Selected quad for the lemma: truth_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
truth_n	believe_v	gospel_n	preach_v	1,882	5	6.7867	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A09402	A discourse of the damned art of witchcraft so farre forth as it is reuealed in the Scriptures, and manifest by true experience. Framed and deliuered by M. William Perkins, in his ordinarie course of preaching, and now published by Tho. Pickering Batchelour of Diuinitie, and minister of Finchingfield in Essex. Whereunto is adioyned a twofold table; one of the order and heades of the treatise; another of the texts of Scripture explaned, or vindicated from the corrupt interpretation of the aduersarie.	Perkins, William, 1558-1602.; Pickering, Thomas, d. 1625.	1610 (1610)	STC 19698; ESTC S114527	101,186	282

God gaue the gift to breede faith in the Gentiles we shall finde that the power of producing such workes was neuer actually inherent in the Apostles but dispensed by their in the Name of Christ Neither was it in their libertie to worke miracles when they would but when it pleased God vpon speciall cause to ca●l them thereunto And i● neither the power nor the will was in them much lesse is it likely to be sound in any of the Saints And for their Reliques of what name soeuer so greatly magnified and resorted vnto we denie there is any such vertue in them For they may not be thought to be more effectuall then the hem of Christs garment from which the power of healing the woman did not proceede but from himself● Or then the Napkin of Paul which did not cure the sicke but the power of God onely dispensed by the hands of Paul Miracles therefore auouched by them to be wrought at the Tombs Statues of Saints and by their reliques and monuments are but meere Satanicall wonders seruing to maintaine Idolatrie and superstition and are in truth no better then ●the wonders of the Donatists in S. Augustines time aut figmenta mond●●cium hominum aut port●nta fallacium spirituum IV. That the light of the Gospel purely preached is a soueraigne meane to discoue● con●ound the power and policie of Sa●●n in Witch-craft and Sorcerie The wo●d of God preached is the weap●n of the Christians warfare and is mightie through God to cast downe strong bolds At the dispensation of i● by the disciples of Christ Satan fall from heauen a● lightning After the ascension of Christ into Heauen in the times of Claudius Cesar the Deuill stirred vp sundrie persons who in regard of the admirable works which they did by the helpe of Magicke and Sorcerie were accounted as Gods and their Statues erected and worshipped with great reuerence Amongst the rest one Simon called by a kinde of eminencie Magus practising his trade with successe to the admiration of the multitude was holden to be the great power of God Whose dealing was first discouered by the light of the word shining in the Ministery of the Apostles and himselfe conuicted with such euidence of truth to be an Instrument of Satan that he was forced at length to flie ou● of Sama●i● into the Westerne parts as Eusebius recordeth in his Ecclesiasticall Historie By this Christ the true angel of the Couenant lo●ked and bound vp Satan for a 1000. yeares after his ascension that he might not be so generally powerfull in seducing the Gentiles as he had beene before his incarnation But toward the expiration of those yeares when corruption began to creepe into the Papacie when the Bishops affected that Sea and aspired vnto it by Diabolicall arts when the Canons Decrees Sentences Synod●lls De●r●ialls Clemen●ines Extrauagants with other Laws and Constitutions preuailed aboue the Scriptures then began Satan againe to erect his kingdome and these workes of iniquitie to be set abroach Th●se points together with the whole work ensueing I humb●y commend to your Honorable patronage that vnder your protection they may freely passeth the common view of the world Wherin if I seem ouer-bold thus to presse vpon your Lordship vnknowne my answer in at hand That all by-respects 〈◊〉 part I haue beene hereunto induced many waies First vpon a reuerent opinion of those rare gifts of knowledge and pietie wherewith God hath beautified your person ●nd thereby aduanced you to high place and estimation in this Common-wealth Whereof those your graue and indicious speeches euen in the weightiest matters touching God and Cesar as also those many learned writings haue giuen large testimonie Frō which hath issued the greatnes of your Name both in the present iudgement of the world and in future expectation Next out of a resolued perswasion