other I doe call upon thee â—â— beseech thee O Lord Jesus Christ by thy nativity and baptisme thy crosse and passion by thine ascension and by the comming of the 〈◊〉 ghost by the bitternes of thy soule when it departed from the body thy five wounds by the bloud and water which went out of thy body thy vertue by the sacrament which thou gavest thy disciples the day before thou sufferedst by the holy trinity and the inseparable unity by blessed Mary thy mother by thine angels arch-angels prophets patriarchs and by all thy saints and by all the sacraments which are made in thine honor I doe worship and beseech thee to accept these prayers conjurations and words of my mouth which I will use I require thee O Lord Jesus Christ that thou give me thy vertue and power over all thine angeâ—â— which were throwne downe from heaven to deceive mankind to draw them to me to tie and bind them and also to loose them to gather them together before me and to command them to do all that they can and that by no meanes they contemne my voyce or the words of my mouth but that they obey me and my sayings and feare me I beseech thee by thine humanity mercy and grace and I require thee Adony Amay Horia Vege dova Mitaâ— Hel Suranat Ysion Ysesy and by all thy holy names and by all thine holy he saints and the saints by all thine angels and archangels powers dominations and verâ—ues and by that name that Solomon did bind the divels and shut them up Elbrach Ebanher Agle Goth Ioth Othie Venoch Nabrat and by all thine holy names which are written in this booke and by the vertue of them all that thou enable me to congrerate all thy spirits throwne downe from heaven that they may give me a true answer of all my demands and that they satisfie all my requests without the hurt of my body or soule or any thing else that of mine through our Lord Jesus Christ thy sonne which liveth and reigneth with thee in the unity of the Holy ghost one God world without end Oh father omnipotent oh wise sonne oh Holy ghost the searcher of hearts oh you three in persons one true Godhead in substance which drift spare Adam and Eve in their sinnes and oh though sonne which diedst for their sinnes a most filthy death sustaining it upon the holy 〈◊〉 oh thou most mercifull when I flie unto thy mercy and beseech thee by all the means I can by these thy holy names of thy sonne to 〈◊〉 A and Q and all other his names grant me thy vertue and power that I may be able to cite before me thy spirits which where thrown downe from heaven and that they may speak with me and dispatch by and by without delay and with a good will and without the hurt of my body soule or goods c. as is contained in the book called Annulus S. Lomonis Oh great and eternall vertue of the highest which through disposition these being called to judgement Vaichâ—on Stimulamaton Esphares Tetragrammaton Olioraâ— Cryon Esytion Existion Eâ—iona Onela Brasim Noym Messias Soter Emanuel Sabbath Adonay I worship thee I invocate thee I imploy thee with all the strength of my mind that by thee my present prayers consecrations and conjurations be hollowed and wheresoever wicked spirits are called in the vertue of thy names they may come together from every coast and diligently fulfill the will of me the exorcist Fiat fiato fiat Amen CHAP. V. A confutation of the manifold vanities conteined in the precedent chapters specially of commanding of divels HE that can be perswaded that these things are true or wrought indeed according to the assertion of conseners or according to the supposition of witch mongers and papists may soone be brought to beleeve that the moone is made of green cheese You see in this which is called Salomons conjuration there is a perfect inventary registred of the number of divels of their names of their offices of their personages of their qualities of their powers of their properties of their kingdomes of their governâ—rs of their orders of their dispositions of their 〈◊〉 of their submission and of the wayes to bind or loose them with a note what wealth learning office commodity pleasure 〈◊〉 they can give and may be forced to yeeld in spight of their hearts to 〈◊〉 forsooth as are cunning in this art of whom yet was never seen 〈◊〉 rich man or at least that gained any thing that way or any 〈◊〉 man that became learned by that meanes or any happy man 〈◊〉 could with the helpe of this art either deliver himselfe or his 〈◊〉 from adversity or adde unto his estate any point of felicity yet 〈◊〉 men in all worldly happineâ—se must need exceed all others 〈◊〉 things could be by them accomplished according as it is presupposed 〈◊〉 if they may learne of Marbas all secrets and to cure all diseases and Furcas wisdome and to be cunning in all mechanicall arts and change any mans shape of Zepar if Bune can make them rich and eloquent if Beroâ—h can tell them of all things present past and to 〈◊〉 if Asmodie can make them go invisible and shew them all hidden treasure if Salmacke will afflict whom they list and Allocer can procure the 〈◊〉 of any woman if Amy can provide them excellent familiars if 〈◊〉 can make them understand the voyce of all birds and beasts and 〈◊〉 and Bifrons can make them live long and finally if Orias could proâ—â— unto them great friends and reconcile their enemies and they 〈◊〉 end had all these at commandement should they not live in all world honor and felicity whereas contrariwise they lead there lives in all oâ—â—quy misery and beggery and in fine come to the gallowes as thou they had chosen unto themselves the spirit Valefer who they say 〈◊〉 all them with whom he entereth into familiarity to no better end than the gibbet or gallowes But before I proceed further to the confuâ—â—tion of this stuffe I will shew other conjurations devised more lately and of more authority wheâ—ein you shall see how fooles are trained to beleeve these absurdities being wonne by little and little to such credulity For the author hereof beginneth as though all the cunning of conjurors were deâ—â—ved and fetcht from the planetary motions and true course of the 〈◊〉 celestiall bodies c. CHAP. VI. The names of the Planets their characters together with the twelve signes of the zodiake their dispositions aspects and government with other observations The disposition of the Planets The aspects of the Planets ☌ Is the best aspect with good planets and the worst with evill âš¹ Is a meane aspect in goodnese or badnesse â–³ Is very good in aspect to good planets and hâ—rteth not in evill â–¡ This aspect is of enimity not full perfect ☠This aspect is of enimity most perfect How the day is divided or
salutem humani generis maxima quaeque sacramenta in aquarum substantia condidisti adesto propitius invocationibus nostris elemento buic mâ—ltimodis purificationibus praeparato virtutem tuae bene ✚ dictionis insunde ut creatura tua mysteriis tuis servicas ad abigendos daemones maâ—bosque pellendos divinae gratiae sumat effectum ut quicquid in domibus vel inlocis fidelium haec unda resperserit careat omni immunditia liberetur a noxa non illic resideaâ— spiritus pestilens non aura corrumpens discedant omnes insidiâ— latentis inimici si quid est quod aut incolumitati habitantium invidet aut quieti asper sione hujus aquae effugiat ut salubritas per invocationem sancti tui nominis expetita ab omnibus sit impugnationibus desensa per Dominum nostrum Iesum Christum filium tuum qui tecum vivil regnat in unitate spiritus sancti Deus per omnia saecula saeculorum Amen Then take the salt in thy hand and say putting it into the water making in the manner of a Cross. Commixtio salis aquae pariter fiat in nomine patris filii spiritus sancti Amen Domâ—aus vâ—biscum Et cum spiritu tuo Oremus Deus mâ—cte virtutis author insuperabilâ—s imperit â—ex aâ— semper magnificus ritumâ— bator qui ad â—â—â—ae dominationis vâ—â—â—s repâ—â—mis qui inimici rugiâ—uâ— sa vitiam superas qui hostiles nequittas potens â—a pugnas te Domine trementes su plices dâ—pâ—â—â—aâ—uâ— aâ— potimus ut hanc â—râ—â—â—tâ—am salis aquae aspiâ—ias bemguus 〈…〉 es putails tuae rore sanct ✚ fices ubicunque fuâ—â—ll aspersa per invocationem sancti tui nominis omnis infestatio in mundi spiritus abâ—â—tatur terrorque venenosi se pantis procul pellatur praesevita sancti spiritus nobis 〈◊〉 tuam poscentibus ubique adesse dignetur per Dominum nostrum Ipsum â— brisium filium â—â—â—un qui â—â—cum vivit regnat in unitate spiritus sancti Deus per omnia soecula saeculerum Amen Then sprinkle upon any thing and say as followeth Asperges me Domine â—yssopo mundabor lavabis me supra niven dealbabor Miscrere mei Deus secundum magnam misericordiaum tuam supra nivem dealâ—abor Gloria patri filio spiritus sancto Sicut 〈◊〉 in principio nunc semper in saecula saeculorum Amen Et supra nivem dealbabor aspergesme c. Oslende nobis domine misâ—rcordiam tuam salutare tuum da nobis exaudi nos Domine sancte pater omnipoteus aeteâ—â—â— Deus mittere dignere sanctum angelum tuum de coelis qui custodiat soâ—â—â— visitet defendat omnes habitantes in hoc â—abitaculo per Christum Dominus nostrum Amen Amen CHAP. XVI To make a spirit to appeare in a crystall I Do conjure thee N. by the father and the sonne and the Holy ghost the which is the beginning and the ending the first and the last an by the latter day of judgement that thou N. do appeare in this crystall stone or any other instrument at my pleasure to me and my fellow gently and beautifully in faire forme of a boy of twelve yeares of age without hurt or damage of any of our bodyes or soules and certainly to informe and to shew me without any guile or craft all that we do desire or demand of thee to know by the vertue of him which shall come to judge the quicke and the dead and the world by fire Amen Also I conjured and exorcise thee N. by the sacrament of the altar and by the substance thereof by the wisdome of Christ by the sea and by his vertue by the earth and by all things that are above the earth and by their vertues by the ☉ and the ☽ by ♄ ♃ ♂ and ♀ and by their vertues by the apostles martyrs confessors and the virgins and widowes and the chast and by all saints of men or of women and innocents and by their vertues by all the angels and archangels thrones dominations principats potestats virtutes cherubim and seraphim and by their vertues and by the holy names of God Tetragrammaton El Oâ—sion Aâ—la and by all the other holy names of God and by their vertues by the circumcision passion and resurrection of our Lord Iesus Christ by the heavines of our lady the virgine and by the joy which she had when she saw her sonne rise from death to life that thou N. do appeare in this crystall stone or any other instrument at my pleasure to me and to my â—e low gently and beautifully and visibly in faire forme of a child of twelve yeares of age without hurt or damage of any of our bodyes or soules and truly to informe and shew unto me and to my fellow without fraud or guile all things according to thine oath and promise to me whatsoever I shall demand or desire of thee without any hindrance or caâ—rying and this conjuration be read of me three times upon paine of eternall condemnation to the last day of judgement Fiat fiat fiat Amen And when he is appeared bind him with the hand of the dead above written then say as followeth I charge thee N. by the father to shew me true visions in this crystall stone if there be any treasure hidden in such a place N and wherein it lieth and how many foot from this peece of earth east west north or south CHAP. XVII An experiment of the dead FIrst go and get of some person that shal be put to death a promise and sweare an oath unto him that it he will come to thee after his death his spirit to be with thee and to remaine with thee all dayes of thy life and will do thee true service as it is contained in the oath and promise following Then lay thy hand on thy booke and sweare this oath unto him I N. do sweare and promise to thee N. to give for thee an almesse every moneth and also to pray for thee once in every weeke to say the Lords prayer for thee and so to continue all the dayes of my life as God me helpe and holy doome and by the contents of this booke Amen Then let him make his oath to thee as followeth and let him say after thee laying his hand upon the booke * I N. do sweare this oath to thee N. by God the father omnipotent by God the son Jesus Christ and by his precious bloud which hath redeemed all the world by the which bloud I do trust to be saved at the generall day of judgment and by the vertues thereof I N. doe sweare this oath to thee N. that my spirit that is within my body now shall not ascend nor descend nor go to any place of rest but shall come to thee N. and be very well pleased to remaine with thee N. all the dayes of thy life and so to be bound
Christ did ordaine The sound save every hower The sick and sore make whole again By vertue of thy power And that which mans unablenesse Hath never comprehended Grant by thy name of holynesse It may be fully ended c. A charme taken out of the Primer THis charm following is taken out of the Primer aforesaid Omnipotens ✚ Dominus ✚ Christus ✚ Messias ✚ with 34. names more and as many crosses and then proceeds in this wife Ista nomina me protegant ab omni adversitate plaga infirmitate corporis animae plenè liberent assistent in auxilium ista nomina regum Gasper c. 12. Apostoli videlicet Petrus c. 4. Evangelistae vedelicet Matthaeus c. mibi assistent in omnibus necessitatibus meis ac me defendant liberent ab omnibus periculis corporis animae omnibus malis praeteritis praesentibus futuris c. CHAP. X. How to make holy water and the vertues thereof St. Rufins charm of the wearing and bearing of the name of Iesus that the sacrament of confession and the eucharist is of as much efficacy as other charms and magnified by L. Vairus IF I did well I should shew you the confection of all their stuffe and how they prepare it but it would be too long And therefore you shall only have in this place a few notes for the composition of certaine receipts which instead of an Apothecary if you deliver to any morrowmâ—sse priest he will make them as well as the pope himselfe Mary now they wax every Parliament deerer and deerer although therewithall they utter many stale drugs of their own If you look in the popish pontifical you shall see how they make their holy water to wit in this sort I conjure thee thou creature of water in the name of the Father and of the Sonne and of the Holy-ghost that thou drive the devill out of every corner and hole of this church and altar so as he remaine not within our precincts that are just and righteous And water thus used as Durandus saith hath power of his own nature to drive away divels If you will learn to make any more of this popish stuffe you may go to the very masse-book and find many good receipts marry if you search Durandus c. you shall find abundance I know that all these charmes and all these paltery confections though they were far more impious and foolish will be maintained and defended by massemongers even as the residue will be by witchmongers and therefore I will in this place insert a charm the authority whereof is equal with the rest desiring to have their opinions herein I find in a book called Pomoerium sermonum quadragefimalium that S. Francis seeing Rufinus provoked of the devil to think himself damned charged Rufinus to say this charme when he next met with the devill Aperios ibi 〈◊〉 nam stercus which is as much to say in English as Open thy mouth and I will puâ— in a plum a very ruffinly charme Leonard Vairus writeth De veris piis ac sanctis amuletis fascinum â—â—que omnia veneficia destruent ibus wherein he specially commendeth the name of Jesus to be worne But the sacrament of confession he extolleth above all things saying that whereas Christ with his power did beâ—throw divels out of mens bodies the priest driveth the devil out of man soul by confession For saith he these words of the priest when he saith Ep te absolvo are as effectuall to drive away the princes of darknesse throoâ— the mighty power of that saying as was the voice of God to drive away the darknesse of the world when at the beginning he said Fiat lux He commendeth also as wholesome things to drive away devils the sacrament of the eucharist and solitarinesse and silence Finally he saith thaâ— if there be added hereunto an Agnus Dei the same be worne about onâ— neck by one void of sin nothing is wanting that is good and wholesome for this purpose But he concludeth that you must wear and make 〈◊〉 in your forehead with crossing your selfe when you put on your shoe and at every other action c. and that is also a present remedie to dinâ— away devils for they cannot abide it CHAP. XI Of the Noble balme used by Moses apishly counterfeited in the châ—rcâ— of Rome THe noble balme that Moses made having indeed many excellent vâ—â—â—tues besides the pleasant and comfortable savour thereof wheâ— withall Moses in his politike lawes enjoined Kings Queens and Prince to be anointed in their true and lawful elections and coronations 〈◊〉 the everlasting King had put on man upon him is apishly counterfeit in the Romish Church with divers terrible conjurations three breâ—â—â—ings crossewise able to make a quezie stomach spue nine mumbliâ—â— and three curtsies saying thereunto Ave sanctum oleum ter ave sancta balsamum And so the devil is thrust out and the Holy Ghost let 〈◊〉 to his place But as for Moses his balm it is not now to be found either 〈◊〉 Rome or elsewhere that I can learn And according to this papistiâ—â— order witches and other superstitious people follow on with charmâ— and conjurations made in form which many bad Physicians also practiâ—â—â— when their learning faileth as may appear by example in the sequele CHAP. XII The opinâ—on of Ferrarins touching charmes periapis appensions amulets c. Of Homericall medicines of constant opinion and the effects thereof ARgerius Ferrarius a physician in these dayes of great account doth say that forsomuch as by no diet nor physicke any disease can be so taken away or extinguished but that certain dregs and reliques will remaine therefore physicians use physical alligations appensions peraipts amulets charmes characters c. which he supposeth may do good but harm he is sure they can do none urging that it is necessary and exâ—pedient for a physician to leave nothing undone that may be devised for his patients recovery and that by such means many great cures are done He citeth a great number of experiments out of Alexander Trallianus Aetius Octavianus Marcellus Philodotus Archigines Philostratus Plinie c Dioscorides and would make men beleeve that Galen who in truth despised and derided all those vanities recanted in his latter dayes his former opinion and all his invectives tending against these magicall cures writing also a book intituled De Homerica medicatione which no man could ever see but one Alexander Trallianus who saith he saw it and further affirmeth that it is an honest mans part to cure the sicke by hook or by crooke or by any means whatsoever Yea he saith that Galen who indeed wrote and taught that Incantamenta sunt muliercularum figmenta and be the onely clokes of bad physicians affirmeth that there is vertue and great force in incantations As for example saith Trallian Galen being now reconciled to this opinion
