they being of such perfection and having likewise familiarity with the gods would when they were sought unto by men living here come and inspire them to give Divinations which they could easily do by reason of their perfect estate after this life These were by some of the Heathen called and esteemed gods and were among the Romans called Manes that is Infernal gods or souls of men to whom they offered Sacrifices called Inferiae The Pythonist or Witch of Endor did act her part so subtilly that she did not only pretend inspiration from the Soul of Samuel but to satisfie Sauls insatiable blindness in his demand that she could call him up and make him appear to her both Body and Soul united again to prophesie again to Saul which thing indeed was acted by her according to the silliness of Sauls demand as appeareth more fully in the Seventh description who after the Spirit of God had forsaken him was given over to beleeve such foolish fancies of faithless and ignorant people as silly Women and Children and fools are inclined to beleeve unto this day that people after their death can walk and frequent the Houses and Gardens and Orchards where they have used to be in their life time which thing is a meer fancy of faithless and ignorant people and cannot be brought to pass by either Witch or Devil either really or in appearance for it was a Miracle once done by the power of Christ at his suffering upon the Cross that many of the bodies of the Saints that were departed rose and appeared unto many in the holy City Mat. 27.52 53. from whence the Centurion acknowledged Christ to be the Son of God knowing that such things could not be done but by the mighty power of God and he that readeth over the foresaid Book of Plutarch shall easily finde that one of the chief grounds of Oracles and Divinations was this vain conceit of the Heathen that wanted the light of the Scriptures that the souls of dead men did give answers to them that had knowledge in the Art of seeking of Oracles which Art indeed was only a craft of working impostures to delude the people as is set down more at large in the Seventh and Eighth descriptions and from this old conceit of the Heathen and practice of these deluding Witches of ancient times hath that grand Witch that Whore of Rome the Pope and his train derived her notable Witchcraft whereby she hath deluded the world teaching people to invocate the souls of Saints departed as likewise to conjure them Let but the Reader look back to the Sixth term of description a Charmer and there he may read of a notable peece of Necromancy acted by two Popish Doctors at Orleance in France with their devillish Conjurations These Roman Witches are the Necromancers of these latter Ages according to this Ninth description these are the Inchanters of these latter Ages as is fully demonstrated in the Sixth description these are the Jugling Witches of these latter Ages in the Christian world as is fully demonstrated in the Fifth description and therefore it is said of this Purple Whore Revel 18.23 with thy Witchcrafts all Nations were deceived And he that will be zealous for God in obeying the command given in Exod. 22.18 Suffer not a Witch to live must leave his fond ignorant course of teaching people to hang up poor and widows and aged and lame helpless people and must bend his devotion against that Whore of Rome as all the world ought to do as also against the Mahometan Witches among the Turks Therefore it were a good Law in England if duly kept That no Jesuite or Popish Priest should be suffered to live in any part of these Dominions because these Witches are they that bewitch the people where they be tollerated by their several deluding impostures leading the people to Idolatry and also to the undermining of Governments So much for the Ninth term of description of a Witch in the text a Necromantist one that asketh counsel of the dead The false Prophets of ancient times having their several impostures and pretences whereby they seduced the people to vain Idolatry which was abominable to Gods eyes are hereby the Spirit of God demonstrated to the world by the Nine several terms of description in the text that the world might fully know the mystery of iniquity and avoyd
such a thing as Witches and Witchcraft for all the rest of his Discourse in his first Book it is to prove that there are Magicians and Necromancers which thing no man denieth according to the Scriptures but though this be a true Conclusion yet it ariseth not from his proofs before mentioned according to his own distinctions for he produceth those proofs only to prove that there are Witches which yet he distinguisheth from Magicians and Necromancers how vainly then doth he raise from these proofs a discourse of Magicians and Necromancers And further in all this Discourse he writing only according to his own imaginations without grounds in the Scriptures or in Arts and Sciences he runneth into gross absurdities as in the third Chapter that Judicial Astrologie is attained by Circles and Conjurations raising of Spirits to resolve their doubts which sheweth how little reading he had in that Science and in the fourth Chapter he bringeth in healing by Charms and Stones and Herbs as if by his method they were a part of Astrologie and not only in that hath he shewed his weakness but in reckoning Stones and Herbs among Magick Charms In the Fifth Chapter he saith Magicians conjure the Devil in a Circle and if they miss the least circumstance the Devil breaketh into