of your Honourable disposition as in generall to the whole house of Leui so particularly to those whose labours haue fruitfully flowed out of the Schooles of the Prophets amongst whome the Author of this booke in his time was none of the meanest Lastly by the consideration of the Argument arising out of a Law Iudiciall agreeable to the calling and qualitie of a Iudge A Law penall in regard of the offence and therefore sutable to his proceedings whose office is to heare with fauour to determine with equitie to execute iustice with moderation A law of the highest and greatest weight immediately concerning God and his Honour and therefore appertaining to him that sits in the place of God to maintane his right that he may be with him in the cause and iudgement By such Motiues I haue incouraged my 〈◊〉 vnder assurance of your Lordships pardon to present you with that wherein you are most deseruedly interessed further intreating your fauourable interpretation and acceptance both of the qualitie of the Worke and of the paines of the Publisher And thus heartily wishing to your Lordship increase of grace and honour with a daily influence of blessing and direction from heauen vpon your graue consultations and employments I humbly take my leaue and commend you to the grace of God by whome doe rule all the Iudges of the earth Finchingfield Octob. 26. 1608. Your L. in all Christian dutie to be commanded THOMAS PICKERING A Table of the Contents The entrance into the Discourse Pag. 1. CHAP. I. Of the Nature of Witchcraft in generall That VVitchcraft is an Art 4 That VVitchcraft is a wicked Art 7 The ende of VVitchraft To worke wonders 8 The grounds of working wonders discontentment and Curiositie 9 That wonders are wrought by Satans assistance 12 The sorts of wonders True wonders wrought onely by God 13 14 Ly●●g wonders wrought by Satan and his instruments 18 That Satan is able to doe extraordinarie works by the helpe of Nature 19 The sorts of Lying wonders 22 1. Illusions of the Senses 22 Minde 22 2. Reall workes 27 That Satan cannot change one creature into another 33 Gods Permission of the practises of Witchcraft Why he permitteth them 38 Satan cannot go beyond his permission 39 CHAP. II. Of the Ground of all the practises of Witchcraft That there is a league betweene Satan and the Witch 42 This League is twofold Expresse or open 47 Secret and the degree thereof 51 CHAP. III. Of the Parts of Witchcraft and first of Diuination How Satan beeing a creature reuealeth things to come 56 Diuination by meanes which are the true creatures of God As By the flying and noise of Birdes 66 By the Intralls of Beasts 67 By the starres called Iudiciarie Astrologie 73 That Predictions by the Starres are vnlawfull 75. 86 Of the Obseruation of the Signe 88 Of the choise and obseruation of daies 91 By Dreames Diuine 93 Naturall 95 Diabolicall 97 Notes of Difference to know them each from other 100 By Lots Diuination by counterfeit meanes N●cromancie 107 Whether that which was raised by the

constraint but voluntarily because he builds vpon his owne greater aduantage the gaining of the soule of the Witch Where by the way let it be obserued what a pretious thing the soule of man is the purchasing wherof can make the proud spirit of Satan so farre to abase it self as to be at the command of a silly woman Againe what an inueterate malice Satan beareth to man which for the gaining of a soule will doe that which is so contrarie to his nature It may teach man what to esteeme of his soule and not to sell it for so base a price Thirdly by this the great power of the Deuill in the behalfe of the Sorcerer is made manifest For he was presently at hand to counterfeit Samuel and did it so liuely and cunningly as well in forme of bodie as in attire and voice that Saul thought verily it was the Prophet which may be a caueat vnto vs not easily to giue credit to any such apparitions For though they seeme neuer so true and euident yet such is the power and skill of the deuill that he can quite deceiue vs as he did Saul in this place Sect. IV. Hitherto I haue shewed the first kind of Diuination by meanes both true and forged Now followeth the second practised without meanes Diuination without meanes is the foretelling and reuealing of things to come by the alone and immediate assistance of a familiar spirit This kind is mentioned and expressely forbidden Leuit. 19. 31. Ye shall not regard them that worke with spirits Againe Leuit. 20. 6. If any turne after such as worke with spirits to goe a whoring after them I will set my face against that person and will cut him off from among his people So Deut. 18. 