them and beleeve in them and their oracles whereby indeed all good learning and honest arts are overthrowne For these that most advance their power and maintaine the skill of these witches understand no part thereof and yet being many times wise in other matters are made fooles by the most fooles in the world Me thinks these magicall physicians deale in the common-wealth much like as a certaine kind of Cynicall people do in the churcâ— whose severe sayings are accompted among some such oracles as may not be doubted of who in stead of learning and authority which they make contemptible do feed the people with their own devises and imaginations which they preferre before all other divinity and labouring to erect a church according to their own fansies wherein all order is condemned and onely their magical words and curious directions advanced they would utterly overthrow the true Church And even as these inchanting Paracelsians abuse the people leading them from the true order of physick to their charms so do these other I say disswade from hearkening to learning and obedience and whisper in mens eares to teach them their frier-like traditions And of this sect the chiefe author at this time is one Browne a fugitive a meet cover for such a cup as heretofore the Anabaptists the Arrians and the Franciscane friers Truly not onely nature being the foundation of all perfection but also scripture being the mistresse and director thereof and of all christianity is beautified with knowledge and learning For as nature without discipline doth naturally inclinâ— unto vanities and as it were suck up errors so doth the word or rather the letter of the scripture without understanding not onely make us devoure errors but yeeldeth us up to death destruction and therefore Paul saith he was not â— minister of the letter but of the spirit Thus have I been bold to deliver unto the world and to you those simple notes reasons and arguments which I have devised or collected out of other authors which I hope shall be hurtful to none bâ—t my selfe great comfort if it may passe with good liking and acceptation If it fall out otherwise I should think my paines ill imployed For truly in mine opinion whosoever shall performe any thing or attaine to any knowledge or whosoever should travel throughout all the nations of the world or if it were possible should peepe into the heavens the consolation or admiration thereof were nothing pleasant unto him unlesse he had liberty to impart his knowledge to his friends Wherein becausâ— I have made special choise of you I hope you will read it or at the least lay it up in your study with your other bookes among which there is none dedicated to any with more good will And so long as you have it it shall be unto you upon adventure of my life a certain amulet periapt circle charme c. to defend you from all inchantments Your loving friend Reg. Scot. To the Readers TO you that are wise and discreet few words may suffice for such a one judgeth not at the first sight nor reproveth by hearsay but patiently heareth and thereby increaseth in understanding which patience bringeth forth experience whereby true judgement is directed I shall not need therefore to make any further suite to you but that it would please you to read my book without the prejudice of time or former conceite and having obtained this at your hands I submit my self unto your censure But to make a solemn suit to you that are partial readers desiring you to set aside partiality to take in good part my writing and with indifferent eies to looke upon my book were labour lost and time ill imployed For I should no more prevaile herein then if a hundred years since I should have intreated your predecessors to beleeve that Robin good-fellow that great and antient bull-begger had been but a cousening merchant and no devil indeed If I should go to a Papist and say I pray you beleeve my writings wherein I will prove all popish charmes conjurations exorcismes benedictions and curses not onely to be ridiculous and of none effect but also to be impious and contrary to Gods word I should as hardly therein win favour at their hands as herein obtain credit at yours Neverthelesse I doubt not but to use the matter so that as well the massemonger for his part as the witchmonger for his shall both be ashamed of their professions But Robin good-fellow ceaseth now to be much feared and popery is sufficiently discovered Neverthelesse witches charms and conjurors cousenages are yet thought effectuall Yea the Gentiles have espied the fraud of their cousening oracles and our cold prophets and inchanters make us fools still to the shame of us all but specially of Papists who conjure every thing and thereby bring to passe nothing They say to their candles I conjure you to endure for ever and yet they last not pater noster while the longer They conjure water to be wholesome both for body and soule but the body we see is never the better for it nor the soul any whit reformed by it And therefore I marvel that when they see their own conjurations confuted and brought to nought or at the least void of effect that they of all other will yet give such credit countenance and authority to the vaine cousenages of witches and conjurors as though their charmes and conjurations could produce more apparent certaine and better effects then their owne But my request unto all you that read my book shall be no more but that it would please you to conferre my words with your own sense and experience and also with the word of God If you find your selves resolved and satisfied or rather reformed and qualified in any one point or opinion that heretofore you held contrary to truth in a matter hitherto undecided and never yet looked into I pray you take that for advantage and suspending your judgement â—â—ay the sentence of condemnation against me and consider of the Rest at your further leisure If this may not suffice for to perswade you it cannot prevaile to annoy you and then that which is written without offence may be overpassed without any griefe And although mine assertion be somewhat differing from the old inveterate opinion which I confesse hath many gâ—ay hairs whereby mine adversarys have gained more authority then reason towards the maintenance of their presumptions and old wives fables yet shall it fully agree with Gods glory and with his holy word And albeit there be hold taken by mine adversarys of certain few words or sentences in the Scripture that make a shew for them yet when the whole course thereof maketh against them and impugneth the same yea and also their own places rightly understood do nothing at all releeve them I trust their glorious title and argument of antiquity will appear as stale and corrupt as the Apothecaries dâ—ugs or grocers spice which the
come together at certain assemblies at the times prefixed and do not onely see the devill in visible forme but confer and talke familiarly with him In which conference the devill exhorteth them to observe their fidelity unto him promising them long liâ—e and prosperity Then the witches assembled commend a new disciple whom they call a novice unto him and if the devill find that young witch apt and forward in renunciation of christian faith in despising any of the seven sacraments in treading upon â—crosses in spitting at the time of the elevation in breaking their fast on fasting daies and fasting on Sundaies the devill giveth forth his hand and the novice joyning hand in hand with him promiseth to observe and keep all the devils commandements This done the devill beginneth to be more bold with her telling her plainly that all this will not serve his turne and therefore requireth homage at her hands yea he also telleth her that she must grant him both her body and soul to be tormented in everlasting fire which she yeeldeth unto Then he charged her to procure as many men women and children also as she can to enter into this society Then he teacheth them to make ointments of the bowels and members of children whereby they ride in the air and accomplish all their desires So as if there be any children unbaptised or not guarded with the signe of the crosse or orizons then the witches may and do catch them from their mothers sides in the night or ouâ— of their cradles or otherwise kill them with their ceremonies and after buriall steal them out of their graves and seeth them in a caldron untill their flesh be made potable Of the thickest whereof they make ointments whereby they ride in the air but the thinner potion they put into flaggons whereof whosoever drinketh observing certain ceremonies immediately becommeth a master or rather a mistresse in that practise and faculty CHAP. II. The order of the witches homage done as it is written by lewd inquisitors and peevish witchmongers to the devill in person of their songs and dances and namely of La volta and of other ceremonies also of their excourses SOmetimes their homage with their oath and bargain is received for a certain terme of years sometimes for ever Sometimes it consisteth in the deniall of the whole faith sometimes in part The first is when the soul is absolutely yeelded to the devill and hell fire the other is when they have but bargained to observe certain ceremonies and statutes of the church as to conceale faults at shrift to fast on sundaies c. And this is done either by oath protestation of words or by obligation in writing sometimes sealed with wax sometimes signed with bloud sometimes by kising the devils bare buttocks as did a Doctor called Edliâ— who as Bodin saith was burned for witch-craft You must also understand that after they have delicately banqueted with the devill and the lady of the faries and have eaten up a fat oâ—â— and emptied a butt of malmesie and a binne of bread at some noble mans house in the dead of the night nothing is missed of all this in the morning For the lady Sibylla Minerva or Diana with a golden rod striketh the vessell and the binne and they are fully replenished again Yea she causeth the bullockes bones to be brought and laid together upon the hide and lappeth the four ends thereof together laying her golden rod thereon and then riseth up the bullocke again in his former estate and condition and yet at their returne home they are like to starve foâ— hunger as Spineus saith And this must be an infallible rule that every fortnight or at the least every moneth each witch must kill one childe 〈◊〉 the least for her part And here some of Monsieur Bodins lies may be inserted who saith thâ—â— at these magicall assemblies the witches never faile to dance and 〈◊〉 their dance they sing these words Har har devill devill dance here dance here play here play here Sabbath sabbath And whiles they sing and dance every one hath a broom in her hand and holdeth it 〈◊〉 aloft Item he saith that these night-walking or rather night-dancing brought out of Italy into France that dance which is called La Volta A part of their league is to scrape off the oyle which is received 〈◊〉 extreame folly unction I should have said But if that be so dangerous theâ— which socke the corps had need to take great care that they rub not 〈◊〉 the oyle which divers other wayes may also be thrust out of the forehead and then I perceive all the vertue thereof is gone and farewell it But marvell how they take on to preserve the water powred on them in bâ—â—ptisme which I take to be largely of as great force as the other and yet I think is commonly wiped and washed off within four and twenty hours after baptisme but this agreeth with the residue of their folly And this is to be noted that the inquisitors affirme that during the whole time of the witches excourse the devill occupieth the room and place of the witch in so perfect a similitude as her husband in his bed neither by feeling speech nor countenance can discerne her from his wife Yea the wife departeth out of her husbands armes insensibly and leaveth the devill in her room visibly Wherein their incredulity is incredible who will have a very body in the fained play and a phantasticall body in the true bed and yet forsooth at the name of Jesus or at the signe of the crosse all these bodily witches they say vanish away CHAP. III. How witches are summonded to appear before the devill of their riding in the aire of their accompts of their conference with the devil of his supplies and their conference of their farewel and sasacrifices according to Danaeus Psellas c. HItherto for the most part are the very words contained in M. Mal. or Bodin or rather in both or else in the new M. Mal. or at the least-wise of some writer or other that maintaineth the almighty power of witches But Daenens saith the devill oftentimes in the likenesse of a summoner meeteth them at markets and faires and warneth them to appear in their assemblies at a certaine hour in the night that he may understand whom they have slaine and how they have profited If they be lame he saith the devill delivereth them a staffe to convey them thither invisibly through the air and that then they fall a dancing and singing of bawdy-songs wherein he leadeth the dance himselfe Which dance and other conferences being ended he supplieth their wants of powders and roots to intoxicate withall and giveth to every novice a marke either with his teeth or with his clawes and so they kisse the devils bare buttocks and depart not forgetting every day afterwards to offer to him dogs cats hens or blood of their owne
Secondly apostasie is laid to their charge whereby it is inferred that they are worthy to dy But apostasie is where any of sound judgement forsake the gospell learned and well known unto them and do not onely imbrace impiety and infidelity but oppugne and resist the truth erstwhile by them professed But 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 Rhetorike or arâ— to seduce except to tell a tale of Robin good fellow to be deceived and seduced Neither may their age or sex admit that opinion or accusation to be just for they themselves are poor seduced soules 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 carnall copulation with Incubus the folly of menâ— credulity is as much to be wondered at and derided as the others vaine and impossible confessions For the devil is a spirit and hath neither flesh nor bones which were to be used in the performance of this action And since he also lacketh all instruments substance and seed ingendred of blood 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 hereupon so innumerable whereby M. Mal. Bodin Hemingiuâ— 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 behalfe For they affirme undoubtedly thâ—â— 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 will very naturally they say become a witch and such a one they affirme Merline was CHAP. XX. A request to such readers as are loth to hear or read filthy and bawâ— masters which of necessity are here to be inserted to passe over eight chapters BUt insomuch as I am driven for the more manifest bewraying and â—â—â—â—playing of this most filthy and horrible error to stain my paper wiâ—â— writing thereon certaine of their beastly and bawdy assertions and examples whereby they confirme this their doctrine being my selfe both ashamed and loth once to think upon such filthinesse although it be to the condemnation thhereof I must intreat you that are the readers hereof whose chaste eares cannot well endure to hear of such abhominable lecheries as are gathered out of he books of those witch-mongers although doctors of divinity and otherwise of great authority and estimation to turne over a few leaves wherein I say I have like a groome thrust their bawdy stuffe even that which I my selfe 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 The fourth Book CHAP. I. Of witchmongers opinions concerning evil spirits how they frame themselves in more excellent sort than God made us IAmes 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 philosophie that evill spirits cannot onely take earthly formes and shapes of men but also counterfeit hearing seeing c. and likewise that they can eat and devour meats and also retaine digest and avoid the same and finally use diverse kinds of activities but specially excell in the use and art of venery For M. Maâ— saith that the eyes and eares of the mind are farre more subtill than bodily eyes or carnall eares Yea it is there affirmed that as they take bodies and the likenesse of members so they take minds and similitudes of their operations But by the way I would have them answeâ—â—ed this question Our minds and soules are spirituall things 〈◊〉 our corporall ears be stopped what can they hear or conceive of any eâ—ternall wisdome And truly a man of such a constitution of body 〈◊〉 they imagine of these spirits which make themselves c. were of 〈◊〉 more excellent substance c. than the bodies of them that God made in paradise and so the devils workman-ship should exceed the handâ— work of God the father and Creator of all things CHAP. II. Of bawdy Incubus and Succubus and whether the action of venery 〈◊〉 be performed between witches and devils and when witches first yielded to Incubus HEretoâ—ore they say Incubus was fain to ravish women against theâ—â—â—ill untill Anno. 1400. but now since that time witchesconseâ— willing to their desires Insomuch as some one witch exercised that 〈◊〉 of lechery with Incubus twenty or thirty yeares together as was confeâ—sessed by fourty and eight witches burned at Ravenspurge But what goodâ—ly fellowes Incubus be getteth upon these witches is proved by Thoâ—â— of Aquine Bodin M. Mal. Hyperius c. This is proved first by the devill cunning in discerning the difference of the seed which falleth from men Secondly by his understanding oâ— the aptnesse of the women for the receipt of such seed Thirdly by his knowledge of the constellations which are friendly to such corporall oâ—â—iects And lastly by the excellent complexion of such as the devâ—â— maketh choice of to beget such notable personages upon as are the causes of the greatnesse 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 divell and man Wherein he saith truely for that in paradise betwixt the devill and man all wickednesse was so contrived that man ever since hath studied wicked arts yea and the devill will be sure to be at the middle and at both ends of every mischief But that the devill 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 devill in likenesse of a pretty wench lieth 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 powre 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 devill avoideth superfluity as much as he may and yet for her pleasure and condemnation together he goeth to worke with her But by the way if the devil were so compendious what should he need to use such circumstances even in these very actions as to make these assemblies conventicles ceremonies c. when he hath already bought their bodies and bargained for their soules Or what reason had he to make them kill so many infants by whom he rather loseth than gaineth any thing because they are so farre as either he or we know in better case than we of riper years by reason of their innocency Well if she be not past children then stealeth he feed away as hath been said from some wicked man being about that lecherous businesse and therewith getteth young witches upon the old Ane note that they affirme that this businesse is better accomplished with seed thus gathered than that which is shed in dreames through superfluity of humors because that is gathered from the vertue of the seed generative And if it be said that the seed will wax cold by the way and so lose his naturall heate and consequently the vertue M. Mal. Danaeus and the rest do answere that the devil can so carry it as no heat shall go from it c. Furthermore old witches are sworne to procure as many young virgins for Incubus as they can whereby in time they grow to be excellent bawds but in this case the priest playeth Incubus For you should find that confession to a priest and namely this word Benedicit driveth Incubus away when Ave Maries crosses and all other charmes fail CHAP. III. Of the devils visible and invisible dealing with witches in the way of lechery BUt as touching the devils visible or invisible execution of lechery it is written that to such witches as before have made a visible league with the priest the devill I should say there is no necessity that Incubus should appear invisible marry to the standers by he is for the most part invisible For proof hereof Iames Sprenger and Institor affirme that many times witches are seen in the fields and woods prostituting themselves uncovered and naked up to the navill wagging and moving their members in every part according to the disposition of one being about that act of concupiscence and yet nothing seen of the beholders upon her saving that after such a convenient time as is required about such a peece of work a black vapor of the length and bignesse of a man hath been seen as it were to depart from her and to ascend from that place Neverthelesse many times the husband seeth Incubus making him cuckhold in the liknesse of a man and sometimes striketh off his head with his swordâ— but because the body is nothing but air it closeth together again so 〈◊〉 although the good-wife be sometimes hurt thereby yet she maketh him beleeve he is mad or possessed and that he doth he knoweth not what For she hath more pleasure and delight they say with Incubus that way than with any mortall man whereby you may perceive that spirits arâ— palpable CHAP. IIII. That the power of generation is both outwardly and inwardly impeached by witches and of divers that had their genitals taken from theâ— by witches and by the same meanes again restored THey also affirme that the vertue of generation is impeached bâ— witches both inwardly and outwardly for intrinsecally they repreâ—â— the courage and they stop the passage of the mans seed so as it may noâ— descend to the vessels of generation also they hurt extrinsecally wiâ—â— images herbs c. And to prove this true you shall heare certaine stories out of M. Mal. worthy to be noted A young priest at Mespurge in the diocesse of Constance was bewitched so as he had no power to occupy any other or mo women than one and to be delivered out of that thraldom sought to flie into another country where he might use that priestly occupation more freely But all in vain foâ— evermore he was brought as far backward by night as he went forward in the day before some tims by land sometimes in the air as though â—e flew And if this be not true I am sure that Iames Sprenger doth ly For the further confirmation of our beleef in Incubus M. Mal. citeth a story of a notable matter executed at Ravenspurge as true and as cleanâ—â— as the rest A young man lying with a wench in that towne saith he was fain to leave his instruments of venery behind him by meanes of that prestigious art of witch-craft so as in that place nothing could be seen or felt but his plaine body This young man was willed by another witch to go to her whom he suspected and by fair or fowle meanes to require her helpe who soon after meeting with her intreated her faire but that was in vain and therefore he caught her by the throat and with a towel strangled her saying Restore me my toole or thou shalt dy for it so as she being swolne and blacke in the face and through his boisterous handling ready to dy said Let me go and I will helpe thee And whilest he was losing the towell she put her hand into his cod-peece and touched the place saying Now hast thou thy desire and even at that instant he felt himselfe restored Item a reverend father for his life holinesse and knowledge notorious being a frier of the order and company of Spire reported that a young man at shrift made lamentable moan unto him for the like losse but his gravity suffered him not to beleeve lightly any such reports and therefore made the young man untrusse his codpeece-point and saw the complaint to be true and just Whereupon he advised or rather injoyned the youth to go to the witch whom he suspected and with flattering words to intreat her to be so good unto him as to restore him his instrument which by that meanes he obtained and soon after returned to shew himselfe thankfull and told the holy father of his good successe in that behalfe but he so beleeved him as he would needs be Oculatus testis and made him pull down his breeches and so was satisfied of the truth and certainty thereof Another young man being in that very taking went to a witch for the restitution thereof who brought him to a tree where she shewed him a nest and bad him climbe up and take it And being in the top of the tree he took out a mighty great one and shewed the same to her asking her if he might not have the same Nay quoth she that is our parish priests tool but take any other which thou wilt And it is there affirmed that some have found 20. and some 30. of them in one nest being there preserved with
