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A26477 A perfect discovery of witches shewing the divine cause of the distractions of this kingdome, and also of the Christian world : very profitable to bee read by all sorts of people, especially judges of assizes, sheriffes, justices of the peace, and grand-jury-men, before they passe sentence on those that are condemned for witch-craft / by Thomas Ady.; Candle in the dark Ady, Thomas. 1661 (1661) Wing A676; ESTC R19148 123,593 172

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in the text Conjector a Conjecturer The Fifth Description The Fifth Appellation or term of description of a Witch in the Text is Prestigiator that is a Jugler THe interpretation of this word is plain in the Scriptures that is one that worketh false or lying Wonders or lying Miracles in opposition of the true Miracles that were wrought by God by his Prophets such were Jannes and Jambres 2 Tim. 3.8 9. As Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses so also do these resist the truth now how Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses it appeareth Exod. 7.5.8.9 God would have his Prophets Moses and Aaron to be known by their Miracles that the people might beleeve that God had sent them they wrought the Miracles that God had commanded them Exod. 7.13 but it appeareth in vers 14. that these Juglers withstood them and when the Messengers of God wrought true Miracles those Witches wrought lying Miracles in opposition of them Fecerunt similiter they did the like The Latin translation is thus Tum vocavit Pharo sapientes Prestigiatores ut facerent ipsi quoque magi Aegyptii suis incantation bus similiter and Pharoah called the Wise men and Juglers that the Magicians of Aegypt might also do the like with their inchantments so likewise vers 25. Fecerunt similtier magis suis incantationibus the Magicians did the like with their Inchantments this word Similiter the like or in like manner is of great importance least some ignorant reader of the Scriptures should suppose that the Magicians did the same Miracles that the Prophets did whereas those acts of the Magicians were only delusions although enough to blind Pharaohs eyes because God would harden his heart And as it appeareth in 2 Tim. 3.9 their actions were only mad fooleries that came to light and were proved ridiculous as the words import for the craft of Jugling to them that are not acquainted with it breedeth great admiration in the beholders and seemeth to silly people to be miraculous and yet being known is but deceit and foolery so that the beholder himself cannot but blush and be ashamed to think he was so easily cousened and did so much admire a ridiculous Imposture that craft of Jugling consisteth First In slight of hand or cleanly conveyance Secondly In confederacy and Thirdly In the abuse of Natural Magick The first is profitably seen in our common Juglers that go up and down to play their Tricks in Fayrs and Markets I will speak of one man more excelling in that craft than others that went about in King James his time and long since who called himself The Kings Majesties most excellent Hocus Pocus and so was he called because that at the playing of every Trick he used to say Hocus pocus tontus talontus vade celeriter jubeo a dark composure of words to blinde the eyes of the beholders to make his Trick pass the more currantly without discovery because when the eye and the ear of the beholder are both earnestly busied the Trick is not so easily discovered nor the Imposture discerned the going about of this Fellow was very useful to the wife to see how easily people among the ancient Heathen were deceived in times and places of ignorance for in these times many silly people yea and some also that think themselves wise will stand like Pharaoh and his Servants and admire a Jugling Imposture or like the silly Samaritans Acts 8.10 who did so much admire a seducing Jugler as they said He was the great power of God until they saw the true and real Miracles of Philip vers 6. And others again on the contrary will stand affrighted or run out of the room scared like fools saying The Devil is in the room and helpeth him to do such Tricks and some saying absolutely He is a Witch and ought to be hanged when as he did only act the part of a Witch to enlighten and not to deceive that people might see and discern the Impostures by which the Idols of the Heathen were made famous by their jugling Priests and might laugh at their vanities they that would see the manner of this part of Jugling or cleanly conveyance more fully may read Master Scots discovery of Witchcraft where it is set down at large to the satisfaction of all those that are not wilfully ignorant as also briefly afterward in this Fifth description after pag. 34. And now for illustrating of the History of Pharaohs Magicians I will parallel this Hocus Pocus or English Jugler a little with them they are called Prestigiatores Juglers Exod. 7.14 and yet in the same verse and also in vers 25. it is said they did in like manner by their inchantments Why with their Inchantments Not that Jugling and Inchanting are one and the same imposture but the reason is because when they wrought a Jugling Trick or lying Miracle they always spake a Charm or Inchantation immediately before it like to that of our English Jugler aforesaid to make the delusion the stronger by busying the senses of Hearing and Seeing in the Spectator both at once for a Charm or Inchantation was only a composure of words to delude people who thought that words spoken in a strange manner had vertue and efficacy in them as may be seen more fully in the Sixth description following therefore are they said to work their false Miracles by their Inchantments because they seemed to silly beholders to do them by their inchantations or words when as indeed they did them only by slight of hand or cleanly conveyance called Legerdemain and they that are well acquainted with this craft of Jugling may easily conceive how these Magicians did their Feats without so much admiring them when they read the History as if they had done great Wonders which were only delusions The second and third Miracle that they dissembled do plainly appear in the letter of the History Exod. 7.2 they seemed to turn water into bloud Fecerunt similiter and yet mark well the History and yee shall see there was no water in Aegypt for Moses had turned it all into bloud before vers 20.21.24.25 so then they could finde no River or Pond to do that feat in it must needs follow then that they sent for water where it was to be had which was no nearer than Goshen and so shewed a petty Jugling Trick before Pharaoh in a room with a Bowl or Tray of water setting it upon the ground and by slight of hand conveying bloud into it to colour it so likewise for the Third Miracle which they dissembled Chap. 8.7 it was necessarily done by a such vessel of water for they could not finde any other water free in all Aegypt which were not already full of the abundance of Frogs vers 3.5 and what common Jugler might not easily dissemble that Miracle by setting a bowl of water down before Pharaoh and his Servants and by slight of hand conveying in three or four Frogs and so holding up their staffe and speaking