11. Let none be found among you that consulteth with spirits In which places the holy Ghost vseth the word Ob which more properly signifieth a spirit or deuill in which sense it is taken in Leuit. 20. 27. and in 1. Sam 28. 8. And by reason of the league which is betweene the Witch and the deuill the same is also giuen to the Witch that worketh by the deuill and therefore the Pythonesse at Endor is both called Ob 1. Sam. 28. 9. and shee that ruleth Ob. v. 7 8. Now this kind of Diuination is practised two wayes either inwardly when the spirit is within the Witch or outwardly when being forth of the Witch he doth onely inspire him or her An example of the former waie the Scripture affordeth Act. 16. 16. of a woman at Philippi that had a spirit of Pytho which gather master much vantage with diuining And this spirit whereby she diuined was within her For Paul beeing molested said to the spirit I cōmand thee in the name of Iesus Christ that thou come out of her and he came out the same houre v. 18. And because the deuill is wont in this kinde to speake out of the throat and brest or bellie of the Witch p●ssessed hereunto learned men haue thought that this name Ob is giuen to the deuill because he speaketh out of the witch as out of a bottell or hollow vessell for so the word Ob properly signifieth Secondly this may be practised when the deuill is forth of the Witch and then he either inspireth her or els casteth her into a traunce and therein reueileth vnto her such things as she would know Of this kind though we haue no example in Scripture yet the histories of the heathen doe affoard vnto vs many instances of experience therein One of the principall is the historie of the ten Sibylles of Greece who were most famous Witches and did prophesie of many things to come whereof some were true concerning Christ and his kingdome which the deuill stole out of the Bible and some other were false and all of them they receiued by reuelation from the deuill in traunces But it will be said If the deuill reueileth vnto his instruments strāge things in traunces then how shall a man discerne betweene diabolicall reuelations and the true gift of prophesie which God in traunces reueileth vnto his Prophets Answ. In this point Satan is as it were Gods ape For as he in old time raised vp holy Prophets to speake vnto the fathers for the building vp of his Church so hath Satan inspired his ministers and furnished his instruments with propheticall inspirations from time to time for the building vp of his owne kingdome and hereupon he hath notably counterfeited the true gift of prophecie receiued first from God himselfe And yet though in many things they be like there is great difference betweene them First diuine trances may come vpon Gods children either whē the soule remaineth vnited with the bodie or else when it is seuered for a time So much Paul insinuateth when he faith of himselfe 2. Cor. 12. ● that he was rapt vp as it were in a heauenly trance into the third heauen but whether in the bodie or out of the bodie he knew not But in all diabolical ecstasies though the body and senses of the Witch be as it were bound or benummed for the time yet their soules still ren●aine vnited to their bodies and not seuered from them For though the deuill by Gods permission may kill the bodie and so take the soule out of it for euer yet to take it from the bodie for a time and to reunite them againe is miraculous and therefore beyond the compasse of his power Secondly in diuine trances the seruants of God haue all their senses yea all the powers of soule and bodie remaining sound and perfect onely for a time the actions and operations are suspended and cease to doe their dutie but in ecstasies that be from Satan his instruments are cast into frenzies and madnesse so as reason in them is darkened vnderstanding obscured memorie weakned the braine distempered yea all the faculties are so blemished that many of them neuer recouer their former estate againe and they that scape best doe carrie their blemishes as the deuills skars euen vnto their graue So kind is Saran to his friends that he will leaue his tokens behind him where euer he comes in this sort The seruants of God receiue no such blemishes but rather a further good and a greater measure of illumination of all the powers of the soule Thirdly diuine ecstasies tend alway to the confirming of the truth of the Gospel and the furtherance of true religion and pietie Such was Peters Act. 10. 11. which serued to assure him of his calling to preach the Gospel to the Gentiles and to informe his iudgement in this truth that there was no acception of persons with God and that to them of the new Testament all things were cleane and nothing polluted But the scope of them that are from Satan is principally the suppressing and hinderance of religion the drawing of the weake into errours the ratifying and confirming of thē that are fallen thereinto and the generall vpholding of the