aures Good Lord how light of credit is the wavering mind of man How unto tales and lies his eares attentive all they can Generall councels and the Popes canons which Bodin so regardeth do condemne and pronounce his opinions in this behalfe to be absurd and the residue of witchmongers with himselfe in the number to be worse than infidels And these are the very words of the canons which else-where I have more largely repeated Whosoever beleeveth thâ—â— 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 thâ—â— by God himselfe the creator of all things without all doubt is an infidel and worse than a pagan And there withall this reason is rendred to wiâ—â— because they attribute that to a creature which onely belongeth to God the creator of all things CHAP. IV. A summary of the former fable with a refutation thereof after 〈◊〉 examination of the same COncerning the verity or probability of his enterlude betwixt Bodâ—â— M. Mal. the witch the asse the masse the merchants the inquisâ—â—tors the tormentors c. First I wonder at the miracle of transubstantiation Secondly at the impudency of Bodin and Iames Sprenger for affirming so grosse a ly devised belike by the knight of the Rhodes to make a foole of Sprenger and an asse of Bodin Thirdly that the asse had no more wit than to kneele downe and hold up his forefeet to a peece of starch of flowre which neither would nor could nor did helpe him Fourthly that the masse not reform that which the witch transformed Fiftly that the merchants the inquisitors and the tormentors could nor either severally or jointly do it but referre the matter to the witches courtesâ—â— and good pleasure But where was the young mans own shape all these three yeares wherein he was made an asse It is a certaine and a generall rule that two substantiall formes cannot be in one subject simul semel both at once which is confessed by themselves The forme of the beast occupied some place in the air and so I think should the forme of a man do also For to bring the body of a man without feeling into such a thine 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 else where I have largely proved But indeed our bodies are visible sensitive and passive and are indued with many other excellent properties vvhich all the devills in hell are not able to alter neither can one haire of our head perish or fall away or be transformed without the speciall 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 farre differing I am sure in these daies wherein trafficke is more used and learning in more price few young or old mariners in this realme can either speake or understand the language spoken at Salamin in Cyprus which is a kind of Greek and as few old women there can speake our language But Bodin will say You heare 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 disagreeâ—ble 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 conâ—ederate with old witches I for my part wonder most how they can â—urne 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 paine And I am not alone in this maze for Danaeus a speciall maintainer of their follyes saith that although Augustine and Apuleius do write very credible of these matters yet will he never beleeve 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 onely reserved he was truly transubstantiated into an asse so as there must be no part of a man but reason remaining in this asse â—nd yet Hermes Trismegistus thinketh he hath good authority and reason 〈◊〉 say Aliud corpus quam humanum non capere animam humanam nec fas esse in corpus animae ratione carentis animam rationalem corruere that is An humane soule cannot receive any other than an humane body nor yet can light into a body that wanteth reason of mind But S. Iames 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 〈◊〉 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 Mans body also is subject unto death and hath his daies 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 marvell 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 sowne and buried a naturall body is raised a spirituall body The life of Jesus is made manifest in our â—â—rall flesh and not in the flesh of an asse God hath endued every man and every thing with his proper nature substance forme qualities and gifts and directeth their wayes â— for the waies of an asse he taketh no such care howbeit they have so their properties and substance severall to themselves For there is 〈◊〉 flesh saith Paul of men another flesh of beasts
another of fishes 〈◊〉 other of birds And therefore it is absolutely against the ordinance 〈◊〉 God who hath made me a man that I should fly like a bird or 〈◊〉 like a fish or creep like a worme or become an asse in shape 〈◊〉 much as if God would give me leave I cannot do it for it were conâ—ry to his own order and decree and to the constitution of any body which he hath made Yea the spirits themselves have their lawes and limits prescribed beyond the which they cannot passe one haires breadth otherwise God should be contrary to himselfe which is farre from him Nâ—â—â—ther is Gods omnipotency hereby qualified but the devils impotency manifested who hath none other power but that which God from 〈◊〉 beginning hath appointed unto him consonant to his nature and substance He may well be restrained from his power and will but beyond theâ—â— he cannot passe as being Gods minister no further but in that which hath from the beginning enabled him to do which is that he being spirit may with Gods leave and ordinance viciate and corrupt the 〈◊〉 and will of man wherein he is very diligent What a beastly assertion is it that a man whom GOD hath made according to his own similitude and likenesse should be by a witch turn into a beast What an impiety is it to affirme that an asses body is 〈◊〉 temple of the Holy Ghost Or an asse to be the child of God and 〈◊〉 to be his father as it is said of man Which Paul to the Corinthiaâ— divinely confuteth who saith that our bodies are the members of Christ. In the which we are to glorifie God for the body is for the Lord. 〈◊〉 the Lord is for the body Surely he meaneth not for an asses body by this time I hope appeareth in such wise as Bodin may go hide him 〈◊〉 shame especially when he shall understand that even into these our bodies which God hath framed after his own likenesse he hath also breathed that spirit which Bodin saith is now remaining within an asses body which God hath so subjected in such servility under the foot of man of whom God is so mindfull that he hath made him little lower than angels yea than himselfe and crowned him with glory and worship and made him to have dominion over the works of his hands as having put all things under his feet all sheep and oxen yea wolves asses and all other beasts of the field the foules of the air the fishes of the sea c. Bodins Poet Ovid whose Metamorphosis makes so much for him saith to the overthrow of this phantasticall imagination Os homini sublime dedit coelumque videre Iussit erectos ad sydera tollere vultus The effect of which verses in this The Lord did set mans face so hie That he the heavens might behold And look up to the starry skie To see his wonders manifold Now if a witch or a devill can so alter the shape of a man as contrarily to make him look down to hell like a beast Gods works should not only be defaced and disgraced but his ordinance should be wonderfully â—tered and thereby confounded CHAP. VI. The witchmongers objections concerning Nabuchadnezzar answered and their error concerning Lycanthropia confuted MAlleus Maleficarum Bodin and many other of them that maintain witchcraft triumph upon the story of Nabuchadnezzar as though Circes had transformed him with her sorceries into an oxe as she did others into swine c. I answer that he was neither in body nor shape transformed at all according to their grosse imagination as appeareth both by the plaine words of the text and also by the opinions of the best interpreters thereof but that he was for his beastly government and conditions throwne out of his kingdome and banished for a time and driven to hide himselfe in the wildernesse therein exile to lead his life in aâ—beastly sort among beasts of the field and foules of the air for by the way I tell you it appeareth by the text that he was rather turned into the shape of a fowle than of a beast untill he rejecting his beastly conditions was upon his repentance and amendment called home and restored unto his kingdome Howbeit this by their confession was neither devils nor witches doing but a miracle wrought by God whom alone I acknowledge to be able to bring to passe such workes at his pleasure Wherein I would know what our witch-mongers have gained I am not ignorant that some write that after the death of Nabuchadnezzar his son Evilmorodath gave his body to the ravens to be devoured least afterwards his father should arise from death who of a beast became a man againe But this tale is meeter to have place in the Cabalisticall art to wit among unwritten verities than here To conclude I say that the transformations which these witchmongers do so rave and rage upon is as all the learned sort of Physitians affirme a disease proceeding partly from melancholy whereby many suppose themselves to be wolves or such ravening beasts For Lycanthropia is of the ancient Physitians called Lupina melancholia or Lupina insania I. Wierus declareth very learnedly the cause the circumstance and the cure of this disease I have written the more herein because hereby great princes and potentates as well as poor women and innocents have been deâ—amed and accounted among the number of witches CHAP. VII A speciall objection answered concerning transportations with the consent of diverse writers thereupon FhOr the maintenance of witches transportations they object the words of the Gospell where the devill is said to take up Christ and to set him on a pinnacle of the temple and on a mountain c. Which if he had done in manner and forme as they suppose it followeth not therefore that witches could do the like nor yet that the devil would do it for them at their pleasure for they know not their thoughts neither can otherwise communicate with them But I answer that if it were so grossely to be understood as they imagine it yet should it make nothing to their purpose For I hope they will not say that Christ had made any ointemnts or entred into any league with the devil by vertue thereof was transported from out of the wildernesse unto the top of the temple of Jerusalem or that the devill could have masteries over his body vvhose soul he could never lay hold upon especially when he might with a beck of his finger have called unto him and have had the assistance of many legions of angels Neither as I thinke will they presume to make Christ partaker of the devils purpose and sinne in that behalfe If they say This was an action wrought by the speciall providence of God and by his appointment that the scripture might be fulfilled then what gain our witchmongers by this place First for that they may not produce a
or false but only citeth certain verses of the 1 book of Samuel chap. 18. simply according to the letter perswading manners and the imitation of our vertuous predecessors and repeating the examples of diverse excellent men namely of Samuel even as the text it selfe urgeth the matter according to the deceived minde and imagination of Saul and his servants And therefore in truth Sirach spake there according to the opinion of Saul which so supposedâ— otherwise it is neither heresie nor treason to say he was deceived He that weigheth well that place and looketh into it advisedly shall â—ee that Samuel was not raised from the dead but that it was an illusion or cosenage practised by the witch For the soules of the righteous are in the hands of God according to that which Chrysostome saith Soules 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 Dionyfius incline greatly to the letter And Lyra saith that as when Balaam would have raised a devil God interposed himselfe 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 confesse remained in judgement and opinion without contradiction of the church that Samuel was not raised For he saith directly that Samuel himselfe was not called up And indeed if he were raised it was either willingly or per force if it were willingly his sinne had been equal with the witches And Peter Martyr me thinks saith more to the purpose in the words to wit This must have been done by Gods good will or a 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 onely written in the decalogue Thou shalt not desire thy neighbours wife But indeed Samuel was directly forbidden to answer Saul before he died and therefore it was not like 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 paâ—iâ—â— dote herein and that soules cannot be raised by witchcraft FUrthermore it is not likely that God would answer Saul by dead Sâ—â—muel when he would not answer him by living Samuel and most â—â—â—likely of all that God would answer him by a devil that denied 〈◊〉 by a prophet That he was not brought up perforce the whole 〈◊〉 the scripture witnesseth and proveth as also our own reason 〈◊〉 us to understand For what quiet rest could the soules of the elect 〈◊〉 or possesse in Abrahams bosome if they were to be plucked from them at a witches call and commandement But so should the devil have 〈◊〉 in heaven where he is unvvorthy to have any place himselfe and then for eâ—â— meete to command others Many other of the fathers are flatly against the raising up of Samuel namely Tertullian in his book De anima Iustine Martyr In explicatâ—â— quae 25. Rabanus In epistolis ad Bonos Abat Origen in historia de 〈◊〉 c. some other dote exceedingly herein as namely Bodin and all â—â—â—pists in general also Rabbi Sedias Hajas and also all the Hebrews saâ—â—â— R. David Rimhi vvhich is the best vvriter of all the Rabbins thoughâ—â—â—ver a good of them all But Bodin in maintenance thereof falleth 〈◊〉 many absurdities proving by the small faults that Saul had commiâ—â—â—â— that he vvas an elect for the greatest matter saith he laid 〈◊〉 charge is the reserving of the Amalekits cattell c. He vvas 〈◊〉 elect c confirming his opinion vvith many ridiculous fables and vvith this argument to vvit His fault vvas too little to deserve damnation for Paul vvould not have the incestuous man punished to sore 〈◊〉 his soul might be saved Iustine Martyr in another place vvas 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 vvitcheâ— And yet were the Heathen much more fond herein who as Lactantius affirmeth boasted that they could call up the soules of the dead and yet did think that their soules died with their bodies Whereby is to be seen how alwayes the world hath been abused in the matters of witch-craft and conjuration The Necromancers affirme that the spirit of any man may be called up or recalled as they terme 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 naturall 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 devoure them as the food appointed him by God Gen. 3. alledging also this place We shall not all sleepe but we shall be changed because many shall remaine for perpetuall meat to the serpent whereupon riseth the contention between him and Michael concerning the body of Moses wherein Scripture is alledged I confesse that Augustine and the residue of the doctors that deny the raising of Samuel conclude that the devil was fetcht up in his likenesse 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 Pithonists AGaine if the devil appeared and not Samuel why is it said in Eccl. that he slept for the devil neither sleepeth nor dieth 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 farre off for indeed me thinks it is Longe petita nor to descend so low as hell to fetch up a devill 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 tried by any rule of reason But insomuch as we
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. So as the prophet knew and taught thereby that none but God could worke miracles Infinite places for this purpose might be brought out of the scripture which for brevity I omit and oveâ—slip S. Augustine among other reasons whereby he proveth the ceasing of miracles saith Now blinde flesh doth not open the eyes of the blinde â—y the miracle of God but the eyes of our heart are opened by the word â—f God Now is not our dead carcase raised any more up by miracle but our dead bodies be still in the gâ—ave and our soules are raised to life by â—hrist Now the eares of the deafe are not opened by miracle but they â—hich had their ears shut before have them now opened to their salvation The miraculous healing of the sick by anointing spoken of by S. Iames is â—bjected by many specially by the papists for the maintenance of their â—â—crament of extreame unction which is apishly and vainly used in the â—â—omish church as though that miraculous gift had continuance till this â—ay herein you shall see what Calvine speaketh in his institutions â—he grace of healing saith he spoken of by Saint Iames is â—â—nished away as also the other miracles which the Lord would have â—â—ewed onely for a time that he might make the new preaching of the â—ospel mervellous for ever Why saith he do not these meaning miraâ—â—e-mongers appoint some Siloah to swim in whereinto at certaine orâ—â—nary recourses of times sicke folke may plunge themselves Why do â—â—ey nor lie along upon the dead because Paul raised up a dead child 〈◊〉 that meanes Verily saith he James in the miracle to anoint spake â—â—r that time whiles the church still enjoyed such blessings of God Item 〈◊〉 saith that the Lord is present with his in all ages and so often as need 〈◊〉 he helpeth their sicknesses no lesse than in old time But he doth 〈◊〉 so utter his manifest powers nor distributeth miracles as by the hands 〈◊〉 the Apostles because the gift was but for a time Calvine even their â—ncludeth thus They say such vertues or miracles remaine but experâ—â—â—ce saies nay And see how they agree among themselves Danaeus saith at neither witch nor devil can worke miracles Giles Alley saith directly that witches worke miracles Calvine saith they are all ceased All witchmongers say they continue But some affirme that popish miracles are vanished and gone away howbeit witches miracles remaine in full force So as S. Loy is out of credit for a horseleach Master T. and mother Bâ—â—gy remaine in estimation for prophets nay Hobgoblin and Robin 〈◊〉 fellow are contemned among young children and mother Alice and another Bungy are feaâ—ed among old fooles The estimation of these continue because the matter hath not been called in question the credit 〈◊〉 the other decayeth because the matter hath been looked into Where I say no more but that S. Anthonies blisse will helpe your pig where ever mother Bungy doth hurt it with her curse And therefore we 〈◊〉 warned by the word of God in any wise not to feare their curses â—e let all the witchmongers and specially the miracle-mongers in the 〈◊〉 answer me to this supposition Put case that a woman of credit 〈◊〉 a woman-witch should say unto them that she is a true prophet of 〈◊〉 Lord and that he revealeth those secret mysteries unto her whereby â—â— detecteth the lewd acts and imaginations of the wicked and thâ—◠〈◊〉 him she worketh miracles and prophesieth c. I think they must 〈◊〉 yeeld or confesse that miracles are ceased But such thing saith Câ—â—dane as seeme miraculous are chiefly done by deceipt legierdemaâ— or confederacy or else they may be done and yet seeme unpossible else things are said to be done and never were nor can be done CHAP. II. The gift of prophesie is ceased THat witches nor the woman of Endor nor yet her familiar or devil can tell what is to come may plainly appear by the words of 〈◊〉 prophet who saith Shew what things are to come and we will say 〈◊〉 are gods indeed According to that which Solomon saith who 〈◊〉 a man what shall happen him under the sun Marry that can I saith witch of Endor to Saul But I will rather beleeve Paul and Peters 〈◊〉 say that prophesie is the gift of God and no worldly thing Thâ— cousening queane that taketh upon her to do all things and can do thing but beguile men up steppeth also mother Bungy and she 〈◊〉 you where your horse or your asse is bestowed or any-thing that you 〈◊〉 lost is become as Samuel could and what you have done in all 〈◊〉 age past as Christ did to the woman of Sichar at Iacobs well yea 〈◊〉 what your errand is before you speak as Elizeus did Peter Martyr saith that onely God and man knoweth the heart of 〈◊〉 and therefore that the devil must be secluded alledging these place Solus Deus est scrutator cordium Onely God is the searcher of hearts 〈◊〉 Nemo scit quae sunt hominis nisi spiritus hominis qui est in eo None â—oâ—â—eth the thigs of man but the spirit of man which is within him Soâ—â—mon saith Tu solus nosti cogitationes hominum Thou onely knowest 〈◊〉 thoughts of men And Jeremy saith in the person of God Ego 〈◊〉 scrutans corda renes I am God searching hearts and reines Also 〈◊〉 thew faith of Christ Iesus autem videus cogitationes eorum And 〈◊〉 seeing their thoughts who in Scripture is called the searcher and 〈◊〉 of the thoughts in the heart as appeareth in Acts 1. 15. Rom. 8. Matth. 9.12 22. Marke 2. Luke 6. 7. 11. John 1.2.6 13. Apoc. 2. 3. and in other places infinite The same Peter Martyr also saith that the devil may suspect but not know our thoughts for if he should know our thoughts he should understand our faith which if he did he would never assault us with one temptation Indeed we reade that Samuel could tell where things lost were straied c. but we see that gift also ceased by the coming of Christ according to the saying of Paul at sundry times and in diverse manners God spâ—ke in the old times by our fathers the prophets in these last dayes he hath spoken unto us by his sonne c. And therefore I say that gift of prophesie wherewith God in times past endued his people is also ceased and counterfeits and coufeners are come in their places according to this saying of Peter There were false prophets among the people even as there shall be false teachers among you c. And think not that so notable a gift should be taken from the beloved and the elect people of God and committed to mother Bungy and such like of her