against poor people in writing and were credulous therein beleeving and teaching such Doctrins that a Witch can send a Devil to possesse and torment people and another Witch can cast him out but if they and all Ministers were led by the Spirit of truth they should know that this deluding Hagge was the Witch and not they whom she accused for what difference was there between her imposture and a spirit of Divination like the Maid in Acts 16.16 formerly mentioned whose spirit of Divination or Oracling was only a Devillish cousening imposture saith Beza and such ought to be put to death by the Law of Moses because they use Divinations pretending the discovery of Witches it being manifest therein that they are the Witches and because they by false accusation murther others such a Maid was lately at Brantree in Essex who practised the same imposture to the astonishment of many and gained mony from the deceived beholders until the report thereof grew stale and fools had done wondering and the concourse of people ceased and her gains came not in and then the Devil did easily leave her and the business almost forgotten and yet no men so ready to put in execution the Law of God against her or any such as against poor people that are accused by such and by fools and hanged up without ground or warrant or possibility of truth This imposture hath wrought strange delusions among the ancient Heathen and the actors thereof did by this imposture delude the people one way very notable was by them speaking in the Belly in the manner aforesaid they would make it seem to the standers by that a voyce came from afar off or from some secret place that that voyce was the voyce of some of the gods and then they would report abroad that in such a place a voyce was heard declaring or commanding such and such matters and the poor deluded standers by would witness and report the same to be true whereas the voyce came only from the deluding Witch that was among them when they heard the voyce as we may read in Plutarch de defec Orac. A certain ship sayling by the Island of Paxis in which ship were some Aegyptians the manner of which Nation was to practise the several impostures of Witchcraft for their advantage and fame among the people there was heard from the shore of Paxis a voyce calling thrice to Thamus by name he being an Aegyptian in the ship Thamus when thou comest to Palos report that great Pan is dead which thing he did When he came near Palos he looked toward the shore and cryed aloud Great Pan is dead then there was heard a terrible sighing and groaning which much affrighted the people in the ship the report of this was speedily testified at Rome in so much that this Thamus was sent for by Tyberius Caesar and so was much taken notice of in the Emperours Court and although many were deluded by that voyce which was so heard by the men in the ship and did much dispute about it what it should signifie yet they that do rightly understand the imposture of Hariolating or speaking in the belly may easily conceive that Thamus himself was the man or some confederate with him that spake the voyce and made that mighty groaning at the last thereby to delude the people and to make himself famous as some great Man to whom some of the gods had spoken and whereas it was about the time that Christ was Crucified And some would have it that that voyce was really spoken by some strange Spirit and might signifie Christ I yeeld thus farre that Thamus himself might have heard the same of the passages of the Life and Death and Resurrection of Christ and might speak of and concerning Christ not that he beleeved in Christ but would tell some notable thing in his own deluding way for the magnifying of himself among the people implying that he was the man to whom such a voyce should come from the gods and whereas he said Great Pan is dead it was because the Jews were the posterity of Shepherds and the Heathen had feigned Pan to be the god of Shepherds thus might he mean Christ as the Maid in the Acts ch 16.16 acknowledged Paul and his Doctrin not by belief but thereby to uphold and countenance her imposture among the people for her own fame and gain so might this Impostor mean Christ although nor he nor any other did ever conclude any thing fully concerning the meaning of that voyce but left it doubtful as all Oracles of the Heathen were insomuch that some told Tiberius that it was spoken from the gods of one that was risen up between Mercury and Penelopa Thus did Thamus by his imposture get himself fame at the Emperours Court which was the thing he aimed at and left superstitious fools disputing of an ambiguous Oracle It hath been credibly reported that there was a man in the Court in King James his days that could act this imposture so lively that he could call the King by name and cause the King to look round about him wondring who it was that called him whereas he that called him stood before him in his presence with his face toward him but after this imposture was known the King in his merriment would sometimes take occasion by this Impostor to make sport upon some of his Courtiers as for instance There was a Knight belonging to the Court whom the King caused to come before him in his private room where no man was but the King and this Knight and the Impostor and feigned some occasion of serious discourse with the Knight but when the King began to speak and the Knight bending his attention to the King suddenly there came a voyce as out of another room calling the Knight by name Sir John Sir John come away Sir John at which the Knight began to frown that any man should be so unmannerly as to molest the King and him and still listning to the Kings discourse the voyce came again Sir John Sir John come away and drink off your Sack at that Sir John began to swell with anger and looked into the next rooms to see who it was that dared to call him so importunately and could not finde out who it was and having chid with whomsoever he found he returned again to the King the King again had no sooner began to speak as formerly but the voyce came again Sir John come away your Sack stayeth for you at that Sir John begun to stamp with madness and looked out and returned several times to the King but could not be quiet in his discourse with the King because of the voyce that so often troubled him till the King had sported enough So much for this Eighth term of description of a Witch in the text Ariolus a South-sayer The Ninth term of Description THe Ninth term of Description is Necromantis a Necromancer that is in the sense