must be absolutely for the pardon of their sinnes and then for deliuerance from the hurts and torments of diabolicall persons yet not absolutely as for the other but with this condition so farre forth as it stands with Gods glorie and their owne good For these are the bounds and limits of all temporall good things of them the Lord makes no absolute promise but with these conditions qualifications Thirdly the parties bewitched must patiently beare the present annoyance comforting themselues with this that it is the Lords own hand by whose speciall prouidence it comes to passe and who turneth all things to the good of his chosen Againe they are to remember that he beeing a most wise God and louing father in Christ will not suffer them to be tried aboue that they are able to beare but in his good time will grant a ioyfull issue Now when the bewitched shall thus submit themselues vnto God in the crosse be it that he vpon some causes deferre their deliuerance yet they shall not finally be deceiued of their hope For either in this life at the appointed time or in the end of this life by death they shall be eternally deliuered and put in present possession of euerlasting case and happines Thus much of the true remedies against Witchcraft In the next place we are a little to examine the false and superstitious Remedies prescribed and vsed by them of the popish Church The most learned Papists of this age doe teach and auouch that there is in Gods Church an ordinarie gift power whereby some men may cast out deuills and helpe annoyances that come by Witches The Protestant is of a contrarie iudgement and holdeth according to truth that there is now no such ordinary gift left to the Church of God since the daies of the Apostles Reasons of this opiniō may be these First casting out of deuills and curing such annoyances are extraordinarie and miraculous workes For Christ accounteth handling of serpents without hurt speaking with newe tongues curing of diseases by imposition of hands all which are things of lesse moment to be miracles Mark 16. 18 19. but all these lesser works yea the ordinarie power of working them is ceased for it was onely giuen to the Apostles in the Primitiue Church as a meanes to confirme the doctrine of the Gospel to vnbeleeuers that neuer heard of Christ before So Paul saith Strange tongues that is the gift of speaking strange languages without ordinarie teaching are for asigne not to them that beleeue but to them that beleeue not 1. Cor. 14. ●2 And for the same ende were all extraordinarie gifts then giuen Seeing therefore the doctrine of the Gospell hath beene alreadie established and the truth thereof sufficiently confirmed by miracles in the Primitiue Church the same gift must needes cease vnto vs. For if it should still continue it would call into question the effect of the Apostolicall preaching and implie thus much that the Gospel was not well established nor sufficiently confirmed by their extraordinarie Ministerie and miracles accompanying the same Againe if the gift of working miracles should remaine then the promise of God for his speciall and extraordinarie assistance therein should yet continue for the gift and promise goe together so long as the promise is in force so long is the gift also but the promise made by Christ In my name shall they cast out deuills and speake with new tongues Mark 16. was in force onely in the persons and Ministerie of the Apostles and those that had extraordinarie and immediate calling from God and it ceased when they and their calling ceased Therefore if Ministers now should lay their hands on the sicke they should not recouer them if they should annoint them with Oyle it should doe them no good because they haue no promise Howbeit the Papists stand stiffely in defending the continuance of these gifts First they say the Church of the New Testament is nothing inferiour to that of the Old The Iewish Church before the comming of Christ was the Church of the Old Testament and had the power and gift of casting our Deuills So saith our Sauiour himselfe Matth. 12. 