as though saith he that little bloud could ascend up to the cloudes and do any good for their relief in this matter And here by the waie I will impart unto you a Venetian superstition of great antiquity and at this day for ought I can reade to the contrary in use It is written that every year ordinarily upon Ascension day the Duke of Venice accompanyed with the States goeth with great solemnity unto the sea and after certaine ceremonies ended casteth thereinto a gold ring of great value and estimation for a pacificatory oblation wherewithal their predecessors supposed that the wrath of the Sea was asswaged By this action as a late writer saith they do Dâ—sponsare sibimare that is espouse the sea unto themselves c. Let us therefore according to the prophets advise aske raine of the Lord in the hours of the latter time and he shall send white cloudes and give us raine c for surely the idols as the same prophet saith have spoken vanity the soothsaiers have seen a ly and the dreamers have told a vaine thing They comfort in vain and therefore they went away like sheep c. If any sheepbiter or witchmonger will follow them they shall go alone for me The Twlfeth Book CHAP. I. The Hebrew word Habar expounded where also the supposed secret force of charmes and inchantments is shewed and the efficacy of words is diverse waies declared THis Hebrew word Habar being in Greeke Epathin and in Latine Incantare is in English To inchant or if you had rather have it so to bewitch In these inchantments certain words verses or charmes c. are secretly uttered wherein there is thought to be miraculous efficacie There is great variety hereof but whether it be by charmes voices images characters stones plans metals herbes c there must herewithall a speciall form of words be alwaies used either divine diabolicall insensible or papistical whereupon all the vertue of the work is supposed to depend This word is specially used in the 58. Psalm which place though it be taken up for mine adversaries strongest argument against me yet me thinks it maketh so with me as they can never be able to answer it For there it plainly appeareth that the adder heareth not the voice of the charmer charm he never so cunningly contrary to the poets fabling Frigidus in pratis cantando rumpitur anguis The coldish snake in meadowes green With charmes is burst in pieces clean But here of more shall be said hereafter in due place I grant that words sometimes have singular vertue and efficacy either in perwasion or disswasion as also diverse other waies so as thereby some are converted from the waie of perdition to the estate of salvation and so contrariwise according to the saying of Solomon Death and life are in the instrument of the tongue but even therein God worketh all in all as well in framing the heart of the one as in directing the tongue of the other as appeareth in many places of the holy scriptures CHAP. II. What is forbidden in Scriptures concerning witchcraft of the operation of words the superstition of the Cabalists and Papists who createth substances to imitate God in some cases is presumption words of sanctification THat which is forbidden in the Scriptures touching inchantment or witch craft is not the wonderfull working with words For where words have had miraculous operation there hath been alwaies the special providence power and grace of God uttered to the strengthening of the faith of Gods people and to the furtherance of the gospel as when the apostle with a word slue Ananias and Saphira But the prophanation of Gods name the seducing abusing and cosening of the people and mans presumption is hereby prohibited as whereby many take upon them after the recital of such names as God in the scripture seemeth to appropriate to himselfe to foreshew things to come to worke miracles to detect fellonies c. as the Cabalists in times past tooke upon them by the ten names of God and his angels expressed in the scriptures to worke wonders and as the papists at this day by the like names by crosses by gospels hanged about their necks by masses by exorcismes by holy water and a thousand consecrated or rather execrated things promise unto themselves and others both health of body and soul. But as herein we are not to imitate the papists so in such things as are the peculiar actions of God we ought not to take upon us to counterfeit or resemble him which with his word created all things For we neither all the conjurors Cabalists papists soothsayers inchanters witches nor charmers in the world neither any other humane or yet diabolicall cunning can adde any such strength to Gods workmanship as to make any thing anew or else to exchange one thing into another New qualities may be added by humane art but no new substance can be made or created by man And seeing that art faileth herein doubtlesse neither the illusions of devils nor the cunning of witches can bring any such thing truly to passe For by the sound of the words nothing cometh nothing goeth otherwise than God in nature hath ordained to be done by ordinary speech or else by his speciall ordinance Indeed words of sanctification are necessary and commendable according to S. Pauls rule Let your meat be sanctified with the word of God and by prayer But sanctification doth not here signifie either change of substance of the meate or the adding of any new strength thereunto but it is sanctified in that it is received with thanksgiving and prayer that our bodies may be refreshed and our souls thereby made the apter to glorifie God CHAP. III. What effect and offence witches charmes bring how unapt witches are and how unlikely to work those things which they are thought to do what would follow if the those things were true which are lald to their charge THe words and other the illusions of witches charmers and conjurors though they be not such in operation and effect as they are commonly taken to be yet they are offensive to the majestie and name of God obscuring the truth of divinity and also of philophie For if God onely give life and being to all creatures who can put any such vertue or lively feeling into a body of gold silver bread or wax as is imagined If either priests devils or witches could so do the divine power should be checked and outfaced by magicall cunning and Gods creatures made servile to a witches pleasure What is not to be brought to passe by these incantations if that be true which is attributted to witches and yet they are women that never went to schoole in their lives nor had any teachers and therefore without art or learning poore and therefore not able to make any provision of metals or stones c. whereby to bring to passe strange matters by natural
Alysson cureth it which experiment I doubt not will prove more true then all the charms in the world But where he saith that the same hanged at a mans gate or entry preserveth him and his cattel from inchantment or bewitching he is overtaken with folly Against the biting of a Scorpion SAy to an asse secretly and as it were whispering in his eare I am bitten with a Scorpion Against the toothach SCarifie the gums in the griefe with the tooth of one that hath been slaine Otherwise Galbes galbat galdes galdat Otherwise A â—â—hur hus c. Otherwise At saccaring of masse hold your teeth together and say Os non comminuetis ex eo Otherwise Strigiles falcesque deâ—tâ—tae dentium dolorem persanate O horse-combs and sickles that have so many teeth come heal of my toothach A charme to release a woman in travel THrowe over the top of the house where a woman in travel lieth â— stone or any other thing that hath killed three living creatures namely a man a wild bore and a she-bear To heale the Kings or Queens evil or any other sorenesse in the throte REmedies to cure the Kings or Queens evil is first to touch the place with the hand of one that died an untimely death Otherwise Let a virgine fasting lay her hand on the sore and say Apollo denieth that the heate of the plague can increase where a naked virgine quencheth it and spet three times upon it A charm read in the Romish church upon Saint Blazes day that will fetch a thorne out of any place of ones body a bone out of the throte c. Lect. 3. FOr the fetching of a thorne out of any place of ones body or a bone out of the throte you shall reade a charm in the Romish church upon St. Blazes day to wit call upon God and remember St. Blaze This St. Blaze could also heale all wild beasts that were sick or lame with laying on of his hands as appeareth in the lesson read on his day where you shall see the matter at large A Charme for the head-ach TIe a halter about your head wherewith one hath been hanged A charme to be said each morning by a witch fasting or at least before she go abroad THe fire bites the fire bites the fire bites Hogs turd over it hogs turd over it hogs turd over it The father with thee the sonne with me the holy ghost between us both to be ter Then spit over one shoulder and then over the other and then three times right forward Another charme that witches use at the gathering of their medicinable herbs Haile be thou holy herbe Growing on the ground All in the mount Calvarie First wert thou found Thou art good for many a sore And healest many a wound In the name of sweet Iesus I take thee from the ground An old womans charme wherewith she did much good in the countrey and grew famous thereby AN old woman that healed all diseases of cattel for the which she never took any reward but a peny a loafe being seriously examined by what words she brought these things to pass confessed that after she had touched the sick creature she alwayes departed immediately saying My loase in my lap My penny in my purse Thou art never the better And I am never the worse Another like charme A Gentlewoman having sore eyes made her mone to one that promised her helpe if she would follow his advise which was onely to weare about her neck a scroll sealed up whereinto she might not looke and she conceaving hope of cure thereby received it under the condition and left her weeping and teares wherewith she was wont to bewaile the miserable darknesse which she doubted to indure whereby in short time her eyes were well amended But alas she lost soon after that pretious jewell and thereby returned to her wonted weeping and by consequence to her sore eyes Howbeit her jewell or scroll being sound againe was looked into by her deer friends and this onely posie was contained therein The devill pull out both thine eyes And etish in the holes likewise Whereby partly you may see what constant opinion can do according to the saying of Plato if a mans fansie or mind give him assurance thâ—â— a hurtfull thing shall do him good it may do so c. A charme to open locks AS the herbs called Aethiopides will open all locks if all be true that inchanters say with the help of certain words so be there charmes also and periapâ—s which without any herbs can do as much â— for example Take a peece of wax crossed in baptisme and do but priâ—â— certain flowers therein and tie them in the hinder flâ—irt of your shirt and when you would undo the lock blow thrice therein saying Arato 〈◊〉 partiko hoâ— maratarykin I open this doore in thy name that I am forced to breake as thou brakest hell-gates In nomine patris filii spiâ—iâ—â— sancti Amen A charme to drive away spirits that haunt any house HAng in every of the foure corners of your house this sentence written upon virgin parchment Omnis spiritus lâ—udet Dominum Mâ—seâ— habent prophetas Exurgat Deus dissipanâ—ur inimici ejus A pretty charme or conclusion for one possessed THe possessed body must go upon his or her knees to the church hoâ— farre so ever it be off from their lodging and so must creep without going out of the way being the common high way in that sort 〈◊〉 soule and dirty soever the same be or whatsoever lie in the way 〈◊〉 shunning any thing whatsoever untill he come to the church where 〈◊〉 must heare masse devoutly and then followeth recovery Another for the same purpose THere must be commended to some poore begger the saying of 〈◊〉 Pater nosters and five Aves the first so be said in the name of the party possessed or bewitched for that Christ was led into the garden secondly for that Christ did sweat both water and blood thirdly for that Christ was condemned fourthly for that he was crucified guiâ—â—lesse and fiftly for that he suffered to take away our sins Then 〈◊〉 the sick body heare masse eight daies together standing in the 〈◊〉 where the gospell is said and must mingle holy water with his meate 〈◊〉 his drink and holy salâ— also must be a portion of the mixture Another to the same effect THe sick man must fast three dayes and then he with his parents 〈◊〉 come to church upon an embering friday and must heare the 〈◊〉 for that day appointed and so likewise the saturday and sunday following And the priest must read upon the sick-mans head that gospel which is 〈◊〉 in September and in grap-hearvest after the feast of holy crosse In 〈◊〉 quatuor temporum in ember-daies then let him write and carry it aboâ—â— his necke and he shall be cured Another charme or witch-craft for the same THis office or conjuration
the weather is faire and cleer Cardanus derideth these and such like fables and setteth downe his judgement therein accordingly in the sixteenth booke De rerum ver These conjurors and coseners forsooth will shew you in a glasse the theefe that hath stolne any thing from you and this is their order They take a glasse-viall full of holy water and set it upon a linnen cloth which hath been purified not onely by washing but by sacrifice c. On the mouth of the viall or urinall two olive-leaves must be laid acrosse with a little conjuration said over it by a child to wit thus Angele bone angele candide per tuam sanctitatem meamque virginiteâ—em ostende mihi furem with â—hree Pater nosteâ—s three Aves and betwixt either of them a crosse made with the naile of the thombe upon the mouth of the viall and then shall be seen angels ascending and descending as it were motes in the sunne-beames The theefe all this while shall suffer great torments and his face shall be seen plainly even as plainly I beleeve as the man in the moone For in truth there are toies artificially conveyed into glasse which will make the water bubble and devises to make images appeare in the bubbles as also there be artificial glasses which will shew unto you that shall looke thereinto many images of divers formes and some so small and curious as they shall in favour resemble whomsoever you think upon Looke in John Bap. Neap for the confection of such glasses The subtilties hereof are so deâ—ected and the mysteries of the glasses so common now and their cosenage so well knowne c. that I need not stand upon the particular confutation hereof Cardanus in the place before cited reporteth how he tried with children these and divers circumstances the whole illusion and found it to be plaine knavery and cosenage Another way to find out a theefe that ahht stolne any thing from you GO to the sea-side and gather as many pebles as you suspect persons for that matter carry them home throw them into the fire bury them under the threshold where the parties are like to come over There let them lie three dayes and then before sun rising take them away Then set a porrenger full of water in a circle wherein must be made crosses every way as many as can stand in it upon the which must be written Christ overcometh Christ reigneth Christ commandeth The porrenger also must be signed with a crosse and a form of conjuration must be pronounced Then each stone must be thrown into the water in the name of the suspected And when you put in the stone of him that is guilty the stone will make the water boile as though glowing iron were put thereinto Which is a meere knack of legierdemaine and to be accomplished divers waies To put out the theeves eye Reade the seven psalmes with the Letany and then must be said a horrible prayer to Christ and God the father with a curse against the theefe Then in the middest of the step of your foote on the ground where you stand make a circle like an eye and write thereabout certain barbarous names and drive with a coopers hammer or addes into the middest thereof a brazen naile consecrated saying Iustus es Domine et justa judicia tua Then the thiefe shall be bewraied by his crying out Another way to find out a thiefe STick a paire of sheeres in the rind of a sive and let two persons set the top of each of their forefingers upon the upper part of the sheeres holding it with the sive up from the ground steddily and aske Peter and Paul whether A. B. or C. hath stolne the thing lost and at the nomination of the guilty person the sive will turne round This is a great practise in all countries and indeed a very bable For with the beating of the pulse some cause of that motion ariseth some other cause by slight of the fingers some other by the wind gathered in the â—ive to be staid c. at the pleasure of the holders Some cause may be the imagination which upon conceit at the naming of the party altereth the common course of the pulse As may well be conceived by a ring held steddily by a thred betwixt the finger and the thombe over or rather in a goblet or glasse which within short space will strike against the side thereof so many strokes as the holder thinketh it a clocke and then will stay the which who so proveth shall find true A Charme to find out or spoile a theefe OF thâ—s matter concerning the apprehension of theeves by wâ—â—ds I will ciâ—e one charme called S. Adelberts curse being both for length of words sufficient to wery the reader and for substantiall stuffe comprehending all that appertaineth unto blasphemous speech or cursing allowed in the church of Rome as an excommunication and inchantment Saint Adelberts curse or charme against theeves BY the authority of the omnipotent Father the Sonne and the holy ghost and by the holy virgine Mary mother of our Lord Jesu Christ and the holy angels and archangels and S. Michael and S. John Baptist and in the behalfe of S. Peter the apostle and the risidue of the apostles and of S. Stephen and of all the martyrs of S. Sylvester and of S. Adelbert and all the confessors and S. Alegand and all the holy virgins and of all the saints in heaven and earth unto whom there is given power to bind and loose we do excommunicate damne curse and bind with the knots and bands of excommunication and we do segregate from the bounds and lists of our holy mother the church all those theeves sacrilegious persons ravenous catchers doers counsellers coadjutors male or female that have committed this theft or mischiefe or have usurped any part thereof to their owne use Let their share be with Dathan and Abiran whom the earth swallowed up for their such and pride and let them have part with Iudas that betrayed Christ Amen and with Pontius Pilat and with them that said to the Lord Depart from us we will not understand thy wayes let their children be made orphanes Cursed be they in the field in the grove in the woods in their houses barnes chambers and beds and cursed be they in the court in the way in the towne in the castle in the water in the church in the churchyard in the tribunall place in battell in their abode in the market place in their talke in silence in eating in watching in sleeping in drinking in feeling in sitting in kneeling in standing in lying in idlenesse in all their worke in their body and soule in their five wits and in every place Cursed be the fruit of their wombâ— and cursed be the fruit of their lands and cursed be all that they haâ—e Cursed be their heads their mouthes their nostrels their noses their lips their jawes their teeth their eyes
agree but also how their ceremonies and their opinions are all one concerning witches and spirits For thus writeth Ovid touching that matter Térque senem flamma ter aquâ ter sulphure lustrat She purifies with fire thrice Old hoâ—y-headed Aeson With water thrice and sulphur thrice As she thought meete in reason Againe the same Ovid cometh in as before Advenient quae lustret anus lectumque locumque Deferat tremula sulphur ova manu Let some old woman hither come And purge both bed and place And bring in trembling hand new-egs And sulphur in like case And Virgill also harpeth upon the like string baccare frontem Cingiteine vati noceat mala ligua future Of berry-bearing baccar bowze A wreath or garland knit And round about his head and browze See decently it sit That of an ill talking tongue Our future poet be not stung Furthermore was it not in times of tempests the papists use or superstition to ring their bells against devils trusting rather to the tonging of their bells than to their owne cry unto God with fasting and prayer assigned by him in all adversities and dangers according to the order of the Thracian priests which would rore and cry with all the noise they could make in those tempests Olaus Gothus saith that his countreymen would shoote in the aire to assist their gods whom they thought to be then together by the eares with others and had consecrated arrowes called Sagittae Ioviales even as our papists had Also in stead of bells they had great hammers called Mallei Ioviales to make a noise in time of thunder In some countries they runne out of the doores in time of tempest blessing themselves with a cheese whereupon there was a crosse made with a ropes end upon ascension day Also three hailestones to be throwne into the fire in a tempest and thereupon to be said three Pater nosters and three Aves S. Iohns gospel and In fine fugiat tempestas is a present remedy Item to hang an eg laid on ascension day in the roof of the house preserveth the same from all hurts Item I conjure you haile and wind by the five wounds of Christ by the three miles which pearced his hands and his feet and by the foure evangelists Matthew Marke Luke and Iohn that thou come down dissolved into water Item it hath beene an usuall matter to carry out in tempests the sacraments and reliques c. Item against stormes and many dumme creatureâ— the popish church useth excommunication as a principal charme And now to be delivered from witches themselves they hang in their entries an herbe called pentaphyllon cinquefoile also an oliveb-ranch also â—rankincense myrrh valerian verven palme antirchmon c. also hay-â—horne otherwise white-thorne gathered on May-day also the smoake of â— lappoints feathers driveth spirits away There be innumerable popish exorcismes and conjurations for hearbs and other things to be thereby made wholsense both for the bodies and souls of men beasts and also or contagion of weather Memorandum that at the gathering of these magicall herbes the Credo is necessary to be said as Vairus affirmeth and also the Pater noster for that is not superstitious Also Sprenger saith that to throw up a black chicken in the aire will make all tempests to cease so it be done with the hand of a witch If a soule wander in the likenesse of a man or woman by night molesting men with bewailing their torments in purgatory by reason of tithes forgotten c. and neither masses nor conjurations can helpe the exorcist in his ceremoniall apparel must go to the tombe of that body and spurne thereat with his soot saying Vade ad gehennam Get thee packing to hell and by and by the soule goeth thither and there remaineth for ever Otherwise If there be no masses of purpose for this matter to unbewitch the bewitched Otherwise You must spet into the pisse-pot where you have made watter Otherwise Spet into the shoe of your right foot before you put it on and that Vairus saith is good and wholseme to do before you go into any dangerous place Otherwise that neither hunters nor their dogs may be bewitched they cleave an oaken branch and both they and their dogs passe over it Otherwise S. Agustine saith that to pacifie the God Liber whereby women might have fruite of the seeds they sowe and that their gardens and fields should not be bewitched some chiefe 〈◊〉 matrone used to put a crowne upon his genital member and that must be publiquely done To spoile a thiefe a witch or any other enemie and to be delivered from the evil VPon the sabbath day before sun-rising cut a hazel-wand saying I cut thee O bough of this summers growth in the name of him whom I meane to beate or maime Then cover the table and say ✚ In nomine patris ✚ filii ✚ spiritus sancti ✚ ter And striking theâ—â— on say as followeth english it he that can Drochs myroch esenaroth ✚ â—etu ✚ baroch ✚ ass ✚ maaroth ✚ and then say Holy trinity punish him that hath wrought this mischiefe and take it away by thy great justice Eson ✚ elion ✚ emaris ales age and strike the carpet with your wand A notable charme or medicine to pull out an arrow-head or any such thing that sticketh in the flesh or bones and cannot otherwise be had oâ—â— Say three severall times kneeling Oremus praeceptis salutaribus moniti Pater noster ave Maria. Then make a crosse saying The Hebrew knight strake our Lord Jesu Christ and I beseech thee O Lord Jesu Christ ✚ by the same iron speare blood and water to pull out this iron is nomine patris ✚ filii ✚ spiritus sancti ✚ Coarmes against a qu tidian ague CUt an apple in three peeces and write upon the one The father is uncreated upon the other The father is incomprehensible upon the third The father is eternall Otherwise Write upon a masse-cake cut in three peeces O ague to be worshipped on the second O sicknesse to be ascribed to health and joyes on the third Pax ✚ max ✚ fax ✚ and let it be eaten fasting Otherwise Paint upon three like pieces of a masse-cake Pater pax ✚ Adonai ✚ â—ilius vita ✚ sabbaoth ✚ spiritus sanctus ✚ Tetragrammaton ✚ and eate it as is aforesaid For all manner of agues intermittent JOyn two little sticks together in the middest being of one length and hang it about your neck in the forme of a crosse Otherwise For this disease the Turkes put within their doublet a ball of wood with another peece of wood and strike the same speaking certain frivolous words Otherwise Certain monkes hanged scrolles about the necks of such as were sick willing them to say certain prayers at each fit at the 3d. fit to hope well and made them believe that they should thereby receive cure