the Circle and carrieth quite away Body and Soul and yet saith a little before in the same Chapter that the Devil having prescribed that form of doing that he may seem to be commanded thereby will not pass the bounds of those injunctions Circles In the sixth Chapter he talketh That they make a League with the Devil written with their bloud and so learn of him to play Jugling Tricks and Tricks upon the Cards and Dice in which also he sheweth himself but a silly Gamester in thinking such Tricks cannot be played without a League with the Devil and yet by his distinctions and by his whole Discourse he saith these Magicians though in league with the Devil are no Witches which is contrary to the general Tenent that ever was of his own Sect that is where such a League was made it made a Witch but to speak the truth the ill coherence of the Writings of his and all other Writers of that sort sheweth that they have no ground but Phantsy and Fiction for any league or transaction with the Devil either by Magician or Witch to use his own distinction though senceless either in Scripture or Human reason guided by the Scripture and this is the whole scope of his first Book In the First Chapter of his Second Book he refuteth himself and plainly confesseth though dully that all his former proofs of Scripture concerning Witches were to bee understood only of Magicians and not of Witches but saith he Though that be true yet the Law of God speaketh of Magicians Inchanters Diviners Sorcerers and Witches and whatsoever of that kinde that consult with the Devil but doth not say where the Law speaketh so nor where such are said to consult with the Devil but letteth it pass for granted which yet I will grant thus farre the Law of God speaketh of Magicians Inchanters Diviners and Sorcerers but not of Witches distinct from these for these were Witches in all the Scripture-sence and Diviners were Magicians and Magicians were Sorcerers and Inchanters were Witches and so were all the rest but still mark how he laboureth to produce some proofs beyond all this whereby he would make a Witch somewhat he cannot tell what distinct from Magicians Diviners Inchanters and Necromancers for saith he the Maid that followed Paul crying Acts 16. was a Witch whose spirit of Divination was put to silence saith he and she was a Witch because she did not raise the Devil but hee spake by her tongue publickly and privately and that by her consent and this is his ultimate proof of a Witch which I grant she was a Witch but why distinct from the rest what was she more than a Diviner and the Scripture saith she had the spirit of Python which was a spirit of lying Prophecie or Divination and saith he she was a Witch because the Devil spake by her tongue and that by her consent as if he spake not by the tongue of all Diviners Inchanters Pythonists South-sayers Necromancers and all false Prophets and that by their consent she was a Witch saith he because she raised not the Devil but yet say other Writers of his Sect they are Witches that raise the Devil and she had been a Witch if she had raised the Devil and he himself in his seventh Chapter saith Devils are made commonly to appear by Witchcraft from these grounds in Scripture which are all spoken of Deceivers and false Prophets according to the whole discourse of my first Book which indeed were Witches in the Scripture-sense though weakly discovered by this Author he goeth on presumptuously in the second and third Chapters to say that Witches are such as do compact with the Devil and in great number meet in Houses and Churches and adore the Devil in Pulpits and learn of him to do mischief and do render account at their several meetings what mischief they have done for his service and to kisse his hinder parts for adoration and this is all the scope of his second and third Chapters without any tittle of proof from Scripture but only confession of Condemned people which is no proof being contrary to Scripture and reason and all Circumstances considered is no Confession for as he dully argueth in his first Chapter that because they are loath to confess without Torture therefore they are guilty we may argue the contrary they therefore are not guilty their Confession being extorted which Confession yet he would argue to be true because saith he the Devil was worshipped among the Heathen and gave Oracles and Responses and was honoured with bloudy Sacrifice and gave Divinations by the intrals of Beasts But although these things were done by Heathen people that worshipped Idols and had Oracles and Responses from their Idol Priests which were the Witches and false Prophets of the times and in that sence might be said to worship the Devil as in 1 Cor. 10.19 20. because the Devil was in the Idols or rather in their Priests and so by them wrought delusions under the mask of Idols yet what consequence is here that because the Devil was in this sence worshipped publickly by Idolaters that therefore he is now privately worshipped by the great Conventions and Assemblies of Witches or where do we read in Scripture that Witches were such as did meet to worship the Devil they were indeed such as seduced people to worshipping of Idols by the delusions of the Devil ruling in their hearts And in the fourth Chapter be saith that VVitches can be transported in the Air by the Devils help because Habbakkuk was transported by the Angel in the History of Daniel Apocrypha which if this were a true story Canomical yet what absurdity is this to