27. If I through Beelzebub cast out Deuills then by whome doe your children cast them out In which words he ascribeth this gift vnto the Iewes therefore it should seeme the same remaineth still in the Church Ans. That place of Scripture is diuersly expounded Some by children there mentioned vnderstand the Apostles who were Iewes borne and had receiued from Christ this gift power to cast out deuills Which if it be so it maketh not for them because they had it extraordinarily But I rather thinke that by children are meant the Exorcising Iewes before Christs time who did cast out deuills among them pretending an abilitie to doe this worke in the name of God whereas in truth they were all flat Sorcerers and did it by vertue of a league compact made with the Deuill Which practise hath been of long continuance and is at this day common and vsuall among the Popish sort And that there were such Exorcists among the Iewes it is euident For such were those Vagabonds which came to Ephesus and tooke vpon them to cast out deuills by the name of Iesus and Paul Act. 19. 13. but the man in whome the euill spirit was so soone as they 〈◊〉 adjuced the spirit ranne vpon them and mightily preuailed against them v. 16. Now if they had done this great worke by the power of God as they pretended the holy Ghost would not haue called them E●orcists and Vagabonds ● neither could the euill spirit possibly haue ouercome them as he did Againe in the histories of the Iewes are recorded many practises of stich as exercised this power among them Raphael the angel telleth Tobias that a perfume made of the heart and liuer of a fish will helpe a man vexed with an euill spirit Tob. 6. 7. which counsell is fla● Magicke for there is no such vertue in the liuer of a fish And in other histories we read● that one Bliaz●r a Iew by the smell of a certaine roote put to the nose of a man possessed with a deuill caused the deuill to come out of his n●strills and forsake him which thing was done in publike place before V●spasian and others This also was effected by meere conjuration For what vertue can there be in any roote or hearb in the world a ●aileable to command and enforce Satan to depart from a man possessed● And yet such fea●es were plaied by sundrie Magici●ns among the Iewes● Whereupon I conclude that the meaning of our Sauionr in the place alleadged is in effect thus much If 〈◊〉 the power of Beelzebub c. that is you haue among you sundrie Magicians and Exorcists who pretend and exercise the gift of casting out deuills and you thinke they doe it by the power of God why then do you not carie the same opinion of me also Their second

this so farre forth as God in iustice suffereth which I adde for two causes First ●o shew that God for iust causes permi●te●h the Arts of Magicke Witchcraft and the practises thereof Now this he doth in his prouidence either for the triall of his children or for the punishment of the wicked First therefore God permits these wicked Arts in the Church to prooue whether his children wil steadfastly beleeue in him and seeke vnto his word or cleaue vnto the deuill by seeking to his wicked instruments This Moses plainely forewarned the Church of God of in his time Deuter. 13. v. 1. If there arise among you a Prophet or a dreamer of dreames and giue thee a signe or wonder v. 2. and the signe and wonder which he hath told thee come to passe saying Let vs goe after other gods which thou hast not knowne and serue them v. 3. thou shalt not hearken to the words of that Prophet c. Againe God suffereth them for the punishment of vnbeleeuers and wicked men for oftentimes God punisheth one sinne by an other as the antecedent sinnes by the consequent This Paul plainely sheweth speaking of the daies of Antichrist that because men receiued not the loue of the truth therefore God would send vpon them strong illusions that they should beleeue lies And we may resolue our selues that for this very cause God suffereth the practises of Witchcraft to be so rise in these our daies to punish the ingratitude of men who haue the truth reuealed vnto them and yet will not beleeue and obey the same but tread it vnder their feete that all they might be condemned which beleeued not the truth but tooke pleasure in vnrighteousnesse Secondly this last clause is added to shewe that in the practises of sorcerie and witchcraft the Deuill can doe so much onely as God permitts him and no more Doubtlesse his malice reacheth further and consequently his will and desire but God hath restrained his power in the execution of his malitious poses whereupon he cannot goe a whit further then God giues him leaue and libertie to goe The Magicians of Egypt did some wonders in shew like vnto the miracles wrought by Moses and Aaron and that for a time by changing a rodde into a serpent and water into blood and by bringing froggs through he sleight and power of the deuill but when it pleased God to determine their practises and giue them no further liber●ie they could not doe that which in likelihood was the meanest of all the rest the turning of the dust of the land into lice and themselues gaue the true reason thereof ●aving That this was the finger of God Exod. 8. 