extraordinary sicknesse or to be bewitched or as they say strangely taken looke in B Googe his third book treating of cattel and happily you shall find some good medicine or cure for them or if you list to see more antient stuffe reade Vegetius his four bookes thereupon or if you be unlearned seek some cunning bullocke-leech If all this will not serve then set Jobs patience before your eyes And never think that a poore old woman can alter supernaturally the notable course which God hath appointed among his creatures If it had been Gods pleasure to have permitted such a course he would no doubt have both given notice in his word that he had given such power unto them and also would have taught remedies to have prevented them Furthermore if you will know assured meanes and infallible charmes yielding indeed undoubted remedies and preventing all manner of witchcrafts and also the assaults of wicked spirits then despise first all cosening knavery of priests witches and coseners and with true faith reade the sixt chapter of S. Paul to the Epesians and follow his counsell which is ministred unto you in the words following deserving worthily to be called by the name insuing The charme of charmes Finally my brethren be strong in the Lord and in the power of his might Put on the whole armour of God that you may stand against the assaults of the devil For we wrestle not against flesh and blood 〈◊〉 against principalities and powers and against wordly governoâ—â—â— the princes of the darknesse of this world against spiritual wickednesse which are in the high places For this cause take unto you the armour of God that you may be able to resist in the evill day and having finished all things stand fast Stand therefore and your loines giâ—ded about with verity and having on the brestplate of righteousnesse c. â— followeth in that chapter verses 15 16 17 18. 1 These 5. 1 Pet. 5. verse 8. Ephes. 1. and elsew-here in the holy scripture Otherwise JF you be unlearned and want the comfort of friends repaire to 〈◊〉 learned godly and discreet preacher If otherwise need require â—â— to a learned physician who by learning and experience knoweth and 〈◊〉 discerne the difference signes and causes of such diseases as 〈◊〉 lesse men and unskilful physicians impute to witchcraft CHAP. XXIII A confutation of the force and vertue falsely ascribed to charmes and amulets by the authorities of ancient writers both Divines and Physitians MY meaning is not that these words in the bare letter can doe any thing towards your ease or comfort in this behalf or that it were wholesome for your body or soul to wear them about your neck for then would I wish you to wear the whole Bible which must needs bee more effectuall than any one parcell thereof But I find not that the Apostles or any of them in the primitive Church either carried S. Iohns Gospell or any Agnus Dei about them to the end they might be preserved from bugs neither that they looked into the four corners of the house or else in the roof or under the threshold to find matter of witchcraft and so to burn it to be freed from the same according to the popish rules Neither did they by such and such verses or prayers made unto Saints at such or such houres seek to obtain grace neither spake they of any old women that used such trades Neither did Christ at any time use or command holy water or crosses c. to be used as terrours against the Divell who was not affraid to assault himself when he was on earth And therefore a very vain thing it is to think that hee feareth these trifles or any externall matter Let us then cast away these prophane and old wives fables For as Origen saith Incantationes sunt daemonum irrisiones idolatriae faex animarum infatuatio c. Incantations are the Divels sport the dregs of Idolatry the besotting of souls c. Chrysostome saith there be some that carry about their necks a peece of a Gospell But is it not dayly read saith he and heard of all men But if they be never the better for it being put into their ears how shall they be saved by carrying it about their necks And further hee saith Where is the vertue of the Gospell In the figure of the letter or in the understanding of the sense If in the figure thou doest well to wear it about thy neck but if in the understanding then thou shouldst lay it up in thine heart Augustine saith Let the faithfull Ministers admonish and tell their people that these Magicall Arts and incantations doe bring no remedy to the infirmities either of men or cattell c. The heathen Philosophers shall at the last day confound the infidelity and barbarous foolishnesse of our christian or rather antichristian or prophane Witchmongers For as Aristotle saith that Incantamenta sunt muliercularum figmenta Inchantments are womens figments So doth Socrates who was said to be cunning herein affirm that Incantationes sunt verba animas decipientia humanas Incantations are words deceiving humane soules Others say Inscitiae pallium sunt carmina maleficium incantatio The cloak of Ignorance are charms witchery and incantation Galen also saith that such as impute the falling evill and such like diseases to divine matter and not rather to naturall causes are Witches Conjurers c. Hippocrates calleth them arrogant and in another place affirming that in his time there were many deceivers and couseners that would undertake to cure the falling evill c. by the power and help of Divels by burying some lots or inchantments in the ground or casting them into the Sea concludeth thus in their credit that they are all knaves and couseners for God is our only defender and deliverer O notable sentence of a beathen Philosopher The thirteenth Book CHAP. I. The signification of the Hebrew word Hartumim where it is found written in the Scriptures and how it is diversly translated whereby the objection of Pharaohs Magicians is afterward answered in this Book also of naturall magick not evill in it self HArtumim is no naturall Hebrew word but is borrowed of some other nationâ— howbeit it is used of the Hebrews in these places to wit Gen. 4.1.8.24 Exod. 7.13.24 8.7.18 9.11 Dan. 1.20 2.2 Hierom sometimes translateth it Conjectores sometimes Malefici sometimes Arioll which we for the most part translate by this word witches But the right signification hereof may be conceived in that the inchanters of Phaeraoh being Magicians of Aegypt were called Hartumim And yeâ— in Exodus they are named in some latine translations Venefici Rabbi Lâ—i saith it betokeneth such as doe strange and wonderfull things naturally artificially and deceitfully Rabbi Isaac Natar affirmeth that such were so termed as amongst the Gentiles professed singular wisdome Aâ—â—â— Ezra expoundeth it to signifie such as know the
with them if they had had them If you prick out a young swallowes eies the old swallow restoreth again their sight with the application they say of a little Celandine Xanthus the author of histories reporteth that a young dragon being dead was revived by her dam with an hearb called Balim And Iuba saith that a man in Arabia being dead was revived by the vertue of another hearb CHAP. IX The former matter proved by many examples of the living and the dead ANd as we see in stones hearbs c. strange operation and naturall love and dissention so do we read that in the body of a man there be as strange properties and vertues naturall I have heard by credible report and I have read many grave authors constantly affirme that the wound of a man murthered reneweth bleeding at the presence of a dear friend or of a mortall enemy Diverse also write that if one passe by a murthered body though unknowne he shall be stricken with fear and fell in him selfe some alteration by nature Also that a woman above the age of fifty years being bound hand and foot her clothes being upon her and laid down softly into the water sinketh not in a long time some say not at all By which experiment they were wont to try witches as well as by Ferrum candens which was to hold hot iron in their hands and by not burning to be tried Howbeit Plutarch saith that Pyâ—â—bus his great toe had in it such naturall or rather divine vertue that no fire could burne it And Albertus saith and many other also repeat the same storie saying that there were two such children borne in Germanie as if that one of them had been carryed by any house all the doores right against one of his sides would flie open and that vertue which the one had in the left side the other brother had in the right sides He saith further that many saw it and that it could be referred to nothing but to the propriety of their bodies Pompanatius writeth that the kings of France do cure the disease called now the Kings evill or Queens evill which hath been 〈◊〉 wayes thought and to this day is supposed to be a miraculous and a peculiar gift and a speciall grace given to the kings and queenes of England Which some referre to the propriety of their persons some to the peculiar gift of God and some to the efficacy of words But if the French king use it no worse then our Princesse doth God will not be offended 〈◊〉 for her Majesty only useth godly and divine prayer with some alâ—â—â— and referreth the cure to God and to the Physitian Plutarch writeth that there be certain men called Psilli which with their mouthes heal the bitings of serpents And I. Bap. Neap. saith that an olive being planted by the hand of a virgine prospereth which if a harlot do it withereth away Also if a serpent or viper lie in a hole it may easily be pulled 〈◊〉 with the left hand whereas with the right hand it cannot be removed Although this experiment and such like are like enough to be false 〈◊〉 are they not altogether so impious as the miracles said to be done by characters charmes c. For many strange properties remain in sundry parts of a living creature which is not universally dispersed and indiferently spread through the whole body as the eye smelleth not the nose seeth not the ear tasteth not c. CHAP. X. The bewitching venome contained in the body of an Harlot how her eye her tongue her beauty and behaviour bewitcheth some men of bones and hornes yeelding great vertue THe vertue contained within the body of an harlot or rather the venome proceeding out of the same may be beheld with great admiration For her eye infecteth enticeth and if I may so say bewitcheth them many times which think themselves well armed against such manner of people Her tongue her gesture her behaviour her beauty and other allureâ—â—â—â— poison and intoxicate the minde yea her company induceth impudency corrupteth virginity confoundeth and consumeth the bodies goods and the very souls of men And finally her body destroyeth and rotteth the very flesh and bones of mans body And this is common that we wonder not at all thereat nay we have not the course of the sunne the moone or the starres in so great admiration as the globe counterfeiting their order which is in respect but a boble made by an artificer So as I think if Christ himselfe had continued long in the execution of miracles and had left that power permanent and common in the Church they would have grown into contempt and not have been esteemed according to his owne saying A prophet is not regarded in his own countrey I might retire infinite properties wherwith God hath indued the body of man worthy of admiration and fit for this place As touching other living creatures God hath likewise for his glorie and our behoofe bestowed most excellent and miraculous gifts and vertues upon their bodies and members and that in severall and wonderfull wise We see that a bone taken out of a carps head stancheth bloud and so doth none other part besides of that fish The bone also in a hares foot mitigateth the cramp as none other bone nor part else of the hare doth How precious is the bone growing out of the forehead of a Unicorne if the horne which we see grow there which is doubted and of how small account are the residue of all his bones At the excellencie whereof as also at the noble and innumerable vertues of herbs we muse not at all because it hath pleased God to make them common unto us Which perchance might in some part assist Iannes and Iambre towards the hardning of Pharaohs heart But of such secret and strange operations read Albert. De mineral cap. 1 11 17. Also Marsilius Picinus cap. 1. lib. 4. Cardan de rerum verielate J. Bap. Neap. de magia naturali Peucet Wier Pompanatius Fernelius and others CHAP. XI Two notorious wonders and yet not marvelled at I Thought good here to insert two most miraculous matters of the one I am Testis oculatus an eie-witnesse of the other I am so credibly and certainly informed that I dare and do beleeve it to be very true When Master T. Randolph returned out of Russia after his ambassage dispatched a gentleman of his train brought home a monument of great accompt in nature and in property very wonderfull And because I am loath to be long in the description of circumstances I will first describe the thing it selfe which was a piece of earth of a good quantity and most excellently proportioned in nature having these qualities and vertues following If one had taken a piece of perfect steel forked and sharpned at the end and heated it red hot offering therewith to have touched it it would have fled with
Ore aliud tacitoque aliud sub pectore claudunt I hate even even as the gates of hell Those that one thing with tongue do tell And notwithstanding closely keep Another thing in heart full deep To leave these hypocrites I say in the dregs of their dishonesty I will conclude against them peremptorily that they with the rable above rehearsed and the rout hereafter to be mentioned are rank couseners and consuming cankers to the common wealth and therefore to be rejected and excommunicated from the fellowship of all honest men For now their art which turneth all kind of metals that they can come by into mist and smoak is no lesse apparent to the world than the clear sunny rayes at noon sted in so much that I may say with the poet Hos populus videt multumque torosa juventus Ingeminat tremulos naso crispante cachinnos All people laugh them now to scorne each strong and lusty bloud Redoubleth quavering laughters loud with wrinkled nose a good So that if any be so addicted unto the vanity of the art Alchymisticall as every foole will have his fancy and that beside so many experimented examples of divers whose wealth hath vanished like a vapor whiles they have beene over rash in the practise hereof this discourse will not move to desist from such extreame dotage I say to him or them and that aptlie dicitque facitque quod ipse Non sani esse hominis non juret Orestes He saith and doth that every thing which mad Orestes might With oath averre became a man bereft of reason right The xv Booke The exposition of Iidoni and where it is found whereby the whole Art of conjuration is deciphered CHAP. I. THis word Iidoni is derived of Iada which properly signifieth to know it is sometimes translated Divinus which is a diviner or soothsaier as in Deut. 18. Levit. 20. sometimes Ariolus which is one that also taketh upon him to foretell things to come and is found Levit. 19. 2 Kings 23. Esai 19. To be short the opinion of them that are most skilfull in the tongues is that it comprehendeth all them which take upon them to know all things past and to come and to give answers accordingly It alwayes followeth the word Ob and in the scriptures is not named severally from it and differeth little from the same in sense and doe both concerne oracles uttered by spirits possessed people or couseners What will not couseners or witches take upon them to doe Wherein will they professe ignorance Aske them any question they will undertake to resolve you even of that which none but God knoweth And to bring their purposes the better to passe as also to winne further credit unto the counterfeit art which they professe they procure confederates whereby they work wonders And when they have either learning eloquence or nimblenesse of hands to accompany their confederacy or rather knaverie then forsooth they passe the degree of witches and intitle themselves to the name of conjurors And these deale with no inferiour causes these fetch divels out of hell and angels out of heaven these raise up what bodies they lift though they were dead buried and rotten long before and fetch soules out of heaven or hell with much more expedition than the pope bringeth them out of purgatory These I say among the simple and where they feare no law nor accusation take upon them also the raising of tempests and earthquakes and to doe as much as God himselfe can doe These are no small fooles they go not to work with a baggage tode or a cat as witches doe but with a kind of majesty and with authority they call up by name and have at their commandement seventy and nine principall and princely divels who have under them as their ministers a great multitude of legions of petty divels as for example CHAP. II. An inventarie of the names shapes powers governement and effects of divels and spirits of their severall segniories and degrees a strange discourse worth the reading THeir first and principall king which is of the power of the east is called Baell who when he is conjured up appeareth with three heads the first like a tode the second like a man the third like a caâ— He speaketh with a hoarse voice he maketh a man go invisible he hath under his obedience and rule sixty and six legions of divels The first duke under the power of the east is named Agares he commeth up mildly in the likenes of a faire old man riding upon a crocodile and carrying a hawk on his fist he teacheth presently all manner of tongues he fetcheth backe all such as run away and maketh them run that stand still he overthroweth all dignities supernaturall and temporall hee maketh earthquakes and is of the order of vertues having under his regiment thirty one legions Marbas alias Barbas is a great president and appeareth in the forme of a mighty lion but at the commandement of a conjuror commeth up in the likenes of a man and answereth fully as touching any thing which is hidden or secret he bringeth diseases and cureth them be promoteth wisdome and the knowledge of mechanicall arts or handicrafts he changeth men into other shapes and under his presidency or govenment are thirty six legions of devils contained Amon or Aamon is a great and mighty marques and commeth abroad in the likenesse of wolfe having a serpents taile spetting out and breathing flames of fire when he patteth on the shape of a man he sheweth out dogs teeth and a great head like to a mighty raven he is the strongest prince of all other and understandeth all things past and to come he procureth favour and reconcileth both friends and foes and ruleth fourty legions of divels Barbatos a great county or earle and also a duke he appeareth in Signo sagittarii sylvestris with foure kings which bring companies and great troopes He understandeth the singing of birds the barking of dogs the lowing of bullocks and the voice of all living creatures He detecteth treasures hidden by magicians and inchanters and is of the order of vertues which in part beare rule he knoweth all things past and to come and reconcileth friends and powers and governeth thirty legions of divels by his authority Buer is a great president and is seene in this signe he absolutely teacheth philosophy morall and naturall and also logicke and the vertue of herbes he giveth the best familiars he can heale all diseases specially of men and reigneth over fifty legions Gusoin is a great duke and a strong appearing in the forme of a Xenophilus he answereth all things present past and to come expounding all questions He reconcileth friendship and distributeth honours and dignities and ruleth over fourty legions of divels Botis otherwise Otis a great president and an earle he commeth forth in the shape of an
duke and a strong he is seen like a lion with griphens wings he maketh a man subtill and wonderfull in handicrafts philosophy and in sciences contained in books and is ruler 〈◊〉 thirty six legions Cimeries is a great marquesse and a strong ruling in the parts of Aphâ—â—ca he teacheth perfectly grammar logick and rhetorick he discovereth treasures and things hidden he bringeth to passe that a man shall seem with expedition to be turned into a souldier he rideth upon a 〈◊〉 black horse and ruleth twenty legions Amy is a great president and appeareth in a flame of fire but having taken mans shape he maketh one marvellous in astrology and in all the liberall sciences he procureth excellect familiars he bewrayeth treasure preserved by spirits he hath the government of thirty six legions 〈◊〉 is partly of the order of angels partly of potestates he hopeth after a thousand two hundreth years to returne to the seventh throne which is not credible Flauros is a strong duke is seen in the forme of a terrible strong leopard in humane shape he sheweth a terrible countenance and fiery eyeâ—◠〈◊〉 answereth truly and fully of things present past and to come if he 〈◊〉 in a triangle he lyeth in all things and deceiveth in other things and beguileth in other businesses he gladly talketh of divinity and of the creation of the world and of the fall he is constrained by divine â—â—â—tue and so are all divels or spirits to burne and destroy all the conâ—â—â—rors adversaries And if he be commanded he suffereth the conjuroâ—â— to be tempted and he hath legions under him Balam is a great and a terrible king he commeth forth with the heads the first of a bull the second of a man the third of a ram he haâ—â— a serpents taile and flaming eyes riding upon a furious beare and carrying a hawke on his fist he speaketh with a hoarse voice answering perfectly of things present past and to come he maketh man invisible and wise he governeth fourty legions and was of the order of dominitions Allocer is a strong duke and a great he commeth forth like a souldier riding on a great horse he hath a lions face very red and with flaming eyes he speaketh with a big voice he maketh a man wonderfull in astronomy and in all the liberall sciences he bringeth good familiars and ruleth thirty six legions Saleos is a great earle he appeareth as a gallant souldier riding on a crocodile and weareth a dukes crowne peaceable c. Vuall is great duke and a strong he is seen as a great and terrible dromedary but in humane forme he soundeth out in a base voice the Egyptian tongue This man above all other procureth the especiall love of women and knoweth things present past and to come precuring the love of friends and foes he was of the order of potestates and governeth thirty seven legions Haagenti is a great president appearing like a great bull having the wings of a griphen but when he taketh humane shape he maketh a man wise in every thing he changeth all metals into gold and changeth wine and water the one into the other and commandeth as many legions as Zagan Phoenix is a great marquesse appearing like the bird Phoenix having a childs voyce but before he standeth still before the conjuror he singeth many sweet notes Then the exorcist with his companions must beware he give no eare to the melody but must by and by bid him put on humane shape then will he speake marvellously of all wonderfull sciences He is an excellent poet and obedient he hopeth to returne to the seventh throne after a thousand two hundreth yeares and governeth twenty legions Sâ—olas is a great prince appearing in the forme of a night-raven before the exorcist he taketh the image and shape of a man and teacheth astronomy absolutely understanding the vertuâ—s of herbs and pretious stones there are under him twenty six legions ¶ Note that a legion is 6666. and now by Multiplication count how many legions dâ—e arise out of every particular ✚ Secretum secretorum The secret of secrets Tu operus sis secretus horum Thou that workst them be secret in them CHAP. III. The houres wherein principall divels may be bound to wit raised and restrained from doing of hurt A Maymon king of the east Corson king of the south Zimimar king of the north Goap king and prince of the west may be bound from the third houre till noone and from the ninth houre till evening Marquesses may be bound from the ninth houre till compline and from compline till the end of the day Dukes may be bound from the first houre till noone and cleare weather is to be observed Prelates may be bound in any houre of the day Knights from day dawning till sunne rising or from evensong till the sunne set A President may not be bound in any houre of the day except the king whom he obayeth be invocated nor in the shutting of the evening Counties or earâ—â— may be bound at any houre of the day so it be in the woods or â—elâ— where men resort not CHAP. IV. The forme of adjuring or citing of the spirits aforesaid to arise 〈◊〉 appeare WHen you will have any spirit you must know his name and 〈◊〉 you must also fast and be cleane from all pollution three or foâ—â— dayes before so will the spirit be the more obedient unto you 〈◊〉 make a circle and call up the spirit with great intention and boâ—â— a ring in your hand rehearse in your owne name and your company for one must alwayes be with you this prayer following and â—o spirit shall annoy you and your purpose shall take effect And note 〈◊〉 this agreeth with popish charmes and conjurations In the name of our Lord Iesus Christ the ✚ father ✚ and the sone and the Holy ghost ✚ holy trinity and unseparable unity I call upon them that thou mayest be my salvation and defense and the protection of the body and soule and of all my goods through the vertue of thy holy cross and through the vertue of thy passion I beseech thee O Lord Jesus Christ by the merits of thy blessed mother S. Mary and of all thy saints thou give me grace and divine power over all the wicked spirits 〈◊〉 which of them soever I do call by name they may come by and by 〈◊〉 every coast and accomplish my wil that they neither be hurtfull nor 〈◊〉 full unto me but rather obedient and diligent about me And through vertue streightly commanding them let them fulfill my commandement Amen Holy holy holy Lord God of sabbaoth which wilt come to 〈◊〉 the quicke and the dead thou which art A and Ω first and last King of kings and Lord of lords Ioth Aglanabrath El Abiel Anathiel 〈◊〉 Sedonel Grayes Heli Messias Tolimi Elias Ischeros 〈◊〉 Imas By these thy holy names and by all
that is to do me pleasure and to fulfill my will without any deceit or tarrying nor yet that thou shalt have any power of my body or soul earthly or ghostly nor yet to perish so much of my body as one haire of my head I conjure thee Sibylia by all the riall words aforesaid and by their vertues and powers I charge and binde thee by the vertue thereof to be obedient unto me and to all the words aforesaid and this bond to stand between thee and me upon pain of everlasting condemnation Fiat fiat fiat Amen CHAP. IX A license for Sibylia to goe and come by at all times I Conjure thee Sibyliae which art come hither before me by the commandement of thy Lord and mine that thou shalt have no powers is thy going or comming unto me imagining any evill in any manner of wayes in the earth or under the earth of evill doings to any person or persons I conjure and command thee Sibylia by all the riall work and vertues that be written in this Book that thou shalt not goe to the place from whence thou camest but shalt remaine peaceably invisibly and look thou be ready to come unto me when thou are called by any conjuration of words that be written in this book to come I say at my commandement and to answer unto me truly and duly of all things my will quickly to be fulfilled Vade in pace in nomine patris filii spirtus sancti And the holy ✚ crosse ✚ be between thee and me or between us and you and the Lion of Iuda the root of Iesse the kindred of David be between thee and mee ✚ Christ commeth ✚ Christ commandeth ✚ Christ giveth power ✚ Christ defend me ✚ and his innocent bloud ✚ from all perils of body and soul sleeping or waking Fiat fiat Amen CHAP. X. To know of treasure hidden in the earth WRite in paper these characters following on the saturday in the 〈◊〉 of ☽ and lay it where thou thinkest treasure to be if there be any the paper will burn else not And these be the characters This is the way to goe invisible by these three sisters of Fairies In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost First goe to a fair parlor or chamber and an even ground and in no lost and from people nine dayes for it is the better and let all thy clothing be clean and sweet Then make a candle of Virgine wax and light it and make a faire fire of charcoles in a fair place in the midle of the parlour or chamber Then take fair clean water that runneth against the east and set it upon the fire and yet thou wathest thy selfe say these words going about the fire three times holding the candle in the right hand ✚ Panthon ✚ Craton ✚ Muriton ✚ Lisecognaton ✚ Seston ✚ Diaton ✚ Maton ✚ Tetâ—agrammaton ✚ Agla ✚ Agarion ✚ Tegra ✚ Pentessaron ✚ Tendicata ✚ Then rehearse these names ✚ So thie ✚ Sorthia ✚ Sortheos ✚ Milia ✚ Achilia ✚ Sibylia ✚ In nomine patris filii spiritus sancti Amen I conjure you three sisters of fairies Milia Achilia Sibylia by the Father by the Son and by the Holy Ghost and by their vertues and powers and by the most mercifull and living God that will command his angell to blow the trump at the day of Judgement and he shall say Come come come to judgement and by all angels archangels thrones dominations principats potestaâ—es virtutes cherubim and seraphim and by their vertues and powers I conjure you three sisters by the vertue of all the riall words aforesaid I charge you that you doe appeare before me visibly in form and shape of faire women in white vestures and to bring with you to me the ring of invisibility by the which I may goe invisible at mine owne will and pleasure and that in all houres and minutes In nomine patris filii spiritus sancti Amen * Being appeared say this bond following O blessed virgins ✚ Milia ✚ Achili◠✚ I conjure you in the name of the Father in the name of the Son and in the name of the Holy Ghost by their vertues I charge you to depart from me in peace for a time And Sibylia I conjure thee by the vertue of our Lord Jesus Christ and by the vertue of his flesh and pretious bloud that he took of our blessed Lady the Virgine and by all the holy company in heaven I charge thee Sibylia by all the vertues aforesaid that thou be obedient unto me in the name of God that when and in what time and place I shall call thee by this foresaid conjuration written in this book looke thou be ready to come unto me at all houres and minutes and to bring unto me the ring of invisibility whereby I may goe invisible at my will and pleasure and that at all houres and minutes Fiat fiat Amen And if he come not the first night then doe the same the second night and so the third night untill they doe come for doubtlesse they will come and lie thou in thy bed in the same parlor or chamber And lay thy right hand out of the bed and look thou have a faire silken kercher bound abound thy head and be not afraid they will doe thee no harm For there will come before thee three fair women and all in white clothing and one of them will put a ring upon thy finger wherewith thou shalt goe invisible Then with speed bind them with the bond aforesaid When thou hast this ring on thy finger looke in a glasse and thou shalt not see thy self And when thou wilt goe invisible put in on thy finger the same finger that they did put it on and every new ☽ renew it again For after the first time thou shalt ever have it and ever begin this work in the new of the ☽ and in the houre of ♃ and the ☽ in ♋ ♠♓ CHAP. XI An experiment following of Citrael c. angeli diei dominici Say first the prayers of the angels every day for the space of seaven dayes O Ye glorious angels written in this square be you my coadjutors and helpers in all qâ—estions and demands in all my businesse and other causes by him which shall â—ome to judge both the quick and the dead and the world by fire O angeli gloriosi in hac quadra scripti estote câ—adjutores auxiliatores in omnibus quaestionibus intervogationibus in omnibus negotiis caeterisque causis per eum qui venturus est judicare vivos mortuos mumdum per ignem Say this prayer fasting called Regina linguae ✚ Lemae ✚ solma ac ✚ elmay ✚ gezagra ✚ raamaasin ✚ ezierego ✚ mial ✚ egziephiaz Iosamin ✚ sabach ✚ ha ✚ aem ✚ re ✚ be ✚ esepha ✚ sephar ✚ â—â—mar ✚ semoit ✚ lemajo ✚ pheralon ✚ amic ✚
and by his unspeakable name Tetragrammaton and by all the holy sacraments and by the holy majesty and deity of the living God I conjure and exorcise thee Bealphares by the vertue of all angels archangels thrones dominations principaâ—s potestats virtures cherubim and seraphim and by their vertues and by the most truest and speciallest name of your master that you doe come unto us in faire form of man or woman kinde been visibly before this circle and not terrible by any manner of wayes This circle being our tuition and protection by the mercifull goodnesse of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ and that you doe make answer truly without craft or deceit unto all my demands and questions by the vertue and power of our Lord Jesus Christ Amen CHAP. XIIII To bind the spirit Bealphares and to loose him again NOw when he is appeared bind him with these words which follow I conjure thee Bealphares by God the father by God the son and by God the Holy Ghost and by all the holy company in heaven and by their vertues and powers I charge thee Bealphares that thou shalt not depart out of my sight nor yet to alter thy bodily shape that thou art appeared in nor any power shalt thou have of our bodies or soules eartly or ghostly but to be obedient to me and to the words of my conjuration that be written in this book I conjure thee Bealphares by all angels and archangels thrones dominations principats potestates vertutes cherubim and seraphim and by their vertues and powers I conjure and charge binde and constraine thee Bealphares by all the 〈◊〉 words aforesaid and by their vertues that thou be obedient unto me and to come and appeare visibly unto me and that in all dayes houres and minutes wheresoever I be being called by the vertue of our Lord Jesus Christ the which words are written in this book Look ready thou be to appeare unto me and to give mee good counsell how to come by treasures hidden in the earth or in the water and how to come to dignity and knowledge of all things that is to say of the magick art and of grammar dialectike rhetorike arithmeticke musick geometry and of astromomy and in all other things my will quickly to be fulfilled I charge upon pain of everlasting condemnation Fiat fiat fiat Amen When he is thus bound ask him what thing thou wilt and he will tell thee and give thee all things that thou wilt request of him without any sacrifice doing to him and without forsaking thy God that is thy maker And when the spirit hath fulfilled thy will and intent give him license to depart as followeth A license for the spirit to depart GO unto the place predestinated and appointed for thee where thy Lord God hath appointed thee untill I shall call thee again Be thou ready unto me and to my call as often as I shall call thee upon pain of everlasting damnation And if thou wilt thou mayst recite two or three times the last conjuration untill thou doe come to this â—earin In throno If he will not depart and then say In throno that thou depart from this place without hurt or damage of any body or of any deed to be done that all creatures may know that our Lord is of all power most mightiest and that there is none other God but he which is three and one living for ever and ever And the malediction of God the father omnipotent the son and the holy ghost descend upon thee and dwell alwayes with thee except thou doe depart without damage of us or of any creature or any other evill deed to be done and thou to goe to the place predestinated And by our Lord Jesus Christ I do else send thee to the great pit of hell except I say that thou depart to the place whereas thy Lord God hath appointed thee And see thou be ready to me and to my call at all times and places at mine own will and pleasure day or night without damage or hurt of me or of any creature upon pain of everlasting damnation Fiat fiat fiat Amen Amen The peace of Jesus Christ be between us and you in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost Amen Por crucis hoc ✚ signum c. Say In principio erat verbum verbum erat apud Deum In the beginning was the word and the word was with God and God was the word and so forward as followeth in the first chapter of saint Iohns Gospell staying at these words Full of grace and truth to whom bee all honour and glory world without end Amen A type or figure of the circle for the master and his fellowes to sit in shewing how and after what fashion it should be made THis is the circle for the master to sit in and his fellow or fellowes at the first calling sit back to back when hee calleth the spirit and for the fairies make this circle with chalk on the ground as is said before This spirit Bealphares being once called and found shall never have power to hurt thee Call him in the houre of ♃ or ♀ the ☽ increasing CHAP. XV. The making of the holy water EXorciso te creaturam salis per Deum vivum ✚ per Deum ✚ verum ✚ per Deum sanctum ✚ per Duem qui te per Elizaeum prophetam in aquam mitli jussit â—tâ—s naretur sterrilitas aquae ut efficiaâ—is sal exorcisaâ—us in saluum credentium ut sit omnibus te sumentibus sanitas animae corporis essugiat atque discedat ab co loco qui aspersus stâ—â—at omnis phantasia nequitia vel versutia diabolicae fraudis omnisque spiritus adjuratus per cum qui venturus est judicare vivos mo tuos saeculum perignem Amen Oremus Imunsam clementiam tuam omnipotens aeterne Deus humiliter imploramus ut hanc creaturam salis quam in usum generis humani tribuisti bene ✚ dicere sancti ✚ ficare tua prelate digneris ut sit omnibus sumentibus saâ—is menlis corporis ut quicquid ex co tactum suerit vel respersum careat omni immundicia omnique impugnatione spiritualis nequitia per Dominum nostrum Iesum Christum filium tuum qui tecum vivit regnat in unitate spiritus sancti Deus per omnia saecula saeculorum Amen To the water say also as followeth Exorciso te creaturam aquae in nomine ✚ patris ✚ Iesu Christi filii ejus Domini nostri in virtute spiritus ✚ sanct ✚ ut siat aquae exorcisata ad estisgandam omnem potestatem inimici ipsum inimicum erodicare explantare valeas cum angelis suis apostatis per virtutem ejusdem Domini nostri Iesu Christi qui venturus est judicare vivos mortuos saeculum per ignem Amen Oremus Deus qui ad
hope of â—â—ehiedy but everylasting condemnation and honor and paine upon paine daily horribly and lamentably the paines there to be augmented so thicke as the stars in the firmament and as the gravell sand in the sea except thou spirit of N. obey me N. as is afore rehearsed else I N. do condemne the spirit of N. into the pit of everlastâ—ng condemnation Fiat fiat Amen Also I conjure thee and constraine the spirit of N. by all angels archangels thrones dominations principats porestats virtutes cherubim and seraphim and by the foure evangelist Matthew Marke Luke and Iohn 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 lambe of God and by their vertues and powers I conjure and constraine the spirit of N. strongly to have common talke with me at all times and in all dayes nights houres and minutes and to talke in my mother tongue plainely that I may heare 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 constraine the spirit of N. by the golden girdle which girdeth the loines 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 constraine command and binde the spirit of N. by the two edged sword which Iohn saw proceed out of the mouth of God almighty except thou be obedient as is aforesaid the sword cut thee in peeces and condemne thee into the pit of everlasting paines where the fire goeth not out and where the worme dieth not Fiat fiat fiat Amen Also I conjure and constraine the spirit of N. by the throne of the Godhead and by all the heavens under him and by the celestiall city new Ierusalem 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 infernalls and by their vertues and powers and by all things contained therein and by their vertues and powers I conjure and constraine the spirit of N. that now immediatly 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 darkenesse of everlasting condemnation be upon thee thou spirit of N. for ever and ever because thou hast denied 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 principats â—potestaâ—es virtutes cherubim and seraphim and all the soules of the saints that shall stand on the right hand of our Lord Jesus Christ at the generall day of judgement condemne the spirit of N. for ever and ever and be a witnesse 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 houre of ♄ to bind or inchant any thing and in the houre of ♃ for peace and concord in the houre of ♂ to marre to destroy and to make sicke in the houre of the ☉ to bind tongues and other bonds of men in the houre of ♀ to increase love joy and good will in the houre of ☿ to put away enimity or hatred to know of theft in the houre of the ☽ for love goodwill and concord ♄ lead ♃ tinne ♂ iron ☉ gold ♀ copper ☿ quicksiver ☽ silver c. CHAP. XIX This bond as followeth is to call him into your crystall stone or glasse c. ALso I do conjure thee spirit N. by God the father by God the sonne and by God the holy ghost A and Ω the first and the last and by the latter day of judgement of them which shall come to judge the quicke and the dead and the world by fire by their vertues and powers I constraine thee spirit N. to come to him that holdeth the crystall stone in his hand and to appeare visibly as hereafter followeth Alsoâ— I conjure thee spirit N. by these holy names of God ✚ Tetragrammaton ✚ Adonay ✚ El ✚ Ousion ✚ Agla ✚ Iesus ✚ of Nazareth ✚ and by the vertues thereof and by his nativity death buriall 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 al the joy which she had when she saw her sonne rise from death to life and by the vertues and powers thereof I constraine thee spirit N. to come into the crystall stone and to appeare visibly as hereafter shall be declared Also I conjure thee N. thou spirit by all angels archangels thrones dominations principats potestats virtues cherubim and seraphim and by the ☉ ☽ ♄ ♃ ♂ ♀ ☿ and by the twelve signes and by their vertues and powers and by al things created and confirmed in the firmament and by their vertues and powers I constraine thee spirit N. to appeare visibly in that crystall stone in faire forme and â—hape of a white angell a greene angell a blacke angell a man a woman boy a maiden virgine a white grayhound a divell with great hornes without any hurt or danger of our bodyes or soules and truly to imforme and shew unto us true visions of all things in that crystall stone according to thine oath and promise and that without any hindrance or tarrying to appeare visibly by this bond of words read over by 〈◊〉 three times upon paine 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 crystall stone where there be any N. in such a place or no upon paine of everlasting condemnation Fiat Amen Also I conjure thee spirit N. by God the sonne Iesus Christ that thou doe shew true visions unto us whether it be gold or silver or any other metals or whether there were any or no upon paine of condemnation Fiat Amen Also I conjure thee spirit N. by God the Holy ghost the which doth sanctifie all faithfull soules and spirits and by their vertues and powers I constraine thee spirit N. to speake open and to declare the true way how we may come by these treasures hidden in N. how to have it in our custody who are the keepers thereof and how many there