19. When the deuil● went out and became a false spirit in the mouth of all Ahabs Prophets to intise him to goe to fall at Ramoth G●le●d he went not of his owne will but by the authoritie of God who commanded him to goe ●●●entise Ahab and suffered him to preuaile 1. King 22. 20. ●nd the act was not the act of Satan but of God whose instrument he was and therefore the holy Ghost saith by Mi●aiah The Lord-hath put a lying spirit in the mouth of all these thy Prophets and the Lord hath appointed euill against thee v. 23. Hence also it was that the deuills beeing cast out of the man that had an vncleane spirit asked leaue of Christ to enter into the heard of swine and could not enter in till he had permited them Mark 5. 12 13. And we read oftentimes in the Gospel that our Sauiour cast out many deuills by his word onely thereby shewing that he was absolute Lord ouer them and that without his permission they could doe nothing And thus much touching the generall 〈◊〉 of this Art CHAP. II. The Ground of Witchcraft and of all the practises thereof THe Ground of all the practises of Witchcraft is a league or couenant made betweene the Witch and the Deuill wherein they doe mutually bind themselues each to other If any shall thinke it strange that man or woman should enter league with Satan their vtter enemie they are to know it for a most euident and certen truth that may not be called into question And yet to cleare the iudgement of any one in this point I will set downe some reasons in way of proofe First the holy Scripture doth intimate so much vnto vs in the 58. Psal. v. 5. where howsoeuer the cōmon translation runneth in other tearmes yet the words are properly to be read thus which heareth not the voyce of the mutterer ioyning societies cunningly And in them the Psalmist layeth downe two points First the effect or worke of a charme muttered by the Inchanter namely that it is able to stay the Adder from s●inging those which shall lay hold on him or touch him Secondly the maine foundation of the charme societies or confederacies cunningly made not betweene man and man but as the words import betweene the Inchanter and the deuill The like we read Deuter. 18. 11. where the Lord chargeth his people when they come into the land of Canaan that amongst other abominations of the heathen they should beware least any were found amongst them that ioyned societie that is entred into league and compact with wicked spirits A second reason may be this it is the practise of the deuill to offer to make a bargaine and couenant with man Thus he dealt with our Sauiour Christ in the third temptation wherewith he assaulted him promising to giue vnto him all the kingdomes of the earth and the glorie of them which he shewed him in a vision if Christ for his part would fall downe and worshippe him The offer was passed on the behalfe of Satan and now to make a perfect compact betweene them there was nothing wanting but the free consent of our Sauiour vnto the cōdition propounded Whereby it is manifest that the Deuill makes many couenants in the world because he findeth men and women in the most places fitted for his turne in this kind who will not let to worship him for a farre lesse matter then a kingdome And it is not to be doubted that thousands in the world had they been offered so faire as Christ was would haue beene as willing to haue yeelded vpon such conditions as the Deuill to haue offered Thirdly the common confession of all Witches and So●cerers both before and since the comming of Christ doth yet more fully confirme the same For they haue confessed with one consent that the very ground-worke of all their practises in this wicked art is their league with the deuill And hence it appeareth how and whereupon it is that Sorcerers and Witches can bring to passe strange things by the helpe of Satan which other men ordinarily can not doe namely because they haue entred a league with him whereby he hath bound himselfe to them for the effecting of rare and extraordinarie workes which others not ioyned with him in the like