salt by God by the God ✚ that liveth by the true ✚ God by the holy ✚ God which by Elizaeus the prophet commanded that thou shouldest be throwne into the water that it thereby might be made whole sound that thou salt here let the preist looke upon the salt maist be conjured for the health of all beleevers and that thou be to all that take thee health both of body and soule and let all phantasies and wickednesse or diabolicall craft or deceipt depart from the place whereon it is sprinkled as also every uncleane 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 bet yet with Oremus as followeth ¶ Oremus Almighty and everlasting God we humbly desire thy clemency here let the pâ—eist looke upon the salt that thou wouldest vouchsafe through thy piety to bl ✚ esse 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 whatsoever shall be touched thereby or sprinkled therewith may be void of all uncleannesse and all resistance of spirituall iniquity through our Lord Amen What can be made but a conjuration of these words also which are written in the canon or rather in the saccaring of masse This holy commixtion of the body and bloud of our Lord Jesus Christ let it be made to me and to all the receivers thereof health of mind and body and a wholesome preparative for the deserving receiving of everlasting life through our Lord Iesus Amen CHAP. XXVIII That popish priests leave nothing unconjured a fomre of exorcisme for incense ALthough the papists have many conjurations so as neither water nor fire nor bread nor wine nor wax nor tallow nor church nor churchyard nor altar nor altar cloth nor ashes nor coales nor bells nor bell ropes nor copes nor vestmenâ—s nor oile nor salt nor candle nor candlesticke nor beds nor bedstaves are without their forme of conjuration yet I will for brevity let all passe and end here with incense which they do conjure in this sort ✚ I conjure thee most filthy and horible spirit and every vision of our enemie c that thou go and depart from out of this creature of frankincense with all thy deceipt and wickednesse tâ—at this creature may be sanctified and in the name of our Lord ✚ Jesus ✚ Christ ✚ that all they that taste touch or smell the same may receive the virtue and assistance of the Holy ghost so as wheresoever this incense or frankincense shall remaine that there thou in no wise be so bold as to approach or once presume or attempt to hurt but what uncleane spirit so ever thou be that thou with all thy crast and subtilty avoid and depart being conjured by the name of God the father almighty c. And that wheresoever the sume or smoke thereof shall come every kind and sort of divels may be driven away and expelled â—â— they were at the increase of the liver of fish which the archangell Raphael made c. CHAP. XXIX The rules and lawes of popish Exorcists and other conjurors all one with a confutation of their whole power how S. Martine conjured the divell THe papists you see have their certaine generall rules and lawes as to abstaine from sinne and to fast as also otherwise to be cleane from all pollutions c and even so likewise have the other conjurors Some will say that papists use divine service and prayers even so do common conjurors as you see even in the same papisticall forme no whit swarving from theirs in faith and doctrine nor yet in ungodly and unreasonable kinds of petitions Me thinks it may be a sufficient argument to overthrow the calling up and miraculous workes of spirits that it is written God only knoweth and sâ—aâ—cheth the hearts and only worketh great wonders The which argument being prosecuted to the end can never be answered in so much as that divine power is required in that action And if it be said that in this conjuration we speake to the spirits and they heare us and therefore need not know our thoughts and imaginations I first aske them whether king Baell or Amoimon which are spirits raigning in the furthest regions of the east as they say may heare a conjurors voyce which calleth for them being in the extreamest parts of the west there being such noises interposed where perhaps also they may be busie and set to worke on the like affaires Secondly whether those spirits be of the same power that God is who is every where filling all places and able to heare all men at one instant c. Thirdly whence commeth the force of such words as raise the dead and command divels If sounds do it then may it be done by a taber and a pipe or any other instrument that hath no life If the voyce do it then may it be done by any beasts or birds If words then a parret may do it If in mans words only where is the force in the the first second or third syllable If in syllables then not in words If in imaginations then the divell knoweth our thoughts But all this stuffe is vaine and fabulous It is written All the generations of the earth were healthfull and there is no poyson of destruction in them Why then do they conjure holsome creatures as salt water c where no divels are God looked upon all his works and saw they were all good What effect I pray you had the 7. sonnes of Sceva which is the great objection of witchmongers They would needs take upon them to conjure divels out of the possessed But what brought they to passe Yet that was in the time whilest God suffered miracles commonly to be wrought By that you may see what conjurors can do Where is such a promise to conjurors or witches as is made in the Gospell to the faithfull where it is written In my name they shall cast out divels speake with new tongues if they shall drinke any deadly thing it shall not hurt them they shall take away serpents they shall lay hands on the sicke and they shall recover According to the promise this grant of miraculous working was performed in the primitive church for the confirmation of Christs doctrine and the establishing of the Gospell But as in another place I have proved the gift thereof was but for a time and is now ceased neither was it ever made to papist witch or conjuror They take upon them to call up and cast out divels and to undoe with one divell that which another divell hath done If one divell could cast out another it were a kingdome divided and could not stand Which argument Christ himselfe maketh and therefore I may the mâ—re boldly say even with Christ that they have no such
power For besides him there is no saviour none can deliver out of his hand Who but he can declare set in order appoint and tell what is to come He destroyeth the the tokens of foothsayers and maketh the conjecturers fooles c. He declareth things to come and so cannot witches There is no helpe in inchanters and soothsayers and other such vaine sciences For divels are cast out by the finger of God which Matthew calleth the spirit of God which is the mighty power of God and not by the vertue of the bare name only being spoken or pronounced for then might every wicked man do it And Simon Magus needed not then to have proffered mony to have brought the power to do miracles and wonders for he could speake and pronounce the name of God as well as the apostles Indeed they may soone throw out all the divells that are in frankincense and such like creatures wherein no divels are but neither they nor all their holy water can indeed cure a man possessed with a divell either in body and mind as Christ did Nay why do they not cast out the divell that possesseth their owne soules Let me heare any of them all speake with new tongues let them drinke but one dramme of a potion which I will prepare for them let them cure the sicke by laying on of hands though witches take it upon them and witchmongers beleeve it and then I will subscribe unto them But if they which repose such certainety in the actions of witches and conjurors would diligently note their deceit and how the scope whereat they shoote is money I meane not such witches as are falsely accused but such as take upon them to give answers c as mother Bungie did they should apparently see the cousenage For they are abused as are many beholders of jugglers which suppose they do miraculously that which is done by sleight and subtilty But in this matter of witchcrafts and conjurations if men would rather trust their own eyes than old wives tales and lies I dare undertake this matter would soone be at a perfect point as being easier to be perceived than juggling But I must needs confesse that it is no great marvell though the simple be abused therein when such lies concerning those matters are maintained by such persons of account and thrust into their divine service As for example It is written that S. Martine thrust his fingers into ones mouth that had a divell within him and used to bite folk and then did bid him devoure them if he could And because the divell could not get out at his mouth being stopt with S. Martins fingers he was fain to run out at his fundament O stinking lye CHAP. XXX That it is a shame for papists to beleeve other conjurors doings their owne being of so little force Hippocrates his opinion herein ANd still me thinks papists of all others which indeed are most credulous and doe most maintaine the force of witches charmes and of conjurors cousenages should perceive and judge conjurors doings to be void of effect For when they see their owne stuffe as holy water salt candles c. conjured by their holy bishop and priests and that in the words of consecration or conjuration for so their own Doctors terme them they adjure the water c. to heal not onely the soules infirmitie but also every malady hurt or ach of the body and doe also command the candles with the force of all their authority and power and by the effect of all their holy words not to consume and yet neither soul nor body any thing recover nor the candles last one minute the longer with what face can they defend the others miraculous workesâ— as though the witches and conjurors actions were more effectuall than their owne Hippocrates being but a heathen and not having the perfect knowledge of God could see and perceive their cousenage and knavery well enough who saith They which boast so that they can remove or help the infections of diseases with sacrifices conjurations or other magicall instruments or means are but needy fellows wanting living and therefore refer their words to the divell because they would seeme to know somewhat more then the common people It is marvell that papists doe affirm that their holy water crosses or bugges words have such vertue and violence as to drive away divels so as they dare not approach to any place or person besmeared with such stuffe when as it appeareth in the Gospell that the divell presumed to assault and tempt Christ himself For the divell indeed most earnestly busieth himselfe to seduce the godly as for the wicked he maketh reckoning and just accompt of them as of his own already But let us goe forward in our refutation CHAP. XXXI How conjurors have beguiled witches what bookes they carry about to procure credit to their art wicked assertions against Moses and Joseph THus you see that conjurors are no small fooles For whereas witches being poor and needy goe from doore to doore for relief have they never so many todes or cats at home or never so much hogs dung and charvill about them or never so many charmes in store these conjurors I say have gotten them offices in the church of Rome whereby they have obtained authority and great estimation And further to adde credit to that art these conjurors carry about at this day books entituled under the names of Adam Abel Tobie and Enoch which Enoch they repute the most divine fellow in such matters They have also among them bookes that they say Abraham Aaron and Salomon made Item they have books of Zachary Paul Honorius Cyprian Ierome Ieremy Albert and Thomas also of the angels Riziel Razael and Raphael and doubtless these were such books as were said to have been burnt in the lesser Asia And for their further credit they boast that they must be are skilfull and learned in these arts to wit ars Almadell ars Notoria ars Bulaphiae ars Arthephii ars Pomena ars Revelationis c. Yea these conjurors in corners stick not with Iustine to report and affirm that Ioseph who was a true figure of Christ that delivered and redeemed us was learned in these arts and thereby prophesied and expounded dreams and that those arts came to him from Moses and finally from Moses to them which thing both Pliny and Tacitus affirm of Moses Also Strabo in his cosmographiâ— maketh the very like blasphemous report and likewise Apollonius Molon Possidonius Lisimachus and Appian term Moses both a magician and a conjuror whom Eusebius confuteth with many notable arguments For Moses differed as much from a magician as truth from falshood and piety from vanity for in truth he confounded all magick and made the world see and the cunningest magicians of the earth confesse that their own doings were but illusions and that his miracles were wrought by the finger of God But
the time of popery a usuall matter to desire sicke people in their death beds to appeare to them after their death and to reveale their estate The fathers and ancient doctors of the church were too credulus herein c. Therefore no marvell though the common simple sort of men and least of all that women be deceived herein God in times past did send downe visible angels appearances to men but now he doth not so Through ignorance of late in religion it was thought that every churchyard swarmed with soule 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 〈◊〉 have confirmed the walking appearing and raising of soules 〈◊〉 where find they in the scriptures any such doctrine And who certified them that those appearances were true Truly all they cannot bring to passe that the lies which have beene spread abroad herein should 〈◊〉 beginne to be true though the pope himselfe subscribe seale and sweare thereunto never so much Where are the soules that swarmed in times past Where are the spirits Who heareth their noyses Who seeth their visions Where are the soules that made such moane for trenâ—â—s where by to be eased of the palmes in purgatory Are they all gone into Italy because masses are growne deere here in England Marke welâ— this illusion and see how contrary it is unto the word of God Consider how all papists beleeve this illusion to be true and how all 〈◊〉 driven to say it is was popish illusion Where be the spirits that 〈◊〉 to have buriall for their bodies For many of those walking soules 〈◊〉 about their bâ—stnes Do you not thinke that the papists shew nor 〈◊〉 selves Godly divines to preach and teach the people such doctrine 〈◊〉 to insert into their divine service such fables as are read in their 〈◊〉 church all scripture giving place thereto for the time You shall see 〈◊〉 lessons read there upon S. Stevens day that Gamaliel Nichodemus 〈◊〉 man and Abdias his sonne with his friend S. Steven appeared 〈◊〉 priest called Sir Lucian requesting him to remove their bodies and to bury them in some better place for they had lien from the time of their death untill then being in the raigne of Honorius the emperors to 〈◊〉 foure hundred yeares buried in the field of Gamaliel who in that 〈◊〉 said to Sir Lucian Non insi selummodo causa solicitus sum sed potius 〈◊〉 illis qui meâ—um sunt that is I am not only carefull for my selfe but chiefely for those my friends that are with me Whereby the whole course may be perceived to be a false practise and a counter-felt vision or rather a lewd invention For in heaven mens soules remaine not in sorrow and care neither studie they there how to compasse and get a worship full buriall here in earth If they did they would not have foreflowed it so long Now therefore let us not suffer our selves to be abused any longer either with conjuring priests or melancholicall witches but be thankfull to God that hath delivered us from such blindnesse and error CHAP. XL. Cardanus opinion of strange noises how counterfeit visions grow to be credited of popish appearances of pope Boniface CArdanus speaking of noises among other things saith thus A noise is heard in your house it may be a mouse a cat or a dog among dishes it may be a counterfeit or a theafe indeed or the sault may be in your eares I could recite a great number of tales how men have even forsaken their houses because of such apparitions and noises and all hath beene by meere and ranke knavery And wheresoever you shall heare that there is in the night season such rumbling and fearefull noises be you well assured that it is flat knavery performed by some that seemeth most to complaine and is least mistrusted And hereof there is a very art which for some respects I will not discover The divell seeketh dayly as well as nightly whom he may devour and can do his feats as well by day as by night or else he is a young divell and a very bungler But of all other couseners these conjurors are in the highest degree and are most worthy of death for their blasphemous impiety But that these popish visions and conjurations used as well by papists as by the popes themselves were meere cousenages and that the tales of the popes recited by Bruno and Platinâ—â— of their magicall devices were but plaine cousenages and knaveries may appeare by the history of Bonifacius the eight who used this kinde of inchantment to get away the popedome from his predecessor Coelestinus He counterfeitted a voyce through a cane reed as though it had come from heaven persvading him to yeeld up his authority of popeship and to institute therein one Bonifacius a worthy man otherwise he threatened him with damnation And therefore the foole yeelded it up accordingly to the said Bonifacius An. 1264. of whom it was said He came in like a fox lived like a woolfe and died like a dog There be innumerable examples of such visions which when they are not detected goe for true stories and therefore when it is answered that some are true tales and some are false untill they be able to shew forth before your eyes one matter of truth you may reply upon them with this distinction to wit visions tryed are false visions undecided and untryed are true CHAP. XLI Of the noise or sound of eccho of one that narrowly escaped droâ—â—ning thereby c. ALas how many naturall things are there so strange as to many seeme miraculous and how many counterfeit matters are there that to the simple seem yet more wonderfull Cardane telleth of one Comansis who comming late to a rivers side not knowing where to passe over cried out alowd for some body to shew him the foordâ— who hearing an eccho to answer according to his last word supposing it to be a man that answered him and informed him of the way he passed through the river even there where was a deepe whirlepoole so as he hardly escaped with his life and told his friends that the divell had almost persuaded him to drowne himselfe And in some places these noises of eccho are farre more strange than other specially at Ticinum in Italy in the great hall where it rendereth sundry and manifold noises or voyces which seeme to end so lamentably as it were a man that lay a dying so as few can be persuaded that it is the eccho but a spirit that answereth The noise at Winchester was said to be a very miracle and much wondering was there at it about the yeare 1569 though indeed a meere naturall noise ingendered of the wind the concavity of the place and other instrumentall matters helping the sound to seeme strange to the
that divers spirits rested in and upon one man and yet no reall or corporall 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 substantiall and corporall a spirit as that wherewith the maid in the Acts of the Apostles was possessed Also Elisha intreated Elia that when he departed his spirit might double upon him We read also that the spirit of the Lord came upon Othinel upon Gidcon Ieptha 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 Daniâ—l 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 presuposed Howbeit I must confesse that Christ had the spirit of God without measure as it is written in the Evangelist Iohn But where it is said that spirits can be made tame and at commandment I say to those grosse conceivers of Scripture with Salomon who as they falsly affirme was of all others the greatest conjuror saith thus in expresse words No man is lord over a spirit to retaine a spirit at his pleasure CHAP. VII Whether Spirits and soules can assume bodies and of their creation and substance wherein writers doe extreamly contend and vary SOme hold opinion that spirits and soules can assume and take unto them bodies at their pleasure of what shape or substance they lift of which mind all papists and some protestants are being more grosse than another sort which hold that such bodies are made to their hands Howbeit these doe varie in the elements wherewith these spirituall bodies are composed For as I have said some affirm that they consist of fire some think of air and some of the starres and other celestiall powers But if they be celestiall 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 organicall body must have bones sinews veins flesh c. which cannot be made of air Neither as Peter Martyr affirmeth can an airy body receive or have either shape or figure But some ascend up into the clouds where they find as they say diverse shapes and formes even in the air Unto which objection P. Martyr answereth saying and that truly that clouds are not altogether air but have a mixture of other elements mingled with them CHAP. XVIII Certaine popish reasons concerning spirits made of air of day divels and night divels and why the divell 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 apparitions as they have been common among the unfaithfull so now since the preaching of the Gospell they are most rare And as among fainthearted people namely women children and sick folks they usually swarmed so among strong bodies and good stomachs they never used to appeare as elsewhere I have proved which argueth that they were only phantasticall and imaginary Now say they that imagine divels and spirits to be made of air that it must needs bee that they consist of that element because otherwise when they vanish suddenly away they should leave some earthy substance behinde them If they were of water then should they moisten the place where they stand and must needs be shed on the floore 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 finde it not in the Bible but in Bodin that there are day divels and night divels The same fellow saith that Deber is the name of that divell which hurteth by night and Cheleb is he that hurreth by day howbeit he confesseth that Satan can hurt both by day and night although it be certain as he saith that he can doe more harm by night than by day producing for example how in a night he slew the first born of Egypt And yet it appeareth plainly in the text that the Lord himself did it Whereby it seemeth that Bodin putteth no difference between God and the divell For further confirmation of this his foolish assertion that divels are more valiant by night than by day he alleadgeth the 104 Psalme wherein is written Thou makest darknesse and it is night wherein all the beasts of the Forrest creep forth the lions roar c. when the sun riseth they retire c. So as now he maketh all beast to be divels or divels to be beasts Oh barbarous blindnesse This Bodin also saith that the divell loveth no salt in his meat for that it is a sign of eternity and used by Gods commandement in all sacrifices abusing the Scriptures which hee is not ashamed to quote in that behalfe But now I will declare how the Scripture teacheth our dull capacities to conceive what manner of thing the divell is by the very names appropriated unto him in the same CHAP. XIX That such divels as are mentioned in the scriptures have in their names their nature and qualities expressed with instances thereof SUch divels are mentioned in the Scriptures by name have in their names their nature and qualities expressed being for the most part the idols of certaine nations idolatrously erected in stead or rather in spight of God For Beelzebub which signifieth the lord of the flies because he taketh every simple thing in his web was an idol or oracle erected at Ekron to whom Ahaziah sent to know whether he should recover his disease as though there had been no God in Israel This divell Beelzebub was among the Jews reputed the principall divell The Grecians called him Pluto the Latines Sumanus quasi summum deorum manium the chief ghost of spirit of the dead whom they supposed to walk by night although they absurdly beleeved also that the soul died with the body So as they did put a difference between the ghost of a man and the soul of a man and so doe our papists howbeit none otherwise but that the soul is a ghost when it walketh on the earth after the dissolution of the body
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 hee told him all things that were to come c. I marvell what priviledge soules have which are departed from the body to know things to come more than the soules within mans body There were spirits which they called Albae mulieres and Albae Sibyllae which were very familiar and did much harm they say to women with child and to suckling children Deumus as a divell is worshipped among the Indians in Calesute 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 divell in America called Agnan beareth sway in that country In Girue one Grigrie is accounted the great divell and keepeth the woods these have priests called Charoibes which prophesie afterâ— hey have lien by the space of one houre prostrate upon a wench of twelve yeares old and all that while say they he calleth upon a divell called Hoviculsâ—ra and then commeth fourth and uttereth his prophesie For the true successe 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 divels and such as they take to themselves are more ridiculous than the names that are given by others which have more leasure to devise them In little bookes containing the cousening possessed at Maidstone where such awonder was wrought as also in other places you may see a number of counterfeit divels names and other trish trath CHAP. XXII Of the Romans chiefe 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 Ianus Saturnus Iupiter Genius Mercurius Apollo Mars Vulcanus Neptunus Sol Oâ—cus and Vibar which were all he gods Tellus Ceres Iuno Minerva Luna Diana Venus and Vesta were all she gods No man might appropriate any of these unto himselfe but they were left common and indifferent to all men dwelling in one realme 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 Iupiter Elicius They had Cantius to whom they prayed for wise children who was more apt for this purpose than Minerva that issued out of Iupiters owne braine Lucina was to send them that were with childe safe delivery and in that respect was called the mother of child wives Opis was called the mother of the babe new borne 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 borne they sacrificed thereunto although the mother miscaried but if the child were any part unperfect or dead c. they used to beat the image into powder or to burne or drowne it Vagianus was he that kept their children from crying and therefore they did always hang his picture about babes neckes 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 keepe their dugs from corruption Volumnus and his wife Volumna were gods the one for yong men the other for maids that desired marriage for such as prayed devoutly unto them should soone be marryed Agrestis was the god of the fields and to him they prayed for fertility Bâ—llus was the god of warre and warriers and so also was Victoria to whom the greatest temple in Rome was built Honorius was he that had charge about in keepers that they should well intreat pilgrimes Bâ—recynthia was the mother of all the gods Aesculanus was to discover their mines of gold and silver and to him they prayed for good successe in that behalfe Aesculapius was to cure the sicke whose father was Aâ—ollo and served to keepe weeds out of the corne Segacia was to make seeds to grow Floâ—a preserved the vines from frosts and blasts Sylvanus was to preserve them that walked in gardens Bacchus was for drunkards Pavor for cowherds Meretrix for whores to whose honour there was a temple built in Rome in the middest of forty and foure streets which were all inhabited with common harlots Finally Colatina alias Clotina was goddesse of the stoole the jakes and the privy to whom as to every of the rest there was a peculiar temple edified besides that notable temple called Panthâ—oâ— wherein all the gods were placed together so as every man and woman according to their sollyes and devotions might go thither and worship what gods they list CHAP. XXIII Of diverse gods in diverse countres THe Aegyptians were yet more foolish in this behalfe than the Romans I meane the heathenish Romans that then were and not the popish Romans that now are for no nation approcheth neere to these in any kind of idolatry The Aegyptians worshipped Anubis in the likenesse of a dog because he loved dogs and hunting Yea they worshipped all living creatures as namely of beasts a bullocke a dog and a cat of flying fowles Ibis which is a bird with a long bill naturally devouring up venemous things and noisome serpents and a sparrow hawke of fishes they had two gods to wit Lepidotus piscis and Oxyrinchus The Saitans and Thebans had to their god a sheepe In the city Lycopolis they worshipped a woolfe in Herinâ—polis the Cynocephalus the Leopolitans a lion in Leâ—topolis a fish in Nilus called Latus In the city Cynopolis they worshipped Anubis At Babylon besides Memphis they made an onion their god the Thâ—bans an eagle the Maendescans a goate the Persians a fire called Orimasda the Arabians Bacchus Venus and Diasaren the Boeotians Amphyaraus the Aphricans Mopsus the Scyâ—hians Minerva the Nancratits Serapis which is a serpent Astartes being as Cicero writeth the fourth Venus who was she as others affirme whom Solomon worshipped at his concubines request was the goddesse of the Assyrians At Noricum being a part of Bavaria they worship Tibilenus the Moores worship Iubaâ— the Macedonians Gabirus the Poenians Vranius at Samos Iuno was their god at Paphos Venus at Lemnos Vulcane at Naxos Liberus at Lampsacke Priapus with the great genitals who was set up at Hellespont to be adored In
lady having not one dramme of faith repentance nor yet of honesty in him Neverthelesse so credulous is the nature of man as to beleeve 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 beleeve these toies 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 Kents vision was a very cousenage but we can credit imprint and publish for a true possession or history the knavery used by a cousening varlot at Maidstone and many other such as that was We think soules and spirits may come out of heaven or hell and assume bodies beleeving many absurd tales told by the schoolemen 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 soules condemned to purgatory wandering for saccour and release by trentals and masses said by a popish priest c. and yet they in probability are equall and in number farre exceed the other We think that to be a lie which is written or rather fathered upon Luther to wit that he knew the divell and was very conversant with him and had eaten many bushels of salt and made jolly good cheere with him and that he was confuted in a disputation with a reall divell about the abolishing of private masse Neither do we beleeve this report that the divell in the likenesse of a tall man was present at a sermon openly made by Carolostadius and from this sermon went to his house and told his sonne 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 beleeve 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 wildernesse requiring a bishop as I remember whom he met that he would disribute certain money for him which he had purloined of that which was given in almes to the poor c. and how the other was seen a hundred years after the divell had killed him in a wood of an heremite in a bears skinne and an asses head on his shoulders c. himselfe saying that he appeared in such sort as he lived And diverse 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 virgine Origens disciple appeared to S. Basil and put a crown upon his head in tokâ—n of the glory of his martyrdome which should shortly follow and because Hierome writeth of Pauls appearance and Theodoret of S. Iohn the Baptist and Athanasuis of Ammons c. many do beleeve the same stories and miraculous appearances to be true But few protestants will give credit unto such shamefull fables or any like them when they finde them written in the Legendary Festivall Rosaries of our Lady or any other such popish authors Whereby I gather that if the protestant beleeve some few lies the papists beleeve a great number This I write to shew the imperfection of man how attentive our ears are to hearken to tales And though herein consist no great point of faith or infidelity yet let us that professe the gospell 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 generall 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 sonne and his angels Athanasius saith that soules once loosed from their bodies have no more society with mortall men Augustine saith that if soules could walk and visit their friends c. or admonish them in sleep or other-wise 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 gospell We have Moses and the prophets who are to be hearkened unto and nor the dead CHAP. XXVIII A confutation of Iohannes Laurentius and of many others maintaining these fained and ridiculous tales and apparitions and what driveth them away of Moses and Helias appearance in mount Thabor FUrthermore to prosecute this matter in more words if I say that these apparitions of soules are but knavaries and cousenages they object that Moses and Helias appeared in mount Thabor 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 owne glory or for the manifestation of his sonne miraculously And therefore I thought good to give you a taste of the witchmongers absurd opinions in this behalf And first you shal understand that they hold that all the soules in heaven may come down and appear to us when they list and assume any body saving their owne 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 cheerfull 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 beleeve the contrary They affirme that damned souls walk oftenest next unto them the souls of purgatory and most seldome the souls of saints Also they say that in the old law souls did appear seldome and after dooms day they shal never be seen more in the time of grace they shall be most frequent 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 behalfe 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 goodnesse of the masse is also ratified and confirmed These heavenly or purgatory souls say they appear most commonly to them that are born upon ember daies and they also walk most usually on those ember daaes 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 soules appear oftenest by night because men may then be at best leisure and most
M. Mal. and the residue of that crew doe expound this word Diabolus for Dia say they is Duo and Bolus is Morsellus whereby they gather that the divell 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 divell rather then the divell to eat up them though it may well be said by a figure that the divell like a roaring lion seeketh whom he may devoure which is meant of the soul and spirituall devouring as very novices in religion may judge CHAP. XXXIII Against fond witchmongers and their opinions concerning corporall divels NOw how Brian Darcies he spirits and she spirits Titty and Tifâ—â— Suckin and Pidgin Liard and Robin c. his white spirits and blacke spirits gray spirits and red spirits divell tode and divell lambe 〈◊〉 cat and divels dam agree herewithall or can stand consonant with the word of God or true philosophy let heaven and earth judge It 〈◊〉 mean time let any man with good consideration peruse that book 〈◊〉 by W. W. and it shall suffice to satisfie him in all that may 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 â—â—teth down mine assertion will be sufficiently proved true And 〈◊〉 it seemeth to be performed with some kind of authority I will say 〈◊〉 more for the confutation thereof but referre you to the book it selfe whereto if nothing be added that may make to their reproach I 〈◊〉 warrant nothing is left out that may serve to their condemnation 〈◊〉 whether the witnesses be not single of what credit sex and age they â—â— namely lewd miserable and envious poor people most of them 〈◊〉 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 confesse and see of what weight and importance the causes are whether their confessions be not wonne 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 〈◊〉 at S. Osees in the county of Essex being a whole parish though of no great quantity I will say the lesse trusting that by this time there remain not many in that parish If any be yet behind I doubt not but 〈◊〉 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 Abiâ—â—ton But with what impudency and dishonesty he hath finished it with what lies and forgeries he hath furnished it what folly and frenzy he hath mered 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. XXXIIII 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 minde which is a word nothing differing in Heb. from breath or wind For all these words following to wit Spiritus Ventus Flatus 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 Isay For his spirit or breath is as a river that overfloweth up to the neck c. in which place the prophet describeth the comming of God in heat and indignation unto judgment c. I cite also unto you the words of Zaccharie 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 hath many more that I could alleadge 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 bee misse to make you acquainted with the collection of a certaine Schoole divine who distinguisheth and divideth this word 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 minde 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 himselfe 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 bodilesse A bodily spirit is also of two sorts for some kinde of spirit is so named of spiritualnesse as it is distinguished from bodilinesse otherwise it is called Spiritus a spirando id est a stando of breathing or blowing as the winde doth A bodilesse spirit is one way so named of spiritualnesse and then it is taken for a spirituall substance and is of two sorts some make a full and compleat kind and is called compleat or perfect as a spirit angelicall some doe not make a full and perfect kind and is called incompleat or unperfect as the soule There is also the spirit vitall which is a certaine subtill or very fine substance necessarily disposing and tending unto life There be moreover spirits naturall which are a kind of subtill and very fine substances disposing and tending unto equall complexions of bodies Again there be spirits animall which are certain subtill 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 philosophicall kinde 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 principall and holy spirit of God which one defineth or rather describeth to be the third person in trinity issuing from the Father and the Son no more the charity dilection love of the Father and the Son than the Father is the charity dilection and love of the Son and Holy
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 alleadge 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 himselfe but speaketh what he heareth as Christ expressely testifieth Iohn 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 agoe 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 beginning neither is he begotten for then he is begotten 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 seeke 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 â—e resolved in the truth it can do little hurt yet to such as stand upon a wavering point it can doe no great good Having thus far waded against them and overthrown their opinions 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 fountaine water of Gods 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 divine Spirit marry it was somewhat misty dark lanâ—e and limping neverthelesse 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 universall 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 soule of the world for he holdeth that the divinity doth extend even to this soul. As for Hermes Trismegistus he saith that all things have need of this spirit for according to his worthinesse he supporteth all he quickeneth and susteineth all and he is derived from the holy fountaine giving breath and life unto all and evermore remaineth continuall plentifull 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 kinde of heavenly influence agree in writing and speaking the name of God with no more than foure letters As for example the Egyptians doe call him Theut the Persians call him Syre the Iews expresse his unspeakable as well as they can by the word Adonai consisting of foure vowels the Arabianâ— call him Alla the Mahometists call him Abdi the Greeks call him Theos the Latines call him Deus c. This although it be not so proper to our present purpose yet because we are in hand with the holy spirits deity is not altogether impertinent But why God would have his name as it were universally bounded within the number of four letters I can give sundry reasons which requires too long a discourse of words by digression and therefore I will conceal them for this time These opinions of philosophers I have willingly remembred that it might appear that the doctrine concerning the Holy Spirit is very ancient which they have taken either out of Moses writings or out of the works of the old fathers published and set forth in books though not wholly fully and perfectly understood and known and also that our Pneumatomachi may see themselves to be more doltish in divine matters than the heathen who will not acknowledge that essentiall and working power of the divinity whereby all things are quickned which the heathen did after a sort see after a sort I say because they separated the soul of the world which they also call the begotten mind from the most soveraign and unbegotten God and imagined certain differences of degrees and as Cyrill saith did Arrianize in the Trinity So then I conclude against these Pneumatomachi that in so much as they imitate the old gyants who piling up Pelion upon Ossa and them both upon Olympus attempted by scaling the heavens to pull Iupiter out of his throne of estate and to spoil him of his principality and were notwithstanding their strength whereby they were able to carry huge hills on their shoulders overwhelmed with those mountaines and squeized under the weight of them even to the death so these Pneumatomachi being enemies both to the holy Spirit and no friends to the holy church for then would they confesse the Trinity in Unity and the Unity is Trinity and consequently also the deity of the holy Spirit deserve to be consumed with the fire of his mouth the heat whereof by no meanes can be slacked quenched or avoided For there is nothing more unnaturall nothing more monstrous then against